Junior’s final season ends without a title
JOLIET, Ill. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. received a stamp of approval from fans wanting to write letters to the retiring star, wishing him luck.
Jennifer Hoger has attended races at Chicagoland Speedway for 15 years and penned similar farewell notes to former NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart in their retirement seasons. She stopped at the red mailbox with No. 88 on the door to drop off her letter: Dear Dale, Thank you for all the memories here @Chicagoland Speedway!! Good luck in your future endeavors!!! The Hoger Family Bridgeview, Illinois “It’s just something I really wanted to do for him,” she said. “He’s just a regular guy when you see the way he interacts with people on pit road. He’s just a great guy.”
Fan enthusiasm hasn’t waned for Junior even as he’s stumbled through a disheartening final season that will end without a NASCAR Cup championship in his 18-year career. Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 champion, has just one top-five finish this season and hasn’t finished better than 12th in his last 10 races in the No. 88 Chevrolet. When NASCAR’s version of the playoffs open today at Chicagoland, Earnhardt starts with a more modest goal of finishing the season inside
mph. 3. (78) Martin Truex Jr.,
185.893 mph. 4. (4) Kevin Harvick,
mph. 5. (2) Brad Keselowski,
mph. 6. (42) Kyle Larson,
mph. 7. (22) Joey Logano,
mph. 8. (24) Chase Elliott,
185.065 mph. 9. (3) Austin Dillon,
mph. 10. (20) Matt Kenseth,
mph. 11. (14) Clint Bowyer,
mph. 12. (21) Ryan Blaney,
mph. 13. (19) Daniel Suarez,
mph. 14. (48) Jimmie Johnson,
184.414 mph. 15. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,
184.326 mph. 16. (31) Ryan Newman,
184.281 mph. 17. (41) Kurt Busch,
mph. 18. (37) Chris Buescher,
183.231 mph.
Toyota, Ford, 185.656 Ford, 185.236 Chevrolet, 185.084 Ford, 185.077 Chevrolet, Chevrolet, 185.039 Toyota, 184.024 Ford, 183.949 Ford, 185.147 Toyota, 184.641 Chevrolet, Ford, Chevrolet, Ford, 183.874 Chevrolet,
the top 20 in the standings.
“We should’ve run well all year and gotten ourselves into the playoffs for all of our fans,” he said.
Earnhardt has been feted at tracks all season, receiving donations in his name and framed photos of great moments. At Chicagoland, he cuddled a puppy as the track announced an $8,800 donation to a Chicagobased animal shelter.
He strides through the garage hounded by autograph-seekers who know this is their last chance to receive that favored souvenir on their die cast, hat or poster.
There are 16 drivers in the NASCAR playoff field.
mph. 26. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 181.671 mph. 27. (34) Landon Cassill, Ford, 181.659 mph. 28. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet,
181.415 mph. 29. (47) AJ Allmendinger,
181.366 mph. 30. (95) Michael McDowell,
181.336 mph. 31. (38) David Ragan,
mph. 32. (32) Matt DiBenedetto,
179.647 mph. 33. (23) Corey LaJoie,
mph. 34. (15) Reed Sorenson,
176.730 mph. 35. (72) Cole Whitt,
mph. 36. (55) Gray Gaulding,
mph. 37. (33) Jeffrey Earnhardt,
175.222 mph. 38. (66) Timmy Hill,
mph. 39. (51) Ray Black II,
170.218 mph. 40. (83) Brett Moffitt,
mph. Chevrolet, Chevrolet, Ford, 180.729 Ford, Toyota, 179.235 Chevrolet, Chevrolet, 176.551 Toyota, 176.424 Chevrolet, Chevrolet, 174.261 Chevrolet, Toyota, 0.000
There’s only one driver with the stature of Dale Junior.
Earnhardt has been plagued by concussions the last several years, and he missed half of last season recovering from a head injury. He delayed contract talks on an extension to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet, and the winner of 26 career Cup races decided in the spring to call it quits this season.
A third-generation racer, Earnhardt turns 43 in October, is newly married and has said he wants to start a family. He has won NASCAR’s most popular driver award a record 14 times.