Rockingham: Kenseth wins

A last corner attack from Kahne - in only his second start at the top level - fell short by just 0.010secs, one of the closest winning margins in NASCAR history.

"It was stressful," said Kenseth. "We led it all day and I was doing everything I could. The last lap, I got up as high as I could and he got a good charge on me."

Kahne said: "I was doing all I could. I could get little runs on Kenseth at times, but it was real hard. I just tried to set him up. We made it a close race."

Although he started from 23rd on the grid, Kenseth led for over half of the 393 laps in his Ford Taurus. He won last year's championship with just one race win, at Las Vegas, but his consistent scoring was enough for him to take the title. It was his eighth career win, and he now trails Dale Earnhardt Jr by seven points in the title chase.

The Dodge marque that ruled qualifying had to settle for second, third and fourth, with Kahne, Jamie McMurray (who also won Saturday's Busch Series race) and Sterling Marlin filling the places. Daytona 500 winner Earnhardt Jr finished fifth.

The scariest moment of the race came when Brendan Gaughan tagged Joe Nemechek, who cannoned into Carl Long and sent him tumbling down the track. Although Long rolled five or six times, he climbed out of his wrecked car unhurt, although Bobby Labonte almost collected his stranded machine.

Robby Gordon also had a worrying moment later in the race when his car reared up onto its side following a collision with Jeff Green. He too was uninjured.