Rewind: Smart racing pays for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Rewinding Sunday's Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway :

REAR-VIEW MIRROR

Payback on Jeff Gordon? Not this race, but ...

All the talk about all the drivers planning to get payback on Jeff Gordon ended up just that - talk. It probably was silly to think drivers, even if they had plans to get back at Gordon for his actions a week earlier at Sonoma, Calif., would come right back and do it at the next race. It is far more likely they will pick and choose the best opportunity. Stay tuned.

Earnhardt turns weekend around

One thing Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been doing lately is turning what looked to be bad weekends into good finishes. Earnhardt struggled all weekend during practice and started 31st Sunday. However, he and his team made good decisions on pit strategy and ended up with an eighth-place finish, his second top-10 within three races. He also was 11th at Sonoma - also a good run considering he usually struggles on the road course. Roush Fenway still struggling

Whatever is wrong at Roush Fenway Racing clearly remains considering Sunday's performance. Only one of Roush's four drivers, Greg Biffle , finished on the lead lap - and he was 16th.

NOTEBOOK

Earnhardt closing in

With his third straight finish of 11th or better, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is making a serious run to capture a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Earnhardt's eighth-place finish allowed him to close within three points of Carl Edwards , who is currently holding the 12th position in the standings. The top 12 after 26 races will make the Chase. There are nine races left to set that field.

"The car was excellent the first half of the race and then we sort of struggled with it the last half of the race, but we still had a good finish," he said. "It still was a competitive car. But it was really good about the one-third mark of the race.

"I think it is a good start to a turning point."

Stewart on a roll

After a slow start to the season, Tony Stewart suddenly is finding himself back in the thick of contending for wins.

Stewart, who started 25th and had a pit-road miscue with fuel, fought from the back and finished second - his fourth consecutive finish of ninth or better and fifth out of the past six races. He appears in good position to make the Chase, occupying ninth place in the standings and 141 points ahead of 13th place.

"I'm proud. We started in the back; worked our way to the front and on the first (pit) stop didn't get fuel into it so we had to keep short pitting on the long green (flag runs) there," he said.

"We gained some track position and then we'd lose it when the guys on fresh tires would run us down."

Hamlin 'experiment' goes awry

Denny Hamlin had won three of five races and appeared on a roll but two subpar performances have left him scratching his head. After a 34th-place finish at Sonoma, Hamlin struggled to 14th Sunday.

"We just ran terrible. None of the words are going to be able to describe our weekend," Hamlin said. "We tried some different stuff to try to get better for September because we finished second here last fall.

"We experimented with some stuff, but it just didn't work here."

Hamlin and Johnson now are tied for wins (five each). If they were to end that way at the start of the Chase, Johnson would get the No. 1 seed by virtue of more second-place finishes (one to Hamlin's zero).

Kahne finds too many adversaries

Kasey Kahne was not pleased with some of his fellow Richard Petty Motorsports teammates.

Kahne led 110 laps - the most of anyone - before his engine blew. While racing for position, he got irritated with some moves by teammate Paul Menard and Matt Kenseth .

Kenseth was "racing hard and trying to stay on the lead lap. That's fine," Kahne said. "Menard raced me super-hard and then Kyle Busch gets to him and he lets him go in the first corner that he gets to him.

"One corner and he lets Kyle go, so that's what made me mad. What Matt was doing, Matt's just trying to stay on the lead lap. That's racing. Paul just needs to do the same with each guy and not just with me for some reason."

KEY MOMENTS

Lap 38

Kasey Kahne looks to have a dominant car, leading 110 of the first 152 laps, but his engine blows up on Lap 236.

Lap 201

Jeff Burton runs down Kyle Busch and takes the lead. He would remain out front for 87 laps.

Lap 288

On a restart following a caution, Jimmie Johnson easily takes the lead from Burton, who was the only lead-lap car not to pit for fresh tires.

Lap 294

Kurt Busch bumps Johnson out of the way and takes the lead for just the second time in the race.

Lap 300

Johnson nudges Busch and gets back around him for the lead and holds off Tony Stewart for win No. 5 on the season.

NEXT RACE

Coke Zero 400

WHERE: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

TV: TNT

RADIO: Motor Racing Network

LAST YEAR'S WINNER: Tony Stewart