Johnson Wins Martinsville
Same result, different race. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon traded the lead several times in the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday but in the end it was Johnson that prevailed. The race ended with a green-white-checkers finish with Johnson in the lead, Ryan Newman was running second and Jeff Gordon was in third place. On the restart Newman got up along-side Johnson but on the white flag lap, a spin by David Ragan in Turn 2 ended the race. Newman never got the chance to deal with Johnson. Newman settled for second and Gordon was forced to take the third spot. For Johnson, it his seventh victory of 2007 and the 30th of his 215 race career. It is Johnson's fourth win at Martinsville and his third straight at the last short track race of the season. Johnson is the first driver to win three in a row at Martinsville since Rusty Wallace did it in 1994-95. Johnson and Gordon have won eight of the last ten races at Martinsville Speedway.

There was some mild controversy about the final position of Kyle Busch. It appeared that he had passed Gordon for the third spot when Ragan spun but NASCAR referred to the last scoring loop and Gordon had the edge over Busch. Matt Kenseth brought his Ford home fifth followed by Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick to round out the top ten. Johnson tightened up the points race a bit, he picked up a total 15 on Gordon and still sits second in the standings. Gordon has a margin of 53 over Johnson and 115 over Clint Bowyer. Johnson led a total of 147 laps but Gordon was the lap leader at 168 of the 505 run on Sunday. The Nextel Cup Series moves to the Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday, October 28th, for the 33rd race of a 36 race schedule. The 2006 Bass Pro Shop 500 was won by Tony Stewart.
Race details to follow...
To read the full article...     (Insider Racing News)
For full final race results...     (Insider Racing News)
For top-40 Nextel Cup drivers points...     (Insider Racing News)

Joey Logano Wins Toyota All-Star Showdown
Joey Logano capped off his rookie season in the NASCAR Grand National Division the same way he started it: In Victory Lane. Logano, the 17-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing development driver, picked up his biggest victory Saturday night winning the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway. He held off fellow Busch East driver Peyton Sellers, who turned 24 Saturday, following a green-white-checkered finish to the 250-lap event that has been dubbed the ‘Daytona 500 of short-track racing.’

"I just had a great race tonight," Logano said. "My crew, they picked it up a ton. To be able to run up front all night, this team is unbelievable. ... I just have a lot of confidence. That's what you have to have to win. We came here knowing we can win and that's what we did."

Two-time West Series champion Mike Duncan finished third in a frantic finish, edging defending race winner Matt Kobyluck at the start-finish line. Eddie McDonald followed closely in fifth. Brian Ickler over overcame a mid-race mechanical problem that put him a lap down prior to the 200-lap break to drive his way back up to sixth. Eric Holmes, Mike Olsen, John Salemi, and David Mayhew rounded out the top 10.

Logano won six times during the Grand National regular season – including his first career start in the West Series at Phoenix International Raceway in April. He became the first rookie to win a NASCAR Busch East title and set the record as series’ youngest champion.