Pop Secret 500 - California Speedway

Sadler Wins in Southern California
Elliott Sadler won the Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway, locking himself in the Chase for the Championship. Sadler simply needs to start the event next week at Richmond to secure his place in the new championship format. Sadler led eight times for a total of 59 laps, while Mark Martin led the most laps, running at the front of the field for a total of 65 laps. Sadler took the lead for the final time on lap 224 and held off Kasey Kahne by .263 seconds to capture his second win of the season and the third of his career. Rookie Kasey Kahne scored his fifth runner-up finish this season and was in second place the last time that Sadler won at Texas. Martin came home in third, followed by Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman in the top five. Carl Edwards, making only his third Nextel Cup series start, finished in the sixth position. The race featured a track record 11 caution flags for a total of 51 laps, while Sadler’s average winning speed was 128.324 mph.

Pop Secret 500 Notes

· Race Results · Ford Post-Race Quotes · Dodge Post-Race Quotes · Chevrolet Post-Race Quotes · Rookie Post-Race Quotes · Point Standings · Happy Hour · Dodge Saturday Quotes · Practice 2 · Starting Lineup · Chevrolet Qualifying Quotes · Dodge Qualifying Quotes · Ford Qualifying Quotes · Rookie Qualifying Quotes · Practice 1 · Qualifying Order · Raybestos Rookie Notes · Carl Edwards Notes · Kyle Busch Notes · Kyle Petty Notes · Ken Schrader Notes · Jeff Green Notes · Scott Riggs Notes · Ward Burton Notes

· Jimmie Johnson Notes · Dale Earnhardt Jr. Notes · Tony Stewart Notes · Matt Kenseth Notes · Kurt Busch Notes · Elliott Sadler Notes · Kevin Harvick Notes · Bobby Labonte Notes · Ryan Newman Notes · Kasey Kahne Notes · Mark Martin Notes · Jeremy Mayfield Notes · Dale Jarrett Notes · Jamie McMurray Notes · Casey Mears Notes · Michael Waltrip Notes · Greg Biffle Notes · Sterling Marlin Notes · Rusty Wallace Notes · Robby Gordon Notes · Terry Labonte Notes · Brian Vickers Notes · Ricky Rudd Notes · Joe Nemechek Notes

Vickers Captures California Pole
Brian Vickers won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole for the Pop Secret 500, lapping California Speedway in 38.417 seconds at 187.417 mph. Ryan Newman holds the track-qualifying record of 38.414 seconds, 187.432 mph, set April 26, 2002. This is Vickers’s second career Bud Pole in 30 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races. His other Bud Pole came at Richmond on May 14, 2004, 14 races ago. Vickers became the fifth multiple Bud Pole winner in 2004. Jeff Gordon (six), Kasey Kahne (four), Ryan Newman (four) and Casey Mears (two) are the other drivers with more than one Bud Pole this season. Jeremy Mayfield had the second-fastest time with a qualifying lap of 38.634 seconds at 186.364 mph and will join Vickers on the front row. It is his 11th top-10 start in 2004 and third top-10 start in his nine races at California. Bill Elliott (third) posted his third top-10 start in his fifth race this season. He came up just shy of his 101st front-row start. Elliott has 55 Bud Poles and 45 second-place starts. Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne round out the top-five starting positions.