Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974), known professionally as Dale Earnhardt Jr. , Dale Jr. , or just Junior , is a retired American professional racer car driver, team owner, and is currently an analyst for NASCAR on NBC . He also competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving No. 1. 88 Chevrolet Camaro for his JR Motorsports team. He is the son of the NASCAR Hall of Fame member, Dale Earnhardt Sr. He is also the grandson of NASCAR racer Ralph Earnhardt and the stock car manufacturer Robert Gee, brother of Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, stepbrother of former Kerry Earnhardt driver, driver uncle Jeffrey Earnhardt, stepdaughter Teresa Earnhardt, and stepbrother older than Taylor Nicole Earnhardt- Putnam.
Earnhardt's success at Daytona International Speedway throughout his career earned him the nickname "Pied Piper" from Daytona. He was the winner of the Daytona 500 twice, having won exactly 10 years (2004 and 2014), and has won the Most Popular Driver Award fifteen times (successively from 2003-2017). He has a net worth of about $ 400 million.
After driving a Chevrolet No. 8 for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), his father's team at Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, for most of his early career at the Cup, he moved to Hendrick Motorsports to drive No. 1. 88 in 2008. He remained with HMS until retirement in 2017. Earnhardt retired with 26 wins in the Cup Series, a total that kept him in the top 40 in NASCAR history.
Video Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Racing career
Early life and career
Earnhardt was born and raised in Kannapolis, North Carolina, son of Brenda Lorraine (nÃÆ' Â © e Gee, born January 2, 1952) and Dale Earnhardt Sr. Her maternal grandfather, Robert Gee Sr., is a NASCAR car builder. He is part of the German ancestors.
Earnhardt attended a high-performance driving school run by Andy Hillenburg and started his racing career at the age of 17 with his father Dale Earnhardt, competing in the Street Stock division in Concord, North Carolina's Motorsport Park. His first racing car was the Monte Carlo 1979 he owned with his stepbrother, Kerry Earnhardt. At the age of 19 after two seasons of driving the Stock Street Division, Earnhardt has honed his driving skills to join the End Model Car Division. He competed on the short tracks of North and South Carolina driving the No. 2 Chevrolet. 3. While he ran various lines during this time, Earnhardt primarily concentrated his efforts at Speedway Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and the East Carolina Motor Speedway in Robersonville, North Carolina, where he took the post for Greenville Merchants 300 on October 28, 1994. There he developed an in-depth knowledge of chassis arrangements and car preparations, while racing with her brother, Kerry, and her sister Kelley. He works at his father's dealer as a mechanic when he goes to Mitchell Community College to earn his bachelor's degree in automotive technology.
Earnhardt ran nine Busch series races between 1996 and 1997 for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Ed Whitaker, respectively, before driving for his father's team in the full-time Busch Series in 1998, where he started the season with an outstanding blowover after contact with Dick Trickle and Buckshot Jones in Daytona, on the same weekend as his first father and Daytona's only 500 victory. Earnhardt won the successive Series NASCAR Busch Championship in 1998 and 1999 barely creeping up Matt Kenseth. In 1998, he made his first debut in the Winston Cup Series, at an exhibition competition held at Motegi, Japan. Also in 1999, he drove 5 Winston Cup races at No. Chevrolet. 8 Budweiser sponsored for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and then in 2000, he became a full-time in the Winston Cup series.
2000
2000 is Earnhardt's breakthrough year in the Cup Series. She competed for Raybestos NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award in 2000. Her main contender for the award was Matt Kenseth. Kenseth quit Earnhardt at the Daytona 500 season opening. Earnhardt scored his first win on DirecTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, breaking the record held by his father Earnhardt Sr. for at least started by a racer to get his first victory in NASCAR's "modern era" by winning at the 12th start, and also at Richmond International Raceway. He became the first rookie to win the All-Star exhibition.
Earnhardt played a role in creating a Winston Cup milestone in 2000 when he competed with Kerry's step-father and brother at Pepsi 400 at Michigan International Speedway. The opportunity was only the second time a father raced against two sons - Lee Petty and his two sons Richard and Maurice had previously accomplished that feat.
Earnhardt ended the year with two wins, three top-5s, five top-10s, and two poles.
2001
In 2001, this season's big event took place on February 18, at the final lap end of Daytona 500 lap 2001. When Earnhardt and team mate Michael Waltrip ran to the finish line, he finished second on Waltrip. His father had fallen in turn 4 after Sterling Marlin made contact with his left back bumper. Earnhardt Sr shot the track to the outside wall behind Waltrip and his son and collected Ken Schrader in the process. Earnhardt Sr. pronounced dead at 5:16 pm because of a basilar skull fracture.
In the aftermath, many disgruntled fans sent a death threat to Marlin and his family, blaming him for the accident; Earnhardt and Waltrip requested that fans stop blaming anyone for the death of Earnhardt Sr. and neither the local police nor NASCAR's investigation of the accident freed Marlin from any involvement. Earnhardt drove in Rockingham the following weekend, but finished in 43rd position after an accident on the first lap that looked as scary as his father's accident just a week earlier. Later in the season, Earnhardt made a comeback, starting with an emotional victory at Pepsi 400, which was also the first race held in Daytona since his father's death.
Earnhardt has the dominant race car, leading 115 of 160 laps. At the last restart, he managed to move from sixth place to first place in a span of two laps, with Waltrip holding back the field as Earnhardt picked up the checkered flag. She won MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 in Dover, which was the first race after the September 11 attacks because the race scheduled at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was postponed until the end of the season. After the race, he performed a Polish victory lap while holding a large American flag outside the driver's side window.
In the fall, Earnhardt won his second license plate when he won the EA Sports 500 in Talladega when the accident happened behind which caused Bobby Labonte to turn around and also collect 15 other cars. The win of Talladega earned Earnhardt a bonus Winston No Bull 5 $ 1 million. He docked 25 points, however, after his car failed post-race inspection. With this victory, DEI swept three of the four boundary plate contests for 2001, only failing to win the Spring Talladega race. He finished the eighth season of 2001 in the standings with three wins, nine Top 5, and fifteen Top 10, as well as two poles.
2002-03
In 2002, Earnhardt underwent a roller-coaster season. He struggled after suffering a concussion at the Fontana race in April - an injury he did not admit until mid-September. In the following three races of Fontana, he finished no better than 30. However, Earnhardt rallied to sweep both races of Talladega (leading 133 of 188 rounds that dominated in the spring race), a pair of Bud Pole Awards and finishing 11th in the standings with eleven Top 5 and Sixteen Top 10 finishes.
In 2003, he became a true title contender, scoring his fourth consecutive victory record at Talladega, having been involved in a 27-car crash on lap 4. He fought for most of the race, and was at the bottom half lap bottom, just catching his return to pack through caution. The win was controversial because with 5 laps to go, it appears that Earnhardt went under the yellow line to get the position, but NASCAR decided that Matt Kenseth forced him down the line, making it a clean pass.
He then scored a win at Phoenix in October, scoring the best career in third place in the standings, with thirteen Top 5 and twenty-one Top 10 finishes. He also brought home the NMPA Most Popular Driver award for the first time in his career.
2004-06
In 2004, Earnhardt won the Daytona 500, six years to the day after his father won his only title on the Great American Race (and 3 years after his father was killed in 2001 race). Earnhardt came very close to Speedweeks, in addition to the Daytona 500, he also won the Gatorade Duel and Busch Series races. However, he finished 2nd in Shootout Budweiser to Dale Jarrett.
On July 18, during the summer outside of the weekend, Earnhardt crashed into the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R during rehearsals for the Le Mans Sonoma American Series Grand Prix at Infineon Raceway. The car slid off the track and hit a concrete barrier during the race day heating, severing the fuel line and causing the car to burn with him still inside. He suffered second and third burns to his neck, chin and leg partly because he did not wear protective balaclava with his helmet. The burn prevented him from finishing two races where he was relieved by Martin Truex Jr. (in New Hampshire) and teammate DEI John Andretti (at Pocono) in the middle of the race. In the fall, Earnhardt became the first rider to sweep the weekend in Bristol by winning Busch and Cup races on the same weekend.
Earnhardt was able to qualify for the NASCAR 10-race race, and won the NEXTEL Cup 5th win of the season (highest career) at Talladega. However, he was sentenced to 25 points for the use of obscenity during television broadcasting, breaking the new NASCAR rules that prohibit participants from using obscene language (rules were made a week after Daytona 500, after the Super Bowl half showed controversy). The incident, combined with two consecutive DNF at Chase, eventually knocked him out of the game, and he finished fifth in the 2004 NEXTEL Cup Chase despite winning 6 times in 6 career peaks at Daytona, Atlanta, Richmond, Bristol, Talladega and defending his team. fell victorious in Phoenix (though under a non-Chase points system, Earnhardt will tie his third point at the end of the previous year). He closed the 2004 season with 6 wins, sixteen Top 5, and twenty one Top 10 finishes. He also picked up the second Most Consecutive Driver Award in a row.
At the end of the 2004 season, it was revealed that Tony Eury Sr. will be promoted to the team manager position for the DEI company, while Tony Eury Jr. became head crew for Michael Waltrip for the 2005 season. Peter Rondeau, a Chance 2 employee who also helped Earnhardt win the Busch Series race at Bristol in August, became head crew for Earnhardt in 2005. Rondeau served as head crew Earnhardt until Coca Cola weekend , when he was replaced with DEI chief engineer Steve Hmiel, who helped Earnhardt score a 2005 single win at Chicagoland in July, when he took charge of Matt Kenseth on the last pit stop cycle. Earnhardt was knocked out of all possible competition for the NEXTEL Cup championship after a machine failure at California Speedway. Earnhardt reunited with his cousin, Tony Eury Jr., after the fall of Richmond ended, and the results soon recovered. Earnhardt completed his 19th season with points. For the third year in a row, she brought home the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award.
Earnhardt's expertise as a car owner continues. His racing team outside DEI, JR Motorsports, in 2005 fielded a car in the USC Hooters ProCup Series, winning once and qualifying for the Four Champions playoffs. Mark McFarland moved to the Busch Series in 2006, driving the No. US Navy Chevrolet. 88 JR Motorsports, with Richard Childress Racing providing assistance; However, he was fired before the fall of the Michigan race, Carfax 250. He was replaced by Robby Gordon and Martin Truex Jr for the rest of the year. Short-term short racer Shane Huffman piloted the Earnart USAR Hooters ProCup car in 2006. In 2006, during a spring weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Earnhardt and other DEI drivers drove with a special black paint scheme in their car, reminiscent of his notorious No 3 father paint scheme. On Father's Day in 2006, he drove a vintage Budweiser car at the Michigan International Speedway in honor of his grandfather (Ralph Earnhardt) and his father, who at one point in both their careers by car no. 8. After the rain caused the race to finish earlier, Earnhardt finished third with Kasey Kahne winning the race. After 17 races in the 2006 season, Earnhardt sits 3rd in the championship standings with 1 victory, coming to Richmond in May 2006.
During the race in New Hampshire, he suffered a second engine failure in the 2006 season, which eventually led to a finish in the rankings to-43. Following New Hampshire was a race at Pocono, where he ran in the middle of a pack when he fell in turn 2. These two events catapulted him to 11th place in points, out of Chase for the Cup. At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Earnhardt and his crew made the crucial decision to stay in the final pit to get the much needed Top 10 results to move it to 10th in points. He made Chase 2006 for the NEXTEL Cup after finishing 17th at the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 9, 2006. He nearly won at Talladega, and took the lead on the last lap when Brian Vickers made contact with Earnhardt Jimmie Johnson's future team, Johnson to Earnhardt and play them out. His points position went into Chase is 6. He finished 5th season in the standings point, 147 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
2007
Earnhardt started the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season by finishing 32 on the Daytona 500 as a result of a late race accident. His first Top 10 came at Bristol Motor Speedway at Food City 500, where he finished his first 7. Top 5 coming at Martinsville Speedway at Goody's Cool Orange 500. He led 136 laps and finished in fifth. He collected his third Top Ten season and eight at Talladega Superspeedway with his 7th appearance in 2009 Aaron 499. On 14 May 2007, he docked 100 points for the driver's championship, car owner Teresa Earnhardt docked 100 point owners, and crew chief Tony Eury Jr., was fined $ 100,000 and suspended for 6 races due to the use of illegal mounting brackets used to install wings to his car. During the April race at Texas Motor Speedway he drove the last 10 laps in No. 1 car. 5 Kyle Busch owned by Rick Hendrick.
On May 27, 2007, Earnhardt drove the No. 8 camouflage car at Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day to raise money for the family of military forces. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Ward Burton, Denny Hamlin, Casey Mears, Shane Huffman and Bill Elliott also changed their paint scheme for this event. He finished eighth, after leading with seven laps to go, but he had to complain for fuel and Casey Mears finished with a win.
On August 5, 2007, Earnhardt earned his first pole position in the race since 2002 at Pocono Raceway. Although Kurt Busch won the race, Earnhardt had a dramatic comeback to finish 2 after spinning out and experiencing shock problems. Earnhardt led for eight laps before Busch took over. On 12 August at Watkins Glen International, Earnhardt pushed into the 12th position in the Nextel Cup standings from No. 2. 13. After being in position No. 2 during the race, Earnhardt had engine trouble on lap 64 and had to end his race day. After Glen, he tried angrily to reach 12th place in the standings. However, the revival by Kurt Busch and the engine that exploded during the final race at Richmond ended Chase's hopes. It was his last chance to participate in the Championships at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI). After the 2007 season, Dale Jr. won the NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver award for the fifth time in a row.
Move to Hendrick Motorsports
After much speculation, Earnhardt announced on May 10, 2007 that he would leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., a company founded by his father, to drive another team in 2008. Earnhardt stated that his decision was entirely based on his desire to achieve the career goals of the Sprint Cup Championship, and his clear conviction that he will not be able to achieve that goal while driving for DEI. He says that unless he can gain majority ownership, and therefore control, from DEI, that he is not confident in the organizational ability to bring down elite level equipment that will produce elusive titles.
On June 13, 2007, he announced at a press conference that he had signed a five-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports, replacing Kyle Busch. At the time, Hendrick consisted of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Casey Mears. One month later on July 13, 2007, it was announced that his main sponsor Budweiser would not be with Earnhardt when he moved to Hendrick. Another contractual agreement in place at Hendrick Motorsports is said to have prevented relations with Bud.
On August 15, 2007, it was announced that Earnhardt would not be carrying No. 8 who was familiar with him to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. His late grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, used the number, while Earnhardt picked it up when he entered the Cup Series in 1999. His father also uses No. 8 early in his career. Earnhardt Jr. blamed his stepmother for not allowing Number 8 to move with him to Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt said the negotiations failed when Teresa Earnhardt asked for a share of the license revenues, along with wanting the number back after he retired. (Team No. 8, after a successful season in 2008 with co-drivers Mark Martin and Aric Almirola, will end up closed in 2009 after the merger of DEI with Ganassi Racing.)
Earnhardt moved to No. car. 88 with Tony Eury Jr. came to Hendrick to remain as the head of his crew. On September 19, an official announcement was made that Earnhardt would drive No. 88 Mountain Dew AMP/National Guard Chevrolet Impala for 2008 season.
The No. 88, according to the NASCAR archive, was encouraged by Ralph Earnhardt, father's grandfather, in 1957. His maternal grandfather Robert Gee was one of the first employees of All Star Racing, originally Late Model Sportsman (now Xfinity Series). ) team with Gee as Hendrick's partner, who is now Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick said about Earnhardt and his uncles, "I can see Robert Gee Jr., or Jimmy Gee, or Dale Jr., and all I see is Robert Gee." They're a spit image of him I'm back and seeing and drawing from when we do things together, and I have to say, I am deeply indebted to Robert. "Starting in the 2008 season, Hendrick Motorsports incorporated its National Series team into Earnhardt's JR Motorsports, with cars originating from Earnhardt's store, which employs mothers and his uncle.
2008
Earnhardt started the 2008 season by winning Shoutout Budweiser which is an exhibition with no points. It was his first race for Hendrick. He led a total of 47 from 70 laps, record of Budweiser Record. He followed it up to five days later with victory at the first Gatorade Duels. It was his third career victory in a duel, but he could not follow him with a win at Daytona 500, finishing 9. Ryan Newman was the event winner.
Earnhardt docked 50 points as the rear spoiler did not meet the height specified in the Nationwide Series. His crew Chad Walter was fined $ 35,000, suspended for 6 races and placed on probation until 31 December 2008. Team owner Rick Hendrick also docked 50 point owners with Earnhardt.
In Michigan, Earnhardt broke his 76-race race record, managing to extend sufficient fuel mileage to enable him to win under warnings on the last lap of a green-white-checkered finish. He did not find much success after winning Michigan. He then returned to Talladega Superspeedway for AMP Energy 500 where he was on his way to a possible victory before being caught in "The Big One" at the end of the race. He headed to Martinsville Speedway where he finished 2nd to teammate Jimmie Johnson. He ended the season in the garage area at Homestead Miami Speedway at The Ford 400 after losing the brakes with only a few laps to go in the race. Earnhardt finished his 12th season in points, 557 points behind champion Jimmie Johnson.
2009
At the Daytona 500 season opening, Earnhardt started well, even leading for one lap. But some misfortunes, including a missed pit and a 1-lap penalty for pitting outside the pit box, sent him well into the back of the running order. Earnhardt was later indirectly involved in a controversial accident on lap 124, when, while struggling to return to the main lap, he was in touch with Brian Vickers while struggling to become the first rider in the first round (who gets free tickets if carefully flags out), causing pileup The 10-car includes Denny Hamlin, Scott Speed, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle and Kurt Busch, Robby Gordon, Jamie McMurray, and Carl Edwards. Vickers and Kyle Busch then criticized Earnhardt, who denied deliberately cutting off Vickers. Earnhardt criticized Vickers for blocking him inside. When the race ended early due to rain, Earnhardt ended in 27th place. Earnhardt later apologized for his actions but retained to this day that he never intended to destroy Vickers.
After the engine exploded in California and fell to 35th position at the owner's point, he finished 10th in Las Vegas and reached the 29th position in points. He finished 8th in Martinsville. He has a series of bad endings including 20 in Texas, and 31 in Phoenix after being spun by Casey Mears. He gained confidence in his team with a very strong performance at Talladega, leading for 20 laps, and finishing 2 for his protégé, Brad Keselowski after Keselowski sent Carl Edwards flying into the fence in one of the biggest annoyances this year. However, two weeks later in Richmond, Earnhardt finished on the 27th. He again spun at the end of the race at Darlington and ended the race in 27th place. He then finished 10th in the All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Earnhardt's poor performance continued when he finished 40th in Coca Cola 600 due to an oncoming race car.
On May 28, 2009, Tony Eury Jr. released as team crew leader No. 88. Lance McGrew is named head of the interim crew and is scheduled to take over, starting with June 2009 Pocono Race with team manager Brian Whitesell calling a shot in Dover the previous week. McGrew is scheduled to work with Brad Keselowski in Dover, but after a failed qualifying effort by Keselowski, was able to take on his duties for the No. team. 88 a week early. Dale Jr. managed to finish 12th in Dover for Autism Speaks 400 with his new crew chief after competing for the lead. At Pocono Raceway, however, he again ends with a 27th finish. After changing the crew's head, Earnhardt was consistently better, finishing fifteen at Chicagoland Speedway; However, during that time he also had one DNF at Daytona International Speedway where he was taken out of the race at the beginning of a massive collision.
At Carfax 400 in Michigan, Earnhardt was charged ahead near the end of the race and successfully completed 3; he also grabbed his second Top 5 final this season in the same race. A week later at Bristol, Earnhardt finished 9th on the Sharpie 500, but his bad luck continued at Auto Club Speedway, when he was involved in a multi-car incident. After running the 39th qualifying at Lowe Motor Speedway, he said, "I'll end my rope". In the Talladega race of the fall, Earnhardt has a strong run, including leading a few laps, before finishing in 11th place. Lance McGrew has an "interim" taken from his title, and he continues to work with No team. 88 until the end of the 2010 season. Earnhardt ended 2009 without a win, and ended his career in 25th place in the standings.
2010
On Saturday, February 6, 2010, Earnhardt qualified for second place overall for the 52nd Daytona 500 after losing his leading position to teammate Mark Martin. He started 1st in Gatorade Duel No. 2 on February 11 that year. He finished 11th in the Budweiser Shootout 2010 after struggling with the wrong car handling for most of the races.
On February 13, 2010, while running in front of the pack in the Daytona National Series race, Earnhardt was caught in a multi-car crash, causing his car to reverse on the backstretch. He walked away from an unharmed accident. His driver Danica Patrick was caught in another wreck before Earnhardt turned. The next day during 2010 Daytona 500, Jr. making late charges ahead of the pack coming from 6 to 2 in one turn but his run was thwarted by Jamie McMurray as Earnhardt Jr., finished 2. It was the best time of the year. The only other top 5 came at the July Daytona and Loudon races in September. He finished the year with 8 top 10 and 1 pole as consistency experienced by the team.
On July 2, 2010, Earnhardt drove the Wrangler Chevrolet No. 3 blue and yellow (painted to pay homage to his father and fans) and drive him to the victory lane in the JalepeÃÆ'Â ± 250 National Series in Daytona. He finished the 2010 Season on 21 November 2010, ranked 21st. Hendrick Motorsports then made a head shuffle, pairing the head crew of Earnhardt, McGrew with Mark Martin, while Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte moved into the 88 team, and Gordon got Martin's head crew, Alan Gustafson. On December 2, 2010, it was announced that Earnhardt won the NMPA Most Popular Driver award for the 8th time in a row.
2011
He started the season by drawing a leading position at Shootout Budweiser 2011, where he completed 19 races. On February 13, he gained his first pole position on the Daytona International Speedway, as well as the first on a track that used the bounding plate. Due to his training crash, he had to start at the back of the field for the duel race and 500. He finished 24th on the Daytona 500 after being crushed with 4 laps to go. During the next seven races, Earnhardt will reach five Top 10 finishes, including a 2nd place finish at Martinsville after losing the lead to Kevin Harvick with 4 laps to go, and finish fourth place in Talladega in a finished photo with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick. Earnhardt came in half a lap to stop his 104th winless race at Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, when he ran out of fuel during a green-and-white-checkered finish, ending in seventh. The following week in Kansas, Earnhardt finished 2nd to Brad Keselowski. He followed this up with a solid 6-place finish at Pocono. During the next three races, Earnhardt will slide into position 7 in Championship points, finishing 21 in Michigan, 41 at Infineon, and 19 at Daytona. On September 1, 2011, Earnhardt announced he had signed a 5-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports to push No. 1. 88 to 2017. On 19 September 2011, Earnhardt made his first Chase for the Sprint Cup performance since 2008 in Chicagoland. At the end of the season at Homestead, he finished 11th and finished 7th in the final points standings. On December 1, 2011, it was announced that Earnhardt won the Most Popular Driver award for the 9th time in a row.
2012
Earnhardt started 8th in Shootout Budweiser, leading for several laps, and finished 20th after getting caught in a six-car crash on lap 55 which also involved Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick. At Gatorade Duel, Earnhardt performed strongly, starting from outside the pole in the first duel race. He led a few laps at the start of the race before finishing second for Tony Stewart after his team-mate in the National Series of Danica Patrick smashed violently into the inner wall in a last lap accident on the back straight. In a delayed Daytona 500, he finished in second place behind Matt Kenseth, having passed Greg Biffle on the last lap. In Phoenix, Earnhardt's car fought hard in most races and came out with a 14th place finish.
In Las Vegas, Earnhardt leads 70 laps early but finishes 10 based on a bad pit strategy. In Bristol, Earnhardt finished 15th after a late racing contact with teammate Jeff Gordon, and a speeding penalty. Earnhardt will support this with a back-to-back pair of 3rd place at Auto Club and Martinsville Speedway, leaving him second in the standings.
In the following weeks, Earnhardt will bring the Top 10's: 10 strings in Texas, 7 in Kansas, 2 in Richmond, and 9 in Talladega, where he leads 10 laps. The following week, Earnhardt fought for most of the races at Darlington, and had to settle for the 17th finish. At the All-Star Race, Earnhardt won the Sprint Showdown, leading all 40 laps to race for the big event. In the event, Earnhardt won the 4th segment and in the last 10 laps, had to settle for finishing 5th place. The next two weeks, Earnhardt will post finished from 6 in Charlotte and 4 in Dover heading into the summer. At the newly acquired Raceway Pocicut, Earnhardt led 36 laps during the race, but made the final racing pit of the 3rd place with just 20 more rounds, finishing 8th and 2nd in the points. In 2012 Quicken Loans 400 in Michigan, Earnhardt dominated the race, led 95 laps and won, breaking the race's unbeatable 143-race record, almost four years into the day after his last win on June 15, 2008. Earnhardt will be ranked 23rd-place finish in Sonoma after being crushed in a green-and-white-checkered finish, but still able to cross the finish line intact and on the front lap, continuing his streak to be the only racer to finish all the races on the main lap. He will support this with a fourth finish at Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway.
The following week in Daytona, the final lap accident resulted in a 15th place finish for Earnhardt but still continues to be the only rider to finish every lap in every race. Earnhardt backed up with some top 5 finishes, finishing 4th in both Loudon and Indianapolis, where he earned points for the first time since 2004, after leader Matt Kenseth points were brought out in a race-ending accident. Back at Pocono, Earnhardt ran in 2nd position, but the break in the transmission sent 88 to the garage, but he came back out 18 laps down and finished in 32nd, because the rain that came and ended the race and late racing accident involving Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Denny Hamlin. His finish streak on the main lap ended, but he still retained the lead points with 5 races until the chase cutoff. At Watkins Glen, Earnhardt had a great Stable 10 in the final round but a late race resulted in the 28th finish, which would drop the 88th team from 1 to 4 on points.
Returning to Michigan for Pure Michigan 400, Earnhardt had to start in 42nd place after an accident in practice forced him to move to a spare car. He led for a few laps mid-race and finished on the front lap in 4th place. Earnhardt; Ryan Newman; and Kasey Kahne also escaped the engine trouble that hit Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart. At Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt starts 16th after a qualifying rain; He led 13 laps in the race before the pit road penalty resulted in a 12th place finish. Finishes lock him into the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup, alongside Greg Biffle, and teammate Jimmie Johnson. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt made an early round but recovered to get the seventh finish. The following week at Richmond International Raceway, Earnhardt earned his first pole of the season. He will go for a 69 lap lead, but the final race pit leaves resulting in the team 88 getting a 14th place finish, and a 7th seed in the standings. In the first race pursuit at Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt finished 8th although had to start at the back of the field due to engine changes. Finishes 13 and 11 at Loudon and Dover left the 88 team 7 in the standings.
Dismissed due to concussion
On the morning of October 11, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Earnhardt had to sit at Bank of America 500 in Charlotte and Hollywood Casino 400 in Kansas due to a concussion from a 23-car crash on the last lap at Talladega on October 7 At the weekend, Earnhardt finished on the order of 20 in Talladega when he made a heavy blow during an accident after making contact with Bobby Labonte. Prior to this, Earnhardt had a concussion during an Aug. 29 test at Kansas Speedway. Regan Smith was announced to replace him on the two races. Prior to concussion, Earnhardt has competed in 461 consecutive races, dating back to the 1999 Atlanta show. Bank of America 500 in 2012 marked the first race since 1979 Southern 500 that Earnhardt did not compete in the Sprint Cup Series because Dale Earnhardt has competed in every race from one to his death at Daytona 500 2001. On October 23, Earnhardt was released to Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville after missing two races. He started strong in the race, but a late race with Carl Edwards placed to finish 21 places. His top ten first finish after returning to the track was the seventh-place finish in Texas. In Phoenix, Earnhardt fights in a sick car, and finishes on the 21st. At the end of the season, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Earnhardt will finish 10. This is his first top 10 finish on the 1.5 mile track, and the 20th of the season. He closed his 12th season in the final standings. On November 29, 2012, it was announced that Earnhardt won the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award for 10 years in a row. It tied Elliott's streak of 10 consecutive wins in the award.
2013
Earnhardt started the 2013 season with an 8th place finish in the Christianized Sprint Unlimited. He qualified 11th for Duel Budweiser, but he blew the engine in practice, he was forced to descend to the back of the field. After nearly losing a 3-car accident between Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne, and Regan Smith, he finished 9. He finished fourth on DRIVE4COPD 300 after the submarine under Alex Bowman's car on the last lap of violence.
In the Sprint Cup Series, Earnhardt achieved a bit of revival, and in the first five races of the season recorded three Top 5 and five Top 10 finishes. It started with second place finish for teammate Jimmie Johnson on Daytona 500, Earnhardt's third runner finish in 500 since 2010. The following week in Phoenix, he led for 47 laps but stumbled back in traffic during the cycle warning to stop the pit stop, which allowed Carl Edwards to lead while Junior finished in fifth place. This was followed by two more Top 10 finishes: 7 in Las Vegas and 6 in Bristol. At Fontana, Earnhardt starts a middle suitcase and after several errors including a long pit stop caused by a wheel nut being thrown on the right rear tire, he returns home in 2nd position, assuming the lead points as a result of Brad Keselowski going back and forth back. Two weeks later at Martinsville, Earnhardt fought throughout the race, and spun out after Danica Patrick was beaten by Brian Vickers and sent to Earnhardt and finally completed 24, 2 laps down, losing points leading to Jimmie Johnson.
In Texas, Earnhardt ran near the front until round 187, when the battery alternator stopped and he ended up in 29th. In Kansas, he ran near the front until caution happened when he, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Carl Edwards were all in pit road. Earnhardt will make the rounds down, take the wave, and finish the 16th position. In Richmond, he finished on the 10th. At Talladega, he went into the preliminary round after a few strokes with Joe Nemechek. However, with caution to crash on lap 43, Earnhardt gets a free ticket to return to the main lap. He makes his way back through the field to the Top 5, but returns to 17 at the end.
The following week at Darlington, Earnhardt ran inside the Top 10 most of the night before finishing to finish 9th place. He is one of only a few cars that can avoid being dropped by Kyle Busch.
The following week at the Sprint All-Star Race, Earnhardt fought the car that night before completing the 7th game. The following week for Coca-Cola 600, Earnhardt lost the engine and finished 39, giving him his first DNF since 2011. The next two weeks saw the rebound, with a 10th finish at Dover and 3 at Pocono. At Quicken Loans 400, Earnhardt led 23 laps but suffered a machine failure, and finished 37th at the lowest point of the season for the Hendrick Motorsports team overall (Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon both had DNF due to a crash, and Jimmie Johnson cut the tire with 5 laps to go ). After Michigan's low, Earnhardt finished 12th in Sonoma.
In Kentucky, Earnhardt won a pole and set a new qualification qualification track with a lap time of 29,406 seconds and a speed of 183,636 miles per hour (295,533 km/h). Though he started at the stake, he lost the lead to Carl Edwards early on. However, while Earnhardt took the lead after the restart of the competition warning (due to rain delay), Denny Hamlin cut tires and carcasses appeared on the track and was hit by Earnhardt splitter and also by Jimmie Johnson's car, causing significant damage. Earnhardt had to make some fees through the field to save the 12th place. He then took an 8-place finish at Coke Zero 400. He, Johnson, and Ryan Newman were the only three drivers to sweep the Top 10 in both Daytona races.
Earnhardt then struggled with a struggling car in New Hampshire, where he completed 14. After the weekend, he found some consistency with his sixth finish at Indianapolis and 5th at Pocono, while battling the loose wheels and vibrations within a span of two weeks.
Team No. 88 then suffered a bad two weeks, with a 30th finish at Watkins Glen due to a late race accident with Kasey Kahne. The following week, Earnhardt blew his right front tire while running in the Top 10. The damage was enough so he completed 26 laps down, in the 36th position. This evaporated his Chase pillow, but with the 10th finish at Bristol and 8 in Atlanta, he was able to rebuild this pillow. In Richmond, the last race of the regular season, Earnhardt only needs to finish 32 or better to make Chase. Finish 13 places do this, and he enters the Chase is seeded in ninth place. This is the first time in Earnhardt's career that he has made three straight Chase appearances. In the first Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt experienced engine failure, placing it in the Chase competition. He bounced back on the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, leading 17 laps and finishing 6. The result was good enough to move Earnhardt to 11th at Chase for the Sprint Cup standings with eight races left in the season.
In Dover, Earnhardt won his second pole of the season, setting a new qualifying speed record of 161,849 mph. This is the first time since 2002 that he has recorded more than one pole during a season. During the race, Earnhardt will lead 80 laps, but will finish 2 for Jimmie Johnson. The following week in Kansas, he finished on the 8th. Making the 500th Cup start at Charlotte, Earnhardt led the initial 19 laps, but finished 15th while battling a racing car. The following week at Talladega, Earnhardt led 38 laps and almost received a boost from Austin Dillon to overtake Jamie McMurray on the final lap when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tapped Dillon, causing the driver to spin out and then get hit by Casey Mears, leaving Earnhardt with 2 places finished. The following week in Martinville, Earnhardt grabbed the 8th. The following week in Texas, he has a solid night, finishing 2nd to Johnson for the third time this season (after Daytona and Dover). The following week in Phoenix, Earnhardt began by being forced to complain with a loose wheel early, placing him in his lap. However, caution allows him to use the free pass to return to the early laps and save the finish in 4th place.
At the end of the season, the last 67 laps saw a tight battle to lead between Earnhardt; Matt Kenseth; and Denny Hamlin. Hamlin wins while Earnhardt finishes 3, giving him the first Top 5 at Homestead. He finished the fifth season on points, with two pole positions, ten Top 5, and 22 Top-10 finalists.
On December 5, 2013, Earnhardt won the Most Popular Driver Award for 11 consecutive years, breaking Bill Elliott's record, which scored 10 straight awards from 1991 to 2000.
2014
Team No. 88 made headlines even before the start of the season. During Daytona's usual Dayton Spring test in January, it was announced that the crew chief Steve Letarte would come down from the pit box after the season to become a full-time member of the upcoming NASCAR on NBC's broadcast team, alongside Jeff Burton and Rick Allen. Earnhardt and Letarte assured that this move would not bother them win the race and compete for the championship at the end of the season. In Sprint Unlimited, Earnhardt led for 7 laps, but in the last segment, contact with Marcos Ambrose caused him to hit the wall in turn 1, finishing 9. In the first Duel Budweiser, Earnhardt started 4th, and led 14 laps, before fading back for finish where he started.
In Daytona 500, Earnhardt began on the 9th. His car roam in the middle for most of the first quarter of the race. After a red flag of six hours and 22 minutes, Earnhardt's car came alive, leading with 70 laps remaining. He led 54 of the last 70 laps and he held off Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski to win the second Daytona 500, just 10 years after the first. The following week in Phoenix, Earnhardt continued his momentum, completing 2 for Kevin Harvick. In Las Vegas, Earnhardt was betting on fuel in the remaining 40 rounds, but he ran out of gasoline while leading on the final lap, finishing 2nd race for final race winner, Brad Keselowski. At Bristol, he was strong from the start, and had a chance to become the first rider since Richard Petty started the season with four straight top 2s, until the tire problem forced him to stop, leaving him with 24, four laps down.
At Auto Club Speedway, Earnhardt began on the 15th. However, on lap 44, his car lost the right front tire and hit the outside wall in turn 2, issued a warning, making it one of the few victims of tire failure that hit the race. After being repaired and falling behind the main lap, Earnhardt made several charges through the field to save the 12th place finish, putting him second in the points. The following week at Martinsville, Earnhardt fought in the Top 5 all day, led 25 laps, and finished third, giving him the 4th Top 3 finish of the season, and regained the points advantage. In Texas, he fell on Lap 13 and was on fire. He finished last and dropped 5 points on points and dropped to 31 points behind new points leader Jeff Gordon. The following week at Darlington, Earnhardt darted among the Top 5 all night, and took the lead on a green-and-white-checkered finish, before finishing 2 to Kevin Harvick.
In Richmond, after the Easter holiday, Earnhardt was strong in the race, racing among the Top 3 Late, and leading 7 laps, but a green-and-white brake, and a bad brake forced Earnhardt to 7th. The following week at Talladega, Earnhardt ran between packages until mid-race, when he took the lead. He leads for 26 laps, but the last 30 laps saw the car take conservative steps, and could never regain the track position, and finished 26. In Kansas, for the first night race on the track, Earnhardt ran firmly in the Top 5, lap, before finishing 5th.
For the Sprint All-Star Race, Earnhardt started the 6th, but fought with a tight car all night, and never became a real competitor. Earnhardt crosses the finish line to-4. The following week at Coca-Cola 600, he drove inside the Top 5 for most of the night, before making an unscheduled pit stop for engine vibration. This resulted in the 19th finish, just two laps down. The following week in Dover, Earnhardt ran in the Top 10 all day, and ran in the Top 5 late, but a mistake on the pit road left them with a 9-place finish.
At Pocono, Earnhardt starts eighth and stays in the top 10 all afternoon. At the last restart, he was behind Brad Keselowski. In a reversal of events in Las Vegas, with 5 laps to go, Keselowski tries to move behind lap down Danica Patrick's car to get a piece of junk from the lattice, which causes Earnhardt to pass him and never look back on his way to his first win at Pocono and second this season. The win marks the first time since 2004 that he has won many races in a single season. The following week in Michigan, Earnhardt started in Top 5, but finished on the 7th, after several cars had different pit strategies. The following week in Sonoma, seeing Earnhardt has his best street stats, live in the top ten for most of the races, and finish in third. The following week in Kentucky, Earnhardt finished 5th.
Back in Daytona, Earnhardt was involved in a 16-car dash in front straight on lap 20, but was able to save the finish of 14th place when the race was called for rain after 112 of 160 laps.
Earnhardt was able to bounce the following week in New Hampshire with a 10th place finish. With that done, he grabs Chase's place, with him enough inside the Top 30 and has two wins. The following week, he finished 9th in Indianapolis.
Questions referring to Steve Letarte's replacement were finally answered on July 30, as it was announced that Greg Ives, Chase Elliott Series crew chief at JR Motorsports, would return to Hendrick Motorsports, and take over Earnhardt's pit box for 2015.
Back to Pocono, Earnhardt began on the 9th. He ran inside the Top 10 for most of the races, and took the lead from Greg Biffle with 14 laps to go. Earnhardt had built a lead of more than three seconds when the exit alert for Kurt Busch tires in lap 154, erasing his lead. He then sweated out four lapouts at the last restart to take his 3rd win of the year, marking the first time since 2006 that a rider swept both races of Pocono (Denny Hamlin was the last rider). This victory tied Earnhardt with Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski for much of the season's victory up to that time.
At Watkins Glen, Earnhardt finished 11th, and as Jeff Gordon fought, assumed lead points, for the first time since Martinsville in April. The following week in Michigan, he made contact with Kyle Larson in pit road, but through the hard work of his pit crew, was able to lead four laps and save the 5th finish.
The following week at Bristol, while running 5th, Denny Hamlin's leader was damaged by Kevin Harvick as he raced for the lead, which then sent Hamlin's car into the inner wall. Hamlin's car then slid back in front of No. 88 and hit the left side door of the car, and the contact was bad enough to send Earnhardt behind the wall, and finish in 39th place. This is the second DNF this year, after an early exit in the spring race of Texas.
In the last NASCAR regular season race in Richmond, Earnhardt made his first debut with No. sponsor. 88. He drove to 12th place, after a long and difficult night for the team. Despite fighting on the 3/4-mile track, Earnhardt was third seed on the Chase grid, behind leader Brad Keselowski, and tied with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Joey Logano for 2nd place. He started Challenger Round of the Chase by completing 11 places in Chicago. The following week in New Hampshire, Earnhardt finished 9 solid places, giving him a comfortable advantage to make Contender Round after Dover. At Dover, he finished 17th in order to advance to the next round.
In Kansas, after fifth in the spring, Earnhardt wants to repeat this feat to start the game with a solid finish to help his chances extend his game in the championship. After leading 45 laps in the same car that he used to win both Pocono races at the start of the season, the right front tire was cut to produce the 39th finish. Completed it caused him to fall to 11th place in the points, 25 points behind the 8th place. He came to Charlotte in need of a win or a good finish. He led early but around lap 133, his shifter was damaged by a tremor (the same problem had befallen Jimmie Johnson in Michigan in August). He had to make several pit stops to fix the problem and never recovered, ending on the 20th. He dropped to the last position in the Chase standings, 26 points behind 8.
At Talladega, Earnhardt starts 28 and leads for 31 laps. However, the crash on his immediate back when he was deflected by Greg Biffle ended the possibility of a title fight and left him with 31 places finished.
Despite being eliminated from Chase, Earnhardt continues to be consistent. At Martinsville, he leads 79 laps and leads with ten laps to go when cautiously out for an accident between Kyle Larson and Marcos Ambrose. On the resulting restart, Earnhardt ran the fifth. During the restart, he slips through the pack and overtakes Tony Stewart to lead in turn 4. He continues to hold the lead to win the front race Jeff Gordon. It was Earnhardt's first career victory at Martinsville.
Back in Texas, Earnhardt had a rather average run, starting on the 12th and ending in sixth. In Phoenix, he has a solid day and gets another Top 10, the 8th. At Homestead, Earnhardt has an early tire problem. He got a free ticket and managed to break the Top 5 at one point but fell back late to finish 14. He finished 8th in the final standings with what was the best season for Earnhardt since 2004 with 4 wins, twelve Top 5, twenty Top 10, and flat finished 12.2. For the 12th year, Earnhardt won the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award.
2015
By the end of 2014, the head crew of Earnhardt Jr. Steve Letarte left Hendrick Motorsports to join NASCAR on NBC's broadcasting team. Letarte was replaced by Xfinity chairman Chase Elliott 2014, Greg Ives. Because the National Guard dropped their motorsports sponsors, Earnhardt Jr. also got a new sponsor in the form of Nationwide Insurance.
Earnhardt Jr. kicked 2015 by finishing ninth place at Sprint Unlimited. On February 19, he won the No. Duel Budweiser. 1 in what was his fourth win in Budweiser Duels. In the Daytona 500, he led over 30 laps but on one of his last restarts he made a move that put him mired in the middle without help, and fell back to 16 with 15 laps to go but managed to make his way back to third place on lap last. This is the fifth Top 3 at the Daytona 500 in six years, after the runner-up ends in 2010, 2012 and 2013, and its victory in 2014.
In Atlanta, Earnhardt Jr. came home in third and in Las Vegas, finished fourth, scoring his fifth Top 5 goal after picking up two tires during a green flag pit stop with 30 laps remaining. In Phoenix, he finished his worst finish of the year, finishing last place after a tire explosion. At Auto Club, he finished sixth. At Martinsville, he also got into the Top 20 until the tire explosion got him involved in a massive collision that destroyed the front end of his car. Due to this accident, he will proceed to the order of the 36th. In Texas, he was beaten by Kevin Harvick for second place. At Bristol, he ran as high as a third until the loose wheel lowered him two laps down. Although he never got it back, he was able to bring home 16 places to finish just two laps down. In Richmond, he ran in the Top 10 all day until he and Tony Stewart made contact but managed to complete 14.
In Talladega, Earnhardt Jr. starts at the 2nd row. He lives near the front of the pack for most of the day, leading with 27 laps to go and sailing away to his sixth win on the track and the first since October 2004, tying him up with teammate Jeff Gordon for most of the wins among the active racers at Talladega. In Kansas, he occupies the third position after coming out of the final warning. At Charlotte, he bet on fuel and almost defeated Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. to complete the other third place. Earnhardt led three laps at Dover but a penalty for speeding on the pit road cost him, though he was able to finish 14 laps to two.
At Pocono, Earnhardt entered the top ten all day long. At the end of the restart, he and Brad Keselowski cut their tires from incidental contact and caution flew a few seconds later when Keselowski hit the wall after making contact with Brett Moffitt. Earnhardt Jr. pitted and restarted 29 with 20 laps to go and saved the 11th. Earnhardt ranks second in the Michigan race that shortened the rain after he could not get past Kurt Busch on the final restart before the race was called to rain on lap 138. Earnhardt also has another Top 10 in Sonoma, which ends at 7th.
Back to Daytona, Earnhardt Jr. won pole for Coke Zero 400 after rain qualification and the starting lineup set by opening practice hours. In the race itself, after a rainy delay, he took the lead on lap 8, and after a 97 lap lead, held several allegations from Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin on the final lap to clinch their second win of the year. The victory itself, however, was overshadowed by the last lap accident that saw Austin Dillon's car fly over the fence catcher. Earnhardt Jr. also just being the 23rd racer in NASCAR's Sprint Cup history to lead over 8,000 laps. He reached this milestone, when he led 97 laps. This makes his total career lead counts to 8051.
In Kentucky, Earnhardt Jr. struggling with overheated brakes, and even causing caution as he brushed out the outer walls in turn 3 and 4 in the middle of the race. Then, on lap 206, he will be the subject of controversy when he bumps into Danica Patrick and makes it spin, partly because of his wrong brake. Patrick retaliated by cussing at Earnhardt on the radio and crashing into the pit road. Earnhardt was confused by Patrick's reaction, saying, "I mean, what should I say besides the truth? We do not have brakes coming into the corner.I know better than running to him for getting so much attention.Nothing I can do , I mean, as hard as I hit him, what did he think I was doing? Trying to destroy it? We have no problems It's not like we had trouble on the racetrack with him.It's not like I just crossed his name off his hat and decided he would be me Meet tonight. "
In New Hampshire, Earnhardt Jr started 19 and finished 5th.
In Indianapolis, Earnhardt Jr. went well until round 147, when he was forced into the grass in turn 1 and spin out. He was able to save 22-place finish.
Back to Pocono, Earnhardt Jr. engaged in a re-lap on lap 72 that also involved Kurt Busch. His car did not suffer great damage, however, and despite running mid-pack for most of the second half of the race and running the 17th with four laps to go, he eventually finished in fourth place after many other drivers including leaders on four laps to go run out of fuel.
At Watkins Glen, Earnhardt was able to start 7 and finish 11 after running in the top 10 all day, but ran out of fuel in the last round.
Back to Michigan, Earnhardt Jr. started in the top 10 and ran in the top 3 positions early in the race. After struggling against an ugly race car, he can finish 10th.
Earnhardt returned to Bristol looking for his first win on the track since 2004. He escaped the 26th and after the first warning came out he would complain. During the pit stop the crew will leave the wheel and Earnhardt will complain again. After making several rounds in the race, he gets Lucky Dog and returns to the main lap. After rising to the top 5 positions later in the race, he will be happy to finish in 9th position.
This series will take a week and return to Darlington. Again, Earnhardt has to start the mid-pack. He will run out of the top 10 most of the day, but the crew will make the right adjustment and they will finish the 8th position.
The regular season finals will take place in Richmond for the 26th race. Earnhardt will qualify 29 and be confused in his interview afterwards. During the race, Earnhardt made a steady climb and half had solved the top ten. Earnhardt will rise as high as 4 and end 5 finishing. He pursued for the 8th time in his career and was seeded the 6th for the first Chase race.
Earnhardt Jr. opening the Challenger Round by completing 12 places in Chicagoland. In New Hampshire, he ran forward most of the day, but emergency fuel stopped with two laps to take him to position 25, two laps down, and at the bottom of Chase's cut line. In Dover, despite falling back to a few points, Earnhardt Jr. locked in battle with Jamie McMurray to control the final transfer spot into the Contender Round. He barely made it into the next round, with his chances of being saved thanks to the caution for Brett Moffitt's crash on lap 357 made him have to make a green pit pit to replace the loose wheel. On the last restart, Earnhardt Jr. surpassed McMurray on the outside, and finished third, seizing the last transfer spot and crashing McMurray out of Chase.
In Charlotte, Earnhardt Jr fought for a position inside the top 10 when he contacted Carl Edwards and crashed into a wall ending 29. In Kansas, Earnhardt Jr had to pit for a loose wheel under the green and eventually finish 21, 2 laps down. Heading to Talladega, he basically had to win to advance. He led 61 laps, but he tucked his tire into the pit road and eventually had to take 2 tires instead of just fuel while the other just took fuel. He ends up in the front row, heading to the only GWC. But the accident behind him finally cut him short and he ended up at 2 after the reviews, eliminating him from the championship. In Martinsville, a week after he was knocked out of Chase Contention, he was strong all the races took home fourth place on the track. In Texas, the following week, Earnhardt recovered from the starting round to the sixth finish. Earnhardt Jr. managed to earn his 3rd win of the season in Phoenix, after the race was called for rain. At the end of the season at Homestead Earnhardt fell early in the race, closing the 40th. For 13 consecutive years, Earnhardt won the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award.
​​â € <â € <2016
Earnhardt started the 2016 season with an accident at Sprint Unlimited on lap 23 when Brian Vickers slashed the tire and hit him, damaging the side of his car. This will allow him to finish 15, four laps down. He then won the first Can-Am Duel race for the second year in a row. At the Daytona 500, he was strong at the start of the race but with 30 laps to go, he spun off 4 turns while trying to move and hit the SAFER barrier directly. He will end in 36th position. The following week in Atlanta he is very strong, second place. The following week, in Las Vegas, Earnhardt had a solid car all day and ended up finishing in 8th place. At the spring race in Phoenix, he leads for a good part of the race but remains on the old tire during overtime hours. Therefore, he shifts the tires at the beginning, finishing the 5th. At Fontana the following week, he struggled throughout the race in the early stages, even as low as 34. But in overtime, he made a charge, finishing 11. In Martinsville, he spun in round 5, spending 300 laps one lap down. But in the end, he finished 14 and on the main lap. In Texas, he was strong at the end of the race, finishing 2 for Kyle
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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