Blk3GM's Busch Series News - Earnhardt Jr win in classic short track battle

Blk3GM's NASCAR Busch Series News

Earnhardt Jr wins in classic short-track battle
By Rick Houston, NASCAR Winston Cup Scene
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. June 12, 1999

This, students, was what they call "short-track racing." ....Dale Earnhardt Jr. bulled his way past Jeff Green with 70 laps to go in the Textilease Medique 300 presented by Advance Auto Parts at South Boston Speedway, and led the rest of the way to collect his second win in as many weeks. The win came a week after his June 5 win at Dover Downs International Speedway, and a day after finishing second to his father in an IROC race at Michigan Speedway.

Moving to the outside of Turns 3 and 4 on lap 230, Earnhardt finally cleared Green coming off the fourth turn the next time around. Despite a late charge by Green, Earnhardt beat the Kentucky native to the checkered flag by .173-second.

It was the ninth victory of Earnhardt's NASCAR Busch Series career, and his second of the 1999 season.

"We ran on the bottom when we came here last year, but the track's wore out a little bit more," Earnhardt said. "The grip's gone away some. I was looking at it under caution, and you could see most of the guys were running in the middle (of the track) on the backstretch. Those are the guys that are trying to pass each other.

"I was thinking, 'Maybe I should try that.' I moved up a little bit, and really got a couple of good runs. I think, at that time, his (Green's) car was still as good as mine, if not better. But I started worrying him a little bit when I got up beside him when LaJoie was in front of me.

"I had to try again. I got him worried, and wondering if he was clear coming off the corner. He was giving me more room than probably I deserved. I was fortunate. I knew once I got beside him, I could get by him. It was getting to that point, without him cutting me off."

Green made a run on Earnhardt in the closing laps, but couldn't quite make the move stick. As it was, the runner-up showing was Green's sixth top-5 finish of the season, and his fifth top-10 in the last six races.

"I put it on the apron, and I got up there beside of him, but I'd been loose the last two or three laps just trying to turn under him," Green said. "The high lane is the better bite off the corner, and to pass somebody, you've gotta get under 'em. We run so hard trying to out-race each other, that we just wore both our tires out. We were just slipping and sliding there at the end."

Hank Parker Jr. ran a strong race to finish 3rd, the first top-5 of his young stint on the tour. Jeff Purvis and Tim Fedewa were 4th and 5th, respectively, while Matt Kenseth, Philip Morris, Tony Roper, Tony Raines and Casey Atwood rounded out the top-10.

It took Earnhardt 1 hour, 52 minutes and 43 seconds to complete the race at an average speed of 63.877 mph. There were 14 cautions for a whopping 59 laps, and five lead changes among five drivers. Unofficially, he stretched his lead over Kenseth in the standings to 64 points. "Little E" has finished either 1st or 2nd in four straight NASCAR Busch Series races.

1999 Busch Series Schedule

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Blk3GM's Dale Earnhardt Site was born on July 26, 1998 and is owned and maintained by Gary Harris. This site is a tribute to "NASCAR's Greatest Driver" and his up and coming son. We are not affiliated with any official Team, Sponsors, Media Group or NASCAR. This site is solely for entertainment purposes. Information and statistic's on this site have been collected from various NASCAR related sites on the internet, from Winston Cup Scene, Newspapers, Television and our personal experience at Winston Cup and Busch Grand National races. All statistics are believed to be accurate at the time they are updated but cannot be guaranteed.