Earnhardt ends fifth; trails Chase

Carl Edwards won Saturday’s race to leave Dale Earnhardt way behind.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — After his best finish in almost a month, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had one thing on his mind.

“I’m ready to go home, get on the lake!” he said, pumping his fist.

But as Earnhardt enjoyed a rare Sunday off from Nextel Cup racing, he was faced with the harsh realization that his last chance to win a championship for Dale Earnhardt Inc. is slipping away.

Carl Edwards clinched a berth for the Chase for the championship by winning Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, leaving Earnhardt farther from contention with his fifth-place finish. With only two races to go before the championship field is set, Earnhardt is 158 points away from the 12th and final qualifying spot.

He knows that not making the Chase is considered professional failure — Earnhardt lived it during a miserable 2005 season — and dreads what the final 10 weeks of the season will be like if he again isn’t eligible to run for the title.

“When we don’t make it, everybody makes a big deal out of it,” he said. “They talk about it pre-race. They talk about it post-race. It’s a bummer when you see that and have to watch that and read it and what not. You kind of want to go under the radar when you can’t get it done.”

Famous driver

But NASCAR’s most popular driver can’t ever go under the radar. His every move is scrutinized, and Earnhardt is convinced the credit for his success isn’t nearly as great as the criticism for his failures.

Despite 17 career victories, a Daytona 500 win and two Busch Series championships, Earnhardt is often judged by his inability to win a Cup title. The closest he came was third in 2003, and he’s not seriously contended since a brief run at the title in the inaugural 2004 Chase.

“Y’all make it pretty miserable because that’s all y’all talk about,” he told reporters Saturday night. “I shouldn’t tell you that you dictate my mood. But now you know.”

If Earnhardt fails to make the Chase for the second time in three years, he’ll be faced with the fact that he’ll likely never win a Cup title for his late father’s team. He’s leaving DEI at the end of this season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports, where he’s got a five-year contract and hopes to finish his career there.

“All I can do is be [aggressive] and run as good as I can run,” Earnhardt said.