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Q&A: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR Nextel Cup Series #8 Budweiser Chevrolet driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL-2/20/05 ©Dorsey Patrick
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Q&A: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Thursday, 2nd February 2006

The Las Vegas test was important for every Nextel Cup team, not least for the #8 DEI squad and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr, who will be working frantically over the two days to re-acclimatise himself with returning crew chief Tony Eury Jr and get his championship ambitions back on-track.

So I think that as far as set-ups, I think Bono is pretty aware of what we have in our car. We're pretty aware of what Martin has in his car. So that's all on open book. We just have to say, it's up to the engineers and a lot of other people that the lines of communication between the two teams during the race weekend, which one car improve, the other is aware of that information.

Q.
What's the biggest challenge Martin Truex will face by going from Busch to Cup full-time?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.
I think the toughest challenge for Martin this season will just be the schedule. And he's pretty aware of this. He's been around racing all his life, and as he's made his way through each rank, he's probably felt the difference in the pace of not only the season, but the race weekend itself. A lot of the responsibilities away from the racecar for a driver increase, and so those are the things that he's, that he's aware of and he'll have to deal with. The only thing I can give him advice all day long; but you have to sort of pace yourself, try not to really get too burned out as the season goes on.

That was probably, that's what makes my rookie season harder than even last year's season to deal with because we ran both series. I ran myself ragged the first three quarters of the season. I had nothing left there the last seven or eight races. So just got to be relaxed; relaxed, take as much time as you can to yourself to relax and stay rested as the season starts. So as you get to the midpoint of the season where you're running 20 races in a row and whatnot, with no weekends off, you've got enough steam to do it.

Q.
What do you think about the changes they are going to make here at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in terms of what they are going to do for the fans and changing the banking and what that's going to do for the race.

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DALE EARNHARDT, JR.
Well, I have my own theory about banking, progressive banking and how to create a track that will have multiple grooves. Basically what my theory is, if you're going to make a track that has multiple grooves, the top of the corner has to be the same altitude as a straightaway, and you have to basically dig out the bottom of the corner. It has to be lower in altitude than the straightaway itself.
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Related Images
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series #8 Budweiser Chevrolet driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL-2/20/05 ©Dorsey Patrick
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series #8 Budweiser Chevrolet driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL-2/20/05 ©Dorsey Patrick
Dale Earnhardt Jr puts the 2006 Chevrolet through its paces at Daytona
Jimmie Johnson (Lowe`s Chevrolet) celebrates victory at Las Vegas  [pic credit: GM media]
Jimmie Johnson (Lowe`s Chevrolet) celebrates victory at Las Vegas  [pic credit: GM media]
Aric Almirola (left) will make his Nextel Cup debut with Joe Gibbs Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007   [pic credit: GM media]
Aric Almirola will make his Nextel Cup debut with Joe Gibbs Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007   [pic credit: GM media]
Construction crews work on tearing up the Las Vegas Motor Speedway ahead of its revamp in 2007.
Tony Stewart addresses the media in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
Tony Stewart addresses the media in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
Reed Sorensen leads Kurt Busch in testing at Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
Jamie McMurray talks to new crew chief Jimmy Fennig in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
Robbie Loomis and Bobby Labonte discuss testing in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Todd Warshaw/Getty Images]
Travis Kvapil gets to grips with the #32 PPI Motorsport Chevrolet during testing in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
Jimmie Johnson addresses the media in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Todd Warshaw/Getty Images]
Jimmie Johnson addresses the media in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Todd Warshaw/Getty Images]
Jeff Gordon addresses the media in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
Dale Earnhardt Jr talks to crew chief Tony Eury Jr in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Todd Warshaw/Getty Images]
Kyle Busch tests his Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
Hendrick teammates Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson chat in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]
03/13/05 Las Vegas. Matt Kenseth finished the day in the 8th position. Photo Credit: Autostock
03/13/05 Las Vegas. Mark Martin leads Dale Jarrett into turn 1. Martin finished  30th with Jarrett 18th. Photo Credit: Autostock
03/13/05 Las Vegas. Greg Biffle battles with fellow Ford driver Hermie Sadler in turn 2 at Las Vegas. Biffle finished 6th with Sadler 33rd. Photo Credit: Autostock
03/11/05 Las Vegas. Matt Kenseth will start the DeWalt Ford Taurus from the 8th position on Sunday. Photo Credit: Autostock
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