Qualifying
Jeff Gordon rebounded from a hard hit last week in Las Vegas to sit on the pole for today's race. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the outside of the front row. Martin Truex Jr. completed the Chevrolet sweep of the top three.
Winner of the last two Sprint Cup races and center of NASCAR's attention for failing post-race inspection last week Carl Edwards qualified third. Petty Dodge driver Bobby Labonte rounded out the top five.
Drop Of The Green
Dale Earnhardt Jr. pushed his Hendrick Chevrolet from the outside of the front row and took over the lead at the start. Earnhardt was hooked up out front and was gaining a couple of tenths per lap over the field. Junior had a six second lead before the race was 20 laps old.
Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Kevin Harvick were also fast in the early laps, but nobody could compete with Dale Earnhardt Jr. early in today's race.
Storylines
It was bound to happen. Since Joe Gibbs Racing switched to Toyota Camrys for the 2008 Sprint Cup season Toyota has contended for the win every week. Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart have raced near the front of the pack and it was just a matter of time.
For the first time since 1954 a foreign manufacturer won a NASCAR Sprint Cup series race. Toyota is for real.
NASCAR fans love to have a villain. Now that Toyota drivers are running up front, winning races and leading the points some NASCAR fans have someone to yell against. This extra drama will only make the races more exciting.
Chasing The Checkers
Carl Edwards was the fastest car on the track and lead the race with 50 laps to go. His car started smoking and NASCAR gave him the black flag. Edwards was in position to pick up his third win in a row but it was not to be.
Edwards' problem handed the lead back to Kyle Busch with Dale Earnhardt Jr. running second.
A late pit stop shuffled the contenders. Kyle Busch was still out front but Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle were chasing him. Biffle got past Stewart for second and was cutting into Busch's lead but it was too little too late. Kyle Busch cruised to the easy victory to score Toyota's first ever Sprint Cup win.
Top Ten
- Kyle Busch
- Tony Stewart
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Greg Biffle
- Jeff Gordon
- Clint Bowyer
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth
- Brian Vickers
- Jeff Burton
The Points
Point leader Kyle Busch won the race and extended his lead. Greg Biffle moved up to second with another strong 2008 run. After the NASCAR penalty and a DNF today Carl Edwards has dropped completely out of the top twelve.
The top twelve are now:
- Kyle Busch
- Greg Biffle -73
- Kevin Harvick -91
- Ryan Newman -94
- Jeff Burton -110
- Kasey Kahne -131
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -134
- Tony Stewart -140
- Brian Vickers -174
- Kurt Busch -187
- Martin Truex Jr. -194
- Matt Kenseth -195
Next Week
Next week we get to the first short track race of the 2008 Sprint Cup season. Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the most exciting race tracks on the circuit. Kyle Busch won this race at Bristol last year and will have to be considered a favorite again next week.
