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acegear
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Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 973
Location: Enumclaw, WA
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 Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:49 am Post subject: Biffle Takes the Auto Club 500 |
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In the first test of NASCAR's new aero rules, Greg Biffle was able to hold off Jimmy Johnson and the rest of the field to take the win. This would be Biffle's 2nd win in 3 races going back to the season finale from last year.
Today's 500 mile race started out with 19-year old rookie Kyle Busch on the pole, with another young driver, Brian Vickers, completing the front row. Kyle would exchange the lead with Vickers for the first 4 laps until Greg Biffle came to the front. Ricky Rudd doesn't last long as he limps to pit row with damage from a collision with Bill Elliot who is running a limited Cup schedule this year. Fortunately for the rest of the field the race stays green.
Carl Edwards is showing what he has under the hood, by moving up to 4th place after starting 19th. The first caution of the day comes out on lap 26 for Bill Elliott who has spun and hit the wall. The leaders will come to pit road while Kyle Petty, Mike Wallace, and Randy Lajoie stay on the track. Randy Lajoie leads the field to the green flag but it wouldn't last long as Matt Kenseth with his fresh tires takes over the front position on lap 31.
Dale Earnhardt Jr has to take an unscheduled pit stop on lap 38 due to a flat tire, and he will go a lap down. After Casey Mears goes to pit row with a cut tire, and Earnhardt Jr has to go back to pit row for another cut tire on lap 59, caution is called for debris on the track. The leaders pit again with Kenseth being the big winner off pit row. He will take over the lead again as Jeff Green pits.
Matt Kenseth leads the field to the green flag followed by Carl Edwards, and Joe Nemechek. Kenseth and Edwards would exchange the lead, off and on, for the next few laps with Kenseth finally coming out on top. On lap 100, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman have to make unscheduled out stops for Busch getting into the wall and Newman having a cut tire.
Another caution comes out for debris on the track on lap 107, catching Kurt Busch in the pits for a green flag stop, but he will stay on the lead lap. Nemechek will take the green in the lead followed by Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick on lap 114. Jr's bad luck continues when he has to return to pit row on lap 136 and the hood is up. Dave Blaney crashes on lap 143 bringing out the 4th caution of the race. Nemechek would win the race off pit road with Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson in tow. But the green flag racing wasn't meant to last as Kasey Kahne, who had been in the top 10 for over 100 laps, got loose hitting the wall and ending his day behind the wheel.
The aftermath of Kasey's sudden meeting with the wall
Jimmie Johnson pulls one over on the field with just a gas-and-go stop, taking over the lead while Nemechek only takes two tires to come out second. Mark Martin takes 4 tires and is third. Johnson leads at the green but Nemechek takes the top spot with the fresher tires. Carl Edwards would go back to the front on lap 179, after which Joe Nemechek takes an unscheduled pit stop, and heads to the garage, his day finished with engine trouble.
Kevin Harvick passes Edwards for the lead on lap 195, and Jeff Gordon is making a run towards the front, and is in 2nd place by lap 202. Michael Waltrip's engine lets loose on lap 203 bringing out the 6th caution of the day. The leaders would go to pit row and Harvick retains the lead, followed by Matt Kenseth, and Jeff Gordon. Fuel management wil be an issue if the race stays green. Kurt Busch moves up to 2nd place by lap 215.
Jason Leffler looses his engine and brings out the caution yet again on lap 217. Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace stay out. Harvick takes 4 tires while Gordon takes 2. Jamie McMurray leads the rest of the field out of pit row to the fifth position.
Kurt Busch leads the field to the green and holds them off until Biffle passes him for the lead on lap 228. Matt Kenseth is in the pits with a cut tire. Jeff Gordon gets black flagged on lap 238, because of his slow speed. He goes to the garage with engine problems. Biffle worked with teammate Kurt Busch to hold off a late charge by Jimmie Johnson to take the checkered flag. Johnson would end up 2nd, Busch 3rd, Jamie McMurray 4th and Carl Edwards finished 5th.
FINISHING ORDER
1 5 #16 Greg Biffle Ford Post-it/National Guard 185/5 250 Running
2 8 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 175/5 250 Running
3 20 #97 Kurt Busch Ford Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools 170/5 250 Running
4 15 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline 160/0 250 Running
5 19 #99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 160/5 250 Running
6 31 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 155/5 250 Running
7 18 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra 151/5 250 Running
8 41 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford Pedigree 142/0 250 Running
9 9 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 138/0 250 Running
10 23 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite 134/0 250 Running
11 7 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 130/0 250 Running
12 10 #0 Mike Bliss Chevrolet NetZero Best Buy 127/0 250 Running
13 14 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 124/0 250 Running
14 38 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service 121/0 250 Running
15 13 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light 118/0 250 Running
16 27 #22 Scott Wimmer Dodge Caterpillar 115/0 250 Running
17 29 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 112/0 250 Running
18 36 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia-Pacific/Brawny 114/5 250 Running
19 32 #31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 106/0 250 Running
20 26 #32 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Chevrolet Tide - Give Kids The World 103/0 250 Running
21 2 #25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet GMAC 105/5 250 Running
22 16 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target 97/0 249 Running
23 1 #5 Kyle Busch * Chevrolet CARQUEST 99/5 249 Running
24 35 #77 Travis Kvapil * Dodge Kodak/Jasper Engines 91/0 249 Running
25 33 #4 Mike Wallace Chevrolet Lucas Oil Products 88/0 249 Running
26 6 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford USG Sheetrock/DeWalt 90/5 249 Running
27 37 #43 Jeff Green Dodge General Mills Whole Grain 87/5 249 Running
28 3 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 84/5 248 Running
29 24 #14 John Andretti Ford VB/APlus at Sunoco 76/0 248 Running
30 28 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 73/0 246 Running
31 43 #37 Kevin Lepage Dodge Carter's Royal Dispos-all 70/0 241 Running
32 40 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 67/0 237 Running
33 12 #10 Scott Riggs Chevrolet Valvoline 64/0 229 Out of Race
34 42 #07 Dave Blaney Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 61/0 224 Running
35 25 #7 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Harrah's 58/0 222 Out of Race
36 11 #44 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's 55/0 216 Out of Race
37 39 #11 Jason Leffler Chevrolet FedEx Express 52/0 215 Out of Race
38 30 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts 49/0 203 Out of Race
39 4 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 56/10 180 Out of Race
40 17 #9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 43/0 167 Out of Race
41 21 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft Genuine Parts 40/0 145 Out of Race
42 34 #34 Randy LaJoie Chevrolet Mach One Inc. 42/5 47 Out of Race
43 22 #91 Bill Elliott Dodge Stanley Tools 34/0 23 Out of Race
* Denotes Rookie
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