Dale Earnhardt Jr made a winning start to his career with Hendrick Motorsports by winning a thrilling Budweiser Shootout at the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.
Earnhardt Jr led nearly 50 of the 70 laps that made up NASCAR's traditional season-opening non-championship event and survived a frantic final lap onslaught by Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson to seal his first Cup win of any kind since May 2006.
Not only did Earnhardt Jr's performance aboard the #88 National Guard Chevrolet leave the Daytona fans roaring their approval the race as a whole proved to be a very pleasant surprise for all those who doubted whether or not the new generation cars could provide exciting restrictor plate racing.
Lots of overtaking, including the return of the slingshot pass that had become something of a lost art in recent years highlighted an event where it seemed as though the drivers had a lot more control over their mounts than in Daytona races of yore. The large rear spoiler on the new cars also gave the drivers a bit more forgiveness when it came to getting sideways in the turns and even though the cars moved around the racetrack a lot more than the old generation of vehicles there were none of the regular restrictor plate gripes about how the drivers were merely passengers in a 190mph freight train.
Thanks to Friday's banging match with Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch had to forego his pole position following a switch to his back-up #2 Penske Racing Dodge leaving Toyota's Michael Waltrip on point as the first green flag of 2008 fell. Waltrip bravely clung to the race lead for the opening tour of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway before getting swamped first by the Yates Racing Ford of David Gilliland, the DEI Chevrolet of Mark Martin and then, on lap six by Earnhardt Jr.
The team, car number and sponsors colours may be unfamiliar but the roar from the grandstands was just as loud as ever as Earnhardt Jr swept into the lead and although pressure from behind, notably from the Toyota's of Stewart and Dave Blaney, was constant, the #88 Chevrolet was able to stay ahead of the pack throughout the remainder of the first 20-lap segment.
The first segment ended under caution when Bill Elliott suffered a right front puncture in the #21 Wood Brothers Ford, damaging the teams' second car in as many days and with every one of the competing teams still learning about tyre wear in race conditions everyone was glad of the opportunity to make their way onto pit road for the ten minute break and a fresh set of Goodyears.
The final 50-lap dash began with Earnhardt Jr edging clear of the impressive BDR Toyota of Blaney although it was Carl Edwards who was next to take the lead courtesy of a classic slingshot style move down the back straight. Edwards' momentum only kept him ahead for a lap before Dale Jr returned the favour before the caution flags came out again for Jamie McMurray's sideswipe of the turn four wall.
When green flag racing resumed Earnhardt Jr continued to utilise the high line to his advantage as he kept the pursuing train at bay although both Stewart and Dale Jr's new teammate Jeff Gordon did manage to poke their noses ahead for at least one lap as the race moved towards its final 20 laps.
Just as drivers were contemplating a green flag pitstop the yellows were out again as Gilliland blew a right front tyre coming off turn four, smacking the wall and causing a chain reaction behind that saw Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr and Greg Biffle all run into each other. All bar Kahne chose to call it a day there and then.
Blaney used the subsequent pitstops to gamble on just two fresh tyres and emerged in the lead. However the combination of three Hendrick cars directly behind him and NASCAR's new gearing rule on restrictor plate tracks made his cause a hopeless one from the outset. Earnhardt Jr was back in front within half a lap with Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in tow behind him. The Hendrick tactic of staying on the high line kept Earnhardt Jr ahead as the race entered its final ten laps with the hard charging Stewart and resilient Blaney plugging away in the low groove.
On lap 61 Stewart forged ahead but the field was soon behind the pace car again after Busch spun in turn four, causing JJ Yeley to ram Ryan Newman as cars slowed behind the rotating #2 Penske Dodge. This final pause was all that Earnhardt Jr needed to gather his moment for the lap 67 restart and as the field raced down the back straight the #88 Chevrolet pulled alongside the #20 Toyota and into the lead heading into turn three.
The final two laps were a blue of noise and colour as the remaining runners diced three and four wide coming within inches of disaster at every turn. Stewart continued to use the low line and on the final run throough turn one it looked as if he may have finally got the momentum he needed. However Earnhardt Jr craftily switched to the low line going into turn three, closing the door on Stewart but opening it for Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson drove his #48 Hendrick Chevrolet as high as possible into turn three and was even able to get half way alongside his teammate but as the leaders came off turn four Earnhardt Jr was back ahead with Stewart locked onto his rear bumper. Johnson faded slightly to third as the chequered flag fell with an exstatic Earnhardt Jr delighted to perform a burnout for his fans and an equally delighted Rick Hendrick more than happy to be the first to greet his new driver as he made his way to victory lane.
Stewart's final run edged him back ahead of Johnson into second place after Toyota's best Cup Series performance yet with Gordon following Johnson home in fourth and Reed Sorenson completing the top five in the #41 Ganassi Dodge.
Casey Mears made it four Hendrick cars in the top six with his sixth place effort while Blaney deserved more than seventh place following a fine drive. Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin and a bruised and battered Kasey Kahne completed the top ten with Waltrip, Edwards, Dale Jarrett, Clint Bowyer, Ken Schrader, Yeley, Newman and Busch completing the list of finishers.
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