UAW-GM Quality 500 - Lowe’s Motor Speedway

Lowe's Sweep for Johnson
Rookie Kasey Kahne threatened to run away with the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway until a flat tire ended his dominance, opening the door for Jimmie Johnson to sweep the season’s events at the track. It only seems fitting that the Lowe’s-sponsored driver would win both events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2004, in fact Johnson has now won three of the last four races at the Charlotte track. Kahne was by far the class of the field, dominating the early goings, while leading four times for 207 of the 269 laps that he ran before being sidelined after hitting the wall due to the tire problem. Johnson led three times for a total of 35 laps, including the final 16 to win for the 11th time in his brief Nextel Cup career. Johnson finished 1.727 seconds ahead of his owner/teammate Jeff Gordon in second place, to score his second season sweep this year; he also swept both events at Pocono this season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished in the third position, while points leader Kurt Busch and last week’s winner Joe Nemechek rounded out the top-five positions in the finishing order. The race featured 18 lead changes among nine drivers and 11 caution flags for a total of 53 laps.

UAW-GM Quality 500 Notes

· Race Results · Chevrolet Post-Race Quotes · Ford Post-Race Quotes · Dodge Post-Race Quotes · Rookie Post-Race Quotes · Point Standings · Happy Hour · Ford Friday Quotes · Practice 2 · Starting Lineup · Chevrolet Qualifying Quotes · Ford Qualifying Quotes · Rookie Qualifying Quotes · Practice 1 · Qualifying Order · Race Notes · Chase Notes · Kyle Busch Notes · Larry Foyt Notes · Greg Sacks Notes · John Andretti Notes · Carl Edwards Notes · Kyle Petty Notes · Jeff Green Notes · Ken Schrader Notes

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

Record-Breaking Pole for Newman at Charlotte
Ryan Newman won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole for the UAW-GM Quality 500, lapping Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 28.590 seconds, at an average speed of 188.877 mph. He broke Jimmie Johnson’s track-qualifying record of 28.869 seconds, 187.052 mph - set May 27, 2004. Johnson had taken the track record from Newman in May. This is Newman’s 24th career Bud Pole in 111 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races, his most recent Bud Pole came at Richmond, five races ago. This is his sixth Bud Pole in 2004, tying Jeff Gordon for the series lead. It is Newman’s fourth Bud Pole and his eighth top-10 start in as many races at Charlotte. It is his third Bud Pole in the last four races at LMS. Newman has never started worse than fourth in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kasey Kahne had the second-fastest time with a qualifying lap of 28.820 seconds at 187.311 mph and will join Newman on the front row. Casey Mears will start third, posting his eighth top-10 start in 2004 and completing a Dodge sweep of the top-three starting positions. Rookie Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler round out the top-five starting positions.