Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the hero of the day at Talladega

TALLADEGA, AL - MAY 03: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 2015 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
TALLADEGA, AL - MAY 03:  Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 2015 in Talladega, Alabama.  (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
TALLADEGA, AL – MAY 03: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 2015 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

NASCAR’s most popular driver went back to victory lane at the place once known as his playground Sunday.  In a weekend filled with favorites winning in the sports world, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the Las Vegas odds on favorite, led a race high 67 of 188 laps and held off a last lap charge from his teammate to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Earnhardt took the lead for the final time on a restart after the races sixth caution on lap 162. He was leading a ten-car breakaway with two laps to go when Denny Hamlin dropped out of line from fifth.  Behind him, the lead group began shuffling for position and Earnhardt began to move high and low to protect his lead as he crossed the line to take the white flag for the final lap. Behind Earnhardt Carl Edwards was turned by Casey Mears entering turn 1 and spun.  Seconds later  Mears lost a tire and crashed into the wall on the backstretch sweeping up Ricky Stenhouse Jr.. NASCAR allowed the race to finish under the green though as Earnhardt held on for the win to the roaring approval of the crowd.

“Everything is just so good for me now.,” an emotional Earnhardt said. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. 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.