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Tune in for
all the action!
2007 TV Schedule
2007 Schedule
Race Previews & Results
Daytona 500
Auto Club 500
UAW 400
Kobalt Tools 500
Food City 500
Goody's 500
Samsung 500
Subway Fresh 500
Aaron's 499
Crown Royal 400
Dodge Avenger 500
All_Star
Coca Cola 600
Autism Speaks 400
Pocono 500
Citizens Bank 400
Toyota/Save Mart 350
Lenox Tools 300
Pepsi 400
USG Sheetrock 400
Allstate 400
Pennsylvania 500
AMD at the Glen
GFS Marketplace 400
Sharpie 500
Sharp AQUOS 500
Chevy Rock & Roll 400
Syvania 300
Dodge Dealers 400
Lifelock 400
UAW-Ford 500
Bank of Americ 500
Subway 500
Bass Pro Shop MBNA 500
Dickies 500
Checker Auto 500
Ford 400
Additional Stories
How Does NASCAR Qualifying Work?
Chad McCumbee and John Andretti Named To Drive #45 Dodge
Make Your Vote Count
Make Kyle the most popular driver in 2007"
Speed Adds Kyle Petty
 Robbie Loomis
Feature guest on
the NASCAR Teleconference
Loomis looms large for Petty team
Inside the Halls of Petty: Welcome back Andretti
2007 NASCAR TV
Broadcast Times Announced
TNT Kyle Petty to serve as Race Analyst
Petty Meets Key
Legislature In Support
Of Track In Northwest
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Track Facts:
Banking/Turns: 24°
Distance: 1.5 miles
Shape: Quad-oval
Dickies 500
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Texas Motor Speedway
ABC/Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
Schedule
Practice
12:00 pm -1:30 pm Friday, Nov. 2
11:00 am - 11:50 am Saturday, Nov. 3
12:50 pm -1:50 pm Final Practice Saturday, Nov. 3
Qualifying
4:40 pm Friday, Nov. 2
Two laps all positions
Race Day Sunday, November 4
2:30 pm Driver Introduction
3:00 pm Race (334 laps, 501 miles)
TV: ABC, XM Radio, MRN Radio
2006 Winner: Tony Stewart
Check the SPEED Channel schedule (speedtv.com) for various programs on the race this weekend.
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Race Preview
Petty Enjoys Stronger Performances
Team Improvement Shown on Track
This weekend, Kyle Petty and the #45 Dodge team will travel to the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) for Sunday’s Dickies 500. The Lone Star State stop marks the beginning of the home stretch in the “Chase for the Championship.”
For the first time during the “Chase,” the Nextel Cup Series will visit intermediate tracks on back-to-back weekends. This is music to the ears of the #45 team as they continue to assert themselves firmly within the top-35 in owner points. These tracks have been the strongest area of the team during the 2007 season, especially at the “sister” tracks to TMS. A third place finish at Lowe’s (N.C) Motor Speedway in May, along with the 13th place finish garnered last week at Atlanta, gives the team invaluable confidence heading into Texas.
Petty has made nine starts at TMS. His best finish of 11th came in the 2006 version of this event. He remains 34th in the owner point’s standings.
Comments from Petty as he prepares for the Dickies 500:
“Atlanta, man, that was an awesome race. We had a fast racecar. It was a rocket when they dropped the green flag. Billy (Wilburn, crew chief) did a great job in making some in-race calls to get us track position and bonus points. We almost snookered those guys in front of us with some fuel strategy to get a top-five. The breaks just didn’t fall our way. We’ll take 13th and head to Texas.”
“But, I can’t say enough at the job that everyone on this team did on Sunday. We weren’t quite where we wanted to be when we rolled off the truck. The guys kept at it and worked their tails off. It was a different Dodge Charger for the race because they didn’t quit. This is a good race team. We are going to finish this season strong.”
“Last weekend helps us a ton because we are going to a very similar track in Texas. I’ve always liked racing on these mile-and-a-halfs. Texas is getting to where it has multiple grooves where you can race hard. We need to go in there and grab another top-15. That would put us in good position in owner points. We need to string these finishes together to put some heat on the guys in front of us. I know we can finish the year even higher in the standings.”
“A lot about racing is having some luck on your side. Look at the guys at the top of the standings. They just haven’t had very many bad finishes. That’s what it takes. But at the same time, we have a lot of confidence when we show up to these intermediate tracks. These tracks are the most competitive on the circuit. It becomes a balance of confidence and good fortune. This #45 team is beginning to have both.”
“Texas has become a great market for our sport. You know, it was one of the first tracks built outside the Southeast when NASCAR was really trying to expand its borders. Those fans down there have embraced us and they love their stock car racing. I don’t think you will find anyone in this series, or any other, that doesn’t like going to race in Texas. And every driver wants to put a Texas win on their resume. It has become a marquee market.”
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Race Results
1. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
2. Matt Kenseth, Ford
3. Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet
4. Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
5. Ryan Newman, Dodge
16. Bobby Labonte, #43 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Dodge
42. Kyle Petty, #45 National Tire and Battery Dodge
OVERVIEW:
Jimmie Johnson is now the NASCAR Nextel Cup point’s leader. He overtook Matt Kenseth in the final stages of Sunday’s Dickies 500 at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway to win his ninth race of the season. The win was good enough to earn him 190 points to take the championship lead with two races left.
Kenseth was looking to sweep both events at Texas on Sunday. His #17 Ford was strong all day, but during the final 40 laps of the race he couldn’t hold off the challenge from Johnson. Johnson restarted fourth on the last restart. It didn’t take long for Johnson, who had four fresh tires, to blast to the front. Kenseth only had taken two tires on the last pit stop. That turned out to be the difference as Johnson closed in. The two battled for the lead for several laps, but Johnson finally took the lead with two laps left. Kenseth finished second. Johnson now leads Jeff Gordon by 30 points.
Bobby Labonte put the #43 Dodge in the16th position on the lead lap at the end of Sunday’s 500-mile event. Labonte started the race in the 13th position. The car wasn’t handling the way Labonte wanted early, but crew chief Doug Randolph continued to make changes as day became night during the event. Labonte’s lap speeds continued to improve as Labonte continually drove back to the front. Late in the race Labonte was put back on the lead lap for the second time during the race. This time, however, it was for good. He climbed to 14th before finishing 16th at the end of the race. He was one of only 16 cars to complete all 334 laps.
Kyle Petty and the #45 Dodge team had high hopes heading into Sunday’s event. Petty was racing the same Dodge that raced to a top 15 finish at the Atlanta Motor Speedway one week prior. Petty was fast in the final practice sessions on Saturday. Petty started 37th in Sunday’s event, but had been as high as 16th before working on handling. Petty was at the point of the event when the sun was setting when he was stuck in the middle of a three car accident. The #40 Dodge cut a tire and collected Petty and Bill Elliott in his wreck. Petty hit the Turn Four wall hard, but was not hurt. The car was heavily damaged. The crew worked nearly the entire race before it was evident that the damage was terminal. Petty finished 42nd.
“We just kept working on the car,” said crew chief Billy Wilburn. “You almost had to rebuild it and there was just too much damage. There was nothing that could be done to avoid a wreck like that. I just hate it for Kyle and all these guys, but we’ll move to Phoenix and gain some ground back.”
The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series heads to the flat one-mile Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway for next Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500. The race will be televised live by ABC and broadcast live on MRN Radio.
Last update Monday, November 5, 2007
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.
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