2007 USG Sheetrock 400

The 2007 USG Sheetrock 400 was the 19th race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. It took place during daytime on July 15, 2007, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois with the broadcast airing on TNT.

Background

(R) denotes rookie driver

+Entry list#DriverTeamMake00David Reutimann (R)Michael Waltrip RacingToyota1Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Mark MartinGinn RacingChevrolet2Kurt BuschPenske RacingDodge4Ward BurtonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6David Ragan (R)Roush Fenway RacingFord7Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsFord07Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Scott RiggsEvernham MotorsportsDodge11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet12Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge13Joe 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 RacingFord29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet36Jeremy MayfieldBill Davis RacingToyota37Kevin LepageFront Row MotorsportsDodge38David Gilliland (R)Robert Yates RacingFord40David StremmeChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Reed SorensonChip Ganassi RacingDodge42Juan Pablo Montoya (R)Chip Ganassi RacingDodge43Bobby LabontePetty EnterprisesDodge44Dale JarrettMichael Waltrip RacingToyota45John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Chad ChaffinBAM RacingDodge55Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingToyota66Jeff 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 Unlike the previous week at Daytona, qualifying was complete for this race. Casey Mears won the pole position with a lap of 182.556 miles per hour. Michael Waltrip qualified for only his fourth race of the season. Chad Chaffin once again filled in at BAM Racing and again qualified for the race. +QualifyingPos.#DriverMakeTeamTimeAvg. Speed (mph)125Casey MearsChevroletHendrick Motorsports29.580182.55621Martin Truex Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.29.593182.476312Ryan NewmanDodgePenske Racing29.595182.463401Mark MartinChevroletGinn Racing29.622182.29758Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.29.626182.27265Kyle BuschChevroletHendrick Motorsports29.689181.886707Clint BowyerChevroletRichard Childress Racing29.727181.653848Jimmie JohnsonChevroletHendrick Motorsports29.739181.580945John AndrettiDodgePetty Enterprises29.764181.4271017Matt KensethFordRoush Fenway Racing29.767181.4091124Jeff GordonChevroletHendrick Motorsports29.780181.330 1243Bobby LabonteDodgePetty Enterprises29.791181.2631311Denny HamlinChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing29.797181.2261429Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress Racing29.810181.1471522Dave BlaneyToyotaBill Davis Racing29.828181.0381615Paul Menard (R)ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.29.841180.9591721Bill ElliottFordWood Brothers Racing29.866180.8081870Johnny SauterChevroletHaas CNC Racing29.885180.6931920Tony StewartChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing29.894180.6382036Jeremy MayfieldToyotaBill Davis Racing29.895180.6322100David Reutimann (R)ToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing29.900180.6022241Reed SorensonDodgeChip Ganassi Racing29.911180.5362331Jeff BurtonChevroletRichard Childress Racing29.923180.463249Kasey KahneDodgeEvernham Motorsports29.947180.3192599Carl EdwardsFordRoush Fenway Racing29.948180.3132649Chad ChaffinDodgeBAM Racing29.965180.2102713Joe NemechekChevroletGinn Racing29.967180.1982855Michael WaltripToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing29.971180.1742966Jeff GreenChevroletHaas CNC Racing29.975180.1503042Juan Pablo Montoya (R)DodgeChip Ganassi Racing30.015179.9103119Elliott SadlerDodgeEvernham Motorsports30.021179.874326David Ragan (R)FordRoush Fenway Racing30.025179.8503316Greg BiffleFordRoush Fenway Racing30.037179.7783426Jamie McMurrayFordRoush Fenway Racing30.055179.671352Kurt BuschDodgePenske Racing30.058179.6533618J.J. YeleyChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing30.073179.5633714Sterling MarlinChevroletGinn Racing30.093179.4443840David StremmeDodgeChip Ganassi Racing30.108179.354397Robby GordonFordRobby Gordon Motorsports30.210178.7494096Tony RainesChevroletHall of Fame Racing30.213178.7314188Ricky RuddFordRobert Yates Racing30.235178.6014238David Gilliland (R)FordRobert Yates Racing30.306178.183434Ward BurtonChevroletMorgan–McClure Motorsports30.070179.581Failed to qualify4410Scott RiggsDodgeEvernham Motorsports30.145179.1344583Brian VickersToyotaRed Bull Racing Team30.171178.9804644Dale JarrettToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing30.207178.767 4784A.J. Allmendinger (R)ToyotaRed Bull Racing Team30.228178.6424837Kevin LepageDodgeFront Row Motorsports30.277178.3534978Kenny WallaceChevroletFurniture Row Racing30.303178.200

Race Tony Stewart won for the first time in 2007 and for the 30th time in his career. He also led the most laps in the competition, 108 out of 267. His margin of victory over 2nd-place Matt Kenseth was 1.727 seconds. The rest of the Top 5 drivers, in order, were Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer.

Jimmie Johnson led the second-most laps (82), but encountered tire trouble toward the end and wound up in 37th-place.

Jeff Gordon (9th) extended his points lead over Denny Hamlin (17th) to 303 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr. led Ryan Newman by 39 points for 12th-place and the final spot in the 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. After this race, seven races remained until the "playoff" field was set.

Results Fin St # Driver MakeTeamLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings 119 20 Tony StewartChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing267108running195$342,161 210 17 Matt KensethFordRoush Fenway Racing2671running175$249,866 325 99 Carl EdwardsFordRoush Fenway Racing2670running165$179,625 414 29 Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress Racing26754running165$192,986 51 25 Casey MearsChevroletHendrick Motorsports2675running160$157,075 635 2 Kurt BuschDodgePenske Racing2672running155$150,133 723 31 Jeff BurtonChevroletRichard Childress Racing2670running146$142,141 83 12 Ryan NewmanDodgePenske Racing2670running142$136,025 911 24 Jeff GordonChevroletHendrick Motorsports2670running138$144,086 107 07 Clint BowyerChevroletRichard Childress Racing2671running139$111,725113316Greg BiffleFordRoush Fenway Racing2670running130$111,875122241Reed SorensonDodgeChip Ganassi Racing2670running127$123,2331365Kyle BuschChevroletHendrick Motorsports2670running124$108,87514401Mark MartinChevroletGinn Racing2670running121$118,408153042Juan Pablo Montoya (R)DodgeChip Ganassi Racing2670running118$130,575164238David Gilliland (R)FordRobert Yates Racing2670running115$124,264171311Denny HamlinChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing2670running112$106,45018945John AndrettiDodgePetty Enterprises2670running109$104,8081958Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.2672running111$131,658201243Bobby LabonteDodgePetty Enterprises2660running103$129,136214188Ricky RuddFordRobert Yates Racing2660running100$119,683221870Johnny SauterChevroletHaas CNC Racing2660running97$87,950233714Sterling MarlinChevroletGinn Racing2660running94$99,858244096Tony RainesChevroletHall of Fame Racing2650running91$95,05025326David Ragan (R)FordRoush Fenway Racing2650running88$122,525262036Jeremy MayfieldToyotaBill Davis Racing2650running85$82,025272966Jeff GreenChevroletHaas CNC Racing2650running82$102,072281721Bill ElliottFordWood Brothers Racing2650running79$103,339292713Joe NemechekChevroletGinn Racing2640running76$83,625302855Michael WaltripToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing2640running73$80,875312649Chad ChaffinDodgeBAM Racing2630running70$80,17532249Kasey KahneDodgeEvernham Motorsports2620running67$127,166333119Elliott SadlerDodgeEvernham Motorsports2600running64$101,570343840David StremmeDodgeChip Ganassi Racing2570engine61$79,575353618J.J. YeleyChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing2430crash58$107,25836397Robby GordonFordRobby Gordon Motorsports2250running55$79,15037848Jimmie JohnsonChevroletHendrick Motorsports22282crash57$132,861383426Jamie McMurrayFordRoush Fenway Racing2140running49$86,7003921Martin Truex Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.21112engine51$104,845401522Dave BlaneyToyotaBill Davis Racing1990crash43$86,28041434Ward BurtonChevroletMorgan–McClure Motorsports1970crash40$78,080421615Paul Menard (R)ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.1320running37$77,910432100David Reutimann (R)ToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing430engine34$77,976Failed to qualify4410Scott RiggsDodgeEvernham Motorsports4583Brian VickersToyotaRed Bull Racing Team4644Dale JarrettToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing4784A.J. Allmendinger (R)ToyotaRed Bull Racing Team4837Kevin LepageDodgeFront Row Motorsports4978Kenny WallaceChevroletFurniture Row Racing

Notes The command to start the engines was given by former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith. This was the final race in the telecast schedule for TNT. Kyle Petty, who was one of the color analysts, returned to the #45 car for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. On the Friday of the race weekend, NASCAR announced that Robby Gordon had lost 25 driver points and 25 owner points because the camera shell, a part that allows in-car images to be sent to television viewers, was not approved. The 2007 race was the last daytime race in Joliet until 2011. It was announced that starting in 2008, the race would be moved to Saturday night as lights would be installed.

References

External links Complete race results Points standings