Pocono Cup Race Thread

[Jonesi]

Entry List, 44 cars entered, 1 car DNQs:
Top 35:
18 KYLE BUSCH
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR
31 JEFF BURTON
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON
99 CARL EDWARDS
24 JEFF GORDON
16 GREG BIFFLE
11 DENNY HAMLIN
9 KASEY KAHNE
20 TONY STEWART
--
17 MATT KENSETH
07 CLINT BOWYER
29 KEVIN HARVICK
6 DAVID RAGAN
83 BRIAN VICKERS
12 RYAN NEWMAN
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
2 KURT BUSCH
43 BOBBY LABONTE
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
--
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
42 JUAN MONTOYA
28 TRAVIS KVAPIL
38 DAVID GILLILAND
5 CASEY MEARS
8 MARK MARTIN
44 DAVID REUTIMANN
15 PAUL MENARD
7 ROBBY GORDON
22 DAVE BLANEY
--
41 REED SORENSON
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
77 SAM HORNISH JR
01 REGAN SMITH
66 SCOTT RIGGS (Moves back in Top 35 by +14 points)

GOGH:
10 TERRY LABONTE (has 1st Champ Prov, P Carpentier racing at Montreal)
21 BILL ELLIOTT (Has Champ Prov)
00 MICHAEL McDOWELL (out of top 35 by -14)
84 AJ ALLMENDINGER (moving much closer to top 35)
96 J.J. YELEY
78 JOE NEMECHEK
70 TONY RAINES
45 CHAD McCUMBEE
34 TBA (Raines moves to #70)

[Jonesi]

Chad Chaffin now listed in #34.

[Jonesi]

Starting Grid:
START ~ DRIVER ~ CAR ~ MAKE ~ SPEED
01. Jimmie Johnson ~ #48 Chevrolet ~ 168.215 mph
02. Mark Martin ~ #8 Chevrolet ~ 167.560 mph
03. David Gilliland ~ #38 Ford ~ 167.187 mph
04. Jeff Gordon ~ #24 Chevrolet ~ 167.106 mph
05. Matt Kenseth ~ #17 Ford ~ 166.883 mph
06. Ryan Newman ~ #12 Dodge ~ 166.784 mph
07. Kasey Kahne ~ #9 Dodge ~ 166.522 mph
08. Brian Vickers ~ #83 Toyota ~ 166.522 mph
09. Greg Biffle ~ #16 Ford ~ 166.516 mph
10. Kurt Busch ~ #2 Dodge ~ 166.445 mph
11. Bobby Labonte ~ #43 Dodge ~ 166.392 mph
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ~ #88 Chevrolet ~ 166.349 mph
13. Juan Montoya ~ #42 Dodge ~ 166.199 mph
14. Denny Hamlin ~ #11 Toyota ~ 166.153 mph
15. Carl Edwards ~ #99 Ford ~ 166.076 mph
16. David Ragan ~ #6 Ford ~ 165.932 mph
17. Martin Truex Jr. ~ #1 Chevrolet ~ 165.914 mph
18. Tony Raines ~ #70 Chevrolet ~ 165.868 mph
19. Travis Kvapil ~ #28 Ford ~ 165.828 mph
20. Tony Stewart ~ #20 Toyota ~ 165.773 mph
21. Kevin Harvick ~ #29 Chevrolet ~ 165.767 mph
22. Paul Menard ~ #15 Chevrolet ~ 165.606 mph
23. Joe Nemechek ~ #78 Chevrolet ~ 165.587 mph
24. Dave Blaney ~ #22 Toyota ~ 165.569 mph
25. Terry Labonte ~ #10 Dodge ~ 165.520 mph
26. Sam Hornish Jr. ~ #77 Dodge ~ 165.514 mph
27. Kyle Busch ~ #18 Toyota ~ 165.499 mph
28. David Reutimann ~ #44 Toyota ~ 165.465 mph
29. Elliott Sadler ~ #19 Dodge ~ 165.432 mph
30. Clint Bowyer ~ #07 Chevrolet ~ 165.371 mph
31. A.J. Allmendinger ~ #84 Toyota ~ 165.201 mph
32. Reed Sorenson ~ #41 Dodge ~ 165.168 mph
33. Casey Mears ~ #5 Chevrolet ~ 165.159 mph
34. Chad McCumbee ~ #45 Dodge ~ 165.029 mph
35. Michael McDowell ~ #00 Toyota ~ 165.010 mph
36. Regan Smith ~ #01 Chevrolet ~ 164.751 mph
37. Bill Elliott ~ #21 Ford ~ 164.706 mph
38. Robby Gordon ~ #7 Dodge ~ 164.684 mph
39. Jeff Burton ~ #31 Chevrolet ~ 164.660 mph
40. Scott Riggs ~ #66 Chevrolet ~ 164.546 mph
41. Jamie McMurray ~ #26 Ford ~ 164.525 mph
42. Michael Waltrip ~ #55 Toyota ~ 164.177 mph
43. J.J. Yeley ~ #96 Toyota ~ 163.271 mph

DNQ
Chad Chaffin ~ #34 Chevrolet ~ 161.316 mph

[RaceFanStan]

At least everyone should be happy that the 43 fastest cars made the race. :D

[Sparky1329]

Pretty soon the top 35 will be moot.

[Jonesi]

Pretty soon the top 35 will be moot.

Probably be back up to 46-47 full time teams begining of '09, and those new teams will probably enter a few races during the chase to get race practice.

[RaceFanStan]

"GO or GO home" will soon be less of an issue for the real backmarkers ...
the low budget teams just can't keep up, they will soon quit trying to make the Cup races ...
and with the Cup connection in the Nationwide Series, stepping back isn't an option either ...
maybe they could step down to the CraftsmanTruck Series but the purses are so little ... :s

[call_me_andrew]

Is RaceFanStan upset with the direction NASCAR is going? That's a slippery slope to talking like me!