Green

CONCORD, N.C. -- Jeff Green held off hard-charging Greg Biffle on a last-lap duel Saturday to win the Carquest Auto Parts 300 on a hot day that drained the drivers at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Green, who runs sporadically in the Busch series now that he's a full-time Winston Cup driver, inherited the lead when teammate Jay Sauter -- a last-minute substitute for his brother, Johnny -- pitted.

After eight cautions in the first 112 laps, the race had a long green-flag stretch that allowed Johnny Sauter to open a 15-car length lead on the field.

But he didn't have enough gas to make it, and gave up the lead to Green when he pitted. It looked like Green was going to run away with the race until Dan Pardus spun out to bring out a yellow flag with eight laps to go.

Biffle, running in second at the time, elected to pit and take four tires. He came out in seventh and began his charge when the race resumed with four laps to go.

He was in second place in two laps, then closed the gap on Green until he pulled alongside him on the outside of turn 3 on the final lap.

But Green got a run on him on the low side of the track and held him off to win this race for the second straight year.

''We knew Greg would be coming, but I didn't dang think he'd come back that fast,'' Green said. ''It was amazing how fast he came through there. But I just tried to hold my line and there was no doubt in my mind I had the fastest car. Another lap, though, and he might have beat me.''

Biffle, still sore from a grinding crash last Sunday at Nazareth Speedway that hospitalized Jeff Purvis, finished second and immediately asked for ice for his sore ribs.

''I feel like I could pass out,'' said Biffle, who lost the air conditioning in his car early in the race on a day when temperatures were over 90 degrees on the black track surface.

''I'm really sore, I just want some ice for my ribs and to go home and lay down.''

Scott Riggs finished third, then climbed out of his car and pulled his firesuit down in favor of some cold water and a wet towel to cool him off.

Mike McLaughlin was fourth, Todd Bodine finished fifth and Kevin Lepage, subbing for Purvis, was sixth. Bobby Hamilton Jr., Kevin Grubb, Sauter and Jack Sprague rounded out the top 10.

The win was a high point for Richard Childress Racing, which has struggled on the Winston Cup side but has been strong in the Busch series.

Green has posted six top-five finishes in nine races, and while sharing driving duties with Jay Sauter, the No. 21 is fifth in car owner points.

But Jay got into the race when his brother, also an RCR driver, was pulled out of the car Saturday morning by Childress because the owner thought Johnny had not yet recovered from hits he took in two accidents last month.

Polesitter Ron Hornaday and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were knocked out of contention by crashes in the first half of the race.

Earnhardt Jr., making his second Busch Series start of the season in the No. 3 Chevy fielded by Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt Inc, was racing in traffic after making a yellow-flag pit stop. He was touched from behind by Michael Waltrip and slid up the track, where Waltrip nudged him again.

Earnhardt's s car kicked sideways and slid down the track, where he touched Hamilton before slamming into the side of Mark Greens car.

''I don't know if it was by myself or if I got run in to or whatever,'' said Earnhardt, who finished 36th. ''We had a lot of cars with (fresher) tires in the back there. Trying to get past them guys, I was trying to be patient.''