Dale Earnhardt Jr. is aiming towards earning his first victory in this NASCAR season as he is trying to up his 12th spot in the Chase rankings.
The NASCAR racer has expressed his frustration on his current score, but that he retains belief about his team’s potential to qualify for the Sprint Cup chase. Currently, there are 16 potential aspirants, and Earnhardt’s current standing leaves him on the verge of being disqualified, something he complaints that should not be a concern in the first place.
Earnhardt’s homecoming
Earnhardt has had a rough year. He crashed at Daytona and Talladega, which is why he chose not to bring his favorite car, Amelia, to the upcoming Coke Zero 400. A Chevrolet will be Earnhardt’s new ride for Coke Zero 400, which is set to take place on Saturday 7:45 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC.
The pilot was so depressed about his latest crashes that he stated that his team will not be naming cars anymore, which allegedly alleviates some of the pressure that Earnhardt undergoes whenever he wrecks his vehicle. He claimed that NASCAR vehicles do not last long enough to be giving them names.
“You used to race cars for years and years and they would show a personality,” he stated.
Expectations are high since many claim that one of Earnhardt’s favorite tracks is the Daytona International Speedway, which will be the one where the Coke Zero 400 is to be celebrated. He said that this is the track that will grant him the victory. Earnhardt has been able to secure 17 victories on the 2.5-mile racetrack, but his recent performance may indicate that there will be a different result for the upcoming race. He has crashed three times this season.
You can view the NASCAR Sprint Cup grid here.
The Coke Zero 400 race is composed of 160 laps of a 2.5-mile speedway, adding to 400 miles total. Dale Earnhardt Jr was last year’s winner, but there will be other races this week, including the Xfinity Series. It is all part of NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. Tony Stewart was the winner in the last qualifier race of Sonoma, but there are still 10 other races remaining that would allow pilots to fight for a spot in the Sprint Cup grid. If a racer wins a race within the season, he’s in the grid for good.
NASCAR’s full schedule of races is available here.
One of the favorites is Chase Elliott, who has managed to earn himself six top-5 spots on the latest races. Elliott stands at sixth place in the grid. Austin Dillon, on the other hand, has a rough time since he has not been able to score his first career victory. If he does, he would classify for the Chase. Dillon stands at 14th place.
The ones in peril were Kasey Kahne (16th), Ryan Blaney (17th) and Kyle Larson (20th), who have lost their spots since they were not able to overcome the other racers. The most hopeful of them all was Larson, who managed to place in three top-5 positions on past circuits.
Source: Charlotte Observer