Dale Earnhardt Jr. is no longer a fan of racing at Talladega. Second only to Jeff Gordon among active drivers in wins at the 2.66 mile superspeedway, with 6, Earnhardt was once the acknowledged master at the Alabama track.
He once looked forward to the twice yearly trip to Talladega with all the confidence that comes with winning there on a regular basis.
Sunday however, Earnhardt was a very unhappy driver.
After overcoming a pit road speeding penalty and losing a lap, Earnhardt was in contention for a seventh win; he made up his lap and was running in the top five as the laps wound down. On the final corner on the final lap however, disaster stuck. Tony Stewart, who was near the front of the field at the time, dropped down to block Michael Waltrip; he misjudged the distance and was spun by Waltrip. The ensuing crash involved 24 cars, the largest accident in Chase history. Among those swept up in the carnage was Earnhardt. After leading three times for 18 laps, Earnhardt finished the day in 20 and was none too happy about what had happened. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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