Earnhardt Jr. qualifies 27th for Lenox 301

Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images for NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. likes racing in New Hampshire, and even though he doesn’t really know what his strengths or weaknesses are, he says “I always enjoy the racing in New Hampshire.” He’s run well here in the past and finished in the top-10 last season, his second-worst season to date. “We just come out here and try to run. I like the race track. I’ve always had a good car here and ran well in a lot of races I’ve run here. I enjoy coming here and look forward to the race. It is good racing. It is really challenging to pass but it is fun. Hopefully the tire, which is new this time, is a good tire.”

Although he finds it frustrating that he hasn’t been running well these past few weeks, he hasn’t lost his confidence. He’s been looking forward to coming to New Hampshire with his new crew chief and is curious as to how the car will drive or how different it might be, good or bad with Steve (Letarte). “I’m anxious to get going,” he told media earlier Friday, “anxious to get in the car today.”

He says leading is what it takes to be successful at New Hampshire and said, “If I could win a race, I’d win a race.”

Earnhardt ran 16th in the first practice run and qualified 27th for Sunday’s race.
Earnhardt Jr. qualifies 27th for Lenox 301 Earnhardt Jr. qualifies 27th for Lenox 301 Reviewed by Unknown on Friday, July 15, 2011 Rating: 5