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Posted on Tuesday, 10.27.09

NASCAR - Sprint Cup - AMP Energy 500 Preview

The Sports Network

Date: Sunday, November 1st

Start Time: 1:19 p.m. (et)

Site: Talladega Superspeedway (1969) -- Talladega, Alabama

Track: 2.66-mile tri-oval superspeedway

Laps: 188

Miles: 500

Capacity: 143,231

Total purse: $5,453,014 (2008 figures)

Payouts: 1st Place - $270,136; 2nd Place - $177,400; 3rd Place - $149,200

Year: 38th

On TV: ABC

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

On Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/Sirius Satellite

Race record: Mark Martin, 1997 (188.354 m.p.h.)

Qualifying record: Bill Elliott, 1987 (212.809 m.p.h.)

2008 Finish

Defending champion: Tony Stewart

Runner up: Paul Menard

Pole winner: Travis Kvapil (187.364 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Tony Stewart (Start: 34)

2. Paul Menard (5)

3. David Ragan (16)

4. Jeff Burton (17)

5. Clint Bowyer (35)

6. Bobby Labonte (32)

7. Scott Riggs (11)

8. Robby Gordon (42)

9. Jimmie Johnson (20)

10. Elliott Sadler (40)

Average speed: 140.281 m.p.h.

Time of race: 3 hours, 36 minutes, 10 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.052 second

Caution flags: 10 for 41 laps

Lead changes: 64 among 28 drivers

Past winners

2008 Tony Stewart, Toyota, 140.281 m.p.h.

2007 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 143.438 m.p.h.

2006 Brian Vickers, Chevrolet, 157.602 m.p.h.

2005 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 143.818 m.p.h.

2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 156.929 m.p.h.

2003 Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 156.045 m.p.h.

2002 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 183.665 m.p.h.

2001 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 164.185 m.p.h.

2000 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 165.681 m.p.h.

1999 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 166.632 m.p.h.

1998 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 159.317 m.p.h.

1997 Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 156.601 m.p.h.

1996 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 133.387 m.p.h.

1995 Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 173.188 m.p.h.

1994 Jimmy Spencer, Ford, 153.217 m.p.h.

1993 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 153.858 m.p.h.

1992 Ernie Irvan, Chevrolet, 176.309 m.p.h.

1991 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 147.383 m.p.h.

1990 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 174.430 m.p.h.

1989 Terry Labonte, Ford, 157.354 m.p.h.

1988 Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 154.505 m.p.h.

1987 Bill Elliott, Ford, 171.293 m.p.h.

1986 Bobby Hillin, Buick, 151.552 m.p.h.

1985 Cale Yarborough, Ford, 148.772 m.p.h.

1984 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 155.485 m.p.h.

1983 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 170.611 m.p.h.

1982 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 168.157 m.p.h.

1981 Ron Bouchard, Buick, 156.737 m.p.h.

1980 Neil Bonnett, Mercury, 166.894 m.p.h.

1979 Darrell Waltrip, Oldsmobile, 161.229 m.p.h.

1978 Lennie Pond, Oldsmobile, 174.700 m.p.h.

1977 Donnie Allison, Chevrolet, 162.524 m.p.h.

1976 Dave Marcis, Dodge, 157.547 m.p.h.

1975 Buddy Baker, Ford, 130.892 m.p.h.

1974 Richard Petty, Dodge, 148.637 m.p.h.

1973 Dick Brooks, Plymouth, 145.454 m.p.h.

1972 James Hylton, Mercury, 148.728 m.p.h.

1971 Bobby Allison, Mercury, 145.945 m.p.h.

1970 Pete Hamilton, Plymouth, 158.517 m.p.h.

1969 Richard Brickhouse, Dodge, 153.778 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Martinsville 500 (October 25th)

Site: Martinsville Speedway -- Martinsville, Virginia

Miles: 263.526

Laps: 501

Finish line order: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon

Time of Race: 3 hours, 34 minutes, 44 seconds

Average speed: 73.633 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: Under Caution

Caution flags: 15 for 77 laps

Lead changes: 21 among 12 drivers

Lap leaders: R. Newman 1-21; J. Gordon 22-46; J. Andretti 47; D. Gilliland 48;R. Newman 1-21; J. Gordon 22-46; J. Andretti 47; D. Gilliland 48;J. Gordon 49-58; J. Johnson 59-89; R. Newman 90; J. Johnson91-130; R. Newman 131; J. Johnson 132-140; J. Montoya 141-177; J.Gordon 178; J. Burton 179-182; D. Hamlin 183-201; Kyle Busch202-205; D. Hamlin 206-253; G. Biffle 254-259; J. Johnson260-301; M. Martin 302; D. Reutimann 303-320; J. Johnson 321-362;D. Hamlin 363-501.

Entry list

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

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

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

#5 Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) Chevrolet/Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST

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

#7 Robby Gordon (Orange, CA) Toyota/Jim Beam

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

#09 Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI) Chevrolet/Miccosukee Resort

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

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

#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/Filtrete

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

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

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

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

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

#26 Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) Ford/IRWIN Marathon

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

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

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

#34 John Andretti (Indianapolis, IN) Chevrolet/Long John Silver's

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

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

#39 Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/U.S. Army

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

#43 Reed Sorenson (Peachtree City, GA) Dodge/Liberty Medical

#44 AJ Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) Dodge/Best Buy

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

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

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

#66 Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) Toyota/Denny Hamlin Foundation

#71 Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) 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 Erik Darnell (Beach Park, FL) Ford/Academy Sports & Outdoors

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

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

Leading contenders

Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Tony Stewart	2nd	2nd	3rd	6th	2nd	22nd	8th	Won
David Ragan							34th	3rd
Clint Bowyer						35th	11th	5th
Jimmie Johnson		37th	34th	37th	31st	24th	2nd	9th
Kyle Busch					33rd	11th	36th	15th
Kevin Harvick	32nd	27th	7th	2nd	10th	6th	20th	20th
Kurt Busch	29th	4th	6th	5th	8th	3rd	7th	21st
Greg Biffle			24th	28th	27th	41st	23rd	24th
Juan Pablo Montoya							15th	25th
Matt Kenseth	4th	14th	33rd	14th	3rd	4th	26th	26th
Dale Earnhardt Jr	Won	Won	2nd	Won	40th	23rd	40th	28th
Carl Edwards				42nd	5th	9th	14th	29th
Brian Vickers				36th	6th	Won	39th	35th
Kasey Kahne				27th	13th	2nd	16th	36th
Jeff Gordon	7th	42nd	5th	19th	37th	36th	Won	38th
Denny Hamlin						21st	4th	39th
Ryan Newman		7th	4th	16th	4th	13th	5th	43rd
Mark Martin	9th	30th	23rd	15th	41st	8th

Notes

Tony Stewart will attempt to do something only the Earnhardt family hasaccomplished at Talladega, win this race in back-to-back seasons. Stewarttook the checkered flag for last year's Amp Energy 500. Dale Earnhardt wonback-to-back fall races at Talladega three times (1983-84, 1990-91,1999-2000), while son Dale Jr. captured this race in 2001-02.Only four races remain in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, as Jimmie Johnsonleads Mark Martin by 118 points and Jeff Gordon by 150. Stewart ranks fourth,192 points behind. This race will be the 100th Sprint Cup race in the State ofAlabama.When Stewart won in 2008, it was his 33rd career Sprint Cup title, as hedefeated Menard by 0.052 seconds. Stewart, who started 34th, led four timesfor a race-high 24 laps, including the final 17. The race featured 64 leadchanges among 28 drivers. Pole sitter Travis Kvapil led for 10 laps, butfinished 27th.Jeff Gordon started in the 34th position in 2007 and led just one lap, but itwas the final lap, as he defeated Jimmie Johnson by less than a second. Thewin was a milestone for Gordon, as he captured his 80th career Cup title, onlythe sixth driver to reach that mark. Gordon has added just two titles sincethen and stands one shy of Cale Yarborough in fifth place on the series' all-time win list.In 2006, Vickers recorded his first career Sprint Cup title, as he crossed thefinish line under caution ahead of Kasey Kahne. In front of an estimated crowdof 160,000, Vickers claimed the lead down the final backstretch. JimmieJohnson ducked to the bottom, but Vickers gave him a little shot from behindand Johnson spun into Dale Earnhardt Jr, sending both off the track. Vickersled on five separate occasions for 17 laps, while Earnhardt Jr led seven timesfor a race-high 37 laps.In 2005, Dale Jarrett came out of nowhere to capture his 32nd Sprint Cuptitle, as he clipped Tony Stewart for the checkered flag. Jarrett, who led forjust one lap early in the race, overtook Matt Kenseth on the final lap for hisonly win of that season. Stewart led 11 times for 65 laps, while Kenseth ledseven times for 23 laps and finished third.Chevrolet has won this race in 15 of the last 19 years. Dodge has struggledhere, last winning in 1976, as legend Dave Marcis won the Talladega 500.Overall, Dodges have won only two of the previous 37 fall races at Talladega,Marcis in 1976 and Richard Petty in 1974.This race has been won from the pole position four times, the most recent in1995 by Sterling Marlin. Overall, the pole sitter has won 13 of the 80 racesat Talladega. The furthest back a winner has started at Talladegawas when Jeff Gordon won the DieHard 500 in April of 2000, as he started fromthe 36th position. Stewart (2008) and Gordon (2007) own the record for winningthe fall race from the furthest starting spot, 34th.The next race in the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" championship is the November8th Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards won last year's racethere.10/27 19:18:43 ET

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