By Liz Clarke

updated 9:03 p.m. ET May 27, 2008

Kasey Kahne's victory in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway did wonders for the 28-year-old driver's confidence, snapping a 52-race winless streak.

No doubt it thrilled executives at Dodge, representing the automaker's second Sprint Cup win this season, as well as Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr., who earned his first trip to NASCAR's Victory Lane since buying a majority stake in Kahne's No. 9 race team and the other assets of Evernham Motorsports, last season.

But the outcome of stock-car racing's longest event of the year was equally notable for the drivers who failed to win. Chief among them: four-time champion Jeff Gordon, two-time champion Tony Stewart and the sport's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

They are NASCAR's three biggest names. And 12 races into the 36-race Sprint Cup season, they have yet to win a race.

It looked as if the checkered flag was Earnhardt Jr.'s for the taking shortly after the midpoint of Sunday's 4-hour 25-minute marathon on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. His No. 88 Chevy was the fastest car on the track during that stretch. And he had led more laps than any driver (76 of 400), which had the crowd of 160,000 in a fist-pumping frenzy.

But with no warning, Earnhardt Jr. pancaked his Chevy's right side into the concrete retaining wall on Lap 297 and then got rear-ended, mangling his sheet metal even worse. He later said that a right-side tire had gone flat, though he wasn't sure which one. With it went his hopes of snapping a winless streak that dates from May 2006.

"I hate it for my guys," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We were running really strong."

Stewart, who hasn't won a major NASCAR race since August 2007, had the field covered in the waning moments, blazing around the track with a gaudy five-second lead with three laps to go. Suddenly, his No. 20 Camry brushed the wall, wobbled and slowed. Stewart was so steamed he didn't speak to reporters, leaving his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, to surmise that a tire had been to blame.

"We must have run something over or had a small leak," Zipadelli said. "I don't even know what to say, I'm so frustrated."

It was the second time this season that Stewart had what looked like a sure victory snatched from him. Kevin Harvick wrecked him just two laps shy of taking the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. Sunday's setback (Stewart finished 18th) will surely add to the frustration the driver already feels over seeing his younger teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, win four Sprint Cup races between them in 2008.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Flying on the hardwood, racing on the rink, getting physical on the gridiron, and much more. more photos

"I've talked to Tony briefly a few times after races where he has been frustrated that the 11 [Hamlin] and 18 [Busch] seem to run fine, and he seems like he runs terrible," Hamlin said before Sunday's race. "But it's just a matter of time before that team comes on."

Kahne was quick to capitalize on Stewart's misfortune, roaring past to take the lead while Stewart's car slowed as if it had run out of gas.

Gordon, meantime, was milking what little gas remained in his tank to salvage the best possible finish in a mediocre racecar, coasting down the straightaways and drafting with Earnhardt Jr., who was also low on fuel. Both mustered top five finishes, which keeps them solidly in the hunt for the season's championship. But it's a far cry from Victory Lane, where NASCAR fans have come to expect them.

"It was all about fuel mileage there at the end," said Gordon, who failed to lead a lap. "You get top fives any way you can."

MORE FROM SPORTS

Sports Section Front

Sosa says cosmetic cream caused lighter skin Wade scores 41 as Heat holds off Wizards Tribe stops school from dropping nickname Cuban ‘not on prowl’ for Dodgers, or any team Crosby pointless again as Pens fall to Bruins Report: Raiders want to fire coach Tom Cable Shaq’s wife files for legal separation Damon, Matsui and Pettitte all could return Scully to broadcast in 2010, then decide future Yankees’ Jeter, Teixeira win Gold Gloves Sports Section Front   Add Sports headlines to your news reader: