2008 3M Performance 400
The 2008 3M Performance 400, the twenty-third race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, was held on August 17 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. ESPN carried the 400 miles (640 km) race beginning at 1 PM US EDT and MRN along with Sirius Satellite Radio had radio coverage starting at 1:15 PM US EDT.
Pre-Race News
- 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman will make it official: He will move to the #4 team at Stewart Haas Racing in 2009.
- As announced at Watkins Glen last week, Brad Coleman becomes the driver of the #96 Hall of Fame Racing Toyota Camry, replacing J.J. Yeley, who was released. P.J. Jones was at the wheel during the Centurion Boats at the Glen.
- Elliott Sadler will have an extra incentive for his #19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge this week. Should he be victorious, Stanley Tools, the sponsor on this week's racecar, will make a $1 million donation to the Children's Miracle Network of hospitals.
- Mike Skinner helped the #84 Team Red Bull Toyota en route to their first exemption in the Top 35 Owners Points this year, now he hopes to get the Michael Waltrip Racing #00 car back solidly into said Top 35. For the next three races starting this week, he takes over for Michael McDowell in that car.
- Darlington Raceway announced that next year's 500 mile race in May would be renamed the Southern 500, reviving the name of the traditional Labor Day weekend race that ran from 1950 through 2003, and moved to November in 2004 before being dropped as part of the settlement of the Ferko lawsuit.
Qualifying
Brian Vickers won the first pole for Team Red Bull on August 15th. Jimmie Johnson would join him on the front row.
Race Recap
Roush Fenway Racing took four of the top five places, and all five RFR cars were in the top ten as Carl Edwards won the race. Only the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota driven by points leader Kyle Busch spoiled the parade, finishing second.
| Top Ten Finishers | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Car # | Driver | Make | Team | ||||
| 1 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | ||||
| 2 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||||
| 3 | 6 | David Ragan | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | ||||
| 4 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | ||||
| 5 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | ||||
| 6 | 8 | Mark Martin | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | ||||
| 7 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Team Red Bull | ||||
| 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | ||||
| 9 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Dodge | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | ||||
| 10 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | ||||
Failed to Qualify: Johnny Sauter (#08).