Back once again to Daytona, Earnhardt Jr. acquired the fresh new rod on the Coke No eight hundred after being qualified is rained away plus the undertaking roster is actually set of the opening routine times. Brand new win in itself, however, try overshadowed of the last lap crash that spotted Austin Dillon’s vehicles travel into the catch fence. Earnhardt Jr. together with turned into precisely the 23rd driver when you look at the NASCAR Race Glass records to lead over 8,000 laps. It lead their career complete laps led amount to eight,051.
At the Kentucky, Earnhardt Jr. battled that have overheated brake system, and also caused a caution when he brushed the outside wall surface within the transforms 3 and cuatro halfway from the race. Afterwards, toward lap 206, however function as the topic out of conflict as he rear-finished Danica Patrick and you can spun the girl away, partly because of their incorrect brake system. Patrick retaliated because of the cursing at the Earnhardt for the radio and you can ramming your into the gap road. Earnhardt try perplexed which have Patrick’s response, saying “I mean, just what in the morning I meant to state apart from the situation? We didn’t have people brake system entering the spot. I’m sure much better than to operate to your the girl because becomes such notice. Indeed there was not nothing I am able to perform. I mean, while the hard as i hit her, what the heck performed she envision I became undertaking? Looking to destroy their? I isn’t had nothing wrong. It’s not such as we had been having an issue from this new racetrack together with her. It is not such as for example I simply drew the lady name from a good cap and you may felt like she are one I found myself planning to come upon this evening.”[39]
On Indianapolis, Earnhardt Jr. was running smoothly up to lap 147, as he got forced to your turf consequently step 1 and you may spun out.
Back again to Pocono, Earnhardt Jr. try employed in a chance on the a restart on the lap 72 that can inside Kurt Busch. Their vehicles didn’t grab really serious destroy, however, and you may even with powering middle-pack for many of second half of your race and you can running 17th that have four laps to go, the guy ended up doing from inside the last put once a number of other motorists like the leadership from the four laps to visit ran out of strength.
Within Watkins Glen, Earnhardt managed to begin seventh and completed 11th just after running regarding top ten all day long, however, running out of power on the history lap.
On competition in itself, shortly after enduring a rainfall slow down, he took the lead in early stages lap 8, and once top 97 laps, stored off multiple costs away from Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin from inside the the fresh closing laps for taking his second victory of the season
To Michigan, Earnhardt Jr. started in the top 10 and you will is actually powering about greatest step three in the early part of the race. Just after battling an ill-handling racecar, he had been able to become tenth.
He had been able to salvage an effective 22nd-put end up
Earnhardt returned to Bristol shopping for his first victory at that song because 2004. The guy licensed 26th and you can after the earliest warning appeared the guy perform gap. In the pit stop the team would exit a wheel sagging and you can Earnhardt would gap once more. Just after supposed an excellent lap off multiple times on race, he had the new Happy Puppy and you may got in on the head lap. Immediately following climbing up to the top 5 later on in the competition, he would accept an excellent 9th-place become.
The fresh new show manage simply take a from month and return to Darlington. Again Earnhardt would have to start middle-pack. He’d work at beyond your top the date, nevertheless staff would make best customizations and so they manage become eighth.