TALLADEGA, Ala. — There was once a time when every move Dale Earnhardt Jr. made in a restrictor-plate race was the right one. He could slice his way through the field, drive to the front whenever he wanted and always was the guy to beat at Daytona and Talladega.

That four-year stretch netted Earnhardt seven victories at NASCAR's two fastest tracks, and gave him confidence and an air of invincibility.

It's been more than five years, though, since Earnhardt last won a plate race. And though he's still considered a contender every time he climbs into his car, he's rarely called the favorite anymore.

Then came the season-opening Daytona 500, when for at least two laps, the old Earnhardt was back. He steamrolled his way from 10th to second with a series of jaw-dropping moves, falling just short of running down winner Jamie McMurray.

"At the end of that race, I just made enough of the right decisions," Earnhardt said Friday. "If I'd made a couple more — maybe I made a few wrong decisions that cost me the win — and maybe if I had done things just a little differently, we'd be holding the trophy at the end of that race."

Earnhardt, fresh off an eighth-place finish in Monday's rain-rescheduled race at Texas, is tempering the expectations. Performance is as much about skill as it is the quality of race car, and Earnhardt said the current rules package leaves him at the mercy of his No. 88 Chevrolet.