Dale Jr's Bar & Grill ™ (SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG!)

Dale Earnhardt Jr's Biography --
Birthday: Oct. 10, 1974-
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.-
YEAR-BY-YEAR NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RECAP
2008 -- Finished 12th in series points. ... First season with Hendrick Motorsports. ... June win at Michigan broke a 76-race victory drought. ... Occupied a top-five spot in the standings for 23 consecutive weeks, following the March event at Bristol until after the September event at Dover.... Earned a Chase berth (as the fourth seed), but slumped during the final 10 races of the season. ... Voted NASCAR's most popular driver for a sixth consecutive year.
2007 -- Finished 16th in series points. ... Finished with one pole, seven top-fives and 12 top-10s in a disappointing season, his last with Dale Earnhardt Inc. ... Announced in May that he would join Hendrick Motorsports for the '08 season. ... Nine DNFs marked a career-high. ... First full-time season without a win. ... Voted NASCAR's most popular driver for a fifth consecutive year.
2006 -- Finished fifth in series points. ... Fourth career finish in Sprint Cup top 10. ... Finished with one win, 10 top-fives and 17 top-10s. ... Only victory came at Richmond in May. ... Earned a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup following a one-year absence. ... Voted NASCAR's most popular driver for a fourth consecutive year.
2005 -- Finished 19th in series points. ... Captured his only victory under the leadership of DEI technical director Steve Hmiel, who took over for crew chief Pete Rondeau after the spring Charlotte race. ... Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. led the No. 8 team from the fall New Hampshire race to the end of the season. ... Posted seven top-fives and 13 top-10's. ... Voted NASCAR's most popular driver for the third consecutive year.
2004 -- Finished fifth in series points. ... Had six victories, second only to Jimmie Johnson's eight. ... Daytona 500 victory made the Dale Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr. tandem only the third father/son combination to win The Great American Race, along with Lee and Richard Petty and Bobby and Davey Allison. ... Won two restrictor-plate races and was the only driver to post top-10 finishes in each of the four restrictor-plate races.
2003 -- Finished third in series points, his best career finish. ... Was second in the standings for 19 race weekends. ... Posted two victories -- Talladega in April and Phoenix in November; his Talladega win was his record fourth consecutive there. ... Narrowly missed a fifth consecutive win at Talladega in September with a runner-up finish to DEI teammate Michael Waltrip. ... Posted career bests with 13 top-fives and 21-top 10s, totals that were fourth and third in the series, respectively. ... Voted NASCAR's most popular driver, marking the first time a father and son have received the award; his father won posthumously in 2001.
2002 -- Finished 11th in series points. ... Won two races, via season sweep at Talladega Superspeedway. ... Two poles, at Michigan and Kansas. ... Led a series-high 1,068 laps. ... Recorded 11 top-five finishes, 16 top-10s and had the most consecutive top-five finishes (three) in his career. ... Also posted career bests in top-five starts (13) and fewest DNFs (three). ... Won in his first Nationwide Series race as driver/owner at Richmond (Sept).
2001 -- Finished eighth in series points. ... Scored a trio of dramatic, emotional victories. ... First win came in July at Daytona, the first race there since his father's death in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. He held off DEI teammate Michael Waltrip, to whom he finished second in February, for that win. ... Next victory came at Dover in the series' first race back after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and he punctuated that win with a victory lap carrying an American flag. ... Third win came in October at Talladega, the site of his father's final career victory a year earlier.
2000 -- Finished 16th in series points. ... Became first rookie to win the Sprint All-Star Challenge. ... Came up 42 points shy of winning the Raybestos rookie of the year title behind former Nationwide Series foe Matt Kenseth. ... Joined Jeff Burton as second first-time winner at Texas Motor Speedway. ... Along with Tony Stewart, became second rookie in two years to win at Richmond.
1999 -- Competed in five races. ... Best start was eighth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. ... Best finish was 10th at Richmond in September.
PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY
Won back-to-back Nationwide Series titles in 1998 and 1999, his only two full seasons of Nationwide Series competition. ... Has won 20 races and has more than $3 million in Nationwide Series earnings. ... Entered three Nationwide Series races and won all three in 2003. ... Won six times with 22 top-10 finishes and three poles in 1999. ... Won seven races and three poles in 1998. ... Scored his first Nationwide Series victory in his 16th start at Texas, where he would later get his first Sprint Cup win. ... Made his Nationwide Series debut at Myrtle Beach, S.C. in 1996. ... He started seventh and finished 14th. ... Began his professional career at age 17 competing in the street stock division at Concord Motorsport Park, later moving up to the Late Model stock division. ... First racecar was a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that he owned along with his brother, Kerry. ... Raced against Kerry and sister Kelley at the beginning of his career. ... Won three feature victories in his NASCAR weekly series Late Model stock career (1994-1996). ... When he raced in the Pepsi 400 at Michigan in 2000 along with his late father, Dale, and brother, Kerry, it was the second time a father and two sons ran in the same Sprint Cup event. Lee Petty also raced against his sons, Richard and Maurice.
NOTEWORTHY
Owner of JR Motorsports. ... Co-owner of Chance 2 Motorsports when that organization won consecutive Nationwide Series titles with driver Martin Truex Jr. in 2004 and '05. ... Says his hero is his late father, seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt. ... His first Nationwide Series title in 1998 made him NASCAR's first third-generation champion coupled with his father's record-tying seven Sprint Cup titles and grandfather Ralph Earnhardt's 1956 NASCAR Sportsman Division title. ... Lists the Washington Redskins as his favorite sports team. ... 2006 Corvette Z 06, 2001 Corvette C5-R with LeMans wing, 2005 Corvette, 2001 "Intimidator SS" Camaro, 1996 Hummer, 2002 Mini Cooper and a Chevrolet Z-71 pickup are just some of the vehicles in his personal fleet.

Kelly Bires Bio --
Birthdate/Hometown: August 25, 1984; Mauston, WI
Marital Status/Children: Single; None
Sponsors: Krugerfarms.com, FabGrills.com, Clorox Company
Crew Chief: TBA
The No. 47 Clorox Ford Fusion team at JTG Racing are anxiously awaiting the 2008 season.
Like most hot-shoe drivers, this Wisconsin native got the racing bug early by nailing down two Regional Karting Titles by the age of 12 and two National Titles by 14. He entered the Allison Legacy Car Series at 15 and in two years, he won the two most prestigious awards. In 2000, he was Rookie of the Year. In 2001, he was the Series Champion. Clearly, Bires has a pretty short learning curve when it comes to going fast and turning left.
After moving up to the late model ranks in Wisconsin in 2002-2004, Bires ran completely for two years locally before moving to Charlotte to pursue a career in NASCAR. After working in a Busch the shop and learning all of the ins and outs of cars for a year and half, Bires returned to Wisconsin in 2005, anxious to kick-start his late model career once again.
It was to the detriment of his competitors when he showed up in the ASA Late Model Series in 2006. His stunning performance speaks for itself—seven wins, four poles, 15 top-five finishes and none out of the top-10 in seventeen starts. Without question, he was the run away winner of the Rookie of the Year Title.
JTG Representatives took notice of his dominant year and signed Kelly to drive one of their two Craftsman Truck Series entries in 2007. In a major plus for Bires, he received tutelage from veteran Mark Martin, who teamed with him earlier in the year in the truck series. A mid-season opportunity allowed Bires to finish out the year behind the wheel of the No. 47 Clorox Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Busch Series. The rookie sensation made his debut at the Meijer 300 race at Kentucky, where he wowed his competitors by finishing 7th after starting 26th. It became real clear that Bires and the No. 47 team were a perfect pair. Bires finished his promising rookie season earning two top-10 finishes.
No signs of a sophomore slump in the No. 47 garage. JTG Racing expects more big things to come from this talented young driver.

Danica Patrick's Biography --
Danica Sue Patrick (born March 25, 1982 in Beloit, Wisconsin) is an American auto racing driver, currently competing in the IndyCar Series, as well as a model and advertising spokeswoman. She was raised in Roscoe, Illinois. Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season. In May 2006, she published her autobiography, Danica: Crossing the Line. With her win in the 2008 Indy Japan 300, Patrick became the first woman to win an Indy car race. Patrick currently drives the #7 Boost Mobile/GoDaddy.com Honda/Dallara for Andretti Autosport. She also has an equity stake in her #7 team. She placed 3rd in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, which was both a personal best for her at the track and the highest finish by a woman in the event's history.
Early Racing Career - Patrick began go-karting in 1992 at the age of 10, and went on to win several World Karting Association championships. She moved to England at the age of 16 in order to advance her racing career. Patrick raced in Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall, earning a second-place finish in Britain's Formula Ford Festival, the highest finish by a woman in the event.
In 2002, Patrick started driving for Rahal Letterman Racing in the United States. After making several starts in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, she moved to the Toyota Atlantic Championship for 2003. Patrick won one pole position and was a consistent podium finisher (top three); however, she never won a race. In 2004, Patrick finished third in the Championship.
IRL Indycar Series - 2005 - After the 2004 racing season, Rahal Letterman Racing officially announced that Patrick would drive in the IRL IndyCar Series for 2005.
On May 29, 2005, Patrick became only the fourth woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500, following Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher. After posting the fastest practice speed of the month (229.880 mph/369.956 km/h) during the morning practice session on the first day of qualifications (May 15), she made an error in the first turn of her first qualifying lap, and failed to capture the pole position, which instead went to Tony Kanaan. Patrick's fourth starting position, however, was still the highest ever attained for the race by a female driver. Patrick became the first female driver to lead the race at Indianapolis, first when acquiring it for a lap near the 125-mile (201 km) mark while cycling through pit stops, and late in the race when she stayed out one lap longer than her rivals during a set of green-flag pit stops. Patrick overcame two crucial errors to finish fourth in the race, the same position in which she started: Patrick's car stalled in the pits about halfway through the 500-mile (800 km) race, dropping her to the middle of the field; and shortly after reclaiming a spot in the top 10, Patrick spun on a caution period just before an intended green flag leading to a four car accident. The accident caused damage to Patrick's car that was limited to the nose and front wing. Her pit crew promptly made repairs, and due to the subsequent yellow, Patrick was able to rejoin the field having lost only one position. When the leaders pitted for fuel on lap 172, Patrick stayed out to take the lead. On lap 194, eventual race winner and 2005 series champion Dan Wheldon passed her as she was forced to slow in order to conserve fuel. Patrick was subsequently passed by both Bryan Herta and her teammate Vitor Meira. Patrick's fourth place was the highest ever finish for a female driver at the Indy 500, besting the previous record of ninth set by Janet Guthrie in 1978. Patrick led 19 laps overall.
On July 2, 2005, Patrick won her first pole position, leading a 1-2-3 sweep by Rahal Letterman Racing at Kansas Speedway. She became the second woman to accomplish this feat in the IndyCar Series, the first being Sarah Fisher in 2002 at Kentucky Speedway. On August 13, 2005, she won her second pole at Kentucky Speedway, although this time, rain prematurely ended qualifying and position was determined by speeds achieved during practice. She took a third pole at Chicagoland Speedway which tied her with Tomas Scheckter's record for number of pole positions earned in a rookie season.
In 2005, Patrick finished 12th in the IndyCar Series championship, with 325 points. She was named Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season.
During the offseason following the 2005 racing year, Patrick competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona along with co-driver Rusty Wallace in January 2006.
2006 - Patrick competed in the 2006 IndyCar Series season giving her another chance at qualifying and racing in the Indianapolis 500. In the first race of the season, the Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead, Patrick qualified third behind the Penske Racing teammates of Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish, Jr. However, tragedy struck as RLR teammate Paul Dana was killed in a crash during practice the morning of the race. Patrick and Buddy Rice withdrew from the race immediately. The two resumed their 2006 IndyCar campaign with the second race of the year at St. Petersburg.
At the Indy 500, Patrick started eighth and finished eighth. After Watkins Glen, RLR switched to the Dallara chassis and the team struggled to adapt. Patrick struggled to remain competitive, but her fourth place finishes at Nashville and Milwaukee tied her career best IndyCar finishes. At Michigan, Patrick's car ran out of fuel with three laps to go and she fell to 17th. She rebounded at Kentucky and Infineon to finish 8th in both races.
In her final race with RLR at Chicagoland, Patrick recorded a 12th place finish and a 9th place finish in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings, besting her 12th place points finish as a rookie.
In November, the March of Dimes awarded her the title of Sportswoman of the Year in celebration of her dedication and success.
2007- On July 25, 2006, Patrick announced she had signed a deal to drive for Andretti Autosport, replacing Bryan Herta in the number 7 Dallara Honda car beginning in 2007. Patrick's car is sponsored by Motorola, XM radio and Go Daddy.
In Patrick's first race with Andretti Autosport at Homestead on March 24 she finished 14th after crashing into the pit wall on lap 154. She finished 8th at St. Pete and 11th at Japan. At Kansas she had her best finish of the year at that point, finishing 7th.
In April 2007, Patrick launched her official fan club The Danica Maniacs to help foster greater interaction between her and her fans.
Patrick ended up starting and finishing eighth in the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500. She ran as high as 2nd to Tony Kanaan after the mid-race rain delay. After a pit stop, she dropped back in the field. Patrick was working her way back to the front until the race was ended under the caution caused by Marco Andretti's accident due to the subsequent rain on lap 166.
At Milwaukee, Patrick started second to last but moved up quickly to 5th before contact with Dan Wheldon. Patrick managed to save the car from hitting anything but the wreck caused aerodynamic damage. She used a timely caution to get back on the lead lap and finish 8th. After the race she and Wheldon had a heated exchange after she tried to confront him about the wreck.
Following the incident at Milwaukee, Patrick rebounded with a career night at Texas in the Bombardier Learjet 550. She ran with the lead pack throughout the entire race and led a race for the first time since 2005. She finished less than a second behind winner Sam Hornish, Jr., a then career-best third, her first "podium" finish.
Her good fortune would only be temporary as she was involved in one of the several crashes at Iowa to finish 13th. She would however rebound at Richmond to run in the top 10 all night before finishing 6th.
She followed that up with an 11th place finish at Watkins Glen before running in the top 5 all day and finishing 3rd at Nashville. At Mid-Ohio she finished 5th (her best career road course finish) despite being involved in a lap 1 accident that sent her into the grass briefly.
Patrick continued to have bad luck at Michigan International Speedway as previous years have seen Patrick retire from the race early due to fuel and other troubles. At the 2007 running, a flat tire in the late portion of the race forced Patrick to pit and dropped her to a 7th place finish.
Her terrible luck would continue at Kentucky as she ran in the lead group all night and appeared headed towards another podium finish when she spun out exiting pit road with less than 50 laps to go. After restarting from that spin, a rear tire on Patrick's car blew leading to a crash and forcing her to retire from the race.
Her luck would get a little better at Infineon as she ran in the top 10 and finished 6th. However a series of slow pit stops kept her from what could have been an even better finish.
At Belle Isle, Patrick started 11th and was involved in two accidents from which she was able to restart without damage, eventually driving to the front and leading 9 laps of the race before falling back after having to pit. On the final lap, while Patrick was running in 5th, Buddy Rice, Scott Dixon and teammate Dario Franchitti were involved in an accident immediately in front of her. Patrick was able to avoid the wreck and finish in second place, a career-high in the IndyCar Series and tying her with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver Sarah Fisher for best finish in IndyCar racing by a female.
At the season finale in Chicagoland Speedway, Patrick ran most of the race in the top 6, but had to make a pit stop for fuel with 7 laps to go. When entering pit lane, Patrick spun-out but avoided damage to her car. With assistance from her pit crew, Patrick was able to refire the engine, make a complete pit stop and reenter the race, finishing 11th overall.
For the 2007 season as a whole, Patrick scored her first three career podium finishes to finish with 4 top 5's and 11 top 10's while leading 17 laps on the season. She also scored her career best championship points finish of 7th with 424 points.
2008 - To begin the 2008 season, her second with Andretti Autosport, Patrick scored her best career Homestead finish of 6th. She followed that up with another top 10 by scoring a 10th place finish at St. Petersburg.
Patrick won at Twin Ring Motegi in the Indy Japan 300 on April 20, 2008, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race, joining the ranks of drag racer Shirley Muldowney, who won three NHRA Top Fuel Championships, as a "first female" winner in the top tier of American motorsports. Patrick took the Indy Japan 300 after the race leaders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps. She finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of the Brazilian pole-sitter Helio Castroneves, who ran out of fuel in the final turns on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Twin Ring Motegi oval.
Her team owner, Michael Andretti, commented, "I'm thrilled for her that the monkey is finally off of her back."
A mechanical problem late in the race RoadRunner Turbo 300 at Kansas Speedway forced Patrick to retire early from the race.
During practice for the 2008 Indianapolis 500, Patrick's car struck a member of Dale Coyne Racing's pit crew when she came into the pits on May 9. During the Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2008, she retired from the race early after a collision in the pitlane. As Ryan Briscoe exited his pitbox the two cars collided, damaging Patrick's left rear suspension and eliminating both from the race. After being pushed back to her own pit, Patrick left her car and headed down pit road towards Briscoe's pit at which point IMS security intervened, preventing an on-track confrontation.
Following Indy, Patrick finished 9th at Milwaukee and 10th at Texas, with both races ending under yellow flag conditions. At Iowa and Richmond she stayed out of the many crashes during these races and finished 6th in each event.
Overall, she finished the 2008 IndyCar Series season in sixth place - the highest championship finish among American drivers for the 2008 season.
During the offseason following the 2008 racing year, Patrick made her second appearance in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January 2009.
2009 - On May 24, Patrick raced at the Indianapolis 500. She finished third behind winner Helio Castroneves and second-place Dan Wheldon. It was her best finish in five attempts, one spot better than her 2005 finish, and a new record high finish for a female driver in the race. The following weekend in Milwaukee Patrick raced to 5th position at the flag. On June 6, she finished the Bombardier Learjet 550 in 6th place, dropping her to fifth place in the IndyCar Series point standings.
Patrick began the season with the Motorola sponsorship from her previous two seasons with AGR, however her car was rebranded for Boost Mobile following the Kansas race. The changes were made public with a drive down the tarmac at the Indianapolis International Airport.
In what was a difficult Honda Indy Toronto qualifying and practice for the entire Andretti Autosport team, Patrick started the race in the 18th position (her teammates also starting in the rear of the field in 17th, 20th, and 22nd). Patrick had the best finish of the Andretti Autosport team moving up 12 positions to finish 6th, putting her only three points behind Castroneves for the 4th position in the 2009 points championship.
Danica finished the season 5th overall in the point standings, her highest finish to date. This 5th place finish was not only the highest of any of the Andretti Autosport drivers, but of any non-Penske or Ganassi driver for the 2009 season.
NASCAR/ARCA Career - Patrick will drive a part-time schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports and her sponsor GoDaddy.com. Her first competitive stock car experience will be driving the green and orange #7 Chevrolet in an ARCA race on February 6, 2010 at Daytona International Speedway.
Critics on Danica being a female racer - Some drivers have critically commented on Danica Patrick's presence in auto racing and her success in promoting herself as a female driver. While many drivers and racing professionals have supported both her and other female drivers, some have voiced hesitancy over the entry of women into the sport. Former driver Richard Petty stated, "I just don't think it's a sport for women, and so far, it's proved out. It's really not. It's good for them to come in. It gives us a lot of publicity; it gives them publicity. But as far as being a real true racer, making a living out of it, it's kind of tough." After Patrick's IRL win, she was praised by many drivers, including NASCAR driver and former IRL champion Tony Stewart, who said "I think obviously she's got talent; she's been successful in every form of racing she's been in so far and I don't see why she wouldn't be successful here [in NASCAR]."

About JR Motorsports - JR Motorsports was established in 1999 as the management company for professional race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and is now a full fledged racing operation with teams competing at different levels in the stock car racing ranks, including two full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series programs. JR Motorsports first foray into racing came in the form of a street stock car that raced at Concord Motorsports Park in Concord, N.C., during the summer of 2002. During the next three years the team progressed through the late model stock car and Pro Cup ranks, collecting numerous wins and pole awards along the way. With support from the U.S. Navy, Earnhardt Jr. launched the JR Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series program in 2006. In July 2007, officials from JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports announced that the two teams would merge their Nationwide Series operations at the end of the year to field a joint effort starting with the 2008 season. Fielding the No. 88 and No. 5 Chevrolets, the JR Motorsports organization receives engine, chassis and vehicle engineering support from HMS. The JR Motorsports team has come a long way from its start in 2002. Once housed in a small shop on Earnhardt Jr.’s property, the team now operates out of a large 66,000-square-foot facility that serves as the nucleus of Earnhardt Jr.’s racing operation and business interests.

About Hendrick Motorsports - In 24 years of competition, Hendrick Motorsports has garnered seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (formerly NEXTEL Cup) championships, three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series titles and one NASCAR Nationwide Series crown (formerly Busch Series), making it one of stock-car racing's premier organizations. Rick Hendrick is just the second team owner in NASCAR's modern era to earn more than 150 Cup Series victories. The four full-time NEXTEL Cup teams of Hendrick Motorsports include Casey Mears in the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolets; four-time champion Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolets; 2006 & 2007 Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolets and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolets. On the Nationwide Series level, Landon Cassill, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Adrian Fernandez, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin all will pilot the No. 5 Chevrolets in 2008 being fielded by JR Motorsports. Sponsor partners such as: Delphi, GoDaddy.com, Lowe's and the National Guard will all help to provide support during the 34-race schedule. Hendrick Motorsports' sponsor-partners include some of the world's most respected brands: Adidas, AMP Energy Drink, Army National Guard, Bosch, CARQUEST, Chevrolet, Club Car, Delphi, DuPont, Freightliner, Gatorade, Georgia-Pacific, GoDaddy.com, Goodyear, HAAS, Kellogg's, LORD Corporation, Lowe's, Mac Tools, MAHLE Clevite, Mechanix Wear, Nicorette, Panasonic Toughbook, Pepsi, Quaker State, Siemens, Stanley Tools, Time Warner Cable, Wix Filters and Wrangler. Under the Hendrick banner, records have been set in both victories and consistency, with four consecutive Southern 500 victories (Gordon); six consecutive road course wins (Gordon); youngest driver to reach 50 career Cup Series triumphs (Gordon); youngest driver to win a race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Ricky Hendrick); only driver to win three Truck Series championships (Jack Sprague); and the youngest driver to ever win a NASCAR championship (Vickers). Chevrolet race cars entered by Hendrick in Cup Series competition have won the prestigious Daytona 500 six times (1986, 1989, 1997,1999, 2005 and 2006). All Hendrick race cars are constructed start-to-finish at the 90-acre complex, and more than 700 engines are built or re-built on-site each year, with the team leasing some of those to other NASCAR outfits. The first to implement professional pit crews, Hendrick employs on-site fitness trainers and operates a fully equipped gym to assure that personnel are in shape and ready for race day. More than 500 employees call Hendrick Motorsports home, and day-to-day activities include management of HendrickMotorsports.com, the 15,000-square-foot museum and team store, marketing, public relations, sponsor services, licensing, show cars, merchandising and much more.