Wallace agreed and within seven laps of the lap 179 restart, Newman had once again reached the top 10 when the caution came out on lap 185 for a blown engine in David Reutimann’s car. Once more, Newman had a message for his spotter, “If you see any runs, let me know. This bumper will be blocking it all!
No one got a chance to make any runs as the caution flag came out for a four-car accident during the green-white-checker finish, leaving Newman in ninth place after 192 laps. It is his second top-10 finish of the 2007 season, leaving him one shy of the three top 10s he recorded last year.
On the final restart, Busch was fourth and when the green flag waved on lap 191, he immediately jumped to the inside behind Jimmie Johnson. However, the two never got an opportunity to make a run on eventual winner Jeff Gordon because of the second turn accident.
Next weekend, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to the short tracks and the Car of Tomorrow for the “Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400 at Richmond International Raceway. The race is scheduled for 7 p. m. EDT on Saturday and will be broadcast live by FOX and MRN Radio.
INDY RACING LEAGUE INDYCAR SERIES
Kansas City, Kan. (April 29, 2007) - Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr. didn’t challenge for the victory in Sunday’s Kansas Lottery Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway, but they still produced top-10 finishes.
In an otherwise average day on the 1.5-mile track, Castroneves finished third in the No. 3 Team Penske Honda/Dallara, while Hornish placed sixth in the No. 6 Team Penske Honda/Dallara.
Castroneves, who started second, remained third in the IndyCar Series standings with his effort in the final race before next month’s Indianapolis 500.
“The Team Penske car handled well most of the day, and I’m very happy with our result, Castroneves said. “We didn’t have the car to win, so we just made sure we played it conservatively and brought the car home. We set out to finish in the top three, and that’s just what we did. Now we have to look ahead to Indy and the entire month of May. “
Hornish’s finish also helped him stay in the points race. He’s now fifth overall after four races in the 2007 season.
“Unfortunately, we missed on the setup with the Team Penske car today and, as a result, we lost a lap during the first stint, “Hornish explained. “We worked on the car through numerous pit stops during the yellow flag laps and improved it to the point where we were running as quick as the leaders. We managed to climb back through the field but never could get the lap back.
In spite of the trouble, both drivers saw the positive in the final race before Indy, which Team Penske has won a record 14 times. Hornish won the race last year, and Castroneves has twice visited victory lane at the Brickyard.
“This was a tough race for Team Penske, but we had some good pit stops and the guys hung in there for me today to improve the car and keep me calm, Hornish said. “With all things considered, a sixth-place finish is probably as good as we c ould have asked for, and I’m really happy that we were able to bring the car home safely. “
Preparations for the Indy 500 begin May 6 with the first day of rookie orientation program. The 91st running of the race is scheduled for May 27.
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