Notebook: Kahne leaps into top 35 by salvaging finish

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- It wasn't pretty. It wasn't the way Kasey Kahne wanted it. But in the end, Kahne finished well enough in Sunday's Food City 500 to move to 34th in owner points, ensuring he will race in Martinsville next week.

Kahne had a top-five car for the first half of the race, but he blew a left-rear tire on Lap 283, ending any chance for him to win his first race in 2007.

Lap-by-Lap

Kyle Busch moved past Denny Hamlin on Lap 485 and held his position through two restarts for fourth career victory.

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"We had a left-rear tire going down before the contact with the 07 [Clint Bowyer]," Kahne said. "The splitter on the 07 apparently cut down the tire and I brushed the wall with the right-rear. We lost three laps making the repairs."

Although he lost the laps, Kahne was able to salvage a 19th-place finish.

"Despite the damage, it was fast when we returned to the track after the accident, we just couldn't overcome the three-lap deficit," Kahne said. "We still picked up a lot of positions to finish in the top 20."

Johnny Sauter is tied with Kahne at 365 owner points although he missed the race at Bristol.

As for guys who will have to qualify their way in at Martinsville, Ward Burton's 18th-place finish wasn't enough to move him into the top 35 as he sits 36th. Following Burton is a trio of Toyotas: Dave Blaney (37th), Brian Vickers (38th) and Dale Jarrett (39th), who crashed out of the race early.

Jarrett was furious after the accident, blaming Matt Kenseth for his spin.

"I was trying to pass Kyle Petty and get in under him and then Matt Kenseth just turned me going into the corner," Jarrett said. "This is not the first time that he's done something like this.

"Everybody has this great vision that Matt Kenseth is this nice guy on the racetrack. He is a nice guy away from the track, but he's a rough driver on the racetrack when he doesn't have to be. We'll have a discussion." (Continued)