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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

[media-credit name=”Chris Graythen/Getty Images” align=”alignnone” width=”250″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Greg Biffle: Biffle passed Jimmie Johnson with 30 laps to go at Texas, and pulled away to win the Samsung Mobile 500, his first win in 49 races. Biffle extended his lead in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now leads Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Matt Kenseth by 19.

“That’s one winless streak over,” Biffle said. “Pity poor Jimmie Johnson. He’s got his own winless streak to contend with—he hasn’t won a championship in 43 races.

“Winning in Texas is always a thrill. It’s not often I get to put on a cowboy hat and wave guns around, while still clothed.”

2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fifth at Texas on a strong day for Roush Fenway Racing, as Greg Biffle took the victory and Carl Edwards finished eighth. Kenseth now sits in a tie for second in the point standings, 19 behind Biffle.

“That was the shortest race in Texas history,” Kenseth said, “and most boring. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and apparently, that includes fan disappointment.

“But I’m glad to see Biffle finally win one. He’s always solid at Texas, and the same goes for Kansas, where he’s won twice in his career. So it looks like we could see much of the same at Kansas Speedway—-a Biffle win, and monotony.”

3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his fifth top-10 finish of the year, scoring a 10^th in the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. He is second in the Sprint Cup point standings, still looking for his first win in 136 races.

“I’m still searching for that elusive next win,” Earnhardt said. “Luckily, I have legions of Junior Nation fans supporting me. So, every week, the Nation hosts the world’s greatest ‘search’ party. Of course, they’re lucky if they can find their keys come race’s end.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led a race-high 156 laps at Texas, but was outclassed by the Ford of Greg Biffle, who slipped by Johnson with 30 laps to go and never looked back. Johnson is now eighth in the point standings, 40 out of first.

“It was quite a windy day at Texas Motor Speedway,” Johnson said. “You could say there was more ‘drafting’ on Saturday in Texas that any day at Talladega or Daytona. Finishing second to Biffle? That blows, too. I felt good after hearing the pre-race weather forecast, which called for ‘just wind, baby.’

But when I needed a caution, NASCAR wouldn’t give me one. Normally in NASCAR races, it doesn’t take wind to make the yellow flag wave. Two cautions in a race that boring was simply not enough. It’s time for NASCAR to institute a companion rule to the ‘competition caution’ and call it the ‘repetition caution.’”

5. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex came home sixth in the Samsung Mobile 500, posting his fifth top 10 of the year to continue his strong start to the season. He is now fourth in the point standings, 20 behind Greg Biffle.

“’Martin Truex, Jr.’ and ‘championship contender’ are not two words one would normally associate,” Truex said. “Much like ‘Michael Waltrip’ and ‘masculinity.’

“But the Truex fan base is growing in droves. My fan club, appropriately known as the ‘Soul Patch,’ is probably the 20^th most-influential in NASCAR.”

6. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished a disappointing 24^th at Texas, finishing two laps down for his worst result of the year. He tumbled four places in the point standings to seventh, and trails Greg Biffle by 39.

“One race I’m invincible,” Stewart said, “and the next, I’m anything but invincible. Some say there are two Tony’s. Those who claim I’m overweight say there’s enough there for two Tony’s.”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth at Texas, piloting his No. 29 Budweiser Chevy to his fourth top-10 result of the year. He is now fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 24 out of first.

“It was a windy day at Texas Motor Speedway,” Harvick said. “You may have seen a $100 bill stuck to my car’s grill during the race. That’s a sure sign of one of two things: either one of NASCAR’s rinky-dink race teams ‘blew’ their entire budget, or Delana and I should name our son ‘Benjamin Franklin.’”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin came home 12^th in the Samsung Mobile 500, one spot behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Hamlin moved up one spot to sixth in the point standings, 31 out of first.

“We needed to make adjustments,” Hamlin said, “but the long green flag runs wouldn’t allow it. There were only two cautions the entire race, making it a ‘Texas two stop.’

“I spent my off-week caddying for Bubba Watson in the Masters par 3 contest. He was the only player to use a ‘driver’ on a par 3.”

9. Jeff Gordon: After a dismal qualifying effort of 34^th, Gordon quickly zoomed towards the front and finished fourth, leading two laps and posting his first top-5 finish of the year. Gordon has led a lap in all seven races this year.

“All four Hendrick Motorsports cars placed in the top 10,” Gordon said, “even Kasey Kahne. That was by far Kasey’s best finish of the year. Mostly, he’s struggled. It seems Kasey’s taken the switch from a Camry to an Impala a little too seriously, because he’s been driving that Chevy ‘like a rock’ so far.

“And speaking of ‘Rock,’ Kasey won the Craftsman Truck series race at Rockingham on Sunday. Apparently, a Hendrick driver can win on a Sunday.”

10. Carl Edwards: Edwards joined Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth in the top 10, posting an eighth in the Samsung Mobile 500. Edwards is now 11^th in the point standings, 58 out of first.

“My former girlfriend, Amanda Beard, just released a tell-all biography,” Edwards said, “and had few good things to say about me. Apparently, she just wasn’t into the NASCAR lifestyle. I think the final straw was when I plugged a sponsor while sweet-talking her.

“Otherwise, I have no comment. I’ve been told that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. That explains the silent treatment Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle have been giving me all these years.”

April 17, 2012
Ward and Jeb Burton Continue a Family Tradition of Racing

Photo Credit: Tanya Hall

Ward Burton has always had a special relationship with “The Rock.” His first win in the Cup Series was in 1995 at Rockingham Speedway. He has a total of nine top ten finishes at the track in the Cup Series and also scored his first Nationwide Series win there in 1992. At the time, his wife was pregnant with their son, Jeb.

Burton retired in 2007 but this past weekend, Ward was back with his son Jeb at the historic track. Jeb made his second Camping World Truck Series start Sunday at the speedway. During the race he fought his way back from a 27^th starting position to score an eleventh place finish.

I talked with Ward and Jeb Burton Saturday morning to gain some insight into how the two worked together as a team. It was obvious from the start that Jeb respects his father’s driving expertise. He even watched some tapes of his Dad racing at Rockingham Speedway in preparation for his race at the track.

Jeb admits that most of the time he feels like “the best way to learn is just to do it myself.” But he’s also smart enough to take advantage of his Dad’s experience. “When I was running late models and my car wasn’t where it needed to be, I would put Dad in it to see what he thought. He would get it running right and make me look good.”

Ward is heavily involved in his son’s career and often also gives him advice during the race. Sometimes the two agree and sometimes Jeb’s crew chief Trip Bruce has to act as mediator.

“When we’re running good everything is fine,” Jeb says.

However, when they are having a bad day, his Dad can get a little intense. Jeb is quick to point out that “it’s only because he wants me to run well.”

Jeb is scheduled to run the next three races in the Camping World Truck Series. The goal is to run as many races as he can but for now, sponsorship is limited.

When I asked what he felt he needed to improve upon, the answer was simple. “I need more seat time. I need to be in a racecar every week.”

He also feels that it’s important to test, especially on the larger tracks where he has no experience. Another important factor is “understanding the vehicle and working with the crew chief. If you can get that chemistry right, it makes everything easier.”

As we ended the interview so Jeb could get ready for practice, I asked him what he would consider a good finish at the conclusion of this race. He quickly said “a top 12.” After the race ended Sunday afternoon, I congratulated Jeb on meeting his goal. But like a true racer, he wasn’t satisfied with his finish, believing he could have done more.

Jeb is currently scheduled to run the next three races in the Camping World Truck Series. While he works on getting more sponsorship, Jeb will continue to run late models.

Now it was time to hear the other side of the story as I sat down with Jeb’s dad, Ward Burton.

I asked Ward if he had encouraged or discouraged his son when it came to racing.

“I didn’t really do either,” he told me. “He came to me about wanting to start racing motorcycles. I had given him go-karts and all that when he was a lot younger but he pretty much made the decision that it was something he wanted to do. He got into motorcycles real quick, went to go-karts and pretty much progressed from there.”

The biggest challenge for Ward is learning how to be on the sidelines.

“Oh, definitely I’ve had to learn all over again. You’ve got the danger factor and you’ve got the not in control factor. You’re trying to learn how to communicate. Instead of doing, it’s how to do. It’s quite different. Having a father and son relationship while it’s going on, like any father-son relationship, can certainly add some complications,” he said, laughing.

“I did it to my Dad; my Dad probably did it to his Dad,” Ward continued. “You know when your Mom or Dad says something to you, you don’t take it the same way as when somebody else says it to you even if it’s said the same or meant the same. Sometimes it’s hard to take something that is meant as constructive criticism, constructively.”

Communications can also be tricky when it’s a father on one side and a son on the receiving end of those communications. Ward tries to let the crew chief handle that side of things.

“I try my best but sometimes it’s not possible. That is definitely the best way. It took me a while to learn that and I’m still learning. At the same time, if I see something going on with anybody on the team including Jeb, I’m not going to sit back without trying to be helpful.”

Jeb’s career is a work in progress and something that Ward works on every day. He believes in his son and what they can accomplish together.

“I’ve been working vigorously, along with others, to find opportunities for Jeb. He’s got a window in which I can possibly be productive and help him. That window is not forever. I can’t solely make it happen.”

His commitment is unwavering.

“I know that if I get the opportunity with a company I don’t feel like anybody can do a better job for that company on and off the track than Jeb and I can. I honestly believe that. But I have to have the doors open to prove it to them.”

“We certainly appreciate State Water Heaters and they’ve gotten us to this point. They’ll be an associate for the rest of the year. But I want to be racing with Jeb after Dover.”

Ward and Jeb Burton make a formidable team and are determined to add another chapter to the Burton legacy in NASCAR.

April 17, 2012
Pocono Preps for Tire Test and First Race without Patriarch

[media-credit name=”Photo credit: Pocono Raceway” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]Pocono Raceway, thanks to the mild winter, has been abuzz with activity, including a total track repave and preparations for the upcoming tire test at the end of this month.

Yet all of these activities have been undertaken with an eye to heaven and under the watchful eye of the late ‘Doc’ Mattioli, the track patriarch who passed away earlier this year.

“The repave was pretty much a top to bottom reconstruction of the track,” Brandon Igdalsky, President & CEO of Pocono Raceway and grandson of ‘Doc’ Mattioli, said. “We went all the way down to the base of the track and put three or four more new layers.”

Similar to the recent repave done in Michigan, Pocono track officials realized that, after sixteen years of wear and tear, it was time to get some new asphalt down on the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

“The asphalt had just lived its life and it was just time to do it,” Igdalsky said. “It was 16 years old and a lot of use on it with the race and all the other events throughout the year.”

“That all adds up over time, as well as the freeze/thaw cycles we get each year takes its toll.”

While Igdalsky checked out the pavers used by some of the other tracks, he finally decided, for many reasons, to use someone closer to home for the repave.

“We talked to the pavers that did the ISC and the SMI tracks,” Igdalsky said. “There’s a couple companies out there that both of them use.”

“But with all the scheduling of the other tracks getting done, it wasn’t going to work out,” Igdalsky continued. “We have a relationship with a local, major paving operation here in Pennsylvania.”

“They came in and did a fantastic job.”

And was the repave costly?

“It cost a lot,” Igdalsky said simply, with a chuckle. “It’s a hefty chunk of change. I’ll leave it at that.”

But best of all, the repave has made the 2.5 mile track even faster than it was before.

“I took a lap on the new surface and it’s smooth and fast,” Igdalsky said. “I can put my Tahoe into Turn One a lot faster than I could before.”

“If I can do that in my Tahoe, I can’t imagine what they’ll be able to do in a Cup car.”

While Igdalsky predicts the repaved track will be fast, Igdalsky refrained from predicting exact speeds that may be reached on the new asphalt.

“The grip in Turn Three is so much better now,” Igdalsky said. “So, if they can get through Three and get a nice smooth run and they were hitting that 205 mph speed before, I can see them running at least five miles an hour faster.”

“When we repaved in 1995 and when they came back that following June, they were seven miles an hour a lap faster on average,” Igdalsky said. “So, if we can get five or six miles per hour on the new asphalt per lap, the average lap time will be good.”

“I’m excited to see what they’re going to do when they get here in two weeks, especially seeing the speeds they were getting in Michigan.”

While Igdalsky may be excited about the speeds, he admitted that he has been a bit worried about getting the repaving done in time for the scheduled Goodyear tire test.

“It definitely kept me up at night,” Igdalsky admitted. “I’ve been worried about getting the repaving done before the tire test and we got it done.”

“Now it’s a matter of how it will react to the test and how the drivers are going to like it.”

The all-important tire test has been scheduled for April 24^th and April 25^th at Pocono Raceway. Goodyear engineers will test a variety of compounds that will determine the best tires to be used for the June 10^th Pocono 400.

The drivers tentatively scheduled to participate in the Goodyear tire test at Pocono are Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, A.J. Allmendinger, and Aric Almirola. The drivers will represent all of the major teams, from Hendrick Motorsports to Richard Petty Motorsports.

The test is open to the public and fans will be permitted to watch both days of testing from the grandstands free of charge.

“We’re going to do some stuff with the drivers coming in but we don’t know how the schedule will go,” Igdalsky said. “It’s Goodyear’s show and they dictate what we do and don’t do.”

“Goodyear is all about getting these tires tested and figuring out what they’re going to use and not use,” Igdalsky said. “It’s a pretty busy day for the Goodyear guys as well.”

As the Pocono President and staff prepare for the tire test, they are also in full preparation mode for the race. Yet all of these preparations are being done with somewhat heavy hearts as everyone at Pocono continues to fill the void left by the passing of patriarch ‘Doc’ Mattioli.

“As we move into a new chapter at Pocono Raceway, everyone is excitedly nervous,” Igdalsky said. “We’re all biting our nails for good weather but we’ve got some help with my grandfather up in heaven.”

“He’ll do his best come June 10^th to give us a nice, exciting weekend.”

Igdalsky said that it has certainly been different at the track without the dominant presence of his grandfather.

“Strange is an understatement,” Igdalsky said about the atmosphere without ‘Doc’. “I really miss my weekly sit-downs with him and going over everything with him.”

“Personally, I miss him more than anything in the world,” Igdalsky continued. “And I know as a staff we miss him terribly.”

“That first race is definitely going to be hard for everybody,” Igdalsky said. “Not seeing him up there on the Victory Lane stage for the start of the race will be like nothing we’ve ever experienced before.”

In spite of the grief, however, Igdalsky and his family take great comfort in knowing that although ‘Doc’ is gone, Rose Mattioli will still be present throughout the race weekend.

“We’re putting her to work this year,” Igdalsky said of his grandmother. “She will definitely be there.”

“Once we’ve past the tire test, we’re into worrying about the race and the show it’s going to put on,” Igdalsky said. “So, June 10^th at 7:00 pm when all is said and done, I’ll be happily cracking a bottle of champagne, toasting the heavens, and celebrating.”

April 16, 2012
The Final Word – Biffle ends his slump at Texas, Stewart’s drought now stands at two

[media-credit name=”Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Leading the pack? Check. Winning a race and ending a 49 race slump? It was mission accomplished for Greg Biffle Saturday night in Fort Worth when he got by Jimmie Johnson with 30 laps to go and held that lead right to the checkered flag.

Winning. Points are nice, but so is a hug from your grandmother. After a while, a man wants something more. Rick Hendrick would like 200 Cup wins on his team owner resume. Came close the past couple of weeks, and maybe it will come in Kansas. That is, if the good Lord’s willing and Reutimann’s car don’t up and dies.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is doing well. Seven races in and five Top Tens, third place in the standings. That is nice, but it has been 3 years, 10 months since Victory Lane held him in her warm embrace. 136 races. Maybe Kansas, but probably not.

Jimmie Johnson won there twice, including last fall. Jeff Gordon won the first two events held there back in 2001 and 2002. Still, no Hendrick wins for this season. None for the Childress racers either. Bowties are not totally out, as Tony Stewart already has a couple of wins this season and team mate Ryan Newman has one of his own. Matt Kenseth won at Daytona, while Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski won the others. Carl Edwards, so close to a championship last season, is another marquee driver still seeking his first.

The last time a Cup champion claimed the prize without at least a single victory was, well, never. Four did it with a single victory, with Kenseth the last in 2003 to join Benny Parsons (1973), Ned Jarrett (1961), and Bill Rexford (1950). No, wins are rather important, it would seem.

Still, with 17 races to run before the Chase begins, it would seem a bit premature to count the usual suspects out just yet. Mark Martin won’t, as he is running a partial schedule. Based on past performance, the Busch brothers and Kasey Kahne, in 26th place, still could do it. I doubt Casey Mears, in 27th, or any of the rest behind him will.

I think we can be pretty sure that #10 shared by David Reutimann and Danica Patrick will not be out of the Top 35 again anytime soon. It sits in 34th, three points up on Landon Cassill’s #83 and four up on the #33 Tony Raines drove in Texas. Only 36 cars still contend for a spot in the Top 35. My guess is, if there is any chance Danica finds herself needing a sugar daddy to get Go Daddy into the show, Dave Blaney, ten points up on the #10, will be asked to take one for the team…again. On Saturday, I reckon nobody was taking any chances, as Reutimann finished eleven spots ahead of team mate Blaney. They just have to navigate Kansas, Richmond, and Talladega before Patrick’s return for the Southern 500 at Darlington May 12th.

While some are just happy to be there, others will be out to end their “0-for” status, or at the very least make sure they have a tighter grip on a spot among the Top Ten in the standings. All, that is, except for Tony Stewart, as those two wins all but gives the defending champ a lock on one of the Chase wild car berths. Still, I’m sure he would like to win on Sunday. I mean, he is the middle of a two race drought of his own. Enjoy the week.

April 16, 2012
Surprising and Not Surprising: Texas Samsung Mobile 500

[media-credit name=”Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”254″][/media-credit]Deep in the heart of Texas Motor Speedway, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 16^th running of the Samsung Mobile 500.

Surprising: In spite of Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tool Chevrolet, leading over 150 laps, it was surprising that his team owner will have to wait yet another race to secure the 200^th win for Hendrick Motorsports.

Johnson, who finished second, was the highest ranking HMS driver for the night. This was Johnson’s 13^th top-10 finish in 18 races at Texas and his fifth top-10 finish for the year.

“I’m definitely disappointed, but we had a great race car and there’s a lot to be proud of here today,” Johnson said. “Certainly wish we were there in Victory Lane but everybody knows we’re here.”

“We’re awfully close to it with this KOBALT Tools Chevrolet.”

Although still at the 199 win mark, all of the Hendrick drivers had surprisingly good nights, even Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, who finished fourth and seventh respectively. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the final HMS pilot, finished tenth.

This was the first time since the 2011 spring race at Talladega that Hendrick Motorsports had all four of its cars in the top-10 at the finish.

Not Surprising: At a track where Roush Fenway Racing traditionally dominates, it was not surprising to see one Roushketeer, Greg Biffle, in the winner’s circle with his cowboy hat and guns. This was Biff’s first win of the 2012 season and ended a 49 race winless streak.

The win was the company’s ninth win at Texas, the most of any other racing entity.

“I just dug deep,” Biffle said about his hard fought win. “I knew I had to do it and I kept trying and trying and trying.”

“I knew the team would forgive me if I wrecked it trying to beat him,” Biffle continued. “So, I just gave it all I had.”

Surprising: It was surprising that the fire was extinguished and there was no smoke at Texas this weekend. Tony Stewart, reigning past champion, finished 24^th, two laps down.

“We just couldn’t get the handle on this thing tonight,” Stewart said. “We chased it all night.”

“We’ll go back to the shop, tear it apart, and see what the deal is.”

Surprisingly, his teammate Ryan Newman was right there with him, finishing a bit better at 21^st, yet also two laps down.

“Things didn’t go our way today,” the driver of the No. 39 US Army Chevrolet said. “But we’ll be back stronger next week to complete the mission, which is winning the race.”

Not Surprising: Martin Truex, Jr., to no one’s surprise, continued tearing up the track for Michael Waltrip Racing. The driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota started from the pole position and finished top ten, in sixth place to be exact.

Truex, Jr. has finished top-10 in nine of the last twelve races.

“It was a lot of fun out there running up front with the NAPA Toyota,” Truex, Jr. said. “I can’t say enough about everybody on this NAPA team and everybody at MWR.”

“Hopefully we can keep this thing going.”

His MWR teammate Mark Martin also had a great run at Texas, a track where he was rated 12^th in the driver rankings. Martin, behind the wheel of the No. 55 Aaron’s 2000 Best of the Best Toyota, finished third.

This was Martin’s 13^th top-10 finish in 23 races at Texas Motor Speedway.

“Mark Martin is so enthusiastic,” team owner Michael Waltrip said. “He has pumped all of the drivers up.”

“We are very happy with our team’s performance.”

Surprising: It was most surprising that at a race where there are on average eight to nine restarts, there were only two caution flags thrown, one for debris and one for Trevor Bayne’s encounter with the wall.

The yellow flag flew just twice within the first 100 laps of the race, leaving the rest of the race to be run under green flag conditions. This was the first time in history that a superspeedway race had that many green flag laps without a caution.

Not Surprising: Unfortunately but not surprisingly, there was no Bubba Watson moment for Denny Hamlin at Texas, a track at which he traditionally runs well. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Office/March of Dimes Toyota had a decent day, finishing 12^th,but was the last car on the lead lap at race end.

Surprising: At a track where he sat out last year’s fall race because of the Truck race incident with Ron Hornaday and where this year he had an issue in the pits with his air hose getting stuck under the car, Kyle Busch had a surprising good day after all.

The driver brought his No. 18 Toyota Interstate Batteries Toyota to the checkered flag in the 11^th spot.

Not Surprising: Since Chassis No. 665 scored a good finish for Landon Cassill at Michigan last year, it was not surprising that new driver Kurt Busch gave it a whirl for a good run at Texas. The driver of the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet finished 13^th.

“It was a good night and finish for us,” Busch said. “We had little struggles but were able to overcome those.”

“This was a good night and a nice top-15 finish for us.”

Surprising: The struggles of the Penske Dodge teams surprisingly continued and both drivers ended up just plain frustrated.

AJ Allmendinger, in the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, finished 15^th but his teammate Brad Keselowski, behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce, had all kinds of problems that sent him off to the garage, finishing in the frustratingly low position of 36^th spot.

“The race tonight was frustrating,” Dinger said. “We had a fast Shell/Pennzoil Dodge and we just didn’t make it happen tonight.”

“This has been a very frustrating weekend to say the least,” Keselowski said. “We just need to clean some things up so that the potential of this team can shine.”

“Right now, we aren’t doing that.”

Not Surprising: As predicted, especially given the wicked weather in the area, the wind most certainly did wreak havoc throughout the race. And while it affected most drivers equally, there were still some drivers that felt the high wind added to the frustrations of their day.

“Between the wind, the changing race track and the handling, it was a long night for the Target team,” Juan Pablo Montoya said. “We didn’t have much of a chance to work on the car like we had hoped to.”

JPM finished 16^th in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, one lap down at race end.

April 15, 2012
Mark Martin praises MWR and teammate Martin Truex Jr. after Texas

[media-credit name=”Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”245″][/media-credit]There’s no better indicator for team about how far them have come then when it’s no longer news about how well they’re running.

It’s taken Michael Waltrip Racing six years but they’ve finally reached that point. Now seven races into the 2012 season MWR drivers are making waves and headlines for all the right reasons.

Saturday night in Texas that continued as their three drivers finished third, sixth and 17th. It started with Martin Truex Jr. on the pole, Mark Martin close behind in fourth as the two drivers carried the MWR banner.

“I am just so proud of MWR and all the people there and the teamwork that they have shown there starting with Martin Truex Jr., who has put so much work into getting the program where it was when we started the season and everybody combined,” said third place finisher Martin.

“They really have a lot of great people there with great attitude, great teamwork and man, have I got one awesome crew chief in Rodney Childers. This is so much fun and such an incredible privilege to drive a racecar at this point in my career – to be able to drive a racecar for a team like that and in a hot rod like that.”

Martin noted that even though Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson dominated the race, he wasn’t far behind. The No. 55 Aarons 2011 Best of the Best Toyota held steady in the top three for the second half of the race, able to see the leaders in front of him.

“We don’t have much more work to do and we can get up there and be battling for the win, so I’m really proud of the guys,” said Martin. “We’ve made improvements every race that we’ve got to run together, so Rodney and I are starting to figure some things out in the car that I like for the long haul, so it’s working well.”

The 53-year-old Martin has never been one to hide his excitement but Saturday night he looked all but ready to jump out of his chair when asked about racing next weekend in Kansas. His face lit up and he had to contain himself when acknowledging that going to work is easy when a driver has a great race team.

“After today I’m really excited but I was excited anyway,” said Martin. “I love going to the race track. There’s nothing else that I find quite as much fun as going to work with a great race team with a great attitude. So it’s fun for me to go to every race that I get to go to.

“But with the great run we had here we’ll be able to roll this setup logic into next week’s car – we’re still working. We’re still trying to improve our long haul, getting a little easier on the tires so the thing will stay faster. If we can make any more improvements maybe we can get right up there and make some sparks for those guys.”

Martin won’t stop at praising just MWR, he says a big part of the company’s turnaround has been his teammate, Martin Truex Jr. Joining MWR in 2010, Truex has been there as they struggled and weren’t doing much of anything right.

Instead of giving up and looking for a way out, Truex hung tough and worked as hard as he could with not just his own No. 56 NAPA team, but vowing to make everyone better. On the verge of snapping his own winless streak and after another strong run in Texas, he’s getting strong words from Martin.

“Martin Truex Jr. has been phenomenal, phenomenal,” said Martin. “The teamwork I’m feeling right now at MWR is second to none I’ve ever been at. [He’s] really, really engaged and he’s working hard to help the whole program. We’re racing three cars to put two in the Chase for sure and win races and try to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Hendrick [Motorsports] and Roush [Fenway] and those guys.

“That’s a tall order for right now. I’m very proud of the results we’re getting. It’s coming from a lot of good attitudes and hard-working people.”

Martin’s only running a partial schedule; therefore he’s not in the championship battle. But Truex Jr. sits fourth and Bowyer slipped one spot to 10th following Texas. Both Truex and Bowyer were once questioned for their decision to leave high profile companies like Earnhardt-Ganassi and Richard Childress Racing for MWR, now however, it looks like it wasn’t such a bad decision.

Truex has been knocking on the door to victory lane for the past few weeks, trying to earn just his second career win. Bowyer has had rough luck to start the season, but once the No. 15 Five Hour Energy team puts that behind them they’re expected to be there contending with Truex.

After his Texas run, Bowyer took to Twitter to apologize to his fans for their performance, saying the team got their butts kicked. He also said though they would get back after it next weekend.

Should any of the three MWR drivers win in Kansas it would just be the third victory for the organization, first since July 2010. But now not the longshot that it once was thought to be.

April 15, 2012

Kahne Wins Inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 at Rockingham Speedway

Kasey Kahne was in the lead heading into the final 20 laps at Rockingham Speedway. He never relinquished that lead, scoring the victory in the inaugural Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway. This was Kahne’s first victory in of 2012.

Kahne described this as “the best weekend I have had in a long time.” He drove in three races this weekend with three impressive finishes; third place in the Nationwide Series in Texas, seventh place in the Cup race, and the win at Rockingham.

[media-credit name=”Credit: Rainer Ehrhardt/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”253″][/media-credit]He went on to explain how happy he was to be a part of the event.

“When I heard they were putting a race on here at Rockingham, as soon as I heard about it, I was trying to figure out whom I would race for and how I would make it here,” he said.

He only got about 4 ½ hours sleep the previous night but that did not dampen his enthusiasm.

“Coming to ‘The Rock’ I was so excited that I woke up early. My alarm was supposed to go off at nine this morning and I woke up at 7:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep.”

Sunday marked NASCAR’s first return to Rockingham Speedway since February 2004.

‘The Rock,’ under the guidance of Andy Hillenburg, opened its arms to the fans allowing them access to the infield and pit road, areas that are normally out of bounds for most ticket holders. Golf cart shuttles were available to take fans to their seats. They were limited but if you didn’t mind waiting, you could catch a ride. The atmosphere was more like a family reunion than a sporting event.

Everyone from the staff to the fans to the drivers was excited to be a part of the track’s return to NASCAR.

Nelson Piquet Jr. led the field to green on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200. He led a total of 107 laps during the race and was dominant most of the race.

Points leader John King spun out on lap four, hit the inside wall and brought out the first caution.

Piquet continued to lead the field and had just lapped the tenth place car when a debris caution was called.

Matt Crafton took the lead shortly after the restart, leaving Piquet Jr. in second place.

Kasey Kahne started in the rear of the field but quickly worked his way into the top three battling with Matt Crafton and Nelson Piquet Jr. for the lead. Kahne took over the lead on lap 155.

On the final pit stop Piquet Jr. was caught too fast exiting and had to go to the back of the field, ending his bid for a win. He fought his way back to finish the race in seventh position.

James Buescher finished the race in second place position earning him his second top ten finish of 2012. Matt Crafton finished third followed by Johnny Sauter. Timothy Peters rounded out the top five.

Peter’s fifth place pushed him to a six point lead in the point standings over Justin Lofton. Ty Dillon is third, followed by James Buescher and Parker Kligerman.

Ty Dillon finished in eighth place and was the highest finishing rookie.

The next Camping World Truck Series race will be April 21, 2012 at Kansas Speedway.

Unofficial Race Results
Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200, Rockingham Speedway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/truckseries/race.php?race=3
=========================================
Pos.	St.	No.	Driver	Make	Points
=========================================
1	5	4	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	0
2	16	31	James Buescher	Chevrolet	42
3	8	88	Matt Crafton	Toyota	42
4	10	13	Johnny Sauter	Toyota	40
5	3	17	Timothy Peters	Toyota	40
6	17	22	Joey Coulter	Chevrolet	38
7	1	30	Nelson Piquet Jr.	Chevrolet	39
8	12	3	Ty Dillon *	Chevrolet	36
9	6	29	Parker Kligerman	Ram	35
10	19	6	Justin Lofton	Chevrolet	34
11	27	27	Jeb Burton *	Chevrolet	33
12	22	9	Ron Hornaday	Chevrolet	32
13	21	81	David Starr	Toyota	31
14	11	98	Dakoda Armstrong *	Toyota	30
15	23	32	Miguel Paludo	Chevrolet	29
16	29	2	Tim George Jr.	Chevrolet	28
17	13	33	Cale Gale *	Chevrolet	27
18	15	24	Max Gresham *	Chevrolet	26
19	18	92	David Reutimann	Chevrolet	0
20	20	9	John Wes Townley *	Toyota	24
21	24	275	Caleb Holman*	Chevrolet	23
22	32	39	Ryan Sieg	Chevrolet	22
23	30	214	Brennan Newberry	Chevrolet	21
24	28	23	Jason White	Ford	20
25	14	8	Ross Chastain *	Toyota	19
26	2	5	Paulie Harraka *	Ford	18
27	36	170	Jeff Agnew	Chevrolet	17
28	26	202	Tyler Young	Chevrolet	16
29	33	93	Chris Cockrum	Chevrolet	15
30	35	57	Norm Benning	Chevrolet	14
31	7	11	Todd Bodine	Toyota	13
32	31	99	Bryan Silas *	Ford	12
33	25	7	John King *	Toyota	11
34	4	18	Jason Leffler	Toyota	10
35	34	7	Johnny Chapman	Toyota	9
36	9	60	Grant Enfinger	Chevrolet	8

April 15, 2012

Lap by Lap: Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 won by Kasey Kahne

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]With 46 laps to go, Kahne passed Matt Crafton for the lead and didn’t look back as he led the field off pit road with 26 laps to go after a caution for debris.

Green flag as Nelson Piquet Jr. gets a solid start

Lap 3 Nelson Piquet Jr. leads Jason Leftler, Paulie Harraka, Parker Kligerman, Timothy Peters, Matt Crafton, Todd Bodine

Caution Lap 5 Points Leader John King gets into the inside wall. Got loose off of turn two and gets into the inside wall.

Restart Lap 9 as Nelson Piquet Jr. gets a good restart and pulls ahead

Lap 10 Ross Chastain bounced off the wall in turn two

Lap 11 Piquet Jr. leads Leftler, Crafton, Kligerman, Bodine, Harraka, Peters, Ty Dillon, Johnny Sauter, James Buescher

Lap 15 Sauter passes Dillon for eighth

Lap 16 Buescher passes Dillon for ninth

Lap 19 Peters, Sauter and Buescher pass Haraka

Lap 19 Crafton passes Leftler for second as Leftler heads down pit road with motor problems

Lap 21 Piquet Jr. leads Crafton, Kligerman, Bodine, Peters, Sauter, Buescher, Dillon, Justin Lofton and Harraka

Lap 29 Piquet Jr. leads Crafton, Kligerman, Peters, Sauter, Buescher, Bodine, Dillon, Lofton and Joey Coulter

Lap 31 Kasey Kahne passes Coulter for 10^th after starting in the rear

Lap 36 Dillon, Lofton and Kahne pass Bodine for position

Lap 39 Coulter passes Bodine for 10^th

Lap 47 Piquet Jr. leads Crafton, Kligerman, Peters, Buescher, Sauter, Kahne, Dillon, Lofton and Coulter

Lap 50 Piquet Jr. puts Cale Gale a lap down. Only the top 13 are on the lead lap

Lap 52 Lofton passes Dillon for eighth

Lap 54 Dillon passes Lofton back for eighth

Lap 55 Coulter passes Lofton for ninth

Lap 58 Piquet Jr. has a half a lap lead on second place Crafton

Lap 60 Caution for debris……Piquet Jr. leads Peters, Kligerman, Crafton, Buescher, Kahne, and Sauter off pit road……Jeb Burton got the lucky dog….

Restart Lap 66 as Piquet Jr. gets another strong start

Lap 68 Crafton takes the lead from Piquet Jr as they lead Peters, Kahne, Dillon, Sauter, Buescher, Kligerman, Lofton and Coulter.

Lap 70 Problems for Todd Bodine as he hit the wall off of turn two

Lap 71 Bodine brings the truck down pit road. No caution

Lap 73 Crafton leads Piquet Jr., Kahne, Peters, Sauter, Buescher, Dillon, Kligerman, Lofton and Coulter

Lap 87 Piquet Jr. now leads Crafton, Kahne, Peters, Sauter, Buescher, Dillon, Kligerman, Lofton, Coulter

Lap 94 Peters passes Kahne for third

Lap 95 Sauter passes Kahne for fourth

Lap 100 Coulter passes Lofton for ninth

HALFWAY as only 11 trucks are on the lead lap as Piquet Jr. leads Crafton, Peters, Sauter, Kahne, Buescher, Dillon, Kligerman, Coulter, Lofton and Jeb Burton

Lap 108 Kligerman passes Dillon for seventh

Lap 109 Crafton and Piquet Jr. battle side-by-side for the lead

Lap 110 Piquet Jr. holds Crafton off

Lap 111 Buescher passes Kahne for fifth

Lap 112 Piquet Jr. leads Crafton, Peters, Sauter, Buescher, Kahne, Kligerman, Dillon, Coulter, Lofton and Burton

Lap 113 Kahne, Kligerman and Dillon pass Buescher as Burton passes Lofton

Lap 116 Ron Hornaday runs in the lucky dog spot.

Lap 117 Jason White hits pit road

Lap 118 Piquet Jr. leads Crafton, Peters, Sauter, Kahne, Kligerman, Dillon, Busecher, Coulter, Burton, Lofton and Hornaday

Lap 121 David Reuitmann brings out the caution as he goes for a spin, collecting Bryan Silas…..Pit stops…..Peters leads Crafton, Sauter, Kahne, Piquet Jr., Dillon, Buescher and Kligermann off pit road. Sauter had to come back down pit road as they did not get it full of fuel. He’ll restart 11^th. Ron Hornaday gets the lucky dog to make it 12 trucks on the lead lap.

Restart Lap 131 as Crafton gets a good restart and takes the lead from Peters

Lap 133 Crafton leads Peters, Kahne, Dillon, Buescher, Piquet Jr., Kligerman, Coulter, Lofton, Burton, Sauter and Hornaday. Starr runs in the lucky dog position.

Lap 136 Piquet Jr. passes Buescher for fifth

Lap 139 Lofton passes Coulter while Sauter passes Burton

Lap 140 Buescher passes Piquet Jr. back while Kahne passes Peters

Lap 141 Crafton leads Kahne, Peters, Dillon, Buescher, Piquet Jr., Kligerman, Lofton, Coulter, Sauter, Burton and Hornaday. Starr still runs in the lucky dog position.

Lap 142 Sauter passes Coulter for ninth

Lap 143 Sauter passes Coulter for eighth; Piquet Jr. passes Buescher for fifth

Lap 144 Coulter passes Lofton for ninth

Lap 146 Piquet Jr. passes Dillon for fourth

Lap 148 Buescher passes Dillon for fifth; Sauter passes Kligermann for seventh

Lap 150 Crafton leads Kahne, Peters, Piquet Jr., Buescher, Dillon, Sauter, Kligerman, Coulter, Lofton, Burton and Hornaday. Starr still runs in the lucky dog position.

46 to go Kasey Kahne passes Matt Crafton for the lead

40 to go Kahne leads Crafton, Piquet Jr., Peters, Buescher, Dillon, Sauter, Kligerman, Coulter, Burton, Lofton, Hornaday. Starr still runs in the lucky dog position

35 to go Piquet Jr. passes Crafton for second

33 to go Kahne leads Piquet Jr., Crafton, Buescher and Peters

Caution 26 laps to go for debris. David Starr gets the lucky dog to put 13 trucks on the lead lap…..Pit stops…….Kahne leads Piquet Jr., Buescher, Peters, Crafton, Dillon, Sauter, Coulter, Kligerman and Burton off pit road. Piquet Jr. too fast exiting pit road so will need to go to the tail end of the longest line.

Restart 20 to go as Kahne keeps the lead from Buescher

14 to go Kahne leads Buescher, Crafton, Sauter, Peters, Coulter, Kligerman, Dillon, Lofton, Burton, Hornaday, Piquet Jr., Starr. Daykota Armstrong is in position for the lucky dog.

12 to go Dillon passes Kligerman for seventh

10 to go Piquet Jr. passes Hornaday 11th

9 to go Piquet Jr. passes Burton for 10^th

8 to go Piquet Jr. passes Lofton for ninth

7 to go Piquet Jr. passes Kligerman for eighth

Kasey Kahne wins over Buescher, Crafton, Saute, Peters, Coulter, Piquet Jr., Dillon, Kligerman, Lofton, Burton.

Unofficial Race Results
Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200, Rockingham Speedway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/truckseries/race.php?race=3
=========================================
Pos.	St.	No.	Driver	Make	Points
=========================================
1	5	4	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	0
2	16	31	James Buescher	Chevrolet	42
3	8	88	Matt Crafton	Toyota	42
4	10	13	Johnny Sauter	Toyota	40
5	3	17	Timothy Peters	Toyota	40
6	17	22	Joey Coulter	Chevrolet	38
7	1	30	Nelson Piquet Jr.	Chevrolet	39
8	12	3	Ty Dillon *	Chevrolet	36
9	6	29	Parker Kligerman	Ram	35
10	19	6	Justin Lofton	Chevrolet	34
11	27	27	Jeb Burton *	Chevrolet	33
12	22	9	Ron Hornaday	Chevrolet	32
13	21	81	David Starr	Toyota	31
14	11	98	Dakoda Armstrong *	Toyota	30
15	23	32	Miguel Paludo	Chevrolet	29
16	29	2	Tim George Jr.	Chevrolet	28
17	13	33	Cale Gale *	Chevrolet	27
18	15	24	Max Gresham *	Chevrolet	26
19	18	92	David Reutimann	Chevrolet	0
20	20	9	John Wes Townley *	Toyota	24
21	24	275	Caleb Holman*	Chevrolet	23
22	32	39	Ryan Sieg	Chevrolet	22
23	30	214	Brennan Newberry	Chevrolet	21
24	28	23	Jason White	Ford	20
25	14	8	Ross Chastain *	Toyota	19
26	2	5	Paulie Harraka *	Ford	18
27	36	170	Jeff Agnew	Chevrolet	17
28	26	202	Tyler Young	Chevrolet	16
29	33	93	Chris Cockrum	Chevrolet	15
30	35	57	Norm Benning	Chevrolet	14
31	7	11	Todd Bodine	Toyota	13
32	31	99	Bryan Silas *	Ford	12
33	25	7	John King *	Toyota	11
34	4	18	Jason Leffler	Toyota	10
35	34	7	Johnny Chapman	Toyota	9
36	9	60	Grant Enfinger	Chevrolet	8

April 15, 2012

Greg Biffle Snaps Winless Streak at Texas Motor Speedway
[media-credit name=”Nigel Kinrade/Autostock” align=”alignright” width=”301″][/media-credit]So far this year Greg Biffle had done everything right, except win. That all changed on Saturday night as he led 90 laps on his way to winning the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I’ll tell you what, I could say it’s about time, but hard work pays off still today, and that’s what this is about,” Biffle says. “The team and Matt Puccia putting together the guys he has, the engine shop, how hard they’ve worked on the fuel injection and the engines and all that.  I am just thankful to get the opportunity to drive these cars as fast as they are.  We knew it was a matter of time we were going to win one of these things.  We’ve been running so good.  We had great pit stops, we’ve had good cars.  Vegas we were off a little bit, and that ate at us a little bit because that’s a good track for us.  So we came here and really focused on our car to get it driving the best we could.”

The 17^th win of his career allowed Biffle to end a 49-race winless streak that dated back to October 3, 2010 when he won at Kansas Speedway.

With 30 laps to go, Biffle was able to catch Jimmie Johnson in traffic and pass him for the lead.

“I’ll tell you what, catching the 48 car at the end, I had to dig deep,” Biffle comments. “It was all I had to be able to get to him, and it seemed like when I got to him it was too easy.  I don’t know if he used up his tires or the traffic — he had trouble, I think a little bit of trouble in traffic.  That’s when I could close in on him.  But over all it was a good night for us.”

Johnson would come home to finish second despite getting into the wall with 15 to go for his fifth top five of 2012 after leading 156 laps.

“I wish we could have won,” Johnson says. “We were in contention, had a great race car.  Pit stops were just amazing all night long.  Car was great.  You know, at the end the 16 — really probably the last two or three runs the 16 and I were pretty equal, run pretty similar lap times, and right before the last pit stop I got caught in some traffic, he got to me and came out of the pits and was pacing him and had a second half lead and then we caught traffic, some guys were multiple laps down that didn’t show much respect to myself, the leader, and before I know it 16 was there on the side of me and got by.”

Mark Martin would finish third to continue the hot streak that Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) has been on early this season.

“I am just so proud of MWR and all the people there and the teamwork that they have shown there starting with Martin Truex, Jr., who has put so much work into getting the program where it was when we started the season and everybody combined,” he says. “They really have a lot of great people there with great attitude, great teamwork, and man, have I got one awesome crew chief in Rodney Childers.  This is so much fun and such an incredible privilege to drive a race car at this point in my career, to be able to drive a race car for a team like that and in a hot rod like that.

“I could see the leader the whole race, and at times we could gain — when we were at our very best we were making some gains on the leaders, and when we were at our worst we were falling back some, and most of the time we could kind of maintain pace.  We don’t have much more work to do, and we can get up there and be battling for the win.  So I’m really proud of the guys.  We’ve made improvements on our racer every race that we’ve got to run together, so Rodney and I are starting to figure some things out in the car that I like for the long haul.  So it’s working well.”

Jeff Gordon would finish fourth followed by Matt Kenseth in fifth. Pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. finished sixth, followed by Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The race was the quickest in Texas Motor Speedway history with an average speed of 160.577 and had the fewest cautions ever with two for 10 laps. The first was for Trevor Bayne getting into the wall, while the second was for debris.

Following the win, Biffle leads Kenseth and Earnhardt Jr. by 19 points in the Sprint Cup Series Points Standings heading into Kansas Speedway.

Full Rundown:
1. Greg Biffle
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Mark Martin
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Carl Edwards
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11. Kyle Busch
12. Denny Hamlin
13. Kurt Busch
14. Jamie McMurray
15. AJ Allmendinger
16. Juan Pablo Montoya
17. Clint Bowyer
18. Paul Menard
19. Joey Logano
20. Marcos Ambrose
21. Ryan Newman
22. Aric Almirola
23. Regan Smith
24. Tony Stewart
25. Casey Mears
26. David Reutimann
27. Bobby Labonte
28. Trevor Bayne
29. Jeff Burton
30. Landon Cassill
31. David Gilliland
32. Reed Sorenson
33. JJ Yeley
34. Tony Raines
35. David Ragan
36. Brad Keselowski
37. Dave Blaney
38. Travis Kvapil
39. Josh Wise
40. Mike Bliss
41. Michael McDowell
42. Scott Riggs
43. Scott Speed
April 15, 2012
Lap by Lap: Samsung Mobile 500 won by Greg Biffle

[media-credit name=”Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]In the quickest race in Texas Motor Speedway history, Greg Biffle passed Jimmie Johnson with 30 laps to go and never looked back, snapping a 49-race winless streak.

Green Flag

Lap 1: Martin Truex Jr. leads the first lap

Lap 10: Truex leads Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Marco Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman.

Lap 14 Amborse, Kenseth and Martin pass Kahne; Denny Hamlin passes Newman

Lap 27 Truex leads Biffle, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Johnson, McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Menard, Carl Edwards

Lap 36 Biffle leads Truex, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Harvick, Johnson, Edwards, Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 37 Kenseth passes Truex for second

Lap 39 Harvick passes Martin for fifth

Lap 41 Harvick passes Ambrose for fourth

Lap 45 to 48 the leaders pit

Lap 49 Biffle now leads

Lap 52 Biffle leads Harvick, Truex, Kenseth, Martin, Ambrose, Keselowski, Johnson, Edwards, McMurray

Lap 64 Biffle leads Harvick, Truex, Kenseth, Martin, Ambrose, Johnson, Keselowski, McMurray and Edwards

Caution Lap 67 Debris…….The leaders go down pit road…….Truex leads Biffle, Martin, Johnson, Ambrose, Edwards, Keselowski, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., McMurray, Kyle Busch, Menard, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton

Restart Lap 72

Lap 73 Truex and Biffle are side-by-side for the lead

Lap 75 Biffle clears Truex for the lead

Lap 76 McMurray passes Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 77 Biffle leads Truex, Kenseth, Johnson, Martin, Ambrose, Edwards, Keselowski, McMurray and Harvick

Lap 79 Kenseth passes Truex

Lap 82 Kenseth to the lead past Biffle

Lap 86 Kenseth, Biffle, Martin, Johnson, Truex, Ambrose, Edwards, Keselowski, McMurray and Gordon

Lap 88 McMurray passes Keselowski for eighth

Caution Lap 95 Trevor Bayne gets into the wall……Leaders head down pit road…..

Restart Lap 101

Lap 102 Biffle now leads the field.

Lap 105 Biffle leads Johnson, Truex, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Keselowski, Allmendinger, Gordon and Kyle Busch

Lap 111 Earnhardt Jr. passes Busch for 10^th

Lap 114 Johnson passes Biffle for the lead

Lap 115 Gordon passes Allmendinger for eighth

Lap 117 Earnhardt Jr. passes Gordon for ninth

Lap 118 Johnson leads Biffle, Truex, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Keselowski, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Allmemdinger

Lap 123 Kenseth passes Truex for third

Lap 125 Earnhardt Jr. passes Gordon for eighth

Lap 127 Johnson leads Biffle, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Martin, Keselowski, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Harvick

Lap 139 Johnson leads Biffle, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Keselowski, Martin, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Harvick

Lap 141 Juan Pablo Montoya hits pit road as the leaders begin hitting pit road.

Lap 147 Leaders Johnson and Biffle pit, handing the lead to Truex

Lap 148 Truex leads Kenseth, Martin, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 156 Keselowski is having motor problems

Lap 159 Truex leads Kenseth, Johnson, Martin, Biffle, Earnhardt Jr., Harvick, Gordon, Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin

Lap 160 Johnson passes Kenseth for second; Gordon passes Harvick for seventh

Lap 180 Truex leads Johnson, Kenseth, Martin, Biffle, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Harvick, Ambrose, Allmendinger

Lap 181 Johnson takes the lead

Lap 184 Pit stops begin……

Lap 186 Leader Johnson hits pit road

Lap 189 Pit cycle complete. Johnson is the leader once again.

Lap 197 Johnson leads Martin, Biffle, Kenseth, Truex, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Ambrose and Allmendinger

Lap 200 Gordon passes Earnhardt Jr. for seventh

Lap 203 Hamlin passes Allmendinger for 10^th

Lap 214 Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Truex, Gordon, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., Ambrose and Hamlin

Lap 228 Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenesth, Truex, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Ambrose, Harvick, Hamlin, Kahne

Lap 229 Harvick comes down pit road so Hamlin and Kahne both pass him

Lap 230 Martin comes down pit road from third position

Lap 231 Trevor Bayne and Juan Pablo Montoya pit along with Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin

Lap 232 Marco Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pit

Lap 233 Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman pit

Lap 234 Jimmie Johnson pits from the lead, followed by Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth. Pit cycle complete, handing the lead to Johnson over Biffle.

100 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth and Truex

96 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Truex, Gordon, Harvick, Ambrose, Earnhardt Jr., and Kahne

71 to go Gordon passes Truex for fifth; Kahne passes Earnhardt Jr. for ninth

67 to go Gordon passes Kenseth for fourth

59 to go Ambrose passes Harvick for seventh

58 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Gordon, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Harvick, Kahne, Earnhardt Jr.

55 to go Kahne passes Harvick for eighth as Joey Logano pits. Harvick joins Logano on pit road.

54 to go Regan Smith pits

53 to go Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Allmendinger, Bowyer, Mears pit

52 to go Almirola, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr. pit

51 to go Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Marco Ambrose, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray pit.

50 to go Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon pits handing the lead back to Jimmie Johnson

49 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Gordon, Truex, Harvick, Ambrose, Kahne and Hamlin

46 to go Ambrose passes Harvick for seventh

44 to go Earnhardt Jr. passes Hamlin for 10^th

41 to go Kahne passes Harvick for eighth

40 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Gordon, Truex, Ambrose, Kahne, Harvick and Earnhardt Jr.

37 to go Gordon passes Kenseth for fourth

30 to go Biffle takes the lead from Johnson

24 to go Biffle leads Johnson, Martin, Gordon, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Kahne, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr.

21 to go Trevor Bayne got into the wall but no caution

17 to go Kahne passes Ambrose for seventh

15 to go Johnson gets into the wall

13 to go Edwards passes Earnhardt Jr. for 10^th

6 to go Edwards passes Harvick for ninth

Final Lap – Marco Ambose is slow and out of gas.

Greg Biffle wins followed by Johnson, Martin, Gordon, Kenseth, Truex, Kahne, Edwards, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr.

April 15, 2012