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Posted on Wednesday, 10.07.09

NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Pepsi 500 Preview

The Sports Network

Date: Sunday, October 11th

Start Time: 3:31 p.m. (et)

Site: Auto Club Speedway (1997) -- Fontana, California

Track: Two-mile oval

Laps: 250

Miles: 500

Capacity: 92,000 (Grandstand)

Total purse: $6,204,988

Payouts: 1st Place - $314,611; 2nd Place - $185,375; 3rd Place - $178,091

Year: 6th

On TV: ABC

Announcers: Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree

On Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS XM Satellite

Race record: 155.012 m.p.h. (Jeff Gordon, 1997)

Qualifying record: 188.425 m.p.h. (Kyle Busch, 2005)

2008 Finish

Defending champion: Jimmie Johnson

Runner up: Greg Biffle

Pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (180.397 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Jimmie Johnson (Start: 1)

2. Greg Biffle (15)

3. Denny Hamlin (21)

4. Kevin Harvick (33)

5. Matt Kenseth (37)

6. Carl Edwards (26)

7. Kyle Busch (11)

8. Kasey Kahne (4)

9. David Reutimann (12)

10. Clint Bowyer (31)

Average speed: 138.857 m.p.h.

Time of race: 3 hours, 36 minutes, 3 seconds

Margin of victory: 2.076 seconds

Caution flags: 8 for 34 laps

Lead changes: 20 among 9 drivers

Past winners

2008 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 138.857 m.p.h.

2007 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 131.502 m.p.h.

2006 Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 144.462 m.p.h.

2005 Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 136.356 m.p.h.

2004 Elliott Sadler, Ford, 128.324 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Price Chopper 400 (October 4th)

Site: Kansas Speedway -- Kansas City, Kansas

Miles: 400

Laps: 267

Finish line order: Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin

Time of Race: 2 hours, 55 minutes, 13 seconds

Average speed: 137.144 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: 0.894 second

Caution flags: 6 for 23 laps

Lead changes: 26 among 14 drivers

Lap leaders: M. Martin 1-11; D. Earnhardt Jr. 12-52; T. Stewart 53; M. KensethM. Martin 1-11; D. Earnhardt Jr. 12-52; T. Stewart 53; M. Kenseth54; C. Edwards 55; M. Truex Jr. 56-57; E. Sadler 58-59; J.Andretti 60; B. Keselowski 61; J. Johnson 62-70; T. Stewart 71;G. Biffle 72-90; J. Johnson 91; G. Biffle 92; J. Johnson 93; G.Biffle 94-101; J. Johnson 102-126; T. Stewart 127; G. Biffle128-130; J. Johnson 131-147; J. Montoya 148; G. Biffle 149-201;T. Stewart 202-205; D. Hamlin 206; Kurt Busch 207-208; G. Biffle209-237; T. Stewart 238-267.

Entry list

#00 David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) Toyota/Aaron's Dream Machine

#1 Martin Truex Jr (Mayetta, NJ) Chevrolet/Guitar Hero 5

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

#5 Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) Chevrolet/Kellogg's/CARQUEST

#6 David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) Ford/UPS

#07 Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Jack Daniel's

#7 Robby Gordon (Orange, CA) Toyota/TBA

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

#09 Mike Bliss (Milwaukie, OR) Dodge/Miccosukee Resorts

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

#12 David Stremme (South Bend, IN) Dodge/Penske Racing

#13 Max Papis (Como, Italy) Toyota/GEICO

#14 Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN) Chevrolet/Office Depot

#16 Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) Ford/3M/Scotch Blue

#17 Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) Ford/R & L Carriers

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

#19 Elliott Sadler (Emporia, VA) Dodge/Stanley Dodge

#20 Joey Logano (Middletown, CT) Toyota/Home Depot

#24 Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) Chevrolet/DuPont/Pepsi

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

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

#31 Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/Caterpillar

#33 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Chevrolet/Prilosec OTC/Wal-mart

#34 John Andretti (Indianapolis, IN) Chevrolet/Taco Bell

#36 Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ) Toyota/Wave Energy Drink

#37 Tony Raines (LaPorte, IN) Chevrolet/Long John Silver's

#39 Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/Stewart Haas Racing

#42 Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia) Chevrolet/Target

#43 Reed Sorenson (Peachtree City, GA) Dodge/Rosie's Organic Chicken

#44 AJ Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) Dodge/Dassault Systems

#47 Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia) Toyota/Little Debbie/Kingsford

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

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

#64 Mike Wallace (St. Louis, MO) Toyota/TBA

#66 Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) Toyota/Prism Motorsports

#71 David Gilliland (Torrance, CA) Chevrolet/TRG Motorsports

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

#78 Regan Smith (Cato, NY) Chevrolet/Furniture Row Racing

#82 Scott Speed (Manteca, CA) Toyota/Red Bull

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

#87 Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) Toyota/NEMCO Motorsports

#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (Kannapolis, NC) Chevrolet/Amp Energy/Nat'l Guard

#96 Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) Ford/DLP

#98 Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) Ford/Menards/Energizer

#99 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/AFLAC

Leading contenders

Name	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Jimmie Johnson	14th	16th	11th	Won	Won
Greg Biffle	36th	2nd	24th	17th	2nd
Denny Hamlin			6th	19th	3rd
Matt Kenseth	22nd	7th	7th	7th	4th
Carl Edwards	6th	4th	4th	2nd	6th
Kyle Busch	24th	Won	8th	3rd	7th
Kasey Kahne	2nd	6th	Won	10th	8th
Dale Earnhardt Jr	34th	41st	2nd	5th	11th
Brian Vickers	13th	3rd	41st	8th	12th
Jeff Gordon	37th	21st	5th	22nd	15th
Ryan Newman	5th	18th	33rd	39th	16th
Juan Pablo Montoya				33rd	20th
Tony Stewart	18th	5th	9th	13th	22nd
Kurt Busch	11th	12th	27th	9th	39th
Mark Martin	3rd	11th	12th

Notes

Domination was the order of the day last season, as Jimmie Johnsoncaptured the Pepsi 500 for the second consecutive year. Johnson led 228 of the250 laps, as he defeated Greg Biffle by over two seconds. As the Chase headsto California, Johnson trails Mark Martin by a mere 18 points, although helost ground with his ninth-place finish in Kansas, while Martin placedseventh.Johnson recorded the 28th of his 44 career wins at this race in 2007, as heclipped Carl Edwards by just under two seconds. Johnson, who led four timesfor 84 laps, took the checkered flag 1.868 seconds ahead of Edwards. Polesitter Kurt Busch finished ninth after leading for 21 laps. Kyle Busch, whoplaced third, led seven times for a race-high 97 laps.In 2006, Kasey Kahne completed a weekend sweep, as he crossed the finish line3.427 seconds ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr for his sixth career Sprint Cuptitle. Kahne, who registered victory at the Nationwide Series race the nightbefore, dominated this race, leading eight times for a race-high 130 laps. Infront of an estimated 102,000, Kahne reclaimed the lead with just two lapsremaining for the win. Pole sitter Kurt Busch, who led for the first 11 laps,faded to a 27th-place finish.California Speedway opened in 1997, marking the first time NASCAR's premierseries competed on a California oval in nearly 17 years, the last time beingthe Los Angeles Times 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1980. However, at leastone road race was held each year in California during that span. There havebeen 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the track opened in 1997.In 2005, Kyle Busch recorded the first win of his career, as he clipped GregBiffle by 0.554 of a second. In front of 100,000 fans, Busch reclaimed thelead on lap 244 of the 254-lap event and held on for the checkered flag.Busch, who started 25th on the grid, led five separate times for a race-high95 laps. Pole sitter Carl Edwards finished 4th, leading twice for 21 laps.The 2004 race saw Elliott Sadler battling the elements and the rest of thefield to post his third career Sprint Cup victory. In 99-degree temperatures,Sadler, who started 17th on the grid, outlasted Kasey Kahne by 0.263 of asecond for his second 2004 win.With his win last year, Johnson became the first pole sitter to capture thisrace. In 18 previous races at the Auto Club, the pole winner is 1-for-18. WhenKyle Busch won in 2005, he came for the 25th spot on the grid to win thisrace, the furthest a driver has started and captured the checkered flag.Stewart will attempt to get off the schneid at Auto Club Speedway, a trackwhere he is 0-for-16 in his career. His best finish is 4th in 1999 and 2001.Television star Kelsey Grammer will be the Grand Marshall and will the commandto start engines. The honorary starter will the Audrina Patridge from the TVshow, "The Hills." Christian Slater from the new TV show "The Forgotten," willdrive the 2010 Chevy Camaro Pace Car. The national anthem will be sung byJesse McCartney.The "Chase for the Sprint Cup" championship continues on October 17 at Lowe'sMotor Speedway in Charlotte. Jeff Burton won last year's NASCAR Banking 500.10/07 10:15:51 ET

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