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The 2007 Nextel Open and Nextel All-Star Challenge was a professional auto race held on May 19, 2007, at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. [1] North Carolina native and former NBA MVP Michael Jordan was the grand marshal of the event.
NASCAR's All-Star Challenge is an exhibition race which uses a different format. Similarly to the All-Star games in other North American sports leagues, it does not affect the championship standings. Race winners (either drivers or teams) in the 2006 and the first eleven races of the 2007 seasons, plus former Winston/Nextel Cup Champions and All-Star event winners from the past decade, automatically qualify for the main event. On restarts of the race after caution flags, the cars line up in a double file restart, akin to the start of a regulation race. A description of how the race was reformatted for the 2007 running can be found here.
Qualifying for this event is different from qualifying in NASCAR. Those entered for the main event take three timed qualifying laps (instead of the usual two laps used in all sanctioned oval races), but they must take a required pit stop for four tires after either the first or second lap, coming in at the pit road speed (in the case of LMS, 45 miles per hour), with no speed limit on exits. Infractions will also incur time penalties. Starting in 2007, the selection of the pit boxes used by teams was made after the annual Pit Crew Challenge event to be held three days earlier at Charlotte Bobcats Arena, won by the Ryan Newman No. 12 team. In the qualifying, Matt Kenseth won the pole. Kevin Harvick was bumper-to-bumper with Jimmie Johnson coming to the start/finish line to win the race.
All other drivers or teams that are in the Nextel Cup Top 50 owners or drivers points that do not automatically qualify for the All-Star Challenge are entered into a 40-lap, a two-half event called the Nextel Open. Only the top two drivers, plus one additional driver on the lead lap that is voted in by fans on the World Wide Web via Sprint/Nextel's website, their customers, and attendees of the race, join the elite field. Standard qualifying rules applied for those in this event, which saw Carl Edwards win "P-1" (a.k.a. the pole position), edging fellow Roush-Fenway teammate David Ragan. The Nextel Open was won by Martin Truex Jr. Johnny Sauter finished second.
Before the All-Star Challenge, a new preliminary race was held between Nextel Cup crew chiefs—the Kobalt Tools Crew Chief Race. [2] The race comprised eighteen crew chiefs driving small Legends Thunder Roadster cars on the quarter-mile oval in front of the main track's grandstand and was televised in the United States on Speed. [2] NASCAR on ESPN color commentator and former crew chief, Andy Petree won the main event, earning a $10,000 donation for any charity of his choice. [2] [3] The charities he decided to donate the race winnings to were Motor Racing Outreach and Mud Creek Baptist Church. [2]
The following drivers qualified after they won at least one race in the 2006 or 2007 seasons, in order of their qualifying win:
The following drivers qualified as a result of driving a car that won a race in 2006 with a different driver:
The following drivers qualified as a result of being a former Nextel Cup champion (since 1997):
The following drivers qualified as a result of being a former winner of the Nextel All-Star Challenge (since 1997):
The following drivers qualified via the Nextel Open:
Also qualifying, the 2007 Fan Vote Winner:
| # | Driver | Team | Make |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Mark Martin | Ginn Racing | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Kurt Busch | Penske Racing South | Dodge |
| 5 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Casey Mears | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 43 | Bobby Labonte | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 44 | Dale Jarrett | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 83 | Brian Vickers | Red Bull Racing | Toyota |
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 2 | 6 | David Ragan (R) | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 3 | 22 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Toyota |
| 4 | 38 | David Gilliland (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 5 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 6 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 7 | 41 | Reed Sorenson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 8 | 84 | A. J. Allmendinger (R) | Red Bull Racing | Toyota |
| 9 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 10 | 15 | Paul Menard (R) | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 11 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 12 | 10 | Scott Riggs | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 13 | 14 | Sterling Marlin | Ginn Racing | Chevrolet |
| 14 | 13 | Joe Nemechek | Ginn Racing | Chevrolet |
| 15 | 66 | Jeff Green | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet |
| 16 | 49 | Mike Bliss | BAM Racing | Dodge |
| 17 | 96 | Tony Raines | Hall of Fame Racing | Chevrolet |
| 18 | 21 | Jon Wood (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 19 | 4 | Ward Burton | Morgan-McClure Racing | Chevrolet |
| 20 | 70 | Johnny Sauter | Haas CNC Racing | Chverolet |
| 21 | 78 | Kenny Wallace | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | 07 | Clint Bowyer | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 23 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 24 | 18 | J. J. Yeley | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 25 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Ford |
| 26 | 36 | Jeremy Mayfield | Bill Davis Racing | Toyota |
| 27 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 28 | 00 | David Reutimann (R) | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
| 29 | 34 | Kevin Lepage | Front Row Motorsports | Dodge |
| 30 | 37 | Boris Said | Front Row Motorsports | Dodge |
| 31 | 40 | David Stremme | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 32 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 3 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Penske Racing South | Dodge |
| 4 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 5 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge |
| 9 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 10 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 11 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Gillet Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 12 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 13 | 44 | Dale Jarrett | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
| 14 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Red Bull Racing | Toyota |
| 15 | 43 | Bobby Labonte | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 16 | 25 | Casey Mears | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 17 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 18 | 01 | Mark Martin | Ginn Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr.* | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 20 | 70 | Johnny Sauter** | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet |
| 21 | 78 | Kenny Wallace*** | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet |
* - Won the Showdown
** - Showdown runner up
*** - Fan Vote winner
Martin Truex Jr. won the Nextel Open, which was the first win for him of any kind in a Nextel Cup race. Johnny Sauter edged out Carl Edwards for the second transfer spot in this race.
The 40-lap race was stopped four times due to caution, including a 10-car incident halfway through lap 1 in which, among other things, the hoods of the cars driven by David Gilliland and Juan Pablo Montoya collided.
Kenny Wallace won the fan vote, partly due to a large Get out the vote campaign mounted by Speed Channel, where he worked as an analyst.
Kevin Harvick passed Jeff Burton at the start of the fourth and final segment and won the event for the first time in his career. Harvick won $1,031,539, which at the time was the largest amount awarded to an all-star race winner. Jimmie Johnson finished second, and Mark Martin finished third.
Burton had inherited the lead from Matt Kenseth, who was sent to the tail end of the longest line due to speeding on pit road during the break between segments three and four. During this break, teams had to visit the pits at least once, but no service was required. Kenseth decided on the visit and also won the first segment. Kyle Busch was first at the end of the second segment.
It was the fourth win for Richard Childress Racing after three wins by Dale Earnhardt.
This race was also notable for a crash between brothers Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch. They touched entering turn 1 with 18 laps to go, sending both into the wall rear-first. In an interview after the incident, Kurt Busch joked that he would not "be eating Kellogg's anytime soon," referring to Kyle Busch's sponsor.
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Marin Truex Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet | 40 | 3 | running |
| 2 | 70 | Johnny Sauter | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 3 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 40 | 37 | running |
| 4 | 22 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Toyota | 40 | 0 | running |
| 5 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 40 | 0 | running |
| 6 | 07 | Clint Bowyer | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 7 | 14 | Sterling Marlin | Ginn Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 8 | 36 | Jeremy Mayfield | Bill Davis Racing | Toyota | 40 | 0 | running |
| 9 | 96 | Tony Raines | Hall of Fame Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 10 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 40 | 0 | running |
| 11 | 40 | David Stremme | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 40 | 0 | running |
| 12 | 66 | Jeff Green | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 13 | 18 | J. J. Yeley | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 14 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 40 | 0 | running |
| 15 | 84 | A. J. Allmendinger (R) | Red Bull Racing | Toyota | 40 | 0 | running |
| 16 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Ford | 40 | 0 | running |
| 17 | 4 | Ward Burton | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 18 | 78 | Kenny Wallace | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | running |
| 19 | 34 | Kevin Lepage | Front Row Motorsports | Dodge | 40 | 0 | running |
| 20 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 38 | 0 | running |
| 21 | 00 | David Reutimann (R) | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 33 | 0 | electrical |
| 22 | 6 | David Ragan (R) | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 20 | 0 | crash |
| 23 | 41 | Reed Sorenson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 20 | 0 | crash |
| 24 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 20 | 0 | crash |
| 25 | 49 | Mike Bliss | BAM Racing | Dodge | 9 | 0 | crash |
| 26 | 37 | Boris Said | Front Row Motorsports | Dodge | 9 | 0 | crash |
| 27 | 10 | Scott Riggs | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 1 | 0 | crash |
| 28 | 38 | David Gilliland (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 0 | 0 | crash |
| 29 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 0 | 0 | crash |
| 30 | 15 | Paul Menard (R) | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | crash |
| 31 | 13 | Joe Nemechek | Ginn Racing | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | crash |
| 32 | 21 | Jon Wood (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 0 | 0 | crash |
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 20 | running |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 3 | 01 | Mark Martin | Ginn Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 4 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 6 | 70 | Johnny Sauter | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 7 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 80 | 36 | running |
| 8 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 80 | 0 | running |
| 9 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 10 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 11 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 12 | 44 | Dale Jarrett | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 80 | 0 | running |
| 13 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Red Bull Racing | Toyota | 80 | 0 | running |
| 14 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 80 | 0 | running |
| 15 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 80 | 0 | running |
| 16 | 78 | Kenny Wallace | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | running |
| 17 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 63 | 0 | crash |
| 18 | 25 | Casey Mears | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 63 | 0 | crash |
| 19 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 62 | 0 | crash |
| 20 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Henndrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 62 | 0 | crash |
| 21 | 43 | Bobby Labonte | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 41 | 0 | crash |
The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 57th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 34th modern-era Cup series. The season began on Saturday, February 12. The ten-race Chase for the Nextel Cup started with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 18, and ended on Sunday, November 20, with the Ford 400.
The 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 58th season of professional Stock car racing in the United States and the 35th modern-era NASCAR Cup series season. It was started at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 12 with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on Monday, November 20, with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Chase for the Nextel Cup began with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 17, at New Hampshire International Speedway. This was the last full-time season with the Gen 4 car.
The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 56th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 33rd modern-era Cup series season. The season began on Saturday, February 7, and ended on Sunday, November 21. Kurt Busch, who drove a Ford for Roush Racing, was the Nextel Cup champion. It would be the last time until 2012 that the championship would be won by someone other than Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson.
The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 55th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 32nd modern-era Cup Series season. The season began on February 8 at the Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. Despite only winning one race throughout the whole season, Matt Kenseth, driving the No.17 Ford for Roush Racing, was strongly consistent following the lone win, and was crowned the Winston Cup champion. His only win came in the third race of the 36 race season. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins and 264 points over second-place finisher Dodge, who had nine wins and 203 points. Ford finished the year third with seven wins and 200 points, and Pontiac finished fourth with one win and 125 points.
The 2006 NASCAR Busch Series opened on February 18, 2006, at Daytona International Speedway, and concluded on November 18, 2006, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kevin Harvick, driving for his own team, Kevin Harvick, Inc., as well as for Richard Childress Racing, was declared champion.
The 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 59th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 36th modern-era Cup series. Beginning on February 10 at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout, the season ended on November 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. The Chase for the Nextel Cup started with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway and was contested over the final ten races.
The 2007 NASCAR Busch Series was the 26th season of the NASCAR Busch Series, the second-tier professional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. It began on February 17 with the Orbitz 300 at Daytona International Speedway and concluded on November 17 with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Carl Edwards clinched the series championship on November 3 during the O'Reilly Challenge with 2 races remaining. The 2007 season was the final season of the series under Anheuser-Busch's sponsorship. In 2008, the Busch Series became the Nationwide Series sponsored by insurance company Nationwide Insurance with a $70 million contract for 7 years.
The 2008 Daytona 500, the 50th annual running of the event, was held on February 17, 2008 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was the 50th to be run since the first in 1959, won by Lee Petty. To commemorate the event, the Harley J. Earl Trophy, which goes to the winner of the race, was plated in gold instead of silver. In addition, the winning car was placed on display for one year at the Daytona 500 Experience attraction just outside Turn Four. Ryan Newman won the race, his only win in the 2008 season and his final win for team owner Roger Penske.
The 2004 Daytona 500, the 46th running of the event, was the first race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It was a race held on February 15, 2004, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was televised by NBC, with Allen Bestwick, 1975 race winner Benny Parsons, and Wally Dallenbach Jr. calling the action for the second time after the 2002 race. It was the first NASCAR Nextel Cup race to air in high definition.
The 2007 Allstate 400 at The Brickyard, the 14th running of the event, was the twentieth race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the first of the season that was televised by NASCAR on ESPN. It was held on July 29, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
The 2007 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 was the twenty-sixth and final "regular season" race in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The race was run on Saturday night, September 8, 2007 at Richmond International Raceway in Henrico County, Virginia, just outside Virginia's state capital. The race was the eleventh to use NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow template, and also the first race to be telecast on ABC since the 2000 Brickyard 400.
The 2007 Dickies 500 was the 34th race in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season and the third to last race in the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup. This race took place on Sunday, November 4, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.
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The 2010 AAA Texas 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on November 7, 2010, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Contested over 334 laps, it was the thirty-fourth race during the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and the eighth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The race was won by Denny Hamlin of the Joe Gibbs Racing team. Matt Kenseth finished second, and Mark Martin clinched third.
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The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 65th season of NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 42nd modern-era Cup season. The season began on February 16, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway, with the Sprint Unlimited, followed by the Daytona 500 on February 24. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17.
The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 67th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 44th modern-era Cup season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race, the Budweiser Duels, and the Daytona 500. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle Busch won the championship, despite missing the first third of the season due to severe leg injuries suffered in an Xfinity Series race at Daytona. Busch also became the first Toyota driver to win a Cup championship. Despite not running the full season, Brett Moffitt was named Rookie of the Year.
The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 68th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 45th modern-era Cup series season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Sprint Unlimited, the Can-Am Duel and the Daytona 500. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won his seventh drivers' championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most all-time. Toyota won the manufacturer's championship, becoming the first manufacturer to win the manufacturer's championship other than Chevrolet since 2002.
The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was the 69th season of professional stock car racing in the United States, and the 46th modern-era Cup series season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Advance Auto Parts Clash, the Can-Am Duel qualifying races and the 59th running of the Daytona 500. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jimmie Johnson entered the season as the defending champion, having won his record-tying seventh Cup championship that he shares with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing won the championship, his first in the series. Toyota won the Manufacturers' Championship for the second year in a row.
