NEXTEL Sharp AQUOS 500
Final
Sharp Aquos 500 Preview
Sep 2, 2007 - 10:25 AMSeptember 2, 2007
California Speedway
Fontana, California
Race 25 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit (24th points race)
TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. EDT
Laps: 250
Track length: 2-mile oval
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying record: Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 188.245 mph
Race Record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 155.012 mph
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,427,652
Ran 12th at Bristol to remain seventh in the standings with two
races left before the Chase; owns a 333-point advantage over
Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the final spot in the Chase; has finished
out of the top-10 in last four races; prior to recent struggles
he registered four top-10 finishes over a six-race stretch; ran
seventh at New Hampshire and third at Sonoma to end a stretch
of four consecutive finishes outside the top 10; has six
top-five finishes and 12 top-10s and has only three finishes of
34th or worse this season; captured his first victory of the
season at Texas; in 14 starts at California has four top-fives
and five top-10's; finished 16th in this event last year.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2007 Earnings: $3,663,125
Finished sixth at Bristol, one spot ahead of Earnhardt, to
remain in the 12th and final spot for the Chase by 158 points;
trails Earnhardt's teammate Martin Truex Jr. by only eight
points for 11th place; turned season around over last seven
races by finishing out of the top-10 just twice with 11th place
finishes at the Brickyard and Watkins Glen; won at Pocono, then
later at Michigan during the rain-delayed event; has a pair of
third-place finishes at Talladega and the second Daytona race;
the 2004 Nextel Cup Champion has six finishes of 25th or worse
this season; finished 27th in this event last season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Car: No. 8 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $3,642,557
Posted a solid fifth-place finish at Bristol, but still sits 158
points behind Kurt Busch for the final spot in the Chase;
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;
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 five top-five finishes and nine
top-10s; also has six finishes of 30th or lower; finished second
in this race last year to Kasey Kahne.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $5,029,565
Finished 19th at Bristol and 27th at Michigan for his second
straight finish out of the top-10; prior to Michigan had
finished in the top-10 in 10 straight races; was the first
driver to clinch 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 349-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 three wins, seven top fives and two poles at California,
placing fifth here last year.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $3,610,114
Had his string of 53 races without a DNF end at Bristol after
suffering engine problems and wound up 42nd; dropped from second
to third in the standings behind Tony Stewart, but still locked
up CHase spot; ran fifth at Michigan following a second a
Watkins Glen and a third at Pocono; 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
seven times in the past 20 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 sixth here last year.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,782,989
Seemed to be back on track with a consecutive third-place
finishes at Michigan and Watkins Glen, following a fifth at
Pocono, but was 21st at Bristol; remains 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 11th here in last season.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $4,361,387
Despite crashing and finishing 39th at Bristol, locked up a spot
in the Chase despite dropping to fourth in the standings; ran
fourth at Michigan in the rain delayed race; 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; finished seventh here last
year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,670,919
Continued his recent surge by finishing fourth at Bristol to
jump up to second in the standings; ran 10th at Michigan on the
heels of winning at Watkins Glen - his third win over the past
six races; captured back-to-back victories at Chicagoland and at
the Brickyard while placing sixth at Pocono during that
stretch; 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 nine finishes of sixth or better over
the last 12 races; finished ninth here last year.
2005 Top 10
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1. Kasey Kahne (9), Dodge
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
3. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
4. Carl Edwards (99), Ford
5. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
6. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet
7. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
8. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
9. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
10. Dale Jarrett (88), Ford
Past Champions
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2006 Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 144.462 mph
2005 Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 136.356 mph
2004 Elliott Sadler, Ford, 128.324 mph