<$BlogRSDURL$>
gNA$hCAR Notes
Sunday, August 01, 2004
 

Pocono Lowe's-down


Jeff Gordon said it best Sunday when he said he was glad that Pocono isn't on the schedule for the Championship Chase because Jimmie Johnson seems to own it right now. Good for guys like Gordon, who trail JJ by more than 200 points with 16 races left in the season. Bad for Johnson, who will have to give up that lead after Richmond in September. This new points system is lame.

Jimmie J. dominated Sunday's race just like he did here in June, and the result was another ticket to Victory Lane. Pretty slick. The rain didn't fall, but a lot of the top 10 points leaders did on a day that saw a lot of attrition.

GLENN'S TEN (5-for-10):

* Jeremy Mayfield (winner) -- 9th, This really wasn't Mayfield's day. He got as high as third using pit strategy, but he was at best a top 15 car. Attrition got him a better finish than he deserved.

* Casey Mears -- 18th, Couldn't make that pole stick. Led a few laps, but wasn't much of a threat.

* Kurt Busch -- 26th, Who needs fourth gear? ...or third ...or second... or first. Better start thinking about Indy. Or Richmond...

* Jamie McMurray -- 30th, Yep. When I pick him he has a lousy day. Engine failure knocked him out on lap 171.

* Jimmie Johnson -- 1st, What more can you say about this kid? A 232-point lead is his largest of the year. He charged to the front and left everyone else in the dust for his fourth win of the season.

* Jeff Gordon -- 5th, Had some difficulties on pit stops that prevented him from getting a better finish. Still, he was in the top five all day. Now second in the points chase.

* Matt Kenseth -- 8th, Ran quietly. Ran well. Finished in the top 10. Up to 4th in the standings, still 417 points back.

* Bobby Labonte -- 29th, Was working on a top 10, but Brian Vickers had other plans.

* Dale Jarrett -- 24th, Suffered mechanical problems and finished laps down, but salvaged what could have been a horrible day thanks to high attrition. Still on a wing and a prayer for the Chase.

* Kasey Kahne -- 3rd, Bounced back from collision with Tony Stewart that left his hood caved in. Nice patch job by the pit crew, but he couldn't overcome track position.

REST OF THE TOP 10:

* Mark Martin -- 2nd, What was this? His sixth career second-place finish at Pocono?

* Greg Biffle -- 4th, The week after I say I'm through picking him, he puts together a good day. Scroom.

* Terry Labonte -- 6th, Olympic paint scheme gives the #5 Olympic-sized strength.

* Robby Gordon -- 7th, Maybe he's got something for Pocono. Second top 10 there this season.

* Elliott Sadler -- 10th, Same car he plans to race next week. Eh. Not an exciting run, but at least he's in the show.

OTHER NOTABLES:

Glad I steered clear of the drivers I mentioned in the preview:

* Ryan Newman -- 13th, Wins my atta-boy for overcoming a 2-lap deficit to actually gain two spots in the points standings. Could have been much, much worse.

* Dale "Burnhardt" Andretti Jr. -- 25th, He planned to run the whole race before discovering that his car was junk. Then he let John Andretti take over, who managed a few more sub-par laps before scraping it into the wall. Let's see... that's 267 points out of the lead, and now down to third. Only 393 points ahead of Jeremy Mayfield in 11th... Get healthy, Dale.

* Tony Stewart -- 35th, Had a top-five car before tangling with Kurt Busch and pounding the wall. A lot of scrap metal at Joe Gibbs Racing tonight.

* Michael Waltrip -- 36th, Parts on the engine failed. (Not NAPA parts, as Mikey was quick to point out!)


Next week: Super-G goes for his fourth career win at the Brickyard.
 
Comments: Post a Comment
A blog dedicated to circuitous ramblings on the NASCAR season by some of the sport's long-suffering fans.

ARCHIVES
02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004 / 03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004 / 04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004 / 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004 / 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004 / 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004 / 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004 / 09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004 / 10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004 / 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004 / 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005 / 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005 / 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005 / 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005 / 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005 / 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005 / 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005 / 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005 / 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005 / 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005 / 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005 / 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006 /


Powered by Blogger