Sprint Cup Series – Pep Boys Auto 500

Kasey Kahne took advantage of a late race restart to win Sunday night under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway!

With 11 to go, Kahne passed race leader Kevin Harvick to go for his second win of the season.

(Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

“Well, it feels awesome to win at Atlanta,” Kahne said. ” To win on a night like tonight when the Chase and everything has been so tight for the last two months, you know, this team just stepped up.  The pit stops were awesome all night.  The calls from Kenny Francis (crew chief) were perfect. It was great to drive there.  I knew we could go fast for about 15 laps, faster than anybody.  It was just after that I would get a little bit too loose to hang with Harvick and Montoya.  11 laps to go, you know, just getting to the front was what I was thinking I needed to do.  Once we did it, everything was perfect from there out. So just a great team effort.  Something Richard Petty Motorsports really needed.”

Team owner Richard Petty was with his driver during the victory lane celebration. He had this to say, “It was a real team effort,” he said. “No matter how you run or how good you run or how bad, circumstances beyond anybody’s control (can happen).  Circumstances fell our way on that last caution flag, and that put us in a position for the pit crew to do their job and the driver to do his job.”

(Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Polesitter Martin Truex Jr. led three times for the race-high 68 laps, but it wasn’t his night. He finished 26th, one lap down.

After winning the Nationwide Series race the night before at Atlanta, Harvick looked strong. He led the second highest amount of laps by leading 66 laps pf the 325 laps. Harvick scored a runner-up finish, his best finish this season. It has been 95 races since Kevin Harvick has won a Sprint Cup Series race. It was his RCR teammate, Clint Bowyer that set up the final caution of the night.

“We had a great car tonight,” Harvick said. “The guys did a great job preparing the car.  I knew we were in trouble there at the end because it took our car 15 or 20 laps to get going.  But, hey, that’s a long ways from where we’ve been.  We led a bunch of laps tonight, something we haven’t been able to do in a while. I’m happy.  Obviously you want to go out and win.  But from where we’ve been this year, I think tonight feels like a win.  We’ll just take this momentum and hopefully keep it going.”

Juan Pablo Montoya finished third. “I think it’s great,” he said. “I think everything on the Target team did an amazing job.  Last race in Bristol I thought we had a chance of winning.  We had a flat tire.  It cost actually a lot in points. Two races with flat tires, we come here, lost a bunch of points, it’s always kind of worrying.  Every restart you go, Please, nobody slide into me, things like that.  It was nice to see that Kasey and Kevin and myself were the three fastest cars by a mile.  Once you got in line, after the first corner, you knew you were fine. I thought I had a shot.  That 9 car in the last run was incredibly fast.”

David Reutimann finished fourth followed by Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle  completed the top-10.

For the (unofficial) race results, click here.

There were 9 cautions for 42 laps and 31 lead changes among 13 drivers: M. Truex Jr. 1-38; K. Kahne 39-41; M. Truex Jr. 42-61; Kyle Busch 62-71; J. Johnson 72-83; M. Kenseth 84; Kyle Busch 85-95; M. Truex Jr. 96-105; M. Waltrip 106; Kyle Busch 107-109; D. Hamlin 110-127; J. Johnson 128-132; J. Gordon 133-135; D. Hamlin 136-138; J. Gordon 139-165; D. Hamlin 166-167; K. Harvick 168-188; B. Vickers 189-190; K. Harvick 191-202; R. Newman 203; K. Harvick 204-207; K. Kahne 208-227; K. Harvick 228-229; K. Kahne 230; K. Harvick 231-247; G. Biffle 248; K. Kahne 249-269; J. Montoya 270; K. Kahne 271-274; J. Montoya 275-304; K. Harvick 305-314; K. Kahne 315-325

Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have all clinched their spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Denny Hamlin made it after the Atlanta race.

8 spots remain now in the Chase for 11 drivers with a mathematical chance to compete for a Chase berth.

Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch each had a mathematical chance, but neither one had good nights at Atlanta. Edwards finished 37th, one ahead of Kurt Busch’s 38th. Edwards is currently 5th in the point standings, 105 points ahead of 13th place. He’ll need to finish 24th or better regardless of what any other driver does at Richmond to clinch his spot.

Kurt Busch is currently 7th, 95 points ahead of 13th place. He’ll need to finish 20th or better at Richmond -- regardless of what any other driver does to clinch his spot.

Matt Kenseth remains in the hot spot in the 12th points position.

Brian Vickers moved up one spot to 13th after finishing 7th at Atlanta. He’s 17 points out of 12th. Vickers needs to gain 21 points on Kenseth to make his way into the Chase.

Kyle Busch dropped one spot in the standings after his 13th place finish at Atlanta. He’s currently 37 points behind 12th. Busch needs to gain 17 points on Vickers and 37 points on Kenseth for his shot.

David Reutimann is 15th and 132 points out of 12th. Reutimann still has a chance to make it into the Chase.