# 2008 Samsung 500

The 2008 Samsung 500 was the seventh race for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and run on Sunday, April 6 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The race was broadcast on television by Fox starting at 1:30 PM US EDT, and broadcast via radio and Sirius Satellite Radio on the Performance Racing Network beginning at 1 PM US EDT.

## Entry list

| Car | Driver | Hometown | Make | Sponsor | Owner | Team |
| 00 | Michael McDowell | Phoenix, AZ | Toyota | Aaron's Dream Machine | Rob Kauffman | Michael Waltrip Racing |
| 01 | Regan Smith | Cato, NY | Chevrolet | DEI / Principal Financial Group | Teresa Earnhardt | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
| 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Mayetta, NJ | Chevrolet | Bass Pro Shops / Tracker | Teresa Earnhardt | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
| 2 | Kurt Busch | Las Vegas, NV | Dodge | Miller Lite | Walter Czarnecki | Penske Racing |
| 5 | Casey Mears | Bakersfield, CA | Chevrolet | Cheez-It / CARQUEST | Mary Hendrick | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 6 | David Ragan | Unadilla, GA | Ford | AAA Insurance | Mike Dee | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 07 | Clint Bowyer | Emporia, KS | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing |
| 7 | Robby Gordon | Bellflower, CA | Dodge | Jim Beam | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports |
| 08 | Burney Lamar | West Sacramento, CA | Dodge | rhino's energy drink | John Carter | E&M Motorsports |
| 8 | Mark Martin | Batesville, AR | Chevrolet | U.S. Army | Teresa Earnhardt | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Enumclaw, WA | Dodge | Budweiser | George Gillett Jr. | Gillett Evernham Motorsports |
| 10 | Patrick Carpentier | Ville Lasalle, Quebec, Canada | Dodge | Valvoline | George Gillett Jr. | Gillett Evernham Motorsports |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Chesterfield, VA | Toyota | FedEx Ground | J.D. Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | South Bend, IN | Dodge | Samsung HDTV / Alltel | Roger Penske | Penske Racing |
| 15 | Paul Menard | Eau Claire, WI | Chevrolet | Quaker State / Menards | Teresa Earnhardt | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Vancouver, WA | Ford | DISH Network / DishDVRs | Jack Roush | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Cambridge, WI | Ford | DEWALT | John Henry | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | Las Vegas, NV | Toyota | Interstate Batteries | Joe Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 19 | Elliott Sadler | Emporia, VA | Dodge | Best Buy / Garmin | Ray Evernham | Gillett Evernham Motorsports |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Rushville, IN | Toyota | The Home Depot | Joe Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 21 | Bill Elliott | Dawsonville, GA | Ford | Motorcraft | Glen Wood | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 22 | Dave Blaney | Hartford, OH | Toyota | Caterpillar | Bill Davis | Bill Davis Racing |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Vallejo, CA | Chevrolet | DuPont | Rick Hendrick | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 26 | Jamie McMurray | Joplin, MO | Ford | Crown Royal Cask No. 16 | Geoff Smith | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 28 | Travis Kvapil | Janesville, WI | Ford | Yates Racing | Doug Yates | Yates Racing |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Bakersfield, CA | Chevrolet | Shell / Pennzoil | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing |
| 31 | Jeff Burton | South Boston, VA | Chevrolet | Prilosec OTC | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing |
| 34 | John Andretti | Bethlehem, PA | Chevrolet | Front Row Motorsports | Bob Jenkins | Front Row Motorsports |
| 38 | David Gilliland | Riverside, CA | Ford | Yates Racing | Max Jones | Yates Racing |
| 40 | Dario Franchitti | Bathgate, West Lothian | Dodge | Kennametal | Felix Sabates | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates |
| 41 | Reed Sorenson | Peachtree City, GA | Dodge | Target | Chip Ganassi | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates |
| 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Bogota, Colombia | Dodge | Texaco / Havoline | Floyd Ganassi | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates |
| 43 | Bobby Labonte | Corpus Christi, TX | Dodge | Cheerios Racing / Sam's Club | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises |
| 44 | David Reutimann | Zephyrhills, FL | Toyota | UPS | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing |
| 45 | Chad McCumbee | Supply, NC | Dodge | Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | El Cajon, CA | Chevrolet | Lowe's | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 55 | Michael Waltrip | Owensboro, KY | Toyota | NAPA AUTO PARTS | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing |
| 66 | Scott Riggs | Bahama, NC | Chevrolet | State Water Heaters | Joe Custer | Haas CNC Racing |
| 70 | Jeremy Mayfield | Owensboro, KY | Chevrolet | Haas Automation | Margaret Haas | Haas CNC Racing |
| 77 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Defiance, OH | Dodge | Mobil 1 | Roger Penske | Penske Racing |
| 78 | Joe Nemechek | Lakeland, FL | Chevrolet | Furniture Row / DenverMattress.com | Barney Visser | Furniture Row Racing |
| 83 | Brian Vickers | Thomasville, NC | Toyota | Red Bull | Dietrich Mateschitz | Red Bull Racing Team |
| 84 | Mike Skinner | Ontario, CA | Toyota | Red Bull | Dietrich Mateschitz | Red Bull Racing Team |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Kannapolis, NC | Chevrolet | National Guard / AMP Energy | Rick Hendrick | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 96 | J.J. Yeley | Phoenix, AZ | Toyota | DLP HDTV | Jeffrey Moorad | Hall of Fame Racing |
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Columbia, MO | Ford | Aflac | Jack Roush | Roush Fenway Racing |

## Pre race notes

* Chad McCumbee replaced Kyle Petty in the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge ride this week; however, for the second straight race, the #45 car failed to qualify.
* BAM Racing will skip both this week's race and the following race at Phoenix as their transition to Toyota has been harder than they thought.

## Qualifying

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first pole as a member of Hendrick Motorsports, with a speed of just under 191 mph.
However, the major story to come out of this was the spectacular crash of Michael McDowell into Turn One during his second qualifying lap in the #00 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. Going into Turn 1, McDowell said on the radio "Way too tight!" The car proceeded to turn sharply left, then when McDowell tried to correct it, the car sharply steered hardly to the right, plowing head-first into the SAFER barrier at over 180 mph, causing his car to barrel-roll 8 times with fire coming from the engine compartment. McDowell was shown to be moving around in the car when the car landed on its wheels in the middle of Turns 1 and 2, and seconds later was able to get out of the car under his own power, uninjured. Due to the fact that his primary car was destroyed, he was forced into the rear of the field in a backup. The crash would prove the safety of the Car of Tomorrow, which had been criticized for its looks. For most of McDowell's career, this would be his legacy; proving the safety of the Car of Tomorrow until the 2021 season, when in a stunning upset McDowell would pass Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano on the final lap to win the 2021 Daytona 500.
| Pos. | Car | Driver | Make | Avg. Speed (mph) | Time | Behind |
| 1 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Chevrolet | 190.907 | 28.286 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | 189.487 | 28.498 | 00.212 |
| 3 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 189.069 | 28.561 | 00.275 |
| 4 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 189.042 | 28.565 | 00.279 |
| 5 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 188.772 | 28.606 | 00.320 |
| 6 | 44 | David Reutimann | Toyota | 188.732 | 28.612 | 00.326 |
| 7 | 6 | David Ragan | Ford | 188.534 | 28.642 | 00.356 |
| 8 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 188.475 | 28.651 | 00.365 |
| 9 | 84 | Mike Skinner | Toyota | 188.390 | 28.664 | 00.378 |
| 10 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | 188.245 | 28.686 | 00.400 |
| 11 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Dodge | 188.160 | 28.699 | 00.413 |
| 12 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr | Chevrolet | 188.140 | 28.702 | 00.416 |
| 13 | 66 | Scott Riggs | Chevrolet | 188.009 | 28.722 | 00.436 |
| 14 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 187.990 | 28.725 | 00.439 |
| 15 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Dodge | 187.931 | 28.734 | 00.448 |
| 16 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 187.865 | 28.744 | 00.458 |
| 17 | 77 | Sam Hornish Jr | Dodge | 187.741 | 28.763 | 00.477 |
| 18 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 187.611 | 28.783 | 00.497 |
| 19 | 15 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | 187.598 | 28.785 | 00.499 |
| 20 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | 187.591 | 28.786 | 00.500 |
| 21 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 187.493 | 28.801 | 00.515 |
| 22 | 5 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | 187.474 | 28.804 | 00.518 |
| 23 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | 187.311 | 28.829 | 00.543 |
| 24 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Toyota | 187.195 | 28.847 | 00.561 |
| 25 | 07 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | 187.156 | 28.853 | 00.567 |
| 26 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Dodge | 187.007 | 28.876 | 00.590 |
| 27 | 10 | Patrick Carpentier | Dodge | 186.981 | 28.880 | 00.594 |
| 28 | 21 | Bill Elliott | Ford | 186.974 | 28.881 | 00.595 |
| 29 | 22 | Dave Blaney | Toyota | 186.948 | 28.885 | 00.599 |
| 30 | 43 | Bobby Labonte | Dodge | 186.935 | 28.887 | 00.601 |
| 31 | 8 | Mark Martin | Chevrolet | 186.793 | 28.909 | 00.623 |
| 32 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | 186.645 | 28.932 | 00.646 |
| 33 | 96 | JJ Yeley | Toyota | 186.220 | 28.998 | 00.712 |
| 34 | 01 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | 186.046 | 29.025 | 00.739 |
| 35 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | 185.995 | 29.033 | 00.747 |
| 36 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | 185.752 | 29.071 | 00.785 |
| 37 | 34 | John Andretti | Chevrolet | 185.669 | 29.084 | 00.798 |
| 38 | 28 | Travis Kvapil | Ford | 185.631 | 29.090 | 00.804 |
| 39 | 70 | Jeremy Mayfield | Chevrolet | 185.350 | 29.134 | 00.848 |
| 40 | 00 | Michael McDowell | Toyota | 182.933 | 29.519 | 01.233 |
| 41 | 38 | David Gilliland | Ford | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 |
| 42 | 41 | Reed Sorenson | Dodge | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 |
| 43 | 78 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | 185.191 | 29.159 | 00.873 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 40 | Dario Franchitti | Dodge | 185.122 | 29.170 | |
| 45 | 45 | Chad McCumbee | Dodge | 183.736 | 29.390 | |
| 46 | 08 | Burney Lamar | Dodge | 181.996 | 29.671 | |
| WD | 49 | Ken Schrader | Toyota | 0.000 | 00.000 | 0.000 |
Failed to qualify: Burney Lamar (#08), Dario Franchitti (#40), Chad McCumbee (#45).

## Race recap

The race was won by Carl Edwards. Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin would round out the top five while Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer would be the remaining finishers in the top ten finishing order.

## Results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Sponsor | Make | Team | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | PTS | Winnings (USD) |
| 1 | 2 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Aflac | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 339 | 123 | running | 195 | 195 | 541150 |
| 2 | 5 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe's | Chevy | Hendrick Motorsports | 339 | 65 | running | 175 | 175 | 364286 |
| 3 | 3 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Interstate Batteries | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 339 | 50 | running | 170 | 170 | 250750 |
| 4 | 4 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Alltel, Samsung | Dodge | Penske Racing | 339 | 0 | running | 135 | 135 | 236725 |
| 5 | 14 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | FedEx Ground | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 339 | 0 | running | 155 | 155 | 206841 |
| 6 | 35 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Prilosec OTC | Chevy | Richard Childress Racing | 339 | 0 | running | 150 | 150 | 197033 |
| 7 | 24 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Home Depot | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 339 | 0 | running | 146 | 146 | 184236 |
| 8 | 31 | 8 | Mark Martin | U.S. Army | Chevy | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 339 | 0 | running | 142 | 142 | 174358 |
| 9 | 8 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | DeWalt | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 339 | 68 | running | 143 | 143 | 173891 |
| 10 | 25 | 07 | Clint Bowyer | Jack Daniel's | Chevy | Richard Childress Racing | 339 | 0 | running | 134 | 134 | 145025 |
| 11 | 21 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Shell, Pennzoil | Chevy | Richard Childress Racing | 338 | 0 | running | 130 | 130 | 167411 |
| 12 | 1 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | National Guard, AMP Energy | Chevy | Hendrick Motorsports | 338 | 31 | running | 132 | 132 | 151275 |
| 13 | 7 | 6 | David Ragan | AAA Insurance | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 338 | 0 | running | 124 | 124 | 131125 |
| 14 | 32 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Crown Royal Cask No 16 | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 338 | 0 | running | 121 | 121 | 128375 |
| 15 | 41 | 38 | David Gilliland | Yates Racing | Ford | Yates Racing | 338 | 0 | running | 118 | 118 | 138083 |
| 16 | 36 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Red Bull | Toyota | Red Bull Racing Team | 338 | 0 | running | 115 | 115 | 116725 |
| 17 | 19 | 15 | Paul Menard | Menards, Quaker State | Chevy | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 338 | 0 | running | 112 | 112 | 123125 |
| 18 | 38 | 28 | Travis Kvapil | Yates Racing | Ford | Yates Racing | 338 | 0 | running | 109 | 109 | 140639 |
| 19 | 11 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Texaco, Havoline | Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | 337 | 0 | running | 106 | 106 | 139733 |
| 20 | 30 | 43 | Bobby Labonte | Cheerios, Sam's Club | Dodge | Petty Enterprises | 337 | 0 | running | 103 | 103 | 149511 |
| 21 | 29 | 22 | Dave Blaney | Caterpillar | Toyota | Bill Davis Racing | 337 | 0 | running | 100 | 100 | 124783 |
| 22 | 22 | 5 | Casey Mears | Cheez-It, CARQUEST Auto Parts | Chevy | Hendrick Motorsports | 337 | 0 | running | 97 | 97 | 121625 |
| 23 | 23 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Miller Lite | Dodge | Penske Racing | 337 | 0 | running | 94 | 94 | 102125 |
| 24 | 42 | 41 | Reed Sorenson | Target | Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | 337 | 0 | running | 91 | 91 | 132189 |
| 25 | 10 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Budweiser | Dodge | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | 336 | 0 | running | 88 | 88 | 132916 |
| 26 | 26 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Best Buy | Dodge | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | 336 | 0 | running | 85 | 85 | 127170 |
| 27 | 13 | 66 | Scott Riggs | State Water Heaters | Chevy | Haas CNC Racing | 336 | 0 | running | 82 | 82 | 113383 |
| 28 | 27 | 10 | Patrick Carpentier | Valvoline | Dodge | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | 335 | 0 | running | 79 | 79 | 99125 |
| 29 | 9 | 84 | Mike Skinner | Red Bull | Toyota | Red Bull Racing Team | 334 | 0 | running | 76 | 76 | 93525 |
| 30 | 15 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Jim Beam | Dodge | Robby Gordon Motorsports | 334 | 0 | running | 73 | 73 | 115533 |
| 31 | 20 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | NAPA Auto Parts | Toyota | Michael Waltrip Racing | 333 | 0 | running | 70 | 70 | 99997 |
| 32 | 17 | 77 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Mobil 1 | Dodge | Penske Racing | 333 | 0 | running | 67 | 67 | 134925 |
| 33 | 40 | 00 | Michael McDowell | Aaron's Dream Machine | Toyota | Michael Waltrip Racing | 332 | 0 | running | 64 | 64 | 91700 |
| 34 | 28 | 21 | Bill Elliott | Motorcraft | Ford | Wood Brothers Racing | 332 | 0 | running | 61 | 61 | 105495 |
| 35 | 34 | 01 | Regan Smith | DEI | Chevy | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 331 | 0 | running | 58 | 58 | 94025 |
| 36 | 12 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats | Chevy | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 330 | 2 | engine | 60 | 60 | 115908 |
| 37 | 43 | 78 | Joe Nemechek | Furniture Row | Chevy | Furniture Row Racing | 330 | 0 | running | 52 | 52 | 83775 |
| 38 | 39 | 70 | Jeremy Mayfield | Haas Automation | Chevy | Haas CNC Racing | 329 | 0 | running | 49 | 49 | 82625 |
| 39 | 16 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Dish Network | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 312 | 0 | running | 46 | 46 | 90500 |
| 40 | 37 | 34 | John Andretti | Front Row Motorsports | Chevy | Front Row Motorsports | 263 | 0 | suspension | 43 | 43 | 82375 |
| 41 | 6 | 44 | David Reutimann | UPS | Toyota | Michael Waltrip Racing | 253 | 0 | engine | 40 | 40 | 82260 |
| 42 | 33 | 96 | J.J. Yeley | DLP HDTV | Toyota | Hall of Fame Racing | 173 | 0 | crash | 37 | 37 | 90165 |
| 43 | 18 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | DuPont | Chevy | Hendrick Motorsports | 124 | 0 | crash | 34 | 34 | 131327 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||||||||
| 44 | | 40 | Dario Franchitti | Kennametal | Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | | | | | | |
| 45 | | 45 | Chad McCumbee | Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil | Dodge | Petty Enterprises | | | | | | |
| 46 | | 08 | Burney Lamar | Rhino's Energy Drink | Dodge | E&M Motorsports | | | | | | |
| WD | | 49 | Ken Schrader | | Toyota | BAM Racing | | | | | | |