energy energy 30th stock car race fourth race season ending chase held october alabama crowd lap race won joe racing team started 34th position finished second came travis pole position held lead passed lap race stopped laps later multi car collision triggered restarted minutes later leading field second red flag period triggered edwards ran teammate starting chain reaction accident involving drivers stewart led field remainder race passed yellow line bounds line final lap stewart handed victory smith demoted second 18th race total lead changes different drivers setting new sprint cup series record stewart victory season 33rd career result advanced seventh drivers championship leader extended lead points edwards toyota extended lead manufacturers championship points ahead ford second place chevrolet remained point advantage dodge races left season race attracted million television viewers report background energy 30th scheduled stock car races fourth race season ending chase held october alabama hold nascar races standard track turn miles long track turns banked thirty degrees stretch location finish line banked degrees stretch degree banking race led drivers championship points second rounded rounded drivers competing chase sprint cup manufacturers championship toyota leading points seven points ahead nearest rival ford second chevrolet points dodge points fourth gordon race defending champion second place championship driver edwards said expected points leaders remain race probably matter stay sure avoid probably right said aimed achieve sixth victory large fan support effort ahead championship standings gordon won far felt win race employed strategy attempt avoid caught multi car collision johnson felt interesting turning point chase changes driver race announced regular driver replaced drive formula driver drive seven remaining races season vice president general manager said change allow continue development future took car team decided failed qualify previous race weekend kansas fielded fourth car driven nationwide series driver practice qualifying practice sessions held sunday race friday practice session ran minutes second lasted minutes burton fastest practice session time seconds second fourth placed fifth skinner rounded session drivers engine failed team installed new practice sessions later day vickers paced final practice session thirty seven drivers competed time seconds ahead fourth fastest ahead chase sprint cup driver eighth skinner stewart rounding ahead qualifying right rear tire exploded leading pack cars exit turn minutes session started beginning chain reaction accident involving cars driven stewart resulting session stopped minutes drivers injured checked infield medical center later released switched cars cars entered according nascar qualifying procedure race driver ran laps starting order determined competitor fastest times travis clinched pole position career time seconds joined grid row best qualifying performance season qualified teammate fourth started fifth vickers rounded drivers chase edwards twelfth burton 17th johnson 20th drivers failed qualify said definitely qualifying doesn mean far chances win race miles got good pit selection chance caught wreck early race doesn long sure field laps hopefully keeping clean stated pole special time ford occupied position race live television coverage race began est united_states abc start race weather conditions sunny began pre race ceremonies invocation lead singer rock band doors performed national anthem employees serve national_guard commanded drivers start engines pace laps moved rear field changed engines johnson team adjustments engine outside race started maintained pole position advantage lap field ran abreast lap led cars outside lane challenged lead lap unable ahead edwards vickers drove outside lane lap exchanged lead edwards pulled clear vickers fell seventh place lap vickers regained position lap edwards drove track 14th lap teammate gave assistance passed vickers lead assistance passed place taking outside lane laps later falling field earlier race gordon moved seventh lap moved lead laps later reclaimed position lap receiving assistance gordon retook lead laps later johnson moved fourth dropping field earlier race claimed lead lap caution triggered lap debris spotted track leaders including pit stops tires car adjustments gordon led restart followed burton lap later burton assistance johnson passed gordon lead claimed position lap driving outside lane vickers followed johnson inside line reclaim lead following lap passed vickers outside lead 44th lap lap led passing debris located triggering second caution drivers including elected pit stops reclaimed position led field speed restart ahead led cars driving outside lane claiming lead lap pulling away rest field help vickers got ahead place took lead 53rd lap caution deployed right rear tire blew causing gordon action turning right heavily damaged nose car collided outside wall tire broke johnson drivers including chose pit stops vickers elected stay track led field restart lap ahead skinner laps later draft lead moving second outside lane claim position drove outside lane claim place lap pack drove abreast lap moved place lap reclaimed position got ahead start finish line lap dropped 26th position lap retook lead start following lap moved lap moved lead lap vickers right tire blew tri oval lap starting multi car accident involving skinner fourth caution triggered initially accident red flag shown shortly afterward stop race allow officials clear track debris race resumed seventeen minutes later field elected pit stops led restart followed burton lap lead passed start finish line lead lap johnson moved field laps later losing lead teammate lap pack ran abreast start finish line johnson moved lead lap receiving assistance losing stewart inside laps later stewart helped lap right rear tire blew causing fifth caution displayed wallace regained control car tire struck car forcing pit repairs field including stewart elected pit stops tires fuel gained lead pit stops led field speed restart followed lap led outside lane helped traded position seven laps right tire exploded turn lap crashed heavily turn outside wall triggering sixth caution leaders including took lead caution pit stops tires fuel extracted car placed transported local hospital evaluation led field speed restart lap ahead following lap lost draft allowing lead field went abreast lost lead stewart lap reclaimed position lap later stewart retook lead lap received assistance burton challenged stewart lead lap drivers ran start finish line burton moved stewart laps later moved lead lap running inside lane stewart formed single line rest field ran double file seventh caution triggered lap gordon smoke fluid coming car ending race field including elected pit caution edwards spun left pit road avoided damage car pit stop period record leaders sprint cup series race broken led lap 27th race leader pitting led restart followed stewart johnson laps later johnson dropped fifth rear field strategy run rear race ended lost draft lap allowing retake place burton assistance teammates moved lead lap took lead lap helped took lead lap eighth caution necessitated contact hit spun heading turn avoided hitting barriers cars drivers including chose pit fresh tires fuel caution elected pit led field restart lap drivers quickly began pull away rest field stewart ran fourth 16th lap stewart ran alongside line lap stewart moved lead lap later lap second multi car accident occurred necessitating ninth caution edwards contact teammate going turn collected second red flag race shown shortly afterward allow officials clear debris track race restarted minutes later drivers pit stops stewart led field speed restart ahead stewart pulled away rest field lost draft lap fell field formed single file remained way tenth final caution race deployed right rear tire lap race restarted lap green white finish extending race laps stewart leading smith field formed single line drivers remaining formation rest race final lap smith passed stewart yellow line crossed start finish line ahead stewart nascar determined smith track bounds handing stewart victory smith second race total lead changes drivers stewart led different times total laps competitor post race comments stewart earned victory appeared victory lane celebrate win season crowd delighted victory thing wow wanted win long hasn favorite places fan people haven liked guys stands today second place finisher pleased result saying good car duration race car speed day didn chassis adjustments little bit air pressure run free track position post race press conference place finisher said felt car secured victory right circumstances believed good day team pretty fast track goes effort team putting program nascar officials reviewed video evidence smith pass stewart final lap smith president attendance declared manoeuvre illegal smith issued pass penalty dropped second 18th smith argued forced yellow line told rule forced winner race lap goes going nose inside field ninth place finisher johnson said rumors drivers allowed yellow line lap previous day race circulated day energy didn know think understood seen ironic played today nascar spokesperson insisted smith forced yellow line stated drivers warned pre race drivers meeting gaining position illegally felt smith deserved win race saying lack clarity going yellow line meant smith stated ask rule low profile status nascar president stated race officials correctly awarded penalty smith clarified driver allowed advance position going yellow line time race similarities smith overtake pass yellow line aaron kept hospital overnight evaluation complained favored right foot exiting car crew chief revealed right rear tire cut run crash later attributed running debris track vickers described right tire failure saying sounded like bomb exploded product manager said tires race aaron conducted analysis tire failures plant ohio edwards admitted fault causing crash teammate lap apologized drivers caught incident revealed unable steer ford away incident result kept johnson lead drivers championship seventy points ahead edwards burton maintained fourth positions moved fifth moved sixth stewart victory advancing eleventh seventh place gordon rounded manufacturers championship toyota extended lead ford points chevrolet remained points ahead dodge race attracted television audience million people took hours thirty minutes seconds complete event margin victory seconds results qualifying race standings race
2008 AMP Energy 500