Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes over points lead despite so-so finish at the Glen

WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 10: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, leads Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2014 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 10:  Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, leads Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2014 in Watkins Glen, New York.  (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 10: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, leads Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2014 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

It may have been his best starting spot at Watkins Glen since 2008, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t quite able to turn it into a visit to victory lane Sunday.  Earnhardt started the NASCAR Sprint Cup series Cheez-It 355 in seventh on the 2.45 mile road course but wasn’t able to duplicate his success on the Sonoma road course earlier in the season.

His finish was able to vault him to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings though.

NASCAR’s most popular driver started seventh and was moving forward when the first caution came out on lap 9.  From there he was able to stay inside the top 10 until lap 50 when a caution stirred up pit strategies for the Hendrick Motorsports team. 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.