Flash Biffle leads the Roush at Michigan.

By Andrew Charman

Super heroes appeared on the flanks of the Roush Racing Fords at Michigan's second NASCAR Nextel Cup race of the year, and proved fortuitous. Greg Biffle's Flash Gordon-liveried car took the win, Mark Martin's Batmobile second, in a race marred by multiple cautions and changing fortunes. Suffering worst was Jimmie Johnson, a third straight retirement losing him the Nextel Cup points lead to team-mate Jeff Gordon.

Just four races to go until NASCAR's top ten drivers are separated out into a final chase for the championship, and for the second straight week those targeting that coveted top 10 series spot were frustrated by qualifying being rained out. The grid for the GFS Marketplace 400 was thus set by owner points, putting Hendrick Motorsport team-mates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon on the front row. Closest to that top 10 was rookie sensation Kasey Kahne, holding 11th spot 24 points shy of his Dodge team-mate Jeremy Mayfield, and back in June having taken one of his four second-place finishes of the year at Michigan. Could he go one better and jump into the top 10 with a win? Everything was put into perspective, however, three days before the race when veteran racer Tommy Baldwin, father of Kahne's crew chief Tommy Jr, was killed in a road crash. On raceday Tommy Jr put mourning aside to take his place on the pit box - his father would have expected no less.

Cloudless blue skies greeted the 43 starters as they took the green flag for 200 laps of the 2-mile speedway before a sell-out 136,000 crowd. By turn two Gordon's #24 Dupont Chevrolet was in the lead and Johnson's #48 Lowe's version behind Dale Earnhardt Jr's #8 Budweiser Chevrolet, but the first trouble came early, with four laps down, Kahne spinning out of turn two, flat-spotting his tyres but keeping his #9 UAW/Dodge Dealers Dodge out of the wall. Several cars followed him into pit lane under the caution, including Earnhardt, and Dale would not trouble the top of the field again this day. The green flew on lap seven, Gordon leading from Elliott Sadler's #38 M&M's Ford, Tony Stewart's #20 Home Depot Chevrolet and Johnson. Already Michigan's multiple grooves were coming in, two and three-wide racing going on all the way down the field.

Gordon extended his advantage over the opening laps but on the move was Greg Biffle, the #16 Subway /Flash Gordon car passing Sadler and closing down Gordon. But on lap 28 Hermie Sadler's smoking Chevrolet sparked another caution, and the entire field pitted, Gordon emerging first as Biffle's Roush team-mate Kurt Busch snatched second in the #97 Sharpie/Superman Ford.

At the green on lap 35 Gordon headed Busch, Biffle, Sadler and Stewart, while Kahne had progressed to 24th. Four laps later and Busch went for the lead, Gordon letting him go after a lap of side by side action. Within another lap Biffle was past too, Gordon complaining about a car that wouldn't turn.

Biffle was on a high and coolly sliced past Busch, the Roush team looking strong with Mark Martin's #6 Pfizer/Batman Ford moving into fifth. Gordon dropped behind the #2 Miller Lite Dodge of Rusty Wallace, but was rescued by the yellow flying again for debris, giving him a chance to pit for changes. Even better news was that almost everyone else pitted too, several drivers playing strategy games by taking only two tyres. Scott Wimmer's #22 Caterpillar Dodge didn't pit at all and led the restart on lap 50 but only briefly, Biffle taking over but in turn losing the spot to the flying Martin, only for the yellow to fly again after backmarker Derrike Cope's Ford dropped oil.

On the restart Martin immediately set about Biffle, but again we went yellow, and again for debris. The green flew with 60 laps down and Martin led, Busch going past Biffle for second as Roush cars locked out the top-three, Jamie McMurray's #42 Havoline Dodge next up until he was taken by Wallace. The Miller Lite Dodge then snatched third from Biffle, who was now struggling with a loose car and quickly fell behind both McMurray and Gordon.

This race just couldn't get going however, backmarker Carl Long sparking yellow number six with a harmless spin on lap 71. Everyone in contention pitted, Martin taking four tyres and dropping back to seventh. Leading as they came to the green on lap 75 were Jimmy Spencer and Jeff Burton, Spencer not pitting to try and earn some bonus points for leading while Burton missed his pit box in his first race with the Richard Childress team. Two-tyre stopper Scott Riggs immediately took second and in a wild couple of laps moved the #10 Valvoline Chevrolet into the lead as all the contenders tried to go round Spencer and Burton.

By the time it panned out Riggs led Busch, Martin, McMurray and the recovered Johnson, but Kurt soon fell to fourth as Martin went chasing after the lead he had recently vacated. He took Riggs on lap 82, McMurray following the Ford through and looking very strong. But the big news was on pit road, Johnson going to the garage with a blown engine - his third retirement in three weeks. Back then he had a 272 point advantage over Gordon - now he was set to lose the lead altogether. Good news for those chasing the top ten, including Kahne, now back to 12th spot.

The caution was out again on lap 90 as Wimmer spun, again not hitting anything, and everyone headed for fuel and tyres. This time rookie Brendan Gaughan led the gamblers, the #77 Kodak Dodge restarting first ahead of Mayfield and Sadler, all three only taking two tyres. Sadler quickly took the lead and Mayfield tried to follow him through, Gaughan keeping him back as just behind them, Busch spun and went for a wild ride, everyone missing the Ford as caution number eight flew.

All the leaders stayed out this time, and Sadler led two more Fords back to green on lap 101, Biffle and Martin following chased by Wallace and Riggs. Straightaway Biffle dived under Sadler for the lead, Martin following through. And coming up fast? Kasey Kahne, team-mate Mayfield letting the clearly quicker rookie past into sixth. Kasey's cause was helped by Wallace, the Miller Lite Dodge coasting into pit road with a dead engine.

Lap 112 saw Martin back in the lead from Biffle, these two now well clear of the chasers who were led by Riggs, the battling Kahne and Gordon, and Jarrett as Sadler fell back. Rookie Riggs couldn't hold his rivals, and all three chasers were soon past, Gordon seizing the opportunity to take a spot from Kahne as did Jarrett shortly after.

By lap 130 Martin enjoyed a two-second advantage, but it was all rendered meaningless by Sadler blowing a left-front tyre, the rubber punching a hole in his Ford's front fender and bringing out yellow number nine - a Michigan record. Everyone pitted, and it all went wrong for the leader, NASCAR claiming a missing lug nut, the Roush team disagreeing but Martin obliged to pit again dropping back to 28th.

All of which left Biffle ahead at the lap 135 restart from Gordon, Jarrett, Kahne and Busch. Quickest off the line was Kahne, working the high line to take three cars in three laps and the lead - along with a possibly vital five bonus points. But Biffle was not finished, and retook the spot three laps later. Back up to third by now was Busch, a superb recovery from his spin just 40 laps earlier. Also impressive was Carl Edwards, up to 10th on his first ever Nextel Cup start replacing Jeff Burton in a Roush Ford.

Into the last 50 laps and what looked at last to be a long green flag run Biffle appeared secure, steadily drawing away from Kahne who had his hands full keeping Busch back, Jarrett, McMurray and Gordon next in line. By lap 160 Biffle was 3.5 seconds clear, while coming back into the picture was the fired-up Martin, his Ford back into seventh.

Lap 171 saw Gordon kick off the first and last green flag pit stops of the day, and within five laps all the leaders were in, Biffle retaining the lead but Martin taking only two tyres and jumping to second over Jarrett and Kahne. With 18 to go Kasey regained third from Jarrett, but by now the lead pair were four seconds away. That, however, was the least of the Dodge squad's worries - suddenly the motor began losing rpm, and Jarrett went past, McMurray trying to do the same but Kahne resisting.

None of which mattered to an overjoyed Biffle who crossed the line having stretched his lead to seven seconds over Roush team-mate Martin, Jarrett making it a Ford podium lock-out with third. "Flash Gordon on the car, fastest man alive, and he paid off today," grinned Greg in victory lane, while Batmobile-mounted Martin could only ruminate on whether a lug-nut had really been lost.

McMurray was fourth, while Kahne nursed his ailing car into fifth - disappointing considering his form, but vitally hoisting him into that vital top ten championship standing. Those points are now led by Jeff Gordon, seventh on the day, now 68 points ahead of Johnson. Next stop - the crash-fest that is the night race on the half-mile Bristol Raceway, in just seven days time - and every point will count...