Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s lackluster qualifying performance left him behind several other drivers in the Gluckometer ratings this week.
Gluckometer, Atlanta: Fans Get Rowdy During Driver Introductions
The crowd always warms up and gets louder as drivers are introduced, so those toward the front of the field usually receive more noise than those in the back.
Typically, this hasn’t affected Earnhardt Jr. But this week, it did.
Tony Stewart and even Mark Martin received more cheers than Earnhardt Jr., and the sport’s most popular driver got only the fifth-most noise overall.
Is this a trend, or a one-week fluke? Stay tuned.
The ratings:
| Driver | dB | Type of Noise | Comment/Explanation | |||
| 1 | Kyle Busch | 89.3 | Boos | Fans not so loving to Rowdy | ||
| 2 | Tony Stewart | 88.1 | Cheers | Media battles don't affect his image | ||
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson | 88.0 | Boos | Weary of JJ, despite slump | ||
| 4 | Mark Martin | 87.7 | Cheers | Sentimental favorite for many | ||
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 87.1 | Cheers | Bad starting spot, crowd not warmed up | ||
| 6 | Carl Edwards | 86.3 | Mixed | Return to the site of BradK flip | ||
| 7 | Ryan Newman | 86.0 | Cheers | Outside pole position | ||
| 8 | Jeff Gordon | 85.8 | Mixed | Reception depends on track | ||
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | 85.3 | Cheers | Popular driver | ||
| 10 | Denny Hamlin | 85.2 | Cheers | Pole position |
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