After finishing runner-up in six Nextel Cup races, #9-Kasey Kahne finally took his first trip to Victory Lane this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Kahne dominated the event, starting from the pole and leading the most laps before taking the seemingly elusive checkered flag. For bringing his driver his first career win in racing’s top series, Tommy Baldwin won the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race award. The supporting cast of the Evernham Motorsports Dodge was as much a part of the win as the driver. When the leaders made their final trip down pit road, lap 333, the #9 crew executed a flawless stop, putting Kahne back on the track in the command position. Despite three more caution flags, Kahne stayed on the track and held onto the top spot. “We had a good idea of how long the tires would last in a run,” said Baldwin. “We knew with sixty laps to go, that was it. We were done with the pit stops. We were sticking to our plan. If the caution came out anywhere from (lap) 290 and on, we were staying out the whole run. At lap 353, there was no way were coming in.”
The panel of voters; including Mike Harris of the Richmond Times Dispatch, a WYPALL Wipers representative and Robbie Reiser; all agreed that Baldwin was the top crew chief of the event. With his first WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race award, Baldwin joins Scott Miller, Bob Osborne, Alan Gustafson and Pete Rondeau in a tie for third place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year standings. Doug Richert stays in first place with three wins. Robbie Loomis is in second place with two wins. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000. Fan can also vote for their choice at wypall.com.(SMC 500)(5-16-2005)
