Junior runs out of fuel, loses to Harvick

CONCORD, N.C.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was mere feet from putting an end to the longest losing streak of his career.

Of reminding people why Rick Hendrick, the owner with the most NASCAR championships in history, not only signed him in 2008 but wants to re-sign him to another contract despite not living up to expectations.

Of why he remains the sport’s most popular driver despite not finishing within sight of the championship since 2006.

Then he ran out of steam — well, fuel.

In what was a frantic finish to NASCAR’s longest race in history, Earnhardt got the lead right after the restart of a green-white-checker overtime finish to the Coca-Cola 600.

"It is a good feeling. It is a real good feeling (to be close to victory),” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I was going around (Turns) 1 and 2 and (spotter) T.J. (Majors said) there is seven car lengths, there is eight car lengths (to the next car). It was like this is a great feeling. I feel like I'm about to win this race."

Then it happened. In the blink of an eye, Earnhardt went from ending a 104-race winless streak to paving the way for Kevin Harvick to win his series-leading third race of the Sprint Cup season.

Not that Harvick — or Earnhardt for that matter — is counting. But over the course of Earnhardt Jr.'s streak, Harvick not only ended his own personal 115-race drought last year, but Sunday’s win was his sixth in that span.

Which means Harvick knows first-hand what Earnhardt feels like.

“I feel like complete crap to tell you the truth,” Harvick said of beating Earnhardt. “Man, when I saw that thing slowing down, I was like, I really want to win the race, but why can't it be on a day when we're running bad or have something going wrong.

“We are going to do what we have to do to win the races, and today it all just worked out strategy wise that we won the race. But I feel so stinking bad for him, and I know how bad he wants it. But it'll happen. They keep running like that, it'll happen.

“(My) spotter was going nuts. He's like, 88 (Earnhardt) is out of gas, keep going.' I'm like, 'Well, I'm not going to let off. What do you want me to do? I'm going as hard as I can go.' At that point he had told me just to go. I didn't need to save. I saw the 11 (Denny Hamlin) wiggling coming off of (Turn) 2. I knew he was out of gas. All of a sudden (Earnhardt Jr.'s car) just shut off. They must have sucked every drop out of the fuel cell. I had just passed the 11 and as he went into (Turn) 3 you could see it just shut off and he was dead in the water.”

Earnhardt readily admits that even if he had won Sunday night, it would not have been the result he deserved. But sometimes that’s racing. So when he gambled late in the race on fuel and found himself in the lead as rivals bunched up behind him — courtesy of Kasey Kahne running out of fuel while in the lead on the final restart of the race — it seemed like destiny was finally on Junior’s side.

But he ran out of gas coming out of Turn 4 — less than half a mile from the finish — and extended his drought by at least another race.

Despite all the last-lap drama, Earnhardt finished seventh — providing not only slight comfort, but also valuable points as he fights for a spot in NASCAR’s title-deciding Chase for the Sprint Cup — which he hasn’t made since 2008.

“I'm pretty happy. I was sitting there ... I'm disappointed about running out of gas, but we knew we were ... we knew we were short,” Earnhardt said. “We were just fortunate enough to get around to the back straightaway and have enough momentum to carry us around to the front straightaway and get a seventh-place finish.

"To be honest, I know there will be disappointment about coming so close tonight but our fans should be real happy about how we are performing and how we are showing up at the race track. How competitive we are. We've definitely improved things and we want to keep getting better and better. I think they are pleased with our efforts and pleased with the results so far this year and I'll be the first to admit we need more, but this is going in the right direction. I felt like a true front-runner tonight. I've felt like that several times this season, but Charlotte is a true test. The 600 is a true test of our team, and we performed well all night long."

Now it’s time pack up for Earnhardt along with the rest of the NASCAR circus and head to Kansas, the site of next week’s race, which isn’t exactly Junior’s best track — 19.1 average finish, four top 10s in 10 career Sprint Cup starts.

Maybe fate is waiting for him there.