Slow start, 40th in points doesn't concern Junior

LAS VEGAS -- You know the No. 8 car is coming because of the roar, which builds to a crescendo as the red Chevrolet crosses the start-finish line to begin its qualifying run. The sound follows it from the racetrack onto pit road, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. slides out of the cockpit to shouts of support from assembled fans.

Nobody seems too concerned that he's 40th in Nextel Cup points -- not even the driver.

"I can only do what I can do, you know?" Earnhardt said. "I don't worry about those things. I don't have the time of day to do it. We're trying to do the best we can here. We'll try to come back the best we can and get the finishes we can to get out of that hole. I think we'll be able to do that. I'm not really worried about it. I'm upset that we've finished like we've had, but there's nothing we can do about it."

A crash at Daytona and an engine failure at California have left NASCAR's most popular driver facing a 225-point deficit as the series visits Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. The third race of the season may be too soon to start worrying about championship contention, but it's not too early to fret over being in the top 35 when 2007 owner points go into effect in three weeks.

"There are some top teams right now that have had two bad races, and are in a bad position getting started right now," said two-time defending Las Vegas winner Jimmie Johnson, 15th in points after a poor Daytona 500. "We had a bad first race, and rebounded at California and got back up in the points. So there's definitely some concern, and guys need to be worried about it."

The top 35 cars in owner points are guaranteed starting spots in that week's event. For the first five weeks of this season, NASCAR is operating off 2006 owner points, in which the No. 8 car placed fifth. That all changes after the March 25 race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a red-letter event for slow-starting teams like Earnhardt's, which don't want to be left on the outside looking in.

Just ask second-year Nextel Cup driver J.J. Yeley, who got buried after a poor start to last season, and found that risky catch-up maneuvers only made the situation worse.

"Right now, you look at Dale Jr. and the guys 35th on back in points, they're already 100-plus points behind. They're going to have to do something really, really big to try and make that up," he said. "Last year I was 40th after Daytona, and it was one of those holes you get into, that sometimes you'd try things you normally wouldn't try to get out of that hole. Those are chances you're taking that can either benefit you or be disastrous. I'd rather be in a position where you can be more conservative and lose smaller amounts rather than going for that Hail Mary pass that might lose you the game and not win you the game." (Continued)