Sadler wins Texas shoot-out

The M&M Ford Taurus driver gave the Robert Yates Racing team its first victory since February 2003 when Dale Jarrett won at Rockingham, but not without having to use every trick in the book to keep Kahne's faster Dodge behind him.

Coming off the last of three late-race caution periods in front of a 200,000 strong crowd, it looked like Jeff Gordon might have a chance of winning. But a suspected battery problem with the Du Pont Chevrolet dropped the four-time champion out of the fight for the lead and Sadler moved to the front.

Kahne had dropped to seventh having led the majority of laps (142) by the time the green flag dropped for the last time. The 23-year-old made a green-flag stop just before Ward Burton went into the wall and fell a lap back, but good fortune made him the first lapped runner and he was given the free-pass back up to the lead lap.

But then his bad luck kicked back in and three more cautions, one involving early leader Bill Elliot whose puncture led to a race-ending visit to the wall, left Kahne with just 34 laps to chase back to the front.

With 18 to go Kahne was second and homing in on Sadler. The Ford driver saw him coming and hugged the low-line forcing Kahne to look around the outside, and as the pair came upon Johnny Sauter on the final lap, Kahne simply ran out of room - and time.

"It really is disappointing," said Kahne, who for the second time in his seven race Nextel Cup career was forced to take a very close runner-up spot. "We had the best car, the car to beat all day. But NASCAR ran so many yellow flag laps we just couldn't get back to the front. We had it covered but there just wasn't enough time."

Sadler had sympathy for the youngster, but not that much after taking his second career NASCAR win: "It's M&M sweet! We thought we had a good car yesterday, then when we got it out front today it was great! But Kasey raced me close and he is going to make a great champion some day."

Gordon finished third after getting his battery refired and then re-passing Dale Earnhardt Jr in fourth. Veteran Rusty Wallace had another good run to fifth ahead of Kurt Busch who now heads the points standings. Erstwhile series leader Matt Kenseth had a nightmare race which involved two brushes with the wall and a loose car that finished 17th.