| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 30 of 36 in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series | |||
 The 2007 UAW-Ford 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | October 7, 2007 | ||
| Official name | UAW-Ford 500 | ||
| Location | Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama | ||
| Course | 2.66 mi (4.28 km) | ||
| Distance | 188 laps, 500.08 mi (804.8 km) | ||
| Weather | Hot with temperatures approaching 90 °F (32 °C); average wind speeds of 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h)[3] | ||
| Average speed | 143.438 miles per hour (230.841 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 155,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Michael Waltrip Racing | ||
| Time | 50.648 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 40 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ABC | ||
| Announcers | Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Rusty Wallace | ||
| Nielsen Ratings |
| ||
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. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the 188-lap race starting from 34th position. His teammate Jimmie Johnson finished second and Dave Blaney was third.
The event marked the debut of the Car of Tomorrow 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 (40). Johnson took the lead after driving on the outside lane on lap 183. Johnson led as the final lap began, but Gordon went to the outside of the track, and was bump-drafted by Tony Stewart, allowing him to claim his fifth victory of the season, his sixth at Talladega Superspeedway, the 80th of his career, and he took over from Dale Earnhardt as the driver with the most restrictor plate wins, twelve.
The result advanced Gordon to the Drivers' Championship's lead, and his teammate Johnson (who led coming into the race) fell to second. The trio of Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, and Kevin Harvick retained third through fifth. Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch gained one position each, and Kyle Busch fell from fourth to eighth after being caught up in a multi-car accident. Chevrolet increased their unassailable lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, while Ford, Dodge and Toyota continued to occupy the remaining three places with six races left in the season.
- ^ "The Race: The UAW-Ford 500". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ "2007 UAW-Ford 500". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- ^ "Weather information for the 2007 UAW-Ford 500". Old Farmer's Almanac. Yankee Publishing. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ "2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2018.