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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has two wins, six top-fives and 11 top-10s in 19 starts at Daytona, but finished 27th in February.Data: Struggling Junior remains threat at Daytona
By Official Release
July 3, 2009
02:20 PM EDT
July 3, 2009
02:20 PM EDT
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- 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 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)
| Year | Rank | Avg. Finish | Avg. Run Pos. | Fast Laps Run | Pct. Laps / Top 15 | Led | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 3 | 11.4 | 10.8 | 359 | 78.2 | 570 | 103.7 |
| 2009 | 19 | 20.5 | 17.3 | 74 | 47.7 | 90 | 77.0 |
But Earnhardt has two reasons for optimism:
Driver Rating
2009 restrictor-plate races
| Pos. | Driver | No. |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
1. 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.
2. 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:
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 past three, as well.
Below is Earnhardt's driver log at Daytona since 2005.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona (2005-09)
| Date | Finish | Avg. Run Pos. | Fast Laps Run | Pct. Laps / Top 15 | Rating | 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 |
• Loop Data: 2009 Statistics | Season-to-Date Box Score
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