Kyle Busch would prove to be the best in Vegas. He was fastest at the end and claimed the win.
Qualifying
The Busch brothers topped qualifying with Kyle besting older brother Kurt by 45 thousandths of a second to claim the pole. Jimmie Johnson and David Reutimann held down row number two and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top five.
Drop Of The Green
Jimmie Johnson got a great start from the third starting spot and lead lap one. The green flag was short lived when Brad Keselowski spun as the field completed lap number one. A second caution flew just a few laps later as Todd Bodine spun.
The field settled down a little after that and Jimmie Johnson continued to lead over Kurt Busch all the way to green flag pit stops.
Storylines
Point leader Matt Kenseth came into today's race with a chance to make history. A win today would have made him the first driver in history to open the season with three wins. It was not to be as Kenseth blew the engine within the first ten laps.
This race featured a record setting number of cautions. The yellow flag flew 14 times today which is five more cautions than the first three Vegas races in 1998-2000 saw combined.
Chasing The Checkers
Childress teammates Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton lead the field to the green flag with 22 laps to go. Kyle Busch went four wide on the restart and jumped up to third.
Busch didn't wait long to pass Burton for second and set his sights on the lead. Kyle Busch put a bumper on Bowyer, moved him out of the way for the lead and stole a line from George Burns quipping "Say goodnight Gracie" as he went past.
Kyle survived multiple restarts in the last ten laps but was never really in danger of giving the lead back in this one. Kyle rolled to the easy win.
Top Ten
- Kyle Busch
- Clint Bowyer
- Jeff Burton
- David Reutimann
- Bobby Labonte
- Jeff Gordon
- Greg Biffle
- Brian Vickers
- Jamie McMurray
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The Points
Matt Kenseth's sweep of the first two races of the year had him way out in front. However his luck ran out as today's early blown motor caused him to finish dead last in 43rd.
Jeff Gordon took over the top spot as Matt Kenseth fell to third behind Clint Bowyer.
The top twelve are now:
- Jeff Gordon
- Clint Bowyer -18
- Matt Kenseth -40
- Greg Biffle -40
- David Reutimann -51
- Kyle Busch -54
- Kurt Busch -66
- Tony Stewart -80
- Carl Edwards -82
- Bobby Labonte -99
- Kevin Harvick -108
- Michael Waltrip -113
