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Today In Nascar History
05/08/1955-Tim Flock wins at Phoenix, win #4 of the season, and #21 of his career.
05/08/1965-Junior Johnson wins at Darlington, win #5 of the season, and #42 of his career.
05/08/1976-Cale Yarborough wins at Nashville, win #3 of the season, and #34 of his career.
05/081982-Darrell Waltrip wins at Nashville, win #5 of the season, and #44 of his career.
Today In Nascar History
05/08/1955-Tim Flock wins at Phoenix, win #4 of the season, and #21 of his career.
05/08/1965-Junior Johnson wins at Darlington, win #5 of the season, and #42 of his career.
05/08/1976-Cale Yarborough wins at Nashville, win #3 of the season, and #34 of his career.
05/081982-Darrell Waltrip wins at Nashville, win #5 of the season, and #44 of his career.
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Quote of the Day
“Alright! We got our win."
--Dale Earnhardt Junior in victory lane at Richmond
News gathered from multiple sources, including but not limited to: Jayski.com, Cup Scene Daily, Thatsracin.com, catchfence.com, nascar.com, yahoo!, espn.com and others.
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery
from Eeyore
hi,
Could you tell me the name of Kenny Schrader's book and where I could get it? Thanks.
from Pops
Momma
I may have had the wrong wreck and apologize for it but the story reference was also pointing a finger at the # 5 Kellogg Chevy for causing the melee on lap 9 the only wreck I saw with the #5, Kyle apologized for, if he was the cause, and quickly corrected by the person interviewing him in the pits that the replay showed the N#11 clip him and got him just loose enough to hit someone beside him..they showed the incident several times from several different cameras with the N#11 going below the line and hitting the N#5..and then the #11 parked for a penalty lap.
Pops
from Eeyore
hi,
Could you tell me the name of Kenny Schrader's book and where I could get it? Thanks.
from Pops
Momma
I may have had the wrong wreck and apologize for it but the story reference was also pointing a finger at the # 5 Kellogg Chevy for causing the melee on lap 9 the only wreck I saw with the #5, Kyle apologized for, if he was the cause, and quickly corrected by the person interviewing him in the pits that the replay showed the N#11 clip him and got him just loose enough to hit someone beside him..they showed the incident several times from several different cameras with the N#11 going below the line and hitting the N#5..and then the #11 parked for a penalty lap.
Pops
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Classic TV Zone
~A Weekly Newsletter~
The Stats, The Trivia, and more.
Tune in find out Today!
TheClassicTVZone-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Classic TV Zone
~A Weekly Newsletter~
The Stats, The Trivia, and more.
Tune in find out Today!
TheClassicTVZone-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
************************************
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Bits and Pieces
Harvick staying with RCR through '09
RICHMOND, Va. - Kevin Harvick has signed a multiyear contract extension to remain with his Richard Childress Racing Nextel Cup team through the 2009 season.
"Obviously there's been a lot of speculation and a lot of things that have been speculated and talked about over the last few months, but Richard and I have pretty much been on the same page the whole time," Kevin Harvick said in making the official announcement Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.
Harvick, who joined the organization in 2001 as a replacement for the late Dale Earnhardt, has stated in the past that he is interested in performance more than money when it comes to his NASCAR career. He's undergone a resurgence of sorts lately, climbing to seventh in the standings with top-10 finishes in four of the last five races after failing to make NASCAR's Chase For The Nextel Cup the last two seasons.
"Kevin played a huge role in RCR back in 2001," team owner Richard Childress said. "A lot of history has been made with Kevin and RCR and hopefully a lot more history will be written over the next three years."
Harvick also ended speculation that Toyota would back Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Busch and Craftsman Truck series entries. Harvick says that General Motors maintains contracts with the Busch teams at both RCR and KHI. He says he's uncertain about what will happen with the truck team.
Harvick staying with RCR through '09
RICHMOND, Va. - Kevin Harvick has signed a multiyear contract extension to remain with his Richard Childress Racing Nextel Cup team through the 2009 season.
"Obviously there's been a lot of speculation and a lot of things that have been speculated and talked about over the last few months, but Richard and I have pretty much been on the same page the whole time," Kevin Harvick said in making the official announcement Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.
Harvick, who joined the organization in 2001 as a replacement for the late Dale Earnhardt, has stated in the past that he is interested in performance more than money when it comes to his NASCAR career. He's undergone a resurgence of sorts lately, climbing to seventh in the standings with top-10 finishes in four of the last five races after failing to make NASCAR's Chase For The Nextel Cup the last two seasons.
"Kevin played a huge role in RCR back in 2001," team owner Richard Childress said. "A lot of history has been made with Kevin and RCR and hopefully a lot more history will be written over the next three years."
Harvick also ended speculation that Toyota would back Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Busch and Craftsman Truck series entries. Harvick says that General Motors maintains contracts with the Busch teams at both RCR and KHI. He says he's uncertain about what will happen with the truck team.
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Greg Biffle Wins the WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race Award: Greg Biffle led three times for 54 laps to win the WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race Award in the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond. Biffle took the honor for the fourth time this season. He finished fourth Saturday night, one of 13 drivers on the lead lap with race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Crown Royal 400 marks the second time in the last three races that Biffle has won the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award. He also won April 22 (another Saturday night race) at Phoenix International Raceway. Biffle’s performance at Richmond lifted him three positions to 20th in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, 31 points behind 19th-place Brian Vickers. Biffle now leads the season-long WIX Filters Lap Leader standings with four races, one more than second-place Tony Stewart. WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD WINNERS BY RACE: Daytona 500 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (32 laps); Auto Club 500 - Greg Biffle (168 laps); UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 - Matt Kenseth (146 laps); Golden Corral 500 - Biffle (128 laps); Food City 500 - Tony Stewart (245 laps); DIRECTV 500 - Stewart (288 laps); Samsung/RadioShack 500 - Stewart (99 laps); Subway Fresh 500 - Biffle (151 laps); Aaron’s 499 - Jeff Gordon (62 laps); Crown Royal 400 Biffle (54 laps) - Camp & Associates, Inc., Press Release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR’s Barrett Comes to Infineon Raceway for Training: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Stanton Barrett will visit Infineon Raceway on Monday, May 8, for a day of on-track instruction with the Jim Russell Racing Schools, which is based at the raceway. Barrett (#95 TheRaceSpace.com Chevrolet) has not competed in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup feature race at Infineon Raceway and is hopeful the day of instruction will help his qualifying effort during the Dodge/Save Mart 350 weekend (June 23-25). Barrett, a stuntman by trade from Hollywood, has earned a best finish of 33rd in four starts this year. Barrett will be given classroom instruction, as well as ample time on the road course in one of the Russell Schools’ open-wheel racecars. Instruction will be provided by Tom Dyer, winner of the 2005 Blue Lizard Australian Suncream 200 Southwest Series event at Infineon Raceway, and Tyler McQuarrie, a long-time instructor and Southwest Series competitor. The 10-turn, 1.99-mile Sonoma Valley road course is one of only two road course events on the NEXTEL Cup Series schedule. “This day of instruction will really give Stanton an idea of what to expect during the NASCAR event in June,” said Mark Wolocatiuk, chief instructor for the Jim Russell Racing Schools. “We’ll go over the basic course, as well as visual landmarks and the best way to attack the turns.” The Jim Russell Racing Schools, based at Infineon Raceway since 1996, has trained many drivers who are now competing at the top levels of motorsports. Russell Racing graduates include Formula One driver Scott Speed, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Casey Mears and Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series driver Memo Gidley. - Infineon Raceway Press Release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laps Led: #20-Tony Stewart is the only driver who has led at least one lap in nine of the 10 races in 2006, earning 60 lap leader bonus points, 40 more than point leader Jimmie Johnson who has 20. Stewart leads all drivers with 801 laps led in 3246 total laps, with #16-Greg Biffle 2nd with 609 laps. #21-Ken Schrader, #41-Reed Sorenson and #40-David Stremme are the only drivers that have competed in all 10 races that have failed to lead in 2006.(NASCAR Statistical Services)
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National Guard off #16 end of 2006? UPDATE: it was reported towards the end of Richmond Nextel Cup qualifying by Speed Channel's Bob Dilner, that National Guard, the sponsor of the #16 Ford that Greg Biffle drives [and is on the Richmond pole with], could be off the car after the 2006 season. Something to do with NASCAR's rule that a team can only have four cars. No word on what would happen with the #16 car. team, Biffle or if National Guard would stay in the sport on a different team.(5-5-2006)
UPDATE: Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, says he last talked to NASCAR officials about a month ago on complying with NASCAR's four-team limit. NASCAR announced last year that they would limit organizations to four teams. Roush fields five teams. Roush officials say contracts with sponsors and drivers go through the 2009 season. Smith says he's hopeful the organization can fulfill those contracts before downsizing. "They've made it pretty clear that they don't want an indefinite window,'' Smith said about NASCAR. "Philosophically, it seems like we're on the same page. I expect ... we're going to do this on a year-to-year basis with the view that if we can get it done before then we will.'' Smith also said that the team is in talks with the National Guard about returning as a sponsor. The National Guard is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 22 races for Greg Biffle this season.(Roanoke Times)
UPDATE: Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, says he last talked to NASCAR officials about a month ago on complying with NASCAR's four-team limit. NASCAR announced last year that they would limit organizations to four teams. Roush fields five teams. Roush officials say contracts with sponsors and drivers go through the 2009 season. Smith says he's hopeful the organization can fulfill those contracts before downsizing. "They've made it pretty clear that they don't want an indefinite window,'' Smith said about NASCAR. "Philosophically, it seems like we're on the same page. I expect ... we're going to do this on a year-to-year basis with the view that if we can get it done before then we will.'' Smith also said that the team is in talks with the National Guard about returning as a sponsor. The National Guard is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 22 races for Greg Biffle this season.(Roanoke Times)
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Fuel Cell Update; 17 gallons in 2007 Drivers say that they don't need the smaller, 14-gallon fuel cell for the races later this month at Lowe's Motor Speedway. NASCAR mandated the smaller fuel cell instead of the regular 22-gallon cell because of concerns about tires on the new surface. A smaller fuel cell will lead to more pit stops and more chances to change tires. This week's test showed the tires are durable enough that they should last what would be a regular fuel run with the larger fuel cell. John Darby, Nextel Cup series director, said more information is needed before deciding to change back to the larger fuel cell. "Until you go through that 600 miles, you don't know what's going to happen," Darby said. Darby said that next year, the fuel cells will be 17 gallons.(Roanoke Times)
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Elliott tests Toyota engine at Lowe's: Bill Elliott tested one of Waltrip's #00 Chevy Cup cars with a Toyota engine earlier this week at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and there are plans for more tests as the foreign manufacturer seeks approval from NASCAR.(NASCAR.com)
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#92 Done? #92 Crew Chief Teddy Brown informed us [Front Row Motorsports Fanz] that they will stop running the #92 car, just to focus on two cars. The #92 team only made one of nine races [attempted 8 of 9]. The engine costs for that team so far are around $300k. With Jeff Stec's #61 team now with Front Row Motorsports, they will concentrate on getting both #61-Kevin Lepage and #34-Chad Chaffin's cars ready for Richmond.(Front Row Motorsports Fanz)
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Yes, NASCAR fans, that's A ROAD you're walking along!
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Looking at Saturday night's race at Richmond International Raceway in the ol' rear-view mirror ...
Yes, crew chief Todd Berrier should have had Kevin Harvick make a pit stop along with the rest of the lead-lap cars on a yellow with about 120 laps to go in the Crown Royal 400. Yes, the decision to stay out ultimately changed how the rest of the evening played out. But Harvick's team just as easily could have had a mistake on pit road, or could have got a speeding penalty. The point is that it's a 400-lap race and if you do things exactly right for three-quarters of that it's often still not going to be enough to win. The reason that winning is such a big deal is that it's so hard to do things right enough for long enough to get victories at this level.
Let's try this one more time. Race fans, if you're walking along and suddenly discover there's a car right behind you, that's because you're walking on A ROAD! If you're on a paved surface wider than about 10 feet, chances are that pavement's there so cars can roll on it. That means it's not a sidewalk. Don't walk down the middle of it, strolling along five- or six-wide with your buddies. IT'S A ROAD!
Why does Fox (or in this case, FX) show cars running four or five laps under yellow while its announcers yammer about nothing, then come back a lap and a half after the green flag flies? Yes, slotting commercials is an inexact science. But it ought to be more than a wild guess.
Did you hear about the terrible tornado, fire, hurricane or explosion that tore the Richmond airport all to heck? Me neither, but it must have been a lulu. I've never been in a building that was more torn up and still open. In Hawaii you get a lei when you get off the plane. Here, they ought to give you a hard hat.
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Looking at Saturday night's race at Richmond International Raceway in the ol' rear-view mirror ...
Yes, crew chief Todd Berrier should have had Kevin Harvick make a pit stop along with the rest of the lead-lap cars on a yellow with about 120 laps to go in the Crown Royal 400. Yes, the decision to stay out ultimately changed how the rest of the evening played out. But Harvick's team just as easily could have had a mistake on pit road, or could have got a speeding penalty. The point is that it's a 400-lap race and if you do things exactly right for three-quarters of that it's often still not going to be enough to win. The reason that winning is such a big deal is that it's so hard to do things right enough for long enough to get victories at this level.
Let's try this one more time. Race fans, if you're walking along and suddenly discover there's a car right behind you, that's because you're walking on A ROAD! If you're on a paved surface wider than about 10 feet, chances are that pavement's there so cars can roll on it. That means it's not a sidewalk. Don't walk down the middle of it, strolling along five- or six-wide with your buddies. IT'S A ROAD!
Why does Fox (or in this case, FX) show cars running four or five laps under yellow while its announcers yammer about nothing, then come back a lap and a half after the green flag flies? Yes, slotting commercials is an inexact science. But it ought to be more than a wild guess.
Did you hear about the terrible tornado, fire, hurricane or explosion that tore the Richmond airport all to heck? Me neither, but it must have been a lulu. I've never been in a building that was more torn up and still open. In Hawaii you get a lei when you get off the plane. Here, they ought to give you a hard hat.
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Ryan Newman reasonably happy with 8th-place NASCAR finish
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Ryan Newman would like to have done better in Saturday's race, but his eighth-place finish was his first top 10 since the Daytona 500.
"It would have been nice to have had four tires at the end, but the guys did a great job," Newman said. "It's good to get the points going back in the right direction.
"We were just a little off on balance tonight and we needed track position."
Newman moved up three spots to 23rd in the Nextel Cup standings.
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Ryan Newman would like to have done better in Saturday's race, but his eighth-place finish was his first top 10 since the Daytona 500.
"It would have been nice to have had four tires at the end, but the guys did a great job," Newman said. "It's good to get the points going back in the right direction.
"We were just a little off on balance tonight and we needed track position."
Newman moved up three spots to 23rd in the Nextel Cup standings.
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Good NASCAR run at Richmond turns bad for Bobby Labonte
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Bobby Labonte ran in the top 10 for much of the race, but faded to 24th at the finish. There was a reason for that, Labonte said.
"On the last stop, the left-rear tire got put on the right-rear and the right-rear got put on the left," Labonte said. "That hasn't happened in about 100 years."
Labonte said his car was nearly impossible to drive after that.
"We really didn't know what it was until it was too late," he said.
"The last 40 laps, I just had to hold on."
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Bobby Labonte ran in the top 10 for much of the race, but faded to 24th at the finish. There was a reason for that, Labonte said.
"On the last stop, the left-rear tire got put on the right-rear and the right-rear got put on the left," Labonte said. "That hasn't happened in about 100 years."
Labonte said his car was nearly impossible to drive after that.
"We really didn't know what it was until it was too late," he said.
"The last 40 laps, I just had to hold on."
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Kasey Kahne gets his wires uncrossed too late for the finish he wanted
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Kasey Kahne slid from fourth to seventh in the Nextel Cup standings after finishing 34th, four laps down.
"They left off two spark plug wires," Kahne said. "We put them back on and there was nothing wrong.
"That's the third time it's happened this year.
"We've got to figure out why they're falling off or whatever is going on there.
"We had a top-five car."
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Kasey Kahne slid from fourth to seventh in the Nextel Cup standings after finishing 34th, four laps down.
"They left off two spark plug wires," Kahne said. "We put them back on and there was nothing wrong.
"That's the third time it's happened this year.
"We've got to figure out why they're falling off or whatever is going on there.
"We had a top-five car."
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Carl Edwards battling back in the NASCAR driver standings
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Three weeks ago Carl Edwards was 22nd in the standings when team owner Jack Roush decided to change things around and give the driver of the No. 99 Fords a new crew chief.
Since then, Edwards has three straight top-10 finishes and he's now up to 13th in the standings, just 53 points out of the top 10.
"This is the best we've ever run at Richmond," said Edwards, who finished 21st in both of his starts here in 2005.
"My hat's off to my guys. If we can just keep knocking down the top 10s the next eight to 10 weeks, we'll be great. But we have to run like this."
Edwards' night was not easy. He spun trying to get to pit road under green just before the midway point of the race.
"I think Clint Bowyer was watching the guy next to him or something," Edwards said.
"He got me bad, but Clint's a great driver and I'm sure that won't be last time we run into each other. We all do stuff like that.
"That could have cost us a lot and maybe that's a sign that things are turning for the better."
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Three weeks ago Carl Edwards was 22nd in the standings when team owner Jack Roush decided to change things around and give the driver of the No. 99 Fords a new crew chief.
Since then, Edwards has three straight top-10 finishes and he's now up to 13th in the standings, just 53 points out of the top 10.
"This is the best we've ever run at Richmond," said Edwards, who finished 21st in both of his starts here in 2005.
"My hat's off to my guys. If we can just keep knocking down the top 10s the next eight to 10 weeks, we'll be great. But we have to run like this."
Edwards' night was not easy. He spun trying to get to pit road under green just before the midway point of the race.
"I think Clint Bowyer was watching the guy next to him or something," Edwards said.
"He got me bad, but Clint's a great driver and I'm sure that won't be last time we run into each other. We all do stuff like that.
"That could have cost us a lot and maybe that's a sign that things are turning for the better."
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Marlin grabs season-high ninth at Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. -- Sterling Marlin and the Waste Management team scored an impressive ninth-place finish in Saturday night's Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It was the highest finish of the season for the No. 14 team.
"This was a good day for the Waste Management/MB2 team," said Marlin, whose previous best season finish was 12th at Phoenix two weeks ago. "This team works so hard every single week and they never give up. We started from a tough spot tonight, but we hung in there, worked our way to the front and finished in the top 10. That's the kind of people this team is made of."
Marlin started the 400-lap Nextel Cup event 32nd after a disappointing qualifying effort Friday. But when the green flag fell under-the-lights at Richmond, Marlin gradually drove his way to the front of the pack.
"We started off a little loose but Doug (Randolph - crew chief) did a great job making calls in the pits and we were able to get the car where we needed it," offered Marlin.
Due to a lack of caution flags during the middle portion of the competition, Marlin lost a lap to the leaders despite running in the 16th position.
"We lost a lap there in the middle of the race and couldn't really go anywhere," said Randolph. "Our car ran excellent all night and we were fast, we just needed to get our lap back so we could get the finish we deserved. Sterling and the guys battled hard, we got that lap back, and we put ourselves in position for a top-10 finish. This is exactly what our team needed."
"It was a good night for us," said Marlin, who was celebrating is 30th anniversary this weekend as a NASCAR Cup driver. "We came here believing we could get a good finish and we did. I'm proud of the whole team."
The next stop for the Nextel Cup series will be Saturday night, May 13 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
"This was a good day for the Waste Management/MB2 team," said Marlin, whose previous best season finish was 12th at Phoenix two weeks ago. "This team works so hard every single week and they never give up. We started from a tough spot tonight, but we hung in there, worked our way to the front and finished in the top 10. That's the kind of people this team is made of."
Marlin started the 400-lap Nextel Cup event 32nd after a disappointing qualifying effort Friday. But when the green flag fell under-the-lights at Richmond, Marlin gradually drove his way to the front of the pack.
"We started off a little loose but Doug (Randolph - crew chief) did a great job making calls in the pits and we were able to get the car where we needed it," offered Marlin.
Due to a lack of caution flags during the middle portion of the competition, Marlin lost a lap to the leaders despite running in the 16th position.
"We lost a lap there in the middle of the race and couldn't really go anywhere," said Randolph. "Our car ran excellent all night and we were fast, we just needed to get our lap back so we could get the finish we deserved. Sterling and the guys battled hard, we got that lap back, and we put ourselves in position for a top-10 finish. This is exactly what our team needed."
"It was a good night for us," said Marlin, who was celebrating is 30th anniversary this weekend as a NASCAR Cup driver. "We came here believing we could get a good finish and we did. I'm proud of the whole team."
The next stop for the Nextel Cup series will be Saturday night, May 13 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
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Handling Issues Relegate Nemechek To 28th-Place Finish
RICHMOND, Va. -- Joe Nemechek couldn't find the rhythm nor the grip at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night and the end result was a 28th-place finish for the U.S. Army driver.
"We had handling issues and never could get going," said Nemechek, who started the Crown Royal 400 Nextel Cup race from the 17th position. "The Army Chevrolet was both tight and loose at different times of the race. We made a number of adjustments, but nothing seemed to click tonight. We'll get better -- there's plenty of Army fight on this team."
Nemechek will be looking for a better result next Saturday night at the famed Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In his last two races at Darlington, he had finishes of eighth and 11th respectively.
"We've had good runs in Darlington in the past and hopefully next week's race will put an end to this slump," said Nemechek.
"We had handling issues and never could get going," said Nemechek, who started the Crown Royal 400 Nextel Cup race from the 17th position. "The Army Chevrolet was both tight and loose at different times of the race. We made a number of adjustments, but nothing seemed to click tonight. We'll get better -- there's plenty of Army fight on this team."
Nemechek will be looking for a better result next Saturday night at the famed Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In his last two races at Darlington, he had finishes of eighth and 11th respectively.
"We've had good runs in Darlington in the past and hopefully next week's race will put an end to this slump," said Nemechek.
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Kyle Busch's NASCAR finish, Sterling Marlin's anniversary and Dave Blaney's streak
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Short takes from the Richmond race weekend notebook ...
Kyle Busch was in a group battling for the lead during the final 100 laps and wound up finishing fifth in his No. 5 Chevrolet. "We came from the middle to the back side of the lead pack and kind of made our way toward the front a little bit," he said. "We had a mediocre day but we ended up fifth and we're proud of it."
Sterling Marlin marked the 30th anniversary of his first career Nextel Cup start with a season's best finish of ninth. Marlin raced for the first time in the series on May 8, 1976 in Nashville.
Dave Blaney currently has the longest streak of races in which his car has been running at the finish. It' now stands at 28 races. Joe Nemechek had the longest streak at 40 before it was broken a week ago at Talladega.
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Short takes from the Richmond race weekend notebook ...
Kyle Busch was in a group battling for the lead during the final 100 laps and wound up finishing fifth in his No. 5 Chevrolet. "We came from the middle to the back side of the lead pack and kind of made our way toward the front a little bit," he said. "We had a mediocre day but we ended up fifth and we're proud of it."
Sterling Marlin marked the 30th anniversary of his first career Nextel Cup start with a season's best finish of ninth. Marlin raced for the first time in the series on May 8, 1976 in Nashville.
Dave Blaney currently has the longest streak of races in which his car has been running at the finish. It' now stands at 28 races. Joe Nemechek had the longest streak at 40 before it was broken a week ago at Talladega.
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Harvick's car gets tight in NASCAR race at Richmond; his lips do the same post-race
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Understandably, after leading 272 of 280 laps at one stretch as he dominated through much of the Crown Royal 400 Saturday night, Kevin Harvick was not exactly in much of a mood to give long, reflective answers in the race's immediate aftermath.
Harvick did say his car was too tight at the end and that he didn't pit under a caution with about 120 laps to go when the rest of his challengers did because he couldn't go the rest of the way on fuel.
That decision to stay out left him on older tires and eventually ended his stranglehold on the lead.
Still, however, Harvick finished third for his fifth finish of seventh or better in six races.
After finishing 39th at Atlanta, he was 23rd on the Nextel Cup standings. Now, he's seventh.
"It has been fun to be a part of," Harvick said earlier Saturday afternoon, speaking of his recent surge. He's also won three of the past four Busch Series races, including his victory here.
"I think the last time I was on a roll like this...was racing late models.
"We've put ourselves in position to win races and do the things we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win. ...You know the downside of it, so being on the upside of it makes it enjoyable."
Harvick's 272 laps led Saturday night is the most laps he's led in a Cup race in his career. He's now led the most laps in a Cup race six times in his career, but the only one of those he won was at Chicagoland in 2001.
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Understandably, after leading 272 of 280 laps at one stretch as he dominated through much of the Crown Royal 400 Saturday night, Kevin Harvick was not exactly in much of a mood to give long, reflective answers in the race's immediate aftermath.
Harvick did say his car was too tight at the end and that he didn't pit under a caution with about 120 laps to go when the rest of his challengers did because he couldn't go the rest of the way on fuel.
That decision to stay out left him on older tires and eventually ended his stranglehold on the lead.
Still, however, Harvick finished third for his fifth finish of seventh or better in six races.
After finishing 39th at Atlanta, he was 23rd on the Nextel Cup standings. Now, he's seventh.
"It has been fun to be a part of," Harvick said earlier Saturday afternoon, speaking of his recent surge. He's also won three of the past four Busch Series races, including his victory here.
"I think the last time I was on a roll like this...was racing late models.
"We've put ourselves in position to win races and do the things we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win. ...You know the downside of it, so being on the upside of it makes it enjoyable."
Harvick's 272 laps led Saturday night is the most laps he's led in a Cup race in his career. He's now led the most laps in a Cup race six times in his career, but the only one of those he won was at Chicagoland in 2001.
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Fourth-place NASCAR finish feels like first to Ford driver Greg Biffle
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Greg Biffle was ready to spray around the bubbly after finishing fourth.
"I won! I finally won!" he joked. "It feels like a win."
After having all manner of bad luck in recent races, dropping him to 23rd in the Nextel Cup standings, it looked like Biffle was going to be bitten again in the Crown Royal 400 when he pitted under green on Lap 178.
When a caution came out just six laps later, Biffle got trapped on the end of the lead lap and eventually fell a lap down to then-leader Kevin Harvick.
Biffle got the free pass on a subsequent yellow, however, and charged back through the field in the final portion of the race to finish fourth - his first top-five finish of the season.
"We just fought and fought to get back," said Biffle, who moved up to 20th in the standings. "We needed this a lot."
Biffle pitted on a late yellow and that helped him make up positions in the closing laps. "I just wish I had maybe for more laps," he said.
"I think we could have got to the front. ...We've been running like this all season, but we finally made it to the checkered flag."
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Greg Biffle was ready to spray around the bubbly after finishing fourth.
"I won! I finally won!" he joked. "It feels like a win."
After having all manner of bad luck in recent races, dropping him to 23rd in the Nextel Cup standings, it looked like Biffle was going to be bitten again in the Crown Royal 400 when he pitted under green on Lap 178.
When a caution came out just six laps later, Biffle got trapped on the end of the lead lap and eventually fell a lap down to then-leader Kevin Harvick.
Biffle got the free pass on a subsequent yellow, however, and charged back through the field in the final portion of the race to finish fourth - his first top-five finish of the season.
"We just fought and fought to get back," said Biffle, who moved up to 20th in the standings. "We needed this a lot."
Biffle pitted on a late yellow and that helped him make up positions in the closing laps. "I just wish I had maybe for more laps," he said.
"I think we could have got to the front. ...We've been running like this all season, but we finally made it to the checkered flag."
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Mistake proves costly for NASCAR veterans Jeff Burton, Mark Martin
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Both Jeff Burton and Mark Martin came to pit road too early on a caution with just more than 50 laps to go, hurting their chances for a better finish.
Burton also spun out later and finished 15th, while Martin wound up 11th.
They both came down pit road before it was opened to lead-lap cars on a caution that came out after Robby Gordon hit the wall on Lap 346.
"We did a nice job on the car tonight and we did a terrible job on everything else," Burton said. "Everything we did, short of getting the car to work good, was wrong."
Kevin Harvick had been dominant, leading all but eight of a 280-lap stretch that began on Lap 50. But when Harvick stayed out as his challengers pitted with just more than 100 laps to go, that presented Burton with an opportunity.
After that critical point in the race, Burton moved up along with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin to challenge Harvick.
"When Harvick had trouble, we were going to be in position to win the race," Burton said.
"The car was so fast, we were the very best when it counted and without (the mistake) we would have restarted third and had a legitimate chance to win."
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Both Jeff Burton and Mark Martin came to pit road too early on a caution with just more than 50 laps to go, hurting their chances for a better finish.
Burton also spun out later and finished 15th, while Martin wound up 11th.
They both came down pit road before it was opened to lead-lap cars on a caution that came out after Robby Gordon hit the wall on Lap 346.
"We did a nice job on the car tonight and we did a terrible job on everything else," Burton said. "Everything we did, short of getting the car to work good, was wrong."
Kevin Harvick had been dominant, leading all but eight of a 280-lap stretch that began on Lap 50. But when Harvick stayed out as his challengers pitted with just more than 100 laps to go, that presented Burton with an opportunity.
After that critical point in the race, Burton moved up along with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin to challenge Harvick.
"When Harvick had trouble, we were going to be in position to win the race," Burton said.
"The car was so fast, we were the very best when it counted and without (the mistake) we would have restarted third and had a legitimate chance to win."
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Top two in NASCAR Nextel Cup points battle uphill all night at Richmond
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
The two drivers who came out of Richmond atop the Nextel Cup standings both salvaged decent finishes out of tough nights.
For the first time all year, Tony Stewart did not lead a lap Saturday night.
"It started off really bad, we were really off the mark," Stewart said. "But we kept working on it." By the end of the evening, he was up to sixth and that moved him up one spot to second in the standings, just 55 points behind Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson fell a lap down early in the race and was running around 30th for a while. But he kept working, too, and finally got the lap back on a caution.
He worked the rest of the evening to salvage a 12th-place finish.
"We were a little off at the beginning," Johnson said. "We fought back and I think we could have been in the top 10 but I just kind of ran out of laps. I am very proud of the effort."
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
The two drivers who came out of Richmond atop the Nextel Cup standings both salvaged decent finishes out of tough nights.
For the first time all year, Tony Stewart did not lead a lap Saturday night.
"It started off really bad, we were really off the mark," Stewart said. "But we kept working on it." By the end of the evening, he was up to sixth and that moved him up one spot to second in the standings, just 55 points behind Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson fell a lap down early in the race and was running around 30th for a while. But he kept working, too, and finally got the lap back on a caution.
He worked the rest of the evening to salvage a 12th-place finish.
"We were a little off at the beginning," Johnson said. "We fought back and I think we could have been in the top 10 but I just kind of ran out of laps. I am very proud of the effort."
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Dale Jr. Scores a much needed win at Richmond
It’s been a long time since he rock and rolled
Greg Engle
Scene Daily
The last time Dale Earnhardt Junior drove into victory lane was last summer in Chicagoland. That unlikely win, at a track he wasn’t favored at, was sandwiched in the midst of a miserable season after the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated organization decided to swap crews and equipment with former DEI driver Michael Waltrip. That decision didn’t exactly turn out like the teams hoped and the sports most popular driver struggled to a 19th place finish in the 2005-point standings.
But after being reunited with his cousin and crew chief Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt has been a threat to win nearly every week in 2006. The Budweiser team arrived at
The race was actually Kevin Harvick’s to lose and it appeared he did just that. Starting 8th, Harvick rocketed to the front on lap 73 and was staging a dominating performance during the early part of the event. On lap 139 he was beginning to lap the field and Harvick, who won Friday nights Busch race after signing a contract extension with Richard Childress Racing, looked poised to score his second weekend sweep of the year.
That was until the 8th caution period of the night, when it all began to fall apart.
As most of the rest of the field elected to come in for tires, Harvick’s crew chief Todd Barrier, kept his driver out. That move would prove costly for the No. 29 team as 40 laps after the restart Harvick began to wane.
Dale Earnhardt Junior began to challenge Harvick for the lead but after a furious battle wisely elected to drop back to save his equipment for later.
“I think Kevin had the best car there for the early part of the race,” winning crew chief Tony Eury Jr. said “ I was just kind of worried about it and thought okay, let's just get out of here with a top five. We made the car better there and I think that one pit call there where everybody came down and Kevin stayed out was probably the turning point of the race.
That kind of set him up to overdrive his car a little bit the rest of the night.”
Harvick would hold the point until lap 330 when hometown hero and Nextel Cup rookie Denny Hamlin took the top spot from Harvick who slipped into 5th.
"I'll tell you what. When I took the lead from the 29 I literally felt my heart beat in my foot shaking on the gas pedal,” Hamlin said. “You know there's a long way to the end and a lot of things could happen but I could just feel myself lifting off the gas pedal down the straightaway because my foot was shaking so hard. It's hard to keep your nerves all together.”
Hamlin would lead a total of 18 laps until the 9th caution of the night flew when Robby Gordon cut down a tire and smacked the outside backstretch wall hard. The Hendrick Motorsports crew of Kyle Busch got their driver out of the pits in first and Busch led when the green dropped. Busch wouldn’t be in the front long though and was passed by both Hamlin and Earnhardt as they skirmished past him with Earnhardt taking the lead, for good as it would turn out, on lap 356.
The final two cautions of the night came almost back-to-back. On lap 387 Scott Riggs and Brian Vickers got together and the turn three wall. On the restart, Jeff Burton spun on the backstretch.
The final green flag waved with 7 laps to go, but despite challenges from Hamlin and Harvick, Earnhardt held on to win the 17th race of his career, his 3rd at Richmond and the first since Chicagoland in 2005.
"Yeah! Alright! We got our win,” an elated, champagne soaked, Earnhardt said in victory lane.
“It's great to be with this bunch of guys,” he later added. “We've been having a fun year and things just seem to be getting better. We've had some bad luck lately, but we knew the performance was going to be there.
I want to thank all of the people at DEI that can't be here tonight - that are at home watching on TV - because I owe this win to them. The people at the shop made the difference by preparing a car that was really fast the moment we went on the track (this weekend).
The engine was great, the pit crew was great, and Tony (crew chief Eury) Jr. made some adjustments on the car that made it better as the night went on. Once I was in the lead, it felt like old times. We were haulin' and pulling away from those guys at the end.”
For second place Denny Hamlin, in his first year of Nextel Cup competition, his career best finish couldn’t have come at a better place then his home track less than 30 miles from where he grew up.
"It means a lot,” Hamlin said. “It seems like I struggle at this place every time I come here. I put too much pressure on myself it seems like. When you have a great car like Mike Ford (crew chief) and those guys put under me, it makes my job a lot easier. They definitely made me look good today."
Harvick tried to put a brave face on his night after dominating the event and coming up short with a 3rd place run.
"It was a good finish for the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet. We just got tight there at the end and lost a little bit of speed,” He said. “We were short on fuel and just hoping for another caution."
Series points leader Jimmie Johnson struggled in the middle of the pack all night after an untimely lone pit stop on lap 97, but rebounded to finish 12th place. He maintained his lead in the standings to new second place Tony Stewart, who finished 6th.
Former second place Matt Kenseth finished 38th after a broken brake rotor punched a hole in his cars oil tank early in the event and left him 49 laps down and 3rd in the points.
Mark Martin, who ran 11th, is in fourth place and is in front of Harvick by 32 points.
Defending race winner Kasey Kahne couldn’t overcome engine problems and finished 34th, dropping him to 7th in the points.
Dale Earnhardt Junior gained two spots in the standings and now sits 6th. He hopes his turnaround will continue and has the confidence to feel like he’s a competitor for the championship again.
"I think we're there,” he said. “We keep taking our shots and winning a race here and there. We're pretty competitive and I'm real proud of the team I got.”
The series heads to Darlington this week for another Saturday night showdown, this one with the famed “Lady in Black”. Live coverage begins at 6:30 PM on FOX.
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Junior's return
By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
RICHMOND, Va. – Last season I predicted Dale Earnhardt Jr. would not make the Chase, and that declaration did not go unnoticed. The Earnhardt Nation promptly vilified, criticized and cursed me, but I stood my ground. I just didn't believe in Junior's chances.
And as we all know, Junior indeed failed to make NASCAR's "postseason."
During the first nine races of 2006, I have said that Junior won't make the Chase this season, either. But I admit I've been hearing voices this year that I didn't last year. They keep saying to me, "Whoa there, partner, don't write off Little E just yet."
After Saturday night's win in the Crown Royal 400 here at Richmond International Raceway, I have to give Junior his due. He drove a heck of a race and deserved to win – if Kevin Harvick couldn't.
The win was Earnhardt's first since last July at Chicagoland, 28 starts ago. The victory also was his third at Richmond, with his first at RIR coming six years earlier to the day.
But Earnhardt leaves Richmond with more than just another trophy – a plush regal crown that looks like it was borrowed from the old Imperial Margarine TV commercials.
He also leaves here with confidence.
Junior was 11th in points after Richmond last season. A year later and several spots better in the standings, Earnhardt firmly believes what happened last year won't repeat itself this time around.
"I feel real comfortable about making the Chase," Earnhardt said. "Even if we find ourselves in the middle of the summer slipping, I think something is going to click in [crew chief Tony Eury Jr.'s] head that he'll make sure that we get to where we need to be."
Statistically, Earnhardt's lot in life certainly is much better today than it was at this point last year. With the win, Earnhardt improved from eighth to sixth in the Nextel Cup standings and now trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 216 points.
"At this point last year, I really had a question mark as to what caliber of team I was with, and was sort of in limbo as to what I needed to do to be better," Earnhardt said after the race. "We hadn't run well, we hadn't finished well, I was struggling as a driver, my cars were struggling.
"So, I was definitely not near in the position where I am now as far as my confidence and how I feel about my team now."
So what's changed?
Team chemistry, for one, as Junior and Co. staffed their No. 8 team only with the people who really wanted to be there.
"We've got a lot of guys that are enjoying what they're doing and I can see even a difference in their faces and their eyes [like] in 2004 when we were winning six races and doing great," he said.
That enjoyment breeds confidence throughout the team, he says, in both equipment and personnel – including the driver and crew chief.
"There's just a better, more positive feeling about it."
But then there are the expectations.
Success and attention might have come too fast and too soon for the son of the Intimidator, as many seemingly believed Junior would hit the Cup level and just start winning championships.
That hasn't quite happened.
"I'll be the first to admit that we've been given more exposure over the last five or six years … that's sort of out of line compared to what we've won and how we've ran," Earnhardt said. "I [understand] that, I'm not an idiot."
It got to the point that the more Earnhardt sank last year, the more he heard criticism that he really wasn't as good as others may have made him out to be, that maybe he truly was nothing more than a mediocre driver with a famous name despite multi-win seasons and a couple of strong points finishes.
But in a sense, last year's struggles and criticisms might have been just what the doctor ordered. The disappointment Junior felt in not being competitive forced him to look inside both himself and the team.
"I decided to use it as an opportunity to recharge my batteries, to take a moment to step out of the middle of the fire or the spotlight, so to speak, and try to charge myself back up," he said. "We'd been running pretty hard for four or five years, and pretty hard on each other, and it had really taken a lot to go through that. I was able to change a lot of things personally ... Now it's back to serious business every week."
Junior is feeling good about his team – and his own abilities. Sure, there might still be critics out there, but Junior now says bring it on.
"Sometimes it gets under your skin, but every once in a while I like to hear someone tell me I'm overrated, because when I go out and win the next race, I just remember that guy's face," he said. "I imagine what he's thinking at that point, and it's eating him up.
"I feel like I'm a pretty rounded race car driver. Before I climb into the car, I think I'm the best, and I feel like I'm starting to get a lot more talent in other places that I didn't have before."
And no longer does Junior worry about being called overrated.
"As I get older and get more experience and I get the people that really matter to tell me I did a good job, it doesn't really bother me anymore. It's good to get to victory lane every once in a while."
Something tells me Earnhardt and his loyal fans won't have to wait another 28 races for his next trip to victory lane, nor will they have to fret that he won't make the Chase this year.
He even has me starting to believe it – for at least a week.
Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is a Yahoo! Sports NASCAR columnist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
RICHMOND, Va. – Last season I predicted Dale Earnhardt Jr. would not make the Chase, and that declaration did not go unnoticed. The Earnhardt Nation promptly vilified, criticized and cursed me, but I stood my ground. I just didn't believe in Junior's chances.
And as we all know, Junior indeed failed to make NASCAR's "postseason."
During the first nine races of 2006, I have said that Junior won't make the Chase this season, either. But I admit I've been hearing voices this year that I didn't last year. They keep saying to me, "Whoa there, partner, don't write off Little E just yet."
After Saturday night's win in the Crown Royal 400 here at Richmond International Raceway, I have to give Junior his due. He drove a heck of a race and deserved to win – if Kevin Harvick couldn't.
The win was Earnhardt's first since last July at Chicagoland, 28 starts ago. The victory also was his third at Richmond, with his first at RIR coming six years earlier to the day.
But Earnhardt leaves Richmond with more than just another trophy – a plush regal crown that looks like it was borrowed from the old Imperial Margarine TV commercials.
He also leaves here with confidence.
Junior was 11th in points after Richmond last season. A year later and several spots better in the standings, Earnhardt firmly believes what happened last year won't repeat itself this time around.
"I feel real comfortable about making the Chase," Earnhardt said. "Even if we find ourselves in the middle of the summer slipping, I think something is going to click in [crew chief Tony Eury Jr.'s] head that he'll make sure that we get to where we need to be."
Statistically, Earnhardt's lot in life certainly is much better today than it was at this point last year. With the win, Earnhardt improved from eighth to sixth in the Nextel Cup standings and now trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 216 points.
"At this point last year, I really had a question mark as to what caliber of team I was with, and was sort of in limbo as to what I needed to do to be better," Earnhardt said after the race. "We hadn't run well, we hadn't finished well, I was struggling as a driver, my cars were struggling.
"So, I was definitely not near in the position where I am now as far as my confidence and how I feel about my team now."
So what's changed?
Team chemistry, for one, as Junior and Co. staffed their No. 8 team only with the people who really wanted to be there.
"We've got a lot of guys that are enjoying what they're doing and I can see even a difference in their faces and their eyes [like] in 2004 when we were winning six races and doing great," he said.
That enjoyment breeds confidence throughout the team, he says, in both equipment and personnel – including the driver and crew chief.
"There's just a better, more positive feeling about it."
But then there are the expectations.
Success and attention might have come too fast and too soon for the son of the Intimidator, as many seemingly believed Junior would hit the Cup level and just start winning championships.
That hasn't quite happened.
"I'll be the first to admit that we've been given more exposure over the last five or six years … that's sort of out of line compared to what we've won and how we've ran," Earnhardt said. "I [understand] that, I'm not an idiot."
It got to the point that the more Earnhardt sank last year, the more he heard criticism that he really wasn't as good as others may have made him out to be, that maybe he truly was nothing more than a mediocre driver with a famous name despite multi-win seasons and a couple of strong points finishes.
But in a sense, last year's struggles and criticisms might have been just what the doctor ordered. The disappointment Junior felt in not being competitive forced him to look inside both himself and the team.
"I decided to use it as an opportunity to recharge my batteries, to take a moment to step out of the middle of the fire or the spotlight, so to speak, and try to charge myself back up," he said. "We'd been running pretty hard for four or five years, and pretty hard on each other, and it had really taken a lot to go through that. I was able to change a lot of things personally ... Now it's back to serious business every week."
Junior is feeling good about his team – and his own abilities. Sure, there might still be critics out there, but Junior now says bring it on.
"Sometimes it gets under your skin, but every once in a while I like to hear someone tell me I'm overrated, because when I go out and win the next race, I just remember that guy's face," he said. "I imagine what he's thinking at that point, and it's eating him up.
"I feel like I'm a pretty rounded race car driver. Before I climb into the car, I think I'm the best, and I feel like I'm starting to get a lot more talent in other places that I didn't have before."
And no longer does Junior worry about being called overrated.
"As I get older and get more experience and I get the people that really matter to tell me I did a good job, it doesn't really bother me anymore. It's good to get to victory lane every once in a while."
Something tells me Earnhardt and his loyal fans won't have to wait another 28 races for his next trip to victory lane, nor will they have to fret that he won't make the Chase this year.
He even has me starting to believe it – for at least a week.
Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is a Yahoo! Sports NASCAR columnist.
Hamlin had his chances - he just didn't want to take too many of them
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
RICHMOND, Va. - Denny Hamlin might be a 25-year-old rookie, but he still knows that purposely wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a Nextel Cup victory on the line - even if you do in your own backyard - might not be his best career move.
"The last thing I want to do is wreck Dale Jr.," Hamlin said Saturday night after finishing second to Earnhardt Jr. in the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
"I have a decent fan base now. I don't want to kill it."
Once a strategic miscue by his team sidetracked Kevin Harvick's bid for a runaway victory, the season's 10th Cup race turned into a spirited free-for-all over the final 75 laps.
Harvick started eighth, and it took him until Lap 50 to get to the front and take the lead from Greg Biffle. From that point, Harvick's No. 29 Chevrolet ran so strong for so long that his second Cup victory in three weeks seemed inevitable.
What changed everything, though, began on Lap 260 when Martin Truex Jr. spun off Turn 4. Earnhardt Jr. was so close to that incident he literally had to stop to keep from hitting Truex, his teammate.
Everybody made pit stops there, with Earnhardt Jr. second and Hamlin third on the restart on Lap 266.
Just 15 laps later, Truex lost an engine going into Turn 1 and the yellow came out again. This time, Harvick chose not to stop. But Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton led the would-be challengers down pit road for fresh tires.
Even though Harvick held his lead for more than 30 laps after the ensuing restart, it was quickly evident that Harvick had gone the wrong way on that decision.
Earnhardt Jr. was the first to arrive on Harvick's rear bumper. At one point as he jousted for the lead, Earnhardt Jr. got into Harvick's bumper and then backed off.
"I must have misjudged on how long my car is because I stuck him in the left-rear corner," Earnhardt Jr. said. "He waved out the window like, 'What are you doing?'"
Earnhardt Jr. noticed that Hamlin and Busch had closed in.
"I let them go by," he said. "I thought they would run him real hard and burn their stuff up and I'd just go back by them on the outside and maybe pass Kevin when his tires were about 20 more laps older. That was sort of my plan."
But Hamlin, who is from nearby Chesterfield, Va., and had his own cheering section of family and friends in a crowd of more than 100,000, had other ideas. His No. 11 Chevrolet liked the low groove, and coming off Turn 2 on Lap 330 Hamlin stuck his nose to the inside and zoomed into the lead.
Then Robby Gordon cut a tire and hit the wall on Lap 346 everyone - including Harvick, this time - came in for tires. Busch got off pit road first ahead of Earnhardt Jr. and Hamlin, but on Lap 356 Earnhardt Jr. took the lead.
Harvick came to second a lap later, but his car got too tight and by the time a pair of late yellows set up the final seven-lap battle Hamlin had moved up to the No. 2 spot.
When the green flew on Lap 394, Hamlin tried to pounce.
"On restarts, the 8 car would slide up really bad for the first two laps," he said of Earnhardt Jr. "I felt like if I could get a really good bite on the bottom then maybe I could get beside him."
Hamlin got there off Turn 2 on Lap 395. "I really thought I had the race won," he said. "I was sure that he was going to slide up and I was going to be able to clear him."
Earnhardt Jr., though, managed to keep momentum in the higher lane and successfully parried his younger rival's thrust and pulled away by several car lengths after that to win for the 17th time in his career.
Hamlin went to victory lane to congratulate Earnhardt Jr. The two have been friends and online racing game competitors for several years.
"With four to go, I put four car lengths on him and I thought he had the better car," Earnhardt Jr. said when asked about their conversation. "So I said, 'Could you really not get to me?' And he said he was trying as hard as he could. ...It was a little easier than I expected it to be. The first couple of laps, he was underneath me and that's what I anticipated it to be like every lap to the checkered."
Race fans in Virginia very much enjoy seeing Virginia natives fare well in races held here and at Martinsville, too, and undoubtedly seeing Hamlin get his first win would have sent most of them home happy.
"I was pulling for Denny, too," Earnhardt Jr. said. "A part of me that wanted to see him get the win. ...He said he had about 400 tickets for family and friends and relatives. I told him it might just be his fan club.
"He's a good guy and a good friend."
But, even at Richmond, Hamlin knows where things stand when it comes to popularity among NASCAR fans.
"I saw all the people cheering when Dale Jr. and I were side-by-side there with a few laps to go," he said. "I'm sure most of the cheers were for him but all I could do was imagine in my mind they for me and try that much harder."
LOL....the kid is smarter than he looks....just kidding, I like Denny alot!
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Junior snags first Cup victory in 10 months
Holds off Hamlin, dominant Harvick to take checkers at RIR
By Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The turnaround is complete, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back in Victory Lane.
Coming off the worst season of his career, Earnhardt ended a 27-race winless streak Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway with a victory that proves just how far his team has come since missing out on the Chase for the Nextel Cup last year.
"I think we are there,'' he said. "We keep taking our shots, but we're pretty competitive. Everything is working really great. I couldn't ask for any position on this team to be any better.
"I'm just glad to be back in Victory Lane. It feels really great.''
He celebrated his 17th career Nextel Cup victory and third at Richmond with perfect doughnuts along the frontstetch, spinning his No. 8 Chevrolet until it was engulfed in thick, white smoke and one of his tires had exploded.
Earnhardt won last July in Chicago -- his only victory of 2005 -- but backed into the win because of fuel strategy. It was the lone highlight in a season of turmoil: He finished 19th in the final standings and was never a contender.
But he has reunited with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. this season, and the two had made quiet strides with a handful of solid finishes this season.
Now he's got a win, and it moved him up two spots in the standings to sixth. He trails leader Jimmie Johnson by 216 points.
Denny Hamlin, driving with his hand heavily bandaged after he needed 19 stitches to close a gash he received "horseplaying'' with his crew, finished second. Although he won the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona in February, Hamlin, a Chesterfield, Va., native, cherished this finish in front of a hometown crowd more.
"This is by far the biggest race of my career,'' he gushed. "It's awesome, I can't tell you how I feel. I'm going to ride this wave for months.''
Kevin Harvick, who dominated the race and led 272 of the 400 laps, was third and extremely disappointed with the finish.
"Just got tight,'' he shrugged. Harvick, who signed a three-year contract extension with Richard Childress Racing on Friday, won the Busch Series race and was looking for his second weekend sweep of the season.
But Hamlin, Earnhardt and Kyle Busch all got in his way. All three had gotten by Harvick late in the race, and Busch was out front after taking the lead following pit stops. But Busch couldn't hold off Earnhardt and Hamlin, who both raced their way past him with 44 laps to go.
Earnhardt then pulled out to a healthy lead, only to have the field bunched back up when Brian Vickers and Scott Riggs touched while racing side-by-side to bring out the caution with 15 laps to go.
Racing resumed with 10 to go and Earnhardt got a terrific jump on the field. But he didn't even make it one lap around the track before the next caution came out because Ken Schrader hit the back of Jeff Burton, who wrecked.
It was only a quick caution, and Earnhardt once again jumped out front. He still had to hold off Hamlin, one of his closer friends in the series, but the rookie never could get close enough to make it past.
Earnhardt was slightly disappointed he had to beat Hamlin.
"A little part of me wanted to see him get the win,'' Earnhardt said. "He's a great driver and he's going to win a lot of races.''
Greg Biffle, plagued with bad luck all season, finished a season-best fourth.
"I'm so excited -- I'm going to celebrate like it's a victory,'' Biffle said. "I tell you what -- it's like I won even though I didn't get the trophy.''
Busch, who turned 21 earlier this week, was fifth and defending series champion Tony Stewart was sixth. Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Sterling Marlin and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top 10.
Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon, both in the top 10 in the standings, had their races ruined by mechanical failures.
Kenseth went out before the first 100 laps when his oil tank broke and he spent considerable time in the garage getting it fixed. He was almost 50 laps off the pace when he returned to the track, and nursed his Ford home to an 39th place finish. He's now third in the standings after starting the race only 21 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
Gordon's troubles were in his engine and came shortly after the halfway point. Gordon, who was in 13th place when his engine sputtered, needed extensive work and wound up finishing 40th.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Holds off Hamlin, dominant Harvick to take checkers at RIR
By Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The turnaround is complete, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back in Victory Lane.
Coming off the worst season of his career, Earnhardt ended a 27-race winless streak Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway with a victory that proves just how far his team has come since missing out on the Chase for the Nextel Cup last year.
"I think we are there,'' he said. "We keep taking our shots, but we're pretty competitive. Everything is working really great. I couldn't ask for any position on this team to be any better.
"I'm just glad to be back in Victory Lane. It feels really great.''
He celebrated his 17th career Nextel Cup victory and third at Richmond with perfect doughnuts along the frontstetch, spinning his No. 8 Chevrolet until it was engulfed in thick, white smoke and one of his tires had exploded.
Earnhardt won last July in Chicago -- his only victory of 2005 -- but backed into the win because of fuel strategy. It was the lone highlight in a season of turmoil: He finished 19th in the final standings and was never a contender.
But he has reunited with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. this season, and the two had made quiet strides with a handful of solid finishes this season.
Now he's got a win, and it moved him up two spots in the standings to sixth. He trails leader Jimmie Johnson by 216 points.
Denny Hamlin, driving with his hand heavily bandaged after he needed 19 stitches to close a gash he received "horseplaying'' with his crew, finished second. Although he won the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona in February, Hamlin, a Chesterfield, Va., native, cherished this finish in front of a hometown crowd more.
"This is by far the biggest race of my career,'' he gushed. "It's awesome, I can't tell you how I feel. I'm going to ride this wave for months.''
Kevin Harvick, who dominated the race and led 272 of the 400 laps, was third and extremely disappointed with the finish.
"Just got tight,'' he shrugged. Harvick, who signed a three-year contract extension with Richard Childress Racing on Friday, won the Busch Series race and was looking for his second weekend sweep of the season.
But Hamlin, Earnhardt and Kyle Busch all got in his way. All three had gotten by Harvick late in the race, and Busch was out front after taking the lead following pit stops. But Busch couldn't hold off Earnhardt and Hamlin, who both raced their way past him with 44 laps to go.
Earnhardt then pulled out to a healthy lead, only to have the field bunched back up when Brian Vickers and Scott Riggs touched while racing side-by-side to bring out the caution with 15 laps to go.
Racing resumed with 10 to go and Earnhardt got a terrific jump on the field. But he didn't even make it one lap around the track before the next caution came out because Ken Schrader hit the back of Jeff Burton, who wrecked.
It was only a quick caution, and Earnhardt once again jumped out front. He still had to hold off Hamlin, one of his closer friends in the series, but the rookie never could get close enough to make it past.
Earnhardt was slightly disappointed he had to beat Hamlin.
"A little part of me wanted to see him get the win,'' Earnhardt said. "He's a great driver and he's going to win a lot of races.''
Greg Biffle, plagued with bad luck all season, finished a season-best fourth.
"I'm so excited -- I'm going to celebrate like it's a victory,'' Biffle said. "I tell you what -- it's like I won even though I didn't get the trophy.''
Busch, who turned 21 earlier this week, was fifth and defending series champion Tony Stewart was sixth. Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Sterling Marlin and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top 10.
Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon, both in the top 10 in the standings, had their races ruined by mechanical failures.
Kenseth went out before the first 100 laps when his oil tank broke and he spent considerable time in the garage getting it fixed. He was almost 50 laps off the pace when he returned to the track, and nursed his Ford home to an 39th place finish. He's now third in the standings after starting the race only 21 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
Gordon's troubles were in his engine and came shortly after the halfway point. Gordon, who was in 13th place when his engine sputtered, needed extensive work and wound up finishing 40th.
"Championships have always driven me to win races. That 3 car pulling into the track would cause people to look around and wonder what we were doing, to see how to beat us."
-Dale Earnhardt
-Dale Earnhardt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your
Momma
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
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