News and Media Releases

Gordon Takes Points Lead

03/03/2009

Earnhardt also Scores a Top-10 Finish While Martin and Johnson have Problems.

Jeff Gordon scored a sixth-place finish in the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and took over the points lead after the third race of the 2009 season. 

Fellow Quaker State driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished 10th while Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin had problems.
 

Four-time Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon has had a solid start to the 2009 season and kept that streak going with a sixth-place finish in Las Vegas. Gordon battled teammate Jimmie Johnson for the lead early in the race before having trouble getting on to pit road during a green-flag stop causing him to blow a right front tire.

The No. 24 DuPont team made repairs to Gordon’s machine under the caution and was able to keep him on the lead lap. Gordon rallied back from the pit road mishap and was able score his second top-10 finish in just three races.

Fellow Quaker State driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Junior) also had an up and down race after starting in the 31st position. 

He lost a lap early in the event after getting caught speeding on pit road. NASCAR’s “Most Popular Driver” was able to get his lap back just before the 100-lap mark and  be in position to battle his way to the front of the field.

Junior remained in the top-15 for much of the later part of the race before taking the checkered flag in the 10th position.

Reigning Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson had a strong Chevrolet leading the first 50 laps of the race. He remained in the top-10 for much of the event before trouble on pit road relegated the three-time champion to a lap down. Johnson was able to get his lap back and was running back in the top-10 before losing control and making heavy contact with the outside retaining wall on lap 279. With less than a handful of laps left Johnson had to settle for a 24th-place finish.

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin started the event in the eighth position and was running in the top-five when he lost an engine that ended his day early. He was credited with the 40th spot.

Las Vegas native Kyle Busch took the checkered flag scoring his first win of the 2009 season with Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton finishing second and third. David Reutimann and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top-five.

Next up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the running of the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.  Live television coverage begins on Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 1:30 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 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).