• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Checker Auto Parts 500 Preview

Nov 11, 2007 - 11:50 AM

November 11, 2007 
Phoenix International Raceway 
Phoenix, Arizona

Race 36 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit 
(34th points race; 9th of 10 in "Chase for the Nextel Cup")

TV: ABC, 3 p.m. EDT

Laps: 312 
Track length: 1 mile 
Race length: 312 miles

Qualifying record: Ryan Newman, Dodge, 135.854 mph, 2004 
Race record: Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 118.132 mph, 1999


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

Clint Bowyer 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $4,061,119 
Chase Points: 6,201 (3rd)

Remained third in the standings after running 19th at Texas, but
dropped 181 points out of the lead with two races to go;
finished sixth at Atlanta after placing ninth at Martinsville,
continuing strong CHase run; was runner-up at Charlotte after an
11th at Talladega; 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 34 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 22nd here in April and finished 33rd at this race
last year.


Jeff Burton 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $5,780,836 
Chase Points: 5,951 (7th)

Finished sixth at Texas following a fifth at Atlanta to move up
to seventh in the Chase standings; despite two consecutive
top-10's was eliminated from title contention; ran 12th at
Martinsville, but finished 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 17 top-10s and has only five finishes of 34th or
worse this season; captured his only victory of the season at
Texas; ran 10th at this race last season.


Kurt Busch 
Team: Penske Racing 
Car: No. 2 Dodge Avenger 
2007 Earnings: $4,914,705 
Chase Points: 5,929 (9th)

Posted his second consecutive eighth-place finish at Texas
following Atlanta, but was eliminated from title contention; 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 18th in April.


Kyle Busch 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 5 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $4,499,493 
Chase Points: 6,043 (4th)

Moved up to fourth in the standings after finishing fourth at
Texas; ran 20th at Atlanta and placed 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 19 top-10 finishes in 34 races this
season, including 10 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 38th here last November and seventh in
April.


Carl Edwards 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $4,390,787 
Chase Points: 6,025 (5th)

Dropped to fifth in the standings after running 26th at Texas, a
day after clinching the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series championship;
finished 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 11th here in April and fifth last November.


Jeff Gordon 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $6,842,650 
Chase Points: 6,352 (2nd)

Dropped to second in the standings by 30 points behind teammate
Johnson with a seventh at Texas; also ran seventh the week
before 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; won here in April and ran
fourth here in last November.


Denny Hamlin 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $4,650,889 
Chase Points: 5,858 (12th)

Finished 29th at Texas to fall back to 12th in the standings;
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 Phoenix.


Kevin Harvick 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $7,243,546 
Chase Points: 5,943 (8th)

Finished 10th at Texas but was eliminated from title contention;
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 13 top 10s this season; finished
second to Juan Pablo Montoya on the road course at Sonoma; won
this race last year and was 10th here in April.


Jimmie Johnson 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $7,243,674 
Chase Points: 6,382 (1st)

Three straight wins at Texas, Atlanta and Martinsville moved him
to the top of the standings, 30 points ahead of Gordon; had
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 19
top-five finishes, has been hurt by five finishes outside the
top 35; was second in this race last year and was fourth here in
April.


Matt Kenseth 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $5,953,397 
Chase Points: 5,928 (10th)

Finished second to Johnson at Texas; 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 11 top-five finishes
and 20 top-10s this season; ran fifth here in April.


Tony Stewart 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $6,127,879 
Chase Points: 6,009 (6th)

Titles hopes all but mathematically dashed following 11th at
Texas; dropped to fifth in the standings by running 30th at
Atlanta after a 13th at Martinsville, following a seventh at
Lowe's; sits 373 points behind Johnson; 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; pre-Chase surge included 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; finished 14th at
this race last November but was second here to Gordon in April.


Martin Truex Jr. 
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc. 
Car: No. 1 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $4,738,266 
Chase Points: 5,858 (11th)

Finished third at Texas to move out of bottom spot of Chase
standings; had 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 seven
top-fives and 12 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 12th here last November.


2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
 2. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
 3. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet
 4. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
 5. Carl Edwards (99), Ford
 6. Mark Martin (6), Ford
 7. Kasey Kahne (9), Dodge
 8. Kurt Busch (2), Dodge
 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
10. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet

Past Champions
--------------
2006  Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 96.131 mph
2005  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 102.641 mph
2004  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 94.848 mph
2003  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 93.984 mph 
2002  Matt Kenseth, Ford, 113.857 mph 
2001  Jeff Burton, Ford, 102.613 mph
2000  Jeff Burton, Ford, 105.041 mph 
1999  Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 118.132 mph 
1998  Rusty Wallace, Ford, 108.211 mph 
1997  Dale Jarrett, Ford, 110.824 mph 
1996  Bobby Hamilton, Pontiac, 109.709 mph 
1995  Ricky Rudd, Ford, 102.128 mph 
1994  Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 107.463 mph 
1993  Mark Martin, Ford, 100.375 mph 
1992  Davey Allison, Ford, 103.885 mph 
1991  Davey Allison, Ford, 95.746 mph 
1990  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 96.786 mph
1989  Bill Elliot, Ford, 105.683 mph 
1988  Alan Kulwicki, Ford, 90.457 mph