View source for 2007 Sharp AQUOS 500

{{NASCAR race season infobox
| Type           = CUST
| Description    = Race 25 of 36 in the [[2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series]] season
| Race Name      = Sharp AQUOS 500
| Details ref    = 
| Fulldate       = {{Start date|2007|9|2}}
| Year           = 2007
| Race_No        = 25
| Season_No      = 36
| Image          = Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) - Speedway.svg
| image-size     = 200px
| image-alt      = <!-- image alt text -->
| Caption        = Track map of the speedway at Auto Club Speedway AKA California Speedway
| Location       = [[Auto Club Speedway]], [[Fontana, California]]
| Course_mi      = 2.0
| Course_km      = 3.23
| Distance_laps  = 250
| Distance_mi    = 500
| Distance_km    = 804.672
| Weather        = Temperatures up to {{convert|107.6|F|C}}; wind speeds up to {{convert|12|mph|km/h}}<ref>{{cite web | title = Weather information for the ''2007 Sharp AQUOS 500'' | url = http://m.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Fontana/2007-09-02 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20150309054644/http://m.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Fontana/2007-09-02 | url-status = dead | archive-date = March 9, 2015 | access-date = March 4, 2015 }}</ref>
| Avg            = {{convert|138.857|mi/h}}
| Pole_Driver    = [[Kurt Busch]]
| Pole_Team      = [[Penske Racing]]
| Pole_Time      = 39.474
| Most_Driver    = [[Kyle Busch]]
| Most_Team      = [[Hendrick Motorsports]]
| Most_laps      = 97
| Car            = 48
| First_Driver   = [[Jimmie Johnson]]
| First_Team     = [[Hendrick Motorsports]]
| Network        = [[ESPN]]
| Announcers     = [[Jerry Punch]], [[Dale Jarrett]] and [[Andy Petree]]
}}
The '''2007 Sharp AQUOS 500''' was the 25th race of the [[2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series|2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season]], and was held on Sunday, September 2, 2007, at [[California Speedway]] near [[Fontana, California]], 50 miles east of [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]].  After this race, only one more race remained before the field is set for the [[2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup]], and through the [[2007 Sharpie 500|Bristol race]], five drivers - [[Jeff Gordon]], [[Denny Hamlin]], [[Matt Kenseth]]. [[Carl Edwards]] and [[Tony Stewart]] - have clinched spots in NASCAR's "playoff series".

This is the second race of the season at California, the 15th since the track was added to the schedule in [[1997 in NASCAR|1997]], and the fourth race to be run here as the replacement for the [[Southern 500]].

The new race sponsor was announced on August 8, 2007, replacing [[Sony|Sony HD]].  Like its predecessor, [[Sharp Aquos]] is a brand of [[High-definition television|high-definition]] [[television set]].  It was also announced that [[Stevie Wonder]] would be the grand marshal, commanding the start of the engines of the 43 cars to start the race.

==Pre-Race==
*For the third straight race, the #78 [[Furniture Row Racing]] [[Chevrolet]] had a different driver since the team released [[Kenny Wallace]].  This time, [[Joe Nemechek]] qualified the car (30th position) after [[Scott Wimmer]] and [[Sterling Marlin]] had failed the previous two weeks.
*[[Kyle Petty]] returned for this race in the [[Petty Enterprises]] #45 [[Dodge]] after missing two weeks due to his broken hand.
*The entry list for this race consisted of 46 cars, the lowest number for any NEXTEL Cup race this year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/entries/2007cal2-entry.htm |title=Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2007 Bristol (2) Nextel Cup Entry List<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-08-29 |archive-date=2007-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070918152403/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/entries/2007cal2-entry.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Part of the reason is that [[Front Row Motorsports]] has suspended operations and closed its #37 team.  That team made only three of 24 races during the season and had no continuing sponsorship.  ([[Yum! Brands]] sponsored select races.)
*Wonder gave the command, as mentioned earlier.  Also, [[Island Records]] recording artist [[Melissa Etheridge]] sang "[[The Star-Spangled Banner|The USA National Anthem]]" and two [[Stealth bomber|B2 Stealth bombers]] were in the flyover.
*The air temperature was {{convert|107.6|F|C|disp=or}} at the green flag time of 5:15&nbsp;p.m. [[Pacific Time]].  At the time, [[southern California]] was in the midst of a [[heat wave]] that would last for at least eight days.

==Qualifying==
[[Kurt Busch]] won his first pole of the season, edging out [[Jimmie Johnson]] by .001 of a second.  It was the second such narrow loss by Johnson, who lost by the same margin to [[J. J. Yeley]] at [[2007 3M Performance 400|Michigan]] two weeks earlier.

'''Failed to Qualify:''' #10-[[Scott Riggs]]; #4-[[Ward Burton]]; #44-[[Dale Jarrett]]

==Race==
Kyle Busch dominated the race, leading 97 of 250 laps to take home the 10 bonus points for leading the most laps. However, it was his teammate, [[Jimmie Johnson]] (from nearby [[El Cajon, California]]) who took charge and held off a charging [[Carl Edwards]] for his series high fifth victory of the year and an automatic spot in the [[2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup]]. Also clinching spots were [[Kyle Busch]] and Jeff Burton. [[Martin Truex Jr.]] and [[Clint Bowyer]] will clinch spots by starting the next race, the [[2007 Chevy Rock & Roll 400|Chevy Rock and Roll 400]]. [[Ricky Rudd]] was injured in an accident during the race, separating his shoulder, and missed several races with Mike and Kenny Wallace subbing for him.

==Results==
'''Top ten results:''' 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Pos.
! No.
! Driver
! Car
! Team
|-
| 1.
| #48
| [[Jimmie Johnson]]
| [[Chevrolet]]
| [[Hendrick Motorsports]]
|-
| 2.
| #99
| [[Carl Edwards]]
| [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
| [[Roush Fenway Racing]]
|-
| 3.
| #5
| [[Kyle Busch]]
| Chevrolet
| Hendrick Motorsports
|-
| 4.
| #31
| [[Jeff Burton]]
| Chevrolet
| [[Richard Childress Racing]]
|-
| 5.
| #8
| [[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]]
| Chevrolet
| [[Dale Earnhardt Incorporated]]
|-
| 6.
| #1
| [[Martin Truex Jr.]]
| Chevrolet
| Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
|-
| 7.
| #17
| [[Matt Kenseth]]
| Ford
| Roush Fenway Racing
|-
| 8.
| #83
| [[Brian Vickers]]
| [[Toyota]]
| [[Team Red Bull]]
|-
| 9.
| #2
| [[Kurt Busch]]
| [[Dodge]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| 10.
| #9
| [[Kasey Kahne]]
| Dodge
| [[Gillett Evernham Motorsports]]
|-
|}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/results/25cal2007results.htm Complete race results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911130315/http://jayski.com/stats/2007/results/25cal2007results.htm |date=2007-09-11 }}
*[http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/standings/25cal2007points.htm Points standings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911113718/http://jayski.com/stats/2007/standings/25cal2007points.htm |date=2007-09-11 }}
{{NASCAR next race
| Series        = Nextel Cup Series
| Season          = 2007
| Previous_race = [[2007 Sharpie 500]]
| Next_race     = [[2007 Chevy Rock & Roll 400]]
}}
{{2007 Nextel Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2007 Sharp Aquos 500}}
[[Category:2007 in sports in California|Sharp Aquos 500]]
[[Category:2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series|Sharp Aquos 500]]
[[Category:NASCAR races at Auto Club Speedway]]
[[Category:September 2007 sports events in the United States]]