NASCAR Sprint Cup: Pure Michigan 400 Provides Pure Drama for Some

Disappointment rained down on some drivers who thought it was their day to win on the two-mile oval at Michigan while one driver found the taste of victory oh so sweet.

Ford was expected to be strong and Greg Biffle led most of the first half of the Pure Michigan 400 while Carl Edwards had engine problems that took him to the garage early in the race.

Edwards made it back on track, but his day was pretty much over as his car was down 28 laps. With five laps to go he was unable to improve his 36th place position and headed for the garage.

Denny Hamlin is a proven winner at Michigan and expected his new JGR/TRD engine would help him score his second win of the season. Hamlin was unofficially 35th at the end of the race.

Hamlin was running 19th with 78 laps to go when he hit the wall and headed for the garage. The driver of the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota made it back on the track but he was 15 laps down.

Hamlin was 12th in the point standings heading to Michigan, but his streak of bad runs continued with only one top-10 finish since his Michigan win on June 19.

Brad Keselowski continued to show Penske horsepower with his run in the top-five all day behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce. He raced brace free as he continues to heal his broken ankle. His third place finish took him to 12th in points.

Kyle Busch had a very fast and consistent No. 18 M&Ms Toyota as he battled for the lead during most of the race. With 12 laps to go he took the lead over Jimmie Johnson, who has never won at Michigan.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. badly needs a win, but his streak of winless races reached 116. Junior qualified pretty well and had a top-10 car that kept him in Chase contention. On the final caution he chose to take tires which dropped him to a 14th place finish, but he remains ninth in points.

With four laps to go Kurt Busch hit the wall for the second time while running 12th and looked to have heavy damage which brought out a caution.

The inevitable green-white-checker finish came to play and some 27 drivers were on the lead lap. A variety of strategies played out with some staying out, others going for two tires.

Marcos Ambrose, the winner at Watkins Glen last week, slid into his pit stall with the nose of his car planted hard against the pit wall.

The race restarted and Busch pulled away from Johnson to win his fourth race of the season as Johnson followed him across the finish line.

Drama continues as Tony Stewart still remains winless. He finished ninth in the Pure Michigan 400 and showed obvious disappointment after the race though he stayed 10th in points.

Strong runs, wins and great pit stops give the driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 a big advantage and he looks to be the real deal when it comes to challenging five-time reigning Cup champ, Johnson.

He told the ESPN pit reporter, "Great to be in Victory Lane and we clinched our place in the Chase."