NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Dodge Challenger 500 Preview

The Sports Network

Date: Saturday, May 10th

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. (et)

Site: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina

Track: 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval

Laps: 367

Miles: 501.322

Capacity:

Total purse: $5,507,009 (2007 figure)

Payouts: 1st Place - $317,486; 2nd - $217,350: 3rd - $197,761 (2007 figures)

Year: 52nd

On TV: FOX

Announcers:

On Radio: MRN/SIRIUS Satellite

Race record: 139.958 m.p.h. (Dale Earnhardt, 1993)

Qualifying record: 173.797 m.p.h. (Ward Burton, 1996)

2007 Finish

Defending champion: Jeff Gordon

Runner up: Denny Hamlin

Pole winner: Clint Bowyer (164.897 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Jeff Gordon (Start: 10)

2. Denny Hamlin (7)

3. Jimmie Johnson (12)

4. Ryan Newman (29)

5. Carl Edwards (4)

6. Tony Stewart (26)

7. Matt Kenseth (31)

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr (21)

9. Clint Bowyer (1)

10. Jeff Burton (34)

Average speed: 124.372 m.p.h.

Time of race: 4 hours, 1 minute, 51 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.978 second

Caution flags: 10 for 44 laps

Lead changes: 21 among 10 drivers

Past winners

2007 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 124.372 m.p.h.

2006 Greg Biffle, Ford, 135.127 m.p.h.

2005 Greg Biffle, Ford, 123.031 m.p.h.

2004 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 114.001 m.p.h.

2003 Ricky Craven, Pontiac, 126.214 m.p.h.

2002 Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 126.070 m.p.h.

2001 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 126.557 m.p.h.

2000 Ward Burton, Pontiac, 128.076 m.p.h.

1999 Jeff Burton, Ford, 121.294 m.p.h.

1998 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 127.962 m.p.h.

1997 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 121.162 m.p.h.

1996 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 124.792 m.p.h.

1995 Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 111.392 m.p.h.

1994 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 132.432 m.p.h.

1993 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 139.958 m.p.h.

1992 Bill Elliott, Ford, 139.364 m.p.h.

1991 Ricky Rudd, Chevrolet, 135.594 m.p.h.

1990 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 124.073 m.p.h.

1989 Harry Gant, Oldsmobile, 115.475 m.p.h.

1988 Lake Speed, Oldsmobile, 131.284 m.p.h.

1987 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 122.540 m.p.h.

1986 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 128.994 m.p.h.

1985 Bill Elliott, Ford, 126.295 m.p.h.

1984 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 119.925 m.p.h.

1983 Harry Gant, Buick, 130.406 m.p.h.

1982 Dale Earnhardt, Ford, 123.554 m.p.h.

1981 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 126.703 m.p.h.

1980 David Pearson, Chevrolet, 112.397 m.p.h.

1979 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 121.721 m.p.h.

1978 Benny Parsons, Chevrolet, 127.544 m.p.h.

1977 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 128.817 m.p.h.

1976 David Pearson, Mercury, 122.973 m.p.h.

1975 Bobby Allison, Matador, 117.597 m.p.h.

1974 David Pearson, Mercury, 117.543 m.p.h.

1973 David Pearson, Mercury, 122.655 m.p.h.

1972 David Pearson, Mercury, 124.406 m.p.h.

1971 Buddy Baker, Dodge, 130.678 m.p.h.

1970 David Pearson, Ford, 129.668 m.p.h.

1969 LeeRoy Yarborough, Mercury, 131.572 m.p.h.

1968 David Pearson, Ford, 132.703 m.p.h. (RACE RECORD)

1967 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 125.738 m.p.h.

1966 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 131.993 m.p.h.

1965 Junior Johnson, Ford, 111.849 m.p.h.

1964 Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 130.013 m.p.h.

1963 Joe Weatherly, Pontiac, 122.745 m.p.h.

1962 Nelson Stacy, Ford, 117.429 m.p.h.

1961 Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 119.520 m.p.h.

1960 Joe Weatherly, Ford, 102.260 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Crown Royal presents The Dan Lowry 400 (May 3rd)

Site: Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia

Miles: 300

Laps: 400

Finish line order: Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr

Time of Race: 3 hours, 12 minutes, 37 seconds

Average speed: 95.786 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: 0.439 second

Caution flags: 11 for 62 laps

Lead changes: 4 among 4 drivers

Lap leaders: Hamlin 1-206; Allmendinger 207; Hamlin 208-382; Earnhardt Jr.Hamlin 1-206; Allmendinger 207; Hamlin 208-382; Earnhardt Jr.383-397; Bowyer 398-410.

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/Principal Financial

#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

#07 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Chevrolet/Jack Daniel's

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

#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/3M

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

#18 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Toyota/M&M's

#19 Elliott Sadler (Emporia, VA) Dodge/McDonald's

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

#21 Bill Elliott (Dawsonville, GA) Ford/Motorcraft

#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/Lafayette

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

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

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

#38 David Gilliland (Torrance, CA) Ford/Yates Racing

#40 Sterling Marlin (Columbia, TN) Dodge/Dodge Challenger

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

#42 Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Columbia) Dodge/Wrigley's Big Red

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

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

#45 Kyle Petty (Randelman, NC) Dodge/Wells Fargo

#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 Ken Schrader (Fenton, MO) 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/Claritin

Leading contenders

Name 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Jeff Gordon 40th 9th 33rd 41st 2nd 2nd Won
Jimmie Johnson 6th 27th Won 7th 4th 3rd
Ryan Newman 5th 14th 3rd 5th 6th 4th
Carl Edwards 9th 39th 5th
Tony Stewart 17th 10th 36th 16th 10th 12th 6th
Dale Earnhardt Jr 34th 4th 6th 10th 8th 5th 8th
Clint Bowyer 23rd 9th
Jeff Burton 18th 11th 42nd 11th 21st 9th 10th
Kurt Busch 30th 28th 2nd 6th 37th 19th 12th
Mark Martin 21st 29th 4th 7th 4th 8th 14th
Greg Biffle 12th 12th Won Won 15th
Kevin Harvick 14th 3rd 36th 8th 14th 37th 17th
Bobby Labonte 11th 21st 37th 2nd 17th 22nd 19th
Kyle Busch 23rd 7th 37th

Notes

Jeff Gordon led only 22 laps, but it was the final 22 laps, as he clippedDenny Hamlin by less than a second for his 78th career Sprint Cup title.Gordon, who now totals 81 checkered flags, started from the 10th position onthe grid and made his way to the top on lap 346, overtaking Jimmie Johnson.Hamlin dominated the race, leading five times for 179 laps, while Johnson, whoplaced third, led four times for 44 laps. Pole sitter Clint Bowyer led for thefirst 16 laps, but faded and placed ninth.This is the 11th of 36 races this season. Kyle Busch holds a slim 18-pointlead over Jeff Burton in the Sprint Cup standings. The six-time winner has twovictories this year and seven top-10s in 10 races. Dale Earnhardt Jr, third inthe standings, has also recorded seven top-10s, but trails by 104 points.Sterling Marlin will rejoin Chip Ganassi Racing as a temporary replacement forinjured Dario Franchitti this week. After seven races, Franchitti is 38th onthe points list with his best finish, 22nd at Martinsville Speedway.In 2006, Greg Biffle became the first back-to-back winner of this race sinceDale Jarrett in 1997-98, as he crossed the finish line 0.209 of a second aheadof Jeff Gordon. The win, the 10th of his Sprint Cup career, was the first oftwo 2006 victories. Biffle, who led seven times during the race for a total of170 laps, reclaimed the advantage for the last time on lap 319 of the 367 laprace before an estimated crowd of 75,000. The race was filled with leadchanges, 25 in all, among 10 drivers. Pole sitter Kasey Kahne led three timesfor 41 laps and placed 21st.Gordon has now posted seven wins at Darlington Raceway and has finished in thetop-10 18 times in 27 races. In fact, Gordon has placed in the top two in eachof the last three Darlington races. Gordon's average finish at Darlington is11.8 and has led a series high 1,091 laps.Darlington Raceway was originally built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in1949-50 and hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history on asphalt. Thetrack was re-measured to 1.375-mile in 1953 and then re-configured to 1.366 inthe spring of 1970. The track has been repaved in 1995 and then again in 2007.There have been 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Darlington Raceway since thetrack opened. Not only is Darlington the site of the oldest NASCAR race onasphalt, it is also the site of one of the closest race finishes in NASCARhistory. Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds on March 16, 2003 -the smallest margin of victory since NASCAR instituted electronic timing inmid-1993.The next event in the Sprint Cup Series is scheduled for Saturday, May 17th atthe Lowe's Motor Speedway, where NASCAR will hold the 23rd annual Sprint All-Star Challenge. Last season, Kevin Harvick captured the All-Star race, whileMartin Truex Jr won the Sprint Showdown.05/06 15:56:08 ET

 

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Not a registered user? It's Free! Register here. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s):
Enter City:
Select a State:
Select a Category:
Search by Category
Advanced Job Search

SPORTS VIDEO