LEFFLER HANGS ON TO POST 6TH PLACE FINISH IN TALLADEGA

Unable to get the help he needed to get to challenge for the victory in the closing stages of Saturday afternoon’s Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, Jason Leffler nevertheless held on to post a 6th place finish. It was Jason’s third straight top 10 finish and fifth in the last six races of the eight events so far run on the 2009 schedule.

Equaling his best qualifying effort of the season, Leffler earned the fourth starting position on Friday afternoon for the Saturday event over Talladega’s fast, 2.66-mile, high-banked super speedway. He seldom ran outside of the top 10 and was eyeing the victory as late as lap 101 when he re-started the event in third place following one of the race’s few caution periods.

Leffler’s #38 Great Clips/Dollar General/Northeastern Supply-sponsored Toyota Camry ran as high as second on several occasions during the afternoon test, the last coming with less than 20 laps to go but with the outcome far from being decided.

“My car was fast, but to move faster to the front you need help from other cars. I just didn’t get that at the end,” Jason commented. “We continue to run with the leaders, though, and our day (to win) is going to come soon”, he added.

Leffler helped push teammate Brian Vickers, in the #32 Dollar General Toyota, to the lead by the fourth lap, and although he seemingly was in position to lead at least one lap during the highly competitive fray, Jason never could muster enough strength to get that job done. In all there were 14 drivers who took turns at the point. Ironically, eventual race winner David Ragan, in claiming his very first NASCAR victory in any division, led only the final lap when he nudged past Dale Earnhardt, Jr. coming through the tri-oval and just beat runner-up Ryan Newman at the stripe.

Teenage sensation Joey Logano was third with surprising Tony Raines and Earnhardt, Jr. rounding out the top five and taking the checkers in front of Leffler. Thanks to another top ten effort, Leffler remained fourth in the championship driver point’s standing – 24 better than fifth place Logano. Jason is also just 57 points behind third place Ragan and trails leader Kyle Busch by 137 tallies as Nationwide Series action moves to Richmond International Raceway in Virginia next Friday night with the running of the Lipton Tea 250.

That race is scheduled to be televised by ESPN2 with coverage to begin at 7 p.m.