Second race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
Motor car race
The 2007 Auto Club 500 was the second stock car race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the 11th iteration of the event . The race was held on Sunday, February 25, 2007, before an audience of 87,000 in Fontana, California , at California Speedway , a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway . The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. At race's end, Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth would manage to dominate a majority of the race to take his 15th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[ 1] [ 2] To fill out the top three, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson , both drivers for Hendrick Motorsports , would finish second and third, respectively.
The layout of Auto Club Speedway , the venue where the race was held.
Auto Club Speedway (previously California Speedway) was a two-mile (3.2 km), low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which hosted NASCAR racing annually from 1997 to 2023. It was also used for open wheel racing events. The racetrack was located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and Riverside International Raceway. The track was owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and was the only track owned by ISC to have its naming rights sold. The speedway was served by the nearby Interstate 10 and Interstate 15 freeways as well as a Metrolink station located behind the backstretch.
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#
Driver
Team
Make
Sponsor
00
David Reutimann (R)
Michael Waltrip Racing
Toyota
Domino's
1
Martin Truex Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
Bass Pro Shops , Tracker Boats
01
Mark Martin
Ginn Racing
Chevrolet
U.S. Army
2
Kurt Busch
Penske Racing South
Dodge
Miller Lite
4
Ward Burton
Morgan–McClure Motorsports
Chevrolet
State Water Heaters
5
Kyle Busch
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
Kellogg's , Carquest
6
David Ragan (R)
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
AAA
7
Robby Gordon
Robby Gordon Motorsports
Ford
Jim Bean
07
Clint Bowyer
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
Jack Daniel's
8
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
Budweiser
9
Kasey Kahne
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
Dodge
10
Scott Riggs
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
Stanley Tools
11
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Chevrolet
FedEx Freight
12
Ryan Newman
Penske Racing South
Dodge
Mobil 1
13
Joe Nemechek
Ginn Racing
Chevrolet
CertainTeed
14
Sterling Marlin
Ginn Racing
Chevrolet
Panasonic
15
Paul Menard (R)
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
Menards , Quaker State
16
Greg Biffle
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
Ameriquest Mortgage
17
Matt Kenseth
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
Carhartt
18
J. J. Yeley
Joe Gibbs Racing
Chevrolet
Interstate Batteries
19
Elliott Sadler
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
Dodge
20
Tony Stewart
Joe Gibbs Racing
Chevrolet
The Home Depot
21
Ken Schrader
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
Little Debbie
22
Dave Blaney
Bill Davis Racing
Toyota
Caterpillar
24
Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
DuPont Cromax Pro
25
Casey Mears
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
National Guard , GMAC
26
Jamie McMurray
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
Crown Royal
29
Kevin Harvick
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
Shell , Pennzoil
31
Jeff Burton
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
Cingular Wireless
34
Kevin Lepage
Front Row Motorsports
Dodge
Front Row Motorsports
36
Jeremy Mayfield
Bill Davis Racing
Toyota
360 OTC
37
John Andretti
Front Row Motorsports
Dodge
Camping World
38
David Gilliland
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
M&M's
40
David Stremme
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dodge
Coors Light
41
Reed Sorenson
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dodge
Energizer
42
Juan Pablo Montoya (R)
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dodge
Texaco , Havoline
43
Bobby Labonte
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
Cheerios
44
Dale Jarrett
Michael Waltrip Racing
Toyota
UPS
45
Kyle Petty
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
Wells Fargo
48
Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
Lowe's
49
Mike Bliss
BAM Racing
Dodge
Zone Loans
55
Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip Racing
Toyota
NAPA Auto Parts
66
Jeff Green
Haas CNC Racing
Chevrolet
Yellow Transportation
70
Johnny Sauter
Haas CNC Racing
Chevrolet
Best Buy
72
Brandon Whitt
CJM Racing
Chevrolet
Dutch Quality Stone
78
Kenny Wallace
Furniture Row Racing
Chevrolet
Furniture Row
83
Brian Vickers
Red Bull Racing Team
Toyota
Red Bull
84
A. J. Allmendinger (R)
Red Bull Racing Team
Toyota
Red Bull
88
Ricky Rudd
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
Snickers
96
Tony Raines
Hall of Fame Racing
Chevrolet
DLP HDTV , Texas Instruments
99
Carl Edwards
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
Office Depot
The first practice session was held on Friday, February 23, at 2:30 PM EST . The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Joe Nemechek , driving for Ginn Racing , would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 38.873 and an average speed of 185.219 miles per hour (298.081 km/h).[ 3]
The second practice session was held on Saturday, February 24, at 2:00 PM EST . The session would last for 50 minutes. Clint Bowyer , driving for Richard Childress Racing , would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 39.686 and an average speed of 181.424 miles per hour (291.974 km/h).[ 3]
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, February 24, at 5:20 PM EST . The session would last for 50 minutes. Kevin Harvick , driving for Richard Childress Racing , would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 40.380 and an average speed of 178.306 miles per hour (286.956 km/h).[ 3]
Qualifying was held on Friday, February 23, at 1:30 PM EST . Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.[ 3] While positions 1-42 would be determined by qualifying speed, the top 35 teams in owner's points would be assured that they would earn a spot in the field if they had managed to make an effort to qualify. The remaining seven positions from positions 36-42 would be assigned to those drivers with the fastest qualifying speeds whose car owners are not among the top 35. The final starting position, position 43, can be utilized by a car owner whose driver is a current or past NASCAR Nextel Cup champion who participated as a driver during the current of previous season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline. In the case that iff there was more than one series champion vying for the position, it would be given to the most recent series champion. If the final provisional starting position is not filled by a current or past series champion, it will be assigned to the next eligible car owner according to qualifying results.[ 4]
Jeff Gordon , driving for Hendrick Motorsports , would win the pole, setting a time of 38.765 and an average speed of 185.735 miles per hour (298.912 km/h).[ 5]
Eight drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results [ edit ]
Fin
St
#
Driver
Team
Make
Laps
Led
Status
Pts
Winnings
1
25
17
Matt Kenseth
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
250
133
running
195
$342,316
2
1
24
Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
250
2
running
175
$249,011
3
23
48
Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
250
31
running
170
$212,811
4
8
31
Jeff Burton
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
250
18
running
165
$173,441
5
3
01
Mark Martin
Ginn Racing
Chevrolet
250
1
running
160
$171,708
6
6
07
Clint Bowyer
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
250
2
running
155
$119,875
7
18
2
Kurt Busch
Penske Racing South
Dodge
250
0
running
146
$140,583
8
11
20
Tony Stewart
Joe Gibbs Racing
Chevrolet
250
28
running
147
$148,161
9
12
5
Kyle Busch
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
250
9
running
143
$109,525
10
15
83
Brian Vickers
Red Bull Racing Team
Toyota
250
0
running
134
$94,400
11
17
11
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Chevrolet
250
0
running
130
$116,800
12
19
12
Ryan Newman
Penske Racing South
Dodge
250
0
running
127
$128,275
13
29
18
J. J. Yeley
Joe Gibbs Racing
Chevrolet
250
0
running
124
$124,958
14
26
13
Joe Nemechek
Ginn Racing
Chevrolet
250
0
running
121
$90,450
15
13
16
Greg Biffle
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
250
2
running
123
$108,400
16
39
6
David Ragan (R)
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
250
0
running
115
$130,075
17
4
29
Kevin Harvick
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
250
3
running
117
$136,786
18
31
70
Johnny Sauter
Haas CNC Racing
Chevrolet
249
0
running
109
$87,450
19
24
40
David Stremme
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dodge
249
0
running
106
$90,850
20
22
15
Paul Menard (R)
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
249
0
running
103
$87,850
21
42
7
Robby Gordon
Robby Gordon Motorsports
Ford
249
0
running
100
$90,700
22
37
45
Kyle Petty
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
249
1
running
102
$104,908
23
41
96
Tony Raines
Hall of Fame Racing
Chevrolet
249
0
running
94
$99,500
24
38
19
Elliott Sadler
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
248
0
running
91
$105,670
25
40
38
David Gilliland
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
248
0
running
88
$114,314
26
9
42
Juan Pablo Montoya (R)
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dodge
248
0
running
85
$120,475
27
34
88
Ricky Rudd
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
248
0
running
82
$116,233
28
28
43
Bobby Labonte
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
248
0
running
79
$121,436
29
21
99
Carl Edwards
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
247
0
running
76
$92,200
30
16
66
Jeff Green
Haas CNC Racing
Chevrolet
247
0
running
73
$106,608
31
10
25
Casey Mears
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
246
0
running
70
$91,275
32
43
44
Dale Jarrett
Michael Waltrip Racing
Toyota
246
0
running
67
$80,575
33
33
00
David Reutimann (R)
Michael Waltrip Racing
Toyota
239
0
accident
64
$92,958
34
32
37
John Andretti
Front Row Motorsports
Dodge
220
0
electrical
61
$80,150
35
27
14
Sterling Marlin
Ginn Racing
Chevrolet
198
0
electrical
58
$89,472
36
36
21
Ken Schrader
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
160
0
engine
55
$98,989
37
35
26
Jamie McMurray
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
134
0
running
52
$87,550
38
2
9
Kasey Kahne
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
129
20
engine
54
$137,991
39
14
22
Dave Blaney
Bill Davis Racing
Toyota
112
0
engine
46
$87,180
40
5
8
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
74
0
engine
43
$124,433
41
30
10
Scott Riggs
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
16
0
accident
40
$86,900
42
7
1
Martin Truex Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
14
0
engine
37
$105,155
43
20
41
Reed Sorenson
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dodge
7
0
accident
34
$86,963
Failed to qualify
44
55
Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip Racing
Toyota
45
4
Ward Burton
Morgan–McClure Motorsports
Chevrolet
46
36
Jeremy Mayfield
Bill Davis Racing
Toyota
47
84
A. J. Allmendinger (R)
Red Bull Racing Team
Toyota
48
72
Brandon Whitt
CJM Racing
Chevrolet
49
49
Mike Bliss
BAM Racing
Dodge
50
78
Kenny Wallace
Furniture Row Racing
Chevrolet
51
34
Kevin Lepage
Front Row Motorsports
Dodge
Official race results
Standings after the race [ edit ]
Drivers' Championship standings
Note : Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
^ Harris, Mike (February 25, 2007). "Kenseth puts Daytona behind him with win" . NASCAR . Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved March 2, 2023 .
^ "Kenseth Bounces Back With Auto Club Win" . The Washington Post . February 25, 2007. ISSN 0190-8286 . Retrieved March 3, 2023 .
^ a b c d "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2007 California 1 Race Info / Rundown Page" . Jayski's Silly Season Site . Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2023 .
^ "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2007 Past Champion Provisional Info Page" . Jayski's Silly Season Site . Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2023 .
^ Mejía, Diego (February 23, 2007). "Gordon on pole at California" . Autosport . Retrieved March 3, 2023 .
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