Fuel strategy gives Earnhardt Jr. top five

LONG POND, Pa. -- Two things in Winston Cup racing have quickly become anathema to Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Fuel mileage races and aero push.

Pennsylvania 500  Results  Standings  Lap by Lap  Photo Gallery

He battled both Sunday at Pocono Raceway, but in the end a third place finish in the Pennsylvania 500 was all he needed to make the pain subside.

"We got a top-five and we got some points," said Earnhardt, who flip-flopped second and third positions in the standings with Jeff Gordon for the fourth time in five races. "Matt (Kenseth) is still way out there, but we're doing all we can do -- top-fives, top-10s -- whatever.

"That's all we can do, man, that's all we can do."

	Earnhardt Jr. beat Matt Kenseth (left) for the Busch title in 1998. Now, the roles are reversed, with Earnhardt Jr. chasing Kenseth in NASCAR's premier series. Credit: Autostock

Earnhardt is now 232 points behind Kenseth, who remained in the lead for the 17th straight week. Gordon slipped to third, 308 points behind Kenseth, after he was involved in a mid-race wreck and staggered home in 36th.

As much as he decried the practice, Earnhardt used an adept fuel strategy to score his eighth top-five finish of the season -- but his first since the last time the series visited Pocono, on June 8.

"I like Pocono a lot," Earnhardt said. "What's not to like? It's a great race track, a lot of fun and real challenging (and) I get better every time I come here."

No Pocono fan could forget Junior's thrilling runner-up finish to race winner Bobby Labonte in July 2001, and after qualifying well since then he was fourth here in June.

"It seems like we get a little better cars coming here, too," he said. "The guys did a great job (Sunday), and I'm real proud of them."

VIDEO CLIPS Green flag Play video Jeremy Mayfield finds the wall Play video Mark Martin spins on Lap 74 Play video Jeff Gordon spins, finishes 36th Play video Final laps Play video Victory Lane Play video Interviews with the top five finishers Play video

"First position, that was pretty much all I lacked," Junior said immediately after exiting his car. "If you're up front it's a little bit easier on your car.

"I could catch the 12 (winner Ryan Newman) but I knew it would only be about three laps before he'd drive away because I had to push my car so hard (to get to Newman).

"I was good for about two laps and then I'd get tight behind him, so I couldn't get to him."

And there's that aero push, an aggravating condition in 2003's aerodynamically dependent cars that causes the airflow off a leading car to un-stick the nose of anything following.

Despite himself, Earnhardt waxed philosophically about it post-race.

"It's kind of like you have this sea, and you drive the boat down through it," he said. "You try to follow that boat's wake -- the other boat. It's probably not the smoothest ride, not the easiest deal.

"Now put 40 boats out there. The guy that's leading, he's got the best seat in the house and he's got the easiest job."

Earnhardt switched from the aquatic analogy, one of several he used Sunday to describe his day, and went back to Winston Cup stock cars -- particularly those in the lead.

Pennsylvania 500  Newman wins  Gordon crashes, finishes 36th  Notebook  Twin engine failures for Gihbbs  Rudd's big day ends early  Busch finishes second  Wallace furious with 11th  Labonte leads Hendrick

"You can go fast, you can drive your car like you want to drive it and you don't have to worry about who is in front of you or what is happening behind you," Earnhardt said. "I hate talking about it, because I don't think it's ever going to go away, but when you get behind somebody, you get tight.

"You have this big old blade on the back of these cars, and when you put your nose up behind somebody's spoiler, there's no air on the nose and what do you say?

"That's why everybody's running high, down low or in the middle. If you run in the tracks of the guy in front of you, you're not going to go anywhere. It's the same everywhere."

Earnhardt indicated next weekend's Brickyard 400 would be the same story, exacerbated by two-and-four-tire strategies and the specter of fuel mileage, another issue he said he's had enough of.

"Tony (Eury) Jr. is always on me about fuel," Earnhardt said of his car chief, who calls his races from atop the pit box in conjunction with his father, crew chief Tony Eury. "It's never close, it's always short."

2003 Winston Cup Series  Schedule  Tickets  Drivers  Crew Chiefs  Teams  Statistics  Video Highlights  Best 25: Last 6 races  Best Starts by Driver  Best Finishes by Driver

Junior said after his last pit stop the crew told him he was "about a gallon short" of having enough fuel to make it to the finish.

"He (Eury Jr.) said 'Don't scrub your tires and you'll save some fuel.' I said, 'man, I've been through this too many times with you.' I'm getting tired of hearing it from my guys when they tell me that I need to save fuel.

"There is no book on how to save fuel. I mean, every time they say 'save fuel' I say, 'all right, tell me how to do that again?' I've been around this sport a long time -- I don't think anybody really knows."

Earnhardt said a late caution for Bobby Labonte's blown engine and spin played in his favor, as he rode around in high gear to help his mileage.

"Those caution laps will sure save it (gas)," Earnhardt said. "We were on the positive side (then), but we wouldn't have made it if we hadn't had the caution.

"What did we have to lose (by not pitting)? No reason to come in unless you had to and we didn't have to."

But that's what irks Junior about the whole fuel saving scenario.

"It worked out in our favor," he said, "but it could just as easily not have worked in our favor.

"I wasn't going to give up the track position, because we sat there in the back all day long with a car that could run in the top five."