NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge - Lowe's Motor Speedway

Johnson an All-Star at Lowe's Motor Speedway
There is one thing that we have learned from the past, never count out the Lowe’s Chevrolet at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. As long as the wheels are still turning on the No. 48 car, it will hunt for that checkered flag, no matter the circumstance. On Saturday night in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge, Jimmie Johnson found himself in a very familiar position at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, celebrating in victory lane once again, or as Johnson refers to it, ‘his house.’ Johnson had to recover from a speeding penalty on pit road to win the crash-filled All-Star event that ended in the wee hours of Sunday morning. In a rush to hit pit road for a mandatory pit stop, Johnson was penalized for entering the pits too fast. He then had to serve a drive-through penalty that put him just in front of the leaders on the tail end of the lead lap. Johnson fought off going a lap down and was able to catch up with the pack when the caution flag flew. Eventually Johnson found his way back to the lead when he passed Kevin Harvick just two laps in to the final 20-lap segment. From there he led the final 18 laps on the way to a 1.729-second victory and a nice cool check for $1,055,007. This is Johnson’s second win in the All-Star Challenge and his seventh career victory at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He has won five of the last six – including four consecutive - points-paying races at LMS. Johnson will be vying for his fourth straight Coca-Cola 600 win next weekend. Johnson led the race twice for 33 of the race’s 90 total laps. Kevin Harvick was second in the laps-led department, leading once for 23 laps, as well as second in the finishing order. Jeff Gordon crossed the finish line in the third position, followed by Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman in the top five. Kyle Busch won the first 40-lap segment of the non-points event, where 10 cars were inverted before the start of the second segment. Harvick took the win in segment number two, which totaled 30 laps. The race was interrupted about 25 minuets by rain, bringing out the red flag on lap 34.

Nextel All-Star Challenge Notes

· Race Results · Chevrolet Post-Race Quotes · Ford Post-Race Quotes · Dodge Post-Race Quotes · Segment Two Results · Segment One Results · Nextel Open Race Results · Open Dodge Post-Race Quotes · Open Chevrolet Post-Race Quotes · Open Ford Post-Race Quotes · Open Rookie Post-Race Quotes · Starting Lineup · Qualifying Results · Dodge Qualifying Quotes · Chevrolet Qualifying Quotes · Ford Qualifying Quotes · Nextel Open Starting Lineup · Nextel Open Qualifying Results · Open Dodge Qualifying Quotes · Open Rookie Qualifying Quotes · Final Practice · Nextel Open Final Practice · Chevrolet Practice Quotes · Chevrolet Friday Quotes · Rookie Friday Quotes · Qualifying Order · Nextel Open Qualifying Order · Entry List · Nextel Open Entry List · Eligible Drivers

· Jimmie Johnson Notes · Tony Stewart Notes · Matt Kenseth Notes · Mark Martin Notes · Dale Earnhardt Jr. Notes · Jeff Gordon Notes · Kyle Busch Notes · Kevin Harvick Notes · Jeff Burton Notes · Casey Mears Notes · Dale Jarrett Notes · Greg Biffle Notes · Elliott Sadler Notes · Clint Bowyer Notes · Carl Edwards Notes · Kurt Busch Notes · Ryan Newman Notes · Jamie McMurray Notes · Brian Vickers Notes · Reed Sorenson Notes · Jeff Green Notes · Scott Riggs Notes · Joe Nemechek Notes · Dave Blaney Notes · Sterling Marlin Notes · Michael Waltrip Notes · David Stremme Notes · Raybestos Rookie Notes · Fact Sheet · Weekend Schedule

Riggs Wins Nextel Open, Transfers to All-Star Challenge
Scott Riggs won the rain delayed Nextel Open at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and receives an invitation to compete in tonight’s Nextel All-Star Challenge. Riggs started from the pole position and led all but one of the 30 total laps on the way to victory lane. Rookie Denny Hamlin was the only other driver to lead a lap during the event, leading lap number one. After that, Riggs was easily the class of the field as he checked out on the competition to win by 1.232 seconds over Jeff Green in second place. Last year’s Open winner Brian Vickers finished in third place, followed by Hamlin in fourth and teammate J.J. Yeley. Riggs now transfers to tonight’s All-Star event with the opportunity to win one million dollars. Kyle Petty received to most votes from the fans and will join Riggs in the Nextel All-Star Challenge.

Kahne and Dodge Crew Earn All-Star Challenge Pole
Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge pit crew, the 2005 NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge winners, was unable to defend its title on Wednesday night, losing in the championship round to the No. 1 crew of Martin Truex. On Friday night they redeemed themselves, helping their driver win the Bud Pole for Saturday night’s NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kahne turned in three quick laps around the newly paved Lowe’s Motor Speedway and his crew completed a four-tire pit stop in 13.0 seconds to earn the pole position in this unique qualifying format. Kahne’s total time on the track and pit road was clocked in at 122.296 seconds, at an average speed of 132.465 mph. Lowe’s Motor Speedway ace Jimmie Johnson grabbed the outside pole position with a total time of 122.938 seconds on the track, while Kurt Busch qualified in the third position. Johnson’s teammate and car owner, Jeff Gordon will roll off fourth on Saturday evening, followed by Ryan Newman, who won the pole position for this event last season.

Scott Riggs Wins Pole Position for Nextel Open
Scott Riggs captured the top starting spot in the Nextel Open at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Riggs qualified in 28.953 seconds, at an average speed of 186.509 mph, to win the pole position for the Open, a 30-lap race where the winner earns the opportunity to compete in the big event on Saturday night, the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge. Rookie Denny Hamlin will join Riggs on the front row, posting a qualifying time in 28.960 seconds. Jeff Green starts third, followed by J.J. Yeley and Jeff Burton rounding out the top five.