Daytona 400 Cup Race Thread

[Jonesi]

Entry List, 46 cars, 3 cars DNQ
Top 35:
18 KYLE BUSCH
31 JEFF BURTON
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR
99 CARL EDWARDS
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON
24 JEFF GORDON
11 DENNY HAMLIN
16 GREG BIFFLE
20 TONY STEWART
9 KASEY KAHNE
--
07 CLINT BOWYER
29 KEVIN HARVICK
17 MATT KENSETH
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
12 RYAN NEWMAN
83 BRIAN VICKERS
6 DAVID RAGAN
2 KURT BUSCH
28 TRAVIS KVAPIL
43 BOBBY LABONTE
--
42 JUAN MONTOYA
38 DAVID GILLILAND
5 CASEY MEARS
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
15 PAUL MENARD
44 DAVID REUTIMANN
8 MARK MARTIN
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
22 DAVE BLANEY
--
41 REED SORENSON
7 ROBBY GORDON
01 REGAN SMITH
77 SAM HORNISH JR (tied with 00 for last in top 35)
00 MICHAEL McDOWELL

GOGH
45 TERRY LABONTE (has Champ Prov)
66 SCOTT RIGGS (out of top 35 by -25)
96 J.J. YELEY
78 JOE NEMECHEK
10 PATRICK CARPENTIER
84 AJ ALLMENDINGER
40 DARIO FRANCHITTI
70 JOHNNY SAUTER
21 JON WOOD
34 TONY RAINES
60 BORIS SAID

[Jonesi]

Now down to 45 cars with #40 DARIO FRANCHITTI withdrawal.

[oldhippie]

my guess is that Wood and Said wil go home

[RaceFanStan]

Boris Said & Jon Wood get Roush/Yates engines, so I think they will make the field.
So my thoughts are that Scott Riggs & Johnny Sauter will go home. :eek:

[Jonesi]

Made a cut & paste error on the entry list:
09 STERLING MARLIN in JAMES FINCH MICCOSUKEE GAMING CHEVY is running this weekend.
No 34 TONY RAINES entered.

[Jonesi]

Car #1 fails tech:
http://www.cupscene.com/070308nascar1.htm

[RaceFanStan]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/buc.jpg


along with Martin Truex Jr going to a back-up car (failed inspection) ...

Kurt Busch had the fastest lap speed in Thursday's practice, 189.633 mph ...
but while doing a fuel run, he blew a right-front tire on his #2 Dodge coming out of Turn 2 ...
Kurt crashed hard into the outside wall, causing heavy damage to the right side of the car.

"There was no warning," Busch said.
"We're supposed to have a harder tire for here and it is harder because we're sliding around a lot ...
but it seems Goodyear can't build a tire hard enough to last."

The Penske Racing crew was forced to unload the backup car for last week's winner ...
Busch will have no practice laps with the car that he'll attempt to qualify Friday. :s

[Jonesi]

Probable Starting Grid
15 PAUL MENARD (1st Pole)
8 MARK MARTIN
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR
78 JOE NEMECHEK
70 JOHNNY SAUTER
6 DAVID RAGAN
60 BORIS SAID
01 REGAN SMITH
18 KYLE BUSCH
10 PATRICK CARPENTIER
--
28 TRAVIS KVAPIL
22 DAVE BLANEY
84 AJ ALLMENDINGER
29 KEVIN HARVICK
11 DENNY HAMLIN
5 CASEY MEARS
20 TONY STEWART
09 STERLING MARLIN
17 MATT KENSETH
43 BOBBY LABONTE
--
00 MICHAEL McDOWELL
21 JON WOOD
31 JEFF BURTON
99 CARL EDWARDS
07 CLINT BOWYER
24 JEFF GORDON
38 DAVID GILLILAND
83 BRIAN VICKERS
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON
--
42 JUAN MONTOYA
12 RYAN NEWMAN
16 GREG BIFFLE
44 DAVID REUTIMANN
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
2 KURT BUSCH
7 ROBBY GORDON
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
41 REED SORENSON
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
--
9 KASEY KAHNE
77 SAM HORNISH JR
45 TERRY LABONTE (uses Champ Provisional)

DNQ
66 SCOTT RIGGS (23rd fastest)
96 J.J. YELEY (29th fastest)

[MD24]

Did anybody get this, I can't remember if it was Kenseth or Edwards who said in the post race interviews that the Busch boys did not get along.

[harvick#1]

Carl said it I believe. because the way they were lined up it was the 18,17 on bottom and 99,2 on top. quite a predicament for the 4 drivers :D

[colinspooky]

Not a popular win then - anyone arrested/banned for all the missles? :mad:

[Simmi]

Carl said it I believe. because the way they were lined up it was the 18,17 on bottom and 99,2 on top. quite a predicament for the 4 drivers :D

You could clearly see Kenseth line up behind Edwards and then hang him out to dry during the GWC. He could have pushed his team mate to the win but chose not to as far as I can tell. Same thing with Kurt who was prepared to push Newman to the win in the 500 but not his brother this time around.