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Qualifying Order

Sylvania 300 | New Hampshire International Speedway

September 17, 2006| Race 27 of 36



Pos. Car Driver Make Sponsor Speed Time Behind

1 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Reese's 132.282 28.793 Leader

2 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 131.751 28.909 -0.116

3 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 131.483 28.968 -0.175

4 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Mobil 1 131.216 29.027 -0.234

5 11 Denny Hamlin* Chevrolet FedEx Express 130.667 29.149 -0.356

6 40 David Stremme* Dodge Lone Star Steakhouse/Saloon 130.305 29.230 -0.437

7 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 130.264 29.239 -0.446

8 16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard 130.193 29.255 -0.462

9 7 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Jim Beam 130.086 29.279 -0.486

10 21 Ken Schrader Ford Motorcraft Genuine Parts 130.038 29.290 -0.497

11 1 Martin Truex Jr.* Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 130.007 29.297 -0.504

12 25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet GMAC 129.993 29.300 -0.507

13 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 129.842 29.334 -0.541

14 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 129.829 29.337 -0.544

15 38 David Gilliland Ford M&M's 129.825 29.338 -0.545

16 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg's 129.763 29.352 -0.559

17 01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 129.763 29.352 -0.559

18 07 Clint Bowyer* Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 129.736 29.358 -0.565

19 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 129.652 29.377 -0.584

20 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Haas Automation/Best Buy 129.600 29.389 -0.596

21 22 Dave Blaney Dodge Caterpillar 129.577 29.394 -0.601

22 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 129.533 29.404 -0.611

23 10 Scott Riggs Dodge Stanley Tools/Valvoline 129.481 29.416 -0.623

24 42 Casey Mears Dodge Texaco/Havoline 129.437 29.426 -0.633

25 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT 129.375 29.440 -0.647

26 6 Mark Martin Ford AAA 129.322 29.452 -0.659

27 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Petty Enterprises/Victory Junction 129.300 29.457 -0.664

28 96 Tony Raines Chevrolet DLP HDTV 129.278 29.462 -0.669

29 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 129.239 29.471 -0.678

30 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Ginn Clubs & Resorts 129.121 29.498 -0.705

31 41 Reed Sorenson* Dodge Target 129.112 29.500 -0.707

32 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 129.072 29.509 -0.716

33 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 128.998 29.526 -0.733

34 32 Travis Kvapil Chevrolet Tide-Downy 128.789 29.574 -0.781

35 55 Michael Waltrip Dodge NAPA Auto Parts 128.723 29.589 -0.796

36 18 J.J. Yeley* Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 128.632 29.610 -0.817

37 88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 128.602 29.617 -0.824

38 61 Chad Chaffin Dodge Oak Glove Co. 128.126 29.727 -0.934

39 4 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet Lucas Oil Products 128.023 29.751 -0.958

40 49 Kevin Lepage Dodge LoansDepot.com 127.363 29.905 -1.112

41 89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Victory In Jesus 127.197 29.944 -1.151

42 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 127.125 29.961 -1.168

43 27 Ted Christopher Chevrolet Lilly Trucking of Virginia 126.795 30.039 -
1.246

44 130 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet Quality Metric/Pro30.com 126.505 30.108 -1.315

45 74 Derrike Cope Dodge Howes Lubricator/Royal Administration 126.274 30.163 -1.370

46 146 Carl Long Dodge MILLSTAR Tools 125.117 30.442 -1.649

47 178 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing 125.067 30.454 -1.661

48 34 Chad Blount Chevrolet Oak Glove Co. 123.254 30.902 -2.109



+ Set by Owner Points
* Denotes Rookie





WHOO-HOO!! All Penske row 2-- go Penske! ! But what the heck happened to Tony?

I don't want to talk about it , sort of sucks.



PBR Built Ford Tough Series on OLN

From Greensboro, NC Saturday 9 pm est / 8 pm pt
From Oklahoma City, Ok Sunday 8pm est / 9 pm pt
In case any of you want to watch with me. At lease the Bull's never let me down.

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WHOO-HOO!! All Penske row 2-- go Penske! ! But what the heck happened to Tony? "said mrsmopar12"

He's bring up the rear with Kasey said wvkaseyfan

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I don't know what happened to Tony, but he was 2nd or 3rd in practice. That's a good sign I guess!

Unofficial Race Results
Sylvania 300
New Hampshire International Speedway
September 17, 2006
Race 27 of 36


Fin St Car Driver Make Sponsor Pts/Bonus Laps Status

1 1 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Reese's 190/10 300 Running

2 32 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 170/0 300 Running

3 2 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 170/5 300 Running

4 5 #11 Denny Hamlin * Chevrolet FedEx Express 165/5 300 Running

5 12 #25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet GMAC 155/0 300 Running

6 14 #19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 150/0 300 Running

7 22 #31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 151/5 300 Running

8 36 #18 J.J. Yeley * Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 147/5 300 Running

9 21 #22 Dave Blaney Dodge Caterpillar 143/5 300 Running

10 25 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT 139/5 300 Running

11 26 #6 Mark Martin Ford AAA 135/5 300 Running

12 4 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge Mobil 1 127/0 300 Running

13 13 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 124/0 300 Running

14 8 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard 121/0 300 Running

15 9 #7 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Jim Beam 123/5 300 Running

16 33 #9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 115/0 300 Running

17 31 #41 Reed Sorenson * Dodge Target 112/0 300 Running

18 19 #99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 109/0 300 Running

19 3 #2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 106/0 300 Running

20 6 #40 David Stremme * Dodge Lone Star Steakhouse/Saloon 103/0 300 Running

21 24 #42 Casey Mears Dodge Texaco/Havoline 100/0 300 Running

22 11 #1 Martin Truex Jr. * Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 97/0 300 Running

23 35 #55 Michael Waltrip Dodge NAPA Auto Parts 94/0 299 Running

24 18 #07 Clint Bowyer * Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 91/0 299 Running

25 30 #14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Ginn Clubs & Resorts 93/5 299 Running

26 28 #96 Tony Raines Chevrolet DLP HDTV 85/0 299 Running

27 34 #32 Travis Kvapil Chevrolet Tide-Downy 82/0 299 Running

28 37 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 79/0 298 Running

29 42 #26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 76/0 297 Running

30 40 #49 Kevin Lepage Dodge LoansDepot.com 73/0 297 Running

31 39 #4 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet Lucas Oil Products 70/0 296 Running

32 17 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 67/0 295 Running

33 10 #21 Ken Schrader Ford Motorcraft Genuine Parts 64/0 294 Running

34 38 #61 Chad Chaffin Dodge Oak Glove Co. 61/0 292 Running

35 23 #10 Scott Riggs Dodge Stanley Tools/Valvoline 58/0 291 Running

36 15 #38 David Gilliland Ford M&M's 55/0 291 Running

37 27 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Petty Enterprises/Victory Junction 52/0 290 Running

38 16 #5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg's 49/0 275 Running

39 7 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 46/0 232 Running

40 29 #43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 43/0 207 Out of Race

41 43 #27 Ted Christopher Chevrolet Lilly Trucking of Virginia 40/0 123 Out of Race

42 41 #89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Victory In Jesus 37/0 61 Out of Race

43 20 #66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Haas Automation/Best Buy 34/0 2 Out of Race


* Denotes Rookie

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Lap 300 -- CHECKERED FLAG: Kevin Harvick leads the most laps, wins the Sylvania 300 and takes the points lead for the first time.

Lap 300 -- Martin Truex Jr. crashes to the inside wall as the field takes the checkers. He flies back up the track and clips Travis Kvapil hard.

Lap 296 -- Tony Stewart passes Jeff Gordon on the outside for second.

Lap 296 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick leads the field to the final laps.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Tony Stewart
4. Brian Vickers
5. Jeff Burton

Lap 292 -- YELLOW FLAG: Kyle Petty's engine blows up.

Lap 285 -- Jeff Gordon gets around Brian Vickers for second place, while they trail Kevin Harvick by 2 seconds.

Lap 282 -- The top four drivers who did not pit on the last caution are still running 1-4.

Lap 270 -- Tony Raines is black-flagged for jumping the restart.

Lap 270 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick gets the race going again.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Brian Vickers
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Jeff Burton
5. Denny Hamlin

Lap 266 -- The top four drivers stay out, but some come in for adjustments:
• Matt Kenseth is in for tires and fuel
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in to make final adjustments because he called his car a "really bad name"
• Kasey Kahne gives up his top-10 position to make a two-tire stop

Lap 265 -- YELLOW FLAG: Scott Riggs tags the wall and makes it back to pit road. A bead melted on the tire, sending him into the wall.

Lap 247 -- After staying out, Dave Blaney is hanging on in fourth position. But the question is who can make it the rest of the way on fuel.

Lap 216 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kevin Harvick gets by Dave Blaney as the leaders work through traffic from the tail-end of the lead lap.

Lap 214 -- GREEN FLAG: Dave Blaney leads the field to green.
1. Dave Blaney
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brian Vickers
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 211 -- Dave Blaney stays out to lead.

Lap 210 -- All of the leaders are on pit road:
• Matt Kenseth takes fuel only
• Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton take fuel only
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes two tires
• Kevin Harvick gets fuel and patches the front hole

Lap 207 -- YELLOW FLAG: Bobby Labonte spins and rolls backwards down the wall through Turns 3 and 4. Labonte was slowing down heading for the turn and got tagged, sending him into the wall.

Lap 203 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick takes the green.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Ryan Newman
3. Brian Vickers
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Matt Kenseth

Lap 200 -- Kevin Harvick's crew is concerned with a tiny hole in the front of the car's body. They are preparing a patch in case.

Lap 198 -- YELLOW FLAG: Kyle Busch spins in Turn 4 after making contact with Clint Bowyer. Busch backs his car into the wall and has heavy damage. He sprints to pit road and then to the garage.

Lap 198 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick gets the race going again.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Ryan Newman
3. Brian Vickers
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Matt Kenseth

Lap 194 -- All the leaders are in for stops:
• Kevin Harvick gets adjustments and fixed a fender on his car
• Ryan Newman's two-tire stop puts him out second
• Brian Vickers has another fast stop and is off pit road third
• Kasey Kahne gets the free pass

Lap 193 -- YELLOW FLAG: Debris in Turn 3.

Lap 180 -- After green-flag stops, Kevin Harvick is back out front.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Brian Vickers
3. Jeff Burton
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Tony Stewart

Lap 177 -- LEAD CHANGE: Robby Gordon is in for his stop, giving the lead back to Kevin Harvick.

Lap 176 -- LEAD CHANGE: J.J. Yeley hits pit road, giving the lead to Robby Gordon.

Lap 175 -- Brian Vickers has the fastest stop because he pitted five laps early. But Kevin Harvick runs him down and passes him.

Lap 172 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth is in giving the lead to J.J. Yeley. Kenseth has no brakes and is battling a loose car.

Lap 171 -- LEAD CHANGE: Mark Martin is in for his stop, giving the lead to teammate Matt Kenseth.

Lap 169 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton hit pit road for tires and fuel. Harvick is in five laps before his scheduled stop. Mark Martin inherits the lead.

Lap 168 -- Kurt Busch is in for his stop.

Lap 167 -- Casey Mears is in but slides in too close to the wall. He backs his car up, moves off the air hose and then begins the stop.

Lap 166 -- Jeff Gordon and Brian Vickers are on pit road for four tires and fuel.

Lap 165 -- Green-flag pit stops are beginning. Tony Stewart is in and out. Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his stop.

Lap 153 -- Jimmie Johnson is back on the track in his damaged vehicle. He is running 41st at 65 laps down.

Lap 138 -- LEAD CHANGE: After following him for several laps, Kevin Harvick moves around teammate Jeff Burton for the lead. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has caught the two leaders.

Lap 131 -- Kasey Kahne is on pit road for an unscheduled stop. He thinks there is a tire down.

Lap 116 -- Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. get around Jeff Gordon to run second and third, respectively.

Lap 103 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Burton leads the field to green.
1. Jeff Burton
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Brian Vickers
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 97 -- Travis Kvapil gets the free pass.

Lap 96 -- YELLOW FLAG: Debris is on the track between Turns 1 and 2. It is rubber off of Dave Blaney's blown tire.

Lap 95 -- David Gilliland slaps the wall with damage on the right rear. No caution.

Lap 93 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Burton gets the race going again.
1. Jeff Burton
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Brian Vickers
5. Mark Martin

Lap 89 -- Kyle Petty gets the free pass.

Lap 88 -- YELLOW FLAG: Jimmie Johnson slams hard into the wall. He was on the outside, Greg Biffle slowed down and the chain reaction of Sterling Marlin knocked Johnson into the fence. Heavy damage is on the 48 car.

Lap 86 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Burton slips by Jeff Gordon for the lead. Ted Christopher spins but gets going again without a caution.

Lap 85 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon gets them going again.
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Jeff Burton
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Brian Vickers
5. Mark Martin

Lap 81 -- Everyone hits pit road for adjustments:
• Jeff Gordon gets four tires and fuel in 14 seconds and is off first
• Jeff Burton is out in 14 seconds also
• Kevin Harvick's crew inserts a spring rubber in the right rear but he loses no spots
• Jimmie Johnson has the hood up working on some plug wires; he will return
• Jamie McMurray gets the free pass

Lap 80 -- YELLOW FLAG: Debris is in Turn 2.

Lap 64 -- Tony Stewart has worked his way from a 32nd starting position to run in eighth place.

Lap 52 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon goes under Kevin Harvick for the lead. Harvick stays close until the two come off Turn 2.

Lap 35 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kevin Harvick bumps Denny Hamlin out of the lead. Jeff Burton had raced Hamlin for several laps, and Harvick got tired of waiting, went three-wide and bumped his way back to the front. Hamlin shuffles back to eighth.

Lap 33 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads the field to green.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Jeff Burton
3. Kevin Harvick
4. David Stremme
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 31 -- Sterling Marlin and Chad Chaffin head to pit road, giving the lead to Denny Hamlin.

Lap 30 -- Sterling Marlin and Chad Chaffin stay out, and Marlin gets five bonus points for leading.


Lap 29 -- Everyone is on pit road:
• Jeff Gordon is in for four tires and out in 13.7 seconds
• Jimmie Johnson gets four tires in 13.9
• Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton win the race off pit road with two-tire stops, both gaining six positions

Lap 28 -- YELLOW FLAG: Joe Nemechek is in the wall in Turn 4. Nemechek got loose and Scott Riggs touched him to send him into the fence.

Lap 28 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon edges around Kevin Harvick and holds on to take the lead.

Lap 15 -- Greg Biffle is complaining of a steering problem. He is running 11th. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch is running one lap down in 41st.

Lap 8 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick gets the race under way again.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kurt Busch
4. Ryan Newman
5. David Stremme

Lap 7 -- Kyle Busch made four pit stops during the caution trying to fix the right front. Jeff Green has been released from the infield care center.

Lap 4 -- Kyle Busch is on pit road. He has damage on the front and right side. He also has some problems with the alignment.

Lap 3 -- YELLOW FLAG: Jeff Green spins on the frontstretch and slams the wall. He has heavy damage to the front and rear. He made contact with Kyle Busch, then Sterling Marlin ran over a spring.

Lap 1 -- Kevin Harvick gets away to lead the first lap.

1:40 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon leads the field to green.

1:39 p.m. -- No cars to the back. Word is Matt Kenseth has battled brake problems all weekend.


1:37 p.m. -- Cars are rolling on the track.

1:32 p.m. -- Frank Santiago: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

1:26 p.m. -- A power outage went through the speedway temporarily. Glad it's not a night race.

1:25 p.m. -- National anthem.

1:24 p.m. -- Invocation.

1:13 p.m. -- Wally Dallenbach rides around New Hampshire by himself in Wally's World. So is it Wally's world and we're just living in it?

1:00 p.m. -- TNT gives an explanation of how pit road speed is clocked. Best way to say it: Computers.

12:55 p.m. -- TNT highlights the "over-the-wall guys" on the pit crews, a ballet of wrenches and rubber.

12:48 p.m. -- Getting caught in somebody else's mess may be the understatement of the race at Loudon. Wally Dallenbach says a DNF today will be tough to overcome.

12:44 p.m. -- Kyle Busch says a reason he could be the guy to beat for the Chase is because of his team. Kurt Busch says he's doing anything to give advice to his brother.

12:31 p.m. -- TNT's pre-race coverage is on the air. Guess what's the news?

9:03 a.m. -- It's 55 degrees and foggy at New Hampshire International Speedway as Round 1 of the Chase is four hours away

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WOOHOO! Tony finished 2nd! I'm soooo happy! Of course I'd be even happier had he done that last week.

Clear!Blue Communications For Dodge Motorsports, Press Release


KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger) – Finished 16th, 8th in points, 110 behind leader Kevin Harvick

“We didn't qualify that well, but we worked our way into the top 10 in the first half of the race. Then, we had a tire going down and had to make an unscheduled pit stop under green. That put us two laps down, but we overcame that, got those laps back and we were running in the top 10 with 50 laps to go. On the last pit stop, we got blocked in and had to back up, so that cost us a couple of spots in track position. I still thought we could get a top 10, but the car was just too tight at the end and we couldn’t go anywhere.”


ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger)

“It was a great day for the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger team, finishing in the top 10. I think it shows our team is jelling together. Josh (Browne, team director) made some awesome adjustments, and we went for track position there at the end and it worked in our favor. We improved our position in the owners’ points, and that was our second top-10 in five races since I came to Evernham Motorsports. It was also our best finish here. All in all, it was a great weekend for the No. 19 team.”


RAY EVERNHAM (Owner, CEO Evernham Motorsports)

“We didn't really have a great racecar today. We were a seventh, eight or ninth-place car. We had to keep trying different pit strategies. We would have probably finished there, but we got blocked in on that last pit stop. Once we lost track position, we had to take two tires and that killed us.”


BOBBY LABONTE (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Charger)

“The track was actually pretty good. Our car got a little tighter as we went along. I’m not really sure what happened. We wrecked, but I need to see a replay to know for sure what happened.”


SCOTT RIGGS (No. 10 Stanley Tools/Valvoline Dodge Charger)

“This was a tough day. The handling wasn't as good as we wanted. Our tire got cut entering Turn 3 and that put us in the outside wall and cost us a good finish. We worked hard on the car and avoided taking a DNF. In these final races we are gunning for some top finishes so we will be going straight from here to test tomorrow at Kentucky to do what we can to finish out the year strong.”


RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 Mobil 1/Alltel Dodge Charger) – 12th

“We had a good car. At times we showed skills of greatness. At times we were really good and then we had one bad run there at the end and didn’t have the greatest track position at the end. I thought we had a pretty good car. We just couldn’t show it, but I’m happy to say two weeks in a row that we had a better car than we finished. We haven’t been able to say that a lot this year. I look forward to going to Dover. It’s been one of my favorite tracks. New Hampshire has been one of my favorite tracks, too. Matt (crew chief Borland) said 15 laps into the run that we had the quickest car. We were sitting back in eighth position. We had a fast car. We just never got the right conditions to show it. We weren’t up front when our car was good to be able to stay up front. I think we could have stayed up there. When we came in third and came out sixth or seventh on that last stop, that hurt a little bit.”

FIRST SEASON YOU HAVEN’T BEEN IN THE CHASE. WAS IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND TODAY?

“Yeah, it sucks, no doubt. We know why we’re not in The Chase, and we’re trying to fix those things for this year and next year.”

ROGER PENSKE JUST SAID HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TWO CARS IN THE CHASE NEXT YEAR

“I think we should. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t. If your team has its game together, and we should – we say we have the resources. We say we have the people. If we don’t do it, then obviously we don’t have those things.”

ANY ADVICE FOR KASEY KAHNE IT BEING HIS FIRST TIME IN THE CHASE?

“Just stay smart. You never know what’s going to happen to people like Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. They’re not out of it, but anything can come your way a lot easier than it can go away from you. There may be only one guy who doesn’t have any problems in the final 10 races, but that just depends on if he’s the guy to beat or not. If a guy runs mediocre, doesn’t have a bad race and finishes 10th in all of them, he’s got a good shot at winning the championship. A guy who wins the most races might not win the championship as we’ve seen in the past. It all depends on how the cookie crumbles.”

IS YOUR TEAM EXPERIMENTING?

“There’s no such thing as experimenting. We’re going out there racing, doing what we think is right to make our car fast. There’s no such thing as experimenting on our part. We’re trying things based on what we think is right to make the car go faster.”

HOW MANY OF THE LAST NINE RACES CAN YOU WIN?

“We’re going to go into it saying we can win nine, but one of our strong suits is Talladega. Other tracks I look forward to are Dover, Martinsville and Charlotte. We’ll do some homework for the rest of them and try to improve, but I’m really looking forward to most of these upcoming tracks.”

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.

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Home Depot Driver Scores 11th Top-Five of 2006

True Speed Communication For Joe Gibbs Racing, Press Release

Date: Sept. 17, 2006
Event: Sylvania 300 (Round 27 of 36)
Series: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Location: New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 32nd/2nd (Running, completed 300 of 300 laps)
Winner: Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing

Tony Stewart finished second in Sunday's Sylvania 300 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon because at the end of the race, he had four fresh tires while those around him had only two.

Crew chief Greg Zipadelli conferred with Stewart and together they made the call for four tires rather than two during the race's second to last caution on lap 267.

As most everyone else in the top-10 took two tires, Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet was shod with four fresh Goodyears. The extra time on pit road dropped Stewart from fifth to eighth, but with still 30 laps remaining in the 300-lap race, it was plenty of time for the two-time and reigning series champion to make one last charge to the front.

"Zippy asked me on that second to last caution whether he thought we ought to stay out or come pit. I said that we weren't good enough to win right now, and we've got nothing to lose so we've got to go for the win," said Stewart.

"So, we came in and pitted and it ended up working out for us. We're really happy with the day. The Home Depot crew did an awesome job."

Stewart's win-or-bust attitude stems from being eliminated from the 10-driver, 10-race Chase for the Championship, as he fell 16 points shy of making the Chase Sept. 9 at Richmond (Va.). The best point finish Stewart can attain is 11th, something that's of little motivation to the 26-time Nextel Cup race winner.

However, acquiring more race trophies - something that motivated Stewart from the time he began racing go-karts at age eight - is what drives Stewart when there's no championship to be won.

"The pressure is off," said Stewart. "Not that that's what we were looking to do, by any means. But now we're now able to do all those things that we wouldn't normally be able to do in a points situation when you can't take those chances. We have the flexibility to take each race and strictly do what we've always wanted to do, and that's just to try and win the race.

"Even though you try and win the race, a lot of times in a points situation you can't take chances doing that. It's our goal each week to win. We weren't able to always do that, but now, for sure, 100 percent, we can go out there and strictly do whatever it takes to win."

Stewart almost won at New Hampshire, as he came from 32nd in the 43-car field to 10th by lap 46. He continued his upward climb to become a top-10 mainstay, scratching his way to fifth by lap 180.

Breaking through toward fourth-place and beyond proved difficult though, as Stewart's Home Depot Chevrolet wouldn't allow him the grip he needed in the center of the corners.

But Zipadelli's constant chassis adjustments made the No. 20 machine stout when it needed to be, allowing Stewart to climb from eighth to second in the final 30 laps - a charge that included passing four-time champion Jeff Gordon on the outside in turns one and two with only three laps to go.

"Jeff was racing hard and you didn't want to get in the middle of the championship he's fighting for," said Stewart. "But at the same time, we've got a race to win too. When he went to the bottom and committed himself down there, I went to the top. The good thing is that it stuck and I got a good run off of (turn) two."

Stewart's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates - Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley - finished fourth and eighth, respectively. It was the first time since October 2005 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway that all three JGR drivers finished in the top-10 during the same race. The finish was somewhat similar in that event, as Stewart finished second, former JGR driver Bobby Labonte finished fourth and Hamlin finished eighth.

Hamlin continues to lead the trio of JGR drivers in the championship point standings, as he is the lone JGR representative in the Chase for the Championship. Hamlin climbed three spots to second in points, 35 markers behind series leader Kevin Harvick.

Stewart maintained his 11th place point standing and has a healthy 313-point lead over 12th place Greg Biffle.

Yeley gained one spot and is now 26th in points, just 33 markers outside the top-25.

Harvick earned the point lead by winning the Sylvania 300. It was his ninth career Nextel Cup victory, his second straight win and his fourth this season. Behind Stewart in third was Jeff Gordon, while Hamlin and Brian Vickers secured the rest of the top-five. Elliott Sadler, Jeff Burton, Yeley, Dave Blaney and Matt Kenseth comprised the rest of the top-10.

The next event on the Nextel Cup schedule - the second race of the 10-race Chase for the Championship - is the Sept. 24 Dover 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. The race begins at 1:10 p.m. EDT with live, high-definition coverage provided by TNT.


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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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