reilly auto parts thirty fifth penultimate stock car race nascar sprint cup series ninth race season ending chase held november arizona crowd lap race won team starting position finished second came won pole position passed end lap laps later johnson leader race chase sprint cup participants including ran race johnson maintained position lead laps win seventh race season lead changes different drivers course race race johnson seventh win season seventh career result kept johnson lead drivers championship points ahead chevrolet maintained lead manufacturers championship ahead toyota ninety ford ahead dodge race attracted million television viewers report background short tracks hold nascar races richmond international dover international standard track phoenix international turn short track oval mile long track turns banked degrees stretch location finish line banked degrees stretch shape instead straight degrees banking race led drivers championship points stood second points followed points ahead ninety fourth fifth points ahead points ahead seventy seven eleventh twelfth points rounded contenders chase sprint cup manufacturers championship chevrolet leading points ahead rival toyota ford points seven points ahead dodge battle johnson race defending champion practice qualifying practice sessions held sunday race saturday practice session scheduled friday morning cancelled rain session lasted minutes second final session lasted minutes drivers entered according nascar qualifying procedure race driver ran laps starting order determined competitor fastest times clinched pole position season time joined grid row johnson qualified took fourth started fifth stewart martin completed positions drivers failed qualify said today pretty good practice weird track practice expect pick half second qualifying strange felt good practice session fastest placing ahead second fourth fastest placed fifth johnson martin stewart gordon rounded fastest drivers session drivers chase vickers fifteenth fastest newman placed seventeenth later day johnson fastest second final practice session ahead martin second fourth quickest took fifth managed sixth gordon followed chase drivers included seventeenth edwards turn wall sustained minor damage right hand quarter race race thirty fifth total thirty season began est televised united_states espn start race weather conditions sunny began pre race ceremonies giving invocation records recording artist performed national anthem senator john_mccain commanded drivers start engines driver rear grid start race retained pole position lead lap lap passed new race leader lap later martin started tenth fell eleventh 4th lap moved seventh position passing gordon laps later moved sixteenth position martin passed stewart tenth lap 9th lap second lead lap later increased lead seconds lap martin passed claim ninth laps later martin moved eighth gordon began race fourteenth moved positions sixth lap laps later reduced lead second martin moved seventh lap lap later extended lead seconds gordon moved fifth position lap johnson passed second martin passed gordon claim fifth lap laps later johnson closed half second laps later dropped twentieth position lap johnson passed claim lead martin moving fourth lap later lap johnson built second lead moved position green flag pit stops took place lap reclaimed lead end cycle lap johnson passed lead position lap later took fifth position lap martin gordon moved fourth respectively laps later moved fourth having started pole position clinched sixth position lap lap pace car moved track debris spotted track caution leaders pit stops johnson maintained lead restart followed martin gordon second caution prompted damaged car restart hit spun sideways leaders chose pit stops clean crew came track clear debris johnson held lead lap restart gordon accelerated slower leaders dropped sixth position lap lap gordon contact managed continue damaging cars lap passed martin second position lap johnson second lead moved fifth position lap johnson lead increased seconds moved fourth ninth positions respectively lap lap johnson built second lead lap johnson lead seconds reduced debris spotted track causing caution caution leaders elected pit stops johnson remained leader restart ahead laps later multi car collision occurred lost control car collected stewart vickers damaged cars headed pit road caution crews cleaned debris johnson maintained lead restart lap headed garage oil leak laps later vickers retired race gordon dropped tenth position lap johnson rebuilt lead seconds passed gordon claim laps later martin gordon moved sixth ninth positions respectively johnson lead seconds lap laps later edwards moved eighteenth position moved eighth lap later lap johnson second lead burton passed martin fifth position laps later johnson lead increased seconds lap lap moved position lap later martin moved place fourth lap johnson increased lead seconds laps later rejoined race green flag pit stops began lap johnson pit stop lap giving lead pit stops johnson regained position lap drivers reported cars loose track temperatures began drop laps later burton passed second position lap gordon passed claim ninth moved fifth position lap johnson maintained second lead burton laps later moved passing moved sixth lap johnson maintained lead win seventh race season burton finished second ahead martin fourth fifth gordon rounded finishers post race johnson appeared victory lane celebrate seventh win season attended race johnson earned race afterward said guess statement sending lot pressure week long wondered step like today proud rose occasion continued home tonight going mentally driving laps think need qualifying trim best effort friday thing race practice saturday racing sunday texas good lesson hope points lost texas isn keeps winning championship burton finished second happy performance new crew chief come great job team great job early pit road rest picked spots single time takes takes team effort subsequent post race press conference said usually performance usually incident like week doubt mind going come week statement obviously leading laps pretty winning race sends statement best going denied year race result left johnson maintaining lead drivers championship points race martin finished fourth optimistic championship chances got homestead run like got threat especially gordon maintained points ahead sixteen stewart manufacturers championship chevrolet maintained lead points toyota remained second points ford followed points ahead dodge fourth million people watched race television race took hours minutes seconds complete margin victory seconds results qualifying race standings race
2009 Checker Auto Parts 500