Sports / Motor Racing |
Truex claims first Nextel Cup NASCAR win(Reuters)Updated: 2007-06-06 09:49 Martin Truex Jr. scored his first Nextel Cup victory on Monday, winning the delayed 400-mile race at Dover International Speedway. The race took place on the day former NASCAR champion Bill France Jr. passed away in Florida at age 74. Truex, winner of the Busch series in 2004 and 2005, tasted victory for the first time in 58 career points races to lift a Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) team still reeling from the defection of Dale Earnhardt Jr. The younger Earnhardt, still uncommitted about his future after the announcement he was leaving DEI, finished 22nd on Monday, congratulating Truex after the race. The Truex victory snapped a streak of five consecutive Nextel wins for Hendrick Motorsports, which had also won nine of the last 10. Hendrick placed only one car in the top 10 on Monday -- Jeff Gordon was ninth -- but had a strong points day. Truex led for 216 of the 400 laps of the race, which was postponed on Sunday by rain. Pole-sitter Ryan Newman, who led for most of the first half of the race and for 135 laps overall, finished second, Saturday Busch winner Carl Edwards was third, Denny Hamlin fourth and Matt Kenseth fifth. Truex moved to within eight points of Mark Martin for the Top 12 in the Chase. (Writing by Mike Shalin in Boston)
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