May 21, 2007
By Chuck Abrams
A lot of fans were very happy the Bud car found Victory Lane in the All-Star Race. There were also a lot of fans who were a bit wistful with the win. Those fans can be put into two categories – Kasey Kahne fans are the former and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans are the latter.
Kahne went from being voted in by the fans to even be able to compete -- to the race winner –- the first ever fan-voted driver to win the prestigious race. As driver after driver lost the lead, Kahne charged forward much as he had in Segment 1 of the evening collecting a cool million along the way. While no points were awarded for the win, it is Dodge’s first victory since Ryan Newman won the Daytona 500 and Bud’s first return since Jr. last won over 70 races ago. It also was Dodge's first All-Star victory.
Usually a night full of hard-charging cars ands plenty of caution flags, this race seemed tame by comparison and makes you wonder what to expect this coming Sunday evening.
Last year’s Coca-Cola 600 turned into a late race fuel duel, catching most of the top teams short on gas and allowing Casey Mears to exploit his team strategy to its fullest by winning his first Cup race. It also gave Kyle Petty his return to the top 5 in what seemed a lifetime.
This week’s race may be no different than last year. Although last year featured 13 cautions, long green flag runs and no late caution could be the catalyst for pit stop gambles to gain track position late in the race. But any late caution flag could throw all the best laid plans right out he window giving us another unexpected winner.
Last year Kasey Kahne finished mid pack, ten laps off the pace. He will have to do far better than that this weekend.
Points will be on the line and no one will be leaving anything on the table. While everyone wants to win the dash for the cash, the 600 will be a test of man and machine that pays in POINTS – this is what these guys are really racing for. You want a million bucks? Then win the Sprint Cup title.
Speaking of the Sprint Cup title, young Kyle Busch had a rare stoppage in play when he lost a cylinder in the All-Star Race. I am sure that it is a non factor to Young Rowdy but we will all be watching the Toyota engines to see if they can handle the 600 lap endurance test. They certainly have the horsepower to win, now we need to see if they have the stamina.
Jimmie Johnson finished fourth in the All-Star Race and could be ready to reclaim his ownership of the track.
Biffle and Kenseth also had a strong race and could be contenders for a win. Stewart is winless this year and if the Toyotas can take the heat, all of Gibb’s teams are potential winners. Another winless driver is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and he is due to break out of the streak. His stretch of top 5 and top 10 runs has kept him near the points leader all season. If he can finally find his groove, he could be tough to beat.
In any case, it will be a nice Sunday night for a race. So relax, you don’t have to work on Monday. And remember all those that have gone before us, especially those in the service of our country.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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