Times wires
Saturday, April 16, 2011
TALLADEGA, Ala. — In one sense it was typical Talladega: big wrecks, a car flipping and a wild finish.
But the racing done to get to the finish was anything but typical in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide series race. Two-car drafting tandems dominated the Aaron's 312, making the action more spread out than in old races at Talladega Superspeedway.
In the end, Kyle Busch, pushed by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano, took the lead and was declared the winner when a caution flag came out on the final lap of the second attempt at a green-white-checkered finish.
"Look at the thing," Busch said, pointing to his banged-up No. 18 Toyota in Victory Lane. "I got hit like three times on the left side. These guys did a great job putting this thing back together."
The win is Busch's fourth of the season in seven Nationwide races but his first at Talladega.
Mike Wallace, who was challenging for the lead, got turned on the final lap and was sent airborne. His car flipped upside down but landed on all four tires, and he drove to pit road.
"It was fun racing. I guess the push was just too great and I got sideways, and the next thing I know, I was flying," Wallace said.
Busch said: "I got hit a couple of times. My steering wheel got knocked out of my hands."
INDYCAR: Will Power earned the pole at the Grand Prix of Long Beach (Calif.), his third straight to open the season. His lap of 1 minute, 9.06 seconds on the 1.968-mile street circuit edged defending race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay.
FORMULA ONE: World champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull earned the pole for the third time in three races this season, beating McLaren's Jenson Button by 0.70 seconds at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The race was held overnight.
NHRA: John Force got nearer to the one major record he doesn't hold, leading Funny Car qualifying for the 136th time at the Four-Wide Nationals in Concord, N.C. Force is two off Pro Stock star Warren Johnson's record of 138 times at No. 1. Del Worsham (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) led their classes for today's eliminations.