Back again to Daytona, Earnhardt Jr. claimed the fresh pole to your Coke No eight hundred once being qualified is rained aside and starting lineup try lay because of the beginning habit moments. The newest profit in itself, although not, was overshadowed of the history lap crash you to noticed Austin Dillon’s vehicles travel on the connect wall. Earnhardt Jr. and turned into precisely the 23rd rider in NASCAR Sprint Mug record to lead more than 8,100000 laps. This brought their career total laps contributed count to 8,051.
From the Kentucky, Earnhardt Jr. struggled with overheated brakes, and even caused an alert as he brushed the exterior wall inside the turns step 3 and you can cuatro midway from the you can try these out competition. Later, towards lap 206, he would end up being the topic out of conflict when he buttocks-finished Danica Patrick and you will spun this lady out, to some extent due to their incorrect brakes. Patrick retaliated by cursing within Earnhardt toward radio and you can ramming him on the pit highway. Earnhardt is puzzled having Patrick’s impulse, stating “I mean, exactly what have always been We meant to state aside from possible? I did not have one brake system going into the place. I’m sure much better than to perform to your the woman because becomes a great deal attract. There wasn’t little I’m able to do. I am talking about, as difficult as i struck the lady, just what hell did she thought I found myself undertaking? Seeking destroy the girl? We is not had no problem. It’s not particularly we were which have an issue out on the newest racetrack together. It is really not eg I simply drew their term off a great cap and you will decided she is usually the one I was gonna run into this evening.”[39]
At Indianapolis, Earnhardt Jr. was operating smoothly up to lap 147, when he had pressed to your lawn therefore step one and spun out.
To Pocono, Earnhardt Jr. is doing work in a spin on a resume into the lap 72 which also involved Kurt Busch. His car don’t just take severe wreck, not, and even after powering middle-package for the majority of of one’s second half of one’s competition and powering seventeenth having five laps to go, he wound up completing when you look at the next place just after many other drivers for instance the leaders at four laps going ran out-of strength.
From the Watkins Glen, Earnhardt were able to start 7th and you can finished 11th immediately following running in the top ten throughout the day, but running out of energy into history lap.
Throughout the competition alone, after long lasting a rainfall decelerate, the guy took top honors in early stages lap 8, and you will once best 97 laps, held away from multiple charges away from Jimmie Johnson and you will Denny Hamlin into the the brand new closure laps to take his second winnings of the year
Back to Michigan, Earnhardt Jr. become into the top and you will are powering about top 3 during the early a portion of the race. Shortly after struggling a sick-addressing racecar, he was able to finish tenth.
He had been capable rescue good 22nd-put wind up
Earnhardt gone back to Bristol interested in his first profit at this track while the 2004. The guy licensed 26th and you can adopting the first alerting appeared the guy manage pit. When you look at the pit prevent the crew perform leave a wheel sagging and you can Earnhardt manage pit again. Once going a good lap off several times regarding competition, the guy got brand new Lucky Puppy and returned on the lead lap. Immediately after moving up to reach the top 5 later from the competition, he’d settle for a beneficial 9th-put become.
New show do need a from times and you may come back to Darlington. Once more Earnhardt will have to begin middle-package. He’d work on away from top the go out, but the staff will make right alterations in addition they do end up eighth.