Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Sprint Cup Race at Talladega
Dale Earnhardt Jr. held off Jimmie Johnson to win the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Sunday afternoon.The win marked Earnhardt’s first checked flag of the 2015 season and his sixth career victory at the legendary 2.66-mile track.
As usual, racers went all out to capture a win at one of NASCAR’s iconic tracks. More than a dozen cars - including those driven by Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano - were involved in a wreck on Lap 47 that caused an extended red flag.
Once racing resumed, Earnhardt Jr. took control after the halfway mark. He led 67 laps in all on Sunday. Johnson finished second with Paul Menard coming in third. Ryan Blaney placed fourth, and Martin Truex Jr. ended up fifth.
Earnhardt Jr.’s win moved him into fifth place in the season’s point standings. Kevin Harvick remained in first — 40 points ahead of Martin Truex Jr. Jimmie Johnson moved into third with Joey Logano sliding to fifth.