[PAmedic]

Johnson wrecks in test; speeds reach records

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - A flat tire caused Jimmie Johnson to wreck Wednesday during an important test at Lowe's Motor Speedway, sending Goodyear officials searching to find the right rubber to use on the freshly paved surface.

Johnson had completed about 20 laps when he felt his right rear tire rapidly losing air. He couldn't complete the lap before the tire went flat, sending Johnson into the turn four wall.
"We're still looking at the tire and trying to find a concrete determination as to why the tire went down," said Rick Heinrich, product manager for Goodyear. "We don't know if it was a puncture or wear-related at this point."

Johnson, who has won four in a row and five of the last six races at Lowe's, left the track after his accident and was not available for comment. Track officials said he was not injured, and left because his Chevrolet was damaged beyond repair.

His accident was the only major incident during the two-day Goodyear test that will determine what tire should be used for the track's two big races in late May. Lowe's officials spent $3 million this winter to repave the surface, which was too slick last year after it underwent two grinding projects to smooth out the bumps.

Both of the track's premiere races were caution-plagued last year - there were 37 total in the two events - and the October race was a particular mess because of numerous tire failures.

It could take weeks for Goodyear to decide what tire will be best because the track surface will continue to change as more and more cars drive on it.

"At this point, it's our first look at the track," Heinrich said. "These guys were the first ones on it, the first laps. The conditions will be different than they will be two weeks from now."

Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, Scott Riggs and Johnson were the only four drivers participating in this test. Goodyear could choose to hold another test, and the track will be open to all 43 teams in early May who wish to practice on the new surface. All that activity, plus weekly action from the various driving schools, should lay enough rubber on the track to change the conditions considerably before the May 20 All-Star race.

The only thing that's certain is that the speeds should reach record highs. Labonte said his laps Wednesday were just a tick off of Elliott Sadler's track record 193.216 mph.

But Sadler's mark was set in qualifying, when a car is designed to go as fast as possible for only one lap. The times posted during the test were in race trim, when a car is supposed to be much slower.

"It would not surprise me if you saw a 197-mph lap," track president Humpy Wheeler said.

Increased speeds is the danger on any repaved track. When Lowe's was last resurfaced in 1994, the qualifying record jumped from 177.352 to 181.439. So Goodyear and NASCAR will both work to find a proper way to control the speeds.

Although using horsepower-sapping restrictor plates is an option, no one really wants to use them.

"It's going to be fast, but fast enough that we need restrictor plates? Absolutely not," Riggs said. "That would be a horrible decision. We always set a new track record every time we go to a new surface. We expect the speeds to be faster. That's just how it is."

[bigsmooth]

just got back form martinsville, and had a blast in the pits. great day for the hendrick crew with a 2,3,5,8 finish. tony stewart had just enough to hold off the 24. great race overall, and i hope the hendrick crew can continue to improve next week at texas, where they have not been that good at all.

[El Scorcho]

No fun today for our house. Kasey and Denny have both had better days. Oh well, the stars at night...

[givemethemic]

Yeah another crappy day for Hendrick motorsports.... Medic I know what you are thanking, if only Gordon would have won.. nice to see Mr.Vickers with a top 10 finish!!! Just another week for the Hendrick's

[Sly Fox]

For the record, TMS is Gordon's kryptonite.


... are big & bright **CLAP, CLAP, CLAP** Deep in the Heart of Texas.

[PAmedic]

Man, what a bad day. Hendrick did come out really strong- have to admit, they looked good. The 6 came off the truck slow and never got better- don't know what the heck happened this week- and Bif just can't catch a break this year- Martinsville is HIS kryptonite.

At least Tony kept the hated 24 outta victory lane

Stewart edges Hendrick trio for Martinsville win

For third time in a row, '05 champ dominates Virginia track
By Hank Kurz Jr., The Associated Press
April 2, 2006
07:16 PM EDT (23:16 GMT)


MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Tony Stewart won a paint-trading duel with Jimmie Johnson and overcame Hendrick Motorsports' long domination at Martinsville Speedway.

Stewart and Johnson dueled nose-to-bumper and side-by-side for four laps Sunday, bringing the 65,000 fans to their feet. After being rebuffed three times, Stewart finally got around Johnson with 27 laps to go and held on to win the DirectTV 500

"I knew we were a little quicker than him. There was no way he was going to give it away, so we were going to have to take it away. We didn't turn him around. We didn't spin him out. We just got the position that we were after,'' Stewart said.

The victory was the 25th for the defending and two-time series champion, and second at Martinsville, where he led 530 of 1,000 laps last year but came away without either victory. He also once said the track should be converted to a bass fishing pond.

But he celebrated in what is becoming his trademark, climbing the fence near the flagstand and enjoying the moment as his fans joined in from the other side.

"I'm still too old and still too fat, but as long as those people keep cheering like they do when I get up there, I'm going to keep doing it for them,'' he said.

Stewart survived two single-file restarts with Martinsville master Jeff Gordon right behind him, but got a good jump the second time when Gordon's Chevrolet wiggled coming out of Turn 2, and Stewart had clear sailing. He won by 1.083 seconds.

Gordon, who had won both races last season and four of the last six on NASCAR's smallest, tightest and trickiest oval, finished second, followed by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch, also of Hendrick.

The race looked all day like it would come down to a battle between Stewart and Johnson, who combined to lead 483 of the 500 laps. But when Stewart started making his move on Johnson, Johnson's car was fading and he had no way to stave him off.

"I just kind of used up my stuff there at the end,'' Johnson said.

The first late restart came with eight laps to go, but with Gordon right on Stewart's tail heading through the first and second turns, Matt Kenseth's car slammed into the wall behind them, bringing out the 16th caution and leading to a red flag.

After a delay of about 9 minutes, the race restarted with three to go and the crowd rose expecting a classic finish to the bruising day of racing. It never developed.

"I thought we might have had something for him,'' Gordon said of the first restart. "The car just stuck so good through (Turns) 1 and 2. I thought I was going to get a run on Tony down the back straightaway, but then the caution came out.''

But there had already been plenty of drama on the 0.526-mile oval.

Stewart and Johnson, who had dueled all day, were running nose to bumper with Johnson ahead after a restart with 57 laps to go. After nearly 20 laps of that, Stewart made a move to Johnson's inside heading into the first turn. Johnson held him off despite contact out of Turn 2, and the pair repeated it for four consecutive laps.

On the fourth, Stewart finally made the pass.

The race proved a triumph for Earnhardt, whose day began ominously when he got caught in a multicar crash on the second lap, sustaining front and rear damage. His crew tore crumpled sheet metal off the car without him losing a lap under caution.

And then he rallied, climbing to fourth before getting pinched low by Ryan Newman on the 316th laps, causing his car to spin. A pit stop dropped him to 18th.

Then he rallied again for the strong finish.

"That was a fun race,'' he said. "We beat on it pretty hard but it kept coming back. I knew we were putting on a good show and we just wanted to keep racing real hard.''

The car's handling didn't suffer in spite of being battered, he said.

"I couldn't hurt it. We bounced off a lot of things and it just continued to drive great. The wheels were still straight and still going in the right direction,'' he said.

Johnson regained the points lead by 59 on Mark Martin, who finished 13th. Kenseth dropped to third after coming in 24th, followed by Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch.

[PAmedic]

Little E had a nice run though, and the 6 and 17 are 2nd and 3rd in the points. We'll call it big picture racing and move on!

*BTW- SMOOTHIE: I know you are following this but the #6 truck finished 4th in the Craftsman Truck race Sat nite and retains a 55 pt lead in that series

[bigsmooth]

funny how you hate on a champion medic. anyway i heard an interview with martin and he was whining about how he hated martinsville so much and how he just can't get it done there....a true champion can get it done on any track. yes the 24 has struggled at TMS, and i hope they have made enough gains to run well there this weekend. that team is coming together and i feel like they will show well this weekend, but the roush crew will run well there this weekend. i caught some highlights on speed on martin's finish at the truck race, but again......how many people closely follow the truck series??? i am a fan of erin crocker though

[givemethemic]

Ahh, yes smootie I don't blame you on Miss Crocker, I count my blessings everytime I get to interview her..... It's funny how you bring up Martin and him hating Martinsville, he said the exact same thing to me last year when I asked him about it, he had nothing good to say about it.. I can't remember his exact words but I know he didn't have a smile on his face...

[PAmedic]

Its true- the man is brutal at Martinsville. Whats funnier about that (though, probably not to him or the Cat in the Hat) is that they taped several segments of Racer X (the Roush driver gong-show) at that track, and both Mark and Carl Edwards evaluated guys there- so they SHOULD have the track figured out by now.

Oh well, he did pretty well in the truck race and I expect the 6 to be more competetive at the fall race down there.

[PAmedic]

SLY you didn't make the trip to Fort Worth did ya?

racing over at Burton's place this weekend- a nice track that is similar to Atlanta- in fact, most teams brought their Atlanta cars. Kurt Busch pretty dominant yesterday in the 39 fo Penske and won handily, Rousch had a good start to the day but only Biffle and Kenseth came in w/ top 5s (2nd and 5th) after Martin fell off (tire issue) and Edwards blew up.

Looking forward to the big race today.

[PAmedic]

Kahne becomes first polesitter to win at Texas

Holds off champs Kenseth, Stewart for second victory this season
By Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
April 9, 2006
09:35 PM EDT (01:35 GMT)

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Kasey Kahne couldn't believe his rearview mirror when he crossed the finish line Sunday in Texas.

There was nobody there.

Not Matt Kenseth, not Tony Stewart.

"I definitely thought I had my hands full with those guys,'' said Kahne, as shocked as anybody about his 5-second victory.

Kahne sped away from the field -- and his closest competitors -- after the final restart with 17 laps to go to become the 11th different winner in as many Nextel Cup races held at Texas Motor Speedway.

"This is a great victory. It's one of the tracks I have looked at since I started racing. This is a track you want to win at,'' said Kahne, who turns 26 on Monday. "This track, Indianapolis and Daytona. If you can win at one of these tracks, you have really done something.''

In his 2004 rookie season, Kahne finished second at Texas -- only two-hundredths of a second behind with his nose on the rear bumper of winner Elliott Sadler. He didn't have to worry about a close finish this time.

Kahne even scored a Texas first, becoming the first driver to win from the pole at the 1.5-mile, high-banked track.

After taking the lead from Stewart with 27 laps to go, Kahne built a 1.4-second cushion over Stewart and Kenseth before a caution flag for debris on the track. All three cars took four tires on the pit stop and came out in the same order they went in.

It took Kahne a couple of laps after the restart to finally clear the lapped car of Robby Gordon. Once he did, he cruised to the checkered flag at the Samsung/RadioShack 500. Kenseth got past Stewart, who led 99 laps after winning last weekend at Martinsville, for second place.

"I don't think I could have caught him on eight tires he was going so fast,'' Kenseth said.

Kahne won for the second time this season, in the same No. 9 Evernham Dodge he took to Victory Lane from the pole in Atlanta last month. It was his third career victory.

The last three times Kahne's been on the pole, he's won, including Richmond last season.

"The car got loose at the start. It took us a while to get going,'' Kahne said. "It was a heck of a run with Tony there.''

Stewart had been the one cruising ahead of the field until Lap 302. That's when the reigning Cup champion came up behind the lapped car of rookie J.J. Yeley on the backstretch. That allowed Kahne to catch up and even nose ahead, though he didn't officially lead until a few laps later.

Kahne crept alongside Stewart and was on the champion's bumper several times before finally taking the lead. Kahne went around Stewart in the fourth turn at the end of Lap 307 and made the final pass right at the line.

"It was fun racing like that. Obviously, if there had been 80 laps to go, neither one of us would have been racing each other that way,'' Stewart said. "Definitely, he was better. We weren't. We were extremely loose there at the end.''

All 10 past Texas Cup winners were in Sunday's 334-lap race at the track marking its 10th season of racing; none won from the pole position.

Denny Hamlin was fourth Sunday, his first career top-five finish. He led three times for 41 laps.

Kevin Harvick was fifth, followed by Jeff Burton, Scott Riggs, Joe Nemechek, Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte.

Martin, the 47-year-old Roush driver who initially hadn't planned to race this season, had his fifth top-10 finish and is fourth in points. Martin insists that this will be his last full-time Cup season no matter what happens.

Points leader Jimmie Johnson was two laps down at one point Sunday, but came back to finish 11th and kept the points lead, 15 ahead of Kenseth. Kahne is third.

Carl Edwards was in the second spot on Lap 257 when he got loose, spun out of control and was done for the day. He missed hitting the back end of Stewart's passing car by mere inches.

Edwards led 50 laps, one more than his Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle, who was knocked out by Kurt Busch, their teammate from a year ago. Edwards and Biffle won the two Nextel Cup races held at Texas last year.

Busch, the 2004 Cup champion who won his Busch Series debut Saturday, got stuck in the pit for nearly a minute during his first stop because of a problem with the jack lifting the car. Busch dropped to 40th place and two laps down by time he got back on the track.

He was still a lap down when he bumped Biffle from behind on Lap 83 and sent the No. 16 Ford into the wall. The impact damaged the safety barrier in Turn 3 and repairs were made during a 10-minute red flag.

"It was clear that we had a winning car,'' said Biffle, who won last April before Edwards won the first fall race at the track.

"I don't know what he was doing. I was a lapped car trying to get out of his way,'' Busch said. "He checked up. ... I tried not to get him. I had nowhere to go.''

While he came up short in Sunday's Cup race, Stewart finally took a checkered flag at Texas in Round 2 of the International Race of Champions on Friday night. He had been in 13 races on the track before then, including Cup, Busch and Indy Racing League cars.

[PAmedic]

Age aside, Martin having time of his life this year

Veteran is 47, but second in the standings during final season
By Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
April 8, 2006
03:22 PM EDT (19:22 GMT)

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Even though Mark Martin is clearly running like a youngster in the Nextel Cup Series these days, he admits that as the clock continues to tick, he's starting to feel his age.

"I'm old," he said Friday at Texas Motor Speedway where he qualified third for Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX). "It's a lot harder work when you get my age to get it done."

In reality, the 47-year-old Martin is at least 12 years older than any of the other nine drivers currently in the Nextel Cup Series top 10. For his part, Martin says he was a much different racer a dozen years ago.

"I didn't even know I could wreck," Martin said with a smile. "Now I know it's a possibility. Things are different. Everybody matures at a different rate and maybe I was a slow one in getting there."

Still, Martin said no matter what your age, with the hope to run with the top dogs in the Nextel Cup Series comes an increase in commitment.

"In order to be a fierce competitor, you have to have an incredible fire and desire and drive and be willing to make every possible sacrifice and compromise in your life to be able to get out there," he said, "and that's what I've done and that's what I still do."

However, as the short Nextel Cup offseason clicked off over the winter and the season-opening Daytona 500 approached, Martin wasn't sure he had that desire, or that he'd ever get it back.

"I didn't know if I was gonna be able to find it. I swear I didn't," he said. "I kept putting everybody off in December. I put them off in January with those questions and I was really concerned that I wouldn't be able to find it, but I went out in Daytona and did my job."

And that's when everything changed.

"When I slip down in the seat of the 6 car, it feels like your favorite spot on the couch or the recliner. It's the right place for me," he said.

"I didn't expect 2006 to be the time of my life, but I'm having the time of my life and I know that in just a couple of years I'm gonna look back on 2006 and say 'Man, those were the good old days.'"

His record this season seems to prove that. Through six events, his worst finish came last weekend at Martinsville when he crossed the line 13th. The finish still bumped him to second in the point standings. That Martin's stats will slump Sunday at Texas is unlikely. He won in 1998 and has five top-10 finishes in 10 Cup starts there.

"We love this racetrack," Martin said. "We had a great run the last time we were here [second] and hopefully we can come back and do the same.

"I think the competitive fire is there and the confidence. I know that I probably have better cars right now than I even had last year and that gives me great confidence going forward.

"I think most of the fire that you're seeing in me is really a reflection of the cars that I'm driving and the team that I'm working with that's really at the top of their game."

[bigsmooth]

good win for kahne. i think joe gibbs racing had a great day. As for the hendrick crew.....well there is always next week!

[El Scorcho]

Ah yes. It's not a bad day with the wife's driver AND my driver finish in the Top 5. There was a point when Hamlin was on Kasey's bumper and she threatened me, though. "Things could get ugly in this house if..."

She's intense about the 9 car.

[givemethemic]

Good win for Kasey hands down one of the most quitest guys on the series but a really nice guy.... yeah let's just put this race behind us for the Hendrick's and get back to domination at Phoenix

[PAmedic]

Call that one agonizing.

Happy Harvick runs away with it and sweeps the weekend (something about potentially getting fired will motivate you into 4 straight top-10 finishes)

the 6, 16 and 26 all run outta fuel w/ 2 to 3 laps to go, Biff 2nd at the time, Martin 3rd. Those 2 finish 16th and 11th respectively, while Kenseth stays out and comes in 3rd (I believe)

Good points day though as the Rousch boys stay in the hunt- the 17 takes over 1st, Martin remains 4th (and would have been 2nd)

I'm too upset to post pix or articles, maybe next week!

PS: I think Hendrick had several cars in the race but I don't remember

[Flamesfanva]

I'm with ya PA. Biffle needed a win and was so close.

[bigsmooth]

sounds like a certain medic is a little upset!! it was a childress night with a 1.5.9 finish and of course hendrick had a 7,10 finish. the 24 continues to improve at phoenix. on to talladega whre im sure you will see hendrick cars at the top!
Harvick wins Cup race to sweep Phoenix weekend
Takes lead with 10 laps remaining, has just enough fuel to hold on
By Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press
April 23, 2006
01:21 AM EDT (05:21 GMT)


AVONDALE, Ariz. -- If Kevin Harvick had any doubts about the direction his race team was headed, they were eased with a dominating performance in the desert that ended a 38-race winless drought.

Harvick completed a sweep at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday night, winning the Nextel Cup race to go along with his Busch Series victory a day before.

If it was enough to keep him with Richard Childress Racing remains to be seen.

"We've run really good this year and the performance is up," said Harvick, who swept weekend events for the second time in his career. "Everything is running good right now."

His contract expires at the end of the year and Harvick is at a very lucrative crossroad in his career. He said Friday that he has told Childress he wants to stay -- something he wouldn't decide until he was sure RCR was turning the corner after several seasons of struggles.

It's possible that the two still won't work out a deal, and Harvick will enter the free-agent market as the most coveted driver in the garage.

Whatever Childress is thinking is not known. The owner is in Africa on a safari and Harvick joked that he maybe should not come home.

"All I know is while he's been gone, we're undefeated," Harvick said. "If I was him, I'd stay away until we at least lost."

Harvick was off the radar most of the race, driving a car that ran in the top 10 but never challenged for the lead. He made his move late, passing Greg Biffle with 10 laps to race away to his sixth career victory.

Once Harvick got by Biffle, it was clear sailing because the top challengers had late fuel problems.

Biffle ran out of gas, then Mark Martin's tank went dry. It left only Tony Stewart to chase Harvick down and he never got close.

Harvick coasted to the finish line, a luxury because he, too, had feared he might run out of gas -- just like he did last year when his tank ran dry when he was running in fourth. But it was a never an issue this time because with such a big lead, he didn't have to push it.

"We didn't have the best car all day, but we had the best car when it counted," Harvick said. "Once we were able to get out front, I just started conserving fuel. I was sweating the gas."

Stewart was second, a remarkable feat considering he had to forfeit his qualifying spot (third) and start last in the 43-car field because of a mistake by his championship-winning crew.

Stewart's team accidentally turned his qualifying tires into Goodyear, rendering them unusable for the start of the race. NASCAR penalized him by sending him to the back, but he stayed patient, worked his way to the front and even led six laps.

Matt Kenseth finished third to take over the Nextel Cup point standings lead. Carl Edwards was fourth and Clint Bowyer, Harvick's teammate, was fifth.

Martin, who led three times for 111 laps, wound up 11th and Biffle ended up 16th.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for Biffle, who had the car to beat for at least the third time this season only to fall victim to yet another bad break. He did, however, gain two spots in the standings to 21st.

"I feel bad for Greg, it's hard to look at the good side if you are him," said Kenseth, his teammate. "He had a car good enough to win three or four times this season, and none of its his fault. But I have no doubt Greg is going to make the Chase.

"He's running so strong and there's no doubt in my mind he's going to be a contender at the end of the year."

The race was stopped 100 laps in after a multicar accident collected several cars and caused pole-sitter Kyle Busch to lose his temper. Away from the accident, Busch made contact with Casey Mears and spun. As the red flag came out to clean up the debris from the larger accident, Busch headed to the garage for repairs -- but not before passing by Mears and running into his car.

It earned Busch, who won here last November, a five-lap penalty and a meeting after the race with NASCAR officials. He finished 36th.

His brother, Kurt, the defending race champion, was 24th.

The duo had been expected to compete for the win -- the Busch brothers swept the two Phoenix events last year -- but they never contended. Kurt Busch had to finish the race using one hand to hold his window net up after it fell with about 25 laps to go.

"Guess I've seen it all this time," he shrugged. "They finally black-flagged us and we had to come in with four laps to go to get it back up to their approval."

[PAmedic]

Earnhardt to honor father with replica car

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - One object in any NASCAR driver's rearview mirror that may have appeared closer than it actually was: Dale Earnhardt's black No. 3 Chevrolet.

Especially if "The Intimidator" was gaining.

Gentlemen, start your trembling. There's an Earnhardt back in black.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will mark his late father's birthday this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway by driving a likeness of the No. 3 car his father made famous.

Junior's trademark red Chevy will be painted predominantly black, with white lettering and silver and red stripes. Junior will still use his No. 8 - his father's No. 3 has not been on the track since his 2001 death.

"The car looks good, it's a cool way to honor my dad," Earnhardt said Tuesday. "It's going to be a lot of fun to be behind the wheel of that car, and see the reaction it gets from other drivers on the track."

The tribute is part of a larger salute at Dale Earnhardt Inc., which is celebrating Earnhardt's Thursday night induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame, his overall accomplishments at Talladega and his 55th birthday, which would have been Saturday.

All three DEI cars will have the same paint scheme, which Junior views as an appropriate celebration of the seven-time champion. He seemed uncomfortable in February marking the five-year anniversary of his father's death, but birthdays bring happier memories.

"His birthday is something I do enjoy pointing out or celebrating or recognizing because that was always a lot of fun with him," Junior said. "When he was getting a little older we was always thinking about what his real age was. There's some things that come and go without a blink of an eye. But there are other things that come and go that you want to point out and you want to recognize and you do appreciate."

Junior's car will be the most dramatic of the three DEI entries. After all, it's at Talladega and Daytona - the two biggest and fastest tracks in NASCAR - where Junior bears the closest resemblance to his father.

Dale Earnhardt was the greatest at restrictor-plate racing, especially at Talladega, where he scored 10 wins and notched the 76th and final victory of his career in October 2000.

Junior inherited the skill required to work the draft. He has five victories at Talladega and two at Daytona.

But none compare to his father's last victory, when he charged from 18th place with five laps to go to cross the finish line first.

"I was running second thinking I was in a position to try to get me a win, and I can see him and his line formed on the outside coming up, getting closer and closer," Junior said. "Every time I look in the mirror, he'd moved up a few more feet toward us and was coming on. So everybody was sort of in a panic mode as if, 'Wait a minute now, this thing ain't playing out like we had in mind."'

Junior said drives like that Talladega victory were the ones his father cherished.

"He would do all kinds of stuff like that, make big comebacks or big, great saves or just crazy passes," Junior remembered. "Everybody always said he could do a lot of things with a race car a lot of other people couldn't. He'd take pride in those things personally.

"Never would get out and jump up and down and brag about it. But when it was all said and done and over with, and everybody went home, he would take pride in doing those things. I think that comeback was one he really, really enjoyed."

[givemethemic]

Well unfortuately I have to cover NASCAR today at Richmond!!!!!! It's gonna be a complete bummer, Medic I will tell Mark that you said HI

[PAmedic]

I'm sure he'll remember me.

"You know, the short guy? He says he stood next to you 2 years ago when you watched Matt race at the Eastern Grand Nationals in Trumbaursville, PA? The track medic for that week of races? Remember?"

try that.

[bigsmooth]

i see that only if mark martin or a roush car wins does the medic ever post anything, so even though it's late her is the story on further hendrick dominance at talladega!

Johnson wins rain-delayed Aaron's 499

By SPORTS NETWORK

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Jimmie Johnson captured Monday's rain-delayed Aaron's 499 at the Talladega Superspeedway. Johnson crossed the finish line 0.120 seconds ahead of Tony Stewart.
The victory was Johnson's third of the season and the 21st of his Nextel Cup career.

Rain postponed the race Sunday, but clear skies on Monday led to a wild race that featured a season-high 56 lead changes and 16 drivers within one second of the leader at the finish line.

Following the final caution and pit stops, Stewart led Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Jamie McMurray and Johnson to the restart with nine laps to go.

Gordon was able to pass Stewart on the inside for the lead, but more changes ensued between Gordon, Vickers and McMurray.

With Vickers on the verge of his first win of the season Johnson passed him on the outside during the final lap. This was all Johnson needed as he stayed in front and crossed the finish line victorious.

Stewart, Vickers, Jeff Burton and McMurray completed the top-five.

Gordon, meanwhile, slowed considerably on the last lap and finished 15th. Pole-sitter Elliott Sadler was 16th.

After some rainy weather on Sunday caused the race to be postponed, Sadler led the 43-car field to the green flag Monday.

Sadler would only lead the first two laps though, before Stewart, McMurray and Gordon took turns leading the race.

Only 10 laps into the race a 14-car crash occurred due to aggressive five-wide racing. The crash was started when Kyle Busch got into Ryan Newman and put him into the wall. As they slid back down the race track they collected more drivers. Some other notable names in the crash included Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.

After the first pit stops of the day, Joe Nemechek led the field to the restart on lap 16 and it became obvious early that there was going to be numerous lead changes.

The drivers continued to be aggressive as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Vickers, Kurt Busch and McMurray at one point each battled to the front of the pack.

On lap 35 Matt Kenseth, who had started last due to changes made to his car after qualifying, took the race lead.

After a round of pit stops Kenseth still found himself in front. But this wasn't for long as more swapping took place when Sadler took first on lap 44.

On lap 76 the leader at the time, Carl Edwards, was black-flagged after making a pit stop. He was flagged for having equipment still on his fuel tank from the pits. This gave Kenseth the first position.

The next caution of the day came when Earnhardt spun his car out, allowing for another round of pit stops to take place.

Gordon came out of the pits first followed by Sadler, Vickers, Johnson and Scott Riggs.

It was obvious that Gordon had a great car as he continued to fight off his competitors to lead laps.

On lap 123 Johnson took the lead for the first time. But his lead was short- lived as Sadler passed him.

Another caution came on lap 127 for a Sterling Marlin spin out, and after the pit stops more lead changing occurred. This time it was between Kenseth, Gordon and Sadler.

More bad luck for Earnhardt took place on lap 153 when he blew out his engine. This ended his day and he finished 31st.

A few laps after Kurt Busch passed Gordon on the inside for the lead, the caution came out for Bobby Labonte.

This allowed for more pit stops and some strategy as this time half the field stayed out and half came in. Staying out and taking the lead was McMurray, followed by Riggs and Reed Sorenson.

With 17 laps to go Stewart passed on the inside of McMurray to take the lead. But two laps later, in the back of the pack, a seven-car crash took place.

This caution allowed for those who didn't previously pit to stop this time around, setting up the frantic finish.

The next race in the series is set for Saturday, May 6 at the Richmond International Raceway.

[PAmedic]

I just didn't have the strength after lap 9

[bigsmooth]

suck it up brother, you are getting married soon!