2008 Pepsi 500
Race details
Race 25 of 36 in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2008 Pepsi 500 program cover
2008 Pepsi 500 program cover
Date August 31, 2008 (2008-08-31)
Location Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California
Course Permanent racing facility
2.0 mi (3.23 km)
Distance 250 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Weather Temperatures approaching an average of 76.9 °F (24.9 °C); wind speeds up to 15.9 miles per hour (25.6 km/h)[1]
Average speed 138.857 miles per hour (223.469 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Hendrick Motorsports
Time 39.912
Most laps led
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports
Laps 228
Winner
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree

The 2008 Pepsi 500 was the twenty-fifth race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and the next-to-last race to determine the twelve drivers to compete in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The 500 miles (800 km) race was held on Sunday night, August 31 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. ESPN carried the race beginning at 7 PM US EDT and MRN along with Sirius Satellite Radio having radio coverage starting at 7:15 PM US EDT. This year marked the final time that this race would be run on Labor Day Weekend. In 2009, this race will move into the current spot occupied to Talladega Superspeedway as part of the NASCAR 2009 realignment.

Pre-Race News

Qualifying

Jimmie Johnson took the top position for the fourth time this season and 17th in his career, and A. J. Allmendinger closed fast to take the other front row spot, edging Johnson's Hendrick teammate, Jeff Gordon.

Failed to qualify: Tony Raines (#70).

Race

A caution came out early in the race due to debris when one of the track's caution lights fell onto the track itself. Another caution came out on lap 43 when Kurt Busch spun due to tire tread separation on his left rear tire. The fourth caution came out when Joe Nemechek over corrected for over steer and hit the wall. The fifth caution came out around lap 102 due to debris on the track. The sixth caution on 160 was also due debris that was from a small piece of another caution light falling on the track. The seventh caution came out with 70 laps to go due to Robby Gordon spinning out. The eighth caution came out due to Marcos Ambrose's car hitting a wall, after which Jimmie Johnson won the race, leading 228 of 250 laps. Three drivers - Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton - all locked up spots in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Greg Biffle, who finished second, also all but wrapped up a spot in the Chase as well, and all he'll have to do is qualify his car and start in Richmond next week.

Polesitter Johnson dominated, leading 238 out of 250 laps to score his 36th victory at the venue where he scored his first just more than six years prior.

Post-race temperatures got as low as 61.9 °F (16.6 °C); a radical shift from the high temperatures witnessed prior to the race.[1]

Results

POS[2] ST # DRIVER SPONSOR / OWNER CAR LAPS MONEY STATUS LED PTS
1 1 48   Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / Jimmie Johnson Foundation   (Rick Hendrick) Chevrolet 250 314611 running 228 195
2 15 16   Greg Biffle 3M   (Jack Roush) Ford 250 185375 running 12 175
3 21 11   Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground   (Joe Gibbs) Toyota 250 178091 running 0 165
4 33 29   Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil   (Richard Childress) Chevrolet 250 170786 running 0 160
5 37 17   Matt Kenseth R&L Carriers   (Jack Roush) Ford 250 169941 running 1 160
6 26 99   Carl Edwards Aflac   (Jack Roush) Ford 250 153300 running 0 150
7 11 18   Kyle Busch M&M's   (Joe Gibbs) Toyota 250 120225 running 0 146
8 4 9   Kasey Kahne Budweiser   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports) Dodge 250 141691 running 0 142
9 12 44   David Reutimann UPS / Toys For Tots Literacy Program   (Michael Waltrip) Toyota 250 108075 running 3 143
10 31 07   Clint Bowyer Jack Daniel's   (Richard Childress) Chevrolet 250 120150 running 0 134
11 18 88   Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard   (Rick Hendrick) Chevrolet 250 108750 running 0 130
12 19 83   Brian Vickers Red Bull   (Dietrich Mateschitz) Toyota 250 107825 running 0 127
13 22 6   David Ragan AAA Insurance   (Jack Roush) Ford 250 108475 running 1 129
14 2 84   A.J. Allmendinger Red Bull   (Dietrich Mateschitz) Toyota 250 98225 running 1 126
15 3 24   Jeff Gordon Pepsi / DuPont   (Rick Hendrick) Chevrolet 250 143636 running 2 123
16 17 12   Ryan Newman Kodak   (Roger Penske) Dodge 250 135225 running 0 115
17 27 31   Jeff Burton AT&T Mobility   (Richard Childress) Chevrolet 250 137508 running 1 117
18 5 10   Patrick Carpentier Sears Auto Center / Valvoline   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports) Dodge 250 96700 running 0 109
19 7 1   Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) Chevrolet 250 125458 running 0 106
20 23 42   Juan Pablo Montoya Texaco / Havoline   (Chip Ganassi) Dodge 250 124033 running 0 103
21 24 43   Bobby Labonte Cheerios / Betty Crocker / Totino's   (Petty Enterprises) Dodge 250 130086 running 0 100
22 14 20   Tony Stewart Subway / Home Depot   (Joe Gibbs) Toyota 250 137936 running 0 97
23 42 38   David Gilliland CitiFinancial   (Yates Racing) Ford 249 111608 running 0 94
24 13 26   Jamie McMurray Crown Royal   (Jack Roush) Ford 249 99725 running 0 91
25 39 66   Scott Riggs State Water Heaters   (Gene Haas) Chevrolet 249 107958 running 0 88
26 16 5   Casey Mears Cheez-It / Carquest   (Rick Hendrick) Chevrolet 249 105800 running 0 85
27 41 41   Reed Sorenson Target   (Chip Ganassi) Dodge 249 117964 running 0 82
28 34 28   Travis Kvapil Hitachi "Inspire the Next"   (Yates Racing) Ford 249 117739 running 0 79
29 8 22   Dave Blaney Caterpillar   (Bill Davis) Toyota 249 104583 running 0 76
30 10 8   Aric Almirola U.S. Army   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) Chevrolet 249 124533 running 0 73
31 32 77   Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Truck Rental   (Roger Penske) Dodge 249 132900 running 0 70
32 40 21   Marcos Ambrose Little Debbie   (Wood Brothers) Ford 249 105595 running 0 67
33 30 55   Michael Waltrip NAPA Auto Parts   (Michael Waltrip) Toyota 249 99808 running 1 69
34 6 19   Elliott Sadler McDonald's   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports) Dodge 249 113495 running 0 61
35 35 00   Mike Skinner Affliction Clothing   (Michael Waltrip) Toyota 249 96647 running 0 58
36 25 01   Regan Smith DEI / Principal Financial Group   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) Chevrolet 249 95050 running 0 55
37 29 15   Paul Menard Menards / Johns Manville   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) Chevrolet 249 95000 running 0 52
38 38 45   Kyle Petty Wells Fargo   (Petty Enterprises) Dodge 249 86950 running 0 49
39 9 2   Kurt Busch Miller Lite   (Roger Penske) Dodge 248 86900 running 0 46
40 36 7   Robby Gordon Monster Energy   (Robby Gordon) Dodge 248 94850 running 0 43
41 28 96   Ken Schrader DLP HDTV   (Jeff Moorad) Toyota 247 94805 running 0 40
42 43 08   Johnny Sauter FUBAR All Natural Drink   (John Carter) Dodge 161 86740 overheating 0 37
43 20 78   Joe Nemechek Furniture Row / DenverMattress.com   (Barney Visser) Chevrolet 67 86212 crash 0 34

References

  1. 1 2 "2008 Pepsi 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Archived from the original on 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
  2. "Race Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
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