NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Crown Royal presents Dan Lowry 400 Preview

The Sports Network

Date: Saturday, May 3rd

Start Time: 7:45 p.m. (et)

Site: Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia

Track: 0.750 Mile Paved Speedway

Laps: 400

Miles: 300

Capacity:

Total purse: $5,137,427

Payouts: 1st Place - $244,286; 2nd - $171,225; 3rd - $150,125 (2007 figures)

Year: 53rd

On TV: FOX

Announcers: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds

On Radio: MRN/SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Race record: 108.499 m.p.h. (Rusty Wallace, 1997)

Qualifying record: 129.983 m.p.h. (Brian Vickers, 2004)

2007 Finish

Defending champion: Jimmie Johnson

Runner up: Kyle Busch

Pole winner: Jeff Gordon (126.251 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Jimmie Johnson (Start: 7)

2. Kyle Busch (34)

3. Denny Hamlin (6)

4. Jeff Gordon (1)

5. Kurt Busch (33)

6. Ryan Newman (30)

7. Kevin Harvick (27)

8. Tony Stewart (22)

9. Clint Bowyer (20)

10. Matt Kenseth (26)

Average speed: 91.270 m.p.h.

Time of race: 3 hours, 17 minutes, 13 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.723 second

Caution flags: 14 for 80 laps

Lead changes: 24 among 12 drivers

Past winners

2007 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 91.270 m.p.h.

2006 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 97.061 m.p.h.

2005 Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 100.316 m.p.h.

2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 98.253 m.p.h.

2003 Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 86.783 m.p.h.

2002 Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 86.824 m.p.h.

2001 Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 95.872 m.p.h.

2000 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 99.374 m.p.h.

1999 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 100.102 m.p.h.

1998 Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 97.044 m.p.h.

1997 Rusty Wallace, Ford, 108.499 m.p.h. (race record)

1996 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 102.750 m.p.h.

1995 Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 106.425 m.p.h.

1994 Ernie Irvan, Ford, 98.334 m.p.h.

1993 Davey Allison, Ford, 107.709 m.p.h.

1992 Bill Elliott, Ford, 104.378 m.p.h.

1991 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 105.397 m.p.h.

1990 Mark Martin, Ford, 92.158 m.p.h.

1989 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 89.619 m.p.h.

1988 Neil Bonnett, Chevrolet, (66.401 m.p.h.

1987 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 81.520 m.p.h.

1986 Kyle Petty, Ford, 71.078 m.p.h.

1985 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 67.945 m.p.h.

1984 Ricky Rudd, Ford, 76.736 m.p.h.

1983 Bobby Allison, Buick, 79.584 m.p.h.

1982 Dave Marcis, Chevrolet, 72.914 m.p.h.

1981 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 76.570 m.p.h.

1980 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 67.703 m.p.h.

1979 Cale Yarborough, Oldsmobile, 83.608 m.p.h.

1978 Benny Parsons, Chevrolet, 80.304 m.p.h.

1977 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 73.084 m.p.h.

1976 Dave Marcis, Dodge, 72.792 m.p.h.

1975 Richard Petty, Dodge, 74.913 m.p.h.

1974 Bobby Allison, Chevrolet, 80.095 m.p.h.

1973 Richard Petty, Dodge, 74.764 m.p.h.

1972 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 76.258 m.p.h.

1971 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 79.836 m.p.h.

1970 James Hylton, Ford, 82.044 m.p.h.

1969 David Pearson, Ford, 73.752 m.p.h.

1968 David Pearson, Ford, 65.217 m.p.h.

1967 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 65.982 m.p.h.

1966 David Pearson, Dodge, 66.539 m.p.h.

1965 Junior Johnson, Ford, 61.416 m.p.h.

1964 David Pearson, Dodge, 58.660 m.p.h.

1963 Joe Weatherly, Pontiac, 58.624 m.p.h.

1962 Rex White, Chevrolet, 51.360 m.p.h.

1961 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 62.460 m.p.h.

1960 Lee Petty, Plymouth, 62.250 m.p.h.

1959 Tom Pistone, Thunderbird, 56.860 m.p.h.

1958 , , Not held

1957 Paul Goldsmith, Ford, 62.445 m.p.h.

1956 Buck Baker, Dodge, 56.232 m.p.h.

1955 Tim Flock, Chrysler, 54.298 m.p.h.

1954 , , Not held

1953 Lee Petty, Dodge, 45.535 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Aaron's 499 (April 27)

Site: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama

Miles: 500

Laps: 188

Finish line order: Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin, David Ragan, Brian Vickers

Time of Race: 3 hours, 10 minutes, 37 seconds

Average speed: 157.409 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: under caution

Caution flags: 8 for 23 laps

Lead changes: 52 among 20 drivers

Lap leaders: Nemechek (Pole), Stewart 1-20, Schrader 21, Stewart 22-33, HamlinNemechek (Pole), Stewart 1-20, Schrader 21, Stewart 22-33, Hamlin34-38, Earnhardt 39-45, Burton 46, Vickers 47-50, Menard 51-52,Montoya 53, Hamlin 54-55, Newman 56, Harvick 57, Hamlin 58-60,Earnhardt 61-64, Stewart 65-81, Johnson 82, Stewart 83-87,Earnhardt 88, Stewart 89, Earnhardt 90-105, Stewart 106-109,Earnhardt 110-111, Hamlin 112-117, Smith 118, Earnhardt 119-124,Hamlin 125, J. Gordon 126, Hamlin 127, Earnhardt 128-132, Sadler133, Earnhardt 134, Sadler 135, Earnhardt 136, Gilliland 137,Stremme 138, Sadler 139, Kahne 140, Earnhardt 141, Stewart142-143, Earnhardt 144, Allmendinger 145, Hamlin 146-148,Earnhardt 149, Hamlin 150-151, Menard 152, Gilliland 153, Stremme154, Hamlin 155-168, Newman 169-172, Ky. Busch 173-179, Waltrip180-183, Ky. Busch 184-188.

Entry list

#00 Michael McDowell (Phoenix, AZ) Toyota/TBA

#1 Martin Truex Jr (Mayetta, NJ) Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops Tracker

#01 Regan Smith (Cato, NY) Chevrolet/Steak Umm Burgers

#2 Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Dodge/Miller Lite

#5 Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Kellogg's/CARQUEST

#6 David Ragan (Kannapolis, NC) Ford/AAA

#7 Robby Gordon (Cerritos, CA) Dodge/Jim Beam

#07 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Chevrolet/BB&T

#8 Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) Chevrolet/U.S. Army

#9 Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) Dodge/Budweiser

#10 Patrick Carpentier (Quebec, Canada) Dodge/LifeLock

#11 Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) Toyota/FedEx Express

#12 Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) Dodge/Alltel

#15 Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) Chevrolet/Menards

#16 Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) Ford/CitiFinancial

#17 Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) Ford/DeWalt

#18 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Toyota/Pedigree

#19 Elliott Sadler (Emporia, VA) Dodge/Best Buy

#20 Tony Stewart (Rushville, IN) Toyota/Home Depot

#21 Bill Elliott (Dawsonville, GA) Ford/Little Debbie

#22 Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) Toyota/Caterpillar

#24 Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) Chevrolet/Dupont

#26 Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) Ford/Crown Royal

#28 Travis Kvapil (Janesville, WI) Ford/Yates Racing

#29 Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Shell-Pennzoil

#31 Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/AT&T Mobility

#33 Scott Wimmer (Wausau, WI) Chevrolet/TBA

#34 John Andretti (Indianapolis, IN) Dodge/TBA

#38 David Gilliland (Torrance, CA) Ford/FreeCreditReport.com

#40 To be announced Dodge/Tums Quik Pak

#41 Reed Sorenson (Peachtree City, GA) Dodge/Polaroid

#42 Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Columbia) Dodge/Texaco/Havoline

#43 Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) Dodge/Cheerios/Betty Crocker

#44 David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) Toyota/UPS

#45 Kyle Petty (Randelman, NC) Dodge/PVA

#48 * Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA) Chevrolet/Lowe's

#55 Michael Waltrip (Owensboro, KY) Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts

#66 Scott Riggs (Bahama, NC) Chevrolet/State Water Heaters

#70 Johnny Sauter (Necedah, WI) Chevrolet/Haas Automation

#77 Sam Hornish Jr (Defiance, OH) Dodge/Mobil 1

#78 Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) Chevrolet/Furniture Row

#83 Brian Vickers (Thomasville, NC) Toyota/Red Bull

#84 A.J. Allmendinger Los Gatos, CA) Toyota/Red Bull

#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (Kannapolis, NC) Chevrolet/National Guard/AMP

#96 J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ) Toyota/DLP HDTV

#99 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/Office Depot

Leading contenders

Name 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Jimmie Johnson 31st 19th 2nd 40th 12th Won
Kyle Busch 4th 5th 2nd
Denny Hamlin 2nd 3rd
Jeff Gordon 2nd 7th 16th 6th 39th 40th 4th
Kurt Busch 18th 27th 8th 31st 17th 29th 5th
Ryan Newman 2nd 39th 9th 3rd 8th 6th
Kevin Harvick 17th 40th 6th 25th 5th 3rd 7th
Tony Stewart Won Won 41st 4th 2nd 6th 8th
Matt Kenseth 8th 6th 7th 5th 12th 38th 10th
Carl Edwards 21st 7th 12th
Dale Earnhardt Jr 7th 36th 3rd Won 14th Won 13th
Mark Martin 13th 4th 5th 7th 15th 11th 17th
Greg Biffle 17th 21st 6th 4th 19th
Bobby Labonte 10th 32nd 2nd 3rd 8th 24th 15th
Kasey Kahne 28th Won 34th 40th
Jeff Burton 14th 3rd 9th 14th 16th 15th 43rd

Notes

Last season, Jimmie Johnson won this race for the first time, as heclipped Kyle Busch by less than a second for his fourth win of the 2007season. Johnson, who now totals 34 Sprint Cup titles, took the checkered flag0.724 of a second ahead of Busch. Johnson swept both races at RichmondInternational Raceway in 2007.In 2006, Dale Earnhardt Jr reclaimed the lead for the third time on lap 356and held on the rest of the way to capture this race for the third time in hiscareer. With the win, his 17th Sprint Cup title at the time, he joined hisfather as a three-time champion of this race. Earnhardt, who led the race fora total of 47 laps, edged Denny Hamlin by less than a second. Kevin Harvickled four times for a race-high 272 laps, while pole sitter Greg Biffle, whofinished fourth, led for 54 laps.There have been 107 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Richmond, 103 at what isnow known as Richmond International Raceway and four at Southside Speedway(1961-1963). Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winnerwhen he won his first race at Richmond on February 23, 1986. Richard postedhis first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in1953."King" Richard is a six-time winner of this race and had 13 victories atRichmond, the most of all drivers. Petty was also an eight-time pole-winner atRichmond.Tony Stewart has enjoyed amazing success at Richmond International Raceway. Inthe last seven seasons at this race, Stewart has two wins and six top-10finishes. His only blemish in that streak was a 41st-place finish in 2003.Stewart is the last driver to win this race in back-to-back years (2001-02).Richmond International Raceway has hosted the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since1953. Lee Petty won the first race that year. Formerly a half-mile oval, itwas redesigned in 1988 between the spring and fall races. Recent renovationshave made it one of the most modern speedways on the tour. Richmond offersfans a unique blend of short-track intimacy and superspeedway-style racing.The new Commonwealth Grandstand, located in Turn 1, has 7,843 new seats,bringing the track's capacity to 112,029. It is also 180 feet high - two feethigher than the control tower at Richmond International Airport and thetallest structure in surrounding Henrico County. The track itself is wide andsmooth, giving the drivers plenty of room to race. The present facility wasbuilt on the site of a half- mile track that first hosted dirt auto races inthe 1940s. The original track was paved in 1968. Owned and operated by PaulSawyer and his family, Richmond International Raceway has received numerousnational and local honors, including the prestigious Myers Brothers Award.This and That from RIR: The track surface was changed from dirt to asphaltbetween spring and fall races in 1968. Track was re-measured to 0.542 miles inSeptember 1969. The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond was Feb.20, 1982, while the Craftsman Truck Series ran 11 races at Richmond between1995 and 2005. Buck Baker won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in 1953. Therehave been 46 different pole winners led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty(eight). Jeff Gordon (five) leads the active drivers with five poles.The tournament namesake is Dan Lowry, the Grand Marshal. Lowry was the winnerof the Crown Royal "Your Name Here" contest. He will give the command to startthe engines prior to the race. For the second consecutive season, Crown Royalsponsored a contest inviting fans to submit an essay stating how they enjoyedCrown Royal in a responsible manner. The Blue Angels Navy Flight DemonstrationSquadron will perform a fly-over at RIR prior to the start.The next event on the Sprint Cup Series schedule is May 10th at the famedDarlington Raceway for the Dodge Challenger 500, the 11th of 36 races on the2008 docket. Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon is the defending champion.04/29 17:23:22 ET

 

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