When Jamie McMurray's No. 26 Ford went sailing off Daytona International Speedway on the 131st lap Saturday night, any chance he had to defend his victory in last year's Pepsi 400 disappeared.
But his Roush Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and David Ragan stormed towards the front of the Coke Zero 400 as McMurray and their fifth teammate, 2003 Pepsi 400 winner Greg Biffle, faltered. In the end Edwards (second), Kenseth (third) and Ragan (fifth) were packed in the top five when the race ended under caution; the top-three Roush Fenway drivers made gains.
But it wasn't enough to satisfy all of them. Edwards, who came into the race fourth in the standings, remained in fourth. But his No. 99 Ford's nose was scant feet behind the front of Busch's No. 18 Toyota when the 11th and final caution flew, and he definitely wanted more.
Kenseth, whose fourth place was a career best in 15 Daytona starts, had a car that came and went, but it was coming when it mattered most, and a four-point gain in the standings, to ninth, was the payoff. But even he had visions of something better.
Ragan had the most consistent car all night long, as he started sixth, was in the top five for the first 30 laps and only fell out of the top 20 on one 10-lap rundown sheet. Ragan, who scored his second fifth-place finish in only his fourth career Daytona start, said he had a lot of help along the way.
CONCORD, N.C. -- An unusually clean and uneventful Nextel Cup All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway erupted into brotherly chaos on the second lap of the fourth and final segment of the event Saturday night, as Busch brothers Kurt and Kyle got together and ended each other's evening (watch video).
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of Kyle Busch's No. 5 Chevrolet, blamed Kurt Busch. Kyle? Well, it seemed he threatened to kick his older brother's butt on his radio immediately after the incident. But he snuck out of the track afterward without speaking to the media, so he was unwilling to clarify his position.
Kurt blamed Kyle. "We got together," said Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Dodge. "I was making a clean move on the 31 [of driver Jeff Burton], and then I had a car to my inside when I'm on the bottom lane."
That car was the one being driven by Kyle Busch. Kurt said he knew the day would come when the two got into each other on a Nextel Cup racetrack. He just didn't think it was going to be Saturday night.
"I was waiting for the day when we got together and we did it when we were racing for a million bucks," Kurt said. "You know, the tough part is I wrecked real close to the end. "That was a bummer, to have my little brother pull that move on me. Maybe I should have given an inch instead of taken an inch from him -- but hey, that's what the All-Star race is all about. I just hate that I've got a wrecked racecar and so does he."
Listen to the audio with the video. The whole SPEED broadcst team blamed Kyle. And they were right to do so in my opinion. Alan and Kyle need to get their heads out of their ####. Who knows? If Kyle keeps wrecking cars and complaining about the COT, and Alan can't get his head out of his #### and straighten Kyle out, well then there just might be room at the inn for Dale Jr. and Tony Jr.,.
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