Race 27: Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire

THE STARTING GRID:






THE WINNER:
On a day that many believed would again showcase 2008 dominators #18-Kyle Busch, #99-Carl Edwards, and #48-Johnson, #16-Greg Biffle beat them all in surprising style for his first win since Kansas in 2007, 33 races and nearly one full year ago. Despite concerns about his brakes going away around lap 169, he raced particularly hard with #48-Johnson in the top 5. In the final 13 lap run to the checkers, this practice made perfect as he shot past #48-Johnson going into turn three with 12 to go and wound up winning by open track. Led 58 laps.


RESULTS:
1) #16-Greg Biffle** THE WINNER!
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson** Remained in the top 5 for much of the race even as he had trouble leaving pit road under the first competition caution on lap 36 as his stall was still very wet from the morning’s rain. He caught leader #99-Edwards on lap 61 and took the lead from him four laps later by edging ahead at the start/finish line. He held the lead through the second caution, then lost it to #88-Earnhardt, Jr. on the lap 88 restart. He retook the lead off pit road under the third caution on lap 214 and positioned himself as the car to beat for the latter stages of the race. Led a race-high 96 laps.
3) #99-Carl Edwards** Despite struggles in practice which included a mild scraping of the outside turn four wall on Saturday, he benefitted from his 2nd place points ranking with an excellent starting spot and a strong run. He first took the lead on lap 4 by passing #18-Ky. Busch and proceeded to lead by open ground during the first green-flag run. After the first competition caution, he again took off, looking to put #18-Ky. Busch another lap down, but lost the lead to #48-Johnson on lap 65 as his car became tighter in the center. Just two and a half laps short on fuel with 52 to go, he assured his crew he was saving enough fuel as he worked to catch the leaders. As with the rest of the field, the final cautions threw this strategy out the window and he was able to defend his podium finish. Is now the new points leader, tied with #48-Johnson, but ahead by virtue of his higher win total. Led 61 laps.
4) #31-Jeff Burton** Seemed to be comfortable with another quiet top 10, but became very aggressive in the final stages, nearly wrecking out of 4th with 65 to go when he was pinched between #66-Riggs and #88-Earnhardt, Jr.
5) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.** Made his own voice heard by passing teammate #48-Johnson on the lap 88 restart following the second caution of the race. He held the lead long enough to lap a very stubborn #55-Waltrip in 28th, who raced him very hard on the outside on lap 154. Under the green flag stops which cycled through soon after, his crew lost a little time when the air hose snagged on his splitter, but he retook the lead from #16-Biffle on lap 169. Again, he was stuck behind a lapped car, this time the wounded #18-Ky. Busch, which wore his tires down to the point that #16-Biffle retook the lead on lap 175. He and his worn tires fell back to 4th by lap 190. Led 79 laps.
6) #2-Kurt Busch The June event winner raced up to 4th by lap 69, 3rd on lap 96, and remained in the top 10, surrounded by Chase drivers, for much of the afternoon.
7) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Despite starting 18th by virtue of his ranking in owner’s points, he was a fixture in the top 10 all day after an early rally to the front.
8) #20-Tony Stewart** Looking to avenge his near-miss at Richmond the previous week, he vaulted past #07-Bowyer for 2nd on lap 23, preparing to give #99-Edwards a run for his money. After the first competition caution on lap 36, he then moved past the slowing #99-Edwards to challenge #48-Johnson for the lead by lap 70. While leaving his pit stall under the second caution on lap 83, he made contact with the right-rear corner of #70-Sauter parked in front of him. The contact damaged his left-front fender and forced him to pit once again. Restarting 34th on lap 88, he picked up 11 spots in the next 19 laps to the 23rd spot on lap 117. His rally faced another setback when he was caught speeding by just 0.3 mph under the green flag stops on lap 160, giving him a costly pass-through penalty that dropped him off the lead lap. On the lap 219 restart following the third caution of the race, he made a bold 3-wide pass on the backstretch to get into position as the first car one lap down, a move promptly rewarded two laps later when #78-Nemechek’s crash brought out the fourth caution, giving him his lap back as the Lucky Dog. Knowing many drivers were close on fuel, he took on fuel under the caution, anticipating a long green-flag run to the checkers. Unfortunately, the slew of late cautions threw fuel mileage out the window, but the decision to take on tires under the sixth caution with 35 to go allowed him to leapfrog from 11th to the top 10 in the final run. Led 1 lap.
9) #11-Denny Hamlin** After flying under the radar for much of the race, he had climbed up to 2nd with 81 laps to go, but was the only leader to pit for fuel when #78-Nemechek brought out the fourth caution two laps later. The crew chief reported that the stop was necessary not only for fuel, but for a cut left-rear tire suffered when he made contact with #8-Almirola on the previous caution. Slowly, he moved back into position along with teammate #20-Stewart, moving to 14th with 52 to go.
10) #29-Kevin Harvick** Slipped back almost immediately from the 11th starting spot due to handling problems and was running 20th on lap 11. Despite his frustrations, he climbed methodically through the field and was 7th with 60 to go.
11) #9-Kasey Kahne Narrowly avoided involvement in the sixth caution of the race with 35 to go as #00-McDowell and #84-Allmendinger tangled in front of him off turn four. Wound up finishing just outside the top 10 as he avoided trouble in such a way.
12) #07-Clint Bowyer** The defending Sylvania 300 champion led all three practices and, as a Chase driver, also secured a solid starting position. He first charged up to 2nd by lap 9, trying to run down #99-Edwards, but was then passed by #20-Stewart for the spot on lap 23. From there, his car was too loose to contend for the win, and he lagged back in 11th on lap 195. He narrowly avoided disaster during the big fifth caution of the race with 71 to go as he was in the middle of the ill-fated five-wide battle off turn four, but avoided any contact. His loose condition nearly got him in trouble again with 28 to go as he broke loose going into turn three and wobbled up the track, losing a handful of spots before regaining control. He then pitted for new tires under the seventh caution with 21 to go, accidentally clipping the foot of one of #19-E. Sadler’s tire changers in the process, and got the spots back before the finish.
13) #43-Bobby Labonte A very respectable run by a driver whom the ESPN crew had tabbed as a possible dark horse.
14) #24-Jeff Gordon** Not once, but twice he was blocked in by #7-R. Gordon on pit road, forcing him to back up in his pit stall to get around. Both incidents, which occurred under the first caution on lap 36 and under green around lap 165, cost him enough positions to invariably mire him around 15th spot. Taking notes from #88-Earnhardt, Jr.’s win at Michigan, he then turned to fuel strategy, flicking his ignition on and off under the fourth caution with 79 to go.
15) #44-David Reutimann Made contact with #38-Gilliland in turn one, causing #38 to wobble up the track before narrowly saving it. He himself fought some handling problems, hovering in 17th on lap 128, and barely avoided involvement in the big fifth caution with 71 to go as it unfolded in front of him. Running 11th, he pitted for tires along with #20-Stewart and several others under the sixth caution with 35 to go, but fell back a few spots in the final run to the finish.
16) #28-Travis Kvapil Raced his way into competition when he and #12-Newman climbed into the top 10 after pit stops during the first competition caution on lap 36. He was still 15th on lap 128.
17) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya Flirted with the top 10 for the first half of the race, running 10th on lap 96, but though he slipped back in the late stages, still picked up a solid top 20 finish.
18) #8-Aric Almirola Having lost a lap at one point, his was the car that forced #11-Hamlin to pit under the fourth caution with 79 to go as, under the previous caution, his car made contact with the left-rear of #11, cutting the tire down. Under the massive fifth caution wreck that came out soon after the restart, he then got his lap back as the Lucky Dog.
19) #66-Scott Riggs After a close call involving Chase drivers #31-J. Burton and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. with 65 to go, he got his lap back as the Lucky Dog when #84-Allmendinger brought out the sixth caution with 35 to go.
20) #70-Johnny Sauter Lost a lap, then got it back as the Lucky Dog when #10-Carpentier brought out the eighth and final caution with 17 to go.
21) #15-Paul Menard Went down a lap at some point, then got his lap back as the Lucky Dog when #6-Ragan brought out the seventh caution of the race with 21 laps to go.
22) #41-Reed Sorenson Made his 100th career Sprint Cup start.
23) #01-Regan Smith (R) The top-finishing rookie for the series-leading eighth time this season, again tying him with leader #77-Hornish, Jr. Was involved in the fourth caution with 79 laps to go when he clipped the left-rear of #78-Nemechek coming off turn four, sending #78 head-on into the inside wall in a single-car accident.
24) #19-Elliott Sadler One of his tire changers got his foot run over by #07-Bowyer as #07 came onto pit road under the seventh caution with 21 to go.
25) #55-Michael Waltrip Accidentally spun the wobbling #6-Ragan off turn two with 21 to go during the seventh caution of the race.
26) #7-Robby Gordon Was twice the road block of #24-J. Gordon on pit road when he stopped short in his pit stall under the first caution on lap 36 and under green around lap 165. Was involved in the eighth and final caution with 17 to go when he could not avoid squeezing #10-Carpentier up into #1-Truex, Jr., causing #10-Carpentier to spin. Still climbed back into the top 35 in owner's points, 35th by 15 points over #84-Allmendinger, who fell out.
27) #00-Michael McDowell (R) Was involved in the sixth caution with 35 to go when #84-Allmendinger crossed his nose coming off turn four, forcing him to turn #84 into the outside wall. He was also black-flagged on the final restart with 13 to go for intending to pass cars on the inside of the track as the field was coming to the green. Led 1 lap.
28) #6-David Ragan A weekend which began with an announcement that UPS would sponsor his team in 2009 ended with a difficult day in which he became involved in the second caution of the race on lap 83. In that moment, he had stopped on the backstretch due to the smoke kicked up by #18-Ky. Busch, but was then rear-ended hard by teammate #26-McMurray, spinning him into the outside wall. He returned to competition, but then spun again as the subject of the seventh caution with 21 to go when he broke loose off turn two and was turned by #55-Waltrip. Fortunately, he avoided contact this time and finished the race under power.
29) #21-Bill Elliott Lost a lap to #99-Edwards just before the first competition caution on lap 36, at which point he got his lap back as the Lucky Dog.
30) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) Brought out the fifth caution (and only red flag) of the race with 71 to go with a banzai move on the apron of turn four that forced an impractical five-wide race for position. His car clipped the rear of #45-McCumbee, setting off the wreck, but he did not suffer any damage himself.
31) #10-Patrick Carpentier (R) Was the only car one lap down when the race restarted after the first competition caution on lap 36. He became the sole participant in the eighth and final caution of the day with 17 to go when he was squeezed between #7-R. Gordon and #1-Truex, Jr. off turn two and spun, nearly collecting Chasers #24-J. Gordon, #29-Harvick, and #20-Stewart in the process. His car sustained minor damage to the splitter as a result of the spin.
32) #96-Joey Logano (R) Despite qualifying being rained out for the second week in a row, he made his Sprint Cup debut by virtue of the #96 team’s ranking in owner’s points. The car, however, was slow in practice and didn’t handle to his liking on race day. He avoided going a lap down to #99-Edwards by a half-carlength when the first competition caution came out on lap 36, then was penalized under the yellow for dragging his jack out of his pit stall.
33) #22-Dave Blaney NO NOTES
34) #18-Kyle Busch** Led the opening laps of the race from yet another rained-out pole position, but soon after losing the lead to #99-Edwards on lap 4 began to fall back through the pack. A broken heim bolt then caused the left side of his car to hike up in the corners. His handling suffered and he struggled to hold on, nearly wrecking off turn two on lap 21 as he dropped positions. He made it - barely - to the first competition caution on lap 36 and made two pit stops for repairs. When he raced the pace car to get onto pit road that second time, however, he was held a lap and almost lost another lap as the crew worked on the car. The repairs didn’t seem to work, unfortunately, and he was running very slow in last on the restart. He lost another lap by lap 79, then brought out the second caution on lap 83 when he suddenly broke loose off turn two, slid through the grass, and was hit by #26-McMurray, crumpling up the rear of his car. In the immediate aftermath of the big fifth caution of the race with 71 to go, he was seen pushing around the commitment cone, which had become lodged underneath his splitter. Led 3 laps.
35) #83-Brian Vickers Wrecked his primary car during Friday’s practice when he broke loose off turn four and hit the outside wall on the frontstretch, forcing him to start at the rear in a backup car along with #45-McCumbee. He went a lap down during one of the green flag runs, then got his lap back as the Lucky Dog under the third caution (for debris) on lap 214. With 71 to go, he was the last car involved in the fifth caution of the race when he clipped the right-rear corner of the disabled #38-Gilliland, sending him spinning to the inside of the track. Led 1 lap.
36) #12-Ryan Newman Flirted with the top 10 early when he and #28-Kvapil climbed into the top 10 off pit road under the first competition caution on lap 36. He was caught speeding off pit road under the second caution on lap 83, then soldiered back through the field only to drop a cylinder on lap 195, his car running 7 mph off the leaders for the rest of the race.
37) #5-Casey Mears Suffered significant damage in the fifth caution of the race with 71 to go when, just as #45-McCumbee slid down into #38-Gilliland’s path in front of him, he couldn’t get away in time and drilled the back of #38-Gilliland, sending #38 head-on into the driver’s door of #17-Kenseth. His car then limped around the track with severe damage to the front valence, which had to be ripped away before he returned to the track several laps down.
38) #84-A.J. Allmendinger Wrecked out of the race in the sixth caution of the day with 35 to go when he crossed the nose of #00-McDowell coming off turn four and turned hard into the outside frontstretch wall, spinning 180 degress in the process. Fell out of the top 35 in owners points and sits 15 behind #7-R. Gordon in 36th.
39) #26-Jamie McMurray Got lost in the smoke kicked up by #18-Ky. Busch in the second caution of the day on lap 83 and rear-ended #6-Ragan, sending #6 into the backstretch wall and himself spinning into #18-Ky. Busch, wrinkling the passenger side sheetmetal of his Ford.
40) #17-Matt Kenseth** He struggled early, running 21st on lap 79, but was back up to 12th with 71 to go. Unfortunately, he was in that spot just in time to be taken out in the fifth caution of the race when #45-McCumbee wobbled up the track and ran into his left-front, setting him up for #38-Gilliland, with the aid of #5-Mears, to ram into his driver’s side door. Though the contact was enough to launch his car up the track, he fortunately walked away. The resulting damage did, however, give him his first DNF of the 2008 season.
41) #38-David Gilliland Authored an amazing save on lap 13 when #44-Reutimann rooted him out of the groove in turn one, sending him wobbling up the track. Though he saved his car from wrecking, he was one of the loosest cars on the track for most of the day, often snapping loose off the corners. To finish it off, he was then taken out in the fifth caution of the race with 71 to go when the crashing #45-McCumbee clipped him in the right-front just as #5-Mears drilled him from behind, sending him head-on into the driver’s door of #17-Kenseth. His car was then clipped in the right-rear by the passing #83-Vickers, who also suffered damage.
42) #45-Chad McCumbee (R) Rough weekend started with a crash in Friday’s practice that forced him to a backup car, starting him in the rear with the other backup car of #83-Vickers. He got the Lucky Dog when #18-Ky. Busch brought out the second caution on lap 83. Unfortunately, he was then taken out in the huge fifth caution wreck with 71 to go when his four-wide battle off turn four, thanks to #77-Hornish, Jr., became a five-wide battle. #77-Hornish, Jr. clipped the rear of his car, sending him wobbling up the track and into the left-front tire of #17-Kenseth. His car then bounced into the right-front of #38-Gilliland, sending his car backing into the outside wall.
43) #78-Joe Nemechek Was involved in the fourth caution of the race with 79 laps to go when #01-Smith clipped him in the left-rear coming off turn four, sending him head-on into the inside wall. He climbed out unhurt, but his car gushed water from its ruptured radiator.

DID NOT QUALIFY:
#34-Tony Raines
#46-Carl Long

NOTE:
** indicates a Chase driver

Race 26: Chevy Rock 'n Roll 400 at Richmond

THE STARTING GRID:






THE WINNER:
#48-Jimmie Johnson continued to make his presence known in this year’s Chase For The Sprint Cup Championship by winning yet again, claiming his second win in a row and his third Richmond victory in the last four races. Johnson was in the top 5 for much of the mid-to-late stages and made his move with #20-Tony Stewart on lap 236 to double-team #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for the lead, taking 2nd behind #20-Stewart. When 14 cars decided to stay out under the tenth caution on lap 242, he and #20-Stewart worked their way up to the lead even after he clipped the backstretch wall with the right-rear of his car on lap 289. With 60 to go, the two “home improvement” cars were 2nd and 3rd, retaking the lead from #44-David Reutimann with 52 laps remaining to settle the race amongst themselves. After Johnson edged #20-Stewart off pit road under the thirteenth caution with 42 to go, the two set up a thrilling side-by-side battle that lasted the first six of the final 12 laps. After that, Johnson cruised to the victory. Johnson will start the Chase from the 3rd points position. Led 32 laps.


RESULTS:
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson THE WINNER!
2) #20-Tony Stewart He started to make some noise around the halfway mark, running the same low line as teammate #11-Hamlin up to 6th on lap 187. After narrowly avoiding contact with the sliding wreck of his other teammate, #18-Ky. Busch, in turn one on lap 211, he restarted 2nd and set his sights on #88-Earnhardt, Jr. for the lead. He got the lead from #88-Earnhardt, Jr. on lap 236 just as #48-Johnson was trying to make it a three-wide battle on the inside. From there, he and #48-Johnson were never far from each other, both climbing through the 14 cars that stayed out on lap 242's tenth caution of the race, both passing #44-Reutimann for the lead with 52 to go, and both racing each other off pit road under the thirteenth caution with 42 to go. Though he waged an impressive side-by-side battle for 6 of the last 12 laps against #48-Johnson and finished 2nd, he was furious after the race, certain that his crew had “given another one away” when he lost to #48-Johnson off pit road that final time. In reality, it appeared the stops were identical and it was just a matter of #48-Johnson pitting in front of him. Clinched his Chase spot, where he’ll start 8th. Led 23 laps.
3) #11-Denny Hamlin Using a car that was, in fact, not the same one that led 381 laps in May, he still moved up through the pack early to 2nd on lap 47, using the low line even as the leaders were running high, and passed leader #29-Harvick on lap 77. #88-Earnhardt, Jr. then came up to challenge him on lap 79, bumping him going into turn three. He retaliated by shoving #88-Earnhardt, Jr. up the track in turn three before NASCAR warned both of them to settle down. From there, he remained about a 4th place car and tried to stay up on the necessary adjustments. The run was his third-straight 3rd place finish. After pitting with teammate #18-Ky. Busch and very few others under the ninth caution on lap 227, he restarted 17th on lap 233 and was up to 6th just nine laps later on lap 241. Again set back when 14 cars stayed out under the tenth caution on lap 242, he re-entered the top 10 with 88 to go and the top 5 in the final laps despite scraping the outside wall off turn four with 49 to go. Again, as he had at both Bristol and Fontana, he surged in the final laps, moving past #31-J. Burton for 4th with 22 to go, then past #88-Earnhardt, Jr. for 3rd with 13 to go. He was within sight of the leaders as they raced side-by-side, but wasn’t quite close enough to threaten for the win. Clinched his spot in the Chase, where he will be 6th in points. Led 4 laps.
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Running an even more adventuresome high line around the track than usual, he tracked down leader #29-Harvick and was on the bumper of #29 right when the first competition caution flew on lap 36. His car never got going until the tire pressures built up after about 30 laps, a trend which became even clearer when, on the ensuing green-flag run, he closed in on leader #11-Hamlin on lap 79 so fast that he bumped #11-Hamlin going into turn three. After #11-Hamlin chased him up the track in turn three, he took the lead three laps later on lap 82. By lap 90, his lead had built to more than 2 seconds, and he kept the lead off pit road under the second caution on lap 96. For the next 80 laps, he engaged in a spirited battle with #29-Harvick and #18-Ky. Busch before #18-Ky. Busch took the lead around the seventh caution on lap 201. It was then that visions of the pair’s controversial finish in May proved prophetic when, on lap 211, #18-Ky. Busch cut across his nose going into turn one. Despite locking his brakes going into the corner, the two made contact, sending #18-Ky. Busch backwards into the outside wall. Though he suffered a vibration from tires that were likely flat-spotted in the incident, he stayed out under the ninth caution on lap 227 to keep the lead. It was then on lap 236, as #20-Stewart and #48-Johnson caught him, that he lost the lead to #20-Stewart. Running 3rd with less than 60 laps to go, he lost 2 seconds to the leaders when he almost had to stop in turn one when he ran too high and touched the outside wall. He lost 3rd to #11-Hamlin with 13 to go, but will start 4th in points for the Chase. Led 90 laps.
5) #8-Mark Martin Restarted 2nd to #44-Reutimann on the lap 247 restart as one of the 14 cars who stayed out under the tenth caution which came out five laps earlier. After see-sawing back and forth, he climbed back up to 5th with 13 to go and wound up finishing there.
6) #31-Jeff Burton Quietly secured another top 10 finish despite locking his brakes in a race for 4th with #11-Hamlin with 22 to go. Will start 7th in the Chase.
7) #29-Kevin Harvick Starting 7th, he clinched his spot in the Chase on lap 1, proceeded to run high around the track, and march his way toward the leaders to 2nd on lap 19, then to the lead past #18-Ky. Busch on lap 29. He regained the lead from #24-J. Gordon on lap 44, lost it to #11-Hamlin on lap 77, and retook it in several tight battles with #18-Ky. Busch and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. during the 2nd 100 laps of the race. Will start 11th in the Chase. Led 80 laps.
8) #24-Jeff Gordon Was fastest in the only practice held Friday before Tropical Storm Hanna rolled in, but on Sunday clipped the wall coming off turn two on lap 7. Determined to lead, he took 2 tires under the first caution and led until #29-Harvick re-passed him on lap 44. After hanging on to a top 10 finish, he will start 10th in the Chase. Led 6 laps.
9) #44-David Reutimann Had a career day at Richmond after three weeks of progressively more impressive runs to lead the most laps in a Sprint Cup race for the first time. After starting way back in 27th due to his points ranking, he was up to 13th on lap 50. He did lose a lap sometime during that run, however, and got it back as the Lucky Dog when #70-Sauter brought out the second caution on lap 96. After that, he bided his time until his fateful decision to stay out with 13 other cars under the tenth caution of the day on lap 242 put him into the lead. Though expected to fall back, his car instead took off after the lap 247 restart, opening it up to 2 seconds on lap 261, 3.3 seconds on lap 267, and 4.2 seconds on lap 283. In the process, he got very loose trying to lap a stubborn #96-Schrader on the frontstretch on lap 295, but held onto it while the previous leaders continued to pick their way through the field. He would remain in the lead all the way until 52 to go when #20-Stewart and #48-Johnson double-teamed him for the top spot. After hanging with the leaders for a few laps, he slowly fell back, but still tied his career-best finish by finishing 9th for the 2nd straight race, the finish being his 3rd top 10 of the year. Led a race-high 104 laps.
10) #2-Kurt Busch Lost some time in the pits under the tenth caution on lap 242 when he had to back up to get around #17-Kenseth, who had pitted right in front of him.
11) #5-Casey Mears NO NOTES
12) #07-Clint Bowyer Knowing that he had to finish ahead of #6-Ragan in order to make the Chase for the second time, he played it conservatively early and continued to do so after #6-Ragan’s incident on lap 122. He started in the 12th spot and was in 8th on lap 187. Somewhere along the way, however, he fell behind on the adjustments and slipped back, nearly going a lap down to leader #44-Reutimann before the eleventh caution came out on lap 297. There, he found himself catching up to the damaged #6-Ragan, hugging his rear bumper by 75 to go. With 72 to go, after #6-Ragan made contact with his right-front tire going down the frontstretch, he went on the inside of #01-Smith and bumped #01-Smith into #6-Ragan, further damaging the left-front fender of #6-Ragan so that he fell back in the pack. From there, he drove more defensively to secure a top 15 and the 5th spot in the Chase.
13) #99-Carl Edwards After hovering around the top 10, his car suddenly got very loose on lap 74, at which point he made an unscheduled green flag stop for what he believed was a slowly-leaking right-side tire. His crew gambled by only changing the right sides and, fortunately, they were right as his right-rear tire was, in fact, going down. The stop did, however, drop him one lap down to the leaders, but he then got his lap back as the Lucky Dog when #1-Truex, Jr. and #77-Hornish, Jr.’s spin off turn four brought out the seventh caution on lap 201. He then marched towards the front once again, moving up to 20th on lap 233. With 85 to go, he then had another setback, a victim of the twelfth caution when #21-Elliott spun himself off his nose trying to avoid the spinning #43-B. Labonte. He recovered nicely from that incident as well and will start 2nd in the Chase.
14) #16-Greg Biffle Sustained minor damage to the right-rear of his car during practice on Friday, but the crew got it fixed and he clinched his spot in the Chase along with #29-Harvick on lap 1. Unfortunately, while running around the top 10, he suddenly lost control going into turn one on lap 115, drifting diagonally into the wall in a way that crunched his right-rear corner and slapped the right side of his car against the fence. The damage was not too severe, fortunately, and he remained on the lead lap. Will start 9th in the Chase.
15) #18-Kyle Busch Despite leading due to his points-position pole afforded him by the rained-out qualifying session, he had trouble with the right-front of his splitter dragging on the track as #29-Harvick caught him for the lead. He then fell back to 10th under the first round of pit stops under the first caution when he overshot his pit stall and had to back up. He fought back up to contend for the lead with #29-Harvick and #88-Earnhardt, Jr. a few laps later. Then, while running 3rd on lap 154, he complained of his throttle sticking, perhaps from a lack of lubricant on the throttle lever. His involvement in the eighth caution on lap 211, however, had nothing to do with these problems as, while leading #88-Earnhardt, Jr. into turn one, he cut across the nose of #88 and spun himself out, sending him backing into the turn one wall. His car then slid down the banking, nearly collecting teammate #20-Stewart in the process, before he returned to the pits. Though the crowd roared with approval, his crew did a fantastic job hammering the rear decklid of his car back in place while keeping him on the lead lap. He did lose a lap sometime later, then received the Lucky Dog under the twelfth caution when #43-B. Labonte spun off turn one with 85 to go. Will remain the top driver in the Chase at New Hampshire. Led 53 laps.
16) #1-Martin Truex, Jr. Brought out the seventh caution on lap 201 when he got very loose in turn four and cut across the nose of #77-Hornish, Jr. to his inside, sending them both into a spin. #22-Blaney almost collided with him as he slid back up the track, but fortunately avoided contact. While following #11-Hamlin with 49 to go, he also scraped the outside wall coming off turn four. He literally bounced back after that, taking two tires under the thirteenth caution with 42 to go to lead the field with 37 to go. Though #48-Johnson and #20-Stewart retook the lead with 34 to go, he remained in the top 20. Led 6 laps.
17) #28-Travis Kvapil Lost a lap around the time he missed his pit stall under the first caution on lap 36, then received the Lucky Dog when #55-Waltrip’s spin brought out the third caution on lap 103.
18) #38-David Gilliland A nice, steady run for his team, having hovered around 20th all afternoon.
19) #9-Kasey Kahne Despite starting next to fellow bubble driver #6-Ragan, he dropped back quickly in the early stages, then was mired in the 20s on lap 69 after he had been held up on a very congested pit road. His day, unfortunately, never got much better, and he missed the Chase along with #6-Ragan.
20) #00-Michael McDowell (R) Returned to his ride after Mike Skinner had worked to help the team get into the top 35 in owner’s points. Lost a lap, then received the Lucky Dog when #6-Ragan and #17-Kenseth’s wreck in turn one brought out the fifth caution on lap 122. As one of the 14 cars who stayed out under the tenth caution on lap 242, he ran as high as 5th before slowly falling back. He wound up not only as the top-finishing rookie for the fifth time this season, but moved past #7-R. Gordon into the 35th spot in owner’s points.
21) #43-Bobby Labonte Lost a lap, then received the Lucky Dog when #18-Ky. Busch wrecked in turn one to bring out the eighth caution on lap 211. He then brought out the twelfth caution of the race with 85 to go when he spun out coming off turn two, forcing #21-Elliott to turn hard left across the nose of #99-Edwards as they both spun on the apron.
22) #22-Dave Blaney Nearly collided with #1-Truex, Jr. during the seventh caution of the race on lap 201, locking his brakes and skidding as he moved around the stopped #1.
23) #01-Regan Smith (R) Was the innocent victim of the #07-Bowyer / #6-Ragan squabble with 72 to go when #07-Bowyer shoved him sideways up into #6-Ragan, crunching the damaged left-front fender of #6-Ragan.
24) #45-Kyle Petty Lost a lap, then received the Lucky Dog when #16-Biffle’s accident in turn one brought out the fourth caution on lap 115. He was also the Lucky Dog under the thirteenth caution when #66-Riggs spun off turn two with 42 to go.
25) #10-Patrick Carpentier (R) Lost a lap, then received the Lucky Dog when #19-E. Sadler spun down the frontstretch on lap 227. Brought out the fourteenth and final caution with 31 to go when he got very loose under #15-Menard going into turn one, sending #15-Menard backing hard into the outside wall.
26) #41-Reed Sorenson NO NOTES
27) #96-Ken Schrader Was involved in the precursor to the sixth caution of the race on lap 164 when #19-E. Sadler made contact with his left-rear, creating the fateful cut in the right-front tire on #19-E. Sadler that led to the #19's spin. After making leader #44-Reutimann get very loose as he struggled to stay on the lead lap on lap 295, he was promptly given the lap back as the Lucky Dog two laps later when #83-Vickers stalled in turn one.
28) #55-Michael Waltrip His up-and-down afternoon began as he ran the high line up from 34th to 19th by the pit stops during the second caution on lap 96. On the ensuing lap 103 restart, a chain-reaction in the outer groove led to #12-Newman punting him into a spin that nearly spun #83-Vickers in the process. Fortunately, under that third caution of the race, he didn’t anything, but lost a lot of track position. He got a lot of it back as one of the 14 cars who stayed out under the tenth caution on lap 242, running in the top 5 with Michael Waltrip Racing teammates #44-Reutimann and #00-McDowell before he and #00-McDowell fell back once again in the running order.
29) #26-Jamie McMurray NO NOTES
30) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya Brought out the sixth caution on lap 164 when, while on the outside of a three-wide battle on the frontstretch, he ground the outside wall and then spun off turn one, #19-E. Sadler spinning a few seconds later in an unrelated incident. He lost a lap around that time, but got it back “the old-fashioned way” by driving around leader #44-Reutimann just before the twelfth caution with 85 laps to go.
31) #66-Scott Riggs Lost a lap, then received the Lucky Dog when #18-Ky. Busch’s spin in turn four on lap 242 brought out the tenth caution of the race. He himself brought out the thirteenth caution of the race when he spun by himself coming off turn two with 42 to go. Losing a lap, he again received the Lucky Dog when #15-Menard’s wreck brought out the fourteenth and final caution with 31 to go.
32) #6-David Ragan Looking to race his way into the Chase, he entered Sunday’s race as the car 2nd fastest to #24-J. Gordon in Friday’s practice session with 17 points to make up on 12th place #07-Bowyer. He had an early scare under the first caution when he nearly collided with #21-Elliott as he pulled out of his pit stall. Still running in the top 10 on lap 122, he suffered a much costlier setback when he slid out of control in turn one the exact same way as teammate #16-Biffle had on lap 115. The incident was worse, however, as #17-Kenseth also lost control right behind him and slid up into the driver’s side of him, damaging all three corners of his car with the exception of the right-front. The crew fixed his car fairly well, and it was even supposed that the turned-down left-front corner of his splitter was an aerodynamic advantage. Still, he lost a lap before getting it back as the Lucky Dog when #42-Montoya and #19-E. Sadler brought out the sixth caution on lap 164. From there, he worked to make the most of a bad situation, climbing up to 24th on lap 233 and staying out under the tenth caution on lap 242 to again hover around the 8th spot. With 75 to go, he was around the top 15 with none other than #07-Bowyer right on his rear bumper. He held #07-Bowyer off for a while, bumping against the right-front tire of #07-Bowyer on the frontstretch with 72 to go, but as the two split #01-Smith going into turn one, #07-Bowyer bumped #01-Smith up into him, further damaging his left-front fender and dropping him further back in the field. He nearly lost a lap again before the thirteenth caution with 45 to go, which came just in time. Unfortunately, he still missed the Chase along with #9-Kahne.
33) #12-Ryan Newman Announcement came the previous Wednesday that Nationwide Series regular and 2006 Rookie of the Year contender David Stremme would return to the Sprint Cup Series driving for this team in 2009. May have sustained cosmetic damage when he bumped #55-Waltrip into a spin on the lap 103 restart, the act bringing out the third caution of the race.
34) #15-Paul Menard Wrecked in the fourteenth and final caution of the race with 31 to go when, while racing into turn one, #10-Carpentier broke loose and slid into him, sending him backing hard into the outside wall with enough to severely loosen the rear bumper cover of his car.
35) #21-Bill Elliott After narrowly colliding with #6-Ragan on pit road, he went down a lap and was involved in the twelfth caution of the race with 85 to go. Upon seeing #43-B. Labonte spin off turn two, he turned a hard left and spun himself off the nose of #99-Edwards, who spun as well. As with many incidents during the race, there was no visible damage to any of the cars involved.
36) #83-Brian Vickers After nearly losing control when #12-Newman spun #55-Waltrip on his inside on lap 103, he was himself involved in the eleventh caution on lap 297 when he slowed after grazing the wall on the frontstretch for several feet in a manner similar to #42-Montoya. Forced to stop to try and get to pit road, he was then given a questionable 2 lap penalty by NASCAR for not continuing around the track after bringing out the caution.
37) #19-Elliott Sadler Was involved in the sixth caution on lap 164 when, after making contact with the left-rear of #96-Schrader just before #42-Montoya scraped the frontstretch wall, he cut a right-front tire and spun halfway down the backstretch. Then, on lap 227, he cut another right-front tire and spun down the frontstretch, bringing out the ninth caution of the day. He then became involved in yet another incident, the tenth caution of the day on lap 242, when he clipped the rear of the damaged #18-Ky. Busch in turn four and sent #18 into a spin.
38) #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) Received the Lucky Dog under the first caution of the day (a competition caution) on lap 36. He was unlucky, however, to not only spin in the seventh caution on lap 201 after a loose #1-Truex, Jr. crossed his nose, but have an improperly-secured left-rear wheel come off while leaving pit road under the eleventh caution on lap 297.
39) #17-Matt Kenseth Was involved in the fifth caution of the race on lap 122 when, just as #6-Ragan spun in front of him going into turn one, he lost control as well and slammed doors with #6-Ragan, severely damaging his right-front and right-rear to the point that his right-front fender smoked badly against the tire. On the lap 170 restart following the sixth caution of the day, he received the black flag for a loose crush panel that was protruding from the right-rear wheel well and had to pit under green. His car sustained further cosmetic damage when he got loose again, nearly spinning off turn four as he bumped the fence on lap 289. Led 2 laps. Will start 12th in the Chase, joining winner #48-Johnson as the only drivers to make every Chase field since 2004.
40) #78-Joe Nemechek NO NOTES
41) #70-Johnny Sauter Returning to the second HAAS team after successfully getting E&M Motorsports its first start of the season, he unfortunately damaged his car in the second caution on lap 96 when he blew a right-front tire and scraped the wall on the frontstretch. In between, he picked up the most pit road penalties during the race with three.
42) #7-Robby Gordon Fell out of the top 35 in owner’s points and is now 36th, 11 points behind #00-McDowell.
43) #84-A.J. Allmendinger Lagged back in last place early in the going when his engine ran flat from a dropped cylinder around lap 32. Still finished the race under power as, for the first time since New Hampshire in the fall of 2007, all 43 cars were running at the finish.


DID NOT QUALIFY:
#34-Tony Raines
#02-Joey Logano (R) Was 9th in the only practice session on Friday, but was rained out of his Sprint Cup debut.
#09-Sterling Marlin

THE CHASE LINEUP: