Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s top-10 halted his consecutive streak of last-place finishes. Credit: Autostock

Staying out puts Junior back in Chase contention

Earnhardt Jr. climbs one spot to 10th after top-10 at Indianapolis

SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- After the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, no one disputed the fact that crew chief Tony Eury Jr. used brilliant pit strategy to steal a top-10 for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stayed with leader Jimmie Johnson before fading to sixth. Credit: AP

Allstate 400 Official Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Jimmie Johnson Chevy 2. Matt Kenseth Ford 3. Kevin Harvick Chevy 4. Clint Bowyer Chevy 5. Mark Martin Ford 6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 7. Kyle Busch Chevy 8. Tony Stewart Chevy 9. Carl Edwards Ford 10. Denny Hamlin Chevy • Complete results, click here • Official standings, click here Top FinishersHear from the top finisher at The Brickyard 400 Final lapsJimmie Johnson avoids last-lap wreck taking the win Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

The problem is that Earnhardt knows he won't make the Chase for the Nextel Cup by relying on track position every week.

"I'd like to have a better car [so] we don't have to make those kinds of calls," said Earnhardt, who finished sixth after spending just 18 laps in the top 10. "We need to do better and get better cars. We took a risk in the end and it paid off. We were really lucky."

Eury kept his driver on the track when the caution flew on Lap 141, and Earnhardt, who was running 28th before the yellow, restarted in second position.

Earnhardt's Chevrolet drove significantly better in the clean air, and he lost just four spots over the final 14-lap run despite being on old tires.

"I was glad that the car was somewhat drivable for him there on the last deal," Eury said. "... I never would have dreamed that we would have run as bad as we did [Sunday]."

The top-10 snaps a two-race slump for Earnhardt, who staggered into Indianapolis after scoring back-to-back last-place finishes at Loudon and Pocono. The consecutive 43rd-place finishes dropped him from third to 11th in the points, but his sixth at the Brickyard moved him back into the top 10, 34 points ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne.

"When we say our prayers [Sunday night], we will thank the Lord for this one because we really got lucky," Earnhardt said. "We can't make the Chase with 30th-place racecars."

Earnhardt benefited from the problems experienced by Kahne and Jeff Gordon, who are both fighting for a playoff spot. Kahne, a heavy favorite to win the Brickyard, crashed late and wound up 36th. He dropped four spots to 11th in points.

Gordon had track bar problems early and never made it back to the top 10. Greg Biffle, another bubble driver, crashed on the final lap and finished 33rd. He remained 12th in the standings.

"As far as points, Junior really lucked out there big time at the end with the strategy there at the end," Gordon said. "It really paid off for him. He was horrible all day."

Earnhardt now heads to Watkins Glen, where he has excelled. So his playoff hopes are pinned on the crucial 2-mile races at Michigan and Fontana later this summer.

Earnhardt has traditionally struggled on 2-mile tracks, but he raced to a third-place finish at Michigan in August.

That takes a lot of pressure off Eury.

"I got that [Michigan struggles] pretty much turned around," Eury said. "The biggest thing is Watkins Glen, make sure you don't wheel hop in the corner. I think all the rest of them, we really [do not have] any worries."