DEI takes hit at Calif. with blown engines

FONTANA, Calif. -- Everyone in the Nextel Cup garage welcomes the open weekend before Las Vegas, but no one is happier to see it arrive than the engine builders.

Especially the ones at Dale Earnhardt Inc.

DEI experienced a pair of engine problems in the first 70 laps in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, eerily mirroring the difficulties the team experienced last month at the open test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

California Speedway's 500-mile race has always been a red-letter date for Nextel Cup's engine builders, but the implementation of unleaded fuel has turned up the difficulty meter a notch.

DEI's Martin Truex Jr. blew an engine on Lap 16 and finished 42nd, and teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. had problems 50 laps later. Earnhardt spent 20 minutes in the garage before he headed back onto the track to make laps, but the engine blew for good on Lap 120 when he went spinning into the turn, finishing his day.

Earnhardt has started the year with back-to-back DNFs after crashing with seven laps to go last week at Daytona.

Kasey Kahne, a heavy favorite to win here, lost a cylinder just one lap after Earnhardt began to have problems.

"Really disappointing, I know the guys at the shop that build the motors are really upset right now I just want them to keep their heads up, and we will figure it out," said Earnhardt, who ended up 40th. "The unleaded fuels just threw us a curveball. We haven't gotten the situation like we needed, but we will go over the two motors we lost this weekend."

Earnhardt began to lose oil pressure on Lap 66, and Richie Gilmore -- a former engine builder who now runs DEI's competition department -- told him to park it.

"Richie Gilmore wanted to save the motor to try to dissect it a little easier," Earnhardt said. "We have got something we can bring back to show them. Maybe we can figure out what the issue is. We have a long season so everyone needs to keep their heads up."