NASCAR 2015 Episode 10 Recap: Talladega

NASCAR 2015 Episode 10 Recap: Talladega

What went down: All is right with the world, because "Redneck Jesus" is a winner at his cathedral of speed once again.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. capped off a dominating day by Hendrick Motorsports by being virtually unchallenged for the last 20 laps of the race, easily winning the race. Teammate Jimmie Johnson finished in second, helping to fend off some weak challenges over the last few laps. Fellow teammates Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon were both involved in wrecks, finishing well back in the field.

Restrictor plate races are sometimes snoozers, and the end of this race could be categorized as such. It was strange, as the drivers were continuously racing three-wide during the beginning and middle of the race, triggering the dreaded "Big One" that wiped out over 15 cars.

But at the end of the race, a.k.a. crunch time, it seemed like everyone got scared. Scared to try and do the one thing NASCAR's playoff system should be forcing drivers to do, and that's win the freakin' race. It became a matter of "I'd rather finish 9th than try to get the trophy, that's cool with me."

It was disappointing to see the lack of will to win, save for Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Gordon, and Brad Keselowski trying to make moves at the end. But that was about it.

Not to take away anything from Dale Earnhardt Jr., he drove a great race and did exactly what he had to do. It just would have been nice to see some effort out of everyone else.

What it means for Earnhardt Jr.: It's Earnhardt's first win of 2015 and the sixth of his career at Talladega, tying him for second all-time in wins at the track with teammate Jeff Gordon. It is also Earnhardt's 24th career win and locks him safely into the Chase.

What it means for everyone else: The rich keep getting richer.

Those at the top of the points, Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin were all able to avoid any maladies throughout the day and all scored top-10 finishes, furthering their points gap over everyone else.

Rookie Ryan Blaney scored his first career Sprint Cup top-10 and top-5 finishing fourth for the Wood Brothers. This could be a taste of things to come, Blaney is a highly touted young talent who is running a part-time schedule for the Wood Brothers while under contract with Team Penske.

Sam Hornish Jr. scored his first top-10 of the year in his return to NASCAR's top division.

Finally, Josh Wise and his underfunded Phil Parsons Racing team scored their first ever top-10s this weekend, finishing 10th.

What’s next: The series heads to the heartland for some Saturday night racing at the Kansas Speedway, where Spongebob and friends will be hanging out this weekend.