Smoke will start 29th

Not a good lap. But he said that his car won't put up that big lap. But he also said that it is good in the long runs. Not worried he started 26th here last year and we all know how that ended. I expect him to make his way to the front like last year and challenge for the win that will help his quest to a fourth championship.

SS 14, Sure hope you are right!!

I was checking stats and just 4 of 11 races have been won from the top 10 starting positions and 1 of those was due to weather. I wouldn't worry about where anyone starts. Cupcake is starting 35th, now that's really bad.

He'd BETTER be playing possum... 6 of the top 12 qualified in the top 10.....not l@@kin' good from so far......

Well, he started 26th last year and won, so I'm not worried about his starting position. What worries me more is Jr changing an engine and all the laps Tony ran in the practice sessions. I don't know what happened to Jr's engine, but Tony ran 9 more laps than Jr between the 2 practices.

Starting position doesn't seem to mean much at Chicagoland.

Dale Jr to the rear - engine change.

At least Speed had the reason for Jr's engine change. After qualifying he over-revved the engine and bent a valve. That makes me feel better about the number of laps a lot of the Hendrick teams ran in practice.

At least Speed had the reason for Jr's engine change. After qualifying he over-revved the engine and bent a valve. That makes me feel better about the number of laps a lot of the Hendrick teams ran in practice.

Uh-oh the old Jr is coming back for the start of the Chase.
That is good though for HMS motors.

What happened to the rev limiter?

I don't know H, this is all they said.

Are you feeling any better now?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start the Chase from a deep hole.

Earnhardt Jr. qualified fourth Saturday for Sunday’s GEICO 400, the first race in the Chase for the

Sprint Cup, but a minor miscue at the end of that time-trial run cost him.

He over-revved his engine as he popped the car out of gear after crossing the finish line to complete his second qualifying lap, and that resulted in a bent valve.

The Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 team changed the engine in the car – primarily as a precaution. NASCAR rules require teams who make an engine change during the weekend to start at the rear of the field, so Junior will start from the back Sunday in Chase Race One.

It’s not a death sentence, as the length of the race and the numerous pit strategies that are likely to result are likely to provide plenty of opportunities for Earnhardt Jr. to advance through the field.

“I don’t think we are super concerned,” said crew chief Steve Letarte. “We had a great car in practice and qualified really well, so we showed we have good speed. Fortunately, this is a race track where there are multiple pit strategies, and it’s not a really simple straightforward pit strategy to call.”

Thanks, Rochelle!

I'm a little better. Went to the doc on Thursday & he is surprised it is taking me so long to bounce back. He sent me for blood work (Friday) so we'll see what that says next week. He also wants me to see my primary doctor (look for anything else that might be causing this, not related to the surgery) before I see him again in a month. Meanwhile, I just keep schleping along...