PEPSI 400

The 'Pepsi 400' is the name of a 160 lap/400 mile (approx. 640 km) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series stock car race held on the first Saturday night of July, usually around Independence Day weekend, at Daytona International Speedway.
The Pepsi 400 has a storied and unique history, known formerly as the 'Firecracker 250' for the first four runnings (1959-1962) and as the 'Firecracker 400'. There will be a new name for this race, as The Coca-Cola Company became the corporate sponsor in 2007.

Contents

History

Television

Past winners

See also

History

In 1959, the race at this track was originally scheduled to be a USAC Championship (Indy) Car event. However, after a crash-filled event in April, open wheel racing on the oval was permanently canceled. NASCAR quickly stepped in and replaced the schedule with a stock car race.
This NASCAR race was developed to provide a second major Cup-level racing event for the Daytona International Speedway which would not detract from the legendary status of the Daytona 500. At its creation in 1959, the race was 100 laps, for 250 miles, and owing to the scheduling on the 4th of July, was nicknamed the 'Firecracker 250'. In 1963 the race was expanded from 100 laps to 160 laps, for a distance of 400 miles, and became known as the 'Firecracker 400'.
From 1959 to 1987, the race was always scheduled for July 4, regardless of the day of the week. Beginning in 1988, the race was moved to the first Saturday of July (that nearest July 4).
In 1998, wildfires in Florida postponed the race, and it was held in October. Before it became a night race in 1998, the race normally started in the morning (10:00 AM or 11:00 AM) to avoid hot temperatures and the frequent mid-afternoon thunderstorms.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. President to attend a NASCAR race. The President gave the command to start the race ("Gentlemen, start your engines") by phone from aboard Air Force One. Landing at Daytona, the President proceeded to the track, and viewed the race with Bill France Jr.. During his time at the race, Reagan was interviewed by NASCAR driver Ned Jarrett, who in 1978 had begun a career as a radio race broadcaster. The 1984 Firecracker 400 is also legendary since it was the race at which Richard Petty achieved his unparalleled 200th win. Petty and President Reagan were interviewed together following the race, and the President joined Richard Petty and his family in Victory Lane.
With the conclusion of the 2007 running, PepsiCo, Incorporated, who has been the race sponsor since 1985, will no longer be the corporate sponsor of the race. Coca-Cola signed a deal to become the new sponsor with the name being most likely the Coca-Cola 400 or Coke 400, although it is possible it could also be named by another Coca-Cola product.
The Pepsi 400 was the only restrictor plate race run "under the lights" at night.

Television

In the 1970s and 1980s, the race was shown tape delayed on ABC's ''Wide World of Sports''. In 1990-1997, the race switched to a live broadcast on ESPN. When it was scheduled to become a night race in 1998, broadcast rights changed to CBS, which also at that time covered the Daytona 500. However, the 1998 event was postponed until October due to Florida wildfires. CBS partner TNN showed the race live instead. For 1999-2000, the race reverted back to live on CBS in primetime.
Between 2001-2006, the race was shared between NBC and FOX (NBC odd years, FOX even years, the opposite of the Daytona 500 coverage). Under the new television agreement, TNT will cover the race through 2014. In 2007, TNT introduced their "Wide Open Coverage" for this race. The race was broadcast in 16:9 widescreen format, but rather than having the black bars at the top and bottom like most widescreen formatted programs have for people watching on a 4:3 television screen, the race was moved up to the top, and scoring and graphics were moved to the bottom of the screen. In addition, there was limited full-screen commercial interupption, with only 2 commercial breaks during the green flag , totaling 2:45, or about 3 laps. Other commercials were broadcast in a box in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, with the box occupying less than 1/4th of the screen. Sponsors of this type of coverage filmed a special 2:00 minute advertisement for the event, which would be followed by their regular advertisement.
For pay-per-view, the race has been shown as a "free preview" on both NASCAR in Car, and on DIRECTV's NASCAR Hot Pass.

Past winners

★ 2007: Jamie McMurray (second closest margin of victory since NASCAR began electronic scoring, 0.005 seconds)

★ 2006: Tony Stewart

★ 2005: Tony Stewart

★ 2004: Jeff Gordon

★ 2003: Greg Biffle

★ 2002: Michael Waltrip

★ 2001: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

★ 2000: Jeff Burton

★ 1999: Dale Jarrett

★ 1998: Jeff Gordon (race changed to a night race; postponed until October due to wildfires)

★ 1997: John Andretti (first career Cup series victory)

★ 1996: Sterling Marlin (117 laps / 292.5 miles due to rain)

★ 1995: Jeff Gordon

★ 1994: Jimmy Spencer

★ 1993: Dale Earnhardt

★ 1992: Ernie Irvan

★ 1991: Bill Elliott

★ 1990: Dale Earnhardt

★ 1989: Davey Allison

★ 1988: Bill Elliott

★ 1987: Bobby Allison

★ 1986: Tim Richmond

★ 1985: Greg Sacks (first career Cup series victory)

★ 1984: Richard Petty (his 200th and final career win)

★ 1983: Buddy Baker

★ 1982: Bobby Allison

★ 1981: Cale Yarborough

★ 1980: Bobby Allison

★ 1979: Neil Bonnett

★ 1978: David Pearson

★ 1977: Richard Petty (2 hour rain delay red flag near the halfway point)

★ 1976: Cale Yarborough

★ 1975: Richard Petty

★ 1974: David Pearson

★ 1973: David Pearson

★ 1972: David Pearson

★ 1971: Bobby Isaac

★ 1970: Donnie Allison

★ 1969: LeeRoy Yarbrough

★ 1968: Cale Yarborough

★ 1967: Cale Yarborough

★ 1966: Sam McQuagg

★ 1965: A.J. Foyt

★ 1964: A.J. Foyt

★ 1963: Fireball Roberts (race changed to a 400-mile event)

★ 1962: Fireball Roberts

★ 1961: David Pearson

★ 1960: Jack Smith

★ 1959: Fireball Roberts

See also

★ List of current NASCAR races