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.[1][2][3] 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.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 18 of 36 in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series | |||
 The 2005 USG Sheetrock 400 program cover, paying tribute to Rusty Wallace's and Mark Martin's farewell seasons. | |||
| Date | July 10, 2005 | ||
| Official name | 5th Annual USG Sheetrock 400 | ||
| Location | Joliet, Illinois, Chicagoland Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.41 km) | ||
| Distance | 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.542 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.542 km) | ||
| Average speed | 127.638 miles per hour (205.413 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 80,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| Time | 28.701 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | |
| Laps | 176 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 29 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Bill Weber, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
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.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, July 8, at 11:20 AM CST. The session would last for two hours.[4] 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 miles per hour (301.532 km/h).[5]
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.[6] However, precautionary CT scans tested negative for broken ribs, and Stewart was eventually able to race on Sunday.[7][8]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.821 | 187.363 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.901 | 186.845 |
| 3 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.920 | 186.722 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, July 9, at 9:30 AM CST. The session would last for 45 minutes.[4] 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 miles per hour (295.474 km/h).[9]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.412 | 183.599 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 29.480 | 183.175 |
| 3 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.496 | 183.076 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
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.[4] 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 miles per hour (293.498 km/h).[10]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.610 | 182.371 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.715 | 181.726 |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 29.729 | 181.641 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
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.[4]
Jimmie Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, with a lap of 28.701 and an average speed of 188.147 miles per hour (302.793 km/h).[11][12]
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Kenny Wallace, Mike Garvey, P. J. Jones, and Wayne Anderson.
Full qualifying results
Race results
Standings after the race
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References
- "Junior rallies for victory with late two-tire stop". NASCAR. July 10, 2005. Archived from the original on July 14, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- Mylsenski, Skip (July 11, 2005). "Tires play unfortunate role in race". Chicago Tribune. pp. 3–6. Retrieved July 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- McFadin, Daniel (July 1, 2018). "Dale Tales: Dale Earnhardt Jr. remembers 2005 win at Chicagoland Speedway". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2005 Chicagoland Race Info / Rundown Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on December 19, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "NASCAR.com - Races - 2005 Chicagoland Practice 1 Results". NASCAR. Archived from the original on January 16, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- Aumann, Mark (July 8, 2005). "Stewart sidelined Friday after crash in practice". NASCAR. Archived from the original on July 10, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- Aumann, Mark (July 9, 2005). "Stewart bounces back, eager to race Sunday". NASCAR. Archived from the original on July 11, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "Chicagoland cruel to Stewart". Tampa Bay Times. July 9, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "NASCAR.com - Races - 2005 Chicagoland Practice 2 Results". NASCAR. Archived from the original on July 11, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "NASCAR.com - Races - 2005 Chicagoland Practice 3 Results". NASCAR. Archived from the original on July 11, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "Johnson takes Newman off Bud Pole in Chicago". NASCAR. July 8, 2005. Archived from the original on July 11, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "Johnson on Pole; Stewart in Crash". The Ledger. July 9, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- "2005 USG Sheetrock 400 - The Third Turn". The Third Turn. Retrieved July 7, 2022.