2007 Kroger 200 (IRP)

Last updated

2007 Kroger 200
Race details [1]
Indianapolis Raceway Park-Oval.svg
Map of Speedway
Date July 28, 2007 (2007-07-28)
Official name 2007 Kroger 200
Location Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Indiana
Course Short track
Course length 0.686 miles (1.104 km)
Distance 200 laps, 137.2 mi (220.801 km)
Weather Clear
Average speed 80.143 mph (128.978 km/h)
Attendance 40,000
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Time 22.481
Most laps led
Driver Greg Biffle Roush Racing
Laps 94
Winner
No. 38 Jason Leffler Braun Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN2
Announcers Marty Reid, Randy LaJoie

The 2007 Kroger 200 was a NASCAR Busch Series race held at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Indiana on July 28, 2007. The race was the 26th iteration of the event and the 22nd race of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series. Aric Almirola won the pole and led the 2nd most laps at 87 behind Greg Biffle who led the most laps at 94. But it was Jason Leffler who scored a historic upset victory giving the new first year manufacture Toyota its first ever NASCAR Busch Series victory. [2]

Contents

Background

Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park, O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Raceway) is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Indianapolis. It includes a 0.686-mile (1.104 km) oval track, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) road course (which has fallen into disrepair and is no longer used), and a 4,400-foot (1,300 m) drag strip which is among the premier drag racing venues in the world. The complex receives about 500,000 visitors annually.[ citation needed ]

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver
#DriverTeamMake
00 Mike Potter D.D.L. Motorsports Chevrolet
0 Eric McClure D.D.L MotorsportsChevrolet
01 Shelby Howard D.D.L. MotorsportsChevrolet
1 Kertus Davis Phoenix Racing Chevrolet
05 Brett Rowe Day Enterprise Racing Chevrolet
6 Erik Darnell Roush Racing Ford
7 Mike Wallace Phoenix RacingChevrolet
08 Jason White Pennington Motorsports Dodge
9 Deac McCaskill Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge
10 Mike Bliss Braun Racing Toyota
14 Kyle Krisiloff (R) Carl A. Haas Motorsports Ford
16 Greg Biffle Roush RacingFord
18 Brad Coleman (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet
19 Brian Keselowski Whitney Motorsports Dodge
20 Aric Almirola Joe Gibbs RacingChevrolet
21 Tim McCreadie Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
22 Josh Wise Fitz Racing Dodge
24 Landon Cassill Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
25 Richard Johns Team Rensi Motorsports Ford
27 Jason Keller Brewco Motorsports Ford
28 Robert Richardson Jr. Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet
29 Brandon Miller Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
30 Danny O'Quinn Jr. SKI Motorsports Chevrolet
33 Cale Gale Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet
35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Team Rensi MotorsportsFord
36 Brent Sherman McGill Motorsports Chevrolet
37 Bobby East Brewco MotorsportsFord
38 Jason Leffler Braun RacingToyota
41 Scott Lagasse Jr. Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge
42 Kevin Hamlin Chip Ganassi RacingDodge
44 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet
47 Kelly Bires Wood Brothers Racing/JTG Racing Ford
49 Derrike Cope Jay Robinson RacingChevrolet
52 Brad Teague Means Racing Ford
56 Frank Kreyer Mac Hill Motorsports Chevrolet
59 Marcos Ambrose (R)Wood Brothers Racing/JTG RacingFord
60 Travis Kvapil Roush RacingFord
66 Steve Wallace Rusty Wallace Inc. Dodge
72 D. J. Kennington MacDonald Motorsports Dodge
77 Ron Hornaday Jr. Kevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet
88 Brad Keselowski (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet
89 Morgan Shepherd Faith Motorsports Dodge
90 Stephen Leicht Robert Yates Racing Ford
99 Mark Green Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota
Official Entry list

Qualifying

Aric Almirola won the pole for the race with a time of 22.481 and a speed of 109.853. [3]

GridNo.DriverTeamManufacturerTimeSpeed
120Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet22.481109.853
26 David Ragan (R)** ***Roush RacingFord22.576109.391
377Ron HornadayKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet22.582109.361
447Kelly BiresWood Brothers/JTG RacingFord22.641109.076
538Jason LefflerBraun RacingToyota22.726108.668
699 David Reutimann** ***Michael Waltrip RacingToyota22.745108.578
790Stephen LeichtRobert Yates RacingFord22.795108.340
860 Carl Edwards** ***Roush RacingFord22.797108.330
918Brad Coleman (R)Joe Gibbs RacingChevrolet22.805108.292
1016Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord22.815108.245
1101Shelby HowardD.D.L. MotorsportsChevrolet22.823108.207
1241Scott Lagasse Jr.Chip Ganassi RacingDodge22.834108.155
1327Jason KellerBrewco MotorsportsFord22.854108.060
141 J. J. Yeley** ***Phoenix RacingChevrolet22.854108.060
1588Brad Keselowski (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet22.868107.994
1629 Scott Wimmer** ***Richard Childress RacingChevrolet22.873107.970
1721Tim McCreadieRichard Childress RacingChevrolet22.889107.895
1833Cale GaleKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet22.900107.843
197Mike WallacePhoenix RacingChevrolet22.909107.800
2037Bobby EastBrewco MotorsportsFord22.912107.786
2136Brent ShermanMcGill MotorsportsChevrolet22.959107.566
2210Mike BlissBraun RacingToyota22.969107.519
2324Landon CassillHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet22.976107.486
2459Marcos Ambrose (R)Wood Brothers/JTG RacingFord22.979107.472
2566Steve WallaceRusty Wallace Inc.Dodge22.991107.416
2619Brian KeselowskiWhitney MotorsportsDodge22.995107.397
2725Richard JohnsTeam Rensi MotorsportsFord23.007107.341
2835Bobby Hamilton Jr.Team Rensi MotorsportsFord23.015107.304
2922Josh WiseFitz RacingDodge23.037107.201
3042Kevin Hamlin***Chip Ganassi RacingDodge23.053107.127
3130Danny O'Quinn Jr.SKI MotorsportsChevrolet23.081106.997
3214Kyle Krisiloff (R)Carl A. Haas MotorsportsFord23.178106.549
3389Morgan Shepherd***Faith MotorsportsDodge23.272106.119
3472D. J. KenningtonMacDonald MotorsportsDodge23.414105.475
350Eric McClureD.D.L. MotorsportsChevrolet23.467105.237
3656Frank KreyerMac Hill MotorsportsChevrolet23.508105.054
3749Derrike CopeJay Robinson RacingChevrolet23.529104.960
3805Brett Rowe***Day Enterprise RacingChevrolet23.729104.075
3952Brad TeagueMeans RacingFord23.848103.556
4028Robert Richardson Jr.Jay Robinson RacingChevrolet23.858103.512
4144Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet23.862103.495
429Deac McCaskill*Gillett Evernham MotorsportsDodge
4308Jason WhitePennington MotorsportsDodge23.864103.486
Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes
4400Mike PotterD.D.L. MotorsportsChevrolet23.980102.986
DC1Kertus DavisPhoenix RacingChevrolet
DC6Erik DarnellRoush RacingFord
DC29Brandon MillerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
DC60Travis KvapilRoush RacingFord
DC99Mark GreenMichael Waltrip RacingToyota
Official Starting grid

* – Made the field via owners points

** – There were 5 different driver changes by Raceday as there were drivers qualifying the cars for the Cup Series drivers. Kertus Davis qualified for J. J. Yeley, Erik Darnell qualified for David Ragan, Brandon Miller qualified for Scott Wimmer, Travis Kvapil qualified for Carl Edwards, and Mark Green qualified for David Reutimann. This was during the peak of the Buschwhacker era where Cup Series drivers would drive in the Busch Series and would ask for other drivers to qualify their Busch Series car while they tried to qualify the Cup Series race which would be the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

*** – David Ragan, David Reutimann, Carl Edwards, J. J. Yeley, Scott Wimmer, Kevin Hamlin, Morgan Shepherd, and Brett Rowe all had to go to the rear of the field. Ragan, Reutimann, Edwards, Yeley, and Wimmer all had driver changes, Hamlin had unapproved impound adjustment, Shepherd had an engine change, and Rowe missed the drivers meeting.

Race

Pole sitter Aric Almirola led the first lap of the race. The first caution of the race flew on lap 14 when Landon Cassill crashed in turns 1 and 2 after he got spun by Steve Wallace. During the caution period, some drivers pitted.[ citation needed ] On pit road, a scary accident occurred. Ron Hornaday went in to pit and one of his tire carriers went out there but went a bit too far out and got clipped by the oncoming Richard Johns, whose stall was two ahead of Hornaday. The contact sent the crew member to flip onto his head while the tire landed on Johns' roof. Fortunately, the crew guy was not severely hurt. The race would restart on lap 19. On lap 44, the second caution would fly when David Ragan crashed in turn 4 after he got spun by Josh Wise. Bobby East and Ron Hornaday did not pit and East led the field to the restart on lap 51. On the restart, Hornaday took the lead from East.[ citation needed ] On lap 55, Aric Almirola took the lead. On lap 69, the third caution flew when Scott Lagasse Jr. came up in front of Brad Coleman down the frontstretch and Coleman hooked Lagasse and both went into the outside wall. The race would restart on lap 74. On lap 96, the 4th caution would fly when Brett Rowe blew a right front tire and hit the outside wall in turns 3 and 4. Greg Biffle won the race off of pit road but Deac McCaskill, Brian Keselowski, and D. J. Kennington did not pit and McCaskill led the field to the restart on lap 102. On the next lap, Greg Biffle would take the lead from McCaskill.[ citation needed ]

Final laps

On lap 140, the 5th caution would fly when Richard Johns hit the outside wall in turns 1 and 2. The race would restart on lap 145.[ citation needed ] But on lap 146, the 6th caution would fly when Deac McCaskill crashed in turn 4 after getting spun by Landon Cassill. The race would restart with 51 laps to go. With 45 to go, the 7th caution flew when Deac McCaskill crashed again in almost the same spot as before. The race would restart with 37 laps to go. With 36 to go, Carl Edwards challenged his teammate Biffle for the lead. Biffle raced side by side with Edwards for a lot of laps and Edwards got the lead change with 33 to go but could not pass Biffle and ended up falling back to 4th after he got passed by David Reutimann and Jason Leffler with around 26 to go. It looked like Biffle was gonna hold off everyone and win after Reutimann and Leffler began to fight hard with each other for 2nd place.[ citation needed ] Leffler and Reutimann even made contact a few times before Leffler got passed Reutimann with 13 to go and Leffler began to close in on Biffle. It looked like it was going to be almost a photo finish between Biffle and Leffler. But with 9 to go, the 8th and final caution flew when Josh Wise spun down the frontstretch. The race would restart with 5 laps to go in the race. With 4 to go, Biffle's car slid high in turns 1 and 2 giving Leffler a shot to take the lead from him. Leffler fought hard with Biffle for the lead and with 3 to go, Leffler passed Biffle for the lead. Biffle tried to catch him but Leffler began to pull away and Jason Leffler won the race. This would the third and final time a non Cup Series driver won a Busch Series race in 2007. The win would make NASCAR history as it would be Leffler's second and final career Busch Series win, but it would also be Toyota's first ever Busch Series win as a manufacturer. Since this win, Toyota has won 196 races as of 2023, 91 of those wins coming from Kyle Busch from 2008 to 2022. Greg Biffle, David Reutimann, Carl Edwards, and Ron Hornaday rounded out the top 5 while Aric Almirola, Scott Wimmer, Kevin Hamlin, Mike Bliss, and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10. [4]

Race results

PosCarDriverTeamManufacturerLaps RunLaps LedStatusPoints
138Jason LefflerBraun RacingToyota2003running190
216Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord20094running180
399David ReutimannMichael Waltrip RacingToyota2000running165
460Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFord2001running165
577Ron HornadayKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet2005running160
620Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet20087running155
729Scott WimmerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running146
842Kevin HamlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge2000running142
910Mike BlissBraun RacingToyota2000running138
1088Brad Keselowski (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet2000running134
1127Jason KellerBrewco MotorsportsFord2000running130
1221Tim McCreadieRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running127
1335Bobby Hamilton Jr.Team Rensi MotorsportsFord2000running124
1433Cale GaleKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet2000running121
1525Richard JohnsTeam Rensi MotorsportsFord2000running118
161J. J. YeleyPhoenix RacingChevrolet2000running115
1766Steve WallaceRusty Wallace Inc.Dodge2000running112
186David Ragan (R)Roush RacingFord2000running109
1922Josh WiseFitz RacingDodge2000running106
207Mike WallacePhoenix RacingChevrolet2000running103
2114Kyle Krisiloff (R)Carl A. Haas MotorsportsFord2000running100
2230Danny O'Quinn Jr.SKI MotorsportsChevrolet2000running97
2319Brian KeselowskiWhitney MotorsportsDodge2000running94
2490Stephen LeichtRobert Yates RacingFord2000running91
2572D. J. KenningtonMacDonald MotorsportsDodge1990running88
2608Jason WhitePennington MotorsportsDodge1970running85
2728Robert Richardson Jr.Jay Robinson RacingChevrolet1960running82
2856Frank KreyerMac Hill MotorsportsChevrolet1950running79
290Eric McClureD.D.L. MotorsportsChevrolet1930running76
3024Landon CassillHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1920running73
3118Brad Coleman (R)Joe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1900running70
3259Marcos Ambrose (R)Wood Brothers/JTG RacingFord1740running67
3336Brent ShermanMcGill MotorsportsChevrolet1700running64
3441Scott Lagasse Jr.Chip Ganassi RacingDodge1600running61
359Deac McCaskillGillett Evernham MotorsportsDodge1535crash63
3601Shelby HowardD.D.L. MotorsportsChevrolet1430suspension55
3705Brett RoweDay Enterprise MotorsportsChevrolet940suspension52
3847Kelly BiresWood Brothers/JTG RacingFord821engine54
3937Bobby EastBrewco MotorsportsFord744crash51
4089Morgan ShepherdFaith MotorsportsDodge340engine43
4149Derrike CopeJay Robinson RacingDodge300overheating40
4252Brad TeagueMeans RacingFord230transmission37
4344Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet60brakes34
Official Race results

References

  1. "2007 Kroger 200". Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2007.
  2. "NASCAR: Leffler wins Kroger 200". Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  3. "Almirola sets Indianapolis Busch pole". Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2007.
  4. "Leffler takes Toyota's first Busch win". Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
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