JGR Race Report - 3M Performance 400

Date: June 18, 2006
Event: 3M Performance 400 (Round 15 of 36)
Series: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway (2-mile oval)
Winner: Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports
JGR Finish: Denny Hamlin (12th - running, completed 129 of 129 laps); J.J. Yeley (40th - running, completed 80 of 129 laps); Tony Stewart (41st - accident, completed 58 of 129 laps) Denny Hamlin led the three-car Joe Gibbs Racing contingent by finishing a solid 12th in Sunday's rain-shortened 3M Performance 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Express Chevrolet, enjoyed a far better outing than his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates did at the 2-mile oval. Separate crashes early in the race relegated J.J. Yeley, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, and Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet, to finishes of 40th and 41st, respectively. Even with the DNF (Did Not Finish), Stewart continues to lead the trio of JGR drivers in the championship point standings. Stewart dropped just two spots to sixth, 367 markers arrears series leader Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin and Yeley occupy the ninth and 27th positions, respectively. Both drivers maintained their point positions from the previous race at Pocono (Pa.). Hamlin is 486 points behind Johnson and Yeley is 941 points back. Kasey Kahne scored his fifth career Nextel Cup victory and his fourth of the season by winning the 3M Performance 400. Carl Edwards finished second, while Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle and Reed Sorenson secured the rest of the top-five. Johnson, Casey Mears, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick comprised the rest of the top-10. The next event on the Nextel Cup schedule is the June 25 Dodge/SaveMart 350k road course event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. The race begins at 3:40 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX.