The Final Lap – NASCAR News, Radio, Podcast

Kyle Busch Tackling Unique Tripleheader
Racing three races on one weekend is nothing new for Kyle Busch, but this coming weekend’s tripleheader at Daytona represents a most unique challenge.

First up, he’ll race Friday night in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he is the points leader. Then he’ll co-drive with Scott Speed in Saturday afternoon’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series event. After a brief “cooling-off” period, he’ll jump back into a stock car for the Coke Zero 400 Saturday night.

Big-Time Shootout at The Top of The Standings

The top four spots in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series standings this week are occupied by former series champions:

• Tony Stewart, the 2002 and ’05 champion
• Jeff Gordon, titlist in 1995, ’97-98 and ‘01
• Jimmie Johnson, champion the last three seasons
• Kurt Busch, champion in 2004 – the first year of the Chase format

(Photo Credit: CIA STOCK PHOTO)
NEVER have the top four in NASCAR Sprint Cup points been former champions this late in the season.

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The Final Lap CHAT Show #70 – Triple-File Restarts – Tue, 30 Jun 2009
We discuss Joey Logano’s win at New Hampshire, Kyle Busch admits mistake, Hornaday wins second in a row, Daytona should have triple-file restarts, and more. Hosted by Kerry Murphey & Paul Northrop

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NSCS Recap: Fountain of Youth as Logano Wins Rain-Shortened Race to Become Youngest Cup Victory

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota and a New England native from Middletown, Conn., celebrates with a local delicacy, a lobster, on Sunday after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. (Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photo)
LOUDON, N. H. — Sometimes, the sun shines even though it’s raining.

Ask young Joey Logano. A late-race rainstorm stopped the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 after 273 of the scheduled 301 laps, giving Logano his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

The 19-year-old rookie, who turned 19 on May 24, was probably the only happy driver when NASCAR announced the race official, but veterans of the sport would quickly tell the youngster to enjoy his win because “there’s no telling how long it might be before he wins another one.”

Crew chief Greg Zipadelli, Logano’s mentor and crew chief on the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, a veteran of this sport’s tremendous emotional peaks and valleys, probably told his rosy-cheeked driver, “You take em any way you can get ‘em, kid.”

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RACE RECAP | NEW HAMPSHIRE
10 Kasey Kahne
9 immie Johnson
8 Sam Hornish Jr.
7 Kyle Busch
6 Brad Keselowski
5 Tony Stewart
4 David Reutimann
3 Kurt Busch
2 Jeff Gordon

VICTORY LANE

1 – 19 year old Joey Logano becomes the youngest Cup Series winner, taking that record away from his teammate Kyle Busch.  He recovered from an early race crash and being a lap down to grab the win after the rains came.

OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY

There was an 8 car wreck that took out 3 of the 4 Richard Childress cars, only Clint Bowyer escaped without damage

Martin Truex Jr. was part of that pileup and blamed Kyle Busch for starting it, even pretended to throw his helmet at the 18 car

The major battle for most of the race was between Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch, with Tony Stewart in the mix, and Jimmie Johnson led the most laps

NCWTS Recap: Hornaday Dominates Second Straight Race
By Tim Tuttle
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Ron Hornaday Jr. took home his second straight Elvis trophy with an overpowering victory Saturday in the MemphisTravel.com 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Hornaday led 175 of 201 laps on the .75-mile track. The driver of the Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet had a commanding lead over Brian Scott’s Toyota before a late-race caution forced a green-white-checkered finish. Hornaday pulled away on the final restart and won by .653 seconds over Scott.

It was the second straight week Hornaday has led almost from start to finish. Hornaday led 180 of 200 laps at Milwaukee, where he took the points lead. Hornaday expanded it to 76 over Matt Crafton at Memphis with his third victory of the season and 42nd of his career, tops in the history of the series.

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NNS Recap: Busch holds off Logano for Nationwide win

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota, celebrates after winning the Camping World RV Sales 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, his first series victory at the track. (Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photo)
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

LOUDON, N.H. — Apparently tired of his recent pattern of leading the most laps and finishing somewhere other than first, Kyle Busch took a different tack in Saturday’s Camping World RV Sales 200.

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