RELATED: Junior wins rain-shortened race
Dale Earnhardt Jr. did something for the first time in his 16-year NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career on Sunday by virtue of his win at Phoenix International Raceway.
The Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 win gave Earnhardt Jr. three victories this season. Coming off a four-win year in 2014, it's the first time Junior has ever won three or more races in consecutive seasons.
His three wins in 2015 also ties his mark from the 2001 season. Earnhardt's six-win 2004 remains his personal standard when it comes to victories in a season.
For his career, Junior has 26 premier series victories -- which ranks him tied for 27th in NASCAR history with Denny Hamlin and NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s career wins
| Year | Number of wins |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 6 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 3 |