CUP: Junior Looks To Rekindle Daytona Magic

Sprint Cup

CUP: Junior Looks To Rekindle Daytona Magic

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be among drivers looking to renew strength at Daytona during testing this week…

Mike Hembree | Posted January 11, 2012 Charlotte, NC

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was once considered the man to beat at Daytona. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

There was a time when Daytona International Speedway could have been renamed Earnhardt Superspeedway.

His name wasn’t on the ownership papers, but Dale Earnhardt Sr. was the track’s master. Although all manner of gremlins kept him from the Daytona 500’s victory lane until he scored a fantastic victory in 1998, Earnhardt knew the old track’s passing lanes and particulars better than anyone. He stacked up dozens of wins at Daytona and did so in a style that made his name synonymous with NASCAR’s most famous track.

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed his father onto the track, he quickly learned the ins and outs of the drafting techniques that led to success at Daytona, and, while driving for Dale Sr.’s Dale Earnhardt Inc. team, became a favorite every time the circuit visited.

In one of the sport’s most electric moments, he won the 2001 summer race at Daytona after his father’s death on the last lap of that year’s Daytona 500. Then he marched into the 500 victory lane in 2004, reclaiming that spot for the Earnhardt family.

But the headlines in recent seasons at the World Center of Racing have held names like Harvick, McMurray, Johnson, Kenseth, Newman – and even a kid named Bayne. The Earnhardt stamp has been missing.

Although Junior has had good runs at the track and has been a reliable drafting partner as in past years, the magic seems to have disappeared. Even in difficult seasons – and Earnhardt Jr. has not won in the past three, success always has been expected at the tour’s big tracks at Daytona and Talladega, but the results have been lacking.

A recovery of the Daytona swagger will be high on Earnhardt Jr.’s list as he and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team participate in preseason testing at DIS Thursday through Saturday.

Last year, Junior crashed his primary 500 car in practice and finished 24th in the race. It was his first event with crew chief Steve Letarte and a new crew.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrates in victory lane after winning the July 2001 race at Daytona. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

“I think the lowest point [of the season] was Daytona,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We had a really fast car. Wrecked in practice. It’s all about your first impression, and that was the first tip I had given my new crew. I was upset. I wanted to impress those guys and make them believe in me as a driver. I wasn’t doing a good job at the moment, and it was very disappointing at the time.”

Earnhardt Jr. recovered to have an improved season and finish seventh in points, although his winless streak stretched to 129.

He looks to begin a big upswing this week at Daytona.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

DAYTONA PRESEASON THUNDER TESTING: During the Jan. 12-14 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway, fans can submit questions and comments through Twitter @SPEED (http://www.twitter.com/speed) using the #daytonatesting hashtag.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

CUP: Johnson Destroys Another Format
For a record fourth time, Jimmie Johnson rolls home first in Sprint…
CUP: Busches Falter In Final Shootout
Kyle, Kurt Busch lose top spots on pit road prior to 10-lap finale……
CUP: McMurray, Stenhouse Advance To All-Star
Jamie McMurray dominates Showdown to move into All-Star field with…