2005 Batman Begins 400
# 2005 Batman Begins 400

The 2005 Batman Begins 400 was a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing event held on June 19, 2005, at Michigan International Speedway in the American community of Brooklyn, Michigan.

Run over 200 laps, the race was the fifteenth in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and took place around the time of the controversial 2005 United States Grand Prix that Michael Schumacher would dominate.

## Entry list

| Car # | Driver | Hometown | Make | Sponsor | Team |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 0 | Mike Bliss | Milwaukie, OR | Chevrolet | NetZero Best Buy | Gene Haas |
| 01 | Joe Nemechek | Lakeland, FL | Chevrolet | U.S. Army | Nelson Bowers |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | St. Louis, MO | Dodge | Miller Lite | Roger Penske |
| 4 | Mike Wallace | St. Louis, MO | Chevrolet | Lucas / Wide Open Energy Drink | Larry McClure |
| 5 | Kyle Busch | Las Vegas, NV | Chevrolet | Kellogg's | Rick Hendrick |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Batesville, AR | Ford | Batman Begins / Pfizer | Jack Roush |
| 07 | Dave Blaney | Hartford, OH | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's Country Cocktail | Richard Childress |
| 7 | Robby Gordon | Bellflower, CA | Chevrolet | Menards | James Smith |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Kannapolis, NC | Chevrolet | Budweiser | Teresa Earnhardt |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Enumclaw, WA | Dodge | Dodge Dealers / UAW | Ray Evernham |
| 10 | Scott Riggs | Bahama, NC | Chevrolet | Valvoline | James Rocco |
| 11 | Jason Leffler | Long Beach, CA | Chevrolet | FedEx Kinko's | J D Gibbs |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | South Bend, IN | Dodge | Alltel | Roger Penske |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Owensboro, KY | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts | Teresa Earnhardt |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Vancouver, WA | Ford | National Guard / Charter Communications | Geoff Smith |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Cambridge, WI | Ford | Carhartt | Mark Martin |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Corpus Christi, TX | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries | Joe Gibbs |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Owensboro, KY | Dodge | Dodge Dealers / UAW | Ray Evernham |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Rushville, IN | Chevrolet | The Home Depot | Joe Gibbs |
| 21 | Ricky Rudd | Chesapeake, VA | Ford | Motorcraft / Rent-A-Center | Glen Wood |
| 22 | Scott Wimmer | Wausau, WI | Dodge | Caterpillar | Bill Davis |
| 23 | Mike Skinner | Ontario, CA | Dodge | History Channel AutoManiac | Gail Davis |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Vallejo, CA | Chevrolet | DuPont | Rick Hendrick |
| 25 | Brian Vickers | Thomasville, NC | Chevrolet | GMAC / ditech.com | Mary Hendrick |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Bakersfield, CA | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench | Richard Childress |
| 31 | Jeff Burton | South Boston, VA | Chevrolet | Beneficial / Cingular | Richard Childress |
| 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr | Nashville, TN | Chevrolet | Tide | Calvin Wells III |
| 34 | PJ Jones | Torrance, CA | Chevrolet | Ultra Comp Trailers | William Edwards |
| 37 | Kevin Lepage | Shelburne, VT | Dodge | Patron Tequila | John Carter |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Emporia, VA | Ford | M&M's | Robert Yates |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Columbia, TN | Dodge | Coors Light | Felix Sabates |
| 41 | Casey Mears | Bakersfield, CA | Dodge | Target | Chip Ganassi |
| 42 | Jamie McMurray | Joplin, MO | Dodge | Home123 Corp. | Floyd Ganassi |
| 43 | Jeff Green | Owensboro, KY | Dodge | Cheerios / Betty Crocker | Richard L Petty |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Trinity, NC | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific / Brawny | Kyle Petty |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | El Cajon, CA | Chevrolet | Lowe's | Jeff Gordon |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | Fenton, MO | Dodge | Schwan's Home Service | Elizabeth Morgenthau |
| 66 | Mike Garvey | McDonough, GA | Ford | Jani-King / Peak Fitness | Jeff Stec |
| 77 | Travis Kvapil | Janesville, WI | Dodge | Kodak / Jasper Engines | Douglas Bawel |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Hickory, NC | Ford | UPS | Robert Yates |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Conover, NC | Dodge | Victory in Jesus / Red Line Oil | Cindy Shepherd |
| 91 | Bill Elliott | Dawsonville, GA | Dodge | McDonald's | Ray Evernham Sr. |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Las Vegas, NV | Ford | Sharpie / IRWIN Industrial Tools | Georgetta Roush |
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Columbia, MO | Ford | AAA / Office Depot | Jack Roush |
| 151 | Stuart Kirby | Bowling Green, KY | Chevrolet | Marathon Multipower-3 HD Motor Oil | Joe Auer |
| 179 | Derrike Cope | Spanaway, WA | Chevrolet | SBC / Tubby's Subs | John Conely |
| 192 | Eric McClure | Abingdon, VA | Chevrolet | Front Row Motorsports | Bob Jenkins |

## Practice

### Top 10 practice 1 results

| Pos. | Car # | Driver | Make | Speed | Time | Behind | Best | Laps |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 192.164 | 0:37.468 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | 191.428 | 0:37.612 | 0.144 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 41 | Casey Mears | Dodge | 191.255 | 0:37.646 | 0.178 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 189.788 | 0:37.937 | 0.469 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 189.424 | 0:38.010 | 0.542 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 189.374 | 0:38.020 | 0.552 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | 188.763 | 0:38.143 | 0.675 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 188.753 | 0:38.145 | 0.677 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Dodge | 188.625 | 0:38.171 | 0.703 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 188.191 | 0:38.259 | 0.791 | 0 | 0 |
| Full results |||||||||

### Top 10 practice 2 results

| Pos. | Car # | Driver | Make | Speed | Time | Behind | Best | Laps |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | 192.097 | 0:37.481 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 192.097 | 0:37.481 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 191.729 | 0:37.553 | 0.072 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 191.144 | 0:37.668 | 0.187 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | 191.057 | 0:37.685 | 0.204 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | 190.966 | 0:37.703 | 0.222 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Chevrolet | 190.911 | 0:37.714 | 0.233 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 10 | Scott Riggs | Chevrolet | 190.809 | 0:37.734 | 0.253 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | 190.602 | 0:37.775 | 0.294 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 43 | Jeff Green | Dodge | 190.144 | 0:37.866 | 0.385 | 0 | 0 |
| Full results |||||||||

## Qualifying

| Pos. | Car # | Driver | Make | Primary Sponsor | Speed | Time | Behind |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | Alltel | 194.232 | 37.069 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 41 | Casey Mears | Dodge | Target | 193.757 | 37.160 | -0.091 |
| 3 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | The Home Depot | 193.512 | 37.207 | -0.138 |
| 4 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | Dodge Dealers / UAW | 193.123 | 37.282 | -0.213 |
| 5 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | Dodge Dealers / UAW | 193.086 | 37.289 | -0.220 |
| 6 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries | 193.055 | 37.295 | -0.226 |
| 7 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Chevrolet | GMAC / ditech.com | 192.818 | 37.341 | -0.272 |
| 8 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet | Menards | 192.771 | 37.350 | -0.281 |
| 9 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont | 192.658 | 37.372 | -0.303 |
| 10 | 91 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | McDonald's | 192.658 | 37.372 | -0.303 |
| 11 | 1 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | U.S. Army | 192.606 | 37.382 | -0.313 |
| 12 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Dodge | Miller Lite | 192.555 | 37.392 | -0.323 |
| 13 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | Sharpie / IRWIN Industrial Tools | 192.555 | 37.392 | -0.323 |
| 14 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | UPS | 192.493 | 37.404 | -0.335 |
| 15 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Batman Begins / Pfizer | 192.380 | 37.426 | -0.357 |
| 16 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe's | 192.313 | 37.439 | -0.370 |
| 17 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet | Kellogg's | 192.225 | 37.456 | -0.387 |
| 18 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | M&M's | 192.102 | 37.480 | -0.411 |
| 19 | 43 | Jeff Green | Dodge | Cheerios / Betty Crocker | 191.980 | 37.504 | -0.435 |
| 20 | 00 | Mike Bliss | Chevrolet | NetZero Best Buy | 191.980 | 37.504 | -0.435 |
| 21 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Carhartt | 191.627 | 37.573 | -0.504 |
| 22 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Dodge | Caterpillar | 191.627 | 37.573 | -0.504 |
| 23 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | AAA / Office Depot | 191.413 | 37.615 | -0.546 |
| 24 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Dodge | Home123 Corp. | 191.306 | 37.636 | -0.567 |
| 25 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | National Guard / Charter Communications | 191.189 | 37.659 | -0.590 |
| 26 | 11 | Jason Leffler | Chevrolet | FedEx Kinko's | 191.189 | 37.659 | -0.590 |
| 27 | 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr | Chevrolet | Tide | 190.739 | 37.748 | -0.679 |
| 28 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench | 190.587 | 37.778 | -0.709 |
| 29 | 10 | Scott Riggs | Chevrolet | Valvoline | 190.582 | 37.779 | -0.710 |
| 30 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts | 190.491 | 37.797 | -0.728 |
| 31 | 23 | Mike Skinner | Dodge | History Channel AutoManiac | 190.376 | 37.820 | -0.751 |
| 32 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific / Brawny | 190.370 | 37.821 | -0.752 |
| 33 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Beneficial / Cingular | 190.179 | 37.859 | -0.790 |
| 34 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Motorcraft / Rent-A-Center | 190.129 | 37.869 | -0.800 |
| 35 | 66 | Mike Garvey | Ford | Jani-King / Peak Fitness | 189.878 | 37.919 | -0.850 |
| 36 | 07 | Dave Blaney | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's Country Cocktail | 189.783 | 37.938 | -0.869 |
| 37 | 77 | Travis Kvapil | Dodge | Kodak / Jasper Engines | 189.783 | 37.938 | -0.869 |
| 38 | 49 | Ken Schrader | Dodge | Schwan's Home Service | 189.579 | 37.979 | -0.910 |
| 39 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | Dodge | Patron Tequila | 189.449 | 38.005 | -0.936 |
| 40 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | Coors Light | 189.404 | 38.014 | -0.945 |
| 41 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Chevrolet | Budweiser | 188.260 | 38.245 | -1.176 |
| 42 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Chevrolet | Lucas / Wide Open Energy Drink | 186.591 | 38.587 | -1.518 |
| 43 | 51 | Stuart Kirby | Chevrolet | Marathon Multipower-3 HD Motor Oil | 188.848 | 38.126 | -1.057 |
| Failed to qualify ||||||||
| 44 | 92 | Eric McClure* | Chevrolet | Front Row Motorsports | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 45 | 79 | Derrike Cope | Chevrolet | SBC / Tubby's Subs | | | |
| 46 | 34 | P.J. Jones | Chevrolet | Ultra Comp Trailers | | | |
| 47 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Dodge | Victory In Jesus / Red Line Oil | | | |
| WD | 00 | Carl Long | Chevrolet | Buyer's Choice Auto Warranties | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |

*Had an accident during qualifying

## Race recap

On April 27, 2005 Warner Bros. would announce that the race would be sponsored by the movie Batman Begins, marking the first time a motion picture sponsored a Cup Series race. In a press release, NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France said "Batman will cheer on the 43 super heroes that will be competing for the Batman Begins 400 at Michigan International Speedway." Along with the sponsorship, the Batmobile served as the honorary pace car for the race, while Batman was the grand marshal, and Karen Newman sang the national anthem.

Mark Martin also ran a Batman Begins paint scheme, along with Ricky Craven at the Paramount Health Insurance 200 on the previous day. Defending race winner Ryan Newman of Penske Racing won the pole position after breaking the track record with a speed of 194.232 miles per hour (312.586 km/h), breaking the original record held by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2001, while Roush Racing's Greg Biffle won the race. Michigan International Speedway has been a Ford dominated track starting in 1984, and a Mercury track before that from 1969-78. It was also a track that suited a smooth driver or a driver that could change his driving tactics for Michigan International Speedway.

Tony Stewart would dominate the race, he would end up leading a race-high 97 laps. However, on lap 168, Stewart took a four-tire pit stop, while Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler and Roush Racing teammates Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch, as they and other drivers had pitted 12 laps earlier; Joe Nemechek and Michael Waltrip also beat Stewart to the track, forcing him to start in eighth on lap 174. Biffle, who led 67 laps, would go on to win his eighth career Cup race and fifth of the season. Stewart was able to fight his way into second, while Mark Martin finished in third. Kenseth and Edwards rounded out the top five. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished the race in 32nd and 17th, respectively, and were knocked out of contention for the 2005 Chase for the Nextel Cup.

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Sponsor | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 25 | 16 | Greg Biffle | National Guard, Charter Communications | Ford | 200 | 63 | running | 185 | 171075 |
| 2 | 3 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Home Depot | Chevy | 200 | 97 | running | 180 | 174461 |
| 3 | 15 | 6 | Mark Martin | Batman Begins, Pfizer | Ford | 200 | 10 | running | 170 | 116125 |
| 4 | 21 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Carhartt | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 160 | 138261 |
| 5 | 23 | 99 | Carl Edwards | AAA, Office Depot | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 155 | 98650 |
| 6 | 11 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | U.S. Army | Chevy | 200 | 1 | running | 155 | 110148 |
| 7 | 30 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | NAPA Auto Parts | Chevy | 200 | 3 | running | 151 | 116454 |
| 8 | 18 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | M&M's | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 142 | 126106 |
| 9 | 17 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Kellogg's | Chevy | 200 | 0 | running | 138 | 89265 |
| 10 | 12 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Miller Lite | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 134 | 110548 |
| 11 | 33 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Beneficial, Cingular Wireless | Chevy | 200 | 0 | running | 130 | 106825 |
| 12 | 13 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Sharpie, Irwin Industrial Tools | Ford | 200 | 12 | running | 132 | 125665 |
| 13 | 24 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Home123 Corp. | Dodge | 200 | 1 | running | 129 | 87390 |
| 14 | 6 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Interstate Batteries | Chevy | 200 | 0 | running | 121 | 110915 |
| 15 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Alltel | Dodge | 200 | 3 | running | 123 | 122781 |
| 16 | 22 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Caterpillar | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 115 | 101798 |
| 17 | 41 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Budweiser | Chevy | 200 | 0 | running | 112 | 118448 |
| 18 | 4 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Dealers, UAW | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 109 | 106965 |
| 19 | 16 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe's | Chevy | 200 | 2 | running | 111 | 118881 |
| 20 | 26 | 11 | Jason Leffler | FedEx Kinko's | Chevy | 200 | 0 | running | 103 | 75890 |
| 21 | 2 | 41 | Casey Mears | Target | Dodge | 199 | 7 | running | 105 | 107248 |
| 22 | 5 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge Dealers, UAW | Dodge | 199 | 0 | running | 97 | 99535 |
| 23 | 29 | 10 | Scott Riggs | Valvoline | Chevy | 199 | 0 | running | 94 | 93448 |
| 24 | 14 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | UPS | Ford | 199 | 0 | running | 91 | 106698 |
| 25 | 28 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | GM Goodwrench | Chevy | 199 | 0 | running | 88 | 116351 |
| 26 | 37 | 77 | Travis Kvapil | Kodak, Jasper Engines & Transmissions | Dodge | 199 | 0 | running | 85 | 79965 |
| 27 | 20 | 0 | Mike Bliss | NetZero, Best Buy | Chevy | 198 | 0 | running | 82 | 71680 |
| 28 | 38 | 49 | Ken Schrader | Schwan's Home Service | Dodge | 198 | 0 | running | 79 | 71425 |
| 29 | 36 | 07 | Dave Blaney | Jack Daniel's Country Cocktail | Chevy | 198 | 0 | running | 76 | 79215 |
| 30 | 32 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Georgia-Pacific, Brawny | Dodge | 198 | 0 | running | 73 | 80687 |
| 31 | 27 | 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Tide | Chevy | 198 | 0 | running | 70 | 67990 |
| 32 | 9 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | DuPont | Chevy | 197 | 0 | running | 67 | 116651 |
| 33 | 34 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Motorcraft, Rent-A-Center | Ford | 197 | 0 | running | 64 | 96004 |
| 34 | 31 | 23 | Mike Skinner | History Channel AutoManiac | Dodge | 197 | 0 | running | 61 | 67735 |
| 35 | 10 | 91 | Bill Elliott | McDonald's | Dodge | 196 | 0 | running | 58 | 67595 |
| 36 | 35 | 66 | Mike Garvey | Peak Fitness | Ford | 196 | 0 | running | 55 | 67545 |
| 37 | 39 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | Patron Tequila | Dodge | 195 | 0 | running | 52 | 67495 |
| 38 | 19 | 43 | Jeff Green | Cheerios, Betty Crocker | Dodge | 184 | 0 | running | 49 | 96331 |
| 39 | 8 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Menards | Chevy | 182 | 1 | running | 51 | 67350 |
| 40 | 40 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Coors Light | Dodge | 167 | 0 | engine | 43 | 95223 |
| 41 | 7 | 25 | Brian Vickers | GMAC, ditech.com | Chevy | 154 | 0 | running | 40 | 75280 |
| 42 | 43 | 51 | Stuart Kirby | Marathon Multipower-3 HD Motor Oil | Chevy | 91 | 0 | crash | 37 | 67240 |
| 43 | 42 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Lucas Oil, Wide Open Energy Drink | Chevy | 50 | 0 | engine | 34 | 66671 |
| Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes |||||||||||
| 44 | | 92 | Eric McClure | Front Row Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 79 | Derrike Cope | SBC / Tubby's Subs | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 34 | P.J. Jones | Ultra Comp Trailers | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Victory In Jesus / Red Line Oil | Dodge | | | | | |
| WD | | 00 | Carl Long | Buyer's Choice Auto Warranties | Chevrolet | | | | | |

## Standings

| Pos | Driver | Points |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 2173 |
| 2 | Greg Biffle | 2124 |
| 3 | Elliott Sadler | 1923 |
| 4 | Carl Edwards | 1914 |
| 5 | Mark Martin | 1904 |
| 6 | Tony Stewart | 1862 |
| 7 | Ryan Newman | 1856 |
| 8 | Rusty Wallace | 1848 |
| 9 | Kurt Busch | 1813 |
| 10 | Kevin Harvick | 1803 |
