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Sharpie 500 Preview

Aug 25, 2007 - 10:35 AM

August 25, 2007 
Bristol Motor Speedway 
Bristol, Tennessee 
Race 24 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit (23rd points race)

TV: ESPN, 8 p.m. EDT

Laps: 500 
Track length: 0.533 miles 
Race length: 266.5 miles

Qualifying record: Ryan Newman, Dodge, 128.709 mph, (March 2003)
Race record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet, 101.074 mph, (July 1971)


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Jeff Burton 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $4,293,011

Ran 14th at Michigan and has now dropped three spots in the
standings over the past three races to seventh; has finished out
of the top-10 in last three races after registering four top-10
finishes over the previous six races; ran seventh at New
Hampshire and third at Sonoma to end a stretch of four
consecutive finishes outside the top 10; trails series points
leader Jeff Gordon by 544 points; has six top-five finishes and
12 top-10s this season; has only three finishes of 34th or worse
this season; captured his first victory of the season at Texas;
in 27 starts at Bristol has seven top-fives, 11 top-10's and
finished second here in March.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc. 
Car: No. 8 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $3,478,549

Followed up a season-best second-place finish at Pocono with a
42nd at Watkins Glen, then placed 12th at Michigan after missing
his pit box late in the race while running in the top-five;
stands 163 points behind Kurt Busch who currently occupies the
final spot in the "Chase for the Championship"; finished 19th or
worse over the previous three races prior to Pocono, including
a 34th at the Brickyard and a 36th at Daytona; leaving the
company his father founded to run for Hendrick Motorsports in
2008; has yet to win a race and has just one pole (Pocono) this
season, but has four top-five finishes and eight top-10s; also
has six finishes of 30th or lower; has one career win at Bristol
with five top-fives, and eight top-10s; finished seventh here
in March.


Jeff Gordon 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $4,898,554

Finished 27th at Michigan after being hit from behind by Matt
Kenseth with 11 laps left; was his first finish out of the
top-10 in 10 races; is the only driver to have clinched a spot
in the "Chase for the Championship"; spun with less than two laps
remaining at Watkins Glen while leading, costing him a
potential fifth win this season; still managed to finish ninth;
still owns a comfortable 276-point cushion atop the series
standings despite being docked 100 points for failing
post-qualifying inspections at Sonoma, where he ran seventh; has
four checkered flags this season and 79 career, just four shy
of tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time; reached a
landmark milestone at Talladega, recording his 77th career
victory to pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth all-time; has
completely dominated the circuit this season and is on pace to
capture his fifth career title, leading the series in poles (8),
top-five finishes (14) and top-10s (20); has five wins, five
poles, 12 top-fives, and 18 top-10s at Bristol; finished third
here in March.


Denny Hamlin 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $3,502,146

Ran fifth at Michigan following a second a Watkins Glen and a
third at Pocono; remains second in the standings, 276 points
behind Gordon; followed up his first win of the season at New
Hampshire by finishing dead last at Daytona after wrecking early
in the race with teammate Tony Stewart; has avoided the
sophomore slump by finishing out of the top-10 just six times in
the past 19 races; has 10 top-five finishes and 14 top-10s this
season; finished second at Darlington and has five third-place
finishes at Las Vegas, Martinsville, Phoenix, Richmond and
Pocono; finished 14th here during the March race.


Kevin Harvick 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $5,749,850

Continued recent struggles with a 15th at Michigan on the heels
of a 36th at Watkins Glen and a 17th at Pocono; wrecked with
Juan Pablo Montoya at Watkins Glen and a shoving match ensued;
remains 10th in the standings; finished seventh at the Brickyard
and has five top-10 finishes over his past nine races; won the
season-opening Daytona 500 by nipping Mark Martin at the finish
line; has four top-fives and 10 top-10s this season; finished
second to Juan Pablo Montoya on the road course at Sonoma; has
finished lower than 30th only three times this season; finished
fourth at Bristol in March


Jimmie Johnson 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $4,645,778

Seems to be back on track with a consecutive third-place
finishes at Michigan and Watkins Glen, following a fifth at
Pocono; moved up a spot to sixth in the standings; defending
series champion has suffered through an up-and-down season,
finishing 39th at the Brickyard after a fiery crash on the heels
of a 37th at Chicago; prior to those two poor showings,
finished 10th at Daytona after running fifth at New Hampshire;
has posted victories this season at Las Vegas, Atlanta,
Martinsville and Richmond; despite collecting 12 top-five
finishes, has been hurt by five finishes outside the top 35;
finished 16th here in March.


Matt Kenseth 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $4,230,211

Ran fourth at Michigan and remained third in the standings, 354
points behind Gordon; posted fourth straight top-10 finish by
placing 10th at the Brickyard; ran 34th and 42nd, respectively,
prior to the four straight top-10 results; captured his only
victory of the season in the campaign's second race at
California; has eight top-five finishes and 15 top-10s this
season; won this event the past two seasons, but finished 11th
here in March.


Tony Stewart 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 20 Impala 
2007 Earnings: $4,492,533

Continued his recent surge by finishing 10th at Michigan on the
heels of winning at Watkins Glen - his third win over the past
five races; captured back-to-back victories at Chicagoland and
at the Brickyard while placing sixth at Pocono during that
stretch; is fourth in the standings, 398 points behind Gordon;
finished 38th at Daytona prior to his win at Chicago after an
early-race crash with teammate Denny Hamlin; has turned his
season around with eight finishes of sixth or better over the
last 11 races; struggled here in March, finishing 35th.


2006 Top 10
-----------

 1. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford 
 2. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet 
 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet 
 4. Scott Riggs (10), Dodge 
 5. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet 
 6. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet 
 7. Carl Edwards (99), Ford 
 8. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge 
 9. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet 
10. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet

Past Winners
------------

2006 Matt Kenseth
2005 Matt Kenseth 
2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
2003 Kurt Busch 
2002 Jeff Gordon 
2001 Tony Stewart 
2000 Rusty Wallace 
1999 Dale Earnhardt 
1998 Mark Martin 
1997 Dale Jarrett 
1996 Rusty Wallace
1995 Terry Labonte 
1994 Rusty Wallace 
1993 Mark Martin 
1992 Darrell Waltrip 
1991 Alan Kulwicki 
1990 Ernie Irvan 
1989 Darrell Waltrip 
1988 Dale Earnhardt 
1987 Dale Earnhardt 
1986 Darrell Waltrip 
1985 Dale Earnhardt 
1984 Terry Labonte 
1983 Darrell Waltrip 
1982 Darrell Waltrip 
1981 Darrell Waltrip 
1980 Cale Yarborough 
1979 Darrell Waltrip 
1978 Cale Yarborough 
1977 Cale Yarborough 
1976 Cale Yarborough 
1975 Richard Petty 
1974 Cale Yarborough 
1973 Benny Parsons 
1972 Bobby Allison 
1971 Charlie Glotzbach 
1970 Bobby Allison 
1969 David Pearson 
1968 David Pearson 
1967 Richard Petty 
1966 Paul Goldsmith 
1965 Ned Jarrett 
1964 Fred Lorenzen 
1963 Fred Lorenzen 
1962 Jim Paschal 
1961 Joe Weatherly