Sunday, August 6, 2006
TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
| 7 a.m. | Public Gates Open |
| 9-9:45 a.m. | Virgin Millionaires, Coca-Cola Stage |
| 10-10:45 a.m. | J Henry, Allstate Stage |
| 10:30 a.m. | Virgin Millionaires, Coca-Cola Stage |
| 11-11:45 a.m. | Jack Ingram, Allstate Stage |
| Noon-1 p.m. | Lorrie Morgan, Allstate Stage |
| 1 p.m. | Pre-Race Ceremonies Begin |
| 1:15 p.m. | America Supports You/Homes For Our Troops Salute To Armed Forces |
| 1:20 p.m. | IPD Motorcycle Drill Team |
| 1:35 p.m. | Pace Car Parade |
| 1:48 p.m. | Presentation Of Allstate Bricklayer Award |
| 1:50 p.m. | Indiana State University Marching Band |
| 2 p.m. | Driver Introductions |
| 2:27 p.m. | "America the Beautiful," Indiana State University Marching Band |
| 2:31 p.m. | Invocation, Rev. Howard Brammer, Trader's Point Christian Church, Indianapolis |
| 2:31 p.m. | National Anthem, Kelly Rowland |
| 2:33 p.m. | Flyover, Four F-16 Jets, 181st Fighter Wing, Indiana Air National Guard, Terre Haute, Ind. |
| 2:38 p.m. | Command To Start Engines, Mari Hulman George, IMS Chairman |
| 2:50 p.m. | Start, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps)
Green Flag Waved By Grand Marshal Chris Noth |
***
Kevin Harvick won the Kroger 200 benefiting Riley Hospital for Children NASCAR Busch Series race Saturday night at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
The top five finishers in the race – Harvick, Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley, Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton – all will start in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard today.
***
Goodyear released the following statement after Saturday's practice for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
STU GRANT (General manager of global race tires, Goodyear): "Through the final practice session on Saturday, Goodyear engineers reported tire wear is improving. As with all 'green' track surfaces, we see rather high tire wear that will slow down as the track rubbers in. That is the case here this weekend. Also, a number of cars were running with their left front tires under the recommended air pressure inflation. Some teams experienced classic over-deflection failures as a result. Our engineers say the solution to the situation is for the teams to run higher air pressure in their left front tires. Based on our analysis, in the incident during today's practice it appeared the left front tire on Kurt Busch's car had been under-inflated. There could have been a puncture. We are not sure if it was low air pressure or a puncture that caused the tire to go down."
Goodyear has specified these minimum recommended tire air pressures for this event:
| Left front: | 18 psi |
| Left rear: | 17 psi |
| Right front: | 37 psi |
| Right rear: | 33 psi |
***
Chad Chaffin's Dodge is sporting a special paint scheme saluting the city of El Paso, Texas, in today's race. Chaffin will start 25th in a car that features a smiling chili pepper and sunburst on the hood with the slogan, "El Paso – Sun, Salsa, Smiles."
Heavy rain has caused extensive flooding in El Paso recently, as Texas Gov. Rick Perry has asked President Bush to declare the region a federal disaster area.
Last Thursday, 900 people were evacuated to the El Paso Convention Center due to heavy rainfall and flood damage, with another 600 forced to evacuate Friday.
PIFAS SILVA (Communications manager, El Paso Convention & Visitors Bureau): "Chad qualifying is a bit of good news for a community which has had a lot of tough hurdles this past week. This is giving us a sense of pride for the city we proudly call home."
***
Award-winning car designer and fabricator Chip Foose designed the special paint scheme this weekend on the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet driven by four-time Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon.
The "Hot Hues"-themed paint scheme debuted in February during the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. The fan response was so positive that Gordon decided to use the scheme again, at Indianapolis.
Foose is the lead designer and co-host of the hit show "Overhaulin'" on The Learning Channel. He founded Foose Design in 1998. The company, headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., specializes in illustration, graphics, ideation model making, surfacing, and the complete construction of automobiles and automobile-related products, including its unique line of Foose Design wheels.
The Foose logo is on the hood and rear deck lid of Gordon's car this weekend.
CHIP FOOSE: "It's a great event to come out here. It's a real honor to have my name on Jeff Gordon's car. So it'd be awesome to see Jeff Gordon to do real well. I'd be great to see him on Victory Lane. With DuPont and Jeff's team, just to be here with them is an honor. This is the first time I've been here to the Speedway. It is absolutely amazing. Looking forward to doing a tour of the facility; it is just phenomenal to me here." (About Foose logo on the hood and rear deck lid of Gordon's car): "Well, we have the Foose logo on Jeff's car because I designed his graphics." (When did you paint the car?): "I actually painted Jeff's car back in December. We ran this car at Fontana, California Speedway, in February. When Jeff saw the car, he asked if he could run it again at the Brickyard. So it was his decision to run it here. DuPont honored it, and it's a pleasure to be honored by both of them. It's truly an honor to be asked by Jeff to do the graphics on his car. Glad we made him happy with the new color scheme on the car."
***
Checkers/Rally's, the Official Burger of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 37 Dodge driven by Mike Skinner in today's race.
Skinner will start 17th in the car fielded by R&J Racing.
ROGER CRAVEN (Co-owner, R&J Racing): "It's really exciting that we're carrying the colors of the Official Burger of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. We have a veteran driver in Mike and plan on giving Checkers/Rally's plenty of coverage in one of NASCAR's biggest races of the season."
RICHARD S. TURER (Vice president of marketing, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc.): "NASCAR is a natural fit for Checkers/Rally's as our business is all about cars and speed. We're thrilled to partner with R&J Racing and veteran driver Mike Skinner in one of NASCAR's biggest races of the season. Additionally our continued exposure in NASCAR will only help to accelerate our national franchise development plans."
Dale Jarrett will make his 400th consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start today.
***
Today's race will be the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event since November 1975 in which either Darrell or Michael Waltrip will not be in the starting lineup.
Darrell Waltrip retired as after the 2000 season. Michael Waltrip failed to qualify for this event in the No. 55 NAPA Dodge.
***
RACE SPECIFICS:
·Eight-time Allstate 400 at the Brickyard starter Brett Bodine drives the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Pace Car during the race. Bodine finished second to Jeff Gordon in the inaugural Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 1994.
·Pit-road speed limit is 55 mph.
·The Pace Car speed will be 65 mph during caution periods.
·The race distance is 160 laps/400 miles on the 2.5-mile oval.
·The estimated pit window is every 34 to 36 laps, based on fuel mileage.
·The flagman for today's race is Rodney Wise.
·Goodyear has requested two competition caution periods, the first after approximately 15 laps and the second after approximately 40 laps.
·Within the first 40 laps, cars cannot fuel during green-flag racing.
***
Drag racing legend Don "The Snake" Prudhomme visited Gasoline Alley today.
DON PRUDHOMME: "Well, I've been coming to the Speedway since about 1969, so I've seen a lot of it. The first year, Mario (Andretti) won, and I was here. The biggest surprise was to see NASCAR come in here, and I wasn't one who was real big on it when I first heard about it, but now it's the biggest thing ever. It's really done a lot for the community and I have a race shop here myself in Indy, so it's great. I've been to a couple of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyards, you know, but my best buddy is Rusty Wallace, and when he retired, I just don't go as much. But I used to go to a lot of his races and now that he's retired, you know, I just don't go. But, Chip Ganassi and different guys, I'm buddies with, and I know a lot of the different drivers and team owners and I enjoy being around it."
***
Greg Zipadelli, crew chief of the No. 20 The Home Depot Chevrolet driven by defending race winner Tony Stewart, was presented the 2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard True Grit Award during pre-race ceremonies.
Zipadelli received $10,000 cash as part of the award, which recognizes dedicated crew chiefs and mechanics in the motorsports industry.
Chris Paulsen, president and owner of C&R Racing, presented the award to Zipadelli. C&R, a multi-faceted manufacturer and distributor of high-quality racing parts, sponsors the award.
***
A sampling of guests in attendance at the drivers' meeting: Actor and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Grand Marshal Chris Noth, 90th Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. and John Middlebrook, General Motors vice president of global sales.
***
2006 Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. visited the track today and was a guest in the driver's meeting.
SAM HORNISH JR.: (Is it cool coming back here for this race as Indy 500 champion, and not having to race today?): "It's relaxing. It's really neat; I want to come out see Roger (Penske). Not too many team owners get an opportunity to win both the races (Indianapolis 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard) in one year, so we've got half of it done. We're going to see if the Penske South guys can get the other half of it done. It would be pretty exciting to see them be able to do that." (Have you talked to Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch about that?): "I'm not trying to put any pressure on them; they've got enough as it is. They want to win just as bad as any of us want them to win, so I just keep my mouth shut and watch." (What was their reaction to your win here?): "They were really nice, really happy about it. They're both guys that know a lot about IndyCar racing and what it means." (From where are you going to watch the race?): "I'm not sure yet. I'm just following Roger around. That's probably where I need to be."
***
Actor Chris Noth, the grand marshal of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, offered his thoughts about the pre-race pageantry and Race Day scene at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
CHRIS NOTH: "For someone has zero experience of NASCAR, this is eye-opening. The history of the track, the tradition, the enthusiasm, I mean this is like a mini-NASCAR Woodstock going on. So many people, it's like a small city here. It's got to be America's biggest sport. When you hear the roar of those cars and the thrill of those machines and the skill of the drivers, you can understand why. Now I'm an official NASCAR fan. I plan to come back next year." (Would your character from "Sex and the City" have taken Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker's character in the show) to a NASCAR race?): "I think she would have dug it. I think it would have been one of those little surprises you wouldn't expect, but she'd thrill to. It's too bad. If we had done the movie, there would have been a cross-country trip, and this would have been a great thing we would have done. She would have dug it."
***
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels attended the race today.
MITCH DANIELS: (Your thoughts on the statement that the three events at IMS are the equivalent of three Super Bowls for the city and state, from an economic and tourism standpoint): "I kind of disagree: I think they're bigger than the Super Bowl. It's important we never, ever take that for granted. First of all, just direct dollars. I was joking to somebody that my favorite spectator sport of all is watching out-of-staters spend money in Indiana, and thanks to the IMS this happens in a huge way. And secondly, the visibility it gives to the state is important, worldwide. Finally, this gives us three tremendous opportunities to show some hospitality to people who might bring jobs to Indiana, which is something we work on every day. And in a fun environment, and long-pressure sort of way, it gives me a chance to sell the state, and you bet I try to use that." (What does your day here entail?): "First of all, do some business for the state, second of all I try to be as accessible as I can. I try to be as accessible as you can be and still get the job done. These are wonderful opportunities. Mainly it's just a lot of fun: People want things signed, get your picture taken. It's more fun than you can imagine to just be able to talk to folks and pal around with people."
***
RACE RUNNING:
·At 2:30 p.m., the ambient temperature was 88 degrees with a relative humidity of 40 percent and west-southwest winds at 9 mph. Skies were sunny. The track temperature was 135 degrees, according to a tire specialist with the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet driven by pole sitter Jeff Burton.
·#2 Kurt Busch, #88 Dale Jarrett and #34 Chad Chaffin will move to the rear of the field during the pace laps. Busch is starting in a backup car after crashing in his primary car during post-qualifying practice Saturday. He qualified third in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. Jarrett and Chaffin had engine changes in their car since qualifying. Jarrett qualified 35th in the No. 88 UPS Ford; Chaffin qualified 25th in the BRUT/citigroup Dodge.
2:40 p.m. – Command to start engines by Mari Hulman George, Indianapolis Motor Speedway chairman of the board.
2:46 p.m. – All 43 starters pull away on first pace lap. No. 48 Johnson late leaving grid after Lowe's team worked feverishly to change the battery on the car on the grid.
Lap 1: GREEN. Grand marshal Chris Noth waves green flag to start 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. #31 Burton leads into Turn 1. #9 Kahne passes #07 Bowyer for second.
•Jeff Burton led Lap 1, continuing the streak of the pole winner leading the first lap of all 13 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard races.
Lap 2: #48 Johnson passes #07 Bowyer entering Turn 3 for third. #31 Burton leads #9 Kahne by .911 of a second.
Lap 3: YELLOW. #38 Sadler hits outside retaining wall with rear of car in short chute between Turns 1 and 2. Sadler does quarter-spin in short chute, backs into wall, slides along wall and continues slowly around track to pit road and garage. Heavy damage to rear and right rear of car.
Lap 4: #01 Nemechek to pits for repair of damage of right-rear quarter panel and right-front damage. #60 Said to pits for repair of right-front damage. #41 Sorenson to pits, four tires, air pressure adjustment.
Lap 7: GREEN. #31 Burton, #9 Kahne first and second on restart. #9 Kahne passes #31 Burton with inside move on back straightaway for lead. #9 Kahne leads #31 Burton at line by .259 of a second. #24 J. Gordon slowing on main straightaway.
Lap 8: #24 J. Gordon slow on track. #31 Burton passes #9 Kahne with inside move in Turn 4 for lead.
Lap 9: #24 J. Gordon to pits, 27.8-second stop. Crew member crawled under left front of car during service. Tire deflated and sway bar broke on DuPont Chevrolet. Team reports that it will wait until first competition caution for repairs. Timing and scoring shows J. Gordon two laps down.
#31 Burton leads #9 Kahne by .766 of a second.
Lap 10: Top 10 -- #31 Burton, #9 Kahne, #48 Johnson, #16 Biffle, #07 Bowyer, #18 Yeley, #29 Harvick, #12 Newman, #21 Schrader, #10 Riggs.
Lap 11: #07 Bowyer passes #16 Biffle for fourth. #31 Burton leads #9 Kahne by 1.080 seconds.
Lap 13: #31 Burton leads #9 Kahne by .909 of a second.
Lap 14: #31 Burton leads #9 Kahne by .973 of a second.
Lap 15: #20 Stewart up to 15th after starting 32nd.
Lap 17: YELLOW. Competition caution. Forty-one of the 42 cars still running entered pits. #78 Wallace was only driver to stay on track. Extensive repairs to replace sway bar on #24 J. Gordon.
Order exiting pits: #31 Burton, #48 Johnson, #9 Kahne, #16 Biffle, #07 Bowyer, #29 Harvick, #18 Yeley, #12 Newman, #17 Kenseth, #10 Riggs.
Lap 18: #78 K. Wallace to pits.
Lap 17 pit report:
Four tires and gas: #2 Kurt Busch, 16 seconds; #11 Hamlin, 16 seconds; #29 Harvick, 16 seconds; #16 Biffle, 15 seconds; #48 Johnson, 15 seconds
Four tires, gas, tire pressure adjustment: #18 Yeley, 16 seconds; #17 Kenseth, 16 seconds; #8 Earnhardt, 17 seconds; :#7 R. Gordon, 15 seconds.
Four tires, gas, wedge adjustment: #9 Kahne, 16 seconds;
Four tires, gas, track bar adjustment: #31 Burton, 15 seconds; #20 Stewart, 15 seconds; #
Right tires, gas: #43 Labonte.
Four tires, gas, spring rubber removal: #96 Raines.
Four tires, gas, sway bar replacement: #24 J. Gordon, 1 minute, 50 seconds.
Lap 20: GREEN, then YELLOW. #60 Said makes contact with #41 Sorenson, who is inside Said entering Turn 3, and Said does half-spin and hits SAFER Barrier in Turn 3. Car spins into infield grass in between Turns 3 and 4. Said climbs from car without assistance.
#8 Earnhardt up to 21st after starting 31st.
On Lap 20 incident, Sorenson reported to crew that Said moved down track and collided with him.
Lap 21: #2 Kurt Busch to pits, four tires, fuel, 16 seconds. #24 J. Gordon returns to pits for more repairs, 27 seconds.
Lap 24: GREEN. #31 Burton leads #9 Kahne by .492 of a second.
Lap 27: #20 Stewart up to 12th.
Medical update from NASCAR: #60 Boris Said has been evaluated and released from Clarian Emergency Medical Center.
Lap 33: #20 Stewart up to 11th. #31 Burton leads #9 Kahne by .783 of a second.
Lap 37: #31 J. Burton leads #9 Kahne by .810 of a second.
Lap 39: #37 Skinner to pits,
Lap 40: YELLOW. Smoke trailing from #48 Johnson entering Turn 1. Johnson to pits with left front tire deflation. Fire in #48 pit after pit stop. Fire extinguished.
Lap 41: Nearly entire field pits. #78 Wallace does not pit, inherits lead.
Order exiting pits: #31 Burton, #16 Biffle, #29 Harvick, #9 Kahne, #6 Martin, #17 Kenseth, #07 Bowyer, #99 Edwards, #18 Yeley.
#25 Vickers up to 13th after starting 30th.
Lap 41 pit report:
Four tires, gas: #2 Kurt Busch, 14 seconds; #99 Edwards, 13 seconds; #9 Kahne, 13 seconds; #07 Bowyer, 15 seconds; #17 Kenseth, 14 seconds; #29 Harvick, 16 seconds; #8 Earnhardt, 17 seconds; #5 Kyle Busch, 17 seconds.
Four tires, gas, wedge adjustment: #11 Hamlin, 14 seconds; #6 Martin, 15 seconds.
Four tires, gas, tire pressure adjustment: #18 Yeley, 13 seconds; #31 Burton, 13 seconds; #16 Biffle, 15 seconds.
Four tires, gas, front fender repair: #48 Johnson, 27 seconds.
Four tires, gas, tire pressure and wedge adjustment: #12 Newman, 17 seconds.
Four tires, gas, added spring rubber: #20 Stewart, 14 seconds.
Lap 42: #48 Johnson returns to pits. Team taping left front fender, 42 seconds. #24 J. Gordon to pits, 16 seconds.
Lap 43: #78 Wallace to pits, four tires, gas, 18 seconds. #31 Burton inherits lead.
Lap 45: GREEN. #31 Burton leads #16 Biffle by .106 of a second at end of lap.
ELLIOTT SADLER: "It's crazy what 365 days will bring to you. Last year, it was sitting on the pole leading the race, then struggling this weekend. It got really loose under the 01 car, kind of took air off the spoiler. It's a shame, 100 percent my fault."
Lap 47: #31 Burton leads #16 Biffle by .508 of a second. #20 Stewart up to sixth.
Lap 49: #99 Edwards passes #20 Stewart for sixth.
Lap 50: Top 10 – #31 Burton, #16 Biffle, #29 Harvick, #6 Martin, #17 Kenseth, #99 Edwards, #20 Stewart, #9 Kahne, #18 Yeley, #11 Hamlin.
BORIS SAID: "Something in the front happened and they had to fix it in the pits, and then when we went back out it was really, really loose. I just rode around and came in under that caution and fixed it. Then we went out and, I don't know, somebody just got into me just a little bit - just enough. It was just a racing deal. It wasn't on purpose or anything, I don't think. I don't know who it was, but it's unfortunate. I really just wanted to bide my time and be there at the end and learn. I'm not used to going out this early in the race, so I feel bad. I feel like I let the team down and all those fans who are supporting our SoBe Energy Drink car. It's disappointing, but I'll go home and watch it on the hotel TV."
Lap 58: YELLOW. #19 Mayfield hit SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 1, continued. Light damage to right side of car. Mayfield to pits, crew repairs damage to left rear quarter-panel and right-front fender. Mayfield reported that handling problem caused him to loose control of car in Turn 1.
Nearly all remaining cars in field to pits.
Order exiting pits: #25 Vickers, #31 Burton, #29 Harvick, #99 Edwards, #16 Biffle, #17 Kenseth, #6 Martin, #9 Kahne, #18 Yeley, #11 Hamlin.
Lap 58 pit report:
Right-side tires, gas: #25 Vickers.
Four tires, gas: #29 Harvick, 15 seconds; #17 Kenseth, 15 seconds; #24 J. Gordon, 15 seconds; #99 Edwards, 14 seconds; #11 Hamlin, 15 seconds; #9 Kahne, 14 seconds; #16 Biffle, 17 seconds; #48 Johnson, 14 seconds; #20 Stewart, 25 seconds due to wheelnut gun problem; #12 Newman, 15 seconds; #8 Earnhardt, 19 seconds; #5 Kyle Busch, 21 seconds.
Four tires, gas, wedge adjustment: #6 Martin, 16 seconds; #7 R. Gordon.
Four tires, gas, tire pressure adjustment: #18 Yeley, 14 seconds; #31 Burton, 16 seconds.
Four tires, gas, track bar adjustment: #2 Kurt Busch.
Four tires, gas, added spring rubber: #96 Raines.
Lap 59: #20 Stewart returns to pits, 15 seconds. Wheelnut air gun failed on left rear, forcing team to check wheel. Stewart falls to 36th.
Lap 61: GREEN. #31 Burton passes #25 Vickers for lead.
Lap 62: #31 Burton leads #29 Harvick by .937 of a second. #19 Mayfield to garage.
Lap 64: #20 Stewart up to 28th after falling to 36th on restart.
Lap 65: #31 Burton leads #29 Harvick by .953 of a second.
Lap 67: #31 Burton leads #29 Harvick by .708 of a second. #17 Kenseth third, 2.838 seconds behind leader.
Lap 69: #31 Burton leads #29 Harvick by .334 of a second.
Lap 70: #29 Harvick passes #31 Burton for lead on front straight, leads by .554 of a second.
Lap 71: #31 Burton passes #29 Harvick for lead in short chute between Turns 1 and 2, Harvick repasses Burton for lead on back straightaway, Burton then passes Harvick for lead again, leads by .317 of a second at line.
Lap 75: #29 Harvick leads #31 Burton by 1.632 seconds.
Lap 76: #99 Edwards passes #31 Burton for second.
Lap 77: #29 Harvick leads #99 Edwards by 2.224 seconds. Thirty-nine of 40 cars running are on lead lap. #24 J. Gordon one lap down.
Lap 78: #20 Stewart 23rd. Was 36th on Lap 61 restart.
Lap 79: #48 Johnson up to ninth.
Lap 80 (halfway): Top 20 – #29 Harvick, #99 Edwards, #31 Burton, #17 Kenseth, #6 Martin, #16 Biffle, #11 Hamlin, #48 Johnson, #9 Kahne, #26 McMurray, #07 Bowyer, #18 Yeley, #7 R. Gordon, #25 Vickers, #42 Mears, #21 Schrader, #2 Kurt Busch, #5 Kyle Busch, #4 Wimmer, #10 Riggs.
Lap 82: #48 Johnson climbs to eighth.
Lap 83: #29 Harvick leads #99 Edwards by 1.756 seconds. #31 Burton third, 5.987 seconds behind leader.
Lap 84: #48 Johnson climbs to seventh.
Lap 85: #17 Kenseth under #31 Burton in Turn 2 for third.
Lap 86: YELLOW. Debris in Turn 3.
Lap 87: All 40 cars still running to pits.
Order exiting pits: #29 Harvick, #31 Burton, #17 Kenseth, 6, 48, 11, 16, 99, 18, 9. #24 J. Gordon back on lead lap despite being three laps down earlier in race. J. Gordon has regained laps on each of the last three caution periods for being the leading car not on the lead lap.
Lap 87 pit report:
Four tires, gas: #29 Harvick, 15 seconds; #24 J. Gordon, 22 seconds; #99 Edwards, 16 seconds; #07 Bowyer, 15 seconds; #16 Biffle, 15 seconds; #26 McMurray, 18 seconds; #8 Earnhardt, 33 seconds, #5 Kyle Busch, 27 seconds.
Four tires, gas, wedge adjustment: #18 Yeley, #6 Martin, 15 seconds.
Four tires, gas, tire pressure adjustment: #48 Johnson, 15 seconds; #20 Stewart, 17 seconds.
Four tires, gas, tire pressure, wedge adjustment: #31 Burton, 13 seconds.
Four tires, gas, tire pressure, wedge, track bar adjustment: #2 Kurt Busch.
Four tires, gas, tire pressure, track bar adjustment: #7 R. Gordon, 17 seconds, #17 Kenseth, 17 seconds; #42 Mears.
Four tires, gas, track bar adjustment, removed spring rubber: #9 Kahne, 16 seconds.
Four tires, gas, added spring rubber: #12 Newman, 18 seconds.
Lap 90: GREEN. #19 Mayfield returns to race after lengthy repairs in garage. #31 J. Burton passes #29 Harvick for lead. #17 Kenseth also passes #29 Harvick for second.
Lap 94: #19 Mayfield to pits for further repairs.
Lap 96: #20 Stewart up to 14th.
Lap 97: #31 Burton leads #17 Kenseth by .974 of a second.
Lap 99: #24 J. Gordon up to 34th.
Lap 100: Top 10 – #31 Burton, #17 Kenseth, #29 Harvick, #6 Martin, #48 Johnson, #99 Edwards, #16 Biffle, #11 Hamlin, #42 Mears, #9 Kahne.
Lap 103: #31 Burton leads #17 Kenseth by 1.114 seconds. #24 J. Gordon up to 31st.
Lap 106: #31 Burton leads #17 Kenseth by .332 of a second. #20 Stewart up to 13th.
Lap 107: #31 Burton leads #17 Kenseth by .247 of a second. #00 Elliott to pits.
Lap 109: #31 Burton leads #17 Kenseth by .180 of a second. #17 Kenseth under #31 Burton for lead in Turn 3. #31 Burton tries to regain lead at line, falls .008 of a second short.
Lap 110: #17 Kenseth holds lead on outside in Turns 1 and 2. #48 Johnson passes #6 Martin for fourth.
Lap 111: #17 Kenseth leads #31 Burton by .336 of a second. #29 Harvick third, .440 of a second behind leader. #48 Johnson fourth, .675 of a second behind leader.
Lap 112: #29 Harvick climbs to second, .399 of a second behind leader #17 Kenseth. #48 Johnson third, #6 Martin fourth. #31 Burton falls to fifth.
Lap 113: #11 Hamlin passes #31 Burton for fifth.
Lap 115: #17 Kenseth leads #29 Harvick by .363 of a second. #48 Johnson third, .447 of a second behind leader.
Lap 117: #48 Johnson passes #17 Kenseth for lead. #29 Harvick third.
Lap 118: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by .814 of a second.
Lap 119: #19 Mayfield to garage. #31 Burton falls to seventh.
Lap 121: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.445 seconds.
Lap 123: #40 Stremme to pits for routine service.
Lap 124: #16 Biffle, #6 Martin, #99 Edwards, #48 Johnson, #1 Truex, #8 Earnhardt, #20 Stewart, #11 Hamlin, #96 Raines to pits.
Lap 125: #17 Kenseth, #29 Harvick, #31 Burton, #18 Yeley, #07 Bowyer, #10 Riggs, #9 Kahne, #2 Kurt Busch, #24 J. Gordon, #34 Chaffin, #25 Vickers, #42 Mears to pits.
Lap 126: #12 Newman to pits.
Lap 124-126 pit report:
Four tires, gas: #24 J. Gordon, 15 seconds; #29 Harvick, 15 seconds; #11 Hamlin, 13.59 seconds; #2 Kurt Busch, 14 seconds; #31 Burton, 15 seconds; #16 Biffle, 15 seconds; #6 Martin, 16 seconds, #20 Stewart, 19 seconds; #7 R. Gordon, 18 seconds, #8 Earnhardt, 16 seconds, #5 Kyle Busch, 17 seconds, #18 Yeley.
Four tires, gas, track bar adjustment: #48 Johnson, 15 seconds; #99 Edwards, 14.5 seconds; #17 Kenseth, 15 seconds; #25 Vickers.
Four tires, gas, track bar and air pressure adjustment: #12 Newman, 15 seconds.
Lap 135: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.850 seconds. #11 Hamlin third, 2.773 seconds behind leader.
Lap 136: Teams of #31 Burton, #6 Martin, #16 Biffle, #29 Harvick, #18 Yeley, #11 Hamlin report they has enough gas to finish race without pit stop. Roush Racing reports uncertainty whether #17 Kenseth can go distance. Roush Racing reports #6 Martin may have loose wheel.
Lap 137: #43 Labonte to garage.
Lap 139: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.672 seconds.
Lap 141: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 2.308 seconds.
Lap 143: YELLOW. Debris in Turn 3. Smoke reported trailing from #6 Martin. #31 Burton, #48 Johnson, #17 Kenseth, #11 Hamlin, #99 Edwards, #9 Kahne, #10 Riggs, #2 Kurt Busch, #96 Raines, #26 McMurray, #24 J. Gordon, #6 Martin, #20 Stewart, #07 Bowyer, #18 Yeley to pits. #11 Hamlin first car out of pits.
Lap 143 pit report:
Right side tires, gas: #11 Hamlin, 8.3 seconds.
Four tires, gas: #17 Kenseth, 13 seconds; #31 Burton, 15 seconds; #99 Edwards, 17 seconds, #16 Biffle, 10 seconds, #24 J. Gordon, 15 seconds, #29 Harvick, #15 seconds.
Four tires, gas, track bar adjustment: #48 Johnson, 14 seconds.
Cars not pitting: #5 Kyle Busch, #8 Earnhardt, #12 Newman, #01 Nemechek.
Restart order: #5 Kyle Busch, #8 Earnhardt, #12 Newman, #01 Nemechek, #11 Hamlin, #07 Bowyer, #17 Kenseth, #48 Johnson, #99 Edwards, #6 Martin.
Lap 147: GREEN. #5 Kyle Busch leads #8 Earnhardt by .177 of a second. #07 Bowyer third, 1.546 seconds behind leader.
Lap 149: #5 Kyle Busch leads #8 Earnhardt by .293 of a second. #48 Johnson third, .883 of a second behind leader.
Lap 150: #48 Johnson still third, but only .187 of a second behind
Lap 151: #8 Earnhardt under Busch for lead in Turn 2. #48 Johnson passes Busch for second on backstretch. #48 Johnson under Earnhardt in Turn 4 for lead, leads by .108 of a second at line.
Lap 152: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.274 seconds. #8 Earnhardt third, 1.440 seconds behind leader.
Lap 153: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.237 seconds. #8 Earnhardt third, 2.141 seconds behind leader.
Lap 155: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.541 seconds. #29 Harvick third, 2.986 seconds behind leader. #8 Earnhardt sixth.
Lap 156: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.977 seconds.
Lap 157: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 2.018 seconds.
Lap 158: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 1.883 seconds.
Lap 159: #48 Johnson leads #17 Kenseth by 2.144 seconds.
Lap 160: YELLOW, then CHECKERED. #48 Jimmie Johnson won the 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. #96 Raines smoking heavily. #7 R. Gordon, #16 Biffle collide. #9 Kahne crashes heavily, heavy damage to front end of car.
Jimmie Johnson stops at Yard of Bricks at start-finish line and receives checkered flag from flagman Rodney Wise. He then stood on the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet and saluted the car. Johnson then unleashed a large burnout across the Yard of Bricks while driving clockwise on the oval for a victory lap.
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POST-RACE QUICK QUOTES:
JIMMIE JOHNSON: (About winning Daytona 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in the same year): "I don't think I can answer it yet. I was just thinking on that on the cool-down lap, and I think it will take a little time to soak in. I just saw Greg Zipadelli coming down pit road, and he said, 'Today is a special day.' And the look in his eye and the look on his face, that feeling setting in. I'm speechless right now. I can't thank this race team enough for what they've done. We overcame a left front flat tire to rally back. We drove all the way to the front. I never thought I would win at this racetrack. We had such a drought at this racetrack, and now we have a victory." (About early tire problem): "I was really nervous because I knew we had a fast race car, but I knew I had to come through traffic, and I knew it would be harder on the tires coming through traffic. But Chad knew something with that would help that left front survive. Two short runs after that and the tire pressures were right, and this baby was money after that." (About late restart): "There was nothing of a championship on my mind today. I wanted this trophy over here with the brick on it. I want to pucker up and kiss those bricks on the front stretch. It was all about winning the race today. I gave a little bump draft on the 07, and I knew if I could get position on the 17 right away then the guys up there in front of me with no tires, it would take just a little bit of time to get by. I've watched so many races as a kid growing up here. I thought I would come here in an IndyCar. I can't believe I'm here in a stock car, in NASCAR, winning the biggest race."
MATT KENSETH: "Robbie (Reiser) and the guys did a great job, and I feel real bad because they put me in the position to win again, and I just couldn't figure out how to get it done. Jimmie just did a better job in traffic. I just got slowed up with a couple of them cars. Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus, those guys are awesome. Those guys have been the guys to beat the last three years. The 48 just kind of came out of nowhere. He was real fast. There was no way I could beat him one-on-one. I was just hoping to get out front first." (About traffic on restart): "I just got three-wide on the bottom and got slowed up, and he just took the outside and had a lot of momentum."
KEVIN HARVICK: "It was a good day. We had a good car. We just got a little bit behind on the next-to-last pit stop. We put on four tires, and we just didn't have enough time." (Could you have beaten I think we could have at least raced. It's hard to pass."
TONY STEWART: "I think I passed 60 cars or more today, so pretty happy with it. Just really, really proud of this Home Depot team. We had an air gun break. Versus taking a chance, Zippy brought us back to make sure the lugs were tight. Went to the back and battled our way back into the top 10, so pretty happy with this Home Depot team."
CLINT BOWYER: "It was good. It was fun to come here and qualify on the front row and finish in the top five. But it was a struggle. The boys had a little bit of trouble in the pits. We had a great day and I'm proud of Gil (Martin, crew chief) for making a gutsy call." (About the choice to take two tires at the last pit stop): "At that point, I was frustrated with our track position. It was a go-for-broke deal. We came here and sat on the front row, and you want to win. If you get that opportunity to get a fast car, you don't want to waste it. So, I told him, 'Let's go for it.'"
***
Goodyear made this statement about tire performance in today's race:
GREG STUCKER (Director of race tires sales and marketing): "As we expected going into today's race, Goodyear tire wear improved throughout the day, and by Lap 40, we were very happy with what we saw on the cars. We continued to see improvement throughout the afternoon, including complete green flag fuel runs during the event."
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ALLSTATE 400 AT THE BRICKYARD POST-RACE NOTES:
•Jimmie Johnson became the second driver to win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and the Daytona 500 in the same year. Dale Jarrett first achieved the feat in 1996.
•Before today's victory, Jimmie Johnson's best career finish in four previous Allstate 400 at the Brickyard starts was ninth in his first start, in 2002. Today was the first time he led a lap of Brickyard competition.
•Matt Kenseth's finish of second was also his second as a runner-up at the Brickyard. He also finished second in 2003 and has four top-five finishes in seven Brickyard starts.
•Kevin Harvick's third-place finish was his third top-seven finish in six starts here. He won the event in 2003.
•Bill Elliott finished 22nd on the lead lap today, again completing 160 laps at Indianapolis. He has now completed 2,080 of a possible 2,081 laps of Brickyard competition to lead all drivers. Next is Joe Nemechek, who also completed the distance today and raised his total to 2,056, second all-time.
•Jeff Burton and Bill Elliott remain tied for most times running at the finish of Allstate 400s at the Brickyard with 13.
•Jeff Burton led 87 laps today to move his career Allstate 400 at the Brickyard total laps led to 113. He becomes the seventh driver to lead 100 laps or more laps in their Allstate 400 at the Brickyard careers.
•Mark Martin's finish of fifth was his eighth in the top nine of Brickyard competition in 13 starts.
•This year's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard had the most drivers – 35 – finish on the lead lap than any previous edition of the "400." The previous mark was 31 in 2005.
•Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin and Joe Nemechek extended their string of Brickyard appearances to 13 – all of them.
•Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s finish of sixth was his best ever at the Brickyard. His previous best in six starts was 10th in 2001.
•Kyle Busch's finish of seventh was his second straight top-10 finish in two races at the Brickyard. He was 10th last year.
•Tony Raines' finish of 11th was the second best of his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career. Raines, from Laporte, Ind., recorded his best finish of sixth in 2003 at Rockingham, N.C.
•Jimmie Johnson's win in a Chevrolet and Matt Kenseth's runner-up finish in a Ford marked the 12th time in 13 years that no manufacturer has swept the top two spots in this event. The only time a manufacturer achieved that feat was 1996 when Dale Jarrett beat Ernie Irvan, both in Fords.
•Jimmie Johnson's victory was the fifth for team owner Rick Hendrick at the Brickyard, extending his record. Richard Childress, Joe Gibbs and Robert Yates are tied for second on the list with two victories each. Hendrick's other victories were in 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004, all with Jeff Gordon driving.
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