Kurt Busch Takes Phoenix

Busch took the win after having to fight back to the front as strategy shuffled the order in the last third of the 312 lap race. It was his first win in nearly 20 races, but it was his Roush team's fourth win in eight races this season, with four of the team's five drivers in the top eight of the points standings.

The race began with Jeff Gordon on the pole but fellow front row starter Kurt Busch moved into the lead before the first lap was over. A caution followed soon after when Jason Leffler spun but Busch continued to lead as the race went back to green. Meanwhile Michael Waltrip and Brian Vickers were making their way up the order.

The next caution came out on lap 67 for debris. As the race went back to green, Busch continued to lead, from teammate Greg Biffle. Debris again brought out the caution on lap 133.

The race returned to green on lap 146 with Busch leading Biffle temporarily, Biffle taking the lead before lap 146 was over. But it was a short lead, Busch retaking the place two laps later as the Roush teammates seemed unstoppable. However, Roush teammate Matt Kenseth brought out the next caution on lap 167 when he blew a tyre and slammed into the turn three wall.

The field made pit stops, during which Tony Stewart, Biffle and Mike Bliss made contact, which eventually forced Biffle behind the wall for a new radiator, and caused Stewart problems later in the race as well. Ken Schrader stayed out and led as the race restarted on lap 170 but it was back to yellow on lap 174 when Kyle Petty spun and was collected by Clint Bowyer.

Lap 176 and it was back to green, Kyle Busch the new leader ahead of Vickers, Kevin Harvick with Kurt Busch in fourth. Kyle Busch was soon moved down the order as Vickers, Busch and Waltrip became the new top three. Another caution wasn't far away, out on lap 191 for debris once more, half the field pitting but the leaders stayed out.

Green once more on lap 195, Vickers holding onto the lead but a tap from Jimmie Johnson on the back of Tony Stewart saw Stewart spin, who was then collected by Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader and Dave Blaney, most suffering heavy damage. Again only some drivers pitted.

This meant that Waltrip was the new leader from pole sitter Gordon, with Dale Earnhardt Jr in third with Busch and Vickers in eighth and ninth as the race restarted on lap 211. Busch was moving up the order to the front when Casey Mears hit the turn one wall hard after his front right tyre went flat. Cars pitted but some cars stayed out again, yet to make their final stop of the night.

Gordon finally led a lap for the first time as the race restarted, but was soon passed by Busch on lap 227 before another caution on lap 239, as Travis Kvapil spun and was collected by Scott Wimmer and Schrader. This brought the rest of the field, including Busch, into the pits for their final stops.

Lap 245 and it was back to green, Vickers leading from Waltrip, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr and Ryan Newman, who had struggled in the early stages. Busch restarted just inside the top ten, but he was on the move, up to fourth with 57 laps remaining.

At the front Vickers was holding on ahead of Waltrip but Waltrip's high line was faster, and on lap 261 he took the lead. It was a short lead however, as on lap 269 the flying Kurt Busch zoomed past Waltrip to take the lead.

Initially Busch opened a gap but Waltrip reeled him back in as the laps wound down. Over the last ten laps Waltrip was almost close enough but Busch held on to take the win, while Waltrip ran wide on the second last lap in a move which could have cost him second but he held on safely to the place. Third was Jeff Burton ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr with Brian Vickers in fifth.

A fifteenth place finish for Jimmie Johnson ended a streak of thirteen consecutive top ten finishes, but he comfortably holds onto the points lead, 173 ahead of Phoenix race winner and last year's champ Kurt Busch, whose win moved him up from fourth to second.

Result of Subway Fresh 500, Phoenix International Raceway::

Pos  Driver               Make        Laps
 1.  Kurt Busch           Ford        312
 2.  Michael Waltrip      Chevrolet   312
 3.  Jeff Burton          Chevrolet   312
 4.  Dale Earnhardt Jr    Chevrolet   312
 5.  Brian Vickers        Chevrolet   312
 6.  Bobby Labonte        Chevrolet   312
 7.  Carl Edwards         Ford        312
 8.  Kyle Busch           Chevrolet   312
 9.  Johnny Sauter        Dodge       312
10.  Joe Nemechek         Chevrolet   312
11.  Elliott Sadler       Ford        312
12.  Jeff Gordon          Chevrolet   312
13.  Jeremy Mayfield      Dodge       312
14.  Ryan Newman          Dodge       312
15.  Jimmie Johnson       Chevrolet   312
16.  Mark Martin          Ford        312
17.  Kasey Kahne          Dodge       312
18.  Scott Riggs          Chevrolet   312
19.  Kevin Harvick        Chevrolet   311
20.  Mike Bliss           Chevrolet   311
21.  Jeff Green           Dodge       311
22.  Clint Bowyer         Chevrolet   311
23.  Dale Jarrett         Ford        311
24.  Dave Blaney          Chevrolet   311
25.  Jamie McMurray       Dodge       311
26.  Sterling Marlin      Dodge       311
27.  Mike Wallace         Chevrolet   310
28.  Kevin Lepage         Dodge       310
29.  Jason Leffler        Chevrolet   309
30.  Stanton Barrett      Chevrolet   309
31.  Kyle Petty           Dodge       306
32.  Scott Wimmer         Dodge       305
33.  Tony Stewart         Chevrolet   305
34.  Ricky Rudd           Ford        293
35.  Bobby Hamilton Jr    Chevrolet   283
36.  Rusty Wallace        Dodge       272
37.  Robby Gordon         Chevrolet   262
38.  Ken Schrader         Dodge       255
39.  Casey Mears          Dodge       243
40.  Travis Kvapil        Dodge       237
41.  Greg Biffle          Ford        172
42.  Matt Kenseth         Ford        164
43.  Carl Long            Chevrolet    52