2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350

The 2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 was the sixteenth race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and the first of two scheduled road course races on the 2008 schedule. The event was held on Sunday, June 22, 2008, at Infineon Raceway at Sears Point in Sonoma, California, televised on TNT starting at 3:30 PM US EDT, and broadcast on radio via Sirius Satellite Radio and Performance Racing Network starting at 4 PM US EDT.

2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350
Race details
Race 16 of 36 in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 program cover
2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 program cover
DateJune 22, 2008 (2008-June-22)
Official nameToyota/Save Mart 350
LocationInfineon Raceway Sonoma, California
CoursePermanent racing facility
1.99 mi (3.2 km)
Distance112 laps, 222.88 mi (358.69 km)
WeatherTemperatures reaching up to 89.1 °F (31.7 °C); wind speeds up to 18.1 miles per hour (29.1 km/h)[1]
Average speed76.445 miles per hour (123.026 km/h)
Pole position
DriverRichard Petty Motorsports
Time1:17.40
Most laps led
DriverKyle BuschJoe Gibbs Racing
Laps78
Winner
No. 18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs Racing
Television in the United States
NetworkTurner Network Television
AnnouncersBill Weber, Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Kyle Petty

Pre-Race News

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The drivers on the parade lap

Race notes

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The Australian rookie Marcos Ambrose had his first NASCAR Cup race/start in this race. He started 7th and the NASCAR Cup world noticed him. When Marcos Ambrose came to Sonoma to race, the fans and drivers remembered him for him being crashed by Robby Gordon in 2007 at Montreal with 2 laps left. Marcos Ambrose because of his road course talent & good finishes in the Busch series in his past, qualified seventh; and was contending to win in his Wood Bros. #21 Chevy. However, with 25 laps left, NASCAR veteran Elliott Sadler tapped Marcos Ambrose who crashed and was damaged enough that he could not race anymore that day. Marcos Ambrose was really unhappy about the end of his good run and in post-race ceremonies he argued with Elliott Sadler in the garages. Ambrose said to reporters that he felt like beating Elliott Sadler for the tap but he got over it the next week after a call/apology from Sadler. Marcos finished in 42nd spot as a heartbreak for his first NASCAR Cup run.

Italian driver Max Papis also had one of his first NASCAR Cup races at Sonoma. He drove for Gene Haas' (Now Stewart-Haas) #66 Automation chevy and ended up in 35th spot.

The 2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 also had one of NASCAR's largest numbers of road course drivers competing in the races with 8 drivers (Ron Fellows, Marcos Ambrose, Patrick Carpentier, Boris Said, Scott Pruett, Sam Hornish, Brian Simo, Robby Gordon).

Qualifying

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Kasey Kahne, who went out third in qualifying won the session, his second this season. Kahne, driver of the #9 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Budweiser Dodge had bettered Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s time, and then sweated out 44 other attempts to sit on P-1. Jimmie Johnson started next to Kahne on the front row, with Kurt Busch and Bobby Labonte in the second row, followed by Jeff Gordon and Elliott Sadler in the third row.

RANK[2]DRIVERNBRCARTIMESPEED
1 Kasey Kahne9Dodge1:17.740  92.153  
2 Jimmie Johnson48Chevrolet1:17.836  92.040  
3 Kurt Busch2Dodge1:17.865  92.005  
4 Bobby Labonte43Dodge1:17.918  91.943  
5 Jeff Gordon24Chevrolet1:17.935  91.923  
6 Elliott Sadler19Dodge1:18.003  91.843  
7 Marcos Ambrose21Ford1:18.023  91.819  *
8 Robby Gordon7Dodge1:18.097  91.732  
9 Ryan Newman12Dodge1:18.279  91.519  
10 Greg Biffle16Ford1:18.340  91.448  
11 Terry Labonte45Dodge1:18.340  91.448  *
12 Carl Edwards99Ford1:18.487  91.276  
13 Denny Hamlin11Toyota1:18.547  91.207  
14 Boris Said60Ford1:18.568  91.182  *
15 Dale Earnhardt Jr.88Chevrolet1:18.585  91.162  
16 Dave Blaney22Toyota1:18.589  91.158  
17 Sam Hornish Jr.77Dodge1:18.598  91.147  
18 Jamie McMurray26Ford1:18.604  91.140  
19 Clint Bowyer07Chevrolet1:18.606  91.138  
20 Jeff Burton31Chevrolet1:18.676  91.057  
21 Juan Pablo Montoya42Dodge1:18.704  91.025  
22 Ron Fellows01Chevrolet1:18.715  91.012  
23 Casey Mears5Chevrolet1:18.739  90.984  
24 Joe Nemechek78Chevrolet1:18.764  90.955  *
25 Martin Truex Jr.1Chevrolet1:18.768  90.951  
26 Brian Vickers83Toyota1:18.784  90.932  
27 Scott Pruett41Dodge1:18.808  90.904  
28 Max Papis66Chevrolet1:18.838  90.870  *
29 Paul Menard15Chevrolet1:18.895  90.804  
30 Kyle Busch18Toyota1:18.904  90.794  
31 David Gilliland38Ford1:18.906  90.792  
32 Kevin Harvick29Chevrolet1:18.922  90.773  
33 Matt Kenseth17Ford1:18.931  90.763  
34 Michael McDowell00Toyota1:18.991  90.694  
35 Michael Waltrip55Toyota1:19.032  90.647  
36 A.J. Allmendinger84Toyota1:19.152  90.509  *
37 Patrick Carpentier10Dodge1:19.270  90.375  *
38 David Ragan6Ford1:19.286  90.356  
39 Tony Stewart20Toyota1:19.337  90.298  
40 Aric Almirola8Chevrolet1:19.399  90.228  
41 Brian Simo34Ford1:19.481  90.135  *
42 J. J. Yeley96Toyota1:19.535  90.074  *
43 Travis Kvapil28Ford1:19.688  89.901  OP
44 Scott Riggs70Chevrolet1:19.740  89.842  *
45 Dario Franchitti40Dodge1:19.822  89.750  *
46 David Reutimann44Toyota1:20.660  88.817  OP
47 Brandon Ash02Dodge1:21.295  88.124  *

OP: qualified via owners points

PC: qualified as past champion

PR: provisional

QR: via qualifying race

* - had to qualify on time

Failed to Qualify: J. J. Yeley (#96), Scott Riggs (#70), Dario Franchitti (#40), Brandon Ash (#02)

Race recap

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Kyle Busch came from the 30th starting position to win the race under a green-white-checker finish, the second furthest back in this race to win, bettering Juan Pablo Montoya's position one year earlier.

Results

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POS[3]ST#DRIVERSPONSOR / OWNERCARLAPSMONEYSTATUSLEDPTS
13018  Kyle BuschM&M's   (Joe Gibbs)Toyota112309925running78195
23138  David GillilandFreeCreditReport.com   (Yates Racing)Ford112207658running0170
3524  Jeff GordonDuPont Cromax Pro   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet112191736running0165
41907  Clint BowyerJack Daniel's   (Richard Childress)Chevrolet112143725running0160
5235  Casey MearsKellogg's / Carquest   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet112123075running0155
62142  Juan Pablo MontoyaTexaco / Havoline   (Chip Ganassi)Dodge112130533running0150
7912  Ryan NewmanAlltel   (Roger Penske)Dodge112140025running0146
83317  Matt KensethDeWalt   (Jack Roush)Ford112142841running0142
91299  Carl EdwardsOffice Depot   (Jack Roush)Ford112134725running2143
103920  Tony StewartHome Depot   (Joe Gibbs)Toyota112136261running0134
111016  Greg Biffle3M   (Jack Roush)Ford11295600running1135
121588  Dale Earnhardt Jr.National Guard / AMP Energy   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet11294050running0127
132031  Jeff BurtonAT&T Mobility   (Richard Childress)Chevrolet112128508running0124
142683  Brian VickersRed Bull   (Dietrich Mateschitz)Toyota11284200running0121
15248  Jimmie JohnsonLowe's   (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet112135336running27123
16251  Martin Truex Jr.Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet112113433running0115
171145  Terry LabonteWells Fargo   (Petty Enterprises)Dodge11297883running0112
181826  Jamie McMurrayCrown Royal   (Jack Roush)Ford11289375running0109
19619  Elliott SadlerStanley Tools   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)Dodge112106695running0106
201622  Dave BlaneyCaterpillar   (Bill Davis)Toyota11296233running0103
213400  Michael McDowellNAPA Auto Parts   (Michael Waltrip)Toyota11292233running0100
224128  Travis KvapilCalifornia Highway Patrol   (Yates Racing)Ford112105639running097
233710  Patrick CarpentierValvoline   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)Dodge11275350running094
24386  David RaganAAA Insurance   (Jack Roush)Ford11285250running091
253555  Michael WaltripNAPA Auto Parts   (Michael Waltrip)Toyota11286672running088
262478  Joe NemechekFurniture Row / DenverMattress.com   (Barney Visser)Chevrolet11272800running085
271311  Denny HamlinFedEx Office   (Joe Gibbs)Toyota112110441running082
28408  Aric AlmirolaU.S. Army   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet112108933running079
292201  Ron FellowsPrincipal Financial Group   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet11282550running076
303229  Kevin HarvickShell / Pennzoil   (Richard Childress)Chevrolet112118661running073
311777  Sam Hornish Jr.Mobil 1   (Roger Penske)Dodge112116825running070
3232  Kurt BuschMiller Lite   (Roger Penske)Dodge11174605running067
3319  Kasey KahneBudweiser   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)Dodge111110936running469
342915  Paul MenardMenards / Johns Manville   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)Chevrolet11178880running061
352866  Max PapisHaas Automation   (Gene Haas)Chevrolet11170745running058
3687  Robby GordonCamping World / RVs.com / DLP HDTV   (Robby Gordon)Dodge11078635running055
373684  A.J. AllmendingerRed Bull   (Dietrich Mateschitz)Toyota10970500running052
382741  Scott PruettTarget   (Chip Ganassi)Dodge10897599crash049
39443  Bobby LabonteCheerios / Betty Crocker   (Petty Enterprises)Dodge103107511electrical046
404244  David ReutimannUPS   (Michael Waltrip)Toyota9970125crash043
411460  Boris Said7-Eleven Slurpee / No Fear   (Mark Simo)Ford9470000shocks040
42721  Marcos AmbroseLittle Debbie Honey Buns   (Wood Brothers)Ford8388250transmission037
434334  Brian SimoNo Fear   (Bob Jenkins)Ford2070164transmission034
Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes:
POSNAMENBRSPONSOROWNERCAR
44J. J. Yeley96DLP HDTVJeff MooradToyota
45Scott Riggs70Haas AutomationGene HaasChevrolet
46Dario Franchitti40Texaco / Havoline - The HartfordChip GanassiDodge
47Brandon Ash02Sprinter Trucking / Sunny D ManufacturingKenneth WoodDodge

NOTE: Race extended two laps due to green-white checker finish.

References

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  1. ^ Weather information for the 2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. ^ "Race Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  3. ^ "Race Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
Previous race:
2008 LifeLock 400
Sprint Cup Series
2008 season
Next race:
2008 Lenox Industrial Tools 301