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Gordon And Johnson Score Top-10 Finishes
23/02/2009
Fellow Quaker State Drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Mark Martin Suffer Engine Part Problems.
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Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson had solid runs in the Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway with both drivers leading laps and scoring top-10 finishes.
Fellow Quaker State Teammates Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Mark Martin also had solid runs going before losing engines late in the race – due to a bad batch of engine parts.
Three-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson had a strong qualifying run with a lap quick enough to put him on the outside of the front row for the 250-lap event. Johnson took over the lead on the opening lap and remained at the top spot for many laps. Racing in the top-five for the majority of the race, Johnson took the checkered flag in the ninth position.
Fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon was also solid all night after starting from the sixth position. The four-time champion took the lead on lap 89 and remained in the top-five for most of the event. Gordon made a late-race charge for the lead but just did not have enough to catch eventual race winner Matt Kenseth.
Both Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Mark Martin were running in the top 15 when they had their engines expire late in the race due to faulty parts. The two drivers took their cars to the garage area within a handful of laps of each other and finished 39th and 40th respectively for the evening.
Matt Kenseth scored his second win in a row with Gordon in the runner-up spot. Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five.
Next up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the running of the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Live television coverage begins on Sunday, March 1, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on PRN (Performance Racing Network) and Sirius Satellite Radio with coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).