Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Done Blowed Up" in First Talladega Practice Session

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the rest of the Sprint Cup cars had just taken the track at Talladega for the first practice for this Sunday's race.  The car looked racy, and Junior immediately started to mix it up with his other Hendrick Motor Sports teammates.

But, on lap eight, Junior's car started smoking, and he inexplicably started to fall back in the pack.  Ten minutes into the very first Cup practice of the weekend, Dale Jr.'s car pulled off the track with some sort of engine malfunction.  His car "done blowed up."

The crew furiously got to work on the car once it was back in the garage.  A thin sheen of oil coated the back of the car and the spoiler, indicative of some major engine malfunction.

Dale Jr. exited the car and huddled with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and the engine experts from Hendrick.  The engine issue was particularly concerning, as these types of problems tend to be epidemic and could spread to the other Hendrick team members, including points leader Jimmie Johnson and other Chase contender Jeff Gordon. 

Also adding to the angst is that this race is an impound race, meaning that after practice and qualifying, no further work can be done on the car.

As he surveyed the damage, Earnhardt Junior shared that it appeared that the car had some failure in a gasket or seal that led to the oil leak.  This led to the "seizing up" of the engine, according to Junior.

Earnhardt Jr. also acknowledged that they "did not lose too much oil." He affirmed that the team would change the engine, thereby having to start in the rear of the field.

The team will do just that as they change the engine and prepare for the next practice session.  Junior said that the "car is good" and that he is "anxious to get back out there."

While this engine issue will prove a complication for the No. 88 team, this is one of Junior's best race tracks.  And we all know that you can come from the rear to win at Talladega, as long as you have drafting help.  

The most nervous folks at the track now are not the National Guard/Amp team members, but most likely the No. 24 and 48 teams, as they hope that the same fate does not await them.

Photo Credit David Yeazell.

UPDATE:   Tony Eury Jr., crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has just announced that the engine issue that the team faced in the first practice session at Talladega was due to a scuffed piston. 

This is good news for the rest of the Hendrick teams, as it does seem to be an isolated problem.  The team has changed the engine and will participate in the second practice session later today.