NASCAR: Dodge finishes 8th in Texas

Penske Racing had three fast Dodge Charger cars this Sunday at the Texas Motor Speedway, and all three Dodge teams finished among the top 20 at the 501 mile event, but none made the top five.

Kurt Busch finished eighth in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger, his fourth top-10 finish of the 2009 season. Busch started 28th, but had gained 10 spots by lap 35 and was 10th by lap 86. The first 97 circuits were contested under green-flag conditions, the longest in track history. The previous high was 64 in 2006.

Once in the top 10, Busch stayed with the lead group the rest of the day. He held the point once for a single lap.

Busch maintained his hold on third place in the season point standings. He’s 18 points out of second.

David Stremme was running ninth on lap 304 when a mishap in front of him forced the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge into the wall. That contact cut down a tire, bringing out the caution and forcing Stremme to pit road. With four new tires, he was ready to make another charge toward the top 10. He finished 14th after starting 32nd.

Sam Hornish Jr., running 12th on lap 232 of the 334-lap event, lost the air on his rear spoiler in traffic and the Mobil 1 Dodge lost traction. Hornish managed to elude traffic and the retaining walls. The only repair he needed was four new tires. He finished 17th.

A caution during a green-flag pit cycle cost Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge team. Kahne started 6th and was running just outside the top 10 when the cycle was halted by the second caution of the day on lap 157. Kahne ended up a lap down and could never get in position to get back on the same lap with the leaders. Kahne slipped to 10th in the point standings.