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Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix

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Darnell99Fan
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« on: November 06, 2007, 04:07:22 pm »

~Race2Win

Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, Week 9: Phoenix
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 5, 2007) – Below is a look at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12 going into the Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 11.





 
 
 
1 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

The File:

32 years old from El Cajon, Calif., 32 career wins
Nine wins, 19 top fives, 22 top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 11.1
Led 22 of 34 races for 1,233 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

Three top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 7.3
Finished fourth in April
Led three of eight races for 113 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

Series-high 934 Fastest Laps Run



 
 
 
2 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
The File:

36 years old, Vallejo, Calif., 81 career wins
Six wins, 20 top fives, 28 top 10s this year
Seven poles
Average finish of 7.4
Led 23 of 34 races for 1,300 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 8.2
Won the Phoenix race in April
Led eight of 17 races for 247 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

Series-best Average Running Position of 9.2



 
 
 
3 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)
The File:

28 years old from Emporia, Kan., one career win
One win, five top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
Average finish of 13.2
Led 13 of 34 races for 387 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

One top five
Average finish of 20.5
Finished 22nd in April
Led one of four races for 21 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

Second-best Closer – 57 positions improved over the last 10% of races



 
 
 
4 – Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
The File:

22 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., four career wins
One win, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s
Average finish of 14.1
Led 19 of 34 races for 636 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

One win, three top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 18.0
Finished seventh in April
Led three of five races for 78 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

Third-fastest average Green Flag Speed



 
 
 
5 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
The File:

28 years old from Columbia, Mo., seven career wins
Three wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s
Average finish of 13.4
Led 11 of 34 races for 428 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

Two top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 11.7 in six races
Finished 11th in April
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

7,047 Laps in the Top 15, ninth-most



 
 
 
6 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
The File:

36 years old from Columbus, Ind., 32 career wins
Three wins, 10 top fives, 22 top 10s
Average finish of 12.9
Led 20 of 34 races for 980 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

One win, five top fives, seven top 10s
Average finish of 9.9
Finished second in April
Led four of 11 races for 293 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

612 Fastest Laps Run, third-most



 
 
 
7 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
The File:

40 years old from South Boston, Va., 19 career wins
One win, nine top fives, 16 top 10s
Average finish of 14.1
Led seven of 34 races for 79 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s
Average finish of 11.6
Finished 13th in April
Led four of 16 races for 215 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

2,758 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most



 
 
 
8 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
The File:

31 years old from Bakersfield, Calif., 11 career victories
One win, four top fives, 14 top 10s
Average finish of 15.7 this season
Led 12 of 34 races for 271 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

Two wins, three top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 14.0
Finished 10th in April
Led three of nine races for 316 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

Fourth-best Closer – 49 positions improved over the last 10% of races



 
 
 
9 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
The File:

29 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., 17 career wins
Two wins, five top fives, 13 top 10s
Average finish of 15.7
Led 20 of 34 races for 868 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

One win, two top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 13.6
Finished 18th in April
Led four of nine races for 448 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

Series-high 1,761 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green flag conditions)



 
 
 
10 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
The File:

35 years old from Cambridge, Wis., 15 career wins
One win, 11 top fives, 20 top 10s
Average finish of 13.6
Led 18 of 34 races for 605 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

One win, four top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 18.4
Finished fifth in April
Led four of 10 races for 61 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

9,330 laps run on the lead lap, second-most



 
 
 
11 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet)
The File:

26 years old, Chesterfield, Va., three career wins
One win, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 14.3
Led 17 of 34 races for 887 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

Two top fives; one pole
Average finish of 13.3
Finished third in April
Led two four races for 93 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

460 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most



 
 
 
12 – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
The File:

27 years old from Mayetta, N.J., one career win
One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 16.9
Led 15 of 34 races for 506 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:

Average finish of 18.0 in three races
Finished 20th in April
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:

Series-high 2,960 Green Flag Passes
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« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2007, 04:11:00 pm »

~Race2Win

Numbers Game: Analyzing the Checker Auto Parts 500 at PIR
    
 
 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 5, 2007) – Jeff Gordon is living proof that there’s more of an emphasis on winning this season than ever before.

Gordon has three top-10 finishes over the last three races – yet has lost a whopping 98 points over that span.

The reason, of course, is Jimmie Johnson’s blistering performances. Johnson has won each of those three races, and this weekend looks to become the eighth driver since 1972 to win four consecutive races (the last driver to do it was, coincidentally, Gordon in 1998).

Johnson, storming back from a 68-point deficit four races ago, now holds a 30-point advantage over Gordon with two races remaining.

But Gordon need not worry just yet. Fifteen times this season, back-to-back races have resulted in Gordon “out-pointing” Johnson by more than 30 points. Twice, Phoenix was involved. Below are the 15 instances:
Dates Tracks Points Gained
2/18 & 2/25 Daytona/California +93
3/25 & 4/1 Bristol/Martinsville +40
4/1 & 4/15 Martinsville/Texas +106
4/15 & 4/21 Texas/Phoenix +151
4/21 & 4/29 Phoenix/Talladega +50
6/4 & 6/10 Dover/Pocono +173
6/10 & 6/17 Pocono/Michigan +185
6/17 & 6/24 Michigan/Infineon +61
6/24 & 7/1 Infineon/NHIS +44
7/1 & 7/7 NHIS/Daytona +41
7/7 & 7/15 Daytona/Chicago +107
7/15 & 7/29 Chicago/Indy +200
7/29 & 8/5 Indy/Pocono +124
10/7 & 10/13 Talladega/Lowe’s +74
10/13 & 10/21 LMS/Martinsville +44

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12 at Phoenix International Raceway
Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating
1 Jimmie Johnson 8 0 0 3 6 0 7.3 112.5
2 Jeff Gordon 17 3 1 8 14 1 8.2 107.3
3 Clint Bowyer 4 0 0 1 1 1 20.5 79.9
4 Kyle Busch 5 1 1 1 3 0 18 87.8
5 Carl Edwards 6 0 0 2 4 0 11.7 101.7
6 Tony Stewart 11 0 1 5 7 0 9.9 102.6
7 Jeff Burton 16 0 2 5 8 0 11.6 84.6
8 Kevin Harvick 9 0 2 3 4 0 14.0 113.8
9 Kurt Busch 9 0 1 2 5 0 13.6 106.1
10 Matt Kenseth 10 0 1 4 5 3 18.4 92.2
11 Denny Hamlin 4 1 0 2 2 0 13.3 92.3
12 Martin Truex Jr. 3 0 0 0 0 0 18.0 83.5

Selected Driver Highlights – Phoenix International Raceway

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Dish Network Ford)


One top five
Average finish of 19.6
Driver Rating of 101.4, seventh-best
Series-high 195 Fastest Laps Run
Fifth-fastest Green Flag Speed

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
One win, two top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 13.6
Average Running Position of 8.0, third-best
Driver Rating of 106.1, fourth-best
117 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
Fourth-fastest Green Flag Speed
1,048 Laps in the Top 15 (84.0%), fourth-best percentage
71 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 10th-best average per race (17.Cool

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
Two top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 11.7
Average Running Position of 10.7, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 101.7, sixth-best
97 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
175 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
Third-fastest Green Flag Speed
1,268 Laps in the Top 15 (81.3%), fourth-most
121 Quality Passes, second-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 8.2
Average Running Position of 8.1, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 107.3, third-best
49 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most
Seventh-Fastest Green Flag Speed
1,384 Laps in the Top 15 (88.7%), third-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet)
Two top fives; one pole
Average finish of 13.3
Average Running Position of 15.0, 13th-best
Driver Rating of 92.3, ninth-best
70 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
10th-Fastest Green Flag Speed
809 Laps in the Top 15 (64.8%), 14th-best percentage

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
Two wins, three top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 14.0
Series-best Average Running Position of 5.8
Series-high Driver Rating of 113.8
122 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
Second-Fastest Green Flag Speed
Series-high 1,452 Laps in the Top 15 (93.1%)
94 Quality Passes, tied for eighth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
Three top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 7.3
Average Running Position of 6.1, second-best
Driver Rating of 112.5, second-best
130 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
No. 1-ranked Fastest Green Flag Speed
1,446 Laps in the Top 15 (92.7%), second-most
98 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
One win, four top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 18.4
Driver Rating of 92.2, 10th-best
49 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most
Eighth-fastest Green Flag Speed
1,056 Laps in the Top 15 (67.7%), ninth-most
101 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
One win, five top fives, seven top 10s
Average finish of 9.9
Average Running Position of 10.4, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 102.6, fifth-best
72 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
Sixth-Fastest Green Flag Speed
1,166 Laps in the Top 15 (74.7%), fifth-best
97 Quality Passes, seventh-most


At Phoenix International Raceway:
History

Construction was completed in January 1964.
The configuration consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.
In 1988, Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at PIR.
In 1991, the infield course was redesigned to 1.5mile, 11 turns.
In 1995, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debuted at PIR. Mike Skinner became the series’ first winner.
The Turn 2 cross-over was eliminated and a new tunnel constructed in Turn 4 in 2003.
The first spring race at PIR was held on April 23, 2005. It was also the first night race there.

Notebook

There have been 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988 through 2004 and two each season since.
Geoffrey Bodine won the first Bud Pole in 1988.
There have been 13 different pole winners, led by Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace (three each).
Ryan Newman is the only driver to win consecutive poles, winning three (2002-04).
There have been 18 different race winners.
Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Jeff Burton (2000 and 2001), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2004) and Kevin Harvick (both 2006) are the only drivers to score two victories at Phoenix. All posted back-to-back victories.
Jack Roush has won five races, more than any other car owner.
A race has been won from the pole just once: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007).
A race has been won from a top-10 starting position only nine of 22 times.
Ricky Rudd won in 1995 from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
Qualifying has never been canceled at Phoenix.
There has been one green-white-checkered race: November 2004 (315 laps).
Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon both have posted eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes at Phoenix, each more than any other drivers. Martin has one victory and five second-place finishes in his 22 races while Gordon has one victory and three third-place runs in his 17 appearances. Both have just one DNF at Phoenix – both coming in their respective first race there. In Arizona…
There have been 27 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races in Arizona.
In NASCAR’s history, 23 drivers have had their home state recorded as Arizona.
There have been no race winners from Arizona in NASCAR’s three national series.
Phoenix International Raceway Data
Race #: 35 of 36 (11-11-07)
Track Size: 1 mile

Banking/1 and 2: 11 degrees
Banking/3 and 4: 9 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,179 feet
Backstretch: 1,551 feet

Driver Rating at Phoenix
Kevin Harvick 113.8
Jimmie Johnson 112.5
Jeff Gordon 107.3
Kurt Busch 106.1
Tony Stewart 102.6
Carl Edwards 101.7
Greg Biffle 101.4
Brian Vickers 94.0
Denny Hamlin 92.3
Matt Kenseth 92.2

Qualifying/Race Data
2006 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (134.464 mph, 26.773 seconds)
2006 race winner: Kevin Harvick, 96.131 mph, 11-12-06)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (135.854 mph, 26.499 seconds, 11-5-04)
Track race record: Tony Stewart (118.132 mph, 11-7-99)

Pit Window: Every 70-78 laps, based on fuel mileage
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« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2007, 04:13:05 pm »

~Race2Win

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Raybestos Rookie Notes
NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES


Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the November 4 Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Montoya scored a 25th-place finish and took top rookie honors for the 15th time this season.
Montoya leads David Ragan by 20 points (234-214) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the November 11 Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway.
IMPRESSIVE STREAK IN JEPORADY: At least one Raybestos® Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 11 YEARS (1996-2006). Entering Sunday’s race at Phoenix, no Raybestos Rookie has won a pole in 2007.
Paul Menard was the top Raybestos® Rookie in the April 21 Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix, scoring a 25th-place finish.
Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Checker Auto Parts 500, grabbing a third-place finish.
DID YOU KNOW? Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart are the only Raybestos® Rookies to win at Phoenix in 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races. Stewart won from the pole in 1999, beating Mark Martin to the checkered flag by 2.081 seconds. Busch captured the 2005 event by .609 seconds over Greg Biffle.
DID YOU KNOW? Only FOUR Raybestos Rookies have scored top-five finishes in 20 races at Phoenix:
1999: Tony Stewart, FIRST
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth
2005: Kyle Busch, FIRST
2006: Clint Bowyer, fifth
2006: Denny Hamlin, third (fall)
DID YOU KNOW? Stewart is the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in a race at Phoenix. He led the 1999 race three times for 150 laps.
THREE Raybestos® Rookies have won pole positions at Phoenix: Stewart, Casey Atwood (2001) and Ryan Newman (2002).
DID YOU KNOW? TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished inside the top-10 TWICE at Phoenix
1989: Dick Trickle (seventh) and Jimmy Spencer (10th)
2005: Kyle Busch (first) and Travis Kvapil (10th)

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix:
1989: Dick Trickle, seventh
1989: Jimmy Spencer, 10th
1993: Bobby Labonte, eighth
1999: Tony Stewart, FIRST
2000: Dave Blaney, eighth
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth
2005: Kyle Busch, FIRST
2006: Denny Hamlin, third

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the fall race at Phoenix:
1991: Stanley Smith (once for 12 laps)
1991: Bobby Hamilton (once for one lap)
1993: Jeff Gordon (led once for 48 laps)
1993: Bobby Labonte (once for two laps)
1995: Ricky Craven (once for one lap)
1999: Tony Stewart (three times for 150 laps)
2001: Casey Atwood (twice for 71 laps)
2002: Ryan Newman (three times for 14 laps)
2002: Jimmie Johnson (once for one lap)
2005: Kyle Busch (three times for 63 laps)

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos® Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22).
Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos® Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup since the program was created in 2004.
Hamlin holds the record for most earnings by a Raybestos® Rookie ($6.6 million in 2006).
The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is three, shared by Tony Stewart (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2002).

A Raybestos® Rookie has posted multiple victories SEVEN times in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup:
1987: Davey Allison, two
1999: Tony Stewart, three
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr., two
2001: Kevin Harvick, two
2002: Jimmie Johnson, three
2005: Kyle Busch, two
2006: Denny Hamlin, two

More than one Raybestos® Rookie has posted victories in their rookie season only three times: Morgan Shepherd and Ron Bouchard (one each in 1981), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) and Matt Kenseth (2000), Jimmie Johnson (three) and Ryan Newman (2002).
The way to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship is to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Since 1979, six Raybestos® Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup title: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony Stewart (1999, 2005) and Matt Kenseth (2000).
The longest streak for a Raybestos® Rookie to be in the top-10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings during the sport’s modern-era is 60 races (2001 MBNA Platinum 400 through 2002 Ford 400).

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Juan Pablo Montoya 234
David Ragan 214
Paul Menard 189
David Reutimann 171
AJ Allmendinger 161

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500 Ragan, fifth
Auto Club 500 Ragan, 16th
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Montoya, 22nd
Kobalt Tools 500 Montoya, fifth
Food City 500 Ragan, 26th
Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Ragan, 15th
Samsung 500 Montoya, eighth
Subway Fresh Fit 500 Menard, 25th
Aaron’s 499 Ragan, 17th
Crown Royal 400 Menard, 16th
Dodge Avenger 500 Montoya, 23rd
Coca-Cola 600 Montoya, 28th
Autism Speaks 400 Ragan, 14th
Pocono 500 Montoya, 20th
Citizens Bank 400 Menard, 12th
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Montoya, FIRST!
LENOX Industrial Tools 300 Ragan, 15th
Pepsi 400 Ragan, 12th
USG SHEETROCK 400 Montoya, 15th
Allstate 400 at The Brickyard Montoya, second
Pennsylvania 500 Montoya, 16th
Centurion Boats at The Glen Menard, 19th
3M Performance 400 Ragan, 18th
Sharpie 500 Montoya, 17th
Sharp AQUOS 500 Ragan, 12th
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Ragan, third
Sylvania 300 Ragan, 19th
Dodge Dealers 400 Montoya, 10th
LifeLock 400 Ragan, 16th
UAW-Ford 500 Montoya, 15th
Bank of America 500 Allmendinger, 15th
Subway 500 Montoya, eighth
Pep Boys 500 Auto 500 Allmendinger, 16th
Dickies 500 Montoya, 25th

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« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2007, 04:14:37 pm »

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Weekend Schedule

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH  
11:00 AM   NBS QUALIFYING ORDER DRAWING 
12:00 PM  - 1:20 PM  NBS PRACTICE 1 
12:30 PM   NNCS QUALIFYING ORDER DRAWING 
1:30 PM  - 3:00 PM  NNCS PRACTICE 1 
3:05 PM  - 3:30 PM  NBS ROOKIE PRACTICE 
3:35 PM  - 4:35 PM  NBS FINAL PRACTICE (ONE HOUR, TIME PERMITTING) 
5:40 PM   NNCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS) 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH 
11:00 AM  - 11:50 AM  NNCS PRACTICE 2 
12:05 PM   NBS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS) IMPOUND 
2:50 PM  - 3:50 PM  NNCS FINAL PRACTICE 
4:00 PM   NBS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS 
4:30 PM   NBS RACE (200 LAPS, 200 MILES) 
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST  
3:00 PM   NNCS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS 
3:30 PM   NNCS RACE (312 LAPS, 312 MILES) 

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« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2007, 04:16:22 pm »

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Entry List

Car  Driver  Hometown  Team  Owner
 
00  David Reutimann  Zephyrhills, FL  Burger King Toyota  Cal Wells 
1  Martin Truex Jr  Mayetta, NJ  Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Chevrolet  Teresa Earnhardt 
01  Mark Martin  Batesville, AR  U.S. Army Chevrolet  Bobby Ginn 
2  Kurt Busch  Las Vegas, NV  Miller Lite Dodge  Roger Penske 
4  Ward Burton  South Boston, VA  State Water Heaters/Lucas Oil Chevrolet  James Finch 
5  Kyle Busch  Las Vegas, NV  Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet  Rick Hendrick 
06  Sam Hornish Jr  Defiance, OH  Penske Truck Rental Dodge  Walter Czarnecki 
David Ragan   Unadilla, GA  AAA Ford  Mike Dee 
07  Clint Bowyer  Emporia, KS  Jack Daniel's Chevrolet  Richard Childress 
Robby Gordon   Cerritos, CA  Menards/Mapei Ford  Robby Gordon 
8  Dale Earnhardt Jr  Kannapolis, NC  Budweiser Chevrolet  Teresa Earnhardt 
9  Kasey Kahne  Enumclaw, WA  Dodge Dealers / UAW Dodge  Ray Evernham 
09  Sterling Marlin  Columbia, TN  Miccosukee Resort Dodge  Larry McClure 
10  Patrick Carpentier  Villa Lasalle, CA  Valvoline / Stanley Tools Dodge  James Rocco 
11  Denny Hamlin  Chesterfield, VA  FedEx Ground Chevrolet  J.D. Gibbs 
12  Ryan Newman  South Bend, IN  Alltel Dodge  Roger Penske 
15  Paul Menard  Eau Claire, WI  Menards Chevrolet  Bobby Ginn 
16  Greg Biffle   Vancouver, WA  Dish Network Ford  Jack Roush 
17  Matt Kenseth   Cambridge, WI  DeWalt Ford  John Henry 
18  J.J. Yeley  Phoenix, AZ  Interstate Batteries Chevrolet  Joe Gibbs 
19  Elliott Sadler  Emporia, VA  Dodge Dealers / UAW Dodge  Ray Evernham 
20  Tony Stewart  Columbus, IN  The Home Depot Chevrolet  Joe Gibbs 
21  Bill Elliott  Dawsonville, GA  Ore-Ida Ford  Glen Wood 
22  Dave Blaney  Hartford, OH  Caterpillar Toyota  Bill Davis 
24  Jeff Gordon  Pittsboro, IN  DuPont Chevrolet  Rick Hendrick 
25  Casey Mears  Bakersfield, CA  National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet  Mary Hendrick 
26  Jamie McMurray  Joplin, MO  Irwin Industrial Tools Ford  Geoff Smith 
27  Jacques Villeneuve  St Jean-sur-Richelieu  TBA Toyota  Bill Davis 
29  Kevin Harvick  Bakersfield, CA  Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet  Richard Childress 
31  Jeff Burton  South Boston, VA  AT&T Mobility Chevrolet  Richard Childress 
36  Johnny Benson  Grand Rapids, MI  360 OTC Toyota  Bill Davis 
38  David Gilliland   Riverside, CA  M&M's Ford  Robert Yates 
40  David Stremme  South Bend, IN  Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Dodge  Felix Sabates 
41  Reed Sorenson  Peachtree City, GA  Target Dodge  Chip Ganassi 
42  Juan Pablo Montoya  Bogota, CO  Texaco/Havoline Dodge  Floyd Ganassi 
43  Bobby Labonte  Corpus Christi, TX  Cheerios / Betty Crocker Dodge  Richard Petty 
44  Dale Jarrett  Hickory, NC  UPS Toyota  Michael Waltrip 
45  Kyle Petty  Randleman, NC  Wells Fargo Dodge  Kyle Petty 
48  Jimmie Johnson  El Cajon, CA  Lowe's Chevrolet  Jeff Gordon 
49  John Andretti  Indianapolis, IN  HealthLofe.com Dodge  Beth Ann Morgenthau 
55  Michael Waltrip  Owensboro, KY  NAPA Auto Parts Toyota  Elizabeth Waltrip 
66  Jeremy Mayfield  Owensboro, KY  Best Buy Chevrolet  Joe Custer 
70  Johnny Sauter  Necedah, WI  Yellow Transportation Chevrolet  Joe Custer 
78  Joe Nemechek  Lakeland, FL  Furniture Row Chevrolet  Barney Visser 
83  Brian Vickers  Thomasville, NC  Red Bull Toyota  Dietrich Mateschitz 
84  AJ Allmendinger  Los Gatos, CA  Red Bull Toyota  Dietrich Mateschitz 
88  Ricky Rudd   Chesapeake, VA  Snickers Ford  Robert Yates 
96  Tony Raines  LaPorte, IN  DLP HDTV Chevrolet  Bill Saunders 
99  Carl Edwards  Columbia, MO  Office Depot Ford  Georgetta Roush 


# - Rookie

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« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2007, 01:26:23 pm »

By the Numbers: Phoenix
By Jarrod Breeze, NASCAR.COM
November 8, 2007
09:52 AM EST
   
The season is down to two races and two drivers. Jeff Gordon has lost 98 points to Jimmie Johnson in the past four races and trails his teammate by 30.

But all is not lost just yet. Fifteen times this season, back-to-back races have resulted in Gordon "out-pointing" Johnson by more than 30 points. Twice, Phoenix was involved. However, he's only done it twice in the Chase.

+93  Daytona (Feb. 18) and California (Feb. 25)
+40  Bristol (March 25) and Martinsville (April 1)
+106  Martinsville (April 1) and Texas (April 15)
+ 151  Texas (April 15) and Phoenix (April 21)
+50  Phoenix (April 21) and Talladega (April 29)
+173  Dover (June 4) and Pocono (June 10)
+185  Pocono (June 10) and Michigan (June 17)
+61  Michigan (June 17) and Sonoma (June 24)
+44  Sonoma (June 24) and New Hampshire (July 1)
+41  New Hampshire (July 1) and Daytona (July 7)
+107  Daytona (July 7) and Chicago (July 15)
+200  Chicago (July 15) and Indianapolis (July 29)
+124  Indianapolis (July 29) and Pocono (Aug. 5)
+74  Talladega (Oct. 7) and Charlotte (Oct.13)
+44  Charlotte (Oct. 13) and Martinsville (Oct. 21)
Gordon is coming off his first career victory at Phoenix International Raceway in April whereas Johnson has yet to win there. But Johnson also hadn't won at Texas before last week. This week, Johnson will try to become the first driver to win four consecutive races since Gordon in 1998.

Want something other than Gordon or Johnson? Well, 49 drivers are on the official entry list for Phoenix; 43 of them will make the race. For something non-Gordon or Johnson related, try a sample of the following (only twice more will the aforementioned be mentioned):

Interesting Fact

448  Laps led at Phoenix by Kyle Busch, third-most of all time. Only Rusty Wallace (869) and Mark Martin (608) have led more. However, Busch has made only nine career starts at PIR; 36 drivers have made more including 25 who are active. Wallace made 19 career starts at Phoenix; Martin has 22.
Fun Fact

20  Years NASCAR has been racing at Phoenix International Raceway, which opened in 1964 as a top open-wheel venue. Today's NASCAR will feel right at home.
All the Facts (Top 20 at Phoenix, April 2007)

1  Jeff Gordon has 14 top-10s in 17 starts at Phoenix and has finished worse than 17th just once when handling issues in his first start there resulted in a 35th-place finish and his only DNF. Average finish: 8.2.
2  Tony Stewart has three top-fives in the past four races at Phoenix including two runner-up finishes. His lone win in Phoenix came in his first race at the track, in 1999, and was the second victory of his Cup career. Average finish (11 starts): 9.9.
3  Denny Hamlin has finished third in consecutive races at Phoenix, and in 2005 in just his sixth career Cup event started from the pole and finished 13th. Average finish (four starts): 13.2.
4  Jimmie Johnson has six top-10s in eight starts at Phoenix and has never finished worse than 15th. He has finished second there two times, both in November races. Average finish: 7.2.
5  Matt Kenseth has four top-fives and five top-10s in 10 starts at Phoenix, but also three DNFs. Four times he has finished 32nd or worse. Average finish: 18.4.
6   Jeff Green, having been replaced by Jeremy Mayfield, will not get a chance to improve upon his best finish of the season -- matched three times in 2007 -- as well as his only top-10 in 10 races at Phoenix. Average finish: 26.5.
7  Kyle Busch has three top-10s in five starts, but finished 36th and 38th in the two races last year at Phoenix. His second career Cup victory came in the November race in 2005. Average finish: 18.0.
8  Bobby Labonte has nine top-10s in 17 starts at Phoenix, including two eighth-place finishes in three races in the 43 car. Labonte's finish this past April matches his best this season and is one of only three top-10s he has in 2007. Average finish: 16.1.
9  Johnny Sauter has finished ninth in two of four races at Phoenix, both times in the spring. He has finished 39th in both November races there with two DNFs (crash and suspension). Average finish: 24.0.
10  Kevin Harvick posted his third consecutive top-10 finish after sweeping the 2006 season at Phoenix. He led 252 of 312 laps last November. Prior to the back-to-back victories, Harvick had finished better than 17th just once in his first six races at PIR (fourth in 2004). Average finish: 14.0.
11  Carl Edwards had his run of four consecutive top-10s at Phoenix end with a finish closer to his track average in six starts. Edwards finished 37th in his first race there. Average finish: 11.7.
12  Mark Martin has only three finishes outside the top 15 in 22 starts at Phoenix and just one worse than 19th (he had his lone DNF at Phoenix in his first start there when a crash resulted in a 36th-place finish). He was sixth last November, his last top-10 in the 6 car. Average finish: 9.4.
13  Jeff Burton finished 27th, 23rd and 31st in his first three starts at Phoenix, but hasn't finished worse than 15th in 13 races since. He led race-high laps of 105 and 102 in winning back-to-back events in 2000 and 2001, respectively. He has completed all but 16 of a possible 4,940 laps at PIR. Average finish: 11.6.
14  Tony Raines posted his best finish in five Phoenix starts and first top-15 there. Average finish: 22.8.
15  Reed Sorenson posted his best finish in three Phoenix starts. His previous best was 29th last November. Average finish: 28.0.
16  Joe Nemechek has top-20 finishes in five of the past six races at Phoenix, including his only top-10 in 16 starts there. He led his one and only lap at Phoenix this past April in posting his best finish since he was 10th in April 2005. Average finish: 22.6.
17  Greg Biffle has finished in the top 20 in five of seven starts at Phoenix. Twice he has led the most laps in a race at PIR, finishing second in November 2005 (189 laps led) and 15th in April 2006 (151). He was 34th last November. Average finish: 19.6.
18  Kurt Busch has completed all but three of a possible 2,811 laps at Phoenix. He was eighth last November, one of five top-10s he has in nine starts there including a win in April 2005, the first spring race at PIR. Average finish: 13.6.
19   Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished better than 19th just once in the past four races at Phoenix -- he was ninth last November. Prior to that he had four consecutive top-fives including back-to-back wins in 2003 and 2004. Average finish (10 starts): 16.6.
20  Martin Truex Jr. has never finished worse than 22nd in three starts at Phoenix and his best result came last November when he was 12th. Average finish: 18.0.
All the Facts (Notables at Phoenix, April 2007

22  Clint Bowyer has finished better than 22nd once in four races at Phoenix -- he was fifth in April 2006. Average finish: 20.5.
26  Ricky Rudd will make his final start at Phoenix and next-to-last of his long Cup career. Rudd led a race-high 183 laps in his first race at Phoenix in 1988, but engine failure resulted in a 26th-place finish. In 20 career starts at PIR, Rudd has three top-fives and five top-10s including a victory in 1995. Average finish: 19.6.
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« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2007, 01:44:50 pm »

Driver Handicaps: Phoenix

http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=39065
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« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2007, 03:28:13 pm »

~Nascar.com

PRACTICE SPEEDS
Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil | Phoenix International Raceway
November 11, 2007 | Race 35 of 36 | Practice 1
   
       
FIN CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR SPEED TIME BEHIND


1 26 Jamie McMurray Ford IRWIN Industrial Tools  131.728 27.329 Leader
2 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot  131.661 27.343 -0.014
3 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 131.281 27.422 -0.093
4 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet FedEx Ground  131.262 27.426 -0.097
5 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 131.229 27.433 -0.104
6 6 David Ragan* Ford AAA Insurance  131.119 27.456 -0.127
7 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT NANO Technology  131.071 27.466 -0.137
8 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's  131.062 27.468 -0.139
9 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Kellogg's / CARQUEST  130.947 27.492 -0.163
10 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite  130.942 27.493 -0.164
11 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers Lifetime Powertrain Warranty / UAW  130.824 27.518 -0.189
12 42 Juan Montoya* Dodge Texaco / Havoline  130.747 27.534 -0.205
13 70 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet FleetPride / Yellow  130.567 27.572 -0.243
14 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 130.515 27.583 -0.254
15 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Siemens / Dodge Dealers  130.506 27.585 -0.256
16 00 David Reutimann* Toyota Burger King  130.468 27.593 -0.264
17 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 130.416 27.604 -0.275
18 12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 130.373 27.613 -0.284
19 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Interstate Batteries  130.326 27.623 -0.294
20 40 David Stremme Dodge Wrigley's Juicy Fruit  130.185 27.653 -0.324
21 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull  130.109 27.669 -0.340
22 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing  130.091 27.673 -0.344
23 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility  130.086 27.674 -0.345
24 25 Casey Mears Chevrolet National Guard / GMAC  130.062 27.679 -0.350
25 96 Tony Raines Chevrolet DLP HDTV  130.044 27.683 -0.354
26 06 Sam Hornish Jr.  Dodge Mobil 1  130.016 27.689 -0.360
27 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot  129.870 27.720 -0.391
28 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo  129.865 27.721 -0.392
29 01 Aric Almirola Chevrolet U.S. Army  129.814 27.732 -0.403
30 16 Greg Biffle Ford Dish Network  129.800 27.735 -0.406
31 15 Paul Menard* Chevrolet Johns Manville / Menards  129.753 27.745 -0.416
32 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker  129.748 27.746 -0.417
33 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 129.716 27.753 -0.424
34 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts  129.622 27.773 -0.444
35 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Betty Crocker  129.594 27.779 -0.450
36 84 A.J. Allmendinger* Toyota Red Bull  129.557 27.787 -0.458
37 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil  129.506 27.798 -0.469
38 109 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Miccosukee Resort & Gaming  129.375 27.826 -0.497
39 66 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet Haas Automation  129.357 27.830 -0.501
40 88 Ricky Rudd Ford Pedigree 129.315 27.839 -0.510
41 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS 129.217 27.860 -0.531
42 127 Jacques Villeneuve Toyota UNICEF 129.199 27.864 -0.535
43 10 Patrick Carpentier Dodge Sears Auto Center / Valvoline / Stanley  128.917 27.925 -0.596
44 36 Johnny Benson Toyota 360 OTC  128.912 27.926 -0.597
45 21 Bill Elliott Ford Ore-Ida Extra Crispy / Heinz  128.857 27.938 -0.609
46 49 John Andretti Dodge HealthLife.com 128.857 27.938 -0.609
47 7 Robby Gordon Ford MAPEI / Menards  128.751 27.961 -0.632
48 4 Ward Burton Chevrolet Lucas Oil / State Water Heaters  127.818 28.165 -0.836
49 38 David Gilliland Ford M&M's 127.479 28.240 -0.911

* Denotes Rookie
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« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2007, 06:10:10 pm »

~Race2Win

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Ford Friday Quotes


Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion, spoke to members of the media after Friday’s practice session at Phoenix International Raceway.
 
 
CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion – HAVE YOU CRUNCHED ANY NUMBERS TO SEE WHERE YOU’RE AT AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET BACK IN THIS CHASE? “I’ve been trying not to pay attention to the numbers because I know how far out we are from winning the Cup championship, but what we’ve done is try to bring our best cars out here – the whole team. All we can do is go try to win the next two races. That’s the best we can do.”

WHAT KIND OF GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR SEASON? “If I had to give a grade for our season, I’d give it a solid B or B+ and definitely an A for the effort – a B+ for the performance. We’ve won three races, which is really tough to do in Nextel Cup. I’m really proud of my guys for that. We made the chase and with a little bit better luck, we might be a little bit closer to those leaders, but compared to the 48 and the 24, we just haven’t been as fast. That’s the only thing we’ve got to work on is to make sure our cars are just a tick better.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PROGRESSION OF THE COT?
“We’ve changed a lot of stuff in the way we set the cars up and everything. These cars of tomorrow are better to drive. My car feels great. Right now, it feels better than my Busch car does. I think that says a lot about the engineering side of it. I don’t think NASCAR really has much left to do. We’ll see how they run on the mile-and-a-halves. That’s gonna be the real true indicator of how it’s going to work – when you get out to a place like Michigan or even California – a big two-mile track – it’s gonna be interesting to see how they perform around one of those.”

WHAT KIND OF GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE THE COT?
“Overall, I don’t know if I could grade the car of tomorrow just yet. I don’t think we’ve seen how it’s all gonna work out yet. I think halfway through next season we’ll have a real understanding of what the weaknesses are as far as keeping it competitive. Right now, I’d say it’s been a success in that it’s made the competition really, really tight. The difference between winning one of those races and running 10th is a really small margin in speed for laps, so that’s been good, but I still think there are gonna be some things to figure out and things that we need to work on. NASCAR has been really good about letting it evolve and taking advice from the teams so far.”

WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE TITLE? “I don’t know who is gonna win the championship. If I had to pick a guy, I’d say Jimmie just because they’ve been winning races. I have a feeling they’re both running so well and Jeff is such a savvy competitor that it’s gonna come down to who has a little bit of bad luck. They’ve got two more races to go and anything can happen.”

WHAT ABOUT HOMESTEAD NEXT WEEK? “Homestead is a fun track. It’s always fun for us as Ford drivers because it’s Ford Championship Weekend and we get to do some neat things down there, but the track is different. Having two true 180-degree corners and making it a true oval, the car has to be just a little different, but the real story there is just the three grooves. You can run all the way around the race track on the top or bottom and it’s just fun.”

DO YOU LOOK AT THE HENDRICK GROUP IN AWE WITH WHAT THEY’VE DONE? “It’s been spectacular how well those guys have run. All of the Hendrick teams have done a great job. I know when Jimmie went by me last week, I paid attention to that car and they’ve got them working right. They’re doing their jobs and they’re definitely the class of the field right now, but it just gives us something to shoot for. We need to go into this winter and work hard and try to be as fast as them next year.”

HOW HAS THE MOOD AT ROUSH EVOLVED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS? “Everything seems like it’s the same as it was. It was just kind of a bump in the road and I think in the end things might be better after everybody got to say how they feel about everything. I do think that in the end as soon as we get that stuff out in the open, the sense I get is that we’re gonna be stronger because of it.”





Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 DeWalt Ford Fusion, held his weekly Q&A session prior to Friday’s practice session at Phoenix International Raceway.

 

MATT KENSETH – No. 17 DeWalt Ford Fusion – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER COMPLIMENTS YOU LIKE JIMMIE DID LAST WEEK ABOUT FEELING COMFORTABLE RACING SIDE BY SIDE WITH YOU?
“You always go out there and try to give people respect and usually you get that back, if you do that, and you try to earn with your competitors. It doesn’t always work out perfect, but Jimmie and I have raced for a long time and he’s always shown me a lot of respect and has always raced me hard at the same time, so we had a fun, spirited battle. It would have been more fun to come out on top, but it was definitely a lot of fun.”

IS BEING OUT OF THE TOP 10 A HABIT YOU DON’T WANT TO START BREAKING? “Yeah, it’s one of those things you kind of take for granted after you go for a while. You kind of joke about it like, ‘We’re buried 12th in points. They only take the top 10, let’s finish 11th and then we don’t have to go to New York. We’ll get an extra off weekend.’ But, of course, we don’t really mean that. It’s a huge honor to be in the top 10 and you want to move up as far as you can and finish the season on a strong note if you can do that. So there’s definitely some pride in being in the top 10 and more than being 10th, to try to look at where we’re at in points right now and see how far we can get up there and try to finish as strong as we can.”

HOW FAR UP DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET? “I haven’t really broken it down. I know we’re 100 or so out of fourth, which would probably be a little bit difficult to accomplish that because when you look at all the races, all of the chase guys have pretty much been in the top 10. I know all 12 can’t obviously been in the top 10, but the main group has been right there the whole time, so it’s difficult to gain big chunks. Certainly, we’re only a few points out of eighth or seventh – something like that – so if we can keep finishing good, I think we’ll climb up there a little bit farther.”

HOW BIG IS A 30-POINT LEAD RIGHT NOW? “It’s about six spots. Those guys both run so good all the time. I think, really, Jimmie is in the best position. As far as performance, I think that team performs just a little bit better all the time than everybody else in the garage. Jeff has been there many times and he doesn’t make any mistakes, so I think it’s a pretty good match-up right now. Jeff won here in the spring and I think it’s a pretty good match-up. I still think the 48 has an advantage on performance, but it takes more than performance to win a championship. You can’t get that flat tire or the loose wheel or any of that stuff either.”

IF YOU WERE IN GORDON’S SHOES, WOULD YOU FEEL YOU HAD TO GAIN POINTS THIS WEEK IN ORDER TO HAVE A CHANCE? “No. It would be nice, but Jeff is smart enough to know that you can only drive your own car and you finish as high as you can and that’s how you get the most points. You get the most points you can that day and not worry about the other car. There’s nothing you can really do to help or hinder his performance, you just have to worry about your own car.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE OF WHERE YOU ARE NOW VERSUS A YEAR AGO AT THIS TIME? “Yeah, the last few years we just can’t get ‘em both exactly the same time for whatever reason. Last year, everything went right for us in the chase, we just ran terrible. This year, we’ve run really competitive – not as good as the 48 and 24 to be realistic – but we’ve run pretty darn competitive where we could be in there somewhere, but we had a lot of problems along the way. Both years, it’s nice to be in the chase. Obviously, last year we still had hopes of a championship at this time last year, whereas this year we don’t, but it’s still good if we can finish off strong and move up in the points a little bit. That would be good.”

IS ONE SITUATION MORE OR LESS FRUSTRATING THAN THE OTHER? “Yes and no. You’ve got to learn to take it all in stride. It’s a big honor for me to be able to be in this car and being able to make the chase every year and be that competitive, and if we can keep doing that, then hopefully we’ll be able to win another championship or two throughout our career. If we can keep putting ourselves in position to win, hopefully we’ll be able to win some more races. So that’s really the goal is to get up there and be in position to win and put ourselves in a position to be in the chase and have a shot at it at least. We’ve been able to do that. We haven’t been able to capitalize on it the last few years, but we’ve been able to at least get ourselves in and get ourselves in that position to have a chance.”

CAN YOU FATHOM WINNING NINE RACES IN A CUP SEASON? “No. I haven’t been able to do that, so that would be pretty cool. I remember in ’02 we won the most races in the series, which was only five, and everybody at the time saying, ‘Oh man, the rules are so close and the competition is so close that nobody will ever win a handful of races.’ Well, the rules have gotten a lot closer and the competition has gotten closer. The cars are all closer to the same speed and they can still win nine races in a year, so that’s pretty amazing. It’s hard for me to imagine, especially since we haven’t won since February, so it’s hard for me to imagine right now winning two races in a season, so that’s a pretty big accomplishment.”

HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO DO THAT AND WIN EIGHT TIMES? “That’s something to go ask them. If we knew how to do it, we’d be doing it. They’re good.”

DO YOU SEE THE WAY THE 24 AND 48 SHARE INFORMATION BEING ANY DIFFERENT FROM HOW YOU DO IT AT ROUSH? “I don’t know exactly what their system is. I know they have their two teams per building and doing all that, and I liked it when we had it like that at Roush, but the way we have it right now is good, too. But we used to kind of be separated like that. It used to be us and the 97 in one building and the other three were in another building, but certainly when you get them all in the same spot everybody has to work together more and everybody has to talk because they’re walking by each other all the time and all that. So they’ve had a lot of success, but they’ve probably got two of the best drivers out there, if not the two best drivers out there, and they’ve got two of the best, if not the best crew chiefs in the whole deal all together right now. They’ve got everything working for them right now, so it’s easy to look at that and say, ‘Man, that’s the formula that you need,’ but it’s more than that. It’s more than just sharing information or being in the same building. It’s the whole thing.”

FINDING THE RIGHT PERSONALITIES TO MESH? “It’s the whole thing. It’s the equipment, it’s the owner, it’s the organization, it’s crew chiefs, drivers – it’s the whole thing. It’s like any team sport, it takes everything.”

WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOW THAN WHEN YOU AND THE 97 WERE IN THE SAME BUILDING? “It’s just structured different than it used to be. We consolidated more stuff and it’s just different than the way it used to be. We used to have a fab shop for the 97 and the 17 and then the other people had their own fab shop. Now everything is all one, it’s all global. The guy putting in crush panels for the 99 is the same guy putting crush panels in my car. It’s just more like production than what it used to be.”

HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO THE 24 AND 48 FROM A PERFORMANCE STANDPOINT?
“Well, last week we were about eight car lengths away, so I don’t know what we’ll be this week. We’re closer, but how do you measure it? I don’t know exactly. We’re closer than what we were last year. Last year we were running 20th the whole race and we’d get lucky and through attrition and all that stuff we’d finish eighth and they’d be winning. This year, we’ve been running in the top five the last three weeks and they’ve been winning. He’s won the last three and we’ve been fourth, fifth and first, so I guess we’re about six positions closer. We’re closer, but we’re just not where they’re at.”

SO YOU DON’T TRY TO MIMIC WHAT THEY’RE DOING OR DO YOU FEEL BY DOING IT YOUR WAY EVENTUALLY YOU WILL CATCH UP TO THEM? “I don’t know about that. When you look at the cars, you never want to exactly mimic and do what they do because then you’re never gonna pass them. You have to think of your own new stuff and your own way of doing things and try to figure out the next thing yourself. You need to pay attention to what they’re doing and not let them get too far ahead of you, but you’re always gonna be a step behind them if you’re copying what they’re doing because they’re already working on the next thing. You’ve got to be innovative and coming up with the next thing and be working on new stuff and trying to get yourself better. If you just copy the leader all the time, you’re gonna be behind him. If you’re following the leader, you’re gonna be following the leader on the race track all the time, so you’ve got to be able to take that next step and be able to try to figure out the next deal to make your organization better or whatever it is to get ahead of them. That’s really what the goal is.”

HOW ARE THINGS WITHIN THE ROUSH TEAM RIGHT NOW? “Everything is fine with the team. One person or two people don’t make a team. If the kicker and the offensive lineman with the Packers are arguing, I don’t think it’s gonna effect their performance. It doesn’t matter. Everything is fine. I’ve seen probably better team spirit and team morale this year than I ever have, really. Everybody gets along great at the organization. Obviously there was a little bit of an issue after that race, but that’s all it was. It hasn’t affected anything.”

IS THE PRESSURE IN THE CHASE DIFFERENT AS IT WINDS DOWN? DOES IT CHANGE? “It does. When it gets down to that last couple of weeks – it’s 30 points now and there are only two of them, which I think makes it slightly easier because whoever loses out of those two, obviously it’s gonna be one of those two unless a major disaster strikes, which is highly unlikely, so it’s still within the organization and still within friends. Jeff owns part of Jimmie’s car supposedly and all that stuff, so whoever loses is still gonna feel real good about the other guy winning. He’s gonna feel real bad about them losing, but he’s also gonna feel real good about the other group and other part of the shop winning. Somebody in that building is gonna win the championship and that’s a great dilemma to be in, so I think that, in a way, it takes off a little bit of the pressure. There’s still a lot of pressure, but I think that maybe takes off a little bit of it.”

DO YOU THINK THEY’LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE RELATIONSHIP THEY’VE HAD AS FAR AS SHARING INFORMATION AND ALL? “Yeah, I don’t think it matters. I think it stays the same.”

DO YOU THINK BECAUSE IT’S TEAMMATES BATTLING FOR THE TITLE THAT IT’S GOOD OR BAD FOR THE SPORT? “I haven’t thought about it that much to be honest with you. I don’t know. It might not maybe be quite as interesting for some of the fans if they think that it’s teammates and car owners and friends and all that stuff. It’s hard. Maybe if there’s a Ford fan and a Chevy fan cheering against each other or whatever, it’s all part of the same group, but I haven’t really put that much thought into it. It doesn’t really matter to me.”
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« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2007, 09:58:33 pm »

~Race2Win

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Starting Lineup

Pos  Car  Driver  Team  Time  Speed  
1  99    Carl Edwards  Office Depot Ford  27.114  132.773 
2  1    Martin Truex Jr.  Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet  27.117  132.758 
3  24    Jeff Gordon  DuPont Chevrolet  27.129  132.699 
4  18    J.J. Yeley  Interstate Batteries Chevrolet  27.224  132.236 
5  70    Johnny Sauter  Yellow Transportation Chevrolet  27.243  132.144 
6  48    Jimmie Johnson  Lowe's Chevrolet  27.246  132.129 
7  16    Greg Biffle   Dish Network Ford  27.254  132.091 
8  96    Tony Raines  DLP HDTV Chevrolet  27.261  132.057 
9  2    Kurt Busch  Miller Lite Dodge  27.268  132.023 
10  9    Kasey Kahne  Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge  27.268  132.023 
11  25    Casey Mears  National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet  27.271  132.008 
12  31    Jeff Burton  AT&T Mobility Chevrolet  27.286  131.936 
13  12    Ryan Newman  alltel Dodge  27.290  131.916 
14  42    Juan Pablo Montoya #  Texaco/Havoline Dodge  27.341  131.670 
15  11    Denny Hamlin  FedEx Ground Chevrolet  27.350  131.627 
16  19    Elliott Sadler  Siemens Dodge  27.362  131.569 
17  22    Dave Blaney  Caterpillar Toyota  27.364  131.560 
18  17    Matt Kenseth  DeWalt NANO Technology Ford  27.367  131.545 
19  15    Paul Menard #  Menards/Johns Manville Chevrolet  27.386  131.454 
20  07    Clint Bowyer  Jack Daniel's Chevrolet  27.397  131.401 
21  20    Tony Stewart  Home Depot Chevrolet  27.401  131.382 
22  83    Brian Vickers  Red Bull Toyota  27.408  131.349 
23  26    Jamie McMurray  IRWIN Ford  27.417  131.305 
24  10    Patrick Carpentier  Valvoline/Sears Auto Center Dodge  27.425  131.267 
25  41    Reed Sorenson  Target Dodge  27.438  131.205 
26  06    Sam Hornish, Jr  Mobil 1 Dodge  27.468  131.062 
27  27    Jacques Villeneuve  UNICEF Toyota  27.478  131.014 
28  01    Aric Almirola  U.S. Army Chevrolet  27.486  130.976 
29  09    Sterling Marlin  Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet  27.495  130.933 
30  36    Johnny Benson  360 OTC Toyota  27.532  130.757 
31  78    Joe Nemechek  Furniture Row Chevrolet  27.536  130.738 
32  43    Bobby Labonte  Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge  27.575  130.553 
33  88    Ricky Rudd   Pedigree Ford  27.586  130.501 
34  29    Kevin Harvick  Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet  27.593  130.468 
35  8    Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Budweiser Chevrolet  27.597  130.449 
36  45    Kyle Petty  Wells Fargo Dodge  27.673  130.091 
37  40    David Stremme  Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Dodge  27.675  130.081 
38  5    Kyle Busch  Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet  27.703  129.950 
39  7    Robby Gordon   Menards/MAPEI Ford  27.714  129.898 
40  66    Jeremy Mayfield  Haas Automation Chevrolet  27.753  129.716 
41  6    David Ragan #  AAA Insurance Ford  Owner Points 
42  38    David Gilliland   M&M's Ford  Owner Points 
43  21    Bill Elliott  Ore-Ida/Heinz Ford  Past Champion 

Did Not Qualify: # 55 Michael Waltrip; # 84 AJ Allmendinger #; # 4 Ward Burton; # 49 John Andretti; # 44 Dale Jarrett; # 00 David Reutimann #.

# - Rookie

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