Blk3GM's NASCAR Winston Cup News - Earnhardt has 33 victories at Daytona, Qualifies 10th and is set for another notch in his belt

Earnhardt has 33 victories at Daytona, Qualifies 10th and is set for another notch in his belt
July 1, 1999

Earnhardt already has more victories at Daytona International Speedway than any other driver and he'll try to add one more to it this weekend. Tonight Earnhardt qualified 10th for the Pepsi 400 and has qualified in the top 10 for the past 12 Winston Cup Races at Daytona, a streak that dates back to 1994. Earnhardt could up his wins to 34 victories at Daytona with a win in Saturday's Pepsi 400. Earnhardt, was 6th in qualifying when interviewed and was unhappy with his qualifying run saying, "We need to work on it just a little bit more." His time stood good for another top 10 starting position at Daytona with his fast lap of 193.166 mph..

"It's terrible, you can't drive a car on the bottom of the race track," Earnhardt said after his laps. "It's just a little rougher ride, a little tougher to drive it than it was in the spring here in February."

But when he drafts with other cars Saturday, he'll find a way to drive on the bottom. Earnhardt has finished 10th or better in the Pepsi 400 in 13 of the last 16 years. He won the race in 1990 and 1993 and has finished third four times and fourth three times in 20 tries.

In the first night Pepsi race last year, Earnhardt finished 10th, which broke a string of five straight Daytona summer races in which he finished fourth or better.

Earnhardt led 41 of of the first 93 laps at Daytona last October, but he hit a tire in the pits and settled for 10th place.

Earnhardt said restrictor plate races are like a chess game.

"You have to be careful and stay in position and use your head and wait for the right time," he said. "There's a lot going on during the race."

Earnhardt used the same car Thursday that he raced to a second-place finish in the Daytona 500 in February. But he started fourth in the 500.

"I was pretty happy with the same car and set-up (in February)," Earnhardt said. "I don't know, I guess we didn't adjust right."

Earnhardt is seventh in points midway through the season. Besides his second-place finish in Daytona, he won in Talladega in April - his first victory since the 1998 Daytona 500.

Saturday could be another Intimidating night. Go Earnhardt!
Qualifying Order Thurs Practice Qualifying Results

Winston Cup Wins
   *1990 - July race Pepsi 400
   *1993 - July race Pepsi 400
   *1998 - Feb race Daytona 500 (This was the 40th Anniversary of the Daytona 500)

*6 time Winner of the Busch Clash
   1980, 86, 88, 91, 93, 95

*12 Wins (10 consecutive) in the Daytona 125 mile Qualifying Race
   1983, 86, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99

*5 IROC races at Daytona
   2/14/92, 2/18/94, 2/17/95, 2/16/96, 2/12/99

*Seven-time winner of the Goody's 300 Busch race at Daytona
   Five of these were consecutive (90, 91, 92, 93, 94)

NASCAR
Winston Cup Series

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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.