The 2009 Autism Speaks 400 presented by Heluva Good! was the thirteenth points race in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, marking the halfway point to the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, and was held at the 1miles Dover International Speedway in Delaware's state capital city May 31 of that year, consisting of 400miles.
Fox Sports, in its 2009 swan song, televised the race beginning at 1:30 PM US EDT while MRN (terrestrial) and Sirius XM Radio (satellite) handled radio coverage starting at 1 PM.
The biggest change that year at Dover was a new pit road area. Previously, Dover's pit road only had enough room for 42 pit stalls, meaning one team had to share a pit until a car dropped out of the race. Now, thanks to a new pit wall facing the main stands, widening the lanes within pit road by 4feet, the area was rebuilt and all 43 cars will have their own pit stalls that are 4feet longer than before.
The biggest news this week concerned the Hendrick Motorsports #88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr. His cousin and crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., who had come with him from Dale Earnhardt Inc. (now Earnhardt Ganassi Racing) two years ago in one of the biggest events of that Silly Season, was fired. He will be replaced for the next two races with manager Brian Whitesell. Lance Magrew, a veteran crew chief will take over at Michigan.
| Car[1] | Driver | Hometown | Make | Sponsor | Owner | Team | Crew Chief | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | David Reutimann | Zephyrhills, FL | Toyota | Aaron's Dream Machine | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing | ||
| 1 | Martin Truex Jr | Mayetta, NJ | Chevrolet | Bass Pro Shops / Tracker | Teresa Earnhardt | Earnhardt Ganassi Racing | ||
| 2 | Kurt Busch | Las Vegas, NV | Dodge | Miller Lite | Walter Czarnecki | Penske Racing | ||
| 5 | Mark Martin | Batesville, AR | Chevrolet | Kellogg's / Carquest | Mary Hendrick | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| 06 | David Starr | Houston, TX | Dodge | Canics.com | Theresa Boys | Boys Will Be Boys Racing | ||
| 6 | David Ragan | Unadilla, GA | Ford | UPS | John Henry | Roush Fenway Racing | ||
| 07 | Casey Mears | Bakersfield, CA | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| 7 | Robby Gordon | Bellflower, CA | Toyota | Richmond Water Heaters | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | ||
| 09 | Mike Bliss | Milwaukie, OR | Dodge | Phoenix Racing | James Finch | Phoenix Racing | ||
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Enumclaw, WA | Dodge | Budweiser | George Gillett Jr | Richard Petty Motorsports | ||
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Chesterfield, VA | Toyota | FedEx Office | J D Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| 12 | David Stremme | South Bend, IN | Dodge | Penske Racing | Roger Penske | Penske Racing | ||
| 13 | Max Papis | Como, Italy | Toyota | GEICO | Bob Germain | Germain Racing | ||
| 14 | Tony Stewart | Rushville, IN | Chevrolet | Office Depot / Old Spice | Margaret Haas | Stewart-Haas Racing | ||
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Vancouver, WA | Ford | 3M Nexcare | Jack Roush | Roush Fenway Racing | ||
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Cambridge, WI | Ford | Dewalt | John Henry | Roush Fenway Racing | ||
| 18 | Kyle Busch | Las Vegas, NV | Toyota | M&M's | Joe Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| 19 | Elliott Sadler | Emporia, VA | Dodge | Stanley Tools | George Gillett Jr | Richard Petty Motorsports | ||
| 20 | Joey Logano | Middleton, CT | Toyota | The Home Depot | Joe Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Vallejo, CA | Chevrolet | DuPont | Rick Hendrick | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| 25 | Brad Keselowski | Auburn Hills, MI | Chevrolet | GoDaddy.com | Rick Hendrick | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| 26 | Jamie McMurray | Joplin, MO | Ford | Crown Royal | Geoff Smith | Roush Fenway Racing | ||
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Bakersfield, CA | Chevrolet | Shell / Pennzoil | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| 31 | Jeff Burton | South Boston, VA | Chevrolet | Caterpillar | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| 33 | Clint Bowyer | Emporia, KS | Chevrolet | The Hartford | Bobby Ginn III | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| 34 | John Andretti | Bethlehem, PA | Chevrolet | Taco Bell | Teresa Earnhardt | Front Row Motorsports | ||
| 36 | Mike Skinner | Ontario, CA | Toyota | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Tommy Baldwin | Tommy Baldwin Racing | ||
| 37 | Tony Raines | LaPorte, IN | Chevrolet | Long John Silver's | Brad Jenkins | Front Row Motorsports | ||
| 39 | Ryan Newman | South Bend, IN | Chevrolet | U.S. Army | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | ||
| 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Bogota, Colombia | Chevrolet | Target | Teresa Earnhardt | Earnhardt Ganassi Racing | ||
| 43 | Reed Sorenson | Peachtree City, GA | Dodge | U.S. Air Force | Richard Petty | Richard Petty Motorsports | ||
| 44 | AJ Allmendinger | Los Gatos, CA | Dodge | Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper | George Gillett Jr | Richard Petty Motorsports | ||
| 47 | Marcos Ambrose | Launceston, Tasmania | Toyota | RaceSavers.com | Rob Kauffman | JTG Daugherty Racing | ||
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | El Cajon, CA | Chevrolet | Lowe's / Kobalt Tools | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| 55 | Michael Waltrip | Owensboro, KY | Toyota | NAPA | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing | ||
| 66 | Dave Blaney | Hartford, OH | Toyota | Prism Motorsports | Phil Parsons | Prism Motorsports | ||
| 71 | David Gilliland | Riverside, CA | Chevrolet | CompUSA | Kevin Buckler | TRG Motorsports | ||
| 75 | Derrike Cope | Spanaway, WA | Dodge | FlipnBags.com | Derrike Cope | Cope-Keller Racing | ||
| 77 | Sam Hornish Jr | Defiance, OH | Dodge | Mobil 1 | Bill Davis | Penske Racing | ||
| 78 | Regan Smith | Cato, NY | Chevrolet | Furniture Row Companies | Barney Visser | Furniture Row Racing | ||
| 82 | Scott Speed | Manteca, CA | Toyota | Red Bull | Dietrich Mateschitz | Red Bull Racing Team | ||
| 83 | Brian Vickers | Thomasville, NC | Toyota | Red Bull | Dietrich Mateschitz | Red Bull Racing Team | ||
| 87 | Joe Nemechek | Lakeland, FL | Toyota | G.P.'s Enterprises / Huckleberry's BBQ / LubePro's | Andrea Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | ||
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Kannapolis, NC | Chevrolet | Amp Energy / National Guard | Rick Hendrick | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| 96 | Bobby Labonte | Corpus Christi, TX | Ford | Ask.com / AutismSpeaks.com | Jeffrey Moorad | Hall of Fame Racing | ||
| 98 | Paul Menard | Eau Claire, WI | Ford | Pittsburgh Paints / Menards | Max Jones | Yates Racing | ||
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Columbia, MO | Ford | Aflac | Jack Roush | Roush Fenway Racing |
Jeff Gordon wrecked his car in the first run of qualifying. David Reutimann, winner of the previous week's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 took his third career pole.
| Pos.[2] [3] | Car | Driver | Make | Avg. Speed (mph) | Time | Behind | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00 | David Reutimann | Toyota | 156.794 | 22.960 | 0.000 | |
| 2 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | 156.542 | 22.997 | 00.037 | |
| 3 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Chevrolet | 156.020 | 23.074 | 00.114 | |
| 4 | 43 | Reed Sorenson | Dodge | 155.952 | 23.084 | 00.124 | |
| 5 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 155.932 | 23.087 | 00.127 | |
| 6 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 155.885 | 23.094 | 00.134 | |
| 7 | 44 | AJ Allmendinger | Dodge | 155.689 | 23.123 | 00.163 | |
| 8 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 155.662 | 23.127 | 00.167 | |
| 9 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | 155.595 | 23.137 | 00.177 | |
| 10 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Dodge | 155.514 | 23.149 | 00.189 | |
| 11 | 39 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 155.447 | 23.159 | 00.199 | |
| 12 | 77 | Sam Hornish Jr | Dodge | 155.440 | 23.160 | 00.200 | |
| 13 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | 155.420 | 23.163 | 00.203 | |
| 14 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 155.313 | 23.179 | 00.219 | |
| 15 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr | Chevrolet | 155.313 | 23.179 | 00.219 | |
| 16 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 155.152 | 23.203 | 00.243 | |
| 17 | 07 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | 155.085 | 23.213 | 00.253 | |
| 18 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | 155.066 | 23.216 | 00.256 | |
| 19 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | 155.032 | 23.221 | 00.261 | |
| 20 | 47 | Marcos Ambrose | Toyota | 154.919 | 23.238 | 00.278 | |
| 21 | 20 | Joey Logano | Toyota | 154.812 | 23.254 | 00.294 | |
| 22 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Chevrolet | 154.799 | 23.256 | 00.296 | |
| 23 | 82 | Scott Speed | Toyota | 154.706 | 23.270 | 00.310 | |
| 24 | 71 | David Gilliland | Chevrolet | 154.593 | 23.287 | 00.327 | |
| 25 | 33 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | 154.573 | 23.290 | 00.330 | |
| 26 | 6 | David Ragan | Ford | 154.566 | 23.291 | 00.331 | |
| 27 | 96 | Bobby Labonte | Ford | 154.434 | 23.311 | 00.351 | |
| 28 | 5 | Mark Martin | Chevrolet | 154.328 | 23.327 | 00.367 | |
| 29 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | 154.242 | 23.340 | 00.380 | |
| 30 | 12 | David Stremme | Dodge | 153.932 | 23.387 | 00.427 | |
| 31 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 153.675 | 23.426 | 00.466 | |
| 32 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | 153.577 | 23.441 | 00.481 | |
| 33 | 78 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | 153.446 | 23.461 | 00.501 | |
| 34 | 36 | Mike Skinner | Toyota | 153.368 | 23.473 | 00.513 | |
| 35 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 153.263 | 23.489 | 00.529 | |
| 36 | 98 | Paul Menard | Ford | 153.133 | 23.509 | 00.549 | |
| 37 | 09 | Mike Bliss | Dodge | 153.120 | 23.511 | 00.551 | |
| 38 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | 152.853 | 23.552 | 00.592 | |
| 39 | 66 | Dave Blaney | Toyota | 152.840 | 23.554 | 00.594 | |
| 40 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Toyota | 151.681 | 23.734 | 00.774 | |
| 41 | 34 | John Andretti | Chevrolet | 151.471 | 23.767 | 00.807 | |
| 42 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 | |
| 43 | 37 | Tony Raines | Chevrolet | 152.491 | 23.608 | 00.648 | |
| Failed to qualify | |||||||
| 44 | 25 | Brad Keselowski | Chevrolet | 152.265 | 23.643 | ||
| 45 | 13 | Max Papis | Toyota | 151.815 | 23.713 | ||
| 46 | 75 | Derrike Cope | Dodge | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 | |
| 47 | 06 | David Starr | Dodge | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 | |
| WD | 41 | J.J. Yeley | Toyota | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 | |
| WD | 64 | Todd Bodine | Toyota | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 | |
The Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe's team chose a rather unusual strategy: they chose the last pit stall (the newly designated 43rd pit stall). It worked to a charm as he led the most laps (298), and made the win with a pass of Tony Stewart with three laps to go and claim the win coming from seventh place on the final pit stop under caution that had earlier cost them the lead.
| Fin[4] [5] | St | Driver | Sponsor | Make | Team | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe's, Kobalt Tools | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 400 | 298 | running | 195 | 341151 |
| 2 | 31 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Office Depot, Old Spice | Chevrolet | Stewart-Haas Racing | 400 | 6 | running | 175 | 215398 |
| 3 | 5 | 16 | Greg Biffle | 3M Nexcare Products | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 400 | 41 | running | 170 | 188700 |
| 4 | 14 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | DeWalt | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 400 | 7 | running | 165 | 179940 |
| 5 | 19 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Miller Lite | Dodge | Penske Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 155 | 136250 |
| 6 | 2 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Budweiser | Dodge | Richard Petty Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 150 | 150398 |
| 7 | 13 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Aflac | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 400 | 12 | running | 151 | 149656 |
| 8 | 11 | 39 | Ryan Newman | U.S. Army | Chevrolet | Stewart-Haas Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 142 | 131454 |
| 9 | 17 | 07 | Casey Mears | Jack Daniel's | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 138 | 112975 |
| 10 | 28 | 5 | Mark Martin | Kellogg's, Carquest | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 400 | 1 | running | 139 | 106825 |
| 11 | 25 | 33 | Clint Bowyer | The Hartford | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 130 | 103225 |
| 12 | 22 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | AMP Energy, National Guard | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 127 | 107600 |
| 13 | 12 | 77 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Mobil 1 | Dodge | Penske Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 124 | 112235 |
| 14 | 18 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Crown Royal | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 121 | 101100 |
| 15 | 21 | 20 | Joey Logano | Home Depot | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 118 | 137351 |
| 16 | 32 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Caterpillar | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 115 | 133331 |
| 17 | 35 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Shell, Pennzoil | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 112 | 127403 |
| 18 | 1 | 00 | David Reutimann | Aaron's Dream Machine | Toyota | Michael Waltrip Racing | 400 | 25 | running | 114 | 125998 |
| 19 | 4 | 43 | Reed Sorenson | U.S. Air Force | Dodge | Roush Fenway Racing | 400 | 4 | running | 111 | 125851 |
| 20 | 20 | 47 | Marcos Ambrose | RaceSavers.com | Toyota | JTG Daugherty Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 103 | 104173 |
| 21 | 15 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats | Chevrolet | Earnhardt Ganassi Racing | 399 | 0 | running | 100 | 122165 |
| 22 | 33 | 78 | Regan Smith | Furniture Row | Chevrolet | Furniture Row Racing | 399 | 0 | running | 97 | 86525 |
| 23 | 6 | 18 | Kyle Busch | M&M's | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 399 | 0 | running | 94 | 131248 |
| 24 | 26 | 6 | David Ragan | UPS | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 399 | 0 | running | 91 | 93675 |
| 25 | 9 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Red Bull | Toyota | Red Bull Racing Team | 399 | 0 | running | 88 | 112973 |
| 26 | 42 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | DuPont | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 398 | 0 | running | 85 | 121851 |
| 27 | 10 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Stanley Tools | Dodge | Roush Fenway Racing | 398 | 2 | running | 87 | 91350 |
| 28 | 27 | 96 | Bobby Labonte | Ask.com, Autism Speaks | Ford | Hall of Fame Racing | 397 | 0 | running | 79 | 110329 |
| 29 | 7 | 44 | A.J. Allmendinger | Auto Value, Bumper to Bumper | Dodge | Roush Fenway Racing | 396 | 0 | running | 76 | 82550 |
| 30 | 3 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Target | Chevrolet | Earnhardt Ganassi Racing | 395 | 3 | running | 78 | 117073 |
| 31 | 30 | 12 | David Stremme | Penske Racing | Dodge | Penske Racing | 370 | 0 | crash | 70 | 112740 |
| 32 | 36 | 98 | Paul Menard | Pittsburgh Paints, Menards | Ford | Yates Racing | 363 | 0 | running | 67 | 109506 |
| 33 | 40 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Richmond Water Heaters | Toyota | Robby Gordon Motorsports | 282 | 0 | crash | 64 | 98660 |
| 34 | 41 | 34 | John Andretti | Taco Bell | Chevrolet | Front Row Motorsports | 253 | 0 | crash | 61 | 86750 |
| 35 | 29 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | NAPA Auto Parts | Toyota | Michael Waltrip Racing | 250 | 0 | engine | 58 | 86525 |
| 36 | 16 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | FedEx Office | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 232 | 0 | crash | 55 | 96400 |
| 37 | 23 | 82 | Scott Speed | Red Bull | Toyota | Red Bull Racing Team | 118 | 0 | engine | 52 | 90328 |
| 38 | 38 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Toyota | NEMCO Motorsports | 67 | 0 | drive shaft | 49 | 78145 |
| 39 | 39 | 66 | Dave Blaney | Prism Motorsports | Toyota | Prism Motorsports | 66 | 0 | transmission | 46 | 78030 |
| 40 | 37 | 09 | Mike Bliss | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | Phoenix Racing | 56 | 0 | electrical | 43 | 77900 |
| 41 | 34 | 36 | Mike Skinner | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Toyota | Tommy Baldwin Racing | 51 | 0 | engine | 40 | 77745 |
| 42 | 43 | 37 | Tony Raines | Long John Silver's | Chevrolet | Front Row Motorsports | 42 | 0 | crash | 37 | 77665 |
| 43 | 24 | 71 | David Gilliland | TRG Motorsports | Chevrolet | TRG Motorsports | 38 | 1 | power | 39 | 78034 |
| Failed to qualify | |||||||||||
| 44 | 25 | Brad Keselowski | GoDaddy.com | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | ||||||
| 45 | 13 | Max Papis | GEICO | Toyota | Germain Racing | ||||||
| 46 | 75 | Derrike Cope | Cope-Keller Racing | Dodge | Cope-Keller Racing | ||||||
| 47 | 06 | David Starr | Canics.com | Dodge | Boys Will Be Boys Racing | ||||||
| WD | 41 | J.J. Yeley | SmallSponsor.com | Toyota | Mayfield Motorsports | ||||||
| WD | 64 | Todd Bodine | Toyota | Gunselman Motorsports | |||||||