A TUMS’ “FightS back fast”MOMENT
(For each of the 36 races during the 2011 Sprint Cup season, TUMS will provide a brief historical recap of a moment when a team fought back to overcome an obstacle, one that can easily be described as a TUMS “Fights Back Fast” Moment. This week, the focus is on Talladega Superspeedway).
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Team Do the Unthinkable at the 2003 Aaron’s 499
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s reputation and track record at Talladega Superspeedway has led him to not only be a fan favorite at the 2.66-mile superspeedway race but also an odds-on favorite to win.
NOTE: TUMS is the sponsor of the TUMS Fast Relief 500, the seventh race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, at Martinsville Speedway on October 30. However, in the spring of 2003, Earnhardt and the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet team experienced multiple obstacles that should have left them in 43rdplace at the end of the Aarons 499 on April 6, 2003.
During pre-race warm up, the team experienced an engine problem forcing them to change the engine and ultimately start at the rear of the 43-car field.
On lap four, the No. 8 Chevrolet was involved in a 27-car wreck, one of the biggest wrecks in modern day racing.
Tony Eury Sr., crew chief at that time, and team assessed the damage and made repairs to the car throughout the remainder of the race. With odds stacked against them, Earnhardt made a daring pass under the yellow line with five laps to go to fight back and win a fourth consecutive race at Talladega. He swept the weekend by also winning the Nationwide Series (then Busch Series) race the day before.
Similar to how TUMS fights back fast, Earnhardt and his team fought back each step of the way and found relief when they captured the win on the final lap.
