Earnhardt Returns to Victory Lane at Talladega
03 May, 2015
There’s something about Talladega Superspeedway – its ardent Earnhardt fans, the success his family has had at the track – that makes Dale Earnhardt Jr. feel a responsibility to put on a show.
He failed to deliver last year, using a strategy that took him out of contention for the win, admitting he was “just really, really ashamed of that” decision.
Earnhardt vowed to never again be cautious at the Alabama track, to always race aggressively for the win.
It paid off Sunday with an emotional first win of the season.
“Even if I wreck … we’re going to be racing for the lead or trying to anyways,” Earnhardt said. “That’s my mentality till I don’t race anymore.”
NASCAR’s most popular driver received a thunderous ovation as he pumped his fist outside the car window during a slow victory lap. He stopped at the flag stand to grab the checkered flag and flew it out his car window as he savored his trip around the track and into victory lane.
It was Earnhardt’s sixth victory at Talladega – but first since 2004 – and he choked back tears after he climbed from his No. 88 Chevrolet.
“It’s just real emotional. I haven’t won here in a long time. It was my daddy’s birthday a couple of days ago, and I’m just real emotional, man,” he said.
The late Dale Earnhardt, a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee, won 10 times at the Alabama track. He would have celebrated his 64th birthday Wednesday.
Jimmie Johnson finished second as Hendrick Motorsports dominated the race. But Johnson couldn’t pull out of line to attempt a pass on Earnhardt, who was watching his mirror carefully to see who from the line would make a move.
Paul Menard was third and Ryan Blaney was a surprising fourth in the only Ford that could challenge the horsepower from the Hendrick Chevrolets.
Martin Truex Jr. was fifth and followed by Sam Hornish Jr. in another Ford, then Ryan Newman and Kevin Harvick as Chevy drivers took six of the first eight spots.
Denny Hamlin was ninth in the highest-finishing Toyota and Josh Wise rounded out the top 10.
AP
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