MARTINSVILLE - Dale Earnhardt Jr. says that his team has fallen behind NASCAR Nextel Cup competitors and needs to make changes to help him and teammate Michael Waltrip recover from poor starts.

Earnhardt is 26th in the points and Waltrip 27th after four races. No driver worse than 17th in the points after four races made last year's championship chase. Earnhardt said Tuesday that Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s problem is that it has not adjusted to the new tires and the rear spoiler reduction this season.

"Our company doesn't learn quick enough for these changes and we have to spend all year figuring it out and the next year there's a new batch," he said during a break in testing at Martinsville Speedway.

So, what to do?

"You've got to hire some people, steal some people and get rid of the dead weight," Earnhardt said with a devilish grin. "That's the only way you can do it."

Until changes are made or tricks figured out, Earnhardt's self-proclaimed D-minus season could grow worse. He has not finished better than 24th since Daytona. He and Waltrip have not led a lap since the season-opening race.

One area Earnhardt said his team is behind is aerodynamics.

Earnhardt said that he's noticed how other teams have managed to keep the rear of their cars higher so the spoiler creates as much downforce as possible. That helps the car stick to the track in the corners, allowing it to run faster. Earnhardt's car has been sliding through the corners. That keeps him from going as fast as others.

"We've got to find out what it is that makes it happen that's within the rulebook," Earnhardt said of keeping the rear spoiler as high as possible. "Everybody knows how to cheat to do it. We've got to find out what guys have learned."

"There's a lot of things you see people doing that don't make a lot of sense. You try to figure out why they're doing those things to their cars."

It's tough to do when there are other issues to address.

Several recent problems have magnified DEI's inability to keep up with other teams.

Earnhardt didn't help himself by running into Brian Vickers at Las Vegas and wrecking both. Earnhardt took the blame for that and for speeding twice on pit road at Atlanta two weeks ago. The second infraction prevented him from possibly getting his lap back and contending for a top-15 finish. Instead, he placed 24th, two laps behind winner Carl Edwards.

Waltrip's woes have been blown engines. Waltrip, who is in the final year of his contract with DEI, failed to finish the season's first two races because of engine problems. He had the best car in the Daytona 500 until his engine quit.

Earnhardt does not blame the offseason moves of swapping crew chiefs, crews and cars with Waltrip for his slow start. Earnhardt says he's happy with new crew chief Pete Rondeau, who has been taunted by angry fans on his office phone.

"I've got a lot of confidence in Pete Rondeau and these guys," Earnhardt said. "I haven't seen one sign of anyone giving up yet."

Waltrip, also testing at Martinsville on Tuesday, supports his crew chief, Tony Eury Jr.

"This is where I'd love to be forever," said Waltrip, who is coming off a season-high seventh-place finish at Atlanta. "Quite honestly, last fall I don't know if I could have said that or not. I just wasn't having any fun and things weren't going right."

Even so, their challenge doesn't get easier. The series heads to Bristol this week and then to Martinsville. It's the first time since 1999 that the series has had back-to-back races at short tracks where anything can happen. The last thing either Earnhardt or Waltrip needs is to get collected in wrecks, as can happen easily, and record two more poor finishes.

"We understand that whether it's these two weeks or the next two or whatever two, we just need to be steady and we can't break and we can't crash," Waltrip said.

Says Earnhardt: "We're not in a good position."Hard times at DEIDale Earnhardt Jr.26th in standings315 points behind

points leader110 points behind 10thRace Result Report±

Daytona 3rd Passed by Jeff Gordon for lead with 6 laps left±

California 32nd Runs poorly all day, blowing 3 tires±

Las Vegas 42nd Causes lap-12 wreck±

Atlanta 24th Speeds on pit road twice; ill-handling carMichael Waltrip27th in standings328 points behind

points leader123 points behind 10thRace Result Report±

Daytona 37th Leads 42 laps but blows engine±

California 38th Blows engine for 2nd straight race±

Las Vegas 21st Never a threat±

Atlanta 7th Rallies for 1st top-10 of year

MICHAEL WALTRIP

RACE/FINISH/REPORT

Daytona/37th/Leads 42 laps but blows engine while among leaders

California/38th/Blows engine for second race in a row

Las Vegas/21st/Never a threat

Atlanta/7th/Rallies for first top-10 of season