Race 33: Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta

THE STARTING GRID:




THE WINNER:
On a day where everyone was fighting their cars tooth-and-nail around the fast Atlanta Motor Speedway, it was fitness guru #99-Carl Edwards who wound up winning his seventh Sprint Cup race of the year, his third at Atlanta. After early worries about the pitch of his engine changing, his car never lacked for speed and remained with polesitter #48-Johnson through the early laps, taking the lead for the first time on lap 21. He lost a couple spots when the #48 blocked him in his pit stall during the first round of pit stops. After #48-Johnson’s struggles following a pit road speeding penalty, Edwards exchanged the lead with teammate #17-Kenseth when his crew had a slow stop under the third caution on lap 110. Soon, he was back to 2nd behind #11-Hamlin. #11-Hamlin had problems with spinning his tires on restarts, and Edwards took advantage on the next-to-last restart with 16 to go to bump past #11-Hamlin for the win. Anticipations of a big points day went south, however, as #48-Johnson managed to rally with a late 4-tire stop to finish 2nd. As with his first Sprint Cup victory, which came at the track, Edwards also won the Nationwide Series race for that weekend, this time in Memphis. Led 98 laps.


RESULTS:
1) #99-Carl Edwards** THE WINNER!
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson** Won yet another rained-out pole position, but was mid-pack during all the subsequent practice sessions. At the green flag, he spun his tires to the point that he wobbled toward outside-polesitter #16-Biffle, ultimately leading to #99-Edwards taking the 2nd spot. He was first passed by #99-Edwards on lap 21, regained the lead off pit road under the second caution on lap 35, then dropped precipitously through the field. On lap 75, he nearly spun coming off turn two and called his car’s handling “evil.” As he pitted during the first round of green-flag stops on lap 90, he smoked his brakes coming down pit road so he could pit with leader #99-Edwards. The move resulted in him being caught speeding coming onto pit road, forcing him to serve a pass-through penalty on lap 91. He returned to the track in 30th. On the lap 115 restart following the third caution of the race (for debris), he quickly got by the slow-restarting cars of #9-Kahne and #12-Newman to get in position for the Lucky Dog. He was still in that position when #9-Kahne’s spin brought out the fourth caution on lap 130, giving him his lap back and restarting him in 20th. He was up to 13th with 95 laps to go. Under the tenth and final caution with 13 laps to go, crew chief Chad Knaus made the fateful decision to have him come in and change four tires along with a handful of other cars outside the top 10. After restarting 11th with 8 laps to go, he rocketed through the field, climbing to 7th with 7 to go, 4th with 4 to go, and past #11-Hamlin for 2nd off the final corner. The rally actually enabled him to gain points from a 149 point advantage over #16-Biffle to a 183 point margin over winner #99-Edwards. Led 28 laps.
3) #11-Denny Hamlin** Keeping pace with the leaders, he felt a vibration by lap 87 when he feared his tires were worn to the cords. Having moved up to 7th by lap 99, he silently, but deliberately, moved into contention for the lead. He was up to 4th by lap 203 and, under the fifth caution six laps later, he nearly collided with #99-Edwards as the two raced for 3rd off pit road. He won the battle and restarted 3rd behind #2-Ku. Busch and #17-Kenseth on the lap 216 restart. As the #17 and #2 raced for the lead, he closed in and, with 95 to go, was within sight of the lead pair. He had just moved by #2-Ku. Busch for 2nd with 73 to go when the sixth caution of the race came for debris. Under the yellow, he was able to beat #17-Kenseth off pit road by a half-carlength to take the lead for the first time. However, it became clear that his car struggled on restarts. When the race restarted with 68 to go, he spun his tires and was only able to stay out front by opening up an advantage through turns one and two. The same thing happened following the eighth caution with 28 to go, his car staying out front as #99-Edwards got past #17-Kenseth for 2nd. On the restart after that with 16 to go, #99-Edwards used this weakness to his advantage, bumping him as the two exited the quad-oval (similar to #18-Ky. Busch’s winning pass at Chicagoland). The contact caused him to wobble to the inside, allowing #99-Edwards to make the winning pass on him up high in turns one and two. Unable to return the favor on the final restart with 8 to go, he was passed by the surging #48-Johnson off the final corner and wobbled again, barely avoiding a wreck with the points leader as he fell to 3rd. Led 56 laps.
4) #17-Matt Kenseth** Raced into contention by moving up to 2nd on lap 61, then took the lead for the first time under the third caution of the race on lap 110 by beating teammate #99-Edwards off pit road. He held the lead for much of the middle stages of the race, maintaining it through pit stops under the fourth caution with a 12-second stop. He lost the lead by a hair to #2-Ku. Busch during pit stops under the fifth caution on lap 209, then regained it after a side-by-side battle with the #2 on lap 224. With 80 to go and his lead over #2-Ku. Busch at 1.43 seconds, he still worried that he wouldn’t be able to win the race because his car was so loose. He never regained the lead after #11-Hamlin beat him off pit road under the sixth caution with 72 to go, but held fast to a top 5. Led a race-high 128 laps.
5) #18-Kyle Busch** Ran the car he brought to his first victory of 2008 in the spring Atlanta event. Racing towards the top 10 on lap 120, he nearly spun while avoiding the nearby car of #41-Sorenson.
6) #2-Kurt Busch After nearly colliding with #29-Harvick during pit stops under the second caution of the race on lap 35, he raced into contention, moving up to 3rd by lap 99. Ironically, after slapping the outside wall off turn four with the right-rear of his car on lap 175, he seemed to get faster. Under the fifth caution on lap 209, he then took the lead for the first time by barely edging #17-Kenseth in the race off pit road. The move resulted in a tight side-by-side battle with #17-Kenseth that lasted from laps 222-224, his car holding the high line before the #17 took the lead. Led 12 laps.
7) #26-Jamie McMurray On lap 42, he was nearly pinched into the outside wall in the quad-oval while racing on the outside of #07-Bowyer and #83-Vickers in a three-wide battle. By lap 122, he had marched his way up to the 11th spot, and he was 9th with 87 laps to go. With 4 to go, he and #6-Ragan split #24-J. Gordon in the quad-oval as they raced into the 7th and 8th spots. Finally secured another good finish after his misfortune at Martinsville.
8) #6-David Ragan Flirted with the top 10 through much of the race and, after missing his pit stall under green on lap 188, was efficient in making up the lost ground. Though he lost a lap due to the extra stop, he got it back as the Lucky Dog under the sixth caution for debris with 72 to go. With 4 to go, he and #26-McMurray split #24-J. Gordon in the quad-oval as they raced into the 7th and 8th spots.
9) #24-Jeff Gordon** He was forced to make several changes to his car through the race, but was fortunately able to remain in the top 5 for just about the entire day. He did not, however, contend for the lead.
10) #16-Greg Biffle** Was irritated at the start of the race after #48-Johnson spun his tires and wobbled up towards him, causing him to check-up and lose 2nd to #99-Edwards. As early as lap 13, he worried about his car’s handling going away, and he fell from 2nd almost as soon as he retook the spot. On lap 158, he was stuck in 15th, his car still extremely loose. He went a lap down to leader #17-Kenseth on lap 208, then immediately got it back the next lap as the Lucky Dog when #55-Waltrip’s second blown tire brought out the fifth caution of the race. Fought his way into the top 10 during the final 8-lap dash to the checkers. Led 1 lap.
11) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.** Once again, he had the fastest car on the track in the early laps and, again, this was credit to his running extremely close to the outside wall. After starting 9th, he was up to 4th just 29 laps into the race, at which point his was the fastest car on the track. He lost some spots on pit road under the second caution on lap 35 while waiting for #22-Blaney to get out of his way. His car’s handling suffered thereafter, and he required adjustments during the green-flag stops on lap 90 as his car was “dancing” on the right-rear tire. During the fourth caution of the race on lap 130, his crew was unsuccessful in removing his windshield tear-off, and it remained bunched-up on his windshield. Fortunately, it blew off the front of his car in turn one on the lap 136 restart. Unfortunately, his car was still extremely loose. As has typically happened with him in 2008, he scraped the outside wall, this time coming off turn two on lap 195. Exasperated, his crew chief said during the fifth caution on lap 209 that he was “running out of adjustments” to make his car tighter. After restarting 14th, he fought to get into the top 10, racing past #1-Truex, Jr. for 10th with 87 laps to go, then to 9th by 75 to go. Under the seventh caution of the race with 37 to go, his car bounced between #2-Ku. Busch and #99-Edwards coming off pit road, but none of the cars suffered any damage. Led 1 lap.
12) #5-Casey Mears NO NOTES
13) #29-Kevin Harvick** Once again ran his “go-to” car that gave him several top 10s through the summer and early fall, though it fell just short of picking him up another. His adventure began under the second caution of the race when he was forced to go into the grass coming off pit road to avoid #2-Ku. Busch. In the run that followed, his car pushed terribly and he was stuck mid-pack with teammates #07-Bowyer and #31-J. Burton. After some adjustments, he was back up to 9th on lap 127.
14) #10-A.J. Allmendinger Suffered some cosmetic damage to the nose of his car in the first caution of the race on lap 3 when he bumped the sliding #77-Hornish, Jr. into a spin after the #77 had spun #21-Elliott. He lost a lap, then got it back as the Lucky Dog when the multi-car wreck sparked by #22-Blaney brought out the ninth caution of the race with 22 to go. In the closing laps, he moved up further and picked up his second-straight top-15 finish in as many races driving for Ray Evernham.
15) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Started 16th, then inched his way toward the top 10, where he sat for much of the middle-to-late stages of the race. After restarting 7th on the final restart with 8 to go, however, he dropped rapidly back to outside the top 10 as #48-Johnson and others with fresher tires raced past.
16) #12-Ryan Newman On Saturday, he picked up his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in his first-ever Truck Series start. He lost a lap sometime in the first part of the race, then got it back as the Lucky Dog when debris from #55-Waltrip brought out the eighth caution of the race with 28 laps to go.
17) #20-Tony Stewart** Lost a lap after running in the top 10 in the middle stages of the race, then got the Lucky Dog under the tenth and final caution (for debris) with 13 laps to go.
18) #31-Jeff Burton** Ran the same car he took the victory lane in the fall Charlotte race a few weeks prior. He struggled on the start, however, when he spun his tires badly and dropped from the 3rd starting spot. He then languished back around the 17th spot and was momentarily joined by teammates #29-Harvick and #07-Bowyer. Running 16th, opn lap 158, he was complaining the front end of his car wouldn’t turn. He was lapped by leader #17-Kenseth on lap 195. Under the sixth caution of the race with 72 to go, he sustained some damage to the left-front of his car when he made contact with the stopped #96-Schrader as he left pit road. The contact resulted in his left-front fender smoking heavily for a few laps after the restart with 68 to go, after which the tire rub repaired itself. He remained in the Lucky Dog spot and, as such, got his lap back when #55-Waltrip’s spin brought out the seventh caution with 37 to go. Was involved in the ninth caution of the race with 22 to go when he bumped the slowing #22-Blaney into a spin entering turn three, then moved high only to be trapped behind the wrecking #22 along with #41-Sorenson and #42-Montoya to his outside. As the wreck ensued, the damaged #41 slid into his right-rear, turning his slowing car into the outside wall, damaging the nose of his car. Quick work by his pit crew under the caution kept him in the top 20, but he was certainly out of competition.
19) #7-Robby Gordon Moved back off the bubble into 34th in owner’s points as #84-Speed finished 34th, moving the #84 team back to 35th in owner’s points.
20) #07-Clint Bowyer** His streak of three-straight 6th place finishes at Atlanta came to an end with a frustrating run. After starting 5th, he had fallen all the way back to 23rd on lap 68 as the air pressure adjustments made by his crew proved unhelpful. On lap 122, he was one lap down in 21st, a few spots behind teammate #31-J. Burton. Still back in the pack when the eighth caution fell with 28 to go, he suffered damage to the driver’s side of his car when he sideswiped #42-Montoya on pit road. The repairs required an extra pit stop under the yellow.
21) #83-Brian Vickers Was given a one-lap penalty under the eighth caution of the race with 28 to go for pitting outside the box, keeping him from securing a needed top-20 finish.
22) #8-Mark Martin Surprisingly, despite his history at Atlanta, he was 2 laps down on lap 182.
23) #28-Travis Kvapil NO NOTES
24) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) The top-finishing rookie for the series-leading eleventh time in 2008 ahead of #01-Smith with nine, #10-Carpentier with seven, and #00-McDowell with six. Brought out the first caution of the race on lap 3 when he slid into the left-rear corner of #21-Elliott coming off turn two and was then bumped by #10-Allmendinger, sending both he and the #21 spinning toward the inside wall. He avoided further contact and kept going as #21-Elliott stalled. He and #21-Elliott were then both penalized a lap for a pit road infraction under the caution.
25) #19-Elliott Sadler Caused the second caution of the race when he bumped #66-Riggs going into turn three, turning the #66 into the outside wall.
26) #43-Bobby Labonte Scraped up the right side of his car in an encounter with the wall sometime before his first green-flag stop on lap 85.
27) #38-David Gilliland Went down a lap, then got it back as the Lucky Dog when debris was spotted on lap 110.
28) #44-David Reutimann NO NOTES
29) #47-Marcos Ambrose (R) Made his first race in a Toyota as he took over the owner’s points for Michael Waltrip Racing’s #00 team for the remainder of the 2008 season.
30) #01-Regan Smith (R) NO NOTES
31) #15-Paul Menard NO NOTES
32) #70-Tony Raines NO NOTES
33) #9-Kasey Kahne His car was perhaps handling the worst of anyone else. By lap 105, he was off the pace in the upper groove, forcing him to pit under green for new tires and adjustments on lap 108. He was trapped a lap down when debris was spotted on lap 110, bringing out the third caution of the race. On the ensuing restart, he narrowly averted a penalty for a false start when a logjam formed amongst the other lapped cars. He lost more laps when he brought out the fourth caution on lap 130, his car finally spinning off turn four by itself and not hitting anything.
34) #84-Scott Speed (R) His team fell to 35th in owner’s points as #7-R. Gordon finished 19th. Led 1 lap.
35) #96-Ken Schrader NO NOTES
36) #45-Chad McCumbee (R) NO NOTES
37) #55-Michael Waltrip Became the first man since Richard Petty to make 1,000 starts in NASCAR’s top three divisions when the command to start engines was given. For the first part of the race, he looked like he was going to celebrate his landmark start with a solid finish. After starting 29th, he was up to 16th on lap 29 and, despite brushing the wall off turn two around lap 45, was up to 12th on lap 77. He fell back to the last car on the lead lap under the fourth caution on lap 130 as he had a short in his helmet’s radio. The repairs took two separate stops to replace both his helmet and radio system. On lap 142, he got very loose off turn 2, but managed to save it. He was not so fortunate on lap 168 when he cut a right-rear tire, brushed the wall, missed the pit entrance, and pitted under green, costing him two laps. Another right-rear tire went down on lap 209, this time bringing out the fifth caution of the race when the tire exploded the right-rear quarter-panel off his Toyota in turn three. The lengthy repairs required a large grey patch over the gaping hole in the rear of his car. He then brought out the seventh caution with 37 to go when he spun out of the lower groove in turn two. He also brought out the eighth caution with 28 to go when the quarter-panel patch on his car came loose.
38) #21-Bill Elliott Was involved in the first caution of the race on lap 3 when #77-Hornish, Jr. merged into the left-rear corner of his car coming off turn two, sending him spinning into the inside wall on the backstretch. The driver’s side of his car bounced off the inside wall before the car stopped on the apron with all its tires flat. He re-entered the race several laps down, losing an additional lap with #77-Hornish, Jr. for a pit road violation under that first caution.
39) #41-Reed Sorenson Was damaged in the ninth caution of the race with 22 to go when, while running high in turn three, his path was blocked by the wrecking #22-Blaney in front of him and #31-J. Burton to his left. Teammate #42-Montoya, also with nowhere to go, slammed into the rear of his damaged car. The contact turned him to the left, clipping #31-J. Burton in the right-rear and turning the #31 into the outside wall.
40) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya Returning to the scene of his first oval-track top 5, he climbed up from the 24th starting spot to 14th on lap 77, 10th by lap 99, 7th by lap 203, and all the way up to 5th with 37 to go. Like #2-Ku. Busch, he had sustained some scrapes to the right-rear of his car after clipping the wall, but his car continued to drive well in spite of the contact. Unfortunately, his great run ended with some terrible luck in the final stages. Under the eighth caution with 28 laps to go, he and a few other cars behind the leaders decided to pit for fresh tires. While leaving his stall, his car was sideswiped by the passing car of #07-Bowyer, nearly ripping the front clip off his Dodge. The repairs required an extra stop that mired him back in traffic for the final scramble to the finish. This, unfortunately, put him in the middle of the ninth caution of the race with 22 to go. Committed to the outside line, he had nowhere to go when #41-Sorenson collided with #31-J. Burton and #22-Blaney. Lost in the smoke, he rear-ended the #41, severely crumpling his already-damaged nose.
41) #22-Dave Blaney The race was his 300th Sprint Cup start. Unfortunately, the race did not go well for him as he ended up sparking the ninth caution of the race with 22 to go. Entering turn three on that lap, he slowed down to get out of a three-wide battle and wound up getting bumped in the left-rear by #31-J. Burton. His car spun up the track and backed into the wall, trapping #31-J. Burton along with #41-Sorenson and #42-Montoya in the high lane. As his wrecked car slid down the track, #78-Nemechek then hit the rear of his car with the #78's right-front. The wreck was costly as, though still 33rd in owner’s points, it dropped him from 121 points to just 80 ahead of 35th place #84-Speed.
42) #78-Joe Nemechek Lost a lap early, then received the Lucky Dog when #66-Riggs’ crash brought out the second caution of the race on lap 35. He was not so lucky when he was the last car involved in the ninth caution of the race with 22 to go. He was driving near the apron when #22-Blaney’s wrecked car stopped in his path and, with nowhere to go, he ran into the rear of the #22, damaging his right-front fender.
43) #66-Scott Riggs Was severely damaged in the second caution of the race on lap 35 when #19-E. Sadler bumped him going into turn three, turning him into the outside wall. His car suffered damage to the right-front corner along with some scraping along the passenger side. Still finished running, though 128 laps down to winner #99-Edwards. Unfortunately, the finish dropped him back to 32nd in owner’s points, 102 markers ahead of 35th place #84-Speed.


DID NOT QUALIFY:
#40-Bryan Clauson (R)
#02-Joey Logano (R)

Race 32: Tums QuikPak 500 at Martinsville

THE STARTING GRID:







THE WINNER:
Point leader #48-Jimmie Johnson had a dream weekend at one of his best tracks, claiming his most dominant victory in terms of number of laps led. After being awarded the pole when qualifying was rained-out for the ninth time in 2008 and being the fastest car in Saturday’s first practice session, Johnson was in a league of their own. Fast pit stops from the best pit stall on the congested pit road and a well-handling car invariably resulted in his car leading. Johnson did, however, have his share of close calls: he avoided the slowing car of #12-Newman on lap 333, made contact with #21-Elliott that creased his right-front fender on lap 346, one of his crewmen was nearly run over by #99-Edwards under the ninth caution on lap 381, he had to dodge the slowing #00-Bliss on the backstretch with 49 to go, then had to survive a green-white-checkered finish against teammate #88-Earnhardt, Jr.. Still, Johnson overcame it all and cruised to an easy victory over #88-Earnhardt, Jr. The race marked the sixth straight time Johnson has led more than 100 laps at Martinsville. Johnson expanded his point lead to 149 over #16-Biffle. Led a race-high 339 laps.


RESULTS:
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson** THE WINNER!
2) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.** After running with the leaders due to his ranking in the Chase for the Championship, he was dropped back to 41st under the first caution on lap 28 for speeding on pit road. Frustrated, he marched back through the pack, nudging #70-Raines out of his way off turn two on lap 40. He was back to 29th when the second caution fell on lap 61, and when he stayed out under that yellow, he restarted in 5th. Still, he kept the aggression on and brought out the third caution on lap 82 when he spun #26-McMurray out of 3rd off turn four. From there, he seemed to settle down, rolling through the corners and saving his brakes for the final part of the race. This cautious strategy enabled him to battle #99-Edwards for the 2nd spot in the final laps, claiming it with 87 to go. From there, he inched towards #48-Johnson, getting as close as 0.4 seconds behind with 45 to go after the #48 had to avoid hitting the slowing #00-Bliss. He lost 2nd to #99-Edwards off pit road under the tenth caution which fell with 43 to go, then got it back under green with 29 laps remaining. In the final green-white-checkered finish, he didn’t get as good a start as #48-Johnson and slipped off the corners, but still held off #99-Edwards to finish 2nd.
3) #99-Carl Edwards** Though his car’s splitter was hitting the track hard during the race, his car became very competitive once the tire pressures came up, moving up to 3rd by the second caution on lap 61. He held that spot for much of the race whenever #48-Johnson retook the lead. Closing in on the leaders past the halfway mark, he climbed as high as 2nd on lap 328. Under the ninth caution of the race on lap 381, he almost ran over a member of #48-Johnson’s pit crew as the two raced off pit road from the first two stalls. Having failed to beat #48-Johnson out of the pits on that final stop, he found himself racing #88-Earnhardt, Jr. for the rest of the race. Apparently, he forgot to communicate an adjustment to his crew chief during the tenth caution with 43 to go and though he restarted 2nd, he lost the spot to #88-Earnhardt, Jr. with 29 to go. He almost hit #17-Kenseth in front of him while checking up for the slowing #00-Bliss with 26 to go. With 7 to go, he tried to race under #88-Earnhardt, Jr. for 2nd, but couldn’t quite do it.
4) #24-Jeff Gordon** Had the fastest car in Happy Hour and hoped to make up for the rained-out qualifying session that prevented him from picking up another Martinsville pole. After starting 8th, he made up the lost ground quickly by moving to 3rd on lap 11, 2nd on lap 19, and the lead past #48-Johnson on lap 36. That pass came right after a daring cut beneath #48-Johnson on the lap 35 restart following the first caution of the race. He held the top spot until #48-Johnson retook it on lap 56. After hounding the rear bumper of the #48 on lap 190, he retook the lead on lap 241, lost it off pit road under the eighth caution on lap 256, then regained it on lap 272 before losing it once more to the #48 on lap 293. From that point on, he hovered between 5th and 10th. He got back up to 4th with 55 to go, but could do little more than race #83-Vickers and, later, #11-Hamlin, to defend the spot after that. By taking two tires and leaving early, his car was the one in the way of #31-J. Burton during final pit stops under the tenth caution brought out by #41-Sorenson with 43 to go. The move also, however, kept him in the top 5. Led 57 laps.
5) #11-Denny Hamlin** He and a handful of other drivers from 18th position on back pitted under the first caution on lap 28, and his car managed to gain the most spots by the second caution on lap 61. At that point, he had marched back up to 11th. After the fifth caution on lap 114, he fought #48-Johnson in traffic, splitting #70-Raines as the two raced side-by-side before the two shoved each other up the track in the turns. He was running 6th on lap 328. Did not bring the same car he drove to victory in the spring race.
6) #5-Casey Mears Had another excellent run for the second-straight Martinsville race. He moved into contention by following #8-Almirola’s strategy to restart 4th on lap 68, then was in 10th on lap 331 and 6th with 16 to go.
7) #29-Kevin Harvick** Though he came up short of his expectations to run in the top 5, he still had a solid run. He hovered just outside the top 10 for much of the race with Childress teammates #31-J. Burton and #07-Bowyer. Under the eighth caution on lap 256, he lost some spots on pit road when his crew accidentally unhooked his sway bar, then bumped the right-front fender of #31-J. Burton while leaving the congested pit road.
8) #17-Matt Kenseth** Brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 114 when he suddenly wobbled into #78-Nemechek entering turn three, sending the #78 backing into the outside wall. He cut a tire in the incident and suffered damage to the rear of his car which his crew mended with tape. He lost a lap, then got it back as the Lucky Dog when #19-E. Sadler’s crash brought out the seventh caution on lap 196. Languishing in the middle of the field, he took a chance by not pitting with the rest of the leaders with 43 to go and wound up the leader when the race was restarted with 34 to go. Not only did he lead a few laps before #48-Johnson retook the top spot, but he picked up a top-10 that seemed unlikely several laps earlier. He was forced to check-up on the frontstretch with 26 to go when #00-Bliss slowed in front of him, causing #99-Edwards to slow down as well. He pitted along with #83-Vickers and #07-Bowyer under the eleventh caution with 15 to go and got a few spots back in the final laps. Teammate #6-Ragan crossed his nose off turn four and he couldn’t avoid bumping the #6, ultimately leading to #6-Ragan spinning in the twelfth and final caution of the race. Led 8 laps.
9) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Was certainly justified in saying he had the best car he’s ever had at Martinsville by remaining at the tail end of the top 10 for much of the afternoon. After starting 18th, he was 8th on lap 161. He valiantly defended his top 10 run, hanging onto the 9th spot even after getting loose into turn three and running close to the wall on lap 304. He was even more steadfast against #31-J. Burton, who was determined to knock him out of 10th. Between 84 and about 68 laps to go, the #31 was all over his rear bumper, and with 68 to go, he nearly spun when the #31 clipped the right-rear corner of his car coming off turn four.
10) #07-Clint Bowyer** Ran as high as 2nd to #26-McMurray after the fifth caution on lap 114 before his car got tight, causing him to slowly slip back in the pack to Childress teammates #29-Harvick and #31-J. Burton. The car he drove was the same one he took to both his Sprint Cup victories at New Hampshire in 2007 and Richmond in May. He pitted along with #17-Kenseth and #83-Vickers under the eleventh caution with 15 to go and got a few spots back in the final laps. He avoided being spun by the loose #6-Ragan with 3 to go when the #6 got out of control and spun between turns one and two.
11) #83-Brian Vickers Authored one of the most surprising runs of the day when, after matching the strategy of #8-Almirola and #44-Reutimann under the sixth caution on lap 162, he managed to not only stay in the top 10, but inch into the top 5. During the long green-flag run that followed the eighth caution on lap 256, he moved up to 7th by lap 328, 4th on lap 373, and 3rd just before the eighth caution fell on lap 381. He pitted along with #17-Kenseth and #07-Bowyer under the eleventh caution with 15 to go and got a few spots back in the final laps. Unfortunately, the car was found to be in violation of some rules in post-race inspection, resulting in a loss of 150 driver and owner points as well as the indefinite suspension of both his crew chief and car chief.
12) #16-Greg Biffle** Crossed the nose of #00-Bliss on lap 47, but saved his car from spinning. Trying to stay with the leaders, he took two tires under the second caution on lap 61 to come off pit road in 3rd. When that strategy resulted in him falling back in the pack, he tried another strategy by staying out during the sixth caution on lap 162. He held the lead briefly after the lap 170 restart before losing it to #48-Johnson on lap 174. He smoked his left-front tire around lap 177 as he continued to slip back in the pack. He hoped the strategy would pay off with a timely caution, but it didn’t come in time and he was forced to pit out of 8th on lap 245. He was then trapped down a lap when the eighth caution fell for #43-B. Labonte’s spin just 11 laps later. Determined to get the Lucky Dog, he went three-wide past #88-Earnhardt, Jr. and the first lapped car, #8-Almirola, anticipating another caution. Again, the yellow took too long to happen and he lost the Lucky Dog to #10-Allmendinger when the yellow finally fell on lap 381. On a restart with 34 to go, he raced past teammate #17-Kenseth to get his lap back, lost it again when #48-Johnson passed them both to reassume the lead, then got his lap back once more as the Lucky Dog when #38-Gilliland’s wreck brought out the eleventh caution with 15 to go. Moved up to 2nd in points, 149 behind leader #48-Johnson. Led 9 laps.
13) #6-David Ragan Though he was forced to a backup car after wrecking in the first practice session and spraying oil through the garage area, he was still confident he would have a good run on Sunday. He immediately climbed through the pack and was up to 18th on lap 186, 11th on lap 331, and 9th on lap 373. He was still in the top 10 with 3 laps to go when he crossed the nose of #17-Kenseth off turn four and was bumped by the #17, sending him wobbling to the bottom of the track. The wobble messed up his entry into turn one, causing him to clip #07-Bowyer and spin, bringing out the twelfth and final caution of the race which set up the green-white-checkered finish.
14) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya Was at the center of the first caution of the race on lap 28 when he bumped #44-Reutimann into #28-Kvapil going into turn one, sending the #28 into the outside wall. His crew advised him through the race to take care of his brakes as he had struggled with brake problems through much of the spring Martinsville event. The brake problems surfaced when he was running a respectable 15th on lap 213, but began struggling with his handling.
15) #10-A.J. Allmendinger Seemed to be very comfortable in his Gillett-Evernham Racing debut when he was fast in practice. While fighting to stay on the lead lap, he got into a skirmish with #43-B. Labonte off turn two on lap 256 and brought out the caution when he nosed under the #43 and cut his left-rear tire, sending him spinning up the track. On lap 373, his was the last car on the lead lap in 16th, and he was lapped just before the ninth caution fell for #2-Ku. Busch’s slowing car, giving him the Lucky Dog.
16) #21-Bill Elliott Picked up his best run of the season with his first top-20 finish since the August race at Pocono. He lost a lap in the first green-flag run, but got it back as the Lucky Dog when #28-Kvapil’s spin brought out the first caution on lap 28. By lap 203, he was running a solid 20th despite damage to the nose and rear bumper of his car in an undisclosed incident.
17) #31-Jeff Burton Though he started 2nd due to his points position and was expected to contend, his car was much too loose to be competitive. By lap 47, he had already slipped back to 7th. He hovered around 15th after that and was bumped in the right-front by teammate #29-Harvick on pit road under the eighth caution on lap 256. He also nearly spun on lap 283 when he wheel-hopped going into turn one. Somehow, his car got better in the final 150 laps, and he raced #1-Truex, Jr. so hard for 10th with 68 to go that he clipped the rear bumper of #1 coming off turn four. When #41-Sorenson’s crash brought out the tenth caution of the race with 43 to go, he lost this advantage due to a pit miscue. #24-J. Gordon’s car, which took only two tires, blocked his entry as the #24 left, forcing him to pit at an angle that crossed the front line of his stall. His crew began work before realizing he was over the line and only did a two-tire stop. He was forced to return to the pits both to complete the stop and serve the penalty, forcing him to rush to make up some spots in the final laps. Fell to 3rd in points, 152 behind #48-Johnson and 3 behind 2nd place #16-Biffle.
18) #55-Michael Waltrip Had a close call under the first caution of the race on lap 28 when #22-Blaney locked up his brakes in front of him and nearly spun into his path coming off turn two.
19) #28-Travis Kvapil Brought out the first caution of the race on lap 28 when, while entering turn one, #42-Montoya bumped #44-Reutimann into him, sending his car backing into the outside wall. The damage, however, was minor and he got back a lap he lost when #26-McMurray’s spin brought out the third caution on lap 82. He climbed back into the top 20 by running 19th on lap 230 and wound up finishing there.
20) #8-Aric Almirola Took the lead by staying out under the second caution of the race on lap 61 and managed to hold it, at times by nearly a second, through the fifth caution on lap 114. Under that caution, his crew struggled with changing his right-rear tire, dropping him back to 7th of the cars that pitted while others stayed out. Though he remained in the top 10 by matching the strategy of #44-Reutimann and #83-Vickers under the sixth caution on lap 162, he was soon mired in the pack. There, he suffered damage to the front of his car in the seventh caution on lap 196 when he turned #19-E. Sadler into the outside wall. Repairs cost him a lap and, after restarting 32nd, he sustained some minor damage sideswiping the slowing #44-Reutimann on lap 299. He was just able to re-enter the top 20 at the finish. Led 53 laps.
21) #66-Scott Riggs Led 1 lap.
22) #22-Dave Blaney Locked up his brakes during the first caution on lap 28 and nearly spun when he saw #28-Kvapil wreck, but kept going. Later, on lap 362, he nearly hit the slowing #20-Stewart on the backstretch when the #20 cut the first of two right-front tires.
23) #12-Ryan Newman Ran as high as 2nd when he stayed out behind #8-Almirola under the second caution on lap 61 brought out by #9-Kahne. He was running around mid-pack when he was caught speeding off pit road under the eighth caution of the race on lap 256, sending him to the tail end of the longest line. Still stuck in traffic on lap 333, he blew a right-front tire in turn three and slowed right in front of #48-Johnson, who nearly ran him over.
24) #44-David Reutimann After sustaining some cosmetic damage in the first caution of the race on lap 28 when #42-Montoya bumped him into #28-Kvapil, he used pit strategy to get into the top 10 along with #44-Reutimann and #8-Almirola under the sixth caution on lap 162. The strategy seemed to work as he was still running 12th on lap 280. However, on lap 299, his car suddenly went up the track in turn two due to a cut right-front tire. Forced to pit under green, he was sideswiped by #8-Almirola as he moved low on the backstretch. Later, he brought out the eleventh caution with 15 to go when he cut the left-rear tire of #38-Gilliland with his splitter, sending the #38 into the outside wall.
25) #45-Chad McCumbee (R) Lost a lap, then got it back as the Lucky Dog when #18-Ky. Busch, #70-Sauter, and #77-Hornish, Jr.’s simultaneous flat tires on lap 162 brought out the sixth caution of the race.
26) #20-Tony Stewart** His frustrating afternoon began with his splitter dragging so much on the track that smoke billowed from behind his car. His was one of the few cars who ever beat #48-Johnson off pit road, accomplishing this by taking two tires under the fifth caution brought out by #17-Kenseth on lap 114. On lap 331, he was running 8th, but was struggling with brake problems. However, on lap 362, he was forced to pit under green with a flat right-front tire, his car nearly hit by #22-Blaney in the process. He cut a second tire with 47 laps to go, forcing another costly stop.
27) #15-Paul Menard Cut a right-front tire on lap 255 along with #70-Raines and both pitted when the eighth caution fell for #43-B. Labonte’s spin the following lap.
28) #96-Ken Schrader Suffered the same splitter problem as #20-Stewart in the first part of the race when his car wobbled up the track in turn four just a few laps into the event. He did manage to use pit strategy to run as high as 5th on the lap 121 restart following the fifth caution of the race.
29) #18-Kyle Busch** He complained on lap 99 that he was getting beaten into and off of the corners due to a braking issue and the day did not get much better from there. On lap 162, he brought out the sixth caution of the race when he cut a right-front tire and stopped at the exit of turn two. #70-Raines and #77-Hornish, Jr. also cut right-front tires in that turn a few seconds later in separate incidents. He was then penalized two laps for intentionally stopping to bring out the caution. He cut another tire under green on lap 349 and a third with 62 to go, dropping him further back in the final stages.
30) #84-Scott Speed (R) Made his Sprint Cup debut in the aftermath of his electrifying performance in the ARCA finale at Toledo. The run, while quiet, moved the #84 team up to 34th in owner’s points, 15 ahead of #7-R. Gordon.
31) #70-Tony Raines Was nudged out of the way by the resurgent #88-Earnhardt, Jr. coming off turn two on lap 40, but saved his car from spinning. His car was also in an unwanted three-wide situation on lap 124 when #48-Johnson and #11-Hamlin passed him high and low at the same time going down the backstretch. He, along with #18-Ky. Busch and #77-Hornish, Jr., cut a right-front tire in turn two on lap 162 as part of the strange sixth caution of the race. He cut another right-front tire in another synchronized incident with #15-Menard on lap 255, this time hitting the wall in turn two. He was on pit road with #15-Menard when the eighth caution fell for #43-B. Labonte’s spin on lap 256.
32) #38-David Gilliland Lost a lap, then got it back when #43-B. Labonte’s spin brought out the eighth caution of the race on lap 256. With 15 to go, he was racing #44-Reutimann into turn three when the #44 cut his left-rear tire, sending him backing hard into the outside wall.
33) #9-Kasey Kahne Brought out the second caution of the race on lap 61 when his car suddenly slowed off turn four and stopped in turn one. The repairs took his crew 15 laps to complete in the garage area before he returned to the track around the third caution on lap 82.
34) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) The top-finishing rookie for the series-leading tenth time in 2008 as #84-Speed and #45-McCumbee were not competitors for 2008 Rookie of the Year, breaking the tie with #01-Smith’s nine ahead of #10-Carpentier with seven and #00-McDowell with six. He, along with #18-Ky. Busch and #70-Raines, cut a right-front tire in turn two on lap 162 as part of the strange sixth caution of the race. He cut another right-front tire under green sometime before lap 349.
35) #41-Reed Sorenson Ran a solid race for much of the afternoon starting with a 10-spot gain under the second caution on lap 61 that moved him from 19th to 9th. With 43 to go, he was running 14th in position to get the Lucky Dog when he backed into the outside wall in turns three and four, ending his day.
36) #2-Kurt Busch Struggled mightily from the moment he went behind the wall to get a new right-rear brake caliper at the tail end of the second caution on lap 61. He returned to the track laps down to the field only to spin on the frontstretch on lap 104 without bringing out the caution. 24 laps down, he ironically raced #48-Johnson very hard to get one of those laps back on the lap 204 restart following the seventh caution of the race. He also cut a right-front tire on lap 320, avoided hitting the wall, and had to make another green-flag stop. He failed to miss the wall when he cut another right-front tire on lap 379 and when he missed the pit road entrance, he brought out the eighth caution two laps later. At that point, he was so angry that he asked to park the car for the day. His crew refused, at which point he implied he might hurt himself on the track.
37) #43-Bobby Labonte Was involved in the eighth caution of the race on lap 256 when he spun after #10-Allmendinger bumped into him coming off turn two, cutting his left-rear tire and sending him spinning up the track off the corner. A rear gear problem sent him to the garage area with 55 to go and he returned laps down to the field with 34 to go.
38) #26-Jamie McMurray Had an adventurous afternoon when he started 20th, used pit strategy to get on the same cycle as #8-Almirola to restart 3rd on lap 68, then was spun out by an aggressive #88-Earnhardt, Jr. coming off turn four on lap 82. He then took the lead by staying out under the fifth caution on lap 114 and held it until he let #48-Johnson by on lap 154. From that point, he remained in the top 10, often the top 5, for much of the race. With 103 laps to go, he was still running in 4th when he suddenly slowed on the backstretch and went behind the wall with a broken axle. He returned to the track several laps down with 65 to go. Led 37 laps.
39) #00-Mike Bliss Made his first Sprint Cup start since he drove for BAM Racing in 2007's spring race at Texas. He struggled from the beginning, however, as early as lap 17 when he slapped the backstretch wall with the right-rear corner of his car, causing a fender rub. He twice received the Lucky Dog when #01-Smith brought out the fourth caution on lap 89 and when #17-Kenseth brought out the fifth on lap 114, but was still four laps down both times. His car slowed suddenly on the backstretch with 49 to go right in front of leader #48-Johnson, who had to take evasive maneuvers. On the frontstretch with 26 to go, he slowed again, this time nearly collecting #17-Kenseth and #99-Edwards who were racing for 3rd. The team remains 36th in owner’s points, now 75 behind #7-R. Gordon.
40) #7-Robby Gordon Went behind the wall on lap 175 to get his rear gear replaced. The run, combined with #84-Speed’s 30th place debut, moved him back down to 35th in owner’s points, 15 behind the #84 and 75 ahead of #00-Bliss.
41) #19-Elliott Sadler Was taken out in the seventh caution of the race when, while running 19th entering turn one, he was clipped in the left-rear by #8-Almirola, sending his car spinning into the outside wall. He hit the outside wall flush with the driver’s side of the car, but was okay.
42) #01-Regan Smith (R) Brought out the fourth caution on lap 89 when, while running 12th, he suddenly lost brake fluid and backed into the turn two wall. The leaking fluid ignited behind his right-front tire, creating a small fire before he returned to pit road for extensive repairs.
43) #78-Joe Nemechek Was damaged in the fifth caution of the race on lap 114 when #17-Kenseth unexpectedly wobbled into him going into turn three, sending his car backing so hard into the outside wall that the rear decklid was jammed perpendicular to the track surface.


DID NOT QUALIFY:
#75-Derrike Cope
#09-Sterling Marlin

Race 31: Bank of America 500 at Lowe's

THE STARTING GRID:

THE WINNER:
In a race in which the leader often ran away from the field until cautions and pit stops mixed-up the field, #31-Jeff Burton, 2nd in the Nationwide race the night before, was the surprise winner, twitching momentarily as he reached the finish line. After running in the top 5 all day and taking three fuel-only stops late in the race, he moved past #16-Greg Biffle with 58 laps to go, held off #48-Jimmie Johnson in a thrilling side-by-side race with 33 to go, and beat a hard-charging #9-Kasey Kahne to pick up his 2nd win of the season, his first since Bristol in March. Burton’s crew chief was particularly relieved after the race as he was concerned the #31 didn’t have enough fuel to make it if there was a green-white-checkered finish. The win moved him up from 4th to 2nd in points, just 69 points behind leader #48-Johnson. Led 58 laps.


RESULTS:
1) #31-Jeff Burton** THE WINNER!
2) #9-Kasey Kahne Started his 175th Sprint Cup race, determined to become the first driver in Sprint Cup history to win the All-Star Race and both points races at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. His car was not quite competitive enough to contend for the lead early in the race and he even lost a lap before getting the Lucky Dog under the sixth caution when debris was spotted in turn three on lap 187. He then came alive in the final part of the race. He passed #2-Ku. Busch for 3rd with 22 to go, passed #48-Johnson for 2nd with 14 to go, and was the fastest car on the track. He closed within less than a second of #31-J. Burton, but ran out of time. Still, the race was his best finish since Michigan in June.
3) #2-Kurt Busch Had his best run since the July Daytona event with a strong race in the final laps, following #9-Kahne up to 2nd and 3rd in the final stages even after he banged doors with #42-Montoya going into turn one with around 39 laps to go.
4) #18-Kyle Busch** Looked to get back in the swing of things after picking up the victory in the Nationwide race the night before, his 20th NASCAR-sanctioned win of the season. He inched towards the leaders and nearly beat teammate #20-Stewart off pit road under the fourth caution of the race on lap 104. This put him in position to take the lead from #20-Stewart on lap 110 before the fifth caution on lap 121. He, like #20-Stewart, was too fast entering pit road with 77 to go and smoked his brakes, but pulled off an inspiring rally in the late stages to pick up by far his best finish of the Chase. Led 14 laps.
5) #26-Jamie McMurray Had an excellent night and picked up his first top-five finish of the season. His crew had worried about damage to the nose of his Ford during green-flag stops on lap 176, but fortunately, none was to be found. He was up to 4th with 41 to go when he feared he had a tire going down, but was saved when the tenth and final caution came out three laps later. The caution saved his race and he was even able to pass #48-Johnson in the final few laps.
6) #48-Jimmie Johnson** Celebrated a special homecoming at “his house,” starting his 250th Sprint Cup race from the rained-out pole as the point leader and 2-time defending Sprint Cup champion in the race where he made his Sprint Cup debut in 2001. He looked to be keeping up the momentum as he was fastest in Happy Hour and led the opening 32 laps. He retook the lead off pit road under the fifth caution on lap 121, then lost it to #83-Vickers on lap 136. In the final stages, he raced #31-J. Burton for the lead very hard on the inside, but couldn’t get off the corner fast enough. His tires got too worn as his car got very loose off the corners and he fell back in the pack during the final few laps. Still holds the point lead by 69 points over race-winner #31-J. Burton. Led a race-high 67 laps.
7) #16-Greg Biffle** Was in the top 5 for just about the entire race and, running speeds faster than #83-Vickers, moved up to a distant 2nd to the #83 on lap 175. He averted a near-disaster under the seventh caution on lap 196 when he and #18-Ky. Busch almost made contact and overcame problems with chattering brakes with 98 to go. He was leading after the ninth caution with 70 to go and tried to fight off #31-J. Burton for several laps before #31-J. Burton made the winning pass. Led 16 laps.
8) #24-Jeff Gordon** On the opening lap, he scuffed the outside wall coming off turn two, then hit the wall off turn four even harder on lap 5, forcing him to pit under green on lap 10. He lost a lap as a result, but got it back as the Lucky Dog when #00-Allmendinger brought out the second caution on lap 54. From there, he marched back up through the field to 17th on lap 96, still on the lead lap, 13th on lap 145, and, improbably, to the lead on lap 204, where he stayed for several laps. He pitted under the ninth caution with 70 to go and fell to 7th as most of the leaders stayed out, but still finished in the top 10. Led 47 laps.
9) #8-Mark Martin Looking to help secure sponsorship for the #8 in the wake of #12-Newman’s Stewart-HAAS announcement, he raced as high as 2nd to #24-J. Gordon on the lap 212 restart following the eighth caution of the race. He made a bid for the lead, but got loose off turn four due to his splitter dragging on the ground.
10) #6-David Ragan Was a fixture in the top 5 in the middle stages of the race, running 4th on lap 159. He was caught speeding onto pit road around lap 176 and proceeded to make up lost ground. He and #7-R. Gordon were on the tail end of the lead lap when the eighth caution fell on lap 206, putting them both back on the lead lap. Led 1 lap.
11) #20-Tony Stewart** Was picked by many in the garage area to be the car to beat. Raced up to 3rd on lap 20 as the fastest car on the track, then leap-frogged #48-Johnson for the lead as they fought heavy traffic. He lost the lead to #48-Johnson on pit road under the first caution when his crew had trouble getting the lugnuts off his right-front wheel. He regained the lead from #48-Johnson on lap 76, just five laps after the restart following the third caution of the race, and held it through pit stops under the fourth caution by edging #18-Ky. Busch off pit road. After wobbling up the track on lap 112, his car got very loose, slipping him back. He wound up trapped in around the 9th position for the rest of the night. An overheating problem from debris on his grille troubled him on lap 167, but he got that repaired during the green-flag stops which preceded the sixth caution on lap 187. He fell back in the running order with teammate #18-Ky. Busch when both sped onto pit road and locked their brakes with 77 to go. Led 42 laps.
12) #07-Clint Bowyer** Scraped the wall hard in practice, but the crew was successfully able to make repairs and he did not have to go to a backup car. This was certainly good news as his car was in the top 5 for much of the day despite making contact with #11-Hamlin on lap 233.
13) #29-Kevin Harvick** Picked up another solid finish despite a dust-up with #99-Edwards in the garage area earlier in the weekend.
14) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Used pit strategy to lead briefly after the seventh caution of the race on lap 196, then lost it to the resurgent #24-J. Gordon. Led 4 laps.
15) #41-Reed Sorenson Lost a lap early, then received the Lucky Dog when #84-Skinner and #96-Schrader’s crash brought out the third caution on lap 64. He also received the Lucky Dog when #43-B. Labonte and #55-Waltrip’s spin brought out the eighth caution on alp 206. He was the surprise leader when #7-R. Gordon brought out the ninth caution with 70 to go as he had stayed out during that round of green-flag stops. He pitted along with #24-J. Gordon and still scored one of his best finishes of the season. Led 6 laps.
16) #11-Denny Hamlin Still smarting from his hard wreck at Talladega, he sat out the Nationwide race and still ran the full distance on Saturday night. His car suffered damage on lap 233 when he crossed the nose of #07-Bowyer and clipped the outside wall in turn one with the right-rear of his car. The incident did not bring out a caution and he kept going afterwards.
17) #43-Bobby Labonte Was involved in the eighth caution of the race on lap 206 when #55-Waltrip wobbled into him coming off turn four, spinning the two of them through the grass.
18) #83-Brian Vickers After moving his way into the top 10, his car really came alive after the fifth caution of the race, moving up to 3rd on lap 131, 2nd on lap 134, and to the lead on lap 136. His car built up one of the most incredible leads of the night after that, leading by 7.6 seconds on lap 164 and 9 seconds on lap 175. The run was particularly remarkable since his team hadn’t qualified for the race the year before. He fell back after the seventh caution on lap 196 shook up the running order and was struggling in traffic when he bounced off the wall in turns one and two with 81 to go. He slowed on the backstretch and came down pit road with a flat right-front tire. Led 64 laps.
19) #66-Scott Riggs Picked up another solid finish and moved up to 32nd in owner’s points, now a full 102 points ahead of the 35th place #84 team.
20) #19-Elliott Sadler Lost a lap, then received the Lucky Dog under the seventh caution when #70-Raines, #28-Kvapil, #45-McCumbee, and #17-Kenseth’s wreck came on lap 196.
21) #12-Ryan Newman Officially announced that his team would be sponsored by the U.S. Army for 22 races in 2009. He took the lead for the first time by staying out under the fifth caution on lap 121 and actually led a few laps before falling back to 7th by lap 159. He pitted under green on lap 162, then got on the same sequence as the leaders during the sixth and seventh cautions on laps 187 and 196. Led 10 laps.
22) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) Made the race after his Talladega DNQ as rain washed out four first-time qualifiers from the field, but he was forced to go to a backup car after hitting the wall hard in turn two during practice. This car, too, scuffed the wall on lap 2, then again a few car lengths behind #78-Nemechek, who brought out the first caution on lap 43 when he hit the turn four wall. His car almost hit the outside wall a third time on lap 162 when he wobbled up the track. Just finished ahead of #01-Smith to be the top-finishing rookie for the series-leading ninth time this season, again tying himself with #01-Smith’s nine races ahead of #10-Carpentier with seven and #00-McDowell with six.
23) #01-Regan Smith (R) Got a piece of the second caution on lap 54 when he was racing to the high side of the ill-fated #00-Allmendinger going into turn three. His car twitched left and clipped the right-front of the #00, ultimately turning the #00 into the outside wall. He was also caught speeding coming onto pit road around lap 176 along with #6-Ragan.
24) #55-Michael Waltrip Accidentally sparked the third caution of the race when, while racing low in a three-wide battle through the tri-oval, he clipped the infield grass and bumped into #84-Skinner to his outside, who bumped into #96-Schrader above him. Not long after the restart following the seventh caution of the race, he was involved in the eighth caution on lap 206 when he broke loose off turn four and clipped #43-B. Labonte, the two spinning through the then heavily-traveled grass. Led 1 lap.
25) #38-David Gilliland Lost a lap, then got the Lucky Dog when #78-Nemechek brought out the first caution on lap 43. He also got the Lucky Dog under the fifth caution when #10-M. Wallace spun in turn one on lap 121.
26) #15-Paul Menard May have suffered damage to the nose of his car in the seventh caution of the race on lap 196 when, after banging doors with #21-Elliott through the quad-oval, the #21 hooked #70-Raines into his path en route to the outside wall. Under the eighth caution of the race on lap 206, his crew was seen looking under the hood of his car. He was also black-flagged with 82 to go for the rear panel hanging off the back of his car and pitted the next lap when NASCAR threatened to stop scoring him.
27) #22-Dave Blaney NO NOTES
28) #21-Bill Elliott Was involved in the seventh caution of the race on lap 196 when, while racing in the middle of a tight three-wide battle through the quad-oval, he clipped the rear of #70-Raines, turning the #70 into the outside wall.
29) #5-Casey Mears Was forced to take evasive maneuvers during the eighth caution of the race on lap 206 and cut through the grass, but fortunately did not lose his splitter as #45-McCumbee had earlier.
30) #7-Robby Gordon Went a lap down, then got the Lucky Dog when #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s accident brought out the fourth caution on lap 104. He was on the tail end of the lead lap with #6-Ragan when the eighth caution fell on lap 206 and got his lap back along with the #6 as a result. His good luck didn’t last, unfortunately, as a broken air gun gave him a slow 26.8 second stop under green with 72 to go. Despite the fact he smoked his brakes coming onto pit road, his crew sent him out with a two-tire stop to make up lost ground. On the backstretch, however, the left-front tire blew, tearing his fender, scattering debris, and bringing out the ninth caution of the race with 70 to go. Led 1 lap.
31) #10-Mike Wallace Took over driving duties in the #10 after Patrick Carpentier was released earlier in the week. He brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 121 when he suddenly broke loose in turn one and bumped the outside wall with the right-rear corner of his car, causing minor damage.
32) #44-David Reutimann Despite a patch of tape on the right-rear corner of his car from an earlier encounter with the wall, he was up to 11th on lap 145, hoping to back up his first top 10 he scored in May’s 600-mile race. The good run was sadly derailed when he spun on the entrance of pit road during green-flag stops with 76 to go and stalled. The spin must have damaged his engine as, during the ninth caution with 70 to go, he was on pit road with his hood up. Led 1 lap.
33) #99-Carl Edwards** Though he had made amends with his Roush-Fenway teammates after he accidentally sparked the second big wreck at Talladega the previous week, the weekend began inauspiciously with a dust-up in the garage with #29-Harvick. NASCAR intervened, but the weekend for Edwards didn’t improve. After starting outside-pole, he was edging closer to #48-Johnson for the lead on lap 50 when he picked up a vibration. He made an unscheduled green-flag stop on lap 53 and changed two tires, but when #00-Allmendinger brought out the second caution as he left pit road, he lost the Lucky Dog to #38-Gilliland, angering his crew chief. Under the yellow, he pitted again and lost more time when he had to back up after leaving his stall because a crewman had begun changing his left-front tire. Then, during the third caution on lap 67, his car coasted on the apron from a complete ignition failure, causing the restart to be called-off for four more laps. Though he tried frantically to flip several switches in the car, he had to be pushed to the pits. His crew could not get the motor to turn over when changing the spark plugs, and the team was forced to make lengthy repairs in replacing his ignition boxes. He returned to the track on lap 86 a full 16 laps down to the field.
34) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya Brought out the tenth and final caution of the race with 38 to go when, after banging doors with #2-Ku. Busch a couple laps prior, he smacked the outside wall, ending his race.
35) #45-Chad McCumbee (R) Suffered the most unusual misfortunes of the race when he first was forced to cut through the wet grass during the seventh caution on lap 196, the splitter hooking into the grass and ripping off. The splitter remained in one piece and was jammed vertically like a knife into the grass. Not only did his car’s handling suffer as a result, but, during the eighth caution on lap 206, his hood suddenly flapped up on the backstretch, forcing his spotter to guide him onto pit road.
36) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.** Was again running his extreme-high line around the track and had much success in the early going, racing up to 3rd on lap 33. He was still running respectably on lap 104, preparing to pit the following lap, when a piece of debris punctured his right-front tire, thus grinding his car against the outside wall. Fortunately, he was still running near the wall anyway, so the damage to his car was not too severe and he returned to the track on lap 149.
37) #78-Joe Nemechek Brought out the first caution on lap 43 when he blew a right-front tire in turn four and hit the outside wall, #77-Hornish hitting the wall as well in a separate incident a few car lengths behind. He returned to the race many laps down.
38) #96-Ken Schrader Was squeezed into the wall by #84-Skinner during the third caution of the race on lap 64. He was trying a move to the high side coming out of the quad-oval when #55-Waltrip and #84-Skinner made contact beneath him, ultimately causing the #84 to cross his nose in turn one and put him in the wall. He returned to the race many laps down. His team slid from 38th to 39th in owner’s points.
39) #84-Mike Skinner Suffered damage to the right-front of his car in the third caution of the race when he was in the middle of a three-wide battle in the quad-oval on lap 64. When #55-Waltrip on his inside clipped the grass and bumped into him, he was forced into #96-Schrader on his outside, putting both into the turn one wall with his car crossing the nose of the #96. He returned to the race many laps down. The wreck proved costly as it slipped the #84 team back to 35th in owner’s points, 15 behind #7-R. Gordon and 63 ahead of #00-Allmendinger. Still, new driver Scott Speed will be able to make his Sprint Cup debut with the team at Martinsville.
40) #70-Tony Raines Was damaged in the seventh caution of the race on lap 196 when, while racing on the bottom of a three-wide battle through the quad-oval, he was turned into the outside wall by #21-Elliott, slamming him backwards into the outside wall. He returned to the race several laps down, his car limping around on the apron late in the event.
41) #17-Matt Kenseth He stayed out to lead a lap under the fourth caution of the race on lap 104, but was struggling for much of the event, mired back around 28th place. Because of this, he had nowhere to go in the seventh caution on lap 196 and was knocked into a spin by #28-Kvapil, turning his car 180 degrees before it backed into the outside wall and ground backwards against the fence. Led 1 lap.
42) #28-Travis Kvapil Suffered severe damage in the seventh caution of the race on lap 196 when, while checking-up as #70-Raines spun a few cars in front of him, he knocked #17-Kenseth into a spin. The contact damaged the right-front of his car, sending him into the outside wall at around the same time as #17. His car ricocheted off the fence and drove through the infield grass, hitting the inside wall before coming to a stop. A small fire burned beneath the car, but he got out okay.
43) #00-A.J. Allmendinger Took over the #00 in a one-race deal before driving the #10 for the remainder of 2009, but had terrible luck. On lap 54, while racing three-wide into turn three with #45-McCumbee on his inside and #01-Smith on his outside, the #01 twitched into his right-front, turning him head-on into the outside wall. His car showered sparks as it spun in the higher groove before sliding down on the apron. He was okay, but very disappointed. The team still sits 36th in owner’s points, now 63 behind 35th place #84-Skinner. Led 1 lap.


DID NOT QUALIFY:
#25-Brad Keselowski (R)
#40-Bryan Clauson (R)
#75-Derrike Cope
#82-Scott Speed (R)

Race 30: Amp Energy 500 at Talladega

THE STARTING GRID:







THE “WINNER:”
In an incredibly controversial finish, #20-Tony Stewart finally picked up his first Sprint Cup win of 2008 at Talladega, the track where he had finished second on six previous occasions. His car had suffered minor damage in Friday’s final practice session when he rear-ended #38-David Gilliland and slid down the banking during #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s wreck, but was fortunate not to have to use a backup car. After qualifying back in the 34th position, he took the lead for the first time on lap 80 and held it briefly in that and a few other bursts in the late stages. After narrowly avoiding involvement in the eighth caution of the race when he rear-ended #7-R. Gordon much as he had #38-Gilliland on Friday, he took the top spot for the final time with 17 laps to go when the line of cars he led caught a six-car breakaway led by #42-Juan Pablo Montoya on the outside. Stewart held the lead through two late cautions which set up a green-white-checkered finish where he would have to hold off the three Dale Earnhardt, Inc. cars of #01-Regan Smith, #15-Paul Menard, and #8-Aric Almirola. On the final lap, #01-Smith made a late move on Stewart coming into the tri-oval which Stewart blocked, forcing #01-Smith to go below the yellow line. Though #01-Smith beat Stewart to the finish line and the DEI crew celebrated, NASCAR disallowed the pass and handed Stewart the win. The race featured a NASCAR-record 28 different leaders. Led a race-high 24 laps.


RESULTS:
1) #20-Tony Stewart** THE “WINNER!”
2) #15-Paul Menard A big week for him began with an announcement on Tuesday that he would be taking his sponsorship to Yates Racing as the team’s third driver in 2009. It ended with his best career finish at a track where he had scored his previous-best run of the season in April. He remained with DEI teammates #1-Truex, Jr., #8-Almirola and, later, #01-Smith for much of the race and particularly benefitted from the drafting help of #8-Almirola’s machine. Somehow, #01-Smith got ahead of both he and #8-Almirola in the final 10-lap run to the checkers, and the three got ready for a showdown with the leader, #20-Stewart. When teammate #01-Smith was controversially ruled to have made an illegal pass for the win, he was credited with his best-career finish. Led 6 laps.
3) #6-David Ragan After being forced to give up his 16th place starting spot due to an engine change on Friday, he was leading by lap 21 and, once again, established himself as a contender for his first Sprint Cup win. Despite spinning on pit road under the first caution on lap 34 to avoid the car of #70-Raines, he remained near the front of the very-crowded lead pack. His car, along with #8-Almirola and #11-Hamlin, was a particularly aggressive bump-drafter and, with his family in attendance, was putting on quite the show. He got into a little shake-up with #42-Montoya on lap 75 when, while racing for 2nd, he cut off the #42 and forced him below the yellow line. Still near the front, #88-Earnhardt, Jr. launched him to the lead once more with 30 to go, raced the #88 for the lead with 27 laps remaining, then slipped back around 6th. Around that spot, he brought out the eighth caution of the race when he bumped #29-Harvick too hard into turn three, sending the #29 into a spin which he barely avoided. With 10 to go, he restarted 4th after the big ninth caution and second red flag of the race, fell back when he moved up high, then rallied back to get a front-row seat of the controversial finish. Led 11 laps.
4) #31-Jeff Burton** “Near giddy” about having the best car he’d ever claimed to have at Talladega, he qualified 17th and proceeded to put that claim to the test. He narrowly avoided the wrecking #1-Truex, Jr. in the first big wreck on lap 68, was up to 3rd for the lap 73 restart, and led with 71 to go. With 40 laps to go, his car led a Childress trio back to the front, running 4th through 6th in the order they had finished at Bristol with #29-Harvick and #07-Bowyer behind. The trio then shuffled past #88-Earnhardt, Jr. on the inside with 32 to go. Led 8 laps.
5) #07-Clint Bowyer** Went to a backup car after suffering undisclosed damage during #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s accident during Happy Hour. His car seemed to be at its best when it mattered most as, in following Childress teammates #31-J. Burton and #29-Harvick, he suddenly became a factor in the final 32 laps. He was up to 2nd behind #18-Ky. Busch with 35 to go when #88-Earnhardt, Jr. routed him out of the groove, his car moving low as the #88 got by. His teammates helped him get his revenge when they slid past the #88 on the inside three laps later.
6) #43-Bobby Labonte Barely avoided involvement in the fourth caution and first red flag of the race on lap 68 to pick up one of the many surprising finishes that marked the afternoon.
7) #66-Scott Riggs Having qualified 11th, he played it conservative early on and suddenly became a legitimate factor in the top 10 when he was helping the Roush-Fenway cars of #6-Ragan and #17-Kenseth at the front of the pack on lap 95. Under the sixth caution on lap 99, he even led the field off pit road and held the top spot through the restart. Much as he had avoided involvement in #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s practice crash, he avoided the final big wreck with 15 to go and successfully defended his first top 10 finish of the year. Led 4 laps.
8) #7-Robby Gordon Picked up his fourth top-15 finish in as many restrictor plate races in 2008 to mark his 300th Sprint Cup start. It didn’t start of easy, however, as he lost the draft not long after #48-Johnson and, on lap 34, was promptly lapped by the field on the backstretch, his car pulling to the inside. As luck would have it, the first caution of the race came out at that very moment for debris. His car, surprisingly, was ahead of #48-Johnson’s in the lead pack, giving him the Lucky Dog. He made at least one extra stop, however, as he was just getting back up to speed off pit road one lap after the lap 39 restart, putting him a lap down once more. Luck shined on him again as he got the Lucky Dog a second time when #24-J. Gordon’s crash on lap 54 brought out the third caution of the race. His car was rear-ended by #20-Stewart as he checked-up for the eighth caution of the race with 24 to go, but fortunately neither car suffered serious damage. The finish, coupled with the equally-strong runs of #00-K. Wallace and #66-Riggs, did not change the top 35 in owner’s points and he still sits 35th in points, 17 behind the #84 team and 39 ahead of the #00 team.
9) #48-Jimmie Johnson** In a race which, for years, had been his Achilles’ Heel after several poor finishes, he managed to overcome much of what had before seemed insurmountable for his team. Driving the car with which he had won the pole for the Daytona 500, he was concerned during qualifying about an engine vibration which, his crew admitted, was only 80% repaired. He qualified 20th, then had to go to the back on race day when his crew checked his pistons before the race. When the green flag dropped, he intended to follow-through with his plan to lag back and avoid a huge wreck, but he laid back too far and lost the draft. By lap 7, he was already 7 full seconds behind the leader, and he dropped to 18 seconds back just 5 laps later on lap 12. He teamed up with #96-Schrader, who also lost the draft, and despite the best efforts of the #96 to push him along, they were both swallowed up by the lead pack on the backstretch on lap 25. While #96-Schrader fell back, he stayed with the leaders and was pushed by #88-Earnhardt, Jr. in front of leader #6-Ragan on lap 26. The assistance, however, ended as the #88 cut down and passed them both to take the lead for the first time. He barely lost the Lucky Dog under the first yellow on lap 34 to the just-lapped #7-R. Gordon, restarted as the only car on the inside on lap 39, then got his lap back as the Lucky Dog under the second debris caution on lap 46. More adversity came during the third caution on lap 54 when a huge piece of tire debris off #44-Reutimann hit the nose of his car, breaking a splitter bracket that required repairs. The repairs were successful and, by lap 76, he took the lead for the first time. After falling back in the competitive race, he had the rev limiter chip on his ignition box removed under the fifth caution on lap 81. The lead exchanged several more times and, frustratingly, he was again behind the lead pack in 26th with 40 laps to go. Looking to make up ground, he took on four tires under the eighth caution with 24 to go, but lost some ground on pit road when #96-Schrader forced him to back up in his stall. His crew helped him out, however, by getting him off pit road first under the ninth caution of the race with 15 to go. Somehow, someway, he managed to fight his way back into the top 10 yet again by the time the checkered flag fell. Now leads the Sprint Cup standings by 72 over #99-Edwards, who finished 29th. Led 3 laps.
10) #19-Elliott Sadler Had a very solid run in a race which, from 2003 through 2005, he had suffered much misfortune. He led off pit road under the second caution of the race on lap 46 and made his move in the late stages, narrowly avoiding involvement in the ninth caution and second red flag of the race when he missed the wrecking #28-Kvapil. He restarted 3rd when the race was restarted with 10 laps to go, passed #78-Nemechek for 2nd, and proceeded to move #20-Stewart to an even bigger lead. Though the three DEI cars got by him soon after, he marched his way back to 4th during the green-white-checkered finish only to fall back once again when he tried to get by on the outside and was hung out by the field. Led 4 laps.
11) #78-Joe Nemechek Qualified 7th, ran in the top 5 during the early close racing, then survived the big ninth caution and second red flag with 15 laps to go to find himself running second to #20-Stewart. Though he lost 2nd to #19-E. Sadler on the restart with 10 to go and slipped back, he still picked up his best-ever finish with Furniture Row Racing. Led 1 lap.
12) #00-Kenny Wallace Qualified for his first race since the Daytona 500, but was held a lap under the first caution of the race on lap 34 when he sped down pit road at over 100 mph. He then received the Lucky Dog under the big fourth caution and first red flag of the race on lap 68. Under that red flag, he had a large chunk of another car’s splitter wedged under the front of his car, but a track official was kind enough to remove it. Led 3 laps.
13) #8-Aric Almirola Amidst persistent rumors of his U.S. Army sponsorship moving to #12- Newman’s 2009 ride at Stewart-HAAS Racing, he turned in perhaps his best performance of the season. He led the DEI charge during qualifying on Saturday by backing-up his season-best 3rd starting spot from Martinsville and, on Sunday, was instrumental in keeping his teammates in contention for the win. Teammate #15-Menard shoved him past #83-Vickers on lap 14 and, when he wasn’t out front, he was frequently pushing cars to the top spot, particularly #15-Menard. His greatest push came on lap 92 when he followed #88-Earnhardt, Jr. along the extreme-high lane off turn three and launched the #88 to the top spot. Often, his car also flirted with the yellow line on the bottom of the track, peeking out of line to make his next move. He restarted 4th behind teammates #01-Smith and #15-Menard for the green-white-checkered finish, but lagged back too far on the restart and lost some spots, narrowly getting back into line and leaving it to his two teammates to go for the win. Led 3 laps.
14) #5-Casey Mears Was one of the many surprises in qualifying when he started on the outside-pole for his own best start of the season. Knowing his wife was about to give birth to their first child, he was also certainly racing with a lot on his mind. He restarted 5th on the restart with 10 laps to go, but must have been tight on fuel as he pitted when the tenth and final caution fell six laps later. Led 2 laps.
15) #18-Kyle Busch** The April winner took the lead for the first time with a huge push from #11-Hamlin on lap 51 that got him to a 0.5 second lead on the field before #2-Ku. Busch, and #83-Vickers led a drafting line that passed them back up once more. He led the field off pit road under the fifth caution on lap 81 and again under the seventh caution with 50 to go, at which point #88-Earnhardt, Jr. made a spirited charge to try and take the lead from him with 35 laps to go. He sustained minor damage to the right side of his car during the ninth caution and second red flag of the race, but still picked up what was easily his best finish so far in the Chase. Led 20 laps.
16) #96-Ken Schrader Was placed back in the car when Hall of Fame Racing and Joe Gibbs decided to leave 2009 rookie Joey Logano out of the #96 for the rest of the year. He lost the draft soon after #48-Johnson in the early stages and, by lap 23, his crew chief was getting cues from #48 crew chief Chad Knaus to have him drag the brake and draft #48-Johnson. The effort was futile, however, as both he and #48-Johnson were promptly swallowed up by the lead pack on the backstretch on lap 25. He then fell back in the pack and lost at least two laps. He got them both back as the Lucky Dog, the first when #33-M. Wallace brought out the fifth caution on lap 81 and the second when #11-Hamlin brought out the sixth caution on lap 99. He was one of many cars that scored an excellent finish by surviving, though his car was stopped a little too early in his stall under the eighth caution with 24 to go, forcing #48-Johnson behind him to back up.
17) #45-Terry Labonte Suffered some damage in the big fourth caution and first red flag of the race when he clipped the rear of the wrecking #83-Vickers, then was spun further down the track when the wrecking #9-Kahne squeezed him against the wall near the start/finish line. Fortunately, he avoided further contact and returned to competition. He did, however, lose three laps as a result, but got all of them back as the Lucky Dog when #24-J. Gordon’s engine failure brought out the seventh caution with 50 to go, when #29-Harvick’s spin brought out the eighth with 24 to go, and when the second huge wreck brought out the ninth with 15 to go.
18) #01-Regan Smith (R) Oh, what should have been—! In a race marked by chaos and unpredictability, he slipped into contention in the final stages as the ultimate underdog. While he had not been as visible through the race as his other three DEI teammates, he found himself leading the charge with 7 to go when #15-Menard and #8-Almirola pushed him up to 2nd after #19-E. Sadler had pushed leader #20-Stewart to a big lead. The DEI trio hugged the bumper of the #20, waiting for an opportunity, when #26-McMurray brought out the tenth and final caution with 4 to go to force a green-white-checkered finish. After #8-Almirola got a slow start, he, #15-Menard, #6-Ragan, and the rest of the pack bided their time all the way until they entered the tri-oval for the final time. There, he tried to move high past #20-Stewart, but when the #20 blocked him, he cut low and was blocked once more by the #20 to the point that he was forced below the yellow line. The checkered flag in sight with teammate #15-Menard behind him, he kept his foot in it and edged #20-Stewart by a half-carlength to win his first career Sprint Cup race. As he and #15-Menard celebrated on the backstretch while his crew celebrated on pit road, however, NASCAR reviewed the play and decided #20-Stewart had, in fact, won the race as the #01 had made the winning pass below the yellow line and didn’t throttle back on the home stretch (yeah, that makes sense). Asa a result, NASCAR penalized to the last car on the lead lap, but still became the top-finishing rookie for the series-leading ninth time in 2008, breaking his tie with fellow leader #77-Hornish, Jr. (who DNQ’d for the first time in 2008) with eight followed by #10-Carpentier with seven and #00-McDowell with six.
19) #55-Michael Waltrip Announced on Wednesday that #66-Riggs’ crew chief “Bootie” Barker would be his new crew chief in 2009. He survived the first wreck on lap 68 only to get a commitment cone penalty under the yellow. Fighting to make up ground, his car was severely damaged during the fifth caution of the race on lap 81 when the strip of rubber from #33-M. Wallace’s blown tire hit the hood and roof of his car. The incident put two sizeable dents in those spots, forcing his crew to screw on several metal plates and apply tape. Even in this damaged state, he managed to fight his way to the front in the final stages and, with 25 to go, was even shoved into the lead twice by #42-Montoya. He received a more unwelcome shove in the closing stages of the wreck that was the ninth caution and second red flag of the race when the damaged #29-Harvick slid down the track into him, tearing up the right side of his car, requiring yet more repairs. Led 1 lap.
20) #29-Kevin Harvick** Took the lead during the first long green-flag run with 63 to go as he led a 7-car breakaway that had managed to distance itself from the rest of the field. When #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #42-Montoya, and #6-Ragan began to mix up the leaders once more as #18-Ky. Busch tried to hold the top spot, he was then racing #6-Ragan into turn three with 24 to go. It was then that he was involved in the eighth caution of the race when #6-Ragan bumped him too hard going into turn three, causing his car to drift sideways and slide into the grass. Fortunately, he avoided any more damage than a broken splitter bracket as everyone, particularly #6-Ragan, managed to miss him. He was making up for lost ground with 15 to go when his luck ran out in the form of the ninth caution and second red flag of the race. He avoided the initial wreck and moved to the high lane coming off turn four when #99-Edwards’ sliding car collided with his, pinching him into the outside wall. His car then slid down the track and collided with the passing #55-Waltrip, tearing the right-side sheetmetal on the #55. The wreck effectively ended his nine race top-10 streak since his wreck at Indianapolis in July. Led 22 laps.
21) #2-Kurt Busch Took the lead for the first time on lap 51 when he and #83-Vickers reeled in #18-Ky. Busch and #11-Hamlin, who had jumped out to a 0.5 second lead. However, just barely after teammate #12-Newman went behind the wall, his own hood was up under the third caution on lap 54 as his engine was starting to misfire. He lost several laps for repairs, managed to get back on the track by lap 73, but was extremely slow around the bottom of the track for the rest of the race. Led 2 laps.
22) #22-Dave Blaney Struggled with some bad luck early in the race when, on lap 49, it was reported he had an electrical problem. Fortunately, his crew seemed to fix the problem as he was back up to the 8th spot with 15 laps to go. On that lap, he narrowly averted disaster when he crossed the nose of #42-Montoya going into turn three, wobbling beneath the yellow line before returning to the track further back in the field. He was then immediately in the middle of the ninth caution and second red flag of the race one corner later when, after narrowly missing the sliding #99-Edwards, he was hit in the right-front tire by the damaged #41-Sorenson and couldn’t stop turning to the right, steering both cars into #42-Montoya as the three all hit the outside wall together.
23) #41-Reed Sorenson After leading briefly in the earlier stages of the race, he was taken out towards the end of the ninth caution and second red flag of the race. After avoiding the initial three-car Roush-Fenway tangle, he could not avoid the wrecking #28-Kvapil and hit the rear of the #28, knocking his car into the right-front of the passing #22-Blaney, who then turned hard-right from the damage, steering both cars into #42-Montoya, who was trying to get by up high. The three bounced off the outside wall before they, too, slid down the banking. Led 2 laps.
24) #16-Greg Biffle** Lagged back at the back of the pack all day, but unlike #48-Johnson, did not lose the draft. The strategy seemed to be paying off as he was not near the big wreck on lap 68, though he had collected a complete windshield tear-off from another car on the front of his Ford. He finally made a move toward the front in the final 20 laps and, with 15 to go, was going for the lead past teammate #17-Kenseth in turns three and four when a bump from #99-Edwards turned him hard left into the #17. In that ninth caution and second red flag of the race, the two then spun up the track and collided with #99-Edwards, trapping #88-Earnhardt, Jr. in the process. His car continued around the track, shooting sparks as the trunk cover dragged behind. Led 2 laps.
25) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya Determined to prove his runner-up finish in the spring event was no fluke, he became a significant factor in the race after the first big wreck on lap 68 when, on lap 74, the fleet Toyota of #11-Hamlin first shoved him into the lead. He was angry the following lap, however, when #6-Ragan cut him off on the backstretch, forcing him to get loose below the yellow line before saving it and returning to the track. Though he feared he sustained some right-front damage in the incident, none was clearly seen, and he was again pushed to the lead by #88-Earnhardt, Jr. on lap 107. With 73 to go, his car had picked up a windshield tear-off that had been balled-up and stuck to the left-front of his splitter, but he still remained with the leaders, moving up to 3rd with 30 to go, pushing #55-Waltrip to the lead with 25 to go, and leading on the restart with 19 laps remaining. He and five other cars built up a sizeable lead on the restart, but #20-Stewart and the rest of the field lined up and passed them all on the outside with 17 to go, setting up the final scramble to the finish. He nearly escaped the big ninth caution and second red flag of the race unscathed with a run to the outside, but the chain-reaction “follow-up wreck” between #28-Kvapil, #41-Sorenson, and #22-Blaney led to his car being pinned into the outside wall off turn four by #22 and #41, ending his sterling run. Led 9 laps.
26) #17-Matt Kenseth** Took the lead for the first time on lap 41, but was struggling with an overheating problem under the fifth caution on lap 81 that had brought his water temperature up to 290 degrees. The problem must have been fixed under the yellow, for he was back to racing #11-Hamlin and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. for the lead by lap 95. Learning that #99-Edwards was still struggling at the back of the pack, he fell back to around 15th with 42 laps to go. He was leading with 15 to go when he teammate #16-Biffle was turned down into him by #99-Edwards, setting off the ninth caution and second red flag of the race. The contact turned him up the track right behind #16-Biffle, trapping #88-Earnhardt, Jr., who had nowhere to go and ran into his passenger door. The two cars remained welded together in this position as they slid down the track before finally separating when they hit the grass. Led 5 laps.
27) #28-Travis Kvapil His 100th Sprint Cup start began on a thrilling note when he took his first career pole position on Saturday morning. The moment was an emotional one for him as he reflected on the significance of bringing Yates Racing a pole position in Davey Allison’s #28 at a track both team and driver had made famous. His Ford held the lead for the first 7 laps before #83-Vickers made a move to the top spot. Despite some struggles with his pit crew including a slow stop under the first caution on lap 34 when his crew struggled with the left-rear tire and a penalty for a loose tire under the fourth caution on lap 68, he hovered in the lead pack around 15th for much of the race. He was back up to 6th with 57 laps to go and was minding his own business in the top 10 when he was taken out in the ninth caution and second red flag of the race. There, the damaged #99-Edwards slid directly into the side of his car, sending his car spinning up the track and hard into the outside wall, whereupon it was hit by the passing #41-Sorenson. Once his car stopped on the apron, he climbed out, visibly upset. Led 10 laps.
28) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.** One of the roughest weekends in recent memory for him began on Friday when he blew an engine early in the first practice session, then was forced to a backup car in a freak accident early in Happy Hour. There, leading #38-Gilliland, #20-Stewart, and others through turn three, he punctured his right-rear tire. The tire exploded violently, ripping off much of the sheetmetal from the rear of his car, trapping #38-Gilliland against the outside wall as he spun. The car was further damaged when #9-Kahne collided with the rear of his tattered machine. Though the accident itself, being before qualifying, would not have forced him to start at the back of the pack, the engine failure did, dropping him to the back after qualifying 15th. His backup car, still bearing, as the primary had, the names of several thousand fans who entered an online contest, was still a proven machine as he had raced it in the Daytona 500 in February. After starting at the tail end of the pack, he was up to 29th on lap 3 and the lead on lap 26 when he used the lapped car of teammate #48-Johnson to get around #6-Ragan. As the leader when the first big wreck occurred on lap 68 to bring out the fourth caution and first red flag, he kept the lead at that point and held it through pit stops. Several times after, he marched back to the front, receiving perhaps his greatest push to the lead from #8-Almirola who helped him draft into the top spot in the extreme-high lane. In the final 40 laps, he turned up the wick and fought even harder for the lead. With 35 to go, he knocked #07-Bowyer loose in turn two to get up to 2nd and nearly got by leader #18-Ky. Busch, who was blocking #07-Bowyer down low. He then started fighting three Childress cars with 32 to go, a stubborn #6-Ragan with 30 to go, and a resurgent #42-Montoya with 26 to go. Unfortunately, bad luck struck again when he was taken out in the ninth caution and second red flag of the race. There, he had nowhere to go when the Roush trio of #16-Biffle, #17-Kenseth, and #99-Edward wrecked in front of him in the outside lane, forcing him to broadside #17-Kenseth before the two slid down the track. His car then separated from the #17 and came to rest against the inside wall. Led 19 laps.
29) #99-Carl Edwards** Led briefly in the first 10 laps while battling with #83-Vickers, but soon turned his attention toward pit strategy. Fearing a repeat of his pit road woes the previous week at Kansas, he vowed to pit a lap later than the rest of the field to avoid such contact. Contact must have occurred on the race track, however, as his crew, during the third caution on lap 54, was concerned about damage to the nose of his car, but didn’t find any. He did, however, have to go to the tail end of the longest line for a pit infraction. He was still struggling toward the back of the lead pack inside the final 50 laps and #17-Kenseth fell back to help him get back up with the leaders. Aided by the eighth caution with 24 to go, he then started to move back up through the pack, following #16-Biffle who had been lagging back with him for much of the race. Unfortunately, while pushing the #16 through turns three and four, he slid up during one push and turned #16-Biffle sideways, setting off the ninth caution and second red flag of the race. The contact sent #16-Biffle into #17-Kenseth in the lower lane, causing both cars to slide back up into him, trapping #88-Earnhardt, Jr. in the high line in the resulting wreckage. His car then ground against the outside wall before it slid down the banking directly into the passing #28-Kvapil, turning the #28 into the outside wall with his car following after, nearly hitting #22-Blaney and #42-Montoya before stuffing #29-Harvick into the outside wall. His car finally came to rest on the apron without hitting any other cars. Led 2 laps.
30) #33-Mike Wallace Qualified an impressive 5th spot in a Richard Childress R&D car for his first Sprint Cup start of the season. His was the first car to challenge polesitter #28-Kvapil for the lead on lap 4 and he seemed sure to lock up a top 10 as he hovered near the top 5 for much of the early stages. He was leading when the first caution fell on lap 34, lost some spots on pit road when his car stalled, avoided the first big wreck on lap 68, and was back up to 2nd on lap 81. It was on that lap, however, that his good day turned bad as he brought out the fifth caution of the race. His right-rear tire exploded in much the same way as #44-Reutimann’s earlier in the event, tearing up his rear quarter-panel, but he fortunately held onto his car and pulled safely to the bottom of the track. Unfortunately, his car was not a factor after the incident and, like in the #44's wreck, the tire debris damaged another car, this time #55-Waltrip.
31) #84-Mike Skinner On the Tuesday before the race, he was announced as the interim driver for the #84 after A.J. Allmendinger was released, taking over the ride for two races until Formula 1 and ARCA star Scott Speed would take over the car at Martinsville. His restrictor plate prowess not only got him into the field, but into the lead for a moment on lap 59 after the third caution of the race. Nine laps later, he was involved in lap 68's big fourth caution and first red flag of the race when, while riding behind #38-Gilliland and #70-Raines on the low part of the tri-oval, he suffered some damage trying to get beneath the two at the moment the #70 hit the spinning #1-Truex, Jr. His car continued straight down the apron in a similar manner to #38-Gilliland where the spiraling #9-Kahne crossed his path, further damaging the front of his car as he couldn’t slow down in time. He returned to the track several laps down with 69 laps to go.
32) #26-Jamie McMurray Ran near the front very early on, but was severely damaged on lap 68 in the early stages of the fourth caution and first red flag of the race. After spinning #1-Truex, Jr., the wounded #83-Vickers crossed his hood and put him into the outside wall, grinding his car along the fence as the wreck unfolded in front of them. He finally broke free from the #83 after a few seconds, but the right side of his car was severely scraped-up. He also brought out the tenth and final caution of the race with 4 to go when he blew a right-rear tire in turn two and spun, forcing a green-white-checkered finish. Led 3 laps.
33) #21-Jon Wood (R) After not only qualifying a respectable 27th but, unlike his previous two starts of 2008, not having to go behind the wall after three laps to adjust his car’s qualifying setup for race conditions, he became the innocent victim of the race’s third caution on lap 54. There, while running the outside groove on the backstretch, #24-J. Gordon suddenly turned right to avoid #44-Reutimann and, in doing so, crossed his hood, grinding his car against the outside wall and damaging his car’s nose. He returned to the race much later in the event with a new nose on the car.
34) #70-Tony Raines Qualified an outstanding 8th for his third straight top-25 start, but made an unscheduled stop during the first caution of the race on lap 34, perhaps from dropping the debris that brought out the caution. There, he was penalized for coming down pit road before it was open. He was forced to make an extra stop under the yellow and forced #6-Ragan to spin himself out in the process. On lap 68, he then suffered damage in the big fourth caution and first red flag of the race. He was running near the bottom of the tri-oval and closing in on the sideways #1-Truex, Jr. when #38-Gilliland slid up into him, knocking his car into #9-Kahne, who collided with the #1. As #1-Truex, Jr. was turned back up the track, his car hit the #1 in the rear, damaging the right side sheetmetal of his car.
35) #83-Brian Vickers Was fastest in the abbreviated final practice session on Friday and looked to repeat in the race where he picked up his first Sprint Cup win two years prior. He was the first driver to wrestle the lead from polesitter #28-Kvapil around lap 8 and kept on the pressure near the front of the pack. Entering the tri-oval on lap 68, he was still in the thick of the battle, running in the middle of a tight-three wide pack for the lead, when disaster struck in the form of the fourth caution and first red flag of the race. His right-front tire exploded, tearing open part of his car’s hood and turning him hard right into the left-rear of #1-Truex, Jr. As the #1 slid down the track, his car crossed the nose of #26-McMurray, who was thus flattened against the outside wall. #45-T. Labonte came by at that time and clipped the right-rear of his car. Miraculously, as his car then slid down to the inside, his car avoided any other hits as the chaos of the first huge wreck of the day took place down the track. Led 10 laps.
36) #9-Kasey Kahne Like #88-Earnhardt, Jr. and #38-Gilliland, he was unfortunate enough to lose one car in the #88's Happy Hour accident and another on race day. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Friday when he clipped the wrecked #88 with his right-front fender, shearing off the fender and forcing him to a backup car which qualified 38th. On lap 68, he was in the lower groove just in front of #38-Gilliland and #70-Raines when the #38 knocked the #70 into the rear of his car, turning his machine hard left into the sideways #1-Truex, Jr. His right-front fender torn up once more, he spun diagonally across the track and pinched the wounded #45-T. Labonte against the wall, sending the #45 spinning down the track. The contact turned his car left, directly in the path of the damaged #84-Skinner on the apron, and after he was knocked into another spin, his car was finally stopped against the inside wall by a low-speed collision with #38-Gilliland’s damaged car. Led 1 lap.
37) #44-David Reutimann In Happy Hour on Friday, he barely avoided involvement in #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s accident by spinning, but like #07-Bowyer, was forced to a backup car despite comparatively minor damage. Sunday, unfortunately, didn’t go much better. He brought out the third caution of the race on lap 54 when he blew a right-rear tire on the backstretch, the ripped tire damaging the front of #48-Johnson. His car wobbled in the path of #24-J. Gordon, who swerved to the right to avoid him and ended up tangling with #21-Wood. His car spun to the inside of the track with noticeable damage to his right-rear quarter-panel. Amazingly, his crew made successful repairs to his car and, for a while, he remained in the thick of the battle in the lead pack. However, the Cinderella run ended on lap 112 when he limped onto pit road, his car not under power.
38) #24-Jeff Gordon** After unveiling a new black version of his paint scheme for 2009, he entered the race as its defending champion, determined to end his winless skid before it reached the one-year mark at Lowe’s the following week. After qualifying 26th, he raced his way up to 15th after 3 laps, fell back around the time he learned teammate #48-Johnson had lost the draft, then was back battling #28-Kvapil for the lead on lap 32. He led off pit road under the first caution on lap 34, but faced disaster just 20 laps later in the third caution of the race on lap 54. There, he had nowhere to go when #44-Reutimann, who had lost a right-rear tire, wobbled in front of him, and he lost control trying to avoid the #44. His car turned hard to the right and crossed the nose of #21-Wood, shoving his car into the outside wall. He returned to the track 33 laps down on lap 87 with a new front end on his car, but was finally taken out when his engine blew with 50 to go, bringing out the seventh caution of the race. Led 3 laps.
39) #11-Denny Hamlin** Suffered some minor damage during #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s Happy Hour wreck, but was not forced to a backup car. This was a good thing as his car was one of the fastest in the first half of the race, replaying his daring two-car drafts to the front that he had perfected in the April race. He used the first of these to shove teammate #18-Ky. Busch to the lead on lap 51 and another to shove #42-Montoya out front on lap 74 before taking the lead himself. Despite his car’s power and the fact he was again leading on lap 92, his car battery wasn’t producing enough voltage. Though his crew had a plan for dealing with this problem, they never got the chance to put it into practice. On lap 99, while running the low line as the leader between turns one and two, his right-front tire suddenly exploded, sending his car hard into the outside wall, where it stayed for several yards. The hit was extremely hard, so much so that he took his time getting out of the car, was put on a gurney, and was sent to a local hospital for further evaluation. Fortunately, he escaped serious injury. Led 9 laps.
40) #38-David Gilliland Suffered a setback during Happy Hour on Friday when #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s freak tire failure wound up with his car totaled as well, pinched against the outside wall by the #88. His backup could was only fast enough on Saturday to qualify 41st. He had hoped to keep his nose clean, but the fourth caution and first red flag of the race on lap 68 made short work of him. He was running the low line through the tri-oval when the wreck started and, upon seeing #1-Truex, Jr. slide down the track, tried to turn right, but wound up sideswiping #70-Raines, damaging his fender and forcing #70-Raines to swerve into #9-Kahne. He kept going straight across the apron past the start/finish line with a torn right-front before the severely-damaged #9-Kahne crossed his path near the inside wall, forcing the two into a low-speed collision after which the two cars finally stopped.
41) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. For the second week in a row, he was having an outstanding race only to have bad luck take him out of contention. He was very much a part of the DEI assault, running with his teammates, and appeared to be the best of the team’s four cars when the green flag fell. He was running around 5th spot on the outside line on lap 68 when he was taken out in the fourth caution and first red flag of the race. When #83-Vickers on his inside blew a right-front tire, the #83 clipped his left-rear, turning his car hard left toward the inside of the track right in front of the entire field. His car narrowly missed hitting both #31-J. Burton and #41-Sorenson in the middle lane before a chain-reaction in the lower lane led to #70-Raines knocking #9-Kahne into his path. The #9 crunched the front of his car and turned him back up the track, the skidding #70-Raines hitting the rear of his car as he re-entered traffic, barely missing #18-Ky. Busch and #43-B. Labonte. He then hit the outside wall, skidded across the track once more, and hit the staggered inside wall twice before coming to a stop. The entire front clip of his car came off in one piece after the final hit. He climbed out of the car justifiably furious, but okay. Led 1 lap.
42) #09-Sterling Marlin After qualifying 18th, he apparently fell out with an engine failure around the time of the fourth caution and first red flag of the race on lap 68.
43) #12-Ryan Newman A week in which he suffered a minor head injury from working on a lawnmower, resulting in four stitches on his forehead, did not improve on race day. On lap 49, he was felled by a dropped cylinder which put him behind the wall.


DID NOT QUALIFY:
#10-Patrick Carpentier (R)
#77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R)



BONUS REGAN SMITH WALLPAPER (1024 x 768)