The second 14 days saw a great rebound, having concludes away from 10th on Dover and you can 3rd at Pocono
At Kentucky, Earnhardt acquired the brand new pole and set a new tune being qualified rate number that have lap time of mere seconds and you may an increase out of miles by the hour ( km/h)
The following month on Dash The-Star Competition, Earnhardt struggled a strict handling automobile a lot of you to definitely evening in advance of completing seventh. The following day towards Coca-Cola 600, Earnhardt lost an engine and you will finished 39th, providing him his first DNF due to the fact 2011. From the Quicken Loans eight hundred, Earnhardt provided 23 laps but suffered a system incapacity, and you can complete 37th in what is actually a decreased section of your own year into Hendrick Motorsports groups as a whole (Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon one another got DNFs due to crashes, and Jimmie Johnson reduce a good tire that have 5 laps to visit).[35] Pursuing the low regarding Michigan, Earnhardt had a twelfth-place end in the Sonoma.
During the race, Earnhardt manage lead 80 laps, however, carry out become 2nd to Jimmie Johnson
[36] In the event he started to your rod, he missing top honors so you can Carl Edwards very early. Although not, when you are Earnhardt is best pursuing the resume off a competition alerting (on account of a rain decelerate), Denny Hamlin reduce an effective tire additionally the carcass came up brand new song and you may is actually struck by the Earnhardt’s splitter and also by Jimmie Johnson’s automobile, ultimately causing extreme damage. Earnhardt must generate multiple costs from the occupation so you’re able to rescue a twelfth-put end. Then he got an enthusiastic 8th-place become at the Coke No 400. The guy, Johnson, and you may Ryan Newman was indeed the only real around three vehicle operators so you’re able to sweep the new Top 10 in both Daytona events.
Earnhardt upcoming struggled a difficult vehicles within Brand new Hampshire, in which the guy accomplished 14th. After the latest regarding week, he discover specific feel with finishes off 6th from the Indianapolis and 5th at Pocono, whenever you are stressed reduce tires and vibration when you look at the a span of two weeks.
The newest Zero. 88 team upcoming got two bad weeks, which have a good 30th-lay end up on Watkins Glen due to a late competition crash having Kasey Kahne. Next few days, Earnhardt blew a right side tire while you are Houston TX sugar daddy powering about Most readily useful ten. The damage are sufficient he finished twenty-six laps off, within the 36th set. That it evaporated their Pursue pillow, however with finishes away from 10th at Bristol and you may eighth within Atlanta, he was in a position to reconstruct this pillow. On Richmond, the final battle of the normal seasons, Earnhardt simply needed seriously to end up 32nd or better to result in the Chase. A great 13th-place become did it, in which he entered the brand new Pursue seeded in the ninth set. This was the 1st time inside the Earnhardt’s profession he got made three straight Chase styles. In the 1st Chase race in the Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt suffered an engine incapacity, establishing your last-in Pursue competition. He bounced straight back during the The brand new Hampshire System Speedway, top 17 laps and completing 6th. The effect was adequate to go Earnhardt to 11th for the Chase for the Sprint Glass standings having seven events kept in the year.
In the Dover, Earnhardt obtained their 2nd pole of the year, function an alternative qualifying speed checklist from miles per hour. This was initially given that 2002 which he had filed several pole throughout a season. Next day during the Kansas, the guy complete 8th. And make his 500th Cup initiate within Charlotte, Earnhardt added 19 laps early, but accomplished 15th when you find yourself struggling a strict battle automobile. The second few days within Talladega, Earnhardt contributed 38 laps and you can was about for a newspapers out-of Austin Dillon so you can overtake Jamie McMurray towards last lap when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. stolen Dillon, causing one to rider to spin aside after which get struck from the Casey Mears, leaving Earnhardt with a second-set finish. Next times during the Martinville, Earnhardt gained an eighth-lay end. Next times at the Texas, he’d a solid night, completing second so you’re able to Johnson into the 3rd amount of time in the year (shortly after Daytona and you can Dover). The next few days within Phoenix, Earnhardt become when you are forced to pit which have a free wheel early, putting your a good lap off. However, a warning allowed your to make use of brand new totally free pass to obtain back on the lead lap and rescue a fourth-set become.
