The 2007 Kobalt Tools 500 was the fourth stock car race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the 48th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 18th, 2007, before an audience of 105,000 in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 325 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson would make a late-race charge for the lead, completing a final pass for the lead with three laps left in the race to take his 25th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series victory, his second victory of the season, and his second consecutive victory. To fill out the top three, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart and Roush Racing driver Matt Kenseth would finish second and third, respectively. This is also the final race to run the generation 4 NASCARs.

Background

Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile (2.48 km) quad-oval track with a seating capacity of 111,000. It opened in 1960 as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two 1.5-mile (2.4 km) ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.

Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor00David Reutimann (R)Michael Waltrip RacingToyotaDomino's1Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletBass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats01Mark MartinGinn RacingChevroletU.S. Army2Kurt BuschPenske Racing SouthDodgeMiller Lite4Ward BurtonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevroletState Water Heaters5Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKellogg's, Carquest6David Ragan (R)Roush RacingFordAAA7Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsFordMotorola07Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevroletJack Daniel's8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletBudweiser9Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodgeDodge10Scott RiggsEvernham MotorsportsDodgeStanley Tools11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletFedEx Ground12Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodgeAlltel13Joe NemechekGinn RacingChevroletGinn Resorts14Sterling MarlinGinn RacingChevroletPanasonic15Paul Menard (R)Dale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletMenards, Quaker State16Greg BiffleRoush RacingFordJackson Hewitt17Matt KensethRoush RacingFordDeWalt18J. J. YeleyJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletInterstate Batteries19Elliott SadlerEvernham MotorsportsDodgeDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletThe Home Depot21Ken SchraderWood Brothers RacingFordLittle Debbie22Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingToyotaCaterpillar24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletDuPont25Casey MearsHendrick MotorsportsChevroletNational Guard, GMAC26Jamie McMurrayRoush RacingFordCrown Royal29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevroletShell, Pennzoil31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevroletCingular Wireless33Scott WimmerRichard Childress RacingChevroletCamping World34Kevin LepageFront Row MotorsportsDodgeFront Row Motorsports36Jeremy MayfieldBill Davis RacingToyota360 OTC37John AndrettiFront Row MotorsportsDodgeHuddle House38David GillilandRobert Yates RacingFordM&M's40David StremmeChip Ganassi RacingDodgeCoors Light41Reed SorensonChip Ganassi RacingDodgeTarget42Juan Pablo Montoya (R)Chip Ganassi RacingDodgeTexaco, Havoline43Bobby LabontePetty EnterprisesDodgeCheerios44Dale JarrettMichael Waltrip RacingToyotaUPS45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodgeNational Tire and Battery48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLowe's49Mike BlissBAM RacingDodgeZone Loans55Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingToyotaNAPA Auto Parts66Jeff GreenHaas CNC RacingChevroletYellow Transportation70Johnny SauterHaas CNC RacingChevroletBest Buy78Kenny WallaceFurniture Row RacingChevroletFurniture Row83Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyotaRed Bull84A. J. Allmendinger (R)Red Bull Racing TeamToyotaRed Bull88Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFordSnickers96Tony RainesHall of Fame RacingChevroletDLP HDTV, Texas Instruments99Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFordOffice DepotOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, March 16, at 3:30 PM EST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Kurt Busch, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.165 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed12Kurt BuschPenske Racing SouthDodge29.165190.091216Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord29.310189.15035Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.343188.938Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session was held on Saturday, March 17, at 10:00 AM EST. The session would last for 50 minutes. Jimmie Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.297 and an average speed of Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed148Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.297189.234216Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord29.340188.957399Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord29.422188.430Full second practice results

Final practice The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, March 17, at 1:20 PM EST. The session would last for one hour. Kurt Busch, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.371 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed12Kurt BuschPenske Racing SouthDodge29.371188.758299Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord29.433188.360348Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.439188.322Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, March 9, at 6:10 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. While positions 1-42 would be determined by qualifying speed, the top 35 teams in owner's points would be assured that they would earn a spot in the field if they had managed to make an effort to qualify. The remaining seven positions from positions 36-42 would be assigned to those drivers with the fastest qualifying speeds whose car owners are not among the top 35. The final starting position, position 43, can be utilized by a car owner whose driver is a current or past NASCAR Nextel Cup champion who participated as a driver during the current of previous season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline. In the case that iff there was more than one series champion vying for the position, it would be given to the most recent series champion. If the final provisional starting position is not filled by a current or past series champion, it will be assigned to the next eligible car owner according to qualifying results.

Ryan Newman, driving for Penske Racing South, would win the pole, setting a time of 28.707 and an average speed of .

Eight drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge28.707193.124219Elliott SadlerEvernham MotorsportsDodge28.891191.894348Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.907191.788401Mark MartinGinn RacingChevrolet28.909191.774524Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.918191.714643Bobby LabontePetty EnterprisesDodge28.928191.648740David StremmeChip Ganassi RacingDodge28.949191.50985Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.950191.503949Mike BlissBAM RacingDodge29.011191.1001010Scott RiggsEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.039190.9161141Reed SorensonChip Ganassi RacingDodge29.051190.837129Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.074190.6861320Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.088190.5941499Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord29.118190.3981507Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.122190.3721642Juan Pablo Montoya (R)Chip Ganassi RacingDodge29.134190.293172Kurt BuschPenske Racing SouthDodge29.150190.189181Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.152190.1761913Joe NemechekGinn RacingChevrolet29.186189.9542018J. J. YeleyJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.202189.8502117Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord29.204189.837228Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.204189.8372315Paul Menard (R)Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.207189.8182400David Reutimann (R)Michael Waltrip RacingToyota29.225189.7012516Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord29.246189.5642670Johnny SauterHaas CNC RacingChevrolet29.261189.4672738David GillilandRobert Yates RacingFord29.274189.3832814Sterling MarlinGinn RacingChevrolet29.317189.1052921Ken SchraderWood Brothers RacingFord29.323189.0673011Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.358188.8413183Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota29.360188.8283231Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.412188.4953396Tony RainesHall of Fame RacingChevrolet29.425188.4113425Casey MearsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.433188.3603522Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingToyota29.442188.3023629Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.496187.9583726Jamie McMurrayRoush Fenway RacingFord29.626187.133Qualified by owner's points386David Ragan (R)Roush Fenway RacingFord29.846185.753397Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsFord29.888185.4924045Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge30.049184.4994166Jeff GreenHaas CNC RacingChevrolet30.071184.3644288Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord30.210183.515Champion's Provisional4344Dale JarrettMichael Waltrip RacingToyota29.701186.660Failed to qualify4433Scott WimmerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.372188.751454Ward BurtonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet29.392188.6234637John AndrettiFront Row MotorsportsDodge29.487188.0154755Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingToyota29.560187.5514878Kenny WallaceFurniture Row RacingChevrolet29.565187.5194934Kevin LepageFront Row MotorsportsDodge29.666186.8815036Jeremy MayfieldBill Davis RacingToyota29.897185.4375184A. J. Allmendinger (R)Red Bull Racing TeamToyota - -Official qualifying results

Race results