Race 13: Best Buy 400 at Dover

THE STARTING GRID:





THE WINNER:
#18-Kyle Busch claimed the series-leading fourth win of 2008 on a bittersweet day for team owner Joe Gibbs, whose other two cars of #11-Denny Hamlin and #20-Tony Stewart were taken out in a massive lap 18 pileup. Busch remained in the top three all day but ultimately won the race thanks to his pit crew, who got him the lead from #99-Carl Edwards during the second round of green flag stops with 167 to go, then widened his lead with a blistering 12.7 second green-flag stop with 82 laps to go. Three seconds ahead of Edwards after that final stop, Busch lapped all but the top six cars to win his first race at Dover going away. Busch led 158 laps en route to the victory and padded his point lead over #31-Jeff Burton, who finished off the lead lap for the first time in 2008.

RESULTS:
1) #18-Kyle Busch THE WINNER!
2) #99-Carl Edwards Took the lead from teammate #16-Biffle on lap 172 and looked to have the car to beat until #18-Ky. Busch beat him off pit road during the second round of green-flag stops with around 167 laps to go. He closed within 0.4 second before the final round of pit stops, but wound up losing even more ground to #18-Ky. Busch when that final green-flag stop with 82 to go. Led 64 laps.
3) #16-Greg Biffle Won the pole by more than a full mile per hour on the rest of the field and dominated well over the first quarter of the race, leading all but 1 of the first 147 laps. Unfortunately, his bad luck returned once again with a voltage problem from a failing alternator that forced him to shut off all his fans except the right-front bead blower. This problem, which arose on lap 171, allowed teammate #99-Edwards to take the lead and hold it until the late stages. Gradually, his lap times, which had fallen to 2 mph slower than the leaders, began to level out and he remained on the lead lap and in the top 3. Led a race-high 164 laps.
4) #17-Matt Kenseth Had one of the fastest cars on the track in the first half of the race and looked to be making a surge toward the lead, but his car leveled out in the top five as the field became more and more strung out. Led 1 lap.
5) #24-Jeff Gordon Had one of his most solid races so far in 2008 and successfully defended his come-from-behind top 5 in last week’s 600-mile race. He stayed out two laps longer than the rest of the field in the final round of green-flag stops so he could get five bonus points for leading a lap, a gamble which paid off with him remaining in the top 5 and on the lead lap. Led 3 laps.
6) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. The defending champion of the race had a good car, but consistent problems with burning through his tires too quickly kept him from contention.
7) #48-Jimmie Johnson Climbed up to 5th around the halfway mark, but was again strangely absent from the contenders for the win. He was the last car taken off the lead lap by leader #18-Ky. Busch, losing his lap with 30 laps to go after his attempt at a crossover move failed. Led 2 laps.
8) #31-Jeff Burton Was the biggest mover through the field in the opening laps, gaining 23 spots in the first 58 circuits. He and #8-Martin narrowly avoided contact in the big lap 18 wreck by practically stopping on the backstretch as #29-Harvick and #21-Elliott piled in. Under the green-flag stretches, he lost touch with the leaders, then his lap, and battling with #26-McMurray for the Lucky Dog with 59 to go proved futile when the caution never came. This became the first race in which he had finished off the lead lap in 2008.
9) #22-Dave Blaney The resurgence from his Talladega DNQ continued with another solid top 10 finish, remaining at or around the 10th spot all day long before passing #26-McMurray in the final laps.
10) #26-Jamie McMurray Turned in one of his best runs of 2008 with a performance similar to Martinsville, defending his fifth-place qualifying run to remain in the top 5 with his teammates through the first 108 laps. However, he, like so many, lost touch with the top three and soon found himself a lap down. He fought with #31-Burton for the Lucky Dog with 59 laps to go, but the caution never came, trapping both cars one lap down. Led 1 lap.
11) #28-Travis Kvapil Running the same car he used to finish 8th at Darlington turned out to be an excellent decision as he qualified 12th and flirted with the top 10 all day long.
12) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya On lap 80, he received a bump to his left-rear quarter-panel from #38-Gilliland, which sent him up the track in turn one just like #44-Reutimann, fortunately without hitting the outside wall.
13) #83-Brian Vickers Had a car that could have easily finished in the top 10 all day and ran there for much of the event after qualifying up in the sixth position. While running fifth with 167 laps to go, however, he was docked for speeding off pit road and, after apparently receiving a timely caution when the fifth caution for debris came out less than 10 laps later, he sped off pit road again along with #40-Mayfield, dropping both cars to the tail end of the longest line and keeping them off the lead lap for the rest of the race.
14) #12-Ryan Newman Was plagued by terrible fuel mileage as he was the first to pit in the first round of green-flag stops on lap 147 as well as the second round on lap 173. He complained of his car having “no grip” and, after gambling by taking on fuel under the fifth caution (for debris) on lap 242 which allowed him to pit almost 10 laps after everyone else, he wound up pitting with 74 to go, his crew working under the trunk lid after suffering the same fuel flange problem as teammate #2-Ku. Busch. Led 6 laps.
15) #6-David Ragan Ironically, after all his great runs this season, it was he who was unable to find as much speed as his Roush-Fenway teammates, and he hovered around the 15th spot for much of the day. Still a good finish for the surprising sophomore, who swooped to the inside behind #15-Menard to barely avoid involvement in the lap 18 wreck.
16) #38-David Gilliland Was at the center of the huge wreck that brought out the first caution and red flag when #19-E. Sadler merged on top of him coming off turn two on lap 18, then on lap 80 bumped #42-Montoya up the track in turn one.
17) #5-Casey Mears Stopped on the apron on the backstretch to avoid involvement in the lap 18 wreck when #11-Hamlin and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. blocked his path.
18) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) Became the top-finishing rookie once again with six races to #01-Smith’s five despite scrubbing the outside wall coming off turn four on lap 83 without bringing out a caution. Bumped #66-Riggs out of the top 35.
19) #7-Robby Gordon Had to start in the very back as Matt Crafton practiced and qualified his car while he was in Baja for a rally.
20) #2-Kurt Busch Scored his first-ever front row start at Dover by qualifying second and seemed to have a car that could at least finish in the top 10, but like #16-Biffle, his own bad luck returned. Under the fourth caution of the race, the flange on his quarter-panel’s fuel receiver broke, forcing the crew to lift the rear trunk lid and repair it. The problem resurfaced some laps later in teammate #12-Nemwan’s car.
21) #01-Regan Smith (R) NO NOTES
22) #15-Paul Menard Avoided serious contact in the major lap 18 wreck by slipping through on the very bottom of the track before #88-Earnhardt, Jr. closed that hole, but still crumpled up the right-rear of his car when the back of his car got loose on the apron and slapped the inside fence. Despite this, his car was still strong enough to put up a good fight from going a lap down to the leaders and, before the fifth caution, he came up just shy of leading a lap during green-flag stops.
23) #8-Mark Martin Avoided involvement in the lap 18 wreck by practically stopping with #31-Burton on the backstretch around the time that #29-Harvick and #21-Elliott piled in, but was very unhappy with how his car handled in the race. A flat left-rear tire which forced him to pit just before the fifth caution of the race did not help his efforts.
24) #96-J.J. Yeley Grazed the outside wall off turn one on lap 2, but did not bring out a caution. He lost a lap early, regained it as the Lucky Dog under the third caution brought out by #78-Nemechek, then lost it again in the long green-flag runs which followed.
25) #40-Jeremy Mayfield Turned in by far the best qualifying run for both he and the #40 team by snagging the 10th spot, but could not keep himself on the lead lap during the race’s many long green-flag runs. Mired in traffic, he physically chased #10-Carpentier up the track in turn four on lap 168, perhaps due to a loose condition, and wound up cutting #10-Carpentier’s left-rear tire. He was also docked for speeding off pit road with 158 to go along with #83-Vickers.
26) #41-Reed Sorenson NO NOTES
27) #44-David Reutimann Nearly scraped the outside wall just 9 laps into the race when he made contact with #78-Nemechek racing to his inside in turn one, forcing him to slide up very close to the outside wall.
28) #55-Michael Waltrip Broke loose in turn four on lap 75, allowing #78-Nemechek to nearly complete a pass on him coming off the corner, but the two merged together and #78-Nemechek was hooked off his nose and into the frontstretch wall, bringing out the third caution of the race.
29) #10-Patrick Carpentier Made contact with the outside wall coming off turn four on lap 75, a split-second before #78-Nemechek followed suit to bring out the third caution of the race. He did not bring out a caution himself, but was forced to pit under green on lap 169 when, during the previous lap, #40-Mayfield pushed him up the track in turn four and cut his left-rear tire.
30) #00-Michael McDowell (R) Was the only other person besides #16-Biffle to lead a lap in the first 147 laps when he stayed out an extra lap during one of the first cautions. Led 1 lap.
31) #9-Kasey Kahne Slowed up to the outside of #88-Earnhardt, Jr. as the two attempted to find a way between #19-E. Sadler and #20-Stewart’s wrecked cars during the big lap 18 wreck, but was then rear-ended by #11-Hamlin and forced to bump into the right-front of #19-E. Sadler, damaging both ends of his car. His car did return to the race and was in touch enough with the leaders that he got the lucky dog under the second caution of the race brought out by #34-Raines.
32) #43-Bobby Labonte Suffered some minor damage in the big lap 18 wreck when he rear-ended #88-Earnhardt, Jr. while trying to slow down, creasing up the right-front of his bumper.
33) #21-Bill Elliott Attempted to slow down in the late stages of the big lap 18 pileup as he followed #29-Harvick off turn two, but wound up making contact with #29-Harvick and spinning with him into the wreck. While #29-Harvick spun into the wreck itself, he was fortunate enough to spin through an opening on the outside lane avoid most of the carnage until he backed into the rear of #07-Bowyer.
34) #78-Joe Nemechek Made some contact with #44-Reutimann while racing him in turn one on lap 9. On lap 75, when he saw #55-Waltrip break loose up high off turn four, he attempted to go in the middle between #55-Waltrip and another car to make a three-wide pass, but was then hooked into the frontstretch wall by #55-Waltrip, bringing out the third caution of the race. He returned to the event several laps down.
35) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. During the initial stages of the huge lap 18 wreck, he slowed up to the inside of #9-Kahne as the two attempted to maneuver around the two wrecked cars of #20-Stewart and #19-E. Sadler, but was later rear-ended by #43-Labonte and stuffed into the inside wall on the backstretch, jamming his splitter under the inside fence. There was not too much damage to the front valence of his car, but the left-front corner was flattened and part of the splitter beneath that point was broken. He returned to the race 10 laps down, but for some time actually ran very competitive laps.
36) #07-Clint Bowyer Attempted to sneak through the big lap 18 wreck by going up high near #66-Riggs, but still suffered some damage to the left-rear of his car when #21-Elliott spun around and backed into him. Though the damage was minor, trouble found him again with 188 to go when an unscheduled stop for a possible cut tire turned out to actually be a broken shock, forcing him to pit once again seven laps later for the crew to lift the hood. The right-front of his splitter was also found to be broken during the stop.
37) #84-A.J. Allmendinger After managing to remain on the lead lap and in the top 15 for much of the race’s first half, he brought out the fourth caution of the race when, after making his green-flag stop toward the end of the cycle on lap 154, a fuel pressure problem caused his car to stop on the apron in turn one.
38) #29-Kevin Harvick Was running well behind the lap 18 pileup that brought out the first caution and red flag of the race, but wound up being involved when #21-Elliott rear-ended him, sending his car ricocheting off the back of #20-Stewart and into the stopped #11-Hamlin. He returned to the race many laps down around the halfway mark with the entire front end and much of the rear removed from his car. To add insult to injury, his jackman also dropped the car on one of his fellow crewman’s foot which, at least on camera, fortunately did not seem to cause an injury.
39) #66-Scott Riggs Had nowhere to go in the massive lap 18 pileup when, while running the outside lane, #11-Hamlin slammed #19-E. Sadler directly into his path, crumpling the front of his Chevrolet bad enough to send him to the garage. The accident, which dropped him out of the top 35, capped a horrible week for HAAS-CNC where he and his teammate were docked 150 points each for their team’s improper rear wing brackets, an announcement followed by the #70 team DNQ’ing for this event with interim driver Jason Leffler.
40) #34-Tony Raines As the last-place starter at Dover, he had to share the last pit stall with #41-Sorenson through the early stages of the race. Brought out the second caution of the race when, after cutting a tire and missing the pit road entrance on lap 66, he stopped up high in turn four. He was subsequently penalized by NASCAR for the time he would have lost if he had pitted under green.
41) #20-Tony Stewart Locked his brakes coming off turn two when he saw #19-E. Sadler wrecking on the backstretch on lap 18 and wound up plowing into the right-rear of #19-E. Sadler, the two cars blocking the track. He escaped much of the further pummeling suffered by #19-E. Sadler as his contact moved #19-E. Sadler further down the track, but was himself further damaged by #29-Harvick when he and #21-Elliott spun late in the wreck’s aftermath. Miraculously, his crew managed to get his car back into the race 114 laps down with a brand-new front clip. His car dropped to the apron in turn three with 86 laps to go as perhaps one of the first cars to pit in the final round of green-flag stops.
42) #19-Elliott Sadler While racing mid-pack on lap 18 after a solid qualifying effort, he accidentally merged down on #38-Gilliland coming off turn two, sending his car spinning rear-first into the outside wall. His car stopped in the middle of the track and was then struck very hard by #20-Stewart, essentially blocking the track. As #9-Kahne and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. stopped short of hitting him, #11-Hamlin piled in to his right-front, knocking teammate #9-Kahne into his left-front and simultaneously spinning his disabled car directly in the path of #66-Riggs, who knocked him into yet another spin that was finally stopped by the wrecking car of #29-Harvick. Fortunately, no drivers were harmed in the pileup.
43) #11-Denny Hamlin Looked to be bouncing back from a poor 33rd place starting position when he won the rain-delayed Nationwide race on Saturday, but it just wasn’t meant to be. He was involved in the big lap 18 pileup that brought out the first caution and red flag when, moments after teammate #20-Stewart hit #19-E. Sadler, he plowed into the back of #9-Kahne and the left-front of #19-E. Sadler, knocking #19-E. Sadler directly into the path of #66-Riggs. His car was damaged further when #29-Harvick slid into the melee. Both he and #19-E. Sadler did not return to the track.

DID NOT QUALIFY:
#45-Chad McCumbee (R)
#70-Jason Leffler

Race 12: Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's

THE STARTING GRID:

THE WINNER:
On a night where the leaders were always in peril, whether it be #48-Jimmie Johnson’s engine failure, #2-Kurt Busch and #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s brushes with the turn four wall, #18-Kyle Busch's alternator problem, or once-leader #83-Brian Vickers’ lost left-rear tire, #9-Kasey Kahne found himself in victory lane for a points race for the first time since winning the fall event at Lowe’s in 2006. Kahne benefitted from the misfortune of yet another unlucky leader when leader #20-Tony Stewart saw a 6-second lead disappear with a cut right-front tire with 2 laps to go. Kahne became the first person to sweep the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same year since #48-Jimmie Johnson did in 2003. Kahne led 66 laps to score the victory.

Kahne had early trouble with his splitter dragging on the track, which was repaired during the second round of green-flag stops. His car then came alive as darkness fell, challenging #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for the lead and taking it from him on lap 193. In the final 62-lap run to the checkers following the eleventh and final caution, he remained in the top 5 and passed #18-Ky. Busch for the lead with 40 to go as they raced off turn two. Curiously, Kahne said he thought someone threw a beer bottle at him, likely intended for #18-Ky. Busch in 2nd, but could not tell if it was a Budweiser. Kahne made his last fuel-only stop with 17 to go as one of the first cars on pit road, setting him up to follow the ill-fated #20-Stewart en route to his popular victory.

RESULTS:
1) #9-Kasey Kahne THE WINNER!
2) #16-Greg Biffle Was very confident before the race that he had one of the cars to beat and, indeed, he remained in the top 10 for much of the event. While running 8th on lap 133, he got very loose in turn three and narrowly saved it, complaining soon after that he thought he had a tire going down. He had all four tires changed in an unscheduled stop the next lap, the crew discovering a wheel weight was missing on his right-front tire. Just past the halfway mark, he reported his car was overheating from debris on his grille and attempted to get some of it off by running up behind #11-Hamlin under green. Unbelievably, he worried about having a loose wheel again when he felt a vibration with 128 laps to go. The car held together this time and, after pitting with 12 to go, it cycled through in his favor. Led 2 laps.
3) #18-Kyle Busch After winning his third pole in less than a week and claiming the Nationwide race the previous day, he took off at the start of the 600, leading by a half-second after just one lap. As he lost the lead to #83-Vickers on lap 35, he reported a possible ignition problem and his engine sputtering. The condition was soon diagnosed as an alternator problem and he was forced to shut off his extra fans. He then broke loose in turn four on lap 148 and was forced to make an unscheduled stop for fresh tires, fearing the same problem as #16-Biffle. He got back the lap he lost from that stop by actually passing leader #83-Vickers just before #2-Ku. Busch brought out the second caution of the race on lap 162 and was back in 8th on lap 179. With 152 to go, he wound up with the lead again when #12-Newman was forced to pit again after missing his stall, but then lost the lead to a rocketing #88-Earnhardt, Jr. nine laps later. As he fell back, the alternator problem worsened as his battery started dropping volts, his engine three volts between 130 and 110 laps to go. Then, right when he needed it, leader #88-Earnhardt, Jr. brought out the eighth caution on lap 296, allowing him to pit for a replacement battery. Though he pitted when the pits were closed, he, like #88-Earnhardt, Jr., took the tail end of the longest line penalty in stride and was back in the race along with his on-track rival. Forced to rally once again with now a strip of tape across the right-front of his bumper, he started slicing through the pack, getting squirrely once off of turn four as he raced beneath #40-Marlin and #41-Sorenson. He was back up to 5th with 66 laps to go and began to position himself for the end of the race. With 55 to go, he caught and passed #48-Johnson for the lead by running the high line, but then lost the lead once more to #9-Kahne 15 laps later. Led briefly once more in the final fuel stops before stopping with 13 to go. Led 61 laps.
4) #24-Jeff Gordon Was handling terribly for much of the race, struggling to even remain on the lead lap during the race’s early long green-flag runs. Things finally started to turn around for him when debris on the track brought out the sixth caution of the race on lap 224, giving him the Lucky Dog as #29-Harvick was about a half-straightaway behind him for the position. Though he still found himself mired in traffic, running 18th with 128 to go, he climbed into the top 10 with 66 to go and took four tires under the eleventh and final caution which came out for debris just after the restart from the tenth caution. He chose to play it conservative after that, laying back as far as 19th place when his crew told him he’d be 2 laps short on fuel. The gamble worked and scored him an excellent finish.
5) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. After remaining in the top 10 through the first run, he climbed his way into 2nd on lap 105. A slow right-front tire change under the second round of green-flag stops on lap 119, leading to a 24.6-second stop, was very costly as the race remained under green for some time. After climbing up through the pack and narrowly avoiding contact with #11-Hamlin on pit road under the fourth caution of the race, his car looked faster and faster as he continued to hug the outside groove. Taking four tires along with most of the field under the sixth caution of the race, he took the lead from the two-tire-changed #19-E. Sadler and launched out to a massive 2.7 second lead with 164 laps to go. After the pit road jumble under the seventh caution, he flew back through the pack and retook the lead from #18-Ky. Busch with 141 to go. Once again opening up a huge lead while running up high, he suddenly became the victim of the seventh caution when he blew a right-rear tire, ground against the outside wall in turn four, and was rear-ended so hard by #96-Yeley that #96-Yeley’s car briefly caught fire. Since he was running so high, the damage was not as severe as even #2-Ku. Busch’s, so he sped down pit road several times and made quick repairs, each time beating the pace truck off pit road. He was originally penalized a lap for speeding past emergency equipment as he entered pit road, but this was rescinded. He did, however, deliberately speed down pit lane and restarted at the tail end of the longest line. Though holding his own on the lead lap, he lost track position yet again for a tire violation under the tenth caution of the race. This allowed him to pit an extra time for fuel with 63 to go along with #11-Hamlin and #99-Edwards without worrying about track position. He scrubbed the wall once again coming off turn two with 60 laps to go, just hanging on to get to the finish. Like teammate #24-J. Gordon, he did not pit and reaped the benefits. Led a race-high 76 laps.
6) #31-Jeff Burton Was solidly in the top 10 from the second caution of the race onward and was even up to 3rd with 171 to go, but his car refused to stick in the middle of the corner, keeping him from contending for the lead. He again found himself in 3rd with 88 laps to go and pitted with 12 to go after leading briefly. Led 1 lap.
7) #17-Matt Kenseth Sustained some slight damage to the upper-left hand corner of his windshield and the passenger-side A-post from flying debris off the #83-Vickers machine during the fourth caution. Pitted with 11 to go. Led 1 lap.
8) #19-Elliott Sadler Became a factor in the race when he, like #43-Labonte, took two tires under the sixth caution of the race. In fact, his own move gave him the lead on the restart which he held very briefly until #88-Earnhardt, Jr. swooped past. Though his crew was concerned they didn’t get enough fuel in his car during the brief pit stop, he did manage to defend his top 10 position for much of the rest of the race. He earned one of his best showings of 2008 despite, while running 4th with 35 to go, he thought he heard his engine making strange noises. He pitted with 17 to go, right behind teammate #9-Kahne. Led 3 laps.
9) #99-Carl Edwards After lurking around mid-pack for most of the night, he became another car involved in the tenth caution from #20-Stewart’s slow restart with 95 to go when he rear-ended #1-Truex, Jr., sending him into the outside wall. Though he himself sustained some damage, he, like so many others, remained on the lead lap. He and #11-Hamlin pitted for extra fuel with 63 to go as the eleventh and final caution came out immediately after the tenth but, unlike #11-Hamlin, chose to try and make it to the finish. Just like at Martinsville, the gamble just barely came up short when he ran out of gas off turn two on the final lap and had to coast to the finish.
10) #44-David Reutimann Running the high line and working pit strategy to come up from the 28th starting position, he had a career night in the 600, racing with #22-Blaney for 5th at the halfway mark and remaining in the top 10 for the rest of the race. Pitted with 12 to go.
11) #43-Bobby Labonte Racing the exact same car he used with some success in last week’s All-Star Race, he came up on the radar screen when he got the Lucky Dog after the fifth caution of the race brought out by #00-McDowell. Back on the lead lap, he gambled with #19-E. Sadler under the sixth caution of the race and, like him, took only 2 tires, giving him excellent track position. He raced in the top 10 for several laps, battling with #16-Biffle for 9th with 128 laps to go. Pitted for the final time with 14 to go.
12) #6-David Ragan Tied his father Ken’s career start total with his own 50th Cup start and was solidly in the top 10 from the second caution of the race until near the very end. Though he ran up to 4th with 88 laps to go and was 9th on the final restart with 62 to go, a late bobble off turn four just two laps later dropped him all the way to 17th. He did, however, get a few positions back in the final pit cycle, during which he pitted with 10 to go. Led 2 laps.
13) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) With his car still crabbed-out even with the NASCAR-mandated rear axles, he brushed the outside wall lightly on lap 22 while running the high line off turn four. He had another scare with 171 laps to go when he got loose racing under #96-Yeley off turn two, but managed to save it. He eventually lost his lap, but got it back under the eighth caution brought out by #88-Earnhardt, Jr. by receiving the Lucky Dog. He, like #24-J. Gordon, found himself surprisingly in the top 10 with 66 to go, and only the final round of pit stops, during which he pitted for fuel with 14 to go, kept him from finishing there. Is once again tied with #01-Smith with a series-leading five races as the top-finishing rookie, but was unfortunately 3 points shy of behind able to secure the 35th points position of #55-Waltrip.
14) #29-Kevin Harvick Had about the same kind of misfortune as #24-J. Gordon for much of the race, fighting handling problems and losing a lap, putting he and #24-J. Gordon in a battle for the Lucky Dog at the halfway mark. After #24-J. Gordon got the Lucky Dog under the sixth caution, he held the spot and remained there when #96-Yeley brought out the seventh caution twenty laps later on lap 244. He then started to find his own rhythm, moving up to 12th with 79 laps to go. Pitted with 12 to go.
15) #8-Mark Martin The sound coming from his car started to change around the halfway mark of the race when he cracked a header pipe, and Darrell Waltrip worried that there might have been a carbon monoxide problem. The problem, if any, was not enough to keep him from completing the race. He received the Lucky Dog under the third caution of the race brought out by #42-Montoya. His long final pit stop with 17 to go might have cost him a few positions on the track.
16) #2-Kurt Busch Still without a top 10 since his Daytona 500 runner-up, he was another very strong car in the first part of the race, running in the top 5 and leading both the 100 and 200-mile marks when the sun was still out. His crew had a scare during the second round of green-flag stops when, on lap 121, some spilled fuel ignited as he left his pit stall. Fortunately, it was extinguished quickly and no one was injured. Unfortunately, on lap 162, he brought out the second caution of the race when, while running second, he blew a right-front tire in turn four and smacked the outside wall. Surprisingly, the length of that caution was enough to keep him on the lead lap, his battered car lining up 18th on the restart. Pitted with 11 to go. Led 64 laps.
17) #22-Dave Blaney Successfully defended his strong 11th-place qualifying run for much of the race, remaining on the lead lap and running 5th near the halfway mark. He was involved in the tenth caution of the race during the slow #20-Stewart restart with 95 to go when he rear-ended #11-Hamlin, sending him spinning into #41-Sorenson in the middle of the pack. Still on track and leading with 9 to go, he looked to be gambling on fuel in the final run to the checkers, but as #20-Stewart closed within a second of him with 8 to go, decided to pit right then. Led 2 laps.
18) #20-Tony Stewart On lap 100, he bounced off #42-Montoya as he raced beneath #42-Montoya through turn two, sparking an on-track shoving match where #42-Montoya chased him down the track on the backstretch after the two made contact once more. The battle was one of many he was forced to wage as his car would not handle in the sunlight. Fortunately, when the sun set, his car came to life, hugging the inside groove and racing up to 8th on lap 192, then 3rd on lap 248. He had a good battle with #88-Earnhardt, Jr. at that latter stage of the race, running low as #88-Earnhardt, Jr. ran high. He assumed the lead with 95 laps to go after #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s wreck in turn four, but brought the field down too slow on the restart, starting the mid-pack three-car incident with #1-Truex, Jr., #41-Sorenson, #99-Edwards, and #11-Hamlin which brought out the tenth caution of the race. He lost the lead seven laps later to #9-Kahne and remained in 2nd for some time after. He retook the lead when #9-Kahne pitted with 17 laps to go, then pitted himself with 13 to go and took the lead yet again when #22-Blaney finally pitted with 8 to go. Holding a six-second lead over #9-Kahne with just 7 laps to go, he looked to be a shoe-in for the win until he blew a left-front tire in turn two with just 3 to go, allowing #9-Kahne to make the winning pass in turn four. Led 23 laps.
19) #01-Regan Smith (R) Finished with no visible damage or tire marks on his car which, given the carnage of the race, is certainly worth mentioning.
20) #84-A.J. Allmendinger Got the Lucky Dog when the eleventh and final caution came out for debris just after the restart with 66 laps to go.
21) #12-Ryan Newman Was the biggest mover through the field early on, climbing 25 positions from his surprisingly-slow qualifying run in the first 76 laps. He did have his own share of adversity in the race, however, as he missed his pit stall during the cycle under the seventh caution brought out by #96-Yeley, dropping him to the back of the pack as he was forced to come back. He soon lost a lap from the lost track position, but got it back when he got the Lucky Dog under the tenth caution brought out by #10-Carpentier. Pitted for fuel with 14 to go. Led 1 lap.
22) #41-Reed Sorenson Was involved in the tenth caution of the race when his right-rear quarter panel was bumped by the spinning #11-Hamlin on the slow #20-Stewart restart with 95 laps to go, but fortunately didn’t hit anything.
23) #26-Jamie McMurray Lost a lap early and was never quite able to make up the lost ground, eventually forced to make an unscheduled stop with 111 laps to go.
24) #11-Denny Hamlin Turbulent weekend began with an on-track brawl with Brad Keselowski in the Nationwide race, the fight spilling over onto pit road when both crews got into it after the checkered flag. Around the halfway mark, an apparent replay with #16-Biffle seemed like it was about to happen until it was discovered that #16-Biffle was running up on his bumper in an attempt to dislodge debris from his grille. His bumper was tested once again by #22-Blaney during #20-Stewart’s sluggish restart with 95 to go, forcing him to break loose and clip #41-Sorenson, sending the pair into a spin to spark the tenth caution. Fortunately, neither hit anything in the incident. He, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., and #99-Edwards pitted an extra time for fuel in the eleventh caution with 63 to go, but was unable to stretch it and pitted with 10 to go. The night ended rudely for him when he cut a right-front tire and smacked the outside wall in turn two with 2 to go and did not bring out the caution. Led 1 lap.
25) #07-Clint Bowyer Lost a lap on lap 19 when an overheating problem from debris on the grille of his car forced him to make an unscheduled stop. In the first round of green-flag stops 31 laps later, he smoked his brakes so heavily as he came onto pit road that he nearly spun, but didn’t.
26) #28-Travis Kvapil Was forced to a backup car before qualifying, then was only able to turn in a speed good enough for the 41st position.
27) #55-Michael Waltrip Narrowly held onto his 35th-place points position by 3 points over #77-Hornish, Jr.
28) #66-Scott Riggs His primary car, along with teammate #70-Sauter’s, was confiscated the day before the race due to illegally-placed rear wing mounts. Pitted for the final time with 14 to go.
29) #5-Casey Mears Raced Hendrick’s 500th chassis in this event, where he was the defending champion. Led 1 lap.
30) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya On lap 100, was bounced off of by #20-Stewart as he raced above #20-Stewart through turn two, sparking an on-track shoving match where he chased #20-Stewart down the track on the backstretch after the two made contact once more. One lap after the restart for the second caution of the race, he brought out the third when, while racing beneath #17-Kenseth and #10-Carpentier through the dogleg, he bounced off #10-Carpentier, causing his right-rear tire to catch the grass and send him spinning across the grass. Fortunately, he did not come back up onto the track and only needed a splitter brace replaced under the caution. He was also forced to make an unscheduled stop with 181 laps to go due to damage sustained to the driver’s side of his car.
31) #40-Sterling Marlin Had a cameo as the car beneath whom #18-Ky. Busch was rallying to get to the front inside the final 100 laps, #18-Ky. Busch getting very loose as he slipped along the inside line.
32) #00-Michael McDowell (R) After losing a lap in the early going, he brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 193 when he spun out by himself coming off turn two and backed into the inside wall just hard enough to slightly crease the left-rear of his car.
33) #33-Ken Schrader A very quiet debut for Richard Childress’ fourth team in 2008.
34) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Reported he had a similar alternator problem to #18-Ky. Busch near the halfway point and, like #18-Ky. Busch, had to shut off his extra fans as a result. He lost a lap around that time, but got it back when he got the Lucky Dog under the fourth caution brought out by #83-Vickers. Late in the race, he got the worst of the tenth caution when, during the slow restart authored by #20-Stewart, he was tagged by #99-Edwards and spun into the outside wall, crumpling the right-front of his machine. He was later black-flagged on the restart for a loose front splitter.
35) #70-Johnny Sauter His primary car, along with teammate #66-Riggs’, was confiscated the day before the race due to illegally-placed rear wing mounts.
36) #45-Kyle Petty Lost some laps in the early green-flag run and made an unscheduled stop on lap 147.
37) #10-Patrick Carpentier (R) Was stuck between #17-Kenseth and #42-Montoya on lap 168 when he made contact with #42-Montoya, ultimately sending #42-Montoya spinning through the grass in the third caution of the race. He himself became the cause of the tenth caution later that night when he spun off turn two on lap 330. He dropped out of the race entirely when his engine blew with 29 laps to go, but did not bring out a caution.
38) #96-J.J. Yeley While leading the inside line of lapped cars on the restart following the first caution of the race, he spun his tires and bunched up the entire row, but fortunately no wreck occurred. A wreck did occur for him first on lap 244 when he smacked the outside wall off turn two to bring out the seventh caution of the race. His car was pretty much finished off when he then brought out the eighth caution of the race, rear-ending #88-Earnhardt, Jr. as #88-Earnhardt, Jr. ground against the outside wall. The contact was sufficient enough to spark a fire underneath his car which was extinguished as he spun down the track.
39) #48-Jimmie Johnson Led a few laps around the 50-lap mark as he battled closely with the equally-strong cars of #2-Ku. Busch, #18-Ky. Busch, and #83-Vickers, then held the lead through the first round of green-flag stops. A plastic tear-off was visible on the front of his car at lap 97, though there was no visible sign that his car was overheating. After #2-Ku. Busch wrecked out of 2nd to bring out the second caution, he and #83-Vickers exchanged the lead with him retaking it on lap 181. After falling back from the lead at the halfway mark, he finally resurfaced as the leader when the race was restarted after the eleventh caution with 62 to go. Soon after losing the lead to #18-Ky. Busch with 55 to go, however, his engine soured and eventually blew up in a plume of smoke with 49 to go, but did not bring out a caution. Led 35 laps.
40) #38-David Gilliland The hood of his car was severely caved-in by the errant left-rear tire of #83-Vickers which flew off to cause the shocking fourth caution of the race on lap 184. Though the damage caused him to spin through the corner, he was able to drive back to the pits and he actually returned to the race 55 laps down with a new hood on his machine.
41) #15-Paul Menard Got the Lucky Dog under the first caution of the race brought out by #7-R. Gordon, then got it again under the second caution brought out by #2-Ku. Busch when #18-Ky. Busch was able to drive by leader #83-Vickers beforehand. With 144 laps to go, however, it was reported he was behind the wall for dropping fluid on the track.
42) #83-Brian Vickers Just 32 laps into the race, he made clear his strong run in the 2007 running of the 600 was no fluke as he chased down #18-Ky. Busch for the lead. Three laps later coming off turn four, he then squeezed in front of #18-Ky. Busch, narrowly avoiding contact. After losing the lead to #48-Johnson and #2-Ku. Busch a few laps later, he regained the lead once more on lap 137 with the exact same turn four maneuver. While leading on lap 154, he called in that he had a vibration and worried it was either a loose wheel or a warped brake rotor. He lost the lead once again to #48-Johnson on lap 181 and started to fall back, still troubled by the concern he had a loose wheel. He was in 5th on lap 184 when disaster struck. His left-rear tire suddenly came off entirely, sending him spinning hard into the outside wall, the rear, then driver’s side of his car tagging the SAFER barrier. His tire bounced perilously high, bounding off the hood and windshield of #38-Gilliland, which sent him into a spin, and the tire then bounced across the track and into the infield between a camper trailer and an elevated spectator’s stand. Interestingly, the center did not break out of the wheel, implying that the lugs were not tightened correctly. Some debris off his car caused the windshield and A-post damage on the car of #17-Kenseth. Fortunately, no one involved was injured, though some foam blocks needed to be replaced in the wall. Led 61 laps.
43) #7-Robby Gordon Brought out the first caution of the race on lap 61 when, just like in Texas, he brushed the wall in turns three and four after running the high line. Seconds before the #83-Vickers caution, his engine then blew on lap 183, pouring large amounts of smoke as he rode the apron of turn four.

DID NOT QUALIFY:
#21-Jon Wood (R)
#34-Jeff Green
#50-Stanton Barrett
#78-Joe Nemechek
#08-Tony Raines

Race 11a: The Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's

THE STARTING GRID:





THE WINNER:
More than a year and a half since he swept both 2006 Lowe’s Motor Speedway events for his most recent Cup Series win, #9-Kasey Kahne scored a stunning upset in the 24th Sprint All-Star Race, becoming the first Dodge to win the event, the third driver to win the race after transferring from the qualifying race and the first to do so as a result of the fans voting him into the field. Finishing 5th in the Sprint Showdown, a race in which his Evernham teammates #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Patrick Carpentier were taken out in early wrecks, he was notified he was voted into the field and started in the tail end of the pack along with the engine-changed #20-Tony Stewart. Kahne then bided his time through much of the race in a car he called “mediocre,” eventually making his way up to 8th at the conclusion of the second segment. Refusing to take fresh tires along with a handful of other drivers before the fourth and final segment, he found himself re-starting second alongside #48-Jimmie Johnson. When #48-Johnson slipped in the quad-oval during a battle with #11-Denny Hamlin for the lead with 19 to go, he moved up to challenge the #11-Hamlin for the lead and took it two laps later. #16-Greg Biffle, who had won the third segment, tried to catch him with his two fresh tires, but was himself felled by a tight condition and a loose wheel, allowing Kahne to cruise to a 1.2 second victory. Kahne led the final 17 laps en route to the victory.

RESULTS:
1) #9-Kasey Kahne THE WINNER!
2) #16-Greg Biffle Shaking off the disappointment at Darlington the previous week, he scored a strong sixth-place starting spot and even won the inaugural Victory Celebration Challenge over #07-Bowyer, #29-Harvick, #18-Ky. Busch, and #48-Johnson. After finishing second to #18-Ky. Busch in segment one, he found himself racing #17-Kenseth for 2nd in segment three, peeking under him in a near-three-wide pass off turn four with 14 to go in the segment. He completed the pass two laps later, took the lead from #88-Earnhardt, Jr. as they entered the backstretch, and opened up a 4 second lead to win the third segment. He took right-side tires on the final pit stop, a move which many thought would put him in a great position, but a terrible push and, frustratingly, the same loose wheel problem he had at Darlington, kept him from catching up to #9-Kahne and his four old tires. Led 11 laps.
3) #17-Matt Kenseth Just when it looked like #88-Earnhardt, Jr. was about to run away with the lead in segment three, he and teammate #16-Biffle stopped racing side-by-side and chased him down, allowing him to rekindle his friendly rivalry with #88-Earnhardt, Jr. as the two battled for the lead with 17 to go in segment three. He was unable to hold off teammate #16-Biffle during this battle and, after #16-Biffle tried to look under him in a three-wide pass, got around him for 2nd with 12 to go in the segment. Once #16-Biffle took the lead, he and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. continued their battle for second. A problem with his splitter bouncing off the track was taken care of in the final pit stop after segment three, but he still could not catch the leaders after that.
4) #48-Jimmie Johnson Strangely uncompetitive in the race until he, along with #9-Kahne and others, did not change tires on the final pit stop, giving him the lead for the final 25 lap segment. After a tight side-by-side battle with #11-Hamlin for the lead, he nosed ahead to lead lap 2, but broke loose in the quad-oval and slipped back from the leaders. Led 1 lap.
5) #20-Tony Stewart Was Humpy Wheeler’s dark horse pick to win the main event, but had a rough start to the weekend when a broken rocker arm in practice forced him to change engines, sending him to the back of the pack for the main event. He then diced his way through the pack, impatiently driving behind #43-Labonte and #2-Ku. Busch as they raced side-by-side for 10th in the second segment.
6) #12-Ryan Newman Locked in a tight battle with #17-Kenseth in the second segment for the fourth position and then pushed the sluggish #88-Earnhardt, Jr. on the restart for segment three, all the while remaining with the leaders for much of the race.
7) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) After transferring into the main event as one of the cars to watch, he scuffed the outside wall hard in turn one early in the first segment, but unfortunately did not bring out a caution. Forced to pit for repairs, he lost two laps and returned to the track. However, upon receiving the Lucky Dog from the cautions which divided the race’s four segments, he was back on the lead lap and into the top 15 by segment three, then into the top 10 for the final 25 laps.
8) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. In his “Grey Ghost”-painted Chevy, he made his way up to 2nd with 9 laps to go in the second segment as #18-Ky. Busch fell through the pack. He spun his tires at the start of segment three, forcing #12-Newman to push him hard through the quad-oval, but then took the lead from #99-Edwards on the very next lap. After running much of the race by “gobbling up” the white line around the inside of the track, he then moved high to keep a cushion on the rest of the field. This allowed #17-Kenseth to race up to his inside and, at one point, #16-Biffle to the inside of #17-Kenseth, rekindling his old rivalry with #17-Kenseth. He would lose the lead to #16-Biffle with 11 laps to go and nearly scuffed the wall in turn one as he slowed down after the third segment was completed. A decision to take four tires on the final pit stop before segment four turned out, ironically, to be the wrong choice as getting through traffic was a problem for everyone that night. Led 14 laps.
9) #8-Mark Martin Flirted with the top 5, but never quite got there, then had a moment of excitement in segment four when he got very loose as #20-Stewart ran up on him coming off turn four, his car getting sideways but not spinning.
10) #99-Carl Edwards Was Humpy Wheeler’s pick to win the main event and looked to fulfill that promise when he took the lead from the faltering #18-Ky. Busch with 11 laps to go in the second segment, running away to win the segment by open ground over the rest of the field. His crew did not make any adjustments, however, and in the third segment, his car was no match for #88-Earnhardt, Jr., who took the lead on lap 2 of that segment, and fell back after that. Led 12 laps.
11) #29-Kevin Harvick NO NOTES
12) #43-Bobby Labonte Was firmly in the top 10 for the first two segments, but the late-race shuffle forced him back out again.
13) #5-Casey Mears NO NOTES
14) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya NO NOTES
15) #24-Jeff Gordon NO NOTES
16) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. NO NOTES
17) #84-A.J. Allmendinger NO NOTES
18) #07-Clint Bowyer NO NOTES
19) #26-Jamie McMurray NO NOTES
20) #31-Jeff Burton Lost track position due to a pit penalty in the first cycle of pit stops which preceded the second segment, #44-Jarrett snagged as well.
21) #2-Kurt Busch Ran up in the second position in segment two, but slipped back on his old tires and was unable to bounce back.
22) #44-Dale Jarrett Despite being caught for a pit road infraction during the first round of pit stops along with #31-J. Burton, he finished on the lead lap as the last car running in his final Sprint Cup Series start. Drove the race-modified UPS truck around the track as part of the pre-race ceremonies, after which his father Ned delivered the invocation.
23) #11-Denny Hamlin Made his own voice heard in the fourth and final segment by taking the lead from #48-Johnson off turn four on the first lap, nearly spinning himself off the nose of the Lowe’s Chevy after a daring side-by-side battle with #48-Johnson. With 19 to go, his biggest competition turned out to be #9-Kahne, who hugged his rear bumper after #48-Johnson slipped up and lost ground to the two of them. The two then ran side-by-side with him running the high lane for a couple laps until #9-Kahne got by with 17 to go. It was right about that time that, like teammate #18-Ky. Busch, his own engine blew, forcing him behind the wall. Led 7 laps.
24) #18-Kyle Busch Looked unstoppable for much of the weekend, winning the pole for the truck race and the main event by incredible margins, but both strong runs ended with poor racing luck. After a wreck with Ron Hornaday ended his strong night in the truck race on Friday, he dominated the first segment of the main event, launching off the line to lead all 25 laps. He repeated his jackrabbit start in segment two, opening a 4 second lead after only three laps, but his engine started to sound flat with just 8 laps later. He lost the lead to #99-Edwards 3 laps after that and limped to finish the segment in 6th, but the crew diagnosed the car’s engine had failed under the ten-minute break, ending his night. The crowd cheered as his car was pushed behind the wall after the break. Led a race-high 38 laps.




SPRINT SHOWDOWN RESULTS:
1) #84-A.J. Allmendinger THE WINNER! Strong qualifying run put him behind teammate #83-Vickers at the start, then at the center of controversy when, while racing #19-E. Sadler for 2nd on the lap 9 restart, a late push in turn two caused him to spin #19-E. Sadler into the outside wall. Running the high line, he then raced #83-Vickers hard for the lead, taking it by staying out with #6-Ragan and others after the conclusion of the first 20 lap segment. He kept the lead from #6-Ragan on the restart and remained there for the rest of the race, even as #77-Hornish, Jr. caught him with 2 laps to go. He, #77-Hornish, Jr., and #9-Kahne transferred into the main event. The win, his first of any kind in the Sprint Cup Series, made him feel “like I’ve won the Daytona 500.” Led a race-high 21 laps.
2) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) His “drifting” diagonal-driving Dodge turned out to be a very fast machine on the high side of the track, his car first gaining attention near the end of the first segment as he shoved #22-Blaney out of the way to make his way up to the leaders. He also stayed out with #84-Allmendinger, #6-Ragan, and others after the conclusion of the first segment and kept his track position, but spun his tires on the restart and fell back to about the eighth position. He clawed his way back up through the pack and, despite running the high lane much of the night, managed to wrestle 2nd from #6-Ragan by running the low line with 7 laps to go. Traveling 0.2 mph faster than #84-Allmendinger in the closing laps, he caught the leader, but didn’t force the issue and remained in second to transfer into the main event.
3) #6-David Ragan Ran a very strong race between the second and third position for much of the event and stayed out with #84-Allmendinger and others to keep his track position after the first segment. His car was no match for either #84-Allmendinger, who ran away with the lead, nor #77-Hornish, Jr., who passed him for 2nd with 7 laps to go, but did hold off #83-Vickers on much fresher tires.
4) #83-Brian Vickers The day after his crew beat 22 other teams to win the Pit Crew Challenge over #11-Hamlin, he scored the outside pole for the Showdown. He got the jump on #19-E. Sadler at the start and proved to be the strongest car through the first 20 lap segment. His biggest competition, however, proved to be teammate #84-Allmendinger, who raced him hard for the lead on lap 13. He held off his teammate and won segment one, but, fearing a slow leak in his right-front tire, chose to come to pit road while #84-Allmendinger and a few others chose to stay out. Led 19 laps.
5) #9-Kasey Kahne Broke loose coming off turn four on the fifth lap of the second segment (lap 25 overall) as #83-Vickers caught him with fresher tires, but managed to keep his car from losing control. After hanging onto his top-five finish, he was then notified that he had won the Fan Vote and would be transferring into the main event with top-two finishers #84-Allmendinger and #77-Hornish, Jr., setting the stage for his historic night.
6) #00-David Reutimann NO NOTES
7) #38-David Gilliland Was the highest-finishing of the four cars who scraped the outside wall on the very first lap of the race in separate incidents, the others being #49-McCumbee, #15-Menard, and #96-Yeley. Ran the middle line during #22-Blaney’s three-wide pass for the 9th position. His car then came alive on the restart following the third caution brought out by #70-Sauter, clipping the grass in the quad-oval on that restart before shoving #41-Sorenson into the outside wall as they raced for 4th with 10 laps to go, dropping them both from the top 5.
8) #28-Travis Kvapil NO NOTES
9) #96-J.J. Yeley Scuffed the outside wall coming off turn four on the very first lap.
10) #22-Dave Blaney After being the victim of #77-Hornish, Jr.’s aggression during their mid-pack battle, he made his own aggressive move early in segment two by diving beneath #38-Gilliland and #49-McCumbee for the 9th position.
11) #7-Robby Gordon His strong 4th place finish in the first segment came at a price as his overheating car sprayed out a massive amount of water due to a piece of a tear-off that stuck to the lower grille of his Dodge. Though saying “we’re done” at that point, the crew managed to cool the car down enough under the caution following the first segment to get him back on the track.
12) #41-Reed Sorenson Broke loose in turns three and four, but saved it just seconds before the third caution of the race brought out by #70-Sauter. Later, with 10 laps to go, he was shoved into the outside wall by #38-Gilliland as the two raced off turn four, but again kept his car from being involved in a larger wreck.
13) #49-Chad McCumbee (R) Scuffed the outside wall very hard coming off turn four on the very first lap, but kept going and even found himself in the top 10 at one point in the second segment. Ran the high line during #22-Blaney’s three-wide pass for the 9th position.
14) #66-Scott Riggs Pitted under the second caution of the race with the right side of his car scuffed up from contact with the outside wall.
15) #45-Kyle Petty NO NOTES
16) #15-Paul Menard Scuffed the outside wall coming off turn two on the very first lap, a wall which, fortunately, was also yellow.
17) #78-Joe Nemechek After qualifying 7th, he was very slow on the backstretch on the very first lap from a possible handling problem and never recovered the lost track position.
18) #34-Jeff Green Had the hood up on his car on pit road for adjustments under the second caution of the race brought out by #19-E. Sadler, then immediately returned to the race.
19) #21-Bill Elliott NO NOTES
20) #55-Michael Waltrip NO NOTES
21) #01-Regan Smith (R) NO NOTES
22) #46-Carl Long NO NOTES
23) #08-Tony Raines NO NOTES
24) #70-Johnny Sauter Looked to be defending his runner-up position in the previous year’s race by running in the top 5 in the second segment, but while running there on lap 28, he blew a right-front tire going into turn one, sending him hard into the outside wall.
25) #50-Stanton Barrett After giving up his 19th-place starting position to start at the back of the pack, he wound up going behind the wall due to a vibration on lap 17 just before the conclusion of the first segment.
26) #19-Elliott Sadler The polesitter for the Showdown had a strong car, but unfortunately not enough time to show it. After losing the lead to #83-Vickers at the start, he raced the other Red Bull machine of #84-Allmendinger for the next few laps. It was during this battle for second when, while racing on the outside of #84-Allmendinger on the lap 9 restart, #84-Allmendinger broke loose and clipped his left-rear, sending him spinning into the outside wall in turn two. With severe damage to the right side of his car, he joined teammate #10-Carpentier behind the wall.
27) #10-Patrick Carpentier (R) His miraculous save during qualifying when he pulled a 360 off turn four and managed to not hit the wall was not repeated in the Showdown, where he brought out the first caution of the race only three laps into the first segment, breaking loose and spinning off turn two before backing into the outside wall. This excluded him from the Fan Vote for which he said, if elected, he would run naked down pit road.

WITHDREW:
#37-Kenny Wallace (wrecked in qualifying)

Race 11: Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington

THE STARTING GRID:





THE WINNER:
#18-Kyle Busch complained early that his car wouldn’t turn, said that his brakes were practically gone after only 135 laps, lost more than twenty positions due to a missing lugnut penalty a few laps later, and smacked the wall very hard on at least four separate occasions to the point that his right-rear tire protruded from the side of battered car, but still managed to dominate the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington, leading a race-high 169 laps. Busch took the lead for the final time from #24-Jeff Gordon after the seventh caution of the race and, in the final 60 lap run to the checkers, opened up more than a three-second lead over #99-Carl Edwards to cruise to his third Cup victory of the season. After coming just short of victory in the Daytona 500 and in Fontana, Busch has since won one race in each of the three months since to tie #99-Edwards for the lead in wins.

RESULTS:
1) #18-Kyle Busch THE WINNER!
2) #99-Carl Edwards After struggling in qualifying and discovering the same vibration problem as his Roush-Fenway teammates with 111 to go, he still managed to climb up to the second position, but while trying to save fuel, could not bring down his three-second deficit on the track.
3) #24-Jeff Gordon The defending Darlington winner took the lead under the sixth caution brought out by #83-Vickers when he and teammates #48-Johnson and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. stayed out while leaders #11-Hamlin and #1-Truex, Jr. pitted with 118 to go. Just 21 laps later, he would lose the lead to the rallying #18-Ky. Busch, then regain it again off pit road during the seventh caution brought out by #84-Allmendinger with 88 to go, then lose it for the final time on the ensuing restart to #18-Ky. Busch. Led 24 laps.
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Excited the crowd by racing to the lead past #16-Biffle on lap 2, but seemed to only have about a third place car for the rest of the evening. Despite scrubbing the wall off turn three on lap 176, his pit crew did get him the lead on at least two occasions. Led 35 laps.
5) #6-David Ragan Continued to impress with a solid run becoming a top-5 run in the late stages, finishing there even after he bounced off the outside wall with 80 laps to go and caught Roush-Fenway’s vibration problem 22 laps later. Led 2 laps.
6) #17-Matt Kenseth After what had been a rather forgettable string of races since Martinsville, this quietly-strong run was just what the doctor ordered. Around the halfway mark, however, he did have a fright when a vibration made him worry about a loose wheel. This condition was later found to be in all of his Roush-Fenway teammates, however, and the wheels did not budge on his car. Led 3 laps.
7) #11-Denny Hamlin Bad racing luck from Richmond seeped a little into his Darlington weekend. Unable to defend his previous two Nationwide wins at Darlington due to a wreck in qualifying, his conservative Cup Series qualifying run was barely enough to put him in the top 25. After slowly picking his way through the pack, his car came alive in the dark, climbing to 5th on lap 184. He took the lead some time later, but lost it during the sixth caution brought out by #83-Vickers when #24-J. Gordon, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #48-Johnson, and a few others stayed out. Stuck racing for seventh with #1-Truex, Jr., who also pitted under that caution, #1-Truex, Jr. spun him off turn four with 65 laps to go, bringing out the race’s eighth and final caution. He did manage to climb back into the top 10 as #1-Truex, Jr. fell back. Led 15 laps.
8) #28-Travis Kvapil Donning Fred Lorenzen’s classic paint scheme, complete with old-style numbers and LaFayette Ford sponsorship, Kvapil scored his second top-10 of the season in a career night, leading a couple laps and spending most of the day around the top 5. He slipped back a little after brushing the wall in turns three and four late in the going, but still held onto his top 10 finish. Led 2 laps.
9) #22-Dave Blaney Made his way up into the top five around the halfway point of the race, his car noticeably free of the Darlington Stripes found on many of the cars by that point. Though he fell back, he still turned in his best performance of the year since the Budweiser Shootout.
10) #31-Jeff Burton Silently continued his streak of completing all the laps run this season.
11) #26-Jamie McMurray Fought handling problems all day, but flirted with the top 10 in the final quarter of the race, leading some during the pit stop cycle. Led 3 laps.
12) #2-Kurt Busch Led 1 lap.
13) #48-Jimmie Johnson Uncharacteristically absent from contention at one of his best tracks, he struggled all weekend. Forced to a backup car after a practice wreck, then spinning his backup in the final practice session, his team still managed to get his car fast enough for a third-place starting spot. In the race, however, he scraped the wall hard around lap 116 and had a slow 18.9 second green-flag stop as a result, dropping him back in the running order. After the fourth caution brought out by #29-Harvick, he then started running 5 mph slower than the leaders when an alternator problem forced him to shut off some of his fans. In the final long run to the checkers, he slipped out of the top 5 and barely held on to this top-15 finish as his tires lost grip.
14) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Inherited the lead from #16-Biffle when #16-Biffle slowed up on the frontstretch with 170 to go and missed the entrance to pit road. Brought out the race’s eighth and final caution with 65 laps to go when, while racing #11-Hamlin for the seventh spot, he got loose and spun #11-Hamlin off turn four. He remained in the top 10 after the incident, but fell back after scrubbing the wall in turns three and four with 29 laps to go. Led 11 laps.
15) #07-Clint Bowyer Bounced off the wall with 38 laps to go, but remained in the 15th spot at the finish.
16) #8-Mark Martin NO NOTES
17) #66-Scott Riggs Losing his primary car before qualifying seemed an ironic burst of good luck as he qualified his backup in 9th and remained in the top 10 for much of the early part of the race. Though he slipped back in the later stages, he still held on for a respectable finish.
18) #43-Bobby Labonte NO NOTES
19) #44-David Reutimann Was nearly taken out when he passed on the inside of #9-Kahne as #9-Kahne almost spun off of turn four with around 50 laps to go. Slight contact may have been made to the right-front of his car, but not enough to prove hazardous.
20) #38-David Gilliland Had perhaps the most significant wreck that did not bring out a caution flag around 100 laps to go when he drifted up into the outside wall off turn two and bounced off it twice. Led 1 lap.
21) #20-Tony Stewart Won his first-ever race at the Darlington Raceway with a victory in the Nationwide race on Friday but, much like when he had a similar first at Talladega, wound up far behind his teammate #18-Ky. Busch. What tripped up Smoke this time was the subject of the race’s first caution on lap 2 when #19-E. Sadler broke loose racing beneath him in turn one, pinching his Toyota hard into the outside wall. He then lost two laps as he struggled to regain control of his injured car, but managed to get both of them back before the night was over.
22) #9-Kasey Kahne The car which he thought would snare him a great qualifying time wound up totaled in qualifying when something broke as he exited turn two, stuffing him in the wall and back in provisional land with the backup car. Things weren’t so good in the race, either, and with around 50 laps to go, he nearly spun coming off turn four and clipped #44-Reutimann, both cars recovering without bringing out the caution. Led 1 lap.
23) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya Like #84-Allmendinger, he picked up big time on his second qualifying lap after hitting the wall on his first. Was otherwise invisible in the race.
24) #55-Michael Waltrip His 700th Cup start was rather uneventful.
25) #83-Brian Vickers Was damaged in the strange pit road entrance incident with #12-Newman following the fifth caution of the race which put a noticeable dent in the driver’s side door of his car. A few laps later, he would himself bring out the sixth caution of the race by spinning off turn four with 119 to go.
26) #96-J.J. Yeley Led 1 lap.
27) #84-A.J. Allmendinger In Friday’s qualifying session, he bounced off the wall very hard on his first lap, but kept his foot in it and cranked out the 26th-fastest lap the second time around. He was not as swift during the race, but stayed out of trouble until he brought out the seventh caution of the race by hitting the wall once again with 88 laps to go.
28) #00-Michael McDowell (R) The highest-finishing rookie for the first time this season, ironically taking place in his first race without backing from Aaron’s.
29) #01-Regan Smith (R) NO NOTES
30) #21-Bill Elliott Scored one of his best qualifying runs of the season by clinching the 20th spot in his David Pearson throwback paintscheme, but, like Marlin, was out-gunned in the race by the leaders.
31) #78-Joe Nemechek NO NOTES
32) #41-Reed Sorenson NO NOTES
33) #7-Robby Gordon Like #9-Kahne, trashed his car in qualifying when the car suddenly smacked the outside wall off of turn two and was forced to a backup car with a poor qualifying position. He smacked the wall late in the race as well, but did not bring out a caution.
34) #40-Sterling Marlin Returned back to his old 40 car for the first time since the 2005 season finale to race at Darlington, the track where he won in 1995 the last time the track was repaved and in 2002 for his most recent Cup win. Though his car was intact at the finish, save for a Darlington Stripe received as he tried to hold off leader #18-Ky. Busch around lap 103, he had no such luck in this race, finishing a few laps down.
35) #5-Casey Mears While running 13th with 97 laps to go, he cut a left-front tire and smacked the outside wall, dropping him back in the running order as, like #38-Gilliland’s incident, there was no caution.
36) #15-Paul Menard Nearly wrecked leading #10-Carpentier off turn four when he had fresher tires than #10-Carpentier during the second round of green-flag stops. With 146 to go, he was next seen on pit road being pushed to the garage area with the engine turned off.
37) #12-Ryan Newman Lost a good amount of track position when he was penalized for a tire violation in the pits during the first round of green-flag stops on lap 68, then missed the commitment cone and was forced to come around again. He was later involved in an even more curious incident as the field was about to restart from the fifth caution, his car colliding with #83-Vickers at the pit road entrance as the two somehow crossed paths. The resulting damage to the right-front of his car did not help his car’s handling.
38) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) Brought out the second caution of the race when he bounced off the outside wall hard enough to make the numbers on the right side of his car unreadable. He went on to brush the wall a few other times in the race, his total second only to #18-Ky. Busch, but was not involved in any other incidents.
39) #29-Kevin Harvick Strong run early ruined when, while running sixth on lap 147, he broke loose coming off turn two and smacked the outside wall hard, crunching the right-rear and right-front of his Chevrolet to bring out the fourth caution of the race (the third was waved just 7 laps earlier for debris).
40) #10-Patrick Carpentier (R) Held the lead for a while during the second round of green-flag stops around lap 116, during which time he was almost wrecked by #15-Menard as he closed in on him off of turn four with fresher tires. With 97 laps to go, just as #5-Mears limped into the pits, he was on pit road with a blown engine. Interestingly, only he and #16-Biffle, who also lost an engine, failed to finish the race. Led 4 laps.
41) #45-Kyle Petty Had an unscheduled stop only nine laps into the race after brushing the wall, ultimately sending him to the garage after 16 laps. He returned to the track several laps down and pretty much rode noticeably slow around the apron for the rest of the night.
42) #19-Elliott Sadler A great 7th place qualifying run was the high point of his weekend. Was the cause of the race’s first caution just 2 laps in when he broke loose under #20-Stewart as the two raced side-by-side into turn one, his car washing up the track and into #20-Stewart. The damage to the front and right-rear of his car was significant enough to put him behind the wall for much of the race’s first half, but he did return to finish the race under power.
43) #16-Greg Biffle The two-time Darlington champ looked to be finding his old groove on the track’s new pavement, surprisingly bumping #88-Earnhardt, Jr. to set a new track record at 179.442 mph. While racing for the lead with both #88-Earnhardt, Jr. and #18-Ky. Busch, he authored an impressive save when #18-Ky. Busch made contact with his rear bumper midway through turn two. His car drifted for a few seconds at a sharp angle, but recovered, only costing him two spots. The first chink in the armor appeared with 170 to go when he slowed up on the frontstretch as he missed the pit entrance. He soon discovered he had an even worse vibration than teammate #17-Kenseth and pitted on lap 234. Unfortunately, it turned out to be an engine failure, the oil from his car bringing out the fifth caution of the race. Led 95 laps.

DID NOT QUALIFY:
#34-Jeff Green
#70-Johnny Sauter

Race 10: Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond

THE STARTING GRID:





THE WINNER:
#07-Clint Bowyer had one of the strongest cars all night, gaining 20 spots in the first 100 laps and saving his car from wrecking when he merged into #42-Montoya off turn four, but for much of the Richmond event, that seemed to be only enough to get him a fourth-place finish. That all changed when #11-Denny Hamlin’s dominant Toyota lost a right-front tire with ten laps to go and #18-Kyle Busch spun #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. from the lead eight laps later. The latter incident allowed Bowyer to slip past Busch and Earnhardt, Jr., giving him the lead for the ensuing green-white-checkered restart. When #8-Mark Martin raced Busch for the second spot, Bowyer got away and won the second race of his career, his first since his own dominant run at New Hampshire last September. Bowyer led the final 13 of the race’s caution-extended 410 laps and, having started way back in the 31st position, became the first driver all season to win a Cup race from outside the top 9 starting spots.

RESULTS:
1) #07-Clint Bowyer THE WINNER!
2) #18-Kyle Busch Made himself a factor in the race by first wrestling second place from #8-Martin coming off pit road, then attempting to pass teammate #11-Hamlin for the lead on the outside before the sixth caution, a move which he was unable to make stick due to a tight condition in the center which would eventually allow #8-Martin to retake second place on lap 254. He was back in second by lap 339, closing in on #11-Hamlin before a round of green-flag stops. His biggest competition in the final stages was #88-Earnhardt, Jr., with whom he raced hard on the inside as #88-Earnhardt, Jr. raced up high. After splitting the slowing #11-Hamlin with 18 to go to take the second spot, the tenth caution brought out by #11-Hamlin allowed him to close back in on #88-Earnhardt, Jr. for a five-lap shootout. Still running the low line after spinning his tires on the restart, he raced side-by-side with #88-Earnhardt, Jr. from turn one through turn three with three laps to go, but slipped in turn three into #88-Earnhardt, Jr., spinning #88-Earnhardt, Jr. into the outside wall. He was also forced to check up as he moved up high, allowing #07-Bowyer to make the winning pass. The green-white-checkered finish allowed him to get one more chance, but when #8-Martin raced him hard for second, #07-Bowyer got away. Though he did not lead any laps, he did retake the point lead from #31-J. Burton.
3) #8-Mark Martin Remained in second for almost as long as #11-Hamlin led, dogging the #11 by between a half-second to a couple seconds as the leader tore through lapped traffic. He lost second place when #18-Ky. Busch became a factor around the time of the sixth caution, but retook the spot on lap 254 as #18-Ky. Busch developed a tight condition in the center of the corner. This advantage proved critical in the green-white-checkered finish, for he raced #18-Ky. Busch hard for the second position, thus allowing #07-Bowyer to get away and score the victory.
4) #20-Tony Stewart Ran incident-free until he pitted under the third caution brought out by #42-Montoya, his jackman Jason Lee jumping on the hood of his car as he dove into the pit stall. #41-Sorenson was also parked too close in front of him, so he bumped #41-Sorenson forward as he blasted out of the pit stall.
5) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Complained of a shaking brake pedal shortly after the restart for the first caution brought out by #70-Sauter.
6) #12-Ryan Newman Barely missed involvement in the sixth caution of the race when #10-Carpentier slid down to the inside after being hit by #38-Gilliland.
7) #99-Carl Edwards Having been reunited with crew chief Bob Osborne and re-signed with Roush-Fenway, he scored a decent run despite suffering minor damage to the left-front fender of his car in the beginning of the race’s massive sixth caution after #22-Blaney forced #96-Yeley to cross his nose and turn into the outside wall.
8) #29-Kevin Harvick Took tires before the final run to the checkers and gained a few spots, but was still not in contention for the win.
9) #24-Jeff Gordon Had a horrible lead-in to the race, struggling mightily with a tight condition through practice, chalking up his worst-ever starting spot at Richmond, then was forced to start last when his crew was forced to work on the ignition in this impound race, setting him up to get lapped by #11-Hamlin in a three-wide squeeze down the backstretch with #70-Sauter very early on at lap 45. Though his pit crew was only making tire pressure adjustments, his luck started to turn when he got his lap back under the third caution for #42-Montoya and was back up to 16th on lap 175. He narrowly missed damage in the sixth caution by checking-up behind #77-Hornish, Jr. on the outside, but sustained damage to the front of his car while racing up through the field around lap 305.
10) #9-Kasey Kahne NO NOTES
11) #31-Jeff Burton Poor qualifying effort dropped him right in the middle of the sixth caution of the race in which he miraculously avoided any more damage than a creased driver-side door when he went high and spun #01-Smith after bouncing off the wrecked #10-Carpentier.
12) #41-Reed Sorenson Big-time turnaround for him in this race, the first after he switched crew chiefs with teammate #42-Montoya. Qualified fifth alongside #42-Montoya and ran a respectable race, though he was bumped by #20-Stewart on pit road under the third caution for pitting too close for #20-Stewart to exit. He did bounce off the wall as #11-Hamlin lost spots in the final 20 laps of the race, but still managed to score a solid finish.
13) #43-Bobby Labonte Smacked the outside wall in a separate incident just as the third caution came out for #42-Montoya, but still managed to turn in an excellent run in his Speed Racer-schemed Dodge.
14) #16-Greg Biffle NO NOTES
15) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. A full two years after winning his most recent points race in this event in 2006, he came even closer to winning than he had earlier in the year. Rallying from 22nd to 11th in the first 50 laps, he steadily made up ground and saved his car from spinning when it got very loose off turn four in the middle stages of the race. Came up into 3rd by passing #8-Martin with 130 laps to go, following #18-Ky. Busch who moved into 2nd. He was consistently diamonding the corners, which allowed him to remain close to #18-Ky. Busch and pass him for 2nd with 30 laps to go. When #11-Hamlin slowed for a tire that was going down, he passed #11-Hamlin up high in turn two as #18-Ky. Busch passed him down low, giving him the lead with just 18 to go. The tenth caution brought out by #11-Hamlin allowed #18-Ky. Busch to close in once again for a five lap restart. He had a great restart as #18-Ky. Busch spun his tires, but could not keep his car on the bottom, where #18-Ky. Busch was fastest. Just two laps later, he was dead-even with #18-Ky. Busch from turn one through turn three, where #18-Ky. Busch slid up into him, spinning him into the outside wall and crumpling the rear of his car. The incident allowed #07-Bowyer to make the winning pass on both cars and extended his losing streak to 72 races. Led 15 laps.
16) #28-Travis Kvapil NO NOTES
17) #6-David Ragan As #84-Allmendinger spun down the backstretch in the fourth caution, he attempted to drive through the smoke, but wound up rear-ending #38-Gilliland, severely damaging the front of his Ford.
18) #22-Dave Blaney Was the cause of the massive pileup which brought out the sixth caution and first red flag of the race when he merged up into #96-Yeley on the backstretch, putting #96-Yeley hard into the backstretch wall off the nose of #99-Edwards in the outside lane. He, like #99-Edwards, avoided further involvement in the wreck.
19) #66-Scott Riggs NO NOTES
20) #19-Elliott Sadler Gained track position during the pit stops under the first caution, perhaps as a result of taking two tires, for he dropped through the field soon after. He had a role in the sixth caution of the race when he checked-up for the wrecking #96-Yeley and turned his teammate #10-Carpentier into the inside wall, blocking the track right after he squeezed through turn three. His car ran very high around the track in the laps following the accident.
21) #01-Regan Smith (R) The top-finishing rookie for the series-leading fifth time this season, again breaking the tie with #77-Hornish, Jr., had a bumpy start when he brought out the fourth caution of the race on lap 204 from spinning #84-Allmendinger down the backstretch with apparent intent to do so. He then spun off the nose of #31-J. Burton in the sixth caution’s massive wreck as #31-J. Burton clipped the #10-Carpentier wreck, but avoided damage and provided an excellent under-car shot from the Gopher Cam.
22) #44-David Reutimann NO NOTES
23) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) Brushed the outside wall in the laps following the first caution brought out by #70-Sauter. He then suffered a bit more damage in the sixth caution when the wrecking #10-Carpentier slid up into him, sending him sliding into the outside wall with #24-J. Gordon, #01-Smith, and #55-Waltrip slowing behind him.
24) #11-Denny Hamlin Looked to be a shoe-in for the weekend sweep at his home track, a track he said he wanted to win at more than either Indy or the Daytona 500, winning the Nationwide race and the pole for the Cup event. He absolutely dominated the race in record fashion, beating the laps led record set by his hero Bill Elliott in 1992. He made a daring move early on, squeezing between #70-Sauter and #24-J. Gordon to put the two one lap down. Aided by great work by his pit crew, where his family waited anxiously for the finish, #11-Hamlin led all but one of the first 382 laps. That all changed when he reported he had a tire going down with 20 laps to go, slowing up to the point that #18-Ky. Busch and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. were catching up as they raced each other. Two laps later, #18 and #88 split him in turn one to take over the top two spots and he began to drop precipitously through the pack. He brought out the tenth caution of the race when he stopped on the track after the tire finally let go, a move which forced NASCAR to penalize him for two laps. Led a race-high 381 laps.
25) #09-Sterling Marlin Slipped by on the apron to avoid damage in the sixth caution of the race, much like he had to avoid the Talladega wreck, and was again rewarded with all four fenders and a respectable finish.
26) #7-Robby Gordon The first car to be lapped by the dominant #11-Hamlin early in the race was surprisingly clear of much of the night’s chaos.
27) #45-Kyle Petty Was completely stopped on the apron when the sixth caution wreck happened, allowing him to avoid any damage.
28) #83-Brian Vickers Was bumped up the track in turn one by #00-McDowell as they raced to be the first car one lap down shortly before the third caution brought out by #42-Montoya. He himself drove too high in turn four just past the halfway mark, picking up debris on his tires which forced him high on the backstretch on lap 219 to get pinned in the wall by #15-Menard when #38-Gilliland merged on top of him, bringing out the fifth caution of the race.
29) #78-Joe Nemechek NO NOTES
30) #48-Jimmie Johnson Suffered slight damage to the left-front of his car when #38-Gilliland checked-up into him as they raced, the damage irritating his handling bad enough to keep him in 27th after 120 laps. The second caution of the race, brought out for debris, narrowly saved he and #10-Carpentier from going a lap down shortly after. He suffered more serious damage under the sixth caution of the race when he was right behind #38-Gilliland when he slammed into the wrecked #10-Carpentier, squeezing him between #38-Gilliland and #00-McDowell, who spun into the wall to avoid further contact.
31) #15-Paul Menard Was taken out in the fifth caution of the race when #38-Gilliland checked up into him on the backstretch, forcing him to pinch #83-Vickers in the wall and spin off the nose of #83-Vickers, slamming himself hard into the outside wall.
32) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya In the first race after switching crew chiefs with teammate #41-Sorenson, roughed-up #10-Carpentier as the two diced for position early in the race, then brought out the third caution of the event on lap 138 when he broke loose in the middle of turn two, sending his car facing backwards against the outside wall. He did, however, manage to remain on the lead lap after the incident. His left-front fender started smoking shortly before the fourth caution after contact with #07-Bowyer in turn four as #07-Bowyer merged up into him. Soon after #38-Gilliland collided with #10-Carpentier in the sixth caution of the race, he drilled the back of #70-Sauter, sending the #70 sliding up the track into #00-McDowell, then spun himself into the resulting logjam as #2-Ku. Busch and #17-Kenseth tried to slow down to his inside, but became involved as well. Damage to his car was so severe that the rear spoiler was broken in half on the rear decklid.
33) #70-Johnny Sauter A few laps after going a lap down along with #24-J. Gordon in #11-Hamlin’s daring three-wide maneuver, he brought out the first caution of the race on lap 65 when his right-front tire blew in turn four, putting him hard in the wall. Surprisingly, he not only returned to the race, but only two laps down. He could not avoid damage in the sixth caution, either, for #42-Montoya drilled him in the rear as he slowed down, sending him spinning up the track into the stopped #00-McDowell.
34) #96-J.J. Yeley The last-place starter was effectively taken out in the beginning of the race’s large sixth caution melee when #22-Blaney merged up into him on the backstretch, smashing him hard into the outside wall after being forced to cross the nose of #99-Edwards in the outside groove. The rest of the wreck unfolded seconds later when #19-Sadler checked-up and turned his teammate #10-Carpentier into the inside wall.
35) #26-Jamie McMurray Barely missed involvement in the big sixth caution wreck and found himself flirting with the top 10 when the race restarted. He was not so lucky with 35 to go when he brought out the ninth caution of the race, spinning around on his own and backing hard into the turn three wall.
36) #5-Casey Mears Brought out the eighth caution of the race when he checked up on the frontstretch on lap 354, slamming #55-Waltrip hard into the outside wall. #55-Waltrip paid him back with interest while following him into turn one, shoving him through the turn in a move that got #55-Waltrip parked.
37) #55-Michael Waltrip Made slight contact with the wall on several occasions, avoided the big wreck that was the sixth caution by following #24-J. Gordon up high, then on lap 354 became both victim and aggressor in the race’s eighth caution. #5-Mears slid up in the frontstretch and pinched him in the wall, to which he promptly retaliated by shoving the damaged car of #5-Mears hard through turn 1. NASCAR parked him immediately after the incident.
38) #17-Matt Kenseth Suffered damage in the sixth caution of the race while racing #2-Ku. Busch on the inside as they closed in on the destroyed #10-Carpentier lying directly in their path. He, like #2-Ku. Busch, locked his brakes and hit #10-Carpentier heavily with the front of his car.
39) #84-A.J. Allmendinger Again qualified in the top 20 (19th) in his second race back with Team Red Bull and ran an exceptional race for much of the night, running 14th on lap 151 and not putting so much as a tire mark on his immaculate silver Toyota. Unfortunately, that changed when #01-Smith spun him down the backstretch on lap 204 to bring out the fourth caution, his smoke obscuring #11-Hamlin’s view as he drove through and causing #6-Ragan to collide with #38-Gilliland. He did not hit anything, however, and remained on the lead lap to lead the only lap that #11-Hamlin did not under the resulting caution. His luck ran out when he got loose racing under #00-McDowell in turn three on lap 260, annihilating the rear of his car from a direct hit into the turn three wall in what was the seventh caution of the race. Led 1 lap.
40) #00-Michael McDowell (R) Raced #83-Vickers hard to be the first car one lap down just before the third caution brought out by #42-Montoya, bumping #83-Vickers up the track in turn one. He then became involved in the sixth caution of the race by spinning high to avoid slamming into the damaged #48-Johnson, then being hit in the rear by the spinning #70-Sauter soon after. The rear of his car was further damaged in the seventh caution when #84-Allmendinger spun him into the turn three wall again, this time putting his rear wing at a precarious angle.
41) #38-David Gilliland Had a target sign on his back for much of the race, first making the contact with #48-Johnson which creased the left-front fender of the #48, then being rear-ended by #6-Ragan in the smoke thrown up by #84-Allmendinger under the fourth caution of the race. He was also the car who merged up the track on lap 219, causing #15-Menard and #83-Vickers to collide and bring out the fifth caution. His car was finished off in the sixth caution of the race when he was the first car to plow into the disabled #10-Carpentier, #48-Johnson unable to slow down in time to keep from rear-ending him at the same time.
42) #2-Kurt Busch Ran a mediocre race and found himself in the late stages of the sixth caution of the race when he locked his brakes to whoa up for #10-Carpentier’s destroyed car on the bottom of turn three while racing #17-Kenseth to his inside. Both he and #17-Kenseth slammed into #10-Carpentier, himself receiving the worst of the damage when he plowed into the wreck, then was hit by the crippled #17-Kenseth and finished off with a hit to the rear authored by the spinning #42-Montoya.
43) #10-Patrick Carpentier (R) Excellent fourth-place qualifying run was the high point of the weekend, for he slipped back through the field early and was roughed-up by #42-Montoya once off turn three. He narrowly avoided going a lap down when the second caution came out for debris after the one-quarter mark. He then suffered the worst damage in the sixth caution of the race when his teammate #19-Sadler checked up for the wrecking #96-Yeley on the backstretch, spinning him hard into the inside wall. His car then rebounded off the fence and into turn three traffic, clipping #77-Hornish, Jr. who went into the outside wall with #24-J. Gordon, #01-Smith, and #55-Waltrip slowing behind. #38-Gilliland then slammed him in the rear, spinning his disabled car to the inside just in time to be hit once more by #2-Ku. Busch and #17-Kenseth. The wreck brought out the red flag, but fortunately, he and everyone else was uninjured.

DID NOT QUALIFY:
#21-Jon Wood (R)
#33-Scott Wimmer
#34-John Andretti
#40-Ken Schrader

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