MOORESVILLE, NC (August 31, 2009) – In only the second race of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career, Jeffrey Earnhardt showed he had the mettle and perseverance that made his grandfather famous when he overcame multiple setbacks – from mechanical to Mother Nature – to finish Sunday's race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the 31st position.
Driving the No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet, Earnhardt's first trip to the Montreal road course was packed with learning experiences. He outlasted a number of veterans in the field to finish the race, despite having to change a transmission early in the race, losing a fuel mileage gamble, having to switch to grooved rain tires in the waning laps of the race and having to dodge the spinning race cars on the green-white-checker finish.
"The race was a little crazy," said Earnhardt. "We had some issues with a transmission and that set us back, and then we ran out of fuel. I think we had a pretty good car, and if it wasn't for those little mishaps we would have had a great finish. It was a lot different running in the rain. It was hard to see, but still a lot of fun. It was just a real hectic race with everyone beating up on everybody and caution after caution. It's just one of those races where if you can make it back to the garage with a car and you're able to drive it in, you had a pretty decent day."
The rain was never far away this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec. With rain tires on from the moment teams hit the track, racing in the wet was a new experience for Earnhardt. He took quickly to the 2.71-mile road course, running 10th fastest in what would be the only NASCAR Nationwide Series practice of the weekend. But with only moments remaining in practice he hydroplaned and ran off-course in the first turns, hitting the tire barrier and damaging the front right fender of the No. 40 Chevrolet.
The No. 40 team was able to fix the damage quickly and avoid going to a backup car. After an hour-long weather delay, NASCAR made an unprecedented decision to allow NNS teams to qualify in the rain. Locked into the race, Earnhardt was able to safely navigate the water-drenched circuit with a lap time of 127.017 seconds, earning him a 25th place starting position.
Though ominous clouds loomed, the rain held off long enough for the field to take the green flag on racing slicks, running under dry conditions for the first time that weekend. Earnhardt ran only two laps after the green flag waved before the No. 40 Chevrolet dropped off the pace. Reporting to crew chief Gary Showalter that he was having problems with third and fourth gears, Earnhardt brought the No. 40 Chevrolet into the garage. The Key Motorsports crew changed the car's transmission in record time, and Earnhardt returned to the track in the 39th position only 10 laps later.
When the yellow flag waved on lap 18, Earnhardt was awarded the free pass as the only car a lap or more down. Still nine laps behind, Earnhardt brought the No. 40 down pit road for four tires and fuel. Reporting that only one of his radio earpieces was working and that he could not hear his team on the far side of the course, Earnhardt had even more working against him when the field received the green. But he skillfully navigated the track, running lap times comparable to the top-15. When a multi-car wreck brought out another yellow on lap 24, the Key Motorsports Chevy was once again given the free pass.
Earnhardt earned the free pass one final time when the yellow waved on lap 27, and he was running 33rd turning his fastest laps of the weekend. However, a fuel mileage gamble didn't pay off, leaving him stranded on the hairpin turn. A wrecker helped him back to the pits, where the No. 40 team got him refueled and back on the race course.
On lap 60, the rain which had been threatening to fall throughout the race finally came. NASCAR waved the red flag, allowing teams to change to rain tires, install windshield wipers, turn on brake lights, and make any other necessary adjustments for the conditions before going green on lap 66.
The final 10 laps would be the most treacherous of the race as competitors skidded into each other, spun through the turns, and slid through the grass and gravel, bringing out three cautions and forcing a green-white-checkered finish. Earnhardt skillfully dodged multiple wrecks in his path and made his way through the melee, keeping the No. 40 on track and taking the checkered flag with minimal damage in the 31st position. Although it was only his second NNS start and his first experience on a wet track, Earnhardt proved to fans and his competitors that he was learning the art of racing in the rain.
Curtis Key's No. 40 remains 23rd in the NNS owner standings after Jeffrey Earnhardt's 31st place finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Key Motorsports Chevrolet is now 218 points ahead of 30th place.
