Earnhardt Jr. takes another hit

JIM UTTER, jutter@charlotteobserver.com

Sunday, Aug. 12, 2007

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is running out of time and headed in the wrong direction.

For the second consecutive week, Earnhardt Jr. took a hit in the points standings, this time a blown engine cut short what looked like a good day and dropped him further below the cutoff to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Earnhardt Jr.’s engine expired with 27 laps remaining in Sunday's Centurion Boats at the Glen and he ended up with a 42nd place finish that left him 14th in points, 100 behind Kurt Busch in 12th.

“I think it was due to some of the downshifts I was doing during practice,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “During practice all weekend I was having trouble with the car and struggling, I was using the downshift to slow the car and get some speed out of the thing.

“I thought we were putting on a show. We were working really hard and had something to be proud of and now (we’re) all kinds of disappointed.”

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