View source for 2008 Brickyard 400

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report
| Type           = CUST
| Description    = Race 20 of 36 in the [[2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series]] season
| Race Name      = Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
| Details ref    = <ref>[http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/IN/Indianapolis/2008-07-27 Weather information for the ''2008 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard''] at The Old Farmers' Almanac</ref>
| Fulldate       = {{Start date|2008|07|27}}
| Year           = 2008
| Race_No        = 20
| Season_No      = 36
| Image          = 2008_Brickyard_400_program_cover_and_logo.png
| Caption        = 2008 Brickyard 400 program cover
| Official name  = Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
| Location       = [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] in [[Speedway, Indiana]]
| Course_mi      = 2.5
| Course_km      = 4.023
| Distance_laps  = 160
| Distance_mi    = 400
| Distance_km    = 643.737
| Weather        = Hot with temperatures approaching {{convert|88|F|C}}; wind speeds up to {{convert|9.9|mph|km/h}}
| Avg            = {{convert|115.117|mi/h}}
| Attendance     = 240,000
| Pole_Driver    = [[Jimmie Johnson]]
| Pole_Team      = [[Hendrick Motorsports]]
| Pole_Time      = 49.515
| Most_Driver    = [[Jimmie Johnson]]
| Most_Team      = [[Hendrick Motorsports]]
| Most_laps      = 71 
| Car            = 48
| First_Driver   = [[Jimmie Johnson]]
| First_Team     = [[Hendrick Motorsports]]
| Network        = [[ESPN]]
| Announcers     = [[Jerry Punch]], [[Andy Petree]] and [[Dale Jarrett]]
}}

The '''2008 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard''', the 15th running of the [[Brickyard 400|event]], was the twentieth race of the [[2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series|2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season]] and the fifteenth NASCAR race at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] (IMS). It was also the first race under the [[NASCAR on ESPN|ESPN]]/[[ESPN on ABC|ABC]] section of the TV coverage for the 2008 season. The 160-lap, {{convert|400|mi|km}} event was raced on July 27 at the {{convert|2.5|mi|km}} [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] located in [[Speedway, Indiana]] (a separate town surrounded by [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indiana's state capital]]). Along with ESPN, the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network|IMS Radio Network]], working with [[Performance Racing Network]], provided radio coverage (along with [[Sirius Satellite Radio]]) with both broadcasts starting at 1 PM [[North American Eastern Time Zone|US EDT]].

The race was deemed a "disaster" for NASCAR, [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]], and Indianapolis. Due to the new [[Car of Tomorrow]], the surface at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and problems with Goodyear tires, NASCAR was forced to throw competition cautions every 10–12 laps; an average of just 9 green flag laps were run during the race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/race/2008_Allstate_400_At_The_Brickyard/W|title=2008 Allstate 400 At The Brickyard|work=Racing-Reference|access-date=March 26, 2014}}</ref> Tires started to explode if the race was allowed to continue past that distance. Even at that distance, tires were down to the cords/nylon base. At the end of the race, every tire that Goodyear had brought to the track for the weekend had been used and were no longer usable.

The race was starting to rival the [[Daytona 500]] in terms of the biggest race of the NASCAR season before the tire problems at this race. Since this race, attendance has dropped from a 257,000+ sell out to an estimated 100,000 at the [[2010 Brickyard 400|2010 race]]. By the 2013 race, the last year NASCAR tracked attendance, it dropped to 70,000.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Horrall|first=Zach|title=Tire debacle at 2008 Brickyard 400: 'Oh no, we're in trouble'|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/09/07/tire-debacle-2008-brickyard-400-jimmie-johnson-oh-no-were-trouble/1193014002/|access-date=2020-09-22|website=The Indianapolis Star|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Entry list==
* '''(W)''' denotes past Brickyard 400 winner.
* '''(R)''' denotes rookie driver.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
|-
! {{Tooltip|No.|Car number}}
! Driver
! Team
! Manufacturer
|-
| 00 || [[Michael McDowell (racing driver)|Michael McDowell]] '''(R)''' || [[Michael Waltrip Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 01 || [[Regan Smith (racing driver)|Regan Smith]] '''(R)''' || [[Dale Earnhardt Inc.]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 1 || [[Martin Truex Jr.]] || [[Dale Earnhardt Inc.]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 2 || [[Kurt Busch]] || [[Penske Racing South]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 5 || [[Casey Mears]] || [[Hendrick Motorsports]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 6 || [[David Ragan]] || [[Roush Fenway Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 07 || [[Clint Bowyer]] || [[Richard Childress Racing]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 7 || [[Robby Gordon]] || [[Robby Gordon Motorsports]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 08 || [[Johnny Sauter]] || [[E&M Motorsports]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 8 || [[Mark Martin]] || [[Dale Earnhardt Inc.]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 9 || [[Kasey Kahne]] || [[Gillett Evernham Motorsports]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 10 || [[Patrick Carpentier]] '''(R)''' || [[Gillett Evernham Motorsports]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 11 || [[Denny Hamlin]] || [[Joe Gibbs Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 12 || [[Ryan Newman (racing driver)|Ryan Newman]] || [[Penske Racing South]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 15 || [[Paul Menard]] || [[Dale Earnhardt Inc.]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 16 || [[Greg Biffle]] || [[Roush Fenway Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 17 || [[Matt Kenseth]] || Roush Fenway Racing || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 18 || [[Kyle Busch]] || [[Joe Gibbs Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 19 || [[Elliott Sadler]] || [[Gillett Evernham Motorsports]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 20 || [[Tony Stewart]] '''(W)''' || [[Joe Gibbs Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 21 || [[Bill Elliott]] '''(W)''' || [[Wood Brothers Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 22 || [[Dave Blaney]] || [[Bill Davis Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 24 || [[Jeff Gordon]] '''(W)''' || [[Hendrick Motorsports]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 26 || [[Jamie McMurray]] || [[Roush Fenway Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 28 || [[Travis Kvapil]] || [[Yates Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 29 || [[Kevin Harvick]] '''(W)''' || [[Richard Childress Racing]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 31 || [[Jeff Burton]] || [[Richard Childress Racing]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 34 || [[Tony Raines]] || [[Front Row Motorsports]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 38 || [[David Gilliland]] || [[Yates Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 41 || [[Reed Sorenson]] || [[Chip Ganassi Racing]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 42 || [[Juan Pablo Montoya]] || [[Chip Ganassi Racing]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 43 || [[Bobby Labonte]] '''(W)''' || [[Petty Enterprises]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 44 || [[David Reutimann]] || [[Michael Waltrip Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 45 || [[Terry Labonte]] || [[Petty Enterprises]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 47 || [[Marcos Ambrose]] || [[JTG Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
| 48 || [[Jimmie Johnson]] '''(W)''' || [[Hendrick Motorsports]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 50 || [[Stanton Barrett]] || [[SKI Motorsports]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 55 || [[Michael Waltrip]] || [[Michael Waltrip Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 66 || [[Scott Riggs]] || [[Haas CNC Racing]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 70 || [[Jason Leffler]] || [[Haas CNC Racing]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 77 || [[Sam Hornish Jr.]] '''(R)''' || [[Penske Racing South]] || [[Dodge]]
|-
| 78 || [[Joe Nemechek]] || [[Furniture Row Racing]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 83 || [[Brian Vickers]] || [[Team Red Bull]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 84 || [[A. J. Allmendinger]] || [[Team Red Bull]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 88 || [[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]] || [[Hendrick Motorsports]] || [[Chevrolet]]
|-
| 96 || [[J. J. Yeley]] || [[Hall of Fame Racing]] || [[Toyota]]
|-
| 99 || [[Carl Edwards]] || [[Roush Fenway Racing]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
|-
|}

==Qualifying==
[[Jimmie Johnson]] held off [[Mark Martin]] to win the pole position.  [[Bill Elliott]], after starting the first 14 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, failed in his final run to do so, as he retired following the season.
{| class="wikitable"
!RANK<ref>{{Cite web|title=Race Results|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/|access-date=2021-06-01|website=Racing-Reference|language=en-US}}</ref>
!DRIVER
!NBR
!CAR
!TIME
!SPEED
!
|-
|1
| Jimmie Johnson
|48
|Chevrolet
|49.515  
|181.763  
|
|-
|2
| Mark Martin
|8
|Chevrolet
|49.616  
|181.393  
|
|-
|3
| Ryan Newman
|12
|Dodge
|49.732  
|180.970  
|
|-
|4
| Kasey Kahne
|9
|Dodge
|49.776  
|180.810  
|
|-
|5
| Jeff Gordon
|24
|Chevrolet
|49.849  
|180.545  
|
|-
|6
| Elliott Sadler
|19
|Dodge
|49.890  
|180.397  
|
|-
|7
| Kurt Busch
|2
|Dodge
|49.905  
|180.343  
|
|-
|8
| Jamie McMurray
|26
|Ford
|49.911  
|180.321  
|
|-
|9
| Carl Edwards
|99
|Ford
|49.942  
|180.209  
|
|-
|10
| Matt Kenseth
|17
|Ford
|50.023  
|179.917  
|
|-
|11
| Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|88
|Chevrolet
|50.038  
|179.863  
|
|-
|12
| Greg Biffle
|16
|Ford
|50.067  
|179.759  
|
|-
|13
| Juan Pablo Montoya
|42
|Dodge
|50.084  
|179.698  
|
|-
|14
| Tony Stewart
|20
|Toyota
|50.145  
|179.480  
|
|-
|15
| Patrick Carpentier
|10
|Dodge
|50.146  
|179.476  
|*
|-
|16
| David Ragan
|6
|Ford
|50.261  
|179.065  
|
|-
|17
| Brian Vickers
|83
|Toyota
|50.303  
|178.916  
|
|-
|18
| Kevin Harvick
|29
|Chevrolet
|50.319  
|178.859  
|
|-
|19
| Kyle Busch
|18
|Toyota
|50.345  
|178.767  
|
|-
|20
| David Gilliland
|38
|Ford
|50.447  
|178.405  
|
|-
|21
| Jason Leffler
|70
|Chevrolet
|50.467  
|178.334  
|*
|-
|22
| Reed Sorenson
|41
|Dodge
|50.511  
|178.179  
|
|-
|23
| Denny Hamlin
|11
|Toyota
|50.514  
|178.168  
|
|-
|24
| Marcos Ambrose
|47
|Ford
|50.524  
|178.133  
|*
|-
|25
| Martin Truex Jr.
|1
|Chevrolet
|50.568  
|177.978  
|
|-
|26
| A.J. Allmendinger
|84
|Toyota
|50.581  
|177.932  
|*
|-
|27
| Bobby Labonte
|43
|Dodge
|50.594  
|177.887  
|
|-
|28
| Travis Kvapil
|28
|Ford
|50.622  
|177.788  
|
|-
|29
| Robby Gordon
|7
|Dodge
|50.676  
|177.599  
|
|-
|30
| Michael McDowell
|00
|Toyota
|50.678  
|177.592  
|
|-
|31
| Casey Mears
|5
|Chevrolet
|50.698  
|177.522  
|
|-
|32
| Jeff Burton
|31
|Chevrolet
|50.724  
|177.431  
|
|-
|33
| David Reutimann
|44
|Toyota
|50.749  
|177.343  
|
|-
|34
| Michael Waltrip
|55
|Toyota
|50.770  
|177.270  
|
|-
|35
| Scott Riggs
|66
|Chevrolet
|50.796  
|177.179  
|*
|-
|36
| Joe Nemechek
|78
|Chevrolet
|50.823  
|177.085  
|*
|-
|37
| Paul Menard
|15
|Chevrolet
|50.848  
|176.998  
|
|-
|38
| Sam Hornish Jr.
|77
|Dodge
|50.911  
|176.779  
|
|-
|39
| J.J. Yeley
|96
|Toyota
|50.923  
|176.737  
|*
|-
|40
| Terry Labonte
|45
|Dodge
|51.000  
|176.471  
|PC
|-
|41
| Bill Elliott
|21
|Ford
|51.267  
|175.552  
|*
|-
|42
| Clint Bowyer
|07
|Chevrolet
|51.471  
|174.856  
|
|-
|43
| Dave Blaney
|22
|Toyota
|51.728  
|173.987  
|OP
|-
|44
| Johnny Sauter
|08
|Dodge
|51.803  
|173.735  
|*
|-
|45
| Tony Raines
|34
|Chevrolet
|51.996  
|173.090  
|*
|-
|46
| Stanton Barrett
|50
|Chevrolet
|52.258  
|172.222  
|*
|-
|47
| Regan Smith
|01
|Chevrolet
|
|
|OP
|}
'''OP:''' qualified via owners points

'''PC:''' qualified as past champion

'''PR:''' provisional

'''QR:''' via qualifying race

'''*''' - had to qualify on time

'''Failed to qualify:''' [[Bill Elliott]] (#21), [[Stanton Barrett]] (#50), [[Johnny Sauter]] (#08), [[Tony Raines]] (#34).

==Race==

[[File:Indianapolis Oval 2007-2013.svg|thumb|180px|left|[[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]], the race track where the race was held.]]

In pre-race practice, teams realized that the tires provided for the race wore down quickly, due to the abrasive course at Indianapolis and the different characteristics of the fifth-generation car that was being used for the first time at Indianapolis.  Concerns led NASCAR to implement caution periods after ten laps for tire wear, a procedure NASCAR debuted at [[1969 Talladega 500]], which had a driver boycott over tire wear issues, and NASCAR called cautions after a specific time in order to allow teams to pit and change tires.

Competition cautions were called between 10 and 12 laps.  Because of an accident involving [[Michael Waltrip]] on Lap 4, the first competition yellow would not wave until Lap 14 for a crash when Kurt Busch lost the car off of Turn 1, hitting Kevin Harvick in the process. The only other non-competition yellow came halfway through the race when [[Brian Vickers]]' [[Toyota]] had its engine fail.  Some drivers compared the racing to the roots of NASCAR with ten-lap heat races, as nine competition cautions and the two incidents combined effectively led to ten "heat races" were thrown with the final sprint being a "feature" race.  Jimmie Johnson won the race after a battle with Carl Edwards after various teams attempted a two-tire stop in what effectively had become the caution leading to the final shootout, similar to the [[NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race]].

Numerous drivers suffered tire failures during the race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the first on lap 26, blowing a right rear tire while leading the race. Just 3 laps later, Juan Pablo Montoya blew a tire coming off of turn 2. ESPN reported major tire cording on Jeff Gordon. On lap 47, Carl Edwards reported on the radio that he had a right rear tire problem. Just seconds later on the same lap, Matt Kenseth spun on the backstretch with a right rear tire failure, causing major damage to the right side of the car. ESPN reported Kyle Busch had some tire problems on lap 65. After that, tires showed a slight improvement, even though the tires still showed major cording. Throughout the race, drivers expressed their disappointment at the events that had occurred prior and during the event, with Matt Kenseth saying in the garage "It's a really, really disappointing situation. You know, this is one of the biggest races in the year, to never have this car here, before or not come into an open test and then working on this things working the tires, it's pretty darn disappointing... I feel bad for the fans and everything, when we're running three quarters speed because we're worried the tires are going to fall off and we got them blowing every 8 laps. I'm pretty disappointed." NASCAR president Mike Helton announced that NASCAR threw out more competition cautions than expected. Many NASCAR fans compare it to the [[2005 United States Grand Prix|2005 United States Grand Prix tire debacle]], when tires blowing out became a major concern for drivers. Some also say that this race was another incident that caused the decline of NASCAR's popularity.<ref>{{Citation|title=Nascar Blows it at Indy| date=4 September 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZKFc4T-tTY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/GZKFc4T-tTY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-05-03}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Results ==
{| class="wikitable" format="font-size:90%;"
|-
!POS<ref>{{Cite web|title=Race Results|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/|access-date=2021-06-01|website=Racing-Reference|language=en-US}}</ref>
!ST
!#
!DRIVER
!SPONSOR / OWNER
!CAR
!LAPS
!MONEY
!STATUS
!LED
!PTS
|-
|1
|1
|48
|  Jimmie Johnson
|'''Lowe's'''   (Rick Hendrick)
|Chevrolet
|160
|509236
|running
|71
|195
|-
|2
|9
|99
|  Carl Edwards
|'''Aflac'''   (Jack Roush)
|Ford
|160
|366700
|running
|4
|175
|-
|3
|23
|11
|  Denny Hamlin
|'''FedEx Office'''   (Joe Gibbs)
|Toyota
|160
|331516
|running
|26
|170
|-
|4
|6
|19
|  Elliott Sadler
|'''Stanley'''   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)
|Dodge
|160
|290745
|running
|5
|165
|-
|5
|5
|24
|  Jeff Gordon
|'''DuPont'''   (Rick Hendrick)
|Chevrolet
|160
|275111
|running
|7
|160
|-
|6
|8
|26
|  Jamie McMurray
|'''Crown Royal'''   (Jack Roush)
|Ford
|160
|206850
|running
|0
|150
|-
|7
|4
|9
|  Kasey Kahne
|'''Budweiser / LifeLock'''   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)
|Dodge
|160
|225491
|running
|0
|146
|-
|8
|12
|16
|  Greg Biffle
|'''Dish Network / Dish DVRs'''   (Jack Roush)
|Ford
|160
|196225
|running
|0
|142
|-
|9
|32
|31
|  Jeff Burton
|'''Prilosec OTC'''   (Richard Childress)
|Chevrolet
|160
|233783
|running
|10
|143
|-
|10
|26
|84
|  A.J. Allmendinger
|'''Red Bull'''   (Dietrich Mateschitz)
|Toyota
|160
|178775
|running
|4
|139
|-
|11
|2
|8
|  Mark Martin
|'''U.S. Army'''   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)
|Chevrolet
|160
|210383
|running
|0
|130
|-
|12
|11
|88
|  Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|'''National Guard / AMP Energy'''   (Rick Hendrick)
|Chevrolet
|160
|180950
|running
|8
|132
|-
|13
|3
|12
|  Ryan Newman
|'''Alltel'''   (Roger Penske)
|Dodge
|160
|207975
|running
|0
|124
|-
|14
|16
|6
|  David Ragan
|'''AAA Insurance'''   (Jack Roush)
|Ford
|160
|170000
|running
|0
|121
|-
|15
|19
|18
|  Kyle Busch
|'''M&M's'''   (Joe Gibbs)
|Toyota
|160
|180700
|running
|14
|123
|-
|16
|27
|43
|  Bobby Labonte
|'''Cheerios / Totino's Pizza Rolls'''   (Petty Enterprises)
|Dodge
|160
|195536
|running
|0
|115
|-
|17
|22
|41
|  Reed Sorenson
|'''Target'''   (Chip Ganassi)
|Dodge
|160
|184689
|running
|0
|112
|-
|18
|15
|10
|  Patrick Carpentier
|'''Sears Auto Center / Valvoline'''   (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)
|Dodge
|160
|154375
|running
|0
|109
|-
|19
|40
|07
|  Clint Bowyer
|'''Jack Daniel's'''   (Richard Childress)
|Chevrolet
|160
|169875
|running
|0
|106
|-
|20
|20
|38
|  David Gilliland
|'''FreeCreditReport.com'''   (Yates Racing)
|Ford
|160
|175183
|running
|0
|103
|-
|21
|38
|77
|  Sam Hornish Jr.
|'''Mobil 1'''   (Roger Penske)
|Dodge
|160
|195400
|running
|0
|100
|-
|22
|24
|47
|  Marcos Ambrose
|'''Little Debbie Snacks'''   (Tad Geschickter)
|Ford
|160
|148825
|running
|0
|97
|-
|23
|14
|20
|  Tony Stewart
|'''Home Depot'''   (Joe Gibbs)
|Toyota
|160
|197461
|running
|0
|94
|-
|24
|25
|1
|  Martin Truex Jr.
|'''Bass Pro Shops / Cub Cadet'''   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)
|Chevrolet
|160
|182408
|running
|3
|96
|-
|25
|35
|66
|  Scott Riggs
|'''State Water Heaters'''   (Gene Haas)
|Chevrolet
|160
|166133
|running
|1
|93
|-
|26
|31
|5
|  Casey Mears
|'''Kellogg's / Carquest'''   (Rick Hendrick)
|Chevrolet
|160
|162725
|running
|0
|85
|-
|27
|43
|45
|  Terry Labonte
|'''Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil'''   (Petty Enterprises)
|Dodge
|160
|161083
|running
|0
|82
|-
|28
|39
|96
|  J.J. Yeley
|'''DLP HDTV'''   (Jeff Moorad)
|Toyota
|160
|153825
|running
|0
|79
|-
|29
|36
|78
|  Joe Nemechek
|'''Furniture Row / DenverMattress.com'''   (Barney Visser)
|Chevrolet
|160
|142225
|running
|0
|76
|-
|30
|33
|44
|  David Reutimann
|'''UPS'''   (Michael Waltrip)
|Toyota
|160
|145200
|running
|0
|73
|-
|31
|42
|01
|  Regan Smith
|'''Principal Financial Group'''   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)
|Chevrolet
|160
|152600
|running
|1
|75
|-
|32
|21
|70
|  Jason Leffler
|'''Hunt Brothers Pizza'''   (Gene Haas)
|Chevrolet
|160
|140700
|running
|0
|67
|-
|33
|29
|7
|  Robby Gordon
|'''Menards / Johns Manville'''   (Robby Gordon)
|Dodge
|160
|163558
|running
|0
|64
|-
|34
|30
|00
|  Michael McDowell
|'''Champion Mortgage'''   (Michael Waltrip)
|Toyota
|160
|150097
|running
|1
|66
|-
|35
|41
|22
|  Dave Blaney
|'''Caterpillar'''   (Bill Davis)
|Toyota
|160
|140300
|running
|1
|63
|-
|36
|28
|28
|  Travis Kvapil
|'''Hitachi Power Tools'''   (Yates Racing)
|Ford
|160
|168214
|running
|3
|60
|-
|37
|18
|29
|  Kevin Harvick
|'''Shell / Pennzoil'''   (Richard Childress)
|Chevrolet
|148
|186661
|running
|0
|52
|-
|38
|10
|17
|  Matt Kenseth
|'''DeWalt'''   (Jack Roush)
|Ford
|144
|187241
|running
|0
|49
|-
|39
|13
|42
|  Juan Pablo Montoya
|'''Wrigley's Big Red Slim Pack'''   (Chip Ganassi)
|Dodge
|124
|167408
|'''crash'''
|0
|46
|-
|40
|7
|2
|  Kurt Busch
|'''Miller Lite'''   (Roger Penske)
|Dodge
|119
|139425
|running
|0
|43
|-
|41
|37
|15
|  Paul Menard
|'''Menards / Johns Manville'''   (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)
|Chevrolet
|118
|147300
|running
|0
|40
|-
|42
|17
|83
|  Brian Vickers
|'''Red Bull'''   (Dietrich Mateschitz)
|Toyota
|93
|147600
|'''engine'''
|1
|42
|-
|43
|34
|55
|  Michael Waltrip
|'''NAPA Auto Parts'''   (Michael Waltrip)
|Toyota
|91
|139494
|running
|0
|34
|-
! colspan="11" |Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes:
|-
!POS
!NAME
!NBR
!SPONSOR
!OWNER
!CAR
! colspan="5" rowspan="5" |
|-
|44
|Bill Elliott
|21
|Motorcraft
|Wood Brothers
|Ford
|-
|45
|Johnny Sauter
|08
|getFUBAR.com
|John Carter
|Dodge
|-
|46
|Tony Raines
|34
|doorstopnation.com
|Bob Jenkins
|Chevrolet
|-
|47
|Stanton Barrett
|50
|NOS Energy Drink
|Chris Lencheski
|Chevrolet
|}

==Post-race==
Two days following the running of the race, NASCAR VP of competition [[Robin Pemberton]] formally apologized for the problems, saying that it did not go to IMS with the correct car-tire combination.  To rectify those problems, Goodyear staged two additional tire tests at Indy in the fall, the first with only three teams as per the tiremaker's policy September 22 and 23; the other with as many as 12 teams on October 7 and 8 to detect what might have gone wrong and test a new tire to be used for the [[2009 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard|2009 race]]. A total of 7 tests were conducted in preparation for the 2009 race.

The results of these tests indicated an increased amount of load and slip on the right rear tire caused the particle debris to be smaller than anticipated.  This prevented rubber from adhering to the track and prevented tire wear from improving as the race progressed.<ref>[http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/news/12672/Goodyear__NASCAR_Stars_Pleased_With_Progress_At_Indy_Tire_Test Indianapolismotorspeedway.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226031954/http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/news/12672/Goodyear__NASCAR_Stars_Pleased_With_Progress_At_Indy_Tire_Test |date=2009-02-26 }} "Goodyear, NASCAR Stars Pleased With Progress At Indy Tire Test" Retrieved February 1, 2009</ref>

== Legacy ==
Many fans have pointed to this race to the overall decline of the Brickyard 400 in general.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-08|title=The Brickyard 400 Doesn't Matter Anymore|url=http://www.apexoff.com/2019/09/08/the-brickyard-400-doesnt-matter-anymore/|access-date=2020-09-22|website=Apex Off|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Brick wall: Why Indy has lost its allure for NASCAR fans|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nascar/news/indy-brickyard-2014-crown-royal-400-attendance-ticket-sales-decline-2008-tire-problems-economy/747nna1nlfuk188t7wu849d6y|access-date=2020-09-22|website=www.sportingnews.com|date=26 July 2014 |language=en}}</ref> By 2021, NASCAR eventually moved the race to the Speedway's road course, although they returned to the oval in 2024.

==See also==
*[[2005 United States Grand Prix]] – a similar situation at the same track during the 2005 Formula One race
*[[1969 Talladega 500]] – the first race at Talladega, which suffered a similar situation

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2008_Allstate_400_At_The_Brickyard/W 2008 Allstate 400 At The Brickyard on racing reference]
{{NASCAR next race
| Series = Sprint Cup Series 
| Season = 2008
| Previous_race = [[2008 LifeLock.com 400]] 
| Next_race = [[2008 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500]]
}}
{{2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup}}
{{Brickyard 400}}
{{NASCAR on ESPN}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 Allstate 400 At The Brickyard}}
[[Category:2008 in sports in Indiana|Allstate 400 at the Brickyard]]
[[Category:2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series|Allstate 400 at the Brickyard]]
[[Category:NASCAR races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway]]
[[Category:NASCAR controversies]]