Aaron's 499 - Talladega Superspeedway

Earnhardt Jr. Dominates Talladega
Dale Earnhardt Jr. put on a show at Talladega on Sunday. Earnhardt Jr. lead all but 55 laps in the Aaron's 499 to win his second straight race at the Talladega Superspeedway. The race was marred by "the big one" which involved 24 cars, eliminating over half of the field. Earnhardt held off teammate Michael Waltrip to claim his third win in the last four restrictor-plate races. Waltrip would finish in the second spot followed by Kurt Busch in third and Jeff Gordon in fourth. Kenny Wallace would cross the finish line in the fifth position but was penalized by NASCAR for passing below the yellow line, regulating him to 21st, the final car on the lead lap. Points-leader Sterling Marlin would benefit from the penalty, gaining the fifth spot. Earnhardt gives Chevrolet its first victory of the 2002 season and becomes the seventh different winner in nine races.

Another Plate Pole for Johnson
Rookie Jimmy Johnson won the pole position for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, his second pole of the season. Johnson, who also won the pole at the season-opener at Daytona, turned in a qualifying lap of 51.337 seconds, at an average speed of 186.532 mph, to lead a Chevrolet sweep of the top-four starting positions. Robby Gordon's Chevrolet will start on the outside pole, while the Chevy's of Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. make out the second row. Ward Burton was the highest qualifier not in a Chevrolet, staring from the fifth spot in a Dodge. Chevrolets also took six of the top-ten starting spots.