Notebook: Seven cylinders can't carry Junior

LOUDON, N.H. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 120 laps Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway, but in the end, a dropped cylinder dealt him a fifth-place finish.

"Man, my right foot hurts," Earnhardt said. "We lost a cylinder about halfway, so we limped home with seven cylinders. We were so slow on the straights, I feel like I have a hole in my foot because I was pushing the pedal down as hard as I could.

"I'd drive hard through the corners, and then drop back on the straights. It's just a reflex I guess, to push the pedal harder when you see the other cars pulling away. The engine got worse and worse, and I kept pushing harder and harder."

The situation made Earnhardt, a two-time Busch Series champion, revisit an earlier stage in his career.

	Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn't a factor for the win after losing a cylinder. Credit: Autostock

"It was like driving a Busch Series car, because we had very little power," he said. "That sucker was makin' some really strange sounds by the end of the race."

Once again, the race was a case of what could have been for Earnhardt, who did manage to gain 10 points on Winston Cup championship leader Matt Kenseth.

"No question we had the field covered when we had all eight cylinders -- easily," Junior said. "We had a lot more for 'em even after we took the lead. The car was awesome, and when the engine started to go away, we were still able to lead because the car handled so well in the corners."

Bahre says no to lights

New Hampshire International Speedway owner Bob Bahre said Sunday he would not consider installing lights at his 1.058-mile speedway, which has dates next season in July and September.

"We're not considering lights at all right now," Bahre said. "Last night was nice, but for the last two weeks here, it's been in the mid-30s to 40s every night. There's no way in hell you'd have people sitting in the grandstands in that."

Bahre, who formerly owned the Oxford Plains Speedway, a short track in Maine, said his affinity for short-track racing would not allow him to consider lights for his summer date.

"I think it would hurt the short tracks and the guys that are coming along," Bahre said. "Every person here (in Winston Cup) started on the short tracks and you can't very well run the risk of putting the short tracks out of business."

Accidental consequences

A few laps after the restart after the first caution, winner Jimmie Johnson tangled with Ward Burton heading into Turn 1. Burton, who was running 19th at the time, ended up in the wall, and Johnson's car was a battle-scarred mess in Victory Lane, partly on account of that incident.

"I'm sorry for that," Johnson said. "He was racing really hard and I was, too. I got loose in front of him going into Turn 1 and got into him and spun him up into the wall.

"He was pretty mad and he tried wrecking me four or five times while we were out there under green. But I'm just glad nothing happened."

Racing back takes a beating

The great "racing back to the caution" debate was renewed Sunday when, in several instances, the leader slowed drastically and the cars behind him either passed him or got log-jammed trying to stay behind him while cars trying to get laps back attempted to stream past.

	Dale Jarrett's car was in the middle of the track.

Bud Pole winner Ryan Newman visited with Winston Cup director John Darby, NASCAR president Mike Helton and race director David Hoots outside the NASCAR office trailer after the race to discuss the situation.

Darby said some radio exchanges were made from the control tower to several teams during the race.

"We did call down to the 15 (Michael Waltrip) and the 12 car (Newman) both and told them to do a better job of whoa-ing up," Darby said. "The leader was probably whoa-ing up quicker than what some of the guys are used to and their momentum was carrying them past him, which made it look pretty confusing a couple times.

"After we got everybody settled down and re-focused, it cleared it up."

Waltrip didn't agree, citing specifically the accident that left Dale Jarrett's No. 88 Ford sitting precariously in the middle of the frontstretch with the field oncoming.

"Another stupid thing they've got going on is this racing back to the yellow," Waltrip said. "One car, the 9 (Bill Elliott), is leading the race, all he has to do is go hammer down through the accident scene (and) that takes 20 cars out of the equation of getting their lap back.

"When the leader stops, like Bill did, everybody thinks they're going to get their lap back and then you have a gold rush coming to the guy that's wrecked, sitting in the middle of the track.

"(If) Bill uses his head, NASCAR says 'leader, race back to the wreck,' and you are going to leave people way behind. They're not going to have a chance to get their lap back. It was stupid."

Elliott had a measured response to Waltrip's criticism.

"You need to slow down and kind of give guys a break within the accident, you know, trying to get the medical people to those guys," Elliott said. "You don't have to slow down too much ... but, if you're in a wreck out there on the racetrack, I'd want them to be able to get to me as fast as they possibly could.

"Someone's always going to have an opinion regardless of what you do, (and) I'm just glad with the way it turned out."

Freman bounces back

Mike Freman, the catch can man for Craftsman Trucks Series driver Carl Edwards, was injured during his team's first pit stop in Saturday's New Hampshire 200.

Edwards' truck slid through his pit stall and struck Freman in the torso.

Freman, who also handles over the wall duties for Jeff Burton, was awake and alert when he was checked out at the track's infield care center, but later complained of soreness and was taken to a local hospital for observation.

He was released from Concord Hospital early Saturday evening.