JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet/No. 7 Go Daddy Chevrolet
EVENT – Dover 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
TRACK – Dover International Speedway (1-mile concrete oval)
DATE – Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010
TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 3 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3 p.m. EST)
Elliott Sadler
No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet
“It’s hard to believe we’re only eight races away from the end of the Nationwide Series season. I’ve had a blast racing here at JRM. It’s quickly winding down, and that gives you fewer and fewer chances to win races. I can’t tell you how exciting it would be to get a win for Dale Jr. and the 88 Realtree Outfitters team. Dale and I have been friends for a long a time, and I’d love to get Bill Jordan a win, too. It would be a pretty special victory lane if we were able to win this weekend at Dover.
“I haven’t raced a Nationwide car at Dover in a while, but fortunately it’s a place that hasn’t changed much at all. You’ll hear Dover compared to Bristol, but on a larger scale and that’s true to a point. They’re both concrete, but at Dover you really drop off into the corner. It’s very unique in that aspect. The corners are really long, so you want your car to rotate really well. You’ve got to be 100 percent focused each and every lap. Dover is a place where the slightest mistake could end your day in a heartbeat.”
Danica Patrick
No. 7 Go Daddy Chevrolet
“Dover will be a tough one for us this weekend. Again, this is a building year for me. It’s important we take the Go Daddy car out there and finish the race. That’s the biggest goal. I know I’m in for a challenge at Dover, there is no denying that. From what (crew chief) Tony (Eury) Jr. tells me, it’s a place that more than lives up to it nickname.
“I’ve heard a lot of interesting stories about that place. I’m looking forward to my first trip there, but I am a bit nervous. We have a number of things I do in preparation for tracks I’ve never raced at before. I’ve spent the weeks leading up to the race looking at a lot of video from past races there. I’m excited to run the Pro Series race, too. It’s something that I have to do. We can’t expect success in the Nationwide car if we’re not willing to put the time in on the racetrack. With only one practice in the Nationwide Series this weekend, running the Pro Series makes a lot of sense.”
Tony Eury Jr.
Crew Chief No. 7 Go Daddy Chevrolet
“Our whole Go Daddy team has been taking it one step at a time this year. Being a rookie in this series is very difficult, especially considering Danica’s open-wheel background and lack of stock car experience. At this point, we want to go out there and finish the race at Dover. I’m not going to speculate and say, hey, we need a top-20 finish to make it a good weekend. That would be nice, but we’re also realistic. It’s her first race there, and we can’t expect that. Finishing the race and bringing the Go Daddy car home with the fenders on it would be a solid weekend for us.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
DOUBLE DUTY FOR DP – Patrick will participate in Friday’s K & N Pro East Series race, the Sunoco 150, prior to the Dover 200 Nationwide Series event on Saturday. Patrick will drive the No. 83 JRM Chevrolet in preparation for her NNS debut at the facility.
88 TEAM VS. THE MONSTER – The No. 88 Realtree Outfitters team led by crew chief Tony Eury Sr., has finished inside the top-10 in the last seven races at the Monster Mile. The streak dates back three years to the fall of 2007. In that time the team has an average finish of 4.4, and earned one win, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
SADLER AT DOVER – Sadler owns five career starts in the Nationwide Series at Dover. He earned two top-10 finishes and has led one lap at the facility. This weekend will be Sadler’s first NNS race at Dover since driving for Gary Bechtel in 1998.
DANICA’S SEASON – Dover is Patrick’s seventh NNS race behind the wheel of the No. 7 Go Daddy Chevrolet. She earned the best finish of her rookie year when she finished 24th at Chicagoland Speedway on July 9.
SADLER WITH JRM – With Sadler piloting the No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet, the team has an average finish of 11.0 in his three races at New Hampshire, Michigan and Richmond. Sadler has led laps in each of his three starts with JRM, pacing the field for a total of 26.
PATRICK’S FINAL SIX – Patrick will return to the NNS in two weeks for the final six races of the 2010 season. She’ll compete at Auto Club Speedway (Oct. 9), Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct. 15), Gateway International Raceway (Oct. 23), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 6), Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 13) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 20). It will mark the first time Patrick races in more than three consecutive events for JRM.
SADLER’S 2010 ACHIEVMENTS – In four Nationwide Series starts this season, Sadler earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes with one pole. He’s led 54 laps on the season and accumulated an average finish of 9.0.
TEAM POINTS POSITION – The No. 88 Realtree Outfitters team is ranked seventh in the 2010 owner points after Richmond. The No. 7 team gained three positions and is 14th in owner points, its highest rank of the season.
CRUISIN’ WITH DALE JR. – The Dale Jr. Foundation has announced that bids are now open for the Foundation Fast Laps, which offers a limited number of ride alongs with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday, Oct. 18th, 2010. Fans have their choice of either bidding on a ride through the NASCAR.com auctions page, or purchasing one through The Dale Jr. Foundation website. Winners are entitled to many extras, including two pre-race pit passes, and two grandstand seats for the Bank of America 500, and a walk-through tour of Dale Jr.’s Hendrick Motorsports hauler. Proceeds will benefit the Blessings in a Backpack program, which fills backpacks with food for underprivileged children. The auction page can be found here, and to purchase a ride visit http://www.thedalejrfoundation.org/_10_08_17.html
FREE JR NATION CREW FAN CLUB – Dale Jr. and JR Motorsports are welcoming race fans to join the JR Nation Crew Fan Club for free. The exclusive fan club offers fans an online hub with chat rooms, forums, and blogs from JRM personalities. Join today for your chance to win an autographed fire suit courtesy of Hellmann’s®. For more information, visit www.jrnation.com.
