Sunday, June 1 Dover Int'l Speedway Dover, Delaware

Kyle Busch Picks Up Fourth Win On Season At Dover
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News Wire Service

DOVER, Del. -- Same song, different verse.

Points leader Kyle Busch made mincemeat of the competition and Sunday’s Best Buy 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway.

In a race that stayed green for the final 153 laps, Busch gained a total of five seconds over runner-up Carl Edwards on his final two pit stops, built a lead that topped eight seconds and cruised in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a 4.225-second win, his fourth of the season and the eighth of his career.

Polesitter Greg Biffle ran third, followed by Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr., as only six cars finished on the lead lap.

Busch grabbed the lead from Edwards during a cycle of green-flag pit stops that ended on Lap 237. NASCAR called a caution on Lap 243 for debris in Turn 2 -- under which the leaders remained on the track -- and after a restart on Lap 248, Edwards dogged Busch until both drivers brought their cars to the pits under green on Lap 319.


Steve Addington, crew chief for Kyle Busch, congratulates his driver after winning the Best Buy 400...

Busch gained almost three seconds on pit road and pulled away steadily for the next 60 laps before backing off in the closing circuits.

“We didn’t have the car to beat today,” said Busch, who expanded his lead in the championship standings over eighth-place finisher Jeff Burton to 142 points. “Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle did. But our guys on pit road (were) phenomenal -- got us out front -- and that’s what won the race for us. The guys that pitted this thing on pit road definitely won the race for us.”

Edwards acknowledged he was slow getting off pit road on his final stop, but he gained two positions to fourth in the standings with the second-place finish.

“It’s not what we came here for, but the car was good today,” Edwards said. “I wish we could have put on a better show for the fans. I wish we could have had a caution there at the end -- but Kyle deserved it.

Biffle led 164 laps to Busch’s 158, but he developed an ignition problem on Lap 169 and surrendered the lead to Edwards before switching to his second battery. Biffle ran the rest of the race without the use of air conditioning or brake fans in his car.

“The engine started missing, but we changed batteries, and it came back on line,” said Biffle, who vaulted six positions to fifth in the Cup standings. “We were just a little too tight all day. That’s really what the problem was.”


The aftermath of the 10-car wreck on lap 17...

The monster that inhabits the Monster Mile woke up early Sunday. Seventeen laps into the race, contact in Turn 2 between David Gilliland and Elliott Sadler triggered an 10-car wreck that ruined the afternoon for Chase contenders Dale Earnhardt Jr. (35th), Clint Bowyer (36th), Kevin Harvick (38th), Tony Stewart (41st) and Denny Hamlin (43rd).

Earnhardt, who held third in the points standings (now 271 behind Busch), was the only one of those five drivers who didn’t lose at least three positions in the standings, though none of the drivers dropped out of the top 12.

Notes: Roush Fenway Racing put three cars in the top five -- Edwards, Biffle and Kenseth -- for the first time since July 2006 at New Hampshire. ... Sam Hornish Jr. drove his No. 77 Dodge back into the top 35 in owner points with an 18th-place finish. The No. 66 Haas CNC Chevrolet, driven by Scott Riggs, suffered a 150-point penalty on Tuesday for a rear wing mount infraction May 24 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and fell to 36th in owner points.

Complete Race Results click here

Post-Race point Standings click here



Biffle Wins The Pole
Greg Biffle won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks with a lap of 23.193 seconds, 155.219 mph.

• This is his sixth pole in 199 career NASCAR Sprint Cup races.
• This is his second pole and fourth top-10 start in 2008.
• This is Biffle’s first pole and sixth top-10 start in 12 races at Dover International Speedway.
• Kurt Busch (second) posted his fourth top-10 start of 2008 and his 11th in 16 Dover races.
• Kyle Busch (third) posted his 10th top-10 start of the season and his second in seven races at Dover.
• Jimmie Johnson (fourth) joined Kyle Busch as the only drivers with 10 top-10 starts in 2008.
• AJ Allmendinger (eighth) was the fastest of the drivers required to make the field on time.
• Sam Hornish Jr. (16th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
• Drivers that did not qualify include: Jason Leffler and Chad McCumbee.

Complete Starting Lineup click here

Broadcast Times - AT*

Practice: Friday, May 30 (SPEED at 12:30 p.m.)

Qualifying: Friday, May 30 (SPEED at 4 p.m.) Practice: Saturday, May 31 (SPEED at 1 p.m.)

Final Practice: Saturday, May 31 (SPEED at 2 p.m.)

RaceDay: Sunday, June 1 (SPEED at 12:30 p.m.)

Pre-Race: Sunday, June 1 (FOX at 2:30 p.m.)

Race: Sunday, June 1 (SPEED at 3 p.m.)

*AT is one hour ahead of ET, i.e. if it's 2 p.m./AT - it's 1 p.m./ET...

Fast Facts
The Race: Best Buy 400 Benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks
The Place: Dover International Speedway
The Track: 1-mile oval
The Distance: 400 miles/400 laps
TV: FOX, 2:30 p.m. (AT)
Radio: MRN, SIRIUS Satellite Radio
2007 Winner: Martin Truex Jr.
2007 Polesitter: Ryan Newman
Pre-Race Schedule (local track time): Friday—Practice, 11:30 a.m.—1 p.m.; Qualifying, 3:10 p.m. Saturday—12-12:45 p.m.; Final Practice, 1:20 p.m.-2:20 p.m.

Year-To-Date Race Results & Driver Point Standings click here

Track Map



Event Preview

• Kahne Carries Momentum Into Dover Race Weekend...Momentum is one of those intangibles that plays a pivotal role in the ebb and flow of sports. One stellar performance or one set of circumstances can suddenly turn the tide in favor of the athlete and his outlook on the rest of the season. If any driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is carrying momentum into this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway, it’s Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge. Fresh off back-to-back wins at Lowe’s Motor Speedway — first the non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 17, when he was voted into the competition by the fans, and then the Coca-Cola 600 last Sunday evening — Kahne and his race team have suddenly reasserted themselves as a force to reckon with. Now 12th in the point standings, could it be that this team has returned to the form that saw Kahne win a series-high six races in 2006? Only time will tell, but performances from the past two weekends appear to have provided this team with a wave of momentum. “You know, it really feels good to win on this weekend,” Kahne said last Sunday, after claiming his eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, and his first points win since October, 2006. “Confidence is huge. I feel like I gave better input this week … I’ve stepped up and given Kenny (Francis) more to work with as a crew chief and I’ve given our engineers more to work with. And, I wasn’t doing that at the start of the year. I think that’s a big part of the confidence, and it shows on the racetrack.”
• Kyle Busch Still Points Leader; Battle Tightens Between 9-12...Kyle Busch (No. 18 Combos Toyota) continues to be on top of the leader board in the championship point standings and has even widened his lead over second place Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet). Busch had a 79-point lead over Burton last week and after his third-place showing at the Coca-Cola 600, has increased that lead to 94 points. The top five in the standings remain unchanged from a week ago, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet), Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) and Clint Bowyer (No. 07 DirecTV Chevrolet) holding down spots 3-4-5. Busch has the season’s top Driver Rating (113.1), followed by Earnhardt Jr. (110.2) and Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford, 102.0). Busch and Edwards are tied with a series-best three victories apiece on the season the season. Busch, Burton, Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) and Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) have been in the top 12 for all 12 weeks of the season. Only 39 points separate positions 9-12. Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) is ninth this week, seven points ahead of Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet), 10 points ahead of Biffle and 39 points ahead of Kahne. David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Ford) was 12th last week and has dropped to 13th in the standings, 56 points behind Kahne. Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford), who has made the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup all four years, heads into this week’s action at Dover ranked 16th in the standings, 190 points out of 12th.
• Matt Kenseth Looks To Dover Magic For Resurgence...The forgotten man in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season is a past champion and a member of every Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since its inception in 2004. That impressive streak may end, unless Matt Kenseth’s season dramatically turns around. Kenseth, currently 190 points behind 12th-place Kasey Kahne, can start a resurgent march back into the top 12 with a strong finish at Dover — a track at which he has had past success. Kenseth, the 2003 series champion and one of two drivers to make all four Chases (Jimmie Johnson is the other), has a win (spring, 2006) and five top-five finishes at The Monster Mile. Over the past three years (six races), Kenseth owns some of the top statistics in the series. He has a Driver Rating of 111.9 (second-best), an Average Running Position of 7.2 (second), a series-high 222 Fastest Laps Run and has run 91% of the Laps in the Top 15 (second). In each of those stats where Kenseth ranks second, Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle ranks first. Biffle, coming off a second-place finish at the Coca-Cola 600, is attempting to maintain his top 12 standing position after finishing outside the Chase cutoff each of the past two seasons. Another strong finish at Dover should help him do just that. He won here in the spring of 2005 and has finished inside the top 10 in five of the last six Dover races. Over that span, Biffle owns series-high stats in Driver Rating (113.7), Average Running Position (7.0) and Laps in the Top 15 (93.6%). Additionally, he ranks second in Fastest Laps Run with 190. Also watch for a strong run from Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge), who sits 85 points out of 12th place. The reigning Daytona 500 champion swept Dover in 2003 and added another win there in the fall of 2004. Newman hasn’t seen that type of success since, but did score a runner-up finish in last year’s spring race. Over the past six races, Newman has a Driver Rating of 101.0 (sixth), an Average Running Position of 8.1 (third) and has run 85.2% of the Laps in the Top 15.
• “Monster Mile” Poses Another Endurance Test For Drivers...Dover’s high-banked one-mile concrete racing surface that has been likened to 400 laps of racing in a concrete cereal bowl has earned it the moniker of “The Monster Mile.” This Sunday’s race is considered to be one of the most challenging on the series circuit and fresh off the heels of last week’s 600-miler at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, poses yet another endurance test for the 43 drivers and their race teams. Dover is celebrating its 40th anniversary season in 2008. Earlier this month, plans for Phase II of the track’s “Monster Makeover” Capital Improvement project were unveiled, including the dedication ceremony for the new 46-foot Monster Monument at Victory Plaza. Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon was on hand for the festivities. “It’s an amazing monument and it really symbolizes what this track is all about to the drivers and the fans,” said Gordon, who has won four times at Dover. “The Monster Mile brings out the monster in all of us. It’s a grueling, fast race track that is very, very tough. Bobby Allison, a seven-time Dover winner, will be the first driver honored with a marquee plaque on the Monster Monument in a special ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 31 at Victory Plaza.
• NASCAR’s 60th Anniversary: Dover Has Its Share Of “Monster” Memories...This season marks NASCAR’s 60th anniversary and in Dover’s 76-race history, many “Monster” memories have been made. Three active champions look back at Dover and remember their first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge), the 2000 series champion, finished 34th at Dover in his first start in 1991. Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champion, started only one race in 1998 — at Dover. The result was a foreshadow of an incredibly consistent future. Kenseth, starting 16th in the No. 94 Ford, finished sixth that day. Finally, Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), the 2004 champion, finished 18th at Dover in his first career race in 2000. He then drove the No. 97 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. But it just might be the list of winners that paints the perfect Dover picture. From the very first race in 1969 through the two races in 1980, every Dover race winner is a member of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers List. The list of Dover winners since then isn’t too shabby either. Since 1980, 27 of the Dover race winners have won a list includes such legendary names like Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip. But also current stars like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson. And, it includes young stars like Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr. who have won NASCAR Nationwide Series titles. Who will add their name to the list of legendary Dover winners? Well, if the trend continues, it could be a new name. Truex earned his first career victory last year at Dover and there have been nine different winners in the last nine races at Dover.
• The Top 35: The No. 22 And No. 55 Toyotas Trade Spots...The No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota, driven by Dave Blaney and owned by Bill Davis and the No. 55 NAPA Toyota, driven and owned by Michael Waltrip, exchanged positions this past week in the battle to stay in the top 35 in owners points. The No. 22 Toyota, 35th a week ago, inched up two spots to 33rd, thanks to its 17th- place finish at the Coca-Cola 600. Following its 27th place showing at Lowe’s, the No. 55 Toyota dropped two positions and is now 35th, the cutoff spot entering this week’s race at Dover. Each week, the top 35 teams are guaranteed starting spots, with those outside the top 35 required to qualify on time The No. 00 Waltrip Racing Toyota, driven by Michael McDowell and owned by Rob Kauffman, finished 32nd at Lowe’s, and fell from 30th to 32nd. The No. 44 UPS Toyota, driven by David Reutimann and owned by Michael Waltrip, inched up a spot from 30th to 29th after posting a solid 10th-place finish at Lowe’s. Competition has really heated up between spots 30 and 36 in this week’s owners’ points standings. Only 50 points separate 30th place (No. 7 Jim Beam Dodge driven and owned by Robby Gordon) and 36th place (the No. 77 Penske Truck Rental Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. and owned by Roger Penske).
• Triple Header...Kyle Busch, who has already posted nine victories across the three national series this season, will pull triple duty this weekend at Dover. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader will compete in all three of the national series events — Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Busch has three wins at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level, four NASCAR Nationwide Series wins, and two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victories on the season.
• Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge) will be competing in his 50th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race this Sunday at Dover … Montoya’s teammate, Dario Franchitti (No. 40 Wii Fit Dodge) is entered in this week’s race at Dover. Franchitti has been sidelined the past four weekends while recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered during the NASCAR Nationwide race April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway. The No. 40 Dodge is currently 38th in owners’ points and must qualify on time at Dover.

IMPORTANT: All information, schedules and/or scheduled events is/are subject to change without notice. Please check with the source to confirm.