The performance moves Busch up one spot to fourth in the Chase standings, just 70 points behind leader Mark Martin. AJ Allmendinger and Kasey Kahne also drove Dodge Chargers to top-10 finishes in the 400-lap event on the one-mile, high-banked concrete oval. Allmendinger was seventh in the No. 44 Super 8 Dodge while Kahne was right behind in eight in the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge. It was Allmendinger’s best finish since a seventh at Infineon, 12 races ago…

Busch started 16th, but had moved to 10th by lap 15. From there, the No. 2 Dodge was never out of the top 10. Busch led twice for 99 laps and his over-the-wall crew performed flawlessly on pit road.

“It was a really good run for our Miller Lite Dodge,” Busch said. “We put it up front most of the day and put ourselves in position (to win). A couple of guys were quicker than us at the end. We wanted to come and get tires (during the last caution). It’s a tough call. You want to go for the win, but at the same time, you’ve got to get a good solid finish. So, we decided to stay out and hang on. I’m proud of my guys. We had excellent pit stops. It was a nice solid day for us. The track got rubbered in and when it did, we were tight on corner exit. Tight on corner exit slows the car on the straightaway. If we can tweak that, we’ll be after them. The Miller Lite Dodge was solid. I felt like we had a nice rhythm today. All in all, a good run for our Dodge.”

Kahne’s Dodge started sixth and raced in the top five early before handling issues dropped the No. 9 outside the top 15. Crew Chief Kenny Francis and the crew found the remedy to put Kahne in position to rally back. He moved from 16th to eighth in the final 40 laps.

“Our Budweiser Dodge was pretty decent today,” said Kahne. “We battled all day and I’m proud of all my guys for their effort. We struggled a bit with the splitter hitting the ground. Kenny (Francis, crew chief) and the guys dug all day trying to get us a top-10 finish and we did. We struggled a bit on pit lane today which is unusual for our Budweiser guys. We didn’t pick up as many spots in the Chase that we would have liked, but we performed well and didn’t lose any ground. There’s plenty of racing left in the Chase and we’re going to give the guys in front of us everything we’ve got.”

Allmendinger started 19th, but once he worked his way into the top 15 by lap 60, he never fell out. A late stop for four tires provided the catalyst for a top-10 finish.

“Our Super 8 Dodge was really good today,” said Allmendinger. “I thought everyone on the 44 team was awesome today. Hopefully, we can run strong like this in the final eight races to show everyone what kind of team that we have. It was a smooth day. The conditions were tough today. At one point, it felt like the water was seeping up through the racetrack, it was so slick out there. We just kept fighting. With 25 laps to go, we just took a guess at what changes we wanted to make and it seemed to work. We were just a little bit loose all day. I’m just proud of everybody.”

The race was stopped for just over 23 minutes following a six-car mishap on lap 31. None of the drivers were injured including rookie Joey Logano whose race car rolled seven times before coming to stop. There were a total of nine cautions for 38 laps.

Driver Team Finished:
Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge 5th
AJ Allmendinger No. 44 Super 8 Dodge 7th
Kasey Kahne No. 9 Budweiser Dodge 8th
Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge 26th
David Stremme No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge 29th
Elliott Sadler No. 19 Geek Squad Dodge 30th
Reed Sorenson No. 43 Valvoline Dodge 35th

Driver Rank Starts Points Behind Wins Poles T5s T10s
Kurt Busch 4 28 5400 -75 1 0 8 16
Kasey Kahne 12 28 5211 -189 2 0 5 11
AJ Allmendinger 24 28 2689 -2711 0 0 1 4
Elliott Sadler 25 28 2631 -2769 0 0 1 4
Sam Hornish Jr. 27 28 2571 -2829 0 0 1 3
Reed Sorenson 28 28 2503 -2897 0 0 0 1
David Stremme 31 28 2444 -2956 0 0 0 0

NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHASE STANDINGS
(Second Of 10 Races In The Chase)
Pos. Driver Points Behind
1. Mark Martin 5,400 –
2. Jimmie Johnson 5,390 -10
3. Juan P. Montoya 5,335 -65
4. Kurt Busch 5,325 -75
5. Tony Stewart 5,294 -106
6. Denny Hamlin 5,292 -108
7. Ryan Newman 5,290 -110
8. Jeff Gordon 5,278 -122
9. Greg Biffle 5,262 -138
10. Brian Vickers 5,249 -151
11. Carl Edwards 5,247 -153
12. Kasey Kahne 5,211 -189

AAA 400 Results
Dover International Speedway
Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009
Race 28 of 36
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Mark Martin
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Kurt Busch
6. Jeff Gordon
7. AJ Allmendinger
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Tony Stewart
10. Ryan Newman
(Other Dodge Drivers)
26. Sam Hornish Jr.
29. David Stremme
30. Elliott Sadler
35. Reed Sorenson

– 30 –

Kurt Busch is off to a good start in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, finishing sixth in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Late-race cautions hampered Busch’s chances of an even better finish in his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge.

Busch’s Dodge Charger was fast. He wasn’t outside the top 10 except during the lone green-flag pit cycle late in the race. He spent most of the day in the top five and led the race on three occasions for 33 laps.

Dodge’s second entry in this year’s 12-driver Chase — Kasey Kahne in the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger — wasn’t as successful. Kahne had engine problems early in the race, exiting on lap 66 of the 300-lap event. He finished 38th.

Busch was riding along comfortably in second place, but three cautions in the final 23 laps set up three double-file restarts and opened the door for a series of challenges from numerous drivers. Busch was able to hold the second spot on the first restart, but wasn’t as successful on the final two.

“It was a fight,” said Busch. “We had a good car. We were a top-five car. You could have thrown a blanket over the five that finished up front. We just didn’t make good adjustments at the end. We lost the handle on the Miller Lite Dodge. If there had been no cautions, we would have finished second. It was tough, a hard-fought battle all day. The Miller Lite Dodge was good and then it was bad. We just lost the handle at the end. We could have finished second, but the last debris caution and all those cautions at the end took that opportunity away. Our car was no good on restarts.”

An anxious moment for the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team came on pit road during the fourth caution on lap 162. Busch was fourth at the time and crew chief Pat Tryson elected to go with a bit of pit strategy, calling for a fuel-only stop. As Busch accelerated from his pit stall, David Ragan was turning into his pit just ahead. Busch made contact with the right front fender, causing some sheet-metal damage. The top six cars didn’t stop, so Busch was 10th for the restart.

“That’s what happens on a fuel-only stop,” said Busch. “Fuel only stops put everybody in jeopardy. I just didn’t see him. It happened at the last minute. I just pulled out and the 6 (David Ragan) was pulling in. As it turned out, it put us on the right cycle. I don’t know how the damage affected it, but the car was definitely off after that.”

Busch is fifth in the Chase standings, 65 points behind race winner and point leader Mark Martin.

“We had a good Miller Lite Dodge today,” said Tryson. “It just came down to us pitting that one time when we took fuel only and got damage on the right-front fender when we hit the 6 car on pit exit. We made one adjustment on that long run that probably made the car too free for the yellow flag runs. Overall, it was a good run for us. It was a good way to start the Chase. We’re still in the big picture of things. We just need to keep getting better and head to Dover and try to have another solid run.”

The day ended early for Kahne as the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge was sidelined with engine problems on lap 66. He finished 38th which drops him to 12th in the Chase standings.

“We had a good car,” Kahne said. “I think we were up to eighth or ninth. It seemed like our Budweiser Dodge was decent. We had some things to do to make it better. It’s disappointing. It’s better than last week because we wouldn’t have been in the Chase. We just have to work extra hard now. I don’t know how this all works. You never know in the Chase if you can have a mulligan or not. This team is doing a nice job. Hopefully, we can make gains in those final nine (races).”

Kahne is 12th in the Chase standings, 161 behind the leader.

Elliott Sadler, despite being involved in a seven-car mishap just past the halfway point of the race, finished eighth in the No. 19 Stanley Dodge Charger. It was his best finish since the July race at Daytona.

“We made wholesale changes from last night that really helped our Stanley Dodge,” said Sadler. “This race was very gratifying for everyone on this team. It was a good run for us. We learned some things today that really helped our car. We found some things that I like to have in the race car that we can build on from here on out. Hopefully we can build on that for the final nine races.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHASE STANDINGS
(First Of 10 Races In The Chase)
1. Mark Martin 5,230
2. Jimmie Johnson 5,195
3. Denny Hamlin 5,195
4. Juan Pablo Montoya 5,175
5. Kurt Busch 5,165
6. Tony Stewart 5,156
7. Ryan Newman 5,151
8. Brian Vickers 5,140
9. Greg Biffle 5,138
10. Jeff Gordon 5,128
11. Carl Edwards 5,117
12. Kasey Kahne 5,069

Driver Team Finished
Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge 6th
Elliott Sadler No. 19 Stanley Dodge 8th
AJ Allmendinger No. 44 Berlin City Dodge 25th
David Stremme No. 12 Penske Dodge 28th
Reed Sorenson No. 43 McDonald’s McCafe Dodge 36th
Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge 37th
Kasey Kahne No. Budweiser Dodge 38th

Driver Rank Starts Points Behind Wins Poles T5s T10s
Kurt Busch 5 27 5165 -65 1 0 7 15
Kasey Kahne 12 27 5069 -161 2 0 5 10
Elliott Sadler 25 27 2558 -2672 0 0 1 4
AJ Allmendinger 26 27 2543 -2687 0 0 1 3
Sam Hornish Jr. 27 27 2486 -2744 0 0 1 3
Reed Sorenson 28 27 2445 -2785 0 0 0 1
David Stremme 31 27 2368 -2862 0 0 0 0

– 30 –

Dodge will be represented by Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne in the 12-driver Chase for the Championship field that will compete for the Sprint Cup over the final 10 races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Busch finished second and Kahne 12th in Saturday night’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Speedway to lock up their berths.

The points have been reset at 5,000 for each of the 12 drivers plus 10 bonus points for each win. The leader heading into the first event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next week will be Mark Martin with 5,040 points after receiving 40 bonus points for four wins so far this season. Kahne starts with 5,020 (two wins) and Busch 5,010 (one win).

Busch ran in the top five most of the night and challenged race winner Denny Hamlin for the lead over the final 14 laps. It was Busch’s seventh top-five and 14th top-10 finish of the season.

“We did what we needed to do tonight to make the Chase,” said Busch. “It was a conservative race setup for us. We put ourselves up front to try and stay out of trouble. We finally found something that the car liked during the race and I’m so proud of our guys. It was really a good run for us tonight and exactly what we needed heading into the Chase.

“It came down to the 26th race and we did the job tonight to fight our way into the final 10 races. We did it. I’m so proud of everyone on this Miller Lite Dodge. They fought hard all year to put us in a position that we’re in tonight. The four years that I’ve been at Penske, we’ve made half of the Chase races and I’m proud of everyone that played a role.

“It gave us a more comfortable feeling to run in the top five all night and try to stay out of trouble. To be in contention to win like that at the end and have great pit stops all night, it shows we’re ready. We’ve got some questions marks, but we’ll sort them out when we get there. It’s a moral victory for the team. It gives us a shot at the championship. We’re only 30 points behind. It’s a whole different game now.”

Pat Tryson, who will be leaving the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team at the end of the season as crew chief, is looking forward to the first two stops (New Hampshire and Dover) in the 10-race Chase.

“We had a good car all night,” Tryson said. “I wish we had a little something more for the 11 car (Hamlin). It was a nice solid night to make the Chase. Now we can go after that championship. If it wasn’t for a couple of wrecks, we would have been locked in (the Chase) a couple of races ago. That stuff happens. We’ve run well all year. Hopefully, we can go give them a run for their money. The first two are good tracks for us. So if we can get out good, we’ll see what happens.”

Kahne was never in trouble during the night, but the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger didn’t handle as well as it did the previous week at Atlanta when Kahne picked up his second win on the season and built a comfortable cushion in the Chase standings.

Kahne started fifth and ran in the top 20 throughout the night, finishing 15th.

“It feels great to make it in the Chase,” said Kahne. “We wanted to run a little better tonight, but we did enough to make it into the Chase. I’m proud of everyone on this Budweiser Dodge team. Kenny (Francis, crew chief) called a great race and put us in position to stay up front and not get caught up in someone else’s mess. I’m happy for all the guys that work so hard to put our Budweiser Dodge in a position to make the Chase. It’s a great feeling.”

Francis said the Budweiser Dodge was a handful. “We were just too loose off the corner all night,” he said. “We could never get it to where we liked it, but we kept chasing it and got it to the point where we were about a top-10 car. We made some gains on it, but more importantly, we did what we had to do to make the Chase.

“We’re in the Chase. It’s a real relief for everyone to make it. It’s big for the whole organization at RPM and Dodge and Budweiser and all our partners. We’re just looking forward to putting together some good runs the next 10 races and give them all we got.”

Sam Hornish Jr. posted his second top-10 finish of the season at RIR. He started 33rd but had worked his way into the top 10 by lap 170 and remained there the rest of the race. He ran as high as fifth and settled for eighth at the checkered flag. Hornish finished sixth in the spring event.

“It was a good night for this Mobil 1 Dodge team,” Hornish said. “We had to come from the back and were able to get another top-10 finish. We had a tough pit stall and had a few problems getting out just based on where people were running on the track. The Mobil 1 crew did an outstanding job and I’m proud of our entire team effort tonight.”

Driver Team Finished
Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge 2
Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge 8
Kasey Kahne No. 9 Budweiser Dodge 12
Reed Sorenson No. 43 Reynolds Wrap Dodge 16
AJ Allmendinger No. 44 PVA.com Dodge 23
David Stremme No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge 26
Elliott Sadler No. 19 Insignia/Best Buy Dodge 34

Driver Rank Starts Points Behind Wins Poles T5s T10s
Kasey Kahne 5 26 5020 -20 2 0 5 10
Kurt Busch 7 26 5010 -30 1 0 7 14
AJ Allmendinger 24 26 2455 -2585 0 0 1 3
Sam Hornish Jr. 26 26 2434 -2606 0 0 2 7
Elliott Sadler 27 26 2416 -2624 0 0 1 3
Reed Sorenson 28 26 2416 -2650 0 0 0 1
David Stremme 31 26 2289 -2751 0 0 0 0

Sprint Cup Chase Standings
1. Mark Martin 5,040
2. Tony Stewart 5,030
3. Jimmie Johnson 5,030
4. Denny Hamlin 5,020
5. Kasey Kahne 5,020
6. Jeff Gordon 5,010
7. Kurt Busch 5,010
8. Brian Vickers 5,010
9. Carl Edwards 5,000
10. Ryan Newman 5,000
11. Juan Montoya 5,000
12. Greg Biffle 5,000

Race Results
Chevy Rock & Roll 400
Richmond International Raceway
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009
Race 26 of 36
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kurt Busch
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Mark Martin
5. Kyle Busch
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Brian Vickers
8. Sam Hornish Jr.
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Ryan Newman
Other Dodge Drivers
12. Kasey Kahne
16. Reed Sorenson
23. AJ Allmendinger
26. David Stremme
34. Elliott Sadler
— 30 –

Dodge’s Chase hopes lie on the shoulders of Richard Petty Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne and Penske Racing’s Kurt Busch. Entering Saturday‘s event, Kahne is sixth in points while Busch is one point behind in seventh.

Here are the Chase scenarios for Kahne and Busch:

• Kahne is currently 96 points ahead of 13th place. He clinches a spot in the Chase if he finishes 21st or better or 23rd or better and leads a lap.

• Busch is currently 95 points ahead of 13th place and clinches a spot in the Chase if he finishes 20th or better or 22nd or better and leads a lap.

After Saturday night’s race, the 12 drivers that qualify for the Chase will have their season point totals “reset” to 5,000. Drivers also get 10 bonus points for each race victory during the “regular season” — the 26 races preceding the Chase.

All seven Dodge teams are assured berths in the top 35 in car owner points and assured berths in Saturday night’s race. Dodge has 17 wins at Richmond including three since the manufacturer returned to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001.

The 2009 Chase for the Championship begins next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and concludes on Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger) climbed five positions from 11th to sixth in the point standings with his win at Atlanta. In 11 previous races at RIR, Kahne has posted one win (spring, 2005), two top-five and five top-10 finishes. Kahne’s current point position – sixth – is his highest since the spring event post-Bristol.

“Well, I heard a lot of people say that they counted myself or the 9 team out of making the Chase,” Kahne said. “Maybe after Atlanta, we changed a few people’s minds. Other than a race here or there, we have been pretty consistent so I am really not sure why that was. We missed the setup at Bristol and maybe that’s why, but we will just head to Richmond and race our race. The pit stops have been awesome and the overall communication between everyone on the Budweiser Team has been great.”

Kurt Bush (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger) looks to slow a two-race slide that has seen the 2004 NSCS champion drop three positions in the driver standings over the last three races. Busch’s slide to seventh has erased a once comfortable margin of 275 points ahead of 13th as recent as three races ago heading into Michigan. With an average finishing position of 18.71 in 17 Richmond starts, Busch has scored top-10 finishes in three of his last five races at RIR. Busch won at RIR in 2005.

“The overwhelming attitude for a lot of teams will be to do whatever it takes to win there on Saturday night,” Busch said. We’re still in that group looking to clinch a Chase spot, so we’ll have to continuously be looking at the point situation throughout the race. Hopefully we can put ourselves in a position up front to really go after a win at the end of the race.”

NSCS Driver Points after 25 of 36 races
1. Tony Stewart 3,694 +637
2. Jeff Gordon 3,457 400
3. Jimmie Johnson 3,404 347
4. Denny Hamlin 3,296 239
5. Carl Edwards 3,162 105
6. Kasey Kahne 3,153 96
7. Kurt Busch 3,152 95
8. Juan Montoya 3,145 88
9. Ryan Newman 3,138 81
10. Mark Martin 3,126 69
11. Greg Biffle 3,125 68
12. Matt Kenseth 3,077 20 (points from 13th)
13. Brian Vickers 3,057 -20
14. Kyle Busch 3,040 -37

Other Notes:

• Reed Sorenson (No. 43 Reynolds Wrap Dodge Charger) will join Richard Petty and AJ Allmendinger (No. 44 PVA.org Dodge Charger) plus others for the NASCAR Foundation track walk at noon on Saturday at Richmond. Proceeds go to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

• Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Insignia/Best Buy Dodge) is tied with Tony Stewart for the longest active DNF streak (48 races) of drivers that have competed in every race.

What You Need To Know
The Race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400
The Place: Richmond International Raceway
The Date: Saturday, September 12
The Time: 7:45 p.m. (ET)
The Track: .75-mile
The Distance: 400 miles/300 laps
Television: ESPN, 7:00 p.m. (ET)

2009 Dodge Motorsports Driver Statistics
Driver Rank Points Behind Starts Poles Wins Top 5s Top 10s Earnings
Kasey Kahne 6 3153 -541 25 1 2 5 10 $5,042,100
Kurt Busch 7 3152 -542 25 0 1 6 13 $3,347,460
AJ Allmendinger 25 2361 -1333 25 0 0 1 3 $2,948,780
Elliott Sadler 26 2355 -1339 25 0 0 1 3 $2,837,810
Sam Hornish Jr. 27 2292 -1402 25 0 0 2 6 $3,049,990
Reed Sorenson 28 2275 -1419 25 0 0 0 1 $3,373,670
David Stremme 31 2204 -1490 25 0 0 0 0 $3,246,380

Dodge Weekend Motorsports on TV
(All Times Eastern)
Friday, September 11
12:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Practice at Richmond (SPEED)
1:30 p.m. – NASCAR Live (SPEED)
2:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Final Practice (ESPN2)
3:30 p.m. – NASCAR Now (ESPN2)
4:00 p.m. – Nationwide Series Pole Qualifying at Richmond (ESPN2)
5:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Pole Qualifying (ESPN2)
7:00 p.m. – Nationwide Series Countdown (ESPN2)
7:30 p.m. – Nationwide Series Race at Richmond (ESPN2)
11:00 p.m. – Trackside at Richmond (SPEED)

Saturday, September 12
5:00 p.m. – NASCAR RaceDay (SPEED)
5:00 p.m. – Drafting Partners featuring Ryan Newman (GAC)
7:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Countdown (ABC)
7:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (ABC)
11:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Post-Race at Richmond (ABC)
11:00 p.m. – Inside the Headsets (SPEED)
11:30 p.m. – NASCAR Now (ESPN2)
11:30 p.m. – NASCAR Victory Lane (SPEED)

– 30 –

Kasey Kahne picked up his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win of the season, driving the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger to victory in Sunday night’s Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  The win greatly enhanced Kahne’s chances of making the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Kahne, who qualified second, jumped from 11th to sixth in the point standings.  He now has a 96-point advantage over 13th with only one race – Richmond – remaining to finalize the Chase field.  It was a gain of 40 points.

The top 12 drivers in the season point standings following Saturday night’s race at Richmond will compete for the season championship and the Sprint Cup over the final 10 races of the year.

Kahne’s Dodge, powered by the R6 engine, was strong throughout the race, but especially on short runs.  His challengers excelled on longer runs.  Kahne was third when the ninth and final caution appeared with just 15 of the scheduled 325 laps remaining.  It was a made-to-order opportunity for Kahne and the No. 9 team.

All the leaders elected to pit for tires.  Kahne’s over-the-wall crew made a four-tire change and had the No. 9 Dodge back on the track in the second spot.  That was the norm most of the night as the No. 9 crew was flawless on pit road and frequently gained a spot or two in track position on each stop.

Race leader Kevin Harvick took the outside for the double-file restart with Kahne on the inside.  When the green flag appeared for the final 11 laps, Kahne had the lead before the field reached the second turn and quickly built a comfortable advantage en route to his 11th career victory.

“The entire Budweiser Dodge team did great tonight,” said Kahne.  “The pit stops were awesome.  (Kevin) Harvick was best on the long run, but when we got that last caution, I knew we had a shot at the victory.  It’s all about making the Chase.  That certainly put us in a better position going to Richmond.  I knew Harvick and (Juan Pablo) Montoya were going to be tough.  I hadn’t gotten through the gears all night, but (David) Reutimann gave me a little push on the front stretch and got me going.  It was a great win for Richard Petty Motorsports and the Budweiser Dodge team.”

If Kahne finishes 21st or better or 23rd or better and leads a lap at Richmond next week, he is assured a Chase berth.

“That was something else,” said Kenny Francis, crew chief for the No. 9 Dodge.  “I said about three-quarters through the race that if it came down to a short run, we might have a shot at it (the win).  Man, when that caution came out, it was perfect for us.  Kasey had a great restart, got the lead and drove away.   I just couldn’t believe it.  The guys did a great job all night.  The pit stops were flawless.  We picked up spots just about every stop.  The car was real good on short runs.  It got a little too loose on the long run, but it still wasn’t bad.  It just played into our hand tonight.  We just thank the Lord for making us smart enough to make the right decisions.”

It was Kahne’s second victory and seventh top-10 finish in 12 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The win gives Dodge a sweep at AMS this season.  Kurt Busch dominated the spring event, leading 234 laps en route to victory.  The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge just didn’t handle as well this time around.  Numerous attempts to tighten the car during pit stops fell short in correcting the issue.  Running in the top 20, Busch was involved in a mishap in turn four on lap 246.  Extensive damage ended the night for the Blue Deuce.  Busch finished 38th.

“I had a loose race car all night,” Busch said.  “We just couldn’t get a handle on our Miller Lite Dodge.  I was sideways and I guess the 43 hit us.  He had nowhere to go.  It was a real hard hit; that was a bummer.  We were just trying to get a handle on it, but couldn’t do it.  I felt like we were on the spring (race) tires and everybody else was on the fall (race) tires.

“I was trying to hang on to it and get to the next pit stop, but it kept getting looser and looser.  We just got bit tonight by the loose bug.”

Busch came into the event sixth in points with a 192-point advantage over 13th.  He dropped one spot to seventh and the margin over 13th has been reduced to 95 points.  Busch can secure a spot on the Chase by finishing 20th or better at Richmond or 22nd and lead a lap.

David Stremme recorded his second top-15 finish in the last three races.  He finished 14th in the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger.  He started ninth, ran as high as eighth and was in the top 20 throughout the race.

AJ Allmendinger finished 20th and teammate Elliott Sadler was 21st as 21 cars were on the lead lap when the checkered flag appeared.

Driver    Team    Finished
Kasey Kahne    No. 9 Budweiser Dodge    Win
David Stremme    No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge    14th
AJ Allmendinger    No. 44 Hunt Brothers Pizza Dodge    20th
Elliott Sadler    No. 19 Stanley Dodge    21st
Reed Sorenson    No. 43 Air Force Dodge    27th
Sam Hornish Jr.    No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge    35th
Kurt Busch    No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge    38th

Driver    Rank    Starts    Points    Behind    Wins    Poles    T5s    T10s
Kasey Kahne    6    25    3153    -541    2    0    5    10
Kurt Busch    7    25    3152    -542    1    0    6    13
AJ Allmendinger    25    25    2361    -1333    0    0    1    3
Elliott Sadler    26    25    2355    -1339    0    0    1    3
Sam Hornish Jr.    27    25    2292    -1402    0    0    2    6
Reed Sorenson    28    25    2275    -1419    0    0    0    1
David Stremme    31    25    2204    -1490    0    0    0    0

NSCS Driver Points after 25 of 36 races
1. Tony Stewart      3,694       +637
2. Jeff Gordon              3,457        400
3. Jimmie Johnson       3,404          347
4. Denny Hamlin          3,296        239
5. Carl Edwards        3,162         105
6. Kasey Kahne              3,153           96
7. Kurt Busch          3,152           95
8. Juan Montoya          3,145           88
9. Ryan Newman         3,138            81
10. Mark Martin          3,126            69
11. Greg Biffle        3,125                   68
12. Matt Kenseth        3,077            20    (points ahead of final Chase spot)
13. Brian Vickers       3,057           -20
14. Kyle Busch        3,040            -37

– 30 –

Heading into the weekend, three drivers have already secured spots in this year’s Chase to the Championship (Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson) while nine spots remain to be decided. The 12-driver Chase field will be set following next week’s race at Richmond. Those 12 will compete for the season championship and Sprint Cup over the final 10 races of 2009.

Mix history with drama — Sunday’s Atlanta event is the track’s first series night race — and possibilities resound.

In short, any driver who leaves Atlanta with a 196-point lead over the 13th-place position will clinch a spot in the Chase. Kurt Busch (+192 points) and Kasey Kahne (+52) are the only two Dodge drivers with a mathematical chance to make this year’s Chase.

All seven Dodge teams are inside the top 35 in owner points and assured starting spots in Sunday night’s race. Dodge has earned seven wins at AMS.

Kurt Bush (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger) returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway where he dominated the spring race leading 234 of 330 laps en route to his 18th-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. In doing so, Busch recorded a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0 – the eighth perfect rating since the inception of the Loop Data statistic in 2005. A two-time AMS champion, Busch looks to extend a six-race streak of top-15 finishes at Atlanta.

“It’s definitely a race that we’ve had a bull’s-eye on since our big win there back in the spring,” said Busch, who will be attempting to become the third driver since 2005 to sweep both Sprint Cup races at Atlanta in the same season. “It will definitely be a challenge to even come close to the performance we had there at Atlanta in the spring race. That was a special day and will always stand out as a special win.”

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger) hopes to use past Atlanta success to increase his chances of gaining a spot in this year’s Chase. Kahne has recorded one win (2006), four top-fives and six top-10 finishes in 11 starts at the 1.54-mile oval. Kahne sits in a pack of six Cup drivers positioned seven through 12th who are separated by only 86 driver points heading into Sunday night’s race. Kahne is no stranger to Chase drama. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver erased a 90-point deficit over two races in 2006 to make what was then a 10-driver Chase field.

“It’s a tight battle,” said Kahne. “Any little mistake can definitely cost you a lot of points and hurt your chances. We had a lot bigger point cushion heading into Bristol and just one race later, our points were cut in half. I just try and focus on my race car. We’re doing the same things that we’ve been doing, trying to get the balance where it needs to be so that we can race and be competitive on race day. Hopefully it works out. You definitely think about it, but there’s nothing that you can do. All you can do is perform and try and run strong on race day. If we can do that, the rest will take care of itself.”

Other Notes:
• AJ Allmendinger (No. 44 Hunt Brothers Pizza) has finished 16th, 14th and 17th in three starts at AMS.
• Reed Sorenson (No. 43 Air Force Dodge Charger) has won three NASCAR Nationwide Series races at AMS.
• Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Stanley Dodge) started from the outside pole in 2007.

Driver Standings After 24 Races (Chase Field Set Following Race 26)

Pos. Driver Points Point Lead Over 13th Position
1 Tony Stewart 3,564 +653
2 Jimmie Johnson 3,344 433
3 Jeff Gordon 3,310 399
4 Denny Hamlin 3,141 230
5 Carl Edwards 3,110 199
6 Kurt Busch 3,103 192
7 Ryan Newman 2,995 84
8 Greg Biffle 2,986 75
9 Juan Montoya 2,975 64
10 Mark Martin 2,971 60
11 Kasey Kahne 2,963 52
12 Matt Kenseth 2,945 34 (ahead of final Chase spot)
13 Kyle Busch 2,911 -34
14 Brian Vickers 2,906 -35
15 Clint Bowyer 2,833 -112

2009 Dodge Motorsports Driver Statistics
Driver Rank Points Behind Starts Poles Wins Top 5s Top 10s Earnings
Kurt Bush 6 3,103 -461 24 0 1 6 13 $3,245,730
Kasey Kahne 11 2,963 -601 24 0 1 4 9 $3,858,310
AJ Allmendinger 25 2,258 -1,306 24 0 0 1 3 $2,847,930
Elliott Sadler 26 2,255 -1,309 24 0 0 1 3 $2,736,510
Sam Hornish Jr. 27 2,234 -1,330 24 0 0 2 6 $2,947,080
Reed Sorenson 28 2,193 -1,371 24 0 0 0 1 $3,247,420
David Stremme 31 2,084 -1,481 24 0 0 0 0 $3,113,820

What You Need To Know
The Race: Pep Boys Auto 500
The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, September 6
The Time: 7:45 p.m. (ET)
The Track: 1.54-mile
The Distance: 500.5 miles/325 laps
Television: ESPN, 7:00 p.m. (ET)

Dodge Weekend Motorsports on TV
(All Times Eastern)
Saturday, Sept. 5
11:00 a.m. – Sprint Cup Practice at Atlanta (SPEED)
12:30 p.m. – NASCAR Live (SPEED)
1:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Final Practice (SPEED)
2:30 p.m. – Drafting Partners – Michael Waltrip, Richard Childress (GAC)
2:30 p.m. – Nationwide Series Pole Qualifying at Atlanta (SPEED)
4:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Pole Qualifying at Atlanta ((SPEED)
6:30 p.m. – Nationwide Series Countdown (ESPN2)
7:00 p.m. – Nationwide Series Race at Atlanta (ESPN2)
9:30 p.m. – Camping World Truck Series SetUp (SPEED)
9:45 p.m. – Camping World Truck Series Race at Iowa (SPEED)
Sunday, Sept. 6
10:00 a.m. – NASCAR Now (ESPN2)
3:30 p.m. – NASCAR Performance (SPEED)
4:00 p.m. – NASCAR Smarts (SPEED)
4:30 p.m. – NASCAR In A Hurry (SPEED)
5:00 p.m. – NASCAR RaceDay (SPEED)
7:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Countdown (ESPN)
7:00 p.m. – SPEED Report (SPEED)
7:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Race at Atlanta (ESPN) [green flag – 7:46 p.m.]
9:00 p.m. – Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (SPEED)
11:00 p.m. – Inside the Headsets (SPEED)
11:30 p.m. – NASCAR Now (ESPN2)
11:30 p.m. – NASCAR Victory Lane (SPEED)

– 30 –

After running in the top 10 through the first 120 laps of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Busch lined up ninth for the double-file restart on lap 121. As the field exited Turn 2, another car went into a spin just in front and to the left of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger. Busch turned sharply to the left, but caught the front end of the spinning auto which sent the No. 2 into the inside retaining wall, nose first.

The damage was extensive, requiring a trip to the garage for repairs. Busch returned to the track, but the damage was more severe than crumpled sheet metal and called it a day before the checkered flag appeared. He finished 36th with his first DNF of the season.

“I felt like our car was really strong on restarts,” said Busch. “The adjustment we made had the car a little tight. I just had to wait on it and while waiting, the No. 6 got loose in front of us. I originally thought I hit him, but after looking at the tape, he just spun on his own. I couldn’t go left, (Carl) Edwards was there. If I had to do it all over again, I would have tried to take minimal damage, but nosing into the 6 car’s door wasn’t an option because there was no way I could stop. I tried to turn left, clipped him and it flung us right toward the inside fence.

“After we got the car repaired and went back out trying to salvage a finish and not get a DNF, we had a motor issue. I don’t know if we run it out of water, oil or what. A good day gone real, real bad. Hopefully, we’ve got all our bad luck out of the way.”

Busch dropped two spots in the season point standings. He is now sixth, 178 points ahead of the driver currently 13th in the standings. Three races remain to determine the top 12 drivers that will compete for the season championship and the Sprint Cup over the final 10 events of 2008.

“We just didn’t need that to happen,” said Pat Tryson, crew chief on the No. 2 Dodge. “That’s the double-file restarts with everybody bunched up. The 6 (No. 6) just got loose and we got the worse end of it. Looking at the replay, we never touched him. We had a car very capable of a top-10 finish.”

All three Penske Racing Dodges were involved in mishaps during the afternoon, but in the case of Sam Hornish Jr. and David Stremme, their racecars escaped with minimum damage and both were able to continue.

Hornish, driving the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, picked up his second top-five in the last three races, finishing fifth at the facility he calls his home track. Hornish fell a lap down, got the free pass but was penalized a lap for pitting twice under the caution. He put himself in position to get the free pass again and took full advantage of the opportunity.

Once back on the lead lap following the sixth caution on lap 146, Hornish used a light foot to conserve fuel and get the No. 77 to the checkered flag.

“It was an eventful day to be sure,” said Hornish. “We’ve got to go back and work on a lot of things. We got the car right when we needed it to be. We all kept our heads and saved enough fuel to get to the end. It was a good day for us. Obviously, we want to be a little bit better. I’m happy about it and proud of all the guys on the Mobil 1 Dodge. “

How much fuel did Hornish have left at the finish? “We’re going to find out when we get back and get the tank drained,” he said. “I saved all the way on that last run. The first couple of laps right after we went back to green, I worked to get as far as I could, but as soon as the cars got singled out, I started saving. Basically, I was only using the gas that I needed to use to get around the track.”

“At lap 130, I was very mad because we did about everything that we could possibly do wrong, but I guess that’s why these races are as long as they are. You can screw it up for 140 laps and figure it out the last 60. The guys on the Mobil 1 Dodge, they stuck with it. It’s a big day for me to come up here and get a top five at Michigan, my home track. It feels pretty darn good.”

Stremme, driving the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge, finished 13th. It’s his best finish since the second race of the season at California where he also finished 13th.

“It was pretty crazy out there today,” Stremme said. “We had a lot better car than where we finished with our Penske Dodge. We got spun and took two tires and it didn’t work out. We come back and finished 13th and was really happy about that finish.

“You had to be really patient with the track bar because of how slippery the track was today. The lanes moved around so much that you had to continuously try and find the line that worked best for you. We kept digging all day and got a very respectable finish.”

Kasey Kahne started 43rd in the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger and had to battle his way up through the field. He had to start at the rear of the field because of an engine change on Friday. An ill-handling car made the task a bit more difficult, but a late-race surge earned Kahne a finish of 11th.

“Overall, bringing home an 11th in our Budweiser Dodge was a great effort by everyone on this team,” Kahne said. “It was a great finish considering where we ran all day. We got the best finish that we could. The pit crew did a great job. Considering we started 43rd, we had a lot of cars that we had to pass on a very slick race track and we were able to pass a lot of cars. Kenny (Francis, crew chief) did a great job on top of the box making adjustments to try and get our Budweiser Dodge to handle better. We’ll take the points and be happy to head to Bristol next weekend.”

The other three drivers from Richard Petty Motorsports also had handling issues. AJ Allmendinger finished 22nd, Elliott Sadler was 25th and Reed Sorenson was 29th.

Driver Team Finished
Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge 5th
Kasey Kahne No. 9 Budweiser Dodge 11th
David Stremme No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge 13th
AJ Allmendinger No. 44 Super 8 Dodge 22nd
Elliott Sadler No. 19 Best Buy Dodge 25th
Reed Sorenson No. 43 Bumper to Bumper Dodge 29th
Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge 36th

Driver Rank Starts Points Behind Wins Poles T5s T10s
Kurt Busch 6 23 2957 -543 1 0 6 12
Kasey Kahne 8 23 2884 -616 1 0 4 9
AJ Allmendinger 25 23 2206 -1294 0 0 1 3
Sam Hornish Jr. 26 23 2176 -1324 0 0 2 6
Elliott Sadler 27 23 2170 -1330 0 0 1 3
Reed Sorenson 28 23 2087 -1413 0 0 0 1
David Stremme 31 23 1980 -1520 0 0 0 0

NSCS Driver Points after 23 of 36 races

1. Tony Stewart 3,500 +721
2. Jeff Gordon 3,216 437
3. Jimmie Johnson 3,197 418
4. Carl Edwards 2,995 216
5. Denny Hamlin 2,986 207
6. Kurt Busch 2,957 178
7. Juan Montoya 2,887 108
8. Kasey Kahne 2,884 105
9. Ryan Newman 2,845 66
10. Greg Biffle 2,821 42
11. Matt Kenseth 2,811 32
12. Mark Martin 2,791 12 (points ahead of final Chase)
13. Brian Vickers 2,779 -12
14. Clint Bowyer 2,773 -58
15. Kyle Busch 2,721 -70

– 30 –

With only four races remaining in the “Race to The Chase”, the focus is intensifying in and around 12th-place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, otherwise known as the “Chase cut-off.” After the season’s 26th race at Richmond on Sept. 12, the top 12 drivers in the season point standings qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR’s 10-race “playoffs” that determine the series champion.

Heading into Michigan this weekend, Kurt Busch is fourth in Sprint Cup standings, holding a very comfortable 275 point advantage over the 13th position held by his younger brother, Kyle Busch. Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne’s 17th-place finish at Watkins Glen last weekend dropped the Richard Petty Motorsports driver one position to eighth, but he still has a 127-point margin over 13th in the standings.

Seven Dodge teams are entered in the CARFAX 400 seeking to give Dodge its 204th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. All seven drivers are assured berths as they are inside the top 35 in car owner points. Dodge is seeking its 10th win at Michigan.

Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger) heads to Michigan with plenty of confidence. In 11 starts at Michigan, Kahne has posted one win and five top fives, including two runner-up finishes. Kahne won the June, 2006 race at MIS after starting from the pole in the rain-shortened event (called after 129 of the 200 scheduled laps were completed).

“There is so much racing room out there that you have to really work on your setup,” Kahne said. “I feel like that is one of the tracks where it is really critical to have a good aero and engine package.

“The racing at Michigan can be great at times, but it always comes to down to fuel mileage. It also can be a race where cars run away and get strung out and there’s not a lot of passing going on. As far as the width of the racetrack and racing groove, there’s plenty of room. If you have a good car, you’ll be able to pass and it will be a fun race.”

Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger) continues to build momentum for what seems to be an assured spot in the Chase. He heads to MIS having finished 15th or better in 15 of the 21 races in 2009. Busch, the 2007 event winner, has not been outside the top five in the point standings since Las Vegas (19 races ago). The Penske Racing veteran certainly knows how to get around MIS. He has two wins, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 17 career starts.

What’s the key for Busch this weekend?

“Fuel Mileage is the key at Michigan,” Busch said. “Seriously, that’s one track that you always expect to have fuel mileage involved in the equation. Mark (Martin) won there in June because of fuel mileage. Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. won the first race there last year due to fuel mileage.”

“It’s just the norm — it’s to be expected,” said Busch’s crew chief Pat Tryson. “I’ll bet if you look back at the record book, you’ll see that a huge proportion of the Michigan races were won because of fuel mileage. The reason for that is simple – there are so few cautions on that track. It’s so wide and there is so much racing room, you don’t see guys running into each other like you do on most of the other tracks.”

Other Notes:
• Richard Petty Motorsports is the only four-car team without a DNF — did not finish — in all 2009 point races. The Petty streak has reached 140 starts without a DNF. Kasey Kahne’s DNF at Martinsville on Oct.19 was the team’s last.
• Richard Petty Motorsports will swap crew chiefs and crews on the 43 and 44 cars this weekend. Crew Chief Sammy Johns will now tune the 43 Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Dodge of Reed Sorenson. Mike Shiplett moves from Sorenson’s Dodge to AJ Allmendinger.

What You Need To Know
The Race: CARFAX 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Sunday, August 16
The Time: 2 p.m. (EDT)
The Track: 2 mile road course
The Distance: 200 laps/400 miles miles
Television: ESPN, 1:00 p.m. (ET)

2009 Dodge Motorsports Driver Statistics
Driver Rank Points Behind Starts Poles Wins Top 5s Top 10s Earnings
Kurt Bush 4 2902 -481 22 0 1 6 12 $3,027,084
Kasey Kahne 8 2754 -629 22 0 1 4 9 $3,603,819
AJ Allmendinger 24 2109 2109 22 0 0 1 3 $2,680,328
Elliott Sadler 26 2082 -1301 22 0 0 1 3 $2,548,013
Sam Hornish Jr. 28 2021 -1362 22 0 0 1 5 $2,721,663
Reed Sorenson 29 2011 -1372 22 0 0 0 1 $2,996,914
David Stremme 31 1856 -1527 22 0 0 0 0 $2,867,087

Dodge Driver Career Statistics at Michigan International Speedway
Driver Starts Wins Top 5s Top 10s Poles Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish Earnings
Kurt Bush 17 2 3 7 0 290 13 19.4 $1,684,710
Kasey Kahne 11 1 5 5 1 40 14.2 16.8 $1,430,425
David Stremme 5 0 0 0 0 0 26.4 29.2 $442,370
Elliott Sadler 21 0 1 5 0 22 19.1 22.1 $1,730,416
AJ Allmendinger 4 0 0 0 0 1 30.2 29.2 $298,790
Reed Sorenson 7 0 1 2 0 3 29.4 24 $688,473
Sam Hornish Jr. 3 0 0 0 0 2 30.7 24.3 $338,935

Dodge Motorsports Top Michigan Int’l Speedway Finishers
(Since 2001) (all races)
Year Driver Car/Sponsor Team Start Finish
2002 Scott Pruett No. 41 Target Dodge Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates 19 6
2003 Scott Pruett No. 39 Target Dodge Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates 28 2
2004 Casey Mears N0. 41 Target Dodge Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates 16 4
2005 Scott Pruett No. 40 Coors Lite Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates 25 4
2006 Scott Pruett No. 40 Lone Star Steakhouse Dodge Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates 13 6
2007 Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Penske Racing 13 11
2008 Juan Pablo Montoya No. 43 Wrigley’s Big Red Dodge Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates 25 4
2009 Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Penske Racing 5 8

Driver Standings After 22 Races (Chase Field Set Following Race 26)
Pos. Driver Points Point Lead Over 13th Position
1. Tony Stewart 3,383 756
2. Jimmie Johnson 3,123 496
3. Jeff Gordon 3,041 414
4. Kurt Busch 2,902 275
5. Denny Hamlin 2,847 220
6. Carl Edwards 2,830 203
7. Juan Montoya 2,781 154
8. Kasey Kahne 2,754 127
9. Ryan Newman 2,727 100
10. Greg Biffle 2,718 91
11. Mark Martin 2,716 89
12. Matt Kenseth 2,685 58 Final Chase Position

13. Kyle Busch 2,627 -58 Points from 12th
14. Brian Vickers 2,589 -96
15. Clint Bowyer 2,586 -99
16. David Reutimann 2,530 -155

Dodge Weekend Motorsports on TV
(All Times Eastern)

Friday, August 14
12:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Practice at Michigan (SPEED)
1:30 p.m. – Nationwide Series Practice at Michigan (SPEED)
3:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Pole Qualifying at Michigan (SPEED)
5:00 p.m. – Nationwide Series Final Practice (SPEED)
8:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Practice at Michigan (repeat) (SPEED)
9:00 p.m. – NASCAR Now (ESPN2)

Saturday, August 15
12:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Practice at Michigan (SPEED)
1:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Final Practice (SPEED)
3:00 p.m. – Nationwide Series Countdown at Michigan (ESPN2)
3:30 p.m. – Nationwide Series CARFAX 250 (ESPN2)
6:00 p.m. – NASCAR Performance (SPEED)
6:30 p.m. – NASCAR Smarts (SPEED)

Sunday, August 16
11:00 a.m. – NASCAR RaceDay (SPEED)
1:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Countdown (ESPN)
2:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup CARFAX 400 at Michigan (ESPN)
7:00 p.m. – SPEED Report (SPEED)
8:00 p.m. – NASCAR Victory Lane (SPEED)
9:00 p.m. – Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (SPEED)

– 30 –

Mother Nature disrupted the racing schedule for the second consecutive weekend. Drivers were strapped in and ready for the command to start engines on Sunday when a thunderstorm moved into the area. Drying efforts continued for more than two hours. Those efforts were hampered by an occasional drizzle. At 4:07 p.m., NASCAR made the call to postpone the 90-lap, 220.5-mile race until Monday at noon.

Just as in previous years, it was a fuel strategy race at the drop of the green flag. Most teams were planning two fuel stops. Races at Watkins Glen have been won implementing that strategy. Not all teams had that fuel window including Busch. While many of the leaders pitted under green on lap 55 for the final time, Busch needed to go another two laps before making his final stop of the day. He returned to the track in 14th place.

After the fourth caution for a six-car mishap on lap 63 which resulted in a red flag for almost 20 minutes to clean up the debris, Busch started working his way back up through the field. He was 10th by lap 74 and made up three more spots in the next four laps. He finished seventh.

“I felt we had a strong car,” Busch said. “I passed guys all day. Fuel mileage bit us. We finished seventh. That’s all right, but man we were faster than that. I was real proud of my team’s effort and the way that we adjusted on the car in practice, the way the brakes held up. We were just behind on pit strategy I guess; fuel mileage didn’t come into our favor. It was really fun to do that. We had a car that could maneuver and we just weren’t stuck behind guys. The car just started overheating when I went through the grass. All in all, (it was) a good day for our Miller Lite Dodge. We finished seventh at Watkins Glen; we’re still looking for a top five here though.”

Busch continues to have a firm hold on fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings and is a step closer to claiming a berth in the Chase. He has a 275-point advantage over 13th place with four races remaining to set the Chase field. The top 12 compete for the Sprint Cup in the final 10 races of the season.

“I felt like we should have won the race, said Pat Tryson, crew chief for the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. “I felt like we had the best car here. He drove his butt off. It’s just disappointing. It’s a good day points wise. I’m sure we’ll all feel better about it later, but right now, it’s disappointing to be that fast and not do what you need to do.”

AJ Allmendinger finished 13th in the No. 44 Stanley Tools Dodge. He ran in the top 15 throughout the race.

“We went with fuel strategy and really didn’t want to gamble on the yellows,” said Allmendinger. “It worked out well. We tried to put new tires on and it took like 15 laps for the car to come to us. We put on scuffs at the end and that was way better. That might have been the way to go. Overall, against the guys racing around us in points, it was a good day.”

Kasey Kahne finished 17th in the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger. He slipped one spot in the point standings, but still has a 127-point advantage over 13th.

Four other Dodge drivers were involved in mishaps during the afternoon. The most serious involved Sam Hornish Jr. who was involved in the six-car mishap on lap 63. Hornish was on the outside of Kahne as the two exited Turn Five. The rear end of Kahne’s car broke loose and made contact with the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge, sending it off the racing surface, through the grass and into the tire barrier. As the car slid back across the track, it was hit by two other cars.

“We’ve been fast all weekend,” Hornish said. “We just had some problems keeping us from being up in the front. We were trying to make it on fuel mileage and Kasey (Kahne) just got a little bit loose and got into me. I thought that it was going to be a big hit into the tire wall. I didn’t think that I was going to get hit by two more cars. It was rough. The cars are real safe and I’m thankful that we do everything that we do to be as safe as we can. Hopefully, the Mobil 1 Dodge will be a lot better next weekend at Michigan. You never want to make highlights like that.”

David Stremme, driving the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge, was involved in a mishap on lap 24 involving three cars at the Inner Loop while Reed Sorenson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were in an accident on lap 42 in Turn Six when Earnhardt had brake problems and made contact with the No. 43 McDonald’s Dodge. Elliott Sadler was running in the top 15 when he hit the brakes entering Turn One and tire-hop turned the No. 19 Best Buy Dodge into a spin. Another car made contact with Sadler’s machine, requiring a stop in the pits for repairs.

“The car wheel-hopped getting into (Turn) One,” said Sadler. “I’m sorry for my guys and Best Buy. I should have had at least a 13th or 14th like we usually run here. I put us in a hole today. Our pit strategy was good. We were exactly where we wanted to be. I’m man enough to say it was 100 percent my fault. I just have to make up for it next week.”

Driver Team Finished
Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge 7th
AJ Allmendinger No. 44 Stanley Dodge 13th
Kasey Kahne No. 9 Budweiser Dodge 17th
David Stremme No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge 27th
Elliott Sadler No. 19 Best Buy Dodge 31st
Reed Sorenson No. 43 McDonald’s Dodge 32nd
Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge 36th

Driver Rank Starts Points Behind Wins Poles T5s T10s
Kurt Busch 4 22 2902 -481 1 0 6 12
Kasey Kahne 8 22 2754 -629 1 0 4 9
AJ Allmendinger 24 22 2109 -1274 0 0 1 3
Elliott Sadler 26 22 2082 1301 0 0 1 3
Sam Hornish Jr. 28 22 2021 -1362 0 0 1 5
Reed Sorenson 29 22 2011 -1372 0 0 0 1
David Stremme 31 22 1856 -1527 0 0 0 0

Driver Standings After 22 Races (Chase Field Set Following Race 26)
Pos. Driver Points Point Lead Over 13th Position
1. Tony Stewart 3,383 756
2. Jimmie Johnson 3,123 496
3. Jeff Gordon 3,041 414
4. Kurt Busch 2,902 275
5. Denny Hamlin 2,847 220
6. Carl Edwards 2,830 203
7. Juan Montoya 2,781 154
8. Kasey Kahne 2,754 127
9. Ryan Newman 2,727 100
10. Greg Biffle 2,718 91
11. Mark Martin 2,716 89
12. Matt Kenseth 2,685 58 Final Chase Position
Points from 12th Position
13. Kyle Busch 2,627 -58
14. Brian Vickers 2,589 -96
15. Clint Bowyer 2,586 -99
16. David Reutimann 2,530 -155

###

Sam Hornish Jr. posted a career-best NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish of fourth in Monday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. The event was postponed one day due to rain.

Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch raced in the top 10 throughout the 200-lap event with both leading the race during the afternoon. Kahne led twice for 35 laps and Busch was at the point for 14 circuits. Kahne finished fourth and Busch ended up ninth.

Mother Nature disrupted the racing activities throughout the weekend. Friday’s qualifying was rained out. Fortunately, there were only 43 cars attempting to qualify, so all were assured spots in the starting field. Weather conditions improved Saturday with the Sprint Cup drivers getting in two scheduled practice sessions.

Rains throughout the morning hours on Sunday produced obstacles NASCAR and track officials could not overcome. Although the rain stopped in the afternoon, there was no solution to stopping the water seeping up through the racing surface, forcing the event to be postponed until Monday.

Hornish’s previous best was a sixth, recorded earlier this year at Richmond. It was his fourth top 10 of the season and second in the last five events. Hornish ran as high as second and, on a couple of occasions, made a serious challenge for the lead.

Pit strategy played a key role in getting the No. 77 PPG Dodge Charger into the top 10. Once there, Hornish made the most of the opportunity, holding off strong challenges for the position over the final 13 laps.

“We didn’t have a good car all day,” said Hornish. “We were pretty good starting out (the race) and then we got really loose in the middle portion and kind of ran out of things to try. We tried to get some track position (with pit strategy). Once we got track position, we were able to hold on and took a car that was probably a 15th-place car at the end and got us up to fourth. I’m just really happy with the PPG Dodge. It was a lot of fun going out there and racing today. The closer you get up to the front, the more fun it is.

“The pit strategy worked out really well. We made some changes on the PPG Dodge that didn’t quite help us out. We got back in the pack and ran out of things to try other than getting some track position. Once we got up there, we weren’t good enough to win, but we were a top-five car. I’m just real proud of all these guys that work on the PPG Dodge and look forward to next weekend and try it again.”

Kahne was never out of the top 10 except during the two green-flag pit cycles during the race. The No. 9 Budweiser Dodge was extremely fast when out front in clean air.

“We were in the top five all day with our Budweiser Dodge, he said. “The team does an awesome job. The cars have been great. Kenny Francis (Crew Chief), Keith Rodden (Car Engineer) and everybody behind the scenes have been doing a really good job. Our pit stops are flawless. The guys do a great job…in and off pit road really quick…so thanks to them, we keep rolling. We just need to keep it up each week and get into the Chase.”

Kahne entered the race eighth in the Chase standings, 121 points from 13th. He moved up one spot to seventh, but more important, extended that advantage to 180 points.

Busch, who celebrates his 31st birthday tomorrow (Tuesday), had a car capable of winning the race. Five of the 10 cautions fell in the final 50 laps and the double-file restarts, instituted recently by NASCAR, proved to be treacherous. The last restart proved just that as Busch failed to get the kind of restart he had throughout the race. On one occasion, he picked up seven positions on the first lap following a restart in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge.

“We had a great car and a nice solid run today, coming out with a top 10,” said Busch. “Nobody gained or lost any points. I just felt like we had a car to win the race with 40 to go and we just had some untimely yellows. We didn’t get any yellows last week to get the lucky dog, but got a bunch of yellows this week to take a possible win away. Our Miller Lite Dodge was fast.”

Like Kahne, Busch extended his advantage over 13th-place in the Chase standings. He extended a 247-point margin to 289.

AJ Allmendinger finished 17th in the No. 44 Valvoline Dodge. He managed to work his way up to 11th late in the race before getting shuffled in the restarts.

Driver Team Finished
Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 PPG Dodge 4th
Kasey Kahne No. 9 Budweiser Dodge 5th
Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge 9th
AJ Allmendinger No. 44 Valvoline Dodge 17th
Elliott Sadler No. 24 Stanley Dodge 24th
David Stremme No. 12 Penske Dodge 32nd
Reed Sorenson No. 43 Air Force Dodge 35th

Driver Rank Starts Points Behind Wins Poles T5s T10s
Kurt Busch 4 21 2757 -437 1 0 6 11
Kasey Kahne 7 21 2642 -546 1 0 4 9
Elliott Sadler 25 21 2015 -1173 0 0 1 3
AJ Allmendinger 26 21 1985 -1203 0 0 1 3
Sam Hornish Jr. 27 21 1966 -1222 0 0 1 5
Reed Sorenson 28 21 1941 -1247 0 0 1 3
David Stremme 31 21 1766 -1422 0 0 0 0

Driver Standings After 21 Races (Chase Field Set Following Race 26)
Pos. Driver Points Point Lead Over 13th Position
1. Tony Stewart 3,188 726
2. Jimmie Johnson 2,991 529
3. Jeff Gordon 2,989 527
4. Kurt Busch 2,751 289
5. Denny Hamlin 2,713 251
6. Carl Edwards 2,665 203
7. Kasey Kahne 2,642 180
8. Juan Montoya 2,631 169
9. Ryan Newman 2,627 165
10. Mark Martin 2,622 160
11. Matt Kenseth 2,564 102
12. Greg Biffle 2,563 101 Final Chase Position

Points from 12th Position
13. Kyle Busch 2,462 101
14. Brian Vickers 2,459 104
15. Clint Bowyer 2,448 115
16. David Reutimann 2,442 121

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