For a second consecutive year, Kevin Harvick has won the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Harvick, who had been suffering from flu like symptoms earlier in the week, seemed unaffected during the race, maintaining his place near the front of the field for the majority of the race.

After a late-race caution led the field to a green-white-checkered restart, Harvick, who restarted fourth, charged to the front, pulling up alongside Greg Biffle. Shortly after, Jeff Gordon drove into the back of Biffle’s car, who spun into several of the oncoming vehicles, once again bringing out the caution flag and freezing the field in place. As per NASCAR rules, the race was not restarted.

Harvick is the fourth driver to celebrate back-to-back Shootout victories. Other drivers that have accomplished this feat include Tony Stewart (2001, 2002), Ken Schrader (1989, 1990), and Neil Bonnett (1983, 1984).

Results of the 2010 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Raceway:

Pos  #  Driver              Make     Laps  Status
 1  29  Kevin Harvick       Chevrolet  76  Running
 2   9  Kasey Kahne         Ford       76  Running
 3   1  Jamie McMurray      Chevrolet  76  Running
 4  18  Kyle Busch          Toyota     76  Running
 5  11  Denny Hamlin        Toyota     76  Running
 6  83  Brian Vickers       Toyota     76  Running
 7  20  Joey Logano         Toyota     76  Running
 8  24  Jeff Gordon         Chevrolet  76  Running
 9  14  Tony Stewart        Chevrolet  76  Running
10  42  Juan Montoya        Chevrolet  76  Running
11  88  Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Chevrolet  76  Running
12  31  Jeff Burton         Chevrolet  76  Running
13  48  Jimmie Johnson      Chevrolet  76  Running
14  82  Ken Schrader        Toyota     76  Running
15  16  Greg Biffle         Ford       74  In Pit
16  17  Matt Kenseth        Ford       74  In Pit
17  99  Carl Edwards        Ford       74  In Pit
18  71  Bobby Labonte       Chevrolet  74  In Pit
19  39  Ryan Newman         Chevrolet  74  In Pit
20   5  Mark Martin         Chevrolet  74  In Pit
21  51  Michael Waltrip     Toyota     69  In Pit
22  34  John Andretti       Ford       69  In Pit
23   2  Kurt Busch          Dodge      32  Running
24  75  Derrike Cope        Dodge      15  Out of Race

The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the Daytona 500, also to be raced at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 14, 2010. Preceding this race are the two qualifying races (The Gatorade Duels) held the Thursday before.

Related Links:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Series Information, Schedule, Standings, Past Champions, News, Videos

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ final race of the season earlier today at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This made for his fourth win of the 2009 season and moved him up three positions in the final standings for a fifth place ranking in the 2009 Sprint Cup Series points championship.

The pole-sitter, Jimmie Johnson, ended up with a fifth place finish, which was more than enough to secure his fourth consecutive championship in the series. Rookie of the Year honors went to Joey Logano who finished 20th in the standings, after winning one race and having seven top-10 finishes.

Top Finishers in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400:

 Pos  No  Driver               Make
   1  11  Denny Hamlin         Toyota
   2  31  Jeff Burton          Chevrolet
   3  29  Kevin Harvick        Chevrolet
   4   2  Kurt Busch           Dodge
   5  48  Jimmie Johnson       Chevrolet
   6  24  Jeff Gordon          Chevrolet
   7  99  Carl Edwards         Ford
   8  18  Kyle Busch           Toyota
   9   1  Martin Truex Jr.     Chevrolet
  10  44  A.J. Allmendinger    Ford

Top Finishing Teams in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship:

 Pos  Driver               Points  Behind
   1  Jimmie Johnson         6652  Leader
   2  Mark Martin            6511    -141
   3  Jeff Gordon            6473    -179
   4  Kurt Busch             6446    -206
   5  Denny Hamlin           6335    -317
   6  Tony Stewart           6309    -343
   7  Greg Biffle            6292    -360
   8  Juan Montoya           6252    -400
   9  Ryan Newman            6175    -477
  10  Kasey Kahne            6128    -524
  11  Carl Edwards           6118    -534
  12  Brian Vickers          5929    -723
        ^Chase for the Sprint Cup^

  13  Kyle Busch             4457   -2195
  14  Matt Kenseth           4389   -2263
  15  Clint Bowyer           4359   -2293

Related Links:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Series Information, Schedule, Standings, Past Champions, News, Videos

This week’s race at Phoenix International Raceway was won by the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader, Jimmie Johnson. This win helped Johnson to increase his points lead over the next closest competitor, Mark Martin, from 73 to 108 championship points. Just one race remains in the 2009 season.

Second place in today’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 went to Jeff Burton, with Denny Hamlin, and Mark Martin rounding out the top four. Martin Truex Jr., the pole-sitter, finished 5th.

Top Finishers in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil:

 Pos  No  Driver               Make
   1  48  Jimmie Johnson       Chevrolet
   2  31  Jeff Burton          Chevrolet
   3  11  Denny Hamlin         Toyota
   4   5  Mark Martin          Chevrolet
   5   1  Martin Truex Jr.     Chevrolet
   6   2  Kurt Busch           Dodge
   7  33  Clint Bowyer         Chevrolet
   8  42  Juan Montoya         Chevrolet
   9  24  Jeff Gordon          Chevrolet
  10  00  David Reutimann      Toyota

Top Teams in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship:

 Pos  Driver               Points  Behind
   1  Jimmie Johnson         6492  Leader
   2  Mark Martin            6384    -108
   3  Jeff Gordon            6323    -169
   4  Kurt Busch             6281    -211
   5  Tony Stewart           6207    -285
   6  Juan Montoya           6203    -289
   7  Greg Biffle            6171    -321
   8  Denny Hamlin           6140    -352
   9  Ryan Newman            6081    -411
  10  Kasey Kahne            6016    -476
  11  Carl Edwards           5972    -520
  12  Brian Vickers          5826    -666
        ^Chase for the Sprint Cup^

  13  Kyle Busch             4310   -2182
  14  Matt Kenseth           4265   -2227
  15  Clint Bowyer           4224   -2268

Related Links:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Series Information, Schedule, Standings, Past Champions, News, Videos

Kurt Busch won today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. This moved him up two championship positions, placing him 4th in the Chase for the Cup with just two races left to complete in 2009.

The other chase contenders weren’t so lucky however, with many of them finishing at the back of the pack. This included Carl Edwards who finished 39th, the current championship leader Jimmie Johnson who finished 38th, Juan Montoya who finished 37th, and Kasey Kahne who finished 33rd.

Though Johnson’s championship position didn’t change, he did lose a large portion of his lead, which fell to just 73 points after going into the race 184 points ahead of the second place contender, Mark Martin.

Top Finishers in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dickies 500:

Pos  No  Driver               Make
  1   2  Kurt Busch           Dodge
  2  11  Denny Hamlin         Toyota
  3  17  Matt Kenseth         Ford
  4   5  Mark Martin          Chevrolet
  5  29  Kevin Harvick        Chevrolet
  6  14  Tony Stewart         Chevrolet
  7  33  Clint Bowyer         Chevrolet
  8  16  Greg Biffle          Ford
  9  31  Jeff Burton          Chevrolet
 10  44  A.J. Allmendinger    Ford

Top Teams in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship:

Pos  Driver               Points  Behind
  1  Jimmie Johnson         6297  Leader
  2  Mark Martin            6224     -73
  3  Jeff Gordon            6185    -112
  4  Kurt Busch             6126    -171
  5  Tony Stewart           6119    -178
  6  Juan Montoya           6061    -236
  7  Greg Biffle            6050    -247
  8  Denny Hamlin           5975    -322
  9  Ryan Newman            5973    -324
 10  Kasey Kahne            5898    -399
 11  Carl Edwards           5857    -440
 12  Brian Vickers          5777    -520
       ^Chase for the Sprint Cup^
 13  Kyle Busch             4183   -2114
 14  Matt Kenseth           4151   -2146
 15  Clint Bowyer           4078   -2219

Related Links:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Series Information, Schedule, Standings, Past Champions, News, Videos

This week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. The win went to Jamie McMurray, driver of the #26 Irwin Marathon Saw Blades Ford. Coming up short was Kasey Kahne who finished 2nd, Joey Logano who finished 3rd, and Greg Biffle who finished 4th. Rounding out the top-5 was Jeff Burton.

Championship leader Jimmie Johnson finished in 6th, increasing his lead over Mark Martin to 184 points from his previous 118 point advantage. Martin finished the race in 28th, after a multi-car wreck brought out the yellow flag during the green-white-checkered finish, forcing the race to end and the field to freeze in position.

Top Finishers in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Amp Energy 500:

Pos  No  Driver               Make
  1  26  Jamie McMurray       Ford
  2   9  Kasey Kahne          Dodge
  3  20  Joey Logano (R)      Toyota
  4  16  Greg Biffle          Ford
  5  31  Jeff Burton          Chevrolet
  6  48  Jimmie Johnson       Chevrolet
  7  55  Michael Waltrip      Toyota
  8  09  Brad Keselowski      Chevrolet
  9  19  Elliott Sadler       Ford
 10 171  Bobby Labonte        Chevrolet

Top Teams in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship:

Pos  Driver               Points  Behind
  1  Jimmie Johnson         6248  Leader
  2  Mark Martin            6064    -184
  3  Jeff Gordon            6056    -192
  4  Juan Montoya           6009    -239
  5  Tony Stewart           5969    -279
  6  Kurt Busch             5936    -312
  7  Greg Biffle            5908    -340
  8  Ryan Newman            5846    -402
  9  Kasey Kahne            5834    -414
 10  Carl Edwards           5811    -437
 11  Denny Hamlin           5800    -448
 12  Brian Vickers          5692    -556
       ^Chase for the Sprint Cup^
 13  Kyle Busch             4043   -2205
 14  Matt Kenseth           3986   -2262
 15  Clint Bowyer           3932   -2316

Related Links:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Series Information, Schedule, Standings, Past Champions, News, Videos

Kurt Busch improved upon his 23rd place finish last week in Las Vegas with a win Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His Kobalt Tools 500 win moved him up four places in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings into the 3rd position.

Jeff Gordon, who finished the race in second place, increased his championship lead to 43 points ahead of Clint Bowyer. Third through fifth were nabbed by Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, and Brian Vickers respectively.

For the full results from the race, please use the following link:

2009 Kobalt Tools 500 Results

The standings have been updated and are available here:

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Standings

After a long and caution-filled race, Kyle Busch celebrated his win by grabbing the checkered flag, kissing the start/finish line and doing donuts around the grass in front of the main grandstands. This marked his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

This race also marked the first time that a Sprint Cup driver has won Las Vegas from the pole position since the series first started racing at the track back in 1996. Though it’s still being debated whether or not this counts as a win from the pole, as Busch was sent to the back of the field due to an engine change for the start of the race.

Following the Toyota of Busch were the two Chevrolet’s of Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton. Jeff Gordon, who faced some late troubles by missing the pit entrance and blowing a tire, still managed a strong sixth place finish which moved him to the championship lead. Gordon currently has a 18 point lead over the second place championship contender, Clint Bowyer.

For the full results from the race, please see this link:

2009 Shelby 427 Results from Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The standings have been updated and can be found here:

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Standings

After a long and rainy day at Auto Club Speedway (four cautions for rain), Matt Kenseth finally celebrated his victory. This win set him as the only driver to win the first two races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season since Jeff Gordon did so back in 1997. Gordon also had a strong race. After leading several of the laps, he ended up coming in second, right behind Kenseth. Joey Logano, the highest placing rookie, came in 26th – one lap behind the leaders.

The Top-5 Finishers Included:

1. Matt Kenseth (#17 Ford)
2. Jeff Gordon (#24 Chevrolet)
3. Kyle Busch (#18 Toyota)
4. Greg Biffle (#16 Ford)
5. Kurt Busch (#2 Dodge)

For the full results from this race, please see the following page:

2009 Auto Club 500 Results from Auto Club Speedway

Because of the win, Kenseth extended his lead to 81 points ahead of the second place driver in the standings, Jeff Gordon. Gordon, with his strong finish, moved up 10 positions in the points standings since last week’s race in Daytona.

The standings have been updated and are available at:

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Standings | As of Feb 22, 2009 – California

Matt Kenseth won the “Super Bowl” of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Daytona 500. The 200 lap race had to be cut short due to rain and in the end, the leaders had only completed 152 of the scheduled laps. Just before the race was called official, the field was frozen under a red flag and was never able to be restarted. Once the red hit the track, it only took officials minutes to decide that the race was over.

Kevin Harvick took the second finishing position, with A.J. Allmendinger coming in behind him for a third place finish. Fourth and fifth were reserved for Clint Bowyer and Elliott Sadler respectively. Kyle Busch, who dominated the early portions of the race, was involved in a wreck at lap 123 and was forced to settle with 41st.

Neither rookie in the field had a good first race of the season. Scott Speed finished a lap down from the leaders in the 35th position and Joey Logano took last place (43rd) after suffering from a mid-race collision.

The series will return to Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009.

For the full results from this race, please use the following link:

2009 Daytona 500 Results

For the current standings, click here:

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Standings

Jeff Gordon beat out Tony Stewart for the first Gatorade Duel win of 2009. Gordon’s teammate, Jimmie Johnson finished in the third position. A surprising end to the race by rookie, Joey Logano, saw him finish in fourth.

As for the second Duel of the day, Kyle Busch took the victory with Mark Martin coming in a close second. The only rookie in the field was Scott Speed, who only completed 44 of the 60 laps due to a handling issue.

These two races marked the last NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race until the first points event of the year, the Daytona 500, which is to be held this Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

For the full results from the race, please visit this page:

2009 Gatorade Duels Results

As these races precede the first points race of the season, there is currently no driver standings in this series.