Dale Earnhardt Jr. hoping tire test gives him advantage at NHMS
After participating in a two-day Goodyear tire test last month, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is hoping what he learned will set him apart from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Earnhardt Jr. was also joined by Denny Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Aric Almirola during the test.
"We don't get a lot of time to test anywhere, so you welcome the opportunity to get out to the race track when not all of the competition can," Earnhardt Jr. said in a Hendrick Motorsports release. "You look at it as an advantage to get a leg up on the other guys and also take some information back to your teammates."
Junior has never rolled into Victory lane at the 1-mile New England track, so a win there would be special for him.
"I haven't won here (New Hampshire) and I'd like to win everywhere at least once," said Earnhardt Jr. during the test session. "But this track is unique because it's not a mile and a half, it's not really a short track, so I think when you win at various types of configurations it makes you feel more like the total package and a complete race car driver."
Currently 13th in the points standings with eight races remaining before the Chase for the Sprint Cup cutoff, Earnhardt Jr. has yet to win this season and lock himself in.
But, he's been close, with four second-place finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway.
In 33 career starts at NHMS, Earnhardt Jr. has eight top-five finishes and five top-10 results in the last eight races there.
"I just want to get a win there," added Earnhardt Jr. "We've been a top-five or top-10 car pretty much every trip, but we've never had the fastest car. Hopefully the opportunity we had to test there is going to give us a chance."
