The 2005 Sylvania 300 was the twenty-seventh stock car race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the first in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. It was held on September 18, 2005 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. The 300-lap race was won by Ryan Newman of the Penske-Jasper Racing team. Tony Stewart finished second and Matt Kenseth came in third.

Background

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of ten intermediate tracks that hold NASCAR races. The standard track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a four-turn oval track, long. Its banking in the turns varies from two to seven degrees, while the front stretch, the finish line, and the back stretch are all banked at one degree.

Before the race, Tony Stewart led the Drivers' Championship with 5,050 points, followed by Greg Biffle with 5,045. Jimmie Johnson was fourth with 5,035 points and Kurt Busch in fifth had 5,030 points. Mark Martin was sixth with 5,025 points with Jeremy Mayfield seventh on 5,020 points. Matt Kenseth was tied with Carl Edwards on 5,015 points and Ryan Newman on 5,005 points rounded out the top ten. In the Manufacturers' Championship,

Busch was the race's defending champion.

Entry list Car # Driver Make Team0Mike BlissChevroletGene Haas00Carl LongDodgeRaynard McGlynn01Joe NemechekChevroletNelson Bowers2Rusty WallaceDodgeRoger Penske4Mike WallaceChevroletLarry McClure5Kyle BuschChevroletRick Hendrick6Mark MartinFordJack Roush07Dave BlaneyChevroletRichard Childress7Robby GordonChevroletJames Smith8Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevroletTeresa Earnhardt9Kasey KahneDodgeRay Evernham10Scott RiggsChevroletJames Rocco11J. J. YeleyChevroletJ D Gibbs12Ryan NewmanDodgeRoger Penske15Michael WaltripChevroletTeresa Earnhardt16Greg BiffleFordGeoff Smith17Matt KensethFordMark Martin18Bobby LabonteChevroletJoe Gibbs19Jeremy MayfieldDodgeRay Evernham20Tony StewartChevroletJoe Gibbs21Ricky RuddFordGlen Wood22Scott WimmerDodgeBill Davis24Jeff GordonChevroletRick Hendrick25Brian VickersChevroletMary Hendrick27Kirk ShelmerdineFordKirk Shelmerdine29Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress31Jeff BurtonChevroletRichard Childress32Bobby Hamilton Jr.ChevroletCalvin Wells III34Ted ChristopherChevroletWilliam Edwards37Tony RainesDodgeJohn Carter38Elliott SadlerFordRobert Yates40Sterling MarlinDodgeFelix Sabates41Casey MearsDodgeChip Ganassi42Jamie McMurrayDodgeFloyd Ganassi43Jeff GreenDodgeRichard L Petty45Kyle PettyDodgeKyle Petty48Jimmie JohnsonChevroletJeff Gordon49Ken SchraderDodgeElizabeth Morgenthau50Jimmy SpencerDodgeDon Arnold51Stuart KirbyChevroletJoe Auer66Mike GarveyFordJeff Stec75Wayne AndersonDodgeRobert Rinaldi77Travis KvapilDodgeDouglas Bawel88Dale JarrettFordRobert Yates89Morgan ShepherdDodgeCindy Shepherd92Joey McCarthyDodgeBob Jenkins95Stanton BarrettChevroletStanton Barrett97Kurt BuschFordGeorgetta Roush99Carl EdwardsFordJack Roush

Practice and qualifying Two practice sessions were held on Friday before the Sunday race—both of which lasted 60 minutes. During the first practice session, Gordon was fastest, placing ahead of Stewart in second and Robby Gordon in third. Newman was scored fourth, and Bobby Labonte placed fifth. Jamie McMurray, Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Green and Casey Mears rounded out the top ten fastest drivers in the session. Later that day, Rusty Wallace set the second session's fastest time, ahead of Kyle Busch, brother Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne in second, third and fourth respectively. Stewart was fifth, while the rest of the top ten consisted of Travis Kvapil, J. J. Yeley, Newman, Martin and Jeff Burton.

Although forty-nine cars attempted to qualify; according to NASCAR's qualifying procedure, only forty-three could race.

Qualifying results Start Car Driver Make Avg. Speed Time Behind120Tony StewartChevrolet131.14329.0430.000224Jeff GordonChevrolet131.07629.05800.01538Dale Earnhardt Jr.Chevrolet130.77929.12400.081417Matt KensethFord130.66729.14900.106510Scott RiggsChevrolet130.46529.19400.151638Elliott SadlerFord130.30529.23000.18772Rusty WallaceDodge130.22929.24700.204819Jeremy MayfieldDodge130.06029.28500.242929Kevin HarvickChevrolet129.85129.33200.2891048Jimmie JohnsonChevrolet129.82029.33900.2961101Joe NemechekChevrolet129.79829.34400.3011297Kurt BuschFord129.72729.36000.3171312Ryan NewmanDodge129.65729.37600.3331431Jeff BurtonChevrolet129.45429.42200.379156Mark MartinFord129.44129.42500.3821607Dave BlaneyChevrolet129.41529.43100.3881718Bobby LabonteChevrolet129.39729.43500.3921843Jeff GreenDodge129.39729.43500.392197Robby GordonChevrolet129.36629.44200.3992042Jamie McMurrayDodge129.30029.45700.414219Kasey KahneDodge129.22129.47500.432220Mike BlissChevrolet129.12929.49600.4532341Casey MearsDodge129.08129.50700.4642499Carl EdwardsFord129.00329.52500.482254Mike WallaceChevrolet128.98929.52800.4852616Greg BiffleFord128.96329.53400.4912777Travis KvapilDodge128.95929.53500.4922821Ricky RuddFord128.71029.59200.5492911J. J. YeleyChevrolet128.45429.65100.608305Kyle BuschChevrolet128.44629.65300.6103125Brian VickersChevrolet128.23029.70300.6603232Bobby Hamilton Jr.Chevrolet127.97529.76200.7193388Dale JarrettFord127.92829.77300.7303451Stuart KirbyChevrolet127.69629.82700.7843575Wayne AndersonDodge127.56429.85800.8153615Michael WaltripChevrolet127.45329.88400.8413740Sterling MarlinDodge127.37229.90300.8603834Ted ChristopherChevrolet127.24829.93200.8893992Joey McCarthyDodge126.90930.01200.9694049Ken SchraderDodge126.74930.05001.0074122Scott WimmerDodge126.50030.10901.0664245Kyle PettyChevrolet30.1274350Jimmy SpencerDodge126.81230.03500.992Failed to qualify or driver changes4400Carl LongDodge30.0474589Morgan ShepherdDodge30.0754695Stanton BarrettChevrolet30.1304766Mike GarveyFord30.1954837Tony RainesDodge30.2084927Kirk ShelmerdineFord0.0000.0000.000DC45Mark GreenDodge30.127

Race recap

Tempers flared during the race day with the tone of the afternoon was set early when Scott Riggs tangled with playoff driver Kurt Busch on lap 3. Busch was sent to the garage for repairs and fell 66 laps down. Busch stormed Riggs' pit box, and had words with crew chief, Rodney Childers. On lap 166, Kyle Busch tangled with Kasey Kahne, who was sent hard into the wall. During the caution, Kahne maneuvered his wrecked car in front of Kyle Busch. On lap 191, Michael Waltrip and Robby Gordon crashed. The next time by, Gordon attempted ram Waltrip's car with his wrecked machine, then threw his helmet at Waltrip's car. Ryan Newman eventually won the race by leading a total of 66 out of the 300 laps. Pole sitter Tony Stewart led 173 before getting passed by Newman on lap 298 of 300. This victory for Newman would jump him up in the Chase standings from 10th to 3rd with just 9 races to go with him finishing 6th at the end of the season.

Race results FinSt#DriverMakeLapsLedStatusPts11312Ryan NewmanDodge30066running1852120Tony StewartChevy300173running1803417Matt KensethFord3000running16542616Greg BiffleFord3001running165538Dale Earnhardt Jr.Chevy3008running160672Rusty WallaceDodge3000running1507156Mark MartinFord30031running15181048Jimmie JohnsonChevy3000running14291431Jeff BurtonChevy3000running13810929Kevin HarvickChevy3001running139113740Sterling MarlinDodge3004running135122042Jamie McMurrayDodge3000running127133125Brian VickersChevy3008running12914224Jeff GordonChevy3002running126153615Michael WaltripChevy3000running11816819Jeremy MayfieldDodge3000running115171843Jeff GreenDodge3001running117183388Dale JarrettFord3000running109192499Carl EdwardsFord3000running106202821Ricky RuddFord3000running103214245Kyle PettyDodge3000running10022254Mike WallaceChevy3000running97232341Casey MearsDodge2990running94241718Bobby LabonteChevy2990running91251101Joe NemechekChevy2990running88264122Scott WimmerDodge2990running8527305Kyle BuschChevy2990running8228510Scott RiggsChevy2990running79293232Bobby Hamilton Jr.Chevy2990running7630638Elliott SadlerFord2984running78313992Joey McCarthyDodge2950running70323451Stuart KirbyChevy2890running67331607Dave BlaneyChevy2710running64342911J. J. YeleyChevy2510running61351297Kurt BuschFord2330running5836220Mike BlissChevy1940crash5537197Robby GordonChevy1901crash738219Kasey KahneDodge1640crash24394350Jimmy SpencerDodge1440crash46404049Ken SchraderDodge1110crash43412777Travis KvapilDodge1050crash40423834Ted ChristopherChevy290transmission37433575Wayne AndersonDodge160engine34

Post-race

NASCAR issued the following penalties following the race:

Kasey Kahne was $25,000 and docked him 25 points and was placed on probation for the remainder of the season for the deliberate collision against Kyle Busch. Robby Gordon was fined a total of $35,000, docked 50 points and was also placed on probation for the balance of the season for calling Waltrip a "piece of s**t" on the post-race live interview on TNT and for throwing his helmet at Waltrip's car; the 50-point penalty covered both charges at 25 points each. Waltrip was also fined $10,000 and docked 25 points for using what seemed to be an obscene gesture, but after review of video on appeal, there was no obscene gesture and the penalty was overturned. Brian Vickers was fined $15,000 and docked 25 points for failing post-race inspection, unrelated to incidents above.

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Tony Stewart 5,230 2 Greg Biffle 5,210 (-20) 6 3 Ryan Newman 5,190 (-40) 3 Rusty Wallace 5,190 (–40) 4 5 Matt Kenseth 5,180 (–50) 2 6 Jimmie Johnson 5,177 (–53) 1 7 Mark Martin 5,176 (–54) 1 8 Jeremy Mayfield 5,135 (–95) 1 9 Carl Edwards 5,121 (–109) 5 10 Kurt Busch 5,088 (–142)Official driver's standings

Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

References