The Earnhardt Connection - Race Reports


Race Report for:
PRIMESTAR 500
The Earnhardt Connection

Race: PRIMESTAR 500
Date: March 9, 1998 (The race was postponed one day due to rain.)
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Qualified: 30th
Finished: 13th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 324 of 325
Points Earned: 129
Money Earned: $39,055
Stories: gdot.gif (833 bytes)Dale entered Atlanta 2nd in points after an 8th place finish in Las Vegas.

gdot.gif (833 bytes)Once again, controversy over the fairness of the rules concerning manufactures arose. Rusty Wallace (a Ford driver) stated that the field was equal, while almost every Chevy driver was unsatisfied with the rules.

gdot.gif (833 bytes)At one point in the race, Earnhardt remained on the track while most other cars made pit stops. This move enabled Dale to move into first place, becoming one of the race's 14 lap leaders. A couple of laps later, Dale dropped into the pits for his stop.

gdot.gif (833 bytes)Dale dropped to third in the point standings. He trails Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield. The series now takes a weekend off, with the next race being in Darlington, approximentely two weeks away.

Post-Race Quotes: wdot.gif (833 bytes)"The Chevrolets don't have what they need to compete -- look at the scoreboard," said Earnhardt, pointing at a pylon that showed the best Monte Carlo in 12th and only six Chevrolets in the top-20.

wdot.gif (833 bytes)"We asked to be put on the chassis dyno," said McReynolds of the analytical tool NASCAR had available after the race. "We want to see where we're at ... (because) we didn't perform very well on the straightaways today. You don't see a Chevrolet consistently up front ... It's like hitting a perfect setup like Gordon did the last few laps at Rockingham or (Terry) Labonte did today for a while. Did you see a Chevrolet finish in the top-10 today? Rest my case."

Related Articles: gdot.gif (833 bytes)Results: PRIMESTAR 500

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