2005 USG Sheetrock 400

The 2005 USG Sheetrock 400 was the 18th stock car race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the fifth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 10, 2005, before a crowd of 80,000 in Joliet, Illinois, at Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.41 km) tri-oval speedway. The race took the scheduled 267 laps to complete. At race's end, Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would have better pit strategy, taking only two tires to best eventual second-place finisher, Roush Racing driver Matt Kenseth. The win was Earnhardt Jr.'s 17th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jimmie Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would finish third.

Background
Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5 miles (2.41 km) tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IndyCar Series, recording numerous close finishes including the closest finish in IndyCar history. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and located adjacent to Route 66 Raceway.

Entry list

 * (R) denotes rookie driver.

First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, July 8, at 11:20 AM CST. The session would last for two hours. Greg Biffle, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.821 and an average speed of 187.363 mph.

During the session, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart would cut a tire heading into turn 4, sending his car into a hard hit into the wall. As a result, from the crash, Stewart would suffer pain in his upper torso. The team's crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, decided to replace Stewart with driver J. J. Yeley for Saturday's pre-race activities, including qualifying. However, precautionary CT scans tested negative for broken ribs, and Stewart was eventually able to race on Sunday.

Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, July 9, at 9:30 AM CST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Matt Kenseth, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.412 and an average speed of 183.599 mph.

Third and final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, July 9, at 11:10 AM CST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Kyle Busch, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.610 and an average speed of 182.371 mph.

Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Friday, July 8, at 3:10 PM CST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.

Jimmie Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, with a lap of 28.701 and an average speed of 188.147 mph.

Four drivers would fail to qualify: Kenny Wallace, Mike Garvey, P. J. Jones, and Wayne Anderson.

Standings after the race

 * Drivers' Championship standings


 * Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.