Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants nothing more than to get a win in one of the last four races in the No. 8 Chevrolet. But after another mechanical problem at Martinsville, Junior might be looking more forward to next week's Car of Tomorrow test with Hendrick Motorsports.
Once again, Earnhardt Jr.'s day was thwarted by engine troubles that plagued the DEI Chevy in Sunday's Subway 500.
"We had a real fast car and ran in the top-five all day long," said Earnhardt Jr. "We broke a valve spring somewhere in the first 50 laps and were running on seven cylinders all day. We were just so good anyhow, that we were still better than most of the field with seven cylinders."
Indeed Earnhardt Jr. ran with the lead pack even with the ailing powerplant until things finally expired on him in the late going.
"It finally broke there right at the end," he said. "Too many cautions and restarts in the last 50 laps and the valve springs kept breaking and broke the motor even worse and finally blew up."
Despite the ailing engine, Earnhardt Jr. found himself right in the mix in the day's typical rough and tumble short track action.
"It was very rough out there today,' Earnhardt Jr. said. "You had to dish it back out, though. I mean every time I got ran in to, I ran right back in to them or they are just going to keep doing it to you. I ain't going to get pushed around out there. You get angry but you get back to racing and get back to what your job is. A bunch of them drove it to my door and I would put it back in them in the next corner, we drove right back in to them. It was pretty fun."
Earnhardt, Jr. was having as much fun as possible given the motor problems and the tight quarters.
"This thing is stumbling along like a mother... but I will say this - you built a helluva racecar," Junior said to his crew over the radio. "Other than the engine, everything else has been awesome."
Earnhardt, Jr. has to hope engine problems will be the last thing he'll need to worry about when he moves to Hendrick Motorsports next year.
Although he won't officially be a member of the team until the last four races of this season are complete, he will have a chance to test a Hendrick COT car at Atlanta Motor Speedway next Monday and Tuesday.
It will be the first time Earnhardt,Jr. and crew chief Tony Eury, Jr., who left DEI early to get started at Hendrick, will work together at their new home.
"Yeh it's going to be fun and exciting,' Earnhardt Jr. said. "Tony Jr. has really gotten into things over there in a short time and we appreciate the opportunity to test since obviously the COT will be the full-time Cup car next season."
