Earnhardt recovering from flu, won't hear of backup

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. appears to be recovering from what he called a "24-hour bug" he picked up earlier this week but driver Brad Keselowski will be on standby Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway just in case.

Still, Earnhardt said it is probably "a waste of time," and qualified his No. 88 Chevy in the third position and seems to think he'll be fine for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

On Friday, Earnhardt canceled his news conference, took it easy and went to the speedway's infield car center for intravenous fluids.

"I had a stomach virus pop up late Thursday night and was throwing up and all that good stuff all the way up until 5 a.m. [Friday] and came here and got a couple IVs early in the afternoon," he said. "It was a 24-hour bug and I broke my fever about 8 a.m. ... My fever came back but I broke it again. I've been sweating a lot.

"I am feeling much better. Just getting a lot of fluids."