California Cup Race Thread

[Jonesi]

Entry List up
Only 46 cars entered so far, the lowest all year (-#37).
'Top 35' - Aric Almirola stays in #01. #22 Blaney keeps last spot in 'Top 35'.
'Need for Speed' - Joe Nemechek tries out struggling #78. Bill Elliott still in #21 (36th in Owner Points) has Champion Provisionals to use, if needed. Kevin Lepage #37 not listed as entered.

Weather forcast is about 100 degrees F.

[DEI8151]

excited for this weekend, Jr needs some luck and actually he needs to win lol... but also i just love the racing at Fontana especially because Jr can get goin right up against the wall and all the strategy that is involved. remember last years race at Fontana with the exciting fuel finish

[Jonesi]

Friday's Practice for the Aquos 500 at California Speedway is over, the fastest:
#48-Johnson 180.158
#1-Truex, Jr. 179.051
#12-Newman 178.891
#11-Hamlin 178.509
#07-Bowyer 178.421

Qualifing starts in about 1 hour, and NascarNow says it's 104 degrees there now.

[blakebeatty]

ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC ATTENDANCE at qualifying.

[Jonesi]

A couple more cars to go but the DNQ are:
44 DALE JARRETT
10 SCOTT RIGGS
4 WARD BURTON

[Jonesi]

Cal Cup Grid
2 KURT BUSCH
48 JIMMY JOHNSON
9 KASEY KAHNE
12 RYAN NEWMAN
5 KYLE BUSCH
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
8 DALE EARNHARDT JR
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
11 DENNY HAMLIN
16 GREG BIFFLE
--
43 BOBBY LABONTE
29 KEVIN HARVICK
25 CASEY MEARS
38 DAVID GILLILAND
31 JEFF BURTON
24 JEFF GORDON
83 BRIAN VICKERS
84 AJ ALLMENDINGER
99 CARL EDWARDS
15 PAUL MENARD
--
40 DAVID STREMME
20 TONY STEWART
18 J.J. YELEY
07 CLINT BOWYER
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
21 BILL ELLIOTT
36 JEREMY MAYFIELD
00 DAVID REUTIMANN
78 JOE NEMECHEK
22 DAVE BLANEY
--
41 REED SORENSON
66 JEFF GREEN
6 DAVID RAGAN
96 TONY RAINES
7 ROBBY GORDON
17 MATT KENSETH
88 RICKY RUDD
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
45 KYLE PETTY
01 ARIC ALMIROLA
--
70 JOHNNY SAUTER
42 JUAN MONTOYA
49 JOHN ANDRETTI
DNQ
44 DALE JARRETT
10 SCOTT RIGGS
4 WARD BURTON

[Jonesi]

ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC ATTENDANCE at qualifying.

I'm not surprised that people aren't turning out in the heat. Fontana is a natural desert valley. I'm about an hour down the freeway from there, if someone gave me tickets I wouldn't go this weekend. When the 2nd Cal date was announced I said it needed to be 3-5 weeks later in the year, to avoid the heat.

[harvick#1]

who wants to go to cali-bor-nia

[Jonesi]

Penalty for #36:
http://www.scenedaily.com/stories/2007/08/27/scene_daily64.html

[RaikkonenRules]

Good to see the #78 make the field with Joe Nemechek

Where's Front Row Motorsport then? :(

[Jonesi]

Good to see the #78 make the field with Joe Nemechek

Where's Front Row Motorsport then? :(

No question Joe N can still qualify a car, the only question is can that team give him a car that can last the race.

On the #37 nothing was announced, just Kevin Lepage was not listed on the entry list. Best guess the trip to California was too expensive for the small chance of qualifing, he's only made two races this year.

[RaceFanStan]

Michael Waltrip & David Reutimannn make the race (25th&28th) while DJ goes home again ! :eek:
Looks like Dale Jarrett & the 44 team may be out of the loop at Michael Waltrip Racing. :s

[harvick#1]

maybe DJ needs to retire or drive a brown truck in the Truck series :p :

[RaceFanStan]

I think Dale Jarrett still has the talent to win.
Perhaps it's the 44 team that should think about retiring. http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif
(That is IF DJ is getting the same cars & engines Michael & Reutimann are.)

[tstran17_88]

ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC ATTENDANCE at qualifying.


I'm not surprised that people aren't turning out in the heat. Fontana is a natural desert valley. I'm about an hour down the freeway from there, if someone gave me tickets I wouldn't go this weekend. When the 2nd Cal date was announced I said it needed to be 3-5 weeks later in the year, to avoid the heat.Are you sure it isn't because Paris, Britney and Lindsay weren't there? :)

[harvick#1]

eww, eww, and eww talk about three :uhoh: :p :

[tstran17_88]

ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC ATTENDANCE at qualifying.
The attendance for the Busch race was just as pathetic!

I’m anxious to see how big the crowd will be tonight and the weather shouldn’t be an excuse IMO. It’s been just as hot for races on the east coast and twice as humid in the past and that hasn’t slowed down the crowds as much as last night's race.

[Jonesi]

Only 9 laps in Joe N loses his engine. It's probably still over 105 degrees there.

[Jonesi]

Well someone threw away 5 bonus points for staying out a lap under caution. I bet crew chiefs from about 35th place back are kicking themselves now. (Dave Marcis wouldn't have made that mistake.;-)

[tstran17_88]

I would like to know the attendance figures from last night's Cup race at California versus the Tuesday Cup race at Michigan? The crowd looked more filled in, but Michigan has twice as many seats.

[DavePI2]

well I was at michigan and we had a pretty decent crowd considering it was run on a tuesday. California crowds shouldn't surprise anyone. The ridh and famous people who have been going just because it was the latest fad are now choosing other things to spend their time on. Only the hard core fans will be left at places like california soon.

David