Earnhardt overcomes loose wheel, Edwards runs out of gas

AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 10: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2013 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

 

AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 10:  Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2013 in Avondale, Arizona.  (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 10: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10, 2013 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. nearly saw his day end in disaster Sunday during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Advocare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Starting 11th Earnhardt quickly made his way forward but was stymied during a pit stop on lap 63. After exiting the crew called him back in for a loose wheel.

Earnhardt returned to the track but was a lap down deep in the field. Thanks in part to good pit strategy, Earnhardt was able to rally back and come home fourth at the end of the day. The finish wasn’t a surprise to Earnhardt, in fact he knew he was going to have a good finish at the end of the day.

“Yeah, I did. We had a fast car,” 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.