WINNERS & LOSERS: Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson shine; Denny Hamlin blows engine, Greg Biffle wrecks
Denny Hamlin had engine trouble Atlanta Motor Speedway. // Sam Cranston, NASCAR Illustrated
HAMPTON, Ga. – There was no shortage of winners and losers in Sunday night’s Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here is the rundown:
WINNERS
Tony Stewart — Leads race-high 176 of 325 laps, gets his first win of the season and earns bonus points for the Chase.
Carl Edwards – Things be turning around for Roush Fenway Racing as Edwards clinches a Chase spot with a second-place finish.
Jimmie Johnson – Defending champion picks up third-place finish and clinches a Chase spot.
Jeff Burton – Falls a lap down but comes on strong at the end with fourth-place run.
Kyle Busch – Busted for speeding, he lost a lap serving a drive-through penalty, had to make an unexpected stop for a loose wheel but came back for a fifth-place finish.
Clint Bowyer – Did what he had to do to get into the Chase. Not a strong car, but he hung around and snared a seventh-place finish.
Ryan Newman – Moved up two spots from 15th in points despite a rough run that netted him an eighth-place finish. First, Newman got into Greg Biffle and then he got into Kasey Kahne.
LOSERS
Denny Hamlin – Polesitter led 74 laps, but dropped down to fifth on a lap-144 restart, lost a motor, spun and finished last, falling from fifth to 10th in the point standings.
Greg Biffle – Running well inside the top 10 when he made contact with Ryan Newman, slid down the track and clipped Elliott Sadler. The team replaced the front end, but Biffle finished 36th but remained 11th in points.
Jamie McMurray – Running on the lead lap when he had to make a green-flag stop on lap 179 for a flat tire and went a lap down. Got his lap back but finished 15th. Left Atlanta 14th in the standings – 128 behind 12th.
Kevin Harvick – Points leader qualified 29th, made his way into the top 10 but dropped back to finish 33rd after a blown left front tire damaged his car.
Paul Menard – Well inside the top 10 through lap 162, a blown engine left him 35th.
Kasey Kahne – Defending race winner led 16 laps but finished 32nd after contact from Ryan Newman put Kahne into Kurt Busch.
Mark Martin – Hendrick driver saw his Chase hopes dashed with a lackluster run to 21st.
COOL-DOWN LAP
“I’m 50-50. Fifty percent of me says I’m worried about our engine package and the reliability part. The other side of it shows that we’re going to run really, really, good when the Chase does come around.” — Denny Hamlin
“I was just going down the straightaway and got hit from behind and I know it was the 39 [Ryan Newman], so I feel like he lost us about 20 spots today.” — Kasey Kahne
“It was my fault. I didn’t know we were still three-wide and I guess I cut down on the 39.” — Greg Biffle
“Nothing special, just an engine expiring. Happens all the time.” —Scott Speed, whose engine caught fire in spectacular fashion
