| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 25 of 36 in the2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season | |||
_-_Speedway.svg) Track map of the speedway at Auto Club Speedway AKA California Speedway | |||
| Date | September 2, 2007 (2007-09-02) | ||
| Location | Auto Club Speedway,Fontana, California | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2.0 miles (3.23 km) | ||
| Distance | 250 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures up to 107.6 °F (42.0 °C); wind speeds up to 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)[1] | ||
| Average speed | 138.857 miles per hour (223.469 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Penske Racing | ||
| Time | 39.474 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 97 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Jerry Punch,Dale Jarrett andAndy Petree | ||
The2007 Sharp AQUOS 500 was the 25th race of the2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season, and was held on Sunday, September 2, 2007, atCalifornia Speedway nearFontana, California, 50 miles east ofLos Angeles. After this race, only one more race remained before the field is set for the2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and through theBristol race, five drivers -Jeff Gordon,Denny Hamlin,Matt Kenseth.Carl Edwards andTony Stewart - have clinched spots in NASCAR's "playoff series".
This is the second race of the season at California, the 15th since the track was added to the schedule in1997, and the fourth race to be run here as the replacement for theSouthern 500.
The new race sponsor was announced on August 8, 2007, replacingSony HD. Like its predecessor,Sharp Aquos is a brand ofhigh-definitiontelevision set. It was also announced thatStevie Wonder would be the grand marshal, commanding the start of the engines of the 43 cars to start the race.
Kurt Busch won his first pole of the season, edging outJimmie Johnson by .001 of a second. It was the second such narrow loss by Johnson, who lost by the same margin toJ. J. Yeley atMichigan two weeks earlier.
Failed to Qualify: #10-Scott Riggs; #4-Ward Burton; #44-Dale Jarrett
Kyle Busch dominated the race, leading 97 of 250 laps to take home the 10 bonus points for leading the most laps. However, it was his teammate,Jimmie Johnson (from nearbyEl Cajon, California) who took charge and held off a chargingCarl Edwards for his series high fifth victory of the year and an automatic spot in the2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. Also clinching spots wereKyle Busch and Jeff Burton.Martin Truex Jr. andClint Bowyer will clinch spots by starting the next race, theChevy Rock and Roll 400.Ricky Rudd was injured in an accident during the race, separating his shoulder, and missed several races with Mike and Kenny Wallace subbing for him.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2. | #99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 3. | #5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 4. | #31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 5. | #8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Incorporated |
| 6. | #1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Incorporated |
| 7. | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 8. | #83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Team Red Bull |
| 9. | #2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | Penske Racing |
| 10. | #9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | Gillett Evernham Motorsports |
| Previous race: 2007 Sharpie 500 | Nextel Cup Series 2007 season | Next race: 2007 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 |