Our time is now: Dale Earnhardt Jr. ready to win a NASCAR Cup title

Dale Earnhardt Jr. waits while his crew makes changes Saturday at Daytona International Raceway. (Photo: Greg Engle)

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. waits while his crew makes changes Saturday at Daytona International Raceway. (Photo: Greg Engle)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. waits while his crew makes changes Saturday at Daytona International Raceway. (Photo: Greg Engle)

DAYTONA BEACH Fl. – For NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2012 had to be a frustrating season. After starting the year strong with a second place finish in the season opening Daytona 500, Earnhardt began to amass a decent record. He looked to be more in contention for a title then he had in several years. After winning his first Sprint Cup point’s paying race in June and breaking a winless streak that dated back to 2008, Earnhardt found himself atop the standings for the first time since 2004.

When he entered NASCAR’s 10 race Chase for the Sprint Cup however, Earnhardt endured disaster after disaster including a concussion suffered during a test session. The injury would sideline him for two races and leave all hopes for his first Cup title gone.

As the attention now turns to 2013, Earnhardt is back and ready to go. As part of NASCAR’s preseason test at Daytona International Speedway last week, Earnhardt and the rest of the Sprint Cup field had a chance to check out the new Generation 6 racecars that will debut in competition in February. Earnhardt said he’s comfortable with the new car. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.