2007 Citizens Bank 400
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 15 of 36 in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Michigan International Speedway | |||
| Date | June 17, 2007 | ||
| Official name | Citizens Bank 400 | ||
| Location | Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.0 mi (3.218 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Weather | Hot with temperatures reaching up to 86 °F (30 °C); wind speeds up to 7 miles per hour (11 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 148.07 miles per hour (238.30 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 38.399 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | |
| Laps | 63 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNT | ||
| Announcers |
Bill Weber, Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach, Jr. | ||
The 2007 Citizens Bank 400 was the 15th race of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season. It was held on June 17, 2007 at Michigan International Speedway, located in the town of Brooklyn, Michigan, about 80 miles west of Detroit.
After this race, 11 races remained to set the field for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.
Qualifying
J.J. Yeley won his first career pole with a fast lap of 187.505 miles per hour, or 38.399 seconds. Jimmie Johnson fell short of Yeley's lap by .001 second. Ryan Newman, who had won the three previous poles, qualified fourth.
Michael Waltrip made only his third race in 15 tries. Ironically, he had announced earlier that week that he was stepping aside for the following week's race, the Toyota/Save Mart 350, in favor of two-time series champion Terry Labonte.
Race
Carl Edwards won the Citizens Bank 400 for his first win in the NEXTEL Cup Series since November 4, 2005 at Texas Motor Speedway, a span of 52 races. Edwards took the lead from Johnson on lap 166 (out of 200) and never lost it.
Martin Truex, Jr. finished second; he now had a three-race span in which he finished first, third, and second. Tony Stewart rallied from the 41st starting position to place third. The remaining top five drivers were Casey Mears and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who will be teammates at Hendrick Motorsports in 2008.
There were 22 lead changes among 11 drivers. The race also had four caution periods; one of them was for an accident involving seven cars, including Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers, and Jeff Green. 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.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 2. | #1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
| 3. | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 4. | #25 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5. | #8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
| 6. | #5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 7. | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 8. | #26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 9. | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 10. | #55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | Michael Waltrip Racing |
Points
Jeff Gordon (9th place) retained his points lead, by 247 over second place Denny Hamlin (14th). They were followed by Kenseth (42nd), Johnson (19th due to a fuel-mileage problem), and Jeff Burton (24th) in that order. Earnhardt, Jr. entered the top 12 in points, the last qualifying spot for the Chase, while Mark Martin dropped out.
Race notes
- Edwards, driving a Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing, was only the second non-Chevrolet driver to win a race. The other was Kenseth (Auto Club 500 at California Speedway).
External links
| Previous race: 2007 Pocono 500 |
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 2007 season |
Next race: 2007 Toyota/Save Mart 350 |