Race Review: Tums Fast Relief 500

Welcome race fans to the 32nd race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series season and the 6th race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Tums Fast Relief 500, brought to you by Goodyear takes place at NASCAR’s shortest and oldest track, Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA. At .526 miles long, this paper clip race track is one of the toughest in NASCAR.

This week Mother Nature came in and spoiled things. There was practice and qualifying on Friday, with Ryan Newman grabbing the pole with a speed of 96.795. And the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race here was finally run after hours of delay for drying the track. Happy Hour was canceled, so NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers had no practice. A competition caution will take place on lap 50. In the lineup is 37 Travis Kvapil, 09 Sterling Marlin, 36 Michael McDowell and 64 Derrike Cope. Only one team had to go home, that being 73 Josh Wise. (You know how I feel about not filling the 22nd row and sending only one car home.) 11 Denny Hamlin, home town favorite, is the in-race reporter. The fans all have a Green Flag to wave for the start of the race.

So, here we go! 39 Newman leads from the pole. 11 Hamlin gets stuck on the outside with many cars passing him by. The first caution comes out on lap 7 for 47 Marcos Ambrose, 17 Matt Kenseth, 7 Robby Gordon and 64 Cope. All cars get going and stay on the lead lap. 17 got into 47, trying to make a hole and gets loose and can’t turn. 55 Michael Waltrip gets into 7 and 64 is left with nowhere to go. 17 pits for adjustments.

39 chooses the inside for the restart. 1 Martin Truex, Jr. and 24 Jeff Gordon battle for second. 1 moves 24 up the track, but 24 takes the spot. 07 Casey Mears and 20 Joey Logano race side by side for position. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. moves 07 out of the way. 96 Bobby Labonte and 14 Tony Stewart battle, with 96 getting by. They battle some more and 14 gets by. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya gets by 96. 48 Jimmy Johnson goes low around 20 to get the spot. 88 also goes low around 20. 88 and 29 Kevin Harvick race side by side. 24 goes under 39 to take the lead. 11 goes under 43 Reed Sorenson to take the position. 1 gets by 39 for second.

5 Mark Martin drives around 39 on the top of the track to take third from 39. 00 David Reutimann gets by 39. 48 goes low to get by 39. 42 and 33 Clint Bowyer get by 20 who is driving on the top of the track. 48 drives past 5 for third. The second caution comes out for 55 with a flat tire, spinning. This caution on lap 43 will be the competition caution and those pitting may refuel. Pit speed is 30 mph. 24 takes two tires to lead off pit road. 88 and 11 get together in the pits and both have some damage. 34 John Andretti and 71 David Gilliland lead while pitting is going on. Both then pit. 29 and 33 get together. 99 Carl Edwards gets into 14 at the restart. 42 gets by 00. 48 catches leader 24. 24 and 48 battle for the lead and 48 takes the lead. 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. and 17 race side by side. 39 gets by 24.

42 gets by 1 for fifth. 24 and 5 battle, with 5 getting by. Looks like two tires for 24 was not a good idea. 42 gets into 24 to get by. 11 drives under 1 to get by. 11 drives under 24 to take fifth. 1 and 24 battle for sixth, with 1 getting by. The third caution comes out during the commercial on lap 88. 88 has a flat tire and gets into the wall. 48 gets out of the pits first and chooses the inside. 9 Kasey Kahne is too fast exiting the pits and must come back in.

39 and 5 battle. 24 and 42 battle. Both battles are side by side for a long time. They end up 39, 5, 24 and 42. 42 slides in front of 33. 42 bumps 24 and moves him up the track to get by for fourth. 14 gets by 00. 11 gets by 00. 07 and 00 battle side by side. 09 is pitting with a flat tire. 1 has a vibration, maybe a loose wheel, and pits.

The fourth caution comes out on lap 136. The right front tire of 88 blows and he gets into the wall in front of 48. There is no free pass, as 88 was the caution. The leaders all pit, with 48 coming back out with the lead. 7 breaks a gear and heads for the garage.

48 chooses the inside for the restart. 42 is all over 48, battling for the lead. 42 takes the lead. 18 Kyle Busch started 41st and is driving aggressively to move up. 24 bumps 39 to get by. The fifth caution is for debris on lap 157. The top eleven stay out. 11 leads the rest down pit road. 16 Greg Biffle is the Lucky Dog and gets his lap back, making it thirty-one cars on the lead lap. 42 chooses the inside. 24 and 48 battle for second, with 48 keeping the spot. 14, on top, battles 31 Jeff Burton. 2 Kurt Busch and brother 18 battle for twelfth, with 18 getting by. 11 and 00 battle side by side, with 11 getting by. 18, on the outside battles 00 and gets by.

The sixth caution comes out for 12 David Stremme and team mate 77. 77 and 12 get together, 1 bumps 77 and 77 and 12 spin together. 31 Burton stays out to lead. The leaders who stayed out last caution, now pit. 1 Martin Truex, Jr. is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap. 11 takes the lead. 18 and 29 get by 31.

The seventh caution comes out on lap 195 for spinning 77. 31 and 2 pit. 11 chooses the inside for the restart. 18 and 11 battle at the restart. 18 takes the lead. 48 and 99 are side by side, with 48 getting by. 11 and 18 battle for the lead and 11 takes the lead. 39 and 83 Brian Vickers race side by side with 83 up on the outside.

The eighth caution comes out when 9 gets into the wall, with a blown left rear tire. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gets the free pass and is now one lap down. 88 and 9 got together. 11 chooses the outside this time. 07 and 2 and 6 David Ragan and 00 race side by side. They end up 00, 07, 2, 6. 5 and 18 battle for fifth with 5 getting by, with fresher tires. 24 gets by 26. 31 gets by 99 on the top with his fresher tires.

The ninth caution comes out when 44 A. J. Allmendinger gets into the wall and faces in the wrong direction. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is again the Lucky Dog and back on the lead lap. 20 dove below 44 and bumped him into the wall. 48 comes out of the pits first after jamming the brakes so as not to be caught speeding. 16 Biffle stays out to lead. He chooses the inside. 48 takes the lead. 5 and 16 battle for second, with 5 getting by. 11, 42, 39, and 29 get by 16. 42 gets by 11 on the outside. 99 tries to make it three wide between 16 and 2, but backs off. 16 is falling back with old tires.

The tenth caution comes out when 9 spins 34 and 09 comes to a stop without hitting 34. There is no free pass, as 9 caused the caution. 48 chooses the inside. 42 gets by 5. 42 and 48 battle for the lead, but 42 can’t get by. 39 and 18 battle for sixth, with 18 getting by. 24 gets by 39 for seventh.

The eleventh caution comes out during the commercial. The sway bar of 9 is rubbing the tire and causes a flat tire, putting 9 into the wall. 14, 00, 19 Elliott Sadler, 17 and 34 stay out. 12 spins 1, but he gets going again. 00 takes the lead. 48 gets by 14 for second. 5 and 19 battle for seventh, with 5 getting by. 11 and 14 battle for third and 11 finally gets by. 48 catches leader 00. They battle for the lead and 48 takes the lead. 42 drives by 29 for fourth. 11 gets by 00 for second. 00 and 42 battle for third, with 42 taking the spot. 5 gets by 00 for fourth. 2 and 9 get by 16.

11 catches leader 48. 88 has another flat tire, but he makes it to the pits and there is no caution. 11 and 48 battle for the lead, with 11 taking the lead. 18 and 24 battle for ninth, with 24 getting by. 07 and 00 battle side by side. 20 is all over 31. 9 gets by 26 on the outside. 11 gets stuck in traffic, with 98 Paul Menard, 88 and 19 trying to stay on the lead lap. 99 bumps 18 to get by. 18 bumps 99 to get by. 99 moves 18 up the track to get by. 07 and 14 get by 18. 11 laps 18. 83 is pitting, starting Green Flag Pitting with 75 laps to go. 33 is too fast exiting. 48 and 24 have long stops. 11 retains the lead.

The twelfth caution comes out during the commercial. 19 gets into 34 and 34 spins with 56 laps to go. 11 chooses the inside. 24 gets loose and 83 gets by. 14 taps 20 to get by. 24 gets back by 83. 14 and 99 battle, with 14 getting by. 48 bumps leader 11. 6 and 00 battle. 14 gets by team mate 39 for seventh. 24 and 42 battle for third, with 24 getting by. 99 and 18 battle for eleventh. 18 finally gets by. 26 gets by 99.

The thirteenth caution comes out for debris from 44 with sixteen laps to go. 11, 48, 24, 42, 39 stay out. 14 is out of the pits first. 11 chooses the inside. 24 and 48 battle for second, but 48 keeps the spot. 42 and 24 battle for third, with 42 taking the spot. 5 gets into 07 and sends him high on the track. 18 and 39 battle for fifth. 29 and 5 battle.

The fourteenth caution comes out with six to go. 82 Scott Speed gets hard into the wall with too much speed into the corner. Perhaps he had no brakes. 07 and 2 are pitting. There will be a Green, White, Checker finish. 34 crashes into the inside wall on the last lap at the Start/Finish line. He stays where he is and they all race for the finish.

And 11 Denny Hamlin, the hometown favorite, wins the Tums Fast Relief 500. Someone, after all, can beat Jimmy Johnson. Second isn’t too bad for 48. He retains the lead with 5 118 points behind. Denny moves up two spots into ninth. 42 gains a spot, while 2 looses a spot. 39 gains a position, while 16 looses one. 9 falls back two spots.

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Race Track Review: Martinsville

Hello, race fans. This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup series is in Martinsville, Va. at the Martinsville Speedway. This is the shortest track of the season, at only .526 miles. It is also the only track that was there in the beginning of NASCAR. I found an article from Scene Daily that I thought I’d share with you. Enjoy!

MARTINSVILLE, VA. – H. Clay Earles, the founder of Martinsville Speedway, used to bristle when he heard the word “superspeedway.”

He heard it a lot 30 years ago when there were rumors that NASCAR’s top series would be composed solely of tracks a mile or more in distance.

Word was the half-mile tracks, like Martinsville, would be phased
out.

“To me,” Earles would growl, “a superspeedway is one that operates in the black.”

Most of the big-track promoters, who struggled to pay the bills, couldn’t respond to that.

Today, Martinsville, site of Sunday’s Tums Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup race, is NASCAR’s oldest track. It held its first sanctioned race in 1949. It was a 105-mile event, on dirt, won by Red Byron.

However, Martinsville’s very first race was held in 1947, the year Earles built the track. He dug out the red clay, packed the oval surface
down with oil and other materials and installed 750 seats.

He advertised that the race would be “dust free.”

But when the race started dust flew everywhere.

“It was like someone had dropped the atomic bomb,” Earles said.

Folks – 6,000 of them – came to the  race dressed in their Sunday best. They left covered in dust and dirt.

Bill France Sr. got word of Earles’ track and paid a visit. He told Earles that he planned to form a stock-car racing association and wanted to
build a following of owners and promoters.

“Bill told me that if I hooked up with him, he’d make sure I had plenty of cars to enter my races,” Earles said.

France became Earles’ partner and, as promised, provided a full field for the first NASCAR race in 1949.

As for the dust issue, Earles kept telling France that it could be resolved only if the track was paved.

France balked. He was concerned about the expense.

Earles prevailed – he seemed to always prevail when it came to his track – and Martinsville became a half-mile asphalt track in 1955.

Earles was a self-made man. The son of a tobacco farmer, he grew up in Bassett, Va., during the Depression. He left school to work in a
furniture factory.

He went into business for himself. A billiards parlor failed, so he acquired a service station that was successful, so successful that Earles
was able to get a loan, with which he built the first drive-in restaurant in Martinsville.

I’ve always thought that it was at that restaurant that the famous Martinsville hot dog was born.

Earles sold the service station and acquired another, which he kept for 16 years. He sold it in 1954 because his track required all of his
attention.

Earles engaged in other profitable ventures. He never owned up to them, but stories circulated that he was involved in the “shipping”
business. He operated it during the heyday of the moonshiners, so it’s not too difficult to determine what product was “shipped.”

Earles was also an expert poker player. I once played a few hands with him – I’m not good – and he told me, each time, what cards I held.

“But I gave up poker,” Earles said. “I didn’t like taking a man’s hard-earned money away from him.”

Earles had to deal with some rough characters in many of his enterprises. But he was prepared.

He once showed me his framed set of brass knuckles.

He always carried a gun – always.

Earles could be tough and argumentative. He was especially so when it came to his speedway. He was protective of it.

He had reason to be. Unlike most of the tracks that riddled the South, Martinsville was no bullring.

Earles felt that anyone who spent money to come to a race should have a good time in a good environment and feel it was money well spent.

“If I came to a race, that’s the way I would want it,” he said.

Martinsville’s grounds were landscaped and adorned with trees and flowers – there were even azaleas inside the track around the turns.

It was the first track to have attended rest rooms. It was the first track to have an air-conditioned press box. It was the only track whose
walls were re-painted white each day after racing activities were over.

Earles died 10 years ago at age 86 after a long illness.

Some thought that without his leadership the speedway was doomed.

Hardly.

Martinsville has certainly changed over the years, but it still bears the print of Earles’ guiding hand.

Article by Steve Waid

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NASCAR Racing Martinsville

Welcome to NASCAR’s shortest track on the circuit. This track is a classic paper clip. Long straightaways and short, tight corners. The average speed is quite slow. And it’s hard to get around someone on this track because there’s not much room to pass. You almost have to follow someone for quite awhile before you can “set them up” for the pass.

In my opinion, Martinsville Speedway is not my favorite short track. I prefer something more oval. The high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway or the d-shaped oval of Richmond International Raceway. Martinsville is flat with tight corners. So, it’s hard to complete a pass. However, I sure would hate it if this track was not on the schedule.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series just left Bristol Motor Speedway. This track has high banking and is wider, so there is more side by side racing and passing. There’s just more room at Bristol, even though Bristol is only slightly larger than Martinsville.

The third short track on the schedule is Richmond International Raceway. In my opinion, this track is the best short track. It’s more of an oval. And there is lots of room to race and pass. It’s about the right size in my opinion. 3/4ths of a mile, and a d-shaped oval. It’s also always run under the lights on Saturday nights. So it brings you back to memories of your local short tracks.

Okay, the good parts of Martinsville. It’s short track racing at it’s finest. Close quarters, so that if you want to get by, you almost have to move the car ahead out of the way to get by. None of this door-to-door racing for lap after lap like Bristol can be. And tight corners, unlike Richmond, where you can just keep on turning left. Martinsville is definately a track that is hard to get around. And, really, isn’t that what racing is all about?

However, this weekend the weather is not cooperating. Qualifying was rained out for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. They will line up according to owner points. That puts Jeff Gordon on the pole. He hasn’t won in quite a long time. And being on the pole is quite the advantage. Maybe he can finally break that loosing streak. Of course, just starting on the pole, doesn’t mean you will win. But just maybe…

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, scheduled for today was rained out. They will race on Monday at noon. (Isn’t that costing the teams a lot of money to stay for the whole weekend?) But I look forward to the Truck race on Monday.

I’ll be back tomarrow for the race review. That is, if the weather cooperates and there is a race.

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Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville Speedway has dropped the price on its remaining backstretch tickets for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 on March 29 to $25.

The $25 offer is the latest move by Martinsville Speedway to help race fans during the economic downturn.

“We continually look for ways to help our fans and make sure they are still going to be able to see the exciting races Martinsville Speedway has to offer,” said Speedway president W. Clay Campbell.

Fans may take advantage of the $25 backstretch offer by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com or calling 877.722.3849.

Martinsville Speedway has rolled out several attractive ticket packages for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500, including:

• Four Pack: Four adult tickets for $159, a savings of $41.

• Family Four Pack: Two adults and two children (12 & under) for $99, a savings of $41.

• Children 12 to 18: One-half price tickets, up to a savings of $30

• College Students: One-half price tickets for all college students with a college ID a savings of $30.

To purchase any of these four packages, fans should call 877.722.3849.

With all the talk about NASCAR not wanting to continue going to this Historic track, I just thought my readers would like to know this is available. Enjoy.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Race Review

Tums QuikPak 500

Martinsville, Va.

Welcome, race fans to the thirty-second race of the Season and the sixth in the Chase. This race takes place at Martinsville Speedway in south, central Virginia, the shortest track on the circuit. And a very flat track with only 12 degree banking in the turns. It’s a short, tight track, and quite exciting. Qualifying was rained out on Friday, so the field lines up according to Owner Points, putting 48 Jimmy Johnson on the pole and 31 Jeff Burton in second. 8 today is Aric Almirola. He shares the car with Mark Martin. 84 is Scott Speed, today with AJ Almendinger out of the car. He will be in the 10 car today, as Patrick Carpentier is out of it. 21 is Bill Elliott again. 00 is Mike Bliss from the NASCAR Nationwide Series. 6 is again Ken Schrader. 45 is Chad McCumbee from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. 70 is again Tony Raines. The in car reporter is 07 Clint Bowyer and his Crew Chief Gil Martin. There will be 500 laps around this .526 mile track for 263 miles. 6 David Ragan is in a back up car and will start from the rear.
So, here we go with the review of the race! 48 leads from the pole. 24 Jeff Gordon gets by 07 Clint Bowyer for fifth. 6 is moving on up through the field. 11 Denny Hamlin and 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr., battle and 11 gets by. 16 Greg Biffle and 99 Carl Edwards battle for third. 99, 16, 24 all battle for third. 24 gets third. 16 and 29 Kevin Harvick battle for fifth. 29 gets by 16. 96 is smoking from the front splitter rubbing the pavement. 20 Tony Stewart and 07 battle. 20 takes the spot. 18 Kyle Busch gets by 07. There is smoke coming from 20. Again, it’s the splitter. 00 with help from 22 Dave Blaney gets into the wall.
The first caution comes out on lap twenty-eight when 28 Travis Kvapil gets into the wall, trying to stay on the lead lap. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya got into 44 David Reutimann, 44 got into 28, and 28 ended up in the wall. 21 Bill Elliott is the Lucky Dog and gets his lap back. The top leaders stay out, while some farther back head to the pits. 88 is too fast in the pits and will restart forty-second! 24 takes the lead. 88 gets into 70 to get by. 99 and 31 battle. 99 gets by.1 Martin Truex, Jr. and 2 Kurt Busch battle. 1 gets by for eleventh. 16 gets by 31 for sixth. 31 is slipping back. 16 and 00 get together.
24 and 48 battle for the lead. 48 takes the lead. 88 is up to thirty-first from forty-second. 6 is up to thirty-sixth from starting in the rear. 00 is five laps down. 9 Kasey Kahne is very slow on the track with no power. The second caution comes out when 9 is stopped on the track, on lap sixty-one. The leaders all pit. Out of the pits, it’s 48, 99, 16, 24, 29, 07, 31, 41 Reed Sorenson, up ten spots, 18. 8 stays out to lead at the restart. 2 is in the garage with rear brake trouble. The top thirteen stayed out. 48 gets by 96 for thirteenth. 88 is in fifth after his speeding penalty since he stayed out. 20 gets by 16. 12 Ryan Newman and 26 Jamie McMurray battle for second. 88 and 5 Casey Mears battle. 88 gets by 5. 26 can’t get by 12. 88 spins 26, which brings out the third caution. Everyone gets by 26. The top ten are 8, 12, 88, 48, 5, 66 Scott Riggs, 99, 24 6 and 55 Michael Waltrip.
The fourth caution comes out when 01 Regan Smith looses his brakes and gets into the wall. He got into the corner too hard, got on the brakes too hard, burned out the brakes and ended up in the wall. 00 Mike Bliss is the Lucky Dog. 29 and 18 battle. 29 keeps the spot. 18 gets by 55. 48 gets by 88 for third. 48 gets by 12 for second. 16 and 31 get by 55. 1 gets by 55. 2 is back on the track. 24 gets by 88. 99 gets by 12. 24 and 88 get by 12.
The fifth caution comes out during the commercial. 17 Matt Kenseth gets loose and wheel hops into 78 Joe Nemacheck who gets into the wall. 07 gets by the mess. 26 stays out to lead. 48, 70 (a lap car) and 11 are three wide. 48 and 11 battle. 48 gets by. 48 gets by 96 for sixth. 11 gets by 96 for seventh. 17 is in thirty-eighth, a lap down. 29 gets by 43 Bobby Labonte for eleventh. 48 gets by 07 for second. 29 gets by 38 David Gilliland for eleventh. 29 and 42 battle for ninth. 29 gets by. 48 takes the lead. 88 gets by 07 for sixth.
The sixth caution comes out when 18 gets into the wall and just sits there. 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. and 70 also get into the wall. They all had right front tires go down almost on the same spot. They were using too much brake. 18 is being held two laps for stopping on the track. He comes back onto the track three laps down in thirty-eighth. 7 Robby Gordon goes to the garage for brake repairs. 16 stayed out to lead. 26 takes the lead from 16. 99 gets by 16. 83 Brian Vickers and 11 battle. 11 takes the spot. 29 and 83 battle. 29 and 31 get by 83. 5 gets by 83. 8 and 6 get together.
The seventh caution comes out during the commercial when 19 Elliott Sadler gets into the wall. 8 and 19 were battling for position and 8 turned 19 into the wall. 17 Matt Kenseth is the Lucky dog. The leaders stay out. 2, many laps down won’t let the leaders get by on the restart. 48 and 24 finally get by 2. 16 and 11 battle. 11 finally gets by for seventh. 6 and 42 are racing side by side. 6 finally gets by. 12 and 83 battle. 83 finally gets by. 24 catches 48. 24 takes the lead in traffic. 96 and 9 battle to stay on the lead lap. 24 is having a hard time lapping 96. 16 is out of gas and has to pit.
The eighth caution comes out when 43 spins. 15 Paul Menard and 70 blow tires. 10 gets into 43 and 43 gets into the wall. The leaders all pit, leaving 16 a lap down. 38 David Gilliland is the Lucky Dog. 29 and 31 get together in the pits. Out of the pits, it’s 48, 24, 99, 88, 26, 20, 11, 1, 83, 07. 16, 8, 88 are three wide. 24 takes the lead. 19 is back on the track after repairs. 31 locks up the brakes. 77 and 12 get by him. 48 takes the lead during the commercial. 44 David Reutimann goes up the track and into the wall, gets a flat tire and heads for the pits. 1 rubs the wall. He got into the turn too high. 2 gets his brakes too hot and flattens the tire. He goes to the pits again. 66 battles 48 to stay on the lead lap. 17 is up to seventeenth. 99 and 24 battle for second. 99 and 88 get by 24. 31 is getting loose and falling back. 12 gets into the wall. 26 gets by 24. 21 and 48 get together while 48 is trying to lap 21.
18 gets another flat tire and has to pit. The heat from the brakes is heating the bead of the tire and flattening the tire. 20, in seventh, has a right front tire going down and has to pit. 11 gets by 24. 83 gets by 88 for third. 2 gets into the wall. The ninth caution comes out for debris from 2. Kurt wants to park the car already. 10 AJ Allmendinger is the Lucky Dog. The jack man for 48 slips on the brake dust after changing right sides. 48 still comes out of the pits first. 26 breaks something and heads for the garage. 24 gets by 83. 11 gets by 83. 88 and 99 battle for second. 88 goes low and gets by. 18 is back in the pits with a flat right front tire. 48 slips getting by 00. 11 and 24 battle for fourth. 20 gets another right front tire flat. 83 gets by 24 for fifth.
The tenth caution comes out with forty-two laps to go when 41 gets into the wall. The leaders all pit. 31 has to back up to get out of his pit. 17 stays out to lead. 24 blocked 31 from getting into his pit, putting him out of the pit box. He doesn’t back up and right himself before being serviced, so he will get a drive-through penalty. 17 and 48 battle for the lead. 48 takes the lead. 88 gets by 17 for second. 17 and 99 battle for third. 99 gets by 17. 24 gets by 17. Twelve cars are on the lead lap.
The eleventh caution comes out when 38 gets into the wall with a flat tire. We go Green with eight to go. 88 and 99 battle. The final caution comes out when 6 spins with three laps to go. The top ten are 48, 88, 99, 24, 11, 5, 29, 17, 1 and 07. This will be a Green, White, Checker finish, with 504 laps completed. 48 takes off at the restart. 48 Jimmy Johnson wins the Tums QuikPak 500, after starting on the pole.
Jimmy Johnson increases his point lead. Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton swap positions. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart swap positions. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin move up one position and Kyle Busch falls back three positions to 12th, 445 out of the lead. He was leading the points going into the Chase. After six races, he is last in the Chase.

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