Pit strategy played a huge role in this race. Each of the four segments had a different dominant winner. Kasey Kahne's crew left him on old tires for the final segment. Kahne made the most of his track position and claimed the $1 million payday.
The First Segment
Kyle Busch started on the pole for the first segment and checked out on the pack. Joe Gibbs Racing had that #18 Toyota Camry hooked up and Kyle Busch was able to run away with the first twenty-five lap segment.
Greg Biffle finished two seconds back in second place. Third place Kurt Busch was over six seconds behind the leader.
The Second Segment
Kyle Busch was comfortably out front and looked to be running away with the second segment too. However his engine went flat and second place Carl Edwards made the pass for the lead about halfway through the second segment.
Carl Edwards had a massive lead over second place Dale Earnhardt Jr. when the caution flag flew to end the second segment.
The Third Segment
Dale Earnhardt Jr. got past Edwards at the start of the third segment. Roush-Fenway racers Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle were running second and third.
Greg Biffle had his Ford Fusion hooked up on the bottom and passed both his teammate and the leader with ten laps to go in the third segment. Like the winners of the first two segments, Greg Biffle checked out on the field and claimed the $75,000 segment bonus by more than four seconds.
The Final Segment
The three segments so far saw three different dominating winners. What will the final segment bring as drivers battle twenty-five laps for $1,012,975?
Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin took fuel only and won the race off of pit road. Hamlin got the lead on the restart and tried to run away and hide.
Greg Biffle got two tires during the final pit stop and started to chip away at the drivers in front of him on older tires. Hamlin and Kasey Kahne battled for the lead for the first half of the final segment until Denny Hamlin lost the motor and dropped out of the race.
Greg Biffle reeled Kasey Kahne in but then his car tightened up. Biffle couldn't apply pressure to the leader and Kasey Kahne was able to check out.
Kasey Kahne qualified for the 2008 Sprint All-Star Race by winning the fan vote. He was the last driver to make it into the show but he made the most of his opportunity and claimed the 2008 All-Star Race.
Top Five
- Kasey Kahne
- Greg Biffle
- Matt Kenseth
- Jimmie Johnson
- Tony Stewart
Next Week
Next week NASCAR returns to Lowes Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. 43 drivers will run 600 miles on this same race track. The payout is a lot smaller but the Coca-Cola 600 is one of the biggest races on the Sprint Cup schedule. Drivers still bring their best and next Sunday night's race is another of NASCAR's don't miss events.
