2005 USG Sheetrock 400

2005 USG Sheetrock 400

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	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
Time	28.701
Most laps led
Driver	Matt Kenseth	Roush Racing
Laps	176
Winner
No. 8	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

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.

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.

• (R) denotes rookie driver.

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]

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]

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]

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.

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Jimmie Johnson 2,548 2 Greg Biffle 2,440 (-108) 3 Tony Stewart 2,397 (-151) 1 4 Rusty Wallace 2,300 (–248) 1 5 Elliott Sadler 2,230 (–318) 2 6 Mark Martin 2,202 (–346) 1 7 Ryan Newman 2,196 (–352) 1 8 Jamie McMurray 2,190 (–358) 2 9 Jeremy Mayfield 2,179 (–369) 1 10 Kurt Busch 2,172 (–376) Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.