Dale Earnhardt Jr. worked with his interim crew chief a week earlier than expected.
The solid result in the No. 88 Chevrolet came just in time.
Earnhardt appeared in sync with Lance McGrew in their first race together, and the 12th-place finish Sunday at Dover International Speedway was a nice first and badly needed step toward salvaging Earnhardt’s slumping season.
“We ain’t clicked yet, but we’re definitely doing OK,†Earnhardt said. “We’ve got a lot to learn about each other. And the more we know and understand about each other I think the better we will be.â€
Earnhardt was running fifth at the halfway point …Â Details
Lance Armstrong’s cash-strapped Astana team are not yet out of the financial woods, team manager Johan Bruyneel said at the Giro d’Italia on Sunday.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) set Sunday as a deadline for the Kazakh-based team to meet its financial requirements after the riders complained their salaries were not being paid.
The UCI has threatened to withdraw Astana’s Pro-Tour licence.
“The financial woes that left salaries unpaid are not completely resolved yet,†Bruyneel said in a team statement.
“I hope that the team sponsors will meet the deadline for the bank guarantee and the payments. Moreover the UCI now wants more guarantees about the team for the rest of the year.â€Â … Details
Australian paddling star Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland) made sure history didn’t repeat today, storming to victory in the Honoula Ocean Paddle Race on the Gold Coast.
31-year-old Mitchell, who wiped out of last year’s event after the rudder on his paddleboard snapped as he made his way out to the offshore start line, completed the eight kilometre open ocean race from Snapper Rocks to Currumbin unscathed, crossing the line in a in a time of 51 minutes and 48 seconds.
The paddleboarding ace says he was stoked to take the win after an unfortunate finish in the 2008 race.
