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2007 in NASCAR
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The 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season began on February 10, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 18 of that same year at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup began with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. 2007 was the final year that the NASCAR Cup Series was known as the NEXTEL Cup Series. As a result of the 2005 merger of NEXTEL Communications with Sprint Corporation, and the subsequent decision by the newly-named Sprint Nextel Corporation, the title series will be known starting in 2008 as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
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Encyclopedia
The 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season began on February 10, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 18 of that same year at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup began with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. 2007 was the final year that the NASCAR Cup Series was known as the NEXTEL Cup Series. As a result of the 2005 merger of NEXTEL Communications with Sprint Corporation, and the subsequent decision by the newly-named Sprint Nextel Corporation, the title series will be known starting in 2008 as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won the 2007 Nextel Cup Championship.
Top stories and controversies
Several major news stories and controversies have appeared throughout the 2007 campaign.
Changes in the points system and The Chase
It was officially announced on January 22 at the annual NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte, North Carolina that two changes were made for the 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.
The first is that wins became more important. The driver who finishes first now received 185 points instead of 180. Including the five-point bonus for leading a lap, and the possible five bonus points for leading the most laps, a driver could now get a maximum of 195 points for winning a race.
The other changes involved the actual Chase. The top twelve drivers after the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 automatically qualified for the 2007 Chase. Additionally, each driver had their points reset to 5,000, plus ten points for each win during the first 26 races. However, when the season ended, only the top ten drivers would be honored at the annual banquet in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria,
Car of Tomorrow
NASCAR introduced a new car style known as the "Car of Tomorrow" for use in sixteen races in 2007. This car was the result of a design program which started after the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the 2001 Daytona 500. It was intended to offer improvements in safety, performance, competition and cost efficiency. Plans for a partial schedule in 2008 were expanded to full usage after race results and owner feedback led to acceptance of the new car. Some drivers however, offered criticism over the decision, feeling the new design led to boring, uncompetitive races.
AT&T Inc. vs. NASCAR
AT&T and BellSouth's Cingular brand, sponsor of Richard Childress Racing's #31 car, was legally renamed AT&T upon BellSouth's acquisition by AT&T, and has been phased out. This is not allowed under the grandfather clause in the original sponsorship agreement between the former Nextel Communitions (now Sprint Nextel) with NASCAR, and on March 16, it was announced that AT&T had filed suit in Atlanta Federal Court seeking to overturn said grandfather clause because of this and allow AT&T decals on the car. A judge ruled that RCR was allowed to put AT&T decals on the car on May 18, and the decals made their debut the following night in the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. NASCAR originally had a stay when the judge ruled in RCR's favor, but that was later rescinded.
The legal wrangling continued as on June 17, NASCAR countersued AT&T for $100 million (US). NASCAR won the appeal on August 13th, and eleven days later at the Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR ordered AT&T logos removed from the 31 car, and AT&T filed for an injunction to get the decals back on. SprintNextel, AT&T and NASCAR settled their differences on September 7th, and the AT&T logos were placed back on Burton's ride in time for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, and will stay on the car for the remainder of the season and into 2008, but after that, RCR had find a new sponsor to replace AT&T, which they did when Caterpillar signed on for 2009.
Robby Gordon and Motorola
Motorola is an associate sponsor on Robby Gordon's #7 car, however when his self-owned team tried to put a Motorola decal on the car for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway March 18, NASCAR ruled that this was in breach of the exclusivity clause with Sprint Nextel (even though NEXTEL uses Motorola phones) because NASCAR noticed this deal was part of Cellco Partnership (a joint partnership of Verizon and Vodafone, better known as the trade name Verizon Wireless) sponsorship of Gordon's Busch Series car (which is legal). NASCAR and Sprint later relented when it was decided to allow Motorola's Audio Products Division to be the car sponsor.
Shell logo controversy
Another controversy surrounded Shell and Sunoco. Sunoco is the exclusive gasoline supplier to NASCAR, yet RCR signed Shell and their Pennzoil brand to the #29 car, driven by Kevin Harvick, winner of the Daytona 500. The Daytona car had large Shell decals during that race as well as large Shell logos on team uniforms and on Harvick's uniform. Shell logos were ordered to be smaller at the following week's race in California. This was more than likely done at Sunoco's request, as a rival gasoline sponsored a car winning NASCAR's premier race, taking away publicity from an official sponsor.
Mark Martin schedule
The other concerned the part-time schedule being undertaken by Mark Martin. Through the spring Atlanta race, Martin held the points lead. Because he had planned a part-time schedule in the #01 DEI U.S. Army ride (purchased from the now-defunct Ginn Racing), Martin has reiterated that he will not run in all 36 races on the circuit this season, despite finishing second in the Daytona 500. He relinquished the lead by passing on the spring races at Bristol and Martinsville. Rookie drivers Regan Smith and Aric Almirola have been driving the #01 car in those races, as owner points had that car an exempt team for Bristol (from 2006) and Martinsville. However, Martin is extending his schedule to include a few more points races, but again did not race the full season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. signs 5 year contract with Hendrick Motorsports
On May 10, 2007, it was announced that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would be leaving the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet following the conclusion of the season as he could not get a contract extension with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., the driving team his father founded and run by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. Speculation according to WFXT in Boston had him going to Richard Childress Racing where the "unretirement" of the #3 car that his father drove to seven then-Winston Cup championships and the 1998 Daytona 500 championship would have happened. Other rumors had him going to Joe Gibbs Racing driving a team sponsored by VISA, or had him starting a NEXTEL Cup team with the organization he owns that fields Busch Series cars, JR Motorsports. However, at a press conference on June 13, 2007, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced a five year deal to join Hendrick Motorsports. He is replacing Kyle Busch, who currently drives the #5 Kellogg's/Carquest Chevrolet and will be going over to Joe Gibbs Racing to replace J.J. Yeley in the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota. On September 19, it was announced that Jr. will drive the #88 Mountain Dew AMP/National Guard Chevrolet while Casey Mears will move over to the #5 with Alan Gustafson as crew chief. . Junior's crew chief at DEI, Tony Eury, Jr. will make the move with him, leaving his position after the fall race at Talladega.
Merger Mania
Before the season opening Daytona 500, NASCAR team owner Jack Roush announced the selloff of 50% of his team, Roush Racing to the Fenway Sports Group, who own the Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox. The newly formed alliance between two differing sports markets would involve the team name to change to Roush Fenway Racing. However, this was only the beginning of what has now been called "Merger mania".
The week before the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard became the week NASCAR was all shaken up in the ownership boxes. On July 24, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. merged with Ginn Racing, inheriting the #01 US Army ride of Mark Martin and Aric Almirola, putting the points earned by the #14 team points earned to Paul Menard's #15 team and the closure of the #13 team while releasing Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek. The next day, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, a regular in the Champ Car World Series, returned after a prolonged absence by buying Robert Yates Racing's NASCAR team, and renamed the combined operation Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. With the announced retirement of Robert Yates, however, the merger was called off and the team will be named Yates Racing with Robert's son Doug Yates at the helm. Another merger was announced on August 6 when former crew chief Ray Evernham announced the merger of his team, Evernham Motorsports, with George Gillett, owner of the National Hockey League team the Montreal Canadiens and co-owner of the English Premier League soccer team . The merger was similar to the Roush Fenway merger as the new team was called Gillett Evernham Motorsports. During the weekend of the Sharp AQUOS 500, Hall of Fame Racing owners Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, former football players for the Dallas Cowboys, announced their merger with Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks owner Tom Garfinkel and team president Jeff Moorad. Michael Waltrip Racing Holdings LLC, a company created as a 50-50 partnership between Robert Kauffman and Michael Waltrip, was announced the weekend of the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Michael currently owns the racing team that was originally formed in 1995 by two-time Daytona 500 winner. Cal Wells, himself a former owner in NASCAR was named the team's chief executive officer.
Joe Gibbs Racing to Toyota
During the season rumors began to surface that Joe Gibbs Racing, owned by then-Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, would be switching to the new manufacturer Toyota for the 2008 season. This switch would be significant for several reasons, one of them being that JGR has been allied with General Motors since its inception in 1992, first with Chevrolet then beginning in 1997 with Pontiac, then switched back to Chevrolet in 2003 a year before Pontiac left NASCAR . The switch to Toyota would benefit the manufacturer itself, as they would be allied with a championship caliber team. As JGR loans equipment to Hall of Fame Racing, the team confirmed that they would also switch to Toyota if JGR does so. On September 5th, the rumors were confirmed.
Dale Jarrett announces retirement
During the race weekend for the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Michael Waltrip Racing held a press conference. During the announcement, besides the announcement of a new part owner on Robert Kaufmann and Cal Wells being named CEO, it was revealed to the racing world that 1999 Cup champion and three time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett would retire from full-time driving following the end of the '07 season. The plan for Jarrett is to run the first five points races, then hand the #44 UPS Toyota to David Reutimann for the Goody's Cool Orange 500. As Jarrett is the '99 champion, entering the first five races, regardless of his previous standings, will guarantee his #44 in the field, as well as driving in the Budweiser Shootout and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
2007 season
Teams
Each NEXTEL Cup race has a field of 43 cars.
For the first five races of 2007, the top 35 teams in owners points (not drivers' points) in 2006 earned an exemption into each race. If a driver went to a new team, he did not have a guaranteed starting spot, but his old team did, except if that new team was an exempt team. If a past champion is not driving for an exempt team (outside the top 35 in owner points), he may be eligible to use a past champions' provisional to enter the race. The provisional guarantees a spot to the most recent champion not exempt, but those who are former champions will be limited to six for the entire 2007 season.
Teams not exempt must "race" their way in during qualifying - if 47 cars are attempting to make the race, and no one is using a provisional, then there are 12 cars racing for eight spots, and the eight fastest cars will make the race. (The Daytona 500, which uses a different qualifying procedure, is the only exception to this rule, though the top 35 are still locked in.)
Starting with the sixth race in 2007, the current top 35 teams are awarded exemptions for the next race.
Full time entries
These 47 teams attempted all 36 NEXTEL Cup races. For the first five races of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series, those who must qualify on time are in boldface.
Note: Dale Jarrett used all of his championship provisionals through the spring race at Talladega.
(*) - Had past champions provisionals.
(†) - Ran the road races this season.
(x) -When Leitzinger ran the Infineon Raceway road course, he carried over the Davis owner points to his #23 Caterpillar Toyota.
(**) - On July 24th, Ginn Racing merged with DEI. The #15 car inherited the points earned by the #14 team of Ginn Racing, with the #13 team closing. All other teams below them as a result, have been advanced by one position.
Note:Drivers in bold were released from their rides during the season and were replaced with other drivers.
Part-time entries
These cars are expected to attempt several NEXTEL Cup races, but not all 36. Because it is highly unlikely any of the part-time teams will be in the top 35 in owners' points, they will have to race their way in to all events.
Rookies
§ - Smith and Wood will be running partial seasons, though they will be eligible for the rookie of the year award. The two have not announced they will be running for the award, however.
Driver Standings
For full Top 12 Drivers Standings, please see 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.
2007 season races
All races were held in the USA. See List of 2007 NASCAR races for a complete list and schedule of the 2007 season races.
Budweiser Shootout
This non-points race, which involves the previous season's pole winners and past Shootout winners, was held on Saturday, February 10, 2007, at Daytona International Speedway officially kicking off Speedweeks. Two-time series champion Tony Stewart took the checkered flag, but as he did so, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made contact with the back bumper of Elliott Sadler, causing a five-car wreck less than 1000 feet from the start/finish line.
One of the biggest headlines for the Shootout was that it would be the first NEXTEL Cup race to feature Toyota, and in the draw for starting spots, Dale Jarrett, a Toyota driver, drew the pole position. However, he slid to the back within four laps of the start, and stayed there for most of the race. Brian Vickers, the other Toyota driver in the event, started fourth, and though he went back-and-forth through the field, finished eighth.
Top Ten Results:
Daytona 500
Qualifying and Gatorade Duel
Qualifying for the front row of the 2007 Daytona 500 took place on February 11, 2007. Robert Yates Racing swept the front row with the #38 Ford Fusion of David Gilliland winning the pole and the #88 of teammate Ricky Rudd finishing second.
Rule-breaking tactics, however, swirled around the qualifying. Five teams were slapped with suspensions, fines and points deductions for illegal modifications. The hardest hit was Michael Waltrip, whose #55 team was the most harshly punished, having their race director and crew chief suspended indefinitely, fined $100,000 (US) and the docking of 100 owners and drivers points for a gelatin-like substance found in the intake manifold during inspections before the qualifying, and in a replacement manifold after qualifying. The substance was revealed by NASCAR, during the announcement of the penalties, to be an unspecified oxygenate compound that was blended with the fuel, possibly in an attempt to defeat the effect of the restrictor plate. Waltrip fired said crew chief for the unauthorized change that neither he or anyone else authorized. The #17 Matt Kenseth team of Roush Racing and the #9 Kasey Kahne team from Evernham Motorsports had their crew chiefs suspended for the first four races, fined $50,000 and had 50 driver and owner points taken away for illegal modifications discovered in post-qualifying inspections. All three teams also had their qualifying times for the pole positions disqualified, and Waltrip's original car was impounded by NASCAR, forcing him to go to a back-up auto for the first qualifying race.
Additionally, two other Evernham teams - the #10 of Scott Riggs and the #19 of Elliott Sadler - had their crew chiefs suspended for the first two races of the season, slapped with $25,000 fines and deductions of 25 owner and driver points. Unlike the other three teams, their times were allowed to stand and kept their starting positions for the qualifying doubleheader as those violations were found in pre-qualifying inspections.
Gilliland sat on the pole for the first of the Gatorade Duel races on February 15, 2007, which establishes the starting order for the Super Bowl of NASCAR Racing, while Rudd was on the point for the second race, which both aired on Speed as part of the new NASCAR TV package.
Top ten results:
NOTE: First race was extended by three laps (157.5 miles) due to green-white-checker finish.
§ — During post-race inspection, it was discovered that Jeff Gordon's car was one inch too low due to misaligned bolts on a shock absorber. Gordon would keep the win, but had to start 42nd in the Daytona 500.
The race
The race was hotly contested by many, with many stories abound. From Toyota attempting to emotionally rebound after Michael Waltrip's loss of not only his crew chief and VP of Competition, but also losing 100 driver and owner points. Other stories were Jeff Gordon's disqualification after winning his Gatorade Duel, and Tony Stewart's Speedweeks domination, attempting to win the Bud Shootout, the Duel, and the Daytona 500. The first few laps were incident free except for a spin by road racing veteran Boris Said. The race was dominated by Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. Both combined for a total of 130 of 200 laps. However, with just under a quarter of the laps to go, Tony got loose in Turn 4 while Kurt was unable to avoid Stewart and turned him into the wall in a crash that looked like the one that killed Dale Earnhardt in 2001, exactly six years to that tragic date. From that point on, it was a game of survival of the fastest as defending race winner Jimmie Johnson, outside polesitter Ricky Rudd, and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. were taken out in incidents throughout the day. A red flag was brought out in a crash involving Jamie McMurray, Rudd, and Junior. At the time of the flag, Mark Martin, who had not won the Great American Race in 22 tries, was in the lead with his ex-teammates behind him. On the restart, everyone attempted to pass Mark on the low line, but he successfully blocked. However, charging up the outside was Kevin Harvick who came from 8th with half a lap to go to take the lead heading into the fourth turn. However, the Big One would finally occur on the last lap as Kyle Busch hit the apron and spun, causing a chain reaction crash. Despite the incidents, NASCAR officials did not freeze the field and let Harvick and Martin duke it out in the last hundred yards. In one of the closest 500s since the inaugural in 1959, Kevin Harvick passed Mark Martin to the stripe by 0.020 seconds, becoming the 31st different winner of the Great American Race.
Top ten results (202 laps/505 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1 | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 2 | #01 | | Chevrolet | Ginn Racing | | 3 | #31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 4 | #09 | Mike Wallace | Chevrolet | Phoenix Racing | | 5 | #6 | David Ragan (R) | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 6 | #19 | Elliott Sadler | Dodge | Evernham Motorsports | | 7 | #9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | Evernham Motorsports | | 8 | #38 | David Gilliland | Ford | Robert Yates Racing | | 9 | #13 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | Ginn Racing | | 10 | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
Failed to qualify:
Auto Club 500
The Auto Club 500, NASCAR's second points race of the season, and what many people consider "the first real race of the season" (without the restrictor plates run at Daytona) was held at California Speedway on February 25, 2007. This race was the first run in NEXTEL Cup series history with unleaded gasoline, as all three major series began running Sunoco 260 GT Plus, a 104-octane (R+M/2) unleaded racing fuel, starting with this race. Jeff Gordon won his first pole of the season. Matt Kenseth swept the Busch and Cup Series races at Fontana, and Toyota gained its first top-10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1. | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 2. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 3. | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 4. | #31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 5. | #01 | | Chevrolet | Ginn Racing | | 6. | #07 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 7. | #2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | Penske Racing South | | 8. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 9. | #5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 10. | #83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Team Red Bull |
Failed to qualify:
- 08- Robert Cline
- 4- Ward Burton
- 34- Kevin Lepage
- 36- Jeremy Mayfield
- 49- Mike Bliss
- 55- Michael Waltrip
- 72- Brandon Whitt
- 78- Kenny Wallace
- 84- A. J. Allmendinger
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, NASCAR's third race of the season, was held at the newly refurbished Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 11, 2007. Kasey Kahne won the pole. This would be the final race with the UAW-DaimlerChrysler name; starting in 2008 after DaimlerBenz sold off Chrysler, the race would be renamed the UAW-Dodge 400.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1. | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 2. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 3. | #11 | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 4. | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 5. | #01 | | Chevrolet | Ginn Racing | | 6. | #99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 7. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 8. | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | Penske Racing South | | 9. | #5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 10. | #26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
Failed to qualify:
- 00- David Reutimann
- 08- Robert Cline
- 34- Kevin Lepage
- 36- Jeremy Mayfield
- 37- John Andretti
- 47- Ken Schrader
- 49- Mike Bliss
- 55- Michael Waltrip
- 72- Brandon Whitt
- 83- Brian Vickers
- 84- A.J. Allmendinger
NOTE: Regan Smith was to have qualified in the #39 car, but the car was withdrawn prior to qualifying.
Kobalt Tools 500
The fourth race of the season, the Kobalt Tools 500, was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 18, 2007. Ryan Newman won the pole, his seventh at Atlanta, but started 43rd after blowing an engine in Saturday practice.
Top ten results:
Failed to qualify:
- 4- Ward Burton
- 33- Scott Wimmer
- 34- Kevin Lepage
- 36- Jeremy Mayfield
- 37- John Andretti
- 55- Michael Waltrip
- 78- Kenny Wallace
- 84- A. J. Allmendinger
Food City 500
The fifth race of the season, the Food City 500, was held at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 25, 2007. This was the first race to feature the Car of Tomorrow and the last before the fabled high banks were repaved with new concrete for the August race under the lights with progressive banking.
Jeff Gordon won the first CoT Pole Position in NASCAR history, but this race was the first race without Joe Nemechek participating in five years as he failed to qualify on speed as his #13 Ginn Racing team missed the show. However, Jeremy Mayfield (Bill Davis Racing #36) and A.J. Allmendinger (Team Red Bull #84) both started their first race of the season.
Top ten results: (504 laps/252 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1. | #5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 2. | #31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 3. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 4. | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 5. | #16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 6. | #66 | Jeff Green | Chevrolet | Haas CNC Racing | | 7. | #8 | | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | | 8. | #07 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 9. | #26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 10. | #25 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
Failed to qualify:
- 00- David Reutimann
- 13- Joe Nemechek
- 15- Paul Menard
- 37- Kevin Lepage
- 55- Michael Waltrip
- 70- Johnny Sauter
Goody's Cool Orange 500
The Goody's Cool Orange 500, the sixth race of the season was held at Martinsville Speedway on April 1, 2007, as this race was the second race to feature the Car of Tomorrow and the first of the season to use the 2007 owners' points to lock in the Top 35 teams for qualification. Denny Hamlin won the pole for this race, and Jimmie Johnson was the race winner.
Top ten results:
Failed to qualify: Ward Burton (#4), Paul Menard (#15),
Kevin Lepage (#37), Michael Waltrip (#55), Kenny Wallace (#78), Brian Vickers (#83),
Samsung 500
The Samsung 500, the seventh race of the season was held at Texas Motor Speedway on April 15, 2007. Qualifying was cancelled due to a wild tornado outbreak and the field was set by current owners' points, as a result Jeff Gordon started from the pole. He finished a respectable fourth place, but the race was won on turn 2 of the final lap by Jeff Burton, who overtook Matt Kenseth for the lead in a classy finish.
Top ten results:
Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: David Reutimann (#00), Jeremy Mayfield (#36), John Andretti (#37), A. J. Allmendinger (#84), Michael Waltrip (#55), Ward Burton (#4), Kevin Lepage (#34), Scott Wimmer (#33)
Subway Fresh Fit 500
The eighth race of the season, the Subway Fresh Fit 500, was held at Phoenix International Raceway on April 21, 2007. This was the third race to feature the Car of Tomorrow, as well as the season's first night race. Jeff Gordon captured his third pole of the season, tying him for fourth on the all-time poles list with Darrell Waltrip. Near the end of the race, he pulled away from Tony Stewart, won the race and tied Dale Earnhardt's 76 wins. In the eyes of his son, Jeff Gordon pulled a class act and drove a "Polish Victory Lap" with the flag of his father's famous #3, but fans of "The Imtimidator" threw cans and bottles of beer on the track (mainly Earnhardt, Jr.'s sponsor Budweiser), and were criticized by the driver of the #8 car in the post-race news conference. Tony Stewart, who was leading when Jeff Gordon passed him following a caution was so irate about the outcome (even going as far to criticize that NASCAR "fixes" races much like professional wrestling on his satellite radio show later that week) blew off the mandatory appearance at the post-race media session, and was fined $10,000 (US) for doing so.
Top ten results:
Failed to qualify: Jeremy Mayfield (#36), Michael Waltrip (#55), John Andretti (#37), Brian Vickers (#83), A. J. Allmendinger (#84), Mike Bliss (#49), Brandon Ash (#02)
Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499, the ninth race of the season, was held at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2007. Jeff Gordon won his second consecutive pole over David Gilliland who clocked an identical qualifying time by virtue of his higher standing in the owner points. Gordon broke his tie with Dale Earnhardt, while fourteen fans were arrested for throwing more beer cans at Gordon, despite being warned prior to the race. Those fans were banned from buying tickets from Talladega for life, but a loophole was found that would have those fans buying tickets from third-party companies and attend races in Alabama. Wood Brothers/JTG Racing missed their first race since the May 2000 event at California Speedway as they were out of the Top 35 in points.
Top ten results:
Failed to qualify: Michael Waltrip (#55), Brian Vickers (#83), Dave Blaney (#22), A. J. Allmendinger (#84), Ken Schrader (#21), Mike Wallace (#09), Kevin Lepage (#34), John Andretti (#37), Mike Bliss (#49)
Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400
The tenth race of the season, the Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400, was scheduled to be held at Richmond International Raceway on May 5, 2007, but was postponed due to rain to May 6th. This was the fourth race to feature the Car of Tomorrow. The race was named after Jim Stewart of Houma, Louisiana who won an essay contest during the festivities leading up to the Daytona 500 sponsored by Crown Royal. The contest was so popular, it is being repeated in 2008. Jeff Gordon captured his third straight pole by .01 second over second place qualifier Carl Edwards. Dale Jarrett failed to qualify and missed his first Nextel Cup Race since the 1994 fall race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1. | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 2. | #5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 3. | #11 | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 4. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 5. | #2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | Penske Racing | | 6. | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | Penske Racing | | 7. | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 8. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 9. | #07 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 10. | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
Failed to qualify: Brian Vickers (#83), Michael Waltrip (#55), Jeremy Mayfield (#36), Ken Schrader (#21), Dale Jarrett (#44), Kevin Lepage (#37), Mike Bliss (#49)
Dodge Avenger 500
The Dodge Avenger 500, NASCAR's eleventh race of the season, was held at Darlington Raceway on May 13, 2007, after rain forced the scheduled race date (May 12) to be postponed to the following afternoon. This was the fifth race to feature the Car of Tomorrow. Clint Bowyer won his first career pole when he earned the pole position in qualifying.
The race marked the 50th anniversary of the first Rebel 300, run on Confederate Memorial Day weekend. Ironically, like the inaugural Rebel exactly 50 years to the date of the rescheduled date, the 51st running of the "Rebel" was postponed because of rain itself. Unlike 1957, when Darlington Raceway president Bob Colvin was fined for racing on Sunday, a violation of South Carolina Blue laws at that time, current regulations permit Sunday racing provided (1) the race was scheduled for greater than 250 miles or (2) if the race start was later than 1:30 PM. The 501.367 mile distance made the race legal on Sunday.
(The September 1983 Busch Series race at Darlington, held on a Sunday as the Southern 500 was held on Monday, was 250 miles because of the law. All other races at the track have been 200 miles on Friday or Saturday.)
Despite radiator problems, Jeff Gordon won his second Rebel, his first since 1996, when it was a 400-mile race.
This was also the first daytime race at Darlington since the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 in March 2004.
Following the race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had been docked 100 drivers points, his owner, Teresa Earhardt (his stepmother) had 100 owners points taken away from the #8 team and was fined $100,000 and crew chief Tony Eury, Jr. was suspended until July 4th for illegal bolts on the wing of the Chevy Impala Car of Tomorrow.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 2. | #11 | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 3. | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 4. | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | Penske Racing | | 5. | #99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 6. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 7. | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 8. | #8 | | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Incorporated | | 9. | #07 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 10. | #31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
Failed to qualify: Ward Burton (#4), Scott Riggs (#10),
Jeremy Mayfield (#36), Dale Jarrett (#44), Mike Bliss (#49), Michael Waltrip (#55).
NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge
The 23rd annual NEXTEL Open and All-Star Challenge, the second and final non-points event of the season, was held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 19, 2007. As part of the new NASCAR television package, these events were broadcast on Speed after six years on FX. New formats were used for not only the All Star itself, but also for the Open and the Pit Crew Challenge. in the first rule changes since the "Survivor" theme was eliminated from the event (then known as The Winston) after the 2003 season. Matt Kenseth earned the pole for the main event, while Martin Truex, Jr. and Johnny Sauter overtook a fading pole sitter Carl Edwards to win the NEXTEL Open, and Kenny Wallace (a/k/a "Herman the German") voted in by the fans, but it was Kevin Harvick in the end winning the final quarter over defending champion Jimmie Johnson and the $1 million first prize. To reflect the change in the series (and event's) title sponsor, the 2008 race and all future races will be called the Sprint All-Star Race (edition in Roman numerals).
Top Ten Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1 | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 2 | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 3 | #01 | | Chevrolet | Ginn Racing | | 4 | #31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 5 | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 6 | #70 | Johnny Sauter | Chevrolet | Haas CNC Racing | | 7 | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 8 | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | Penske Racing South | | 9 | #8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | | 10 | #1 | | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Inc. |
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR's twelfth Nextel Cup race of the season, was held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 27, 2007. This is the longest race run by NEXTEL Cup (600 miles), and marks the official one-third mark of the season. Penske Racing South teammates Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch led a group of three Dodges to the green flag. One of the main factors of the 600 is not only the physical condition of the drivers, but the legend that Lowe's has of being an ever changing racetrack.
The "first phase" of the 600 was wild and crazy, with two cautions involving 21 cars in all. FOX commentator Darrell Waltrip even said that the race had a higher attrition rate than Bristol.The first wreck saw five-time Lowe's winner Jimmie Johnson lose his tire tread and start a multi car pileup behind him. The second crash was more spectacular. The car of Tony Raines got loose and turned the car of Jeff Gordon into the grass. As Gordon came back across the track, the oncoming car of A.J. Allmendinger hit the right side door, jacking Gordon's car off the ground. Penske's dominance of the day would end in the night with a crash by Kurt Busch and a blown engine from Newman. Toyota, who had been struggling through the first third of the season, had only lead a total of 15 laps. However, not only did both of Team Red Bull's cars make the race, but Brian Vickers carried the day for the manufacturer, leading 72 laps before power steering problems hit, but rallied for the marquee's first top five in NEXTEL Cup competition. Somehow, in the end, the longest race of the season would come down to who could go the longest on 18¾ gallons of fuel. Casey Mears, who had not won in 154 previous attempts, snapped his losing streak and joined teammate Jeff Gordon as well as Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, and David Pearson on the list of first time winners of the Coke 600. Mears went straight to Victory Lane after running out of fuel after crossing the finish line, leaving none to do a post-race burnout or "doughnuts".
Top ten results:
Failed to qualify: David Reutimann (#00), Ward Burton (#4), Paul Menard (#15), Kevin Lepage (#37), Mike Bliss (#49), Michael Waltrip (#55).
Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa
The Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa, the thirteenth race of the season, was held at Dover International Speedway on June 4, 2007 following postponement due to rain. Ryan Newman won his second consecutive pole. This was the sixth race to feature the Car of Tomorrow, as well as the last race broadcast by FOX in 2007. The race also serves as the halfway mark for the battle for entry into the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup. This race also marked the first time since Daytona that Michael Waltrip raced on Sunday, or because of the rainout, a Monday. In a twist of irony, Waltrip's teammate, David Reutimann, who had out qualified or bumped his boss from the field many times before, failed to qualify for his second consecutive race. Martin Truex Jr. won his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race, leading 216 of the 400 laps. The race was also noted for the announcement during the race that Bill France, Jr. peacefully passed on earlier that afternoon. It was the last race of the season to be broadcast on FOX.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1. | #1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Incorporated | | 2. | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | Penske Racing South | | 3. | #99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 4. | #11 | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | | 5. | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 6. | #16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 7. | #01 | | Chevrolet | Ginn Racing | | 8. | #07 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | | 9. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | | 10. | #7 | Robby Gordon | Ford | Robby Gordon Motorsports |
Failed to qualify: David Reutimann (#00), Paul Menard (#15), Dave Blaney (#22), Kevin Lepage (#37), Mike Bliss (#49), Kenny Wallace (#78).
Pocono 500
The Pocono 500, the fourteenth race of the season, was held at Pocono Raceway on June 10, 2007. It was the first of six 2007 races broadcast by TNT. Ryan Newman earned his third consecutive Budweiser Pole Award. In a delayed and postponed at lap 106 race, Jeff Gordon won his third Pocono 500.
Top ten results: (Race ended after 106 laps due to darkness and rain)
Failed to Qualify: Jeremy Mayfield (#36), Kevin Lepage (#37), Dale Jarrett (#44), Mike Bliss (#49), Michael Waltrip (#55), Kenny Wallace (#78).
Citizens Bank 400
The Citizens Bank 400, the fifteenth race of the season, was held at Michigan International Speedway on June 17, 2007. J. J. Yeley won his first career pole, and Carl Edwards won his first race in 52 races. The race also saw Michael Waltrip, who has had a bad year since the Daytona qualifying fiasco, finish tenth in his NAPA #55 Toyota.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|
| 1. | #99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | | 2. | #1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| 3. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| 4. | #25 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| 5. | #8 | | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| 6. | #5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| 7. | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | |
| 8. | #26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | |
| 9. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| 10. | #55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | Michael Waltrip Racing | |
Failed to Qualify: Ward Burton (#4), Jeremy Mayfield (#36), Kevin Lepage (#37), Dale Jarrett (#44), Mike Bliss (#49), Kenny Wallace (#78).
Toyota/Save Mart 350
The Toyota/Save Mart 350, NASCAR's sixteenth race of the season was held at Infineon Raceway on June 24, 2007. Failing inspections on Friday, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were not allowed on the track that day, including for qualifying. As a result, they were placed 41st and 42nd respectively in the starting lineup, and two days following the race, both drivers were penalized 100 owner and driver points, fined $100,000 and had their crew chiefs (Chad Knaus for Johnson and Steve Letarte for Jeff Gordon) suspended for six races (until August 15) and placed on probation until the end of the 2007 calendar year. This was the seventh race to feature the Car of Tomorrow, and the first road course race of 2007. For the first time in two years, Jamie McMurray won the pole position. In addition to Regan Smith driving the #01 for Mark Martin, a number road course specialists were added, or substituted for regular drivers:
Much of the race was dominated by road course ace Robby Gordon, whose self-owned #7 Monster Energy Ford dominated the field, leading 48 laps. Robby hoped to win his first race since 2003 (also on a road course). However, through all the twists and turns, fuel mileage came into play after Joe Nemechek spun. Gordon's hopes were dashed when he was forced to pit for fuel. After his stop, the lead was given to McMurray, who had not won since 2002. However, McMurray would be chased by ex-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya passed McMurray (who was later forced to pit for a splash of fuel) with a few laps remaining and held off Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick to become the first Colombian born driver (and the third not to have been born in the USA) to win in a NASCAR Cup Series event. The win was even bigger for Montoya's car owner, Chip Ganassi who had struggled in previous years but would finally taste victory for the first time since 2002.
Top ten results:
Failed to qualify: Ward Burton (#4), Brian Vickers (#83), A.J. Allmendinger (#84), Kenny Wallace (#78), Scott Riggs (#10), Klaus Graf (#49), Brandon Ash (#02), Brian Simo | |
