Sonoma Recap

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s hopes for a career-best finish at Infineon Raceway were dashed with 10 laps remaining in Sunday's Save Mart 350 after another competitor sent his No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet spinning. After a day of solid pit calls and savvy driving, the No. 88 team settled for a 26th-place finish.

DALE EARNHARDT JR.
NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET
POST-RACE RECAP/INFINEON RACEWAY

DATE: June 21, 2009
RACE: Save Mart 350
START: 35th
FINISH: 26th
POINTS POSITION: 20th

RECAPPING THE RACE:

The Kannapolis, N.C., native lined up 35th for Sunday's 113-lap event and started climbing through the field after the green flag dropped. By Lap 20, he had notched 14 positions when the day's first caution flag waved. Crew chief Lance McGrew called his driver to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.

Earnhardt went back to green-flag racing on Lap 24 running 23rd. Six laps later, McGrew called his driver back down pit road for fuel only in a predetermined strategy.

The day's second caution flag was displayed on Lap 52 with Earnhardt running in 21st. Despite battling a slightly loose Chevy, McGrew told his driver to stay on the track. Many opted to pit, and Earnhardt improved five spots. He went back to green-flag racing on Lap 56 running 16th.

Within the next lap, Earnhardt had powered his way to 12th, and green-flag pit stops began eight laps later. In what had been planned as the final stop of the day, Earnhardt made his way down pit road on Lap 69. The crew went to work adding fuel, bolting on four fresh tires and making an air pressure adjustment.

With 30 laps remaining in the event, Earnhardt was running 14th and continuing his forward march. By Lap 94, he cracked the top 10.

The sixth caution flag of the day was waved on Lap 97 for debris. Once the track had been cleared, the field lined up for a double-file restart with 10 laps remaining. The field took the green flag, and Earnhardt quickly moved into the ninth position. He was making the pass on the outside for the eighth position, when another competitor made contact with the green-and-white Chevy and sent it spinning. Earnhardt let the field pass, then straightened up his Chevy and returned to the road course in 35th. He picked up nine positions to cross the finish line 26th.