2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500

Last updated
2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500
Race details
Race 8 of 36 in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 program cover.jpg
2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 program cover
Date April 12, 2008 (2008-04-12)
Location Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona
Course Permanent racing facility
1 mi (1.6 km)
Distance 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km)
Weather Temperatures as low as 57 °F (14 °C); wind speeds up to 14 miles per hour (23 km/h)
Average speed 103.292 miles per hour (166.232 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Penske Racing
Time 26.975
Most laps led
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports
Laps 120
Winner
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network Fox
Announcers Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds

The 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 was the eighth race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup season and ran on Saturday, April 12 at Phoenix International Raceway for 312 laps in Avondale, Arizona. The race was broadcast on television by Fox starting at 8:53 PM US EDT, and broadcast via radio and Sirius Satellite Radio on the Motor Racing Network beginning at 7:45 PM US EDT.

Contents

Pre-Race News

Qualifying

Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman won the pole position, the 34th of his career. Elliott Sadler started on the outside. Kyle Petty and John Andretti failed to qualify.

Full qualifying results

RANK [1] DRIVERNBRCARTIMESPEED
1 Ryan Newman12Dodge26.975  133.457  
2 Elliott Sadler19Dodge26.984  133.412  
3 Carl Edwards99Ford26.991  133.378  
4 Mark Martin8Chevrolet26.993  133.368  
5 Kasey Kahne9Dodge27.006  133.304  
6 Kyle Busch18Toyota27.012  133.274  
7 Jimmie Johnson48Chevrolet27.019  133.240  
8 Jamie McMurray26Ford27.029  133.190  
9 Martin Truex Jr.1Chevrolet27.093  132.876  
10 Scott Riggs66Chevrolet27.094  132.871  
11 Jeff Gordon24Chevrolet27.098  132.851  
12 Tony Stewart20Toyota27.101  132.836  
13 Dale Earnhardt Jr.88Chevrolet27.126  132.714  
14 Paul Menard15Chevrolet27.128  132.704  
15 Juan Pablo Montoya42Dodge27.159  132.553  
16 Denny Hamlin11Toyota27.187  132.416  
17 Kevin Harvick29Chevrolet27.191  132.397  
18 Greg Biffle16Ford27.220  132.256  
19 Dave Blaney22Toyota27.220  132.256  *
20 Reed Sorenson41Dodge27.258  132.071  
21 Dario Franchitti40Dodge27.264  132.042  *
22 J.J. Yeley96Toyota27.279  131.970  
23 David Ragan6Ford27.284  131.945  
24 Clint Bowyer07Chevrolet27.289  131.921  
25 Mike Skinner84Toyota27.296  131.887  *
26 David Reutimann44Toyota27.314  131.801  *
27 Matt Kenseth17Ford27.322  131.762  
28 Michael Waltrip55Toyota27.323  131.757  
29 Michael McDowell00Toyota27.334  131.704  
30 Casey Mears5Chevrolet27.344  131.656  
31 Sam Hornish Jr.77Dodge27.352  131.617  
32 Travis Kvapil28Ford27.354  131.608  
33 Brian Vickers83Toyota27.382  131.473  
34 Bobby Labonte43Dodge27.394  131.416  
35 Robby Gordon7Dodge27.423  131.277  
36 David Gilliland38Ford27.434  131.224  
37 Patrick Carpentier10Dodge27.446  131.167  *
38 Regan Smith01Chevrolet27.459  131.105  
39 Jeff Burton31Chevrolet27.496  130.928  
40 Kurt Busch2Dodge27.496  130.928  
41 Joe Nemechek78Chevrolet27.569  130.581  *
42 Johnny Sauter70Chevrolet27.590  130.482  *
43 Kyle Petty45Dodge27.697  129.978  *
44 Bill Elliott21Ford27.793  129.529  PC
45 John Andretti34Chevrolet27.814  129.431  *

OP: qualified via owners points

PC: qualified as past champion

PR: provisional

QR: via qualifying race

* - had to qualify on time

The race

The outcome of this race was determined largely on fuel mileage strategy. Based on crew chief Chad Knaus' calculations, Jimmie Johnson stayed out late in the race while leaders Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin entered their pits. Johnson held on for the win while Clint Bowyer finished second.

Jeff Burton climbed from 39th starting position to a sixth-place finish and retained his lead in points.

Results

POS [2] ST#DRIVERSPONSOR / OWNERCARLAPSMONEYSTATUSLEDPTS
1299  Carl EdwardsAflac   (Jack Roush)Ford339541150running123195
2548  Jimmie JohnsonLowe's   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet339364286running65175
3318  Kyle BuschInterstate Batteries   (Joe Gibbs)Toyota339250750running50170
4412  Ryan NewmanAlltel / Samsung   (Roger Penske)Dodge339236725running0135
51411  Denny HamlinFedEx Ground   (Joe Gibbs)Toyota339206841running0155
63531  Jeff BurtonPrilosec OTC   (Richard Childress)Chevrolet339197033running0150
72420  Tony StewartHome Depot   (Joe Gibbs)Toyota339184236running0146
8318  Mark MartinU.S. Army   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet339174358running0142
9817  Matt KensethDeWalt   (Jack Roush)Ford339173891running68143
102507  Clint BowyerJack Daniel's   (Richard Childress)Chevrolet339145025running0134
112129  Kevin HarvickShell / Pennzoil   (Richard Childress)Chevrolet338167411running0130
12188  Dale Earnhardt Jr.National Guard / AMP Energy   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet338151275running31132
1376  David RaganAAA Insurance   (Jack Roush)Ford338131125running0124
143226  Jamie McMurrayCrown Royal Cask No. 16   (Jack Roush)Ford338128375running0121
154138  David GillilandYates Racing   (Yates Racing)Ford338138083running0118
163683  Brian VickersRed Bull   (Dietrich Mateschitz)Toyota338116725running0115
171915  Paul MenardMenards / Quaker State   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet338123125running0112
183828  Travis KvapilYates Racing   (Yates Racing)Ford338140639running0109
191142  Juan Pablo MontoyaTexaco / Havoline   (Chip Ganassi)Dodge337139733running0106
203043  Bobby LabonteCheerios / Sam's Club   (Petty Enterprises)Dodge337149511running0103
212922  Dave BlaneyCaterpillar   (Bill Davis)Toyota337124783running0100
22225  Casey MearsCheez-It / Carquest   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet337121625running097
23232  Kurt BuschMiller Lite   (Roger Penske)Dodge337102125running094
244241  Reed SorensonTarget   (Chip Ganassi)Dodge337132189running091
25109  Kasey KahneBudweiser   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)Dodge336132916running088
262619  Elliott SadlerBest Buy   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)Dodge336127170running085
271366  Scott RiggsState Water Heaters   (Gene Haas)Chevrolet336113383running082
282710  Patrick CarpentierValvoline   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)Dodge33599125running079
29984  Mike SkinnerRed Bull   (Dietrich Mateschitz)Toyota33493525running076
30157  Robby GordonJim Beam   (Robby Gordon)Dodge334115533running073
312055  Michael WaltripNAPA Auto Parts   (Michael Waltrip)Toyota33399997running070
321777  Sam Hornish Jr.Mobil 1   (Roger Penske)Dodge333134925running067
334000  Michael McDowellAaron's Dream Machine   (Michael Waltrip)Toyota33291700running064
342821  Bill ElliottMotorcraft   (Wood Brothers)Ford332105495running061
353401  Regan SmithDale Earnhardt, Inc.   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet33194025running058
36121  Martin Truex Jr.Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet330115908engine260
374378  Joe NemechekFurniture Row Racing   (Barney Visser)Chevrolet33083775running052
383970  Jeremy MayfieldHaas Automation   (Gene Haas)Chevrolet32982625running049
391616  Greg BiffleDish Network   (Jack Roush)Ford31290500running046
403734  John AndrettiFront Row Motorsports   (Bob Jenkins)Chevrolet26382375suspension043
41644  David ReutimannUPS   (Michael Waltrip)Toyota25382260engine040
423396  J.J. YeleyDLP HDTV   (Jeff Moorad)Toyota17390165crash037
431824  Jeff GordonDuPont   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet124131327crash034
Failed to qualify
POSNAMENBRSPONSOROWNERCAR
44Kyle Petty45Wells FargoPetty EnterprisesDodge
45John Andretti34Front Row MotorsportsBob JenkinsChevrolet

Yankees / Red Sox coverage

Coverage of the pre-race was interrupted when Fox switched over to cover the remaining New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox baseball game which had been delayed due to rain. [3] Fox then switched back to the race as the cars were on the dogleg just after the start. The final two pitches of the game were shown on the cable / satellite channel FX leaving some baseball fans confused. [3] Fox was contractually required to show the entire race on its broadcast network.

NASCAR fans were upset that the network did not show the invocation and national anthem, especially as it was realized that the game was shown on both Fox and FX, in a simulcast, for about 10 minutes. Theoretically, the baseball game could have continued on Fox and the pre-race ceremonies would have been seen on FX, but parent company News Corporation chose not to use that option. [4]

This is the first known occurrence in the history in American sports television that a network missed both the ending of one event (similar to the Heidi Game, except that there was an option to see the remainder of it) and the beginning of another.

On the Speed Channel rebroadcast later that week, the start of the race was shown, in real time, from Brett Bodine pulling the pace car to pit road, and Fox analyst Larry McReynolds waving the green flag, all the way through the entire first lap. It is evident in that replay that the broadcast started on the backstretch as the graphics package did not appear until the cars were on the dogleg.

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Race Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  2. "Race Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  3. 1 2 ESPN.com: Fans confused when Fox shifts from Red Sox/Yanks finish to NASCAR
  4. Fox Sports Caught in a No-Win Situation
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