Infineon Cup Race Thread

[Jonesi]

47 Cars Entered
Top 35 :
18 Kyle Busch
31 Jeff Burton
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
99 Carl Edwards
48 Jimmie Johnson
11 Denny Hamlin
9 Kasey Kahne
16 Greg Biffle
24 Jeff Gordon
29 Kevin Harvick
20 Tony Stewart
07 Clint Bowyer
6 David Ragan
17 Matt Kenseth
1 Martin Truex Jr
83 Brian Vickers
12 Ryan Newman
28 Travis Kvapil
2 Kurt Busch
43 Bobby Labonte
26 Jamie McMurray
42 Juan Montoya
38 David Gilliland
8 Aric Almirola
15 Paul Menard
19 Elliott Sadler
5 Casey Mears
44 David Reutimann
22 Dave Blaney
01 Ron Fellows (+37 points over #66)
7 Robby Gordon (+34 points over #66)
41 Scott Pruett (+29 points over #66)
77 Sam Hornish Jr (+27 points over #66)
55 Michael Waltrip (back in the Top 35) (+13 points over #66)
00 Michael McDowell (on bubble +7 points over #66)

GOGH (4 cars DNQ)
45 Terry Labonte (has Previous Champion’s Provisional)(WILL start the race)
70 Scott Riggs
96 J.J. Yeley
78 Joe Nemechek
10 Patrick Carpentier
84 A.J. Allmendinger
40 Dario Franchitti
21 Marcos Ambrose (1st race of 2008)
34 Brian Simo (1st race of 2008)
66 Max Papis
60 Boris Said
02 Brandon Ash (1st race of year)

[RaceFanStan]

5 drivers will be getting a lot of frequent-flyer bonus miles on their accounts ...
they will be going from Sonoma to compete in Milwaukee ...
Cup drivers, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, David Reutimann, & David Ragan
Nationwide driver Marcos Ambrose will be attempting to race in BOTH events ...

Friday June 20th
Sprint Cup Series Practice & Qualifying @ Sonoma

Saturday June 21st
Sprint Cup Series Practice @ Sonoma
Nationwide Series Practice & Qualifying @ Milwaukee
Nationwide Series Race 17 @ Milwaukee

Sunday June 22nd
5:00 PM ~ Sprint Cup Series Race 16 @ Sonoma

NOTE : Kyle Busch has scaled back his multi-series efforts, he will miss Milwaukee

[oldhippie]

NOTE : Kyle Busch has scaled back his multi-series efforts, he will miss Milwaukee
that is good cause kyle busch should focus all on his cup car
i would laff if the most unpopular driver took the big prize

[oldhippie]

Scott Pruett will replace Reed Sorenson in the 41 at Infineon
http://www.thatsracin.com/news/story/15667.html

[Simmi]

Scott Pruett will replace Reed Sorenson in the 41 at Infineon
http://www.thatsracin.com/news/story/15667.html

Cant believe how poorly Reed has done this year. At the end of last season I thought he might even be in with a chance of scraping into the chase for '08.

Not a good time for the CGRFS organization, but this could and should be the teams strongest weekend of the season so far.

[ShiftingGears]

Go Ambrose.

[Jonesi]

Scott Pruett will replace Reed Sorenson in the 41 at Infineon
http://www.thatsracin.com/news/story/15667.html

Also Ron Fellows in #01, and Papis is in #66 (to get it back in top 35), with Riggs in #70.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Love the road races, wish NASCAR did 4-5 a year...

Relatively cool temps. this year, local forecast has been for low 80's. Am I crazy or didn't this race use to be the last one before Daytona in July? That is what I recall, and would explain the 15-20 degree difference in temps.

Love NASCAR, love Sears Point, but the combo of traffic, heat, and NO SHADE makes this an easy to skip race. Plus, with all the cautions, might as well watch it on TV and catch the IRL at Iowa at the same time.

That said, if you ever have a hankering to see a NASCAR road race, or ANY road race, there is no better road course in the United States in terms of sightlines. Period.

[harvick#1]

the Watkins Glen track is alot better than Infineon. this week is normally just a demo derby

[BenRoethig]

Cant believe how poorly Reed has done this year. At the end of last season I thought he might even be in with a chance of scraping into the chase for '08.

Not a good time for the CGRFS organization, but this could and should be the teams strongest weekend of the season so far.

Chip is trying to micromanage his NASCAR team without actually knowing anything about NASCAR. As a result they're sinking like a rock (and thinking about brining in another open wheel rookie next year). Red Bull, on the other hand fired their open wheel people wheel people, hired veteran NASCAR people to run the team and have really improved.

[Jonesi]

Starting Grid:
9 KASEY KAHNE
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON
2 KURT BUSCH
43 BOBBY LABONTE
24 JEFF GORDON
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
21 MARCOS AMBROSE
7 ROBBY GORDON
12 RYAN NEWMAN
16 GREG BIFFLE
--
45 TERRY LABONTE
99 CARL EDWARDS
11 DENNY HAMLIN
60 BORIS SAID
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR
22 DAVE BLANEY
77 SAM HORNISH JR
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
07 CLINT BOWYER
31 JEFF BURTON
--
42 JUAN MONTOYA
01 RON FELLOWS
5 CASEY MEARS
78 JOE NEMECHEK
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
83 BRIAN VICKERS
41 SCOTT PRUETT
66 MAX PAPIS
15 PAUL MENARD
38 DAVID GILLILAND
--
29 KEVIN HARVICK
17 MATT KENSETH
00 MICHAEL McDOWELL
18 KYLE BUSCH
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
84 AJ ALLMENDINGER
10 PATRICK CARPENTIER
6 DAVID RAGAN
20 TONY STEWART
8 ARIC ALMIROLA
--
28 TRAVIS KVAPIL
44 DAVID REUTIMANN
34 BRIAN SIMO

DNQ:
96 J.J. YELEY
70 SCOTT RIGGS
40 DARIO FRANCHITTI
02 BRANDON ASH

[mercury8]

Pretty impressive from Aussie Marcos Ambrose qualifying on time in his Sprint Cup debut and 7th to boot.Bet the Wood Brothers are happy chaps.Fastest in practice also a good boost for the team.Now if Said Head doesn't take him out he has a shot at victory on debut.

[wedge]

AUSSIE! AUSSIE! OI! OI!

Well done and good luck to Ambrose on race day.

Fingers crossed him and Robbie Gordon don't run into each other again

[mercury8]

AUSSIE! AUSSIE! OI! OI!

Well done and good luck to Ambrose on race day.

Fingers crossed him and Robbie Gordon don't run into each other again
Don't think we need to worry about Robby anymore but Boris Said Head may be a worry.

[ShiftingGears]

Don't think we need to worry about Robby anymore but Boris Said Head may be a worry.

I hope not, but then again, Gordon has absolutely no control over his temper so I wouldn't want him near Ambrose at any point. Ambrose can win this one.

[El Sween]

Shocked that Franchitti did not qualify but I wish Ambrose the best of luck for todays race.

[oldhippie]

Pretty impressive from Aussie Marcos Ambrose qualifying on time in his Sprint Cup debut and 7th to boot.Bet the Wood Brothers are happy chaps.Fastest in practice also a good boost for the team.Now if Said Head doesn't take him out he has a shot at victory on debut.
i wouldnt place any confidence in the wood brothers cause the 21 car is junk

[oldhippie]

Don't think we need to worry about Robby anymore but Boris Said Head may be a worry.
robby gordon could ruin several drivers race
robby gordon gets engines and assistance from the pole winners team
dont count robby gordon out cause he could win the race

boris said is in a mark simo car and not running a full schedule will hurt him
i doubt boris said will be able to keep up with most of the field

[oldhippie]

Shocked that Franchitti did not qualify but I wish Ambrose the best of luck for todays race.
not being in the top 35 cost franchitti a spot in the race
go home franchitti and by the way welcome to nascar :p

[wedge]

I know I'm being naive but Ambrose has been excellent in practice and can win the race.

AUSSIE! AUSSIE!

[oldhippie]

ambrose will probably dnf due to the sorry 21 car he will be in
marcos has talent but he needs to be in a better car imho

[El Sween]

not being in the top 35 cost franchitti a spot in the race
go home franchitti and by the way welcome to nascar :p

A bit harsh what's he done to you?

[RaceFanStan]

I know old hippie likes Dario Franchitti (old hippie is a friend of mine)
old hippie was being harsh about the top 35 rule.

old hippie's "go home franchitti and by the way welcome to nascar :p :" statement
was what he felt NASCAR was saying to Dario.

The top 35 rule can be brutal & many good drivers could go home dissappointed. :s

[harvick#1]

I believe Marcos will have a great race, his pitcrew is gonna cost him big though

[El Sween]

Ah i see. I was just wondering.

[MDS]

I get they start races late for the West Coast viewers, but do you really need to start the race at 2:20 p.m. local time? Would a noon start time be a bit too much to ask for?

[El Sween]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Montoya will win. I hope Bobby Labonte get's a good result as well.

[El Sween]

Damn it.

[MD24]

Today, Larry Mac mentioned that Casey Mears might have been told last week in Michigan that he won't be back next year with HMS.

Now, I just read that Mark Martin could be heading to HMS next year :eek:

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=3456369

[harvick#1]

wonder why Hendrick likes to basically fire his drivers half way through the season, 3 straight seasons hes done that, now Casey is gonna basically get the same treatment Brian and Kyle got when they got fired.

why Mark Martin is still racing, maybe he wants to be with everyteam before he calls it quits for good. maybe in 2 years he'll go to Gibbs, then Petty, RCR, Red Bull, BDR, RYR.

[mercury8]

Bad luck for Ambrose today,was in the running untill he retired.He gave it a good shake though.Would be great to see him in a better team but that is not to be.

[wedge]

JPM comes across as hypocritical given some of his antics last year.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68590

[Lee Roy]

Ambrose was certainly impressive yesterday. I hope his performance lands him a good ride at Watkins Glen (and other Cup races this year).

[Lee Roy]

JPM comes across as hypocritical given some of his antics last year.



Agreed

[harvick#1]

"A guy like that, because he never runs here, doesn't understand the give-and-take as much, and he just wants to prove himself he can race here and I was at the bad end of that deal," Montoya added

:rotflmao:

Montoya give's and take's my ass

[Bobby_Hamlin]

Montoya is the last guy who should be complaining about that sort of thing.

[MD24]

wonder why Hendrick likes to basically fire his drivers half way through the season, 3 straight seasons hes done that, now Casey is gonna basically get the same treatment Brian and Kyle got when they got fired.

It gives the drivers more time to find a new team.
Kyle Busch wasn't fired, they both agreed to go their separate ways.


why Mark Martin is still racing, maybe he wants to be with everyteam before he calls it quits for good. maybe in 2 years he'll go to Gibbs, then Petty, RCR, Red Bull, BDR, RYR.

Hiring Mark Martin is a short term solution and it will give Brad Keselowski and Landon Cassil more seat time before they make the jump to Cup.
You can't blame Mark Martin for giving it one more shot with a top notch team.

[Lee Roy]

It gives the drivers more time to find a new team.


Agreed. It would be a particularly bad way to treat a driver by letting him go at the end of the year when the good rides have already been filled. Gotta give a big thumbs-up to Hendrick for being considerate of his employees.

[mercury8]

Montoya is the last guy who should be complaining about that sort of thing.
Montoya should ask Scott Pruett about being turned around.They were team mates as well weren't they.