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NASCAR

Earnhardt Jr. aims for Bud Shootout repeat

By SceneDaily.com

Feb 4, 2009

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is hoping history repeats itself in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

A year ago, Earnhardt Jr. kicked off his debut season at Hendrick Motorsports by winning the then-70-lap exhibition race in dramatic fashion as he passed Tony Stewart for the lead with two laps to go.

Now set to return for a second season with the eight-time Cup champion Hendrick group, Earnhardt Jr. is hoping for a similar outcome in the now 75-lap, non-points event that marks the unofficial start of the 2009 campaign.

"Winning the first race of the year, whether it's for points or no points, is always pretty special,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “There's no better way to start a season than by winning the first one right out of the gate. Being that it's an exhibition, it's more cool than it is important.”

Last year’s Shootout triumph marked Earnhardt Jr.’s second in the event, which he first captured in 2003 while driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Earnhardt Jr. also has three runnerup finishes in the event – in 2002, 2004 and 2006 – and has finished outside the top 10 just once, in 2007.

"I think there is more pressure coming in as the [2008] Shootout winner,” said crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who was atop Earnhardt Jr.’s pit box for last year’s win. “It's the first race of the season, and you've had the whole offseason to get this car right. You've had time to really look at the details. You want to come out of the box strong. So, yeah, there's more pressure."

More than once, including 2004 when he went on to win the Daytona 500, a strong run for Earnhardt Jr. in the Shootout has translated into a strong performance in Speedweeks. But success in the Shootout doesn’t always breed success in the qualifying races and the Daytona 500, he cautions.

“It doesn't necessarily determine how the rest of your Speedweeks will go because we run different cars for the Daytona 500,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “But it's the opening act of a new season, and everyone wants to start off with a bang. I guess it's more important for bragging rights."