NASCAR All-Star: Joe Gibbs Toyotas Fast, But Junk

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Both Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin were contenders for the All-Star’s million-dollar purse on Saturday, leading multiple laps before their engines blew up. Tony Stewart’s Toyota required an engine swap before the race even began, resulting in penalties that required him to start at the back of the field. Much-hyped NASCAR prodigy Kyle Busch surged to the front early in the race, widening his lead with every lap until his engine started dropping cylinders; Denny led a few later in the race until his motor similarly expired. The official word from the Joe Gibbs camp was that the cars were running house-designed, ultra-aggressive, experimental drivetrain setups—a gamble the top Toyota team elected to take for the not-for-points All-Star. But the overtuned engines didn’t have the durability to complete even the 150 miles at Lowes Motor Speedway, and at the end of the night, fan favorite Kasey Kahne took the win with the Budweiser Dodge.