2003 NASCAR Nextel Cup champ Matt Kenseth is known as a poor qualifier who excels in the race. This pattern continued in today's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA. The #17 DeWalt Tools Ford started the race in 31st but he came to the front and won the race.
After winning Saturday's Busch Series race, Greg Biffle-#16 Jackson Hewitt Ford was looking for the double. He dominated the race but wasn't around at the end. Tony Stewart-#20 Home Depot Chevy was fast but cut a tire on lap 122 and went down a lap when he had to make a green flag pit stop. His only hope was for green flag pit stops to cycle through and then get a caution.
Stewart finally got back on the lead lap when a debris caution came out at lap 196. That got him back into second place behind Greg Biffle. But Stewart blew an engine on lap 215 and was the first car out of the race. He finished last. The caution came out.
The ensuing pit stops would take fuel mileage out of the equation. Jeff Gordon-#24 Dupont Chevy took two tires to get the lead. Everyone else took four. Kenseth passed Gordon and then another caution came out at lap 219 when Stanton Barrett-#95 Hair Of The Dog Energy Drink Chevy spun out. Biffle passed Gordon when the green came out but there was another caution when Kurt Busch-#2 Miller Lite Dodge spun out.
Biffle radioed his pit and told them the engine was dying. He dropped out after the restart and finished 42nd. This left Kenseth in the lead with Jimmie Johnson-#48 Lowe's Chevy in second. Kenseth was cruising to an easy win when Scott Wimmer-#4 Aero Exhaust Chevy blew an engine on lap 246. This caution set up a green/white/checker finish between Kenseth & Johnson. Kenseth held off Johnson for the win.
Congratulations to Matt Kenseth, crew chief Robbie Reiser and car owner Jack Roush. Johnson's second place finish kept him in the points lead. Carl Edwards rebounded from last week's last place to finish third this week. Also another top ten for Casey Mears and rookie JJ Yeley. The Nextel Cup boys are off next week and will be in Las Vegas in two weeks. Here's the top ten of today's race and the top ten in points.
Auto Club 500 top ten
#/Driver/Sponsor/Make/Owner
1.#17/Matt Kenseth/DeWalt Tools/Ford/Jack Roush
2.#48/Jimmie Johnson/Lowe's/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
3.#99/Carl Edwards/Office Depot/Ford/Jack Roush
4.#9/Kasey Kahne/Dodge Dealers-UAW/Dodge/Ray Evernham
5.#31/Jeff Burton/Cingular/Chevy/Richard Childress
6.#26/Jamie McMurray/Crown Royal/Ford/Jack Roush
7.#42/Casey Mears/Texaco Havoline/Dodge/Chip Ganassi
8.#18/JJ Yeley/Interstate Batteries/Chevy/Joe Gibbs
9.#6/Mark Martin/AAA/Ford/Jack Roush
10.#5/Kyle Busch/Kellogg's/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
Top ten in points
1.Jimmie Johnson-355
2.Casey Mears-316
3.Matt Kenseth-308
4.Kasey Kahne-295
5.Dale Earnhardt Jr.-287
6.Mark Martin-275
7.Ryan Newman-273
8.Clint Bowyer-271
9.Brian Vickers-260
10.Elliott Sadler-259
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