MORE: Junior photos from the Coca-Cola 600 weekend
For his final full-time season as a driver, NASCAR.com will offer an analytical preview on Dale Earnhardt Jr. ahead of every remaining Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.
MORE: Dale Jr. career stats, numbers | Full Charlotte schedule
Race: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Date: May 28, 6 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Previous five results: 14th (2016), 3rd, 19th, 39th, 6th
Notable: In Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s final full-time season as a driver, he was asked which race he’d most like to win. The answer? The Coca-Cola 600. This is one of NASCAR’s most iconic races, and Junior grew up at the track and watching races. This is his backyard — and he has yet to win a points-paying race at the 1.5-mile Charlotte facility.
Memorable moment: Plenty of memorable moments exist, but the one we’re thinking of led to some heartbreak in Junior Nation. Earnhardt was out front when the white flag fell in 2011, seeking to end a winless skid that dated back to 2008 and win his first Coca-Cola 600. He was fast, he was clear … and then he was out of gas. His No. 88 Chevrolet went dry on the backstretch, allowing Kevin Harvick to speed around him for the victory.
RELATED: Every Coca-Cola 600 winner
Quotable: “NASCAR has always had a close relationship with the military of our country, and always has service men and women out to the track as guests. That’s always been an important addition to the weekend. I like that we ramp it up for this particular weekend.”