pennsylvania 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr lasted until lap 52 of 200 in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 before a combination of cramp in his recently burned leg and a virtually undriveable racecar saw him reluctantly hand the controls of his #8 Budweiser Chevrolet over to relief driver John Andretti.

Joe Nemechek dominated the opening 30 laps of Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 in a manner that only eventual winner Jimmie Johnson was able to replicate during the remaining 170 tours of the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway before 'Front Row Joe' discovered that he only had third gear at his disposal.

Ward Burton looked set to score his best result of the year and the best ever for his second year Hass CNC Racing outfit in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway before a late race transmission failure ended their day.

Jimmie Johnson was once again unbeatable at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway on Sunday, dominating his second straight Nextel Cup event there, increase his points lead and give his #48 Hendrick Motorsport team a major boost after a tough couple of weeks away from the track for team boss Rick Hendrick.

Tony Stewart is on a roll. With three straight top-five finishes that included a win at the Chicagoland Speedway, the driver of the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing is settling nicely into his traditional second-half surge.