In the 1st Budweiser Duel, Earnhardt been next, and you can contributed 14 laps, before fading to finish in which he been

Towards the , Earnhardt won the best Driver Award into the 11th successive year, breaking Bill Elliott’s listing, exactly who obtained 10 upright prizes out of 1991 to 2000.

After being repaired and you can losing for the straight back of one’s direct lap, Earnhardt made numerous costs through the industry to rescue a twelfth-put become, staying your at second put in the activities

The fresh new No. 88 team produced headlines prior to the beginning of the entire year. From inside the normal Daytona Winter season decide to try inside January, it had been revealed one team chief Steve Letarte do step-down throughout the gap package after the season in order to become a full-big date person in the fresh next NASCAR into the NBC transmit class, close to Jeff Burton and you can Rick Allen. Earnhardt and you can Letarte confident that this circulate won’t interfere regarding him or her winning events and fighting into the championship in the season’s end. About Sprint Unlimited, Earnhardt provided to own eight laps, however in the last portion, connection with brose brought about him going to the newest wall structure subsequently 1, finishing 9th.

On Daytona five-hundred, Earnhardt started 9th. Their automobile installed to mid-package for some of your first one-fourth of the race. The guy led 54 of your last 70 laps in which he stored out of Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski so you’re able to earn his second Daytona 500, just a decade immediately following his first you to definitely.[38] Next few days from the Phoenix, Earnhardt continued his energy, finishing second so you can Kevin Harvick. At Vegas, Earnhardt gambled into the fuel regarding the leftover 40 laps, but he went out-of fuel when you find yourself top toward past lap, finishing 2nd to eventual competition champion Brad Keselowski. At Bristol, he had been strong early, along with an opportunity to become the earliest rider due to the fact Richard Petty to begin with a period which have four upright Ideal 2 ends, until tire dilemmas pressed him making an unscheduled avoid, leaving your to get rid of 24th, five laps off.

On Automobile Bar Speedway, Earnhardt come 15th. Yet not, on the lap forty two, his vehicles missing the right front side tire and you will strike the external wall surface therefore 2, offering an alert, making him one of many subjects away from tire disappointments you to beset this new competition. The following month at the Martinsville, Earnhardt battled in Finest 5 right through the day, leading twenty-five laps, and you will finished third, giving him their 4th Most useful 3 become of the year, and regained the newest factors head. During the Tx, he damaged into Lap 13 and trapped burning. He completed history and fell 5 positions inside issues and you can decrease so you’re able to 29 points behind the newest circumstances frontrunner Jeff Gordon. The next times in the Darlington, Earnhardt raced one of many Greatest 5 for hours, and you may is top to the a green-white-checkered finish, prior to completing next so you’re able to Kevin Harvick.

Just after a half a dozen-hr and you may twenty two-time red-flag, Earnhardt’s car appeared real time, bringing the head that have 70 laps left

In the Richmond, pursuing the Easter out of times, Earnhardt is strong regarding battle, race among Best 3 later, and you may contributed 7 laps, but a green-white-checkered, and you can bad brake system pushed Earnhardt so you’re able to a seventh-set end up. The following week within Talladega, Earnhardt raced among the package through to the middle of battle, as he grabbed the lead. He contributed for 26 laps, however the last 29 laps noticed the car take a conservative rate, and you can try never able to win back one track updates, and complete 26th. At Ohio, for the first-night competition within track, Earnhardt went completely regarding the Top 5, actually top several laps, just before sugar baby Charlotte Nc NC completing fifth.

To your Dash All-Star Race, Earnhardt been 6th, however, struggled a tight automobile all night, and you may are never ever a genuine contender. Earnhardt crossed the conclusion line next. The next day at Coca-Cola 600, he raced for the Most useful 5 for the majority of of one’s night, before generally making a keen unscheduled pit avoid for a motor oscillations. So it led to a nineteenth-put become, only several laps off. The next times within Dover, Earnhardt raced within the Top 10 all the time, and you may was powering from the Most useful 5 later, but a blunder with the gap highway kept these with a beneficial 9th-put become.