[media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”175″][/media-credit]After going 143 races without a win, Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 93 laps on his way to winning the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It marked the 19^th career win for the driver of the No. 88 Diet Mtn. Dew/The Dark Knight Rises/National Guard Chevrolet.

“This is incredible,” Earnhardt said. “I just didn’t know when it would happen. I knew it was going to happen, just didn’t know when.”

With the win, Earnhardt Jr. continues to stand as the only driver to finish in the top-10 in every race this season with 12 top-10s this year. It matches his top-10 total from all of last season. This win also marks Earnhardt Jr.’s first win with Steve LeTarte since the partnership began in 2011.

“This proves to us that our strategy is correct,” crew chief Steve LeTarte said. “You bring fast enough race cars, you don’t have to get out of your comfort zone too far and you don’t have to get super crazy with your pit strategy.  We say it all the time, you just need to put in hard work, hard work every Sunday and this helps us understand that we are not crazy; that our goals and what we have been trying to do has been working.”

When Keselowski pitted with 30 laps to go, handing the lead back over to Earnhardt Jr., who would lead the rest of the way.

Tony Stewart finished second for his seventh top-10 finish of 2012.

“We had a fast car all week until the happy hour session last night, and you know, we just couldn’t get ahold of the racetrack,” Stewart says. “But I’m really proud of Steve Addington and our engineers.  They did a great job overnight and we started the day pretty much toward the front and never really lost that track position all day.  We had a pretty good car that we could pass with.  It was hard to pass, but it wasn’t impossible.  But like I say, I was really, really proud of our guys.”

Matt Kenseth would finish third for his 17^th top 10 in 26 starts at Michigan. Kenseth still leads the points, now four points ahead of Earnhardt Jr.

“We were fortunate to qualify good and the first couple restarts were not great but finally got our way to the front,” Kenseth says. “We had a good fuel-only stop will and led a few laps, got behind in the pits, got behind that one time taking more fuel I guess than everybody else and resurfaced seventh and hard for me to get going on the bottom.  As soon as we pitted under the green, the next stop, we caught a yellow, so we got a lap down. So from there, it was a battle back but we got the car pretty good at the end and we were able to make a pretty good charge and salvage a pretty good day out of it.”

Greg Biffle finished fourth with Johnson fifth, who made his way back up to top five after starting last due to an engine change. Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports team found some engine wear issues after the additional practice on Saturday night.

During practice on Thursday and Friday, the left side tires were blistering. As a result, NASCAR made the decision to bring in new left side tires, while giving the teams an extra practice session on Saturday evening.  Newman also changed his motor after this session, finishing 15^th despite running in the top 10 in the middle of the race.

Meanwhile, other drivers ran into engine problems during the race including Josh Wise, Trevor Bayne and Kyle Busch. It marked the third straight engine issue for Busch.

As a whole, Joe Gibbs Racing did not have a good day.

On a lap 124 restart, Joey Logano would wreck when he tried to avoid David Gilliland. Gilliland got into the wall and when Logano tried to avoid hitting him, he got loose and spun back across the track into the wall, collecting Gilliland and Kasey Kahne.

“We were just restarting there on the outside of the 14 (Stewart) behind the 17 (Kenseth),” Logano said. “There was a slower car up there and I just tried to get around him and got loose or tagged. But we’re not going to let that get us down. We’ve been on a roll lately.”

Then on lap 134, Denny Hamlin would go for a spin, tearing the car apart. When he came down pit road, something underneath the car caught fire, bursting him into flames. He would get out uninjured with the help of Biffle’s and Newman’s team.

“Defiantly got to thank all the crew guys that got me out,” Hamlin said. “Just a tough day. Thought we could run three or four, but just a tough day.”

Next weekend, the Sprint Cup series hits the Sonoma Raceway road course.

[media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”394″][/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the final 30 laps on his way to ending his 143 race winless streak.

Green flag

Lap 1: Marcos Ambrose pulls out to the early lead

Lap 2 Ambrose leads Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick as Kurt Busch spins on the backstretch

Restart lap 5 – Biffle tries to make the move on Ambrose, though Ambrose pulls off with the lead down the back

Lap 6 Biffle to the lead

Lap 7 Bayne with motor problems

Lap 8 Biffle leads Ambrose, Logano, Kahne, Kenseth, Harvick, Almirola, Stewart and Mark Martin

Caution lap 10 Josh Wise blew up

Restart lap 16 as Biffle keeps Ambrose behind him

Lap 20 Biffle leads Ambrose, Logano, Kenseth, Almirola, Kahne, Stewart, Harvick, Martin and Bowyer

Caution lap 26 – competition caution due to new left side tires, new pavement and rain……Leaders come down pit road…..Ambrose leads Kenseth, Logano, Martin, Kyle Busch and Harvick off pit road

Restart lap 31 and Ambrose pulls out to the early lead

Lap 34 Kenseth to the lead

Lap 37 Kenseth leads Ambrose, Martin, Biffle, Stewart, Logano, Bowyer, Busch, Allmendinger, Almirola

Lap 43 Keselowski passes Almirola

Lap 49 Ambrose passes Kenseth in traffic for the lead

Lap 50 competition caution….leaders pit…..Biffle leads them off pit road

Restart lap 56

Lap 59 Biffle leads Ambrose, Martin, Earnhardt Jr., Keselowski, Montoya, Kenseth, Hamlin, Bowyer and Stewart

Lap 69 Ambrose and Earnhardt Jr. both pass Biffle to move up to first and second; Earnhardt Jr. passes Ambrose for the lead

Lap 72 Earnhardt Jr. leads Ambrose, Biffle, Martin, Keselowski, Montoya, Stewart

Lap 78 Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. both make pit stops

Lap 81 A.J. Allmendinger pits as there’s a caution for debris – foam from the safer barrier…..leaders hit pit road…..Earnhardt Jr. leads Stewart, Bowyer and Gordon off pit road

Restart lap 87 as Stewart passes Earnhardt Jr. on the restart

Lap 89 Stewart leads Earnhardt Jr., Bowyer, Gordon, Biffle, Ambrose, Newman, Logano, Martin and Menard

Lap 90 Newman and Logano pass Ambrose

Lap 91 Martin, Keselowski, Menard and Montoya pass Ambrose

Lap 92 Stewart leads Earnhardt Jr., Bowyer, Gordon, Biffle, Newman, Logano, Martin, Keselowski and Menard

Lap 101 Kyle Busch pulled behind the wall with a motor problem.

Lap 102 Stewart leads Earnhardt Jr., Bowyer, Gordon, Biffle, Newman, Logano, Martin, Keselowski and Montoya

Lap 105 Earnhardt Jr passes Stewart for the lead

Lap 114 Montoya and Kenseth pass Keselowski as Keselowski pits

Lap 115 Logano and Newman pit

Lap 119 Kenseth, Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Biffle, Ambrose, and Kahne pit, along with a bunch of others. Montoya takes the lead

Lap 120 Gordon and Truex pit

Caution lap 121 Kurt Busch spins…….Montoya pits while Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. stay out

Restart lap 126 Earnhardt Jr. takes the lead from Gordon around the outside through turn two…….Logano tried to avoid Gilliland (who got in the wall) and then got loose, turing back into the wall, collecting Gilliland and Kahne.

Restart lap 133 as Earnhardt Jr. keeps the lead through turns one and two.

Caution lap 134 Denny Hamlin goes for a spin and then catches fire on pit road after he got touched by Ryan Newman

Restart lap 141 and Earnhardt Jr. pulls them around turn one

Lap 144 Earnhardt Jr. leads Stewart, Gordon, Bowyer, Biffle, Kenseth, Montoya, Johnson, Edwards, Ambrose

Lap 146 Mark Martin passes Ambrose for 10^th; Biffle passes Bowyer

Lap 147 Johnson passes Montoya

Lap 149 Earnhardt Jr. leads Stewart, Gordon, Biffle, Bowyer, Kenseth, Johnson, Montoya, Edwards, Martin

Lap 156 Earnhardt Jr. leads Stewart, Gordon, Biffle, Bowyer, Kenseth, Johnson, Edwards, Martin and Montoya

Lap 159 Kenseth passes Bowyer

Lap 160 Biffle passes Gordon

Lap 162 Johnson hits pit road as Earnhardt Jr. leads Stewart, Biffle, Gordon, Kenseth, Bowyer, Edwards, Martin, Montoya and Ambrose

Lap 163 Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart pit, handing the lead over to Biffle. Gordon, Edwards, Truex and Harvick also pitted.

Lap 164 Ambrose and Newman pit.

Lap 165 Biffle and Montoya pit, handing the lead over to Bowyer.

Lap 166 Dillon and Bowyer pit, handing the lead over to McMurray.

Lap 167 McMurray pits, handing the lead over to Keselowski over Burton and Earnhardt Jr.

30 to go Keselowski and Burton pit, handing the lead to Earnhardt Jr.

24 to go Earnhardt Jr. leads Stewart, Biffle, Johnson, Kenseth, Gordon, Martin, Bowyer, Montoya

18 to go Earnhardt Jr. leads Stewart, Biffle, Johnson, Kenseth, Gordon, Martin, Bowyer, Montoya, Ambrose

15 to go Johnson and Kenseth pass Biffle

9 to go Kenseth passes Johnson

7 to go Biffle passes Johnson

5 to go Bowyer, Montoya and Ambrose pass Martin

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins followed by Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson

[media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”240″][/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended his 143-race winless streak on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in the Quicken Loans 400 in dominating fashion.

“I know you guys have been waiting on that one. I know I have.” Earnhardt Jr. radioed to his crew after winning.

After the cycle of pit stops, on lap 171 Earnhardt Jr. regained the lead by almost 2 seconds and was able to build up a lead of 5.393 seconds in route to his 19th career Sprint Cup series victory.  Earnhardt Jr’s last win was here at Michigan on June 15, 2008.

“That was a great race. We just had a really good car. Those last 15 laps were the longest laps ever.” Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt Jr. also narrowed the lead in the series standings and now trials Matt Kenseth by four points.

“This [win] was for them. We appreciate their loyalty. We wouldn’t have made it back to victory lane without them.” Earnhardt Jr. added.

Tony Stewart led some near the middle of the race and was “taking no prisoners”. He finished second.

“Dale had the fastest car all day.” Stewart said. “It’s not a national holiday, guys. This morning they were celebrating his fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we’re all in a state of mourning now, because he’s broke that string now, so I don’t know what we’re all supposed to think.” Stewart added.

Kenseth finished third, Greg Biffle fourth and teammate Jimmie Johnson finished fifth.

“It was kind of a long day. We were pretty good in the beginning of the race and got shuffled back and it was tough to work traffic today. They got the setup good on the last two runs and had good pit stops and we were able to stand on the gas and work our way up there to third.” Kenseth said.

Biffle ran of front for most of the race and traded the race lead with polesitter Marcos Ambrose but kept having tire issues.

“I am a little disappointed because we couldn’t run the car as hard as we needed to. The right rear kept coming apart on us. I could only run it as hard as I could. I am really excited for Junior. What a great day for him to win on. There has been a lot of pressure on him and I am glad he won.” Biffle said.