Notes: Gale gets big start at home track of Talladega
Nothing like a little pressure to top off a homecoming.
Cale Gale comes to Talladega Superspeedway as the lone driver for Kevin Harvick Inc., a team owned by the two-time series champion and his wife, DeLana.
Normally at a companion event, Harvick is behind the wheel of one of the team's two cars in the Nationwide Series race. Only twice this season has Gale competed with Kevin Harvick.
But at Talladega, it's the 23-year-old Mobile, Ala., native all by his lonesome. Driving for the team that won this race last year. With its second car in the runner-up position. In front of his home crowd.
"Obviously I do put a little added pressure on myself since I am from Alabama," Gale said. "The last person from Alabama to win at Talladega was Davey Allison, so to be in good equipment and have a shot is pretty cool.
"KHI won this race last year with Bobby [Labonte] and Tony Stewart finished second. That's more pressure on me because we're returning with only one car this time."
Gale is scheduled to compete in 14 races for KHI this season, sharing time with his boss and also with defending Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, to gain knowledge and experience. He's run three races thus far and his last outing was a successful one -- he finished a career-best eighth at Nashville Superspeedway in March.
"This is the same car Kevin ran at Daytona [finishing 21st] and since then, [we've] worked hard to improve [it] before heading back to the superspeedways," Gale said. "The main thing is to stay in line, hang in the draft and hopefully have a shot at the end of the day."
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