Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Four Toyota Camrys started today's Pocono 500 more than two hours later than scheduled due to a lengthy rain delay. The 200-lap race was shortened by a final shower over the track on lap 106.

Brian Vickers continued his streak of top-10 starting positions at Pocono by qualifying in the ninth position in his No. 83 Red Bull Camry, but finished 35th.

David Reutimann made his first NNCS start at Pocono in the No. 00 Burger King® Camry, but finished 38th after debris damaged the nose of his car.

AJ Allmendinger made his fifth consecutive start today from the 28th position in the No. 84 Red Bull Camry and finished 39th.

Dave Blaney in the No. 22 Caterpillar Camry finished 43rd after making his career-best start at Pocono from the 14th position. Blaney was involved in an accident on lap 56, ending his day.

Camrys have led a total of 90 laps in NNCS competition with 76 of those laps coming at Lowe's Motor Speedway by Vickers.

The best Nextel Cup finish for a Camry this season is when Vickers finished fifth at Lowe's Motor Speedway (May 27) in the most recent race on the schedule. It marked the first top-five result for Toyota in Nextel Cup competition.

Vickers also scored Toyota's first top-10 when he finished 10th at California Speedway (Feb. 25).

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Team Red Bull
Finished: 35th
What have you battled today with your car?
"The thing we've battled today has been the bottom-end power in the motor. We've been working on that the last couple weeks and the power shows more at this track than anywhere else because we can't shift anymore at this track. But everyone at TRD (Toyota Racing Development) is working hard to get better and we've all continued to improve, this was just a tough day for us. We fought a loose car, but not bad. Most of the guys I could gain some on them into the corners and then we would loose it on the straight-aways."

Was there any strategy your team was trying with the rain in the area?
"It wasn't supposed to rain today and then it ended up raining here all day. We tried to pit early for tires, but then we just lost too much time out on the race track on old tires. Everybody else was on newer tires and was able to catch us and pass us."

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Burger King® Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finished: 38th
How was your race today?
"We've just struggled with the car all day today. It wasn't turning like we needed it to turn and it really just wasn't doing anything we needed it to do and wasn't really responding to anything we were trying to do to it. Then we ran over something and it tore some of the duct work out of the left-front of the car. That created a little more down force and we were trying to get that patched up to see if that might help the car turn any better. It was just a tough day and then the rain started again so we'll have to take the finish and get ready for Michigan."

DAVE BLANEY, No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota Camry, Bill Davis Racing
Finished: 43rd
What happened that took you out of the race?
"I was about halfway through the corner and (Greg) Biffle was under me -- I guess he got loose and got up into me. We were struggling with the handle on the car, but we were working on it and adjusting on it. I think we would have had a decent day because we were going to keep getting the car better, but we won't have that chance."

AJ ALLMENDINGER, No. 84 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Team Red Bull
Finished: 39th