The 2005 Batman Begins 400 (named after the 2005 film of the same name for sponsorship reasons was a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing event held on June 19, 2005, at Michigan International Speedway in Cambridge Township, Michigan. The race was the fifteenth in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season.

Entry list Car # Driver Make Team0Mike BlissChevroletGene Haas01Joe NemechekChevroletNelson Bowers2Rusty WallaceDodgeRoger Penske4Mike WallaceChevroletLarry McClure5Kyle BuschChevroletRick Hendrick6Mark MartinFordJack Roush07Dave BlaneyChevroletRichard Childress7Robby GordonChevroletJames Smith8Dale Earnhardt JrChevroletTeresa Earnhardt9Kasey KahneDodgeRay Evernham10Scott RiggsChevroletJames Rocco11Jason LefflerChevroletJ D Gibbs12Ryan NewmanDodgeRoger Penske15Michael WaltripChevroletTeresa Earnhardt16Greg BiffleFordGeoff Smith17Matt KensethFordMark Martin18Bobby LabonteChevroletJoe Gibbs19Jeremy MayfieldDodgeRay Evernham20Tony StewartChevroletJoe Gibbs21Ricky RuddFordGlen Wood22Scott WimmerDodgeBill Davis23Mike SkinnerDodgeGail Davis24Jeff GordonChevroletRick Hendrick25Brian VickersChevroletMary Hendrick29Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress31Jeff BurtonChevroletRichard Childress32Bobby Hamilton JrChevroletCalvin Wells III34PJ JonesChevroletWilliam Edwards37Kevin LepageDodgeJohn Carter38Elliott SadlerFordRobert Yates40Sterling MarlinDodgeFelix Sabates41Casey MearsDodgeChip Ganassi42Jamie McMurrayDodgeFloyd Ganassi43Jeff GreenDodgeRichard L Petty45Kyle PettyDodgeKyle Petty48Jimmie JohnsonChevroletJeff Gordon49Ken SchraderDodgeElizabeth Morgenthau66Mike GarveyFordJeff Stec77Travis KvapilDodgeDouglas Bawel88Dale JarrettFordRobert Yates89Morgan ShepherdDodgeCindy Shepherd91Bill ElliottDodgeRay Evernham Sr.97Kurt BuschFordGeorgetta Roush99Carl EdwardsFordJack Roush51Stuart KirbyChevroletJoe Auer79Derrike CopeChevroletJohn Conely92Eric McClureChevroletBob Jenkins

Practice

Practice 1 results Pos. Car # Driver Make Speed Time Behind Best Laps112Ryan NewmanDodge192.1640:37.4680.0000025Kyle BuschChevrolet191.4280:37.6120.14400341Casey MearsDodge191.2550:37.6460.17800Full results

Practice 2 results Pos. Car # Driver Make Speed Time Behind Best Laps119Jeremy MayfieldDodge192.0970:37.4810.00000212Ryan NewmanDodge192.0970:37.4810.00000348Jimmie JohnsonChevrolet191.7290:37.5530.07200Full results

Qualifying Pos. Car # Driver Make Speed Time Behind112Ryan NewmanDodge194.23237.0690.000241Casey MearsDodge193.75737.160 -0.091320Tony StewartChevrolet193.51237.207 -0.13849Kasey KahneDodge193.12337.282 -0.213519Jeremy MayfieldDodge193.08637.289 -0.220618Bobby LabonteChevrolet193.05537.295 -0.226725Brian VickersChevrolet192.81837.341 -0.27287Robby GordonChevrolet192.77137.350 -0.281924Jeff GordonChevrolet192.65837.372 -0.3031091Bill ElliottDodge192.65837.372 -0.303111Joe NemechekChevrolet192.60637.382 -0.313122Rusty WallaceDodge192.55537.392 -0.3231397Kurt BuschFord192.55537.392 -0.3231488Dale JarrettFord192.49337.404 -0.335156Mark MartinFord192.38037.426 -0.3571648Jimmie JohnsonChevrolet192.31337.439 -0.370175Kyle BuschChevrolet192.22537.456 -0.3871838Elliott SadlerFord192.10237.480 -0.4111943Jeff GreenDodge191.98037.504 -0.4352000Mike BlissChevrolet191.98037.504 -0.4352117Matt KensethFord191.62737.573 -0.5042222Scott WimmerDodge191.62737.573 -0.5042399Carl EdwardsFord191.41337.615 -0.5462442Jamie McMurrayDodge191.30637.636 -0.5672516Greg BiffleFord191.18937.659 -0.5902611Jason LefflerChevrolet191.18937.659 -0.5902732Bobby Hamilton JrChevrolet190.73937.748 -0.6792829Kevin HarvickChevrolet190.58737.778 -0.7092910Scott RiggsChevrolet190.58237.779 -0.7103015Michael WaltripChevrolet190.49137.797 -0.7283123Mike SkinnerDodge190.37637.820 -0.7513245Kyle PettyDodge190.37037.821 -0.7523331Jeff BurtonChevrolet190.17937.859 -0.7903421Ricky RuddFord190.12937.869 -0.8003566Mike GarveyFord189.87837.919 -0.8503607Dave BlaneyChevrolet189.78337.938 -0.8693777Travis KvapilDodge189.78337.938 -0.8693849Ken SchraderDodge189.57937.979 -0.9103937Kevin LepageDodge189.44938.005 -0.9364040Sterling MarlinDodge189.40438.014 -0.945418Dale Earnhardt JrChevrolet188.26038.245 -1.176424Mike WallaceChevrolet186.59138.587 -1.5184351Stuart KirbyChevrolet188.84838.126 -1.057Failed to qualify4492Eric McClure*Chevrolet0.0000.0000.0004579Derrike CopeChevroletN/AN/AN/A4634P.J. JonesChevroletN/AN/AN/A4789Morgan ShepherdDodgeN/AN/AN/AWD00Carl LongChevrolet0.0000.0000.000 *Had an accident during qualifying

Race recap On April 27, 2005, Warner Bros. would announce that the race would be sponsored by the movie Batman Begins, marking the first time a motion picture sponsored a Cup Series race. In a press release, NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France said "Batman will cheer on the 43 super heroes that will be competing for the Batman Begins 400 at Michigan International Speedway." Along with the sponsorship, a Batmobile used in the film served as the honorary pace car for the race, while Batman, played by actor Kevin Porter, was the grand marshal, and Karen Newman sang the national anthem.

Mark Martin also ran a Batman Begins paint scheme, along with Ricky Craven at the Paramount Health Insurance 200 on the previous day. Defending race winner Ryan Newman of Penske Racing won the pole position after breaking the track record with a speed of , breaking the original record held by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2001, while Roush Racing's Greg Biffle won the race. Michigan International Speedway has been a Ford dominated track starting in 1984, and a Mercury track before that from 1969-78. It was also a track that suited a smooth driver or a driver that could change his driving tactics for Michigan International Speedway.

Tony Stewart would dominate the race, he would end up leading a race-high 97 laps. However, on lap 168, Stewart took a four-tire pit stop, while Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler and Roush Racing teammates Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch, as they and other drivers had pitted 12 laps earlier; Joe Nemechek and Michael Waltrip also beat Stewart to the track, forcing him to start in eighth on lap 174. Biffle, who led 67 laps, would go on to win his eighth career Cup race and fifth of the season. Stewart was able to fight his way into second, while Mark Martin finished in third. Kenseth and Edwards rounded out the top five. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished the race in 32nd and 17th, respectively, and were knocked out of contention for the 2005 Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Race results FinSt#DriverMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings12516Greg BiffleFord20063running1851710752320Tony StewartChevy20097running1801744613156Mark MartinFord20010running17011612542117Matt KensethFord2000running16013826152399Carl EdwardsFord2000running1559865061101Joe NemechekChevy2001running15511014873015Michael WaltripChevy2003running15111645481838Elliott SadlerFord2000running1421261069175Kyle BuschChevy2000running1388926510122Rusty WallaceDodge2000running134110548113331Jeff BurtonChevy2000running130106825121397Kurt BuschFord20012running132125665132442Jamie McMurrayDodge2001running1298739014618Bobby LabonteChevy2000running12111091515112Ryan NewmanDodge2003running123122781162222Scott WimmerDodge2000running11510179817418Dale Earnhardt Jr.Chevy2000running1121184481849Kasey KahneDodge2000running109106965191648Jimmie JohnsonChevy2002running111118881202611Jason LefflerChevy2000running1037589021241Casey MearsDodge1997running10510724822519Jeremy MayfieldDodge1990running9799535232910Scott RiggsChevy1990running9493448241488Dale JarrettFord1990running91106698252829Kevin HarvickChevy1990running88116351263777Travis KvapilDodge1990running857996527200Mike BlissChevy1980running8271680283849Ken SchraderDodge1980running7971425293607Dave BlaneyChevy1980running7679215303245Kyle PettyDodge1980running7380687312732Bobby Hamilton Jr.Chevy1980running706799032924Jeff GordonChevy1970running67116651333421Ricky RuddFord1970running6496004343123Mike SkinnerDodge1970running6167735351091Bill ElliottDodge1960running5867595363566Mike GarveyFord1960running5567545373937Kevin LepageDodge1950running5267495381943Jeff GreenDodge1840running49963313987Robby GordonChevy1821running5167350404040Sterling MarlinDodge1670engine439522341725Brian VickersChevy1540running4075280424351Stuart KirbyChevy910crash376724043424Mike WallaceChevy500engine3466671

Standings Pos Driver Points 1 Jimmie Johnson 2173 2 Greg Biffle 2124 3 Elliott Sadler 1923 4 Carl Edwards 1914 5 Mark Martin 1904 6 Tony Stewart 1862 7 Ryan Newman 1856 8 Rusty Wallace 1848 9 Kurt Busch 1813 10 Kevin Harvick 1803

References