OUR FANHOUSE TOOLBAR INTEGRATES THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS INTO YOUR WEB BROWSER AND INSTALLS IN SECONDS.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE TOOLBAR HERE.

FanHouse DaleEarnhardtJr.

Latest DaleEarnhardtJr. Stories

Dale Jr. Near 'The End of My Rope'

CONCORD, N.C. -- Sounding at times deflated and exasperated, Dale Earnhardt Jr. told reporters Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway that he's just as perplexed by the disappointing performance of his team as the rising tide of critics and doubters.

Most frustrating, he said, is that he doesn't have the quick answers to turning things around.

Earnhardt used Thursday night's qualifying session as a microcosm of his 2009 season. After posting a top-15 speed during practice in his No. 88 Amp Energy-Chevrolet, he managed only the 39th fastest lap in qualifying.

"All the other cars qualified fine and backed their times up in practice and we didn't even get close,'' a mostly subdued Earnhardt said. "We looked ridiculous last night.

"It's like really encouraging one day and the next day it's equally discouraging and that gets really old. I'm about to the end of my rope on it.''

Gut-Check Time for Struggling Dale Earnhardt, Jr.


The good news for Dale Earnhardt Jr. is that the legions of his believers are still just that -- massive in number and faithful to his cause.

But even many of the most loyal are astounded that their beloved "Junior," NASCAR's most famous driver, isn't more than a footnote in this year's Chase for the Championship.

The most-talked about driver in NASCAR isn't being talked about when it matters most.

Kevin Harvick Gets Past Dale Earnhardt Jr. Late to Win Nationwide Race

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a late gamble on gas, but that wasn't enough to overcome Kevin Harvick's dominance.

Harvick led most of the race and then passed Earnhardt with two laps left to regain the lead and win the Degree V12 300 Nationwide Series race on Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Harvick and Kyle Busch each went into the pits for gas and four tires with 14 laps remaining. Earnhardt and Brad Keselowski stayed on the track, gambling they had enough gas to finish the race.

Hail to the Vickers: Toyota Driver Steals Victory in Michigan

Brian VickersBROOKLYN, MICH. (AP) -- Closing in on the checkered flag with mostly fumes in his gas tank, there were only two possibilities for Brian Vickers.

Run out of gas and probably blow any chance at making NASCAR's championship chase -- or make a bold move toward title contention by winning the race.

After a surprising gamble on gas by his crew chief, Vickers drove conservatively to conserve fuel. Then he pounced when race leader Jimmie Johnson's tank ran dry, taking the lead with two laps to go and holding on to win Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.

Daytona's 'Big One' Takes Earnhardt Out Of Race Early


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The "Big One," a 13-car accident at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night took out fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. before NASCAR's Coke Zero 400 was even halfway complete.

The accident on the backstretch was triggered when Kasey Kahne's Dodge tapped David Stremme's Dodge from behind. Eleven more cars were collected, including Earnhardt and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon -- both truly innocent victims of the smoky melee.

Daytona Trackside: Earnhardt and Petty

Dale Earnhardt Jr.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Catching up on the news and notes trackside at Daytona International Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. met with reporters briefly Friday and seemed pretty much resigned to the fact that he won't be making the 12-driver Chase for the Championship this season. He's currently ranked 19th, 285 points behind 12th place Juan Pablo Montoya with nine races remaining before the Chase field is set Sept. 12.

"It's going to be a real challenge for us to make the Chase,'' Earnhardt said. "We're still mathematically in it but we're not trying to catch just one guy. .. we're trying to catch four or five guys. And it's unrealistic to expect all them guys to have enough trouble.

Mark Martin Wins LifeLock 400

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) -- The most surprised person to find Mark Martin in Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway was the driver himself.

The 50-year-old NASCAR star has run well but has had to deal with considerable bad luck this season. It looked like more of the same Sunday when the battery in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet began to fail before the halfway mark in the LifeLock 400 Sprint Cup race.

Martin turned off everything in the car that he could, nursing it as best he could. Then he realized the race was going to be a fuel economy run.

Busch Takes Shot at Earnhardt Jr.

Kyle Busch / Dale Earnhardt Jr.DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Kyle Busch couldn't resist taking a poke at the driver who replaced him at Hendrick Motorsports.

Busch's career has skyrocketed since signing with Joe Gibbs Racing, while Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s sagging career has hit an all-time low. On Wednesday night, team owner Rick Hendrick had enough, firing Earnhardt's longtime crew chief Tony Eury Jr. in an attempt to salvage the season.

Eury Jr. Out as Earnhardt's Crew Chief

Tony Eury Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.After months of speculation this would or should happen, team owner Rick Hendrick made the move Thursday to replace Tony Eury Jr. as crew chief on the No. 88 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., effective immediately.

While the other three drivers in the championship Hendrick Motorsports stable have won races this year, Earnhardt has struggled mightily -- including a season-worst 40th-place effort Monday at Charlotte, placing Earnhardt 19th in the points standings.

Wheel2Wheel: From 'Dega to Richmond

Jump in as FanHouse writers Holly Cain and Geoffrey Miller try to put a cap on the weekend that was Talladega and look ahead to the always exciting spring race in Richmond with a little thing we like to call Wheel2Wheel.

NASCAR Feuds

    While Carl Edwards' wreck stole the show at Talladega, two of NASCAR's biggest stars will be thrust into the spotlight Saturday. Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. traded paint at both of last year's Richmond races. Click through to see their two dustups and other top feuds.

    Getty Images

    Race: Crown Royal presents Dan Lowry 400 Date: May 3, 2008
    Feud: Kyle Busch spins out leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. with three laps to go.
    Memorable Quote: Kyle Busch: "The deal with Jr. ... man, it was racing."

    Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images

    Race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Date: Sept. 7, 2008
    Feud: Dale Earnhardt spins out leader Kyle Busch on lap 212.
    Memorable Quote: Dale Jr.: "I really ain

    Shawn Chamberlin, AP

    Race: Subway Fresh Fit 500
    Feud: Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed with 11 laps to go after he and Casey Mears made contact. Earnhardt then spun Mears on the cool-down lap and Mears retaliated by bumping into the back of Earnhardt's car on pit road.
    Memorable Quote: Mears: "I guess he was a little bent out of shape about it, because he spun me out after the checkered flag."

    LEFT: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images RIGHT: Christian Petersen, Getty Images

    Race: Subway Fresh Fit 500
    Feud: Robby Gordon, left, gets upset with Michael Waltrip after contact with Waltrip's No. 55 Toyota sends Gordon into the Phoenix International Speedway wall.
    Memorable Quote: Gordon: "I

    Getty Images

    Race: Daytona 500
    Feud: Dale Earnhardt Jr's clip of Brian Vickers triggers a 9-car accident
    Memorable Quote: Earnhardt: "What the hell am I supposed to do? ... If he wasn't so damn reckless, we would have never had that problem."

    Getty Images (2)

    Race: Gatorade Duel 150 Date: Feb. 12, 2009
    Feud: Ryan Newman wrecked by David Reutimann
    Memorable Quote: Newman: "Reutimann is a good name for him -- because he rooted a man right out of there and sent me up into the wall."

    Steve Johnson, Orlando Sentinel / MCT

    Race: Amp Energy 500 Date: Oct. 7, 2008
    Feud: Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick clash four days after race
    Memorable Quote: Harvick after race: "I know that [Edwards'] fans won't be very proud of him sitting back there riding around like a pansy."

    AP

    Race: CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 (Nationwide) Date: May 24, 2008
    Feud: Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski mix it up under a caution
    Memorable Quote: Hamlin: "If he throws a rock, I'll throw a concrete block back."

    Jason Smith, Getty Images

    Race: Food City 500 Date: March 17, 2008
    Feud: Kevin Harvick wrecks Tony Stewart with two laps left
    Memorable Quote: Stewart: "I thought I left him plenty of room. I was far enough ahead of him that I didn't see where he hit me or when he hit me. But I'm sure, somehow, it's my fault."

    Jason Smith, Getty Images



Q: What was your first reaction to all of the events and drama that Talladega produced this weekend?

Holly Cain: The accident began only a few yards below my seat in the Talladega press box. At most tracks, the press box is an elevator-ride atop the grandstands, but at Talladega it sits only about 15 rows up.

The last lap was sensory-overload, but that's what you expect at Talladega.

Featured Writers

Featured Voices