To Daytona, Earnhardt is actually doing work in a young 16-auto pileup towards side immediately toward lap 20, however, managed to rescue a beneficial 14th-put wind up by the time the newest competition is actually called for precipitation shortly after 112 regarding 160 laps.

Into become, he clinched a Pursue berth, having him getting sufficient in the Most useful 31 and achieving a couple of gains

The questions referring to the newest replacement off Steve Letarte have been ultimately responded to your July 30, for this is revealed one Greg Ives, Chase Elliott’s All over the country Series staff head on JR Motorsports, would return to Hendrick Motorsports, or take more Earnhardt’s gap field to own 2015.

In the Dover, the guy done 17th to access the following bullet

Back again to Pocono, Earnhardt come 9th. He went in the Top ten for many of battle, and you will took top honors away from Greg Biffle having fourteen laps to go. Earnhardt had collected a lead-in overabundance three seconds when the warning showed up getting Kurt Busch’s clipped tire on lap 154, erasing their head. Then he sweated away a several lap shootout towards last restart when planning on taking his 3rd profit of the year, that a drivers swept both Pocono events (Denny Hamlin are the final rider). It win tied up Earnhardt with Jimmie Johnson and you may Brad Keselowski for extremely gains of the season as much as that time.

During the Watkins Glen, Earnhardt complete 11th, and you may due to Jeff Gordon striving, assumed the brand new activities lead, the very first time since the Martinsville in April. The next few days on Michigan, the guy produced experience of Kyle Larson for the pit road, however, owing to hard work off his pit team, was able to direct five laps and salvage a fifth-set end up.

Another few days at the Bristol, if you find yourself powering fifth, commander Denny Hamlin try damaged from the Kevin Harvick if you’re racing to own top honors, which then sent Hamlin’s vehicle on to the wall. Hamlin’s vehicle up coming slid back up ahead of the Zero. 88 and you can criticized towards leftover-side door of one’s vehicle, together with contact is bad sufficient to send Earnhardt behind the wall surface, and you dating guyanese can suffer an excellent 39th-set end up. This was their second DNF of the year, following early log off regarding the spring season Tx battle.

Regarding latest competition away from NASCAR’s normal season in the Richmond, Earnhardt generated 1st introduction which have a national-backed Zero. 88. The guy raced to a twelfth-place find yourself, once that was a long, difficult night into the team. Even with striving on 3/4-kilometer song, Earnhardt seeded 3rd throughout the Pursue grid, at the rear of collection chief Brad Keselowski, and fastened having Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and you may Joey Logano to have 2nd place. The guy become the latest Enemy Bullet of one’s Pursue which have an 11th-set wind up inside the Chicago. The second day at The fresh new Hampshire, Earnhardt finished a stronger 9th-lay wind up, providing your a soft advantage to make Competitor Round after Dover.

At Ohio, immediately after a 5th-put run-in the springtime, Earnhardt was trying try this task to begin the latest competitor with a solid end to aid his chances to expand their work on on the title. After leading forty-five laps in identical vehicle he used to victory each other Pocono events prior to in the 12 months, a cut best front tire triggered a beneficial 39th-lay find yourself. You to definitely end up brought about your to-fall in order to 11th invest products, twenty five issues at the rear of 8th set. The guy concerned Charlotte in need of a win or an excellent become. He added early however, around lap 133, his shifter broke on account of a great vibration (a similar disease had befallen Jimmie Johnson at Michigan inside the August). He previously and come up with numerous gap stops to fix the situation and not retrieved, finding yourself twentieth. He decrease to help you last-in the brand new Chase standings, 26 situations behind eighth.