Blk3GM's Winston Cup News

Earnhardt turns bad into great at Richmond
May 16, 1999
Dale Earnhardt was the first provisional starter in Saturday night's Pontiac 400 Winston Cup race after posting just the 43rd best qualifying speed. His 123.305 mph lap was more than 3 mph off pole-sitter Jeff Gordon's record.

But Earnhardt took a bad situation and made a great race and finish.

Before the race was half over, Earnhardt was running seventh, having made up 30 positions on a track where he's won five times previously.

He got as high as fourth, but faded late and finished eighth.

"Right before that last caution, we had a short run there and I don't know if I got in some oil or got on the outside of the groove going into 3 up there but I almost lost it. I spun the tires or something and after that I just couldn't go. I was too loose. Before that I was good.

I believe I had a top-five car, but it was a good night for us coming from where we did. We changed a few things before the race. We changed our brake balance for one thing. We put all new brakes on the car and went to an all new caliper on the front and rear and got the balance of the car better. That was definitely a plus for us. We just tuned on the chassis a little bit from there, but the guys did a great job after practice of getting the car changed over. I thought we had a top-five car. We ended up eighth. Skinner was running good, so both Childress Chevys ran good tonight. That's a plus for Richard and the team. It makes us all feel better."

It was Earnhardt's sixth top-10 finish of the season. Earnhardt also moved up to ninth in the points standing.

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