March 15, 2012
By Nicholas Schwartz
23
For once, the majority of the NASCAR Nation is grinning over the start to the 2012 season.
The first three races of the year have been closely contested, fun to watch—oh, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gotten off to the strongest start of his 14-year career.
No, the winless streak -- which is now at an astounding 132 races stretching back to Michigan in 2008 -- has not ended. The No. 88 hasn’t seen victory lane since Dale Jarrett was behind the wheel. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. is brimming with confidence after three consecutive top 10s have him sitting fourth in the point standings.
For a driver that has been named NASCAR’s most popular for the past nine years strapped with perhaps unfair expectations for success at Hendrick Motorsports, the hot start to 2012 will come as a relief. For now, the media’s criticism of Junior has died down -- but at this point in his career, what can Earnhardt Jr. fans consider a successful season?
Certainly, the first priority is for Earnhardt to find his way back to victory lane. The past four years have almost been cruel at times to Earnhardt, who has all the tools for success, but the checkered flag has eluded him. He’s the one driver that can bring an entire crowd to their feet just by taking the lead in a race, but despite his best efforts, he simply hasn’t been able to capitalize in late-race situations.
Things are looking up for Earnhardt this year, however, and it feels as if a win is just around the corner.
Now having spent a full year with crew chief Steve Latarte, the duo’s partnership has grown and Earnhardt has had a car capable of running near the front each week. He ran away from the pack early in Las Vegas, leading 70 of 73 laps, but a highly-publicized run in with Mark Martin dashed Earnhardt’s hopes of a late charge to the front. The series now heads to Bristol, where Earnhardt has won once (in 2004), and boasts a very high 11.7 average finish. He’ll certainly be among the favorites to come out on top in what is predictably one of the most exciting races each year.
But is a win enough to deem 2012 a success for Junior? The pressure on Earnhardt to succeed is immense. As I stated previously, he’s the most popular driver in the Sprint Cup, and legions of fans travel across the country to watch him race. He’s a part of the most successful stable of drivers over the past 15 years in NASCAR at Hendrick Motorsports, with five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and four-time champion Jeff Gordon as teammates. Perhaps most intimidating, he’s tasked with following his late father, a seven-time champion that captivated NASCAR nation and was the face of the sport.
There was a time when analysts projected Earnhardt to reach a high level of success over the course of his career, but is it still fair to expect Junior to win a title before he retires? He’s only finished in the top 5 in the point standings by season’s end three times, has a career average finish of 16.8 and hasn’t been able to string two solid years together since 2003-2004.
Yet, Junior still gives the impression that he’s hungry, and at any time can break out and elevate his performance. The fans still have faith -- it might be blind faith -- but it doesn’t seem impossible to suggest that Junior could possibly contend for a title. If Earnhardt is to finally make good on his expectations, however, the time is now. 2012 could be a watershed year for Earnhardt, and he’s gotten off on the right foot.
For the sake of Earnhardt nation, here’s to hoping he can keep it up.
If you would like to learn more about Nicholas, please check out his web site at Sports By Schwartz. Nicholas is a Managing editor and sportswriter for The Duke Chronicle at Duke University.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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