Dale Earnhardt Jr. without a doubt has turned the corner.

The 135-race winless streak remains intact. But its end has become a case of when rather than if. Junior has become a story not for where he’s been but rather where he’s going – straight toward the top of the points standings.

A third-place finish at Martinsville Speedway, his third top five of the season, shot Earnhardt out of a third-place traffic jam and within six points of leader Greg Biffle. How well is Junior doing? Consider:

• He’s one of two drivers with three top-five and four top-four finishes. The other is Biffle.

• Three of the past four races have seen the No. 88 Chevrolet head the field.

• Earnhardt is the highest ranked of Hendrick Motorsports’ four drivers.

• His second-place ranking in points is his best at this stage of the season since 2008 – the year Junior won his last race at Michigan International Speedway.

Martinsville, a track where Earnhardt collected his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, is indicative of the progress his Steve Letarte-led team has made. He’s passing – and passing champions like teammate Jeff Gordon.

That begs a pretty obvious question: The last time Earnhardt held the points lead was after the Talladega Superspeedway race on Oct. 3, 2004. The stay was short-lived, as a mid-week 25-point penalty knocked him from the top spot.