GAS MILEAGE COSTS LEFFLER A TOP 10 FINISH AT NASHVILLE, BUT HAMLIN DOESN’T SUFFER SAME FATE AND TAKES 7TH PLACE

Saturday afternoon’s Pepsi 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race became a race of fuel mileage. Some drivers won and others lost, and for the two Braun Racing Toyota teams sponsored by the Northeastern Supply Company, one finished the race on the plus side and one the negative.

Jason Leffler, running as high as sixth in his #38 Great Clips/Dollar General/Northeastern Supply Company Toyota Camry during the relatively unexciting affair on the 1.33-mile concrete surface of the Nashville Superspeedway, was forced to pit for a splash of gas with just six laps remaining that cost him his third straight top ten finish.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Denny Hamlin, making his first start of the season in Brain racing’s #32 Dollar General/ABF Transport/Northeastern Supply Company Toyota, was able to remain on the track as the final laps wound down without having to come in for fuel and did earn a seventh place finish.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Denny Hamlin, making his first start of the season in Brain racing’s #32 Dollar General/ABF Transport/Northeastern Supply Company Toyota, was able to remain on the track as the final laps wound down without having to come in for fuel and did earn a seventh place finish.

“We didn’t have a real good qualifying effort (23rd),” said Leffler, “but we had a good car and just ran consistently enough to make our way through traffic and finally into the lead pack of cars. We knew that we were going to be close on fuel, but rather than risk it and ending up running out and finishing well back in the field, we decided to pit late and ended up losing a lap and out of contention. Looking at the big picture, though, this was definitely the right decision,” Leffler added.

Leffler moved from his 23rd starting berth and into the top 20 in only four laps and broke into the top 10 by lap 85. He remained anywhere from sixth to ninth on the scoreboard over the next 209 laps before being forced to make that final pit stop.

Leffler moved from his 23rd starting berth and into the top 20 in only four laps and broke into the top 10 by lap 85. He remained anywhere from sixth to ninth on the scoreboard over the next 209 laps before being forced to make that final pit stop.

Bowyer relinquished the lead he had held after taking it away from Busch with less than 10 laps to go when he began conserving fuel in an effort to finish in the top five. Bowyer was successful in his efforts and came away with the second place finish to take over the point lead from Kevin Harvick who did not compete.

Hamlin qualified 21st and near teammate Leffler and the two seemed to have been working together throughout the early going in working their way through traffic and into the lead pack of cars. Hamlin ran as high as fifth during the race and was running one spot behind Leffler with six laps remaining when the latter had to make his pit stop for fuel. Hamlin maintained that seventh position the rest of way.

Defending Nationwide Series driving champion Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowki and Kelly Bires rounded out the top five finishers.

Leffler will have a week to relax as the Nationwide Series takes next weekend off but will be back out to start another streak of top ten finishes at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 5 for the running of the O’Reilly Auto Part 300. That race is scheduled to get the green flag at 3 p.m. EDT with ESPN2 televising the race live beginning at 2:30.