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In sweeping the podium at the Food City 500, RCR stole a race that was dominated by JGR drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. The trio combined to lead 372 of the 506 laps, but Hamlin’s sixth-place finish was the best of the group.

“It’s just a shame. We had another win taken away,” said Hamlin, who blamed a fuel pickup problem on the final restart as the reason the RCR cars passed him.

“Our cars just won’t pick up fuel. Everyone else’s does. It cost us the race. I could have held those guys off, as fast as the car went after it picked back up. This is so frustrating.”

Dale Jarrett finished 37th in the final start in a points race of his 24-year career. The former series champion is retiring this season, and will race one last time in the All-Star race in May.

Formula One

Lewis Hamilton, the 2007 series runner-up, never was seriously threatened in winning an accident-filled Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, to open the season.

The McLaren driver started from the pole and stayed ahead of the field to claim his fifth victory in 18 GP starts. The 23-year-old finished in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 50.616 seconds. BMW-Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld was second, 5.4 seconds back, and Williams’ Nico Rosberg was third, 8.1 seconds behind.

NHRA

Defending Funny Car series champion Tony Pedregon raced to his first victory of the season and 37th of his career, beating Gary Densham in the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Matt Guidera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners.