Earnhardt: 'We're going to go to work'

DOVER, Del. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn't happy with his performance at Dover International Speedway.

After starting 25th, Earnhardt found his way in to the top 15 late in the race, but ended up with a 17th-place result.

"We didn’t run good, obviously. We struggled with our car all day long," Earnhardt said. "We never had a moment during the race where the car was very good and competitive."

Still, Earnhardt moved on to the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup along with his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates.

There, he has a fresh start, as all 12 drivers are tied with 3000 points.

In the three Challenger Round races, Earnhardt took home finishes of 11th, ninth and 17th.

The driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS described the final race of the round as "frustrating," but noted that the team brought its typical work ethic -- and that won't change going forward.

"I drove hard. The team worked hard. Seventeenth was as good as we could run," Earnhardt said. "That’s not good enough to win a championship. But we get to move forward and start from scratch next weekend.

"Trust me, we’re going to go to work and try to find everything we can to get better."