Dale Earnhardt Jr. thrills, then fades in Las Vegas

Reporting from Las Vegas -- NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave his many fans a thrill Sunday by taking the early lead at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but he couldn’t stay in front.

Earnhardt, seeking his first win in more than three years, put his No. 88 Chevrolet in first on the opening lap and led a total of 70 laps in the Kobalt Tools 400.

But then his crew changed four tires while others took two, dropping Earnhardt to 16th. He then struggled to regain spots before finishing 10th.

“We just didn’t have our adjustments going throughout the day to keep up with the track” and its changing conditions, Earnhardt said.

Still, Earnhardt is fourth in the Sprint Cup Series standings, 18 points behind leader Greg Biffle.

Biffle starts fast

Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Ford, has finished third in each of the Cup series’ first three races to hold the early points lead.

“We had a good run” Sunday but “I don’t know if we had a car that was fast enough” to catch winner Tony Stewart, Biffle said.

Biffle credited Matt Puccia, who’s in his first full season as Biffle’s crew chief. “Just plain and simple, Matt Puccia is the reason why we’re … finishing where we are,” Biffle said. “This team needed leadership.”

Not a full house

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a popular NASCAR destination for obvious reasons, given all the off-track entertainment nearby.

But even the Las Vegas speedway is showing the effects of the tough economy that’s hurt NASCAR attendance nationwide in recent years.

NASCAR estimated Sunday’s total attendance at 150,000, down slightly from 152,000 a year ago. There were noticeable patches of empty seats throughout the grandstands in Turns 3 and 4 at the track, which has a seating capacity listed at 142,000.

james.peltz@latimes.com