Snap-on's Richard Childress Racing teammates, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick, each recorded top-10 finishes in the Camping World RV 400 at Kansas Speedway to remain squarely in the 2008 NASCAR title hunt. However, it was Jimmie Johnson who held off a hard-charging Carl Edwards to win the event.

Harvick notched a sixth-place finish, his ninth straight top 10, to remain fifth in the Sprint Cup Chase standings.

"Our Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was strong all day except in the middle of the race, where we started to fall back a little bit and the car was a little loose," Harvick explained. "But then that last adjustment we made was great and the car was a lot better. But the No. 17 (Matt Kenseth) was just a little better than us and we just couldn't catch him. So all in all, it was a decent day."

Burton was seventh after starting in the rear of the field after having to change a tachometer following final practice. Burton has four consecutive top 10s and sits fourth in the Chase standings, 121 points out of first.

"We had a good car; not a fast car, but a good car," Burton said. "We just needed to find more speed. We have good racecars on lap 20, but not fast racecars. We've got to find a way to make some speed."

Their Richard Childress Racing teammate, Clint Bowyer, dug deep following a penalty for passing on the right on a restart early in the race. Bowyer was made to serve a pass-through penalty for the infraction and lost a lap. He was able to make it up and registered a 12th-place run.

"I made a couple of mistakes today and it cost us," Bowyer said. "The Jack Daniel's Chevrolet was a top-five car so it's tough to swallow 12th. I feel terrible for my team because they brought me a great car to my home track, and if things would have gone our way, we might have been able to race for a win. It could have been a lot worse, but that doesn't make me feel much better. We're not out of this Championship yet, so we'll go to Talladega next week and try and gain some ground on the guys ahead of us."

Ryan Newman also served a pass-through penalty late in the race after he was clocked speeding exiting pit road. The penalty dropped Newman to a 16th-place finish spot after fighting grip issues throughout the day, but running well nonetheless.

NASCAR veteran Mark Martin found the going tough after a strong second-place qualifying effort. Martin was guilty of the same penalty as Newman.

"It was just one of those days," said Martin. "I just didn't have a good day out there. We had good car, but I got caught speeding on pit road and then I overshot the pit and that hurt us. The team gave me a much better car than the finish. I'll take the responsibility for what happened out there today. I just made too many mistakes.

"It was just really difficult once we got back there in all that traffic," added Martin. "I'm just proud of everyone on this U.S. Army team. They continue to put me in good cars each week and it's a lot of fun to drive them."

Martin finished 18th; His DEI teammate, Paul Menard, finished 27th after struggling with handling issues.

"We were fighting to find grip all day," Menard said following the 267-lap event. "We had a run in the middle of the day where we were really good, but with the track temperatures escalating throughout the day we definitely had to work to find a comfortable setup."

The handling issue plagued many teams throughout the afternoon, as Kurt Busch, who finished 30th, struggled with it as well.

"It was just a tough day all around - loose, tight, loose, tight," Busch said. "We were so loose there with 30 (laps) to go that I slapped the wall twice in three laps. Our handling issue didn't give us a chance to evaluate the performance of the new engine. We will get a better opportunity at tracks like Phoenix and Martinsville."

Busch's Penske Racing teammate, Sam Hornish Jr., was burned by a pit road speeding penalty, the same as Penske's third pilot, Newman.

"It was pretty good for quite a few runs," Hornish said. "I hurt us early with the speeding on pit road on the entry. I had all four (tires) locked up trying to get (the car) stopped, but there was a bunch of oil dry and stuff down there so I'm not sure exactly what happened. The other problem was that we ran it out of fuel and the cell only took like 18 gallons, so we've got something that we need to check into there. Other than that, we're pretty happy with it."

Marcos Ambrose made his seventh career Cup start this weekend. He struggled with the handle as well, and finished 36th. Bill Elliott, in the Wood Brothers Ford, was 25th.

Martin Truex Jr. may have had the most frustrating afternoon. After qualifying fifth and leading 27 laps, the transmission in his DEI Chevy broke and he was forced to retire the machine. He finished 43rd.

"It is so frustrating, but that is how our entire season has gone," said Truex. "Every time we get a good car and are running good, something goes wrong like this.

"We had a good, strong car the first part of the race. Then started to get loose and lost some track position but we were still ok, but started to have transmission problems. Then it just completely broke. It's just disappointing and frustrating. It has been that kind of a year."

Snap-on Nextel Cup Drivers - how they placed:
Kevin Harvick (6th, led 0 laps) Jeff Burton (7th, led 0 laps) Clint Bowyer (12th, led 0 laps) Ryan Newman (16th, led 0 laps) Mark Martin (18th, led 0 laps) Bill Elliott (25th, led 0 laps) Paul Menard (27th, led 0 laps) Kurt Busch (30th, led 0 laps) Sam Hornish Jr. (33rd, led 0 laps) Marcos Ambrose (36th, led 0 laps) Martin Truex Jr. (43rd, led 27 laps)

Clint Bowyer:
Sept., 27, 2008 | Kansas City, Kan. -- Clint Bowyer, the Nationwide Series points leader, rebounded from a disappointing 17th-place starting position to notch a solid second-place run at his home track of Kansas Speedway. Bowyer, an Emporia, Kan., native, worked his way up to second with 30 laps remaining but could not pass race-winner Denny Hamlin. "We want to win more races," Bowyer said. "You don't travel across the country and be gone that much from home and not want to win. That's what we're here for: we're racers and we want to win. But we want to win a championship. If I don't win another race and we have that championship trophy on the mantel, I won't be a bit sorry and I won't feel bad about it." He holds a 196-point lead over Carl Edwards in the Nationwide Series point standings with only five races remaining.

Kelly Bires:
Sept., 27, 2008 | Kansas City, Kan. -- Kelly Bires continued his strong sophomore showing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Bires started the Kansas Lottery 300 10th and ended 10th, his fourth top 10 of the year. "It just shows how hard everyone is working on this 47 team week-in and week-out," Bires said. "We had a top-three car last week before an unfortunate incident, and then to come back here and build another top-10 car, that's fantastic. "We weren't as good as we needed to be, we were a little bit too loose at the start of a run, and a little bit too light at the end so we had quite of a bit of balance shift, but we never quit working, and by the end of the day, we sat 10th," he continued. "I think we were one adjustment away from being, probably seventh, or so, but all in all, you've got to be happy with that day." Bires sits 13th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Marcos Ambrose:
Sept., 27, 2008 | Kansas City, Kan. -- Kelly Bires' JTG/Daugherty Racing teammate, Marcos Ambrose, also had a solid outing in the Kansas Lottery 300, finishing 11th after qualifying 16th. "We were a bit tight," Ambrose explained. "We were tight all day and we just couldn't quite clear it up. But, it was a great day. This is a new car for us, and I'm pretty pleased with it. The thing's got a lot of potential for us. I feel like we raced well. It's been a strong weekend." Ambrose is currently ranked a strong 10th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Kevin Harvick:
Sept., 27, 2008 | Kansas City, Kan. -- Kevin Harvick manned his self-owned Chevy in Saturday's Kansas Lottery 300 from Kansas Speedway. The Bakersfield, Calif., native led 88 of the first 93 laps but was the victim of a dead battery with 60 laps remaining. The issue cost him a lap - a lap that he made up, which is a testament to how strong the car was - and he finished 13th.

Jeff Burton:
Sept., 27, 2008 | Kansas City, Kan. -- Jeff Burton made his 11th Nationwide Series start of the 2008 season in the Kansas Lottery 300. Burton won the pole in a Richard Childress Racing prepared Chevy, but battled handling issues and faded to a 14th-place finish.

Bobby Hamilton Jr.:
Sept., 27, 2008 | Kansas City, Kan. -- Bobby Hamilton Jr. started 15th in the Kansas Lottery 300 from Kansas Speedway and ran competitively until he made contact with Jason Leffler with 30 laps to go and was forced to the pits to repair sheet metal damage. Hamilton finished 25th in his Ed Rensi-owned Ford and sits 15th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Steve Wallace:
Sept., 27, 2008 | Kansas City, Kan. -- Steve Wallace qualified his No. 66 RWI Chevy 21st for the Kansas Lottery 300 and was making his way through the field when his engine expired just 15 laps into the event. Wallace finished 41st after the failure.

Coming off a runner-up finish Sunday in Dallas that vaulted him back into the points lead for the first time since April, Coughlin is on an incredible streak at the moment. It's the kind of run that wins championships, and no one would know that better than Coughlin himself, who has four world titles and 53 national event wins to his credit.

"Credit Victor Cagnazzi and the incredible team he's put together," Coughlin said of his team owner. "We had the start of the playoffs circled since the schedule came out. We knew it would be very important to enter the Countdown with as much momentum as possible and then find a way to maintain that for six races. So far, so good."

In the two races since the playoffs began, Coughlin has a semifinal and a runner-up finish to his credit. That consistency has put him 14 points ahead of Kurt Johnson, 46 up on Greg Anderson, 95 in front of Jason Line, and 110 ahead of teammate Dave Connolly.

In the three races leading into the Countdown, Coughlin raced to a win, a runner-up and a semifinal finish, giving him exactly the momentum he needed for a fast start.

"All 10 drivers in the Countdown field are very capable of turning it on and making a run," Coughlin said. "All you can do is limit your mistakes and get up on the wheel every time you're in the car.

"One of the things we always work on is being one of the top three or four cars in every session, regardless of the conditions. By doing that I think we've ended up with a really fast and super consistent racecar. My dad (Jeg Sr.) and Roy (Simmons, crew chief) are working really well together on that concept and I feel like I'm driving pretty well, so it's all coming together for us."

If history is any indicator, this weekend's 21st annual Mid-South Nationals should be another great race for Coughlin. He's won this event twice in four final-round appearances and has reached the semifinal round in eight of his nine trips to Memphis Motorsports Park.

"This track has always been good to us," the 38-year-old Coughlin said. "I certainly hope that continues this time through."

Snap-on's Richard Childress Racing teammates Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick each advanced in the Chase for the Sprint Cup point standings with top-10 runs in the Camping World RV 400 from Dover International Speedway. Greg Biffle won the event, his second in a row, holding off teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.

Harvick, who started 24th, and Burton (21st) had especially impressive days, driving through the field on the treacherous high banks at Dover. Harvick finished sixth in the race and advanced to fifth in the Chase standings. Burton, who has always enjoyed success at Dover, drove to a ninth-place run. The showing landed him at fourth in the standings. Bowyer qualified a strong sixth and drove to a smooth eighth-place finish. He advanced three spots to sixth in the standings.

DEI's Mark Martin, who holds the all-time mark for top fives at Dover, added to it with a stout fourth-place run. Martin started second and raced with the leaders all day. The series veteran now owns 21 top-five finishes on the one-mile concrete oval.

Ryan had a top-10 car before fading late and finishing 13th. Martin Truex Jr., who scored his first career win at Dover in 2007, finished 20th. His DEI teammate, Paul Menard, survived an early incident to come home 21st.

Marcos Ambrose manned the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford and finished 32nd in his first career Cup start at Dover.

Kurt Busch was the victim of a severely loose racecar when his Dodge spun on lap 2. Busch suffered damage when the car hit the wall. Although his crew worked on the car throughout the race, he settled for a 34th-place finish. His Penske Racing teammate, Sam Hornish Jr., was involved in two incidents, the first on lap 170 and then again on lap 185. The damaged sustained dropped him to 42nd on the pilon.

Snap-on Nextel Cup Drivers - how they placed:
Mark Martin (4th, led 0 laps) Kevin Harvick (6th, led 1 laps) Clint Bowyer (8th, led 2 laps) Jeff Burton (9th, led 0 laps) Ryan Newman (13th, led 0 laps) Martin Truex Jr. (20th, led 0 laps) Paul Menard (21st, led 0 laps) Marcos Ambrose (32nd, led 0 laps) Kurt Busch (34th, led 0 laps) Sam Hornish Jr. (42nd, led 0 laps)

Scott Wimmer:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Dover, Del. -- Scott Wimmer continued his impressive 2008 Nationwide Series campaign in a part-time role with a fourth-place run in the Camping World RV Sales 200 from Dover International Speedway.

Clint Bowyer:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Dover, Del. -- Clint Bowyer, the Nationwide Series points leader, salvaged a great points days in the Camping World RV Sales 200 from Dover International Speedway. Contact with Carl Edwards on pit road during a lap 100 pit stop knocked Bowyer's Chevy into the pit wall, damaging his right front fender. Bowyer's Richard Childress Racing team repaired the damage while keeping his No. 2 machine on the lead lap. Bowyer drove to yet another top-10 finish, his 24th in 29 Nationwide Series events this season. Bowyer continues to lead the Nationwide Series point standings with six races remaining.

Bobby Hamilton Jr.:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Dover, Del. -- Bobby Hamilton Jr. continued his run of solid performances with a 15th-place, lead lap finish in the Camping World RV Sales 200 from Dover International Speedway. Driving an Ed Rensi-owned Ford, Hamilton now has nine top-15 runs on the season and sits 15th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Marcos Ambrose:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Dover, Del. -- Marcos Ambrose finished the Camping World RV Sales 200 from Dover International Speedway 16th after battling an ill-handling racecar for the majority of the afternoon. The Australia native will also compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on Sunday at Dover. Ambrose notched his 21st top-15 run of the Nationwide Series season on Saturday. The sophomore driver sits 10th in the point standings.

Steve Wallace:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Dover, Del. -- Steve Wallace looked to have another solid run wrapped up in the Camping World RV Sales 200 from Dover International Speedway until he was involved in an accident with rookie Landon Cassill on lap 199 of 200. The incident dropped Wallace to 18th in the running order, which is where he finished at Dover. Wallace was looking to follow up an impressive 11th-place run at Dover in June, and started 11th in this race, but the damage sustained prevented that. Wallace has 18 top-20 showings on the season.

Kevin Harvick:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Dover, Del. -- Kevin Harvick drove his self-owned No. 33 Camping Wrold Chevy in the Camping World RV Sales 200 from Dover International Speedway. Harvick started sixth and stayed amongst the leaders until he was forced to the garage with an apparent wheel bearing issue on lap 136. He was running in the top five at the time, but the bearing problem dropped him to 28th in the final rundown.

Kelly Bires:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Dover, Del. -- Kelly Bires had the best qualifying run of his short career for the Camping World RV Sales 200 from Dover International Speedway. Starting second, Bires ran in the top three throughout the event's opening laps until a tire let go on lap 71. Bires made hard contact with the wall and was forced to retire his No. 47 JTG Racing Ford. He finished a disappointing 34th after a promising start.

Ron Hornaday Jr.:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Las Vegas, Nev. -- Ron Hornaday won the pole for the Qwik Liner Las Vegas 250 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and took advantage of point-leader Johnny Benson's blown tire to cut into his series points lead. Benson lost a tire and made hard contact with the outside retaining wall and was forced to retire from the event. Hornaday ran fifth, his 11th top five of the year, to narrow his points deficit to a single point heading to Talladega. Hornaday had won two consecutive races before the Vegas top five. The series has six races remaining before the title is decided in Homestead.

Jack Sprague:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Las Vegas, Nev. -- Jack Sprague qualified his Kevin Harvick-owned Chevy sixth for the Qwik Liner Las Vegas 250 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 28-time Truck Series winner had a solid run going throughout the event and looked to be on the verge of notching his 10th top 10 of the season until trouble struck. Sprague was spun on lap 78 by Brendan Gaughan when Gaughan drifted into Sprague's left rear quarterpanel. The damage eliminated him from competition and he finished 26th in his first DNF of the year.

Jon Wood:
Sept., 20, 2008 | Las Vegas, Nev. -- Jon Wood continues to race the legendary No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford with pride, placing 13th at the Qwik Liner Las Vegas 250 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wood started 21st but quickly worked his way up and managed a lead lap, 13th-place run. It was Wood's sixth top 15 of the season.

The second race in the Countdown to the Championship took the NHRA Snap-on brigade to Texas in search of a championship. It wasn't the best of days for the Snap-on teams, but two drivers, Tony Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin, advanced to the final round and remained in contention for the championship after Texas.

Jeg Coughlin:
Sept., 21, 2008 | Ennis, Texas. -- Jeg Coughlin and his Snap-on team started the weekend with a bang. Coughlin laid down a stout 6.631-second pass at 207.56 mph to take the top spot. Coughlin met Ron Krisher in the first round. Coughlin left first, had a good run and took the hole shot win to advance to the second round. Mike Edwards was next in line for Coughlin, but he didn't provide much of a challenge. For the second straight round, Coughlin was off the blocks first and ran faster to take the hole shot win. The semifinal showdown between Snap-on teammates wasn't much of a showdown. Coughlin and Dave Connolly staged and were set to battle, but Connolly left early and sent Coughlin to the finals with a free pass. The win also gave Coughlin the lead in the championship standings. Coughlin and Greg Stanfield met in the final round for bragging rights. Both Coughlin and Stanfield cut great lights and actually left at the exact same time. The two dueled down the track, but Stanfield out-muscled Coughlin who normally has tremendous horsepower. In the end, Stanfield beat Coughlin to the far end for the win.

Dave Connolly:
Sept., 21, 2008 | Ennis, Texas. -- Dave Connolly posted a solid qualifying effort as well in his Snap-on ride, running a 6.640-second pass at 207.78 mph to take the fifth spot heading into Sunday. Connolly met Larry Morgan out of the fifth hole in a less than dramatic race. Connolly cut a great light and was out of the gate first and never looked back at Morgan as he took the win on a hole shot. Connolly did his part in the second round against Justin Humphreys to set up a Snap-on showdown in the third round. Connolly beat Humphreys off the line and then outran him to the far end to collect the win and take lane choice over Jeg Coughlin. Lane choice didn't matter in the long run, however. Connolly jumped the gun on the start and red-lighted. This disqualified him and gave Coughlin the win.

Steve Johnson:
Sept., 21, 2008 | Ennis, Texas. -- Steve Johnson and his Snap-on Pro Stock Motorcycle entered Texas with major momentum on their side. Johnson won back-to-back races for the first time in his career and propelled himself up the championship standings as a result. Johnson's weekend didn't get off to the best start. A 7.044-second run at 189.79 mph was the best Johnson and his Snap-on bike could muster in qualifying, putting him in the ninth spot overall. Perhaps intimidation was a factor in the first round as Karen Stoffer jumped off the line a split second too early and drew the red-light disqualification. This gave Johnson the free pass into the second round, his ninth consecutive round win. The favor was returned on Johnson in the second round though. Johnson met Eddie Krawiec, and this time around Johnson left early and red-lighted, ending his two-race win streak. "I'm disappointed in myself," said Johnson. "Eddie Krawiec had a big elapsed time advantage over us, but if I'd have gotten a green light start, who knows what might have happened. There's no question about this being a bad break for us, but the championship chase is far from over, and we're going to keep on digging, keep on trying. We'll have another opportunity to make a big move in Memphis this coming weekend, and that's our intention."

Tony Pedregon:
Sept., 21, 2008 | Ennis, Texas. -- Tony Pedregon was fast right off the truck in Texas, but the Snap-on Funny Car was bumped down to the bottom of the chart. In the end, Pedregon wound up eighth on the strength of a 4.110-second run at 300.20 mph. Pedregon and Jeff Arend hooked up in the first round in a race that went Pedregon's way. Pedregon was off and running first and that was all he needed. The Snap-on hot rod powered away to take the win. Championship implications were on the line in the second round as Pedregon, third in points, met Robert Hight who was one point ahead of Pedregon in second. Pedregon edged Hight off the line and the two were even for two-thirds of the race. Just before the end of the track, Pedregon powered ahead and advanced into the semifinals. Pedregon had a shot at taking the points lead with a win over Jack Beckman in the semis, and Pedregon accomplished his mission. The Snap-on machine powered off the line first and held the lead all the way to the far end to move into the finals. Pedregon and Tim Wilkerson matched up in the final round, and each driver left nearly at the same time. Wilkerson managed to outrun Pedregon to the end of the track, however, to take the win and the championship lead away from Pedregon.

Cruz Pedregon:
Sept., 21, 2008 | Ennis, Texas. -- Cruz Pedregon wasn't far behind his brother and Snap-on teammate, Tony Pedregon. Cruz logged a qualifying pass of 4.120 seconds at 299.00 mph. This effort was good enough for 10th overall heading into Sunday. Pedregon went down in bitter defeat in the first round, however. Pedregon met up with long-time rival and legendary driver John Force. This time around the two had a staging battle where Pedregon got the best of Force. The Snap-on ride was out front for over half of the race, but just past half-track Force motored by to end Pedregon's weekend. "I heard him over there but I thought we had enough to hold on for the win," said Pedregon. "I didn't see his car until after the finish line but I didn't see the win light either. We knew he was a step ahead of us on Saturday so we felt like we needed to step it up a bit today and Rahn (Tobler, crew chief) got after it, but they stepped up a bit also. It's so close at the top of the points. With the way we all seem to be taking turns knocking each other out we should be able to get out of here without too much damage. The only thing that could hurt all of us is if one driver starts to run away with this thing, but I just don't see that happening."

Gary Densham:
Sept., 21, 2008 | Ennis, Texas. -- Gary Densham had a great qualifying effort last week, but didn't have the success on Sunday he was looking for. This time around, Densham steered his Snap-on backed Funny Car down the track in 4.175 seconds at 292.14 mph. This effort put Densham in the 13th spot. Densham matched up with Melanie Troxel in the first round on Sunday. Troxel took the starting line advantage by leaving first, but Densham kept his car straight and true. As a result, Densham drove by Troxel as she hazed the tires at half-track and went on to take the win. Densham and Jack Beckman squared off in the second round and Densham got off the line first. Beckman thundered back and blew by Densham's Snap-on machine, however, and took the win.

Doug Herbert:
Sept., 21, 2008 | Ennis, Texas. -- Doug Herbert came off a nice run last week, but the momentum faded away quickly. The Snap-on Top Fuel Dragster struggled to hook up to the track and it showed on the speed chart. At the end of qualifying, Herbert and his hot rod only managed a 3.946-second effort at 300.86 mph. This effort put the Snap-on driver 15th heading into eliminations. Herbert, however, took a major hit in the points in the first round on Sunday. Brandon Bernstein took advantage of mechanical failures to end Herbert's weekend immediately. The instant Herbert nailed the throttle, cylinders dropped and he was up in smoke. The Mid-South Nationals from Bristol are up next in the Countdown to the Championship. Qualifying from Thunder Valley can be seen at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2 Saturday night. Eliminations can be seen on Sunday night at 7 p.m. EDT also on ESPN2.

The storyline of the Sylvania 300 was one of separation. Greg Biffle, seeded 11th in the Chase, passed third-seeded Jimmie Johnson with 12 laps remaining at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway to win NASCAR's first Chase for the Championship event. Fellow Chasers Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick also registered top 10s.

The rest of the Chase field wasn't so lucky; Kyle Busch, who led the point standings for the majority of the year and entered the Chase ranked first, suffered a broken hind joint, earned a pit road speeding penalty and was involved in two accidents. The result was a shocking 34th-place finish. Matt Kenseth, also a Chase competitor, was involved in an accident and finished 40th. Both find themselves in big holes as the series heads to its second Chase race in Dover next weekend.


For his part, Burton was pleased with the run. "We had a good solid run. We weren't the fastest car most of the day but we had the fastest car every now and then and got ourselves in position. We ran in the top-five all day. That's the kind of runs we need to get back to having. I feel like we can, I really do. I feel like our best stuff is coming. It's a good solid day for us. The main thing is we ran well. If we ran well and finished 30th, so be it but we ran well and when we run well good things happen."

Burton moves up to fifth by virtue of his fourth-place run.

Snap-on's Kurt Busch, who won the June race in Loudon, finished sixth.

"It was a good run for the Miller Lite Dodge," Busch said. "We felt like we had something good from last week and we tried it again this week. It (the car) ran better. We're still struggling at the end of the race keeping up with the racetrack. I don't think it's anybody's fault. We just have to work on something different, but what we've been having lately, it felt good the last two weeks."

Martin Truex Jr. continued his run of strong showings at NHMS, finishing seventh. "That was a great run for the Bass Pro Chevrolet guys. We had a great car, if the race would have stayed green, I feel like we would have easily been top five. But, we will take seventh. It is great to be competitive again."

Kevin Harvick moved up one spot in the Chase standings to 10th by virtue of his 10th-place showing. "We started out the race just real loose, so loose I was worried I could hang on to it until the competition caution. Todd (Berrier, crew chief) on the guys kept working on our Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet all race long, but we just couldn't quite get it where we needed to be. We were in trouble on the restarts. If we had a long run we were fine, but we were pretty much terrible from the drop of the green flag. It is a top 10, but it is not what we wanted."

Harvick's Richard Childress Racing teammate, Clint Bowyer now sits ninth in the Chase standings after a 12th-place run. "It was a decent day for the Jack Daniel's Chevrolet but, I'll be honest, I'm disappointed to have finished 12th. I think we had a better car than that. Our pit strategy didn't work out as well as we hoped. We'll be better next week at Dover."

DEI's Paul Menard drove to a 21st-place showing, while Bill Elliott piloted the Wood Brothers Ford to a 29th-place finish.

Sam Hornish Jr., out of the Penske Racing South stable, finished a disappointing 30th. "We only had one run where we felt like we were off and we made an air pressure adjustment on the tires and were just too tight in the center and then too loose off. But other than that I felt like we were pretty decent there until the end when we lost the cylinder and then we were just kind of riding around for the rest of it. I felt like we could have been somewhere between 20th and 25th pretty easily."

Hornish's Penske teammate, Ryan Newman, had his engine let go and finished 36th.

Snap-on Nextel Cup Drivers - how they placed:
Jeff Burton (4th, led 0 laps) Kurt Busch (6th, led 0 laps) Martin Truex Jr. (7th, led 0 laps) Kevin Harvick (10th, led 0 laps) Clint Bowyer (12th, led 0 laps) Paul Menard (21st, led 0 laps) Bill Elliott (29th, led 0 laps) Sam Hornish Jr. (30th, led 0 laps) Ryan Newman (36th, led 0 laps)

Ron Hornaday Jr.:
Sept., 13, 2008 | Loudon, N.H. -- Ron Hornaday dominated and won his second consecutive race in the NASCAR Truck Series. Hornaday started second, led 149 of 200 laps and notched his fifth win of the 2008 season in the Camping World RV Rentals 200 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Hornaday, who sits but 74 points out of the points lead in the series, took the lead for good on a lap 156 restart and held off points leader Johnny Benson to record his 38th career Truck Series triumph. "Oh, Johnny, he always saves it for the last 50 laps, don't he?" said Hornaday, who also won last season's Loudon event. "First and second - but we led the most laps. He was running sixth or seventh again... but he drove right up to the front, so he's going to be a tough competitor, and it's going to come right down to (the final race at) Homestead again."

Jack Sprague:
Sept., 13, 2008 | Loudon, N.H. -- Jack Sprague had about as consistent a day as one could have in the Camping World RV Rentals 200 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Kevin Harvick, Inc. pilot started ninth, avoided a rash of on-track incidents, and finished ninth, his (fittingly enough) ninth top-10 run of the season. Sprague sits eighth in the Truck Series point standings.

Keven Wood:
Sept., 13, 2008 | Loudon, N.H. -- Keven Wood started 22nd and finished 22nd in the Camping World RV Rentals 200 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The third-generation racer from Virginia battled a perpetual tight condition and suffered a right front flat just after the halfway mark. "We came out here kind of with a partial different setup from the way we ended practice," Wood said. "It would have been really great to have gotten to run that second practice because I think we would have found that what we did just did not work. We just had to work on it all day long and just never could get it. It just stayed tight the entire time. The guys worked hard and I hate it that we couldn't do anything better, but we'll just go to Vegas. Jon (Wood) will be at Vegas and we had a heck of a run there last year, so we'll see what happens." Wood was making his seventh start of 2008. He has five finishes of 25th or better this season.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

September 13-14, 2008

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Jeff Burton, No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet, finished fourth:

"The AT&T Chevrolet was solid all day. We didn't quite have the speeds the other guys had but when we did, I could see them coming back to us and we got ourselves in position. We ran in the top five for most of the day and that's the kind of run we need to get back into having. I'm proud of the entire AT&T Racing team. We had no idea what we had coming into the race today and the guys did a great job of getting us ready. One down, nine to go."

Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, finished sixth:

"It was a good run for the Miller Lite Dodge. We felt like we had something good from last week and we tried it again this week. It (the car) ran better. We're still struggling at the end of the race keeping up with the race track. I don't think it's anybody's fault. We just have to work on something different, but what we've been having lately, it felt good the last two weeks."

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet, finished seventh:

"I think we would've been a top-five car had the race stayed green, but the caution came out a couple of times and that slowed our momentum. It took us a while to get going on restarts, but we were fine after we got some laps on our tires. The main thing for us is that we were competitive again. Bono (crew chief Kevin Manion) and the guys gave me a great car. We've struggled the last few weeks, so hopefully this means we can finish out the year on a positive note."

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, finished 10th:

"We started out the race just real loose, so loose I was worried I couldn't hang on to it until the competition caution (on lap 35). Todd (Berrier, crew chief) and the guys kept working on our Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet all race long but we just couldn't quite get it where we needed to be. We were in trouble on the restarts. It is a top 10 but it is not what we wanted."

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, finished 12th:

"It was a decent day for the Jack Daniel's Chevrolet but, I'll be honest, I'm disappointed to have finished 12th. I think we had a better car than that. Our pit strategy didn't work out as well as we hoped. We'll be better next week at Dover."

Paul Menard, No. 15 Sylvania/Menards Chevrolet, finished 21st:

"We really needed a solid finish and that's what we got today. I thought we had a few more of those cars in front of us but we ran out of time at the end of the race. Overall it was a good weekend for Sylvania and I'm happy with our finish. We just need to continue this momentum into Dover next week and finish out the season on a high note."

Bill Elliott, No. 21 Motorcraft Ford, finished 29th:

"We struggled with track position all day. We were tight in the middle and loose off. I fought that all day. Then we got the middle better, but would be loose up off. I just couldn't get going."

Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge, finished 30th:

"We only had one run where we felt like we were off and we made an air pressure adjustment on the tires and were just too tight in the center and then too loose off. But other than that I felt like we were pretty decent there until the end when we lost the cylinder and then we were just kind of riding around for the rest of it. I felt like we could have been somewhere between 20th and 25th pretty easily."

Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kodak Dodge, finished 36th:

"It just wasn't our day today."

NASCAR Truck Series

Ron Hornaday, No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet, winner:

"Kevin and DeLana Harvick, Rick Ren (crew chief) and all these guys on this Camping World Chevrolet team have really believed in me. Chevrolet, Mark Smith (engine builder) and Pro Motors and all these guys are just unbelievable. They gave me a great truck and did an awesome job all weekend."

Jack Sprague, No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet, finished ninth:

"Ernie (Cope, crew chief) and the guys gave me a great truck. We were tight on that first run, but we adjusted on it during the first pit stop. The guys had such a great stop; they got me out in front of a bunch of other trucks. However, we got hit with an 'uncontrolled tire' penalty and that put us at the back of the field. From there, track position was everything and it was just really hard to pass, my truck would get so aero tight behind another truck. We came out of here with a top-10 finish in the No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet, but it could have been a lot better had we been able to keep our track position."

The 22-year veteran of Pro Stock Motorcycle racing won his second U.S. Nationals title, moving convincingly into the NHRA Countdown to 1 championship program in the process.

He also set Top Speed of the Meet at 192.03 mph with his Snap-on Tools/WyoTech Technical Schools Suzuki and arguably rode the most dominant Suzuki in the 16-bike field.

Johnson was ecstatic in victory, and needed only a slight suggestion from his Top Fuel driving buddy, Larry Dixon, to climb the fence at the finish line as have numerous winners of the Indy 500. In truth, his finish line celebration was the most animated of the day, and was a fitting conclusion to an impressive weekend.

Johnson was assured of a starting spot in the Countdown to 1 championship program after qualifying ended and he was in the fifth position, but he was after more, and he got it. He vaulted past Craig Treble to take over the eighth position on the top 10 list, and that could prove to be critically important, because the points are now going to be artificially tightened up as the Countdown to 1 begins. That means that no rider's points lead is safe, and Johnson knows it.

"Moving up the list isn't going to be easy," Johnson said after the race, "but right now I'm going to enjoy winning the biggest race of the year. I can't begin to express my thanks to everyone on our team, from crew chief Mark Peiser on down. Just as importantly, the support I've received from Snap-on Tools for the last 17 years has been nothing less than awesome, and I feel the same way about the folks from WyoTech Technical Schools.

"No one can race successfully without help, and in addition to Snap-on Tools and WyoTech I'm indebted to Suzuki, Simpson, Mickey Thompson, Goodson and Oakley. And I'll bet I've forgotten someone, so please forgive me 'cause I'm a little excited right now.

"This was an incredible weekend for our team, and if we can keep this momentum going through the remaining five races, who knows what might happen?

"You know, my Snap-on Tools Top Fuel teammate, Doug Herbert, also qualified for the Countdown, and is also in eighth place in the standings, and I know we'd like nothing better than to march up the points list together. I'm just hoping we can make that dream a reality.

"Right now, right at this instant, I think we have the most competitive Suzuki in drag racing, but we're still facing an uphill battle against the V-Twin-powered machines. We're going to give it our all, starting at the brand new zMax Raceway in Charlotte in two weeks. But first we're going to celebrate winning this one, the race they call the Big Go. I thought winning the U.S. Nationals once was a dream come true, but twice? I'm overwhelmed."

The NHRA returned to action to begin its Countdown to the Championship in Charlotte at the brand new drag strip built by Burton Smith. All of the Snap-on drivers and teams had qualified for the championship and looked to start the Countdown with a bang. Two Snap-on drivers had a chance to open for the win with one of them, Steve Johnson, coming through. The victory was Johnson's second straight and catapulted him to second in the championship standings.

Steve Johnson:
Sept., 14, 2008 | Concord, N.C. -- Steve Johnson and his Snap-on team needed to put together a strong effort the last time out to qualify for the Countdown, and they took care of business by winning at Indy. This time around, Johnson and his Snap-on team were focused on winning rounds to move up the championship standings. They got off to a good start by flashing down the track in 7.029 at 192.22 mph. This effort placed Johnson fifth for eliminations. In the first round, Johnson was soundly beaten off the line by Angie McBride and trailed for nearly all of the 1,000 feet. A last second surge sent Johnson across the line in front and into the second round. Johnson and Wes Wells met for the first time in competition, and Wells left too early and drew the red-light disqualification. Meanwhile, Johnson ran a very stout pass while taking the free pass to the semifinals. For the second straight round Johnson didn't have to do much to claim the win. Johnson and Hector Arana met on the starting line, but Arana left too soon and drew the red light. At the same time, Johnson cut a great light and powered down the track with another stout effort on his way to his second straight final round appearance. Johnson and Eddie Krawiec would duel for the win in Charlotte, but the duel ended rather abruptly. Krawiec tried to leave on Johnson to get his first career win, but for the third time on the day, a Johnson opponent left too quickly and tripped the red-light sensor. This gave Johnson his second straight win and the first back-to-back wins of his career. Johnson ran another stout pass in the freebie and was so excited about the win that he ran his bike off into the sand trap at the end of the speedway. With the victory, Johnson and his Snap-on team jumped into the second spot in the championship standings. "I didn't know that he red lighted," said Johnson. "I was tucked under the paint and looked over and he was ahead of me. I thought, 'How the hell did he do that?' Then I saw my win light and I figured out that he'd red lighted. I was so excited that I didn't get the bike stopped in time and ran into the sand. I am never short of things to say, but this is just unbelievable. I've been racing longer than any of the motorcycle guys but I'm ready for whatever they throw at me now. Confidence is a scary thing. I am so proud of my lights. I'm proud of the team, but I can cut lights good."

Doug Herbert:
Sept., 14, 2008 | Concord, N.C. -- Doug Herbert began the weekend by notching a fifth-place qualifying effort. "Dougzilla" stormed down the track in 3.870 seconds at 311.49 mph. The solid qualifying effort matched Herbert and Morgan Lucas up in the first round on Sunday. Herbert was off and running first, and Lucas went up in smoke right on the starting block allowing Herbert to blast down the track for the easy win. Herbert ran into Hillary Will in the second round and that ended up not being a good thing. Herbert and his Snap-on hot rod jumped off the line first to take the lead, but it wasn't a large enough advantage. Herbert took the lead back from Will by half-track, but Will out-lasted Herbert at the far end to end Herbert's weekend.

Cruz Pedregon:
Sept., 14, 2008 | Concord, N.C. -- Cruz Pedregon and his Snap-on team had to work on their set-up a little bit, but managed to hit on a good combination. As a result, Pedregon laid down a 4.087-second pass at 303.43 mph to take the fifth spot going into Sunday. Pedregon and Bob Tasca III locked horns to battle in the first round, but this race was over before it began. This one went Pedregon's way as Tasca left too early and drew the red-light disqualification, sending Pedregon into the second round with a free pass. Pedregon and Ashley Force hooked up in the second round, but it was Pedregon who came out on top. Pedregon was off the line first and never looked back as he was too strong for Force. In a brother vs. brother battle, Cruz Pedregon was second off the line, but Tony Pedregon hazed the tires down the track and had to lift. This was the break Cruz needed and he cruised to victory and a final round appearance. Pedregon looked for his first win in two seasons against Jack Beckman, but it wasn't meant to be on this day. Pedregon beat Beckman off the line but Beckman was too fast for Pedregon. Even before half-track Beckman blew by and took the win. Regardless, Pedregon had a strong weekend and grabbed the championship lead as a result.

Gary Densham:
Sept., 14, 2008 | Concord, N.C. -- Gary Densham was next in line for the Snap-on brigade in the Funny Car class. Densham and his Snap-on ride traveled down the 1,000 feet in 4.108 seconds at 296.18 mph. This effort locked Densham into ninth. Densham and Mike Neff met in the first round for the first time ever. Unfortunately, Densham was beaten off the line and that was all Neff needed as he held Densham off to the far end to end Densham's weekend early.

Tony Pedregon:
Sept., 14, 2008 | Concord, N.C. -- Tony Pedregon clung onto the final spot in the field for dear life, fending off legendary driver John Force to qualify for the show. Pedregon and his Snap-on machine notched a 4.134-second pass at 301.00 mph to take 16th. With the odds stacked against Pedregon and his quest to defend his championship, Pedregon squared off with Frank Hawley, the top qualifier. Pedregon was down and away first and never looked back en route to the second round. Hawley was gaining on Pedregon until just past half-track, but dropped cylinders which allowed Pedregon to drive away. Pedregon and Mike Neff met in the second round with Pedregon taking a very easy win. Neff was up in smoke right on the launching pad sending Pedregon into the semis against his brother and Snap-on teammate Cruz. Tony met Cruz in a battle for bragging rights, but things went awry for Tony just after he beat Cruz off the line. Tony hazed the tires and had to lift off the gas, and that's all Cruz needed to blow by and take the win.

Jeg Coughlin:
Sept., 14, 2008 | Concord, N.C. -- Jeg Coughlin and his Snap-on team were on a rail from the moment they hit the track on Friday. Coughlin and his Snap-on hot rod flew down the track in 6.684 seconds at 206.73 mph to lock into the second position. Coughlin and Greg Stanfield squared off in the first round with a perfect 10-0 mark on the line for Coughlin. Luckily, Coughlin and the Snap-on ride left the line first and outran Stanfield to the far end and into the second round while improving his mark to 11-0. Coughlin gave up lane choice to Jason Line in the second round, but that didn't matter. Coughlin cut a near-perfect light and was way out in front early before taking the win. Coughlin and Justin Humphreys battled for the right to go to the finals with Humphreys taking his second win over Coughlin in the last three semifinal meetings. Humphreys left first and drove away to take the win. "We've got no complaints," said Coughlin. "As a driver, all you can ask for is a good chance to win and I certainly had that this weekend. The guys prepared the car flawlessly and it ran great from the start. It's all going to come down to thousandths of a second every lap. It's exciting and I'm glad we're racing again in a few days because our JEGS.com hot rod is running strong."

Dave Connolly:
Sept., 14, 2008 | Concord, N.C. -- Dave Connolly and his Snap-on team only ran a 6.697-second pass at 207.02 mph which wasn't quite fast enough to land in the top half of the ladder. The effort was still good enough for Connolly to land in the ninth spot heading into eliminations on Sunday afternoon. Greg Anderson stood in Connolly's way of the first round win and ended Connolly's weekend very early. Anderson edged Connolly off the line and that was all she wrote as Anderson out-muscled Connolly to the finish. The NHRA is back at it again next weekend in its Countdown to the Championship. The series heads to Texas for the Fall Nationals. Qualifying can be seen Saturday night at 10 p.m. EDT on ESPN2 and eliminations can be seen at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday on ESPN2.