Yesterday, Alabama celebrated its bi-annual race day at Talladega Superspeedway.
On the track, drivers were looking to secure a spot in the next round of playoffs, while off the track last year, Eric Church made history by paying tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr.
While performing in Greensboro, North Carolina, Eric Church grabbed a number three flag from a fan and held it up to pay tribute to the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. during his hit song ‘Talladega”.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. was a professional racecar driver, and arguably the best NASCAR driver in history. He won 76 Winston Cup races during his career, including the Daytona 500. Earnhardt is also tied for the most NASCAR Winston Cup championships with Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson. In addition, he has been inducted into numerous halls of fames.
In February of 2001, Earnhardt suddenly crashed on the last lap of the Daytona 500, killing him at the age of 49. However, the crash changed the racing world by improving safety measures in all aspects of the race.
Earnhardt’s son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., appreciated the tribute made by the country music legend, saying his father would have loved it.
Talladega Results
The winner of yesterday’s Talladega race was Ford’s number 12, Ryan Blaney, with 54 points. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came in second in Chevrolet’s number 47 car earning 45 points. Finally, Aric Almirola in Ford’s number 10 car got third place while getting 34 points.
NASCAR officials stripped Matt DiBenedetto’s of his second-place finish after forcing William Byron out of bounds in the final turn of the last lap. They demoted DiBenedetto to 21st place.
It is illegal for drivers to force another car past the yellow line that separates the track from the paved apron intentionally unless trying to avoid wrecking their car.
[H/T Whiskey Riff]
