Today's NASCAR Nextel Cup race had a very exciting finish pitting old tires vs new tires. The new tires won. Dover Downs is very similar to Bristol except it's a mile long and known as the Monster Mile. The Neighborhood Excellence 400 started with Ryan Newman & Jeremy Mayfield on the front row.
Tony Stewart-#20 Powerade Chevy was still recovering from last week's broken scapula. Tony needed to start the race to get the driver points so he started the race and was replaced by NASCAR veteran Ricky Rudd at the first pit stop. Rudd retired (sort of) after last season and this was his first race of 2006. After the driver change, Rudd was penalized for speeding on pit road at lap 210. He finished two laps down in 25th. It is not known if Stewart will race next week in Pocono.
Jimmie Johnson-#48 Lowe's Chevy spun in qualifying and stated in the back. Also, because Dover only has 42 pits, Johnson had to share a pit stall with Scott Wimmer-#4 Aero Exhaust Chevy. When Hermie Sadler-#00 UWFUSA.com Chevy dropped out of the race on lap 136, Wimmer took over his pit stall. Johnson got a lap down early in the race and then spun out but somehow got back on the lead lap and finished sixth. I guess that's how you win championships.
The turning point of the race was when caution came out on lap 299. Kevin Lepage-#49 State Water Heaters Dodge dropped fluid on the track and Elliott Sadler-#38 M & M's Ford spun out in the fluid and hit the wall. In the ensuing pit stops, Jamie McMurray-#26 Irwin Industrial Tools Ford stayed out and took the lead. His crew chief Bob Osborne thought there would be enough caution laps to get the win by fuel mileage. But could he hold off the cars with fresher tires? Kevin Harvick-#29 GM Goodwrench Chevy took fuel only and was second.
Harvick, Jeff Burton-#31 Cingular Chevy & Matt Kenseth-#17 DeWalt Tools Ford were gunning for McMurray. Kenseth finally passed Harvick for second with six laps left. Then he passed McMurray for the win with three laps left. It's a tough loss for McMurray because he's had problems this season and hasn't won a race since October 2002 in Charlotte when he filled in for the injured Sterling Marlin.
Congratulations to Matt Kenseth, crew chief Robbie Reiser & car owner Jack Roush. The second place finish was McMurray's best finish this year. Johnson still leads the points standings. The Nextel Cup boys are in Pocono, PA next week and the Busch Series is in Nashville. Plenty of frequent flyer miles for anyone running both races. Here's the top ten of today's race.
#/Driver/Sponsor/Make/Owner
1.17/Matt Kenseth/DeWalt Tools/Ford/Jack Roush
2.26/Jamie McMurray/Irwin Industrial Tools/Ford/Jack Roush
3.29/Kevin Harvick/GM Goodwrench/Chevy/Richard Childress
4.31/Jeff Burton/Cingular/Chevy/Richard Childress
5.5/Kyle Busch/Kellogg's/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
6.48/Jimmie Johnson/Lowe's/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
7.9/Kasey Kahne/UAW-Dodge Dealers/Dodge/Ray Evernham
8.16/Greg Biffle/National Guard/Ford/Jack Roush
9.6/Mark Martin/AAA Insurance/Ford/Jack Roush
10.8/Dale Earnhardt Jr./Budweiser/Chevy/Dale Earnhardt Inc.
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