Kasey Kahne got an assist from Mother Nature when a heavy shower cut short Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway handing him his fourth win of the NEXTEL Cup season.

Kasey Kahne was in the right place at the right time with 71 laps to go at Michigan International Raceway. Rain was the storyline all afternoon, delaying the start of the race and slowing the field several times.

As weather radar warned of approaching storms, Kahne and the No. 9 Dodge team chose not to pit on what would be the race’s final stops at lap 126. That decision proved to be a winning one, as the rain began to hammer the track a few laps later.

After a brief red flag, NASCAR called the race giving Kahne his fourth win from the pole position this season.

“This was pretty crazy to win in the rain,” said Kahne. “We were in the right place at the end, but we did have the best car.”

Carl Edwards was second, “I had a great race. I had a great car, and my pit crew - to come back by that debacle at Pocono, they did a great job. Kasey beat me off there (pit road) by just a foot.it was still a blast, I had a good time.”

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Greg Biffle and Reed Sorenson complete the top five.

“We had a great car,” said Earnhardt. “We’ll take a third place; we have not really ever had a good car here so I am excited about coming back here.”

RACE RESULTS:

1 1 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 185 Running 129

2 31 99 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford 175 Running 129

3 6 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevrolet 170 Running 129

4 10 16 Greg Biffle National Guard Ford 165 Running 129

5 25 41 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge 160 Running 129

6 4 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 150 Running 129

7 37 42 Casey Mears Texaco/Havoline Dodge 146 Running 129

8 2 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet 152 Running 129

9 13 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge 138 Running 129

10 19 29 Kevin Harvick Reese’s Caramel Cup Chevrolet 134 Running 129

11 12 31 Jeff Burton Cingular Wireless Chevrolet 130 Running 129

12 21 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Chevrolet 127 Running 129

13 20 17 Matt Kenseth Carhartt Ford 124 Running 129

14 15 5 Kyle Busch Kellogg’s Chevrolet 126 Running 129

15 42 12 Ryan Newman Alltel Dodge 118 Running 129

16 11 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 115 Running 129

17 3 25 Brian Vickers ditech.com/GMAC Chevrolet 117 Running 129

18 24 7 Robby Gordon Menards Chevrolet 109 Running 129

19 30 40 David Stremme Lonestar Steakhouse Dodge 106 Running 129

20 40 88 Dale Jarrett UPS Ford 103 Running 129

21 23 32 Travis Kvapil Tide Chevrolet 100 Running 129

22 32 38 Elliott Sadler M&M’s Ford 97 Running 129

23 41 26 Jamie McMurray Irwin Industrial Tools Ford 94 Running 129

24 26 14 Sterling Marlin Ginn/Waste Management Chevrolet 91 Running 129

25 28 55 Michael Waltrip NAPA Dodge 88 Running 129

26 7 01 Joe Nemechek U.S. Army Chevrolet 85 Running 129

27 8 6 Mark Martin AAA Ford 82 Running 129

28 5 43 Bobby Labonte Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge 79 Running 129

29 16 10 Scott Riggs Stanley Tools/Valvoline Dodge 76 Running 129

30 33 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Dodge 73 Running 129

31 36 4 Scott Wimmer AERO Exhaust Chevrolet 70 Running 129

32 34 23 Bill Lester Waste Management Dodge 67 Running 129

33 27 66 Jeff Green Best Buy Chevrolet 64 Running 129

34 29 49 Kevin Lepage Road Loans Dodge 66 Running 129

35 35 45 Kyle Petty Wells Fargo Dodge 63 Running 129

36 18 19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 55 Running 129

37 43 34 Mike Skinner Unsponsored Chevrolet 52 Running 129

38 39 96 Tony Raines DLP HDTV Chevrolet 49 Running 126

39 9 07 Clint Bowyer Jack Daniels Chevrolet 46 Running 86

40 14 18 J.J. Yeley Interstate Batteries Chevrolet 43 Running 80

41 17 20 Tony Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet 40 Accident 58

42 22 21 Ken Schrader Motorcraft Ford 37 Accident 30

43 38 74 Derrike Cope Sundance Vacations Dodge 34 Out 12

Bookmark to: