Hendrick Motorsports Plane Crashes
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Associated Press

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — A plane owned by the Hendrick Motorsports
(search) organization crashed on its way to a NASCAR race Sunday and
all 10 aboard were killed, federal officials said.

Eight passengers and two pilots died in the crash, a spokesman with
the National Transportation Safety Board (search) said.

A spokesman for a funeral home where the bodies were being taken said
the dead included four relatives of team owner Rick Hendrick — his
son, his brother and twin nieces.

Harry Litten, manager of Moody Funeral Service in Stuart, said the
state police had given him this list of those on the Beech 200:

Ricky Hendrick, Rick Hendrick's son and also a retired NASCAR
(search) driver; John Hendrick, Rick Hendrick's brother and president
of the organization; Kimberly and Jennifer Hendrick, John Hendrick's
twin daughters; Joe Jackson; Jeff Turner; Randy Dorton, the team's
chief engine builder; Scott Latham, a pilot for NASCAR driver Tony
Stewart; and pilots Dick Tracy and Liz Morrison.

Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the NTSB, said investigators were on
their way to the crash site but could not begin their examination
until Monday.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administation, Arlene Murray,
said the plane took off from Concord, N.C., and crashed in the Bull
Mountain area about seven miles west of Martinsville's Blue Ridge
Regional Airport at about 12:30 p.m.

The weather in the area was overcast with a low cloud ceiling at the
time of the crash, according to Jan Jackson of the National Weather
Service in Blacksburg. Murray said the pilot was flying by instrument
flight rules, which is the usual practice in bad weather.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Bailey said rescue workers could
not immediately reach the crash site because of the rough terrain.
However, rescue crews later called the funeral home from the site,
Litten said.

NASCAR has spoken with Rick Hendrick, NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter
said, adding that neither NASCAR nor the Hendrick organization would
have further comment Sunday night.

Hendrick owns the teams of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte
and Brian Vickers in the Nextel Cup Series.

Johnson won Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR learned of the plane's disappearance during the race and
withheld the information from the Hendrick drivers until afterward,
Hunter said. All the Hendrick drivers were summoned to the NASCAR
hauler immediately after the race and Johnson was excused from
Victory Lane.

Hendrick has been on a season-long celebration of its 20th
anniversary in NASCAR's top series. The organization has won five of
the series' top titles, three truck series titles, and one Busch
series crown.

The team has over 100 Cup series wins, making Hendrick just the
second team owner in NASCAR's modern era to surpass that mark.

Hendrick employs more than 400 workers at the Charlotte-based
Motorsports compound, which includes race shops and a 15,000-square-
foot museum and team store.

He recently began grooming his son, Ricky, for a larger role with the
company.

Ricky began his career driving a Busch car for his father, but
retired in 2002 because of a shoulder injury suffered in a racing
accident.

His father then made him the owner of the Busch car Vickers drove to
the series championship last season, and Kyle Busch currently pilots.

The main sign outside the facility was covered with a gray tarp, and
the gates were barricaded by deputies who allowed only employees
through.

Some of the operation's 460 employees began gathering in small groups
in the parking lot. They headed inside the building at about 7 p.m.,
remaining for about 90 minutes.

The first bouquet of flowers was dropped outside the offices at about
5 p.m. Several accumulated over the next couple of hours, placed on
shrubbery below a sign denoting "Papa Joe Hendrick Boulevard," which
leads into the compound.

One was left by Donnie Floyd, who said he works on the team of
Hendrick driver Terry Labonte.

"It's just very tough," he said. "We are like one big family.

"When you think about what the Hendrick family has gone through, it's
been very difficult. I couldn't think of anyone who would be better
to work for."

Joe McGovern, a self-described racing fan from nearby Concord who
said he knows the family, drove by to pay his respects.

"It's just devastating," he said. "This was just a great racing team
and they are also such nice people."

Race Lineup

Chevy Rock and Roll 400 | Richmond International Raceway

September 11, 2004 | Race 26 of 36Overview

Once qualifying is over, the field is set using a combination of timed laps and
provisionals. The fastest 38 cars earn a place on time, while positions 39-43
are determined by a process which may include last season's final owners
standings, current owners standings and former champions. The provisionals are
assigned in descending order, beginning with the highest ranking owner in the
standings. The lone exception is the Daytona 500, which uses two qualifying
races to determine the field. (now sortable) Related Information

Driver Standings Official

Schedule  window.onerror=function(){clickURL=document.location.href;return
true;} if(!self.clickURL) clickURL=parent.location.href;        
Pos.CarDriverMakeSponsorSpeedTimeBehind1#12Ryan
NewmanDodgeALLTEL128.70020.979Leader2#6Mark
MartinFordViagra127.40721.192-0.2133#48Jimmie
JohnsonChevroletLowe's127.38821.195-0.2164#01Joe NemechekChevroletU.S.
Army127.20921.225-0.2465#30Jeff BurtonChevroletAmerica
Online127.20921.225-0.2466#21Ricky RuddFordMotorcraft/U.S. Air
Force127.13721.237-0.2587#19Jeremy MayfieldDodgeDodge
Dealers/UAW127.07721.247-0.2688#16Greg BiffleFordNational
Guard/Subway127.04721.252-0.2739#24Jeff
GordonChevroletDuPont127.00521.259-0.28010#43Jeff GreenDodgeGrands
Biscuits126.99921.260-0.28111#9Kasey Kahne*DodgeDodge
Dealers/UAW126.98121.263-0.28412#2Rusty WallaceDodgeMiller
Lite126.74321.303-0.32413#99Carl EdwardsFordRoush
Racing126.72521.306-0.32714#8Dale Earnhardt
Jr.ChevroletBudweiser126.71321.308-0.32915#20Tony StewartChevroletThe Home
  Depot126.67121.315-0.33616#17Matt KensethFordDeWalt Power
Tools126.66021.317-0.33817#97Kurt BuschFordIRWIN Industrial
Tools/Sharpie126.63621.321-0.34218#18Bobby LabonteChevroletWellbutrin
XL126.61221.325-0.34619#15Michael WaltripChevroletNAPA Auto
Parts126.55921.334-0.35520#38Elliott
SadlerFordM&M's126.51121.342-0.36321#22Scott
Wimmer*DodgeCaterpillar126.47021.349-0.37022#32Bobby Hamilton
Jr.ChevroletTide126.40521.360-0.38123#5Terry
LabonteChevroletKellogg's126.35721.368-0.38924#40Sterling MarlinDodgeCoors
Light126.33921.371-0.39225#88Dale JarrettFordUPS126.19821.395-0.41626#25Brian
Vickers*ChevroletGMAC Financial Services126.12721.407-0.42827#29Kevin
HarvickChevroletGM Goodwrench126.03321.423-0.44428#31Robby
GordonChevroletCingular Wireless125.89221.447-0.46829#41Casey
MearsDodgeTarget125.81521.460-0.48130#23Shane HmielDodgeBill Davis
Racing125.78621.465-0.48631#45Kyle
PettyDodgeGeorgia-Pacific/Brawny125.76921.468-0.48932#49Ken
SchraderDodgeSchwan's Home
  Service125.75721.470-0.49133#180Mike BlissChevroletConAgra/Hunt's
Ketchup125.73321.474-0.49534#127David GreenChevroletTimber
Wolf125.73321.474-0.49535#10Scott
Riggs*ChevroletValvoline125.57021.502-0.52336#42Jamie
McMurrayDodgeTexaco/Havoline125.56421.503-0.52437#77Brendan
Gaughan*DodgeKodak/Jasper Engines125.50021.514-0.53538#0Ward
BurtonChevroletNetZero HiSpeed125.34221.541-0.562 Provisional39#4Jimmy
SpencerChevroletLucas Oil Products124.45821.694-0.71540#50Todd BodineDodgeArnold
Development Companies124.36121.711-0.73241#09Mike WallaceDodgeMiccosukee Gaming
& Resorts125.05221.591-0.61242#198Derrike CopeFordMach One
Inc.124.29821.722-0.74343#172Kirk ShelmerdineFordFreddie B's121.69822.186-1.207
Did not Qualify44#133Johnny Sauter*ChevroletMag-Lite/GM
Card125.12221.579-0.60045#251Tony RainesChevroletGreat Value Food
Stores124.94221.610-0.63146#137Kevin LepageDodgeCarter's Royal
Dispos-all124.78121.638-0.65947#113Greg SacksDodgeARC Dehooker/Vita
Coco123.66021.834-0.85548#02Hermie
  SadlerChevroletJenkins & Jenkins Atty At Law122.83921.980-1.00149#192Brad
TeagueFordBroadway Motors122.20022.095-1.11650#200Ryan McGlynnChevroletBuyers
Choice Auto Warranties121.38622.243-1.26451#89Morgan ShepherdDodgeRacing With
Jesus/Red Line Oil120.60022.388-1.40952#280Carl LongFordHover Motorsports---


kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Is it me or are there more races on Cable this year then last year?!

Once again, I miss a race, this Saturday because I cant afford CABLE!!!

Damn - at least I have DSL so I can watch the Lap by Lap breakdowns when it
happens


kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dale Jarrett is seeking a second NASCAR title. Credit: APJarrett, McMurray
liking points system more nowSeptember 9, 2004
05:48 PM EDT (21:48 GMT)
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Dale Jarrett was shocked when NASCAR announced its new
format for deciding its championship. But he wasn't too concerned since he
didn't figure to contend this season after a miserable 2003 campaign.

Now, one race and just 43 points out of the top 10 that will set the field for
the 10-race Nextel Cup championship shootout, the 1999 series champion said he's
energized and liking the new system a lot more.
Jamie McMurray has scored 14 top-10s, but a rash of DNFs has forced him to play
catch-up. Credit: AP
"We've made a huge gain in a short amount of time," Jarrett said. "To be quite
honest, I don't think this was anything that we expected, that we could try to
make ourselves into a top 10 team at this point in time.

"We figured it would take at least three quarters of the season to get ourselves
on a regular basis running in the top 10 and top five."

After ending a string of seven straight years in the top nine in the final
standings with a 26th-place finish last year, Jarrett enters Saturday night's
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 ranked 13th -- with a chance.

"I'd be crazy to say right now that I didn't like it because it may give me a
second chance at a championship," the 47-year-old driver said. "I think it's
created a lot of excitement at a point that maybe we wouldn't have had that."

When Jarrett won his title, he did it by using the old standard of consistency
to perfection, winning four times and getting 24 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes
on his way to the second-highest point total ever.

He clinched in the penultimate race of the season, a scenario that is highly
unlikely to repeat itself with the top 10 -- and anyone else within 400 points
of the lead -- getting reset, separated in five-point increments to begin the
10-race championship chase culminating Nov. 21 at Miami.

NASCAR's goal of increasing interest is working, Jarrett said.
Nextel Cup Series
•  Results•  Standings•  Schedule•  Best 25 Over Last Six Races•  Best Starts• 
Best Finishes•  Complete Race Coverage

"The points chase is close enough at the front between at least three guys that
it would be worth talking about, but we've gotten a lot more coverage because of
this 10 places and you've got eight guys that are going for basically three
spots," he said. "That's pretty exciting stuff."

And Jarrett isn't the only driver who's starting to like the new system.

Jamie McMurray, 11th in points, 25 out of the top 10 and 54 points from being
within 400 of leader Jimmie Johnson after the race, said he's been surprised by
the stir the end of the qualifying series has created.

"It's great for our sponsors and I think it's created a lot of buzz for NASCAR,"
he said.

Even outsiders have noticed the added interest the race for the top 10 has
created and eagerly anticipate what could be a wild race Saturday.

Kyle Busch, however, is second in the NASCAR Busch Series standings, trailing
Martin Truex Jr. by 95 points with nine races remaining, so he's glad the new
points system wasn't implemented NASCAR-wide this season.

"I only have to race one guy for the championship instead of having to go back
and race 10 guys," said Busch, who is 353 points ahead of No. 3 Jason Leffler.
"It's a lot easier for us to think about one instead of 10."




kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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J.D. Gibbs has picked up the ball -- figuratively -- after his father left
NASCAR to head back to the NFL. Credit: AutostockWith father back in NFL, J.D.
Gibbs at helm of family racing teamBy Mike Harris, The Associated Press
September 9, 2004
10:45 AM EDT (14:45 GMT)
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Building a NASCAR team was his father's dream, but J.D. Gibbs is now the man
leading Joe Gibbs Racing into the future.

While the elder Gibbs is preparing the Washington Redskins for Sunday's opener
at home against Tampa Bay -- his first game as an NFL coach in 12 years -- J.D.
is overseeing preparations by the race team for Saturday night's crucial race at
Richmond.
Tony Stewart has locked up a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, while Bobby
Labonte still has work to do this weekend at Richmond. Credit: Autostock
Tony Stewart already has locked up a spot in NASCAR's new 10-race championship
playoff, but Bobby Labonte needs to make up two places to get into the top 10.
Only the top 10 drivers after Saturday's race will be eligible to compete for
the championship.

The race team has hardly missed a beat since J.D.'s dad made the surprising
decision to return to the sport where he already has three Super Bowl titles and
a niche in the Hall of Fame.

"Obviously, there was a lot of concern when he did leave, even though he wasn't
doing a lot of the day-to-day operations," said J.D., who already was the team's
president. "What he did a really good job at was keeping in contact with the
sponsors."

Now, keeping the sponsors happy -- and just about everything else -- is the
35-year-old J.D.'s responsibility.

That is something of a surprise to the younger Gibbs, who simply followed his
father into the sport when Joe decided to retire from coaching and started
organizing his NASCAR team in 1991.

"My brother and I grew up with stick and ball sports and went to some races,"
J.D. said. "When we started the team, I figured I'd do it for a couple of years
and then I'd go coach. We had 15 employees and one car when we started."
ALSO
•  Team Page: Joe Gibbs Racing

Now, his father and younger brother Coy have gone back to coaching and J.D. is
running the racing business, which has grown to more than 200 people and will
add a third Nextel Cup team in 2005.

"We just happened to get in right when the sport was taking off and TV was
really starting to really appreciate it, and the fan base really started to
grow," he said.

While his father was actively involved with JGR, the team won 40 races and two
Cup championships -- Labonte in 2000 and Stewart in 2002. J.D. chalks up much of
that success to his father's organizational skills -- the same talent that
brought Joe so much success in football.

"I think it was kind of neat to watch the way my dad handled issues," J.D. said.
"He was just a good leader, putting teams together. That's all it is, just like
football. Most of the guys have all the equipment and the cars. It's the people
and how you put them together that's the biggest thing. You want to make sure
that people want to come to work. That's his philosophy."

J.D. has inherited his father's people skills -- and he's enjoying running the
race team far more than he would ever have thought.

"What I truly enjoy is you're always doing something different day in and day
out," he said. "Sometimes, you're working with corporate partners and sponsors,
sometimes you're going to hospitality, sometimes you're working on personnel in
the shop or working on budget issues. It's kind of nice to always have something
different to do."

Stewart says the team is in good hands.
Despite his new committment to the NFL, Joe Gibbs has been to several races this
season. Credit: Autostock
"J.D. is in his seventh year as president of Joe Gibbs Racing and I think he's a
little nervous about his new role," Stewart said. "But I think he underestimates
his ability as the team leader.

"J.D. is a really smart guy -- a lot smarter than he lets people know. He's been
with Joe Gibbs Racing since the day it opened its doors and he's been through
every situation that can happen with the race team."

Even though he has had to totally immerse himself in football again this summer,
Joe has made it to several races and had weekly telephone conversations with his
eldest son.

"We still have a close connection," J.D. said. "We have a suite up there at
FedEx Field and we can bring people up there to entertain. What we found out is
when you're able to share the NFL and NASCAR and combine those two things, it
really makes a nice package.

"As dad says, 'If you don't like one of them, you're probably on life support.'
He's still a big part of this team."



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Viewer's Guide: RichmondBy Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
September 9, 2004
11:49 AM EDT (15:49 GMT)
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ATLANTA -- -- Since the Chase for the Nextel Cup was announced back in January,
NASCAR fans have all been pointing to Saturday night's race at Richmond as the
can't-miss event of the year.

After the Chevy Rock and Roll 400, the field will be set for the 10-race Chase
for the Nextel Cup and only those drivers will have a chance at the
championship.

Not surprising, TNT will be all over the deciding race Saturday night.

At 7 p.m. ET, the prerace show from Richmond will feature interviews with each
of the nine drivers that are going after the final four spots in the Chase. In
addition, the on-air bunch will take a look back at how those involved in the
battle got to where they are.

After the field is determined, TNT will present "The Chase for the NASCAR Nextel
Cup Championship Preview Show," a look at the championship field and a look
ahead to the final 10 races of the season. That show will run from shortly after
the checkered flag until midnight ET.

In addition, Saturday's broadcast will be available in high definition.
Sam Flood
Ask The Producer: This week's question comes from several fans who wonder why
NBC/TNT changed its NASCAR theme song.

NBC/TNT producer Sam Flood said simply that the production staff felt like it
was time for a change and time to move forward into the new era of NASCAR with a
new look and a new sound.

Let your voice be heard: Each week, we'll pick one question to ask the producer
of the NBC/TNT telecast. Why did they do things this way? Why did they talk to
that driver? Any question that eats at you could be answered right here in the
Viewer's Guide.

Send your questions to the e-mail box in this piece.

The Rant: This week, James MacRae of Parts Unknown says he'll follow the Chase
for the Nextel Cup, but he doesn't see it as the crowning of a champion.
ALSO
•  "Bubble" Standings•  "Clinch" Standings

"My rant is over people comparing 'The Chase for the Nextel Cup' to the Super
Bowl or the World Series. Football and baseball seasons end with the champions
winning their final game. No one considers their season a success because they
won the season opener or the Monday Night game in Green Bay in October. NASCAR
is all about 36 main events each season.

"Don't get me wrong, I am following the Chase with interest, but would compare
it more with the Cy Young or an MVP type of award (acknowledging excellence
rather than naming a champion)."

I understand what you're saying James, but under this new system, it is all
about these final 10 races. Whoever performs the best in these final 10 races
will be the champion, just like the team that peaks during the playoffs wins in
baseball or football.
EMAIL
Send Mark your take for "The Rant" or your question for "Ask The Producer"


Get in on the action: In "The Rant," we'll pick e-mails each week to argue about
a TV coverage issue, be it a commentator's comment, a driver's comment, a
pre-race feature -- basically anything you want to spout off about.

Come with an intelligent, passionate argument and you may see your take on
NASCAR.COM.

On to this weekend's schedule:
Nextel Cup Series: Chevy Rock and Roll 400

Site: Richmond, Va.
Last year
Final laps
Newman comes out on top in a thriller at RIR.Hot tempers
Harvick confronts Rudd on pit road following the raceTough night
Stewart is involved in a pair of incidents

Track: Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile tri-oval, 14-degree banking in
turns).

Race distance: 300 miles, 400 laps

TV: Bud Pole Qualifying: TNT, 3 p.m. ET Friday. Happy Hour: TNT, 7 p.m. ET
Friday. Race: TNT, 7 p.m. ET Saturday.

Last race: Elliott Sadler assured himself of a spot in the championship chase by
winning the Pop Secret 500 in Fontana, Calif. Sadler has to start the next race
to officially clinch a spot.

Last year: Ryan Newman held on through three restarts, the last with four laps
to go, and won the Chevrolet 400.

Potential storyline: Jamie McMurray sits 11th in the Nextel Cup standings, 25
points behind 10th-place Mark Martin. McMurray was penalized 25 points back in
March after violations at Bristol.

Point to ponder: Richmond International Raceway actually began holding auto
racing events in 1946, starting out as a half-mile dirt track. The speedway was
paved in 1968. It was a half-mile asphalt track for 20 years; after Neil Bonnett
won the 1988 Pontiac Excitement 400, Richard Petty climbed aboard a bulldozer
and in a ceremonial move began digging up the old racing surface to begin
construction on the new three-quarters-mile configuration.
Busch Series: Emerson Radio 250

Site: Richmond, Va.
Last year
Spin to win
Sauter spins Kenseth to get his second NBS victoryTrash talk
Riggs has some harsh words for HornadayTalking it over
Harvick and Kenseth share words after the wild finish

Track: Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile tri-oval, 14-degree banking in
turns).

Race distance: 187.5 miles, 250 laps

TV: Busch Pole Qualifying: SPEED, 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday. Race: TNT, 8 p.m. ET
Friday.

Last race: Greg Biffle and Casey Mears dominated the Target House 300 at
Fontana, Calif., swapping the lead twice down the stretch before Biffle pulled
away with two laps remaining for the win.

Last year: Johnny Sauter bumped Matt Kenseth into the wall in the final turn and
won the Funai 250 at Richmond for his second career Busch victory.

Potential storyline: Akins Motorsports owners Doug Stringer and Brad Akins
announced Wednesday that it will field a two-car program for a minimum of 20
NASCAR Busch Series events in 2005 with ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Brent Sherman
behind the wheel.

Point to ponder: Jason Leffler has five top-10 finishes in his past six starts.
Craftsman Truck Series: Kroger 200

Site: Richmond, Va.
Last year
Victorious
Stewart celebrates another Truck Series win at RIRNot happy
Jimmy Spencer is miffed after getting taken out

Track: Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile tri-oval, 14-degree banking in
turns).

Race distance: 150 miles, 200 laps

TV: Race: SPEED, 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday.

Last race: Carl Edwards came from the back of the field and edged Shane Hmiel to
win the O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 25. Edwards qualified
fifth, but his crew elected to make unapproved pre-race repairs after a spin on
his second qualifying lap.

Last year: Tony Stewart passed Ted Musgrave for the lead with 16 laps to go and
won his second consecutive truck race at Richmond.

Potential storyline: Jamie McMurray will make a return to the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series as the driver of the No. 2 Dodge in the Kroger 200 at Richmond on
Thursday. McMurray replaces Andy Houston in the Ultra Motorsports truck.

Point to ponder: Ken Schrader won his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Bud
Pole at Bristol two weeks ago. He is the fourth competitor to win both a pole
and a race on all three of NASCAR's national touring series. The others are Greg
Biffle, Terry Labonte and Jimmy Spencer.

Mark Spoor is an interactive producer of NASCAR.COM. The Domino's Viewer's Guide
appears each Thursday during race weeks.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Last year, Johnny Sauter, driving the No. 43 Chevy for Curb-Agajanian Racing,
bumped Matt Kenseth into the wall and out of the way in the final turn to win at
Richmond. Credit: AutostockPulling triple duty, Sauter aims to reclaim RIRBy Lee
Montgomery, NASCAR.COM
September 9, 2004
10:47 AM EDT (14:47 GMT)
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Johnny Sauter began the 2004 season with an ambitious
schedule and high hopes.

Now that the racing year is almost over, expectations have diminished. So has
the schedule. And so have the results.
EMERSON RADIO 250
•  Entry List•  Last year's race•  Complete Race Coverage

But Sauter is still plugging away, aiming to complete the season with a victory
or two.

This weekend, Sauter gets three chances at winning. That's right, three. He'll
run Thursday's Craftsman Truck Series race, Friday's Busch Series race and
Saturday's Nextel Cup race.

His best shot at victory, though, may be in Friday night's Emerson Radio 250 at
Richmond International Raceway. Sauter is still full time in Brewco Motorsports'
Busch car, and he is the race's defending champion.

You remember that race, when Sauter used the bump-and-run on Matt Kenseth to
win. That's the way Sauter likes to drive, and Richmond is conducive for that
kind of racing.
Johnny Sauter Credit: Autostock
"I can't wait to get back to Richmond," Sauter said. "I won this race last year,
and I know this team can put me back in Victory Lane. It fits my driving style
really well. I like to run hard each and every lap. I'm not the kind of guy who
sits back and waits until the end to make my move, and that's what it takes to
do well at Richmond. You've got to be on 'go' for 250 laps."

Sauter will certainly be in the go this weekend, competing in three races in
three nights. That's 850 laps around Richmond's .75-mile oval, if you're
counting.

"I've got three great rides, and I know I'll be competitive in each race,"
Sauter said. "When you got a chance to win three races in one week, that gets
you pretty excited. All I can think about is getting out there and going racing.
You know, if there was a fourth race there this weekend, I'd probably enter that
one too."

Richmond has long been one of the drivers' favorite tracks, and Sauter is one of
its admirers.

"There's not another track out there like Richmond," Sauter said. "It's unique
unto itself. A lot of places we go have a cookie cutter feel to them, but
definitely not Richmond. It's fast like a big track, but has all of the bumping
and banging of a short track.

"It's a lot like the short tracks that I spent many a Saturday night racing at,
especially since it's under the lights. It should feel just like old times out
there."

The hardest job for Newt Moore, Sauter's Busch Series crew chief, may be keeping
the young driver calm for the entire race. Pushing and shoving may be one of
Sauter's favorite things to do, but you can do too much.
Credit: Autostock
"The main thing to remember when you're preparing your car is that it's going to
take a beating," Moore said. "All of the parts, inside and out, are going to
have a lot of stress put on them throughout the night. It's a pretty tough place
on racecars, so you've got to make sure that it's going to hold up in the long
run.

"There's always a lot of wrecks at Richmond, but there's really not a lot that
you can do about that. I'm hoping Johnny's car is going to be good enough that
he doesn't have to worry about getting tangled up with someone else's mess.
Hopefully he'll be far enough ahead where all he'll have to worry about is the
lapped cars."

That's possible, but based on Sauter's stats for 2004, that doesn't seem likely.
After winning in the Busch Series the last two seasons, Sauter seemed primed for
a big year.

He joined Brewco Motorsports as a teammate to David Green, and then was hired as
Richard Childress Racing's driver of the No. 30 car. Sauter would run the full
schedule in both series -- at least that was the plan.

Eventually, though, the Busch ride won out, and Sauter crawled out of RCR's 30
car. But his Busch Series season has been fraught with problems. Sauter has five
DNFs, including three engine failures. He sits a disappointing 19th in the
points standings with only five top-10 finishes.

There have been flashes of brilliance, like runner-up finishes at Daytona,
Nashville and Indianapolis. More often, however, there have been
disappointments.

Maybe this weekend will be different.

"We've come so close to winning races this season, but just haven't finished the
job," Sauter said. "I'm confident that we can take care of that this weekend. I
love the car we're taking. It's my favorite one out of the Brewco stable. Every
time we use it, it runs awesome. If it can stay in one piece for the whole race,
I think we'll end up with a great finish."



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Richmond International Raceway
Overview

Pole and race winners at each track on the Nextel Cup circuit since the
beginning of the modern era in 1971. 
window.onerror=function(){clickURL=document.location.href;return true;}
if(!self.clickURL) clickURL=parent.location.href;         Date Race NamePole
WinnerRace WinnerStarting Pos.Make05/15/04 Chevy American Revolution 400Brian
VickersDale Earnhardt Jr.4Chevrolet09/06/03 Chevy Rock & Roll 400Mike
SkinnerRyan Newman4Dodge05/03/03 Pontiac Excitement 400Terry LabonteJoe
Nemechek2Chevrolet09/07/02 Chevy Monte Carlo 400Jimmie JohnsonMatt
Kenseth25Ford05/05/02 Pontiac Excitement 400Ward BurtonTony
Stewart3Pontiac09/08/01 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400Jeff GordonRicky
Rudd9Ford05/05/01 Pontiac Excitement 400Mark MartinTony Stewart7Pontiac09/09/00
Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400Jeff BurtonJeff Gordon13Chevrolet05/06/00 Pontiac
Excitement 400Rusty WallaceDale Earnhardt Jr.5Chevrolet09/11/99 Exide NASCAR
Select Batteries 400Mike SkinnerTony Stewart2Pontiac05/15/99 Pontiac Excitement
400Jeff
  GordonDale Jarrett21Ford09/12/98 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400Rusty
WallaceJeff Burton3Ford06/06/98 Pontiac Excitement 400Jeff GordonTerry
Labonte16Chevrolet09/06/97 Exide NASCAR 400Bill ElliottDale
Jarrett23Ford03/02/97 Pontiac Excitement 400Rained OutRusty Wallace7Ford09/07/96
Miller 400Mark MartinErnie Irvan16Ford03/03/96 Pontiac Excitement 400Terry
LabonteJeff Gordon2Chevrolet09/09/95 Miller 400Dale EarnhardtRusty
Wallace7Ford03/05/95 Pontiac 400Jeff GordonTerry Labonte24Chevrolet09/10/94
Miller 400Ted MusgraveTerry Labonte3Chevrolet03/06/94 Pontiac 400Ted
MusgraveErnie Irvan7Ford09/11/93 Miller 400Bobby LabonteRusty
Wallace3Pontiac03/07/93 Pontiac 400Ken SchraderDavey Allison14Ford09/12/92
Miller 400Ernie IrvanRusty Wallace3Pontiac03/08/92 Pontiac 400Bill ElliottBill
Elliott1Ford09/07/91 Miller 400Rusty WallaceHarry Gant13Oldsmobile02/24/91
Pontiac 400Davey AllisonDale Earnhardt19Chevrolet09/09/90 Miller High Life
400Ernie IrvanDale Earnhardt6Chevrolet02/25/90 Pontiac
  400Ricky RuddMark Martin6Ford09/10/89 Miller High Life 400Bill ElliottRusty
Wallace6Pontiac03/26/89 Pontiac 400Geoffrey BodineRusty Wallace2Pontiac09/11/88
Miller High Life 400Davey AllisonDavey Allison1Ford09/08/74 Capital City
500Richard PettyRichard Petty1Dodge02/24/74 Richmond 500Bobby AllisonBobby
Allison1Chevrolet09/09/73 Capital City 500Bobby AllisonRichard
Petty5Dodge02/25/73 Richmond 500Bobby AllisonRichard Petty8Dodge09/10/72 Capital
City 500Bobby AllisonRichard Petty3Plymouth02/27/72 Richmond 500Bobby
AllisonRichard Petty3Plymouth


kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Defending champs defending hopes
Crew chief Matt Borland and Ryan Newman are perched precariously in eighth place
as they head to Richmond, where they won last year. Borland details the team's
approach to the Richmond race, which is crucial to their title hopes. More


Track Facts: Banking: 14° | Distance: 0.75 miles | Shape: Oval Related Links:
Last year: Newman rocks and rolls | "Clinch" Standings | "Bubble" Standings |
NASCAR Tech



Get There: Tickets | Travel

Fantasy Report
  What to expect and who to watch at Richmond

Leilani Reports
Boston Reid makes his Busch debut with HMS this weekend
See more: Pictures | Audio | Video
Sign up now and earn Fan Miles.
   Buy your NEXTEL driver phone.
DatePole WinnerRace Winner05|15|04Brian VickersDale Earnhardt Jr.09|06|03Mike
SkinnerRyan Newman05|03|03Terry LabonteJoe Nemechek09|07|02Jimmie JohnsonMatt
Kenseth05|05|02Ward BurtonTony Stewart09|08|01Jeff GordonRicky RuddComplete
Statistics


kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Zoom
Multimedia
Photo Gallery
Video ZoomTrack Facts
Banking/Turns: 14
Distance: 0.75 miles
Shape: Oval


Nextel Cup Race Record
Dale Jarrett 108.707 09|06|97

Busch Race Record
Dale Jarrett 104.928 09|08|95

Truck Race Record
Bob Keselowski 104.167 09|04|97



Nextel Cup Qualifying Record
Brian Vickers 129.9827 2004

Busch Qualifying Record
Kyle Busch 129.3475 2004

Truck Qualifying Record
Jason Leffler 123.378 2002

2004 Race Results

Nextel Cup Series
2004 Chevy American Revolution 400
05|15|04 Dale Earnhardt Jr.


Busch Series
2004 Funai 250
05|14|04 Kyle Busch


Cup Historical Race Winners Nextel Cup Series
05|14|05 - TBA
09|10|05 - TBA

Busch Series
05|13|05 - TBA
09|09|05 - TBA

Craftsman Truck Series
09|08|05 - TBA
Richmond International Raceway
The present facility was built on the site of a half-mile track that first
hosted dirt auto races in the 1940s. The original track was paved in 1968. RIR
was redesigned in 1988 between the spring and fall races. Recent renovations
have made it one of the most modern speedways on the tour.Contact Information
P.O. Box 9257
Richmond, VA 23227
(804) 345-7223



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Ticket stubs don't equal big pay stubs for tracksBy Ron Lemasters, Special to
NASCAR.COM
September 8, 2004
02:13 PM EDT (18:13 GMT)
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It is a common misconception among some race fans that just hosting a race means
a lot of profit for the track operators. Just throw open the gates and let the
money roll in, right?

Wrong. Big-time wrong.

"It [opening the gates] is a significant expense for us, and one in which we
have to balance providing the best possible service for our customers, providing
the safest possible environment and managing the cost, because you don't want
that cost to get away from you," said Doug Stafford, executive vice-president of
both Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Lowe's Motor Speedway.
ALSO
•  More business news & featuresHave a story idea for Ron? Click here and send
it


"We are competing for the discretionary entertainment dollar against a number of
other entertainment options, and to simply say Nextel Cup racing is a slam dunk
is inaccurate," Stafford said. "We have to work hard to convince people to come
to our event, just like the folks who are promoting other professional sports
do, as well as other types of entertainment."

According to financial documents filed by one of the speedways which hosts
Nextel Cup events, simply opening up the gates costs in the neighborhood of
$500,000. When a track operator opens the gates to make ready for an event,
there's a lot that goes on that the race fan never sees.

Security must be in place, and that is a contracted expense with whatever agency
is used. In the case of Lowe's Motor Speedway, those agencies are the North
Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Concord Police Department, Cabarrus County
Sheriff's Department and private security hired for the event. These officers
handle security, traffic control on ingress and egress and various and sundry
other situations which pop up over the course of a race weekend. The state of
North Carolina, the city of Concord and Cabarrus County provide their services
to the speedway for a fee.

"We are very fortunate to have the support of the Highway Patrol, the Dept. of
Transportation and the Concord Police Department, as well as a number of other
law enforcement agencies," Stafford said. "That is even more the case today
after the tragedy on 9/11."
Fans enjoying the racing action. Credit: Autostock
Then you have the myriad personnel whose job it is to see to the arcane duties
of race weekend. People park cars, sell food, drinks and programs, run
hospitality suites and tents, and clean up after 180,000 race fans. All of them
cost money.

"If you take into account the folks who park cars, the people who handle
security for us, folks who handle traffic control, the people who actually man
the gates, stub the tickets and check the coolers, sell the tickets and
concessions, the people who handle all the suite catering and that for the
Speedway Club, the folks who handle our souvenir trailers and all the other
support people, it totals about 5,000 people," Stafford said. "It adds up pretty
quick."

There's also maintenance and engineering personnel to fix what gets broken, and
so on and so forth.

Civic involvement is a goal for every major speedway, and at Lowe's, it's at a
very high level. "A number of the folks who work here, particularly those who
handle parking and work on gate control and a lot of those who work on our
cleanup crews and concession stands are with civic, school and church groups and
other non-profits who are using the races to raise money for their
organizations," Stafford said.

Then there's weather. Should a track open and then have to close for the day, it
doesn't reduce the operating cost a lick. For instance, if a race gets rained
out on Sunday and has to be run on a Monday, then it's another $250,000-$500,000
for that, over and above what it cost the previous three days.

The purse, as we've already observed, is also a cost borne by the promoters and
it runs into the millions of dollars in some cases. Ticket sales cover only a
portion of the outlay required to host an event. For example, say a track has
167,000 seats and the average ticket price for all of them is $50. The revenue
derived from tickets is a shade under $8.5 million.

Television money helps, as traditionally, 65 percent of posted television
revenue goes to the promoter. Under current conditions, that's another $7
million or so, but it still doesn't bring forth images of Scrooge McDuck
wallowing in all his gold coins.
One source of track revenue is RV parking. Credit: Autostock
Then there's advertising. A typical Nextel Cup weekend is popular, yes, but only
a few events do not need additional advertising to sell every ticket. The night
race at Bristol is one of those, having a waiting list for tickets as long as
your arm.

How much a promoter spends on advertising depends on the number of tickets
available, the market in which the advertising takes place and the variety of
outlets that can be utilized.

"A lot of folks assume you don't have to spend very much money advertising a
Nextel Cup weekend, but we are out there competing with other major sporting
events, as well as other types of entertainment," Stafford said. "We place and
pay for a fairly large television advertising schedule. That's not just in the
home market here, but we go into Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem,
Raleigh-Durham, Greenville-Spartanburg, Asheville and other markets out of the
area. We purchase television, radio, newspaper, we buy some outdoor advertising
and we do a lot of direct marketing, particularly direct mail. It is a
substantial amount of money. We do it for a couple of reasons. One, we want to
sell tickets, and two, we want to make sure that our sponsor knows that we're
giving them the exposure to which they are entitled."

So throwing open the gates and counting the money is by and large a
misconception held by some race fans when it comes to realizing the work and
expense involved in providing a venue for Nextel Cup racing. There are other
revenue streams, of course, and the corporations and people who own speedways do
not do so out of the goodness of their hearts, but to earn money like any other
business undertaking.

Understanding that simple fact just might make you think a little as you walk
past the person who directed you to a parking space, stubbed your ticket and
checked your cooler as you walked into the speedway on race morning.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Matt Borland and Ryan Newman need a solid effort at Richmond this weekend to put
them in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Credit: AutostockTech Q&A: Matt BorlandBy
Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
September 8, 2004
05:24 PM EDT (21:24 GMT)
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Newman and his Penske Racing South team are not in
the position they expected to be in heading into Saturday night's Chevy Rock and
Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Newman won eight races and 11 Bud Poles last season on his way to sixth in the
final Cup series standings. The 2004 season has not been as kind, or as easy to
figure for Newman, crew chief Matt Borland and their No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge team.
NO. 12 ALLTEL DODGE
•  Matt Borland•  Ryan Newman•  2004 Stats•  World of Dodge•  Gillette Young
Guns Challenge•  Superstore: R. Newman gear

Heading into Richmond -- the cutoff race to determine the field of contenders
for the final 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup -- Newman is eighth in the
standings, but only 45 points ahead of 11th-place Jamie McMurray.

The top 10 drivers, and any others who are within 400 points of the leader after
Richmond, qualify for the Chase.

Borland took a break from preparing for Richmond to talk to NASCAR.COM senior
writer Dave Rodman about navigating a treacherous short track, the most critical
things that can happen Saturday night and the crucially essential emotional
makeup of a race team.

Q: What is the number one concern you and Ryan have heading into Richmond?

Matt Borland: Avoiding the wrecks (laughing) and any kind of brake failures.

Q: In other words, the unexpected?

Borland: Exactly. Avoiding the unexpected is what we have to do. We have to run
good, but the biggest thing is just going to be missing the wrecks and not
getting caught up in something.

Q: Is Richmond a place that, since you've been so good there in the past,
couldn't be a better venue for this cutoff race to fall?

Borland: Yes and no (laughing). It's definitely good because, like you say,
we've run good there a lot. But the bad part is that it's such a small track
that anything can happen, (and) it's a lot easier for that stuff to happen on a
small track.
Matt Borland Credit: Autostock
Q: Will you 100 percent go with the standard set-ups that have worked so well
for you there in the past? What is the most critical element in that set-up
package?

Borland: No, we won't necessarily run the same thing we've run in the past.
There are several reasons for that.

Number one, the sealer's not there on the asphalt like what's been there in
years past. The track's worn off quite a bit from the first race there (in the
spring) and after the Indy cars running there (in mid-summer).

We went up there and tested a few weeks ago and we're going to take a lot of
what we learned from there and apply it to what we've done in the past and go
for the best in a compromise.

Q: What is the most critical change in the set-up that might make a critical
change, such as a spring or shock change that would create a big adjustment, or
is it a case of fine-tuning and nothing makes a gross change?

Borland: Yeah, it's mainly fine-tuning. You're getting more and more locked-in
with NASCAR's rules on what you can, and can't do that everything anymore is
just trying to fine tune stuff -- a little bit here and a little bit there -- to
make it the best overall package for the night.

Q: Does a stretch of races such as the last eight, where you've gone from eighth
to 12th and back into eighth in the standings, prove once again how critical the
emotional makeup of a team is, and how strong your Penske Racing team is?

Borland: Emotions definitely play a big part in the sport. You hear about teams
getting on streaks and getting momentum and all that and it definitely is a real
thing that can happen.

Sometimes it can happen for the good and sometimes for the bad. The strong teams
pull through it and the weak ones don't.
Borland and Newman earned a top-10 at Richmond in May. Credit: Autostock
Q: What's it going to be like on the pit box Saturday night? Will you have an
extra laptop and an extra engineer up on the box computing standings? How's that
going to work out as the race goes?

Borland: I don't know about that (laughing), but we're definitely going to bring
everything that we've got and bring some extra guys in case we crash, to try to
get back out as quick as possible.

It's going to come down to a couple points, here and there, and you're probably
going to have a guy sitting in 11th that's two or three points out of the
championship, and you don't want to be that guy in 11th.

Q: Barring something truly obscene, like an accident or a blown engine in the
first 25 laps -- what might your worst-case scenario be at Richmond, given this
added element of the cutoff to the Chase? Would it be a late caution, or
something like that?

Borland: Probably losing a tire. Getting a flat tire, or running over something,
or just having a tire blow -- ending up in the fence, or ending up having to pit
and be back in 30th with 10 laps to go.

Q: This has nothing to do with Richmond, but is there anything you can put your
finger on for the mid-season stretch you've had in 2004, compared to 2003? Do
you feel like the shock rule NASCAR made at mid-season hurt you guys
particularly or is it nothing you can put your finger on?

Borland: There's nothing really we can put our finger on. It's not been one of
our better seasons, pretty much the whole year through, and the shock rule
didn't really affect too much of that.

It's just one of those things where we haven't really been performing like we
should have up to this point. It's no one thing in particular; it's just how it
goes sometimes.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Kasey Kahne sits ninth in the Nextel Cup standings heading to Saturday night's
race at Richmond. Credit: AutostockQ&A: Kasey KahneSeptember 8, 2004
04:22 PM EDT (20:22 GMT)
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Kasey Kahne is right in the thick of the Chase for the Nextel Cup with one race
to go.

Kahne, of course, is the driver of the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge and he
moved up two spots from 11th to ninth in the Nextel Cup standings with his
second-place finish Sunday to Elliott Sadler at California.

Kahne has four top-five finishes in his past six races, including Sunday's
runner-up finish, and he can use that momentum to improve on his 28th-place
finish at Richmond in the spring.
KASEY KAHNE
•  Driver Page•  2004 Stats•  Store: Kasey Kahne gear!•  World of Dodge

Q: Kasey, welcome and congratulations on your California finish. Thanks for
joining us today.

Kahne: Thanks for having me. It was a good finish in California. Got us back in
the points. We're looking forward to Richmond this weekend.

Q: Is the pressure still pretty thick for you guys right now?

Kahne: It really is. Anything can happen at Richmond. It's going to be an
exciting race. You know, at the same point there could be a lot of guys get in
if, say, a problem was to happen with the 48. I think it's going to be an
exciting race, for sure. Really hard to say what all's going to happen there,
but it should be exciting.

Q. Jimmie Johnson said to us the one guy that he's got his eye on, if he makes
it into the top 10, which you have now, would be Kasey Kahne because, number
one, he's running good, and number two, the tracks in that final 10 really work
into Evernham Motorsports favor. Your thoughts on what he said.

Kahne: I'm definitely looking forward to the final 10 races, whether we're in
the Top 10 or not. I think, you know, obviously we're going to do everything we
can to be in that top 10. But when it comes down to it, I think there's six or
seven races in there that we have a great shot at running up front at, great
shot at qualifying good for and racing well at. Hopefully we can run better than
we did the first time we went to those tracks. I think Evernham Motorsports
should be really strong at those races.

Q. You're the only rookie that's in the Top 10 as we speak. Is that a special
honor for you?
Kahne says the 2004 season has been nerve-wracking for me. Credit: Autostock
Kahne: Yeah, it's a real special honor. I wish Richmond was over and we could
know we were going to finish in the top 10 in points this year. I mean, that's a
great accomplishment for our team, it's a great accomplishment for me.

You know, one of our main goals this season was to get the Rookie-of-the-Year
and we're working real hard to get that. Right now we're looking good on that,
but we got to keep working harder to do that. If we can get in that Top 10, it
would be great.

Q. Is this a nervous time for you?

Kahne: The last month and a half has been really. Ever since Chicago, ever since
we lost a bunch of points at Chicago, I've really tried to figure out how to
finish these races and how to finish them up front, do whatever it takes to have
good races and not crash a car, not lose points because we fell out towards the
end of the race. It's been nice to have been able to do that. We have one more
race to do it and we'll get in that top 10.

Q. It's been 'you're in, you're out' the last few weeks. I think that probably
most people who have watched all year probably say you're one of the top 10
drivers. It sort of seems like it's almost a week-to-week thing. You could be on
the outside looking in. Some of these guys are going to be on the outside
looking in that maybe deserve it. Do you think 10 is the right number? Do you
think maybe NASCAR should look at it and maybe increase that to possibly 15?

Kahne: Yeah, I mean, it could end up being 15 with the 400 deal. I mean, it's
been really, really kind of nerve-wracking and different things lately. You've
got Jamie McMurray has been real fast, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, Ryan Newman,
Jeremy Mayfield, all these guys have been really good in these last seven or
eight races.

It's coming down to the final race, which we knew it was going to. I mean, if it
was 15, I think that would be a little bit better at this point in time, but at
the same time 10 is what they did for this year. The whole deal is structured so
much different this year than in the past, you know, it's going to be
interesting to see how this whole deal works out, see if they want to change
something for next year.
ALSO
•  Unofficial "Bubble" Standings•  Unofficial "Clinch" Standings

Q: Have your recent starts and finishes given you a little bit more confidence
heading into Richmond? You've had some great starts the last couple and
obviously some super finishes over the last three or four races. How is your
mindset right now following those starts and finishes lately heading into this
most specific race?

Kahne: Oh, it's pretty good. You know, we've been qualifying good. We've been
racing good. Loudon, New Hampshire, we did some testing at Loudon, our short
track program. That was our weakest program throughout this year, was the short
tracks. Going back to Richmond, first time we were there, we didn't race good at
all. I crashed in qualifying, we had to pull it back and never got it right.
I've learned a lot about the brakes, about these cars on the short tracks. I've
definitely got some momentum going into Richmond and look forward to being at
that racetrack.

Q. Looking to the 10, have you guys used up a lot of tests to make your 10 and
do you have any left if you make the final 10?

Kahne: We've used up a lot of them. We started out the season doing a lot of
testing so we could run good early in the year, kind of get everybody excited,
try to build some momentum for the season with having a rookie driver. We used
up all of them except one. We have one two-day test left. We're not sure where
we're going to choose that yet. We're looking at the tracks we're going to.
We're going to decide down the road. But we have one left right now.

Q. Is this perhaps your most nerve-wracking race of your Cup career so far or
was it the first one?
Kahne has gotten a lot of attention in his rookie season. Depending on what
happens Saturday night at RIR, he may be in line for a lot more. Credit:
Autostock
Kahne: Yeah, I think the one I was pretty nervous getting ready to start on the
pole was my first race. That was pretty nervous. But going into it, you know, a
week ahead of time, thinking of the race, what needs to be done this weekend, I
think this is probably one of the races that's definitely, you know, I'm
thinking a lot about, our team's thinking about. We just need to keep doing what
we've been doing and have a flawless weekend.

Q. Does having a good chance to be in the Chase for the Nextel Cup energize your
team?

Kahne: Yeah, I think it energizes them. I've been at the shop all day. Everybody
here, the guys building the bodies, painting the cars, to the guys building the
cars, there's just so many people that work here, every one of them has been
excited that I've seen.

I think everybody is excited. We're looking forward to going into it this
weekend. You know, hopefully we'll have a good run, get it over with, going on
to those next 10.

Q. The many runner-up finishes this year, is it frustrating being that close to
winning that many times?
Kahne has finished second five times so far this season. Credit: Autostock
Kahne: Yeah, it definitely is at times. This weekend it was somewhat frustrating
at the end just because I thought we were better than the 38. You know, if we
would have lost to the 6, I could have understood it, because he was really good
all day. But, you know, the 38 made the right adjustments at the end of the race
and they were the car to beat.

You know, going into that, I felt we could pass him and would have to battle the
6. It ended up not like that, so that was a little frustrating. You know, Texas
was the most frustrating of all, finishing second there after dominating the
whole race.

Q. Has your success surprised you at all? You seem to be taking it in stride.

Kahne: Yeah, it's definitely surprised me at times. But at the same time now, at
this time of the season, I mean, we've basically been together for, you know,
three-quarters of a year. We're kind of out of that rookie stage. We're more of
a team that's been together for a while.

All the guys are getting along. I think it's time that we run good every weekend
and we can, and not as much of a surprise when we do run good.

Q. Your thoughts on Tyler Walker in the 38 Busch car next year.

Kahne: I think he's going to be really good. I've worked with him some already.
We've been friends for a long time. He's driving my Silver Crown cars. He's won
the last two weekends in those cars. We're going to test Kansas next week
together. We're going to go back and forth in the cars, try to figure things out
together. I think he'll be real good for that whole Great Clips team. I'll be
able to join him at times, too.

Q: Your teammate Jeremy Mayfield is also fighting for a spot in the Chase for
Nextel Cup. You guys have both talked extensively about how well you do get
along obviously on and off the track, how you've helped each other along the way
this year. Now that it's down to that final race to move into the Chase, how
does that change, if at all?
Kahne says he and teammate Jeremy Mayfield are good friends off the track.
Credit: Autostock
Kahne: Yeah, I don't think it will change. You know, we've been good teammates
all year. I really like Jeremy and his whole team. We've all got along. I hang
out with him team a lot, too.

You know, hopefully both teams get in and we're able to run up front on Saturday
night and get both cars in the Chase. But definitely it's been fun with Jeremy,
you know, learning some things from him and working well between the 9 and the
19, both teams together.

Q: We'll let both of those teams, the 9 specifically, get itself ready for
Richmond on Saturday night. We appreciate you taking the time to join us today.
Best of luck to you guys on Saturday night. Thank you.

Kahne: Thanks a lot.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Ask KyleAny chance you’ll be on the new Nascar360 reality show?
Question from Jordan in Lake Charles, Louisiana

KYLE – There are a lot of new reality shows on television right now and we are
starting to see racing and NASCAR become a part of that. That’s probably good
for the fans. The fans always want more and this is just another way of giving
them something different. I don’t know if you’re going to see me jump on board.
A reality show should be something that the fans can relate to. Some of them are
showing things that happened weeks or even months in the past. That’s tough for
the fans to follow.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Ryan Newman has scored two straight top-fives when he needed them most. Credit:
AutostockTranscript: Newman, Mayfield, McMurraySeptember 7, 2004
02:32 PM EDT (18:32 GMT)
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NOTE: Coming off back-to-back top-five finishes at Bristol and California,
Newman has moved from 13th to 8th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Standings. He's 404
points out of first place and 20 points ahead of 10th.

Ryan Newman: "First of all for California I think we achieved our first goal and
that was to get a top-five finish.

I think a top-five finish in that position, or in our position as far as points
and everything, was going to keep us in the hunt. We were capable of doing that
and did that.

Obviously we went there to win the race, but looking at the big picture, the top
five was the ultimate situation.

Going into Richmond, it's the same old situation. We're going there to win the
race. If we win the race everything else will take care of itself.

We have to keep in mind, too, that we're 404 points out of the lead, so we have
a shot from that mathematical chance as well as the top 10.

If we can go there and do the same thing again, finish in the top five, we're
going to have a really good shot at being in the right position to be in the top
10 as well as being within 400 points of the leader.

We'll go there with the same racecar we had in the spring that sat on the
outside of the front row and finished ninth. We had a good test there a couple
of weeks ago, and we'll see how we can do."

TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS OPPORTUNITY MEANS TO COMPETE FOR THE TITLE:

"It's kind of a Catch-22 situation. We caught Matt Kenseth last year almost 300
points in two races. Now we're sitting 404 points out of the lead.

It's not like because of the chase for the championship we have a great
opportunity to win the championship.
ALSO
World of Dodge


We'd have a great opportunity regardless. We're just right now fighting for the
top 10 situation. After Richmond we were 408 points out of the lead and still
had the mathematical opportunity to win the championship, I'd be real upset.

That's part of the reason I don't like the point system, but just to be in this
position three years in a row is a great thing for our team as well as me
personally, and we just keep working for that ultimate goal of winning the
championship."

HAS THE NEW POINT SYSTEM CHANGED THE WAY YOU DRIVE IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS?

"No, I don't think so at all. I think if we had the opportunity at California,
if we had a first-place car we would have tried to finish first with it.

We had a top-10 car for most of the race and turned it into a top-five car at
the end. We were able to make that happen and if we can win every race, which is
almost mathematically impossible for any team, then the points will take care of
themselves.

That's just how we approach it."

WHAT'S IN BEEN LIKE GOING FOR A TOP-10 SPOT AFTER THE 26TH RACE?

"It's been just like business as usual for me. You've got to keep track of
what's going on and who's around you and making sure there's nobody who tries to
nudge you when they shouldn't, but the bottom line is we're just out there
competing.

There has been some extra concern, but I don't put any extra pressure on myself
to try to perform. I just go out and try to do the best job I can with the
equipment I have and the people we have around us."

ANY CONCERN HAVING THE 26th RACE AT RICHMOND?

"Yes and no. If you look at it that way, it sounds pretty traumatic. There's
still 185 points available for every race up until this one.

We had just as much opportunity to gain in the past 25 races as we have here at
Richmond for this one, so mathematically it's just another race."

WAS BRISTOL A SAFER RACE BECAUSE OF THE NEW FORMAT?

"I think the Bristol deal was a freak situation. I said to someone earlier we
were close to having a full moon, and I think it was a bad moon that week.

It was a very good race, a very clean race and a lot of fun at Bristol and
physically a great workout. Potentially, I think there is equally as much a
chance to have a race like we had in the fall Bristol race at Richmond as well
as well as a beat and bang up 20-caution type race this coming weekend. It could
go either way I think, easily."

DO YOU TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT DNF's?

"If we were in their position (24 team), we would be experimenting and being
locked in to the chase for the championship we'd be doing everything we could
think of to make our team that much stronger from an engine perspective as far
as other perspectives and performance.

That's their deal. I don't know what cards they have in their hand, and I don't
know what cards they're playing.

We're in a position where we fold when we have to and we sometimes have to end
up playing cards we don't want to, but in the end, hopefully, we'll be able to
make it in."

WAS THE TOP FIVE AT CALIFORNIA A SURPRISE?

"Our car was pretty decent, and I was pretty good on restarts passing some cars.
Then I'd get passed a little bit.

We were happy to have those four tires at the end and to be in the right
position at the right time to take advantage of guys who only had two tires or
no tires. Carl Edwards did a great job of racing me clean there at the end.

I had a couple of other guys that were chopping me off pretty good, but it was a
good run for us and the Sony Dodge to be in that position at the end of the race
and to be able to capitalize and get that top five for our points day."

DOES THIS RACE ALMOST FEEL LIKE THE SEASON?
Credit: Autostock
"In a way, yes, it could be very easily. We just have to stay focused on what
we're at Richmond to do.

We'll see how we feel afterwards depending on how everything comes out. We can
only try as hard as we've been trying.

Our guys at the shop and the guys on the team, they're all on the same team, and
we try just as hard no matter if it's this race or the Daytona 500 or Brickyard
400 or Martinsville. We'll have to see how everything turns out.

If we're on the edge of the waterfall, we'll have to figure out on the way down
to land and take off for the next 10 races."

IS THERE ANY TALK BETWEEN DRIVERS ABOUT THIS RACE?

"I haven't had any discussion with any other drivers.

Usually that happens before driver introductions. Usually, whatever is going to
happen is going to happen. If it's going to be a beat and bang up race or a long
green-flag run race, it just happens. It's not something we prepare for.

I don't know if NASCAR is going to give us a speech going into this deal or
we're going to have to give each other our own speeches."

DOES HAVING A CHANCE TO MAKE THE CHASE ENERGYZE YOUR TEAM?

"We're not where we want to be, and that's the bad side of that coin. Ultimately
we're still in a great hunt, and we've got our sights set on the target.
Basically all we have to do is stay focused and follow through, but yes, the
team is real excited about being where we're at.

Usually at Penske, one of the three cars has a shot at the championship. The
other team members are very excited as well, and that brings more excitement for
everybody in the team, so we'll just do the best job we can."

DOES YOUR RECORD AT RICHMOND GIVE YOU EXTRA CONFIDENCE?

"It just lets us know, No. 1, that we can get it done. The ultimate answer is
something so little can knock us out for the weekend, whether it's a piece of
debris or somebody else's misjudgment.

Our performances in the past are just that, history. We'll have to try to create
better history. It's a fun racetrack and it's a track you can race on. It's one
of the few short tracks we can race and pass and have some fun on.

That's the good part of it. The bad part is it still has the potential to be a
beat and bang up racetrack. If you can stay out of that function of it, you'll
have a good day."

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TRACK GOING INTO THE FINAL 10?

"Darlington. I think that's going to be a pivotal race. At Darlington, guys
usually hit it or miss it. Being where it's at in the schedule, that's a very
pivotal weekend."

WHAT'S IT LIKE RACING AND NOT FEELING WELL?

"I've had a sinus type cold and headache. I think that's what everybody that's
been sick has had and it's going around. I was very, very weak.

I told the guys when I started the race I felt like 75 percent. I felt like 75
percent at the end of the race. It was pretty warm in the car because of the
temperature outside.

I got out of the car and I felt cold. I tried to get over it and get a lot of
sleep going into Richmond. It's tough, but if you're mentally sane you can
overcome a lot of those things."

Jeremy Mayfield

NOTE: Mayfield ranks 14th in the standings, 55 points out of 10th place with
three drivers to pass to get there. He finished 11th, 22nd and 16th in the past
three races and dropped from 10th to 14th.
Jeremy Mayfield has finished out of the top 10 for three straight weeks. Credit:
Autostock
Jeremy Mayfield: "California and Bristol were two pretty bad weeks. We just
didn't perform as we needed to and fell back in the points.

That's pretty much what happened to us. We're going to run harder and do
something different than we did at California and Bristol for sure.

We've just got to go in there and run hard and hope all the guys in front of us
make big mistakes and we don't. That's all we can do.

We've got to go in there and win the race. If we make it in, fine. If we don't,
I guess we just didn't make it."

MENTALLY, HOW DO YOU FEEL GOING INTO RICHMOND?

"Mentally, you've got to put it behind you, and it's not behind me yet. I'm
still (upset) about it. You've just got to go on and get over it and go to
Richmond open minded and do all you can.

We have no choice. We've got to go in there and win the race and have 13-second
stops all night. We can't go in there and run like we did last week or the week
before and you also can't put pressure on yourself and try to go in there and
make it all up in one week.

We should have done this two or three weeks ago and we would have been all
right. We've got to go in there now and try to make up everything we've lost in
the last couple of weeks and it's going to be hard to do. It's going to be hard
to do."

HOW IMPORTANT WILL IT BE TO UNLOAD FAST AT RICHMOND?

"We tested there and had a great test. We've got to go in there and roll off the
truck fast, be fast in practice and qualifying.

We've got to do a lot of good stuff to overcome this. All you can do is do the
best you can and at the end of the night know we did all we can do.

I can't say that about Saturday night (Sunday night at California Speedway). We
had several bad stops that kept putting us behind, and I can't say we did all we
can do.

I want to be able to leave Richmond saying we did all we could do and we had the
best of everything and that we had good stops all night and nobody made
mistakes. Maybe you'll know you did everything you could do that night anyway.
We had a great test there, and the car ran really good.

That's all you can do, try to lead every lap and do everything you can.
Hopefully at the end of the night you're in the top 10 in the points."

WHY DID THE BAD PIT STOPS HAPPEN?

"I have no idea. They do a great job every week, practicing and all that stuff.
Then you come in second and go out ninth, come in seventh and go out 18th.

I have no idea why it happened. It's just hard to swallow. It's the time we had
to step up and we didn't do it, and if you don't do it, then you don't deserve
to be in the top 10 anyway.

You've got to keep working hard and do the best you can and get prepared for
Richmond this week.

Hopefully they're on their game and I'll be on mine and the car will be on its
game and we'll do the best we can. We'll give it all we've got, and hopefully at
the end of the night we'll be in the top 10."

WILL YOU TALK TO PIT CREW?

"I'm not mad at them for what happened. I'm not sure what happened on the stops,
but I know it's not OK.

That's something I can't swallow when you get out of the car they say it'll be
all right, well, it's not all right.

We've got to fix something and figure out what happened to the guys, but you
know we've got to go on, put it behind us and race and go to win Richmond.
That's all we can do."

HOW WILL YOU REACT TO THIS NOW OR NEVER SITUATION?

"I pretty much feel like I'm in that situation all the time. I've never been in
a situation where everything is great and you don't have to run every lap as
hard as you can. I don't really know.

All I know is that I've got to go to Richmond and do all I can as a driver and
go for it. I've never been in that situation, but I've also never been in one
where everything is great, either.

There's always been a lot of pressure in every situation I've ever been in, so
there's nothing any different going into this week.

It's just not right. You can't come into this deal and expect to make it all up
in one week. I'm the first one to say you can't be conservative when you're in
that situation, and I feel like the last couple of weeks we haven't performed
like we needed to. Now all we can do is go to Richmond and get all the points
you can, but it's going to be tough."

IS QUALIFYING MORE IMPORTANT?
Nextel Cup Series
•  Results•  Standings•  Schedule•  Best 25 Over Last Six Races•  Best Starts• 
Best Finishes•  Complete Race Coverage

"I don't know if it's any more important than it is any other week. It's
definitely going to be the most important thing for us this week. We've got to
sit on the pole and win the race and lead all the laps.

That means when we come in second we've got to go back out second. That means
when we come in 10th, we've got to go 7th.

We've got to execute this week like we never have before. If that means
qualifying on the pole, that's what we've got to do. We've got to be on our game
this week, and that starts with qualifying."

IF YOU DON'T MAKE THE FINAL 10, WHAT THEN?

"It would be a reality check and let you know you could have done this and this
and this. There are probably a lot of things I could have done different to help
the race team and things the race team could have done to help itself.

That's what you'll look back on. If we hadn't done this, we'd been a little
better here and made it in. That'll get us ready for next year, but if we don't
get in, I'm expecting to win races quick and fast. We've got to.

We're a better race team than we've been the past two weeks. If we don't get in,
we have no choice but winning every race from here on out. That's the way I look
at it."

WHAT'S THE STRESS LEVEL OF SEASON COMING DOWN TO ONE RACE?

"It's a shame to have the season come down to one race for us. I feel like we
should have been close enough to be in it a few weeks back and now we're not.
We've got further away.

It's really not one week. It's not one race that's going to turn around our
season. We've just got to do the best we can this one week just like we do every
week after that.

We're still here to win races and whatever, but it's not over yet, either. If
we're not in the top 10, we'll try to win every race from here on out. If we
are, we'll still do the same and get ready for next year."

WILL YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE COMPETITION FOR THE TOP 10 IS ON THE TRACK
SATURDAY NIGHT?

"You'll pretty much know as the race goes on you'll know who's ahead of you and
all that stuff.

A lot of the guys we've been racing with have really picked the pace up. The 6
car is by far been the best the past couple of weeks. They've done a great job,
and the 88 has been good. The 42 has come on. The 9 has been good.

We all know pretty much who we're racing. This week we've got to race everybody
and win the race. There ain't no way around it."

HOW AGGRESSIVE WILL YOU BE AT RICHMOND?

"We've just got to go in there and race and do whatever it takes to win the race
and get all the points we can get.

Whatever the consequences are we'll have to deal with them later and race
aggressively and do whatever you've got to do to win. That's the way I look at
it. That's the way I'm going into it this week. I don't care about anybody
around me. We've got to win the race."

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY?

"It's not every day you get a chance to get in the top 10 in this kind of sport.
It's a tough season. It's tough all the way around.

We've got a lot of good competitors. We've got the opportunity and just let it
fly right by you. That's what (upsets) you. It's not over yet, but we've got to
perform this week. If it gets by, we've got to get prepared for next year.

Maybe it'll make us a better race team, but like you said, you don't get this
opportunity very often."

IS THERE ONE RACE BESIDES BRISTOL AND CALIFORNIA YOU CAN POINT TO?

"Oh yeah, we've been doing that. There's several races you look back if we had
done this or that better or if I hadn't spun out at Sears Point or if we'd have
better pit stops at Darlington and Charlotte or if we'd not run out of gas at
Texas.

There's going to be a lot of things we look back and know where we lost this
year. We definitely should be solid in the top 10 right now if we hadn't made
those mistakes.

We've had our eyes on that. It's something we'll look back on at the end of the
year and not let happen next year and go from there."

WILL IT BE TOUGH IF NO EVERNHAM CARS ARE IN THE TOP 10?
Credit: Autostock
"If they (9 team) fall out it'll be because they made mistakes and beat
themselves also.

Our goal was to get both cars in and if not both, then get one. That's what
we're trying to do and we're doing the best we can to do that. It certainly
wouldn't be a good situation, but we'll learn from it. It'll make us better and
we'll move on.

No matter what happens we're better than last year and ahead of our schedule
anyway. We still want to get in, if not both, then one car anyway. If not, we'll
go back to the drawing board and I'll guarantee you we'll be tough in that deal
next year.

We'll fix the problems we've had this year and not let it happen to us again."

DO YOU THINK DRIVERS ALREADY ELIMINATED FROM THE CHASE WILL CUT YOU ANY SLACK AT
RICHMOND?

"I doubt it. They usually don't anyway. I certainly wouldn't and wouldn't expect
them to. I doubt it.

It's tough racing and very competitive and we're all here to win. Normally these
guys don't cut anyone any breaks."

DO YOU STILL LIKE THE NEW POINTS FORMAT?

"Oh yeah, I think it's good. It's going to be great. There's a lot of talk about
it and fans are pumped up about it. The media is excited about it. I think it's
going to be good. Saturday night should be interesting.

It should be very interesting. Who knows what's going to happen after that?
That's what it's all about, putting on a good show and entertainment, and I
think that's what you're going to see."

HOW WOULD YOU DRIVE IF YOU ONLY NEEDED TO FINISH SECOND OR THIRD TO MAKE THE TOP
10?

"Coming down to the end of the night if you're running second or third or
whatever, and if you finish like that and the team lets you know you're in, you
don't do anything crazy.

As far as I'm concerned right now, we've got to go in and sit on the pole and
win the race and lead all the laps and everything else. That's my goal anyway
right now. Until I'm told otherwise, I'm not going to expect anything else.

I think it's going to be a great track for it, a short track, Saturday night,
I'm sure there will be a full moon out and tempers flaring at the end of it,
too. I'm sure it's going to be a spectacular event."

JAMIE McMURRAY

NOTE: McMurray ranks 11th in the standings, 25 points out of 10th place. He's
finished in the top 10 in four of the past five races and moved up from 15th to
11th after his fourth-place performance at California Speedway.

What is your outlook heading into this weekend's race in Richmond?

Jamie McMurray: "I feel pretty good about our chances of getting into the Top 10
and being part of the Chase for the Championship.

We're taking the same car we ran at Richmond back in the spring and had a strong
run going until we were caught up in a wreck with Joe Nemechek.
Jamie McMurray Credit: Autostock
That's the thing about Richmond, it's a short track and you can be caught up in
someone else's mess and have your night end early.

The points are so tight between eighth and 15th-place. It's going to be
interesting to see who makes the top 10 after Richmond is over. Hopefully the
Texaco/Havoline Dodge is one of those that make the cut. If we can avoid
trouble, I feel good about our chances."

You're only 25 points out of the top 10. You had 25 points taken away back at
Bristol in the spring when your car was impounded for an illegal rear window.
How much sleep have you lost the last few days over losing those points?

"There's nothing you can do about it now. I mean, if after Richmond we miss the
Top 10 and the Chase for the Championship by 25 points, yeah, of course,
everyone is going to start playing the 'What If?' game. But you have to look
back at our season as a whole.

We've given away numerous points this year with blown motors, so if we miss the
Top 10 by a small amount of points, it will not be for just one infraction."

Many drivers have been vocal about the new points system. As we approach the
final race before the cut-off, what are your thoughts?

"You know, I was one of the vocal drivers at the beginning of the season that
did not like the new points system.

But I must admit, it's been exciting to see all the coverage that those of us
trying to get into the top 10 have been receiving by the media over the last few
weeks. It's great for our sponsors, and I think it's created a lot of buzz for
NASCAR.

Usually this time in the season is when there are a handful of drivers that are
competing for the championship and there's not much media focus. I think overall
the new points system has been good for all involved."



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Last Lap: ChasemailBy Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
September 7, 2004
02:35 PM EDT (18:35 GMT)
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The hour between the Nextel Cup driver's meeting and driver introductions is a
sort of calm before the storm. Folks hang out, quite relaxed, though with the
slight twinge of anticipation for the coming event. I often reserve this time
for stuffing my face.

Such was the case last weekend at Bristol. As I stood in line, salivating at the
thought of a grilled chicken wrap, I happened upon NASCAR chairman Brian France
and senior VP George Pyne, both already enjoying dinner. This was the perfect
opportunity to gauge the pulse of the Daytona Beach brass.
Marty Smith
"So, Brian, you have to be happy with the buzz around The Chase, especially
considering how many critics -- including me -- have changed their opinion of
the format."

From the moment it was announced until, oh, late May or early June, I guess, I
was critical of the Chase for the Nextel Cup format. It wasn't fair for this,
that and the other reasons. And while I still think it's flawed in places, I am
undoubtedly a convert to the overall concept.

The drama surrounding the battle for qualification has injected significant
interest into this typically mundane portion of the season. This time last year
Matt Kenseth held a 389-point lead over second place. Three hundred eighty-nine
points. Think about how ridiculous that is.

Fast forward to the present. Eight guys are racing hell-bent for the final three
spots in the Chase. This was France's vision -- one most of us were too
closed-minded to accept.

It's working. He had to want to yell, "I told you so, Marty." But he didn't,
just took a bite of beefaroni, grinned slightly and shrugged as if to say, "I
was confident all along, even when everyone else wasn't."

With that, he strolled away. Pyne looked at me, laughed at me, then followed the
boss man off into oblivion. And there I was, left to a half-eaten chicken wrap
and a suspicion that just when I thought I'd caught up, France was still several
steps ahead of me.
MARTY SMITH
•  Email Marty•  Opinion Archive•  Store: 'I Agree With Marty' tee

One qualification race remains, and many of you still have burning questions
about The Chase. What better time than now to offer up some answers...

Marty, The drivers that make it into the top 10 for the race to the finish -- is
this the worst they can finish? Will the driver in 10th place take 10th place
money at the end of the season at the NASCAR Awards Dinner, no matter how
terrible he finishes the rest of the year? Do these drivers have the top 10
money checks locked up no matter what? -- Gary Beasley

Yep. That's precisely correct, Gary. At the conclusion of Saturday's Rock n'
Roll 400 at Richmond, the 10 drivers in the Nextel Cup point standings can
finish no worse than 10th, regardless their performance in the final 10 events.
They could feasibly blow seven engines and wreck three times and still finish
10th.

Meanwhile, the driver in 11th could win eight of the final 10 races and still
not improve his position. Doesn't seem fair -- not even. But if that were to
happen, that particular team would have no one to blame but themselves for
failing to qualify during first 26 races.

It's not unlike making the playoffs in the NFL. A team might finish the season
10-6, peak at just the right time and be the best team in their respective
conference when the regular season ends, yet fail to make the playoffs because
they opened the season 1-4.

Doesn't seem right. But to quote Mike Helton, "It is what it is."

Marty, I have a question that I cannot seem to get the answer to. Let's say Jeff
Gordon is in first place when the Chase begins. Shortly into the race, he wrecks
and finishes 42nd. Assuming the 33 non-chase qualify, does he finish 42nd in
points or 10th? Huge difference huh? -- John

Gargantuan difference, actually, John. Matter of fact, in the minds of many
folks in the garage, that very scenario is the major flaw in the Chase format. I
agree. Here's why:

Per usual, the 10 qualified Chasers will each race against 42 other cars each
week, under precisely the same points format used in the regular season, rather
than racing alongside 42 other cars under a separate point system that applies
only to those in the top 10.
RACE FOR THE CHASE
•  Standings•  "Bubble" Standings•  "Clinch" Standings•  2004 Results

For example: The highest finisher among those qualified for the Chase receives
10 Chase Points, while the lowest qualified Chaser receives one Chase Point.
That way, a DNF doesn't automatically end your shot at a championship the way
the current format does.

Under the scenario John raised, Gordon would get 37 points for a 42nd place
finish. If one of his Chase competitors won that particular race and led the
most laps, he'd get 156 points. Hence, if that were to happen, Gordon could all
but kiss his fifth championship goodbye.

Marty, I am really getting sick and tired of hearing the drivers complain and
whine about the new points system a.k.a the Chase for the Cup. Do they not
understand that every major sports league in the world has a playoff format? I
can see how drivers were sheepish about the new system (as I was) when the
season started, but how can you ignore all the current excitement in this Chase?
It's great and the teams who are ripping this format should just be grateful
that more people will be watching Nextel Cup racing this fall than ever before.
And BTW, I like the Marty T-shirt... good stuff. -- Phillyduke13

I assume Luke Duke is speaking of Ryan Newman, the only driver verbally blasting
the format at present (a dynamic Newman says is deceiving in and of itself).
Last month Newman called the new format "irrational," and said that "A lot of
people are acting like they like the format now, but a lot of people are
two-faced."

Interesting. Newman currently stands eighth in the standings, with a very real
shot at winning his first championship. Wonder if he'll change his tune if he
does go on to win it all? Currently, he says it'll be nice to win the title, but
it won't carry the same significance that championships did under the old
format.

Mark Martin voiced a similar sentiment to me at Pocono. He doesn't hate the
system, but has trouble truly accepting it because it was developed in the name
of entertainment and thus may in some way compromise its integrity.

Like Luke, I had misgivings about the format initially, but the palpable
intensity surrounding the Race for the Chase has garnered my respect and due
attention. Thanks much for buying a shirt, Luke. Rock it proudly, baby. I bought
one of yours, too. Just got it. Has the General Lee on the front.

Hey Marty I like the change to the final 10-race run for the Nextel
championship, but I am curious about what will come down to the non-contenders.
Will these drivers be expected to move out of the way for the contenders to get
by? Will there be an unwritten "gentlemen's rule" like there has been at the end
of a race when most drivers will let the leaders on by? I can see some possible
angry results if this doesn't happen. What will the non-contenders be expected
to do, race but stay out of the way? -- KWR

I don't anticipate non-qualified drivers will race any differently than ever,
KWR. Might they be slightly more cautious around a guy in the Chase? Sure. As
you said, they'll probably treat racing situations with front-running Chasers
much like they treat the leaders now -- move out of the way and let the fast
cars battle for the victory.

But if Robby Gordon is racing Jimmie Johnson for position on the last lap, I'll
guarantee you he's not going to lift entering Turn 3 strictly on account of
Johnson's Chase status. Heck, if I'm Gordon in that situation I probably race
Johnson even harder. What's Gordon got to lose?

Hey Marty, If you own are a team solidly in the top 10 going into Richmond AND
you cannot mathematically gain or lose a position, do you give your team the
weekend off so they will be fresh for the 10-race shootout? At the very least,
why not pull the driver so he has no chance of getting hurt in a meaningless
race? Actually, even if you fall a position, say from second to third, who
cares? Why not give them the week off under that scenario also. -- Doug Miller

While your rationale seems quite viable, Doug, it would never fly. Could a team
owner give his or her guys the weekend off? Absolutely. Would he? Never. Here's
why: The sponsor paying $17 million so that that team can be out there competing
would never go for it, ESPECIALLY in a race with so many potential television
viewers.

Dear Marty, I certainly do not know who else to direct this letter to, so if you
don't mind I'll say my piece to you for what little it might be worth. My
husband and I were involved in mid west stock car racing for many years. But our
hearts were always with NASCAR racing. When the likes of Rusty Wallace and Mark
Martin went on to run for NASCAR we became huge fans of the sport.

It really does concern both of us the way the points race has been changed this
year. If you aren't in the top 10 at this point, what does it matter to the rest
of the guys? I always heard you came to race and were rewarded as to your
performance. But with the way things are going now, I'm really and truly
surprised that the sponsors aren't really up in arms about this whole mess.

Am I missing something important here? I cannot tell you how many friends and
relatives I have heard express their dislike for this system. We surely cannot
be the only ones upset by it. Thanks so much for listening and keep up the good
work. Yours sincerely, Melva Dite Mountain Home, Ark.

By no means are you the only person voicing displeasure for the system, Melva.
Thousands, if not millions, of fans are just as frustrated as you are. The
commercialization of NASCAR -- which is the core reason for the point system
change in the first place -- has so jaded longtime fans that they've begun
turning away from the sport all together. That's discouraging, but NASCAR is
willing to forge ahead in the name of expansion.

Next thing you know we'll be racing in New York.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Race Report for the Pop Secret 500

Kyle Petty, #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge Finished: 35; Started: 28

ATLANTA, GA. September 07, 2004 -- Kyle Petty and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny
Dodge team had a great turn-around go sour when an engine failure with 25 laps
to go left him behind the wall at the end of the race. Kyle Petty and the team
fought feverishly with track conditions throughout the first half of the race.
Kyle Petty fought the car and track, but changes were in order. New crew chief
Bill Henderson made the best adjustments, and Kyle Petty started moving back to
the front. His charge was halted when the engine expired on lap 225, and he
finished 35th.

"We just lost the engine right there at the end," said Kyle Petty. "We were
getting ready to get into the top 20, and the car was the best it had been all
race. The Georgia-Pacific guys did a good job of getting us back in the game,
but we just couldn't get the finish."



OVERVIEW:

In the first NASCAR Nextel Cup race held outside the city limits of Darlington,
S.C., on Labor Day weekend, Elliott Sadler won Sunday night's running of the
first-ever Pop Secret 500 at the two-mile California Speedway. General Mills and
its Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn brand helped kick off the new Labor Day weekend
tradition by sponsoring Sunday's twilight event. The race started in the heat of
the day, but ended "under the lights" of the speedway.

Sunday's Pop Secret 500 didn't disappoint the Southern California fans who, for
the second time this season, packed into the two-mile California Speedway. The
race was already being billed as a new Labor Day tradition, and one with the
excitement of the 500-mile race starting in the late afternoon and finishing
well into the night. The twist of the transition from day to night had many
teams chasing the track and producing new contenders as the race evolved.
Thirteen leaders held the top spot throughout the night without one single
driver dominating. Instead it was the team of Elliott Sadler who best had the
right combination once the sun set and the checkered flag flew to capture the
win. Sadler had the company of rookie Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin on his heels
at the end of the night. It was actually Martin who led most of the laps Sunday
night. Sadler led the second-most and Kahne led over 35. Sadler took the lead on
lap 224, but after 29 lead changes throughout the night, he knew
  that didn't guarantee him the victory. Sadler, however, was able to hold of the
challenges of Kahne and Martin for the win. It was his second victory this
season and the third of his career.

1. Elliott Sadler, Ford
2. Kasey Kahne, Dodge
3. Mark Martin, Ford
4. Jamie McMurray, Dodge
5. Ryan Newman, Dodge
27. Jeff Green, Pop Secret Dodge
35. Kyle Petty, Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge



Jeff Green, #43 Pop Secret Dodge Finished: 27; Started: 13

Green and the #43 Pop Secret Dodge team battled to the very end Sunday night on
its way to a 27th place finish. Green and the team had a lot on its plate at the
start of Sunday's race. A very slick track caused the Pop Secret Dodge to slip
and slide around the California Speedway early. As the night progressed the
track cooled and became gradually "tighter." The "Helping Hands" crew led by
crew chief Greg Steadman made all the necessary changes to keep Green
competitive and on the lead lap. On the track, he wheeled the specialty-schemed
#43 Pop Secret Dodge for all its worth. Green made major advancement over the
last 50 laps to grab a solid 27th place finish.

"This Pop Secret Dodge was getting better at the end of the night," said Green.
"We were sliding around, but so were a lot of other guys tonight. We just
couldn't get up off the corners like the other guys. I'm still proud of this
Cheerios team for getting us a decent finish at the end. We'll continue to
improve next week at Richmond."



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Pre Race Report for the Rock & Roll 400

The thoughts of Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge driver Kyle Petty heading into
Richmond

ATLANTA, GA. September 07, 2004 -- "When it comes to racing and tradition, sure,
you have your Darlingtons and Daytonas, and for some it's the Indys or
whatevers. But it's tough to find an area with more stock car racing tradition
than Richmond and the raceway.

"My grandfather (Lee) raced at Strawberry Hill. My dad (Richard) raced on the
old, thin, near-half mile track. I've done most of mine on the current track,
the three-quarters mile. At times, everybody thought that particular track was
one of the most exciting in racing.

"Frankly, I think we need more Richmonds in stock car racing. We need more
three-quarter miles like this one - good banking, nice sweeping turns, a little
'trick' thrown in like the hard left off the second corner - but we need more
Richmonds, as in the area, too. Man, that is a real hotbed for stock car racing.
Those people are serious about their sport.

"A lot of fans pay close attention and a lot of fans are dedicated. But Richmond
fans are absolutely, positively passionate about stock car racing. It's like the
old joke about the difference between involved and committed - it's like bacon
and eggs; the chicken is involved, the pig is committed.

"Not that they aren't nice people because they are. Really nice people. Whether
they are Kyle Petty fans or Jeff Green fans or Richard Petty fans or somebody
else's fans, they are super people who know a lot about what we do. As long as
you don't say anything bad about the race track or the Washington Redskins,
you'll never have a problem around Richmond International Raceway.

"These are the types of people who watch the race, and then make sure they buy
Brawny paper towels next week, and make sure they stock up on Coca-Cola and
Cheerios at the grocery store. They know Georgia-Pacific and General Mills and
Coca-Cola and all of the sponsors in the sport are important - and they see that
brand loyalty as their part of it. They love you not necessarily because of who
you are but because you are there. It's the only track where I've signed
autographs and then turned around to see the PR guy signing autographs too.

"The crowd pumps you up. Sure, racing under the lights and the fact it is a fun
place to race give you a great start, but you can really feel the electricity at
the start of the race. Driver introductions are fun . . . walking out to the
starting grid is fun . . . listening to the national anthem is fun . . .
everything just keeps adding up and building the excitement. And the drivers
feed off those fans.

"We have great fans everywhere we run but the folks at Richmond are just
special. You see that same feeling not just for Saturday night's race but for
the Busch guys on Friday night and the Truck guys on Thursday night. Rookies,
guys who've never run Richmond before, are cool to watch. They walk out to the
car before the start of the race and they are almost wide-eyed. They always say
something profound like, 'Man, this is so cool.' You have to laugh, especially
knowing you did the exact same thing at some point.

"We're pumped up. Everybody on this Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team is pumped
up about Richmond. We're excited to be there. And I know we're going to be even
more excited when that crowd starts jumping."



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Headlines
•Harvick, Labonte free-fall in Chase standings•Notebook: Junior goes from bad to
worse at Fontana•Gaughan suffers another DNF after crash with Yeley•Elliott
hopes to increase schedule in 2005•Labonte uses Busch race as Nextel Cup test
session•Late slip keeps Busch from gaining on Truex in points race
See More:
All of the headlines



Race Rewind
Watch a condensed version of the Pop Secret 500!

Victory Lane
Elliott Sadler celebrates his second win of 2004

Second...Again
  Kahne on his second-place finish at California
See more: Pictures | Audio | Video
Sign up now and earn Fan Miles.
   Buy your NEXTEL Driver Phone.

Jeff Gordon's team makes repairs to his front fender during a caution period at
Fontana. Gordon ran into debris on the track, costing him track position.
Credit: AutostockGordon confident team can fix engine woesBy Elliott Gordon,
NASCAR.COM
September 6, 2004
01:30 PM EDT (17:30 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. -- After having already clinched a spot in the Chase for the
Nextel Cup, you would think that Jeff Gordon would just walk away from Fontana
content with a 37th-place finish and the 52 points it paid.

You would have thought wrong.
Gordon: ""I've won a lot of championships with those engines because they don't
fail." Credit: Autostock
"Well, it could be a lot more frustrating, I can tell you that," Gordon said.
"We will drop a position in the points, but I was really proud of how well we
were doing and how well the team reacted to the issue we had."

Following his early exit from the Pop Secret 500, Gordon now trails teammate
Jimmie Johnson by 50 points for the top position in the standings, but if
everything stays the same following Richmond, that shrinks to just five anyway.

"Right now it's just really about getting ourselves in gear for those last ten
(races). I'm obviously not happy with the engine issues right now, and we're not
trying anything crazy," Gordon said.

"We've got to figure that part out. We're not going to be a threat for those
last ten (races) if we don't get that figured out.

"The team is strong, everything is strong, and certainly the power is
incredible, but we've got to make sure it lasts until the end."

Johnson, who finished a mediocre 14th, took notice of Gordon's engine troubles.

"You're going to have problems. I thought we had everything fixed and addressed.
I noticed the No. 5 (Labonte) and the No. 25 (Vickers) were still running at the
end," Johnson said. "Maybe it was some bad luck for them (No. 24 team) like we
have had throughout the year.

"It's weird. We haven't changed anything and just want to build on what we have
going into the final ten and now stuff is breaking."
JEFF GORDON
•  Driver Page•  Article Archive•  Superstore: Jeff Gordon gear!•  Join Jeff's
Fan Club!

After Johnson had engines expire in three straight events (Watkins Glen,
Michigan and Bristol), Gordon did express some concern when asked if he was
worried about those incidents.

"You're darn right I am, yeah. Why wouldn't I?" Gordon said. "Even if we were
testing stuff out, but we weren't. You know we test things that we feel we're
confident in that are going to make it to the end, but we're not even doing
that."

Some drivers in the garage aren't buying that, though.

"I am not a bit surprised at the problems Hendrick cars are having," Ryan Newman
said. "I'm pretty sure they're experimenting right now, and they should be. They
have the ability to because of the points. We would if we were in their
position."

Whether the No. 24 team is testing parts or not, Gordon did not plan on getting
involved with analyzing the engine problems.

"(Hendrick engine program director) Randy Dorton and his guys are the best in
the business. I have utmost faith in him," Gordon reiterated.

"I've won a lot of championships with those engines because they don't fail, and
I'm still confident when it comes time for this championship that we're going to
make it to the end."



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Laboring into the top 10by Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
September 6, 2004
FONTANA, Calif. – The inaugural Pop Secret 500 had 11 cautions for 51 laps and
29 lead changes over its 500 miles, all California Speedway track records.
But even longtime diehards who lamented NASCAR spending its first Labor Day
weekend away from Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in more than a half-century would be
hard-pressed not to agree that Sunday night's event turned out to be the kind of
race that would have made the old Lady in Black's legacy proud.
In fine Darlington fashion, the race boiled down to a true survival of the
fittest match, with Elliott Sadler regaining the lead for the eighth and final
time with 27 laps to go, and then deftly holding off runner-up Kasey Kahne and
third-place finisher Mark Martin to earn his second win of the season and third
of his Cup career.
But while Sadler's win certainly helped his own cause (he moved up from seventh
to sixth in points and essentially clinched a spot in the 10-race Chase for the
Nextel Cup), Kahne and Martin benefited the most. The rookie and veteran driver
are now in control of their respective destinies with just one race remaining –
Saturday night at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway – to qualify for the
Chase.
The drivers each jumped two spots in the standings, with Kahne now ninth and
Martin 10th. It is the first time Martin has been in the top 10 all season.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It's been a big focus to make the top 10 since Daytona," Martin said. "It's
been an incredible uphill battle. We've run so good this year, but unfortunately
we've also had a lot of things that happened to us that set us back a long way.
We've just had to battle our way back. Check with me Saturday night at midnight,
and I'll let you know how I feel."
Sitting 2,420 miles away from Darlington Raceway, California Speedway had a lot
to live up to in its first-ever Cup race at night, not to mention starting its
own legacy. It needed an exciting debut to counter the critics who felt NASCAR
turned its back on tradition and more than five decades of history just to pad
its pockets with more cash and potentially have higher TV ratings in the shadow
of Hollywood.
But for all the pressure that it faced to pick up the Darlington mantle, not to
mention being longer and wider than its more famous counterpart, the two-mile
Southern California oval ironically proved to be very Darlington-like. It had
lots of spins or crashes (seven) and action often was very tight in the corners
as drivers tried to go three- and even four-wide at times. Lady Luck cast out
more than a few unexpected surprises.
Even for a guy like the Virginia-born Sadler, an admitted NASCAR traditionalist
and Darlington aficionado who earned his first career Cup pole there in March
2003, things couldn't have gone much better.
"California Speedway did a great job this weekend," Sadler said. "They did a
perfect job."
At the same time, Sadler said California Speedway has a long road to match
Darlington's aura and significance – but it's off to a good start.
"I think it's hard to replace a tradition in one race," Sadler said. "But I
think California Speedway can make their own tradition and make their own form
of racing. We definitely had great support from the fans in Southern California
this weekend, but I don't think you replace a tradition in one race. I don't
even think you can put that in the same sentence.
"Darlington is a big cornerstone of our sport and still is, but I'm happy to win
the first Labor Day race in California. My name will be in the books for a long,
long time."
But while Sadler was great in earning his second win of the season, the real
story was the battle between Kahne and Martin, who jousted back and forth
throughout virtually the entire race.
"I actually thought Kasey was going to get his first win, but Elliott Sadler sat
right up in the seat and got the deal done," Martin said. "It was awesome."
Martin continued his incredible run in the last six races, notching his fourth
top-three finish (and second in three races) in that stretch, allowing him to
climb from 13th to 10th. Yet, in typical Martin form, he refused to get overly
excited about the Chase, knowing his recent good fortune could instantly
disappear in one ill-timed wreck at Richmond next Saturday.
Martin has a history of good finishes at Richmond, including winning in 1990 and
sitting on the pole three other times in his Cup career. He finished seventh in
his most recent start there in May.
"The whole focus is on making the top 10 in points," Martin said. "It's a
dogfight to get in. If we don't get in, we'll just go win us some races, and
that's pretty good, too."
As for Kahne, he seems to be borrowing a page from Matt Kenseth's "How to win a
Championship" book. The rookie driver from Enumclaw, Wash., doesn't seem to mind
being a bridesmaid. Kahne now has nine top-five finishes, including five
runner-ups and two other third-place finishes. The key has been a consistency
much like Kenseth showed in winning the Winston Cup title last season despite
winning just once along the way – which was a significant part of the reason
NASCAR implemented the Chase for the Nextel Cup system this season.
"We did what we needed to do today," Kahne said. "We would have liked to win,
but second is darn good."
Sitting in ninth place in the standings heading into the final Chase-qualifying
event is also darn good. But even though he is nine points ahead of Martin and
holds only a 65-point edge over the 15th-place holder, Kevin Harvick, Kahne
isn't taking anything for granted.
"It's going to be wherever you finish if you make the cut or not," Kahne said in
an understatement. "We're ninth, so that's an improvement. We gained some points
and that's an improvement. We'll just go into Richmond, try to keep all the
fenders on the car and hopefully get a shot at finishing in the top 10."
Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR analyst.
Send Jerry a question or comment for potential use in a future column or
webcast.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Headlines
•Notebook: Junior goes from bad to worse at Fontana•Gaughan suffers another DNF
after crash with Yeley•Elliott hopes to increase schedule in 2005•Labonte uses
Busch race as Nextel Cup test session•Late slip keeps Busch from gaining on
Truex in points race•Dark Darlington: Labor Day race heads to left coast
See More:
All of the headlines



Race Rewind
Watch a condensed version of the Pop Secret 500!

Victory Lane
Elliott Sadler celebrates his second win of 2004

Second...Again
  Kasey Khane on his 2nd place finish at California
See more: Pictures | Audio | Video
Sign up now and earn Fan Miles.
   Buy your NEXTEL Driver Phone.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 34th on Sunday, 19 laps down. Credit:
AutostockNotebook: Junior's night goes from bad to worseAlready in the Chase,
Earnhardt Jr. happy to leave FontanaBy Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
September 6, 2004
03:14 AM EDT (07:14 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won't look back on the inaugural Pop
Secret 500 with much fondness.

"I'm glad we're clinched because it was a nightmare," Earnhardt said. "It was
just a real frustrating night."
Earnhardt Jr. has already earned a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Credit:
Autostock
Starting 12th, Earnhardt immediately began losing spots, dropping back to 29th
by Lap 40. He got into the top 10 for the first time by Lap 200 but 18 laps
later, he spun out in Turn 4, starting a series of events that turned his night
from bad to worse.

"We pretty good at one point but the left rear tire went flat and I spun out on
it," Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt was then assessed a time penalty when NASCAR ruled he passed several
cars on his way into pit road. Then he had nowhere to go when Ken Schrader's
engine dumped oil and water on the track directly in front of Earnhardt on Lap
233, leaving Junior with a wrecked car and a 34th-place finish.

"I got back there behind Kenny when he blew up and got in some oil and tore the
car up," Earnhardt said. "It's not a real good finish for us, but I was really
kind of pleased with the way the guys were working and how the car was getting
better all night."
Fun in the California sun

Carl Edwards had tire problems on Lap 45 but battled back to finish sixth in the
No. 99 Ford.
Carl Edwards finished sixth Sunday night. Credit: Autostock
"We didn't panic," Edwards said. "I was hoping they'd throw the yellow and they
did. We got really fortunate there and that saved us. That was big."

Edwards was battling with Ryan Newman during the final 10 laps of green-flag
racing.

"Ryan Newman didn't want me to work him over too hard because he's racing for
that tenth spot in points, but I wasn't gonna cut him any slack," Edwards said.
"I could see how nervous he was.

"He kept holding his finger out like, 'Yeah, we're cool, we're cool.' I was
thinking, 'Man, I'm gonna try my hardest to pass you, but yeah, we're cool.'
That was fun."
Talking trash?

Food wrappers and newspapers were a constant problem early in the running, with
several cars overheating with trash stuck in their grilles. One of those was
Dale Jarrett, who wound up eighth.
VIDEO
Victory Lane
Elliott Sadler celebrates his second win of 2004 in the Pop Secret 500Final Laps
In a Texas flashback, Kahne chases Sadler to the checkersDale Jr. Done
Dale Jr. wrecks after sliding on Ken Schrader's oilTrouble at the Top
Jeff Gordon's engine expires and Dale Jr. spins on Lap 219Getting Loose
Kurt Busch gets aero-loose and spins but avoids hitting trafficTwo in the Grass
As Biffle dodges a loose Spencer, he spins Shane HmielBiffle Blows a Tire
Biffle blows a tire, damaging his car as well as the Nos. 24, 17 and 88Early
Trouble
J.J. Yeley spins, collects Brendan Gaughan on Lap 33•  Unofficial Results• 
Unofficial Standings•  "Bubble" Standings•  "Clinch" Standings

Workers picked up many of the papers by hand along the frontstretch during one
caution period.

"I guess a lot of fans were eating a lot of stuff," he said. "We'd prefer that
they throw their wrappers in a trash bag next time. I got a piece on my grille
and made the car run a little hot one time, but that's just part of the game."
Getting out the check-up book

The track temperature at the start of Sunday's race was 125 degrees and it was
30 degrees cooler by Lap 200, something Ryan Newman said contributed to some
wild racing.

"It was definitely hairy running three-wide there at the start of the race
because the track was so greasy," Newman said. "There at the end it was hairy
again and the track was stickier. Guys were running a lot harder and there was
less give and take.

"I know I had to check up a few times and a few times people had to check up for
me."
Hotter when the sun goes down

Jamie McMurray obviously is a night owl. With 75 laps to go, he was 18th and
advanced to fourth at the checkered flag.

"We had to make huge adjustments (after the sun went down)," McMurray said. "Our
first run, we were great. The next run was pretty good and then I couldn't
believe how tight the car got. We made huge changes."
Barely able to Cope

Derrike Cope had to have known that his night was doomed from the very
beginning.

Cope's No. 96 Ford failed to take the green flag because the crew was trying to
solve an electrical gremlin, finally getting on the track 12 laps later.

Cope's car then briefly caught fire on pit road during a stop. The night ended
on Lap 169 when Cope slammed into the Turn 1 wall.

He was evaluated and released from the infield medical center.



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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Bobby Labonte hasn't scored a top-10 finish since Daytona. Credit:
AutostockHarvick, Labonte free-fall in Chase standingsNewman, Kahne, Martin jump
two spots each at FontanaBy Elliott Gordon, NASCAR.COM
September 6, 2004
03:13 AM EDT (07:13 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. -- And then there was one.

When the green flag flies at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night,
nine drivers will be battling for the final four positions in the Chase for the
Nextel Cup.
Kevin Harvick has finished out of the top 15 in each of the last two weeks.
Credit: Autostock
Unfortunately for Kevin Harvick and Bobby Labonte, they have become the
outsiders looking in after disappointing runs in the Pop Secret 500.

After finishing 28th and 20th, respectively, Harvick and Labonte were supplanted
in the standings by rookie Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin. Now, only 76 points
separate drivers from positions eight through 15th.

Harvick was penalized the most by his performance, dropping seven positions in
the standings to 15th. Fifty-six points behind 10th-place Martin may not be
insurmountable, but Harvick has only two top-10 finishes at Richmond dating back
to 2001.

"The car just got loose there at the end and I couldn't pick up any spots,"
Harvick explained. "We had a pretty good car all day and had good pit stops, but
our motor just wasn't good.

"I'd get passed on the straightaways all night off the corners. That wasn't fun
at all. It just really sucks that we fell out of the top 10, but hopefully we
can get it all back in Richmond."

Labonte was clearly just as frustrated by his performance as Harvick.
VIDEO
Victory Lane
Elliott Sadler celebrates his second win of 2004 in the Pop Secret 500Final Laps
In a Texas flashback, Kahne chases Sadler to the checkersDale Jr. Done
Dale Jr. wrecks after sliding on Ken Schrader's oilTrouble at the Top
Jeff Gordon's engine expires and Dale Jr. spins on Lap 219Getting Loose
Kurt Busch gets aero-loose and spins but avoids hitting trafficTwo in the Grass
As Biffle dodges a loose Spencer, he spins Shane HmielBiffle Blows a Tire
Biffle blows a tire, damaging his car as well as the Nos. 24, 17 and 88Early
Trouble
J.J. Yeley spins, collects Brendan Gaughan on Lap 33•  Unofficial Results• 
Unofficial Standings•  "Bubble" Standings•  "Clinch" Standings

"Obviously, that's not the result we wanted tonight. It was just a really
frustrating night, because we couldn't get the car to do what we needed to do,"
Labonte said.

"We fell out of the top 10 and that's frustrating, but we've still got one more
race to try and get back in (to the Chase). It's tough, but that's where we're
at. We'll do our best to get back in at Richmond."

Outside pole-sitter Jeremy Mayfield had a strong car early on, leading for nine
laps, but faded as the race went on. He eventually finished 16th, dropping him
one position (to 14th) in the standings.

"Sixteenth ain't bad man, but what are you going to do?" Mayfield said after
exiting his car. "It is a good thing that I am still in the hunt, but we have
one more race to prove it."

Talk about having something to prove. Just three races ago Ryan Newman had slid
back to 13th in the standings, but after his fifth-place run Sunday, he gained
back two more positions and moved up to eighth.

"We're still as much on the bubble as we were before," Newman cautioned. "We're
going to Richmond to win. We can still be 13th or 14th after Richmond, but we've
got two shots now.

"We're eighth and 404 out of the lead, so if we can just finish in front of the
points leaders we might still have a decent opportunity no matter how everybody
else does eighth to 12th."

Newman may have the best shot at solidifying his position for the Chase, but
Dale Jarrett, even after gaining a spot in the standings, seemed a bit wary
about his chances.

"There's not much to talk about. You go to Richmond and do what you can do,"
Jarrett said after posting an eighth-place finish. "That's basically where we're
at. We'll go and get as many points as we can there and see what shakes out.

"I'm sure at the end of the race they'll tell me where I'm at. If we're in the
top 10, great. If not, we'll race for 11th and see what we can do."

Jarrett will go into Richmond trailing 10th-place Martin by 43 points.
Jeremy Mayfield led nine laps, but he faded to a 16th-place finish. Credit:
Autostock
After starting the season dead-last in the points following the Daytona 500,
Martin made his first appearance of the season in the top 10, and for his team,
it couldn't have come at a better time.

"The real focus is on making the top 10," Martin said. "It's a dogfight to get
in. We've been fighting an uphill battle. If we don't get in, we'll just go out
and win some races."

Kahne finished just ahead of Martin, notching his fifth second-place finish of
the season.

"We're ninth, so that's an improvement. We did what we needed to do here today,"
Kahne said. "It would have been nice to win, but second is darn good. We led
some laps and got five points there. We'll go on to Richmond, keep all the
fenders on it and hopefully finish in the top 10. Then we'll have a shot at
making that top 10."

Back in May, Kahne finished 28th at Richmond after starting 39th.

So with just 400 laps to go before the field is set for the Chase for the Nextel
Cup, the drivers who still have a shot at it -- especially Martin in 10th --
know one very important thing: "It's not over."



kylepettyrocks@yahoogroups.com
brothersgibbforever@yahoogroups.com
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Kasey Kahne (left) spent more laps in the top 10 than anyone else. Credit:
AutostockFaster cars of Kahne, Martin can't catch SadlerBy Mark Aumann,
NASCAR.COM
September 6, 2004
03:11 AM EDT (07:11 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. -- If Sunday's Pop Secret 500 had been about 252 laps instead of
250, there might have been a different driver celebrating in Victory Lane.

Kasey Kahne was faster than eventual winner Elliott Sadler on longer runs -- and
Mark Martin was faster than either of them.
Mark Martin (left) races Kahne heading into Turn 1. Martin led 65 laps. Credit:
Autostock
But in a 10-lap shootout to the checkered flag at California Speedway, Sadler
was able to protect his spot up front on the final restart, build a comfortable
advantage and hold off the charge of the two challengers.

"Those last two cautions put a hurting on us," Martin said. "I was hoping we
could run all the way. The cautions gave us the short end of the stick, but we
held the hammer.

Not surprisingly, Kahne felt the same way.

"A few more laps, it would have been a three-car race," Kahne said. "We were
right around with Elliott most of the race."

Sadler took the lead from Robby Gordon on Lap 190 but four laps later, Kahne
went by. Martin was coming as well, and caught Kahne on Lap 217.
VIDEO
Victory Lane
Elliott Sadler celebrates his second win of 2004 in the Pop Secret 500Final Laps
In a Texas flashback, Kahne chases Sadler to the checkersDale Jr. Done
Dale Jr. wrecks after sliding on Ken Schrader's oilTrouble at the Top
Jeff Gordon's engine expires and Dale Jr. spins on Lap 219Getting Loose
Kurt Busch gets aero-loose and spins but avoids hitting trafficTwo in the Grass
As Biffle dodges a loose Spencer, he spins Shane HmielBiffle Blows a Tire
Biffle blows a tire, damaging his car as well as the Nos. 24, 17 and 88Early
Trouble
J.J. Yeley spins, collects Brendan Gaughan on Lap 33•  Unofficial Results• 
Unofficial Standings•  "Bubble" Standings•  "Clinch" Standings

However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought out a caution three laps later when he spun
in Turn 4. That brought the leaders in for their final stops.

"We just did air pressure," Kahne said, "to try and free up the car more and
make it cut through the corner better."

"We loosened the car up, just barely, with air pressure and hoped for a
miracle," Martin said.

Brian Vickers acquired the lead on Lap 221 but Sadler repassed him three laps
later and was never headed, despite two more yellows, the final one coming when
Ken Schrader blew an engine and collected Earnhardt Jr.

That set up the 10-lap dash, in which Sadler's No. 38 Ford built a lead of as
much as .889 seconds on Kahne's No. 9 Dodge, only to have the lead cut to .263
at the checkered flag.

Kahne was the fastest car on the track on laps 248 and 249, while Martin's No. 6
Ford was quickest in four of the final six.

"On the restart, I was hoping to get on the outside," Kahne said. "Elliott, he
moved up a little bit and blocked me from going to the outside and put me at the
bottom. I couldn't run on the bottom because it was too tight. He did a good job
by moving up.

"It just killed all the momentum and gave him the win."

Martin agreed.

"All throughout the race, the No. 9 car could outrun me for 10 to 20 laps and
the No. 38 could a little bit," he said. "He sat up in the seat there at the
end, Elliott Sadler did, and we just didn't have enough time.

"My car just didn't handle on a 10-lap run."



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Sadler wins race, clinches spot in ChaseAfter second 2004 win, Sadler in Chase
with start at RichmondBy Mike Harris, The Associated Press
September 6, 2004
03:22 AM EDT (07:22 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. (AP) -- Elliott Sadler raced to his second victory of the season
and all but wrapped up a spot in the NASCAR's new championship playoff Sunday
night at California Speedway.

Sadler won for the third time in his Nextel Cup career, easily holding off
rookie Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin at the end of the 250-lap Pop Secret 500 with
the help of a couple of late caution flags that slowed the two challengers.
POP SECRET 500
Victory Lane
Elliott Sadler celebrates his second win of 2004 in the Pop Secret 500Final Laps
In a Texas flashback, Kahne chases Sadler to the checkersDale Jr. Done
Dale Jr. wrecks after sliding on Ken Schrader's oilTrouble at the Top
Jeff Gordon's engine expires and Dale Jr. spins on Lap 219Getting Loose
Kurt Busch gets aero-loose and spins but avoids hitting trafficTwo in the Grass
As Biffle dodges a loose Spencer, he spins Shane HmielBiffle Blows a Tire
Biffle blows a tire, damaging his car as well as the Nos. 24, 17 and 88Early
Trouble
J.J. Yeley spins, collects Brendan Gaughan on Lap 33•  Unofficial Results• 
Unofficial Standings•  "Bubble" Standings•  "Clinch" Standings

But Kahne, who finished second for the fifth time this season, and Martin both
climbed into the top 10 in the points with only next Saturday night's race at
Richmond Va., remaining before NASCAR pares the championship battle to the top
10 drivers for the last 10 races of the season.

Kahne is now ninth and Martin 10th, nine points behind. Jamie McMurray finished
fourth in the race and moved into 11th, 25 points behind Martin.

All Sadler has to do is start the race at Richmond to secure his place in
NASCAR's new Chase for the Nextel Cup.

"The cautions were definitely helping me, but my car was unbelievable the last
10 laps," said Sadler, whose last win came early in the season at Texas. "After
we got the checkered (flag), I told (team owner) Robert Yates 'This is a dream
come true. This is the reason I came to Robert Yates Racing."'

Martin appeared to have the strongest car through much of the race. But he
couldn't seem to get his car up to top speed for 10 to 20 laps after each of the
11 caution flags in the race that began in 99-degree heat of the late afternoon
and ended in the cooler temperatures after dark under California Speedway's new
lights.

"We had a fast race car on the long greens, but I can't help that the cautions
came out and my car just didn't shine on a 10-lap run," Martin said.

Both Bobby Labonte, who finished 20th, and Kevin Harvick, who was 28th, fell out
of the top 10, but still have a shot at getting into the Chase at Richmond,
along with Dale Jarrett and Jeremy Mayfield. Harvick fell to 15th, 56 points out
of 10th.

Martin, who led a race-high 65 laps, took the lead from Kahne on Lap 217, but a
spin by Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought out a caution flag on the next trip around
the 2-mile oval and brought the leaders to pit road.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 34th, 19 laps down. Credit: Autostock
Rookie Brian Vickers took only two tires and grabbed the lead, with Martin,
Sadler and Kahne right behind. On the restart on Lap 230, Sadler drove high on
the banking and raced to the lead. He stayed there the rest of the way, holding
off Kahne and Martin on one last restart with 10 laps to go after a crash
involving Earnhardt and Ken Schrader. The winner led a total of 59 laps in the
race.

Sadler said that crew chief Todd Parrott decided on a tire pressure change on
his last pit stop, which didn't sit well with the driver at first.

"I didn't agree with it. I told him, 'I don't think we should do that,' and he
did it. That's the reason he's the winningest active crew chief in the garage.
He got the car perfect for those last 12 laps and I drove my heart out."

Jeff Gordon, who won the race here earlier this year, ran over debris and
damaged his car early in the race and wound up finishing 37th after his engine
blew. Jimmie Johnson, his teammate, finished 14th but took over the series
points lead from Gordon by 50 points.

The points won't matter much after the Richmond race, though, with NASCAR
separating the top 10 by five-point increments and starting the final 10 races
with the contenders only 45 points apart.




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Pop Secret 500Preview | Qualifying | News | Results
  Results OrderDriver (No.)CarLaps FinishedLaps LedWinnings 1Elliott Sadler
(38)Ford$0 2Kasey Kahne (9)Dodge$0 3Mark Martin (6)Ford$0 4Brian Vickers
(25)Chevrolet$0 5Jamie McMurray (42)Dodge$0 6Carl Edwards (99)Ford$0 7Ryan
Newman (12)Dodge$0 8Jeff Burton (30)Chevrolet$0 9Joe Nemechek (01)Chevrolet$0
10Dale Jarrett (88)Ford$0 11Rusty Wallace (2)Dodge$0 12Kurt Busch (97)Ford$0
13Scott Riggs (10)Chevrolet$0 14Jimmie Johnson (48)Chevrolet$0 15Jeremy Mayfield
(19)Dodge$0 16Scott Wimmer (22)Dodge$0 17Terry Labonte (5)Chevrolet$0 18Kyle
Busch (84)Chevrolet$0 19Bill Elliott (98)Dodge$0 20Kevin Harvick (29)Chevrolet$0
21Ricky Rudd (21)Ford$0 22Tony Stewart (20)Chevrolet$0 23Robby Gordon
(31)Chevrolet$0 24Matt Kenseth (17)Ford$0 25Bobby Labonte (18)Chevrolet$0 26Jeff
Green (43)Dodge$0 27Sterling Marlin (40)Dodge$0 28Michael Waltrip
(15)Chevrolet$0 29Casey Mears (41)Dodge$0 30Boris Said (136)Chevrolet$0 31Ward
Burton (0)Chevrolet$0 32Jimmy Spencer (4)Chevrolet$0 33Ken Schrader (49)Dodge$0
  34Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)Chevrolet$0 35Kyle Petty (45)Dodge$0 36Jeff Gordon
(24)Chevrolet$0 37Greg Biffle (16)Ford$0 38Bobby Hamilton Jr. (32)Chevrolet$0
39Shane Hmiel (23)Dodge$0 40Derrike Cope (198)Ford$0 41J.J. Yeley
(11)Chevrolet$0 42Brendan Gaughan (77)Dodge$0 43Jeff Fuller (50)Dodge


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Crash with Yeley ends Gaughan's day earlyAngry former Truck Series star suffers
sixth DNF in a rowBy Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
September 5, 2004
09:47 PM EDT (01:47 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. -- Brendan Gaughan has to wonder if he'll ever see the checkered
flag again.

For the sixth straight race, Gaughan's No. 77 Kodak Dodge wasn't around for the
finish after he T-boned open-wheel star J.J. Yeley's out-of-control No. 11
Vigoro Chevrolet early in Sunday's Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway.
VIDEO
Early Trouble
Yeley spins, collects Gaughan on Lap 33

"It wasn't our fault," Gaughan said. "(Yeley's) going to blow by the cameras and
blow it off, act like it didn't happen, but some of us are out here not driving
Sprint cars, trying to drive Nextel Cup cars, and it's going to hurt us."

The whole incident started on Lap 33, when Yeley went high in Turn 1 and caught
the outside barrier. Yeley's car rode the wall for several hundred yards, then
suddenly veered toward the infield before Yeley caught it and turned back to the
outside.

Everyone else in the field went low -- except Gaughan, who suddenly had a front
window full of Yeley. He hit Yeley's Chevy just behind the right front tire,
which crushed the Dodge's radiator.

"The guy shouldn't have been out there," an angry Gaughan said. "(Nextel Cup
director) John Darby said it for years to all the rookies, if you go up to the
wall and hit it, and if you've got it caught, keep it up there. He had it up
there and I watched him and thought, 'OK, I'll go underneath him.'

"I started to go low and he goes low, he goes back above me, for some reason
corrects again and comes back in front of us. Another one of those days when the
Kodak gets to say it had a great car but it didn't have a great finish."

Yeley, making his Nextel Cup debut, took responsibility for the accident, but
wondered aloud why Gaughan was the only one who chose the high line around his
spinning car.

"I went into the same groove I had in the previous lap and the car got a little
bit loose and chased up the racetrack," Yeley said. "I thought I had that thing
saved for a long time up against the wall. There was just a point there where I
knew I was going to lose it and I definitely didn't want to spin down in front
of other cars.

"I locked up the brakes and tried to keep the thing against the wall. I spun
around in the last second and I thought it was in the clear and still on the
brakes and then comes the 77 and hit me in the front tire there and just killed
our chances of getting back out.

"You know, I think if he might have been able to slow down and go to the bottom
like some other cars, we could have just fired up and put some new tires on it
and gone back out."

Gaughan now has eight DNFs in 25 races and hasn't finished in the top 20 since
the first Michigan race.

His current luckless streak started at Pocono, where he was involved in an
accident. A crash sidelined him at Indianapolis, the transmission gave out at
Watkins Glen and the engine expired at Michigan before another wreck put him out
at Bristol.

Both drivers were released after a trip to the infield medical center.



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Lap 250: Elliott Sadler WON

Lap by Lap: Pop Secret 500September 5, 2004
11:09 PM EDT (03:09 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. -- Here is a lap-by-lap account of the Pop Secret 500 at
California Speedway:

Lap 234: Caution out for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ken Schrader crash

Lap 230: Green flag. Elliott Sadler leads

Lap 226: Elliott Sadler scored as leader

Lap 225: Caution out for Kyle Petty's blown engine

Lap 224: Green flag. Brian Vickers leads

Lap 220: Leaders on pit road, Brian Vickers takes lead with two-tire stop

Lap 219: Caution out for Dale Earnhardt Jr. spin

Lap 217: Mark Martin takes lead from Kasey Kahne

Lap 213: Robby Gordon begins round of pit stops

Lap 209: Jeff Gordon's engine blows

Lap 208: Jeff Gordon makes unscheduled pit stop

Lap 196: Michael Waltrip makes unscheduled pit stop due to cut tire

Lap 194: Kasey Kahne takes lead from Elliott Sadler

Lap 190: Elliott Sadler takes lead from Robby Gordon

Lap 185: Robby Gordon takes lead from Elliott Sadler

Lap 181: Green flag. Elliott Sadler leads

Lap 178: Caution out for Kurt Busch spin

Lap 177: Green flag. Robby Gordon leads

Lap 175: Robby Gordon scored as leader

Lap 174: Shane Hmiel to the garage

Lap 174: Leaders on pit road. Elliott Sadler scored as the leader

Lap 171: Caution out for Derrike Cope crash

Lap 167: Kasey Kahne takes lead from Shane Hmiel

Lap 162: Ryan Newman pits, gives up lead to Shane Hmiel

Lap 160: Jimmie Johnson pits, gives up lead to Ryan Newman

Lap 159: Mark Martin pits, gives up lead to Jimmie Johnson

Lap 156: Green flag pit stops begin

Lap 154: Mark Martin takes Kasey Kahne by 3.392 seconds

Lap 135: Mark Martin takes lead from Kasey Kahne

Lap 129: Kasey Kahne takes lead from Elliott Sadler

Lap 125: Elliott Sadler takes lead from Kasey Kahne

Lap 122: Kasey Kahne takes lead from Elliott Sadler

Lap 120: Green flag. Elliott Sadler leads

Lap 116: Caution out for Jimmy Spencer, Shane Hmiel crash

Lap 115: Greg Biffle returns

Lap 113: Green flag. Elliott Sadler leads

Lap 106: Leaders on pit road, Elliott Sadler scored as leader

Lap 105: Caution for debris

Lap 103: Rusty Wallaces makes unscheduled stop

Lap 97: Mark Martin leads Elliott Sadler by 2.701

Lap 87: Greg Biffle to the garage

Lap 82: Mark Martin takes lead from Brian Vickers

Lap 78: Green flag. Brian Vickers leads

Lap 74: Leaders on pit road, Brian Vickers win race off pit road

Lap 73: Dale Jarrett makes unscheduled pit stop

Lap 73: Jeff Gordon makes unscheduled pit stop

Lap 72: Caution out for Greg Biffle's spin

Lap 67: Casey Mears makes unscheduled pit stop

Lap 62: Mark Martin takes lead from Michael Waltrip

Lap 59: Michael Waltrip leads Mark Martin by 1.027 seconds

Lap 52: Michael Waltrip takes lead from Kurt Busch

Lap 48: Green flag. Kurt Busch leads. Brian Vickers restarts 13th.

Lap 47: Bobby Hamilton Jr. to the garage

Lap 46: Kurt Busch stays out, retains lead

Lap 45: Leaders on pit road

Lap 44: Caution out for Carl Edwards' flat tire

Lap 43: Kasey Kahne passes Jimmie Johnson for second place

Lap 39: Green flag. Brian Vickers leads

Lap 33: Caution out for Brendan Gaughan, J.J. Yeley crash

Lap 31: Green flag. Brian Vickers leads

Lap 30: Matt Kenseth pits, gives up lead to Brian Vickers

Lap 30: Matt Kenseth scored as leader

Lap 29: Leaders on pit road

Lap 27: Caution out for debris

Lap 19: Brian Vickers takes lead from Jeremy Mayfield

Lap 17: Jeremy Mayfield leads Brian Vickers by 1.496 seconds

Lap 12: Derrike Cope returns

Lap 10: Jeremy Mayfield takes lead from Brian Vickers

Lap 6: Jeff Fuller to the garage

Lap 1: Derrike Cope to the garage

Lap 1: Brian Vickers leads from the Bud Pole



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Date Race NamePole WinnerRace WinnerStarting Pos.Make05/02/04 Auto Club 500Kasey
KahneJeff Gordon16Chevrolet04/27/03 Auto Club 500Steve ParkKurt
Busch16Ford04/28/02 NAPA Auto Parts 500Ryan NewmanJimmie
Johnson4Chevrolet04/29/01 NAPA Auto Parts 500Bobby LabonteRusty
Wallace19Ford04/30/00 NAPA Auto Parts 500Mike SkinnerJeremy
Mayfield24Ford05/02/99 California 500 presented by NAPARained OutJeff
Gordon5Chevrolet05/03/98 California 500 presented by NAPAJeff GordonMark
Martin3Ford06/22/97 California 500Joe NemechekJeff Gordon3Chevrolet


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Zoom
Multimedia
Photo Gallery
Video ZoomTrack Facts
Banking/Turns: 14
Distance: 2.0 miles
Shape: D-shaped oval


Nextel Cup Race Record
Jeff Gordon 155.012 06|22|97

Busch Race Record
Hank Parker Jr. 155.957 04|28|01

Truck Race Record
Ted Musgrave 145.926 09|20|03



Nextel Cup Qualifying Record
Ryan Newman 187.432 2002

Busch Qualifying Record
Kevin Harvick 183.9409 2003

Truck Qualifying Record
Kurt Busch 177.388 2000

2003 Race Results

Nextel Cup Series
2003 Auto Club 500
04|27|03 Kurt Busch


Busch Series
2003 1-800-PIT-SHOP.COM 300
04|26|03 Matt Kenseth


Craftsman Truck Series
2003 American Racing Wheels 200
09|20|03 Ted Musgrave


Cup Historical Race Winners Nextel Cup Series
05|02|04 - Auto Club 500
09|05|04 - Pop Secret 500

Busch Series
05|01|04 - Stater Bros. 300 presented by Gatorade
09|04|04 - Target House 300

Craftsman Truck Series
10|02|04 - American Racing Wheels 200
California Speedway
Situated on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill approximately 40 miles east
of Los Angeles, California Speedway is a great place to watch a race and
experience the thrills of NASCAR. It is one of the premier auto racing venues in
the country, hosting six major racing weekends, which includes the largest
attended sporting event in the state.Contact Information
9300 Cherry Avenue
Fontana, CA 92335
(800) 944-7223



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Headlines
•Labonte uses Busch race as Nextel Cup test session•Late slip keeps Busch from
gaining on Truex in points race•Dark Darlington: Labor Day race goes
West•Vickers gets the gold star after Fontana qualifying•Gordon, Johnson to face
F1's Schumacher in Nations Cup•Notes: Rusty hopes to wake up from California
nightmare
See More:
All of the headlines



Victory Lane
Greg Biffle celebrates his season sweep at California Speedway

Final Laps
  Late cautions set up a duel between Biffle and Mears

Near-Miss
Sadler spins, almost collects Jeff Gordon during Happy Hour
See more: Pictures | Audio | Video
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   Buy your NEXTEL Driver Phone.

Jeff Gordon said his team has struggled in final practice before and he's
confident the team will get it together. Credit: AutostockNotebook: Gordon not
pleased with carBy Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
September 4, 2004
07:15 PM EDT (23:15 GMT)
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FONTANA, Calif. -- Jeff Gordon has been as close to perfection as a driver can
be at California Speedway.

In eight previous races at the two-mile oval, the three-time winner has
completed all but two of the 4,000 miles and has led 412 laps. In fact, Gordon
has never finished worse than 16th at Fontana and was involved in the two
closest finishes, winning one and finishing second in the other.
JEFF GORDON
•  Driver Page•  Article Archive•  Superstore: Jeff Gordon gear!•  Join Jeff's
Fan Club!

However, he wasn't happy with his car after Saturday's two practices.

"Happy Hour was not happy," Gordon said. "We weren't as good as we need to be.
We went through this same thing the last time we were here.

"We really weren't that good in practice but we were great when they dropped the
green flag. I'm hoping for the same thing (Sunday)."
Right to the point
TARGET HOUSE 300
Victory Lane
Greg Biffle celebrates his season sweep at California SpeedwayTop Finishers
Mears, McMurray, Truex Jr. on their Target House 300 finishesFinal Laps
Late cautions set up a duel to the checkers between Biffle and MearsEnd of the
Road
Sterling Marlin drops an engine at the midway point of the race•  Unofficial
Results•  Unofficial Standings

Sterling Marlin's No. 1 Dodge made it exactly halfway through Saturday's Busch
Series Target House 300 before it expired with engine problems.

"It blew up, just blew up," Marlin said.
When it's not your day

Tina Gordon's No. 39 Ford was flagged after 40 laps for being too slow, but she
said speed might have been the least of her troubles.

"It just had a bad oil leak from the beginning," she said. "I felt a vibration
on pit road. I felt something loose in the transmission."
We want a pitcher

Busch Series veteran David Green will be making his first Nextel Cup appearance
of the season next weekend at Richmond, but he was more nervous about a recent
trip to the pitcher's mound at Edison Field, home of the California Angels,
where he hrew out the first pitch.

"Everyone thinks it's going to be easy," Green said. "The toughest part was to
make sure I got that ball across the plate."
Hey Jimmie, remember me?

A trip to California Speedway is a homecoming of sorts for Jimmie Johnson, who
grew up in the San Diego area. But that also creates more trouble, as Johnson
said sometimes he's hounded for free tickets.
Jimmie Johnson
"I've been doing this long enough now that I've worked through all of those
issues and just get to see my close friends here," Johnson said.
Trying to reason with hurricane season

Greg Sacks is expecting to attempt to qualify for next weekend's race at
Richmond, if his Nextel Cup car makes it through Hurricane Frances.

Daytona Speed, Inc. employees boarded up the shop in Daytona Beach this week and
were prepared to ride out the storm.

"What can you do? We're not in an evacuation area, so we boarded up the windows
and got everything inside that was outside -- the same things everybody is doing
at home," Sacks said. "After that, all you can do is wait and hope and pray --
for ourselves, and for everybody else who is being affected by the hurricane.

"Racers are racers, man. They don't think about anything else. If Dorothy had
been a racer, instead of holding Toto in the tornado in 'Wizard of Oz,' she
would have been yelling at somebody to check the camber one more time.

"So we're just going to check the camber one more time, and be ready to go at
Richmond next week. We can't do anything about the storm, so we're concentrating
on the things we can control."



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Cheyanne and Travis are getting BIGGER!!!


























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