Race: Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway
Track Specs: 2.5-mile superspeedway
Weather: Clear, 53 degrees
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Dale Jr.’s Finish: 15th
Saturday night marked the first race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Fortunately for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 TaxSlayer.com team, the event was the 75-lap non-points Sprint Unlimited being run under the lights at Daytona International Speedway.
After a random-qualifying draw put Earnhardt’s red and white Chevrolet starting 23rd in a 25-car field, the two-time Sprint Unlimited winner set his sights forward. Earnhardt patiently worked his way towards the top 10 while reporting a loose race car in the early laps. Following a four-tire pit stop under caution at lap 14, the No. 88 began working closely with Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 car to climb up the leaderboard.
The duo charged up inside the top 15 by lap 23 when a flat right-rear tire on Brian Vickers’ No. 14 car sent his Chevrolet spinning towards the inside where Earnhardt could not avoid contact. The damage, while not race-ending for Earnhardt, forced the No. 88 team to execute a meticulous repair effort led by crew chief Greg Ives.
The crew spent the next six laps repairing a large hole in the right-side door of Earnhardt’s Chevrolet. The No. 88 rejoined the race multiple laps down and allowed Earnhardt to compete to the finish. Despite collecting a pair of free passes by virtue of cautions, Earnhardt finished the race four laps down in 15th.
Denny Hamlin fended off Joey Logano to earn the victory followed by Paul Menard, Kyle Larson and Casey Mears.