For a time Sunday it looked as though Dale Earnhardt Jr. could pull it off. The driver who swept both races at Pocono Raceway last season was aiming to become the third driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive Sprint Cup races at Pocono. At the end of the day his bid fell short, however despite not winning, Earnhardt still had reasons to celebrate at the end of the Axalta 400.
Earnhardt started the day 20th, but by lap 6 had worked his way forward to 12th. By lap 22, Earnhardt was seventh and looked like a definite contender. His contender status only improved when he rocketed to second on a restart on lap 74. He remained there for a time, but began to struggle and fell back as he end neared. Earnhardt kept his Chevy inside the top 10 though falling outside the top runners during a pit stop.
He was working his way back forward when on lap 126 he and teammate Kasey Kahne made contact. 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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