tool name

Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008

NASCAR drivers dread another Michigan fuel duel

BROOKLYN, Mich. — NASCAR drivers got into the stock car sport for the speed. But feathering the gas pedal to save gas is a regular — and dreaded — part of their jobs.

Michigan International Speedway is one of the places where fuel economy often comes into play.

That's how Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended a 76-race winless string on Michigan's 2-mile oval in June, and it will probably be a factor in Sunday's 3M Performance 400.

Drivers are either apologetic or defiant after winning a race by getting to the finish line on fumes while their closest competitors run out of gas or are forced to pit.

”My fans are happy, and I'm happy for them,“ he said after barely stretching his last fuel load to the finish. ”The other half are going to tear this apart on how we won this race. But I got the trophy, and I got the points.“

Earnhardt, who will start fourth on Sunday, hasn't won since the last Michigan race and has slipped from third to fourth in the season points.

”Just the racetracks we have been going to,“ he said. ”I don't have good finishes at those racetracks. Couple of road courses, Pocono, it is just typically not a good part of the season where we have run very good. We are always strong at the races the first third and last third of the season.“

Another victory here would be a good way to gain some momentum with only four races left until the start of the Chase for the Championship. And, if he has his choice, it will be a full throttle win.

”It would be good to get another win to show everybody we can do it on a full tank of gas,“ Earnhardt said. ”It would be a good to get a win anywhere, but Michigan is a good place because of the manufacturers being close. Being close to Detroit, Motor City.“

Asked what he will do if crew chief Tony Eury Jr. gets on the radio Sunday and tells him to start saving gas again, Earnhardt replied: ”Get mad, because you don't want to save, you just want to run hard.

”It is a lot of work and you don't know if what you are doing is saving gas or not. You don't know what you are accomplishing, and it's no fun.“

Edwards overtakes Stewart

Carl Edwards took the lead in the pits Saturday, then drove away with his first Nationwide Series victory at Michigan International Speedway.

The reigning series champion was trailing fellow Sprint Cup star Tony Stewart when the leaders drove onto pit road under a caution flag on lap 93. Edwards, driving a Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, came out in front and easily led to the end of the 125-lap race on the 2-mile oval.

”I'm just so happy that we won this thing,“ Edwards said after doing his traditional victory backflip off his car. ”We've been close before. I don't know if we would have been able to get by Tony or not. He was pretty quick.

”The car was awesome all day. There were a couple of cars that were real fast — Tony and Brian Vickers. But my pit crew just did a great job there at the end.“

It was the 19th victory for team co-owner Jack Roush at Michigan, but the first in the series previously sponsored by Busch since 1998.