2007 Subway 500

The 2007 Subway 500, the 32nd race of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season and the sixth race in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, ran on Sunday, October 21st, 2007, at Martinsville Speedway, located on the outskirts of Martinsville, Virginia. This race was the fifteenth of sixteen series races to use NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow template, which will be made permanent as of the 2008 season.

Pre-Race News

*Scott Riggs has been signed to drive for Haas CNC Racing in 2008, it is still to be determined which one of its drivers, Jeff Green or Johnny Sauter will be released or if both will be released and free agent David Stremme would be signed to one of the Haas rides.

*2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti made his NASCAR debut in the Truck Series Kroger 200 for Cunningham Motorsports. Also, former Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series turned ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers Colin Braun and Michael McDowell made their debuts at "The Paperclip" (the nickname for Martinsville, owing to its paperclip-shape when seen from above), with Roush Fenway Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing, respectively. None of the three finished the race, and all were scored 30th or worse. [http://www.jayski.com/cts/next/2007/21martinsville2007.htm#results]

Qualifying

With a lap of 19.938 seconds at a speed of 94.974 miles per hour, seven time Martinsville winner Jeff Gordon took his sixth pole at the paperclip and 63rd of his career. Spring Martinsville winner Jimmie Johnson will start fourth. South Boston natives Jeff and Ward Burton both struggled in qualifying, having to start 18th and 36th respectively. Chase contender Tony Stewart started 34th.

Race

The 2007 running of the Subway 500 set a record for cautions in this race, with 21 yellow flags flying for 127 laps. The race was eventually decided under caution, when, during the green-white-checkers, David Ragan spun in turn number 1, ending the single attempt at a racing finish. With his third consecutive win at Martinsville, Johnson became the first driver since Rusty Wallace in 1994-1995 to win three straight races at the track.

Results

Top Ten Results: "(NOTE: Chase drivers are in bold italics.)"

Points

Gordon's lead over Johnson in the standings was reduced to 58 points. (See 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup) for complete Chase standings).

For 35th place, and the last guaranteed starting spot, the #22 team (driver Dave Blaney for Bill Davis Racing) extended its lead over the #21 team (Bill Elliott for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing) to 142 points. [http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/standings/32mar2007points.htm]

Television pre-emption

Because of the Southern California wildfires, which began on race morning, KABC in Los Angeles showed the race on a digital subchannel rather than on its main channel. This meant that the broadcast was available in the second-largest media market in the United States only on digital cable and on stand-alone sets with digital tuners. Viewers who receive KABC on satellite services DirecTV and Dish Network had to do without.

KABC also did not air "NASCAR Countdown" for a second consecutive week.