Auto racing: Dale Earhardt Jr., earns Pocono sweep, third win of season

Dale Earnhardt Jr. traded hats, waited for his cue, and flashed three fingers for the cameras.

That’s one for every win.

The beer baths, champagne toasts, selfies, and photo opps in Victory Lane are almost routine now for Junior.

He added a new wrinkle at Pocono, a broom.

Earnhardt hoisted the broom high over his head after he completed a season sweep at Pocono Raceway, the third win in a season that has served as a career renaissance for NASCAR’s most popular driver.

Earnhardt now holds the No. 1 seed in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Earnhardt held off the hard-charging Kevin Harvick to become the first driver to sweep both races at the track since Denny Hamlin in 2006.

Earnhardt also became the fifth straight Hendrick Motorsports driver to win at Pocono. Owner Rick Hendrick was not at the race, though he did talk to his winning driver on the phone on pit road.

“I told him thanks for believing in me and making my life better,” Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt’s sweep followed Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson last year and Jeff Gordon in the August 2012 race.

Earnhardt has his most wins since he won six times in 2004. His three wins are one shy of his combined total from 2005-2013. His win Sunday was the 22nd of a career still without a Cup championship.

“We had a fast car all day,” Earnhardt said. “(Crew chief) Steve (Letarte’s) strategy was perfect at the end. I don’t know if anyone knew what was going on there, but it was pretty awesome.” Harvick, who clinched a spot in the Chase, was second, followed by Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle.

IndyCar

Scott Dixon went from last in qualifying to capture his fifth win at Mid-Ohio in the last eight years, coasting in on low fuel to end Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s victory drought in 2014 in Lexington, Ohio.

Pole-sitter Sebastien Bourdais was a distant second, with James Hinchcliffe third, rookie Carlos Munoz fourth and favorite son Graham Rahal fifth.

NHRA

John Force raced to his third Funny Car victory of the season and record 141st overall win in the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways at Kent, Washington.