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closeImpound race, qualifying setups let a handful of drivers down
MARK LONG
The Associated Press
Saturday, Jul. 05, 2008
Boris Said and A.J. Allmendinger dropped to the back of the field to start Saturday night's race at Daytona International Speedway.
Jon Wood took the green flag, then drove straight to his garage.
They were among a handful of drivers who made the 43-car field, but faced an uphill battle because they were forced to stick with qualifying setups for the Coke Zero 400. It was a calculated decision that got them into the race and gave them a chance to earn some much-needed points, but it also left them little chance to do much at NASCAR's most famous track because no changes could be made between qualifying and the race.
Wood didn't even bother to try to keep up. He drove his No. 21 Ford to the garage after the first lap for major changes. He eventually got back on the track but was eight laps down and well out of contention.
Allmendinger had even worse luck. He blew a right-front tire on lap 20, hit the wall and then watched his No. 84 Toyota get towed to the garage for good.
The rest of the "go-or-go-home" drivers - Said, Joe Nemechek, Johnny Sauter, Patrick Carpentier and Sterling Marlin - also struggled early in the race. Nemechek and Sauter started fourth and fifth, respectively, but quickly found themselves near the back of the pack.