Under Eury's guidance, Earnhardt is off to an impressive start with Hendrick. He's third in the Sprint Cup points standings, with three top-five finishes in eight races, and is the highest-ranked Hendrick driver. Johnson, the two-time defending Cup champion, is fourth, Gordon is 13th and Casey Mears is 25th.
Previously, Earnhardt said he didn't expect to be ahead of Johnson and Gordon early in the season.
"That's very surprising to me," he said. "And I'm surprised we're in the top five in points."
Last season, Earnhardt slipped to 16th in points after qualifying for the 2006 Chase and finishing fifth. It's been almost 2 years since he's won a race (Richmond, May 2006).
"[The slump] is definitely a stat that you are aware of," he said. "It's not a whole lot of pressure [though]. I still drive for a good team. I feel like our win is around the corner. We've had a good enough car to contend [in every race]. We've failed to capitalize in some races where we led a lot."
The good news for Earnhardt is that Sunday's Cup race is at Talladega, where he has won five times, including four in a row from 2001 to '03. Winning at Talladega runs in the family: Dale Sr. is the all-time race winner at the Alabama track, with 10.
Fans at Talladega have transferred their loyalty and affection from father to son.
"Four or 5 years ago, I definitely went into these races with more confidence than I would've carried into other events," Earnhardt said. "We've won a lot of races there. We've got a really big fan base there and that means a lot to me."
Considered NASCAR's most popular racer, Earnhardt has seen his stock rise even higher this season.
