The 2009 Shelby 427 was the third race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on March 1, 2009 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. The race was won by Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing.
The race was broadcast on Fox, with radio coverage by PRN (terrestrial) and SiriusXM (satellite).
The race title reflects the title sponsor, Carroll Shelby International, which has its home base at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the Shelby Cobra 427, which is made in Nevada. The race had previously been in length, but had an extra added into the race, making for an additional 18 laps. The race would return to 400.5 miles the following year and has run at the same scheduled distance since.
Entry list Car Driver Make Team00David ReutimannToyotaMichael Waltrip1Martin Truex Jr.ChevroletTeresa Earnhardt2Kurt BuschDodgeWalter Czarnecki5Mark MartinChevroletMary Hendrick6David RaganFordMike Dee07Casey MearsChevroletRichard Childress7Robby GordonToyotaRobby Gordon8Aric AlmirolaChevroletChip Ganassi09Sterling MarlinDodgeJames Finch9Kasey KahneDodgeGeorge Gillett Jr.11Denny HamlinToyotaJ D Gibbs12David StremmeDodgeRoger Penske13Max PapisToyotaBob Germain14Tony StewartChevroletMargaret Haas16Greg BiffleFordJack Roush17Matt KensethFordJohn Henry18Kyle BuschToyotaJoe Gibbs19Elliott SadlerDodgeGeorge Gillett Jr.20Joey LoganoToyotaJoe Gibbs24Jeff GordonChevroletRick Hendrick25Brad KeselowskiChevroletRick Hendrick26Jamie McMurrayFordGeoff Smith28Travis KvapilFordJeff Moorad29Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress31Jeff BurtonChevroletRichard Childress33Clint BowyerChevroletBobby Ginn III34John AndrettiChevroletTeresa Earnhardt36Scott RiggsToyotaTommy Baldwin37Tony RainesDodgeBrad Jenkins39Ryan NewmanChevroletTony Stewart41Jeremy MayfieldToyotaJeremy Mayfield42Juan Pablo MontoyaChevroletTeresa Earnhardt43Reed SorensonDodgeRichard Petty44A.J. AllmendingerDodgeGeorge Gillett Jr47Marcos AmbroseToyotaRob Kauffman48Jimmie JohnsonChevroletJeff Gordon51Dexter BeanDodgeDavid Bean55Michael WaltripToyotaMichael Waltrip64Todd BodineToyotaLarry Gunselman66Dave BlaneyToyotaPhil Parsons71David GillilandChevroletKevin Buckler73Mike GarveyDodgeBarry Haefele77Sam Hornish Jr.DodgeBill Davis78Regan SmithChevroletBarney Visser82Scott SpeedToyotaDietrich Mateschitz83Brian VickersToyotaDietrich Mateschitz87Joe NemechekToyotaAndrea Nemechek88Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevroletRick Hendrick96Bobby LabonteFordJeffrey Moorad98Paul MenardFordMax Jones99Carl EdwardsFordJack Roush
Qualifying Kyle Busch won the pole for the Shelby 427 with a new track record of 185.995 mph.
Full qualifying results Pos. Car # Driver Make Avg. Speed Time Behind118Kyle BuschToyota185.99529.0330.00022Kurt BuschDodge185.70729.07800.045348Jimmie JohnsonChevrolet185.68829.08100.048400David ReutimannToyota185.62429.09100.058547Marcos AmbroseToyota185.45929.11700.084639Ryan NewmanChevrolet185.39529.12700.09479Kasey KahneDodge185.38229.12900.09685Mark MartinChevrolet185.31229.14000.107929Kevin HarvickChevrolet185.28129.14500.1121014Tony StewartChevrolet185.21729.15500.1221112David StremmeDodge185.07729.17700.1441277Sam Hornish Jr.Dodge184.98829.19100.1581325Brad KeselowskiChevrolet184.78629.22300.1901431Jeff BurtonChevrolet184.56529.25800.2251555Michael WaltripToyota184.54029.26200.2291699Carl EdwardsFord184.49529.26900.2361796Bobby LabonteFord184.43229.27900.2461878Regan SmithChevrolet184.43229.27900.2461944AJ AllmendingerDodge184.39529.28500.2522020Joey LoganoToyota184.38829.28600.2532183Brian VickersToyota184.16829.32100.2882287Joe NemechekToyota184.16229.32200.2892342Juan Pablo MontoyaChevrolet184.11829.32900.2962416Greg BiffleFord184.00529.34700.314251Martin Truex Jr.Chevrolet183.99929.34800.3152613Max PapisToyota183.97429.35200.319278Aric AlmirolaChevrolet183.93629.35800.3252824Jeff GordonChevrolet183.79829.38000.3472934John AndrettiChevrolet183.78629.38200.3493071David GillilandChevrolet183.74929.38800.3553188Dale Earnhardt Jr.Chevrolet183.74229.38900.356327Robby GordonToyota183.48629.43000.3973319Elliott SadlerDodge183.46129.43400.4013411Denny HamlinToyota183.29329.46100.428356David RaganFord183.14429.48500.4523698Paul MenardFord182.92129.52100.4883733Clint BowyerChevrolet182.77229.54500.5123826Jamie McMurrayFord182.57429.57700.5443943Reed SorensonDodge182.46929.59400.5614017Matt KensethFord182.14329.64700.6144107Casey MearsChevrolet181.92829.68200.6494282Scott SpeedToyota181.25729.79200.7594364Todd BodineToyota183.23129.47100.438Failed to qualify4428Travis KvapilFord183.18129.4794566Dave BlaneyToyota182.67329.5614673Mike GarveyDodge182.45729.5964741Jeremy MayfieldToyota182.38929.6074809Sterling MarlinDodge181.54329.7454936Scott RiggsToyota180.82029.8645037Tony RainesDodge180.33129.9455151Dexter BeanDodge174.15431.007
Race recap The Las Vegas Motor Speedway chaplain, Joe Freiburger gave the invocation. Jersey Boys performed the national anthem and Carroll Shelby gave the command to start engines.
David Reutimann, Kyle Busch, Marcos Ambrose, Scott Speed and Brian Vickers were sent to the back of the field because of engine changes.
Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson led the field to the green flag. Johnson led the first lap; Brad Keselowski hit the wall out of turn 4 causing a flat tire and the first caution of the day. Matt Kenseth reported engine trouble, came onto pit road where his crew fixed the problem, but Kenseth was penalized for exiting too fast on pit road. Kenseth served the penalty of restarting from the tail end of the field.
The race restarted on lap 6 with Johnson, Kurt Busch, Harvick, Newman and Stremme in the Top 5. Kenseth's engine blew on the front stretch on lap 7 while Todd Bodine spun out of turn 2 after slight contact from behind by Hamlin, bringing out the second caution of the day. Keselowski got the lucky dog free pass.
The race restarted on lap 11 with no position changes in the Top 5. Johnson continued to lead laps. Brad Keselowski drove his car to the garage on lap 36. Within 50 laps of the race, McMurray gained nineteen positions, Jeff Gordon and Reutimann gained sixteen, Biffle gained fifteen, and Vickers gained fourteen. Green flag pit stops ensued on lap 48. Earnhardt Jr. served a pass through penalty for exiting too fast on pit road. Regan Smith and Casey Mears also served pass through penalties for entering too fast on pit road. Edwards and Kyle Busch each led two laps and Logano led a lap during the green flag pit stops.
Caution would come out on lap 60 for debris on the track. Newman won the lucky dog free pass. Kahne, Waltrip, Hamlin and others entered pit road during the caution. John Andretti, David Gilliland, Scott Speed, Clint Bowyer, Earnhardt Jr., Regan Smith, Todd Bodine, A.J. Allmendinger, Robby Gordon, Martin Truex Jr. and Elliott Sadler were a lap down when the caution flag was waved.
The race restarted on lap 65 with Johnson, Edwards, Kurt Busch, Harvick and Biffle in the top five. McMurray, running in 13th, was hit from behind by Logano and slid out of turn 2, but maintained control. McMurray dropped to 26th as a result. On Lap 74, Regan Smith came onto pit road for engine troubles, bringing out the fourth caution of the day. Clint Bowyer got the free pass. During the round of pit stops, Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch gained six positions, Jeff Gordon and Hamlin gained five, Harvick, Stewart, and Montoya gained four, and Mark Martin gained two. Kurt Busch lost four spots, and Johnson, taking four tires, lost nine.
The race restarted on lap 83 with Harvick, Stewart, Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Martin, Kurt Busch, Burton, Montoya, Hamlin and Johnson in the top ten. In two laps, Biffle took the lead from Harvick. On Lap 90, Gordon took second place from Harvick. Brad Keselowski returned to the track 57 laps down in the 42nd position. On Lap 95, Edwards made contact with Stremme's left rear quarter panel, sending Stremme spinning out of turn 2, and bringing out the fifth caution of the race. Earnhardt Jr. got the free pass. Harvick lost two spots, Burton gained three, Almirola gained fourteen, and Bowyer gained eight during the round of pit stops. Biffle and Martin stayed on the track.
The race restarted on lap 100 with Biffle, Martin, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Johnson in the top five. Upon restarting, Bowyer and Montoya made contact entering turn 1, but no caution flew. Montoya entered pit road and exited in the 27th position. On Lap 122, Mark Martin, running in 4th, blew his engine, bringing out the sixth caution. Martin Truex Jr. got the free pass. During the pit stop round, Johnson and McMurray gained two spots, and Biffle and Stewart lost two. Kasey Kahne stayed out to lead a lap before entering pit road.
Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Biffle, McMurray, Burton, Stewart, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Sam Hornish Jr. were in the top ten during the restart on lap 131. The seventh caution came out on lap 138 when Reed Sorenson lost control exiting turn 2 and hit the outside wall of the backstretch; Robby Gordon got the lucky dog free pass. Hornish Jr. entered pit road from the 10th position. The field restarted on lap 143 with Johnson as the leader. Almirola hit the outside wall in turn 3 then slowed on the backstretch where Kasey Kahne tried to avoid hitting Almirola's car. Kahne slid off the track, making slight contact with Almirola. Paul Menard, Bobby Labonte and Robby Gordon, from the end of the lead lap, made pit stops.
The race restarted on lap 149 with Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Biffle, Stewart and Kyle Busch in the top five. Gordon took the lead away from Johnson in two laps. On lap 160, Jeff Gordon led his 20,000th lap in the Cup Series. On lap 164, Michael Waltrip, running in the 20th position, lost control in turn 4, hitting the outside wall. This brought out the eighth caution. David Gilliland got the free pass. During the round of pitstops, Burton gained seven spots, Labonte gained twelve, Vickers gained thirteen, and Truex Jr. gained fourteen. Biffle lost two spots, and Jeff Gordon and Johnson both lost five.
The race restarted on lap 169 with Burton, Labonte, Vickers, Truex Jr., Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Johnson, Kyle Busch, Stewart and Edwards in the top ten. One lap later, Hamlin, running in 13th, lost control between turns 3 and 4, sliding across the outside wall, bringing out the tenth caution. John Andretti got the free pass. The field restarted on lap 175 with Burton in the lead. Johnson took second from Labonte on lap 187.
The eleventh caution came on lap 220, when Jeff Gordon missed the entrance to pit road and blew his left front tire. Edwards beat Labonte off pit road for the second position, but Edwards' crew missed placing a lug nut, forcing him back into the pits. Burton maintained the lead off pit road. David Gilliland got the free pass for the second time. The field restarted on lap 228 with Burton, Labonte, Kyle Busch, Vickers and Reutimann in the top five. Busch, the pole winner, took the lead from Burton in less than one lap.
The twelfth caution came for debris on lap 259. Sam Hornish Jr. got the free pass. Bowyer stayed on the track as the field entered pit road. Burton gained five spots, Jeff Gordon gained seven, Kyle Busch lost two, and Labonte and Vickers both lost four. Labonte and Johnson nearly collided as Labonte was leaving his pit box and Johnson was entering his.
The race restarted on lap 264 with Bowyer, Burton, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Reutimann, Edwards, Labonte, Vickers, Kahne and McMurray in the top ten. In two laps, Kyle Busch was in third behind Bowyer and Burton. On lap 267, Busch took second from Burton out of turn 2. In the next lap, Busch took the lead from Bowyer out of turn 2. Caution came for the thirteenth time on lap 269 after Menard, racing between Ambrose and Logano, lost control and hit the outside wall out of turn 4. Harvick got the free pass. From the end of the lead lap, Earnhardt Jr., Robby Gordon, Hornish Jr. and Gilliland made pitstops.