The Final Lap – NASCAR News, Radio, Podcast

1 7 5 Kasey Kahne Quaker State Chevrolet
2 8 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
3 17 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Red-White-Blue Toyota
4 4 16 Greg Biffle Fastenal Ford
5 24 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
6 12 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. NationalGuardAnAmericanSalute Chevrolet
7 23 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
8 14 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet
9 28 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford
10 20 17 Matt Kenseth Fastenal Ford
11 3 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet
12 15 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
13 5 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
14 16 39 Ryan Newman US ARMY Chevrolet
15 9 27 Paul Menard Menards/Serta Chevrolet
16 1 43 Aric Almirola US Air Force Ford
17 10 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
18 18 83 Landon Cassill Burger King Real Fruit Smoothies Toyota
19 22 31 Jeff Burton Wheaties Chevrolet
20 29 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet

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RACE RECAP | COCA-COLA 600
10 Matt Kenseth
9 Carl Edwards
8 Kevin Harvick
7 Jeff Gordon almost like a win
6 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5 Brad Keselowski
4 Greg Biffle led the most laps (204)
3 Kyle Busch
2 Denny Hamlin moves up to 3rd in points

VICTORY LANE

1 Kasey Kahne grabs his 13th career win, 1st this year and with Hendrick Motorsports. It’s also Kasey’s 3rd Coca-Cola 600 victory

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Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCAR

By: Toby Christie – Follow on Twitter @Tobalical

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career has caught a second-wind after horrid seasons in 2009 and 2010 where he finished outside the top-20 in the point standings. Last season Earnhardt began building a foundation with his new crew chief Steve Letarte. The two gelled nearly to perfection, and Earnhardt returned to the Chase for the first time since 2008.

This season Earnhardt is on fire. Through the first seven races he has racked up five top-ten finishes, and he has yet to finish outside of the top-15 in any event. Coincidentally now that Earnhardt has things turned around, the rest of Hendrick Motorsports seems to be struggling to find their way as the organization sits at 199 wins in the Sprint Cup Series.

Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne can’t seem to buy good luck, while Jimmie Johnson was mired in a cheating scandal during the early stages of the season.

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April 15, 2012

NASCAR Wire Service

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Kasey Kahne capped a successful weekend of triple-duty Sunday afternoon, winning the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 to mark NASCAR’s return to Rockingham Speedway for the first time since 2004.

Kahne — who finished seventh in the Sprint Cup Series on Saturday and third in the Nationwide Series on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway — surged to the front in the 155th lap of 200 to notch his fourth win in five starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

James Buescher finished second with Matt Crafton third and Johnny Sauter fourth. Timothy Peters jumped into the series’ points lead with a combination of a fifth-place finish and an early wreck for teammate John King, the Daytona winner who led the points coming in.

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Kahne’s second Coors Light Pole of the season at Martinsville moved him ahead of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates with the most fast qualifying performances – 18 – since 2006. Jimmie Johnson has 17 and Jeff Gordon 16. Unfortunately for Kahne, fast on pole day hasn’t translated to finishing well on race day. He failed to lead a lap at Martinsville, just as he did at Las Vegas.

“I am upset that we haven’t run great this year, but we are great on Friday and Saturday, we were fast again today, and we have the speed so when it’s our time we will be ready to take advantage of it,” said Kahne, who slid to 31st in NASCAR Sprint Cup points following his engine failure at Martinsville.

Kahne isn’t the only “big name” driver outside the top 20: Gordon is 21st, Jamie McMurray is 24th and Kurt Busch is 26th.

1 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet 19.496 97.128
2 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser is Back Chevrolet 19.512 97.048
3 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 19.521 97.003
4 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 19.521 97.003
5 39 Ryan Newman Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet 19.524 96.988
6 55 Brian Vickers RKMotorsCharlotte.com / Aaron’s Toyota 19.569 96.765
7 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge 19.572 96.750
8 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota 19.573 96.746
9 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet 19.576 96.731
10 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota 19.581 96.706
11 27 Paul Menard Menards / LIBMAN Chevrolet 19.582 96.701
12 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford 19.597 96.627
13 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 19.606 96.583
14 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy/Diet Mtn Dew/Natl Grd Chevrolet 19.637 96.430
15 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet 19.659 96.322
16 47 Bobby Labonte Bush’s Best Beans Toyota 19.681 96.215
17 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Rcng/CSX Play It Sf Chevrolet 19.684 96.200
18 31 Jeff Burton BB&T Chevrolet 19.688 96.180
19 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford 19.715 96.049

LISTEN – THE FINAL LAP WEEKLY MARTINSVILLE PREVIEW SHOW
20 1 Jamie McMurray Belkin Chevrolet 19.715 96.049

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PHOTO CREDIT: NASCARMEDIA, USED WITH PERMISSION

1 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 28.353 190.456
2 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Brown Toyota 28.415 190.040
3 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet 28.419 190.014
4 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet 28.440 189.873
5 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 28.450 189.807
6 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet 28.455 189.773
7 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet 28.471 189.667
8 20 Joey Logano Dollar General Toyota 28.478 189.620

THE FINAL LAP WEEKLY – LAS VEGAS PREVIEW
9 16 Greg Biffle 3M/Meguiars Ford 28.496 189.500
10 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 28.508 189.421

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