Race Report - Atlanta FINAL RESULTS: 1. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet 2. Carl Edwards, Ford 3. Reed Sorenson, Dodge 4. Matt Kenseth, Ford 5. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet 13. Kyle Petty, #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge 41. Bobby Labonte, #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge OVERVIEW: Terrible luck was on the side of Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team in Sunday’s Pep Boys 500 at the 1.54-mile Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. It was filled with promise as Labonte started the afternoon in the 11th position. Labonte raced in the top-15 early, and on longer runs had a car that eventually raced into the 10th position. Their good run was cut short after something went wrong on the car sending Labonte into the wall on lap 162. The wreck was severe enough to send Labonte and the team behind the wall for repairs. They were able to make repairs and finished the race completing 238 laps. “We just went down into the corner and something let go,” said Labonte. “I’m not sure what it was and we will have to take a look at it. Something broke and it went away on me. I tried to get it off the wall, but the car was moving too fast. It’s just bad luck, but we’ll break it. We’ve been running so strong lately not to get that good finish soon.” If there was one team that didn’t want to see the power plant of Newman’s Dodge explode it was that of Kyle Petty and the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge. Petty had made his last pit stop and the team was in position to make a run until the end. In what might have been shades of Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May, Petty was possibly looking at a top-five finish if for no more cautions. Instead, Petty nearly raced his way to a top-10 finish using his skill and experience. Petty was in the 21st position after the lap 267 restart. Petty easily powered by Casey Mears, Greg Biffle and others to climb into the top-20. The last caution periods, Petty masterfully drove underneath and around spinning cars and flying debris- one such featured Petty going into the infield grass to avoid damaged cars. The moves allowed Petty to move into the top-15 on the last restart. The last restart could not have come any sooner as the grass and dirt that had collected underneath the car during Petty’s infield trip had started to clog the front of his car. It was becoming ‘hot’ and water started to come out of the overflow, but the engine was strong enough to gas Petty to a 13th place finish. It’s the team’s fourth top-25 finish in the last five races. Petty remains 34th in owner points, but is only 14 points behind 33rd. “That was just a great run and finish for everyone,” said Petty. “That’s a good day for Marathon, Wells Fargo and Tire Kingdom and everyone associated with the team. We led a lap and the guys did a great job of getting this car up front. We gained on those guys today and closed in on some too. It was wild at the end, but pretty cool too. It was fun to race with those guys and survive all that.” Jimmie Johnson took just two tires on the final pit stop to get him to the front of the field. The pit call helped him propel towards the front, and after an accident on the restart involving the leader, he found himself in the lead. Johnson held on for the win after a green-white-checkered finish was stopped short by another accident involving front runners. It was a most bizarre ending to Sunday’s 325 lap race at one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit. The beginning of the race featured a red flag period for an accident that saw Mark Martin collide with a spinning David Gilliland. Both cars were severely damaged in the wreck, but both drivers were able to walk away unhurt. The race was then relatively run with no major incidents. Drivers Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. led for the majority of the afternoon. The drivers took turns leading throughout the race. A caution for a shredded tire of Joe Nemechek on lap 234 set the stage for one last run, but having enough fuel to race to the end became an issue. Ryan Newman then blew an engine on lap 267 and all the leaders came down pit road for fuel, all but driver Denny Hamlin. Hamlin, instead, decided to gamble by staying out. Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. took two tires and restarted second and third. On the restart Hamlin’s car ran out of gas and created a mass of piling cars behind him. The result was Johnson taking the lead as the caution came out again for cars scattered on the frontstretch. The last restart, a green-white-checkered finish, Earnhardt Jr. tried to go for the win, but instead wrecked in Turn One, thus ending the race. Johnson won and closed the gap on Jeff Gordon in the championship battle to a mere nine points. The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series now heads to the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway for the Dickies 500. The race will be televised live on ABC and broadcast live on PRN Radio.