Dale Earnhardt Jr. Disappointed With Dover Weekend So Far

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his fans could be in for a long day on Sunday.

Earnhardt Jr. is struggling at Dover International Speedway this weekend, and the driver qualified a disappointing 25th on Saturday – the worst starting position for any Chase driver.

Already seventh in the point standings and needing a boost after two average races to start the Chase, this weekend isn’t what Earnhardt Jr. was hoping for so far.

“We didn’t have a good car in practice and we didn’t find any good speed or any good balance, so it’s going to be a tough day, I think,” he said. “Going to be a tough race.”

Asked if he was in salvage mode – perhaps a top-15 finish to limit the damage in the points – Earnhardt Jr. shrugged.

“We’re just going to have to work hard and see what happens,” he said. “Just have to see what we can do. I don’t know. The car hasn’t been very good, so I don’t know what to expect.”

Earnhardt Jr. said his car was plagued by “a lot of different problems.” He expected to have a shot at a top-five finish or even a win after finishing fourth in the June race at Dover, but now that seems like a longshot.