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NASCAR: Dale Jr. Will Reach Career Milestone At Auto Club

By Christopher Olmstead

Feb 26, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) before the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) before the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports /
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The most popular guy in NASCAR over the last 14 seasons will hit a career milestone this weekend at Auto Club when he starts the 600th race of his Cup Series career.

In the world of NASCAR there is something to be said for longevity. NASCAR is very much a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport that often sees drivers in good rides come and go if they aren’t performing well.Throughout his NASCAR career, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has experienced the highest of highs (winning multiple Daytona 500’s) and the lowest of lows (a winless streak that reached 143 races) all while maintaining his perch as NASCAR’s most popular driver since 2013.

On Sunday Dale Jr. will experience another high in his career when he makes his 600th career start at Auto Club Speedway. For Earnhardt, reaching 600 might have even more meaning considering the place that he was in only a few short months ago. After missing the second half of the 2016 season due to concussion-like symptoms, there was doubt as to whether or not Earnhardt would be able to return to the track. Although Jr. never wavered from his stance that he would be back, he has admitted since that there were times he wasn’t sure.

600 starts is also somewhat of an accomplishment as only 25 drivers prior to Earnhardt have crossed the threshold, the most recent being Matt Kenseth in 2016. Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick will also reach their 600th starts during the 2017 season. Below is a quick look at what Earnhardt Jr. has accomplished in his 599 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.

599 Starts By The Numbers

  • Two Daytona 500 wins (2004 and 2014)
  • Talladega Dominance: Earnhardt’s six wins at Talladega are his most at any one track.
  • Earnhardt’s first win came at Texas, it took him seven starts to win his first Cup race.
  • Earnhardt has won on 12 different tracks in the Cup Series.
  • 13 pole awards currently has him tied for 10th on the all-time list.
  • 14 times in a row Dale Jr. has been voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver.
  • Earnhardt has an average finish of 15.6 and average start of 16.0 in his Cup career.
  • 148 top-five finishes has him tied for 4th amongst active Cup drivers.
  • 252 top-10 finishes has him 4th amongst active Cup drivers.
  • 8,195 laps led in his Cup career, 6th amongst active drivers.
  • 226,427.3 miles driven from his first Cup start to the finish of the race in Phoenix last weekend.

On Sunday at Auto Club the No. 88 machine will have special decals commemorating the milestone for Earnhardt Jr. and his team. The decals will be placed on the B-posts and the hood. This weekend Earnhardt Jr. will be driving the No. 88 Axalta Chevy.

Must Read: Five Lessons That We Learned From Phoenix

This weekend Earnhardt will also be looking for his first win of the 2017 season. Earnhardt has not won a race since 2015. Earnhardt Jr. has never won at Auto Club, however he does have five top-five finishes in 24 starts.

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