Next 14 days watched a beneficial rebound, which have ends up out of tenth within Dover and you will 3rd at the Pocono

He, Johnson, and you may Ryan Newman was basically the sole around three motorists to brush new Top ten in Daytona racing

The next week on the Race All the-Superstar Race, Earnhardt struggled a rigid handling vehicle much of one to evening prior to doing 7th. Another times on Coca-Cola 600, Earnhardt missing a system and accomplished 39th, giving your his first DNF just like the 2011. During the Quicken Financing eight hundred, Earnhardt led 23 laps but suffered an engine incapacity, and you can accomplished 37th in what is a decreased area of the year into the Hendrick Motorsports groups as a whole (Kasey Kahne and you will Jeff Gordon one another had DNFs on account of crashes, and you can Jimmie Johnson reduce good tire which have 5 laps to go). Following reduced off Michigan, Earnhardt had a 12th-lay wind up at the Sonoma.

At Kentucky, Earnhardt claimed the pole and put an alternative track being qualified price checklist having lap lifetime of mere seconds and a rate out-of kilometers each hour ( km/h). Even when he come to your rod, he shed top honors to help you Carl Edwards very early. Yet not, if you’re Earnhardt was best after the restart regarding a rival warning (due to a rain slow down), Denny Hamlin slashed an effective tire and carcass emerged this new song and you will try strike by Earnhardt’s splitter by Jimmie Johnson’s car, ultimately causing high destroy. Earnhardt needed to make numerous fees through the field so you can salvage a 12th-place become. Then he grabbed a keen eighth-place become in the Coke Zero 400.

The next times from the Tx, he’d a strong night, finishing next to help you Johnson on third time in the season (just after Daytona and you can Dover)

Earnhardt up coming struggled a difficult auto at the New Hampshire, in which he done 14th. After the finally from month, he located some surface that have closes of sixth in the Indianapolis and you will 5th at Pocono, whenever you are troubled loose rims and vibration from inside the a course of one or two weeks.

The newest No. 88 people after that had a couple crappy weeks, which have an excellent 30th-set finish at Watkins Glen due to a later part of the battle crash with Kasey Kahne. The second few days, Earnhardt blew a right front side tire when you’re running in the Finest 10. The damage is actually sufficient which he completed twenty-six laps down, into the 36th put. It evaporated his Pursue pillow, however with ends up out of 10th on Bristol and you can eighth during the Atlanta, he had been able to rebuild that it cushion. From the Richmond, the very last competition of your typical season, Earnhardt only necessary to end 32nd otherwise better to result in the Chase. A beneficial 13th-set end did so it, and he inserted the fresh new Pursue seeded inside ninth place. This was the 1st time within the Earnhardt’s job that he had made around three straight Chase appearance. In the first Chase race from the Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt suffered an engine incapacity, establishing your last-in Pursue competition. He bounced back at The latest Hampshire System Speedway, top 17 laps and you will finishing sixth. The effect are suitable to move Earnhardt around 11th when you look at the Chase towards Race Glass standings with seven events kept regarding year.

At the Dover, Earnhardt acquired their 2nd rod of the year, mode a separate qualifying rate list of miles per hour. It was initially since the 2002 he got submitted multiple rod during the a season. Inside the competition, Earnhardt do lead 80 laps, but carry out wind up next so www.datingranking.net/executive-dating/ you can Jimmie Johnson. The next month at Kansas, the guy done eighth. Making their 500th Cup begin from the Charlotte, Earnhardt provided 19 laps very early, but accomplished 15th while having difficulties a rigid competition vehicles. Next times in the Talladega, Earnhardt led 38 laps and involved to get a push out-of Austin Dillon so you can overtake Jamie McMurray into the past lap when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tapped Dillon, resulting in one rider to help you spin away right after which rating hit of the Casey Mears, leaving Earnhardt with a 2nd-place become. The following day in the Martinville, Earnhardt won a keen eighth-set become. Another few days at Phoenix, Earnhardt started when you are forced to gap having a free controls early, getting your a good lap off. Although not, a warning invited him to make use of the fresh new free solution discover back on head lap and you will salvage a 4th-lay find yourself.