NEXTEL Dickies 500
Final
for this game
Dickies 500 Preview
Nov 4, 2007 - 11:52 AMNovember 4, 2007
Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, Texas
Race 34 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit
(33rd points race; 8th of 10 in "Chase for the Nextel Cup")
TV: ABC, 3 p.m. EDT
Laps: 334
Track length: 1 1/2 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying record: Bill Elliott, Dodge, 194.224 mph, 2002
Race record: Carl Edwards, Ford, 151.055 mph, 2005
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $3,951,494
Chase Points: 6,090 (3rd)
Kept his solid run in the Chase going by finishing sixth at
Atlanta after placing ninth at Martinsville; was runner-up at
Charlotte after an 11th at Talladega and remains third in the
standings, 111 points behind leader Jeff Gordon; followed up his
first career Nextel Cup win at New Hampshire by running 12th at
Dover and second at Kansas; finished 12th at Richmond and ran
20th at California, following a third at Bristol in three races
prior to the Chase; has 17 top-10 finishes in 33 races this
season; has five top-five finishes, including a fourth on the
road course at Sonoma to go along with his solid showing at
Bristol and win at New Hampshire; has finished 30th or worse
just three times - 36th at Las Vegas, 35th at Talladega and 37th
at the first race in New Hampshire; ran 16th here in April and
finished fifth at this race last year.
Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $5,586,845
Chase Points: 5,801 (8th)
Finished fifth at Atlanta following a 12th at Martinsville to
move up to eighth in the Chase standings; had dropped to 12th
after finishing last at Talladega, following a 36th at Kansas;
started the Chase in seventh place, but dropped to 11th with his
second straight 18th place finish at New Hampshire, following
Richmond; ran fourth at California and 12th at Bristol prior to
Richmond; finished out of the top-10 in four races before
California; prior to that tough stretch had registered four
top-10 finishes over a six-race span; ran seventh at first New
Hampshire race and third at Sonoma to end a streak of four
consecutive finishes outside the top 10; has nine top-five
finishes and 16 top-10s and has only five finishes of 34th or
worse this season; captured his only victory of the season at
Texas; ran 38th at this race last season.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2007 Earnings: $4,744,222
Chase Points: 5,782 (9th)
Ran eighth at Atlanta to move up to ninth in the standings; had
dropped three spots to 10th after running 31st at Martinsville;
ran 26th at Lowe's after posting an 11th at Kansas after
starting the Chase with a 25th at New Hampshire and 29th at
Dover; did not qualify for Chase until late in the Richmond
race, where he finished ninth; turned season around over last
nine races before the Chase 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 the
first Talladega race and the second Daytona race; the 2004
Nextel Cup Champion has 10 finishes of 25th or worse this
season; ran eighth here last November and 11th in April.
Kyle Busch
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 5 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,296,318
Chase Points: 5,873 (6th)
Finished 20th at Atlanta after bouncing back from consecutive
poor showings by placing fourth at Martinsville after a third at
Lowe's; was 36th at Talladega and was run over by Dale
Earnhardt Jr. at Kansas and finished 41st; started Chase with
fourth at New Hampshire and fifth at Dover; ran 20th at Richmond
following a third-place showing at California and a ninth at
Bristol; has 18 top-10 finishes in 33 races this season,
including nine top-fives; lone win of the season came during the
first Bristol race - the inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; will
leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season for Joe
Gibbs Racing; ran fifth here last November and 37th in April.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $4,281,162
Chase Points: 5,940 (4th)
Moved up to fourth in the standings after running second to
Jimmie Johnson at Atlanta; finished 11th at Martinsville after
running fifth at Lowe's; ran 14th at Talladega a week after
wrecking at Kansas and finishing 37th; won at Dover after
finishing 12th at New Hampshire, but failed post-race inspection
and was docked 25 points and fined; penalty dropped him from
third to sixth in the standings; ran 42nd at Richmond, but prior
to that had four consecutive top-10 finishes, including a win
at Bristol and a runner-up finish at California; also won at
Michigan earlier this year; has 10 top-fives and 14 top-10s this
year; has been consistent with only a trio of finishes lower
than 30, including a 42nd at first Talladega race; ran 12th here
in April.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $6,681,289
Chase Points: 6,201 (1st)
Stayed atop the standings by just nine points ahead of teammate
Johnson with a seventh at Atlanta; finished third at
Martinsville after consecutive wins at Charlotte and Talladega;
ran fifth at Kansas; rebounded from rough stretch leading up to
the Chase by finishing 11th at Dover and second to Bowyer at New
Hampshire; prior to the Chase finished fourth at Richmond but
was 22nd at California, 19th at Bristol and 27th at Michigan
over previous three races; 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 win - still managed to finish ninth; was docked 100
points for failing post-qualifying inspections at Sonoma, where
he ran seventh; has six checkered flags this season and 81
career, just two shy of tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place
all-time; reached a landmark milestone at the first Talladega
race, recording his 77th career victory to pass the late Dale
Earnhardt for sixth all-time; has 10 poles this season - double
that of Ryan Newman who has five; ran fourth here in April.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,544,839
Chase Points: 5,777 (10th)
Ran out of gas on the final restart while leading at Atlanta and
finished 24th; finished sixth at Martinsville and 20th at
Lowe's following a fourth at Talladega; title hopes were all but
dashed after 29th at Kansas; ran 38th at Dover, dropping to
last among Chase contenders; was involved in an altercation with
Kyle Petty in the garage following wreck midway through the
race at Dover; won his only race of the season at New Hampshire
in July, but could manage only a 15th-place finish at Loudon to
start the Chase; followed up the win at New Hampshire by
finishing dead last at Daytona after wrecking early in the race
with teammate Tony Stewart; avoided the sophomore slump by
posting 11 top-five and 17 top-finishes this season; finished
second at Darlington and Watkins Glen and has four third-place
finishes at Las Vegas, Martinsville, Phoenix and Richmond; also
finished last at Bristol; has consecutive top-10 finishes in
last two races at Texas.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $7,075,185
Chase Points: 5,809 (7th)
Ran 15th at Atlanta and 10th at Martinsville, but title hopes
took serious hit with 33rd at Lowe's; ran 20th at Talladega
following a sixth at Kansas; was the final driver to clinch a
berth in the Chase and opened with a 17th at New Hampshire and a
20th at Dover despite suffering through tire issues in both
races; prior to the Chase finished seventh at Richmond, ending
struggles which included five straight finishes out of the
top-10; has finished 33rd or worse four times this season; was
36th at Watkins Glen on the heels of a 17th at Pocono; won the
season-opening Daytona 500 by nipping Mark Martin at the finish
line; has four top-fives and 12 top 10s this season; finished
second to Juan Pablo Montoya on the road course at Sonoma; was
third in this race last year and 29th here in April.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $6,805,188
Chase Points: 6,192 (2nd)
Consecutive wins at Atlanta and Martinsville moved him within
nine points of Gordon; dropped out of the top spot in the Chase
after finishing second to Gordon at Talladega; was 14th at
Lowe's and ran third at Kansas prior to Talladega; opened the
Chase with a 14th at Dover following a sixth at New Hampshire;
earned top seed with consecutive wins at Richmond and
California; was 21st at Bristol, but posted back-to-back third
place finishes at Michigan and Watkins Glen; defending series
champion suffered through an up-and-down season before the
Chase, 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 also posted victories this season at Las Vegas,
and the first races at Atlanta, Martinsville and Richmond;
despite collecting 18 top-five finishes, has been hurt by five
finishes outside the top 35; was 38th here in April.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $5,589,831
Chase Points: 5,753 (11th)
Ran fourth at Atlanta and fifth at Martinsville to halt
surprising Chase struggles; was 34th at Lowe's which followed
back-to-back 35th-place finishes at Dover and Kansas; ran 26th
at Talladega to all but end title hopes; ran seventh at New
Hampshire; did not close the regular season strong with a 14th
at Richmond after a seventh at California - a week after
crashing and finishing 39th at Bristol; 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 10 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s
this season; ran second here to Burton in April.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $5,965,743
Chase Points: 5,879 (5th)
Dropped to fifth in the standings by running 30th at Atlanta
after a 13th at Martinsville, following a seventh at Lowe's;
sits 322 points behind Gordon; finished 39th at Kansas after
placing eighth at Talladega; had moved within two points of the
lead with a ninth at Dover after placing third at New Hampshire;
finished second at Richmond to enter the Chase on a hot streak;
recent surge includes fourth at Bristol as well as running 10th
at Michigan on the heels of winning at Watkins Glen - his third
win; captured back-to-back victories at Chicagoland and at the
Brickyard while placing sixth at Pocono; finished 38th at
Daytona prior to his win at Chicago after an early-race crash
with teammate Denny Hamlin; won this race last November but was
25th here in April.
Martin Truex Jr.
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Car: No. 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,471,446
Chase Points: 5,688 (12th)
Dropped to 12th in the standings after finishing 31st at
Atlanta; ran 19th at Martinsville and 17th at Lowe's following
42nd at Talladega and a 38th at Kansas; started first Chase with
a 13th at Dover following a fifth at New Hampshire; finished
15th at Richmond, but only needed to start the race to qualify;
has been overshadowed by more famous teammate Dale Earnhardt
Jr., but has outperformed him all season; won his first career
Nextel Cup race at Dover in June; has six top-fives and 11 top
10s, including a third at Pocono and second at Michigan in
back-to-back weeks after the win at Dover; finished second in
both Michigan races this year; has only two other finishes
outside the top 30 this season - 42nd at California and 37th at
Bristol during the early part of the season; ran 14th here last
October, and was seventh in April.
2006 Top 10
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1. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
2. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
3. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
4. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
5. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.(8), Chevrolet
7. Casey Mears (42), Dodge
8. Kurt Busch (2), Dodge
9. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
10. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet
Past Champions
--------------
2006 Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 134.891
2005 Carl Edwards, Ford, 151.055 mph
