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closeDriver by driver | How they fared
The Charlotte Observer
Sunday, May. 18, 2008
The Charlotte Observer's David Scott, Ron Green Jr. and Jim Utter recap the race – driver by driver.
KASEY KAHNE - 1
He couldn't race his way into the All-Star race - the fans voted him in - but once he got there, he was awesome. Kahne got better as the race went on.
GREG BIFFLE - 2
Felt lucky to finish as high as he did ("We had a mediocre car"), but loosened up the car after the second segment.
MATT KENSETH - 3
He started 14th and gradually worked his way through the field. A bad restart on the final 25-lap segment cost Kenseth a chance to win.
JIMMIE JOHNSON - 4
His car was good but didn't have the dominant dimension that has become so familiar at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Johnson worked his way up from the back but didn’t have enough.
TONY STEWART - 5
He was forced to start at the back because of engine problems but Stewart patiently worked his way forward. He never led but managed to finish five seconds behind Kahne.
RYAN NEWMAN - 6
He had a fast car throughout all four segments and there were moments when he appeared capable of challenging for the victory. Instead, he didn't have quite enough to win.
SAM HORNISH JR. - 7
He had one of the most interesting nights in the field. Hornish got in by finishing second in the qualifying race, fell two laps down in the big race and battled his way back.
DALE EARNHARDT JR. - 8
He led for several laps in the final segment, but couldn't hold off Kahne. He was second at the midway point.
MARK MARTIN - 9
Martin never strayed far from the front, finishing seventh in Segment 2, fifth in Segment 3 and ninth in the final segment. He was the highest finishing member of DEI's effort.
CARL EDWARDS - 10
He looked like the car to beat at the midway point after Kyle Busch went to the garage. But all the magic he had leading the second segment evaporated after the break.
KEVIN HARVICK - 11
Nothing much happened for Harvick, who spent most of the night running in the middle of the pack. He wound up 11th, which was fitting.
BOBBY LABONTE - 12
Early in the race, Labonte ran among the leaders, but it didn't last. He deserves credit for being consistent, though. Labonte finished 12th in the final three segments.
CASEY MEARS - 13
Mears rallied to finish 13th in the final segment, which was third-best among the four Hendrick Motorsports entries. His only consolation: He finished better than Jeff Gordon.
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA - 14
His best effort in the race was in the final segment, when he finished 17th, and that wasn't saying much. He was 21st after Segment 2.
JEFF GORDON - 15
It wasn't a particularly memorable evening for Gordon, whose car didn't spend much time near the front. It was either too loose or too tight, said Gordon.
MARTIN TRUEX JR. - 16
He started near the front but couldn't stay there over the course of the evening. Truex fell off the pace in the third segment and was a half-lap behind when the race ended.
A.J. ALLMENDINGER - 17
He did his best work in the first race, winning his spot in the All-Star race. In the feature race, he was never a serious contender.
CLINT BOWYER - 18
Bowyer, making his first all-star appearance, was consistent in the all-star race; unfortunately, he was running consistently in the back of the pack.
JAMIE MCMURRAY - 19
It was a rather uneventful night for McMurray, who started sixth but never challenged for the lead. He fell to 21st by the end of the third segment.
JEFF BURTON - 20
After starting seventh, Burton's Chevy promptly fell toward the rear of the field and struggled all night.
DALE JARRETT - 21
There was no storybook ending for Jarrett in the final race of his career. He stayed near the back throughout - but he did drive the brown truck for one pre-race lap.
KURT BUSCH - 22
He started third, but his No. 2 Dodge gradually faded as the race wore on.
DENNY HAMLIN - 23
It looked great for Hamlin in the final segment as he had the lead with 17 laps remaining. Then it all went away. An engine problem ended Hamlin's night.
KYLE BUSCH - 24
Pole winner's recent string of success came to a sudden halt. After leading entire first segment, engine problems end his night after the second segment.