The 2008 Samsung 500 was the seventh race for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and run on Sunday, April 6 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The race was broadcast on television by Fox starting at 1:30 PM EDT, and broadcast via radio and Sirius Satellite Radio on the Performance Racing Network beginning at 1 PM EDT.
Entry list Car Driver Make Team00Michael McDowellToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing01Regan SmithChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.1Martin Truex Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.2Kurt BuschDodgePenske Racing5Casey MearsChevroletHendrick Motorsports6David RaganFordRoush Fenway Racing07Clint BowyerChevroletRichard Childress Racing7Robby GordonDodgeRobby Gordon Motorsports08Burney LamarDodgeE&M Motorsports8Mark MartinChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.9Kasey KahneDodgeGillett Evernham Motorsports10Patrick CarpentierDodgeGillett Evernham Motorsports11Denny HamlinToyotaJoe Gibbs Racing12Ryan NewmanDodgePenske Racing15Paul MenardChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.16Greg BiffleFordRoush Fenway Racing17Matt KensethFordRoush Fenway Racing18Kyle BuschToyotaJoe Gibbs Racing19Elliott SadlerDodgeGillett Evernham Motorsports20Tony StewartToyotaJoe Gibbs Racing21Bill ElliottFordWood Brothers Racing22Dave BlaneyToyotaBill Davis Racing24Jeff GordonChevroletHendrick Motorsports26Jamie McMurrayFordRoush Fenway Racing28Travis KvapilFordYates Racing29Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress Racing31Jeff BurtonChevroletRichard Childress Racing34John AndrettiChevroletFront Row Motorsports38David GillilandFordYates Racing40Dario FranchittiDodgeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates41Reed SorensonDodgeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates42Juan Pablo MontoyaDodgeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates43Bobby LabonteDodgePetty Enterprises44David ReutimannToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing45Chad McCumbeeDodgePetty Enterprises48Jimmie JohnsonChevroletHendrick Motorsports55Michael WaltripToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing66Scott RiggsChevroletHaas CNC Racing70Jeremy MayfieldChevroletHaas CNC Racing77Sam Hornish Jr.DodgePenske Racing78Joe NemechekChevroletFurniture Row Racing83Brian VickersToyotaRed Bull Racing Team84Mike SkinnerToyotaRed Bull Racing Team88Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevroletHendrick Motorsports96J.J. YeleyToyotaHall of Fame Racing99Carl EdwardsFordRoush Fenway Racing
Pre race notes Chad McCumbee replaced Kyle Petty in the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge ride this week; however, for the second straight race, the #45 car failed to qualify. BAM Racing will skip both this week's race and the following race at Phoenix as their transition to Toyota has been harder than they thought.
Qualifying
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first pole as a member of Hendrick Motorsports, with a speed of just under 191 mph.
However, the major story to come out of this was the spectacular crash of Michael McDowell into Turn One during his second qualifying lap in the #00 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. Going into Turn 1, McDowell said on the radio "Way too tight!" The car proceeded to turn sharply left, then when McDowell tried to correct it, the car sharply steered hardly to the right, plowing head-first into the SAFER barrier at over 180 mph, causing his car to barrel-roll 8 times with fire coming from the engine compartment. McDowell was shown to be moving around in the car when the car landed on its wheels in the middle of Turns 1 and 2, and seconds later was able to get out of the car under his own power, uninjured. Due to the fact that his primary car was destroyed, he was forced into the rear of the field in a backup. The crash would prove the safety of the Car of Tomorrow, which had been criticized for its looks. For most of McDowell's career, this would be his legacy; proving the safety of the Car of Tomorrow until the 2021 season, when in a stunning upset McDowell would pass Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano on the final lap to win the 2021 Daytona 500. Pos. Car Driver Make Avg. Speed (mph) Time Behind188Dale Earnhardt JrChevrolet190.90728.2860.000299Carl EdwardsFord189.48728.49800.212318Kyle BuschToyota189.06928.56100.275412Ryan NewmanDodge189.04228.56500.279548Jimmie JohnsonChevrolet188.77228.60600.320644David ReutimannToyota188.73228.61200.32676David RaganFord188.53428.64200.356817Matt KensethFord188.47528.65100.365984Mike SkinnerToyota188.39028.66400.378109Kasey KahneDodge188.24528.68600.4001142Juan Pablo MontoyaDodge188.16028.69900.413121Martin Truex JrChevrolet188.14028.70200.4161366Scott RiggsChevrolet188.00928.72200.4361411Denny HamlinToyota187.99028.72500.439157Robby GordonDodge187.93128.73400.4481616Greg BiffleFord187.86528.74400.4581777Sam Hornish JrDodge187.74128.76300.4771824Jeff GordonChevrolet187.61128.78300.4971915Paul MenardChevrolet187.59828.78500.4992055Michael WaltripToyota187.59128.78600.5002129Kevin HarvickChevrolet187.49328.80100.515225Casey MearsChevrolet187.47428.80400.518232Kurt BuschDodge187.31128.82900.5432420Tony StewartToyota187.19528.84700.5612507Clint BowyerChevrolet187.15628.85300.5672619Elliott SadlerDodge187.00728.87600.5902710Patrick CarpentierDodge186.98128.88000.5942821Bill ElliottFord186.97428.88100.5952922Dave BlaneyToyota186.94828.88500.5993043Bobby LabonteDodge186.93528.88700.601318Mark MartinChevrolet186.79328.90900.6233226Jamie McMurrayFord186.64528.93200.6463396JJ YeleyToyota186.22028.99800.7123401Regan SmithChevrolet186.04629.02500.7393531Jeff BurtonChevrolet185.99529.03300.7473683Brian VickersToyota185.75229.07100.7853734John AndrettiChevrolet185.66929.08400.7983828Travis KvapilFord185.63129.09000.8043970Jeremy MayfieldChevrolet185.35029.13400.8484000Michael McDowellToyota182.93329.51901.2334138David GillilandFord0.00000.0000.0004241Reed SorensonDodge0.00000.0000.0004378Joe NemechekChevrolet185.19129.15900.873Failed to qualify4440Dario FranchittiDodge4545Chad McCumbeeDodge4608Burney LamarDodgeWD49Ken SchraderToyota Failed to qualify: Burney Lamar (#08), Dario Franchitti (#40), Chad McCumbee (#45).
Race recap The race was won by Carl Edwards. Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin would round out the top five while Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer would be the remaining finishers in the top ten finishing order.
Results FinSt#DriverMakeTeamLapsLedStatusPts1299Carl EdwardsFordRoush Fenway Racing339123running1952548Jimmie JohnsonChevyHendrick Motorsports33965running1753318Kyle BuschToyotaJoe Gibbs Racing33950running1704412Ryan NewmanDodgePenske Racing3390running13551411Denny HamlinToyotaJoe Gibbs Racing3390running15563531Jeff BurtonChevyRichard Childress Racing3390running15072420Tony StewartToyotaJoe Gibbs Racing3390running1468318Mark MartinChevyDale Earnhardt, Inc.3390running1429817Matt KensethFordRoush Fenway Racing33968running143102507Clint BowyerChevyRichard Childress Racing3390running134112129Kevin HarvickChevyRichard Childress Racing3380running13012188Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevyHendrick Motorsports33831running1321376David RaganFordRoush Fenway Racing3380running124143226Jamie McMurrayFordRoush Fenway Racing3380running121154138David GillilandFordYates Racing3380running118163683Brian VickersToyotaRed Bull Racing Team3380running115171915Paul MenardChevyDale Earnhardt, Inc.3380running112183828Travis KvapilFordYates Racing3380running109191142Juan Pablo MontoyaDodgeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates3370running106203043Bobby LabonteDodgePetty Enterprises3370running103212922Dave BlaneyToyotaBill Davis Racing3370running10022225Casey MearsChevyHendrick Motorsports3370running9723232Kurt BuschDodgePenske Racing3370running94244241Reed SorensonDodgeChip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates3370running9125109Kasey KahneDodgeGillett Evernham Motorsports3360running88262619Elliott SadlerDodgeGillett Evernham Motorsports3360running85271366Scott RiggsChevyHaas CNC Racing3360running82282710Patrick CarpentierDodgeGillett Evernham Motorsports3350running7929984Mike SkinnerToyotaRed Bull Racing Team3340running7630157Robby GordonDodgeRobby Gordon Motorsports3340running73312055Michael WaltripToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing3330running70321777Sam Hornish Jr.DodgePenske Racing3330running67334000Michael McDowellToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing3320running64342821Bill ElliottFordWood Brothers Racing3320running61353401Regan SmithChevyDale Earnhardt, Inc.3310running5836121Martin Truex Jr.ChevyDale Earnhardt, Inc.3302engine60374378Joe NemechekChevyFurniture Row Racing3300running52383970Jeremy MayfieldChevyHaas CNC Racing3290running49391616Greg BiffleFordRoush Fenway Racing3120running46403734John AndrettiChevyFront Row Motorsports2630suspension4341644David ReutimannToyotaMichael Waltrip Racing2530engine40423396J.J. YeleyToyotaHall of Fame Racing1730crash37431824Jeff GordonChevyHendrick Motorsports1240crash34
References