Rewind | Commentary and some of the key moments

Monday, Jun. 22, 2009

Taking another look at Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.:

Rear-view mirror

There was little drama coming out of NASCAR’s recently imposed double-file restarts rule, which figured to get a stern test on Infineon’s road course. Although there seven cautions, drivers played it fairly close to the vest when starting up on the track’s early, uphill turns. With four of those cautions coming late in the race, there were plenty of chances for problems, but they never materialized.

Biggest post-race cheer? When team owner Richard Petty was introduced with winner Kasey Kahne in Victory Lane. The King will always have his followers.

Marcos Ambrose might be the biggest breath of fresh air that’s blown into NASCAR in years. Ambrose’s sunny disposition is infectious, and he delivered the best line of the day Sunday when he said he knew it would be a bad day when he cut himself shaving.

Notes

Gordon, Johnson busted, but come back

You don’t see this in very many races. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon - two of the savviest and most technically sound drivers on the circuit - were each penalized for speeding on pit road.

They both had to go to the rear of the field, but recovered. Johnson finished fourth and Gordon was ninth.

Montoya now 12th in standings

Juan Pablo Montoya’s sixth-place finish moved him from 14th to the 12th and final spot in the chase standings.

“We weren’t up to (winning),” Montoya said. “We struggled putting the power down so much. It was a good points day and the bigger picture is good. I can’t really complain.”

Ambrose able to pass most of them

Ambrose’s third-place finish came after he started at the rear of the field (he blew an engine in practice Saturday).

“I felt like I passed 200 cars,” he said. “We went from zero to hero.”

Post-apology, Kurt Busch OK with bump

Johnson inadvertently wrecked Kurt Busch after Johnson’s Chevy hit a curb and bounced into Busch’s Dodge. “He just launched into us,” said Busch.

“He came over and apologized after the race. It was just two champion drivers going after the same spot.”

Said's cruise ends abruptly

Road course specialist Boris Said finished finished 24th after climbing to third at one point in the race.

“We were just cruising, no problem, things were looking good,” he said. “Then somebody tagged me from behind.”

Stabler serves as grand marshal

The race’s grand marshal was former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, who is still accorded hero status in this part of the country.

Boris Said dedicated his car in Saturday’s NASCAR West race at Sonoma to Stabler. Said’s car was painted silver-and-black and also had some hints of snakeskin colors – in honor of Stabler’s nickname “Snake.”

Key moments

Lap 16

Pole-winner Brian Vickers leads the first 15 laps before being passed by Kyle Busch, who started second. Busch quickly begins to put distance between them.

Lap 24

First double-file restart - after a caution caused by David Ragan running off the track - comes off without a hitch.

Lap 79

Kasey Kahne takes the lead, one he’d hold onto for the remainder of the race, by passing Scott Speed in Turn 2.

Lap 107

Speed spins out in Turn 7, causing the race’s final caution. That sets up a final, two-lap sprint, with Kahne holding off Stewart for the victory by .748 of a second.

Next race

Lenox Industrial Tools 301

Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

When: 2 p.m., Sunday.

TV: TNT.

Radio: Performance Racing Network.

Last year’s winner: Kurt Busch.

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