CONCORD, N.C. – This weekend, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will reach a milestone in his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Sunday in Fontana, California, he will make his 600th Cup start.
To mark the occasion, a decal commemorating Earnhardt’s 600 starts will be placed on the B-posts and the front of the hood of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS this weekend.
On the verge of the milestone, here’s a look at some key numbers that have helped define Earnhardt’s first 599 starts.
2: Daytona 500 wins, in 2004 and 2014
6: Earnhardt’s most wins at a single track – Talladega Superspeedway
7: The number of races it took Earnhardt in his rookie season before finding Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway for his first NASCAR Cup Series win
8: Non-points wins – five in the Duels, two in The Clash and one in the All-Star Race
12: Tracks where Earnhardt has at least one Cup win
13: Career Cup pole positions, tied for 10th among active drivers
14: Consecutive years Earnhardt has been voted by the fans as NASCAR’s most popular driver
15.6: Average finishing position in Earnhardt’s Cup career
16: Average starting position in Earnhardt’s Cup career
18th: Full-time season in the Cup Series in 2017
26: Career Cup wins, tied for 29th all-time
148: Career Cup top-five finishes, tied for fourth among active drivers
252: Career Cup top-10 finishes, fourth among active drivers
1999: The year of Earnhardt’s first Cup start, which came at Charlotte Motor Speedway
2008: The year Earnhardt joined Hendrick Motorsports
8,195: Career Cup laps led, sixth among active drivers
226,427.3: Total miles driven in his Cup career