Best Richmond International Raceway Drivers: No. 4, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

This is part of a series of posts sponsored by Richmond International Raceway. Known as America's Premier Short Track, Richmond International Raceway offers great night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. Plan your Richmond International Raceway experience today!

There was a time when Dale Earnhardt Jr. was flat-out awesome at Richmond International Raceway. Unfortunately for he and his fans, that time hasn't been recently.

That's why Earnhardt Jr. is only No. 4 on our Best Richmond Drivers Countdown despite being tied for the most RIR wins (three) among active drivers.

The last time Earnhardt Jr. was at Richmond, he suffered through what he called "one of my worst performances," finishing five laps down in 34th place. Then-crew chief Lance McGrew had elected to try something different with the setup that night – and it failed miserably.

Afterward, Earnhardt Jr. spent more than 30 minutes inside his team's hauler before emerging. He said he was "just really, really disappointed" and "pretty upset."

And why not? Richmond has always been one of Earnhardt Jr.'s favorite tracks. He expects to run well there, and has done so on numerous occasions.

"Richmond fits my driving style," he said last year. "I grew up racing (Late Models) at Myrtle Beach, and it's got the same characteristics of that track. It's got multiple grooves and multiple ways of racing around there. The car changes quite a bit over the night, and you've got to be able to move around and find different grooves."

When SBNation.com asked Earnhardt Jr. last year to describe the best race he'd ever driven in his NASCAR career, it was a Richmond Nationwide Series race that popped into his mind.

"I was racing at Richmond in either '98 or '99 (actually Sept. 1999), and I beat Mark Martin in the Busch Grand National race," he said. "I passed him on the outside to win. He was in the Winn-Dixie car and was almost unbeatable every time he showed up.

"(Richmond) was when I first really thought to myself, ‘Damn, I might be able to make a living out of this.'"

Once Earnhardt Jr. reached the Cup Series, his RIR success continued. He won in only his second start at the track, in the 2000 spring race. Then, starting in 2001, he continued his Richmond roll by recording finishes of fourth or better in five of the next seven races at the 3/4-mile short track.

One of those finishes included his second Richmond win, which came in the 2004 spring race – he easily beat future teammate Jimmie Johnson to the line by 1.5 seconds that night.

Earnhardt Jr. won again at Richmond in 2006, which marked his most recent non-fuel-mileage victory in the Cup Series. Still driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the time, who would have ever guessed his Richmond stats would sour once he joined Hendrick Motorsports?

Of course, his Richmond stats while driving for Hendrick are skewed a bit. As most of Junior Nation remembers – and will probably never forget – Earnhardt Jr. was spun by Kyle Busch in the 2008 spring race while racing for the lead with only three laps to go.

If he had won that night – giving him the most RIR wins among his peers – he'd likely be further up on this list. But given his recent turnaround under the guidance of new crew chief Steve Letarte, it's not a stretch to think Earnhardt Jr. could pull off another Richmond victory in just a few weeks.