Busch ran in the top 10 for the majority of the race after cracking the top 10 25 laps into the 500-lap event on the paperclip-shaped, short track. He fell from the top 10 during the ninth caution period - laps 337-342 - but was headed back towards the top 10 in the closing laps before running out of time.
“We started 12th and finished 12th, so I guess that means we had a 12th-place car, but I thought we could have finished a little better, ” Busch said after the race that was halted for 31 minutes 40 seconds due to rain with 143 laps remaining.
The race was more than half over when Newman, who started 24th, finally made it into the top 10 during the eighth of 13 caution periods. He ran in the top 10 until pitting during the 11th caution period - laps 377-382. Newman restarted in 15th, but could advance only to 14th before the race ended.
“I knocked the tow out when I hit the 00 [David Reutimann] and it just messed the car up, ” Newman said. “We had a fast race car. We drove it up to eighth and never got good track position and never got good strategy, as far as getting track position. It just didn t work out today.
“The Alltel Dodge was pretty good today. I d say we had a top-10 car on a long run, but we didn t quite finish there. We should have taken tires at the end, but coulda, woulda, shoulda. We made it out of Martinsville with another COT [Car of Tomorrow]. “
The series will take Easter weekend off, then return to action April 15 at Texas Motor Speedway with the Dodge Charger.
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