Unlike the Kentucky Derby, long shots have virtually no shot when it comes to NASCAR's Nextel Cup series. The only question heading into most races is which Roush Racing or Hendrick Motorsports driver will win. They split eight of nine victories this season heading into the Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday night at Darlington Raceway.
Make that 9 of 10.
Greg Biffle, who is emerging from a talented pack at Roush Racing to join Kurt Busch among the contenders for the Nextel Cup this year, won his third race of the season and the sixth in his first two seasons of Cup competition. Biffle is now tied with Hendrick's Jeff Gordon for the lead in victories this year.
For Roush, winning is becoming commonplace.
"I think we're going to win a couple more this season, and we're going to be tough when it comes down to the championship," Biffle said after leading for a race-high 176 laps.
Gordon, who led at 20 laps, fell short of capturing his fourth victory of the year but kept pace in the standings by finishing second.
"We certainly weren't the best car," Gordon said. "With some great work by the team and some good pit stops, we're a top-five car there at the end."
Kasey Kahne, the pole-sitter, finished third with Roush's Mark Martin fourth and Ryan Newman an unlucky fifth. Newman was leading and had a significant cushion ahead of Gordon, Biffle and Kahne when he spun out with four laps to go, forcing a final caution flag to come out that would extend the race to ensure a green-flag finish.
Newman gambled and stayed out on the racetrack on worn tires, with all of his challengers going in for fresh ones. It was the difference. Biffle was fourth on the restart but quickly moved past Ken Schrader, Carl Edwards and Newman with just over a lap to go.
Biffle was not challenged on the final lap.
Johnson, who won the last two years here, appeared to have the dominant car midway through the race, but he fell off the pace and went a lap down with tire problems. He rallied to finish seventh, avoiding controversy along the way. Johnson was blamed for causing two crashes at Talladega last weekend before, but he was a nonfactor in the end on Saturday.
Darlington offered the prospect of multiple wrecks as drivers struggled to adjust to the lower spoilers that offered less downforce on the back of the racecars.
Without that air push, the back ends would slip and slide through the turns.
Inevitably, some would slip too far and racecars would find the walls.
"It's like driving on grass or wet grass and then hitting the pavement or driving on snow and then hitting ice-type of thing," said Newman, an Indiana native with experience driving on snow and ice.
"You can drive on snow, but you don't want to drive on ice."
The first crash came on the second lap when Busch appeared to be tapped from behind by Gordon coming off of turn four. Busch wound up hitting the inside wall along the front straightaway, his car suffering significant damage and his chances at victory ended almost immediately.
"I never touched him," Gordon said.
Moments later, Michael Waltrip hit the wall heading into turn three for another caution.
But the race did not set any records for cautions. There were 12 yellow flags on the night and three multiple-car wrecks.
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