Its a simple question to ask but the answer to it may not be so easy. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR‘s favorite son. He is the sport’s most popular driver year after year. But Earnhardt Jr., along with his legion of fans are still waiting for him to capture his first win of the 2016 NASCAR season.
Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Trouble?
Now, Earnhardt is not having a dreadful season. He is currently 13th in points, sitting just outside of the top ten. But as all NASCAR fans know, in order to make the Chase, a win is needed and fast. He has run some great races and in 18 starts he has six top tens, but without a win, he will probably be looking from the wrong side of the Chase window.
When interviewed Earnhardt is quick to say all the right things, but he’s getting frustrated and its getting harder to hide. He has some of the strongest equipment in the garage area, that’s well known, but he has struggled in Hendrick Motorsports cars before.
Previous Struggles
His first year with Rick Hendrick he struggled. Some were even questioning Mr. Hendrick’s decision to sign him. However, things changed. It seemed that he and Steve Letarte found something magical and won races. Earnhardt made the Chase and won the biggest race in NASCAR, the Daytona 500 in 2014.
When Letare left the pit box for the television booth, the magic faded a little. Earnhardt is capable of winning any race from week to week. This is the greatest asset to have in your tool box. With each passing race, the intensity gets turned up. One gets the feeling that as soon as he wins one, several will follow. That would suit him just fine. Hendrick Motorsports has plenty of the sports best engine builders, engineers and specialists, but maybe one of their best people is the man behind the number 88 wheel. It’s time for him to get it done.
Main Photo: DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JULY 06: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on July 6, 2015 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
