(Sports Network) - Kasey Kahne, winner of the All-Star race, completed a rare sweep by capturing NASCAR (web|news) 's endurance race, the 600-mile Coca-Cola 600 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. He is just the sixth driver to win both events in the same year. The No.9 Budweiser Dodge crossed the finish line 10.202 seconds ahead of Greg Biffle, but it was certainly not that easy.

"Tony Stewart had the win right there and had a little problem, so we definitely had some help," said Kahne.

The victory was Kahne's first "regular season" win since October 2006, at Lowe's and eighth of his Sprint Cup career.

As Kahne said, it was Stewart's race with half-a-dozen laps to go. He had plenty of fuel and a five-second lead on Kahne. All he had to do was stay on the track and have the engine stay in one piece. But with three laps to go he blew a right-side tire and slapped the wall. As he slowed Kahne came flying by him with just three miles to go.

Kahne cruised to the checkered flag for a 10-second win over Biffle.

Pole winner Kyle Busch brought the field to the green flag for 400 laps of racing, but everybody knows the race doesn't begin until the sun goes down. Busch led the first 33 laps, but also reported that he was having ignition problems. "Volts down to 12," he radioed.

Brian Vickers inherited the lead as Busch faded through the top-10. Behind him was Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton. Then Johnson took a turn up front, the 13th consecutive race at Lowe's in which he had led at least one lap.

Johnson extended his lead to two seconds, but Robby Gordon slapped the outside wall to bring out the caution flag. Following the caution period, Kurt Busch led a lap, his first since the Daytona 500. Kurt Busch was still the leader at the 100-lap mark and had led a race-high 36 laps.

Now it was Earnhardt Jr.'s time to shine. He passed Brian Vickers for second and went after Kurt Busch. He caught Busch and the two of then pulled away from the field, putting five seconds between them and the pack. But on the next green-flag pit stop, the No.88 crew took more than 24 seconds to get all four wheels on and "Junior" dropped to fifth place, 11 seconds back.

With only one caution flag and a fast pace, just 20 cars remained on the lead lap after 130 laps. A flat tire on Biffle's No.16 Ford dropped the lead lap cars to 19.

Meanwhile, Vickers slid around Kurt Busch for the lead and along with Kyle Busch the trio built a gap between themselves and fourth-place Johnson of almost six seconds. But Kyle Busch's No.18 Toyota broke loose and he brought the car down pit lane under green for new tires which put him down a lap. And on lap 154 Vickers, still the leader, reported a vibration, but he stayed out.

On lap 161, Kurt Busch slammed the wall, twice, to bring out the caution flag. It was a great break for Earnhardt Jr. who was right back within reach of the lead. And for Kyle Busch who got back on the lead lap.

The track was really starting to cool and change as the sun began dropping behind the stands, but Vickers, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. still led the way. Kahne and Kyle Busch were also improving and both were back solidly in the top-10.

Vickers began to fade and he complained about a loose wheel. Seconds later he slammed into the wall.

Following pit stops in which there were a wide variety of strategies, Earnhardt Jr. took over the lead with Kahne and Jeff Burton. Johnson, who chose to take four tires and fuel, returned to the track in 12th place.

The speeds were getting faster and the top-six cars set their fastest laps of the night right after the restart on lap 195. Earnhardt Jr. and Kahne were clearly the fastest of the fast and built a three-second lead. Then on lap 206 Kahne charged around "Junior" for the lead.

Earnhardt Jr. quickly re-took the lead once they went back to green. "Junior" was flying and by lap 235 was up by almost three seconds. But another caution flag, the seventh of the night, brought him back to the field.

This time it was Kyle Busch who used the two-tire stop to gain the lead. Burton came out second, Tony Stewart third and Earnhardt Jr. fifth. By lap 252 "Junior" was back up to second place after going around the outside of Stewart. Seven laps later Earnhardt Jr. flew past Busch for the lead.

Again, Earnhardt Jr. was the class of the field building the lead to two seconds with 130 laps remaining and three seconds with 120 to go. But on lap 296 he lost a right-front tire and slapped the wall. Then he got hit by J.J. Yeley and his chance of winning was done. But these COT cars are tough and "Junior" would still get a top-five finish.

Stewart inherited the lead after the accident to the No.88 Chevrolet, but Kahne was looking to become just the sixth driver to win the All-Star race and the "600" in the same year and took the lead from Stewart. Kahne's lead was up to two seconds with 80 laps remaining.

But more caution flags slowed the race. Johnson used the first one to make a fuel-only stop and grab the lead with 66 laps to go. Stewart, Kahne and Kyle Busch were just behind.

Kyle Busch was the man pressing the issue. He passed Stewart and got Kahne too, before they reached lap 345. Busch was the fastest car on the track and began to eat into Johnson's lead. He caught him and passed him on lap 346 and off he went. Johnson began to slow even further, he had engine problems. Kahne took over second, but he was almost two seconds behind Busch. By lap 351 Johnson was pulling down pit road - his engine was dead.

Kahne was faster than Kyle Busch and chopping into his lead on every lap. He caught him with 40 laps remaining and passed him two laps later.

There would likely be one final pit stop for everyone to reach the checkered flag. Or would anyone try to go the distance without stopping?

There were some indications that Jeff Gordon would try. He topped of on lap 339, one of the last cars off pit road. Or possibly Hamlin. Or Dave Blaney.

Stewart was gaining on Kahne as the hit the 375-lap mark and Kyle Busch was in third place, but five seconds back and fading. Kahne pitted with 17 laps to go for fuel only. Fifteen laps to go and Stewart was the leader. Two laps later Stewart gave up the lead for fuel.

Only Blaney and Gordon were left on the track. Blaney couldn't make it and Stewart had already overtaken Gordon to become the leader. He had plenty of fuel and a five-second lead on Kahne. It seemed so easy. But then fate stepped in, Stewart's tire blew and his win went to Kahne.

Kyle Busch's third place finish will send him to the next race in Dover with a 94-point lead over Burton. Earnhardt Jr. is in third place, 139 points behind Busch.



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