USG Durock 300 - Chicagoland Speedway

Harvick Parlays Pit Strategy into Chicago Busch Win
Kevin Harvick parlayed pit strategy into his third victory in 15 Busch Series starts this year, holding off Matt Kenseth by 1.012 seconds to win the USG Durock 300 Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. Under the sixth and final caution of the race on Lap 167, Harvick and Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton, who finished third, feinted a move into the pits but shot back onto the track just in front of the commitment line. Kyle Busch, who had the dominant car and led a race-high 58 laps, continued on to pit road, gave up the lead and exited in eighth place for the restart on Lap 171, with Burton and Harvick in the top two positions, respectively. Busch climbed to fifth at the finish but gave up a chance to win the race. Burton said trying to trap Busch on pit road was part of his strategy. "Yes, I won't lie, we were trying to drag a few cars with us," Burton said. "But we made our intentions clear. We said, 'Don't pit, don't pit.' I'm surprised they weren't scanning us, but I think maybe they had decided that pitting was their best option at that point... I thought we were better off with the 5 on pit road. Now I'm leading, and that's where you want to be, leading the race with 35 to go." Harvick, however, passed Burton through Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 174, and Kenseth dropped Burton to third with a pass on Lap 183. "I think the 5 car had the race won there, but when they pitted, they kind of opened the door for Kevin, Burton and us," Kenseth said. Busch "definitely had a good car," echoed Harvick, who won the 29th Busch Series race of his career. "Obviously, him pitting meant we didn't have to race him there at the end. Being the leader is always a tough thing because whatever you do, everyone else does the opposite." Busch was unhappy with crew chief Alan Gustafson's call for a pit stop under the final caution. "We only have four more months to work on it," Busch said, referring to his lame-duck status at Hendrick Motorsports. Denny Hamlin's crew had to change a dying battery under caution on Lap 95. Though Hamlin got out of the pits without losing a lap, he restarted 15th on Lap 99. The polesitter worked his way through the field, and on Lap 133 he passed Casey Mears for sixth place. Hamlin couldn't improve from that position, however, and finished seventh. Points leader Carl Edwards appeared destined for another solid top-10 run, but a cut tire forced him to the pits on Lap 177. That, combined with a subsequent pass-through penalty for blending with race traffic too early after exiting the pits, cost Edwards two laps and dropped him to 20th at the finish.

USG Durock 300 Notes
· Race Results · Ford Post-Race Quotes · Toyota Post-Race Quotes · Rookie Post-Race Quotes · WIX Filters Lap Leader Notes · Point Standings · Owner Point Standings · Starting Lineup · Qualifying Results · Final Practice · Rookie Final Practice Quotes · Practice 2: Rookie Practice · Practice 1 · Rookie Friday Quotes · Qualifying Order · Entry List	· Dave Blaney Notes · Jason Leffler Notes · Greg Biffle Notes · Casey Mears Notes · Juan Pablo Montoya Notes · Kyle Busch Notes · Tony Stewart Notes · David Stremme Notes · Eric McClure Notes · Jamie McMurray Notes · Kasey Kahne Notes · Bobby Labonte Notes · Reed Sorenson Notes · Kelly Bires Notes · Ryan Newman Notes · Weekend Schedule

Hamlin on Busch Pole in Joliet
Denny Hamlin won the Busch Pole for the USG Durarock 300, lapping the Chicagoland Speedway in 30.083 seconds at 179.503 mph to score his 10th pole in 83 career NASCAR Busch Series races. This is Hamlin’s fourth pole and his ninth top-10 start in 12 Busch Series races in 2007. This is Hamlin’s first Busch Pole and second top-10 start in three races at Chicago. Carl Edwards (second) posted his third top-10 start in as many races at Chicago. Edwards has also finished in the top-10 in both of his previous starts here. Aric Almirola (third) will be starting his first NASCAR Busch Series race at Chicago. He has posted five top-10 starts this season – all third or better including two Busch Poles. Kyle Busch (sixth) was the fastest of the drivers that had to make the field on time. Juan Pablo Montoya (17th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.