Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ready for Fontana - East Idaho News
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ready for Fontana

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Getty S 101812 Dale%20Earnhardt%20Jr.?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1395326841465Jamie Squire/Getty Images(FONTANA, Calif.) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 24th last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, and is looking to get back in the top-five this weekend at Auto Club Motor Speedway.

“It’s a track that has a surface that has aged a bit,” Earnhardt told ABC Sports Radio Wednesday of the Fontana track. “It makes it a little slicker, we actually use a lot of the race track up.”

Still, Earnhardt knows how he goes to drive. “You’re going to have to drive it hard through the corners pretty aggressively and you’ll be working the wheel quite a bit,” he explained.

Earhardt’s season so far includes one win, three top-five finishes, and three top-10s. He’s second in the Sprint Cup standings and sits 10 points behind leader Brad Keselowski.

Hendrick Motor Sports teammate Jimmie Johnson has five career wins at the tough Fontana track.

“He’s been a power house,” Earnhardt Jr. said of Johnson’s success. “We’re definitely fortunate to have a teammate that’s had so much success to be able to lean on and work with.”

Austin Dillon is driving the famed No. 3 car this season that the late Earnhardt Sr. drove and sits 14th in the Sprint Cup standings.

“I think it’s great,” Earnhardt Jr. said of the No. 3 being back in action.  “He’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s going to do a good job.  He’s a good friend of mine.” 

Kyle Busch, who sits in 15th this season, won last year’s race at Fontana.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

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