FanHouse DodgeChallenger500

Jeff Gordon ran a very respectable third on Saturday night in the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway.

The only problem, though, was that Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch was much, much faster and cruised away with the win for the third time in 2008 to tie Carl Edwards for the most this year.

It was Gordon's highest finish since his third-place result at California in February and showed that the extensive testing work that Hendrick Motorsports' teams have combined to do has started to pay some dividends for the new race car.

It still, in Gordon's mind, wasn't enough:

"I wish I wasn't so darn competitive because you have no idea," said Gordon. "I am happy that we have a top-five and we are third, but also how frustrated I am because of how far off we are from winning races right now. We did the tire test here at Darlington and the No. 18 just kicked everybody's tails tonight."

Tails kicked, indeed.

Four of the 2008 season's first 11 races have gone to Joe Gibbs Racing and just one to Hendrick by way of Jimmie Johnson's win at Phoenix. Stats like that are a far cry from 2007 when Hendrick picked up seven wins up this point a year ago.

Whether it was jeers from a large contingent of Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans during driver introductions or a plethora of lug nut problems, Kyle Busch wasn't close to being contained Saturday night at Darlington Raceway. Busch, 23, drove to his seventh-career Sprint Cup win in the Dodge Challenger 500.

Busch's win in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 secured him as the youngest winner in the history of the 58-year-old speedway.

In the prerace ceremonies, Busch was heckled by Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans angry about last week's incident between the two at Richmond. Busch played right along as he waved his hands, cupped his ear to hear the crowd, and pretended to cry on his pre-race ride along tour. ThatsRacin' even says he flipped off a crew member from the No. 88.

All of that, of course, was before the green flag. Greg Biffle led the field to the green and proceeded to lead 95 laps before suffering a loose wheel and then a broken timing belt.

What: Dodge Challenger 500
Where: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C.
When: Saturday May 10 (Green Flag Approx. 7:20pm/ET)
Distance: 367 laps, 501.3 miles
Weather: Sunny, then isolated showers after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
2007 Winner: Jeff Gordon
Predictions: Keep Reading






Say Hello to the Lady - This will be Darlington Raceway's 58th consecutive year of hosting a NASCAR race after it all began when Harold Brasington decided that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wasn't the only place in the world race fans would go to.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has stated many a time that he's not one for controversy and stirring the pot like his father Dale Earnhardt used to.

Thursday at Darlington in preparation for Saturday night's Dodge Challenger, I can bet Junior was trying to just be done with the entire Kyle Busch incident, and said that Busch has a very similar driving style to the elder Earnhardt. Here's the quotes:

"On the racetrack, there may be some comparisons there," Earnhardt Jr. said Thursday. "He's fast ... he's slick, he's aggressive."

"That's the way dad raced and Kyle has that same style," Earnhardt Jr. continued. "Very aggressive."

Hmm. Bold statement, Mr. Earnhardt. Bold.

I definitely understand where Junior is coming from in this situation, but it seems a little over dramatic. Is Kyle Busch aggressive? Does trouble to seem follow him? Is controversy nearly a synonym for his name?

Well, because I answered "Yes" to my own three questions, I'm going to have to say that on track, Busch can be very similar. Earnhardt was the only driver that I had even seen race for position in 43rd like he was going for the win.

Busch can do, and has done, the same.

I think Earnhardt Jr. makes a valid description, but after the week of Kyle Busch vs. Dale Jr. comments after their incident at Richmond, I'd like to hear your side. What say you?

Is Kyle Busch the next Dale Earnhardt?