|
|
News and Results |
Point Standings |
2007 Schedule |
2007 Teams |
2006 Schedule and Results
Pep Boys Auto 500 - Atlanta Motor Speedway
Johnson Wins Back-to-Back, Tightens Points Chase
Jimmie Johnson won a wild-and-wooly Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon.
A bizarre series of circumstances in the final 20 laps of the 325-lap event led to Johnson's storybook finish and eighth win of the year.
Johnson was lined up behind race leader Denny Hamlin with three laps to go.
The white starting flag waved and every car took off, every car but one.
Hamlin's car was out of gas and he rolled slowly down the center of the track like an unlucky duck at a shooting gallery.
Cars went on both sides and sparks flew. Jeff Burton scraped the outside wall and Martin Truex Jr., unable to see Hamlin's car stalled out until it was too late, buried the nose of his Chevy in Hamlin's rear end.
On the ensuing green-white-checkered restart after the caution, more trouble ensued. Shortly after the cars took the green, the left rear wheel came flying off Dale Earnhardt's car as he entered the turn. He slid up the track directly in the path of oncoming Jamie McMurray, who delivered a KO punch to both cars at speed. That signaled the end of the race as NASCAR rules allow for only one shot at a green-white-checkered finish.
Neither driver was hurt but the crazy finish sent NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series officials to the monitors and scoring loops for the final rundown.
When the scoring scrutiny had been completed, the final rundown showed Johnson the winner, Carl Edwards second and Reed Sorensen third, followed by Matt Kenseth, Burton, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers.
Actually, the exciting and totally unexpected ending was created with eight laps remaining when Johnny Sauter suffered a tire failure and hit the wall.
At the time of the caution, Kyle Busch was leading, Kenseth was second, Truex third, Kurt Busch fourth, Johnson fifth, Kahne sixth and Hamlin seventh. Gordon was eighth at the time, Earnhardt ninth and Carl Edwards 10th.
All but Hamlin pitted for tires and a splash of gas. Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus decided to put on two tires instead of four and that put the No. 48 car back on track for the restart in front of everyone but Hamlin.
Johnson gained some points on Gordon in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship by winning the race with Gordon finishing six spots back. Johnson is now nine points behind Gordon in the series standings after entering the race 53 back.
Biffle Speeds to Atlanta Pole Position
Greg Biffle sped to the pole position for Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Biffle earned his fourth Bud Pole in 183 career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races with a lap of 28.807 seconds, at an average speed of 192.453 mph.
This is his first pole and 10th top-10 start in 2007. He becomes the 16th driver to win a Bud Pole this
season.
This is Biffle’s first pole and fourth top-10 start in 10 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kurt Busch posted the second-fastest qualifying time and will start from the outside pole. It is his 13th top-10 start of 2007 and his fifth in 14
Atlanta races.
Needing to time his way into the race, Dale Jarrett qualified in the third postion, posting his 16th top-10 start in 40 races at Atlanta. It is his best start of the 2007 season and his first top-10 start since Talladega on Oct. 10, 2006.
Jimmie Johnson (sixth) posted his 23rd top-10 start of 2007, extending his series lead in top-10 starts.
Only three of the 12 Chase drivers qualified in the top-10: Kurt Busch, Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
News and Results |
Point Standings |
2007 Schedule |
2007 Teams |
2006 Schedule and Results
©Copyright 2007 Race 2 Win
|
|
