Dale Jr takes the NASCAR win at Talladega

Autosport

Dale Earnhardt Jr held the pack at bay to take his first win of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season at Talladega.

Earnhardt’s sixth Talladega win was achieved in unusual fashion for a superspeedway race, as he led most of the final stint while the field stubbornly remained in a long train behind him with no one willing to risk fanning out and making a move in case they lost the draft.

The race finally erupted with a lap and a half to go, when Denny Hamlin pulled out from fourth place and made a charge for the front.

Although it didn’t pay off for Hamlin, it broke the train up and allowed others to make a run at Earnhardt and Hendrick team-mate Jimmie Johnson.

Richard Childress Racing’s Paul Menard came closest but had to settle for third as Earnhardt led Johnson across the line – hanging on despite his engine temperatures rocketing due to litter blocking his Chevrolet’s front end.

Rookie Ryan Blaney, who had run third behind the Hendrick pair for a long spell, came fourth for Wood Brothers ahead of Martin Truex Jr and Sam Hornish Jr.

Hendrick had controlled the pace for most of the afternoon, but while it took first and second with Earnhardt and Johnson, its other two cars were out of luck.

Pole-winner and long-time leader Jeff Gordon couldn’t get back out of the midfield after a pit-speeding penalty and was then caught up in a multi-car crash on the last lap. He limped home 31st.

Kasey Kahne was among those who came off worst in the race’s biggest shunt, triggered when Trevor Bayne spun on lap 47 of 188 as Menard went around his outside.

Most of those outside the top 10 were caught up in the ensuing chaos, with 15 cars sustaining notable damage.

Champion Kevin Harvick was among them, but Stewart-Haas managed to patch his Chevrolet up without him losing a lap, and he recovered to eighth behind Ryan Newman, who had escaped a pit fire at an early stop.

Hamlin tumbled to ninth in his unsuccessful bid for the lead, while Phil Parsons Racing’s Josh Wise joined Blaney as a small-team underdog in the top 10.

Penske barely featured: Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano was first to collect Bayne in the ‘big one’ and Brad Keselowski was only 22nd.

PROVISIONALLY IN THE CHASE: Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr

RESULTS – 188 LAPS:

PosDriverTeamCar
1Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
2Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
3Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
4Ryan BlaneyWood Brothers RacingFord
5Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingChevrolet
6Sam Hornish Jr.Richard Petty MotorsportsFord
7Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
8Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet
9Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
10Josh WisePhil Parsons RacingFord
11Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
12Kurt BuschStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet
13Cole WhittFront Row MotorsportsFord
14J.J. YeleyBK RacingToyota
15Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord
16Alex BowmanTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet
17A.J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
18Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota
19Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet
20David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord
21Danica PatrickStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet
22Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord
23Justin AllgaierHScott MotorsportsChevrolet
24Chris BuescherFront Row MotorsportsFord
25Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
26Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord
27Bobby LabonteGo FAS RacingFord
28Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet
29Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet
30Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota
31Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
32Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
33Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord
34Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
35Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
36Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingToyota
37Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord
38David RaganJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
39Landon CassillHillman Smith MotorsportsChevrolet
40Brendan GaughanPremium MotorsportsChevrolet
41Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord
42Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
43Brian ScottCircle SportChevrolet

LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

PosDriverPoints
1Kevin Harvick394
2Martin Truex Jr.354
3Jimmie Johnson342
4Joey Logano335
5Dale Earnhardt Jr.319
6Brad Keselowski305
7Jamie McMurray297
8Matt Kenseth292
9Kasey Kahne286
10Denny Hamlin281
11Paul Menard280
12Aric Almirola279
13Jeff Gordon277
14Ryan Newman271
15Kurt Busch255
16Danica Patrick253
17Clint Bowyer249
18Carl Edwards240
19A.J. Allmendinger229
20David Ragan224

Dale Jr takes the NASCAR win at Talladega

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