Sam’s Town 300 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Burton Takes Checkered Flag in Sam’s Town 300
So much for home cookin’. Jeff Burton chased down Las Vegas-native Kyle Busch just before the checkered flag flew to capture the 2007 Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch had been dominant for much of the race, and took the lead – which looked like the race’s final lead change – with seven laps to go. But Burton had different plans. Burton kept gaining on the younger Busch, inching his way closer to the No. 5 Delphi Chevrolet’s back bumper. The only question left: did Burton have enough laps to pull off the comeback? The answer was yes, just enough. Burton nosed ahead of Busch just before the finish line, and Busch lost much more than the race in the process. Because both cars had been battling so hard at the end, Busch lost control and slammed into the wall as he crossed the finish line. Busch had led a race-high 81 laps, but it was Burton who led the most important one. Burton’s No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet led a total of 37 laps. This is Burton’s third win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also won at LVMS in 2000 and 2002. And with the win – which was Burton’s 23rd Busch Series victory – he moved into fifth place all by himself on the all-time Busch Series wins list. For practically the entire race, it was home, sweet home for Kyle and his brother Kurt. They finished one-two in the laps led standings, with Kurt leading 42. A race-record 12 caution flags flew on this day, with the track’s new banking (increased from 12-degrees to 20-degrees in the corners), faster speeds and harder tires giving some drivers trouble. Marquee names such as Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle and Casey Mears suffered DNFs. At the mid-point, it looked like Tony Stewart might be one of the drivers who would be watching the end of the race from his hauler. Stewart battled overheating problems, and while pitting at one point, water sprayed from his hood like a geyser. Incredibly, Stewart battled back to become a factor, finishing third. Kurt Busch and David Stremme rounded out the top five.

Sam’s Town 300 Notes

· Race Results · Ford Post-Race Quotes · Rookie Post-Race Quotes · Point Standings · Owner Point Standings · WIX Filters Lap Leader Notes · Starting Lineup · Rookie Qualifying Quotes · Final Practice · Practice 2: Rookie Practice · Practice 1 · Entry List · Weekend Schedule · Raybestos Rookie Notes · Justin Diercks Notes · Brad Coleman Notes · Kurt Busch Notes · Reed Sorenson Notes · Clint Bowyer Notes · Eric McClure Notes

· Carl Edwards Notes · Dave Blaney Notes · Greg Biffle Notes · Kevin Harvick Notes · Marcos Ambrose Notes · Matt Kenseth Notes · Jon Wood Notes · Juan Pablo Montoya Notes · Jason Leffler Notes · Tony Stewart Notes · David Ragan Notes · Shane Huffman Notes · Kyle Busch Notes · Casey Mears Notes · Kasey Kahne Notes · David Stremme Notes · Paul Menard Notes · Jamie McMurray Notes · Jeff Burton Notes · Bobby Labonte Notes

Harvick Wins Busch Pole in Las Vegas
Kevin Harvick won the Busch Pole for the Sam’s Town 300 – his 15th Busch Pole in 169 NASCAR Busch Series races – with a time of 29.816 seconds and a speed of 181.111 mph. The speed breaks the track record of 171.238 mph set by Mike Bliss in 2004. This is Harvick’s second pole in his last four races. His last pole came at Homestead on Nov. 18, 2006. This is Harvick’s first Busch Pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Harvick’s previous best start at Las Vegas was third in 2003. Harvick has one win and four straight top-five finishes at Las Vegas. Harvick’s average starting position at Las Vegas is now 8.4. Three drivers have won the Las Vegas Busch Series race from the pole: Jeff Green (1997), Mark Martin (1999), Jeff Burton (2002).