Can Dale Earnhardt Jr Bounce Back at Phoenix?
By Kent Whitaker:
It’s no secret that Dale Earnhardt Jr has not had the season that he was expecting when he first unloaded for Daytona Speedweeks. After a great start, where is had a powerful ride during the duals, qualifying, and practice, things have gone south.
For starters, he was taken out of the Great American Race when Kyle Busch wrecked. The next week in Atlanta he was hampered by a variety of issues including tire problems. At Las Vegas he did manage to improve slightly in the points battle but still was mired back in the “also-ran” finishers.
There is good news Dale Jr Fans!
This week the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Phoenix for the Camping World 500. This is good news for Dale Jr fans who may be feeling a bit nervous about the start of the season. Phoenix is a track where Earnhardt has run well and had success.
Last season Earnhardt had a great ride at Phoenix and finished in the fifth spot. Plus, the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevy, has three career wins at the track. The most recent Phoenix checkered flag came in the fall race of 2015.
Great Stats:
Another great stat to look at for Jr when it comes to racing at Phoenix is his finishes in the top-ten. Earnhardt has fourteen top-ten finishes and nine top-five finishes. All this history plays well into the hopes that Earnhardt has about heading to Phoenix and gaining in the points race.
“Phoenix is a good track for us,” Earnhardt said. “We have certainly had a great car at Phoenix the last several times. We are going to try to keep on chipping away and grabbing some points.”
What to Watch For:
It’s going to be an important race weekend for the No. 88 team as they try and work their way up the points ladder. So far, a wide variety of issues have mired their efforts. This combination of problems is something that the team needs to avoid during the Camping World 500. What’s weird is that over the last few weeks it’s not been one thing.
There have been tire problems, pit road issues, a wreck at Daytona, being stuck in the pack, and more. To move up in the points race Earnhardt must have a solid run, as he’s more than capable of doing at Phoenix, and avoid the pitfalls that have hit so far this season.
Watch for a few things during the race that may indicate that Jr will have his best finish of 2017. First, look for Dale Earnhardt Jr running in the top-ten during most of the race and not mired back in the pack or a lap down. That would be a great, and obvious, improvement.
Next, if you don’t hear the announcers mention his name when it comes to flat tires… that would be on the plus side. And lastly, hopefully you won’t see him coming down the pits serving a penalty.
Getting Through The Race:
Hopefully the No. 88 team can get through this race weekend without hitting additional bumps in the road. Having a good run, grabbing some points, and moving up in the standings is a very obtainable goal. Who knows, for Jr a win could even be in the cards this weekend. Phoenix is a perfect place for Dale Earnhardt Jr to bounce back and get his season back on track.
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“Kent Whitaker, often called ‘the Deck Chef’ is a sportswriter, culinary writer, and cookbook author with fourteen titles. He covers NASCAR, racing in general, Football, barbecue, grilling, and tailgating. You can visit him on “The Deck Chef“