Browse > Home / Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Michigan International Speedway / Junior’s gamble puts Junior in Victory Circle.

Junior’s gamble puts Junior in Victory Circle.

User Avatar

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

June 16, 2008 10:13 pm CDT 3 Comments

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ended his winless streak at seventy-six.

Junior’s gamble puts Junior in Victory Circle.Tony Eury, Jr. who has taken a beating from fans for his overly conservative pit strategies, rolled the fuel mileage dice on Sunday and beat the odds. The Mountain Dew Chevy went further than any car had a right to go on a tank of fuel to allow Junior fans to finally cheer their hero.

Just because he stretched NASCAR’s rule book by passing the pace car during the last caution and thus raising the ire of at least Matt Kenseth; it didn”t keep Junior’s fans from reveling in his first points paying victory at Hendrick Motorsports. Junior talked about his conversation with Eury toward the end of the race:

…he told me with 20 to go, he told me that scenario. He said: “There’s guys behind us that are going to make it and you’re going to get beat by them if you pit. And if we go for it, and if we run out, we’re going to finish 25th. If we pit we’re going to finish 25th, so go for it.”

Kenseth was the most outspoken of the drivers who took umbredge with Junior’s efforts to save fuel by speeding past the pace car to gain enough momentum to shut the engine down and coast half way around the track.

This brings us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Was Junior’s win at Michigan tainted, because it was a fuel mileage race that ended under caution?

Let us know what you think and we could use your answer on this week’s ON PIT ROW radio show. Listen live from 5-7pm ET to ON PIT ROW, followed by Inside ARCA at 8pm ET.

photo credit: Beth Anne Heisler -  ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Michigan International Speedway 

Tagged with: , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Comments

3 Responses to “Junior’s gamble puts Junior in Victory Circle.”

  1. Mike Becker on June 17th, 2008 7:23 pm

    With Dale Jr. and passing the pace car I say, Rules are Rules!!
    But don’t tell that to the Bubba’s with NASCAR and Jr. Nation.
    I was told by a relieable source (NASCAR insider) that NASCAR was concerned that if they had told Jr. to go to the end of the longest line for passing the pace car
    there would have been a mad rush of Jr. Nation fans heading for autographs at the end of the only long line they know of, (the Port-O-Jon).

  2. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on June 18th, 2008 5:14 am

    Yeah–if NASCAR had penalized Junior, all hell would have broken loose. I like the strategy and anticipation of a fuel mileage stategy and have no problem with winning that way. I would like to see NASCAR enforce their rules though.

  3. 2008 OPeR Award: Worst Crew Chief | On Pit Row on January 1st, 2009 4:39 pm

    [...] for the Sprint Cup. They won a qualifying race at Daytona, the Budweiser Shootout and the first 2008 race at Michigan International Speedway. That is not, by my definition, a failure of a [...]

Got something to say?

Did you know you can log in with your Thunder Lounge account, and have your personal avatar and site link available when you comment at On Pit Row?

Don't have an account yet? Sign-up for free.





Powered by WP Hashcash

March Madness

Play the Rattles from the Catch Can contest

Blogroll

Fantasy Sports Partners

Racing Websites

ON PIT ROW at RaceTalkRadio
Backstretch Boys: 30% Off New CD!
Jayski's: See what the buzz is about.

We've got your game.

Advertisement