First, 23-year-old J.R. Hildebrand was just a few hundred yards from winning the 100th edition of the Indianapolis 500 when he lost control of his car, smacked the Turn 4 wall, and watched helplessly as Dan Wheldon sped past him for the win.

Then, late Sunday night, the NASCAR planets appeared to align at Charlotte Motor Speedway when Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the Coca-Cola 600 as he entered the race’s final turn, only to run out of gas and see Kevin Harvick zip past him for the victory.

On the weekend when we honored our country’s war dead, it was cars sponsored by the U.S. National Guard that failed both “JR’s” within sight of the finish line.

In the end, though, it was Earnhardt who emerged a winner, even after he coasted No. 88 to a seventh-place finish. The grace with which Junior accepted his fate Sunday belied the cruel twist that robbed NASCAR’s most-popular driver of his first win in 104 races. 

The brash heir to his late father’s racing throne had grown into the crown. Some on-track wins are sure to follow.