Race Report - Nextel All-Star Challenge
Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
Nextel Open and All-Star Challenge
May 19, 2007; Concord, North Carolina
1.5-mile, Lowe’s Motor Speedway
OVERVIEW:
Kevin Harvick held off Jimmie Johnson to win on the night of stars at the 1.5-mile Lowe’s Motor Speedway Saturday night. Harvick, the 2007 Daytona 500 champion, added his second biggest win of the season by collecting the one million dollars that goes to the winner of the Nextel All-Star Challenge.
The All-Star Challenge was run in four 20-lap segments Sunday night. The Nextel Open was the prelude race before the main event with the top two finishers advancing. A fan vote also elected a third and final starter into the all-star race. Martin Truex Jr. won the Open, but it was Johnny Sauter making the most noise in that race. He climbed through the field to finish second. Carl Edwards led most of the race, but faded to finish third. Truex and Sauter advanced by their finishing position and Kenny Wallace was the fan vote. The field of 21 for the All-Star Challenge was set.
Matt Kenseth won the first 20-lap segment and took the command early in the evening. Kenseth’s chanced then ended in the final segments when he was caught speeding on pit road during a mandatory pit stop. Kyle Busch won the second segment, but he took himself and brother Kurt out in the final segment. The door was open for anyone to win the grand prize and Harvick stood up and took it. Harvick raced to the lead and was challenged mightily by Johnson. Harvick made all the right moves to win the race.
Kyle Petty had the colors of Coke Zero riding with him Saturday night in the Nextel Open. If Saturday night’s Open is any indication of how the #45 Coke Zero Dodge will run in the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend then good things are going to happen. Petty was one of the better cars Saturday night. Although Petty started deep in the field he worked his way up and had lap times that were some of the best. The Open featured many cautions, but Petty avoided them all. He did have to pit for fresh tires, but again moved forward to finish 14th in the 32-car field.
“The car was pretty good tonight,” said Petty. “We learned a lot of things for next week. That is important. I’m proud of the guys. We had a good race tonight.”
Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge were participants in the All-Star Challenge. Labonte, a series past champion, is an automatic entry into the event. Labonte started with a 15th place finish in the first segment. He then finished 12th in the second segment, and the team made adjustments during the 10 minute intermission teams had. The team wanted to try everything they could to put the Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge in victory lane, but the adjustments made Labonte’s car loose. Labonte spun and backed the car into the wall in the third segment ending their night. The team finished 21st.
“We were just trying to make the car better,” said Labonte. “It wasn’t handling the way we wanted in the first two segments. We were better then some, we were up to 12th, but we wanted to be better than that. We made adjustments in the break, but the car was just loose. That’s OK because we are trying to learn as much as we can to go win the Coca-Cola 600.”
The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series remains at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. The race will be televised live by FOX and broadcast live by PRN Radio |
