(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
There are two things fans at Talladega Superspeedway revere: Alabama football and Dale Earnhardt Jr. And not necessarily in that order.
Saturday, the Crimson Tide did its part by drubbing Arkansas 52-0 and maintaining the No. 1 spot the NCAA College Football polls, even as a handful of nationally ranked teams from the Southeastern Conference lost.
And on Sunday, Junior was ready to score a dramatic victory of his own, running second to Jamie McMurray in the Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega. Earnhardt was just about to make the race-winning, last-lap pass when NASCAR correctly threw the yellow flag after Austin Dillon got airborne. That froze the field and gave McMurray the victory.
Earnhardt was perfectly positioned to win, but never got the chance.
You can almost hear the Junior Nation fans screaming: "Wouldn't you just know it! NASCAR has to throw the damned caution flag just because the No. 14 gets punted six feet up in the air while 30 cars are coming up on him at 200 miles per hour! That's so not fair to Junior! And, good night, McMurray's car's got an Auburn special paint scheme! Think I'm gonna puke now."
Actually, that's pretty spot on.
Can't believe @NASCAR threw an unnecessary caution on the last lap. #DaleJr had that win taken from him by #NASCAR #theyowehimone #badcall
— Michael Doby (@DixiebornDoby88) October 20, 2013
SCREW #NASCAR they stole that race from us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #DaleJr
— erin martin (@jrsgr88stfan) October 20, 2013
Way to go @NASCAR any other time you would have run it to the finish... Not when #DaleJr has a chance though! Great job! #pissed #fixed
— Lauren (@LaurenMarie81) October 20, 2013
Something ALWAYS happens and #dalejr gets screwed.
— KATIE (@loveyoujunior88) October 20, 2013
#Nascar Just screwed #DaleJr at a chance to win!! And it SUCKS!!!
— Clint Duncan (@SPClint32) October 20, 2013
I feel like I have been kicked in the stomach! #JRNation #DaleJr #pissed
— erin martin (@jrsgr88stfan) October 20, 2013
