Wow! What a race. The newer, smoother racing surface and smaller plate sizes created a race with quite a different feel than past races at Talladega. With fewer caution flags, and an increase in Green Flag Pit Stops, it looked early on as if the race might actually run caution free. Unfortunately, Gordon (#24) found himself caught up in someone else's mess and the 22 minutes he spent in the garage relegated the DuPont Chevy to a 36th place finish (unofficially). However, once again, Jeff Burton (#31) helped out when he cut a tire with ten laps to go. Burton's 27th place (unofficially) finish helped out the rest of the chase field - moving Gordon from 216 point s back (at the time) to around 160 points back of the championship by race end. Of course, the last lap antics of Brian Vickers (#25) wrecking fellow Hendrick Driver Jimmy Johnson (#48) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (#8) in order to grab his first victory, should make for some interesting conversation back at the garage. At post time, NASCAR still hadn't sorted out the finishing order beyond 11th place.
Continuing ...
- Spydertrader