 | | Carl Edwards became the second driver to win in his first race at Pocono. Credit: Autostock |
June 12, 2005
07:38 PM EDT (23:38 GMT)
• Lap 201 -- White and yellow flags displayed. ... Carl Edwards wins under caution. Brian Vickers finishes second and Joe Nemechek third. Kyle Busch and Mark Martin round out the top five. This is the first win for Roush Racing at Pocono Raceway. Roush had finished second 11 times with four different drivers before scoring his first victory at the track. Vickers' runner-up finish is his career-best in 55 Cup races. The point standings:
1. Jimmie Johnson, --
2. Greg Biffle, -123
3. Elliott Sadler, -281
4. Carl Edwards, -303
5. Mark Martin, -328
6. Ryan Newman, -329
7. Kevin Harvick, -347
8. Rusty Wallace, -348
9. Jeff Gordon, -362
10. Tony Stewart, -380
11. Kurt Busch, -381
12. Jamie McMurray, -392 • Lap 200 -- There will be a green-white-checker finish. ... The top five: Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch and Joe Nemechek. The rest of the top 10: Michael Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon. • Ken Schrader gets into the wall in Turn 1 -- no caution. • Bobby Labonte gets into the wall in Turn 2 -- caution is out. • Lap 194 -- Ryan Newman cuts left-front tire and slams into the wall to bring out the caution. • Lap 190 -- Carl Edwards has a 2.791-second lead over Brian Vickers. ... Matt Kenseth is heading to pit road with a flat left-front tire. • Lap 188 -- Kurt Busch is back to pit road with a blown left-front tire. • Lap 186 -- Race leader Kurt Busch comes in for a two-tire stop. • Lap 185 -- The top five: Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Terry Labonte, Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace. ... And Edwards comes to pit road for two tires and fuel in about 8 seconds. • Lap 183 -- Brian Vickers comes to pit road for an 8-second stop for two tires and fuel. • Lap 180 -- Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers and Kurt Busch are running 1-3. ... Matt Kenseth comes to pit road with a flat left-front tire. • Lap 177 -- Mark Martin and Jamie McMurray take four tires and fuel. • Lap 176 -- Kevin Harvick makes a green-flag stop for four tires. • Lap 174 -- Elliott Sadler is on pit road for four tires. ... He is penalized for speeding on entrance to pit road. • Lap 172 -- Jimmie Johnson comes in for four tires under green, while Ryan Newman takes fuel only. • Lap 169 -- Kyle Busch makes a green-flag stop for gas and right-side tires. Ditto Jeremy Mayfield. • Brian Vickers and Carl Edwards are looking for a victory in their first race at Pocono. Richard Petty won his first race at Pocono, the inaugural Purolator 500 on Aug. 4, 1974. David Pearson won his second start at the track, and Neil Bonnett and Petty won in their third start at Pocono. • Lap 160 -- The top 10: Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Joe Nemechek, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Kurt Busch. • Lap 156 -- Scott Wimmer is off the pace and heading to pit road. He has a broken suspension bar. • Lap 152 -- Green-flag racing resumes. • Lap 148 -- The 28 lead-lap cars come to pit road. Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick and Joe Nemechek are the first five off pit road. • Kyle Busch comes to the pit in third place, exits pit road ninth. • Lap 148 -- The 28 lead-lap cars come to pit road. Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick and Joe Nemechek are the first five off pit road. • Lap 146 -- Kevin Lepage crashes to bring out the sixth caution. • Lap 141 -- Carl Edwards again passes Brian Vickers for the lead. • Lap 139 -- Greg Biffle is on pit road. He told the crew he has no brakes. • Lap 135 -- Hendrick and Roush cars are dominating: Brian Vickers continues to lead with Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson. The rest of the top 10: Joe Nemechek, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Elliott Sadler. • Lap 123 -- Racing resumes with Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson in the top five. • Lap 118 -- Pit stops begin. Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch each gain three positions. Brian Vickers wins the race off pit road. • Lap 117 -- Yet more left-front tire problems, as Scott Riggs gets bitten. Caution is out. Jeff Gordon is deemed to be the lucky dog. • Lap 113 -- Kasey Kahne appears to have more tire trouble. Meanwhile, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon head to pit road a bit earlier than scheduled. Gordon thought he may have a tire problem. It's unclear why Kenseth pitted early. • Lap 106 -- Carl Edwards passes Brian Vickers for the lead. • Lap 103 -- Tony Stewart is felled by a flat left-front tire. • Lap 100 -- Leaders have reached the halfway point with Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Mark Martin in the top five. • Lap 94 -- Green-flag racing resumes with Brian Vickers, Jeremy Mayfield and Kevin Harvick running 1-3. Elliott Sadler and Jimmie Johnson round out the top five. • Lap 90 -- Caution is out for the fourth time as Kasey Kahne spins. • Brian Vickers still leads. The rest of the top 10: Jeremy Mayfield, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Elliott Sadler, Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray. • Leaders come to pit road. • Kevin lepage loses the left-front wheel leaving his pit stall. • Lap 83 -- Ricky Rudd comes to pit road with a flat left-front tire. • Lap 76 -- Kasey Kahne is off the pace with a flat left-front tire. He comes to pit road for four tires and fuel -- and goes one lap down. • Lap 73 -- Green-flag racing resumes with Brian Vickers on point. ... Jimmie Johnson (fifth place) joins the top five for the first time. • The top five: Brian Vickers, Jeremy Mayfield, Michael Waltrip, Carl Edwards and JJ. • Lap 67 -- Caution is out for the third time. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. again has a flat left-front tire and fire is billowing from the wheel well. • Ricky Rudd receives the Lucy Dog pass. • Lap 65 -- Brian Vickers continues to lead Jeremy Mayfield, who is 1.533 seconds behind. • Lap 57 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has cut a left-front tire. He goes one lap down, and takes only left-side tires. • Lap 52 -- Racing resumes with Brian Vickers, Jeremy Mayfield, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards in the top five. The rest of the top 10: Greg Biffle, Sterling Marlin, Elliott Sadler, Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin. • Lap 44 -- Caution is out for the second time. Jason Leffler goes high in Turn 1 with a flat left-front tire and while coming back down the track scrapes the right side of Dave Blaney's ride. In the fracas, Brendan Gaughan tags Kyle Petty, who loses control and slams into Leffler. • Leaders come into the pits and many opt for gas and right-side tires only. • Rusty Wallace is penalized for speeding on pit road. • Bobby Labonte is on pit road. The team is changing the left-front shock. • Brendan Gaughan also is on pit road. The team is changing the radiator. • Lap 40 -- The top 10: Brian Vickers, Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Scott Riggs. • Ricky Rudd pits to change the right-front tire; he goes one lap down. • Lap 34 -- Green-flag racing resumes with Brian Vickers, who won the race off pit road, leading Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick. • Bobby Hamilton Jr. received the Lucky Dog pass. • Lap 30 -- Seven drivers have been in the top 10 since the green flag: Michael Waltrip, Brian Vickers, Jeremy Mayfield, Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Scott Riggs. • Jeff Green is the first driver to go a lap down. • Two cars are off the track: Morgan Shepherd and Greg Sacks. • Mike Bliss exits the No. 0 car; Brendan Gaughan climbs in as the relief driver. • Lap 28 -- Caution is out for the first time. Kurt Busch spins in Turn 1 and tags Terry Labonte. • Lap 25 -- Michael Waltrip has opened up an 8.526 seconds lead over Brian Vickers. Only 11 cars are within 20 seconds of the leader. • Pit window is 32-36 laps, and some teams are talking about making early green-flag stops. • Lap 22 -- Brian Vickers passes Kevin Harvick for second place. • Lap 20 -- The top 10: Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick (6.242 seconds behind), Brian Vickers, Jeremy Mayfield, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Scott Riggs, Sterling Marlin, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman (up from 17th place). • Lap 15 -- Uh oh ... a fan's worst nightmare: The race is shaping up as a follow-the-leader yawner. Michael Waltrip leads Kevin Harvick by 2.650 seconds, and drivers are saying that passing is not an option. • Lap 10 -- Sterling Marlin (up to 10th place from 12th) is the first driver to crack the top 10. Mike Bliss, who started ninth, drops to 11th. • Lap 5 -- Michael Waltrip holds a 0.549 seconds lead over Kevin Harvick. • Lap 1 -- Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Jeremy Mayfield and Brian Vickers are running 1-5. • 1:43 p.m. -- Green flag flies over polesitter Michael Waltrip as he leads the field to the stripe. • 1:39 p.m. -- FOX's 10 Questions: If not NASCAR, what? Junior says drummer in a rock band. ... Peter Criss, you've been warned. • 1:32 p.m. -- For the third time in less than five minutes: "Pocono is one of the most unique racetracks." Umm, unique is without an equal or equivalent; unparalleled, so "most" is overkill, guys. • 1:31 p.m. -- At last, the Grand Marshals: "Gentlemen, start your engines." • 1:25 p.m. -- Now that's a national anthem. Kudos to the U.S. Army Chorus. Pre-race notes ... • FOX's Sexiest Driver poll winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (50.2 percent) nips Dale Jarrett for a berth in the final. ... What, the DEI Nation is stuck on dial-up access and can't vote as often? This week's poll: Jeff Gordon vs. Elliott Sadler. • The previous two times that Michael Waltrip started from the pole -- June 23, 1991, at Michigan and June 3, 1991, at Dover -- he failed to finish the race. He ran 185 of 200 laps at Michigan before being felled by a valve, and 186 of 500 at Dover before the engine soured. • Moving to the back of the pack: Kurt Busch (qualified second) Jeff Gordon (31st), Kyle Busch (38th). • Only five drivers have not scored bonus points this year: Jamie McMurray (13th in points), Mike Bliss (25th), Jason Leffler (36th), Bobby Hamilton Jr. (37th) and Hermie Sadler (40th). They have combined to race 17,428 laps, but have not led one. • Carl Edwards is in Pocono -- not Nashville, where the Busch Series race Saturday was postponed until 1 p.m. ET Sunday. Despite leading the Busch point standings, Edwards knows they use real butter on your bread in the Cup Series. • The driver changes at Nashville:
→ Hank Parker Jr. driving for Edwards
→ Johnny Benson driving for Sterling Marlin • The threat of rain has prompted NASCAR officials to move the start of the race up 10 minutes, to 1:40 p.m. ET. • TrackPass | Live Point Standings | Chat Room | 
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