Sunday, August 8, 2004
ORDER OF THE DAY:
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7 a.m. |
Public gates open |
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9:15 a.m. |
Julie Roberts concert, infield stage |
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10:20 a.m. |
Parade lap, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. Signature Series Chevy Monte Carlo SS |
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10:30 a.m. |
True Grit Award presented |
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11 a.m. |
"Buckle Up Bash starring Vince Gill" concert, infield stage |
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11:30 a.m. |
Drivers/crew chiefs meeting |
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12:20 p.m. |
Pace Car Lap of past Brickyard 400 Pace Cars |
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12:25 p.m. |
Indianapolis Police Department Motorcycle Drill Team Parade Lap |
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12:28 p.m. |
Indiana State University band performs |
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12:30 p.m. |
Pit lane open only to "hot" credentials |
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12:46 p.m. |
Introduction of General Michael Hagee, Commandant of U.S. Marine Corps |
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12:50 p.m. |
Driver introductions and ceremonial lap/NASCAR awards presentation |
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1:26 p.m. |
Presentation of colors, Military Department of Indiana Ceremonial Unit, Indiana National Guard |
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1:29 p.m. |
"America the Beautiful," Indiana State University band |
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1:32 p.m. |
Invocation, Rev. Howard Brammer, Trader's Point Christian Church |
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1:33 p.m. |
National anthem, Rascal Flatts |
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1:34 p.m. |
Flyover, four F-16 fighter jets from 181 st Fighter Wing of Air National Guard, Terre Haute, Ind. |
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1:39 p.m. |
"Gentlemen, start your engines," Mari Hulman George |
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1:40 p.m. |
Parade lap |
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1:50 p.m. |
Start of 11 th Brickyard 400 (160 laps/400 miles) |
***
RACE SPECIFICS:
· Eight-time Brickyard 400 starter Brett Bodine drives the Chevrolet Monte Carlo Pace Car during the race. Bodine finished second to Jeff Gordon in the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994.
· Pit-road speed limit is 55 mph.
· The Pace Car speed will be 65 mph during caution periods.
· There will be three Pace Laps before the green flag flies to start the race.
· The race distance is 160 laps/400 miles on the 2.5-mile oval.
· The estimated pit window is every 38 to 42 laps, based on fuel mileage.
· The drivers will use Goodyear tires with codes D-6826 for the left side and D-6828 for the right side. The same tire combination is used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway.
***
PRE-RACE NOTES:
· The best Brickyard 400 finish by a driver who also has competed in the Indianapolis 500 is fifth by Tony Stewart in 2000.
· Kevin Harvick is the only driver to win the Brickyard 400 from the pole, achieving the feat last year.
· The last time a driver with the last name Mears was on the pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he won the race. Rick Mears earned his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory from the pole in 1991.
· Three drivers who have started outside of the top 10 have won this race: 1995 winner Dale Earnhardt, who started 13 th , 1996 winner Dale Jarrett, who started 24 th and 2001 winner Jeff Gordon, who started 27 th .
· The Brickyard 400 has only been affected by rain one time. In 1995, the race was scheduled to start at 12:17 p.m. but did not start until 4:25 p.m. due to rain.
· Bobby Labonte holds the record for the fastest average speed in Brickyard 400 history. He averaged 155.912 mph when he won the 2000 Brickyard 400.
· The closest margin of victory in Brickyard 400 history was in 1997 when Ricky Rudd defeated Bobby Labonte by .183 of a second.
· The car starting on the pole has led the first lap of all 10 previous Brickyard 400 races.
· The winner of the Brickyard 400 has gone on to win the NASCAR championship in the same year four times. Drivers who have completed the Brickyard 400/NASCAR championship "double:" Jeff Gordon (1998), Dale Jarrett (1999), Bobby Labonte (2000), Jeff Gordon (2001).
***
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval will be repaved after this race.
The historic oval was last repaved in the fall of 1995. The 2004 repaving will mark the first time the warm-up lanes and current pit lane, which were constructed in 1993 and 1994, respectively, receive new asphalt.
The Speedway's 2.605-mile road course, which was built in 1999, will not be paved.
According to Kevin Forbes, IMS director of engineering and construction, 36,500 tons of asphalt will be laid in two or three layers, covering 1,085,085 square feet per layer.
The height of the racetrack, and the track's SAFER Barriers - the energy-absorbing system located on the outside walls in each of the four turns - will not be affected, as 4 inches of the surface will be milled and replaced with an identical amount of new asphalt.
The 9 degrees, 12 minutes of banking in the turns will remain the same. The Speedway oval's banking and overall configuration will not be altered.
Preliminary work is scheduled to begin Aug. 9, the day after the 11 th Brickyard 400, and paving should be completed by mid- to late October, Forbes said. Formal private testing among teams will not likely resume until spring 2005 to allow the new surface to cure over the winter, Forbes said. Hall of Fame Museum track tours will resume within days of the completion of paving.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway's racing surface has taken several forms since the track's construction. The original coal-tar emulsion and crushed stone surface proved dangerous immediately upon the inaugural weekend of racing in August 1909, and 3.2-million paving bricks were laid down in late 1909, giving the track its venerable nickname, "The Brickyard."
Patches of asphalt were placed on rough portions of the turns in 1936, and by 1939 all but the middle portion of the main straightaway was covered with asphalt.
In 1961, the main straightaway was finally covered with asphalt.
The track did not receive its first comprehensive repaving until summer 1976, and the process was repeated in the summer of 1988 and again in the fall of 1995.
***
Kyle Busch, younger brother of NEXTEL Cup Series regular Kurt Busch, won the Kroger 200 NASCAR Busch Series race Saturday night at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Jason Leffler, who will start 25 th today in the Brickyard 400, finished third.
James Spencer of Fredericksburg, Va., will wave the green flag to start the 11 th Brickyard 400 today.
Spencer won the honor as the grand-prize winner of the Checkers®/Rally's® 2004 Brickyard 400 Sweepstakes. Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. is the Official Burger of the Brickyard 400.
Checkers/Rally's flew Spencer and three other first-prize sweepstakes winners to Indianapolis for a three-day weekend getaway, including meeting drivers and VIP hospitality. Spencer's name was randomly selected from the four winners during a gala Saturday night in Indianapolis to earn the honor of waving the green flag to start the race today.
***
Robbie Reiser, crew chief of the No. 17 Smirnoff Ice/DeWalt Ford driven by reigning series champion Matt Kenseth, was presented with the True Grit Award and a $10,000 check this morning.
The award, sponsored by C&R Racing and Visteon Climate Control, honors a dedicated mechanic or crew chief that exemplifies the definition of a hardcore mechanic.
***
The flagman for today's race is Jimmy Howell. Rodney Wise will be the assistant flagman.
***
During the race, the audio from the NBC telecast will be broadcast through the overhead speakers and mult box in the Media Center. The IMS Radio Network broadcast will be available at each workstation through the headphone jack. There are a limited number of headphones available at the front desk. Please see a Media Staff member if you need a set.
After the race, the NBC, IMS Radio Network and Public Address feeds will be broadcast through the overhead speakers during their interview with the winner. The NBC telecast audio will be available at all other times until the post-race press conferences begin. During post-race press conferences, the Trackside Conference Room audio will be broadcast through the overhead speakers, each workstation and mult boxes.
***
The 12 th annual Brickyard 400 is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005.
***
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta is a visitor to the track today.
***
RACE RUNNING:
•#18 Bobby Labonte will move to the rear of the field on the pace laps from his 39 th starting position due to an engine change after qualifying Saturday.
•All 43 starting cars were on the grid by 1:25 p.m.
•Race distance: 160 laps.
•At 1:30 p.m., the ambient temperature was 77 degrees with a relative humidity of 53 percent and variable winds at 4 mph. Skies were partly cloudy.
1:42 p.m. - Command to start engines by Mari Hulman George, Indianapolis Motor Speedway chairman of the board.
1:45 p.m. - All 43 starters pull away on first of three pace laps.
Lap 1: GREEN. #41 Mears, #0 W. Burton touch entering Turn 1, Burton on the outside, Mears on the inside. Cars side by side in Turn 1. Mears holds lead, while #38 Sadler passes Burton for second.
Top five after first lap: #41 Mears, #38 Sadler, #8 Earnhardt, #0 W. Burton, #01 Nemechek.
Lap 2: #41 Mears leads #38 Sadler by .124 of a second.
Lap 3: #38 Sadler passes #41 Mears for lead.
Lap 5: YELLOW. #60 Leffler brushed outside wall between Turns 1 and 2. #60 Leffler then crashed in short chute between Turns 3 and 4. Car slid up track and hit outside wall between Turns 3 and 4. Car slid through Turn 4 and stopped on inside of start of rear straightaway. Heavy damage to right side of car. Leffler climbs from car without assistance.
#6 Martin brushed outside wall between between Turns 1 and 2.
Lap 5: #09 Pruett to pits due to ignition problems, 61 seconds. #00 K. Wallace to pits, four tires and fuel, 20.25 seconds.
Lap 6: #6 Martin to pits, crew pulls out sheet metal from right front fender, 22.97 seconds. #98 Cope to pits, fuel only.
Lap 7: #10 Riggs to pits for chassis adjustment to correct tight handling condition. #40 Marlin to pits, right side tires, add rubber to left-rear spring, 10 seconds. #18 B. Labonte to pits, four tires, fuel, chassis adjustment, tire pressure adjustment, 16 seconds.
Lap 9: GREEN. Restart order: #38 Sadler, #41 Mears, #8 Earnhardt, #0 W. Burton, #01 Nemechek. #8 Earnhardt, #41 Mears touch in Turn 4, with Earnhardt passing Mears for third. #24 Gordon climbs to fourth, #41 Mears falls to fifth. #38 Sadler leads #0 W. Burton by .989 of a second.
Lap 10: #38 Sadler leads #0 W. Burton by 1.170 seconds.
Lap 11: #09 Pruett runs slowly on pit road, crew reports broken valve spring.
Lap 12: #24 J. Gordon passes #8 Earnhardt for third. #38 Sadler leads #0 W. Burton by 1.687 seconds.
Lap 13: #38 Sadler leads #0 W. Burton by 2.146 seconds.
Lap 14: #38 Sadler leads #0 W. Burton by 2.629 seconds. #24 J. Gordon third, 2.742 seconds behind leader. Pole sitter #41 Mears falls to 13 th .
Lap 15: #24 J. Gordon passes #0 W. Burton for second. #38 Sadler leads by 3.136 seconds.
Lap 16: #38 Sadler leads #24 J. Gordon by 3.214 seconds.
Lap 17: #38 Sadler leads #24 J. Gordon by 3.269 seconds.
Lap 18: #88 Jarrett up to 12 th after starting 18 th . #42 McMurray has fallen to 25 th after starting eighth.
Lap 19: #38 Sadler leads #24 J. Gordon by 2.851 seconds.
Lap 20: Top 10 after 50 miles: #38 Sadler, #24 J. Gordon, #0 W. Burton, #12 Newman, #8 Earnhardt, #19 Mayfield, #48 Johnson, #20 Stewart, #97 Busch, #01 Nemechek.
Lap 21: #38 Sadler leads #24 J. Gordon by 2.790 seconds.
Lap 22: #38 Sadler leads #24 J. Gordon by 2.627 seconds.
Lap 24: YELLOW. #20 Stewart did a half-spin exiting Turn 2 after dropping left-side tires on rumble strips on inside of turn. No contact, Stewart continued.
Lap 24: All cars running in the race except for #00 K. Wallace to pits. #48 Johnson, four tires, fuel, wedge adjustment, 17 seconds; #19 Mayfield, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds; #24 J. Gordon, four tires, fuel, air pressure adjustment, 15 seconds. #0 W. Burton, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds; #8 Earnhardt, four tires, fuel, wedge and tire pressure adjustment, 16 seconds, #38 Sadler, four tires, fuel, 15 seconds; #97 Busch, four tires, fuel, left rear repair due to tire problem, 1 minute, 44 seconds; #20 Stewart, four tires, fuel, 19 seconds; #12 Newman, four tires, fuel, 19 seconds; #99 J. Burton, four tires, fuel, trackbar adjustment, 15 seconds.
Restart order: #38 Sadler, #24 Gordon, #8 Earnhardt, #19 Mayfield, #6 Martin, #17 Kenseth, #48 Johnson.
Lap 27: GREEN.
Lap 27: #24 J. Gordon passes #38 Sadler for lead with inside pass entering Turn 1. #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .405 of a second at line.
Lap 31: YELLOW. #48 Johnson spins in short chute between Turns 3 and 4. No contact, Johnson continued. #48 Johnson to pits, four tires and fuel, 22 seconds.
Lap 31: More pit stops. #48 Johnson returns to pits, 26 seconds; #42 McMurray, four tires, fuel, 17 seconds; #00 K. Wallace, fuel only, six seconds; #15 Waltrip, four tires, fuel, 15 seconds; #21 Rudd, four tires, fuel, 17 seconds; #40 Marlin, left-side tires, fuel, 12 seconds.
Lap 32: #6 Martin to pits, right front tire change, fuel, eight seconds.
Lap 33: GREEN.
Lap 37: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .386 of a second.
TODD BODINE:"Not real sure. Something internal in the motor. It felt like it knocked the rocker arm off. When you do that, everything happens from there, rods and cam and so forth. It hurt the motor pretty good, so we're out of the race."
SCOTT PRUETT:"Everybody gave it a valid effort, but it just wouldn't run up top. It felt like something broke inside. I'm not sure I could have made it anyways. I'm really hurting right now. We were in and out two or three times, trying to find out what was wrong, and just couldn't find it. It wouldn't run over 8,000 (rpm). I just didn't want to be in the way."
Lap 42: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .466 of a second. #17 Kenseth up to third, .933 of a second behind leader, after starting 23 rd .
Lap 44: YELLOW. #23 Raines has deflated left-front tire, driving slowly to pits. Crew replaces tires, fixes minor left-front sheet metal damage, four tires and fuel, 52 seconds. #19 Mayfield ducks in toward pits but then veers back on track before entrance to pit road. #0 W. Burton to pits, crew changes battery, 1 minute, 53 seconds.
Forty of 43 starters still running. Cars out: #60 Leffler, #09 Pruett, #50 Bodine.
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director: #60 Leffler was released without injury from Clarian Emergency Medical Center and cleared to drive.
Lap 45: #0 W. Burton to pits, two tires, 10 seconds.
Lap 46: All cars running except #98 Cope to pits. #2 R. Wallace, four tires, fuel, 15 seconds; #12 Newman, four tires, fuel, air pressure and track-bar adjustment, 16 seconds; #20 Stewart, four tires, fuel, air pressure adjustment, 14 seconds; #16 Biffle, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds; #8 Earnhardt, four tires, fuel, chassis adjustment, 21 seconds; #19 Mayfield, four tires, fuel, 17.5 seconds; #97 correction to rear panel, rubbing against fuel-filler neck; #24 Gordon, two tires, fuel, track-bar adjustment, 12 seconds; #99 J. Burton air-pressure adjustment; #88 Jarrett, two tires, fuel, wedge adjustment, 10 seconds; #17 Kenseth, four tires, fuel, 15 seconds.
Lap 47: #98 Cope leads before pulling into pits just before restart.
Restart order: #24 J. Gordon, #38 Sadler, #88 Jarrett, #17 Kenseth, #31 R. Gordon, #20 Stewart, #2 R. Wallace, #91 Elliott, #12 Newman, #19 Mayfield.
Lap 49: GREEN. #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .386 of a second.
Lap 50: Top 10 after 125 miles: #24 J. Gordon, #38 Sadler, #88 Jarrett, #20 Stewart, #17 Kenseth, #31 R. Gordon, #12 Newman, #2 R. Wallace, #9 Kahne, #91 Elliott.
Lap 53: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .256 of a second.
Lap 54: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .223 of a second.
Lap 56: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .964 of a second.
Lap 57: #9 Kahne up to seventh. #98 Cope to garage, overheating, out of race.
Lap 58: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by 1.346 seconds. Pole sitter #41 Mears 27 th , points leader #48 Johnson 31 st .
Lap 59: #9 Kahne brushes SAFER Barrier in Turn 3, continues to pits, deflated right front tire.
Lap 61: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by 1.919 seconds.
Lap 69: YELLOW. #40 Marlin flat left front tire on backstraight. Fire in left front wheel well as Marlin continues around track.
Lap 69: #40 Marlin stops on inside of track at entrance of Turn 2, with fire still in left front wheel well. Goodyear engineers visiting pits to instruct teams to keep tires inflated to at least minimum required levels, NBC reports.
Lap 69: Pit stops. #8 Earnhardt, four tires, fuel, track-bar adjustment; #88 Jarrett, four tires, fuel, air pressure adjustment, 14 seconds; #12 Newman, wedge and air-pressure adjustment; #24 J. Gordon, four tires, fuel, air pressure adjustment, 14 seconds; #20 Stewart, four tires, fuel, air pressure adjustment, 16 seconds; #31 R. Gordon, four tires, fuel, wedge adjustment, 23 seconds; #42 McMurray, wedge adjustment, #17 Kenseth, four tires, fuel, wedge adjustment, 23 seconds; #91 Elliott, four tires, fuel, 17 seconds; #38 Sadler, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds; #19 Mayfield, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds; #2 R. Wallace, four tires, fuel, 18 seconds; #12 Newman, four tires, fuel, 14 seconds; #16 Biffle, four tires, fuel, ; #16 Biffle, four tires, fuel, 13 seconds.
Lap 70: Leader #4 Spencer to pits, four tires, fuel, 20 seconds; #48 Johnson to pits, four tires, fuel, 28 seconds.
Restart order: #38 Sadler, #24 J. Gordon, #17 Kenseth, #88 Jarrett.
Lap 73: GREEN.
Lap 74: YELLOW. Multi-car crash on front straightaway just before Turn 1. Eight cars involved: #0 W. Burton, #10 Riggs, #2 R. Wallace, #21 Rudd, #5 Labonte; #22 Wimmer; #45 Petty; #99 J. Burton. On restart, #16 Biffle made contact with #2 R. Wallace, sending Wallace into wall, triggering chain-reaction collision, with #10 Riggs hitting inside retaining wall with front of car. #10 Riggs hit #5 Labonte when rebounding across track and also hit #0 W. Burton.
Lap 73: #2 R. Wallace in pits, team attempting to pound out sheet-metal damage on left front of car, 59 seconds. Front end was bent so badly that the engine was revving without Wallace touching the gas pedal. Team also covering hole on left front of car.
Lap 74: #45 Petty to pits for repair of crash damage, 1 minute, 2 seconds.
Lap 75: #21 Rudd to pits for repair of crash damage, 1 minute, 7 seconds; #18 B. Labonte to pits, repair of body damage, 1 minute, 46 seconds.
SCOTT RIGGS: "I just saw the 2 get in trouble there and get in the wall. It was a big chain reaction and everybody trying to drive by instead of taking care of it. We just can't seem to make it to the checkered flag."
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director: #40 Marlin released without injury from Clarian Emergency Medical Center and cleared to drive.
Garage report: Crews attempting to repair cars of #5 T. Labonte, #40 Marlin. #5 T. Labonte out of race after crew attempted repairs.
Restart order: #38 Sadler, #24 J. Gordon, #17 Kenseth, #88 Jarrett, #20 Stewart.
Lap 79: GREEN. #24 Gordon passes #38 Sadler in short chute between Turns 1 and 2. #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .165 of a second.
Lap 80: Top 10 after 200 miles: #24 J. Gordon, #38 Sadler, #20 Stewart, #17 Kenseth, #88 Jarrett, #12 Newman, #31 R. Gordon, #29 Harvick, #19 Mayfield, #16 Biffle.
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director: #0 W. Burton and #5 T. Labonte both were released without injury from Clarian Emergency Medical Center and cleared to drive.
Total time for crash-damage repairs on #2 R. Wallace: Four minutes, 17 seconds. Total time for crash damage repairs on #45 Petty: Three minutes, 54 seconds.
Lap 89: YELLOW. #48 Johnson slows. Reports engine failure to crew. Wrecker pushes car to pit road. Out of race.
Lap 89: Pit stops. #8 Earnhardt, four tires, fuel, track-bar adjustment, 15 seconds; #88 Jarrett, right-side tires, fuel, track-bar adjustment, 9 seconds; #24 Gordon, two tires, fuel, 12 seconds; #38 Sadler, four tires, fuel, 12 seconds; #19 Mayfield, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds; #31 R. Gordon, two tires, fuel, 9 seconds; #12 Newman, #20 Stewart collide on pit road. #12 Newman, four tires, fuel, track-bar adjustment, 19 seconds; #20 Stewart, four tires, fuel, track-bar adjustment, 17 seconds; #29 Harvick, rubber removed from left-rear spring; #16 Biffle, four tires, fuel, rubber added to left rear spring, 16 seconds; #6 Martin, four tires, fuel, wedge adjustment; #17 Kenseth, two tires, fuel, 9 seconds; #97 Busch, four tires, fuel, wedge adjustment, air pressure and track-bar adjustment.
JIMMIE JOHNSON:"That was a freak deal there, I am certain. It seems like maybe the crank or something just let go coming off of (Turn) 4. That car was so loose into the turns. I spun out once and had a few more good saves, but just one of those bad days that you have. Last week, we were the heroes, and today we definitely weren't that, but maybe our teammate can do it. The Lowe's team, we just missed it today and had an unfortunate break of the engine." (Under the old points system this would have been a dagger, but under the new system does this really hurt at all?): "You can look at it either way. We have a nice cushion, and it would have been nice to have that under the old system. Now it all resets here in a little bit anyways, but we don't want to have failures, period. We want to be out there competing for every win, so we're more disappointed in that than anything."
Lap 93: GREEN.
Lap 95: #24 Gordon leads #38 E. Sadler by .541 of a seconds.
Lap 97: YELLOW. #77 Gaughan crashes between Turns 1 and 2. Gaughan did half-spin and hit SAFER Barrier with left front and left side of car. Car slid down track and stopped on inside of track at exit of Turn 2. Gaughan climbed from car without assistance.
TERRY LABONTE: "I really don't know what happened. They kept trying to wreck on every restart, and they finally accomplished it. I knew if they kept trying, they'd probably get it, and they did. Unfortunate for us and the Delphi/Kellogg's Chevy that we got caught up in it. Just one of these deals."
WARD BURTON: "The 15 went to the inside. I was full throttle to the outside, then when he pulled out, I noticed everybody checked up. At that point, I was just sliding. That created getting in the wreck. It was just one of those things I couldn't avoid. I didn't see it happen."
Lap 98: #97 Busch to pits, four tires, fuel, repair of right front damage, 50 seconds.
Restart order: #24 J. Gordon, #38 Sadler, #17 Kenseth, #31 R. Gordon, #88 Jarrett.
Lap 102: GREEN. #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .202 of a second.
Lap 104: #24 J. Gordon leads #38 Sadler by .630 of a second. Thirty-two cars on lead lap.
Lap 105: #17 Kenseth passes #38 Sadler for second. #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.334 seconds.
Lap 106: #31 R. Gordon, #88 Jarrett pass #38 Sadler, who falls to fifth.
Lap 107: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.544 seconds.
Lap 108: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.661 seconds.
Lap 109: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.911 seconds.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN:"Thanks to NASCAR and SAFER walls. It still hurts when you hit them. But it has to take some impact out. I feel bad for the Jasper guys here at the Brickyard, their home track. We had our first Penske chassis. Shane made a great call, gave us two tires to get us up there." (About accident): "He (Kasey Kahne) left-rear tired us and gave us a flat before we could do anything."
Lap 114: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 2.181 seconds.
Lap 115: #00 K. Wallace out of race due to engine problem.
Lap 116: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.950 seconds.
Lap 117: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.898 seconds. #24 Gordon reports tight handling condition to crew.
Lap 118: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 2.106 seconds. #31 R. Gordon third, 5.090 seconds behind leader.
Lap 120: Top 10 after 300 miles: #24 J. Gordon, #17 Kenseth, #31 R. Gordon, #88 Jarrett, #38 Sadler, #6 Martin, #20 Stewart, #16 Biffle, #9 Kahne, #19 Mayfield.
Lap 123: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.880 seconds. #38 Sadler fifth, team reports loose-handling condition.
Lap 125: YELLOW. #31 R. Gordon has flat left front tire. Sparks shooting from left-front wheel well.
Lap 125: Pits. #31 R. Gordon enters pits with left-front wheel well on fire due to burning brakes. Crew uses fire extinguisher in pits on fire, creating cloud of smoke on pit road, R. Gordon exits pit after stop of 1 minute, 30 seconds; #88 Jarrett, four tires, fuel, wedge and air pressure adjustment, 14 seconds; #6 Martin, four tires, fuel, 14 seconds; #20 Stewart, four tires, fuel, wedge adjustment, 16 seconds; #12 Newman, four tires, fuel, 19 seconds; #16 Biffle, four tires, fuel, wedge adjustment, 17 seconds; #8 Earnhardt, four tires, track-bar and wedge adjustment; #9 Kahne, four tires, fuel, track-bar adjustment, 14 seconds; #19 Mayfield, four tires, fuel, air pressure adjustment, 14 seconds; #38 Sadler, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds; #17 Kenseth, four tires, fuel, 14 seconds; #24 J. Gordon, four tires, fuel, 14 seconds; #29 Harvick, two tires only.
Lap 126: #31 R. Gordon returns to pits for more service, 1 minute, 5 seconds. #49 Schrader leads.
Restart order: #24 J. Gordon, #17 Kenseth, #88 Jarrett, #6 Martin, #38 Sadler.
Lap 129: GREEN.
Lap 133: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.706 seconds. #9 Kahne up to fifth, 4.397 seconds behind leader. Kahne was one lap down after suffering flat tire earlier in race.
Lap 134: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.741 seconds.
Lap 136: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 2.028 seconds.
Lap 137: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.948 seconds.
Lap 138: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.789 seconds.
Lap 139: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.733 seconds.
Lap 140: Top 10 after 350 miles: #24 J. Gordon, #17 Kenseth, #88 Jarrett, #38 Sadler, #9 Kahne, #6 Martin, #19 Mayfield, #8 Earnhardt, #20 Stewart, #16 Biffle.
Lap 141: #24 J. Gordon leads #17 Kenseth by 1.458 seconds. #88 Jarrett third, 3.093 seconds behind leader.
Lap 142: #17 Kenseth to pits for right-side tires, fuel, eight seconds. #88 Jarrett inherits second.
Lap 144: YELLOW. Debris, possibly brake rotor from #31 R. Gordon. R. Gordon then pits three to attempt to fix brake problem. Unsuccessful. Crew reports car has no brakes on left front wheel and said car has 25 percent of normal overall braking power. Total time of repairs, 1 minute, 38 seconds.
Lap 144: Pit stops. #12 Newman, fuel, eight seconds.
Restart order: #24 J. Gordon, #88 Jarrett, #38 Sadler, #6 Martin, #9 Kahne.
Lap 147: GREEN.
Lap 150: YELLOW. #22 Wimmer crashes in Turn 1. Wimmer skates up track and hits SAFER Barrier in Turn 1. Heavy damage to car. Event-record 11 th caution period of event. Previous record for caution periods was nine in 1998. Crew of #24 J. Gordon reports that he hit debris on track.
Restart order: #24 J. Gordon, #88 Jarrett, #38 Sadler, #6 Martin, #9 Kahne.
Lap 153: GREEN. #24 J. Gordon leads #88 Jarrett by .540 of a second.
Lap 154: #24 J. Gordon leads #88 Jarrett by .504 of a second.
Lap 156: YELLOW. #12 Newman crashes in Turn 2. Car does three-quarter spin in Turn 2 and hits SAFER Barrier with rear of car. Slides down back straightaway, stops along wall. Newman climbs from car without assistance. #25 Vickers also involved in accident, heavy damage to rear of car. Vickers to pits, returns to track with heavy rear-end damage. Event-record 12 th caution period.
Restart order: #24 J. Gordon, #88 Jarrett, #38 Sadler, #6 Martin, #9 Kahne.
Lap 159: GREEN.
Lap 160: WHITE. #24 J. Gordon leads #88 Jarrett by .522 of a second. #21 Rudd slows exiting Turn 4.
Lap 161: #6 Martin slows with flat tire. YELLOW.#8 Earnhardt, #21 Rudd collide on backstretch.
YELLOW/CHECKERED. #24 Jeff Gordon wins the 11 th Brickyard 400 by .900 of a second over #88 Dale Jarrett. #38 Elliott Sadler finished third, 1.272 seconds behind Gordon. It's Gordon's record fourth Brickyard 400 victory. Gordon stops car at Yard of Bricks on start-finish line and stand on car, raising arms in celebration.
Gordon joins four-time Indianapolis 500 winners A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as four-time winners of a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gordon's three previous Brickyard 400 victories came in 1994, 1998 and 2001.
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POST-RACE QUICK QUOTES:
JEFF GORDON:"What an amazing week it has been. That Yard of Bricks is so special. It feels so incredible. This guy, Robbie Loomis, what an amazing job. What a great effort. I'm so excited." (About hitting debris late in race): "I thought it was all over. I thought we were done. I hated it for Matt Kenseth that he hit it. He had a strong car and was coming on. To win at this Speedway, I can't even describe the emotions going on. It means so, so much. I don't get cheered often, so it means so much to me to hear this here in Indianapolis. Man, I don't know how we pulled that off."
DALE JARRETT: "You always want to win. Jeff had the best car. I want to congratulate him on a great run. Certainly we wanted to win; this is a great place to race."
ELLIOTT SADLER:"I was a little bit tight behind him. It's great to have two Robert Yates cars in the top three. We had one car better than us. I have to congratulate Jeff Gordon on his fourth Brickyard."
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BRICKYARD 400 POST-RACE NOTES:
•Jeff Gordon earned his fourth Brickyard 400 victory in his 11 th start. Rick Mears earned his fourth Indianapolis 500 victory in his 14 th start, in 1991. A.J. Foyt earned his fourth Indianapolis 500 victory in his 20 th start. Al Unser earned his fourth Indianapolis 500 victory in his 22 nd start.
•The average speed of the race was 115.037 mph, the slowest average speed in event history. The previous slowest average speed was 125.033 when Bill Elliott won in 2002.
•There were 13 caution periods for 47 laps, both event records. The previous record for number of cautions was nine in 1998, while the previous record for caution laps was 36 in 2002.
•Jeff Gordon won from the 11 th starting spot, only the fourth time the winner has come from outside the top 10. Dale Earnhardt won from the 13 th starting spot in 1995, Dale Jarrett won from the 24 th starting spot in 1996, and Gordon won from the 27 th starting spot in 2001.
•Jeff Gordon led 124 laps today, an event record. The previous record was 117 by Dale Jarrett when he won in 1999.
•Jeff Gordon led 47 consecutive laps between Laps 79-125 today, an event record for consecutive laps led. The previous record was 43 laps (Laps 118-160) by Dale Jarrett when he won in 1999.
•Jeff Gordon extended his event record for laps led to 433 laps in 11 starts.
•Greg Biffle gained 29 spots from start to finish today, more than any other driver. He started 35 th and finished sixth.
•Jeff Gordon became the fourth driver to win a major event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway four times. The drivers, events and years of victories:
-- A.J. Foyt, Indianapolis 500, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977
-- Al Unser, Indianapolis 500, 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987
-- Rick Mears, Indianapolis 500, 1979, 1984, 1988, 1991
-- Jeff Gordon, Brickyard 400, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004
Wolf Henzler has recorded four victories in Porsche Michelin Supercup series support races to the United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2000. Henzler won once in 2002, 2003 and both races in 2004.
• Dale Jarrett's second-place finish was his fifth top-three finish in Brickyard 400 competition.
• Elliott Sadler's finish of third was his best in six Brickyard 400 starts. His previous best was 21 st in his first start in 1999.
• Tony Stewart's fifth-place finish tied his career best in this event. He also finished fifth in 2000.
• Kevin Harvick's eighth-place finish was his third consecutive top-10 finish at Indy.
• Bill Elliott's ninth-place finish was his ninth top-10 finish in 11 Brickyard 400s.
• Jeremy Mayfield's 11 th -place finish was his second best in 10 Brickyard 400 starts. His best was fifth in 1997.
• Rusty Wallace's 13th-place finish was his second worst in 11 Brickyard 400s. His only other time out of the top 10 was 1997, when he finished 38 th .
• Casey Mears' finish of 26 th was the worst by a Brickyard 400 pole winner since Jeff Gordon finished 37 th in 1996.
• Kasey Kahne finished fourth, the second-best finish by a first-time Brickyard 400 starter other than the inaugural race in 1994. Jamie McMurray finished third in 2003 in his first Brickyard start.
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