Pepsi Max 400 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pepsi Max 400

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Venue	Auto Club Speedway
Location	Fontana, California, United States
Corporate sponsor	Pepsi Max
First race	2004
Last race	2010
Distance	400 miles (640 km)
Laps	200
Previous names	Pop Secret 500 (2004) Sony HD 500 (2005–2006) Sharp AQUOS 500 (2007) Pepsi 500 (2008–2009) Pepsi Max 400 (2010)
Most wins (driver)	Jimmie Johnson (3)
Most wins (team)	Hendrick Motorsports (4)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Chevrolet (5)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.0 mi (3.2 km)
Turns	4

The Pepsi Max 400 was a special NASCAR stock car race. It was part of the Sprint Cup Series, which is NASCAR's top racing league. This race happened every year at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

It was one of two Sprint Cup Series races held at the Auto Club Speedway each year. The other race was called the Auto Club 500. In its last two years (2009 and 2010), the Pepsi Max 400 took place in October. It was also part of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, which was like the playoffs for the NASCAR championship.

History of the Race

The Pepsi Max 400 race started in 2004. It was added to the NASCAR schedule as part of a big change that year. You might have even seen parts of this race in the movie Herbie: Fully Loaded!

From 2004 to 2008, the race was held on Labor Day weekend. This was a traditional time for a famous race called the Southern 500 in Darlington. In 2005, something exciting happened: Kyle Busch won the race. He became the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at that time.

In 2009, NASCAR changed its schedule again. The Auto Club Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Atlanta Motor Speedway swapped their race dates. This meant the California race moved from Labor Day weekend to October. This was the first time California had a late-season NASCAR race since 1987.

Pepsi became the main sponsor of the race in August 2008, changing its name to the Pepsi 500. Pepsi had been a sponsor of the speedway since 1997.

On January 13, 2010, NASCAR announced that the race would be shorter. It would be 100 miles less than before. Later, NASCAR also said that the 2010 race would be the very last one. This was mainly because not enough fans were coming to watch. The Auto Club Speedway went back to having only one Sprint Cup race each year. The race date that was used for the Pepsi Max 400 moved to Kansas Speedway in 2011.

Past Winners

Here is a list of the drivers who won the Pepsi Max 400 race:

• 2005: The race went a few extra laps because of a "green–white–checker finish". This rule makes sure a race ends under green flag conditions, not caution. As mentioned, Kyle Busch became the youngest Cup Series winner in over three years.
• 2010: This was the first time the race was only 400 miles long (200 laps). Tony Stewart won this race. It was his first win ever at the Auto Club Speedway, even though he had raced there 19 times!

Drivers with Multiple Wins

Teams with Multiple Wins

Manufacturer Wins