Though it took much, much longer than he expected, Greg Biffle finally came through to win the rain-shortened NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Kansas on Sunday. The win was Biffle's first of the season and his first since the season finale at Homestead in November 2006.

Following multiple rain delays which caused the red flag to fly for approximately three hours, Sunday's event - the third in the 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup - was shortened from its original distance of 267 laps to 225 laps, and again to 210 laps. If the weather delays weren't enough on their own, the race was slowed by nine additional caution periods, making a total of 12 cautions for 54 laps.

With just a handful of laps remaining, it seemed as if Biffle's win would not come without its share of late-race drama. When Juan Montoya's No. 42 Dodge blew a tire and sprayed debris on the track with four laps to go, Kansas native Clint Bowyer and defending series champion Jimmie Johnson prepared for a restart, pulling onto the back bumper of Biffle's No. 16 Ford.

The stage was seemingly set for a quick green-white-checkered finish that would extend the race past the newly-scheduled 210-lap mark to decide the winner. However, the impending darkness caused NASCAR officials to call the race once and for all at an even 210 laps, giving Biffle the win.

Having taken the lead from Kevin Harvick at lap 174, Biffle held the top spot for a total of 37 laps, keeping the point throughout the event's final two caution periods.

The race's first rain delay took place after 18 laps had been completed. A light mist turned into a heavier rainfall, and all 43 cars were forced to the pits for approximately 46 minutes.

The longer of the afternoon's two delays took place following lap 154. NASCAR officials again ordered the race to a stop, this time delaying the drop of the green flag for two hours and 14 minutes. Water trapped behind the speedway's SAFER barriers was reportedly causing the track drying process to take longer than normal.

It was at that point that officials originally decided to shorten the scheduled length of the event.

When Tony Stewart went down with a cut tire to force another caution at lap 176, the race was shortened to its ultimate length of 210 laps, or 315 miles.

Bowyer and Johnson finished second and third, followed by Casey Mears, Jeff Gordon, Harvick, Reed Sorenson, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to complete the top 10.

The day was rough for most of the Chase competitors not situated in the final top 10. Kurt Busch finished 11th, but the remainder of Chase competitors scored in the following positions: Denny Hamlin, 29th; Matt Kenseth, 35th; Jeff Burton, 36th; Carl Edwards, 37th; Stewart, 38th; Martin Truex Jr., 39th; Kyle Busch, 41st.

10 drivers in all led at least one lap, and there were 17 lead changes.

Bowyer's runner-up finish moved him into third place in the standings, but Johnson's third-place finish gave him the lead at 5506 points. Gordon is just behind Johnson in second place, at 5500 points.

Though the top three drivers are separated by just 14 points, Stewart is in fourth and faces a sizable margin of 117 points. 12th-place Hamlin is 248 points behind the lead.

Here are the standings of the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup with seven races remaining in the 2007 season, one of which will be the November 11 Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil at Phoenix International Raceway:

Point Standings (through 29 of 36 races)

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