NASCAR Winston Cup Series UAW-GM Quality 500 Preview: #3, Dale Earnhardt
1 October 1997
#3 Dale Earnhardt, GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR Winston Cup Series UAW-GM Quality 500 Advance Charlotte Motor Speedway GM GOODWRENCH SERVICE PLUS TEAM KNOWS THE ROAD TO CHARLOTTE'S WINNER'S CIRCLE CONCORD, NC - The road to Charlotte Motor Speedway's winner's circle is a familiar one for Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt has made the trip to the victory lane celebration 11 times. Those wins include five Winston Cup, three The Winston and three Busch Series wins. - The GM Goodwrench Service Plus team has 11 top-10 finishes in the last 13 Winston Cup races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They had a seventh-place finish in the spring race at CMS. - Best starting position: 3rd (5/83, 10/86, 5/87) Winning two of of the tree; Worst starting position: 43rd (10/95) Finished second behind Mark Martin; First Win: 1980 National 500; Last Win: 1993 Coca-Cola 600. - Earnhardt has collected over $2,800,000 in winnings from Charlotte Motor Speedway. His biggest payday came in 1990 The Winston with $325,000. His lowest was in the 1977 October race taking home $1,375 with a 38th-place finish. - Richard Childress Racing Museum in Welcome, NC will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Visit the museum, tour the race shop, and pick up your newest souvenirs. For further information: 1-800-476-3389. - They say the racing community is like a family, well this weekend it is family. Dale Earnhardt will be following his son Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in Saturday's Busch Series race. While Richard Childress will be following son-in-law Mike Dillon in the same race. QUOTES "Between myself, Dale Earnhardt and Larry McReynolds you won't find three more determined competitors," said Richard Childress. "We've been close to winning a couple of these things, but missed it. When you get that close, it only makes you work that much harder and want it that much more." "We've got all the talent on this team needed to win," said Larry McReynolds. "Each week we're getting closer and seeing improvements. It won't be long until you see us in winner's circle. It could be this Sunday." "Our first concern will be qualifying," said Earnhardt. "We've finished the last seven races at Charlotte in the top-10, but only made first round qualifying twice in those seven races. We've got a good race car for Charlotte and it will be my job to get us a good starting spot." "When I first started coming here years ago, my Dad was racing," remarked Earnhardt. "We grew up right down the road in Kannapolis and consider Charlotte my home track. Back then I don't think any of us could have imagined what it would be like today." Race on Monday and qualify on Wednesday. Sure does make for a short week in the office." -- Richard Childress By Champion Sports Group
