By Aaron Burns Dale Earnhardt Jr. began the 2015 Sprint Cup season on a tear, posting three consecutive top-five finishes. It all went downhill Sunday at Phoenix Int’l Raceway. Earnhardt was busted for speeding on pit road while running in the top 15 early, then made his way up to 21st before a blown right-rear tire sent his No. 88 Nationwide Insurance Chevrolet SS into the wall. He ended up 43rd. Earnhardt said the culprit was more than just a tire. It was a loose-handling condition, coupled with overheating brakes. The good news for Earnhardt? He won’t need to brake as much…

By Jared Turner Harvick’s Still Happy It’s way too early to even pencil anyone in as the favorite to hoist the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion’s trophy, but Kevin Harvick is certainly off to a terrific start. In four races this season, the 2014 series champ has two wins and two second-place finishes, with the two victories coming the past two weekends. Even more impressive is that Harvick’s string of top two finishes goes back to the final three races of last season, bringing the total to seven races in a row. Only two other drivers in NASCAR history – Richard…