#88 Crew Chief Steve Letarte Shares His "Favorite Dale Jr. Story"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans appreciate and admire him not just because he is an amazing athlete, but because he practices good moral behavior as well.

Crew Chief of #88 Chevrolet, Steve Letarte shares with us his memories from the May 2011 Sprint All-Star Race. Steve declares what happened that day to be his favorite Dale Jr. story. This clip is evidence that small, kind gestures go a long way and that Dale’s actions off the track contribute to his large and growing fan base. We here at CARCHEX, and many others would agree with Steve that Dale is, “a great guy, great-hearted guy, great racecar driver, and its fun to be around him.”

To learn more about CARCHEX and to Get Protected, visit www.CARCHEX.com.

My favorite Dale story, I don’t know. I think my favorite one so far is probably the all-star race. My little boy decided to come sit in the pit box tomorrow. He had never done it before and I thought the open was the best way to show down. It’s a short race, there’s not a lot of pit strategy, you either have it or you don’t. So he sat up there the beginning of the race and I was giving him a line check, said ‘hey buddy can you hear me?’ And he’s like ‘Oh, I hear ya on the radio.’ Dale yells, ‘what was that?’ I said, ‘my little boy is on the radio so be careful what you say.’ He cussed one time during the race but at the caution he apologized. He said he just let one slip. He apologized later to my wife, ‘Trish I’m sorry I really didn’t mean to cuss.’ She assured him it was in the heat of the battle. It shows how he’s a great guy. Great-hearted guy, great race car driver and is fun to be around him.

Earlier this month, the official production of the new 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible started at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Oshawa. Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were on hand for a special ceremony. The first 2011 models are expected to reach dealerships later this month.

Rick Hendrick purchased the first 2011 Camaro Convertible available for public sale. He also bought the 2010 Camaro coupe offered for sale, and both times he acquired the purchase rights through Barrett-Jackson auctions, with all proceeds benefiting charitable causes.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., a driver for Hendricks Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and CARCHEX spokesperson added, “Chevrolet has been a great partner on and off the track, and I’m very happy to be here on this special day. While I still enjoy my 1972 Camaro, I can’t wait to take home one of these awesome new convertibles.”

The Camaro V6 has a starting price of $30,000 and the Camaro SS V8 $37,500, both including destination.

Check out this video to see the new 2011 Chevy Camaro Convertible and hear what Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to say about his new ride.

It has been pretty amazing to come out to the plant and drive this car off the line with all the workers here. They take a lot of pride in what they do, the product they make and I feel very honored to be able to be here, and pull a car off the line and take it home with me. Excellent product by Chevrolet. Glad to be a part of the team and I look forward to a successful season in 2011.

CARCHEX, the industry-leading provider of extended auto warranties and pre-purchase vehicle inspections, today announce the winners of their contest for the Limited Edition CARCHEX Racing t-shirts autographed and certified by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Starting in October, fans could visit CARCHEX’s Facebook Fan Page and sign up for a free Extended Vehicle Protection quote from CARCHEX. Those that signed up were automatically entered to win.

The five winners were  chosen at random and will receive a Limited Edition CARCHEX Racing Vintage T-shirt autographed by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 7-time winner of NASCAR’s “Most Popular Driver” award.

With no further ado, here are the winners….

W. Baker from Pittsflied, IL
M. Burt from Emporia, KS
D. Thompson from Delavan, WI
M. McAlinden from Port St. Lucie, FL
J. Galloway from Sherwood, AR

“Like” CARCHEX on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss out on any other contests!

CARCHEX Fans and Junior Nation will not be disappointed with the final results

A blogger from SB Nation, one of the largest and fastest-growing networks of fan-centric sport communities, posted a interesting ranking report about 2010 NASCAR crowd noise.

How do measure crowd noise, you ask?

Some of you might be familiar with the process but basically each week SB Nation measured the crowd noise during pre-race driver introductions with a handheld decibel meter. SB Nation compiled the results from 29 NASCAR races during the 2010 season.

Then according to SB Nation they, “gave drivers points based on their finishing order in the weekly top 10. If a driver got the most noise in a given week, he was awarded 10 points; if he finished 10th, he received one point, and so on.”

CARCHEX Fans and Junior Nation will not be surprised by the winner for crowd noise – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. consistently ranked at the top of the list each week.

See the full results below and tell CARCHEX what you think:

Protect Your Vehicle for the Long Haul

There’s no reason your car can’t drive 150,000 miles trouble free. Just as the key to long life is proper care, the key to a long-lasting vehicle is proper maintenance and driving.  Follow these tips from CARCHEX, and you’ll keep the wind in your face and steep car payments out of your wallet.

Regular Maintenance – Most automakers provide a service schedule for new vehicles, complete with listings according to mileage for when certain maintenance work should be done. These schedules are not just friendly suggestions from the manufacturer, but should be closely followed. Maintaining a schedule to check your vehicle’s oil, brake system, cooling system, and transmission can ensure a longer life.

Practice Appropriate Driving Styles – It may seem like a lot of fun to drive like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and start full throttle, whip around corners, and brake hard. But driving like you’re at Daytona not only kills gas mileage, but prematurely wears out tires, engine, brakes, and the transmission. Slow and steady does not always win the race, but it sure keeps you in the game. So, practice smooth, steady driving to extend the life of your vehicle. Such small changes in your daily driving habits will save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in repairs and new car costs.

Competent, Trained Technicians – While it may seem appealing to crawl underneath and tinker with your vehicle for a cheap Do-It-Yourself repair, the reality is today’s cars are complex and require the knowledge of skilled technicians. Make sure the person looking under your hood is a trusted source and avoid temptations to play mechanic.  

Personal car maintenance is great, but extended vehicle protection from a company who stands behind their policies is the best way to ensure your vehicle lasts. After the manufacturer’s warranty expires, your car is left unprotected in the face of expensive repairs. CARCHEX Extended Service Protection is A+ accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and assures all the labor and parts costs for your vehicle will be paid by the administrator of your personal plan, protecting your car for the long haul.