A Look Back at the …

Winner: Kurt Busch
Time of Race: 3 hours, 24 minutes, 18 seconds
Average Speed: 147.143 mph
Margin of Victory: 25.686 seconds
Caution Flags: 5 cautions for 26 laps
Lap Leaders: 13 lead changes among 4 drivers. J. Gordon 1-11, Ku. Busch 12-57, Ky. Busch 58-87, Ku. Busch 88, Ky. Busch 89-145, Hamlin 146-147, Ky. Busch 148-167, Ku. Busch 168, Ky. Busch 169-172, Ku. Busch 173-207, Ky. Busch 208-268, Ku. Busch 269-271, Ky. Busch 272-331, Ku. Busch 332-334.

Post-Race Quotes

“For me, sitting inside the car, when I came out with two stops to go, or one stop after we just initially stopped, Pat said, ‘Save fuel.’ I looked at the scoreboard, I saw 120-something [laps] to go, if I'm not mistaken. I did the math — divide that by two, it's 60-something on a tank of gas.
 
“For us, it wasn't necessarily as big a risk as you might think. We could play it out the way we wanted to. We stayed out a little extra on the first run [and] that enabled us to stay out on the second run. I could feel it. I knew that's what Pat's direction was going to be. To risk fuel, I didn't think we were in that zone of risking.

— Race-winner Kurt Busch, on his team’s fuel gamble that enabled them to win the Dickies 500 on Sunday.
 
“The biggest thing is when you're doing that, worrying about a caution falling late because you're giving up track position. That's how Kyle [Busch] got the lead from us the first time, by shortstopping, making up [a] half second a lap there for three or four laps, gets him by us. You know, [our] only concern was a caution falling before everybody had to pit.”

— Busch’s crew chief, Pat Tryson, following up Kurt’s sentiments.

“I just tried to play through my mind what could have done differently at the start of that race. I don't think I could have done anything different. [The] 77 [Sam Hornish Jr.] lost it. I wish [he] could have waited a few more laps before he lost control of his car. Think he did the second time. Wish I wouldn't have been around the first time. [He] definitely it took us out … not much we could do.
 
“Luckily we have a big points lead. All along we've been trying to tell everybody this thing is far from over, [that’s] what our mindset has been. Luckily, we've raced for every point throughout this Chase. We still have a decent points lead right now. We need to dust ourselves off, head to Phoenix, [and] get a good one in the bank there.”

— Jimmie Johnson, on his Lap 3 accident that resulted in a 38th-place finish.

Texas Motor Speedway Notes

Kurt Busch won the Dickies 500 from Texas Motor Speedway to earn his second victory of the season and 20th of his career. The win was Busch's first at Texas. Busch is now tied with Speedy Thompson for 32nd on the all-time wins list.

Busch sits fourth in the point standings with two wins, nine top-5 and 19 top-10 finishes to his credit.

Denny Hamlin (second) posted his 13th top 5 of 2009. He sits eighth in the point standings and has three wins to his credit this season.
 
Matt Kenseth (third) scored his seventh top 5 of the year. It was his third top-3 finish in the eight Chase races thus far. He sits 14th in points, 32 behind 13th-place Kyle Busch.

Mark Martin and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5. Points-leader Jimmie Johnson finished 38th after a Lap 3 accident involving David Reutimann and Sam Hornish Jr. Johnson holds a 73-point advantage over Martin with two races remaining in the season.

A Look Ahead to the …
Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 from Phoenix International Raceway

Track Specs: 1-mile oval; Banking/Turns: 9 and 11 degrees; Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees; Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson won both events.
2009 Winner: Mark Martin (April)
Cup Practice Times: Friday, November 13: 2:00 - 3:30 pm EST (televised live on ESPN2); Saturday, November 14: 1:30 – 2:15 pm EST (SPEED); Happy Hour on Saturday from 2:50 – 3:50 pm EST (ESPN2).
Cup Qualifying: Friday, November 13: 5:45 pm EST (ESPN2).
NASCAR Sprint Cup Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500: Sunday, November 15: 3:30 pm EST (coverage begins at 12:30 pm EST on SPEED TV and continues on ABC at 2:30).

Phoenix International Raceway Facts

Phoenix International Raceway has hosted 26 Cup races since Alan Kulwicki won the inaugural Checker 500 in 1988.

There have been 19 drivers to have earned a victory at PIR with three, Jeff Gordon (2007), Jimmie Johnson (’08) and Mark Martin (’09), to have won from the pole.

Jimmie Johnson (12 starts) leads all drivers with three wins at Phoenix. Davey Allison, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin have two victories apiece.

Mark Martin, who has started 25 events at PIR, leads the field with 10 top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes. Jeff Gordon ranks second in both categories with eight top 5s and 15 top 10s (21 starts)

Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with a 5.4-place average finish; Alan Kulwicki is the all-time leader, with a 5.2-place average run in five starts.

Ryan Newman holds the Cup track qualifying record of 135.854 mph set in November 2004. Jimmie Johnson is the defending pole winner. Mark Martin scored the pole position in April.

Ryan Newman leads the pack with four poles earned at PIR; Jeff Gordon has three.

Jimmie Johnson is the defending winner of the race. Johnson won three races in a row in Phoenix from November 2007 – November 2008. Mark Martin foiled the streak in April when he led 157 of 312 laps en route to a .734-second win over Tony Stewart.