There is a first time for everything, and that was shown Saturday night when Kasey Kahne received the fan's vote to get into the All-Star Race, and then went on to win the whole thing. Kahne is only the third transfer driver to win the All Star Race, with the others being Ryan Newman (2002) and Michael Waltrip (1996). This year was the first time Kahne had to make the All-Star Race, and his win was thanks to the fans.

"I thank them so much. I can't believe it. The car was mediocre in the open and the fans voted me in," Kahne said, who finished 5th in the Sprint Showdown.

Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis used pit strategy after the conclusion of the 3rd segment to get track position, putting only fuel into his car to get up front with Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson, who also took fuel only, and just in front of Greg Biffle, who had won the third segment and taken two tires.

"We took our time, got in the right place and Kenny made the right call of no tires at the end," Kahne said. "I didn't think we needed them. The car was exceptional. I was just making sure I didn't make any stupid mistakes and lose the race."

Hamlin was in front of Kahne when he had an engine failure, and fell from contention. When it was all said and done, Kahne ran away from Greg Biffle, who couldn't make a charge for the win with a car that was just too tight.

"We put two tires on, he said he didn't change anything. We'll have to see if (Kahne's) got a little mouse in the bag," Biffle said. "In the end, I thought it was going to be just easy, a Saturday night drive. It's kind of crazy to think if I had just stayed out ... I would have won. But I thought two tires was the call."

Early in the night, it looked as though it was going to be another easy victory for Kyle Busch, who won segment one and was running away from the field in segment two when his motor went flat. Busch ran around the track for the remaining laps of the second segment, getting passed from cars on either side, and brought the car in to the attention of his pit crew.

The crew worked diligently to find the issue, hoping it was a minor problem like a plug wire or a rocker arm, but the diagnosed condition was a race-ending one, as Busch's Toyota had dropped a cylinder.

Tony Stewart, the remaining Joe Gibbs driver, was able to last the entire race, but engine problems also plagued him. In practice Stewart's car had an engine issue, but the crew was able to replace the motor and Stewart came from the back to finish 5th.

This was also the final race for 1999 series champion Dale Jarrett, who's storied career came to an end as he finished 21st before hanging up the helmet. Jarrett won't leave Nascar, though, as he'll follow his father's footsteps into the broadcasting booth for ESPN.