Qualifying
Roush-Fenway Racing drivers were the big story in qualifying. Teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards swept the front row in their Fords.
Kyle Busch qualified third in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Roush-Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth was fourth quickest in qualifying and Red Bull Racing rounded out the top five with Kasey Kahne.
Drop Of The Green
The grees flag flew under sunny skies. Biffle moved the inside lane forward and he lead them into turn one with Kyle Busch hot on his heels.
Biffle was able to put a little distance between himself annd Kyle Busch as he took advantage of the clean air out front and lead the rest of the early going. Matt Kenseth got around Kyle Busch for second on lap fifteen.
Pit strategy shuffled the running order after Bobby Labonte brought out an early caution. When the green flag flew on lap 25 Jimmie Johnson was the new leader after he took just two tires when the leaders hit pit road.
Storylines
Once again we saw the Chase cream rise to the top. The final green-white-checkers finish saw nine Chase drivers lined up in the top fourteen spots.
Most of the Chasers had pretty quiet days as this uneventful race was also uneventful for the Chasers except for Jeff Gordon who blew the motor in the closing laps.
Jeff Gordon was joined by Ryan Newman as drivers who didn't finish as high in the running order as they would have liked. I had already crossed Ryan Newman off the list of real Chase contenders but Jeff Gordon will definitely feel the pain of today's thirty-fourth place finish.
Jeff Gordon fell all the way to tenth in points and joins Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin on the list of drivers who will not win the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
Chasing The Checkers
Jimmie Johnson was dominating the race when the first of the late race cautions flew.
Chase drivers Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski made up the top six when the race returned to green flag racing with forty-three laps to go.
Pit strategy played a huge part in the finish of this one as Kurt Busch stayed out to lead the race, Jimmie Johnson took fuel-only and Tony Stewart took two fresh tires. Johnson was able to pass Busch for the lead pretty quickly after they went back to green flag racing. Tony Stewart bolted up to third place and was on the hunt.
Another late race caution shuffled the pit strategy once again. Brad Keselowski stayed out under the caution and lead them back to the green flag along with with fellow Chaser Denny Hamlin. Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch got two tires and followed them back to the green with 23 laps to go.
Jimmie Johnson immediately went to the bottom and pressed the leaders for the top spot. Keselowski couldn't keep him behind him and Jimmie Johnson quickly retook the lead and set sail.
The final caution shuffled the leaderboard once again and set up a green-white-checkered finish. Jimmie Johnson lead Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth to the green.
Johnson got a good jump on the restart and lead Kahne back to the white flag. Kahne was on his bumper in turn three but couldn't get it done before the checkered flag flew.
Top Ten
- Jimmie Johnson
- Kasey Kahne
- Brad Keselowksi
- Matt Kenseth
- Carl Edwards
- Kevin Harvick
- Clint Bowyer
- Greg Biffle
- Marcos Ambrose
- Mark Martin
The Points
Carl Edwards took a one point lead over Kevin Harvick in the 2011 Chase for the Cup standings. The top eight drivers are separated by just twenty points with six races to go. This is a great battle.
The driver everyone is talking about is Jimmie Johnson. After this dominating Kansas win Johnson sits in third place just four tiny points behind Edwards.
The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings:
- Carl Edwards -0
- Kevin Harvick -1
- Jimmie Johnson -4
- Brad Keselowski -11
- Matt Kenseth -12
- Kurt Busch -16
- Tony Stewart -19
- Kyle Busch -20
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -43
- Jeff Gordon -47
- Ryan Newman -54
- Denny Hamlin -79
