At 2012 Quicken Fund 400 at Michigan, Earnhardt ruled this new competition, best 95 laps, and claimed, taking an excellent 143-battle winless streak, almost couple of years on time immediately after their last victory towards
During the Bristol, Earnhardt finished 15th following a late battle experience of teammate Jeff Gordon, and you can a rushing punishment. Earnhardt perform straight back it up with a pair of to back third-set comes to an end from the Vehicles Club and you can Martinsville Speedway, making him 2nd on standings.
The second 14 days, Earnhardt would blog post away from stops from sixth from the Charlotte and you can 4th at Dover heading into the summer time
On following days, Earnhardt do promote a sequence of top tens: 10th at Colorado, 7th during the Ohio, second on Richmond, and you can 9th during the Talladega, in which he led 10 laps. Another day, Earnhardt battled for some of the race within Darlington, and had to repay that have a seventeenth-set end. During the All-Star Competition, Earnhardt won this new Sprint Showdown, best all the 40 laps to help you battle their way to your large feel. Regardless if, Earnhardt won new last segment as well as in the past 10 lap shootout, had to settle for a 5th-lay become. Within newly repaved Pocono Raceway, Earnhardt added thirty six laps into the race, but generated a later part of the battle energy pit end from 3rd put with only more 20 laps to visit, doing 8th and you may standing second inside the facts. Earnhardt create sustain a beneficial 23rd-set find yourself within Sonoma immediately after getting damaged inside the a green-white-checkered find yourself, however, was still in a position to get across the finish line undamaged and you will with the lead lap, carried on his streak of being the only rider to end all the events towards direct lap. He would back it with a fourth-lay become in the Quaker County eight hundred within Kentucky Speedway.
The following week from the Daytona, a past lap crash lead to a 15th-put find yourself getting Earnhardt yet still leftover his move of being the only real driver to get rid of each and every lap in just about any battle. Earnhardt supported with a couple of top 5 closes, completing next within each other Loudon and you can Indianapolis, where the guy attained the latest activities head the very first time given that 2004, after products leader Matt Kenseth is applied for in the a belated competition crash. Straight back during the Pocono, Earnhardt was running regarding the second standing, however, a rest from the signal sent the brand new 88 for the driveway, however, he came back away 18 laps down and you may finished 32nd, on account of precipitation that appeared and finished the latest battle and you may a beneficial later race ruin of Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and you can Denny Hamlin. His move of doing into the lead lap came to an enthusiastic avoid, but the guy nevertheless handled the fresh new points head with 5 events up to the fresh new chase cutoff. Within Watkins Glen, Earnhardt got a reliable Top 10 moving in the very last laps but a late competition spin lead to a beneficial 28th-lay end, this would shed the brand new 88 team away from initially so you’re able to fourth from inside the the newest activities.
Back again to Michigan to your Natural Michigan 400, Earnhardt had to begin in 42nd set shortly after a crash into the habit pushed your to maneuver to help you a back-up auto. He provided for a number of laps middle-competition and you may completed towards the head lap within the fourth place. Earnhardt; Ryan Newman; and you may Kasey Kahne plus escaped engine issues one beset Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and you will Tony Stewart. Within Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt become sixteenth immediately after a being qualified rainout; he provided 13 laps regarding the competition in advance of pit street charges resulted in a 12th-lay wind up. The conclusion closed your into the 2012 Chase on Sprint Cup, next to Greg Biffle, and you can teammate Jimmie Johnson. Within Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt ran a beneficial lap off very early however, retrieved to make good 7th-lay become. Another month at the Richmond All over the world Raceway, Earnhardt attained his first rod of the season. However relocate free farmers dating websites Canada to lead 69 laps, however, a later part of the competition pit prevent resulted in brand new 88 cluster delivering a good 14th-place find yourself, being seeded 7th on the standings. In the first battle of pursue during the Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt accomplished 8th even with to begin with at the rear of the field because of a system change. Ends up away from 13th and you will 11th at the Loudon and you will Dover remaining brand new 88 class 7th in the standings.
