The Race
Casey Mears won for the first time as a NEXTEL Cup driver, followed by J.J. Yeley (best career Cup finish), Kyle Petty (first top-five finish since 1997), Reed Sorenson (best career Cup finish), and Brian Vickers (first top-5 ever for Toyota's Cup racing program). All the cars stayed on the track because of adequate fuel mileage, while other contenders like Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had to refuel at the end, hoping that the others would run out before the checkered flag.
On lap 54, there was an accident involving 12 cars, including all-star race winner Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex, Jr. and Johnny Sauter. On lap 62, points leader Jeff Gordon had a hard crash when Tony Raines ran into him and he spun into the infield. Coming back up the track, he was hit by A.J. Allmendinger and it jacked his car up in the air as it hit the wall. Gordon failed to finish this race for the fifth straight year, and his points lead over Johnson dropped to 132 points.
It was Darian Grubb's third NEXTEL Cup victory, but the first as a full-time crew chief. Grubb had won two races in 2006 at the #48 when Chad Knaus was ejected, and subsequently suspended, for violations at the Daytona 500.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #25 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2. | #18 | J.J. Yeley | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3. | #45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Petty Enterprises |
| 4. | #41 | Reed Sorenson | Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 5. | #83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Team Red Bull |
| 6. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 7. | #88 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Robert Yates Racing |
| 8. | #8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Incorporated |
| 9. | #11 | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 10. | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
Read more about this topic: 2007 Coca-Cola 600
Famous quotes containing the word race:
“If this bureau had a prayer for use around horse parks, it would go something like this: Lead us not among bleeding-hearts to whom horses are cute or sweet or adorable, and deliver us from horse-lovers. Amen.... With that established, let’s talk about the death of Seabiscuit the other night. It isn’t mawkish to say, there was a racehorse, a horse that gave race fans as much pleasure as any that ever lived and one that will be remembered as long and as warmly.”
—Walter Wellesley (Red)
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—Hesiod (c. 8th century B.C.)