In the ten years that the NASCAR Nextel Cup has been racing at Texas Motor Speedway, no one has ever won the race from the pole. Also Roush cars have been very dominant. Kasey Kahne-#9 UAW Dodge Dealers Dodge won the pole. Could he break this pattern and win. Oh and it's Kasey's 26th birthday tomorrow. So the incentive is there.
Kasey actually fell back at the start of the race. Greg Biffle-#16 Subway Ford led the first part of the race. He lost the lead after a debris caution and a few guys stayed out on the track for track position. Kahne took the lead at lap 69. Then disaster struck Biffle again. He tangled with Kurt Busch-#2 Miller Lite Dodge on lap 82 and hit the wall. It also ruined Busch's day as he had to go to the garage for repairs.
Tony Stewart-#20 Home Depot Chevy takes the lead on lap 93 and would dominate the middle part of the race. Denny Hamlin-#11 FedEx Chevy got the lead after pit stops during a lap 146 caution. He would swap the lead for a while with Matt Kenseth-#17 Carhartt Ford & Carl Edwards-#99 Office Depot Ford. Kasey Kahne & Tony Stewart would both return to the front. Kahne would take the lead again at lap 250 after Kyle Petty-#45 Schwan's Dodge blown engine brought out a caution. Edwards spun and hit the inside wall at lap 257. His day is over.
Kahne leads when the green flag comes out at lap 264 but Stewart passes him immediately. These two would duel for the lead for the rest of the race. Kahne regains the lead at lap 308. With green flag pit stops looming, a debris caution on lap 313 allows for final pit stops. Kahne wins the race off pit road and easily holds off Kenseth & Stewart for the win.
Congratulations to Kasey Kahne, crew chief Kenny Francis and car owner Ray Evernham for Kasey's second win of the year. Also big top ten finishes for rookies Denny Hamlin & Martin Truex Jr. and for Scott Riggs & Bobby Labonte as well. Jimmie Johnson remains the points leader. The Nextel Cup boys have a week off and will be in Phoenix in two weeks. Here's the top ten of today's race.
#/Driver/Sponsor/Make/Owner
1.9/Kasey Kahne/UAW Dodge Dealers/Dodge/Ray Evernham
2.17/Matt Kenseth/Carhartt/Ford/Jack Roush
3.20/Tony Stewart/Home Depot/Chevy/Joe Gibbs
4.11/Denny Hamlin/FedEx/Chevy/Joe Gibbs
5.29/Kevin Harvick/Reese's Caramel Cups/Chevy/Richard Childress
6.31/Jeff Burton/Cingular/Chevy/Richard Childress
7.10/Scott Riggs/Stanley Tools/Dodge/Ray Evernham
8.1/Martin Truex Jr/Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/Dale Earnhardt Inc.
9.6/Mark Martin/AAA/Ford/Jack Roush
10.43/Bobby Labonte/Cheerios/Dodge/Petty Enterprises
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