NASCAR notes: Gordon’s winless streak reaches 46

NASCAR NOTES

Gordon's winless streak reaches 46

Jeff Gordon continues to lead the Sprint Cup points standing after a fourth-place finish in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. But the four-time Cup champion has gone 46 races without a win.

"We just were off, but I've got to give this team a ton of credit. They kept us in the game on pit road," Gordon said after his third top-five finish this season. "Right there at the end was the best we had been all day long."

Loomis substitutes for Sadler's crew chief

Elliott Sadler's crew chief Kevin Buskirk missed the race because of illness. Buskirk, who suffered a digestive-tract infection, was replaced by veteran pit road boss Robbie Loomis, who serves as the executive director of racing operations for Richard Petty Racing.

Loomis, who oversee pit crews, team management and team transport, had been crew chief for Jeff Gordon before relinquishing that job to Steve Letarte for the final 10 races of the 2005 season.

"We fought a tight car all day long," said Sadler (Emporia), who finished 20th. "Robbie and the guys did a good job on the adjustments."

BMS reaches 54th straight Cup sellout

All 160,000 seats were sold for the Food City 500, marking the 54th consecutive Cup series sellout at Bristol Motor Speedway. The half-mile racetrack has had a packed house since Aug.28, 1982, which is the longest in NASCAR.

Also, the Food City 500 is the first Sprint Cup race of the 2009 season to sell out. For the first time in more than 10 years, Sprint Cup tickets were available less than a month before the spring race.

More engine problems for Roush Fenway

Greg Biffle exited the race after the No. 16 Ford blew an engine, a problem that has plagued Roush Fenway Racing this season.

"I would have never thought you'd have engine trouble at Bristol," Biffle said. "It never crossed my mind. We were running along, and I think we were 11th. But we had a top 10 sewn up. I was kind of riding around and waiting to get to the end."

Lug nuts

Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 35th but started from the rear after a prerace transmission change. . . . Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch have won the past three Cup races (Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol).

-- By Ralph N. Paulk