NASCAR » NASCAR Driver of the Year vote: 6th

22 December 2012
You voted Dale Earnhardt Jr. into 6th place in Crash.net's NASCAR Driver of the Year poll!
NASCAR Driver of the Year vote: 6th
Top 10 NASCAR Driver of the Year 2012:
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Birthdate: October 10, 1974
Hometown: Kannapolis, NC
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Crew chief: Steve Letarte
2012 starts: 34
Poles: 1
Wins: 1
Top 5: 10
Top 10: 20
Annual earnings: $5,165,260
Championship points: 2245
Championship position: 12th
Crash.net NASCAR Driver of 2011 position: 10th

The runaway favourite star of the American motorsports fans, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has also moved up in the estimation of Crash.net voters since 2011 - and deservedly so. After several fallow years, he finally seemed back on song this year: he collected his first pole position for the first time in 60 races by starting from the front at Richmond, and broke the sixth-longest stretch between wins in Cup series history by finding his way back to victory lane after a four year hiatus.

He also led the points standings for two weeks this season - the first time since September 2004 - and easily made the Chase. Unfortunately, a diagnosis of concussion sidelined him for a crucial and decisive two weeks in the post-season play-offs and meant that he was unable to feature in the title battle after all, but it was still a significantly stronger season overall for NASCAR's most popular driver.

Top 10 NASCAR Driver of the Year 2012 results so far:
5. Mark Martin
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. Marcos Ambrose
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Jeff Gordon
10. Greg Biffle

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Related Pictures

Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking questions from the media at Charlotte Motor Speedway Oct. 11 regarding missing two races after suffering a concussion at Talladega last weekend. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet, is flanked by Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick and crew chief Steve Letarte as he speaks to the media at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 11 in Charlotte, N.C. Earnhardt will miss two races after suffering a concussion from an accident in Talladega last week. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Photo credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AMP Energy/Diet Mtn. Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, signs autographs for fans during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2012 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Regan Smith, driver of the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, is interviewed on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 11, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, speaks to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 26, 2012 in Ridgeway, Virginia. Earnhardt has been cleared to race after taking two races off while suffering symptoms from a concussion in Talladega. (Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Hendrick Motorsports` Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe`s Patriotic Chevrolet, races Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, and Kurt Busch, driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Sealy Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18, 2013 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the NASCAR Sprint Cup #48 Lowes Chevrolet SS relaxes before practice Friday, April 12, 2013 at Texas Motor Speedway for the NRA 500 in Fort Worth, Texas. Johnson won last week at Martinsville Speedway. (Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the NASCAR Sprint Cup #88 Army National Guard Chevrolet SS became No. 1 in the Sprint Cup Standings with his 2nd place win Sunday, March 24, 2013 at Auto ClubSpeedway for the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #56 Toyota, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Chevrolet, lead a group of cars through the tri-oval during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway on January 11, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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