Backstretch Motorsports

CONCORD, N.C. — For Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle, the finish of Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 was a replay of the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Kahne took the checkered flag with Biffle chasing him for the final three laps, but what happened in the first 397 laps of the 400-lap marathon featured more subplots than an Agatha Christie novel.

Seizing the moment when Tony Stewart blew a tire while leading on Lap 397, Kahne streaked to the finish 10.203 seconds ahead of Biffle, who recovered from a loose wheel and a lost lap early in the race to claim the runner-up spot.

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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.

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Jason Keller
No. 11 America’s Incredible Pizza Company Racing Chevrolet
CARQUEST Auto Parts 300
Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
Saturday, May 24, 2008

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Coca-Cola 600
Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Qualifying Fast Facts

Pole Winner: Kyle Busch
Age: 23
Team: No. 18 M&M’s Toyota
Owner: Joe Gibbs
Crew Chief: Steve Addington

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Coca-Cola 600 – one of the crown jewels of NASCAR – will be especially important to three previous winners for three different reasons:

Kasey Kahne
Kahne is trying to end a winless drought which stretches 52 points races long and, perhaps more importantly, return to the top 12 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings.

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Qualifying Fast Facts

Pole Winner: Kyle Busch
Age: 23
Team: No. 18 M&Ms Toyota
Owner: Joe Gibbs
Crew Chief: Steve Addington

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 13, 2008) – Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Martin Truex Jr. had struggled through the 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season leading up to last year’s All – Star weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The Mayetta, N.J. native was 18th in points and neither he nor his team had found any consistency on a week-to-week basis.

“We had been struggling through the first part of last year,” Truex said. “We ran good at Daytona to start off the year, but we got caught up in a wreck and finished 29th. Then we had an engine failure at California the next week and finished 42nd. Even though we had managed to put together a couple of good runs after that, we were still trying to find our way as a team.”

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Below are notebook item facts for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Showdown and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:

The NASCAR Sprint Showdown
• The NASCAR Sprint Showdown started in 1986 as a pre-cursor to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
• Beginning in 1987, the race allowed more drivers the opportunity to participate in the All-Star event by “racing their way in.”
• Over the years, 20 different drivers have gained entry into the All-Star Race via the Showdown. There have been a total of 32 transfers into the All-Star Race.

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