For the most part, 2009 has been unkind to Dale Earnhardt Jr. But a race at Daytona International Speedway can cure all ills.
Sitting 19th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, Earnhardt has yet to match last year’s success. After 17 races last season, Earnhardt was third in points, and his statistics were far better than this season’s:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. After 17 Races (2008 vs. 2009)
Avg.
Year Rk Finish ARP FLR LT15% Led DR
2008 3 11.4 10.8 359 78.2 570 103.7
2009 19 20.5 17.3 74 47.7 90 77.0
ARP: Average Running Position
FLR: Fastest Laps Run
LT15%: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15
DR: Driver Rating
But Earnhardt has two reasons for optimism. One: In a 13th-place finish at New Hampshire, Earnhardt posted the race’s eighth-best Driver Rating of 98.4. It was his best Driver Rating under new crew chief Lance McGrew, and his best since scoring a 117.2 in a second-place finish at Talladega.
Two: The series returns to a restrictor-plate track. Earnhardt has seven career restrictor-plate wins, two of which took place at Daytona. This season, in terms of Driver Rating, Earnhardt has been the third-best restrictor-plate driver:
Driver Rating (2009 Restrictor Pate Races)
Driver QP 1. Matt Kenseth 107.0 2. Kyle Busch 103.7 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 102.9 4. Denny Hamlin 102.1 5. Kurt Busch 96.8
Earnhardt has finished in the top 10 in two of his last three Daytona races, and has posted a Driver Rating over 100.0 in two of his last three, as well.
Below is Earnhardt’s driver log at Daytona since 2005 (all driver race logs can be seen at NASCARMedia.com):
Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona (2005-09)
Date Finish ARP FLR LT15% DR Led 2/05 3 13.9 3 60.1 89.5 2 7/05 3 13.4 4 75 105.3 0 2/06 8 5.1 4 99 103.5 32 7/06 13 17.4 6 28.1 82.1 8 2/07 32 13.1 7 75.2 73.2 0 7/07 36 35.7 4 2.5 43.3 0 2/08 9 5.2 12 98 115.6 12 7/08 8 3.0 3 100 126.4 51 2/09 27 15.5 3 58.6 88.5 1 Total 15.4 13.6 46 68.1 91.9 106
ARP: Average Running Position
FLR: Fastest Laps Run
LT15%: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15
DR: Driver Rating
If Earnhardt were to win at Daytona – the halfway mark of the season – he would become the 12th different winner this season. There were 12 different race winners all of last season.
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