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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:
Turns: 31°
Distance: 2.5 miles
Shape: Tri-Oval
Pepsi 400
Sunday, July 7
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
Saturday, 8:00 p.m. EST
Schedule
Practice
4:30 p.m. 5:20 p.m. EST, Thursday, July 5
6:40 p.m. 7:45 p.m. EST, Final Practice Thursday, July 5
Qualifying
4:10 p.m. EST, Friday, July 6, Two lap all positions
Race Day Saturday, July 7
8:00 p.m. EST Sunday
TV: TNT 6:30 p.m.
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), XM 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
Andretti Knows the Way to Victory Lane at Daytona
#45 Driver is Former Daytona 400 Winner
John Andretti will make up part of a very small contingent of drivers when he enters the garage area for this weekend’s Daytona 400 at the 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He is one of only a handful of drivers who have visited Daytona’s famed victory lane as the winner of a Nextel Cup race and the 24 Hours of Daytona road race event. This weekend, Andretti will pilot the #45 Dodge Charger in his third start of the season for Petty Enterprises.
The Daytona 400 has become one of the favorite races of the year for drivers, crews and fans alike. It has evolved from a day race to one that is run under the lights. Night racing gives a different perspective to the side-by-side action that has come to define racing at Daytona. Andretti’s 1997 ‘400’ victory was the last July race to be staged under the blazing Florida sun.
Andretti has 22 previous starts at 2.5-mile, high-banked oval - 11 of those with Petty Enterprises. To go along with his 1997 victory, Andretti has one top-five finish and he has led 138 laps. He has started 10th or higher in three races at the track.
Comments from Andretti as he prepares for Saturday night’s Daytona 400:
“I love going to Daytona. I’ve won the 24 Hour race before in sports cars. I’ve won the Daytona 400 in stock cars. I won the last day race for the Daytona 400, actually. I would really like to get into the new victory lane and hold up the new lighted trophy that they have. It’s just a special place to race. I can’t say enough about it. Everyone dreams of winning there and I feel very fortunate to have done that twice.”
“I feel great about our chances. I think we should have a good race. The thing about going to Daytona is that is doesn’t really matter where you start. You just need to have a good drafting car. Hopefully, then, someone will work with you and you can get to the front. I think we should be able to have that. I’ll have a teammate out there who knows how to get around the place. If we can get our cars hooked up like you see some of the other teams we’ll be in good shape.”
“Billy Wilburn and I have really developed great lines of communication over these last couple of weeks. The big thing between a driver and his crew chief is for the crew chief to be able to understand what he wants the car to do. It makes both of our jobs much easier. Anytime I ask for something I get it. That is all I can ask for. One of the things we have had to deal with is that we have gone from a downforce car, to an Avenger, and now to a speedway car in the three races that I have run. That’s the NASCAR ‘trifecta’ in 2007. We are getting a lot of different things thrown at us once instead of just working down one path. But, that is good because we are making some quick progress. We are doing a lot of testing. That is going to help a lot too because we get to go through a lot of things and continue to work on that communication.”
“Coming back to Petty Enterprises has been great for me because I would do anything for the Petty’s. It has been like a trip home. You go in and see everyone that works there, people that have become like family. That means a lot. I have enjoyed every minute I have spent with Petty Enterprises. I have two races left with them this year. I am as determined as ever to help them out. Both myself and the Petty’s have had success at Daytona. I can’t think of a better place to turn it around and have a good finish.”
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Race Results
Daytona 400
July 7, 2007; Daytona Beach, Florida
FINAL RESULTS:
1. Jamie McMurray, Ford
2. Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
3. Kurt Busch, Dodge
4. Carl Edwards, Ford
5. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
28. John Andretti, #45 Tire Kingdom Dodge
35. Bobby Labonte, #43 Pillsbury/Cinnabon Dodge
OVERVIEW:
It took Jamie McMurray a photo finish win to end a winless streak that had lasted over 150 races. McMurray used the outside line at the 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to press pass Kyle Busch by near inches at the line to win Saturday night’s 400-mile summer classic.
McMurray’s only previous victory came very early in his career when he subbed for an injured Sterling Marlin in the Ganassi 40 Dodge at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Since that time, McMurray was sent to Roush Racing, but never saw victory lane again until Saturday night. His car was one of the best handling and fastest around the slick track. It looked, however, that McMurray might let this one slip through his fingers. He was caught speeding on pit road and had to serve a “pass through” penalty on pit road. McMurray was able to come back through the field, but waged a fierce battle with Kyle Busch at the end. Thirty of their closest friends were also in attendance right behind each of their bumpers coming down to the line. McMurray got a drafting ‘push’ coming off the tri-oval, and he had just enough momentum to beat Busch at the line. The margin of the victory was measured in inches and thousandths of seconds. It was a spectacular finish with no wrecks- surely showcasing NASCAR’s strength of putting on some of the best finishes in all of sports.
John Andretti and the #45 Dodge survived the excitement of the night with a strong 28th place finish. Andretti started the night in the 34th position, but quickly had the car in the top-25. The car was strong and had lap times comparable to those in the top-10. The handling of the car became the team’s biggest obstacle as the night progressed. The car was tight and loose, but crew chief Billy Wilburn made air pressure adjustments to make the car better. Andretti was running comfortably in the field when he suffered some damage on lap 132. Andretti was sent into the wall after cars were avoiding an accident in front of them. The Dodge lost a lap in the process of getting the damage repaired, but the team was awarded the ‘lucky dog’ and back on the lead lap. Andretti had to restart at the end of the pack- a place where cars are always attempting to lineup in the correct position. Andretti knew he wanted to go to the front, and had a car capable. The restart, however, cars were lining up and Andretti didn’t get the momentum he wanted on the final run to the finish. Andretti still finished a strong 28th.
“You try to get good restarts,” said Andretti. “But, you get back there with some of those guys. You just don’t know. We didn’t get the restart we wanted, but Billy Wilburn and the guys did a great job tonight. I don’t know what happened in the wreck, but we had to come back from that. We had a pretty good car, but didn’t have some of the luck we needed.”
Luck did not visit Bobby Labonte and the #43 Dodge Saturday night either. Labonte had a strong car, but for the second consecutive year at Daytona it had to go to waste by other competitor’s mistakes. Labonte started the evening in the 19th position and looked pretty good early. But, early was when trouble struck up front with leaders Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart. The teammates triggered and accident that sent cars spinning in every direction. An Associated Press photo of the accident clearly shows Labonte driving through the wreckage, but also shows Reed Sorenson pointing directly into the bumper of the Dodge. It was only moments after the photo was taken when Sorenson hit Labonte from behind. The accident caused severe body damage to the car. It also knocked the steering out. The team made repairs and Labonte was still on the lead lap. Labonte charged through the field and looked strong. The next caution the team took time to make more repairs. Again, Labonte was moving through the field. The march was halted when David Reutimann bounced off the wall into Labonte. Labonte was then hit hard by Juan Montoya. This time the back of the Dodge was nearly ripped entirely off. The team went behind pit wall and made repairs. They were able to clear enough sheet metal and apply enough tape for Labonte to complete the race and save positions. Labonte finished 35th.
“Well, we pick up and go to Chicago” said Labonte. “We just couldn’t avoid the wrecks. We didn’t cause any, but we sure did get caught up in them. It’s frustrating cause we had a pretty good car. The guys worked hard to get us back out at the end. That saved us from losing a position.”
The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series heads to the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois for next Sunday’s Chicagoland 400. The race will be televised live by TNT and broadcast on MRN Radio.
Last update Tuesday, July 17, 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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