Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway...the Just Us Cupdate

***

Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway

***

The Race Report...All the NASCAR News That's Unfit to Print

***

Kenseth Repeats as Winner at Bristol Night Race

***

The New York Times reports:

PENSKE’S PLAN Roger Penske, who owns teams in the Indy Racing League and Nascar, said Saturday that he was working on a plan that would allow his I.R.L. driver Sam Hornish Jr. to race in some Nascar second-tier Busch Series and lower-level ARCA events next season. That would be in addition to a full I.R.L. schedule for Hornish, who won the Indianapolis 500 this year.
“Sam has talked about running some Busch or ARCA races, and we’re looking at a potential program,’’ Penske said before the Sharpie 500. “We haven’t put all the pieces together.”
Although Penske used an ARCA, Busch and Nextel Cup program to develop the driver Ryan Newman before promoting him to the Cup series full-time, Penske said it was too early to say if Hornish would move up to compete in the Cup series by 2008

And from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram disagrees:

Reports that Indianapolis 500 champion Sam Hornish Jr. would be running races in the NASCAR Busch and ARCA Series next year in addition to his Indy Racing League schedule are premature. "There's no confirmation," Team Penske director of marketing and communications Chris Schwartz said. "They're considering a plan that would allow Sam to run some Busch and ARCA events next year. The details of that plan are tentative. Some people are thinking that this is something more than it really is"

***
Bristol Race Flash

***

Outside Looking In Drivers

***

Complete Finishing Order


 1 Matt Kenseth (17)
 2 Kyle Busch (5)
 3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
 4 Scott Riggs (10)
 5 Jeff Gordon (24)
 6 Denny Hamlin (11)
 7 Carl Edwards (99)
 8 Ryan Newman (12)
 9 Jeff Burton (31)
 10 Jimmie Johnson (48)
 11 Kevin Harvick (29)
 12 Kasey Kahne (9)
 13 Ken Schrader (21)
 14 Dave Blaney (22)
 15 Dale Jarrett (88)
 16 Michael Waltrip (55)
 17 Casey Mears (42)
 18 Martin Truex Jr. (1)
 19 Greg Biffle (16)
 20 Travis Kvapil (32)
 21 Kevin Lepage (49)
 22 Tony Stewart (20)
 23 Bobby Labonte (43)
 24 Jeff Green (66)
 25 Tony Raines (96)
 26 Joe Nemechek (01)
 27 Robby Gordon (7)
 28 Mark Martin (6)
 29 Jamie McMurray (26)
 30 Kenny Wallace (178)
 31 J.J. Yeley (18)
 32 Sterling Marlin (14)
 33 Brian Vickers (25)
 34 Kyle Petty (45)
 35 David Stremme (40)
 36 Reed Sorenson (41)
 37 Kurt Busch (2)
 38 Clint Bowyer (07)
 39 Elliott Sadler (19)
 40 David Gilliland (38)
 41 Carl Long (34)
 42 Scott Wimmer (4)
 43 Derrike Cope (74)


***

The Just Us Cup-date

In the table above, Green are locked into the show. Purple have been mathematically eliminated. Gold is over 400 out and if the Chase started today, they would be eliminated.

Place - Driver
Finishing Points
Deduction (DNQ/Prov -5, DNF -5,
Bonus (Pole +5, Most Laps Led +5, Win +5)
TOTAL

 3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
Finish - 70
DNQ/Prov - -5
TOTAL - 65

 5 Jeff Gordon (24)
Finish - 65
TOTAL - 65

 7 Carl Edwards (99)
Finish - 60
TOTAL - 60

 10 Jimmie Johnson (48)
Finish - 55
TOTAL - 55

 11 Kevin Harvick (29)
Finish - 50
TOTAL - 50

 12 Kasey Kahne (9)
Finish - 45
TOTAL - 45

 13 Ken Schrader (21)
Finish - 40
TOTAL - 40

 15 Dale Jarrett (88)
Finish - 35
TOTAL - 35

 16 Michael Waltrip (55)
Finish - 30
TOTAL - 30

 19 Greg Biffle (16)
Finish - 25
TOTAL - 25

 28 Mark Martin (6)
Finish - 20
TOTAL - 20

 29 Jamie McMurray (26)
Finish - 15
TOTAL - 15

 37 Kurt Busch (2)
Finish - 10
Pole - 5
TOTAL - 15

 39 Elliott Sadler (19)
Finish - 5
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 5

Weird week. Without the Top 35 in points get in rule, Jr. would have missed the race. He was 44th based on speed in qualifying. And then, Kurt Busch wins the Pole, but finishes 37th. Back to front and front to back.

***
Next Up:
SONY HD 500 at California Speedway
***