Watkins Glen Cup thread & entry list

[Jonesi]

48 cars entered
'Top 35', no changes other than Mark Martin out of #01 and Regan Smith in (instead of the Aric Almirola switch previously announced.)
'Need for Speed' road course subs, PJ Jones in #00, Terry Labonte in #55, Brian Simo in #37, & Patrick Carpentier in #10. Also Mark Goossens in Riley-D'Hondt Toyota #91.

Surprised no Boris Said on list.

(With Regan Smith still in #01 does this mean he's moved up the short list for #8 next year?)

[blakebeatty]

There was an article on Jayski the other day that stated that Mark Martin was really going to bat for Regan. Maybe he has convinced the higher-ups at DEI to give Smith a chance.

[bovic]

Carp?

[MD24]

So far only 39 entries for the Busch race

http://www.motorsportsone.com/busch/entry.htm

[call_me_andrew]

Is Marcos Ambrose entered?

[blakebeatty]

Yup! Robbie too!

[Aussie12]

I LOVE IT! Bring on the biff! :D

(Only kidding. Us serious race fans would never ever watch races for crashes and/or fights. :p Heh heh.)

[RaikkonenRules]

So far only 39 entries for the Busch race

http://www.motorsportsone.com/busch/entry.htm

Expect some Start and Park teams to enter before the weekend

[tassiedevilAB]

Is Marcos Ambrose entered?

no he is not racing in it ,bloody shame we didn't get to see the #47 in aussie colours with all aussie sponsors on it,

AMBROSE NEXTEL CUP DEBUT WITH WOOD BROTHERS/JTG RACING ON HOLD

At the beginning of the season, Wood Brothers/JTG Racing announced its plans to enter Marcos Ambrose in both of the Nextel Cup road course races in 2007.

Several circumstances have delayed Ambrose’s Cup debut and he will not be competing in Nextel Cup at Watkins Glen with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing this weekend, according to team co-owner, Tad Geschickter.

“We want to be totally prepared when we embark on Marcos’ Cup career,” said Geschickter.

“We have no doubts that he will succeed at the top level of our sport. The combination of our #21 Cup car fighting to regain a guaranteed starting position in points and the unforeseen complexities of the new ‘Car of Tomorrow’ introduction has forced us to rethink our earlier plans.

“Combine these factors with Marcos having a real opportunity to finish well inside the coveted top 10 in Busch Series points and we felt that stretching our resources to rush his Cup debut was the wrong thing to do at this time.”

Ambrose fully supported the decision and is looking forward to making his Nextel Cup debut with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the future.

“There is no doubt that my goal is to drive in the Nextel Cup Series and it is what I am focused on doing in the future,” said Ambrose.

“I want to make sure that we are well prepared when we have a go at it.

“I’m excited about the progress that this team is making with my Busch equipment and I agree that we need to focus our efforts on continuing to improve.

2 cars gathering data would have been good for the teams this is going to put more Pressure on Bill to get the car running good, but we know that Bill can set up a car & everybody was worried at the start of the year if Marcos would even make the busch race at Montreal, give him the tools & he will make just about every race as we have seen in the last 2 seasons
What he did at Montreal is proof that he does know how to set up a car for road courses. His car & him was the class act there & the so called road ringers sure know that now!

[wedge]

Nice to see Patrick Carpentier in there

[Jonesi]

Some updates:
Klaus Graf in #49
Ron Fellows in #96
Boris Said expected to be there
and the rumor that Ambrose will be entered in a car by Robby Gordon.

[Jonesi]

As rumored, Boris Said will be there in his #60, and Marcos Ambrose will be in #277 entered by Robby Gordon. This brings the entry list to 50, so 7 going home. If either Terry Labonte or Bill Elliott can get in on speed then both will be in the field, so realistically there will be 13 cars fighting for 6 open spots.

[tassiedevilAB]

robby would make good RC cars so they both get in, is that a reasonable assumption, gee i hope so seeing that woods have given Marcos to drive & to also have his own crew fron the busch team is keepin the flow going.

It would have been harder if he had A BUSCH & CUP TEAM TO GET USE TO.

GREAT MOVE BY ROBBY & THE WOODS & ALSO THERE 2 SPONSORS TO COME ON BOARD FOR HIM!

GO AUSSIE GO !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Erki]

Will be interesting to see how they are going to drive a CoY on Saturday and CoT on Sunday. Of course, they have done it already many times, but not on a road course.

[tstran17_88]

So far so good on Robby Gordon? I heard a rumor that they might park him this weekend also, even after the fines & probation.

[blakebeatty]

Yikes! Now that is getting excessive! I can't see them parking him this weekend, but even the slightest sideways glance out of Robbie for the rest of the season will get him booted

[Mark in Oshawa]

Jones, I don't know where you got your info from, but Ron Fellows in the 96 is hardly an "update", since he had a deal with Hall of Fame for this race done in the offseason. Ron always gets a ride for the Glen for out of all the ringers, he has come the closest from taking this race from a Cup Regular. I suspect with luck, maybe he will have a shot this week, but I don't think the COT program Hall of Fame has put together will get him there....

[tassiedevilAB]

ENTRY LIST
Centurion Boats at The Glen | Watkins Glen International
August 12, 2007 | Race 22 of 36


CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN MAKE SPONSOR OWNER
00 P.J. Jones Torrance, CA Toyota Burger King Calvin Wells, III
1 Martin Truex Jr. Mayetta, NJ Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Teresa Earnhardt
01 Regan Smith Cato, NY Chevrolet U.S. Army Bobby Ginn
2 Kurt Busch Las Vegas, NV Dodge Miller Lite Roger Penske
4 Ward Burton South Boston, VA Chevrolet Lucas Oil / State Water Heaters James Finch
5 Kyle Busch Las Vegas, NV Chevrolet CARQUEST / Kellogg's Rick Hendrick
6 David Ragan* Unadilla, GA Ford AAA Insurance Mike Dee
7 Robby Gordon Orange, CA Ford Jim Beam Robby Gordon
07 Clint Bowyer Emporia, KS Chevrolet Jack Daniel's Richard Childress
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kannapolis, NC Chevrolet Budweiser Teresa Earnhardt
9 Kasey Kahne Enumclaw, WA Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW Ray Evernham
10 Patrick Carpentier Ville Lasalle, Quebec Dodge Valvoline / Stanley Tools James Rocco
11 Denny Hamlin Chesterfield, VA Chevrolet FedEx Ground J D Gibbs
12 Ryan Newman South Bend, IN Dodge Kodak Roger Penske
15 Paul Menard* Eau Claire, WI Chevrolet Quaker State / Menards Bobby Ginn
16 Greg Biffle Vancouver, WA Ford Nintendo Wii Jack Roush
17 Matt Kenseth Cambridge, WI Ford DEWALT John Henry
18 J.J. Yeley Phoenix, AZ Chevrolet Interstate Batteries Joe Gibbs
19 Elliott Sadler Emporia, VA Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW Ray Evernham
20 Tony Stewart Rushville, IN Chevrolet The Home Depot Joe Gibbs
21 Bill Elliott Dawsonville, GA Ford Little Debbie Glen Wood
22 Dave Blaney Hartford, OH Toyota Caterpillar Bill Davis
24 Jeff Gordon Pittsboro, IN Chevrolet DuPont Rick Hendrick
25 Casey Mears Bakersfield, CA Chevrolet National Guard / GMAC Mary Hendrick
26 Jamie McMurray Joplin, MO Ford Crown Royal Geoff Smith
29 Kevin Harvick Bakersfield, CA Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil Richard Childress
31 Jeff Burton South Boston, VA Chevrolet AT&T Mobility Richard Childress
36 Jeremy Mayfield Owensboro, KY Toyota 360 OTC Gail Davis
37 Brian Simo Carlsbad, CA Dodge Front Row Motorsports Bob Jenkins
38 David Gilliland Riverside, CA Ford M&M's Robert Yates
40 David Stremme South Bend, IN Dodge Coors Light Felix Sabates
41 Reed Sorenson Peachtree City, GA Dodge Target Chip Ganassi
42 Juan Montoya* Bogota, Colombia Dodge Wrigley's Big Red Floyd Ganassi
43 Bobby Labonte Corpus Christi, TX Dodge Cheerios / Betty Crocker Richard Petty
44 Dale Jarrett Hickory, NC Toyota UPS Michael Waltrip
45 Kyle Petty Randleman, NC Dodge Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Kyle Petty
48 Jimmie Johnson El Cajon, CA Chevrolet Lowe's Jeff Gordon
49 Klaus Graf Dornhan, Germany Dodge Paralyzed Veterans of America Elizabeth Morgenthau
55 Terry Labonte Corpus Christi, TX Toyota NAPA Auto Parts Buffy Waltrip
66 Jeff Green Owensboro, KY Chevrolet Haas Automation / Best Buy Joe Custer
70 Johnny Sauter Necedah, WI Chevrolet Haas Automation Joe Custer
78 Kenny Wallace St. Louis, MO Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing Barney Visser
83 Brian Vickers Thomasville, NC Toyota Red Bull Dietrich Mateschitz
84 A.J. Allmendinger* Los Gatos, CA Toyota Red Bull Dietrich Mateschitz
88 Ricky Rudd Chesapeake, VA Ford Snickers Robert Yates
96 Ron Fellows Mississauga, Ontario Chevrolet DLP HDTV Bill Saunders
99 Carl Edwards Columbia, MO Ford Office Depot Georgetta Roush
160 Boris Said Carlsbad, CA Ford SOBE - No Fear Mark Simo
177 Marcos Ambrose Launceston, Tasmania Ford Camping World
/ RVs.com Robby Gordon

link nascar.com

[Jonesi]

RACE LINEUP
Centurion Boats at The Glen | Watkins Glen International
August 12, 2007 | Race 22 of 36
RAIN OUT Position Based on Owner Points

POS CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR SPEED TIME BEHIND
1 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont N/A N/A N/A
2 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet FedEx Ground N/A N/A N/A
3 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT N/A N/A N/A
4 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility N/A N/A N/A
5 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot N/A N/A N/A
6 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot N/A N/A N/A
7 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's N/A N/A N/A
8 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet CARQUEST / Kellogg's N/A N/A N/A
9 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil N/A N/A N/A
10 01 Regan Smith Chevrolet U.S. Army N/A N/A N/A
11 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's N/A N/A N/A
12 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker N/A N/A N/A
13 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite N/A N/A N/A
14 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser N/A N/A N/A
15 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Kodak think: N/A N/A N/A
16 16 Greg Biffle Ford Nintendo Wii N/A N/A N/A
17 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal N/A N/A N/A
18 42 Juan Montoya* Dodge Wrigley's Big Red N/A N/A N/A
19 25 Casey Mears Chevrolet National Guard / GMAC N/A N/A N/A
20 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Betty Crocker N/A N/A N/A
21 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Interstate Batteries N/A N/A N/A
22 6 David Ragan* Ford AAA Insurance N/A N/A N/A
23 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW N/A N/A N/A
24 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target N/A N/A N/A
25 40 David Stremme Dodge Coors Light N/A N/A N/A
26 96 Ron Fellows Chevrolet DLP HDTV N/A N/A N/A
27 88 Ricky Rudd Ford Snickers / EA SPORTS NASCAR 08 N/A N/A N/A
28 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW N/A N/A N/A
29 7 Robby Gordon Ford Jim Beam N/A N/A N/A
30 38 David Gilliland Ford M&M's N/A N/A N/A
31 15 Paul Menard* Chevrolet Quaker State / Menards N/A N/A N/A
32 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Haas Automation / Best Buy N/A N/A N/A
33 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil N/A N/A N/A
34 70 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet Haas Automation N/A N/A N/A
35 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar N/A N/A N/A
36 21 Bill Elliott Ford Little Debbie N/A N/A N/A
37 10 Patrick Carpentier Dodge Valvoline / Stanley Tools N/A N/A N/A
38 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull N/A N/A N/A
39 00 P.J. Jones Toyota Burger King N/A N/A N/A
40 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS N/A N/A N/A
41 4 Ward Burton Chevrolet Lucas Oil / State Water Heaters N/A N/A N/A
42 36 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 360 OTC N/A N/A N/A
43 78 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing N/A N/A N/A
Did Not Qualify
44 49 Klaus Graf Dodge Paralyzed Veterans of America - - -
45 55 Terry Labonte Toyota NAPA Auto Parts - - -
46 84 A.J. Allmendinger* Toyota Red Bull - - -
47 37 Brian Simo Dodge Front Row Motorsports - - -
48 160 Boris Said Ford SOBE - No Fear - - -
49 177 Marcos Ambrose Ford Camping World / RVs.com / Kingsford - - -
+ Set by Owner Points
* Denotes Rookie
This is per Nascar.com. (Still trying to figure out how Terry Labonte doesn't make it.)

[Jonesi]

Yes, Jayski has Terry Labonte in 38th, Ward Burton out and a different arangement of 36-43. I suspect he's more accurate.

[dwboogityfan]

This sucks. Why on earth couldn't the go or go home cars have a separate qualifying on Saturday morning to allow people like Boris and Marcos a chance to race?
NASCAR has once again shown that it doesn't care about the teams outside the top 35, just as they did at Daytona when they screwed Boris out of the pole. This is two weeks in a row that NASCAR has managed to infuriate me with a decision. Its time that Robin Pemberton, Mike Helton and the rest of the people who make these decisions are held accountable.

[Erki]

How many times has it happened already that WG qualifying gets rained out??? Time to bring in the rain tyres methinks. :idea:

[Erki]

And btw, if Quali is rained out, why not determine the grid by 1st practice times? It happened already this year at one ALMS race. At least this way, drivers who are fast and show it in 1st practice, get into the race. This current system sucks(as it always does ;) )

[Vez]

How many times has it happened already that WG qualifying gets rained out??? Time to bring in the rain tyres methinks. :idea:

The answer to your question is 3 times in the last 4 years.

http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/08/10/jgordon.cup.quals.watkins.glen/index.html

[mercury8]

I heard them talking about 600 wet tyres for the Montreal race,how come they don't use them at The Glen?

[Jonesi]

NASCAR has once again shown that it doesn't care about the teams outside the top 35,

Actually they do care and reward team owners that are there every week over those that aren't. With one exception I'll get to, the highest placed car that doesn't race was 44th in owner points.
The other car is Ward Burton in the #4 which is 41st in owner points but on paper is shown as only attempting 20 races instead of 21, (due to a deal with the part time #09 Mike Wallace car which finished 4th at Daytona 500 but didn't run Cal a week later). This deal to help them get into races 3-5, has kept them out of 3 rained out qualifing races since then. Oops.
No matter what system you come up with, when there's 49 cars entered for a 43 car grid, 6 cars are packing up.

[IndianChiefJoy]

Montoya starting 18th?, practically a sealed victory to Hendrick. At least he won't satrt 32nd like at Sonoma.

[Jonesi]

Montoya starting 18th?, practically a sealed victory to Hendrick. At least he won't satrt 32nd like at Sonoma.

Montoya's win at Sonoma was helped by smart pit work cycling and lucky caution timing. There's no reason that can't happen on Sunday too. However the best CoTs have been Hendrick & Gibbs cars and they're at the front. Personally I love to see Robby fighting for the win on the last lap.

[Jonesi]

Yes, Jayski has Terry Labonte in 38th, Ward Burton out and a different arangement of 36-43. I suspect he's more accurate.

Nascar.com now has the same order as Jayski. ;-) Here's how it sorted out:

36 83 BRIAN VICKERS 06 winner
37 44 DALE JARRETT past champ
38 55 TERRY LABONTE past champ
39 21 BILL ELLIOTT past champ
40 10 PATRICK CARPENTIER pts/sts
41 00 P. J. JONES pts/sts
42 36 JEREMY MAYFIELD pts/sts
43 78 KENNY WALLACE pts/sts

DNQ
4 WARD BURTON
84 AJ ALLMENDINGER
37 BRIAN SIMO
49 KLAUS GRAF
60 BORIS SAID
77 MARCOS AMBROSE

[Mark in Oshawa]

Montoya starting 18th?, practically a sealed victory to Hendrick. At least he won't satrt 32nd like at Sonoma.

How you figure this is a sealed victory for Hendrick? IT is NASCAR road racing man, you can come from anywhere and win with a little strategy on the pit stops, luck and some good skilled driving. If JPM can win starting 32nd, and Jeff Gordon can get a top 5 finish starting at the back, then anything can happen for a good road racer....

[Mark in Oshawa]

I heard them talking about 600 wet tyres for the Montreal race,how come they don't use them at The Glen?

NASCAR has NOT used the rain tires they had made years ago, and the teams were told to give up on the idea a year or so ago. NASCAR was never quite sure how well it would work, and didn't want to have such a wild card as rain mess with the results. It was only an option for the two road courses, and there were concerns about keeping the windshields clear of fog. Lets face the reality of it. They tried some tests with Cup Cars in the rain in 96 when I was at the Glen and Mark Martin and Earnhardt tried some laps in the rain. That was the last time they actually seemed to try the concept. NASCAR is just content to let things stand, because they don't answer to anyone.

I would prefer they use practice times for fastest laps for the go and go home guys, but they wont, so that is that. It sucks Said isn't in the race, not to mention the Super Aussie.....but it is what it is. The top teams are rewarded season long by getting guarnteed starts and the teams that are struggling are not rewarded. No system can always be fair to everyone, but I think they have a pretty good system going for the most part. They don't feel any obligation to help "ringers" get into the race, believe me.

[Galveston dunes]

Darn and I so wanted to see the next installment of Ambrose and Rubby.

[mercury8]

NASCAR has NOT used the rain tires they had made years ago, and the teams were told to give up on the idea a year or so ago. NASCAR was never quite sure how well it would work, and didn't want to have such a wild card as rain mess with the results. It was only an option for the two road courses, and there were concerns about keeping the windshields clear of fog. Lets face the reality of it. They tried some tests with Cup Cars in the rain in 96 when I was at the Glen and Mark Martin and Earnhardt tried some laps in the rain. That was the last time they actually seemed to try the concept. NASCAR is just content to let things stand, because they don't answer to anyone.

I would prefer they use practice times for fastest laps for the go and go home guys, but they wont, so that is that. It sucks Said isn't in the race, not to mention the Super Aussie.....but it is what it is. The top teams are rewarded season long by getting guarnteed starts and the teams that are struggling are not rewarded. No system can always be fair to everyone, but I think they have a pretty good system going for the most part. They don't feel any obligation to help "ringers" get into the race, believe me.Cheers for that.The windscreens shouldn't be a problem,the aussies have worked it out.Rain effected races around road courses throw a wild card in the ring and evens the field up,pity Nascar don't change there ways.

[call_me_andrew]

NASCAR has NOT used the rain tires they had made years ago, and the teams were told to give up on the idea a year or so ago. NASCAR was never quite sure how well it would work, and didn't want to have such a wild card as rain mess with the results. It was only an option for the two road courses, and there were concerns about keeping the windshields clear of fog. Lets face the reality of it. They tried some tests with Cup Cars in the rain in 96 when I was at the Glen and Mark Martin and Earnhardt tried some laps in the rain. That was the last time they actually seemed to try the concept. NASCAR is just content to let things stand, because they don't answer to anyone.

Mark, for once in your life, you got it all wrong. The first use of rain tires that I know of came at Suzuka in 1997. Rain tires were used again at Watkins Glen in 2000 when a qualifying session was changed to a practise session due to rain. They have defrosters for the windshield. Now the NEXTEL Cup teams were told to give up because tires only have a 7 year shelf life, and they were made in 1997. I believe the Busch Series can still use rain tires (I know they would at Mexico), and if you look closely, you'll notice they still have mounts for windshield wipers. It would be great if they had someone to answer to.

http://www.autoracing1.com/images/2000/NASCAR/gy2_800.jpg
http://www.autoracing1.com/images/2000/NASCAR/gy4_800.JPG
http://www.autoracing1.com/images/2000/NASCAR/gy1_800.jpg

[Erki]

Now the NEXTEL Cup teams were told to give up because tires only have a 7 year shelf life, and they were made in 1997.

Make new tyres, then. :rolleyes:

[harvick#1]

rain brings out the best racing, Nascar is too dumb to figure that out :mark:

[RaceFanStan]

Would I spend hundreds of dollars to go to a race & watch it in the rain ?
Simply put, I have to say NO !!!

If NASCAR wants to keeps butts in the seats they will disregard the silly notion of racing in the rain. http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

At most tracks very few seats are covered, so a fan has to sit in whatever Mother Nature gives them.
From a breezy 35*F @ Bristol in March to a humid 90*+ @ Indy in July the loyal fans fill the seats.
To expect fans to also endure sitting in the rain would be too much ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

[Erki]

To expect fans to also endure sitting in the rain would be too much ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

No wonder rallying is so unpopular in the US - "fans" want to park their asses to nice good comfy stools to drink Bud and see the whole racetrack...

[harvick#1]

a race in the rain is one of the best things to happen, thats when the "real" drivers come out to play :D

it seemed at Bristol last year when it was snowing, everyone was having a fun time throwing snowballs at Kyle Busch :p :

if the yuppie fans like to stay dry so be it, there is an invention called the umbrella and garbage bags.

you can only get wet for so long and then you don't get any wetter :p :

[MD24]

Said in the #21 at Watkins Glen:
Boris Said, whose opportunity to race his #60 No Fear Energy Ford Fusion this weekend was lost when Friday's qualifying session was rained out, will drive the #21 Little Debbie Ford Fusion instead, replacing Bill Elliott. It was Elliott's idea to put Said, a noted road racer, in the car this weekend. Len Wood - co-owner, No. 21 Little Debbie Ford Fusion - "Bill Elliott came up a little while ago, and I guess he had run into Boris across the garage, and he asked him what he was doing, and Boris said, 'Nothing,' you know, he had missed the race. I don't know from where it started, if Bill asked him to drive our car or what. I think that's the way it went because Bill came to me and said that in the best interests of the team, let's put Boris in. He said I'll give it my best effort, and Bill's an excellent road racer, the first place he ever won was at Riverside, but he suggested putting Boris in. We first cleared it with sponsors and then went to NASCAR and cleared it with them."(Ford Racing PR)(8-11-2007)

[dwboogityfan]

Great move for the Wood Bros and a move that once again shows Bill Elliott is one of NASCARs classiest guys. Good luck to Boris on Sunday.

[call_me_andrew]

Make new tyres, then. :rolleyes:

Goodyear won't make new tires unless someone's willing to pay for them.


At most tracks very few seats are covered, so a fan has to sit in whatever Mother Nature gives them.
From a breezy 35*F @ Bristol in March to a humid 90*+ @ Indy in July the loyal fans fill the seats.
To expect fans to also endure sitting in the rain would be too much ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

We're not looking to see rain tires everywhere. We're familair with the laws of physics. I'd rather watch the race in the rain that watch literally nothing in the rain until NASCAR says what time the race will start tomorrow. I've tried that, I wouldn't recommend it.

It doens't matter if people stick around in the rain. They paid for their tickets before they got to the track, and they paid to be there for the entire race.

[Jonesi]

First caution lap 12
Said up to 28th so far, Montoya 9th.

[e2mtt]

so far, nice race. Tony looks strong, Jr. looking good! How is Robby's race gonna play out?

[e2mtt]

Oh bummer... this might be the end of Juniors chase hopes... his engine is dead on the track

[Jonesi]

#8 motor gone. That should do it for his chance at the chase, if #2 doesn't have a DNF in the next 4 races (currently 2nd on track).

[dont_be_jack]

#8 motor gone. That should do it for his chance at the chase, if #2 doesn't have a DNF in the next 4 races (currently 2nd on track).

Or a terrible finish. We'll see what happens with Junior.

[e2mtt]

Now that was driving by Tony Stewart! using up ALL the track...

[xtlm]

why is there a caution.....oh

[Jonesi]

I hope they penalize Tony for shortcutting the course. Knowing Nascar they probably won't.

[xtlm]

fightarooni

[Jonesi]

On restart Montoya, Harvick & Burton get into each other. Followed by shoving between Montoya & Harvick.

[Jonesi]

On replay it's clear Montoya got pushed (way past braking point of T1) by Truex.

[harvick#1]

On restart Montoya, Harvick & Burton get into each other. Followed by shoving between Montoya & Harvick.

only Montoya was shoving, Harvick is alot smarter than that

but Truex was the main culprit of that, he needs to learn how to brake

[Alexamateo]

only Montoya was shoving, Harvick is alot smarter than that

but Truex was the main culprit of that, he needs to learn how to brake

Yeah, but Harvick was in his face, clearly the instigator.

[xtlm]

red flag

[harvick#1]

when he wrecked and saw the 42, I think he finally had enough with Monty, Monty wrecks someone every week, but Truex made a move, Monty blocked, and you know that was going to happen. its sucks that Burton and Harvick both got collected by a move that is a huge no-no to road course racing

[harvick#1]

now that was awesome by that fan,

go onto the track, jumped into the car and asked Kenseth for an autograph :D

[muggle not]

Harvick was a candy azz letting JPM push him all over the track. Kevie is all talk.......Ricky was right calling him a yap-yap. :D

[harvick#1]

Harvick knows better since 2002, he doesn't want to get suspended for being taking out by an idiot

[e2mtt]

when he wrecked and saw the 42, I think he finally had enough with Monty, Monty wrecks someone every week, but Truex made a move, Monty blocked, and you know that was going to happen. its sucks that Burton and Harvick both got collected by a move that is a huge no-no to road course racing

yeah right Harvick#1... that was Truex's mistake, not some huge "no-no" by Monty. You were spot-on in first comment. "but Truex was the main culprit of that, he needs to learn how to brake"

As mentioned by Harvick & JPM in interview, Harvick was threating to kick his a**, so JPM probably felt like he should get a little physical to make sure it didn't happen.

[muggle not]

B.S............Jeff would have decked JPM if he was pushed all over the way JPM did Kevie Candy Azz. :) .

[harvick#1]

Jeff would've went running straight to the hauler in tears :p :

[harvick#1]

yeah right Harvick#1... that was Truex's mistake, not some huge "no-no" by Monty. You were spot-on in first comment. "but Truex was the main culprit of that, he needs to learn how to brake"


blocking into that turn is a huge no-no, its not a rule, but its something that Nascar needs to look at, Truex got a clean run and Montoya blocked all the way to the inside wall, then Monty braked earlier than Truex and bam. another wreck.

Nascar really needs to start looking into blocking outside of Daytona and Talladega.

[e2mtt]

ooh... Harvick's crew trying to fix things under the red... busted :)

[OWFan19]

Harvick is a little bitch.

[e2mtt]

blocking into that turn is a huge no-no, its not a rule, but its something that Nascar needs to look at, Truex got a clean run and Montoya blocked all the way to the inside wall, then Monty braked earlier than Truex and bam. another wreck.

Nascar really needs to start looking into blocking outside of Daytona and Talladega.

For what its worth, one of the cool things about Watkins Glen is the 3 & 4 wide racing into turn 1, especially right after a restart. I don't like the blocking rules at all in Champcar & IRL, and I think NASCAR letting them just race is the way to go, especially since the stock cars can handle quite a bit of banging without breaking.

[harvick#1]

damn that 29 crew quickly jumped on the work like bees working on the engine

[Jonesi]

15 laps to go. Robby's in 8th, Fellows in 10th, Boris in 19th, Carp back in 29th, time for more drama. ;-)

[Jonesi]

damn that 29 crew quickly jumped on the work like bees working on the engine

Not a good thing when it's against the rules.

[e2mtt]

now this is nascar at its best!

[harvick#1]

Stewart to 2nd

[call_me_andrew]

now this is nascar at its best!

Two cars running away and not even compeditive with each other?

Oh, a predictable caution.

[e2mtt]

is that still technically a car that Harvick is driving?

[harvick#1]

yep, just an engine with wheels :p :

[xtlm]

woo Rusty's comment,

"this car of tomorrow, its so bad, handles bad and breaks so bad, it puts on a great race"

i agree, more competitive and makes the better drivers shine.

[e2mtt]

Two cars running away and not even compeditive with each other?

Oh, a predictable caution.

Cars running away with a race? Somehow I'm seeing 30-some cars passing & repassing each other, spilling, sliding, running all over the track, and turning left & right & going up and down hills.

And 2 of the biggest stars out front in a classic chase.

[Jonesi]

Two cars running away and not even compeditive with each other?

Oh, a predictable caution.

More like #24 pulls out a lead when 20, 11 & 99 fight for 2nd.

[e2mtt]

woo Rusty's comment,

"this car of tomorrow, its so bad, handles bad and breaks so bad, it puts on a great race"

i agree, more competitive and makes the better drivers shine.

Rusty has been in fine form with his comments this weekend!

[call_me_andrew]

I think the race has been pretty dull today.

[harvick#1]

here comes a big wreck

[call_me_andrew]

Holy crap Gordon spun!

[xtlm]

oh my................................................ ...............

[xtlm]

oh my again......

[call_me_andrew]

I don't know what race Rusty was watching, but that had way too many yellows to be a good race.

[muggle not]

I will rate the race 8.5 out of 10. Great race.

[muggle not]

Will Candy-Azz get fined for his language on TV.

[e2mtt]

Awesome race. Wow. Didn't see the 24 spin coming... Tony is still the man on road couses. My cable went out with 7 laps to go, I had to listen to it on the radio.

[harvick#1]

Holy crap Gordon spun!

got to scared of the Pumpkin behind him :laugh:

[harvick#1]

Will Candy-Azz get fined for his language on TV.

you already know they are both getting fined, Monty should get more though for pushing Harv twice.

I'm sure they will get 25-50K and Probation until Dec. 31

[e2mtt]

got to scared of the Pumpkin behind him :laugh:

hahaha halloween comes early!

[harvick#1]

I just have to question Edwards, did he just flat out miss that corner, he went flying through the gravel trap

[Jonesi]

Awesome race. Wow. Didn't see the 24 spin coming... Tony is still the man on road couses. My cable went out with 7 laps to go, I had to listen to it on the radio.

ESPN missed it live. Expect to see it replayed on every sports/news show tonight.

[harvick#1]

Awesome race. Wow. Didn't see the 24 spin coming... Tony is still the man on road couses. My cable went out with 7 laps to go, I had to listen to it on the radio.

He wheel-hopped turn 1 just like what Stewart did earlier in the race

[muggle not]

you already know they are both getting fined, Monty should get more though for pushing Harv twice.
I'm sure they will get 25-50K and Probation until Dec. 31
Twice!!! He must have pushed him at least 4 or 5 times. Forget the money, it is the point penalties that will burn.

[dont_be_jack]

This is looking more than more like 2005 when Tony won the championship...

He's getting hot at the end of the season and remaining completely relaxed. We'll have to see how well Gordon can keep his point lead up...

[Jonesi]

This is looking more than more like 2005 when Tony won the championship...

He's getting hot at the end of the season and remaining completely relaxed. We'll have to see how well Gordon can keep his point lead up...

Realistically Johnson would have to win or Tony win twice more.
Right now Gordon & Johnson start the chase with 5040 points, Tony 5030, everyone else 5010 points, but Bowyer with 5000.

[harvick#1]

wow, ten points, that's 2 positions, thats no lead :p :

in F1 yes, but Nascar, not even close

[Jonesi]

wow, ten points, that's 2 positions, thats no lead :p :

in F1 yes, but Nascar, not even close

But it explains why anything but a win at this point, is meaningless to Jeff.

[BobbyC]

Jeff Gordon also is officially secured in the Chase with his 9th place finish (needed to be 12th to lock). Nobody else is an official lock.

Wild race, but it shows what racing drivers can do -- race hard, race right, and drive. Despite the complaints about the lack of grip and downforce, it shows that these cars are best for road racing, since the road-course "ringers" had to learn to drive a car without the fancy grip and brakes they have with their usual cars.

[Jonesi]

Updated owner points are up on Jayski. Putting Boris Said in #21 for Elliott seems to have paid off, his 14th for 121 points over Blaney's 35th for 58 points moved them into the "Top 35" with 37 points over #22.

[Jonesi]

Here's something interesting that wasn't covered by any other source. If true, it appears Nascar moved Robby Gordon back a position under caution, just to see if he would behave himself doing it.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7119022

[e2mtt]

Here's something interesting that wasn't covered by any other source. If true, it appears Nascar moved Robby Gordon back a position under caution, just to see if he would behave himself doing it.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7119022

I noticed that when it happened... I knew Biffle didn't pass him on the track, but under the yellow Biffle got ahead. Dirty, dirty, dirty.

[Sparky1329]

Here's something interesting that wasn't covered by any other source. If true, it appears Nascar moved Robby Gordon back a position under caution, just to see if he would behave himself doing it.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7119022

If that's not scummy I don't know what is. I thought the sport was being managed by adults. Apparently not.

[muggle not]

I think y'all missed my post in the Conspiracy topic:


msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7119022

NASCAR giving Gordon a real test by Lee Spencer

"WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - You can't keep a good racer down.

But if NASCAR has a whipping boy, it would be Robby Gordon. He was clearly jobbed at Montreal, but the pettiness of NASCAR testing its obedience lesson on him at Watkins Glen on Sunday was just vindictive.

With 14 laps remaining in the Centurion Boats at the Glen, NASCAR forced Gordon to line up in the ninth position behind Greg Biffle.

A little background: The No. 16 (Biffle) hadn't moved from 19th position from Lap 50 to Lap 60 while the No. 7 (Gordon) jumped from 27th to 12th in the same period. Through the next four laps, as cars pitted in front of Gordon and Biffle, they moved to eighth and ninth, respectively, in the running order.

When second-place Jeremy Mayfield pitted on the following lap, Kurt Busch moved into second behind leader Jeff Gordon. On Lap 64, third-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s engine failed. During that same lap, Caution 5 was called for debris following an altercation between Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman. Busch, who entered the race seven points ahead of the sidelined Earnhardt, pitted for fuel, was slapped with a "speeding" penalty and was forced to restart 30th on Lap 67.

By then, Gordon had climbed to eighth. One lap later, Kyle Petty's engine failed and Caution 6 flew for oil on the track. Gordon remained eighth throughout the multi-car crash that prompted Caution 7 (which lasted from Laps 74 to 77 and included a 26-minute red-flag period on Lap 76) and led to a shoving match between Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya.

During the red-flag delay, one of Gordon's crewmen commented over the radio: NASCAR's got a couple of new bad boys to worry about.

But Gordon prognosticated, "I'm sure I'll be on the 'A' list for a while."

Gordon didn't know how right he was. Shock was the first emotion expressed on Gordon's channel when NASCAR tested the team with the directive to cede the No. 7's eighth-place position to Biffle. Then silence.

"I just want to know if that's a new rule," Gordon asked his crew. "Unbelievable. Are you sure they don't want to put someone else in front of me?"

Certainly, the sanctioning body was testing Gordon's willingness to comply Sunday afternoon — after he had repeatedly ignored NASCAR's black flags and instructions to fall back to 13th position late in the Aug. 4 Busch race at Montreal.

According to Kerry Tharp, NASCAR director of public relations, "On Lap 72, the 7 is ahead of the 16, they go down into Turn 1 and the caution comes out. The field is frozen and the 7 has lost a spot to the 16. While he may have been riding ahead of the 16 during the caution, he was placed in his proper postion (behind the 16) before they resumed to green flag racing."

But neither Gordon nor timing and scoring in the media center picked up on the change.

On Aug. 5, Gordon was parked at Pocono, then fined $35,000 and placed on probation with "the stipulation that if, during the remaining NASCAR events in 2007, there is another action by Gordon that is deemed by NASCAR officials as detrimental to stock car racing or to NASCAR, or is disruptive to the orderly conduct of an event, he will be suspended indefinitely from NASCAR."

Screwing with Gordon on a road course is asking for trouble. But Gordon opted for the high road — chicanes and all. He collected himself, reminded the team, "It's their sandbox and we just played in it," then issued the warning: the 16 better be prepared to move over.

Crew chief Gene Nead replied, "Take no prisoners!"

And Gordon did just that. Despite a bad pit stop exacerbated by engine, ignition and brake issues, Gordon easily overtook Biffle and his Roush-Fenway teammate, Matt Kenseth, in short order.

By Lap 80, Gordon had moved up to sixth as the eighth and final caution flag waved after P.J. Jones spun in the inner loop. With eight circuits remaining in the race, Gordon lined up behind Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson.

After the crew advised Gordon of his position, the driver asked, "They won't make anyone go in front of me?"

Nead answered, "No, but they'd like you to pass the 48 (Johnson), 99 (Edwards) and 11 (Hamlin) before the day's over."

With a challenge from behind by Ron Fellows on Lap 85, who was powered by a Joe Gibbs Racing engine, Gordon relinquished the sixth position. But he remained patient, working diligently with the equipment he had. As the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) spun out with two laps to go, Robby Gordon regained the sixth position. On the final lap, Edwards pushed a bit too hard and slid into the gravel in Turn 10, opening the door for Gordon to finish a season-high fifth.

"It didn't take long to pass them. I told the guys we would get two or three on the first lap — and that's exactly what we did," Gordon said. "Unfortunately, I used up my brakes trying to get there. I'm not sure what that call was about. Maybe they went all the way back to the start-finish line, but I don't get it.

"My car bobbled and misfired and a couple of 'em made a jump on me, but I passed them all right back in Turn 1. I don't think (Biffle) was ever in front of me, but what are you going to do? Time and again they pull this stuff, what do you want me to do?"

Just keep your helmet held high and race."

[RaceFanStan]

It's good that Robby raced smart & allowed NASCAR to play their game.
NASCAR punished Robby for Montreal, now they need to let Robby race ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

[Sparky1329]

NASCAR needs to grown the f*** up.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Heck...I have always known NASCAR plays games, now we have it out there and it looks obvious that Robby was a target for a bit of their games. Makes you wonder about the validity about their pit lane speeding penalities too......because they don't use or admit to using a radar gun to time guys in pit lane, it is all done with a stop watch and an official timing cars between lines......now who is to say some games are not being played THERE???