Race Report - Watkins Glen

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Tony Stewart, Chevrolet
2. Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet
3. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
4. Ron Fellows, Chevrolet
5. Robby Gordon, Ford
24. Bobby Labonte, #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
43. Kyle Petty, #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge

OVERVIEW:

If Tony Stewart had the spin and win, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team had a spin and save in Sunday's Centurion Boats at The Glen. Labonte was spun around on the restart of the Montoya-Harvick accident on lap 77. Labonte quickly pointed the car in the right direction and was back on track. He had right front damage and came down pit road for quick repairs. The caution came out on lap 80 and Labonte was able to recover from the lost time. The race went back green on lap 83 and the final seven laps Labonte made his charge to finish 24th and salvage from the spin. The team was looking at a possible top 15 finish before the accident. Labonte did lead three laps of the event before having to pit for a scheduled fuel stop. He remains 20th in championship points.

“It’s a restart and guys get all piled up,” said Labonte. “We were boxed in during our first stop of the day. That put us further behind than where we wanted to be. We cycled through the second pit stop and it looked like a top 15 finish. The final 20 laps were pretty wild and we were hit. You do all you can in the final 10 laps to get back up to the front. The car wasn’t bad, but it was pretty wild on the track.”

Jeff Gordon had everything going his way in Sunday’s Centurion Boats at The Glen until the last two laps. Gordon spun his car in Turn One on lap 88 of the 90 lap event and lost the lead to eventual winner Tony Stewart. Stewart held off a strong challenge from Carl Edwards on the final lap. The battle left Edwards off the track and into the gravel. He finished eighth while Gordon finished ninth.

The last road course race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season left fans on the edge of their seats and looking forward to Michigan. It was the typical road race stars on the circuit that garnered all the attention during Sunday’s race. Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon and Juan Montoya were all favorites on Sunday. Jeff Gordon emerged as the most dominant of them all. Gordon led the majority of the race before losing it in Turn One. Stewart, who had spun earlier in the race while leading in the same turn, had charged back through the field and took the victory.

The event was also highlighted by a major disagreement between Juan Montoya and Kevin Harvick. Both competitors were collected in an accident that Harvick didn’t take too lightly. Harvick walked over to Montoya and discussed his displeasure with millions watching at home and thousands watching at the track. The two shoved each other before being broken up.

There was a feel of optimism in the pits of Kyle Petty and the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge team heading into Sunday’s race. Petty is known for his love of road course racing and is a former winner at Watkins Glen. Unfortunately the team was never given a chance. The transmission broke on the first lap and the team was sent into the garage for a replacement. Petty lost laps in the process, but the team did an unbelievable job of replacing the most important piece on the car for a road course event. Petty’s bad luck did not end there however. Petty and Dale Jarrett came together on the track that resulted in the end of Petty’s day.

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series now heads to the Michigan International Speedway for Sunday’s 3M Performance 400. The race will be televised live by ESPN and broadcast live on MRN Radio.