| Hendrick Motorsports has been dominating the 2007 | | | | this to say: “We had a top-eight car all day long. |
| Nextel Cup Series by winning eight out of the ten | | | | Fuel pressure never faltered, even on the last lap. |
| races prior to the Coca-Cola 600. Superstars Jimmie | | | | We (Gibbs) weren't the best cars there, but we |
| Johnson and Jeff Gordon have been winning races | | | | weren't the worst, either. I do my best every time I |
| this season for the team. At the Coca-Cola 600 | | | | go on the track. As far as being on the hot seat, I'll |
| though, it was Casey Mears who brought home the | | | | go back to driving sprint cars, if that's what it takes. |
| win for the team. The win gave the driver his first | | | | We've had some good runs; we just haven't had the |
| bets performance so far in the Nextel Cup. This win | | | | finishes to show for it.” |
| also ended his unfortunate streak of winless races | | | | The Coca-Cola 600 also saw Dodge taking the third |
| which has stretched for 155 races. | | | | spot. Kyle Petty drove the No. 45 Petty Enterprises |
| Hendrick Motorsports now has won nine out of the | | | | Coke Zero Dodge Charger. He has this to say after |
| eleven races this season. What made the win more | | | | making his best performance since 1997: “Billy |
| memorable for Mears is the fact that he gambled on | | | | [Wilburn, crew chief] made a heckuva call there near |
| the later part of the race. He opted not to refuel | | | | the end and that's what did for us. Our car was |
| during the later stages to get the lead. On lap 395, | | | | good. Our car was different when the sun was out. |
| Mears took the lead for good and nursed his tank | | | | We kept working with it and didn't really get it right |
| until his Chevrolet Monte Carlo ran out of gas after | | | | until I got the ‘lucky dog' there to get back on |
| he crossed the finish line. | | | | the lead lap. I couldn't be more excited for Casey |
| After the race, Mears has this to say about the | | | | Mears if he was Adam Petty. When you look at the |
| gamble they had taken during the late stage of the | | | | top three or four tonight, it's all a total team effort. |
| race: “We were a third- or fourth-place car at | | | | We all had top-car cars and everything worked our |
| the time. Only way we could win was to gamble and | | | | way. Six hundred miles is an awful long race.” |
| that's what we did. It's unbelievable. I can't believe | | | | The race showed the continuing dominance by |
| we're in victory lane. It's huge to happen right here at | | | | Chevrolet Impalas, taking the tenth win out of the |
| home. What a great call our crew chief made to | | | | eleven races so far this season. It seems that not |
| keep us out!” | | | | even cars equipped with True Flow air intake |
| Meanwhile, J.J Yeley, who is driving for Joe Gibbs | | | | systems can overtake these Chevrolet Impalas for |
| Racing, took the second spot and giving him his first | | | | now. |
| top five finish of the season. After the race, he has | | | | |