2005 in NASCAR

The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season began on Saturday, February 12 and will end on Sunday, November 20. The Chase for the Nextel Cup will begin with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 18.

Related Topics:
2005 - NASCAR - Nextel Cup - February 12 - November 20 - Sylvania 300 - September 18

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Tony Stewart was the dominant driver going into the 2005 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, with five wins going into the final ten races. Going into the final race before the Chase for the Cup, had amassed a 209 point lead over his nearest competitor, Greg Biffle. (Although, points are reset going into the Chase for the Cup.) Nevertheless, the race to be a part of the Chase for the Cup was especially tight. Going into the final race before the Chase, ten racers were still mathematically contending for the final four spots in the Chase for the Cup and only one point seperated Jamie McMurray in 10th from Ryan Newman in 11th. In the end, the ten racers who qualified for the Chase for the Cup were:

Related Topics:
Tony Stewart - 2005 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup - Final race before the Chase for the Cup - Greg Biffle - Jamie McMurray - Ryan Newman

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• Tony Stewart (3716)
• Greg Biffle (-185)
• Rusty Wallace (-304)
• Jimmie Johnson (-316)
• Kurt Busch (-412)
• Mark Martin (-443)
• Jeremy Mayfield (-488)
• Carl Edwards (-602)
• Matt Kenseth (-602)
• Ryan Newman (-661)

Overall, however, Roush Racing was the dominant team going into the Chase for the Cup with five of the ten final racers from their team (Biffle, Busch, Martin, Edwards and Kenseth).

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The 2005 season is the first year of competition for the Dodge Charger, which is replacing the Dodge Intrepid, a model that Dodge dropped for the 2005 model year. The change did little to improve Dodge's fortunes as a distant third manufacturer in NASCAR Nextel Cup behind Ford and Chevrolet. In 2004 with the Intrepid, Dodge won 4 of 36 races. In 2005 with the Charger, Dodge has won only two races after 27. (However, the Charger was more of a success in the Busch Series, winning 7 of 28.)

Related Topics:
Dodge Charger - Dodge Intrepid - Dodge - Ford - Chevrolet - 2004 - Busch Series

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The 2005 season is the final year for the Ford Taurus, which will be replaced by the Ford Fusion in the 2006 season. In addition, two prominent drivers announced that this would be their final season in NASCAR: Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace.

Related Topics:
Ford Taurus - Ford Fusion - 2006 season - Mark Martin - Rusty Wallace

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Perhaps the biggest controversy prior to the season involved the elimination two races: one at Darlington and another at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. The eliminated Rockingham race thereby ends NASCAR's 38-year association with Rockingham. The races were replaced by new races at Texas and Phoenix.

Related Topics:
Darlington - North Carolina Speedway - Rockingham - Texas - Phoenix

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See also:

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• 2005 in NASCAR Busch Series
• 2005 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
 
2005 in NASCAR: Budweiser Shootout ►