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Track Facts:
Banking/Turns: 14°
Distance: 0.75 miles
Shape: Oval

Chevy Rock & Roll 400
Saturday, September 6
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, VA
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST

Schedule
Practice
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. EST, Friday, September 5

Qualifying Friday, September 5
6:10 p.m., Two laps all positions

Race Day Saturday, September 6
7:30 p.m. EST Saturday
TV: ABC 7:30 p.m. EST
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), XM Radio
2007 winner: Jimmie Johnson.

Check the SPEED Channel schedule (speedtv.com) for various programs on the race this weekend.

Race Preview

Quotes from Kyle Petty:
 “We haven’t turned the corner yet on the downforce tracks, but we can definitely see it.  We were competitive at California and that is a place that I’ve not run particularly well at in the past.  We were running around the top-20 for quite a while and our lap times were solid.  Everyone is working hard and that’s what it takes.  We need to continue to do that and end the season with some momentum for the off-season.”
 
“Richmond was a good racetrack when it was a half-mile, but it was more like full-contact racing.  It was really tight and you had to use the ‘eight tires stick better than four’ approach.  When they reconfigured it they did a really nice job with the transitions in the corners.  Now you have enough room to race side-by-side and it has become more of a finesse track than the old one.  You still see bumping and banging, but you can pass without it now.  It’s definitely one of my favorites.”
 
“You know, you never forget the first time you did anything.  Your first homerun, first date with your wife or your first car.  That’s why Richmond will always be a special place for me.  The 1986 season was a long time ago, but I can still remember that first Cup win like it happened yesterday.  I was content to finish with a top-5, but (Dale) Earnhardt and (Darrell) Waltrip got together on the last lap, right in front of me and Joe Ruttman, and I was able to make it through.  I think about that win a lot because I’d been trying for so long.”

Qualifying Results
1. Kyle Busch, Toyota
2. Carl Edwards, Ford
3. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevrolet
5. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet
23. Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
41. Kyle Petty, No. 45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge

Tropical Storm Hanna left its mark on the Richmond Rock and Roll 400 by washing out qualifying and forcing the race to be moved to Sunday afternoon. The decision to move the race to Sunday, instead of the usual Saturday night time slot, was made for the safety of drivers, crew members and fans alike.

The 43 car field will be lined up based on the NASCAR rulebook, which utilizes the owner point’s standings to set the field.

Race Results

1. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
2. Tony Stewart, Toyota
3. Denny Hamlin, Toyota
4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevrolet
5. Mark Martin, Chevrolet
21. Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
24. Kyle Petty, No. 45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge

Jimmie Johnson picked up his second consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup victory by holding off Tony Stewart to the checkered flag of the Richmond Rock and Roll 400 at the Richmond International Raceway. The race, originally scheduled for Saturday night, was run during the heat of the day on Sunday.

This race was the final event before the “Chase for the Sprint Cup.” The field is now set for the final ten races. The 12 drivers that will compete for the 2008 championship will enter the ‘playoffs’ seeded as follows:
Kyle Busch
Carl Edwards
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Jeff Burton
Tony Stewart
Kevin Harvick
Greg Biffle
Denny Hamlin
Jeff Gordon
Matt Kenseth
Clint Bower

Bobby Labonte and the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team finished 21st on Sunday. At the start of the race, Labonte radioed to crew chief Jeff Meendering that he was ‘loose’ getting into the corners, especially under braking. Meendering made several combinations of air pressure, track bar and wedge adjustments to get the car stable when entering the corners. Richmond is a track that you have to attack and being able to charge the corner is crucial for success. Despite the adjustments, Labonte would go down a lap during the early portions of the race. He would get his lap back, via a “Lucky Dog Award,” on lap 211 and would restart 32nd. Needing to pick up valuable track position, Meendering kept Labonte on the track during another caution period on lap 241. Labonte restarted ninth and was able to hold on to 16th place before the next caution came out on lap 296. This picked the team up 16 places on the track. However, on lap 314, Labonte spun coming off the corner. The damage was minimal, but he had to bring the car down pit road for minor body repair. Labonte did a great job in driving the car back up to 21st.

“We were off at the start of the race because this was supposed to be a night race,” said Labonte. “This place takes a much different setup during the day because it doesn’t have much grip to start with. I was really having trouble getting to the middle of the corner and that’s not the way to be here. But we made some adjustments and it got a lot better. The spin was definitely my fault, but there was no grip out there at that point. We were able to fight back for a good finish.”

Kyle Petty and the No. 45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge team came home in the 24th position. Petty had a very fast car, but was a little ‘tight’ at the start of the race. He also lost a lap early due to this condition. Petty raced his way into position for a “Lucky Dog Award,” which he picked up on lap 115. By this time crew chief Stewart Cooper had hit on the right adjustments and Petty began to pick off the cars in front of him. By lap 160 he was up to the 19th position. By lap 208, Petty was running inside the top-15. Petty would make his way up to the 10th position before changing track conditions would cause his handling to go away.

“The guys on this No. 45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge team gave me a great car today,” sounded Petty. “It was really fast during the middle portions of the race. We just had a set of tires there at the end that were a little’ tight’ and the track had no grip either. We had great pit stops all day and we were able to put ourselves in position to pick up a ‘Lucky Dog.’ It was a solid day and something that we can build on.”

Last update Monday, September 8, 2008

Kyle Petty name and/or likeness used under license by Petty Marketing Company, L.L.C.
Richard Petty name and/or likeness used under license by Petty Marketing Company, L.L.C.