Notes: Don't think spoiler will slow No. 48 down

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- For those who think NASCAR's return to a blade spoiler on the Cup Series cars next weekend at Martinsville might deprive the Hendrick Motorsports teams of some of their edge, think again says Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet.

Knaus views the change to a spoiler from a rear wing, which appeared in its last race in Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, as more of an opportunity than a speed bump in the path of the No. 48 team.

"It's going to be interesting," Knaus promised Sunday, after Johnson won for the first time at Bristol and for the 50th time in his career. "We've played around a little bit at Rockingham, did some small testing there. Obviously, [we've] done a lot of aerodynamic research, simulation with the data that we've got for the spoiler."

Cup teams will test with the new spoiler Tuesday and Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first full-field test on an intermediate track.

"It's a big, big change to the race car," Knaus said. "When we get to Charlotte Motor Speedway this week, it's going to be interesting to see what happens.

"I think when there's situations like this -- a major rule change -- with the strength we have at Hendrick Motorsports, with the people we've got, we typically adapt quicker than most people. So I'm looking forward to it."

Earnhardt

Frustration for Earnhardt

The good news for Dale Earnhardt Jr. was that the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet rescued a seventh-place finish after NASCAR sent him to the back of the field for speeding on pit road under caution on Lap 324 of 500.

The better news is that the finish left Earnhardt, who missed the Chase last year, eighth in the standings after five races.

The heat of the battle and the frustration of the penalty, however, evoked a testy exchange between Earnhardt and crew chief Lance McGrew.

"Don't you lay down on me, bud," McGrew insisted, after Earnhardt complained about the speeding call and told his crew chief the car was "pushing like a truck."

"I can't lay down here -- this is Bristol," Earnhardt retorted. "I don't EVER [expletive] lay down. Don't say that ever again on the radio. Don't need the whole world hearing that."

There was humor, however, to offset the occasional rancor. After a pit stop during which the jack wasn't dropped with customary speed, Earnhardt radioed to McGrew: "I felt like I was on a lift at a dealership when it was coming down on the left side -- it was so slow."

McMurray

Finding his groove again

Jamie McMurray, who struggled in the three races following his win in the season-opening Daytona 500, had a strong day at Bristol to stop his month-long slide.

McMurray, who was 17th, 34th and 29th in the three races after the 500, ran inside the top 10 most of Sunday and wound up eighth. It was his highest finish at Bristol since he was seventh in 2004.

"I will say that I haven't run this well here in any of my years at Roush," said McMurray, who had just one top-10 at Bristol in his four seasons driving for Roush Fenway Racing.

"It felt really good to be able to come back."

McMurray, who was the points leader after Daytona and then slipped to 19th in the standings, moved up to 15th. And he did it despite feeling ill early in the race.

"I don't know if it was the fumes or something in my drink bottle or what, but 60 laps into the race I felt like I was going to throw up," he said. "And it just seemed like it got worse every time there was a caution."

If the song fits ...

All 43 drivers chose songs to accompany their pre-race introductions. Perhaps most appropriate was Brad Keselowski's choice of I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty. Keselowski strode down the gangway to a waiting pickup truck to the lyrics "I'll keep this world from draggin' me down; gonna stand my ground."

Carl Edwards, who wrecked Keselowski March 7 at Atlanta, got a mixed reception from fans when he was introduced to Ram Jam's Black Betty. Not unexpectedly, Earnhardt evoked the loudest response as he entered the speedway to Van Halen's Runnin' with the Devil.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.