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LOUDON, N.H. (AP)—Look at those standings. For once during the Chase, it’s Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon looking up at teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt is in fifth place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship standings, only 13 points ahead of leader Kevin Harvick. Earnhardt, NASCAR’s most popular driver, is three spots ahead of Johnson and six ahead of Gordon.
Earnhardt finished third last week at Chicagoland for his fourth top-five of the season—and ended a five-race skid where he finished no better than 14th.
“I think we made a pretty serious impact last week and we just kind of need to keep that momentum going,” Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt finished 15th in NASCAR’s first stop at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.
He wanted to build on last week’s finish with a solid qualifying effort and will start 12th in the No. 88 Chevrolet on Sunday.
His first-year pairing with Steve Letarte was an instant smash, with the team in contention for several victories earlier this season.
Earnhardt thought he was going to win at Martinsville Speedway until Harvick passed him with four laps left for the win. He settled for second, which started a string of three top-10 finishes. Then came heartbreak at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He led on the final lap before his gas tank ran dry and finished seventh. He followed at Kansas with another second, then sixth at Pocono Raceway.
He fall into a seven-race slump after that and was teetering on the edge of falling out of Chase contention. He held on to enter the 10-race playoff seeded 10th.
Earnhardt has not won since Michigan in June 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt’s career-best finish in the Sprint Cup standings was third in 2003. Under the Chase format, he finished fifth in 2004 and 2006.
After missing the Chase the last two seasons, he’s poised to make a legitimate run at his first Cup championship. Owner Rick Hendrick believes in him, too. Hendrick and Earnhardt agreed earlier this month on a five-year contract extension.
“When Rick makes a commitment like he made with me, it makes you want to go out there and work hard and do the best job can,” Earnhardt said. “Makes you want him to make you proud.”
Winning the championship would do the trick.
“It’s time to put it all out there and see what happens,” Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt is in fifth place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship standings, only 13 points ahead of leader Kevin Harvick. Earnhardt, NASCAR’s most popular driver, is three spots ahead of Johnson and six ahead of Gordon.
Earnhardt finished third last week at Chicagoland for his fourth top-five of the season—and ended a five-race skid where he finished no better than 14th.
“I think we made a pretty serious impact last week and we just kind of need to keep that momentum going,” Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt finished 15th in NASCAR’s first stop at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.
He wanted to build on last week’s finish with a solid qualifying effort and will start 12th in the No. 88 Chevrolet on Sunday.
His first-year pairing with Steve Letarte was an instant smash, with the team in contention for several victories earlier this season.
Earnhardt thought he was going to win at Martinsville Speedway until Harvick passed him with four laps left for the win. He settled for second, which started a string of three top-10 finishes. Then came heartbreak at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He led on the final lap before his gas tank ran dry and finished seventh. He followed at Kansas with another second, then sixth at Pocono Raceway.
He fall into a seven-race slump after that and was teetering on the edge of falling out of Chase contention. He held on to enter the 10-race playoff seeded 10th.
Earnhardt has not won since Michigan in June 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt’s career-best finish in the Sprint Cup standings was third in 2003. Under the Chase format, he finished fifth in 2004 and 2006.
After missing the Chase the last two seasons, he’s poised to make a legitimate run at his first Cup championship. Owner Rick Hendrick believes in him, too. Hendrick and Earnhardt agreed earlier this month on a five-year contract extension.
“When Rick makes a commitment like he made with me, it makes you want to go out there and work hard and do the best job can,” Earnhardt said. “Makes you want him to make you proud.”
Winning the championship would do the trick.
“It’s time to put it all out there and see what happens,” Earnhardt said.
