By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

SONOMA, Calif.—How strange was it for Kasey Kahne to win a road-course race?

The driver of the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge had to ask his crew chief for directions to victory lane after taking the checkered flag in a green-white-checkered finish in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.

Kahne held off road-course ace Tony Stewart through a succession of four late-race double-file restarts, the final time after Scott Speed’s spin on Lap 108 caused the seventh caution of the day. After starting from the rear because of an engine change, Marcos Ambrose chased the top two finishers to the line to claim third place, matching the best result of his Sprint Cup Series career.

“Awesome—not too bad for a dirt-tracker from Washington!” Kenny Francis, Kahne’s crew chief, radioed after his driver crossed the stripe on Lap 113, three laps beyond the scheduled distance at the 1.99-mile road course.

Continue reading “Race Recap: Kahne Wins Turning Left & Right”

1 5 9 Kasey Kahne
2 4 14 Tony Stewart
3 3 47 Marcos Ambrose
4 11 48 Jimmie Johnson
5 24 11 Denny Hamlin
6 17 42 Juan Pablo Montoya
7 20 44 A J Allmendinger
8 26 33 Clint Bowyer
9 13 24 Jeff Gordon
10 8 19 Elliott Sadler
11 38 55 Patrick Carpentier
12 33 13 Max Papis #
13 34 99 Carl Edwards
14 23 26 Jamie McMurray
15 27 2 Kurt Busch

PHOTO CREDIT: CIA STOCK PHOTO

Continue reading “Kasey Kahne grabs first Petty Motorsports Victory”

NNS Race Recap: Carl Edwards Collects First NASCAR Nationwide Series Win Of The Season
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards made the trip from Infineon Raceway worthwhile on Saturday night, winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series NorthernTool.com 250 at the Milwaukee Mile.

Edwards left Infineon earlier in the day, where he practiced his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car, to race at Milwaukee. Having to start at the rear of the field, Edwards tiptoed through the field early in the race.

After his Cup counterpart, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, led for numerous laps, Edwards chased him down and made the pass for the lead on Lap 205.

Despite two caution periods in the final 50 laps, Edwards easily pulled away to his first Nationwide victory of the season. He also repeated as the Milwaukee race winner, going to victory lane in 2008 with new crew chief Drew Blickensderfer.

Continue reading “Carl Edwards wins Milwaukee Mile”

Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Happy birthday, Ron Hornaday Jr.

The Kevin Harvick Inc. driver dominated Saturday’s rescheduled Copart 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, winning on his 51st birthday.

“It’s a cool day,” Hornaday said. “What’d they (say), ‘How old are you?’ I don’t know. I’m in my 50s, now, I guess.”

Hornaday led 189 of the race’s 200 laps and easily beat MRD Motorsports’ Dennis Setzer. The race was postponed from Friday night after heavy rain struck the Milwaukee area.

“I hate to tell you but I don’t think the truck was that good,” Hornaday said.

Say what?

Continue reading “Hornaday wins on his Birthday”