Samsung/RadioShack 500 won by Kenseth at Texas Motor Speedway. #17-Matt Kenseth won the Samsung/RadioShack 500, his 2nd win of 2002 and third of his career. Kemseth had to fall to the back of the field after an engine change during the only practice held on Friday even though his official starting spot will be shown as 31st. It is the first time a driver won from further back the 7th at Texas and Kenseth is the six different driver to win at Texas in the six Cup races held there. #24-Jeff Gordon was 2nd, his first top five since he won at Kansas last September. #5-Terry Labonte got his first top 10 (he finished 10th) in 18 races (last was at Bristol last August). The top ten finishers: 1) #17-Kenseth (84 laps led) 2) #24-Gordon 3) #6-Martin (5 laps led) 4) #28-Rudd (29 laps led) 5) #20-Stewart (16 laps led) 6) #48-Johnson (highest finishing rookie) 7) #40-Marlin(1 lap led) 8) #41-Spencer 9) #9-Elliott (13 laps led) was the Pole Sitter 10) #5-Labonte Cars on the lead lap: 12 Cautions 7 for 41 laps Out of Race(DNF’s) or off the track: #22-Burton(accident); #31-Gordon(accident); #12-Newman(engine); #99-Burton(accident); #8-Earnhardt Jr (accident/engine); Lap Leaders (15): #9-Elliott; #28-Rudd; #88-Jarrett; #8-Earnhardt Jr; #6-Martin; #12-Newman; #23-Stricklin; #4-Skinner; #21-Sadler; #29-Harvick; #2-Wallace; 40-Marlin; #97-Busch; #20-Stewart; #17-Kenseth; Caution 7 lap 308: #97-Busch spun in turn 3/4 after a tire went down, not damage and no other cars involved. Most of the leading in to pit, #17-Kenseth only took two tires as did the #41-Spencer and #6-Martin. Most others took 4 tires. #30-Green had just pitted under green flag and is now at the tail end of the lead lap, in front of the leaders. #8-Earnhardt Jr is BACK on the track on lap 257 but lost his engine is now OUT. Caution 6 lap 254: #12-Ryan Newman lost an engine. No caution but #99-Burton scraped the wall and damaged the right side Caution 5 lap 239: #31-Robby Gordon wapped the wall when he lost a right front, was able to drive on to the pits. #28-Rudd had a stuck gas pedal and 88-Jarrett ran out of gas and had to coast in to the pits, then #24-Gordon who pitted infront of Jarrett overshot his pit stall and backed up, blocking Jarrett. Ward Burton was held in the Infield Care Center at Texas to have his neck xrayed and released and interviewed said he was sore but ok. Earnhardt Jr was released and says he is fine. Caution 4 lap 184: just after the green flag, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr spun when he and the lapped car of #49-Robinson got together and Earnhardt Jr backed into the turn one wall, Dale Jr has radio’d in that he is ok and has restarted the car but couldn’t move the car, when he got out of the car, he was holding his left arm. Caution 3 on lap 171: #22-Ward Burton hit the wall hard, apparantly the right front tire blew, Burton got out of the car under his own power. #4-Skinner and #30-Green had stayed out while most of the other driver pitted. #21-Elliott Salder is running a fuel conservation race, pitting much later then the rest of the leaders, trying to make the race on one less pitstop. #36-Schrader had to come back in after his pit road when the wrench was left in, and #1-Park had to come back in when he had a missing lugnut during the lap 100-105 green flag stops Caution 2 on lap 49: debris on the track, #11-Bodine’s right side window fell out on the frontstretch. Also of note, #30-Green’s car is smoking and #22-Burton’s car is having radio problems, #55-Hamilton’s power steering pump was low on fluid and he came in to get it topped off and fixed. Also Bodine’s crew chief Doug Richert has been summoned to the NASCAR trailer after the race to discuss the window problem as this is the 2nd time in 4 races the window has fallen out (the other was at Atlanta and one was not used at Bristol). Some changes during pit stops on lap 37: #28-Rudd went in 1st and came out 1st; #9-Elliott in 3rd, out 2nd; #88-Jarrett in 2nd, out 3rd; #14-Compton in 4th out 14th; $8-Earnhardt Jr in 5th and out 5th. NOTEs: Caution was thrown on lap 36. NASCAR will probably throw a madatory caution (unless there is an earlier caution) to allow teams to adjust on their cars and check tires. Falling to the rear of the field before the start: #17-Matt Kenseth – changed engine during Friday practice; #26-Frank Kimmel and #31-Robby Gordon, in backup cars due to qulaifying accidents. #7-Atwood off the pace came into the pits around lap 15 and came back out. possibly a tire going down. See ThatsRacin.com for a column: Kenseth pulls away for second win of the season. For Results see ThatsRacin.com or the TMS Site or NASCAR.com (4-8-2002)
