NASCAR Nextel Cup 2007

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NASCAR Nextel Cup logo

The 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup began on February 10th at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 18th with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway . The Chase for the Nextel Cup began on September 16, 2007 with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway .

Attendees

Each Nextel Cup race had a field of 43 cars. The first 35 Owner Points (score of the respective owners of a racing car) in 2006 had a guaranteed starting place in the first five races in 2007. If a driver switched to a new team, he no longer had a guaranteed starting place, unless that was the case was in the top 35 owner points. His old team, however, had a guaranteed starting place if it was in the top 35. However, if a former champion was not in this top 35 and did not manage to qualify for the race, he could fall back on a so-called Past Champion Provisional , which guaranteed him a starting place. However, this Past Champion Provisional was limited to a number of six races that season.

Teams that were not in this top 35 and also did not have a Past Champion Provisional had to find out their starting place. If 47 cars wanted to qualify for a race and none of them used a past champion provisional, then twelve cars would fight for eight remaining starting places. Of these twelve, the eight fastest qualified for the race.

Year-round participant

These cars participated in all 36 Nextel Cup races.

number driver dare Sponsor (s) team Placed in
2006
00 David Reutimann (R) / PJ Jones Toyota Domino's Pizza / Burger King Michael Waltrip Racing / PPI Motorsports 37.
1 Martin Truex junior Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 19th
01 Mark Martin / Regan Smith (R) / Aric Almirola Chevrolet US Army Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 28.
2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite Penske Racing South 16.
4th Ward Burton Chevrolet State Water Heaters Morgan-McClure Motorsports 39.
5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg’s / Carquest Hendrick Motorsports 10.
6th David Ragan (R) ford AAA Roush Fenway Racing 9.
7th Robby Gordon ford Jim Beam / Harrah’s Robby Gordon Motorsports 31.
07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's Richard Childress Racing 17th
8th Dale Earnhardt junior Chevrolet Budweiser Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 5.
9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW Gillett Evernham Motorsports 8th.
10 Scott Riggs / Patrick Carpentier Dodge Valvoline / Stanley Tools Gillett Evernham Motorsports 20th
11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet FedEx Joe Gibbs Racing 3.
12 Ryan Newman Dodge Alltel / Mobil 1 / Sony / Kodak Penske Racing South 18th
13 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet CertainTeed / Bacardi formerly Ginn Racing - Team no longer exists New team
14th Sterling marlin Chevrolet Waste Management / Panasonic Ginn Racing 36.
15 (13) Paul Menard (R) Chevrolet Menards / Peak Antifreeze Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Ownerpoints the # 13 44.
16 Greg Biffle ford Ameriquest / 3M Roush Fenway Racing 13.
17th Matt Kenseth ford DeWalt / Carhartt / R + L Carriers / USG Sheetrock Roush Fenway Racing 2.
18th JJ Yeley Chevrolet Interstate Batteries Joe Gibbs Racing 30th
19th Elliott Sadler Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW Gillett Evernham Motorsports 34.
20th Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot Joe Gibbs Racing 11.
21st Ken Schrader / Jon Wood (R) / Bill Elliott ford Little Debbie / US Air Force / Motorcraft / Delimex Wood Brothers / JTG Racing 33.
22nd Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar Bill Davis Racing 27.
24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont / Nicorette / Pepsi Hendrick Motorsports 6th
25th Casey Mears Chevrolet GMAC / National Guard Hendrick Motorsports 15th
26th Jamie McMurray ford Crown Royal / Irwin Industrial Tools / Sharpie Pens Roush Fenway Racing 24.
29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell Oil / Reese’s / GM Goodwrench Richard Childress Racing 4th
31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless / Sylvania / Prilosec OTC / Lenox Industrial Tools Richard Childress Racing 7th
34 Kevin Lepage Dodge Front Row Motorsports 43.
36 (23) * Jeremy Mayfield / Butch Leitzinger / Mike Skinner / Johnny Benson Toyota 360 OTC / Caterpillar Bill Davis Racing New team
37 Kevin Lepage / John Andretti / Brian Simo / Boris Said Dodge Front Row Motorsports / R&J Racing 42.
38 David Gilliland ford M & M's Yates Racing 25th
40 David Stremme Dodge Coors Light / Tums Chip Ganassi Racing 32.
41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target / Tums Chip Ganassi Racing 23.
42 Juan Pablo Montoya (R) Dodge Texaco Havoline / Wrigleys Big Red Chip Ganassi Racing 14th
43 Bobby Labonte Dodge General Mills Petty Enterprises 21st
44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS Michael Waltrip Racing New team
45 Kyle Petty / John Andretti / Chad McCumbee / Kenny Wallace Dodge Wells Fargo / Marathon / Coca-Cola / NTB Petty Enterprises 35.
48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's Hendrick Motorsports 1.
49 Mike Bliss / Chad Chaffin / Ken Schrader / Klaus Graf / John Andretti Dodge Paralyzed Veterans of America / LifeLock BAM Racing 40.
55 Michael Waltrip / Terry Labonte Toyota NAPA Auto Parts Michael Waltrip Racing 38.
66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Best Buy Haas CNC Racing 29
70 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet Yellow Transportation Haas CNC Racing 71.
78 Kenny Wallace / Scott Wimmer / Joe Nemechek / Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Furniture Row Furniture Row Racing 41.
83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull Team Red Bull 78.
84 AJ Allmendinger (R) Toyota Red Bull Team Red Bull New team
88 Ricky Rudd / Kenny Wallace ford Snickers Yates Racing 22nd
96 Tony Raines / Ron Fellows Chevrolet Texas Instruments DLP HDTV Hall of Fame Racing 26th
99 Carl Edwards ford Office Depot Roush Fenway Racing 12.

* = The # 36 Toyota drove as # 23 in the 16th race on June 24th, 2007 at Infineon Raceway , because Caterpillar , the sponsor of the # 36 for this race, wanted consecutive numbers. The # 22 Toyota drives the full season with Caterpillar as the main sponsor.

(R) = rookie (newbie)

Part-time participant

These cars only participated in a few races this season.

number driver Sponsors brand team Owner Points 2007
02 Brandon Ash Sprinter trucking Dodge Ash Racing 61.
04 Eric McClure Hefty Brand / Crabby Joe's Chevrolet Morgan-McClure Motorsports 68.
06 Sam Hornish Junior Penske Truck Rental / Mobil 1 / Kenwood Dodge Penske Racing 51.
08 Joe Nemechek / Carl Long Fans on board / E&M Motorsports Dodge E&M Motorsports 53.
09 Mike Wallace / Sterling Marlin Miccosukee Indian Reservation Chevrolet Phoenix Racing 52.
23 Mike Skinner Toyota Camry Toyota Bill Davis Racing 71.
27 Kirk Shelmerdine Lilly Trucking of Virginia Chevrolet Kirk Shelmerdine Racing 64.
27 Jacques Villeneuve UNICEF Toyota Bill Davis Racing 55.
30th Stanton Barrett in Bad Boy Power Drink / Interush / Pro30.com Chevrolet Ware racing 66.
33 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn / Camping World Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 54.
34 Kevin Lepage / Chad Chaffin / John Andretti / Bill Elliott Taco Bell / Makoto / myAutoloan.com / Detoxify Brand / Wyndham / Platinum Productions Dodge Front Row Motorsports 56.
39 Regan Smith (R) Ginn Resorts Chevrolet Ginn Racing 67.
46 Johnny Benson Toyota Racing Development / 360 OTC / Wyler Racing Toyota Wyler Racing 57.
47 Ken Schrader / Jon Wood (R) Team Australia / Aussie Vineyards / Clorox / Kingsford / McKee Foods ford Wood Brothers / JTG Racing 63.
58 James Hylton Retirement Living Television Chevrolet Hylton Motorsports 70.
60 Boris Said No Fear / Raley's / Valvoline / Dollar General / Winn Dixie ford No fear racing 50.
71 Frank Kimmel Fast Track Driving School ford Fast track racing 69.
72 Brandon Whitt (R) Dutch Quality Stone Chevrolet CJM Racing 62.
74 Derrike Cope Royal Administration Dodge McGlynn Racing 65.
77 Marcos Ambrose Camping World / Robby Gordon Motorsports ford Robby Gordon Motorsports 72.
80 Aric Almirola Joe Gibbs Driven Chevrolet Joe Gibbs Racing 60.
91 Marc Goossens Commonwealth Toyota Riley-D'Hondt Motorsports 58.
98 Boris Said Valvoline / Stanley Tools Dodge Gillett Evernham Motorsports 59.

(R) = rookie (newbie)

Changes to the regulations

On January 22, 2007, NASCAR announced at the annual press tour in Charlotte , North Carolina that there would be changes to the point system and the chase . The first change was that victories should become more important, which is why the driver who crosses the finish line first in the first race of 2007 will get 185 points instead of 180 points as in the previous year. Including the five bonus points that are given for a lead lap and another five bonus points that the driver receives for most lead laps, a driver could now get a maximum of 195 points for a race victory.

The change to the Chase was that twelve drivers, instead of ten as in previous years, are qualified for the Chase after the 26th race of the season. In addition, each of these drivers will have a score of 5000, plus 10 points for every race won during the season.

Course of the season

The 2007 season began for the drivers on January 8th with the so-called "Preseason Thunder", the first season test, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach , Florida . The first point race of the 2007 season was the Daytona 500 , the "Great American Race", which took place on February 18, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the race, making it the 31st driver to win the Daytona 500.

Shell was the main sponsor of Kevin Harvick's car at the Daytona 500. Since Sunoco was NASCAR's official gasoline supplier, NASCAR banned the logo shortly after the race, so Kevin Harvick was the main sponsor of the second race of the season at California Speedway with Pennzoil drove.

In the fifth race of the season on March 25, 2007 at Bristol Motor Speedway , the new Car of Tomorrow was used for the first time . Kyle Busch , one of the new car's biggest critics, won this race ahead of Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon . In the same race, Regan Smith (# 01) made his first Nextel Cup appearance as Mark Martin was on a part-time schedule. He did not change this plan, although at the time of the race in Bristol he was the leader of the drivers' championship.

On May 10, 2007, Dale Earnhardt Jr. , the multiple-time Most Popular Driver and son of racing legend Dale Earnhardt , announced that he would be leaving Dale Earnhardt, Inc. at the end of the season. On June 13, he announced that he would move to Hendrick Motorsports at the beginning of the 2008 season .

Also in May was the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge 2007 , which was won by Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, who won one million US dollars . The following week, the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600 , took place at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord , North Carolina . The winner was Casey Mears , for whom it was also his first win in the Nextel Cup.

During the season, AT&T swapped the logos on Jeff Burton's # 31 Chevrolet so that AT&T logos, rather than Cingular logos, graced its car. But since AT&T was a competitor of Nextel, the main sponsor of the Nextel Cup, NASCAR banned these logos. In May 2007, AT&T sued NASCAR. AT&T won the process, so the logos could continue to appear on Jeff Burton's racing cars. In June, NASCAR counterclaimed AT&T for $ 100 million. The verdict was reached on August 13, and NASCAR won the trial.

In the week leading up to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway , Indiana , Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Ginn Racing announced that they will merge . Dale Earnhardt, Inc. took over the number 01 car from Ginn Racing. The driver remained Mark Martin. Aric Almirola was initially designated as the second driver , but has not yet been used. The car with the # 15, driven by Paul Menard , took over the owner points (points of a car) from the former # 13 from Ginn Racing and was therefore safely qualified for all races. Around 120 workers lost their jobs as a result of the merger, including drivers Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek . Even Robert Yates Racing merged and then subsequently was named Yates / Newman / Haas / Lanigan RacingDas ; But when Robert Yates suddenly announced his retirement from the sport shortly afterwards, the deal fell through. Robert Yates Racing continued to run as a single team without a partner, but now under the name Yates Racing . The subsequent Brickyard 400, which was now one of the most important races of the season, was won by Tony Stewart .

On August 6, 2007, Ray Evernham announced a merger of his teams, Evernham Motorsports, with George Gillett , who owned an NHL ice hockey team, the Montreal Canadiens , and Liverpool FC . The new name of the racing team was Gillett Evernham Motorsports . Also said Kyle Busch , he in the 2008 season for Joe Gibbs Racing will go. NASCAR experts called the events of this phase of the season Merger Mania , which in German means something like "fusion madness".

In September, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that it would drive Toyotas for the next year , while Dale Earnhardt Jr. officially announced that his new car would be the # 88 for the 2008 season. On September 16, 2007, the Chase for the Nextel Cup , NASCAR's play-off system, began at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon , New Hampshire . Clint Bowyer won his first race in the Nextel Cup.

Scores

Driver overall rating

The ones highlighted in green were in the Chase for the Nextel Cup .
space driver Points Lagging behind leaders Starts Pole positions Victories Top 5 Top 10 Car brand
1 Jimmie Johnson 6723 master 36 3 10 20th 24 Chevrolet
2 Jeff Gordon 6646 (-) 77 36 7th 6th 21st 30th Chevrolet
3 Clint Bowyer 6377 (-) 346 36 2 1 5 17th Chevrolet
4th Matt Kenseth 6298 (-) 425 36 0 2 13 22nd ford
5 Kyle Busch 6293 (-) 430 36 0 1 11 20th Chevrolet
6th Tony Stewart 6242 (-) 481 36 0 3 10 23 Chevrolet
7th Kurt Busch 6231 (-) 492 36 1 2 6th 14th Dodge
8th Jeff Burton 6231 (-) 492 36 0 1 9 18th Chevrolet
9 Carl Edwards * 6222 (-) 501 36 1 3 11 15th ford
10 Kevin Harvick 6199 (-) 524 36 0 1 4th 15th Chevrolet
11 Martin Truex junior 6164 (-) 559 36 1 1 7th 14th Chevrolet
12 Denny Hamlin 6143 (-) 580 36 1 1 12 18th Chevrolet
13 Ryan Newman 4046 (-) 2677 36 5 0 7th 15th Dodge
14th Greg Biffle 3991 (-) 2732 36 1 1 5 11 ford
15th Casey Mears 3949 (-) 2774 36 1 1 5 10 Chevrolet
16 Dale Earnhardt junior 3929 (-) 2794 36 1 0 7th 12 Chevrolet
17th Jamie McMurray 3556 (-) 3167 36 1 1 3 9 ford
18th Bobby Labonte 3517 (-) 3206 36 0 0 0 3 Dodge
19th Kasey Kahne 3489 (-) 3234 36 2 0 1 8th Dodge
20th Juan Pablo Montoya (R) 3487 (-) 3236 36 0 1 3 6th Dodge
21st JJ Yeley 3456 (-) 3267 36 1 0 1 3 Chevrolet
22nd Reed Sorenson 3275 (-) 3448 36 1 0 3 6th Dodge
23 David Ragan (R) 3251 (-) 3472 36 0 0 2 3 ford
24 David Stremme 3163 (-) 3560 36 0 0 0 3 Dodge
25th Elliott Sadler 3140 (-) 3583 36 0 0 0 2 Dodge
26th Robby Gordon 3014 (-) 3709 35 0 0 1 2 ford
27 Mark Martin 2960 (-) 3763 24 0 0 5 11 Chevrolet
28 David Gilliland 2924 (-) 3799 36 1 0 1 2 ford
29 Tony Raines 2920 (-) 3803 34 0 0 0 1 Chevrolet
30th Johnny Sauter 2875 (-) 3848 35 0 0 1 2 Chevrolet
31 Dave Blaney 2781 (-) 3942 33 1 0 1 4th Toyota
32 Jeff Green 2704 (-) 4019 32 0 0 0 3 Chevrolet
33 Ricky Rudd 2622 (-) 4101 31 0 0 0 1 ford
34 Paul Menard (R) 2496 (-) 4227 30th 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet
35 Kyle Petty 2312 (-) 4411 29 0 0 1 1 Dodge
36 Scott Riggs 2135 (-) 4588 27 0 0 0 1 Dodge
37 Joe Nemechek 2117 (-) 4606 28 0 0 0 1 Chevrolet / Dodge
38 Brian Vickers 2065 (-) 4658 23 0 0 1 5 Toyota
39 David Reutimann (R) 1878 (-) 4845 26th 0 0 0 0 Toyota
40 Sterling marlin 1752 (-) 4971 21st 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet
41 Dale Jarrett 1584 (-) 5139 24 0 0 0 0 Toyota
42 Bill Elliott 1579 (-) 5144 20th 0 0 0 0 ford
43 AJ Allmendinger (R) 1165 (-) 5568 17th 0 0 0 0 Toyota
44 Michael Waltrip 1149 (-) 5574 14th 1 0 0 2 Toyota
45 Jeremy Mayfield 1126 (-) 5597 17th 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet / Toyota
46 Kenny Wallace 1066 (-) 5657 15th 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet / Dodge / Ford
47 Ward Burton 939 (-) 5784 16 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet
48 John Andretti 932 (-) 5791 15th 0 0 0 0 Dodge
49 Ken Schrader 932 (-) 5791 13 0 0 0 0 Dodge / Ford
50 Regan Smith 516 (-) 6207 7th 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet
51 Boris Said 510 (-) 6213 5 0 0 0 1 Dodge / Ford
52 Aric Almirola 357 (-) 6366 6th 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet
53 Mike Bliss 325 (-) 6398 4th 0 0 0 0 Dodge
54 Ron Fellows 283 (-) 6440 2 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet
55 PJ Jones 267 (-) 6456 3 0 0 0 0 Ford / Toyota
56 Mike Wallace 266 (-) 6457 2 0 0 0 1 Chevrolet / Ford
57 Patrick Carpentier 209 (-) 6514 3 0 0 0 0 Dodge
58 Terry Labonte 204 (-) 6519 3 0 0 0 0 Toyota
59 Johnny Benson 159 (-) 6564 3 0 0 0 0 Toyota
60 Jacques Villeneuve 140 (-) 6583 2 0 0 0 0 Toyota
61 Chad McCumbee 128 (-) 6595 2 0 0 0 0 Dodge
62 Chad Chaffin 125 (-) 6598 2 0 0 0 0 Dodge
63 Sam Hornish Junior 125 (-) 6598 2 0 0 0 0 Dodge
64 Kevin Lepage 95 (-) 6628 2 0 0 0 0 Dodge
65 Mike Skinner 91 (-) 6632 1 0 0 0 0 Toyota
66 Butch Leitzinger 79 (-) 6644 1 0 0 0 0 Toyota
67 Jon Wood 76 (-) 6647 1 0 0 0 0 ford
68 Scott Wimmer 70 (-) 6653 1 0 0 0 0 Chevrolet
69 Marc Goossens 55 (-) 6668 1 0 0 0 0 Toyota

(R) = rookie (newbie)

"*" = Carl Edwards was deducted 25 points in the driver and owner classification after the race in Dover because the rear right fell below the minimum height.

Point penalties

  • Kurt Busch (# 2), 100 points
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. (# 8), 100 points
  • Jeff Gordon (# 24), 100 points
  • Jimmie Johnson (# 48,) 100 points
  • Michael Waltrip (# 55), 100 points
  • Kasey Kahne (# 9), 50 points
  • Matt Kenseth (# 17), 50 points
  • Kyle Busch (# 5), 25 points
  • Carl Edwards (# 99), 25 points (C)
  • Robby Gordon (# 7), 25 points
  • Scott Riggs (# 10), 25 points
  • Elliott Sadler (# 19), 25 points
  • Johnny Sauter (# 70), 25 points

(C) = Point penalties were awarded within the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

All penalties were awarded in the driver and owner evaluation.

Rookie of the Year

space driver team Car brand Points Lagging behind leaders
1 Juan Pablo Montoya (# 42) Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 276 Rookie of the Year
2 David Ragan (# 6) Roush Fenway Racing ford 252 (-) 24
3 Paul Menard (# 15) Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet 221 (-) 55
4th David Reutimann (# 00) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 207 (-) 69
5 AJ Allmendinger (# 84) Team Red Bull Toyota 190 (-) 86

The following newcomers are not in the official NASCAR rookie rankings as only drivers who try to compete in each race are included in the list.

For information on the rookie scoring system, see NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award .

Manufacturer rating

space Manufacturer Points Lagging behind leaders Victories
1 Chevrolet 290 Leader 26th
2 ford 208 (-) 82 7th
3 Dodge 178 (-) 112 3
4th Toyota 116 (-) 174 0

run

All races of the Nextel Cup were held in the USA .

Brief overview

date run Racetrack Pole position ** Winner***
02/10/2007 Budweiser Shootout * Daytona International Speedway Dale Jarrett Tony Stewart
02/15/2007 Gatorade Duel 1 * Daytona International Speedway David Gilliland Tony Stewart
02/15/2007 Gatorade Duel 2 * Daytona International Speedway Ricky Rudd Jeff Gordon
02/18/2007 Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway David Gilliland Kevin Harvick
02/25/2007 Auto Club 500 California Speedway Jeff Gordon Matt Kenseth
03/11/2007 UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Kasey Kahne Jimmie Johnson
03/18/2007 Atlanta 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway Ryan Newman Jimmie Johnson
03/25/2007 Food City 500 (COT) Bristol Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon Kyle Busch
04/01/2007 Goody's Cool Orange 500 (COT) Martinsville Speedway Denny Hamlin Jimmie Johnson
04/15/2007 Samsung 500 Texas Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon **** Jeff Burton
04/21/2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500 (COT) Phoenix International Raceway Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon
04/29/2007 Aaron's 499 Talladega Superspeedway Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon
05/05/2007 Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400 (COT) Richmond International Raceway Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson
05/12/2007 Dodge Avenger 500 (COT) Darlington Raceway Clint Bowyer Jeff Gordon
05/19/2007 NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge * Lowe's Motor Speedway Matt Kenseth Kevin Harvick
05/27/2007 Coca-Cola 600 Lowe's Motor Speedway Ryan Newman Casey Mears
06/03/2007 Autism Speaks 400 by Visa (COT) Dover International Speedway Ryan Newman Martin Truex junior
06/10/2007 Pocono 500 Pocono Raceway Ryan Newman Jeff Gordon
06/17/2007 Citizens Bank 400 Michigan International Speedway JJ Yeley Carl Edwards
06/24/2007 Toyota / Save Mart 350 (COT) Infineon Raceway Jamie McMurray Juan Pablo Montoya
07/01/2007 Lenox Industrial Tools 300 (COT) New Hampshire International Speedway Dave Blaney Denny Hamlin
07/07/2007 Pepsi 400 Daytona International Speedway Jeff Gordon **** Jamie McMurray
07/15/2007 USG Sheetrock 400 Chicagoland Speedway Casey Mears Tony Stewart
07/29/2007 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway Reed Sorenson Tony Stewart
08/05/2007 Pennsylvania 500 Pocono Raceway Dale Earnhardt junior Kurt Busch
08/12/2007 Centurion Boats at The Glen (COT) Watkins Glen International Jeff Gordon **** Tony Stewart
08/19/2007 3M Performance 400 Michigan International Speedway Jeff Gordon Kurt Busch
08/25/2007 Sharpie 500 (COT) Bristol Motor Speedway Kasey Kahne Carl Edwards
09/02/2007 Sharp AQUOS 500 California Speedway Kurt Busch Jimmie Johnson
09/08/2007 Chevy Rock and Roll 400 (COT) Richmond International Raceway Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson
The " Chase for the Nextel Cup " begins here
09/16/2007 Sylvania 300 (COT) New Hampshire International Speedway Clint Bowyer Clint Bowyer
09/23/2007 Dodge Dealers 400 (COT) Dover International Speedway Jimmie Johnson Carl Edwards
09/30/2007 LifeLock 400 Kansas Speedway Jimmie Johnson Greg Biffle
07/10/2007 UAW Ford 500 (COT) Talladega Superspeedway Michael Waltrip Jeff Gordon
10/13/2007 Bank of America 500 Lowe's Motor Speedway Ryan Newman Jeff Gordon
10/21/2007 Subway 500 (COT) Martinsville Speedway Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson
10/28/2007 Pep Boys Auto 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway Greg Biffle Jimmie Johnson
04/11/2007 Dickies 500 Texas Motor Speedway Martin Truex junior Jimmie Johnson
11/11/2007 Checker Auto Parts 500 (COT) Phoenix International Raceway Carl Edwards Jimmie Johnson
11/18/2007 Ford 400 Homestead Miami Speedway Jimmie Johnson Matt Kenseth

(COT) = race in which the new Car of Tomorrow was used

* = Races in which no points were awarded

** = All drivers who started from pole position at least once in the 2007 season are allowed to take part in the 2008 Budweiser Shootout .

*** = All drivers who have won a race at least once in the 2007 season are allowed to take part in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race .

**** = The driver was able to start from pole position because qualifying was canceled / canceled and the field was set up on points.

Budweiser Shootout - Daytona Beach, Florida

  • Pole position: Dale Jarrett
  • Race length: 70 laps, 175 miles (281.63 kilometers)
  • Most lead laps: Kyle Busch - 39

This no-point race consists of last year's pole position winners and was held on February 10, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach , Florida . Two-time Nextel Cup Champion Tony Stewart won this race after Dale Earnhardt Jr. caused an accident on the home straight through contact with Elliott Sadler , in which five cars were involved.

One of the highlights of the race was that Toyota did its first race in the Nextel Cup. Because the starting grid was determined by lots, Dale Jarrett and Toyota were on pole in their first races. However, Jarret fell back to the end of the field right from the start and stayed there throughout the race. Brian Vickers, another Toyota driver who started the race from fourth, was able to keep up better with the leaders and finished the race in a good eighth place.

Gatorade Duel 1 - Daytona Beach, Florida

  • Pole position: David Gilliland
  • Race length: 63 laps (Green-White-Checkered, race extension), actual length: 60 laps, 150 miles (241.40 kilometers)
  • Most Leadership Laps: Tony Stewart - 37

The Gatorade Duels are the qualifying races for the Daytona 500 . The first Gatorade Duel took place on February 15, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach , Florida . The Gatorade Duel is not a point race.

See main article: Gatorade Duel

Gatorade Duel 2 - Daytona Beach, Florida

  • Pole position: Ricky Rudd
  • Race length: 60 laps, 150 miles (241.40 kilometers)
  • Most Leadership Laps: Kyle Busch - 31

The second Gatorade Duel also took place on February 15, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach , Florida . The Gatorade Duel is not a point race.

The winner Jeff Gordon was subsequently disqualified because his car was too low. He had to go to the Daytona 500 from 42nd place . NASCAR newcomer Juan Pablo Montoya led 18 laps before retiring due to a defect.

See main article: Gatorade Duel

Daytona 500 - Daytona Beach, Florida

  • Pole position: David Gilliland
  • Race length: 202 laps (Green-White-Checkered, race extension), actual length: 200 laps, 500 miles (804.65 kilometers)
  • Most leadership laps: Kurt Busch - 95

Drivers who did not qualify for the race:

For more see main article: Daytona 500 2007

Auto Club 500 - Fontana, California

The second NASCAR race of the season took place on February 25, 2007 at California Speedway in Fontana , California . It was the first NASCAR race in which the cars ran on unleaded gasoline. The race was won by Matt Kenseth after winning the first of two races at California Speedway exactly a year ago. He dominated the race, as well as the Busch Series race, which he won the day before. In addition, he had the most leadership laps, which gave him a bonus of 10 points. Brian Vickers secured the best result to date for Toyota, who entered the Nextel Cup at the beginning of the season, with a good tenth place. After the race, Mark Martin led the championship standings ahead of Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and rookie David Ragan.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Michael Waltrip (# 55), Ward Burton (# 4), Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Brandon Whitt (# 72), Mike Bliss (# 49) , Kenny Wallace (# 78), Kevin Lepage (# 34)

UAW Daimler Chrysler 400 - Las Vegas, Nevada

The third race of the season took place on March 11, 2007 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway . Jimmie Johnson won the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 in Las Vegas for the third time in a row .

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Mike Bliss (# 49), John Andretti (# 37), Brian Vickers (# 83), David Reutimann (# 00) , Brandon Whitt (# 72), Kevin Lepage (# 34), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Ken Schrader (# 47)

Kobalt Tools 500 - Atlanta, Georgia

The fourth race of the season took place on March 18, 2007 at Atlanta Motor Speedway . Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya made it into the top 10 in the NASCAR Nextel Cup for the first time. He was the first driver of South American origin to do this. Mark Martin, who finished in the top 10, was leading in the points classification after the race but still did not take part in the upcoming race in Bristol as he decided to run a part-time schedule ahead of the season.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Scott Wimmer (# 33), Ward Burton (# 4), John Andretti (# 37), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Kenny Wallace (# 78), Kevin Lepage (# 34) , Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), AJ Allmendinger (# 84)

Food City 500 - Bristol, Tennessee

The fifth race of the season took place on March 25, 2007 at Bristol Motor Speedway . It was also the first race of the new Car of Tomorrow . It was the first race for Regan Smith , who represented Mark Martin in the # 01. He finished the race in 12th place.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Kevin Lepage (# 34), David Reutimann (# 00), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Joe Nemechek (# 13), Johnny Sauter (# 70), Paul Menard (# 15)

Goody's Cool Orange 500 - Martinsville, Virginia

The sixth race of the season took place on April 1, 2007 at Martinsville Speedway . It was the second race of the Car of Tomorrow. Jimmie Johnson won his third race in 2007. Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon fought a tough battle on the final laps of the race. Juan Pablo Montoya was noticeable for turning Tony Raines over. Both had a chance of a top 15 result.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Michael Waltrip (# 55), Paul Menard (# 15), Kenny Wallace (# 78), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Brian Vickers (# 83), Ward Burton (# 4)

Samsung 500 - Fort Worth, Texas

The seventh race of the season took place on April 8, 2007 at Texas Motor Speedway . The qualifying was canceled due to rain and the field was only set up according to points (owner points). Jeff Burton , who started from the “Outside Pole”, won his first race in the 2007 season.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race David Reutimann (# 00), Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), John Andretti (# 37), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Ward Burton (# 4) , Kevin Lepage (# 34), Scott Wimmer (# 33)

Subway Fresh Fit 500 - Phoenix, Arizona

The eighth race of the season took place on April 21, 2007 at the Phoenix International Raceway . It was the third race of the Car of Tomorrow. In that race, Jeff Gordon took his 76 victory, which meant he was level with the legendary Dale Earnhardt on the total number of wins . Jeff Green surprisingly made it back into the top 10.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), Michael Waltrip (# 55), John Andretti (# 37), Brian Vickers (# 83), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Mike Bliss (# 49) , Brandon Ash (# 02)

Aaron's 499 - Talladega, Alabama

The ninth race of the season took place on April 29, 2007 on the Talladega Superspeedway , the longest oval of the Nextel Cup. The race ended under yellow. Jeff Gordon overtook Dale Earnhardt in the total number of wins , and Earnhardt fans showed their frustration by throwing items on the track.

The rookie David Reutimann was in the top 5 for a long time and could have achieved a sensational result. However, he retired shortly before the end with an engine failure. David Gilliland , who had also recently competed in the Nextel Cup, came fourth.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Michael Waltrip (# 55), Brian Vickers (# 83), Dave Blaney (# 22), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Ken Schrader (# 21), Mike Wallace (# 09) , Kevin Lepage (# 34), John Andretti (# 37), Mike Bliss (# 49)

Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400 - Richmond, Virginia

The tenth race of the season took place on May 6, 2007 at Richmond International Raceway . It was the fourth race of the Car of Tomorrow. The race was named after the winner of a fan competition. Jim Stewart, who won this competition, was allowed to give the starting command before the race. It was the fourth win of the season for Jimmie Johnson .

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Brain Vickers (# 83), Ken Schrader (# 21), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), Dale Jarrett (# 44), Kevin Lepage (# 37) , Mike Bliss (# 49)

Dodge Avenger 500 - Darlington, South Carolina

The eleventh race of the season took place on May 12, 2007 at Darlington Raceway . It was the fifth race of the Car of Tomorrow. Jeff Gordon won by clever strategy with an overheated engine.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), Ward Burton (# 4), Mike Bliss (# 49), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Dale Jarrett (# 44), Scott Riggs (# 10)

NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge 2007

The annual Nextel Open and NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge took place on May 19, 2007 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

See main article: NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge 2007

Coca Cola 600 - Concord, North Carolina

The twelfth race of the season took place on May 27, 2007 at Lowe's Motor Speedway . It was the longest race of the 2007 Nextel Cup season (600 miles). Casey Mears won the NASCAR Nextel Cup for the first time. This means that all Hendrick Motorsports drivers had won a race in the 2007 season.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Paul Menard (# 15), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Ward Burton (# 4), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Mike Bliss (# 49), David Reutimann (# 00)

Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa - Dover, Delaware

The 13th race of the season took place on June 4, 2007 at Dover International Speedway . It was the sixth race of the Car of Tomorrow. The race was postponed to Monday due to rain. During the course of the race, former NASCAR president and chairman Bill France junior died at the age of 74 in a Daytona Beach hospital. The moderators of the US broadcaster FOX kept a minute's silence. The flags were lowered to half mast.

Kurt Busch was noticeable unpleasantly after he deliberately rammed Tony Stewart's car in the pit lane after a collision. He almost injured a team member who was working on the car. Shortly afterwards, on June 8, 2007, 100 points were deducted from him and he was fined $ 100,000. Busch was under control until December 31, 2007. If he had committed further offenses, he could have been suspended for a few races.

Two-time Nationwide Series champion Martin Truex Jr. took his first win in the Nextel Cup.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Dave Blaney (# 22), Paul Menard (# 15), Kenny Wallace (# 78), David Reutimann (# 00), Mike Bliss (# 49), Kevin Lepage (# 37)

Pocono 500 - Long Pond, Pennsylvania

The 14th race of the season took place on June 10, 2007 at the Pocono Raceway . The race was stopped prematurely due to rain after 106 laps. This termination was discussed a lot afterwards because Ryan Newman was about to overtake Jeff Gordon when the race was abandoned.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Michael Waltrip (# 55), Kenny Wallace (# 78), Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Dale Jarrett (# 44), Mike Bliss (# 49)

Citizens Bank 400 - Brooklyn, Michigan

The 15th race of the season took place on June 17, 2007 at Michigan International Speedway . Carl Edwards won the Nextel Cup again after over a year.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Dale Jarrett (# 44), Ward Burton (# 4), Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), Mike Bliss (# 49), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Kenny Wallace (# 78)

Toyota / Save Mart 350 - Sonoma, California

The 16th race of the season took place on June 24, 2007 at the Infineon Raceway . It was the seventh race of the Car of Tomorrow and also the first race of the season that was not held on an oval. Juan Pablo Montoya took his first victory in the NASCAR Nextel Cup after starting from 32nd place. Never before has a driver further back than 13 won the race at Infineon Raceway. He was also the first Colombian to win NASCAR's highest series, today's Nextel Cup.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Ward Burton (# 4), Scott Riggs (# 10), Brandon Ash (# 02), Paul Menard (# 15), Brian Vickers (# 83), AJ Allmendinger (# 84) , Brian Simo (# 37), Kenny Wallace (# 78), Klaus Graf (# 49)

Lenox Industrial Tools 300 - Loudon, New Hampshire

The 17th race of the season took place on June 1, 2007 at New Hampshire International Speedway . It was the eighth race of the Car of Tomorrow. Denny Hamlin won his first COT race after always having performed very well in the new COT.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Brian Vickers (# 83), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Kenny Wallace (# 78), Dale Jarrett (# 44), Scott Riggs (# 10), AJ Allmendinger (# 84)

Pepsi 400 - Daytona Beach, Florida

The 18th race of the season took place on July 7, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway . The qualifying was canceled due to rain and the field was only set up according to points (owner points). Jamie McMurray was just 0.005 seconds ahead of Kyle Busch at the finish line. The closest finish of the season.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Larry Foyt (# 49), Michael Waltrip (# 55), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Ward Burton (# 4) , Boris Said (# 60), Mike Wallace (# 09), Eric McClure (# 04), Kirk Shelmerdine (# 27)

USG Streetrock 400 - Joliet, Illinois

The 19th race of the season took place on July 15, 2007 at Chicagoland Speedway . For Tony Stewart it was the first victory of the season in a points race after he had already won a Gatorade Duel and the Budweiser Shootout.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race Scott Riggs (# 10), Brian Vickers (# 83), Dale Jarrett (# 44), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Kenny Wallace (# 78)

Allstate 400 at the Brickyard - Speedway, Indiana

The 20th race of the season took place on July 29, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway , a city in Indiana , in the USA , which is completely enclosed by the city of Indianapolis .

For more see: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard 2007

Pennsylvania 500 - Long Pond, Pennsylvania

The 21st race of the season was held on August 5, 2007 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond , Pennsylvania . Dale Earnhardt Jr. secured pole position there for the first time since the 2002 season. Kurt Busch , who led 175 of 200 laps, won the race. With this race, Jeff Gordon qualified as the first driver for this year's Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Centurion Boats at The Glen - Watkins Glen, New York

The 22nd race of the season took place at Watkins Glen International on August 12, 2007 in Walkins Glen , New York . It was the ninth race for the Car of Tomorrow. The shortened connection with a length of 2.45 miles (3.94 kilometers) was driven. Since this race did not take place on an oval, but on a street course, the following drivers were replaced by circuit experts:

No. Substituted driver replaced driver
# 00 PJ Jones David Reutimann
# 10 Patrick Carpentier Scott Riggs
# 21 Boris Said Bill Elliott
# 37 Brian Simo Kevin Lepage
# 49 Klaus Graf Mike Bliss
# 55 Terry Labonte Michael Waltrip (owner of the car)
# 96 Ron Fellows Tony Raines

Jeff Gordon, who led the race for most of the time, had to give up the lead to Tony Stewart on the 45th of 90 laps. After Stewart fell back to midfield shortly afterwards due to a driving error, Gordon took the lead again. With two laps to go, Stewart had worked his way up to second when Gordon made a driving error in the same place as Stewart before. Stewart then won the race, while Gordon only finished ninth.

The most striking scene of the race was when Martin Truex Jr. touched Juan Pablo Montoya, which triggered a chain reaction in which Harvick and Montoya collided. Even before the red flag race was interrupted for clean-up work, Harvick parked his undulating racing car right in front of Montoya, whereupon both drivers got out of their cars and tried to substantiate their points of view with fists. Montoya then got into his car again, but had to be dragged into the box after a few meters due to the severe damage.

Drivers who did not qualify for the race: Marcos Ambrose (# 77), AJ Allmendinger (# 84), Ward Burton (# 4), Klaus Graf (# 49), Boris Said (# 60) *, Brian Simo (# 37).

Top 10 placements:

Route overview from Watkins Glen International
space No. driver automobile team
1. # 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Joe Gibbs Racing
2. # 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet Joe Gibbs Racing
3. # 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
4th # 96 Ron Fellows Chevrolet Hall of Fame Racing
5. # 7 Robby Gordon ford Robby Gordon Motorsports
6th #1 Martin Truex junior Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
7th # 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
8th. # 99 Carl Edwards ford Roush Fenway Racing
9. # 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
10. # 16 Greg Biffle ford Roush Fenway Racing

3M Performance 400 - Brooklyn, Michigan

The drivers Mark Martin (# 01), Martin Truex junior (# 1), Ward Burton (# 4), Dale Earnhardt junior (# 8), Paul Menard (# 15), JJ Yeley (# 18), Jeff Gordon (# 24), Casey Mears (# 25), Jimmie Johnson (# 48), Scott Wimmer (# 78) and Tony Raines (# 96) started this race with a special paint job due to the 50th birthday of the '57 Bel Air .

The 23rd race of the season should have been held on August 19, 2007 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn , Michigan , but has been postponed to August 20 due to rain. Since the race could not take place on this day due to rain, it was postponed to August 21. There was a race postponement of two days before that in the 1997 season. This postponement was only the second in NASCAR history. There has never been a race postponement to Wednesday before.

Kurt Busch won the race. It was the second win of the season for him.

Sharpie 500 - Bristol, Tennessee

The 24th race of the season took place on August 25, 2007 or August 26 at 02:00 am German time at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol , Tennessee . It was the first Nextel Cup race on the renewed track surface and also the tenth race of the new Car of Tomorrow.

Carl Edwards won his second race of the 2007 season. It was Ford's first COT victory. Kasey Kahne was able to achieve his best result of the season to date with second place. So did Clint Bowyer , whose best result was a fourth place in Sonoma.

Sharp AQUOS 500 - Fontana, California

The 25th race of the season took place on September 2, 2007 at California Speedway in Fontana , California . It was the last race on a two-mile circuit in the old car.

Kurt Busch secured pole position with a margin of 0.001 seconds over Jimmie Johnson . It was his first pole position of the season, which gave him the right to participate in the 2008 Budweiser Shootout . Jimmie Johnson won for the fifth time of the season and thus secured additional bonus points for the Chase.

Chevy Rock and Roll 400 - Richmond, Virginia

The 26th race of the season, the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 , took place on September 8th at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond , Virginia . It was the eleventh race of the Car of Tomorrow and the last race before the chase.

Jimmie Johnson won his sixth race of the season. Current Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Junior failed to qualify for the Chase. Clint Bowyer , Martin Truex junior , Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick secured their places in the Chase with this race.

Chase for the Nextel Cup

The Chase for the Nextel Cup is NASCAR's play-off system. The top twelve drivers in the overall standings qualify for the chase, which lasts ten races. These ten races are shared. The old NASCAR car is used for five races, and the Car of Tomorrow is used for the other five races in New Hampshire, Dover, Talladega, Martinsville and Phoenix . The season finale in Miami would not only be the final race of the Chase and the season, but also the final race in the old NASCAR series car. All twelve drivers receive 5000 points, as well as 10 bonus points for every victory they have achieved during the season.

Score at the beginning of the chase:

driver Victories Points
Jimmie Johnson 6th 5060
Jeff Gordon 4th 5040
Tony Stewart 3 5030
Carl Edwards 2 5020
Kurt Busch 2 5020
Denny Hamlin 1 5010
Jeff Burton 1 5010
Kevin Harvick 1 5010
Kyle Busch 1 5010
Martin Truex junior 1 5010
Matt Kenseth 1 5010
Clint Bowyer 0 5000

Race that secured the driver's place in the chase

August 5, 2007, Pennsylvania 500 - Long Pond, Pennsylvania:

August 19, 2007, 3M Performance 400 - Brooklyn, Michigan:

August 25, 2007, Sharpie 500 - Bristol, Tennessee:

September 2, 2007, Sharp AQUOS 500 - Fontana, California:

September 8, 2007, Chevy Rock and Roll 400 - Richmond, Virginia:

Sylvania 300 - Loudon, New Hampshire

Brief overview:

The Sylvania 300 , the 27th race of the season and first race of the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup, took place on September 16, 2007 at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon , New Hampshire . It was the twelfth race of the Car of Tomorrow.

Qualification:

Clint Bowyer took the second pole position of the season. Martin Truex junior started in the outer line of the first row , so the first row consisted entirely of Chase newbies. Matt Kenseth was the slowest of the Chase pilots.

Not only in the chase, but also at the bottom of the top 35 owner points, the last positions were fought for. The best of the so-called “go or go home” drivers (drivers who have to qualify for a race) was Dave Blaney , who started the race from 10th place. David Reutimann was the second best “go or go home” driver and started the race in 20th place. IRL champion Sam Hornish junior failed to qualify for the race. In previous training he was still on a good 20th place. It would have been his Nextel Cup debut. The Dodge of John Andretti was it fast enough, but did not pass the technical inspection, the basis of which allowed Boris Said move up. In addition, Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Dale Jarrett (# 44) and Michael Waltrip (# 55) failed to qualify.

Chase Driver Placements:

Run:

(C) = Driver is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup

In the race, Clint Bowyer was dominant from the start and led a total of 222 laps. He took the first Nextel Cup win of his career. Kurt Busch lost a cylinder and had to make do with less power, he finished the race one lap behind in 25th place. JJ Yeley made it into the top 10 again.

Chase drivers outside the top 10:

  • 12. Carl Edwards
  • 15. Denny Hamlin
  • 17. Kevin Harvick
  • 18. Jeff Burton
  • 25. Kurt Busch

After the first race of the Chase, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were tied in the overall standings, but Johnson led the table because of the larger number of wins. Clint Bowyer jumped from last to fourth place, Kurt Busch was last of the Chase driver after the technical problems in Loudon and was now 102 points behind the leaders.

Dodge Dealers 400 - Dover, Delaware

Brief overview:

The Dodge Dealers 400 , the 28th race of the season and second race of the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup, took place on September 23, 2007 at Dover International Speedway in Dover , Delaware . It was the twelfth race of the Car of Tomorrow.

Qualification:

Jimmie Johnson won his second pole position in three races. Newcomer Juan Pablo Montoya put his car in second place for the third time.

Scott Riggs , AJ Allmendinger and David Reutimann were the best of the “go or go home” drivers, the drivers who do not have a fixed starting position. The three-time IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish junior failed to qualify again on his second attempt at the Nextel Cup. Ward Burton (# 4), Dave Blaney (# 22), Scott Wimmer (# 33), Jeremy Mayfield (# 36) and Kevin Lepage (# 37) were also out of the race. Dave Blaney in particular was hit hard. He was in the top 35 owner points at times and was in a good position to come back there.

Chase Driver Placements:

Run:

(C) = Driver is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup

Denny Hamlin took the lead after the start and overtook Jimmie Johnson , who was fastest in practice, on the second lap and led the first laps of the race, but shortly afterwards had to admit defeat to Matt Kenseth . Kenseth then dominated the first half of the race, despite problems with the alternator and falling voltages in both batteries. Carl Edwards , the eventual winner of the race, came into the pits on lap 150 with problems with the accelerator cable and fell far behind. However, he benefited from the 119 laps under green after half-time of the race and took the lead from lap 322, which he then gave up again only briefly due to the last pit stop and thus achieved his third win of the season.

The race was overshadowed by several serious accidents. For example, a Michael Waltrip Racing crew member was hit by a flying tire and had to be taken to a hospital for treatment. On lap 363, John Andretti's car broke out and was hit by Tony Raines , who sent him head-on into the wall. On lap 386 there was a mass accident after a restart. After Kurt Busch drove into the wall at turn 2 with a puncture and catapulted back onto the track, many of the following drivers could no longer evade. Chase participants Jimmie Johnson , Kyle Busch and Martin Truex junior were also involved in this accident . The latter dragged his undulating car without large parts of the front fairing and defective radiator the last laps around the course and finished the race in 13th place.

Chase drivers outside the top 10:

  • 11. Jeff Gorden
  • 12. Clint Bowyer
  • 13. Martin Truex Jr.
  • 14. Jimmie Johnson
  • 20. Kevin Harvick
  • 28. Kurt Busch
  • 35. Matt Kenseth
  • 38. Denny Hamlin

In the championship, Jeff Gordon now led Tony Stewart by two points. After his win, Carl Edwards was third, three points behind. However, during the inspection of his racing car after the race, it was found that it had fallen below the minimum height at the rear right. On the Tuesday following the race, he was punished with a deduction of 25 points in the driver and owner standings and thus fell to sixth place in the overall standings.

LifeLock 400 - Kansas City, Kansas

Brief overview:

The LifeLock 400 , the 29th race of the season and third race of the Chase, took place on September 30, 2007 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City , Kansas .

Qualification:

Jimmie Johnson won the third pole position in the last four races. Matt Kenseth landed in second place, and Scott Riggs , somewhat surprisingly, in third , who was the best of the go or go home drivers . Ward Burton (# 4), Jon Wood (# 47), Brian Vickers (# 83), AJ Allmendinger (# 84) failed to qualify for the race. In the final practice session before the race, Jimmie Johnson damaged his car and had to change cars. As a result, he was moved to the end of the field and had to start the race from last place on the grid.

Run:

(C) = Driver is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup

The race was marked by rain and many interruptions due to incidents on the track. After only 16 laps, it had to be interrupted for the first time for around an hour due to rain. Shortly after the restart, Earnhardt Jr. pushed Kyle Busch from behind, who then turned into the wall and was the first Chase participant to suffer a severe setback. Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth fought for the lead until the race was interrupted again on lap 149 due to rain. At this point in time, many of the championship candidates were in the back of the field due to a recently completed pit stop. Tony Stewart, on the other hand, played poker and stayed in first position behind the pace car with an almost empty tank, which made him look like the sure winner at the time.

After more than two hours, the race started again and the distance was shortened to 225 laps instead of 267 laps due to the threat of darkness. On lap 157 Tony Stewart pushed his championship rival Martin Truex Jr., who also took Matt Kenseth with him in the resulting accident. Stewart badly damaged the front of his car but did not have it repaired in the box. As a result, he damaged his tire on lap 176 and was shot down by Kurt Busch, who was unable to brake in time. Another participant in the chase was Carl Edwards, the winner of the previous race.

NASCAR reduced the race distance in the following caution period to 210 laps and after restarting on lap 184, Greg Biffle led the race. After Juan Pablo Montoya suffered a puncture on lap 207, NASCAR crossed the finish line under yellow because of the onset of darkness and declared Biffle the winner, who achieved the first win of the season. However, there was controversy about the finish after Biffle was unable to maintain the speed of the pace car on the last lap and was overtaken by second Clint Bowyer and third Jimmie Johnson. NASCAR justified the decision by stating that the race was frozen under yellow and should not be overtaken. Bowyer and Johnson saw the outcome of the race differently because Biffle is said to have run out of gas. Biffle, however, defended NASCAR's decision, claiming that he still had gasoline in the tank and could have started the car at any time, but NASCAR told him not to start the engine.

Due to the rain interruptions, the race lasted a total of almost six hours. A total of seven chase drivers were involved in accidents.

Chase drivers outside the top 10:

After the race in Kansas, Jimmie Johnson led the overall standings with six points from teammate Jeff Gordon and nine points from Clint Bowyer. Fourth was Tony Stewart. Denny Hamlin was the last of the Chase drivers after another accident, 248 points behind Johnson.

UAW Ford 500 - Talladega, Alabama

Brief overview:

The UAW Ford 500 , the 30th race of the season and fourth race of the Chase, took place on October 7, 2007 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega , Alabama . It was the 14th race of the Car of Tomorrow, but the first in a restrictor plate race.

Qualification:

Michael Waltrip took pole position for the first time since 2003, it was the first for his own racing team. The top 10 drivers in the qualification were “go or go home” drivers who are not definitely qualified for the race. However, since only eight places are available for these drivers, the ninth fastest driver in the qualification, AJ Allmendinger , was not allowed to take part in the race. Also missing were Sam Hornish Jr. (# 06), who was still waiting for his Nextel Cup debut, Sterling Marlin (# 09), Ward Burton (# 4), Scott Riggs (# 10), Jeremy Mayfield ( # 36), Kevin Lepage (# 37) and Boris Said (# 60). The fastest of the drivers who were in the top 35 owner points was Bobby Labonte , the fastest Chase driver Tony Stewart , who started from eleventh place.

Chase Driver Placements:

* = Set by owner points. Otherwise, time would not have been fast enough to qualify for the race.

Run:

(C) = Driver is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup

The race on the Talladega Superspeedway was the first Restrictor Plate race with the Car of Tomorrow, so the drivers entered the race with corresponding caution. The race was largely unspectacular and there were significantly fewer changes in the lead that are otherwise common in a race with a restrictor plate. The two championship leading Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, held back into the final stages of the race, trailing behind to positions outside the top 30.

The new engines from Dale Earnhardt, Inc./Richard Childress Racing made negative headlines: no fewer than four units suffered major engine damage. Chase participants Jeff Burton and Martin Truex Jr. were affected by this. Other Chase participants also didn’t get off scot-free at the UAW Ford 500. Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin were involved in a mass accident on lap 145 of a total of 188 laps. After further small incidents and the subsequent interruption of the race, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon worked their way forward continuously as the third Hendrick driver with the support of Casey Mears. Johnson took the lead on lap 183, closely followed by Gordon and Tony Stewart next to him on the outside lane. On the final lap, Gordon took advantage of the opportunity and pulled out in front of Stewart, whose bumbdraft gave Gordon the win.

Chase drivers outside the top 10:

After the race in Talladega, Jeff Gordon led the overall standings with nine points ahead of his teammate Jimmie Johnson and 63 points ahead of Clint Bowyer. Tony Stewart in fourth was already 154 points behind. Starting with Kevin Harvick in fifth place, all of the following Chase participants were already more than 200 points behind.

Bank of America 500 - Concord, North Carolina

Brief overview:

The Bank of America 500 , the 31st race of the season and fifth race of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, took place on October 13, 2007 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord , North Carolina .

Qualifying:

Placement of the Chase participants:

Run:

(C) = Driver is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup

The Bank of America 500 was held as a night race and Lowe's Motor Speedway lived up to its nickname as The Beast of the Southeast when David Reutimann hit Turn 4 on the first lap, triggering the first of a total of 14 caution phases the majority was based on incidents in this curve.

The dominant driver in the first two thirds of the race was Jimmie Johnson. Despite relatively slow pit stops, in which he lost a few places, he took the lead in the race again a short time later and drove clearly out of the field, which also earned him the five bonus points for most of the lead laps. Also strong in the first half of the race were Clint Boywer and Matt Kenseth, who fell far behind after three accidents over the course of the race and had to retire after 283 laps. Chase participant Kevin Harvick ran into problems early on, having had to come into the pits twice with a creeping flat tire and in the end crossed the finish line seven laps behind.

With around 100 laps to go, it looked like victory would only lead to Jimmie Johnson. After having put on four new tires during a pit stop, unlike his competitors, he lost a few positions and made a serious driving error on lap 231. He only slightly damaged his car, but fell back almost to position 30. While Johnson worked his way through the field, Clint Boywer took the lead and on lap 273 Jeff Gordon. After Johnson had moved up to eighth position on lap 312, he had problems restarting on lap 329 and did not get off well, so that he lost positions again. Leading Jeff Gordon did not get off well either and Pole man Ryan Newman flew past him. With three laps to go, Newman looked like the sure winner when he landed his Dodge in the wall. Since the race would have ended under yellow as a result, the Green-White-Checkered rule was applied and the race was extended by three laps. Johnson had to pits again to refuel because of the extra time, while Gordon stayed on the track and finished the race as the winner with the last drop of gasoline.

Chase drivers outside the top 10:

After the race in Charlotte, Jeff Gordon led the overall standings with 68 points ahead of his teammate Jimmie Johnson and 78 points ahead of Clint Bowyer. Tony Stewart in fourth was already 198 points behind. Starting with Carl Edwards in fifth place, all of the following Chase participants were already more than 240 points behind. Matt Kenseth was in last place in the Chase, 442 points behind.

Subway 500 - Martinsville, Virginia

Brief overview:

The Subway 500 , the sixth race of the Chase and 32nd race of the season, took place on October 21, 2007 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville , Virginia . It was the 15th race of the Car of Tomorrow.

Qualifying:

Jeff Gordon secured pole position, Martin Truex junior came in second . The best “non-chase driver” was Kasey Kahne in fifth place. The best "go-or-go-home driver" was John Andretti , who put his car in 15th place on the grid. Sam Hornish Jr. (# 06), Jeremy Mayfield (# 36), Kevin Lepage (# 37), Joe Nemechek (# 78) and Brian Vickers (# 83) failed to qualify. Sam Hornish Jr. thus had to continue to wait for his Nextel Cup debut.

Placement of the Chase participants:

Run:

(C) = Driver is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup

(R) = rookie (newbie)

Jimmie Johnson took his seventh win in the 2007 Nextel Cup season. The race, which went into extra time due to the “Green-White-Checkered-Finish” rule, ended under yellow as David Ragan spun in extra time , which Ryan Newman took the chance to win, so he had to continue to wait for a win in the 2007 season.

Chase drivers outside the top 10:

Jimmie Johnson was able to get a little closer to Jeff Gordon with his victory and was only 53 points behind. Third place in the points, Clint Bowyer, who finished ninth in the Subway 500, was 115 points behind. After this race Tony Stewart, fourth overall, 249 points behind, and Carl Edwards, fifth overall, 285 points behind, had little chance of winning the title. All other pilots could mathematically win the title, but this was very unlikely and only possible with a lot of luck.

Pep Boys Auto 500 - Atlanta, Georgia

Brief overview:

The Pep Boys Auto 500 , the seventh race of the Chase and 33rd race of the season, took place on October 28, 2007 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta , Georgia .

Qualifying:

Greg Biffle secured his first pole position in the 2007 season and thus the right to participate in the Budweiser Shootout 2008 . Kurt Busch brought the car to second place and was the best Chase driver. Dale Jarrett was somewhat surprisingly in third place, making him the best go-or-go-home driver. Not qualified were David Reutimann (# 00), who won the Sam's Town 250 in the Busch Series the next day , Sam Hornish Jr. (# 06), Burney Lamar (# 08), who made his first attempt to start in the 2007 season made, Ward Burton (# 4) and Mike Skinner (# 36), who replaced Jeremy Mayfield, who went to Haas CNC Racing .

Placement of the Chase participants:

Run:

(C) = Driver is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup

Jimmie Johnson won for the second straight time and the eighth time of the season. No other driver had so many victories in the 2007 season. Like the race the week before, this race was extended to a “Green-White-Checkered-Finish” and was then finished under a yellow flag after an accident by Dale Earnhardt junior , who lost his left rear wheel. Reed Sorenson, who finished third, had his best result of the season to date.

Chase drivers outside the top 10:

After the race, Jimmie Johnson was only nine points behind Jeff Gordon. Clint Bowyer was now 111 points behind and thus still had chances. Fourth in the points is Carl Edwards, who was already 261 points behind and only with a lot of luck could win the championship.

Dickies 500 - Fort Worth, Texas

Brief overview:

The Dickies 500 , the eighth race of the Chase and 34th race of the season, took place on November 4, 2007 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth , Texas . It was the penultimate race with the old car model. In the 2008 season only the new Car of Tomorrow was used.

Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil - Avondale, Arizona

Brief overview:

The Checker Auto Parts 500 , the 35th race of the season and ninth race of the Chase, took place on November 11, 2007 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale , Arizona . It was the 16th and last race of the Car of Tomorrow in the 2007 season.

Ford 400 - Homestead, Florida

Brief overview:

The Ford 400, the 36th race of the season, tenth race of the Chase and final race of the season, took place on November 18, 2007 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead , Florida . It was also the last race with the old vehicle model, as the Car of Tomorrow was used in all races from the 2008 season .

Web links

Commons : NASCAR Nextel Cup 2007 Season  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Johnson wins at California for fifth victory of season ( Memento from September 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ Johnson wins at Richmond; Junior fails to make Chase ( Memento from September 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Bowyer scores first career victory in Chase opener
  4. ↑ Edwards hangs on to win wreck-filled race at Dover ( Memento of 11 October 2007 at the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ Biffle wins at Kansas amid controversy and implosion
  6. ↑ Waltrip leads go-or-go home drivers in qualifying ( Memento from October 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  7. ↑ UAW-Ford 500 - Race Lineup
  8. ^ Gordon knocks Truex from pole, Stewart to start 34th
  9. ↑ RACE LINEUP Subway 500, Martinsville Speedway