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LOUDON, N.H. -- Kyle Busch apologized, but such words won't help some drivers' chances of making the title Chase.

An eight-car accident -- triggered when Dale Earnhardt Jr. got a slow restart and others behind him bunched up -- could impact the hopes for Jeff Burton and Brian Vickers making the Chase.

As the cars bunched, Busch hit Martin Truex Jr.'s car, sending Truex into a spin that collected Burton and Vickers among others.

"I guess everybody just learns to expect Kyle doing something," Vickers said. "Stupid is forever."

Said Truex: "Kyle just lost his head like he usually does when something bad happens."

Busch apologized after his seventh-place finish.

"I got into Martin and I hate it for him and Jeff Burton and those guys," Busch said. "It's just hard racing on a restart. I just got into (Truex) and got him sideways. Unfortunately for those guys, tore up some good race cars."

Vickers finished 35th and Burton finished 31st. Both fell further behind 12th in the season standings, the cutoff for the Chase in nine races.

Vickers lost 74 points on 12th and is 197 out of the Chase in 17th place. Burton lost 62 points and is 108 out of 12th now while in 16th place.

CONSISTENT: Jeff Gordon's runner-up finish is his fourth consecutive top-10 run.

"I didn't feel like we were that good (Saturday)," Gordon said. "Just some great calls that (crew chief) Steve (Letarte) made on the set up."

STRONG RUN: Kurt Busch's third-place finish was his best result since placing third at Phoenix in April.

"Last year to drive into victory lane and it in a rain-shortened race and (Sunday) to have it where we were fast enough to win and not get the win, that's how this sport evens itself out,'' Busch said.

ANNOUNCER SUSPENDED: Lead announcer Bill Weber was not a part of Sunday's TNT broadcast as the network replaced him by pit reporter Ralph Sheheen.

"As this is a private issue, it's the policy of the company not to discuss personal matters involving our employees," said Sal Petruzzi, senior vice president of public relations for TNT, in a statement.

The Charlotte Observer, citing unnamed witnesses, reported that Weber got into a loud, public confrontation at his hotel in Manchester, N.H., during the weekend.

ANNOUNCEMENT COMING: Michael Waltrip Racing has a July 7 news conference scheduled to announce its plans for next season. Martin Truex Jr. is expected to be announced as Michael Waltrip's replacement beginning next season.

LOOKING AHEAD: Steve Lauletta, president of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, says team officials have met with General Motors to go over what GM will be able to provide the team.

As for if the team will run Chevrolet next season, Lauletta said: "We haven't gone into having conversations about 2010 yet, so as of right now we've got to sit down and talk to them and look at our options and kind of determine where the best course of action."

Lauletta says the team continues to search for sponsorship to get Aric Almirola back in some Cup races this season.

Lauletta also said that the team has not re-signed Martin Truex Jr. for beyond this season. Lauletta says that it is "the plan" for Truex's sponsor, Bass Pro Shops, to be with the team next year.

PIT STOPS: Rookie Joey Logano earned $276,201 for his first career Cup victory. &ellipses; David Reutimann finished fourth with Tony Stewart fifth. &ellipses; Juan Pablo Montoya remains 12th in the season standings. Kasey Kahne is one point behind and Reutimann is 12 behind Montoya. Clint Bowyer is the only other driver within 100 points of Montoya. Bowyer is 94 back.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@ news-record.com