Kasey Kahne looked like he had lost the GoBowling.com 400 fom Pocono Raceway when his Hendick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, passed him for the lead.
Kahne was granted a second chance after a late race caution.
“We about gave it away,” Kahne said in victory lane. “That final restart, (Gordon) had a great jump. Kurt (Busch) pushed me all the way to Turn 1.”
The 1-2 finish was huge for both drivers, who entered Sunday’s race 1-2 in the battle for the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup. Kahne’s second win of the year gives him a big advantage if he is top fall out of the top 10 in points before Richmond in September.
“It’s funny how emotions go up and down in this sport,” Gordon said.
The race was an action-packed event featuring several dramatic crashes.
Rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya crashed on the very first lap when Montoya appeared to slide into Stenhouse’s car. Matt Kenseth also got a piece of the crash.
Denny Hamlin also wrecked when he hit the turn 3 wall on lap 15. It’s been a rough season for the driver of the No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin hasn’t finished in the top five since May 4th at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The next race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is Sunday, August 11 from Watkins Glen.
