ThatsRacin.com: Pocono Raceway

Ratings down for Pocono Cup race

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:11 EDT

Last weekend's Nextel Cup race at Pocono, broadcast on ESPN, received a 4.5 national rating, down 12 percent from last season's event, according to Nielsen Media Research. Last year's race received a 5.1 on TNT.

The Pocono race was the most watched sporting event of the weekend, edging out coverage on CBS of the PGA Bridgestone Invitational (3.3 rating).

The inaugural Busch Series event at Montreal, broadcast on ESPN2, received a 1.4 national rating, the same as the Busch at Indianapolis the week before.

Gordon, Stewart swap top spot in rankings

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:30 EDT

That's Racin's David Poole ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.

(Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team's previous week's ranking in parentheses:)

1. (2) Jeff Gordon -- car No. 24

How close is it for No. 1? Since Gordon finished ahead of Stewart at Pocono, he gets the nod.

2. (1) Tony Stewart -- car No. 20

Wouldn't it be great for the Glen to come down to Stewart vs. Gordon vs. Montoya?

3. (4) Denny Hamlin -- car No. 11

Third-place finish at Pocono got this team back in the kind of groove that it's used to.

4. (3) Matt Kenseth -- car No. 17

If a championship is this team's goal, it knows full well it needs to pick up the pace.

5. (8) Jimmie Johnson -- car No. 48

Top five at Pocono not a cure-all, but it sure was a much needed dose of good news.

6. (5) Kyle Busch -- car No. 5

Top 15 in the past eight races. Spectacular? No, but he doesn't need it to make Chase.

7. (6) Kevin Harvick -- car No. 29

One of several teams that seem to be just out there making laps until Chase begins.

8. (7) Carl Edwards -- car No. 99

Hung in and turned what could have been a bad day at Pocono into just a so-so one.

9. (12) Kurt Busch -- car No. 2

Fortunately for him, duel for 12th with Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't a popularity contest.

10. (10) Jeff Burton -- car No. 31

Is this team better than it's been finishing, or is it managing to finish better than it is?

11. (9) Martin Truex Jr. -- car No. 1

12. (11) Clint Bowyer -- car No. 07

13. (13) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- car No. 8

14. (15) Ryan Newman -- car No. 12

15. (14) Mark Martin -- car No. 01

16. (16) Juan Pablo Montoya -- car No. 42

17. (19) Casey Mears -- car No. 25

18. (17) Greg Biffle -- car No. 16

19. (20) Bobby Labonte -- car No. 43

20. (21) Reed Sorenson -- car No. 41

21. (18) Jamie McMurray -- car No. 26

22. (22) David Gilliland -- car No. 38

23. (26) Ricky Rudd -- car No. 88

24. (29) Tony Raines -- car No. 96

25. (30) Dave Blaney -- car No. 22

26. (23) David Ragan -- car No. 6

27. (24) Robby Gordon -- car No. 7

28. (25) J.J. Yeley -- car No. 18

29. (27) Kasey Kahne -- car No. 9

30. (28) Elliott Sadler -- car No. 19

31. (32) Jeff Green -- car No. 66

32. (35) Bill Elliott -- car No. 21

33. (36) Brian Vickers -- car No. 83

34. (31) David Stremme -- car No. 40

35. (33) Johnny Sauter -- car No. 70

36. (34) Paul Menard -- car No. 15

37. (40) Scott Riggs -- car No. 10

38. (37) Kyle Petty -- car No. 45

39. (38) David Reutimann -- car No. 00.

40. (39) Ward Burton -- car No. 4

| Unofficial driver standings after Pocono

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:55 EDT

Unoffical NASCAR Nextel Cup driver standings after the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway:

Pos	Driver	BPts	Points	Ldr	Nxt	Starts	Pole	Wins	T5s	T10	DNFs	Money Won	PPos	G/L
1	Jeff Gordon	90	3236	0	0	21	5	4	14	19	1	$4,633,857	1	0
2	Denny Hamlin	70	2870	-366	-	21	1	1	8	12	0	$3,225,271	2	0
3	Matt Kenseth	70	2825	-411	-45	21	0	1	7	14	1	$3,962,804	3	0
4	Jeff Burton	25	2763	-473	-62	21	0	1	6	11	1	$4,079,479	4	0
5	Tony Stewart	90	2749	-487	-14	21	0	2	6	14	3	$4,117,836	5	0
6	Carl Edwards	45	2682	-554	-67	21	0	1	5	7	1	$2,624,057	6	0
7	Jimmie Johnson	65	2624	-612	-58	21	0	4	10	12	4	$4,300,306	9	2
8	Kyle Busch	55	2611	-625	-13	21	0	1	5	11	1	$2,903,668	8	0
9	Kevin Harvick	45	2600	-636	-11	21	0	1	4	10	0	$5,517,553	7	-2
10	Clint Bowyer	45	2552	-684	-48	21	1	0	1	11	0	$2,354,269	10	0
11	Martin Truex Jr.	50	2437	-799	-	21	0	1	4	7	2	$3,081,101	11	0
12	Kurt Busch	75	2399	-837	-38	21	0	1	4	6	2	$3,227,051	13	1
13	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	60	2392	-844	-7	21	1	0	4	8	3	$3,253,253	12	-1
14	Ryan Newman	45	2309	-927	-83	21	4	0	3	9	4	$3,115,118	14	0
15	Greg Biffle	15	2183	-1053	0	21	0	0	2	5	2	$2,534,280	16	0
16	Mark Martin	25	2183	-1053	-	16	0	0	4	9	0	$3,348,777	17	2
17	Jamie McMurray	15	2147	-1089	-36	21	1	1	3	7	1	$2,466,832	15	-2
18	Juan Pablo Montoya	5	2132	-1104	-15	21	0	1	3	4	1	$3,114,228	18	0
19	Casey Mears	30	2113	-1123	-19	21	1	1	4	6	2	$2,641,675	19	0
20	Bobby Labonte	20	2030	-1206	-83	21	0	0	0	1	1	$2,835,484	20	0
21	J.J. Yeley	15	1975	-1261	-55	21	1	0	1	1	3	$2,699,215	21	0
22	David Ragan #	5	1923	-1313	-52	21	0	0	1	1	1	$2,944,724	22	0
23	Elliott Sadler	35	1884	-1352	-39	21	0	0	0	1	0	$2,525,672	23	0
24	Reed Sorenson	20	1874	-1362	-10	21	1	0	2	3	3	$2,490,839	24	0
25	David Stremme	5	1854	-1382	-20	21	0	0	0	2	3	$2,017,478	25	0
26	Ricky Rudd	5	1812	-1424	-42	21	0	0	0	1	3	$2,604,650	29	3
27	Kasey Kahne	20	1809	-1427	-3	21	1	0	0	2	4	$3,105,054	28	1
28	David Gilliland	5	1805	-1431	-4	21	1	0	1	2	4	$2,793,843	26	-2
29	ROBBY GORDON	15	1757	-1479	-48	20	0	0	0	1	1	$1,913,724	27	-2
30	Jeff Green	10	1729	-1507	-28	21	0	0	0	3	3	$2,328,896	30	0
31	Tony Raines	5	1717	-1519	-12	20	0	0	0	0	2	$2,072,202	32	1
32	Johnny Sauter	5	1616	-1620	-	20	0	0	0	1	1	$1,932,179	33	1
33	STERLING MARLIN	15	1600	-1636	-16	19	0	0	0	0	4	$1,928,740	31	-2
34	JOE NEMECHEK	5	1525	-1711	-75	18	0	0	0	1	3	$1,644,367	34	0
35	Dave Blaney	20	1481	-1755	-44	19	1	0	0	1	7	$2,119,944	35	0
36	Scott Riggs	0	1306	-1930	-	17	0	0	0	1	3	$1,798,091	37	1
37	Kyle Petty	10	1300	-1936	-6	16	0	0	1	1	1	$1,756,207	36	-1
38	Paul Menard #	5	1247	-1989	-53	15	0	0	0	0	1	$1,285,324	38	0
39	Brian Vickers	20	1075	-2161	-	12	0	0	1	2	2	$1,249,035	39	0
40	David Reutimann #	0	912	-2324	-	15	0	0	0	0	7	$1,388,092	40	0
41	Dale Jarrett	0	872	-2364	-40	14	0	0	0	0	5	$1,364,557	41	0
42	Bill Elliott	15	844	-2392	-28	10	0	0	0	0	1	$1,094,775	42	0
43	KENNY WALLACE	10	652	-2584	-	9	0	0	0	0	3	$843,744	43	0
44	Ward Burton	0	644	-2592	-8	11	0	0	0	0	7	$927,629	45	1
45	KEN SCHRADER	5	632	-2604	-12	9	0	0	0	0	3	$1,146,065	44	-1
46	Jeremy Mayfield	10	543	-2693	-89	8	0	0	0	0	1	$655,614	46	0
47	A J	0	464	-2772	-79	8	0	0	0	0	0	$620,294	47	0
48	REGAN SMITH	5	409	-2827	-55	5	0	0	0	0	0	$503,676	48	0
49	JOHN ANDRETTI	0	368	-2868	-41	5	0	0	0	0	2	$426,471	49	0
50	BORIS SAID	5	346	-2890	-22	3	0	0	0	1	0	$508,569	50	0
51	MIKE BLISS	0	325	-2911	-21	4	0	0	0	0	1	$399,667	51	0
52	Michael Waltrip	5	313	-2923	-12	5	0	0	0	1	0	$637,915	52	0
53	P.J. Jones	0	179	-3057	-	2	0	0	0	0	0	$160,133	55	2
54	MIKE WALLACE	0	160	-3076	-19	1	0	0	1	1	0	$615,658	53	-1
55	TERRY LABONTE	0	131	-3105	-29	2	0	0	0	0	1	$235,136	54	-1
BPts - Bonus Points, -Ldr/-Nxt = Points behind Leader/Next higher, PPos = Previous Position, G/L = Points standing gain/loss
Pos	Driver	BPts	Points	Ldr	Nxt	Starts	Pole	Wins	T5s	T10	DNFs	Money Won	PPos	G/L
56	CHAD CHAFFIN	0	125	-3111	-6	2	0	0	0	0	0	$149,450	56	0
57	RON FELLOWS	5	123	-3113	-2	1	0	0	0	0	0	$91,200	57	0
58	KEVIN LEPAGE	0	95	-3141	-28	2	0	0	0	0	1	$187,107	58	0
59	CHAD MCCUMBEE	0	88	-3148	-7	1	0	0	0	0	0	$81,583	59	0
60	BUTCH	0	79	-3157	-9	1	0	0	0	0	0	$69,800	60	0
61	JON WOOD	0	76	-3160	-3	1	0	0	0	0	0	$131,933	61	0
62	JOHNNY BENSON	0	70	-3166	-6	1	0	0	0	0	0	$64,875	62	0
63	SCOTT WIMMER	0	70	-3166	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	$139,450	63	0
64	MARC GOOSSENS	0	55	-3181	-15	1	0	0	0	0	0	$68,760	64	0
65	ARIC ALMIROLA	0	40	-3196	-15	1	0	0	0	0	1	$78,775	65	0
66	DERRIKE COPE	0	0	-3236	-40	0	0	0	0	0	0	$20,008	-1	-67
67	FRANK KIMMEL	0	0	-3236	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$19,958	-1	-68
68	ERIC MCCLURE	0	0	-3236	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$19,833	-1	-69
69	KIRK	0	0	-3236	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$19,808	-1	-70
70	MIKE SKINNER	0	0	-3236	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$19,733	-1	-71
71	STANTON	0	0	-3236	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$19,350	-1	-72
72	BRANDON WHITT	0	0	-3236	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$19,275	-1	-73
73	JAMES HYLTON	0	0	-3236	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$19,200	-1	-74
BPts - Bonus Points, -Ldr/-Nxt = Points behind Leader/Next higher, PPos = Previous Position, G/L = Points standing gain/loss

Martin finishes ninth, pays tribute to team

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:26 EDT

LONG POND, Pa. - Mark Martin may be out of the Chase for the Nextel Cup in driver’s points, but his continued strong finishes in the No. 01 Chevrolet keep him locked in the top 12 in owner points.

Martin finished ninth Sunday, his second consecutive top-10 showing since joining Dale Earnhardt Inc.

The race also marked the end of his team’s use of Hendrick Motorsports engines. Next week, the No. 01 will begin using Dale Earnhardt Inc. engines. The No. 01 was absorbed by DEI two weeks ago.

“I can’t tell you how impressed I am with (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton and the entire team,” said Martin, who finished seventh here in June.

“With all they’ve had to contend with the past two weeks and then to come out and claim back-to-back top-10 finishes says so much about the character of this race team.

“It also says so much about why I wanted to come back and drive this team’s race car again next year.”

Johnson pleased with Pocono finish

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:53 EDT

LONG POND, Pa. - Jimmie Johnson finished Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 slightly better than where he started and that’s just fine by him.

Johnson had slipped from second to ninth in points over the past seven races through a variety of flat tires and freak accidents so a fifth place finish after starting seventh was a welcome respite.

“We keep looking back at the performances we’ve had and that’s kept our spirits very high. I would be lying if I said we weren’t looking at the points and getting concerned,” Johnson said.

“We’ve been running good so in our meeting (Sunday morning) we decided not to change anything and keep doing what we have been doing.”

Staying the course in this case was a good prescription.

Johnson moved up to spots to seventh and now has a 232-point cushion over 13th place with five races remaining before the field is set for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

“We needed this really bad to stop the bleeding. With the competition as stuff as it is and everybody getting prepared for the Chase, I want to go in with a nice margin and not have to earn my way in through the last race,” Johnson said.

Gordon says Kurt Busch was class of field

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:51 EDT

LONG POND, Pa. - Count Jeff Gordon among those impressed with Kurt Busch’s dominating win.

“If (Busch) didn’t exist today, then maybe some of us had a chance to win this thing, but wow. That’s all I can say is ‘wow,’ ” Gordon said. “We actually had a stronger car than the last time we were here.”

That’s saying a lot since Gordon won the June race that was shortened from 200 to 106 laps because of bad weather.

“We got the car to where it was a top two or three car and then we knew we weren’t going to win, so we started making some adjustments to make it better,” Gordon said.

“We actually got a little bit behind so we had to go back on those adjustments but we were pretty good there at the end.”

Hamlin doesn't win, but finishes strong

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:55 EDT

LONG POND, Pa. - After sweeping both Pocono races in 2006, Denny Hamlin could not replicate a win at the 2.5-mile track this season.

Hamlin did, however, continue his impressive run at the track, adding a third-place finish in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 to the sixth he recorded here in June. He has three top-five finishes in four races at the track, with sixth being his worst.

“We fought brake issues ... and just couldn’t get in to the corner like we needed to and it just affected our handling,” said Hamlin, who remains second in points, 366 behind leader Jeff Gordon. Busch “was just the class of the field.

“We were a little bit off the setup, there are a whole lot of details it takes to win and we just didn’t get them right.”

| Sunday's action at Pocono

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:29 EDT

| Jamie McMurray must have pushed that 'down' button pretty hard at Pocono

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 19:37 EDT

Running to catch the racing elevator, arms outstretched for the buttons:

UP – Kurt Busch

Aside from his bizarre antics at Dover, he’s had a solid year worthy of a win.

DOWN – Robby Gordon

Have you ever seen a referee or game official change a call because the athlete pitched a fit?

DOWN – Jamie McMurray

He caused two of seven cautions on Sunday and was involved in a third.

| Jim Utter on Sunday's race

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 19:32 EDT

Some observations on Sunday's race from The Charlotte Observer's Jim Utter:

Regardless of whether the call where to place Robby Gordon in the field after he was spun out in the Busch race Saturday was right or wrong, Gordon’s actions afterwards were inexcusable.

He failed to adhere to directives from NASCAR officials, he remained on the track after he was parked, and his own “victory” celebration after the race was in poor taste.

Gordon disrespected NASCAR officials and the sport and NASCAR had to show it runs the show, not the drivers.

Many reports have all but placed Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing or Dale Earnhardt Inc.

But don’t count out Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, which has also made a strong run for the talented young driver. DEI president Max Siegel acknowledged Sunday that the organization was already looking at contingency plans should it not be able to sign Busch.

One piece of debris on the track turned into a five lap caution. A single-car spin late in the race was a six-lap caution. The biggest wreck of the race, which collected five cars, produced a three-lap caution.

This inconsistency needs to be addressed by NASCAR, particularly on a track as big as Pocono when caution laps last around two minutes each.

Early, late moves make a difference

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:01 EDT

Five key moments in Sunday's race:

LAP 1 – Kurt Busch, wasting no time, dives below pole-winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and leads the first of his record 175 laps.

LAP 123 – Dale Earnhardt Jr., fighting an ill-handling car, spins without hitting the wall. He makes three pit stops under caution to replace his left-front shock and remains on the lead lap.

LAP 153 – Busch, who restarted eighth on Lap 143, needs only 10 laps to pass Earnhardt Jr. for the lead.

LAP 183 – A five-car wreck in Turn 2 gives Earnhardt Jr. one more chance to get close to Busch as the field is bunched up under caution.

LAP 190 – Busch leads his 165th lap, setting a NASCAR record at Pocono Raceway.

| More Busch Series action at Montreal

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:57 EDT

Kurt Busch dominates Pocono, moves into Chase

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:58 EDT

LONG POND, Pa. – Kurt Busch called it a “Rusty Wallace kind of day.”

Coming from the driver who replaced the former champion driver-turned-commentator in the No. 2 Dodge at Penske Racing, that is probably fitting.

“I always watched him as a kid. The guy was fast, and he let you know he was fast, and today I didn’t look up in my mirror all that often. I just kept hitting my marks (on the track) and kept digging,” said Busch after winning Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway in dominating fashion.

“You always keep hunkered down and bear down. That’s what we did today.”

Busch certainly left a lasting impression, leading a track-record 175 of 200 laps while earning his first Nextel Cup Series victory of the season. The win also allowed him to move into 12th in points, returning him to contention to earn his second series championship.

Busch’s move up in the standings came at the expense of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who slipped to 13th – seven points behind Busch – despite the fact he finished second in the race.

With five races remaining before the field for the Chase for the Nextel Cup is set, a battle appears joined between Earnhardt Jr. and Busch for the 12th and final spot.

It appeared at one point in Sunday’s race Busch could make serious gains on Earnhardt Jr., when the No. 8 Chevrolet spun on Lap 123 and required three pit stops under caution to change out the left-front shock absorber.

A two-tire pit stop later in the race helped get Earnhardt Jr. to the front of the field. Greg Biffle spun in Turn 2 on Lap 138 and brought out a caution that set up several pit strategies.

Reed Sorenson, who had just pitted under green, inherited the lead on the restart on Lap 143. Casey Mears was the first driver off pit road, and took only fuel. Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth took two tires and lined up third and fourth, respectively. Ryan Newman was fifth and Busch restarted eighth.

Earnhardt Jr. quickly moved into the lead on Lap 144 and Busch moved into second by Lap 145, lining up to try and run down Earnhardt Jr., which he did on Lap 153.

Earnhardt Jr.’s misfortune did not go unnoticed by Busch or his team.

“To hear that (Earnhardt Jr.) had spun coming off Turn 3 at one point, I was thinking right then and there, ‘Wow, we’re going to have a good points day.’ Then we have a slower pit stop and (Earnhardt Jr.) is the guy I have to chase down for the lead,” Busch said.

“So you know it’s going to come down to the final race at Richmond. Even though you win and the guy you’re racing finishes second, that’s just a tribute to the competition at this level.

“There’s no time for resting and there’s no time for looking back.”

Earnhardt Jr. agreed.

“Kurt did what he had to do today and so did we. Kurt obviously had the best car all day, so congratulations to those guys,” he said. “We both did what we had to do for the points deal.

“We were looking pretty bad there at one point, but I am real proud. The car was fast. It was just the way I wanted it. I have to thank Tony Eury Jr. (crew chief) and my whole team for figuring out a way to get us back up there (to the front).”

The win is the 16th of Busch’s career and first since his victory in March 2006 at Bristol, Tenn. – a span of 51 races.

Denny Hamlin, who won both Pocono races a year ago, finished third. Current series points leader Jeff Gordon was fourth and Jimmie Johnson was fifth.

Busch’s Penske teammate, Ryan Newman, finished seventh and is now 14th in points, 83 behind Earnhardt Jr. and 90 behind Busch.

“It was a good run. It should have been a great run,” said Newman, who is in the midst of a 66-race winless streak himself.

“Congratulations to Kurt. His team did an excellent job. Obviously the No. 2 was a little better than (us) today.”

Race Day at Pocono

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:42 EDT

A little more to chew on this Pocono race day:

Practice Update

Ku. Busch, Johnson stand out

Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson appear best prepared for Sunday's race based on Saturday's two Nextel Cup practice sessions. Busch, who starts second, led the first session. In the final session, Johnson led the way with a lap at 165.804 mph, followed by Tony Stewart, Casey Mears, Busch and David Gilliland.

Elevators

UP - DALE EARNHARDT JR.

If bonus points were awarded for confidence, Earnhardt Jr.'s spot in the Chase would be far more secure.

KURT BUSCH - UP

He has one mission from here on out: Beat the red car.

JIMMIE JOHNSON - DOWN

His four wins won't matter if he drops out of the Chase.

3 Things To Watch

The June race at Pocono was cut short by rain. Will Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman still be up front after 500 miles, or will Denny Hamlin -- who swept both Pocono races last season -- play into the mix?

When the Indianapolis race followed this one, several teams took their Pocono cars to the Brickyard. Since the races are reversed this season, Pocono should bode well for those who performed well at Indy like Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Gordon and Kyle Busch.

You won't have to look past the front to see those trying to race their way into the Chase. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who clings to the 12th spot, starts on the pole. Kurt Busch, who is 13th in points, starts second and Newman, 14th in points, starts fourth.

Observer Picks

RYAN NEWMAN: Completes the job that rain halted in June.

Jim Utter

New partner evaluates Yates program

Robert Yates Racing isn't wasting any time trying to take advantage of its new partnership with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.Yates co-owner Doug Yates said marketing officials from Newman/Haas/Lanigan arrived Friday and planned to work all this week at the team's shop in Mooresville. Engineers should have also started evaluating Yates' program.

"It's going to take some analysis of what we have and (whether) they think we're in a good direction or not and how they can complement what we've been doing and improve upon it," he said. - Jim Utter

Stewart shoulders blame for Harvick incident

Stewart said he understands why Kevin Harvick was upset with him and the outcome of last Sunday's Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Stewart and Harvick finally talked about the incident over the phone Friday night. Stewart made contact with Harvick's car in the final laps of the race as Stewart was racing to his second Brickyard victory.

"He should have run second. He had the second-best car for sure. I would have been upset if the roles were reversed, too. I can't blame him for that," Stewart said.

"I made a mistake. I let the car get too high. I've heard differences of opinions from people watching the tape, but I still take responsibility for it. I would never race Kevin like that on purpose."

Damage to Harvick's car slowed him, and he dropped to seventh at the finish. - Jim Utter

Briefly

• Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., David Ragan and Brian Vickers are scheduled to participate in a Goodyear tire test Monday and Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway.• The No. 43 Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte will honor the victims and those injured in the Minneapolis bridge collapse.

Just the Facts

Pennsylvania 500

WHERE: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa.

WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday.

WEATHER: High near 80 and sunny.

TV: Coverage begins at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

RADIO: Motor Racing Network

RACE DISTANCE: 200 laps or 500 miles.

TRACK LENGTH: 2.5 miles

Saturday's Qualifying

Pos.	No.	Driver	Car	Speed
1.	8	D. Earnhardt Jr.	Chevy	169.975
2.	2	Kurt Busch	Dodge	169.863
3.	5	Kyle Busch	Chevy	169.782
4.	12	Ryan Newman	Dodge	169.738
5.	9	Kasey Kahne	Dodge	169.587
6.	11	Denny Hamlin	Chevy	169.501
7.	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevy	169.323
8.	25	Casey Mears	Chevy	169.268
9.	42	J.P. Montoya	Dodge	168.916
10.	41	Reed Sorenson	Dodge	168.644
11.	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevy	168.451
12.	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	168.438
13.	1	Martin Truex Jr.	Chevy	168.300
14.	19	Elliott Sadler	Dodge	168.237
15.	07	Clint Bowyer	Chevy	168.070
16.	10	Scott Riggs	Dodge	167.942
17.	96	Tony Raines	Chevy	167.923
18.	31	Jeff Burton	Chevy	167.917
19.	22	Dave Blaney	Toyota	167.863
20.	88	Ricky Rudd	Ford	167.788
21.	21	Bill Elliott	Ford	167.785
22.	26	J. McMurray	Ford	167.607
23.	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevy	167.417
24.	20	Tony Stewart	Chevy	167.324
25.	01	Mark Martin	Chevy	167.258
Pos.	No.	Driver	Car	Speed
26.	43	Bobby Labonte	Dodge	167.218
27.	18	J.J. Yeley	Chevy	167.156
28.	83	Brian Vickers	Toyota	167.053
29.	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	167.035
30.	7	Robby Gordon	Ford	166.942
31.	00	D. Reutimann	Toyota	166.722
32.	66	Jeff Green	Chevy	166.688
33.	38	David Gilliland	Ford	166.586
34.	40	David Stremme	Dodge	166.257
35.	15	Paul Menard	Chevy	166.064
36.	6	David Ragan	Ford	165.886
37.	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	165.767
38.	4	Ward Burton	Chevy	165.596
39.	55	Michael Waltrip	Toyota	165.584
40.	44	Dale Jarrett	Toyota	165.578
41.	70	Johnny Sauter	Chevy	165.560
42.	45	Kyle Petty	Dodge	OwnPts
43.	36	Jeremy Mayfield	Toyota	165.542
		Failed to Qualify
44.	49	Mike Bliss	Dodge	165.496
45.	84	AJ Allmendinger	Toyota	164.681
46.	37	Kevin Lepage	Dodge	163.690
47.	78	Kenny Wallace	Chevy	162.297.

NASCAR parks Robby Gordon after Busch race

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:00 EDT

LOND POND, Pa. -- Robby Gordon might have sparked NASCAR's first international incident.

NASCAR parked Gordon on Sunday, preventing his participation in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway as a result of his actions in Saturday's Busch Series race in Montreal.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said Gordon was parked for committing an act "determined by a NASCAR official to constitute a threat to the orderly conduct of the event." The decision could not be appealed.

"Towards the end of Saturday's race at Montreal, Robby Gordon demonstrated blatant disrespect and disregard for NASCAR directives -- on multiple occasions," Tharp said.

Gordon was black-flagged late during the Busch race and refused to leave the track. He wrecked leader Marcos Ambrose with a retaliatory bump on the final restart after Ambrose had nudged him from behind to reclaim the lead. After the race, Gordon did a burnout on the track while Kevin Harvick was celebrating his victory.

Gordon could face additional penalties this week. Tharp said the incident was being reviewed by NASCAR officials.

"I want to start by expressing my regrets to the sponsors, fans, and all competitors for any part I played in the miscommunication, confusion and uncertainty surrounding the finish in this weekend's Busch race in Montreal," Gordon said in a statement on his Web site.

"It was not my purpose to disrespect the authority of NASCAR or the officials. I do respect their authority to run the race and make the calls, and I understand the significance of the black flag. I strongly disagree with the calls that affected me at the end of the race."

The last Nextel Cup driver parked for a race was Jimmy Spencer, who was suspended after punching driver Kurt Busch in a post-race incident at Michigan in 2003.

Gordon is the second driver to be parked in a Cup race as a result of actions in another NASCAR series. In 2002, Harvick was parked for the spring Cup race at Martinsville, Va., after his actions in the Truck Series race at the track the day before.

P.J. Jones, an open-wheel and road-racing driver who occasionally runs in NASCAR, finished 37th in Gordon's No. 7 Ford in Sunday's race. Jones practiced in the car on Saturday while Gordon was in Montreal.