LOUDON, N.H. -- The message is clear, now will Dale Earnhardt Jr. listen?

Car owner Rick Hendrick said that Earnhardt must focus more during races -- a problem that has dogged Earnhardt throughout his career -- if he is going to win the Sprint Cup crown. Hendrick's assessment came Sunday after he had to calm his driver on the radio for the second consecutive week.

That Hendrick's declaration came after the first race of the title Chase also was telling. The whining must stop now Hendrick seems to be telling his driver.

Volcanic eruptions by Earnhardt are common on his radio channel. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. often takes the brunt of the verbal abuse, but there's a deeper problem with how Earnhardt talks to his cousin.

"If you let things get to you, you will not win the Chase,'' Hendrick said after watching Earnhardt finish fifth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and move into a tie for fourth in the points standings.

"You can't choke and that is what I am trying to get them not to do. I think they can be better. I know Tony will be better and can help [Earnhardt] more if he's calmer when he's giving him information.

"To my knowledge, I have never had [a driver] that gave us good information when he was on the chip.''

Earnhardt's emotions are a symptom to another major issue -- he has a history of running well early in a race and fading late, costing him potential victories.

That problem surfaced again Sunday and Earnhardt's frustration turned to rage.

Earnhardt led 79 of 300 laps with most coming in the first half of the race. His anger grew when after a pit stop his car, which had been dominant, began to misbehave although the only change the crew made was to put on four new tires and add fuel. Earnhardt lost ground to the leaders. After another pit stop later in the race, he expressed his anger, leading Hendrick to begin his over-the-air therapy session.

"You've got a great car,'' Hendrick radioed Earnhardt, who was sixth after exiting the pits on lap 215. "Now take it easy and tighten up those belts.

"We adjusted for that last ill-handling BS,'' Earnhardt replied, worried that the team had made changes on the most recent pit stop to accommodate the car's handling that might have just been the result of a bad set of tires.

"I feel like somebody is conspiring against me. I want some answers now!''

"You're going to be good,'' Hendrick said. "Car is good. You were killing everybody. Go back to it again.''

"I hope we didn't tighten it up too much,'' Earnhardt replied, his voice firm. "I need to find a motor sport that runs half the race and I'll be the champion.''

"You can do this,'' Hendrick said. "You gotta talk to them about what the car is doing and we can make the right adjustments.''

"I'm ready,'' Earnhardt said, anger seething through his voice. "I'm [honked] off. If this [expletive] doesn't roll the center, I'm going to cut it in half.''

The conversation came to a close when the race was about to restart. Earnhardt gained one spot during the last 80 laps. Race winner Greg Biffle gained two spots during that time, while Tony Stewart moved up 12 positions to finish eighth.

Hendrick didn't just single out Earnhardt for improvement. Hendrick said that Eury must do more.

"Giving [Earnhardt] good information and talking to him, he likes that,'' Hendrick said. "I think Tony has been so used to be quiet and letting him rant and go off.

"I want to get the best out of those two guys I can. Like I said after the race [the radio communication] bothered me.''