Race Report - Las Vegas

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
2. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
3. Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet
4. Matt Kenseth, Ford
5. Mark Martin, Ford
13. Bobby Labonte, #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
28. Kyle Petty, #45 Wells Fargo Dodge

OVERVIEW:

The worry going into Sunday’s race were track conditions and a ‘harder’ tire that Goodyear introduced to teams going into this weekend at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series race was marred with 12 caution periods with many drivers reporting struggles with the harder tire on the newly-paved track. The conditions were described by one driver as, “like driving on black ice”. The outlook didn’t look better at the start of Sunday’s UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.

Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team showed their strength as a team. A strong day ended with a 13th place finish on Sunday. A mechanical error earlier in the week during qualifying forced the team to a backup car on Saturday. Immediately the Paul Andrews-led crew went to work to make sure Labonte had a superior car for Sunday’s race. The team’s hard work paid off. Labonte, who started 42nd, used tires that already were slightly used (referred to as ‘scrubbed’) to propel him through the field. Labonte moved from 42nd to 15th by lap 120. Labonte raced inside the top-15 for that point to lap 165. The team also led three times for a total of three laps to earn five bonus points. The team was forced to use new tires during the later part of the race and Labonte went down a lap. The team was able to secure more ‘scrubbed’ tires. That was the medicine the car needed. Labonte positioned the car for the ‘lucky dog’ and was awarded his lap back during a lap 252 caution. Labonte then wheeled the car to 13th in the final 11 laps of the race. The team’s best finish to the young season, Labonte moved up to 21st in driver points heading into Atlanta.

“I thought we had a really good Cheerios Dodge on Saturday,” said Labonte. “I felt good about it, but you just didn’t know because the track is so temperamental right now. We were really, really good all day. We just had that one set of tires that set us back. It’s a great effort considering we were pulling out a backup car on Friday afternoon. I’m happy for everyone associated with the team today.”

Petty and the #45 Wells Fargo Dodge team were ready to get back on the track after a strong run in California two weekends ago. Petty was fast during Friday’s qualifying session and started Sunday’s race in the 22nd position. The Wells Fargo Dodge just lacked the ‘grip’ it needed early in the race. Petty wasn’t able to be as aggressive as he needed to race against other competitors. Petty, however, was given the changes he needed and moved back forward. Billy Wilburn made changes to the car and its performance picked up tremendously later in the race. Petty was able to gain a lap he lost and beat some competitors he had raced against all afternoon. Petty’s Wells Fargo Dodge was best at the end and he finished 28th. Petty remained 33rd in points heading into Atlanta- a race he scored an eighth place finish in 2006.

“We got back in the game at the end,” said Petty. “We just didn’t have the grip we needed earlier in the day. We really fought that. I think a lot of guys did. The guys made the changes and it helped us a ton at the end. That’s what matters. We were able to gain at the end.”

The caution flag waved three times in the opening 20 laps. Drivers, however, were able to manage the conditions and the race went ‘green’ from laps 24-40 and again from laps 45 to 108. NASCAR also implemented a smaller fuel cell for Sunday’s race to help with race conditions. Teams were sent down pit road nearly double as much for a normal 400-mile race on a track the same size. That resulted in 20 lead changes between 16 drivers- both records for the track. Jeff Gordon led the most laps, but lost the lead to Jeff Burton with 31 laps left. Burton led briefly before a problem on his car made him lose power. Johnson passed Burton for the lead and had command the rest of the afternoon. Gordon came back for second while Burton faded back to 15th. Denny Hamlin was third while Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin completed the top five. Martin maintained his points lead, but earlier in the week again reiterated the fact that he will not be competing in the Nextel Cup series full-time this season.

Jimmie Johnson pulled the three-peat on Sunday, winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third consecutive year. Johnson hasn’t lost a Nextel Cup race at the track since 2004. The win propelled Johnson to fourth in championship standings. Johnson beat teammate Jeff Gordon for the win.

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series now heads to the 1.54-mile Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway for the Kobalt Tools 500. The race will be televised live on FOX and broadcast live on PRN Radio.