DEI driver of the Bass Pro Shops #1 Chevrolet, Martin Truex, Jr., scored a breakthrough win at the rain-delayed race at Dover today. Truex started 26th on the field, but went on to lead 216 laps en route to his first career NASCAR points win. (He won the Nextel Open two weeks ago at Charlotte, to transfer into the All-Star race, but that's not a points race. He won't have to race the open next year, as this win gets him directly in the All-Star race in 2008). Polesitter Ryan Newman led 135 laps, but finished 2nd, some 6+ seconds behind Truex.
Truex's win broke Hendrick's five-race winning streak, and was the first non-Hendrick car to win a Car of Tomorrow race. (Kyle Busch and two each for Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson) For 2007, there has been one ford win (Kenseth @ California), and of the 12 other races, all have been won by Chevrolet -- Hendrick has won 9, split 4 for Jimmie Johnson, 3 for Jeff Gordon, and one each for Kyle Busch and Casey Mears; RCR winning two, Harvick at the Daytona 500 and Jeff Burton at Texas, (plus Harvick won the All-star race); and now Truex at Dover.
The sad news: NASCAR announced the death of William C. France (Bill France Jr) during the race, spoiling some of the celebration for Truex. France had overseen the modern era of NASCAR, taking over for his father in 1972. It is a sad day for NASCAR - as much as his father was responsible for getting things off the ground, it was Bill France Jr who saw racing into the national limelight and #2 sport.
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