WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Last Sunday at Watkins Glen International, pit strategy played a major role in the outcome of the road-course race.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was one of many drivers who were in fuel-conservation mode as the laps continued to wind down and after Sunday’s race, the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS gave some insights into how road-course races get called.
“This was a road-course and you call these races backwards. Your guys are going to get aggressive on the fuel,” Earnhardt said. “We just didn’t get the cautions we always get. We still ended up with a good run.”
On the Lap-61 restart, Earnhardt was running fourth. When the team did not receive the caution they needed, Earnhardt was left to drive accordingly in order to save fuel.
Despite finishing just outside the top 10 in 11th place, Earnhardt was quick to acknowledge the effort his team put into the Nationwide Chevrolet SS all weekend and the fast car they brought to the track. If it weren’t for having to save on fuel, Earnhardt believes they could have “run hard” and maybe even have finished inside the top 10.
“I had the leaders right in front of me all day,” he said. “We were fast right off the truck. We qualified with a lot of good speed. We practiced with good speed. We raced with great speed compared to the leaders all day.”