Jeff Gordon’s pit crew services his car during the NASCAR Nextel Cup Dodge Avenger 500 auto race Sunday. Gordon won his fourth race of the season.

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon both felt like winners at Darlington Raceway, even though only Gordon left with the Dodge Avenger 500 victory.

Earnhardt had thrown NASCAR into a frenzy with his decision to leave DEI — the company founded by his late father — and wasn’t certain heading into the weekend he had the support of his crew members or fans.

Junior was worried for nothing. His fans were as boisterous as ever while his crew ended a high-pressure week with an eighth-place finish.

“Fortunately, when things go good, all your problems are gone,” Earnhardt said.

Gordon had problems all race long. His engine nearly blew, his radiator ran hot and he thought teammate Jimmie Johnson would run him down at the end. Even Gordon’s mother, there for pre-race introductions, wasn’t around as her son took the checkered flag on Nextel Cup’s first Mother’s Day race in 21 years after rain Saturday night delayed things until Sunday.

“They bailed on me,” Gordon said, laughing. “I can’t wait to call and chew them out.”

Still, Gordon had plenty to celebrate with his seventh Darlington win and 78th career Nextel Cup victory. It was the eighth win in the past nine races — including a perfect 5-of-5 in Car of Tomorrow events — for Hendrick Motorsports.

Gordon finished in front of Denny Hamlin, who complained that NASCAR didn’t throw a caution at the end with gunk and car parts on the track when it could’ve given him a chance for victory.

“And of course, if caution comes out, it’s game over,” said Hamlin, who won the Busch race here Friday night. “Instead, Hendrick gets another break.”

Jimmie Johnson, last week’s winner, finished third for Hendrick. Ryan Newman was fourth, followed by Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth.

For a while, Earnhardt looked like he would pull off the fairy-tale ending. He rose as high as third in the closing laps with No. 8 fans stomping the front-stretch grandstand in celebration. But Junior couldn’t keep up with the leaders and faded back.

Still, it gave him a third straight top 10 at Darlington.

“‘We’re behind you 100 percent all year,’ “ Earnhardt said his teammates told him.