2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup

The 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup was the ten-race playoffs which concluded the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It began with the Sylvania 300 on September 16, 2007, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and ended with the Ford 400 on November 18 of the same year at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Jimmie Johnson winning the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship.

The entry requirements for the Chase changed this year. Previously, the top ten drivers in the points standings and anyone else within 400 points of the leader after the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 would qualify for the Chase. This year, the top twelve drivers in the points standings after the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 automatically qualified for the Chase with each drivers' point total reset to 5,000 points, with a ten-point bonus for each race won during the first 26 races. In addition, as NASCAR makes the full-time transition to the Car of Tomorrow, half of the races used the new template, and the other half used the older template, which was officially retired from Cup competition following the Ford 400. The title "Chase for the Nextel Cup" was also retired, as the season ending playoff will be renamed the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" in 2008.

Final standings
Key: S-Starts; P-Poles; W-Wins; T5-Top 5 finishes; T10-Top 10 finishes; DNF-Did not finish; Pts-Points. NOTES:' 1. The original seedings saw Edwards placed fourth ahead of Kurt Busch based on most second-place finishes, while Denny Hamlin was seeded sixth based on the same criteria, followed by Truex, Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton and Harvick, with further tiebreakers based on third-place finishes, etc. 2. Kurt Busch by most wins finished in seventh place ahead of Jeff Burton. 3. Those in boldface were invited to the 2007 Nextel Cup Banquet November 30 in New York.

Standings Plus/Minus Through The Chase
Chg = Change in position. n/c = No change in position. Std = Standing After Race

Standings at beginning of Chase

 * 1) Jimmie Johnson, 5,060 points, leader
 * 2) Jeff Gordon, 5,040, -20
 * 3) Tony Stewart, 5,030, -30
 * 4) Carl Edwards, 5,020, -40
 * 5) Kurt Busch, 5,020, -40
 * 6) Denny Hamlin, 5,010, -50
 * 7) Martin Truex, Jr., 5,010, -50
 * 8) Matt Kenseth, 5,010, -50
 * 9) Kyle Busch, 5,010, -50
 * 10) Jeff Burton, 5,010, -50
 * 11) Kevin Harvick, 5,010, -50
 * 12) Clint Bowyer, 5,000, -60

Standings at end of the "regular season"
At the conclusion of the "regular season" (the 2007 Chevy Rock & Roll 400), these were the point standings before the Chase adjustments were made. Also indicated are how far up or down in the standings a driver went when the Chase points were awarded:
 * 1) Jeff Gordon, 3,849 pts., leader, down one spot.
 * 2) Tony Stewart, -312 pts, down one spot.
 * 3) Denny Hamlin, -359, down three spots.
 * 4) Jimmie Johnson, -410 pts., up three spots.
 * 5) Matt Kenseth, -419 pts., down three spots.
 * 6) Carl Edwards, -427 pts., up two spots.
 * 7) Jeff Burton, -521 pts., down three spots.
 * 8) Kyle Busch, -547 pts., down one spot.
 * 9) Clint Bowyer, -670 pts., down three spots.
 * 10) Kurt Busch, -689 pts. and two wins, up five spots.
 * 11) Martin Truex, Jr., -689 pts. and one win, up four spots.
 * 12) Kevin Harvick, -694 pts., up one spot.

Races
Drivers in italics did not qualify for the 2007 Chase.

KEY: S — Standard. CoT — Car of Tomorrow. ≠ — Did not qualify for 2006 Chase.

Race results
(NOTE: Actual finish is in parentheses.)

Race 1 - 2007 Sylvania 300
Finishing Order
 * 1) Clint Bowyer (1)
 * 2) Jeff Gordon (2)
 * 3) Tony Stewart (3)
 * 4) Kyle Busch (4)
 * 5) Martin Truex Jr. (5)
 * 6) Jimmie Johnson (6)
 * 7) Matt Kenseth (7)
 * 8) Carl Edwards (12)
 * 9) Denny Hamlin (15)
 * 10) Kevin Harvick (17)
 * 11) Jeff Burton (18)
 * 12) Kurt Busch (25)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson, 5,210, Leader via most wins tiebreaker.
 * 2) Jeff Gordon, 5,210
 * 3) Tony Stewart, 5,200, -10
 * 4) Clint Bowyer, 5,195, -15
 * 5) Kyle Busch, 5,175, -35
 * 6) Martin Truex Jr., 5,170, -40
 * 7) Matt Kenseth, 5,156, -54
 * 8) Carl Edwards, 5,147, -63
 * 9) Denny Hamlin, 5,128, -82
 * 10) Kevin Harvick, 5,122, -88
 * 11) Jeff Burton, 5,119, -91
 * 12) Kurt Busch, 5,108, -102

Race 2 - 2007 Dodge Dealers 400
Finishing Order
 * 1) Carl Edwards (1) ·
 * 2) Kyle Busch (5)
 * 3) Jeff Burton (7)
 * 4) Tony Stewart (9)
 * 5) Jeff Gordon (11)
 * 6) Clint Bowyer (12)
 * 7) Martin Truex Jr. (13)
 * 8) Jimmie Johnson (14)
 * 9) Kevin Harvick (20)
 * 10) Kurt Busch (29)
 * 11) Matt Kenseth (35)
 * 12) Denny Hamlin (38)

Standings after race (before penalty):
 * 1) Jeff Gordon, 5,340
 * 2) Tony Stewart, 5,338, -2
 * 3) Carl Edwards, 5,337, -3
 * 4) Jimmie Johnson, 5,336, -4
 * 5) Kyle Busch, 5,330, -10
 * 6) Clint Bowyer, 5,322, -18
 * 7) Martin Truex Jr., 5,294, -46
 * 8) Jeff Burton, 5,265, -75
 * 9) Kevin Harvick, 5,225, -115
 * 10) Matt Kenseth, 5,224, -116
 * 11) Kurt Busch, 5,189, -151
 * 12) Denny Hamlin, 5,182, -158

Standings after race (after penalty):
 * 1) Jeff Gordon, 5,340, leader
 * 2) Tony Stewart, 5,338, -2
 * 3) Jimmie Johnson, 5,336, -4
 * 4) Kyle Busch, 5,330, -10
 * 5) Clint Bowyer, 5,322, -18
 * 6) Carl Edwards, 5,312, -28
 * 7) Martin Truex Jr., 5,294, -46
 * 8) Jeff Burton, 5,265, -75
 * 9) Kevin Harvick, 5,225, -115
 * 10) Matt Kenseth, 5,224, -116
 * 11) Kurt Busch, 5,189, -151
 * 12) Denny Hamlin, 5,182, -158

Race 3 - 2007 LifeLock 400
Finishing order
 * 1) Clint Bowyer (2)
 * 2) Jimmie Johnson (3)
 * 3) Jeff Gordon (4)
 * 4) Kevin Harvick (6)
 * 5) Kurt Busch (11)
 * 6) Denny Hamlin (29)
 * 7) Matt Kenseth (35)
 * 8) Jeff Burton (36)
 * 9) Carl Edwards (37)
 * 10) Martin Truex Jr. (38)
 * 11) Tony Stewart (29)
 * 12) Kyle Busch (41)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson, 5,506, leader
 * 2) Jeff Gordon, 5,505, -1
 * 3) Clint Bowyer, 5,492, -14
 * 4) Tony Stewart, 5,384, -17
 * 5) Kevin Harvick, 5,380, -126
 * 6) Kyle Busch, 5,370, -136
 * 7) Carl Edwards, 5,346, -142
 * 8) Martin Truex Jr., 5,348, -158
 * 9) Kurt Busch, 5,379, -177
 * 10) Jeff Burton, 5,370, -186
 * 11) Matt Kenseth, 5,287, -219
 * 12) Denny Hamlin, 5,258, -248

Race 4 - 2007 UAW-Ford 500
Finishing order
 * 1) Jeff Gordon (1)
 * 2) Jimmie Johnson (2)
 * 3) Denny Hamlin (4)
 * 4) Kurt Busch (7)
 * 5) Tony Stewart (8)
 * 6) Clint Bowyer (11)
 * 7) Carl Edwards (14)
 * 8) Kevin Harvick (20)
 * 9) Matt Kenseth (26)
 * 10) Kyle Busch (36)
 * 11) Martin Truex Jr. (42)
 * 12) Jeff Burton (43)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jeff Gordon 5,690, leader
 * 2) Jimmie Johnson 5,681, -9
 * 3) Clint Bowyer 5,627, -63
 * 4) Tony Stewart 5,536, -154
 * 5) Kevin Harvick 5,488, -202
 * 6) Carl Edwards 5,485, -205
 * 7) Kurt Busch 5,475, -215
 * 8) Kyle Busch 5,430, -260
 * 9) Denny Hamlin 5,428, -262
 * 10) Martin Truex Jr. 5,390, -300
 * 11) Matt Kenseth 5,372, -318
 * 12) Jeff Burton 5,354, -336

Race 5 - 2007 Bank of America 500
Finishing order
 * 1) Jeff Gordon (1)
 * 2) Clint Bowyer (2)
 * 3) Kyle Busch (3)
 * 4) Jeff Burton (4)
 * 5) Carl Edwards (5)
 * 6) Tony Stewart (7)
 * 7) Jimmie Johnson (14)
 * 8) Martin Truex Jr. (17)
 * 9) Denny Hamlin (20)
 * 10) Kurt Busch (26)
 * 11) Kevin Harvick (33)
 * 12) Matt Kenseth (34)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jeff Gordon 5880, leader
 * 2) Jimmie Johnson 5,812, -68
 * 3) Clint Bowyer 5,802, -78
 * 4) Tony Stewart 5,682, -198
 * 5) Carl Edwards 5,640, -240
 * 6) Kyle Busch 5,600, -280
 * 7) Kurt Busch 5,565, -315
 * 8) Kevin Harvick 5,552, -328
 * 9) Denny Hamlin 5,531, -349
 * 10) Jeff Burton 5,514, -366
 * 11) Martin Truex Jr. 5,502, -378
 * 12) Matt Kenseth 5,438, -442

Race 6 - 2007 Subway 500
Finishing order
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson (1)
 * 2) Jeff Gordon (3)
 * 3) Kyle Busch (4)
 * 4) Matt Kenseth (5)
 * 5) Denny Hamlin (6)
 * 6) Clint Bowyer (9)
 * 7) Kevin Harvick (10)
 * 8) Carl Edwards (11)
 * 9) Jeff Burton (12)
 * 10) Tony Stewart (13)
 * 11) Martin Truex Jr. (19)
 * 12) Kurt Busch (31)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jeff Gordon 6055, leader
 * 2) Jimmie Johnson 6002, -53
 * 3) Clint Bowyer 5940, -115
 * 4) Tony Stewart 5806, -249
 * 5) Carl Edwards 5770, -285
 * 6) Kyle Busch 5764, -290
 * 7) Kevin Harvick 5686, -369
 * 8) Denny Hamlin 5681, -374
 * 9) Jeff Burton 5646, -409
 * 10) Kurt Busch 5635, -420
 * 11) Martin Truex Jr. 5608, -447
 * 12) Matt Kenseth 5593, -462

Race 7 - 2007 Pep Boys Auto 500
Finishing order
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson (1)
 * 2) Carl Edwards (2)
 * 3) Matt Kenseth (4)
 * 4) Jeff Burton (5)
 * 5) Clint Bowyer (6)
 * 6) Jeff Gordon (7)
 * 7) Kurt Busch (8)
 * 8) Kevin Harvick (15)
 * 9) Kyle Busch (20)
 * 10) Denny Hamlin (24)
 * 11) Tony Stewart (30)
 * 12) Martin Truex Jr. (31)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jeff Gordon 6201, leader
 * 2) Jimmie Johnson 6192, -9
 * 3) Clint Bowyer 6090, -111
 * 4) Carl Edwards 5940, -261
 * 5) Tony Stewart 5879, -322
 * 6) Kyle Busch 5873, -328
 * 7) Kevin Harvick 5809, -392
 * 8) Jeff Burton 5801, -400
 * 9) Kurt Busch 5782, -419
 * 10) Denny Hamlin 5777, -424
 * 11) Matt Kenseth 5752, -448
 * 12) Martin Truex Jr. 5688, -513

NOTE: Drivers in Italics are mathematically eliminated from winning the championship.

Race 8 - 2007 Dickies 500
Finishing order
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson (1)
 * 2) Matt Kenseth (2)
 * 3) Martin Truex Jr. (3)
 * 4) Kyle Busch (4)
 * 5) Jeff Burton (6)
 * 6) Jeff Gordon (7)
 * 7) Kurt Busch (8)
 * 8) Kevin Harvick (10)
 * 9) Tony Stewart (11)
 * 10) Clint Bowyer (19)
 * 11) Carl Edwards (26)
 * 12) Denny Hamlin (29)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson 6382, leader
 * 2) Jeff Gordon 6352, -30
 * 3) Clint Bowyer 6201, -181
 * 4) Kyle Busch 6043, -339
 * 5) Carl Edwards 6025, -357
 * 6) Tony Stewart 6009, -373
 * 7) Jeff Burton 5951, -431
 * 8) Kevin Harvick 5943, -439
 * 9) Kurt Busch 5929, -453
 * 10) Matt Kenseth 5928, -454
 * 11) Denny Hamlin 5858, -524
 * 12) Martin Truex Jr. 5858, -524

NOTES: 1. Drivers in Italics are mathematically eliminated from winning the championship. 2. Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart were mathematically eliminated when Jimmie Johnson started the 2007 Checker Auto Parts 500

Race 9 - 2007 Checker Auto Parts 500
Finishing order
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson (1)
 * 2) Matt Kenseth (3)
 * 3) Tony Stewart (4)
 * 4) Kevin Harvick (6)
 * 5) Martin Truex Jr. (7)
 * 6) Kyle Busch (8)
 * 7) Jeff Burton (9)
 * 8) Jeff Gordon (10)
 * 9) Clint Bowyer (11)
 * 10) Kurt Busch (12)
 * 11) Denny Hamlin (16)
 * 12) Carl Edwards (42)

Standings after race:
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson 6572, leader
 * 2) Jeff Gordon 6486, -86
 * 3) Clint Bowyer 6331, -241
 * 4) Kyle Busch 6185, -387
 * 5) Tony Stewart 6169, -403
 * 6) Matt Kenseth 6103, -469
 * 7) Kevin Harvick 6093, -479
 * 8) Jeff Burton 6089, -483
 * 9) Carl Edwards 6067, -505
 * 10) Kurt Busch 6056, -516
 * 11) Martin Truex, Jr. 6009, -593
 * 12) Denny Hamlin 5973, -599

NOTE: Drivers in italics are mathematically eliminated from winning the championship.

Race 10 - 2007 Ford 400
Finishing order
 * 1) Matt Kenseth (1)
 * 2) Kurt Busch (2)
 * 3) Denny Hamlin (3)
 * 4) Jeff Gordon (4)
 * 5) Carl Edwards (5)
 * 6) Martin Truex Jr. (6)
 * 7) Jimmie Johnson (7)
 * 8) Jeff Burton (8)
 * 9) Kevin Harvick (19)
 * 10) Kyle Busch (20)
 * 11) Tony Stewart (30)
 * 12) Clint Bowyer (39)

Final standings:
 * 1) Jimmie Johnson, 6,723 pts, 2007 Series Champion
 * 2) Jeff Gordon, -77 pts
 * 3) Clint Bowyer, -346 pts
 * 4) Matt Kenseth, -425 pts
 * 5) Kyle Busch, -430 pts
 * 6) Tony Stewart, -481 pts
 * 7) Kurt Busch, -492 pts*
 * 8) Jeff Burton, -492 pts
 * 9) Carl Edwards, -501 pts
 * 10) Kevin Harvick, -524 pts
 * 11) Martin Truex Jr., -559 pts
 * 12) Denny Hamlin, -580 pts

* - Kurt Busch finished one place ahead of Jeff Burton based on most wins (Two wins vs. one).

Television
ABC carried the entire Chase for the Nextel Cup in 2007, marking the first time that the entire Chase was carried on network television. (In previous years, it had been on a combination of NBC and TNT.) The commentators for ABC were Jerry Punch and Rusty Wallace, who are joined by newcomer Andy Petree, a former team owner and Dale Earnhardt's crew chief in 1993 and 1994. The hosts were Brent Musburger (race) and Suzy Kolber (studio).

External links and sources

 * Official NASCAR site
 * RacingOne
 * Jayski's Silly Season Site
 * Speed Channel
 * ThatsRacin.com
 * RacinFreek.com hosted by Freewebs.com