NEXTEL ALL-STAR CHALLENGE RESULTS!

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Finishing Order for the last race for the million dollars at the Nextel All-Star Challenge! Fin St Car Driver Make Sponsor Pts/Bonus Laps Status 1 3 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools PE 90 Running 2 2 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge Mobil 1/ALLTEL PE 90 Running 3 5 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Home Depot PE 90 Running 4 8 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts PE 90 Running 5 15 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser PE 90 Running 6 17 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont PE 90 Running 7 16 #9 Kasey Kahne * Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW PE 90 Running 8 7 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford Pedigree PE 90 Running 9 1 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite PE 90 Running 10 4 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra PE 90 Running 11 18 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS PE 90 Running 12 12 #25 Brian Vickers * Chevrolet GMAC Financial Services PE 90 Running 13 24 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service PE 90 Running 14 13 #5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's PE 90 Running 15 9 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Interstate Batteries PE 90 Running 16 22 #198 Geoffrey Bodine Ford Lucas Oil/Winston Tires PE 89 Running 17 11 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's PE 54 Out of Race 18 23 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light PE 11 Out of Race 19 10 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard PE 10 Out of Race 20 14 #97 Kurt Busch Ford IRWIN Industrial Tools/Sharpie PE 10 Out of Race 21 21 #31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Cingular Wireless PE 10 Out of Race 22 6 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench PE 10 Out of Race 23 19 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army PE 10 Out of Race 24 20 #32 Ricky Craven Chevrolet Tide PE 4 Out of Race * Denotes Rookie redriderbob

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A total of 11 cars were damaged during an accident on the opening lap of the Nextel Open.


Sterling Marlin celebrates his victory in the Nextel Open, which earned him a spot in the Nextel All-Star Challenge.


Mark Martin enjoys a quiet moment before the start of Sunday's main event.


Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 team is introduced to the crowd before Saturday's All-Star Challenge.


Pole-sitter Rusty Wallace leads the field to the green flag to start Saturday's All-Star Challenge.


Rusty Wallace started for the pole Saturday and finished ninth.


Greg Biffle's No. 16 Ford was one of 11 cars damaged in a wreck during the first segment of Saturday's race.


Dale Jarrett spins out late in Saturday's All-Star Challenge.


Kevin Harvick limps to pit road after Saturday's multi-car accident.


Matt Kenseth led five of Saturday's 90 laps.


Matt Kenseth celebrates his million-dollar victory.

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[redriderbob]

Marlin Wins the Nextel Open!

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Two new tires were enough to get Sterling Marlin to the big show -- barely.

Marlin zoomed past teammate Jamie McMurray and Jeremy Mayfield on the final lap Saturday night to win the Nextel Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway and advance to the All-Star Challenge.

Ken Schrader, who finished ninth, won a fan vote to join Marlin in the finale.

"It got pretty wild," Marlin said.

McMurray easily won the first 20-lap segment, which got off to an ugly start when 11 cars piled up as the green flag fell. Mayfield was one of those involved, and he rallied from the rear of the 25-car field with the front of Dodge patched together with tape and spare parts.

During a caution before the final 10-lap run, Marlin was the only one of the leaders who didn't change four tires. He took a big lead on the restart, but a caution for a crash by Kirk Shelmerdine tightened up the field again.

This time, McMurray beat Marlin when the green fell, and Mayfield took second. They ran nose-to-tail for two laps before Mayfield moved to the inside in Turn 4, and the two Dodges banged together.

They stayed side-by-side for a full lap before McMurray moved back ahead coming to the white flag. But he nearly lost control of his car -- as did Mayfield -- and Marlin drove by both on the inside for the lead.

Marlin's Dodge beat Mayfield by about five car-lengths.

"Once we started gaining on them a little, they got to racing side-by-side," Marlin said. "I was like, 'This is what we want here."'

The race was red-flagged shortly after the big wreck on Lap 1. Casey Mears, who started on the outside of the front row, broke a transmission just past the green flag and was pushed into the outside wall by Mayfield.

In the ensuing mayhem, Kerry Earnhardt, Brendan Gaughan, Ricky Rudd, Jimmy Spencer, Jeff Burton, Scott Riggs, Schrader and Morgan Shepherd all wrecked. It was particularly costly for Earnhardt, the half brother of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had a ride with Richard Childress Racing.

"That was the shortest race I can ever remember being in," Spencer said. "I don't think we went even a thousand feet."

None of the drivers involved were injured.

NASCAR.com

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[redriderbob]

Nextel Open, Opens with Accident!

The Nextel Open got off to a slow but exciting start when No. 2 starter Casey Mears didn't get up to speed on the green flag and was hit from behind by Jeremy Mayfield, triggering a multi-car melee before the field got to Turn 1 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Behind them, Jimmy Spencer plowed into the back of Brendan Gaughan, causing more cars to spin and pile into each other.

Before the crash was over, 11 of the 25 starters were involved.

Mears said later his transmission broke as he shifted to third gear, causing his car to practically stop. Mayfield had nowhere to go and slammed into the rear of Mears' car, lifting it off the ground.

"We had a really good start," Mears said. "As soon as I went to third, the transmission blew up. ... Fortunately, it wasn't a points race. Unfortunately, we can't get a million dollars."

The winner of the Nextel Open advances to the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge, which pays $1 million to the winner.

Despite the crash, the drivers involved kept their sense of humor. As Mears, Burton and Ricky Rudd got out of an ambulance outside the infield care center, they playfully fought each other.

"Well, you might as well, you know?" Burton said. "It's been one of those years. I thought we ought to have it missed. We were starting so far back, I got excited. 'Yeah, there's a wreck! We get to pick up some spots.' Unfortunately, it just didn't work out for us."

In addition to Mears, Mayfield, Gaughan, Rudd and Spencer, the other cars involved were Kerry Earnhardt, Johnny Sauter, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader, Scott Riggs and Morgan Shepherd.

"People started checking up, and we all went everywhere," Gaughan said.

Teams were able to work on their cars during the red flag, as NASCAR announced during the drivers/crew chiefs meeting. Earnhardt's team was the most fortunate with that rule, as Earnhardt stayed on the lead lap.

The only cars not to receive damage or work on their cars under the red were Jamie McMurray, Dave Blaney, Ward Burton, Jeff Green and Scott Wimmer.

NASCAR.com

redriderbob

[redriderbob]

Nextel Open Results...

1 6 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light PE 30 Running
2 4 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW PE 30 Running
3 3 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline PE 30 Running
4 7 #43 Jeff Green Dodge Great American Bake Sale PE 30 Running
5 9 #22 Scott Wimmer * Dodge Caterpillar PE 30 Running
6 13 #30 Johnny Sauter * Chevrolet America Online PE 30 Running
7 5 #0 Ward Burton Chevrolet NetZero HiSpeed PE 30 Running
8 1 #23 Dave Blaney Dodge Finish Line Dodge PE 30 Running
9 16 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service PE 30 Running
10 15 #50 Derrike Cope Dodge GEICO PE 30 Running
11 19 #89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Carter's Royal Dispos-all PE 30 Running
12 21 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia Pacific/Brawny PE 30 Running
13 18 #179 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet conelymotorsports.com PE 30 Running
14 23 #146 Carl Long Dodge RacingMetal.com PE 30 Running
15 24 #280 Andy Hillenburg Ford Commercial Truck & Trailer PE 30 Running
16 25 #259 Andy Belmont Pontiac Dave Despain 4 President PE 30 Running
17 20 #194 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet Husqvarna PE 30 Running
18 8 #4 Jimmy Spencer Chevrolet Morgan-McClure PE 27 Running
19 22 #172 Kirk Shelmerdine Ford Vote For Kirk PE 24 Out of Race
20 12 #133 Kerry Earnhardt Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker PE 23 Out of Race
21 2 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target PE 0 Accident
22 11 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft/U.S. Air Force PE 0 Accident
23 10 #77 Brendan Gaughan * Dodge Kodak EasyShare PE 0 Accident
24 17 #10 Scott Riggs * Chevrolet Valvoline PE 0 Accident
25 17 #99 Jeff Burton Ford Roundup FastAct PE 0 Accident

* Denotes Rookie

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Some All-Star Challenge Schemes...


Dave Blaney's #23 Finish Line Dodge Dealer Dodge






Jeff Gordon's #24 Rainbow Warrior DuPont Chevy




Derrike Cope's #50 Geico Dodge




Andy Belmont's #59 Dave Despain 4 President Pontiac (Dave Despain is host of Speed Channel's talk show, Wind Tunnel)

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