2005 Dodge/Save Mart 350 Explained
The 2005 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 17th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 26, 2005, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Infineon Raceway, a 1.99miles permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 110 laps to complete. At race's end, Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would best Ricky Rudd of Wood Brothers Racing, passing him in the closing laps of the race to win his 20th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race and his first of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Kurt Busch of Roush Racing would finish third.
Background
Infineon Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 12-turn course that is 2.52miles long;[2] the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to 1.95miles. The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout.[3] In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99miles.[4]
Entry list
| Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
|---|
| 0 | Mike Bliss | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | NetZero, Best Buy |
| 01 | Joe Nemechek | MB2 Motorsports | Chevrolet | U. S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | Miller Lite, Snap-on 85th Anniversary |
| 02 | Brandon Ash | Ash Motorsports | Ford | Watsonville Auto Body |
| 4 | Mike Wallace | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lucas Oil |
| 5 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet | Harrah's |
| 07 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
| 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | Valvoline |
| 11 | Terry Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | FedEx Freight |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | Alltel |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | Post-it Notes, U. S. National Guard |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | U. S. Air Force, Motorcraft |
| 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | GMAC, ditech.com |
| 27 | Tom Hubert | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | Freddie B's, Napa Valley Ford |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Ron Fellows | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 33 | Brian Simo | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Korbel California Champagnes |
| 36 | Boris Said | MB Sutton Motorsports | Chevrolet | Centrix Financial |
| 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge | R&J Racing |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | M&M's |
| 39 | Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Texaco, Havoline |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Target |
| 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Texaco, Havoline |
| 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios, Betty Crocker |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Brawny, Georgia-Pacific |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | Schwan's Home Service |
| 52 | José Luis Ramírez | Rick Ware Racing | Dodge | Pro30.com |
| 66 | Johnny Borneman III | Peak Fitness Racing | Ford | Revi Pit Crew Wear |
| 71 | P. J. Jones | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet | Harrah's |
| 77 | Travis Kvapil | Penske Racing | Dodge | Kodak, Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 87 | Chris Cook | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | christinemariemotorsports.com |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS, |
| 92 | Stanton Barrett | Front Row Motorsports | Chevrolet | Front Row Motorsports |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Crown Royal |
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | Office Depot |
| Official entry list | |
|---|
*The #71 would withdraw for the race.
Mike Wallace, originally intended to drive the #4, would be switched to
P. J. Jones, originally slated to drive the #71.
[5] Practice
First practice
The first practice session would take place on Friday, June 24, at 11:20 AM PST and would last for an hour[6] Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:16.158 and an average speed of 94.068mph.[7]
Second practice
The second practice session would take place on Saturday, June 25, at 9:30 AM PST and would last for 45 minutes. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:16.505 and an average speed of 93.641mph.
Third and final practice
The third and final practice session would take place on Saturday, June 25, at 11:10 AM PST and would last for 45 minutes. Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:15.937 and an average speed of 94.341mph.
Qualifying
Qualifying would take place on Friday, June 24, at 3:10 PM PST. Drivers would each have one lap to set a time. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would win the pole and set a new track record, setting a lap of 1:15.950 and an average speed of 94.325mph.[8]
Two drivers would spin during qualifying: first, Elliott Sadler would spin in Turn 10, making him qualify on a provisional. Then, José Luis Ramírez would go off track and spin, causing him to miss the race.
Full qualifying results
Race results
| Fin[10] | St | | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
|---|
| 1 | 7 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 39 | running | 190 | $348,761 |
|---|
| 2 | 20 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 110 | 18 | running | 175 | $204,889 |
|---|
| 3 | 6 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 165 | $191,750 |
|---|
| 4 | 14 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | 110 | 12 | running | 165 | $151,248 |
|---|
| 5 | 30 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 155 | $142,173 |
|---|
| 6 | 42 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 150 | $137,281 |
|---|
| 7 | 32 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 146 | $120,860 |
|---|
| 8 | 43 | 32 | Ron Fellows | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 142 | $107,673 |
|---|
| 9 | 11 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 138 | $137,456 |
|---|
| 10 | 22 | 33 | Brian Simo | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 134 | $83,085 |
|---|
| 11 | 24 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 130 | $126,561 |
|---|
| 12 | 8 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 127 | $81,935 |
|---|
| 13 | 17 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 124 | $91,375 |
|---|
| 14 | 41 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 8 | running | 126 | $93,800 |
|---|
| 15 | 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 118 | $94,900 |
|---|
| 16 | 5 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 115 | $78,400 |
|---|
| 17 | 4 | 36 | Boris Said | MB Sutton Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 112 | $73,925 |
|---|
| 18 | 33 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 109 | $111,450 |
|---|
| 19 | 29 | 07 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 106 | $84,250 |
|---|
| 20 | 36 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 103 | $103,033 |
|---|
| 21 | 39 | 77 | Travis Kvapil | Penske Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 100 | $84,475 |
|---|
| 22 | 34 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 97 | $101,539 |
|---|
| 23 | 12 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MB2 Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 94 | $96,808 |
|---|
| 24 | 16 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 91 | $92,688 |
|---|
| 25 | 27 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 88 | $90,367 |
|---|
| 26 | 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 85 | $99,708 |
|---|
| 27 | 25 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 110 | 1 | running | 87 | $71,275 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | 87 | Chris Cook | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 79 | $67,680 |
|---|
| 29 | 38 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 76 | $99,001 |
|---|
| 30 | 15 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 73 | $94,280 |
|---|
| 31 | 9 | 39 | Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 70 | $67,275 |
|---|
| 32 | 40 | 4 | P. J. Jones | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 67 | $67,125 |
|---|
| 33 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 32 | running | 69 | $128,201 |
|---|
| 34 | 18 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 61 | $74,905 |
|---|
| 35 | 19 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 109 | 0 | running | 58 | $66,795 |
|---|
| 36 | 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | running | 55 | $116,126 |
|---|
| 37 | 21 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | running | 52 | $113,486 |
|---|
| 38 | 23 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | 107 | 0 | running | 49 | $84,440 |
|---|
| 39 | 31 | 0 | Mike Bliss | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 102 | 0 | running | 46 | $66,325 |
|---|
| 40 | 13 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 97 | 0 | running | 43 | $74,200 |
|---|
| 41 | 26 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 92 | 0 | running | 40 | $98,150 |
|---|
| 42 | 10 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 88 | 0 | running | 37 | $113,383 |
|---|
| 43 | 35 | 27 | Tom Hubert | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 33 | 0 | oil pressure | 34 | $66,203 |
|---|
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |
|---|
| 44 | | 02 | Brandon Ash | Ash Motorsports | Ford | |
|---|
| 45 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge |
|---|
| 46 | 92 | Stanton Barrett | Front Row Motorsports | Chevrolet |
|---|
| 47 | 66 | Johnny Borneman III | Peak Fitness Racing | Ford |
|---|
| 48 | 52 | José Luis Ramírez | Rick Ware Racing | Dodge |
|---|
| WD | 71 | P. J. Jones | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet |
|---|
| Official race results | |
|---|
Notes and References
- Web site: 2020-06-19. Stewart wins one-handed at Sonoma - Sports - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC. 2021-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20200619070404/https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20050627/sports/605061960/WM. 2020-06-19.
- Web site: Sears Point. 2021-11-13. www.gt-racing.co.uk.
- Web site: 2011-06-07. Passing is tough in Chute chronicle.augusta.com. 2021-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20110607182441/http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1998/06/28/oth_232051.shtml. 2011-06-07.
- Web site: 2007-09-29. SEARS POINT BREAKS GROUND ON MODIFIED CHUTE - RacingWest. 2021-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20070929002246/http://www.racingwest.com/news/story.php3/2094/index.htm. 2007-09-29.
- Web site: Drivers struggle to find grip in Sonoma practices. 2021-11-13. AccessWDUN. en.
- Web site: 2005-06-27. Jayski'sฎ Silly Season Site - Race Info / Rundown Page. 2021-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20050627001013/http://www.jayski.com/next/2005/2005sonoma.htm. 2005-06-27.
- Web site: 2005-06-27. Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. 2021-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20050627004344/http://www.jayski.com:80/stats/2005grids/2005sonoma-grid.htm. 2005-06-27.
- Web site: 2005-06-25. Jeff Gordon wins Sonoma pole again. 2021-11-13. Lewiston Sun Journal.
- Web site: 2005-06-25. Qualifying times: Dodge/Save Mart 350.. 2021-11-13. Crash. en.
- Web site: 2005 Dodge/Save Mart 350 - The Third Turn. 2021-11-13. www.thethirdturn.com. en.
