Into the , Earnhardt won typically the most popular Driver Honor to the 11th consecutive seasons, cracking Bill Elliott’s list, which obtained 10 straight honours away from 1991 to 2000.
Immediately after are repaired and falling to the right back of one’s head lap, Earnhardt made multiple costs through the field to salvage a twelfth-lay end up, staying your at second place in the latest facts
The fresh No. 88 class made headlines even before the beginning of the season. In the typical Daytona Wintertime test from inside the January, it was announced one to team captain Steve Letarte manage step-down regarding the pit container after the year being a full-day person in the latest upcoming NASCAR into the NBC transmitted cluster, close to Jeff Burton and you will Rick Allen. Earnhardt and you will Letarte reassured that the circulate won’t meddle regarding her or him successful racing and you will fighting to the championship at the season’s stop. On the Dash Endless, Earnhardt contributed getting 7 laps, however in the very last sector, contact with brose caused him to hit the wall surface therefore step one, doing 9th.
On the Daytona five hundred, Earnhardt already been 9th. His vehicles installed around middle-pack for some of your first quarter of one’s competition. The guy led 54 of history 70 laps and then he stored out-of Denny Hamlin and you may Brad Keselowski in order to victory their 2nd Daytona 500, merely ten years after his first one to.[38] The following week at the Phoenix, Earnhardt proceeded their energy, completing next so you can Kevin Harvick. In the Las vegas, Earnhardt gambled with the fuel about kept forty laps, however, he ran out-of gas if you are best into past lap, completing second so you can eventual race winner Brad Keselowski. Within Bristol, he had been strong early, together with the opportunity to get to be the first driver just like the Richard Petty first off a month that have four straight Top 2 comes to an end, until tire trouble forced him and work out an unscheduled stop, making him to finish 24th, five laps off.
At Vehicles Bar Speedway, Earnhardt already been 15th. not, to the lap forty-two, their automobile shed the right side tire and you can hit the outside wall structure therefore dos, offering an alert, while making him among the sufferers of tire failures you to plagued new battle. The second times from the Martinsville, Earnhardt struggled inside the Ideal 5 from day to night, leading twenty-five laps, and you may finished third, giving your his last Ideal 3 finish of the year, and you will regained new situations lead. At Colorado, the guy damaged on Lap thirteen and trapped unstoppable. The guy done past and dropped 5 positions into the activities and you may dropped in order to 31 issues trailing the fresh products chief Jeff Gordon. The following few days at Darlington, Earnhardt raced one of several Top 5 for hours, and you may is best into an eco-friendly-white-checkered wind up, in advance of doing next so you can Kevin Harvick.
Immediately after a half dozen-time and 22-time red-flag, Earnhardt’s vehicle showed up real time, bringing the direct which have 70 laps leftover
During the Richmond, following Easter out of month, Earnhardt are good on the competition, racing among Finest 3 late, and you can provided eight laps, but a green-white-checkered, and bad brake system pressed Earnhardt to a 7th-place become. Another few days in the Talladega, Earnhardt raced among pack till the center of one’s race, when he took the lead https://sugardaddydates.org/sugar-daddies-usa/la/. He led getting twenty-six laps, nevertheless past 29 laps spotted the automobile just take a conventional rate, and are never capable win back one song position, and done 26th. At the Kansas, to your first night battle at song, Earnhardt ran completely on Finest 5, actually top a number of laps, ahead of completing fifth.
To your Dash Most of the-Celebrity Competition, Earnhardt started sixth, however, struggled a rigid vehicles all day, and you can was never ever a genuine competitor. Earnhardt crossed the end line 4th. The following day within Coca-Soda 600, the guy raced from inside the Better 5 for the majority of of your own evening, before making a keen unscheduled pit prevent getting an engine vibrations. So it led to a nineteenth-put become, only two laps off. Next day during the Dover, Earnhardt raced from inside the Top 10 for hours on end, and you may was powering on the Top 5 later, however, a blunder toward pit street remaining them with good 9th-put end.