Backstretch Motorsports

CONCORD, N.C. — Joe Gibbs Racing’s hold on the Nationwide Series finally has been snapped — by one of its drivers.

Driving the No. 32 Braun Racing Toyota, Busch ended the four-race winning streak of the No. 20 Toyota that belongs to his full-time owner, Joe Gibbs. Hamlin, who took a turn in the No. 20 on Saturday, finished second, followed by Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and polesitter Brian Vickers.

Busch won the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway under caution when Mike Wallace’s wreck slowed the race after Busch had taken the white flag for a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the event two laps beyond its posted distance of 200.

As Busch was taking bows for his fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the year, the second- and third-place finishing teams confronted each other in the pits,

As Busch celebrated his win on the frontstretch with his trademark sarcastic bow to the crowd, the crews for Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski scuffled on pit road over contact the drivers had on track. NASCAR officials needed several minutes to control the scene, and Hamlin and Keselowski watched confused from inside their cars.

“Before the race, I said, hopefully we could have the Dollar General Toyota (Braun’s car) come home in first place with him (Hamlin) the runner-up,” Busch said.

He got his wish, but the real fireworks occurred between Hamlin and Keselowski under the final caution. Keselowski tapped Hamlin’s Camry as the cars circled the track behind the pace car. Hamlin retaliated by turning right into Keselowski’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

“What the hell did he do that for?” asked Earnhardt, Keselowski’s car owner, after the race. “Brad bumped him just a little bit under caution, and Denny knocked the fender off his car. Now the car’s all tore up.”
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Hamlin complained that Keselowski had repeatedly failed to give him racing room earlier in the event.

“Give a guy two inches to let him clear, and don’t just hang onto my rear quarter panel,” said Hamlin, who made it clear that his retaliation was for the bump under caution, not for the way Keselowski had raced him. “You throw a rock, I’m going to throw a concrete block back.”

Keselowski, a full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, had a different perspective.

“I race one day a week, not two,” he said. “I have 200 laps to prove myself, not 400. I have to make the most of every lap.”

The two then spent a tense several minutes seated next to each other during the post-race news conference, which was attended by a NASCAR official waiting to escort both drivers to a meeting with the sanctioning body when they were done. Also in attendance was Hamlin’s team owner, Joe Gibbs, and Marshall Carlson, general manager for Hendrick Motorsports, which co-owns Keselowski’s car.

Committed to a fuel mileage strategy, Busch stayed out on old tires and inherited the lead, when the rest of the contending cars – with the exception of Greg Biffle’s No. 16 Ford – came to pits on Lap 163, after a wreck in Turn 3 involving Kelly Bires and Kasey Kahne caused the eighth caution of the race.

Two more quick cautions – one when Steve Wallace and Jason Leffler wreck in close quarters in Turn 4 and one for debris on Lap 181 – enabled Busch to save enough fuel to make it to the finish. But Busch still had to hold off the cars behind him.

With five laps left, Hamlin made a determined move to the inside of Busch’s No. 32 Toyota, but Busch surged past his teammate from Joe Gibbs Racing and held him off until Josh Wise scraped the wall the bring out the 11th caution and set up the two-lap finishing dash.

Notes: Busch led 86 laps, the sixth time he’s led the most laps in a NASCAR Nationwide Series event this year. … Keselowski’s third-place finish was a career best. … Joe Gibbs Racing had won the previous six NASCAR Nationwide Series events, two by Busch in the No. 18 car, followed by four straight (Tony Stewart twice and Hamlin and Busch once each) in the No. 20. … Clint Bowyer finished sixth and saw his series points lead narrowed to 67 over second-place Busch.

NASCAR Race Number 13
Unofficial Race Results for the Carquest Auto Parts “300″ - Saturday, May 24, 2008
Lowe’s Motor Speedway - Concord, NC - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 202 Laps - 303 Miles - Purse: $1,287,710

Leader
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
1 6 32 Kyle Busch Dollar General Toyota 202 195 10 $66,020 Running 3 86
2 9 20 Denny Hamlin Z-Line Designs Toyota 202 170 $44,925 Running
3 12 88 Brad Keselowski NAVY Chevrolet 202 170 5 $46,193 Running 1 25
4 10 83 Dale Earnhardt, Jr Dale Jr Division/NAVY Chevrolet 202 165 5 $28,675 Running 2 3
5 1 10 Brian Vickers ABF U-Pack Moving Toyota 202 160 5 $35,550 Running 1 12
6 15 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet 202 150 $23,675 Running
7 3 16 Greg Biffle CitiFinancial Ford 202 146 $23,300 Running
8 11 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevrolet 202 142 $21,350 Running
9 2 6 David Ragan Discount Tire Ford 202 143 5 $21,050 Running 4 29
10 22 5 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 202 139 5 $20,950 Running 1 1
11 24 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 202 130 $19,550 Running
12 14 64 David Stremme Atreus Homes & Communities 202 127 $27,168 Running
13 7 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Water Smart Ford 202 124 $19,975 Running
14 19 59 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford/Bush’s Baked Beans/Rite 202 121 $24,518 Running
15 8 1 Mike Bliss Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet 202 118 $24,918 Running
16 4 9 Kasey Kahne Klondike Dodge 202 120 5 $17,225 Running 1 11
17 25 11 Jason Keller America’s Incredible Pizza Chevrolet 202 112 $23,368 Running
18 31 25 Bobby Hamilton, Jr John Morrell Off the Bone Ford 202 109 $23,143 Running
19 41 33 Kevin Harvick Camping World Chevrolet 202 106 $16,600 Running
20 42 66 Steve Wallace Atreus Homes & Communities 202 103 $23,718 Running
21 21 27 Brad Coleman Cottonelle/Bi-Lo Ford 202 100 $23,068 Running
22 23 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Toyota 201 97 $22,818 Accident
23 40 28 Kenny Wallace U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet 201 99 5 $23,168 Running 1 1
24 35 22 Josh Wise Supercuts Dodge 201 91 $22,728 Running
25 37 01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL Chevrolet 199 88 $22,868 Running
26 34 61 Kevin Lepage Ford 199 85 $22,658 Running
27 33 81 Brad Baker Vector Security Dodge 199 82 $22,623 Running
28 43 52 Brad Teague Truck Service/Forrest City Owls 196 79 $22,588 Running
29 39 24 Eric McClure Hefty Brand Chevrolet 196 76 $22,543 Running
30 16 77 Cale Gale VFW/Salute the Troops Chevrolet 179 73 $16,280 Driveshaft
31 20 40 Bryan Clauson # Fastenal Dodge 178 70 $23,463 Running
32 5 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 175 72 5 $22,493 Accident 2 25
33 30 47 Kelly Bires Clorox Ford 158 64 $22,388 Accident
34 36 4 Derrike Cope JVC Chevrolet 139 66 5 $22,358 Engine 1 1
35 17 30 Stanton Barrett Grandstay.net/Donatos Chevrolet 133 58 $22,338 Electrical
36 18 19 Chase Miller # Verizon Wireless/Motorola Dodge 128 55 $15,850 Engine
37 27 89 Morgan Shepherd Racing with Jesus Dodge 99 52 $22,293 Brakes
38 28 23 Robert Richardson, Jr Renegade Wheels Chevrolet 79 49 $15,805 Accident
39 13 12 Sam Hornish, Jr Penske Truck Rental Dodge 66 51 5 $15,785 Accident 1 8
40 38 02 Andy Ponstein Stott Classic Racing Chevrolet 20 43 $15,740 Handling
41 29 91 Kenny Hendrick MSRP Motorsports Chevrolet 16 40 $22,183 Vibration
42 32 84 Carl Long Racefumes.com Chevrolet 10 37 $22,158 Brakes
43 26 0 Danny Efland Shred 360/Lori Morgan, LLC 3 34 $22,094 Accident
Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 70,000, Kyle Busch won the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, his 15th NASCAR Nationwide Series victory. Prior to green flag, the following drivers dropped to the rear for the reasons indicated: #33 Kevin Harvick (back up car), #66 Steve Wallace (back up car), #81 Brad Baker (unapproved adjustments), #89 Morgan Shepherd (unapproved adjustments).
Failed to Qualify: (3) 37 Burney Lamar, 90 Johnny Chapman, 05 Brett Rowe.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 31 Mins, 05 Secs. Average Speed: 120.331 MPH Margin of Victory: Under Caution
Caution Flags: 12 for 44 laps: Laps: 5-8 (#0 spun turn 2); 27-30 (#89 spun turn 3); 62-65 (#12 spun turn 2); 68-71 (#12 accident backstretch); 81-85 (#23 accident backstretch); 124-127 (#40 accident turn 2); 131-134 (Oil on track); 161-165 (#9, #47 accident turn 3); 176-179 (#38, #66 accident turn 4); 182-184 (Debris); 199-200 (#22 accident turn 3); 202-202 (#7 accident turn 1).
Lead Changes: 18 among 11 drivers: B. Vickers (Pole); D. Ragan 1-8; K. Kahne 9-19; D. Ragan 20-27; D. Cope 28; J. Leffler 29-34; J. Johnson 35; S. Hornish, Jr 36-43; J. Leffler 44-62; K. Wallace 63; D. Ragan 64-75; K. Busch 76-85; D. Ragan 86; K. Busch 87-123; D. Earnhardt, Jr 124; B. Vickers 125-136; D. Earnhardt, Jr 137-138; B. Keselowski 139-163; K. Busch 164-202.
Top 10 Driver Points: (1) C. Bowyer 1,890;(2) Ky. Busch 1,823;(3) C. Edwards 1,714;(4) D. Reutimann 1,702;(5) Br. Keselowski 1,670;(6) D. Ragan 1,664;(7) M. Bliss 1,663;(8) J. Leffler 1,552;(9) M. Wallace 1,482;(10) D. Stremme 1,454.
Coors Light Pole Award : Brian Vickers, #10 (179.904 mph) Featherlite “Most Improved Driver” : Brad Keselowski, #88 (12 Places)
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Kyle Busch, #32 Mobil 1 Oil Command Performance : David Stremme, #64
Raybestos “Rookie of the Race” : Bryan Clauson, #40 Sunoco Diamond Performance : Kyle Busch, #32
WIX Filters “Lap Leader” : Brad Keselowski, #88 (25 Laps)
Next Race: May. 31, 2008 - Dover International Speedway