The 2007 Pepsi 400 was the 18th race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and held on July 7, 2007, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

It was the final race at Daytona named the Pepsi 400; beginning in 2008, the race was sponsored by Coca-Cola's Coke Zero brand as the Coke Zero 400.

Background (R) denotes rookie driver

+Entry list#DriverTeamMake00David Reutimann (R)Michael Waltrip RacingToyota1Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Mark MartinDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2Kurt BuschPenske Racing SouthDodge4Ward BurtonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet04Eric McClureMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6David Ragan (R)Roush Fenway RacingFord7Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsFord07Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge09Mike WallacePhoenix RacingChevrolet10Scott RiggsEvernham MotorsportsDodge11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet12Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge13Joe NemechekGinn RacingChevrolet14Sterling MarlinGinn RacingChevrolet15Paul Menard (R)Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord17Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord18J.J. YeleyJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet19Elliott SadlerEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet21Bill ElliottWood Brothers RacingFord22Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingToyota24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Casey MearsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Jamie McMurrayRoush Fenway RacingFord27Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet36Jeremy MayfieldBill Davis RacingToyota37Kevin LepageFront Row MotorsportsDodge38David Gilliland (R)Robert Yates RacingFord40David StremmeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge41Reed SorensonChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge42Juan Pablo Montoya (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge43Bobby LabontePetty EnterprisesDodge44Dale JarrettMichael Waltrip RacingToyota45John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Larry FoytBAM RacingDodge55Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingToyota60Boris SaidNo Fear RacingFord66Jeff GreenHaas CNC RacingChevrolet70Johnny SauterHaas CNC RacingChevrolet78Kenny WallaceFurniture Row RacingChevrolet83Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota84A.J. Allmendinger (R)Red Bull Racing TeamToyota88Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord96Tony RainesHall of Fame RacingChevrolet99Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord

Qualifying Boris Said was on the pole with 14 cars left to qualify until a rainstorm stopped qualifying. Eventually, it was cancelled outright, sending home, among others, Said, Michael Waltrip, and Jeremy Mayfield who had each posted three of the six fastest attempts.

All times that were recorded were eliminated, and the starting lineup was set according to the NASCAR rule book. The pole sitter was Jeff Gordon, and Denny Hamlin sat on the outside. Ironically, this was the reverse of the previous week's finishing running order.

It was the first time in the speedway's history that a qualifying session was not completed, covering a total of 97 races. As a result of what happened, on January 21, 2008, NASCAR changed the rules that put those not in the Top 35 Owners' Points into a separate session in order to make the race, also called "The Boris Said Rule".

Starting lineup +Pos.#DriverTeamMake124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet211Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet317Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord448Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet531Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet620Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet799Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord829Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet901Mark MartinDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet101Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet115Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1207Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet138Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1412Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge1526Jamie McMurrayRoush Fenway RacingFord162Kurt BuschPenske Racing SouthDodge1718J.J. YeleyJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1816Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord1943Bobby LabontePetty EnterprisesDodge2042Juan Pablo Montoya (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2125Casey MearsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2219Elliott SadlerEvernham MotorsportsDodge2396Tony RainesHall of Fame RacingChevrolet246David Ragan (R)Roush Fenway RacingFord257Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsFord2640David StremmeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge279Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge2841Reed SorensonChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2914Sterling MarlinGinn RacingChevrolet3066Jeff GreenHaas CNC RacingChevrolet3188Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord3238David Gilliland (R)Robert Yates RacingFord3313Joe NemechekGinn RacingChevrolet3445John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge3570Johnny SauterHaas CNC RacingChevrolet3683Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota3744Dale JarrettMichael Waltrip RacingToyota3821Bill ElliottWood Brothers RacingFord3910Scott RiggsEvernham MotorsportsDodge4022Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingToyota4115Paul Menard (R)Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet4200David Reutimann (R)Michael Waltrip RacingToyota4378Kenny WallaceFurniture Row RacingChevroletFailed to qualify4436Jeremy MayfieldBill Davis RacingToyota4584A.J. Allmendinger (R)Red Bull Racing TeamToyota4649Larry FoytBAM RacingDodge4755Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingToyota4837Kevin LepageFront Row MotorsportsDodge494Ward BurtonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5060Boris SaidNo Fear RacingFord5109Mike WallacePhoenix RacingChevrolet5204Eric McClureMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5327Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingChevrolet

Race Jamie McMurray and Kyle Busch created one of the most memorable finishes, running side-by-side for nearly 32 laps. McMurray defeated Busch to win the Pepsi 400 and claim his second victory and end a 166-race winless streak that had spanned since 2002, when he won in only his second start while subbing for Sterling Marlin. The final margin of victory was .005 seconds, tied for the second-closest margin in NASCAR history since electronic scoring and timing was adopted in 1993. The other Top 5 finishers were Kurt Busch in 3rd, Carl Edwards in 4th, and Jeff Gordon in 5th.

As at the Daytona 500, some of the sport's biggest stars struggled. Kevin Harvick finished 34th while Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and Denny Hamlin finished 36th, 38th, and 43rd respectively. Despite the fact there were many incidents throughout the race, most were relatively minor and the "Big One" never happened.

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11526Jamie McMurrayRoush Fenway RacingFord1603running190$302,5002115Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet16020running175$207,2753162Kurt BuschPenske Racing SouthDodge16045running170$197,0334799Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord1600running160$158,3255124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1609running160$172,26161816Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord1600running150$130,75071207Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet16055running156$123,8008317Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord1600running142$151,4169279Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge1600running138$148,91610448Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1600running134$156,086113238David Gilliland (R)Robert Yates RacingFord1600running130$133,51412246David Ragan (R)Roush Fenway RacingFord1600running127$137,25013101Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1600running124$125,995141412Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge1600running121$129,87515257Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsFord1600running93$98,00016531Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1600running115$132,36617901Mark MartinDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1600running112$122,283183570Johnny SauterHaas CNC RacingChevrolet1600running109$95,100192125Casey MearsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet16011running111$119,150201718J.J. YeleyJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1600running103$123,658214115Paul Menard (R)Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1600running100$92,050222640David StremmeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge1600running97$91,325234022Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingToyota1600running94$115,658243821Bill ElliottWood Brothers RacingFord1602running96$109,339254378Kenny WallaceFurniture Row RacingChevrolet1601running93$86,575264200David Reutimann (R)Michael Waltrip RacingToyota1600running85$99,583273744Dale JarrettMichael Waltrip RacingToyota1600running82$84,775283445John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge1600running79$98,808293683Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota1600running76$86,925303313Joe NemechekGinn RacingChevrolet1600running73$86,750313188Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord1580running70$114,608322042Juan Pablo Montoya (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge1570running67$118,025332219Elliott SadlerEvernham MotorsportsDodge1530running64$102,62034829Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1473running66$131,936351943Bobby LabontePetty EnterprisesDodge1371running63$119,96136138Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1340running55$128,283373066Jeff GreenHaas CNC RacingChevrolet1310running52$100,24738620Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1250running49$131,086392396Tony RainesHall of Fame RacingChevrolet1200running46$90,425402914Sterling MarlinGinn RacingChevrolet1140crash43$82,280413910Scott RiggsEvernham MotorsportsDodge1050engine40$90,150422841Reed SorensonChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge1030running37$90,05543211Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet9910running39$106,611Failed to qualify4436Jeremy MayfieldBill Davis RacingToyota4584A.J. Allmendinger (R)Red Bull Racing TeamToyota4649Larry FoytBAM RacingDodge4755Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingToyota4837Kevin LepageFront Row MotorsportsDodge494Ward BurtonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5060Boris SaidNo Fear RacingFord5109Mike WallacePhoenix RacingChevrolet5204Eric McClureMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5327Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingChevrolet

Notes Kyle Busch missed, by the slimmest of margins, being the first driver to win a Busch Series and a Nextel Cup Series race on the same day. That morning, he had won the Winn-Dixie 250, postponed from Friday night because of rain. For the first time since 1965, no one from the Petty family was in the starting lineup for a race at Daytona. Kyle Petty was instead a broadcaster for TNT, and John Andretti took his place in the starting lineup. This was the last race which combined the older-design cars with restrictor plates. The next such race, the 2007 UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, used the Car of Tomorrow which then became standard in 2008. Two days after this race, International Speedway Corporation, which owns DIS, signed a multi-year deal with Coca-Cola to sell beverages at all its tracks. That meant that this race would be renamed the Coke Zero 400 as of 2008. Clint Bowyer finished 7th in the #07 car, the date was 07/07/07.

References

External links Complete race results Points standings Practice speeds Qualifying results