Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2016 NASCAR Preview

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has easily become NASCAR’s most cherished driver. This year, the 13-time most popular driver will look to build on a three-win 2015 season that saw him fall a bumper short of making the Chase at Talladega Superspeedway. Earnhardt captured victories in the second race at the Daytona 400 on July 5, the Talladega 500 and Phoenix Internationl Raceways’s Race for Heros 500. He finished the 2015 season in 12th.

High expectations are the norm for Dale Jr. and 2016 is no exception. Winning just twice from 2007-2013, he has found himself in victory lane seven times in the last two campaigns. With the retirement of teammate Jeff Gordon and the edition of rookie Chase Elliot, even more pressure will be placed on the prodigal son to perform this year for Team Hendrick Motorsports.

Fans, drivers, and teammates expect a prosperous year for  Jr. His dominance in the four restrictor-cup races will likely see him win his way into NASCAR’s 2016 Chase races. Earnhardt will look to get things moving in a hurry at the Daytona 500 on February 21. The last time the field of drivers raced a points race there, it was Earnhardt Jr. finishing in the front and collecting his fourth win at the beloved track.

With a full year of experience between Earnhardt Jr. and newly acquired Crew Chief Greg Ives, the 41-year-old has had solid performances on the variety of ovals that the series produces. Ives has collected six NASCAR titles in 11 years at Hendrick Racing, namely the five five straight with Jimmy Johnson from 2006-2010.

Since his last race of 2015, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had a momentous off-season. He now is engaged to his long-time girlfriend Amy Riemann and is still the most vocal NASCAR racer on social media. I cannot think of any reason that Earnhardt Jr. will perform anything less than spectacular in 2016.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company just announced that NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr., 26-time NASCAR winner, will be the featured expert who chooses Goodyear tires on and off the track in a series of broadcast, digital and print ads.

Check out this video with Dale.

“We’ve already had a relationship due to the confidence that I have in Goodyear tires on the track with the 88 car and on the street with my own personal car,” said Earnhardt Jr. “There’s a huge trust factor that we’ve had for a really long time, so this feels like a continuation of something that has been going on for a while.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver 13 years running and one of America’s favorite athletes, has accomplished his significant racing achievements on Goodyear tires including his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in 2000 and Daytona 500 victories in 2004 and 2014.

The creative materials draw on Earnhardt Jr.’s deep personal connection with the Goodyear brand. In the television spot, through a heartfelt message about hard work, tradition and pride, Earnhardt Jr. highlights the tenets of Goodyear’s involvement in NASCAR – the continuous learning that is achieved through all of the drivers and the ability to deliver superior performing tires both on and off the track. Goodyear will amplify the creative with a robust media plan and social media support.

“We are pleased to work with one of the premier experts in the sport to showcase Goodyear in a compelling and engaging way,” said Seth Klugherz, Goodyear’s director of marketing. “Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a true icon and superior brand ambassador.”

The Daytona 500 betting favorite has also been quoted as saying, “Every year we keep getting better and we’re racing better, we’re winning, and I feel like I’ve got to be here for the next step,” he said.  “I’d be a fool to turn this off right now or even think about doing it.”

If Dale Earnhardt Jr. can pull off a NASCAR Championship this year, it would give the sport the substantial boost it needs, propelling it back into the spotlight as one of the nations top sporting series.