Earnhardt Jr., Allmendinger advance into all-star race
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger gained eligibility for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race after finishing 1-2 in Saturday's Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Earnhardt Jr. led all 40 laps in the preliminary event. He will start 21st in the 90-lap all-star race.
"This is all about just going fast right out of the gate," Earnhardt Jr. said. "All the credit goes to the [No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team] for putting the car out on the line with a great setup underneath it.
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Earnhardt Jr. has not won a Sprint Cup points race since June 2008 at Michigan. He won the all-star event at Charlotte during his rookie season in 2000.
Allmendinger had to battle back from adversity. Starting from the pole position, Allmendinger experienced a flat tire on the final pace lap and had to pit, allowing Martin Truex Jr. to lead the field to the green-flag.
After pitting again during a caution at the halfway point, Allmendinger quickly moved up to third and battled second-place runner Jamie McMurray with 10 laps remaining. Allmendinger passed McMurray for the position with less than two laps to go and pulled away from there.
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"These guys on this team belong in this [all-star] race, and they deserve it more than I do," Allmendinger said. "I was going to do everything I could to get them in."
McMurray finished third, while Truex and Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the top-five.
Allmendinger will lineup in 22nd. Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, won the "fan vote" and earned the last starting position in the 23-car field.