CONCORD, N.C. -- With just 100 laps to go in the 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has worked his way back inside of the top 10.
Thanks in part to quick work by the No. 88 team on pit road, Earnhardt finished Stage 3 in ninth, earning him two extra points in his final 600-mile race.
Jimmie Johnson, meanwhile, was just outside of the top 10 at the end of the segment. He finished 11th after falling back during a restart with three laps to go. Prior to that, Johnson had raced the majority of Stage 3 inside of the top three, including taking over the lead midway through the segment.
Denny Hamlin won Stage 3.
Kasey Kahne made contact with the wall just prior to the midway point of Stage 3, and the damage sent the No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet SS to the garage, ending his day early.
"My crew chief said there is oil on the track, but I knew I broke something on the car," Kahne explained. "Then the rear-end was moving around and I couldn’t drive it.
He was scored 34th.
Chase Elliott, who also had his day ended prematurely due to damage, was scored 38th.