SPRINT Subway Fresh Fit 500
Final
Subway Fresh Fit 500 Preview
Apr 12, 2008 - 10:25 AMApril 12, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, Arizona
Race 8 of 37 on Sprint Cup circuit
TV: FOX, 8:30 p.m. EDT
Laps: 500
Track length: 1 mile
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying record: Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 133.744 mph, 2006
Race record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 107.710 mph, 2007
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $1,324,494
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers, finished third at
Martinsville to take over top spot in the standings; increased
his lead over teammate Kevin Harvick to 59 points after running
sixth at Texas; won at Bristol three weeks earlier; finished
13th in the Daytona 500 and eighth at California; was fifth in
Las Vegas and 10th at Atlanta; finished eighth in last season's
standings, one year after placing seventh; finished in the top
10 in half of the races last season, including nine top fives;
lone win of the 2007 season came in April at Texas; finished the
season strong with five top 10s over the final six races; ran
13th here last April.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing South
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $1,614,970
Pushed teammate Ryan Newman across the finish line to give
Penske Racing a 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500; followed with a
13th at California, but finished 38th at Las Vegas and 11th at
Atlanta; bounced back from an inconsistent first season with
Penske to finish seventh in the standings last year; won at
Michigan and Pocono and posted 14 top-10 finishes; also had four
finishes of 30th or worse; won the championship in 2004 but was
released from his contract at Roush Racing after the following
season, when he finished 10th in the standings and was suspended
for the final two races after an incident with the Phoenix
police; finished 18th here in April last year.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $1,572,738
Has gotten off to a strong start with Joe Gibbs Racing, placing
fourth in the first two races and winning at Atlanta; finished
17th at Bristol after power steering failed and transmission
issues relegated him to 38th at Martinsville; ran third at Texas
and sits third in the standings; had the dominant car and led
the most laps at the Daytona 500; was strong at Las Vegas early,
but struggled late and wound up 11th; is looking to build off a
sensational run at Hendrick Motorsports as he moves to JGR and
Toyota; finished fifth in the final 2007 standings after
qualifying for the Chase for the second consecutive season; had
20 top-10 finishes in 36 races last season, including 11
top-fives; lone win came during the first Bristol race - the
inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; ran seventh in this race last
year.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $1,395,145
The circuit's most popular driver finished 12th at Texas to
remain fourth in the standings; ran fifth at Bristol after a
third at Atlanta and second at Las Vegas; was the top finishing
Hendrick car at the Daytona 500 with a ninth-place showing; was
involved in an early race crash at California and finished 40th;
made the move from his father's Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he
won 17 Cup events, to Hendrick Motorsports; got off to a good
start with his new team by winning the Bud Shootout; has not won
a points race since Richmond in May 2006; suffered through a
tough final season at DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had
12 top 10's last season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or
worse; finished 19th in this race last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $2,044,140
Won at Texas for his third win of the season; was docked 100
points and fell from the top spot in the standings after being
penalized after his win at Las Vegas; victory at Texas was his
10th career Cup win; had the dominant car again at Atlanta, but
blew an engine and finished 42nd; ran 19th in the Daytona 500;
qualified for the Chase last year and won at Dover after
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 and he never recovered; won the 2007
NASCAR Busch Series championship; finished with 11 top fives
and 15 top 10s last year; also won at Michigan and Bristol; ran
11th here in April last year.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $1,289,056
Finished dead last at Texas and dropped to 14th in the standings;
ran second at Martinsville; rebounded to finish fifth at Atlanta
after being involved in a scary late-race crash at Las Vegas
where he finished 35th; bounced back with a third at California
after opening his 2008 season with a disappointing 39th in the
Daytona 500; already has three DNFs this season after posting
just one last year; only a dominant finish by teammate Jimmie
Johnson kept him from capturing a fifth championship last
season; finished with 10 top-10 finishes in the final 11 races -
the other finish in that span was an 11th at Dover; totaled a
remarkable 30 top-10 finishes and 21 top-fives in 36 races last
year; spun with less than two laps remaining at Watkins Glen
while leading, costing him another potential win - still managed
to finish ninth; had six checkered flags last 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; had 10 poles last season - double
that of Ryan Newman who had five;won this race last year.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $1,557,547
Two-time defending series champion finished second at Texas
following a fourth at Martinsville; had a disappointing
three-race stretch at Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol when his
average finish was 20th; at ran second at California after
starting this campaign with a 27th at the Daytona 500; sits
sixth in the standings; battled teammate Gordon for the top spot
in the Chase early last season, then took off - winning four
straight races over the second half of the Chase; 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; finished the season with 10 wins, 20 top fives, 24 top
10s and failed to finish four races; ran fourth here in April
last season.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $1,173,450
Ran ninth at Texas after finishing 30th at Martinsville; had
consecutive top-10s at Bristol and Atlanta; was 20th at Las
Vegas due to a late-race incident with Jeff Gordon; ran fifth
at California, fresh off a disappointing 35th place showing at
the Daytona 500; last season had a late-Chase surge with a win
at the season-ending race at Homestead, following a third at
Phoenix and a second at Texas; finished fourth in the final
standings; had 13 top-five finishes and 22 top 10s last season;
won the series championship in 2003 despite capturing only one
checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to change to its current Chase
format; enters this season without longtime crew chief Robbie
Reiser who has been replaced atop the box by Chip Bolin; ran
fifth in this race last year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $1,891,218
Coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes at Martinsville and
Texas; finished second to teammate Kyle Busch at Atlanta, but
was vocal about the poor Goodyear tire quality; suffered a
hard crash at Las Vegas, injured his ankle and finished last;
had another disappointment at Daytona, finishing third despite
having the lead with one lap to go; took sixth at California
after the Daytona 500; moved within two points of the points
lead after the first two Chase races last year, but could not
keep pace with Johnson and Gordon and faded to sixth in the
final standings; 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; won three races in total to go
along with 23 top-10s; ran 25th in this race last year.
2007 Top 10
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1. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
2. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
3. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet
4. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
5. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
6. Jeff Green (66), Chevrolet
7. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
8. Bobby Labonte (43), Dodge
9. Johnny Sauter (31), Chevrolet
10. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
Past Champions
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2007 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 107.710 mph
2006 Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 107.063 mph
2005 Kurt Busch, Ford, 102.707 mph
- FosterGrant Yo, RUWTbot ... why can't I pick a winner for the race? Too many options?
SPRINT Subway Fresh Fit 500 Lap 220/312Apr 12 11:30 PM