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Junior Silences Critics - Making the Grade Michigan
6/17/08: SOZ Studios, MI - By Dennis Michelsen "DMIC" (RaceTalkRadio.com)
Somewhere in NASCAR headquarters officials are doing back flips excited about the way Dale Earnhardt Jr won at Michigan International Speedway. If Junior had won a race by dominating it wouldn't have had the desired effect. But the conspiracy theories after Junior didn't get penalized for passing the pace car removed the news about two Nationwide officials named in a recent lawsuit getting sent home on indefinite suspension! Dale Earnhardt Jr has come so close this season when he had the best car. On Sunday he didn't have the best car but had the best combination of strategy and luck to get the first win in seventy-six races. It will NOT take more than ten races before his next visit to Victory Lane.
Race Grade A-
Watching a race from Michigan International Speedway on television can be very deceiving. This place is so large it is impossible to get a feel for speed on television. Usually a fuel mileage strategy race is less exciting in my opinion than a flat-out race for the win. But the combination of decent racing and the twists and turns of pit strategy led to one of the most entertaining races this season.
F for Ganassi-Sabates Racing
Focus seems to be lacking at Ganassi Racing at the Cup level. When your best finishing effort in a three-car team is 34th you know it has been a horrible weekend. Instead of contending for wins and championships they are in a neck and neck race with Michael Waltrip Racing for the coveted 35th place in owner's points.
D for Bill Davis Racing
When your car has trouble with a broken axle just three laps into a 200-lap race you know this is not going to be your day. BDR's sponsor is rumored to be leaving at the end of the year. Despite some great driver development projects and a great Craftsman Truck racing team, BDR at the Cup level is close to extinction.
C for Greg Biffle
Is anyone keeping score at home for the No. 16 team? If so aren't they running out of ways to grab defeat from the jaws of victory? Loose wheels, loose lug nuts, and pit road penalties seem to be the favorite ways for Greg Biffle and his team to underachieve this season.
B for Matt Kenseth
After a horrible start to the season, the No. 17 team has become the most consistent team over the last five races with an average finish of 5.2! Matt Kenseth is just fourteen points out of the Chase after falling more than 200 points behind just a few short races ago. Look for this team to win a race or two before the Chase and be in the hunt for a Championship run down the stretch!
A for Dale Earnhardt Jr
"I can understand how it might look if you aren't a Dale Jr fan…I know exactly what they will say on Monday," quipped Dale Earnhardt Jr after his win at Michigan International Speedway. The last five weeks the weight of that monkey on his back seemed to be weighing Junior down after each race. His seven top five finishes are second best in the league and he shares the lead in top ten finishes. Look for this team to get on a roll on all but the road courses and enter the Chase as the leading contender for the championship.
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