AAA 400 Race Recap

Kurt Busch, showing his championship mettle, proved a bad race does not have to beget another bad race when he won the AAA 400 on Sunday at Dover International Speedway. Powering his Penske Dodge to the front of the field and driving easily to the checkered flag left a huge smile on Kurt Busch’s face and the feeling that he was “definitely in the mix” for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. The win was the second for Kurt Busch this season and the twenty-fourth of his career.

Close on his heels but unable to catch the senior Busch, Jimmie Johnson had to settle for second

place. Carl Edwards, who seemed poised to win the race like he did at the Nationwide series the day before, blew his chance of winning when he sped on pit road and was penalized with a stop and go that put him a lap down. Although he was able to make the lap up during a caution, Edwards was never able to regain the lead. Kasey Kahne posted a decent fourth place finish. Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, both Chase drivers, finished fifth and sixth. A.J. Almendinger picked up seventh, Clint Bowyer eighth, Marcos Ambrose ninth, and Chase driver Kevin Harvick finished tenth.

After the events that unfolded at Dover on Sunday, Kevin Harvick, picking up one position and

Carl Edwards picking up two are tied for first in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Points Chase. Tony Stewart, who finished a dismal twenty-fifth on Sunday, lost two spots, and Kurt Busch, the race winner who leapt five positions, are tied for third, both nine points back from the leaders. Five time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson also gained five positions with his second place finish to be currently fifth in points. Brad Keselowski, dropping three spots, takes sixth place. Matt Kenseth held firm in seventh place, while Kyle Busch dropped two spots to eighth. A disappointed Jeff Gordon fell four costly positions to ninth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost two spots to land in tenth. Ryan Newman stayed put in eleventh and Denny Hamlin still occupies twelfth.

Next week the Chase takes the drivers to the Kansas Speedway for the running of the Hollywood Casino 400. The race will be on Sunday, October 9th at 2pm EST. It will be broadcast on ESPN. Be sure to tune into the race next Sunday and be sure to check out my race recap after the race on this site!