Dale Jr. holds off Gordon at Martinsville

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the #88 Chevrolet SS, celebrates his 4th win of the season

Garry Eller/HHP for Chevy Racing

Dale Earnhardt Jr. used a bump-and-go move against Tony Stewart with three laps to go and drove off to win the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. Playing the role of Chase buster, Junior held off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon for his first grandfather clock at the 0.526-mile track.

Gordon finished second as the HMS drivers were 1-2 just days after the 10-year anniversary of the Hendrick plane crash that took 10 lives. The Hendrick drivers were displaying a decal on their cars in remembrance of those who lost their lives.

The win at Martinsville was Junior's first, though the driver came close with second-place finishes there in 2011 and 2008, and it was a fitting parting gift for outgoing crew chief Steve Letarte, who will leave for the NBC broadcast booth after the 2014 season.

"Oh, man. We've been trying to win here for so many years. And this place is so special to me. I've wanted to win here so bad," said Earnhardt Jr.

"We brought the good cars. I'm out of breath from celebrating more than driving. It's a real emotional win. This team on pit road was great and Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and the guys did a real good job all day. They gave me a great shot at it there with the call at the end to take tires. I can't believe we won here. This means so much to all of us. It's just real emotional.

"I just wanted to support Hendrick Motorsports during that time. Everybody in the garage at that time was wearing Hendrick hats. This sport came together. I lost my daddy a long time ago and I know how hard that is. I can't imagine losing the magnitude of people that Rick (Hendrick) lost. My heart goes out to him during this weekend. I love that his cars are good here to get to victory. So, this honors them. I'm just real proud to be able to win at Martinsville in a Hendrick car. They always win here.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., takes his 4th win of the season

Getty Images for NASCAR

"I could care less about all the points right now. We love winning races. Winning races is the best thing. I want to thank National Guard, Diet Mountain Dew, Kelly Blue Book, Chevy and Sprint; and obviously Nationwide coming on next year and all the sponsors. I ain't worried about points no more. I'm trying to get trophies. I've wanted that grandfather clock ever since I was a little boy and I got is today. My team, we all came together and made it happen. I couldn't be prouder. We're going to drink a lot of beer tonight. That's what's going to happen!"

Gordon was the top Chase finisher and was followed across the start/finish line by Ryan Newman, Stewart and Joey Logano on a wild day of racing that featured several wrecks.

Other Chase finishers were: Matt Kenseth, sixth; Denny Hamlin, eighth; Carl Edwards, 20th; Brad Keselowski, 31st and Kevin Harvick, 33rd.

Gordon was dominating the race when he was caught for speeding on pit road under caution on Lap 188. He fell to 31st on the next restart.

"Big mistake on my part. My bad, guys," Gordon told his team.

Ten years and two days removed from the tragic Hendrick Motorsports plane crash that claimed the lives of 10 people, including owner Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky, Earnhardt took the checkered flag for the first time at the 0.526-mile short track, earning the first grandfather clock trophy he has coveted throughout his career.

In fifth position for a restart on Lap 495, Earnhardt made short work of Clint Bowyer (restarting fourth on the outside) and three drivers who had stayed out on old tires, including Stewart, and arrived at the finish line .344 seconds ahead of teammate Jeff Gordon, who took second place and the lead in the Eliminator Round of the Chase.

"Oh, man, we've been trying to win here for so many years," said Earnhardt, who collected his 23rd victory in his 538th start. "And this place is so special to me. I’ve wanted to win here so bad. We brought the good cars. I'm out of breath from celebrating more than driving. It's a real emotional win."

"This team on pit road was great, and (crew chief) Steve (Letarte) and the guys did a real good job all day. They gave me a great shot at it there with the call at the end to take tires (under the 15th caution on Lap 492 of 500). I can't believe we won here. This means so much to all of us."

Adding to the intense emotion of the moment were thoughts of the tragedy of a decade earlier.

"I lost my daddy (seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.) a long time ago, and I know how hard that is," said Earnhardt, who was eliminated from the Chase a week earlier at Talladega. "I can't imagine losing the magnitude of people that Rick lost. My heart goes out to him during this weekend.

"I love that his cars are good (enough) here to get the victory. So this honors them. I'm just real proud to be able to win at Martinsville in a Hendrick car. They always win here."

Behind Hendrick teammates Earnhardt and Gordon, Chase driver Ryan Newman came home third, posting his fifth straight top 10 in the Chase and climbing to second in the standings, three points behind Gordon.

Stewart held fourth place, and Joey Logano ran fifth, his sixth top-five result in seven Chase races this year.

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski weren't as fortunate. On Lap 228, Matt Kenseth wheel-hopped into Turn 1, spun and knocked Kevin Harvick's Chevrolet hard into the outside wall near the apex of Turns 1 and 2.

After extensive time in the garage for repairs, Harvick finished 33rd, 43 laps off the pace, and fell to eighth in the Chase standings, 33 points behind Gordon, who led the most laps on Sunday at 130. After the next two races, at Texas and Phoenix, the Chase field will be cut from eight drivers to four.

A week after preserving his place in the Chase with a victory at Talladega, Keselowski suffered a mechanical issue that put him right back into a deep hole. Moments after a restart on Lap 434, the rear differential in Keselowski's No. 2 Team Penske Ford failed.

Ultimately, Keselowski finished 31st after repairs and trails Gordon by 31 points. With five Chase drivers within seven points of the lead after Martinsville, Keselowski and Harvick likely will have to win one of the next two races to advance to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Harvick, for one, wasn't about to take his misfortune lightly.

"Yeah, he (Kenseth) won't win this championship," Harvick promised. "If we don't, he won't."

Kenseth, who finished sixth despite all the extracurricular activity, took full responsibility for the wreck.

"I don't blame him for feeling that way, honestly," said Kenseth, who trails Gordon by five points. "It was a mistake — he was an innocent bystander and was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I totally understand how he feels and I totally understand why he would say that."

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER
THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS TO WANT TO WIN TODAY. WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU TODAY?
"Oh, man. We've been trying to win here for so many years. And this place is so special to me. I've wanted to win here so bad. We brought the good cars. I'm out of breath from celebrating more than driving. It's a real emotional win. This team on pit road was great and Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and the guys did a real good job all day. They gave me a great shot at it there with the call at the end to take tires. I can't believe we won here. This means so much to all of us. It's just real emotional."

BACK IN 2004, YOU LOST SOME FRIENDS THAT DAY (HENDRICK PLANE CRASH). AS A HENDRICK DRIVER NOW, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN HERE?
"I just wanted to support Hendrick Motorsports during that time. Everybody in the garage at that time was wearing Hendrick hats. This sport came together. I lost my daddy a long time ago and I know how hard that is. I can't imagine losing the magnitude of people that Rick (Hendrick) lost. My heart goes out to him during this weekend. I love that his cars are good here to get to victory. So, this honors them. I'm just real proud to be able to win at Martinsville in a Hendrick car. They always win here."

AFTER LAST WEEK WHEN YOU HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO A CHAMPIONSHIP RUN THIS YEAR AFTER HAVING SUCH A GREAT SEASON, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY HELLO TO VICTORY LANE?
"I could care less about all the points right now. We love winning races. Winning races is the best thing. I want to thank National Guard, Diet Mountain Dew, Kelly Blue Book, Chevy and Sprint; and obviously Nationwide coming on next year and all the sponsors. I ain't worried about points no more. I'm trying to get trophies. I've wanted that grandfather clock ever since I was a little boy and I got is today. My team, we all came together and made it happen. I couldn't be prouder. We're going to drink a lot of beer tonight. That's what's going to happen!"

TALK ABOUT THAT LAST RESTART AND YOUR PASS OF TONY STEWART:
"I just really had to get aggressive under Tony and I think he would have done the same thing. I had to go because I had the 24 behind me and coming hard and I couldn't give up anything. So we had to go real hard right there. The team did a great job on pit road and pit stops are what did it. Great pit stops by this team. This is the best pit team on pit road. Guys gave me a great car and obviously the car had the speed when we needed to run hard and the car was there. Steve did a great job of strategy to put me in position to be able to make a run at the end. This is very special to me because I love racing here. I have come here since the early 80's as a kid, never missed a lot of races here and always wanted to win here. I grew up in a house that had a Grandfather Clock in it from this place – and I get to take one home today."

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO SCORE THAT FIRST VICTORY HERE AND TAKE HOME THAT GRANDFATHER CLOCK?
"I wish I could have done it sooner but I finally got with a great combination of guys and we work well together and we are having a great season. It was the pit stops man, the pit stops were right on today and the car was there when we needed it. When we needed to run hard, we could run hard and when we needed to save we could save. The car made the job a lot easier, the guys on pit road made the job a lot easier, and they put it right there in front of me for the taking and I was able to hang on to it there. I thought Jeff was going to get there but we ran clean and good, smooth laps there at the end."

YOU HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MR. HENDRICK, THIS IS A SPECIAL WEEKEND FOR HIM, AND WHAT DID HE SAY TO YOU HERE IN VICTORY LANE?
"Coming here and winning here at this particular track means a whole lot to this entire organization. I have come to know exactly how much all those people are missed in being around Rick and seeing how the tragedy has really affected the organization. They really try and come here and get this win every year. This is a difficult weekend but yet they want to be victorious. I have watched all the other drivers win here…..Jeff and Jimmie and now I am able to put my name on that list."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 2ND
GREAT POINT DAY FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM, A GREAT DAY FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AS WELL. WALK US THROUGH YOUR EFFORT HERE TODAY:
"Well first of all I have to say what an incredible tribute that is. A 1-2 finish. We know how much the fans love to see Dale (Earnhardt), Jr. win. They certainly got that today. He did a great job, but for all of those at Hendrick Motorsports that lost friends and family members, people that paid an important in Hendrick Motorsports and in this sport. A 1-2 finish is the best way you can pay tribute to them. It was great effort for our Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet today. I'm proud of the guys. We got behind. I made a big mistake on pit road and was speeding. I knew it. We had to go to the back and claw our way back up in there, so that was a great comeback and a total team effort by everybody."

WE KNOW A WIN MOVES YOU ON, BUT YOU SAID YOU NEEDED TO COME OUT OF HERE WITH A GOOD POINT DAY:
"The good news is that a Chase driver did not win the race today. Finishing second isn't as big of a deal today, it's actually really a good finish and good points day compared to if a Chase driver would have won. I wanted to get that win to get ourselves locked in, but we have two more great tracks coming up and yeah, today was a great overall effort by the whole team."

A GREAT RUN FOR YOU AND FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS. HOW DO YOU LOOK AT TODAY?
‘It was a great performance and a really good finish. I about threw this one away on pit road. I made a mistake there and was speeding. So that's a great comeback. I thought we had the car to beat. There at the end we were kind of stuck on the outside on one of those restarts and those guys got out there on us.

"At that point it was just about clawing our way back up there and me and Denny (Hamlin) were having a great battle and then late pit stops and those last couple of laps were just wild. Congratulations to (race winner) Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. That's the best way you can possibly pay tribute to those we lost here 10 years ago. To have a 1-2 finish is pretty awesome. I would have love to have gotten that win to move on to Homestead, but this is surely a great start for us. We've got two more great tracks coming up. I'm really proud of him and I know that means a lot to him and all his fans here."

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 3RD
INCREDIBLE AFTERNOON FOR YOU GUYS, BUT WHAT WERE THOSE LAST FEW LAPS LIKE THOUGH?
"It was kind of chaos with the guys up there that stayed out and we had two tires. Some guys we knew were going to be coming on four like the 22. It was a good run for the Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS and a great start to this bracket of the Chase. Got to thank all the fans for coming out and what a beautiful day here in Martinsville and had a lot of fun. I have to thank everyone at RCR and ECR for giving us a good piece to work with and we are digging and we are going to keep digging."

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 4TH
THE CALL NOT TO COME TO PIT ROAD FOR TIRES PAID OFF, BUT WE KNOW YOU WANTED TO GET BACK TO THE LEAD:
"I don't think it was a gamble by any means. I think if we were in that position 100 times over that is same call we would do. It felt like it was the right thing for this team. Running fifth there or fourth there I guess before the caution. I felt like it was the right call for sure. I didn't feel like it was a gamble. I thought we gave ourselves the best shot to race for the win. I don't think it we would have restarted fifth of the guys that pitted we could have raced through those guys to get where we were. If three or four more lead lap cars stayed out and gambled like we did it may have put enough cars in between us to make it pay off. I thought the risk versus reward was worth it for sure."
YOU LED 18 LAPS TODAY AND CAME IN 4TH. SUCH A TOUGH CALL ON TIRES. DO YOU COME IN OR STAY OUT AND HOPE THAT THE TRACK POSITION IS ENOUGH. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE DECISION AND HOW SPECIAL IS IT TO HAVE THIS KIND OF DAY, TODAY?
"If we had to do that 100 times over, we'd do the same things. We didn't have anything to lose. It was worth the gamble. Where we were at, in fifth, you didn't know who was going who was going to do two tires or what could happen. Something could happen on a pit stop. There are just a lot of variables that could have gone wrong there. I'd rather have taken the chance and had to fight at the end like that. We still ended up a lot better than we were before the caution came out. I think that's about all you can ask for on this Bass Pro/Mobil 1 Chevy and (crew chief) Chad Johnson and all these guys. They did an awesome job.

"This car was pretty good all weekend. It was better today than it had been on both Friday and Saturday. I just can't thank Johnny Morris (Bass Pro Shops) and Rusty Rush and everybody at Mobil 1 and Eric (Bagdikian) from Code 3 Associates and his staff; and most of all, our fans. They have been plowing a tough road for the last 18 months and this top 5 is for the fans more than anybody."

DESCRIBE THE DECISION TO STAY OUT, AND HOW HARD IT WAS ON OLD TIRES TO HANG ON TO THE TOP SPOT:
"I don't even think it was a gutsy call. To me it was a no-brainer and if we were in that spot 100 times, that is the choice I want to make. I want to give ourselves a chance to fight for it like that. I was hoping a couple more cars would have stayed out, because that would have been the key. I would rather be in that position a 100 times over and that is what you want with five to go. You want to be leading the race and have a shot at it. It wasn't like we were a 25th place car and stayed out and got fourth out of it. We were fifth before that caution and still gained a spot. So I look at it as a gain still."

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