Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Outlook for the 2nd Half of 2012

Dale Earnhardt NASCARDALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and discussed his outlook on the second half of the 2012 season, the difficulties of getting around New Hampshire Motor Speedway and other topics.

GOING INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BEING HERE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS WEEKEND:
“I just like racing here. I always run really well here and we had the good fortune of tire testing with Goodyear a couple of months ago and that went really well. We were happy with the way that went. I’ve just been looking forward to coming here for the race. Like I said we have had some really good cars here and I feel like this is one of my better tracks. I just hope to eventually get to victory lane one day. This weekend is as good as any.”

A LOT OF PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH THIS TRACK WHY DO THINK THIS IS ONE OF YOUR BETTER TRACKS? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS TRACK?
“It kind of lends itself to the short track mentality and the style of racing is a bit like you find at short tracks. I enjoy racing at short tracks, have a great track record at all the short tracks we run at. I kind of feel like that’s a bit in my wheel house and this place short of fits toward that.”
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Kyle Busch Takes the Pole for 20th Annual LENOX Industrial Tools 301

Kyle Busch earns top spot as last Cup qualifier

Kyle Busch picked up his 100th career NASCAR victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last July. This July, he’s put himself into a great position to add another victory to that list as the pole-sitter for Sunday’s 20th annual LENOX Industrial Tools 301 Sprint Cup Series race.

The fastest in practice, Busch was the last driver to take the track on Friday afternoon. Busch zipped the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota around the 1.058-mile in 28.548 seconds (133.417 mph), followed by Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer.
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RYAN NEWMAN: On Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Ryan Newman NASCARDescribe what it meant to you to accomplish your personal mission by getting the U.S. Army to victory lane at New Hampshire last July?

“We’d tried so hard for two-and-a-half years to get the U.S. Army in victory lane. We’d been close, but we hadn’t been able to do it. It was disappointing because it’s a very personal and honorable thing to represent a million Soldiers, and we wanted to make them proud by getting their racecar into victory lane. When the checkered flag waved and I realized we had finally accomplished the mission of getting the U.S. Army a win, I was so happy. If it weren’t for the Soldiers who protect and serve our country, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. Carrying the American flag in my racecar after that win was very special and something I will never forget. I hope we can make them proud again this weekend.”

You have six poles and three wins at New Hampshire. What makes you so good at New Hampshire?

“That’s actually kind of funny because I used to say New Hampshire was my least favorite racetrack. But it’s far from that now. It’s still not my favorite racetrack, but I really look forward to coming back there each year. New Hampshire has always been a good place for me. I’m not 100 percent sure why. It’s the place of my first win, and when I hadn’t won in a long while, 70-some races, I won again there. Last July, we were able to qualify and finish 1-2 at Stewart-Haas. (more…)

KYLE BUSCH: New Hampshire Homecoming for Crew Chief Rogers

Kyle Busch NASCARNative New Englander Dave Rogers has spent many special moments with his family at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, but two days in particular stick out for the crew chief who hails from nearby Marshfield, Vt.

Rogers and his father attended the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire in 1990 as fans, but a return trip in 1992 to see the late Dale Earnhardt and Joe Nemechek battle door-to-door over the final laps is something that has stuck with him to this day.
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TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS QUOTES ON NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Dale Earnhardt NASCARDALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET – 2nd IN STANDINGS:
“I really like New Hampshire, and it’s a lot of fun to race. There’s lots of ways to get around a corner. It is really hard to pass, but it is a fun racetrack, and I look forward to coming here every time we get the opportunity.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET – 4th IN STANDINGS:
“It’s (New Hampshire Motor Speedway) a tricky track with the lack of banking and the tight fast corners. I was able to sweep it there one year and since we’ve been okay. It’s a tough track. I think for a good day its good fuel mileage and good track position.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1/OFFICE DEPOT CHEVROLET – 5th IN STANDINGS:
“It’s a big motor deal. With the corners being so tight, you’ve got to put a lot of gear in the car to get it up off the corner. Forward bite is always an issue there too, so it’s hard to get up off the corners. Then you’ve got long straight-a-ways where you can kind of relax a little bit. Coming into the corners, you use a lot of brake, and it’s hard to not only get the car stopped, but to get it to turn. Then you go through that challenge all over again.”
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Tony Stewart foils Kenseth, Biffle, to Win Daytona Sprint Cup Race

Tony Stewart had an answer for the dominant pair of Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle.

In winning Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Stewart side-drafted and separated Kenseth and Biffle, who had surged into the lead during a two-lap run to the finish, then pulled away for his fourth win in the last eight July races at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

As Stewart approached the checkered flag for his third win of the season and the 47th of his career, a massive wreck in Turn 4 skewed the finishing order behind him. Stewart’s 47th victory broke a tie with Hall of Famer Buck Baker for 14th all-time.

Full Story – Tony Stewart foils Kenseth, Biffle, to Win Daytona Sprint Cup Race

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