page_title: 2007 UAW-Ford 500
section_title: Race
hierarchical_section_title: 2007 UAW-Ford 500 / Race
caption_attribution_description: Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, won the first Gatorade Duel on Thursday and will line up third for Sunday's Daytona 500. (Courtesy Hendrick Motorsports)
context_page_description: The 2007 UAW-Ford 500 was the 30th stock car race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the fourth in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. It was held on October 7, 2007 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, before a crowd of 155,000. The 188-lap race was won by Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports after he started from 34th position. His teammate Jimmie Johnson finished second and Dave Blaney came in third.
  The Car of Tomorrow débuted at a superspeedway, but it was heavily criticized for its lack of visibility, and drivers raised fears of becoming airborne if hit. Michael Waltrip won the pole position by posting the fastest lap in qualifying but was passed by Blaney by the end of the first lap. The race lead changed 42 times, with Denny Hamlin leading the most laps out of anybody else. Johnson took the lead after driving on the outside lane on lap 183.
context_section_description: Live television coverage of the race on ABC began at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Around the start of the race, weather conditions were mostly sunny with the air temperature at 89 °F (32 °C); a ten percent chance of rain was forecast. A moment of silence was held in honor of former NASCAR president Bill France Jr. Frank Stark of Raceway Ministries began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. Miss University of Alabama Stephanie Shelton performed the national anthem, and Dave Sparks, an employee of the race's sponsor, commanded the drivers to start their engines.  During the pace laps, McMurray moved to the rear of the field because he changed his engine, and Casey Mears did the same for illegal adjustments to his car.
  The race started at 2:21 p.m. Waltrip led the pack on the run to the first corner, but Blaney got ahead of him to take the first position at the end of the first lap. On lap two, Labonte made it three-abreast going to the finish line, and took the lead, before losing it to Vickers on the following lap. Waltrip steered right to reclaim first place on lap four, and held it for the next lap when Labonte returned to the head of the pack. The sixth lap had Robby Gordon pushed by other cars to become the new leader, which he retained until Vickers returned to the front on lap nine. In the meantime, Hamlin moved from eighteenth to fourth. He took the lead for the first time with assistance from Andretti on lap 12. The first caution was necessitated on lap 17 as Andretti's right-front tire blew, removing one of his car's fenders, and scattering debris on the track. Most of the leaders, including Hamlin, made pit stops for fuel, tyres and car adjustments. Petty led the field for one lap before making his stop on the 20th lap, and Johnson was the leader on the next lap before doing the same.
  Hamlin led the field back up to speed at the lap-22 restart, and was followed by Kahne, Truex, and Sadler. Three laps later, Harvick provided Sadler assistance to claim the lead on the left lane. However, Sadler lost the lead to Hamlin on lap 27, as some competitors created three-abreast racing by forming a middle lane. The outside lane was used by Truex to gain first place on lap 30. Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved to the lead on the 31st lap. He maintained it for the next 27 laps as the first round of green flag pit stops commenced. After the pit stops, Hamlin regained the lead. On lap 63, David Gilliland collided with Biffle at turn four, causing Biffle to spin sideways. Biffle's front-left tire went flat, and the front of Gilliland's vehicle sustained light damage. The second caution was waved to restore order. Some cars in the middle of the pack went down pit road to stop for fuel and tyres. Gilliland's mechanics made repairs to his car. The race restarted on lap 67 as Hamlin led Stewart and Kyle Busch in a single file.
  Waltrip returned to the lead on lap 88, as Reutimann got into second by joining the pack of cars on the bottom line. Reutimann passed Waltrip for first on the following lap. On lap 91, Earnhardt led once again by driving on the outside lane. Two laps later, Jeff Burton's engine failed, laying oil and debris on the track, and calling for the race's third caution as he returned to pit road to retire. Pit stops for fuel and tyres were made by several drivers during the caution. Waltrip led the restarted race on lap 96. He held it until Hamlin took it as the lead group of cars went three-abreast on lap 98. Stewart became the leader for the first time by driving on the outside lane one lap later. Three abreast-racing temporarily ended on lap 101, as the main pack of cars fell into a single line behind Stewart. Sadler took the lead with assistance from Kahne on the inside line on the 109th lap. Four laps later, Truex's engine blew, leaving oil on the track, and requiring a fourth caution.
  Most drivers, including Sadler, elected to make pit stops for fuel and tyres under the caution period. Bowyer and Sadler each led for one lap before making their pit stops. Sadler returned to the lead for the restart on lap 116 as t
caption: Jeff Gordon (pictured in 2009) led the final lap of the race to claim his fifth victory of the season and the 80th of his career.
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