Coca-Cola 600 - Lowe's Motor Speedway

[FIRE]

Qualification
POS CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR SPEED TIME BEHIND
1 12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 185.312 29.140 Leader
2 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 185.065 29.179 -0.039
3 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW / Fantasticar 185.001 29.189 -0.049
4 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser Desert Camo 184.634 29.247 -0.107
5 17 Matt Kenseth Ford R+L Carriers 184.231 29.311 -0.171
6 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet U.S. Marines / FedEx Freight 184.225 29.312 -0.172
7 88 Ricky Rudd Ford Snickers Dark 183.955 29.355 -0.215
8 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 183.861 29.370 -0.230
9 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Chocolate Chex 183.536 29.422 -0.282
10 40 David Stremme Dodge Coors Light Cold Activated Bottle 183.530 29.423 -0.283
11 01 Mark Martin Chevrolet U.S. Army American Heroes 183.443 29.437 -0.297
12 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 183.312 29.458 -0.318
13 6 David Ragan* Ford AAA 183.243 29.469 -0.329
14 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 183.094 29.493 -0.353
15 10 Scott Riggs Dodge Valvoline / Stanley Tools 183.014 29.506 -0.366
16 25 Casey Mears Chevrolet National Guard / GMAC American Heroes 182.890 29.526 -0.386
17 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet CARQUEST / Kellogg's 182.698 29.557 -0.417
18 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW 182.698 29.557 -0.417
19 38 David Gilliland Ford M&M's / Shrek the Third 182.587 29.575 -0.435
20 42 Juan Montoya* Dodge Texaco / Havoline 182.562 29.579 -0.439
21 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's / Power of Pride 182.525 29.585 -0.445
22 21 Bill Elliott Ford U.S. Air Force 182.426 29.601 -0.461
23 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS 182.389 29.607 -0.467
24 36 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 360 OTC 182.303 29.621 -0.481
25 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T 182.285 29.624 -0.484
26 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 182.272 29.626 -0.486
27 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 182.266 29.627 -0.487
28 26 Jamie McMurray Ford IRWIN Industrial Tools 182.248 29.630 -0.490
29 84 A.J. Allmendinger* Toyota Red Bull 182.248 29.630 -0.490
30 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Pep Boys 182.242 29.631 -0.491
31 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 182.205 29.637 -0.497
32 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet U.S. Dept. of Defense / DuPont 181.977 29.674 -0.534
33 13 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Haier 181.922 29.683 -0.543
34 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 181.812 29.701 -0.561
35 7 Robby Gordon Ford Jim Beam Black 181.324 29.781 -0.641
36 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Coke Zero 181.038 29.828 -0.688
37 96 Tony Raines Chevrolet DLP HDTV 180.814 29.865 -0.725
38 16 Greg Biffle Ford Dish Network 180.620 29.897 -0.757
39 99 Carl Edwards+ Ford Office Depot 180.445 29.926 -0.786
40 70 Johnny Sauter+ Chevrolet Radioactive Energy Drink 179.599 30.067 -0.927
41 07 Clint Bowyer+ Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 175.461 30.776 -1.636
42 66 Jeff Green+ Chevrolet Best Buy / Fisher House - - -
43 78 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing 182.229 29.633 -0.493

Did Not Qualify
44 15 Paul Menard* Chevrolet Johns Manville / Menards 182.149 29.646 -0.506
45 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 181.238 29.795 -0.655
46 4 Ward Burton Chevrolet U.S. Air Force American Heroes / State Water Heaters 181.080 29.821 -0.681
47 37 Kevin Lepage Dodge Huddle House 180.505 29.916 -0.776
48 49 Mike Bliss Dodge Paralyzed Veterans of America 177.107 30.490 -1.350
49 00 David Reutimann* Toyota Burger King - - -
+ Set by Owner Points

[FIRE]

Dodge 1-2-3

[Fish_Flake]

Good news for Toyota: five of their cars qualified for the race, including both Bill Davis and Red Bull cars. Bad news for Toyota: Michael Waltrip is still way behind, with two of his cars going home.

Dodge hasn't won a race all year, but they have five of their cars in the top ten qualifying. With the Hendrick cars starting midpack, the Charger might have its best chance all season to pick up a victory.

[Hazza]

I like Bill Elliot.

Oh the only hired Bill for his Champions provisional.

No.

They hired Bill because he's still got it.

[muggle not]

I's a long race. Teams that can adapt to the changing conditions of the track as the evening wears on will finish in the top 10.

[kingfloopy]

I think Bill Elliot might surprise a few people coming back for 6 races. I doubt he'll win, but I think he's still got it in him to race hard and get a top-10 or two while he's at it. I have a feeling that Newman is going to be a contender for the win and Kahne might come from mid-pack and be a contender too. Hopefully Dodge will their stuff together soon so they look more appealing to Chryslers new owners.

J.D.

[Fish_Flake]

As usual for the 600, the race came down to which of the drivers remaining on the lead lap could stretch his fuel mileage the farthest after the final pit sequence. The most heralded drivers left couldn't make it, leaving Casey Mears to pick up his first NEXTEL Cup victory in a very similar fashion to his first Busch Series win last year at Chicago. The top five at the end of the night featured three drivers who had yet to win in NEXTEL Cup (Mears, J.J. Yeley, and Reed Sorenson, finishing 1st, 2nd, and 4rd respectively), a driver whose only win came under very dubious circumstances (Brian Vickers, finishing 5th after leading 76 laps in Toyota's best performance to date), and one who hasn't seen the winner's circle in twelve years (Kyle Petty, finishing 3rd in his first top-five finish in a decade).

Even whenever everything seems to go wrong for Hendrick Motorsports, one of their cars still manages to coast to victory. Jimmie Johnson cut a tire and sparked a massive accident in the mad pack behind him, recovers, leads the second-most laps, but has to make a splash-and-go in the final laps. Jeff Gordon was caught up with Tony Raines in a violent wreck, and ultimately finishes 41st. Kyle Busch races near the front for the first two-thirds of the race until he destroys the right side of his car in the turn 3 wall. Murphy's Law takes hold of three of their cars, but only drops victory into the lap of the fourth. At this point, what has to happen for another team to win a race?

[Jacko44]

Well another Hendrick car won... But thank god it wasn't Jimmie or Jeff.. Congrats to Casey. And I dunno bout everyone else but I like the ol' fuel mileage races.... Good to see some other names up the order instead of the usuals.

[FIRE]

Surprising top 5.

Good result for Vickers/Toyota.

[Knowlesy]

Still haven't seen the race, but I heard Mears won it. Congratulations are due! Maybe his tough season is now on the up.

[muggle not]

Who would have thought:
1. Casey Mears
2. JJ Yeley
3. Kyle Petty

I would rate the race an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Pretty exciting finish. Jeff Gordon took a very hard hit when he went into the wall head on and at the same time was broadsided by Allmendinger. Only the "safer" wall saved him. It was also scary when his car went airborne after the hit.

[kingfloopy]

Kyle Petty's first top-5 since 1997, pretty good result. I'm glad to see he's running better since I imagine he will be retiring soon. It looks like Yeley is stepping up to keep his ride. Earlier this week the news was that he was going to have to start running better or he was going to be out of the #18 (Dale Jrs looking like a possibility to replace him). Pretty surprising how well Vickers ran too, it looks like Toyota may finally decided to race.

J.D.

[muggle not]

Hehe, I am going to see Jr tomorrow along with many of the top drivers.

I am driving up to Virginia International Raceway, about a 75 minute drive, where DEI, Gibbs racing, Hendricks Motorsports, and Evernham Racing will be testing cars all day on the VIR road course. Wonder if there will be any conversations going on with Jr

[Hazza]

What's ten? Colin Edwards jetting in and replacing Kyle Petty MID RACE and winning?

I jest.

Great run by all involved. That's motor-racing.

[gomick]

congrats to casey on his 1st cup win - been a long time since he won, maybe indy lights in 2000

[Neil22]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Dodge 1-2-3

Not in this decade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Neil22

Not in this decade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1-2-3 after qualifying

[StuiE]

Good race, I don't mind the economy runs either, it can be (and was) pretty exciting! Great run from Mayfield and especially Vickers' Toyotas.

Congrats to Mears, he'd been waiting a while...

I remember last years race being a bit of a snooze, but this was good!.

[muggle not]

I was at Virginia International Speedway yesterday watching the Chevy and Dodge teams testing for the upcoming road race. Tony Stewart looked pretty good as well as Jeff Gordon. Kyle looked a little reckless on the track (no surprise:. The 01 car spent a lot of the day testing. Denny Hamlin also spent a lot of track time and looked good. the paddock area was blocked off as this was a workday for the teams and they didn't want to be interrupted. actually, it was the first time at VIR where the track was open, for $10, for people to watch them test.

A photo of a section of VIR:


A photo of Tony Stewart after taking turn 4:



I also took a number of other photos of the different cars on track.

[Jacko44]

Any way we can see them photos?

[StuiE]

I saw a sportscar race at VIR on tele sometime last year, it looks like a real nice track, real picturesque, good elevation changes etc, and that tree, heh. Was Regan Smith in the 01 or him and Mark Martin?

[muggle not]

A photo of Jimmie Johnson in the 48 car. I had a hard time getting pictures as the cars were going so fast that by the time I pushed the button on the camera they were long gone. I had many photos of an empty track.


photo of the 29 car. Harvick arrived at the track by helicopter and landed near us.



And a photo of the winner of the 600.


And a photo of the 5 car.


I am embarassed to say that I did not find out if it was Regan or Mark in the 01 car. This photo is coming off turn 4.

[Jacko44]

Cheers.