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DALE EARNHARDT JR. PREVIEW - LAS VEGAS - February 24, 2009


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

The No. 5 GoDaddy.com team returns as the defending race winner of the 200-lap event and Earnhardt Jr. knows his team is capable of continuing that feat in 2009. Now he hopes a little luck will assist in his quest for victory lane. A win in Saturday’s 300-mile race would mark his first victory in the Nationwide Series - as a driver - since Michigan in 2006.

AT LAS VEGAS – In only two Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one top-five and two top-10s. He has an average starting position of 10.5 and an average finish of 4.0. Earnhardt Jr.’s most recent start at Vegas came in 1999.

GoDADDY PAINT SCHEME – Earnhardt Jr. will drive the first of two races with the familiar green and black paint scheme of GoDaddy.com at Las Vegas this weekend. In his last oval start with GoDaddy on board, the 34-year-old secured a seventh-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

SEVEN IN 2009 – Earnhardt Jr. will make his second of seven starts in the Nationwide Series this weekend at Las Vegas. His other five starts will come at Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Daytona (July), and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

JR MOTORSPORTS – Since entering Nationwide Series competition in 2005, JR Motorsports has amassed four victories with drivers Brad Keselowski, Ron Fellows and Mark Martin. It has earned 21 top-fives, 54 top-10s and two poles.

IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES – In 107 career starts in the Nationwide Series, Earnhardt Jr. has recorded 22 wins, 49 top-five finishes, 69 top-10s and nine pole positions. He won the series championship in 1998 and 1999 and has competed in at least one Nationwide Series event in 13 of the past 14 years (none in 2000). He has maintained an average starting position of 11.5 and an average finish of 11.4 throughout his 13-year career in the Nationwide Series.

CHASSIS NO. 495 – The No. 5 team will run JR Motorsports chassis No. 495 at Las Vegas. It secured eighth place finish after starting seventh at Homestead in 2008.