Earnhardt’s No. 88 car will start from the back of the field at Sunday’s FedEx 400 after his team had to change a rear gear in his Chevrolet earlier in the day. Earnhardt qualified 16th on Friday.
MORE: Drivers to watch at Dover | Picks and odds | Why Jimmie Johnson isn’t going for 11th win
Hendrick Motorsports noted the rule was put into effect for last week’s Coca-Cola 600.
Earnhardt has top-10 finishes in four of his past six Dover starts, but his only win at the track came in 2001.
He has been on a roll of late, finishing third last week in Charlotte and at the previous Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway after his lone win of the season in Talladega.
MORE: Denny Hamlin wins pole position | Martin Truex Jr.’s hope | SN driver rankings
