Qualifying
Last week's Coca-Cola 600 winner David Reutimann keeps the momentum going with a pole position effort this week in Dover. Kasey Kahne was second quick in his GEM Dodge. Juan Montoya, Reed Sorenson and Greg Biffle rounded out the top five starters.
Drop Of The Green
Reutimann and Montoya were 1-2 at the completion of lap one. Montoya jumped to the outside and lead lap two. Reutimann passed him back a couple laps later as Montoya started to slide back through the field.
Reed Sorenson took over the lead just a couple laps before NASCAR threw the competition caution on lap 30.
Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson won the race off pit road. Those two and early leader David Reutimann seemed to have the fast horses during the first part of the race.
Storylines
Dover International Speedway seems to have a knack for making interesting finishes. Although Jimmie Johnson dominated the 2009 Autism Speaks Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Johnson put on a great show over the final thirty laps.
I don't know what it is about Dover. This race doesn't get a lot of press. Very few would name it as one of NASCAR's great race tracks but Dover consistently delivers great racing year after year.
The 2009 event was another reason that this one mile concrete oval should be selling out every single event.
Chasing The Checkers
Jimmie Johnson lead 297 of the 400 lap 2009 Autism Speaks 400. However, when the final green flag flew with 27 laps to go Johnson took found himself in eighth place for the restart after a four tire stop when othes only took two.
Greg Biffle was out front with Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman running second and third. Biffle got a clean restart and put some distance on the field. Jimmie Johnson was coming through the pack in a hurry. Would he have time to catch Biffle?
Johndon was picking up a quarter of a second each lap but the laps were ticking away quickly.
Tony Stewart passed Biffle for the lead with nine laps to go. This helped Johnson close the gap in a hurry. He passed Biffle for second with eight laps to go and set his sights on the win.
Stewart and Biffle battled side-by-side for the win over the last eight laps. This was a Classic Dover battle.
Finally with two to go Jimmie Johnson got past on the outside and ran away for the win.
Top Ten
- Jimmie Johnson
- Tony Stewart
- Greg Biffle
- Matt Kenseth
- Kurt Busch
- Kasey Kahne
- Carl Edwards
- Ryan Newman
- Casey Mears
- Mark Martin
The Points
Tony Stewart's strong second place run allowed him to move past Jeff Gordon at the top of the points. Stewart now leads by 46 points. David Reutimann remains in thirteenth place as no new drivers cracked the top twelve.
The top twelve are now:
- Tony Stewart
- Jeff Gordon -46
- Jimmie Johnson -64
- Kurt Busch -91
- Ryan Newman -173
- Kyle Busch -219
- Denny Hamlin -223
- Matt Kenseth -228
- Greg Biffle -235
- Jeff Burton -266
- Carl Edwards -271
- Mark Martin -286
