Qualifying
As expected Chasers dominated qualifying. Drivers in the 2007 Chase for the Cup took the top four qualifying spots. Clint Bowyer enters the Chase in twelfth but started this race in first. Dale Earnhardt Inc driver Martin Truex Jr. was second in his Chevy. Row number two was made up of Chasers Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson.
The fifth starter was non-Chaser Ryan Newman in his Penske Dodge.
Drop Of The Green
The top five quickly sorted them selves out as they were single file before they got to turn one. Clint Bowyer claimed the lead and the five bonus points for leading a lap when he lead lap one. Bowyer continued to pace the field until NASCAR threw a mandatory caution on lap 35.
Bowyer won the battle off of pit road and continued to lead the early portion of the race.
Storylines
The first Chaser to have a problem in 2007 is Kurt Busch. The 2004 Chase winner, Kurt Busch was down on power. He had dropped a cylinder in the engine and lost a lap to the leaders. Busch struggled all day but managed a 25th place finish, one lap off the pace. It could have been worse, but Kurt still suffered in the points.
On the other side of the coin many of the Chasers found their way to the top of the pack. The finishing order found Chase drivers in the top seven spots.
Chasing The Checkers
Clint Bowyer lead over half of the race and was solidly out front as the laps were counting down. The final pit stops came under the green flag with 65 laps to go. When the running order sorted itself out after the stops Clint Bowyer was back out front with Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart giving chase from behind.
The race stayed green all the way to the end and nobody had anything for Clint Bowyer. Clint Bowyer cruised home to score the first NEXTEL Cup victory of his career.
Top Ten
- Clint Bowyer
- Jeff Gordon
- Tony Stewart
- Kyle Busch
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Jimmie Johnson
- Matt Kenseth
- Casey Mears
- Ryan Newman
- J.J. Yeley
The Points
The only driver in the Chase for the Cup without a victory in 2007 solved that problem today. Clint Bowyer moved from twelfth in points up to fourth.
Kurt Busch was the big loser today. Busch's engine problems cost him a good finish and he fell seven spots to twelfth.
The top twelve are now:
- Jimmie Johnson -0
- Jeff Gordon -0
- Tony Stewart -10
- Clint Bowyer -15
- Kyle Busch -35
- Martin Truex Jr. -40
- Matt Kenseth -54
- Carl Edwards -63
- Denny Hamlin -82
- Kevin Harvick -88
- Jeff Burton -91
- Kurt Busch -102
Next Week
Next week the NEXTEL Cup series rolls into Dover Delaware for 400 miles on the tough concrete oval. When the series visited Dover in June Martin Truex Jr. was able to score the first win of his career. Race number two of the 2007 Chase for the Cup is up next Sunday from Dover.
