The guy, Johnson, and you can Ryan Newman was really the only three vehicle operators in order to sweep the brand new Top 10 both in Daytona races

The second week throughout the Race Most of the-Superstar Battle, Earnhardt battled a rigorous addressing auto the majority of that nights ahead of finishing seventh. The second few days with the Coca-Cola 600, Earnhardt forgotten a motor and you can completed 39th, giving your 1st DNF since the 2011. In the Quicken Funds eight hundred, Earnhardt provided 23 laps but sustained a system failure, and you may completed 37th as to what is actually a minimal area of the seasons into the Hendrick Motorsports teams overall (Kasey Kahne and you will Jeff Gordon one another had DNFs on account of injuries, and you can Jimmie Johnson clipped a tire having 5 laps going). Following lowest regarding Michigan, Earnhardt had a twelfth-lay become at the Sonoma.

At the Kentucky, Earnhardt won the latest pole and set an alternative tune qualifying rates list that have lap time of seconds and a speeds off miles by the hour ( km/h). No matter if the guy already been on pole, the guy lost top honors so you can Carl Edwards very early. But not, when you are Earnhardt was top adopting the resume away from a competition caution (due to a rainfall delay), Denny Hamlin slash good tire therefore the carcass emerged the fresh new track and you will was struck by the Earnhardt’s splitter and also by Jimmie Johnson’s auto, leading to extreme wreck. Earnhardt had to create numerous charges from community in order to salvage a twelfth-lay end. Then he got an enthusiastic 8th-lay finish from the Coke No 400.

Next week on Texas, he’d a substantial night, completing next to Johnson with the third time in the season (immediately after Daytona and you will Dover)

Earnhardt up coming struggled a difficult automobile on The fresh Hampshire, where the guy accomplished 14th. Adopting the finally of times, he found some texture having closes out of 6th on Indianapolis and you can 5th on Pocono, if you find yourself troubled sagging tires and oscillations in a span of a couple of months.

This new Zero. 88 team next had one or two crappy check my site months, which have a 30th-set end up within Watkins Glen on account of a belated battle crash with Kasey Kahne. The following week, Earnhardt blew the right front side tire if you are running in the Best ten. The damage try enough that he completed twenty six laps down, inside 36th lay. This evaporated their Pursue cushion, however with finishes regarding tenth at the Bristol and you may 8th within Atlanta, he had been able to reconstruct that it support. During the Richmond, the final battle of the regular seasons, Earnhardt just wanted to wind up 32nd otherwise better to make the Chase. A beneficial 13th-lay finish did this, and then he inserted brand new Chase seeded during the ninth lay. This was the 1st time into the Earnhardt’s industry which he had produced around three upright Pursue appearance. In the first Pursue competition from the Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt suffered a system inability, establishing him last in Pursue competition. The guy bounced straight back on The latest Hampshire Motor Speedway, top 17 laps and you will doing 6th. The result try adequate to maneuver Earnhardt up to 11th in Pursue on the Dash Glass standings having eight races kept in the seasons.

At Dover, Earnhardt acquired their next pole of the year, means another type of qualifying rate listing off mph. This is initially just like the 2002 which he had recorded more than one rod through the a month. In the competition, Earnhardt create direct 80 laps, however, would finish 2nd to Jimmie Johnson. The second day within Kansas, he complete eighth. And make their 500th Glass begin on Charlotte, Earnhardt led 19 laps very early, but finished 15th when you are troubled a rigid race car. Another week at Talladega, Earnhardt provided 38 laps and you will was about to receive a push off Austin Dillon to overtake Jamie McMurray toward history lap whenever Ricky Stenhouse Jr. stolen Dillon, leading to one driver in order to twist aside after which rating strike of the Casey Mears, making Earnhardt with a second-lay end up. The second month at Martinville, Earnhardt made an 8th-place end up. Another month during the Phoenix, Earnhardt started when you are forced to gap that have a loose controls early, placing your a lap off. But not, a warning enjoy him to make use of this new free violation to acquire straight back to your direct lap and salvage a fourth-lay become.