He, Johnson, and you can Ryan Newman have been truly the only about three drivers in order to brush the new Top 10 in both Daytona events
Another times throughout the Race All the-Star Race, Earnhardt battled a rigid approaching automobile most of you to evening prior to completing seventh. The next day to your Coca-Cola 600, Earnhardt shed an engine and you may complete 39th, giving him 1st DNF just like the 2011. At the Quicken Money 400, Earnhardt added 23 laps however, suffered an engine incapacity, and complete 37th in what are a reduced section of the 12 months on Hendrick Motorsports teams total (Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon one another had DNFs because of crashes, and Jimmie Johnson slashed a tire with 5 laps to visit). Adopting the reasonable from Michigan, Earnhardt got a 12th-place wind up at Sonoma.
On Kentucky, Earnhardt obtained new pole and put a separate song qualifying price listing having lap time of seconds and you can a performance away from kilometers each hour ( km/h). Regardless of if the guy already been towards the pole, he missing top honors so you’re able to Carl Edwards very early. not, if you are Earnhardt is best following the resume out-of a competition alerting (on account of a rainfall decrease), Denny Hamlin reduce a great tire as well as the carcass came up this new track and you can was strike by Earnhardt’s splitter and also by Jimmie Johnson’s automobile, ultimately causing significant ruin. Earnhardt had to create several costs through the job to salvage a twelfth-lay wind up. Then he got a keen eighth-place finish within Coke No eight hundred.
The following day within Tx, he’d a substantial nights, finishing second so you can Johnson to your third amount of time in the entire year (immediately following Daytona and you will Dover)
Earnhardt following battled a distressed vehicle from the This new Hampshire, in which the guy accomplished 14th. After the latest out-of month, he discover some consistency that have ends away from 6th in the Indianapolis and you may 5th at the Pocono, if you find yourself troubled reduce rims and you may vibrations in the a span of a few months.
The new Zero. 88 cluster next got one or two crappy weeks, which have good 30th-set end on Watkins Glen because of a belated competition freeze which have Kasey Kahne. Another week, Earnhardt blew the right front side tire whenever you are powering regarding Finest 10. The destruction was enough which he finished twenty six laps down, inside the 36th set. So it evaporated his Pursue pillow, but with closes away from 10th at the Bristol and 8th during the Atlanta, he was able to reconstruct which support. In the Richmond, the past race of your regular 12 months, Earnhardt just wanted to end up 32nd or best to improve Chase. An effective 13th-lay find yourself did this, and then he inserted the Pursue seeded from inside the ninth place. It was the very first time from inside the Earnhardt’s profession that he had generated around three straight Pursue styles. In the 1st Chase battle in the Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt suffered a motor failure, setting him last in Chase battle. He bounced straight back within The new Hampshire Engine Speedway, top 17 laps and you can doing sixth. The effect try sufficient to maneuver Earnhardt to 11th when you look at the Chase toward Dash Mug standings that have 7 racing leftover regarding the season.
At Dover, Earnhardt claimed his 2nd pole of the season, setting yet another being qualified speed record from mph. It was initially given that 2002 which he had filed multiple rod throughout the a season. In race, Earnhardt create direct 80 laps, however, create become second in order to Jimmie Johnson. The following month at Ohio, he accomplished eighth. And come up with his 500th Glass start within Charlotte, Earnhardt contributed 19 laps very early, however, complete 15th when you’re having difficulties a rigorous competition vehicles. The following few days at Talladega, Earnhardt led 38 laps and you will was about to receive a newspapers off Austin Dillon so you can overtake Jamie McMurray with the past lap whenever Ricky Stenhouse Jr. stolen Dillon, ultimately causing that driver to help you twist away after which rating struck because of the Casey Mears, making Earnhardt which have a second-set wind up. The next times within Martinville, Earnhardt made an enthusiastic 8th-put end. Another week within Phoenix free deaf chat and dating Germany, Earnhardt started by being forced to pit which have a free controls very early, putting him a lap off. not, a warning allowed your to make use of the fresh new 100 % free pass to get straight back with the head lap and you will rescue a fourth-put finish.