Sunday, June 18, 2006

Kasey Kahne wins rain shortened Michigan Nextel Cup race

The weather was the big story at the 3M Performance 400 Nextel Cup race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI. The race is official at the halfway point. So when everyone knows bad weather is coming, strategy comes into play that you wouldn't normally see. Kasey Kahne won the pole but he smacked the wall during Saturday's practice. The crew repaired the car. Kasey had a special paint scheme promoting the Adam Sandler film Click and Sandler was the grand marshall of the race.




The race was delayed for an hour by light rain. Kasey Kahne-#9 Click Dodge & Jeff Gordon-#24 Dupont Chevy swap the lead. The caution comes out on lap 10 for rain but it stops and the race restarts on lap 18. Tony Stwart-#20 Home Depot Chevy crashes into the wall after Jeff Green-#66 Best Buy Chevy taps him on lap 22. Clint Bowyer-#07 Jack Daniels Chevy is clipped by Stewart. Kyle Busch-#5 Kellogg's Chevy stays out to take the lead. Another caution comes out on lap 31 when Jamie McMurray-#26 Irwin Industrial Tools Ford spins JJ Yeley-#18 Interstate Batteries Chevy into the wall. Ken Schrader-#21 Motorcraft Ford is taken out of the race and Joe Nemechek-#01 US Army Chevy is involved too. Kyle Busch pits and Kahne regains the lead when green comes out on lap 36.




Jeff Gordon passes Kahne for the lead but Kahne has to pit on lap 47 when debris on his grille causes overheating. He's a lap down but gets it back when rain brings out the caution on lap 51. When the green comes out on lap 59, Jeff Gordon battles for the lead with Dale Earnhardt Jr.-#8 Budweiser Chevy. A Matt Kenseth-#17 Carhartt Ford spin brings out a caution on lap 67. Greg Biffle-#16 Charter Communications Ford gets the lead after pit stops but is passed by Earnhardt on lap 79. A Tony Raines-#96 DLP Chevy flat tire brings out a caution on lap 81. All the leaders pit but Brian Vickers-#25 GMAC Chevy stays out to take the lead at lap 85. He's a sitting duck and Carl Edwards-#99 Office Depot Ford takes the lead on lap 89.





Edwards leads at the halfway point. But the rain is coming. A Kyle Petty-#45 Wells Fargo Dodge flat tire brings out a caution at lap 111. Everyone pits but Reed Sorenson-#41 Target Dodge takes two tires to get the lead. This is great strategy with rain coming. Kahne beat Edwards off pit road for second. This turned out to be the winning move. Kahne passes Sorenson for the lead on lap 117. The rain finally comes to stay at lap 129 and the race is called and Kasey Kahne is the winner.




Congratulations to Kasey Kahne, crew chief Kenny Francis & car owner Ray Evernham for Kahne's fourth win of the year. A great call by crew chief Jimmy Elledge got rookie Reed Sorenson his best career finish in fifth. It was a great race while it lasted but nobody likes that type of finish. At least they got the race in. Jimme Johnson still leads the points. The Nextel Cup boys are on the road course in Sonoma, CA next week. The Busch & Truck teams are in Milwaukee. More frequent flyer miles. Here's the top 10 of the race.





#/Driver/Sponsor/Make/Owner
1.9/Kasey Kahne/Click/Dodge/Ray Evernham
2.99/Carl Edwards/Office Depot/Ford/Jack Roush
3.9/Dale Earnhardt Jr./Budweiser/Chevy/Dale Earnhardt Inc.
4.16/Greg Biffle/Charter Communications/Ford/Jack Roush
5.41/Reed Sorenson/Target/Dodge/Chip Ganassi
6.48/Jimmie Johnson/Lowe's/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
7.42/Casey Mears/Texaco Havoline/Dodge/Chip Ganassi
8.24/Jeff Gordon/Dupont/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
9.2/Kurt Busch/Miller Lite/Dodge/Roger Penske
10.29/Kevin Harvick/Reese's/Chevy/Richard Childress

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