# 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. 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.

## 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.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Mike Bliss | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | NetZero |
| 00 | Carl Long | McGlynn Racing | Dodge | Sunquest Vacations, Carloan.com |
| 01 | Joe Nemechek | MB2 Motorsports | Chevrolet | U. S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | Miller Genuine Draft |
| 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 | Menards |
| 07 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser, 2005 MLB All-Star Game |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | Valvoline |
| 11 | Jason Leffler | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | FedEx Express |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | Mobil 1, Speedpass |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | Post-it |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | USG Sheetrock |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | Boniva |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 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 |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats |
| 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 34 | P. J. Jones | Mach 1 Motorsports | Chevrolet | Mach 1 Motorsports |
| 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge | Patrón |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Combos |
| 39 | David Stremme | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | U. S. Navy |
| 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 | Home123 |
| 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
| 44 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Pizza Hut |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | Schwan's Home Service |
| 51 | Stuart Kirby | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | Marathon Multipower-3 HD Motor Oil |
| 66 | Mike Garvey (R) | Peak Fitness Racing | Ford | Jani-King |
| 75 | Wayne Anderson | Rinaldi Racing | Dodge | R&D Theil |
| 77 | Travis Kvapil | Penske Racing | Dodge | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 92 | Kenny Wallace | Front Row Motorsports | Chevrolet | State Fair Corn Dogs |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Sharpie |
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | Office Depot |
| Official entry list |||||

## 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. 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).
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. However, precautionary CT scans tested negative for broken ribs, and Stewart was eventually able to race on Sunday.
| 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. 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).
| 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. 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).
| 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.
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).
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Kenny Wallace, Mike Garvey, P. J. Jones, and Wayne Anderson.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.701 | 188.147 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 28.715 | 188.055 |
| 3 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.773 | 187.676 |
| 4 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.816 | 187.396 |
| 5 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.827 | 187.324 |
| 6 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.867 | 187.065 |
| 7 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.899 | 186.858 |
| 8 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.929 | 186.664 |
| 9 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.971 | 186.393 |
| 10 | 07 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.989 | 186.278 |
| 11 | 0 | Mike Bliss | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 29.002 | 186.194 |
| 12 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.004 | 186.181 |
| 13 | 20 | J. J. Yeley | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 29.006 | 186.168 |
| 14 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.008 | 186.156 |
| 15 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MB2 Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.022 | 186.066 |
| 16 | 77 | Travis Kvapil (R) | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 29.047 | 185.906 |
| 17 | 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.060 | 185.822 |
| 18 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.069 | 185.765 |
| 19 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.076 | 185.720 |
| 20 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.102 | 185.554 |
| 21 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.115 | 185.471 |
| 22 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.129 | 185.382 |
| 23 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.134 | 185.350 |
| 24 | 5 | Kyle Busch (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.151 | 185.242 |
| 25 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.224 | 184.780 |
| 26 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 29.245 | 184.647 |
| 27 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.253 | 184.596 |
| 28 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.267 | 184.508 |
| 29 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.273 | 184.470 |
| 30 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.289 | 184.370 |
| 31 | 39 | David Stremme | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.332 | 184.099 |
| 32 | 51 | Stuart Kirby | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.343 | 184.030 |
| 33 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 29.356 | 183.949 |
| 34 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.378 | 183.811 |
| 35 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.422 | 183.536 |
| 36 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.439 | 183.430 |
| 37 | 00 | Carl Long | McGlynn Racing | Dodge | 29.480 | 183.175 |
| 38 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.498 | 183.063 |
| 39 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge | 29.546 | 182.766 |
| 40 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.565 | 182.648 |
| 41 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 29.634 | 182.223 |
| Qualified by owner's points |||||||
| 42 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.219 | 178.695 |
| Last car to qualify on time |||||||
| 43 | 11 | Jason Leffler | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 29.700 | 181.818 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 92 | Kenny Wallace | Front Row Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.703 | 181.800 |
| 45 | 66 | Mike Garvey (R) | Peak Fitness Racing | Ford | 29.920 | 180.481 |
| 46 | 34 | P. J. Jones | Mach 1 Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.504 | 177.026 |
| 47 | 75 | Wayne Anderson | Rinaldi Racing | Dodge | 30.664 | 176.102 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 25 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 267 | 11 | running | 185 | $325,033 |
| 2 | 4 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 176 | running | 180 | $265,201 |
| 3 | 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 21 | running | 170 | $217,266 |
| 4 | 5 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 160 | $146,300 |
| 5 | 13 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 155 | $169,561 |
| 6 | 22 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 150 | $135,220 |
| 7 | 28 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 146 | $130,564 |
| 8 | 19 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 142 | $148,775 |
| 9 | 3 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 138 | $125,608 |
| 10 | 20 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 134 | $112,375 |
| 11 | 6 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 34 | running | 135 | $107,625 |
| 12 | 33 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 127 | $123,458 |
| 13 | 26 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 124 | $126,350 |
| 14 | 24 | 5 | Kyle Busch (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 121 | $99,600 |
| 15 | 15 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MB2 Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 118 | $115,058 |
| 16 | 31 | 39 | David Stremme | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 115 | $84,800 |
| 17 | 30 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 267 | 10 | running | 117 | $110,158 |
| 18 | 8 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 109 | $121,458 |
| 19 | 9 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 106 | $129,936 |
| 20 | 43 | 11 | Jason Leffler | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 103 | $93,050 |
| 21 | 17 | 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 1 | running | 105 | $96,958 |
| 22 | 36 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 97 | $92,600 |
| 23 | 7 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 94 | $102,397 |
| 24 | 40 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 91 | $112,136 |
| 25 | 42 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 1 | running | 93 | $82,890 |
| 26 | 41 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 267 | 1 | running | 90 | $81,775 |
| 27 | 29 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 267 | 1 | running | 87 | $81,175 |
| 28 | 39 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge | 267 | 1 | running | 84 | $80,075 |
| 29 | 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 262 | 9 | running | 81 | $122,366 |
| 30 | 35 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 260 | 0 | running | 73 | $103,970 |
| 31 | 32 | 51 | Stuart Kirby | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 259 | 0 | running | 70 | $76,925 |
| 32 | 38 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 253 | 1 | engine | 72 | $104,633 |
| 33 | 14 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 249 | 0 | crash | 64 | $126,211 |
| 34 | 11 | 0 | Mike Bliss | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 249 | 0 | crash | 61 | $76,325 |
| 35 | 12 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet | 222 | 0 | running | 58 | $76,125 |
| 36 | 27 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 214 | 0 | crash | 55 | $103,139 |
| 37 | 23 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 210 | 0 | running | 52 | $115,691 |
| 38 | 10 | 07 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | handling | 49 | $83,500 |
| 39 | 21 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | 170 | 0 | running | 46 | $93,290 |
| 40 | 37 | 00 | Carl Long | McGlynn Racing | Dodge | 148 | 0 | handling | 43 | $75,080 |
| 41 | 18 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 138 | 0 | engine | 40 | $106,955 |
| 42 | 34 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 124 | 0 | handling | 37 | $74,695 |
| 43 | 16 | 77 | Travis Kvapil (R) | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 13 | 0 | engine | 34 | $82,486 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 92 | Kenny Wallace | Front Row Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 66 | Mike Garvey (R) | Peak Fitness Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 34 | P. J. Jones | Mach 1 Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 75 | Wayne Anderson | Rinaldi Racing | Dodge | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | 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 ||||