Dale Earnhardt Jr. had no problems with the competition Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, leading the most laps and looking thoroughly dominant in claiming victory in the GEICO 500 Sprint Cup race.
After the race, however, Earnhardt Jr. struggled mightily to maintain his composure in his post-race interview. This victory, coming just a few days after what would have been his late father's 64th birthday, almost left Junior at a loss for words. Adding to the drama: the tens of thousands of Earnhardt Jr. fans who stood and cheered in the grandstands as Earnhardt Jr. did his victory lap. Oh, this is also the same track where his father earned his final NASCAR Cup victory, in October 2000.
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"We haven’t won here in a long time,” Earnhardt Jr. told FOX Sports after the race. “It’s just real emotional. Everything is just so good for me right now. In my personal life, in my racing … I don’t feel like I deserve it."
Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were far and away the class of the field in the 10th Sprint Cup race of the season. Junior led 67 laps, Johnson paced 50 and Gordon was out front for 47, as the trio led 164 out of the 188 laps.
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So it was no surprise to see Earnhardt Jr. and Johnson leading the pack to the finish. Johnson thought about making a move, but never had the chance.
“I tried. I was waiting for guys to really spread out with three to go and it never really happened,” Johnson told FOX Sports.
Of course, Talladega wouldn’t be Talladega without the infamous “Big One.” Trevor Bayne got loose on Lap 47, and 13 other cars were caught in the melee.
REPORT: The Big One collects 15 cars on lap 47 at @TalladegaSuperS . Full replay here» http://t.co/fSRawMijyx #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/7DvjYs6KnS
— FOX SPORTS: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 3, 2015 It's Earnhardt Jr.'s 24th career victory, and sixth at Talladega, but the first since 2004. Even more importantly, the victory takes the pressure off Junior in terms of qualifying for NASCAR's Chase.
"We can call these races different now, so maybe there will be more wins on the way," he said.
There were some surprises at the top of the finishing order. Paul Menard finished third, while 21-year-old driver Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr. and Sam Hornish Jr. came home fourth through sixth.