Hendrick Motorsports has been dominating the 2007 Nextel Cup Series by winning eight out of the ten races prior to the Coca-Cola 600. Superstars Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have been winning races this season for the team. At the Coca-Cola 600 though, it was Casey Mears who brought home the win for the team. The win gave the driver his first bets performance so far in the Nextel Cup. This win also ended his unfortunate streak of winless races which has stretched for 155 races.
Hendrick Motorsports now has won nine out of the eleven races this season. What made the win more memorable for Mears is the fact that he gambled on the later part of the race. He opted not to refuel during the later stages to get the lead. On lap 395, Mears took the lead for good and nursed his tank until his Chevrolet Monte Carlo ran out of gas after he crossed the finish line.
After the race, Mears has this to say about the gamble they had taken during the late stage of the race: “We were a third- or fourth-place car at the time. Only way we could win was to gamble and that's what we did. It's unbelievable. I can't believe we're in victory lane. It's huge to happen right here at home. What a great call our crew chief made to keep us out!”
Meanwhile, J.J Yeley, who is driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, took the second spot and giving him his first top five finish of the season. After the race, he has this to say: “We had a top-eight car all day long. Fuel pressure never faltered, even on the last lap. We (Gibbs) weren't the best cars there, but we weren't the worst, either. I do my best every time I go on the track. As far as being on the hot seat, I'll go back to driving sprint cars, if that's what it takes. We've had some good runs; we just haven't had the finishes to show for it.”
The Coca-Cola 600 also saw Dodge taking the third spot. Kyle Petty drove the No. 45 Petty Enterprises/Coke Zero Dodge Charger. He has this to say after making his best performance since 1997: “Billy [Wilburn, crew chief] made a heckuva call there near the end and that's what did for us. Our car was good. Our car was different when the sun was out. We kept working with it and didn't really get it right until I got the ‘lucky dog' there to get back on the lead lap. I couldn't be more excited for Casey Mears if he was Adam Petty. When you look at the top three or four tonight, it's all a total team effort. We all had top-car cars and everything worked our way. Six hundred miles is an awful long race.”
The race showed the continuing dominance by Chevrolet Impalas, taking the tenth win out of the eleven races so far this season. It seems that not even cars equipped with True Flow air intake systems can overtake these Chevrolet Impalas for now.
About the Author:Mike Bartley, 49, is a professional automotive journalist domiciled in Irvine, CA. He travels from one state to another to cover the hottest auto shows, racing events and automotive revelations. His penned compositions cover press releases, reviews, and suggestions. Where the auto action is, that’s exactly where you can find Mike.
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