Race
The two-day postponement because of weather was the first since the 1997 DieHard 500 at Talladega. In that case, the race was run on the day before Mothers' Day, which was May 10. However, this race would be started on August 21 at 10:00 a.m. With no rain scheduled until the afternoon, the race ran its full distance although NASCAR waved a competition caution for the drivers to adjust their cars.
Kurt Busch, driving a Dodge Charger, held off the Chevrolet Monte Carlos of Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, under a green-white-checkered finish, to take his second win in three races. As with his earlier victory at Pocono, Busch led the most laps, 96 out of 203.
Gordon and Denny Hamlin, the top two drivers in the Cup standings, clinched places in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. Busch remained in 12th place, but extended his lead over 13th place Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to 163 points.
Also, Bill Davis Racing took back 35th place in the owners' standings for its #22 team on the strength of a sixth-place finish from Dave Blaney. This meant that BDR was guaranteed a starting spot for the next race, the Sharpie 500. Wood Brothers/JTG Racing (#21) fell back to 36th. It was the third change for 35th, between these teams, since late July.
For the first time in the brief history of Toyota in the Cup series, two of its drivers finished in the top 10 in the same race: Blaney and Brian Vickers (8th).
The race telecast, scheduled for ESPN, was relocated to ESPN2.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | Penske Racing |
| 2. | #1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
| 3. | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 4. | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 5. | #11 | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6. | #22 | Dave Blaney | Toyota | Bill Davis Racing |
| 7. | #99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 8. | #83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Team Red Bull |
| 9. | #43 | Bobby Labonte | Dodge | Petty Enterprises |
| 10. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
Read more about this topic: 2007 3M Performance 400
Famous quotes containing the word race:
“Before we shall again behold
In his diurnal race the world’s great eye,
We may as silent be and cold
As are the shades where buried lovers lie.”
—Sir William Davenant (1606–1668)
“As a thinker and planner, the ant is the equal of any savage race of men; as a self-educated specialist in several arts, she is the superior of any savage race of men; and in one or two high mental qualities she is above the reach of any man, savage or civilized.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“And Zeus will destroy this race of mortal men too, when they, at their birth, have grey hair on their temples.”
—Hesiod (c. 8th century B.C.)