RUSTY FINISHES NINTH IN ALL-STAR RACE

After starting his Miller Lite Dodge from the pole position in Saturday night's NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Rusty Wallace avoided an early race multi-car crash and fought loose handling conditions to finish the evening in the ninth spot.

"We'd hoped to finish better, but all in all it wasn't a bad night for us," Rusty said after the event had concluded just before midnight. "I think it gave us a good warm-up for next week here and we're really looking forward to the Coca-Cola 600.

"The guys stole the headlines here in qualifying and they continue to do a great job on pit road. That's going to be so important here next week because a 600-mile race will see us spend quite a bit of time in the pits. They'll be up for the occasion, I know that. Larry Carter has done a tremendous job in getting us together a championship calibur pit crew."
Rusty started the 90-lap, three-segment race from the pole and led in the early going of the first 40-lap segment. Running a solid third kept him clear of a multi-car accident on Lap 11 that spoiled the evening for several competitors. Kurt Busch got into the rear of teammate Greg Biffle's Ford going into Turn 1. Busch bounced off and sideswiped Jimmie Johnson's Chevrolet, and from that point the crash was on. The end result saw 12 cars damaged - some relegated to the garage for the remainder of the race.
Tony Stewart went on to win the first 40-lap segment and a special draw saw eight cars inverted for the second 30-lap segment. Ryan Newman won that segment and that set up the drama for the final 20-lap dash to the finish.

When he elected not to pit after that segment, Stewart hit pit road just behind him and all the other cars followed. Elliott Sadler took on only two tires and line up second for the dash to the cash. It appeared that Newman's gamble with no tires might pay off until Matt Kenseth staged a late charge to the front and overtook the No. 12 car with four laps remaining to claim the $1 million payday.

Newman finished second, with Stewart third, Michael Waltrip fourth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fifth, Jeff Gordon sixth, Kasey Kahne seventh, Sadler eighth, Rusty ninth and Mark Martin 10th.

"It was OK," Rusty said of his Dodge that carried the special "Vote Miller for President of Beers" color scheme. "I bent the left front fender up on the restart. I got into Ryan's right rear quarter panel. I went to tuck in behind him and didn't clear him and tore my left front fender up. It hurt the downforce, but it was a decent run. We were just too loose right there at the end. We plugged a left front shock and got the car where it wouldn't sink down in ground and it got the car too loose on entry and exit and it hurt me. We're bringing back a new car next week. This is a good car, too, but we've got a new one ready to go."

Rusty and team will be racing their PRS-71 chassis here next weekend. It was last raced at Texas on April 4, where it came home fifth. The car will continue to carry the special paint job that ran in the All-Star race.

This week's Coca-Cola 600 schedule calls for practice and qualifying on Thursday. The final "Happy Hour" practice session is set for Saturday at 11:10 a.m. Sunday's 400-lap, 600-mile battle has a 5:30 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by FOX-TV and PRN Radio.