Weekly race chat---Texas

[Realtree]

After a week off I am ready for Texas this weekend. Is anybody else going through race withdrawal this week?

 ::hittingself::        :ROTFLMAO:

[Woody]

I tell ya, if it wasn't for Easter and all the festivities associated with it, I'd be climbing the walls right now!  I like the track at Texas, it's always been a pretty good race there.  It's not the most exciting, but should be another good race to watch.   ::rockon::

[Realtree]

Qualifying Rained Out for the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and the field was set by the rules book, so the top-35 in 2007 Owners Pts fill the top 35 spots followed by;

#83-Brian Vickers as a past race winner in 2006-2007 (2006 race winner at Talladega in the #25)
#44-Dale Jarrett (past champion/not charged)
#21-Ken Schrader (6 attempts/36th in owner points)
#10-Scott Riggs (6/37th)
#22-Dave Blaney (6/39th)
#49-Mike Bliss (6/40th)
#15-Paul Menard (6/43rd)
#78-Kenny Wallace (6/44th)


#4-Ward Burton is 41st in owner points, but in the Morgan-McClure Motorsports deal to gain Phoenix Racing's [#09 Chevy] points from Daytona, the team is considered to have attempted to qualify for five of the six events this year because Phoenix skipped California before that deal was completed.

After the top 35, teams with the most attempts have priority in making the field once past winners and past champions are placed on the grid.

The drivers who will miss the Samsung 500 at Texas are:
#4-Burton
#00-David Reutimann [6/45th]
#33-Scott Wimmer [1/54th]
#34-Kevin Lepage [4/51st]
#36-Jeremy Mayfield [6/45th]
#37-John Andretti [6/47th]
#55-Michael Waltrip [6/50th]
#84-AJ Allmendinger [6/48th]

[Realtree]

STARTING LINEUP AFTER
QUALIFYING WAS CANCELLED
Start
Pos Car# Driver Manu Reason
1 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 1st in Owners Pts
2 31 Jeff Burton Chevy 2nd in Owners Pts
3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 3rd in Owners Pts
4 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 4th in Owners Pts
5 5 Kyle Busch Chevy 5th in Owners Pts
6 01 Mark Martin Chevy 6th in Owners Pts
7 11 Denny Hamlin Chevy 7th in Owners Pts
8 07 Clint Bowyer Chevy 8th in Owners Pts
9 20 Tony Stewart Chevy 9th in Owners Pts
10 99 Carl Edwards Ford 10th in Owners Pts
11 29 Kevin Harvick Chevy 11th in Owners Pts
12 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 12th in Owners Pts
13 26 Jamie McMurray Ford 13th in Owners Pts
14 40 David Stremme Dodge 14th in Owners Pts
15 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge 15th in Owners Pts
16 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Dodge 16th in Owners Pts
17 2 Kurt Busch Dodge 17th in Owners Pts
18 18 J.J. Yeley Chevy 18th in Owners Pts
19 6 David Ragan # Ford 19th in Owners Pts
20 12 Ryan Newman Dodge 20th in Owners Pts
21 16 Greg Biffle Ford 21st in Owners Pts
22 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge 22nd in Owners Pts
23 7 Robby Gordon Ford 23rd in Owners Pts
24 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 24th in Owners Pts
25 13 Joe Nemechek Chevy 25th in Owners Pts
26 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge 26th in Owners Pts
27 96 Tony Raines Chevy 27th in Owners Pts
28 14 Sterling Marlin Chevy 28th in Owners Pts
29 88 Ricky Rudd Ford 29th in Owners Pts
30 38 David Gilliland Ford 30th in Owners Pts
31 66 Jeff Green Chevy 31st in Owners Pts
32 45 Kyle Petty Dodge 32nd in Owners Pts
33 25 Casey Mears Chevy 33rd in Owners Pts
34 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge 34th in Owners Pts
35 70 Johnny Sauter Chevy 35th in Owners Pts
36 83 * Brian Vickers Toyota 2006 win at Talladega
37 44 * Dale Jarrett Toyota 1999 Series Champ
38 21 * Ken Schrader Ford Race Attempts 6, Owners 36th
39 10 * Scott Riggs Dodge Race Attempts 6, Owners 37th
40 22 * Dave Blaney Toyota Race Attempts 6, Owners 39th
41 49 * Mike Bliss Dodge Race Attempts 6, Owners 40th
42 15 * Paul Menard # Chevy Race Attempts 6, Owners 43rd
43 78 * Kenny Wallace Chevy Race Attempts 6, Owners 44th
DNQ 00 * David Reutimann # Toyota Race Attempts 6, Owners 45th
DNQ 36 * Jeremy Mayfield Toyota Race Attempts 6, Owners 46th
DNQ 37 * John Andretti Dodge Race Attempts 6, Owners 47th
DNQ 84 * AJ Allmendinger # Toyota Race Attempts 6, Owners 48th
DNQ 55 * Michael Waltrip Toyota Race Attempts 6, Owners 50th
DNQ 4 * Ward Burton Chevy Race Attempts 5, Owners 41st
DNQ 34 * Kevin Lepage Chevy Race Attempts 4, Owners 51st
DNQ 33 * Scott Wimmer Chevy Race Attempts 1, Owners 54th

[Realtree]

Jeff Burton wins at Texas: #31-Jeff Burton won the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for his 1st win of the 2007 season, 19th career win and first since Dover in Sept 2006. Burton is the first driver in 13 Nextel Cup races to repeat as a winner at TMS.

Burton passed #17-Matt Kenseth on the final lap to win, leading only the most important lap, the final one, Kenseth held on to 2nd, followed by #01-Martin, #24-Gordon [led the most laps], #26-McMurray, #16-Biffle, #1-Truex Jr., #42-Montoya, #11-Hamlin and #40-David Stremme scored his first ever top-10 finish.

#8-Earnhardt Jr, was leading when he slowed for #20-Tony Stewart's spin, #5-Kyle Busch couldn't see and rammed into Earnhardt Jr. who spun and had serious rear-end damage. Busch declined comment and left the track, but the team fixed the car, and ironically Dale Jr. jumped in the car and picked up a spot for the #5 team, passing #48-Jimmie Johnson, who had retired the #48 late in the race.

Jeff Gordon maintains the points lead, but only 8 points over Jeff Burton and even after missing two races, #01-Mark Martin is still 11th in the points chase. There were 7 cautions for 32 laps and 9 drivers lead the race with 13 lead changes.