411 REFERENCE · Wikipedia
2009 AAA 400
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
January 2016
January 2016
NAS AAA 400 The Race: AAA 400 http://www.jayski.com/next/2009/28dov2009.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20140708152734/http://www.jayski.com/next/2009/28dov2009.htm July 8, 2014 deadDefending champion Johnson wins pole at Dover http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-09-25-dover-qualifying_N.htm USA Today Gannett Company September 25, 2009 January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20160312081116/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-09-25-dover-qualifying_N.htm March 12, 2016 live 2009 9 27 2009 28 36 2009_AAA_400_program_cover.jpeg The 2009 AAA 400 program cover, with artwork by Sam Bass. "Monster Mash!" Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware 1.0 1.609 400 400 643.737 Temperatures reaching up to 75.2 F C; wind speeds up to 11.1 mph km/hWeather Information for Dover, Delaware http://m.almanac.com/weather/history/DE/Dover/2009-09-27 Old Farmer's Almanac Yankee Publishing January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017092714/http://m.almanac.com/weather/history/DE/Dover/2009-09-27 October 17, 2014 live 118.704 mi/h Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 22.878 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 271 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports ESPN Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree 3.1/6 (Final)
2.7/5 (Overnight)
(5.08 million)2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2010.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20101201140154/http://jayski.com/pages/tvratings2010.htm December 1, 2010 dead mdy-all
The 2009 AAA 400 was the twenty-eighth stock car race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the second in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup. It was held on September 27, 2009, at Dover International Speedway, in Dover, Delaware before a crowd of 110,000 people. The 400-lap race was won by Jimmie Johnson of the Hendrick Motorsports team after he started from pole position. His teammate Mark Martin finished second and Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth was third.
Martin was the pre-race Drivers' Championship leader with a 35-point margin over Johnson and Denny Hamlin in second. Johnson won the pole position with the fastest overall lap time in the qualifying session and maintained his lead on the first lap to begin the race. After a competition caution to allow for tire checks on lap 25, Ryan Newman became the leader of the race. Chase for the Sprint Cup participants Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon were in the top ten for most of the race. Johnson reclaimed the lead, after passing Kurt Busch on the 176th lap. Johnson maintained the first position to lead the most laps of 271, and to win his fourth race of the season. There were nine cautions and six lead changes among four different drivers during the course of the race.
The race victory was Johnson's fourth of the 2009 season, as well as the forty-fourth of his career. The result kept Martin in the lead in the Drivers' Championship, ten points ahead of Johnson, and sixty-five in front of Juan Pablo Montoya. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, forty-five ahead of Toyota and seventy-five in front of Ford, who bumped Dodge, with one-hundred and twenty-two points, to fourth place. The race attracted 5.08 million television viewers.
Background
2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series#Teams and drivers
thumb|left|Dover International Speedway, where the race was held.
thumb|The layout of Dover International Speedway, the venue where the race was held.
The 2009 AAA 400 was the twenty-eighth of thirty-six scheduled stock car races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the second in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup. It took place on September 27, 2009, in Dover, Delaware, at Dover International Speedway, a short track that holds NASCAR races.NASCAR Race Tracks http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ 23 September 2010 NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. https://web.archive.org/web/20100912133620/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ September 12, 2010 The NASCAR race makes use of the track's standard configuration, a four-turn short track oval that is 1 mi km long.NASCAR Tracks—The Dover International Speedway http://www.doverspeedway.com/track/records.php Dover International Speedway 23 September 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100921052901/http://doverspeedway.com/track/records.php September 21, 2010 The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, and both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the backstretch are banked at nine degrees.
Before the race, Mark Martin led the Drivers' Championship with 5,230 points; Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin were tied for second with 5,195 points each, 35 points behind Martin. Juan Pablo Montoya was fourth with 5,175 points, ten ahead of Kurt Busch and nineteen ahead of Tony Stewart in fifth and sixth respectively. Ryan Newman with 5,151 was eleven points ahead of Brian Vickers, as Greg Biffle with 5,138 points, was ten ahead of Jeff Gordon. Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top twelve positions in the Chase for the Sprint Cup with 5,117 and 5,069 points respectively.Citino Brian September 26, 2009 Every position counts this weekend at Monster Mile Dover Post http://www.doverpost.com/sports/x1128382572/Every-position-counts-this-weekend-at-Monster-Mile March 2, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20091001183020/http://www.doverpost.com/sports/x1128382572/Every-position-counts-this-weekend-at-Monster-Mile October 1, 2009 In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 199 points, thirty-nine points ahead of their rivals Toyota in second place. Dodge, with 118 points, were one point ahead of Ford in the battle for third place.Manufacturer's Championship Classification http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/manu2009.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures December 27, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140707174849/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/manu2009.htm July 7, 2014 dead Johnson was the race's defending champion.Fleischman Bill Bill Fleischman September 24, 2009 Martin wants to win it all, not just show up 60 Philadelphia Daily News https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96766623/mark-martin-2009-chase-philadelphia/ March 2, 2022 Newspapers.com March 3, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220303202349/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96766623/mark-martin-2009-chase-philadelphia/ live
Johnson had finished first in the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover earlier in the season, and he entered the AAA 400, an event that thought he had the opportunity to win, as optimistic.Finney Mike September 25, 2009 For Johnson, winning formula pretty simple C1–C2 The News Journal https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96769354/jimmie-johnson-aaa-400-pre-article-the/ March 2, 2022 Newspapers.com March 3, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220303202337/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96769354/jimmie-johnson-aaa-400-pre-article-the/ live He thought that track evolution and significant to car balances would make for better racing for the event.Graves Gary September 24, 2009 Dover stop kind to defending Sprint Cup champ Johnson USA Today https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-09-24-jimmie-johnson-dover_N.htm March 2, 2022 August 26, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210826042336/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-09-24-jimmie-johnson-dover_N.htm live His teammate Martin, who won the preceding Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, said he hoped to drive fast and win the race at Dover but stressed the importance of avoiding getting overexcited, "There's a lot of stuff left to happen and a lot of racing left to happen. Don't get carried away".Clarke Liz September 26, 2009 For Martin, 50 is Still Nifty D3 The Washington Post https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-washington-post/20090926/283545151730668 March 2, 2022 PressReader March 3, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220303202402/https://about.pressreader.com/ live After finishing third at New Hampshire, Montoya acknowledged he and his team's lack of experience of being in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and said that he had to perform to the best of his ability, "There's no holding back, nothing, we have to go... We are doing the best we can and hopefully we are going to be good enough to at least fight for it"Andro Anthony September 24, 2009 Montoya's Indicator Light as Title Threat Has Come On 6D Fort Worth Star-Telegram https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96767137/juan-pablo-montoya-chase-indicator/ March 2, 2022 Newspapers.com March 3, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220303202401/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96767137/juan-pablo-montoya-chase-indicator/ live
Practice and qualifying
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—one on Friday, and two on Saturday. The first session lasted 90 minutes, and the second 45 minutes. The final session lasted 60 minutes. In the first practice session, Johnson was fastest by setting a lap of 22.781 seconds, placing ahead of Newman in second and Montoya in third. Biffle took fourth position and Kurt Busch placed fifth. A. J. Allmendinger, David Reutimann, Kevin Harvick, Martin and David Gilliland rounded out the top ten fastest drivers in the session.Practice One Speeds http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/practice1_speeds.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20090928083513/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/practice1_speeds.html September 28, 2009 During the session, Bowyer broke a rocker arm, and his team changed engines as a consequence.
There were forty-four drivers entered in the qualifier on Friday afternoon;Qualifying Order http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/qual_order.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20091120025033/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/qual_order.html November 20, 2009 according to NASCAR's qualifying procedure, forty-three were allowed to race. Each driver ran two laps, with the starting order determined by the competitor's fastest times. Johnson clinched the 21st pole position of his career, with a lap of 22.878 seconds that he recorded at his first attempt. He was joined on the grid's front row by Montoya who held pole position until Johnson's lap. Newman qualified third, Biffle took fourth and Reutimann started fifth. Kahne, Gordon, Bowyer, Sam Hornish Jr. and Paul Menard completed the top ten positions. The driver that failed to qualify was Scott Wimmer, who set the slowest overall lap time.Mejia Diego September 26, 2009 Johnson claims Dover pole http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78891 https://web.archive.org/web/20090929093139/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78891 September 29, 2009 March 2, 2022 Autosport During qualifying, Elliott Sadler's changed his car's engine, after one failed during the session.Sporting Wire News Service Johnson on pole at Dover as top two rows all Chasers http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/09/25/jjohnson.pole.dover/index.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. September 25, 2009 February 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20090928082001/http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/09/25/jjohnson.pole.dover/index.html September 28, 2009 After the qualifier Johnson said, "A pole today will make the start of the weekend much better and give us a lot of direction and momentum moving into tomorrow, It does carry you, and there is an aspect of momentum. But at the same time, you've got to go out and perform."
On Saturday morning, Kurt Busch was fastest in the second practice session with a time of 23.524 seconds, ahead of Montoya in second, and Newman in third. Johnson was fourth quickest, and Bowyer took fifth. Kyle Busch managed sixth. Stewart, Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Gilliland followed in the top ten. Of the other drivers in the Chase, Biffle finished with the eleventh fastest time, while Kahne set the fourteenth fastest time.Practice Two Speeds http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/practice2_speeds.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20090929084605/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/practice2_speeds.html September 29, 2009 Kahne set the fastest time of 23.682 seconds in the final practice session, while Montoya and Joey Logano followed in second and third respectively. Martin was fourth quickest, ahead of Biffle and Johnson. Kurt Busch was seventh fastest, Jamie McMurray eighth, Gilliland ninth and Martin Truex Jr. tenth. Other chase drivers included Newman in eleventh and Hamlin in eighteenth.Practice Three Speeds http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/practice3_speeds.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20090929084615/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/practice3_speeds.html September 29, 2009
Qualifying results
Grid Car Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Time in seconds Speed Speed in MPH 148 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22.878 157.356 242 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 22.974 156.699 339 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 23.019 156.393 416 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 23.035 156.284 500 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 23.080 155.979 69 Kasey Kahne Evernham Motorsports Dodge 23.096 155.871 724 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 23.110 155.777 833 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23.143 155.5551 977 Sam Hornish Jr.Team Penske Dodge 23.152 155.494 1098 Paul Menard Robert Yates Racing Ford 23.161 155.434 1120 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23.170 155.373 1283 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 23.173 155.353 1311 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23.197 155.193 145 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 23.219 155.045 1518 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23.227 154.992 162 Kurt Busch Penske Championship Racing Dodge 23.240 154.905 1712 David Stremme Penske Racing Dodge 23.251 154.832 1871 David Gilliland TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 23.280 154.639 1944 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 23.281 154.633 2029 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23.285 154.606 216 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 23.290 154.573 2214 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 23.296 154.533 2317 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 23.304 154.480 2488 Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 23.315 154.407 2526 Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Racing Ford 23.333 154.288 2643 Reed Sorenson Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 23.356 154.136 2747 Marcos Ambrose JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 23.366 154.070 2831 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23.395 153.879 2907 Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23.406 153.807 3099 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 23.444 153.557 317 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 23.462 153.440 321 Martin Truex Jr.Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 23.470 153.387 3378 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 23.497 153.211 3419 Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 23.513 153.1071 3566 Dave Blaney Prism Motorsports Toyota 23.518 153.074 3609 Mike Bliss Phoenix Racing Dodge 23.525 153.029 3734 John Andretti Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 23.539 152.938 3855 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 23.549 152.873 3982 Scott Speed Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 23.588 152.620 4087 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 23.677 152.046 4196 Bobby Labonte Hall of Fame Racing Ford 23.684 152.001 4237 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Dodge 23.755 151.5471 4336 Michael McDowell Prism Motorsports Toyota 23.780 151.388Failed to qualify 444 Scott Wimmer Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 24.121 149.247Sources:NASCAR Cup Series 2009 AAA 500 Qualifying Classification https://motorsportstats.com/results/nascar-cup-series/2009/aaa-400/classification/qualifying Motorsport Stats March 2, 2022 March 3, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220303202401/https://motorsportstats.com/results/nascar-cup-series/2009/aaa-400/classification/qualifying live1 Moved to the back of the field for changing engines
Race
The race commenced at 2:17 p.m. and was televised live in the United States on ESPN. Commentary was provided by Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett, and Andy Petree. Around the start of the race, weather conditions were cloudy with the air temperature 71 F C; a moderate chance of rain was forecast. Pastor Dan Schafer began pre-race ceremonies by giving the invocation. Country music group and Show Dog-Universal Music recording artists Trailer Choir performed the national anthem, and Sergeant Major John Jones of the Pennsylvania National Guard gave the command for drivers to start their engines. During the pace laps, Bowyer, Sadler and Tony Raines all had to move to the rear of the grid because of them changing their engines. NASCAR announced that a competition caution would take place on lap 25 to allow teams to check tire wear as a result of rain falling on the circuit overnight that removed most of the rubber laid down, meaning drivers would make mandatory pit stops.Lap-by-Lap: Dover http://www.nascar.com/2009/races/lapbylap/09/26/lap.by.lap.dover2/index.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. September 28, 2009 January 13, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20090930083637/http://www.nascar.com/2009/races/lapbylap/09/26/lap.by.lap.dover2/index.html September 30, 2009 This also meant that teams would not be permitted to refuel their vehicles.September 27, 2009 "AAA 400: Dover International Speedway – Dover, De: RaceTrax" http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/cup/raceTrax?gameId=20090927019 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20091003095056/http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/cup/raceTrax?gameId=20090927019 October 3, 2009 March 2, 2022 Fox Sports
thumb|right|upright|Jimmie Johnson won pole position and the race.
Johnson maintained his pole position lead into the first corner. One lap later, Newman passed Montoya for the second position. After starting the race in twelfth, Martin had lost four positions to run eighteenth by lap four. By the tenth lap, Johnson had built up a 1.2 second lead over Newman. Bowyer, who began the race at the rear of the grid, had moved up thirteen positions to twenty-ninth by lap 15. Two laps later, Raines drove to his garage. On lap 18, Kurt Busch passed Vickers for ninth, as Kahne claimed fourth position from Biffle, two laps later. On lap 27, the competition caution came out. Many competitors chose to have two tires installed to their cars during their pit stops.Jensen Tom September 20, 2009 Cup: Johnson Spanks Dover Field http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-johnson-spanks-dover-field dead https://web.archive.org/web/20091030224506/http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-johnson-spanks-dover-field October 30, 2009 March 2, 2022 Speed During the caution, all of the leaders made pit stops; Gilliland became the new leader on lap 28. After pit stops, Newman claimed the first position and held it at the restart.
On lap 31, a multi-car collision occurred in turn three as Logano slowed to avoid colliding with Bobby Labonte and Stewart hit Logano's rear-end, causing Logano to go down into the infield grass before going back up the circuit. Logano was then struck by Reed Sorenson and went into the turn three barrier, causing Logano to barrel roll sideways multiple times before resting sideways on the apron and then falling back onto its wheels.Pistone Pete September 27, 2009 Johnson Dominates at Dover http://racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=52089 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20091001104657/http://racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=52089 October 1, 2009 March 2, 2022 RacingOne Logano was unharmed, and he exited his vehicle and boarded an ambulance. He was treated and then released from the infield care center.Finney Mike September 28, 2009 Logano unscathed, but car's acrobatics cause a tangle The News Journal http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090928/SPORTS06/909280334/1002/RSS02 March 2, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20091001162715/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090928/SPORTS06/909280334/1002/RSS02 October 1, 2009 Stewart's car sustained damage to the right-front and right-rear quarters to his car.Long Dustin September 28, 2009 NASCAR notebook: Logano goes for wild ride The Roanoke Times http://www.roanoke.com/sports/racing/wb/220559 March 2, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20091001125938/http://www.roanoke.com/sports/racing/wb/220559 October 1, 2009 The accident, which collected also Truex and Robby Gordon, prompted the second caution. On the following lap, the red flag was shown to allow race officials to clear the track of debris. The race was restarted 23 minutes and 38 seconds later under caution.Spencer Rebecca September 27, 2009 Jimmie Johnson completes 2009 sweep of Dover with dominant AAA 400 win http://www.speedwaymedia.com/articles/Story.asp?S=4780927091512 dead March 2, 2022 SpeedwayMedia https://web.archive.org/web/20091004191156/http://www.speedwaymedia.com/articles/Story.asp?S=4780927091512 October 4, 2009 Newman maintained his lead at the restart, followed by Kurt Busch and Menard. Three laps later, Montoya and Gordon passed Menard for fifth and sixth respectively. On lap 43, Jeff Burton fell to ninth after being passed by Hamlin and Martin. Four laps later, Martin passed Hamlin for the thirteenth position.
By lap 50, Johnson passed Reutimann to move back into the top ten. On lap 58, Kurt Busch passed Newman to claim the lead. Three laps later, Jeff Gordon claimed fifth position off Kahne, while Menard was passed by Johnson for eighth. On lap 63, Montoya moved into the third position after passing Biffle, while Gilliland went to his garage to retire from the race. Two laps later, Kyle Busch claimed seventh position off Kahne, as Montoya passed Newman for second on lap 66. On lap 67, Gordon and Biffle passed Newman for third and fourth positions. Four laps later, Johnson claimed seventh from Kahne. On lap 80, Reutimann ran out of fuel, forcing him to make a pit stop.
On lap 83, Biffle was passed by Johnson for the fourth position. One lap later, the right-front tire on Michael Waltrip's car failed and he collided with the two barrier, causing the third caution. All of the leaders elected to make pit stops. Kurt Busch remained the leader at the restart on the 90th lap, ahead of Biffle and Kyle Busch. Kyle Busch passed Biffle for third position four laps later,ESPN on ABC: AAA 400 September 27, 2009 Television production American Broadcasting Company Dover, Delaware, United States while McMurray was passed by Kahne for ninth on lap 96. Three laps later, Biffle dropped to sixth after being passed by Jeff Gordon, as Montoya passed Kyle Busch for the third position on lap 113. Sixteen laps later, Kahne passed Jeff Gordon for sixth, while Stewart moved into the eighteenth position on lap 137. On the 147th lap, Kurt Busch was blocked by Labonte, allowing Johnson to claim the lead. By the 150th lap, Kyle Busch dropped three positions to sixth after being passed by Martin, Kahne and Jeff Gordon.
Green flag pit stops began on lap 152, when Hornish made a pit stop. Twelve laps later, the fourth caution came out. During the caution, which was caused by liquid on the track, all of the leaders made pit stops. Kurt Busch reclaimed the lead for the lap 169 restart. Stewart moved into the eleventh position on lap 170. Six laps later, Johnson reclaimed the lead off Kurt Busch. By the 183rd lap, Johnson opened out a 1.6 second lead over Kurt Busch. Twenty-four laps later, Kyle Busch collided with the wall in turns three and turn four, prompting the fifth caution. All of the leaders chose to make pit stops during the caution. The race resumed on lap 212, with Johnson leading from Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch.
By the 223rd lap, Johnson had a lead of 1.6 seconds. Twenty-seven laps later, Sorenson rejoined the race track. On lap 252, Stewart passed Allmendinger for the ninth position. Seven laps later, Stewart moved into eighth after passing Newman, and passed Bowyer for seventh on the 262nd lap. On lap 273, Johnson's lead of 3.5 seconds was reduced to nothing when the pace car moved on track. During the caution, which was caused by David Stremme making contact with the wall at turn four, all of the leaders made pit stops. Johnson remained the leader at the restart on lap 278. On lap 286, Kahne was passed by Newman for ninth. By lap 290, Johnson built up a lead of two seconds. Seventeen laps later, Martin passed Kenseth for the fourth position. Johnson's lead had increased to 2.2 seconds by lap 319. Five laps later, debris was spotted on the track and the seventh caution was prompted. All of the leaders elected to make pit stops during the caution.
Johnson maintained his lead at the restart, followed by Martin and Kenseth. One lap later, Montoya moved into the second position, as Martin fell to fifth. On lap 336, Martin moved into fourth after passing Kurt Busch, and passed Kenseth for third two laps later. On lap 342, the eighth caution came out when Regan Smith spun off the fourth turn, collecting Stremme, Truex and Sadler. As light began to fade, Johnson kept the lead at the lap 348 restart. One lap later, Kenseth moved into the second position, as Stewart and Gordon moved into fourth and tenth respectively. Gordon passed Newman for ninth on the 349th lap, before falling to eleventh position after contact with Newman one lap later. Stewart was passed by Martin for the fourth position on lap 354, as Johnson had built a 2.2 second lead by lap 357. One lap later, Jeff Gordon moved into the ninth position after passing Newman.
On the 368th lap, Hornish, spun on the backstraightaway, prompting the ninth and final caution of the race. During the caution, some of the leaders made pit stops. Johnson maintained the lead on lap 373. Four laps later, Newman passed Mears for eighth, as Edwards was passed by Stewart for twelfth. On the 383rd lap, Kahne, Allemndinger and Stewart passed Newman for seventh, eighth and ninth respectively. On the following lap, Kenseth was overtaken by Martin for the second position. On the 391st lap, Kahne was passed by Allmendinger for the second position. Two laps later, Johnson's lead had increased to 2.2 seconds and held it to win the race. Martin finished second, ahead of Kenseth in third, Montoya fourth, and Kurt Busch fifth. Gordon, Allmendinger, Kahne, Stewart and Newman rounded out the top ten finishers. There were six lead changes among four different drivers over the course of the race. Johnson led three times for a total of 271 laps, more than any other driver.
Post-race
As far as sending a message, I hope it does. I hope people are worried." Johnson, speaking after the race.Associated Press Johnson caps Dover season sweep https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4508718 ESPN ESPN Internet Ventures September 27, 2009 January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20091002150815/http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4508718 October 2, 2009 live 37% left
Johnson appeared in victory lane to celebrate his fourth victory of the season in front of 110,000 people who attended the race, earning $276,076 in race winnings.2009 AAA 400 http://racing-reference.info/race/2009_AAA_400/W Racing-Reference Fox Sports Digital January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150318021332/http://racing-reference.info/race/2009_AAA_400/W March 18, 2015 live Afterward, he said, "I woke up (on Sunday) morning very optimistic. By about lap two or three I knew we had a very balanced car and we'd be competitive all day long, get a solid finish.", he continued, "I see guys get so worried about what other people think, what other people say and spend a lot of time in those areas. That's not what works for me. (I) don't watch television; don't watch or read any of the trade papers or magazines. Just ignore, ignore, ignore and focus on my world and what's going on with my race car. That's what I'll do through the rest of the Chase."Graves Gary Johnson notches Dover sweep to close in on Chase's top spot http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-09-27-johnson-dover_N.htm USA Today Gannett Company September 28, 2009 January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150205123002/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-09-27-johnson-dover_N.htm February 5, 2015 live
Martin, who finished second, was candid about the result, "We did really well to finish second. I just don't think we were in [Johnson's] league today."Schantz Pete Johnson beats Martin at Dover http://articles.philly.com/2009-09-28/sports/25269032_1_chase-competitors-chase-drivers-restarts The Philadelphia Inquirer Interstate General Media September 28, 2009 January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232233/http://articles.philly.com/2009-09-28/sports/25269032_1_chase-competitors-chase-drivers-restarts March 3, 2016 dead In the post-race press conference, Kenseth said of his result, "We didn't qualify very good, but we were really happy with our car. When the race started, I didn't think we were quite as good as we were yesterday (in practice), but we were able to have really good pit stops."Kenseth's 3rd-Place Finish Leads Team Valvoline in Dover http://www.valvoline.com/racing/news/nascar/2930 Valvoline September 27, 2009 January 14, 2015 https://archive.today/20150118215419/http://www.valvoline.com/racing/news/nascar/2930 January 18, 2015 dead mdy-all Hamlin had struggled with a poor-handling vehicle and expressed his team's disappointment with his result due to the lack of speed in his car, saying; "We definitely came out here thinking we could win the race just like any other weekend, but as soon as the green flag fell, I knew we were in trouble."Finney Mike September 28, 2009 Point-rich drivers get richer; Hamlin slips to sixth place The News Journal http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090928/SPORTS06/909280333/1002/RSS02 March 2, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20091001161701/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090928/SPORTS06/909280333/1002/RSS02 October 1, 2009 Logano, who was involved in the biggest accident of the race, "The biggest thing was, I was fine the whole time, [but] I'm not really sure what happened. The spotter was clearing me low. When I got down there, they checked up going into the corner and I got tagged from behind."Aumann Mark Logano walks away from scary crash shaken but OK http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/09/27/post.race.jlogano.crash.dover/index.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. September 28, 2009 January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20091012170203/http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/09/27/post.race.jlogano.crash.dover/index.html October 12, 2009 Stewart commented on his collision with Logano, "I've never felt sicker in my life than when we hit Joey like that. We hit him a ton. I didn't see it coming. That was the worst part."
The race result kept Martin in the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 5,400 points. Johnson, who won the race, stood in second, ten points behind Martin, and sixty-five ahead of Montoya. Kurt Busch moved into fourth position with 5,325 points. Stewart with fifth, Hamlin sixth, and Newman, Jeff Gordon, Biffle and Vickers followed in the top-ten positions. The final two positions available in the Chase for the Sprint Cup were occupied by Edwards in eleventh and Kahne in twelfth.Points Standings http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/standings_official.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20091003120847/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/28/data/standings_official.html October 3, 2009 In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet maintained their lead with 208. Toyota remained second with 163. Ford followed with 123 points, one point ahead of Dodge in fourth. 5.08 million people watched the race on television. The race took three hours, twenty-two minutes and eleven seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 1.970 seconds.
Race results
Pos Position Car Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Laps run Points 148 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 1952 25 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 170 317 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 400 165 442 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 400 160 52 Kurt Busch Penske Championship Racing Dodge 400 1601 624 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 150 744 A.J. Allemdinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 400 146 89 Kasey Kahne Evernham Motorsports Dodge 400 142 914 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 400 138 1039 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 400 1391 1199 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 400 130 1229 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 127 1316 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 400 124 1447 Marcos Ambrose JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 400 121 1533 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 118 1631 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 115 1707 Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 112 1883 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 400 109 1998 Paul Menard Robert Yates Racing Ford 400 106 2088 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 399 103 2100 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 398 100 2211 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 398 97 2396 Bobby Labonte Hall of Fame Racing Ford 398 94 246 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 396 91 2582 Scott Speed Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 396 88 2677 Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske Dodge 395 85 2734 John Andretti Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 395 82 2826 Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Racing Ford 394 79 2912 David Stremme Penske Racing Dodge 385 76 3019 Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 353 73 3118 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 342 70 3278 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 337 67 331 Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 251 64 347 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 181 61 3543 Reed Sorenson Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 170 58 3655 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 84 55 3766 Dave Blaney Prism Motorsports Toyota 76 52 3836 Michael McDowell Prism Motorsports Toyota 74 49 3971 David Gilliland TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 60 511 4009 Mike Bliss Phoenix Racing Dodge 54 43 4187 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 51 40 4220 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 30 37 4337 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Dodge 13 34Sources:NASCAR Cup Series 2009 AAA 500 Race Classification https://motorsportstats.com/results/nascar-cup-series/2009/aaa-400/classification/race Motorsport Stats March 2, 2022 March 3, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220303202356/https://motorsportstats.com/results/nascar-cup-series/2009/aaa-400/classification/race liveDover International Speedway: AAA 400: September 27, 2009 http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/results/28dov2009results.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site March 2, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20091002114400/http://jayski.com/stats/2009/results/28dov2009results.htm October 2, 2009 dead1 Includes five bonus points for leading a lap2 Includes ten bonus points for leading the most laps
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Position +/– Driver Points 1 10px Mark Martin 5,400 2 10px Jimmie Johnson 5,390 (−10) 3 10px 1 Juan Pablo Montoya 5,335 (−65) 4 10px 1 Kurt Busch 5,325 (−75) 5 10px 1 Tony Stewart 5,294 (−106) 6 10px 3 Denny Hamlin 5,292 (−108) 7 10px Ryan Newman 5,290 (−110) 8 10px 2 Jeff Gordon 5,278 (−122) 9 10px Greg Biffle 5,262 (−138) 10 10px 2 Brian Vickers 5,249 (−151) 11 10px Carl Edwards 5,247 (−153) 12 10px Kasey Kahne 5,211 (−189)Source:
thumb|right|upright|Mark Martin remained the points leader with 5,400 points, after finishing second in the race.
Manufacturers' Championship standings
Pos Position +/– Manufacturer Points 1 10px Chevrolet 208 2 10px Toyota 163 (−45) 3 10px 1 Ford 123 (−85) 4 10px 1 Dodge 122 (−86)Source:
Note: Only the top twelve positions are included for the driver standings. These drivers qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
References
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Sprint Cup Series 2009 2009 Sylvania 300 2009 Price Chopper 400
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Category:NASCAR races at Dover Motor Speedway
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