***NASCAR Brickyard 400 at Indy on NBC, August 3rd at 11am PT / 2pm ET***

NASCAR.com ^ | 8/1/03

[NormsRevenge]

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Built originally as a test facility for the burgeoning Indiana car industry, the track was paved with 3.2 million bricks following a series of races in 1909. Since 1911, the Brickyard has hosted one of the most famous races in the world -- the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. In the inaugural 1994 Brickyard 400, Hoosier fan favorite Jeff Gordon won the first of his three titles.

NASCAR and the Brickyard 400

at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

NBC at 11am PT / 2pm ET on Sunday, August 3, 2003

God Bless our troops and families and God Bless America

[NormsRevenge]

NASCAR and the Brickyard 400

at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

NBC at 11am PT / 2pm ET on Sunday, August 3, 2003

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Built originally as a test facility for the burgeoning Indiana car industry, the track was paved with 3.2 million bricks following a series of races in 1909. Since 1911, the Brickyard has hosted one of the most famous races in the world -- the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. In the inaugural 1994 Brickyard 400, Hoosier fan favorite Jeff Gordon won the first of his three titles.

Track Facts
Banking/Turns: 9 degrees
Distance: 2.5 mile
Shape: Oval

Support our Troops

[NormsRevenge]

Qualifying Order Saturday for Sunday's Race

Pos.
1	#25	Joe Nemechek	Chevrolet	UAW/Delphi
2	#24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	DuPont
3	#38	Elliott Sadler	Ford	M&M's
4	#9	Bill Elliott	Dodge	Dodge Dealers
5	#15	Michael Waltrip	Chevrolet	NAPA Auto Parts
6	#97	Kurt Busch	Ford	Rubbermaid
7	#12	Ryan Newman	Dodge	ALLTEL
8	#14	Larry Foyt*	Dodge	Harrah's
9	#57	Kevin Lepage	Ford	CLR
10	#29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	GM Goodwrench Service
11	#88	Dale Jarrett	Ford	UPS
12	#22	Ward Burton	Dodge	Caterpillar
13	#02	Hermie Sadler	Pontiac	Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling
14	#191	Casey Atwood	Dodge	TBA
15	#8	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	Budweiser
16	#10	Johnny Benson	Pontiac	Valvoline
17	#154	Todd Bodine	Ford	National Guard
18	#21	Ricky Rudd	Ford	Motorcraft Quality Parts
19	#17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	DeWalt Power Tools
20	#0	Jason Leffler	Pontiac	NetZero HiSpeed
21	#74	Tony Raines*	Chevrolet	Staff America
22	#23	Kenny Wallace	Dodge	Stacker 2
23	#32	Ricky Craven	Pontiac	Tide
24	#71	Jim Sauter	Chevrolet	Marcis Auto Racing
25	#6	Mark Martin	Ford	Viagra
26	#11	Brett Bodine	Ford	U.S. Micro/Brick Car
27	#01	Mike Skinner	Pontiac	U.S. Army
28	#16	Greg Biffle*	Ford	Grainger
29	#1	Jeff Green	Chevrolet	Pennzoil
30	#48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	Lowe's
31	#77	Dave Blaney	Ford	Jasper Engines & Transmissions
32	#20	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	Home Depot
33	#40	Sterling Marlin	Dodge	Coors Light
34	#7	Jimmy Spencer	Dodge	Sirius Satellite Radio
35	#4	Robert Pressley	Pontiac	Kodak Perfect Touch
36	#99	Jeff Burton	Ford	CITGO
37	#81	John Andretti	Chevrolet	Kraft Foods 100th Anniversary
38	#30	Steve Park	Chevrolet	America Online
39	#37	Derrike Cope	Chevrolet	Friendly Ice Cream
40	#104	David Reutimann	Pontiac	Kodak EasyShare
41	#79	Billy Bigley	Dodge	Arnold Development Companies
42	#41	Casey Mears*	Dodge	Target
43	#31	Robby Gordon	Chevrolet	Cingular Wireless
44	#5	Terry Labonte	Chevrolet	Kellogg's/got milk?
45	#07	Ted Musgrave	Dodge	Sirius Satellite Radio
46	#49	Ken Schrader	Dodge	BAM Racing
47	#43	Christian Fittipaldi	Dodge	Cheerios
48	#18	Bobby Labonte	Chevrolet	Interstate Batteries
49	#2	Rusty Wallace	Dodge	Miller Lite
50	#42	Jamie McMurray*	Dodge	Havoline
51	#45	Kyle Petty	Dodge	Georgia Pacific
52	#19	Jeremy Mayfield	Dodge	Dodge Dealers
* Denotes Rookie

******************

**************************************************************

NASCAR to celebrate RJR with Victory tribute

Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon pose with their Victory Lap tribute cars.
Credit: Autostock

**************************************************************

NASCAR makes new fire extinguisher rules

**************************************************************

Report: NASCAR cuts off Rainbow/PUSH funds

**************************************************************

'Back home' for Stewart

**************************************************************

[NormsRevenge]

Practice Speeds today

Rank
1	#81	John Andretti	Chevrolet	Kraft Foods 100th Anniversary	182.708	49.259	Leader
2	#48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	Lowe's	182.645	49.276	-0.017
3	#25	Joe Nemechek	Chevrolet	UAW/Delphi	181.389	49.617	-0.358
4	#77	Dave Blaney	Ford	Jasper Engines & Transmissions	181.148	49.683	-0.424
5	#15	Michael Waltrip	Chevrolet	NAPA Auto Parts	181.105	49.695	-0.436
6	#29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	GM Goodwrench Service	181.068	49.705	-0.446
7	#17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	DeWalt Power Tools	181.036	49.714	-0.455
8	#31	Robby Gordon	Chevrolet	Cingular Wireless	180.959	49.735	-0.476
9	#20	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	Home Depot	180.930	49.743	-0.484
10	#40	Sterling Marlin	Dodge	Coors Light	180.596	49.835	-0.576
11	#18	Bobby Labonte	Chevrolet	Interstate Batteries	180.527	49.854	-0.595
12	#01	Mike Skinner	Pontiac	U.S. Army	180.495	49.863	-0.604
13	#19	Jeremy Mayfield	Dodge	Dodge Dealers	180.458	49.873	-0.614
14	#2	Rusty Wallace	Dodge	Miller Lite	180.263	49.927	-0.668
15	#8	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	Budweiser	180.249	49.931	-0.672
16	#07	Ted Musgrave	Dodge	Sirius Satellite Radio	180.155	49.957	-0.698
17	#16	Greg Biffle*	Ford	Grainger	180.097	49.973	-0.714
18	#38	Elliott Sadler	Ford	M&M's	179.971	50.008	-0.749
19	#9	Bill Elliott	Dodge	Dodge Dealers	179.766	50.065	-0.806
20	#97	Kurt Busch	Ford	Rubbermaid	179.723	50.077	-0.818
21	#22	Ward Burton	Dodge	Caterpillar	179.633	50.102	-0.843
22	#191	Casey Atwood	Dodge	TBA	179.576	50.118	-0.859
23	#30	Steve Park	Chevrolet	America Online	179.387	50.171	-0.912
24	#74	Tony Raines*	Chevrolet	Staff America	179.283	50.200	-0.941
25	#10	Johnny Benson	Pontiac	Valvoline	179.222	50.217	-0.958
26	#1	Jeff Green	Chevrolet	Pennzoil	179.076	50.258	-0.999
27	#42	Jamie McMurray*	Dodge	Havoline	179.051	50.265	-1.006
28	#154	Todd Bodine	Ford	National Guard	178.973	50.287	-1.028
29	#79	Billy Bigley	Dodge	Arnold Development Companies	178.766	50.345	-1.086
30	#12	Ryan Newman	Dodge	ALLTEL	178.667	50.373	-1.114
31	#23	Kenny Wallace	Dodge	Stacker 2	178.589	50.395	-1.136
32	#49	Ken Schrader	Dodge	BAM Racing	178.299	50.477	-1.218
33	#24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	DuPont	178.267	50.486	-1.227
34	#88	Dale Jarrett	Ford	UPS	178.257	50.489	-1.230
35	#99	Jeff Burton	Ford	CITGO	178.094	50.535	-1.276
36	#6	Mark Martin	Ford	Viagra	178.063	50.544	-1.285
37	#32	Ricky Craven	Pontiac	Tide	178.017	50.557	-1.298
38	#5	Terry Labonte	Chevrolet	Kellogg's/got milk?	177.932	50.581	-1.322
39	#7	Jimmy Spencer	Dodge	Sirius Satellite Radio	177.848	50.605	-1.346
40	#41	Casey Mears*	Dodge	Target	177.708	50.645	-1.386
41	#57	Kevin Lepage	Ford	CLR	177.686	50.651	-1.392
42	#71	Jim Sauter	Chevrolet	Marcis Auto Racing	177.515	50.700	-1.441
43	#11	Brett Bodine	Ford	U.S. Micro/Brick Car	177.483	50.709	-1.450
44	#14	Larry Foyt*	Dodge	Harrah's	177.431	50.724	-1.465
45	#21	Ricky Rudd	Ford	Motorcraft Quality Parts	177.350	50.747	-1.488
46	#104	David Reutimann	Pontiac	Kodak EasyShare	176.869	50.885	-1.626
47	#4	Robert Pressley	Pontiac	Kodak Perfect Touch	176.866	50.886	-1.627
48	#37	Derrike Cope	Chevrolet	Friendly Ice Cream	176.786	50.909	-1.650
49	#02	Hermie Sadler	Pontiac	Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling	176.436	51.010	-1.751
50	#43	Christian Fittipaldi	Dodge	Cheerios	175.730	51.215	-1.956
51	#0	Jason Leffler	Pontiac	NetZero HiSpeed	175.285	51.345	-2.086
52	#45	Kyle Petty	Dodge	Georgia Pacific	175.189	51.373	-2.114

[Endeavor]

ping (I thought you might enjoy this)

[NormsRevenge]

Jarrett: I'm staying with Yates

[NormsRevenge]

By the Numbers: Brickyard 400

By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
August 1, 2003
11:06 AM EDT (1506 GMT)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- In 1994, the inaugural Brickyard 400 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ever since Jeff Gordon scored his first of three victories here, Indianapolis has ranked in close proximity to Daytona in stock car racing renown.

Here are some facts about the Brickyard:

• 0 -- The number of Brickyard 400s that have been won from the pole position.

• 0 -- The degree of banking on the straightaways at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

• 1 -- The number of top-10 finishes in three Brickyard 400 starts by Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the top two drivers in the Winston Cup standings.

• 2 -- The number of drivers, Michael Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson, that have been ranked in the top-10 in the standings all season.

• 2.5 -- The length of a lap, in miles, of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

• 3 -- The leading number of career victories in the Brickyard 400, by inaugural event winner Jeff Gordon, who also has a career best three IMS Bud Poles.

• 4 -- The number of the 33 drivers that have competed in all 20 races this season that have not posted a DNF, including Winston Cup point leader Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick and Terry Labonte.

• 6 -- The number of charged provisionals used this season by car owners Larry McClure (No. 4), Richard Petty (No. 43) and Beth Ann Morgenthau (No. 49), meaning they have none until they make their 24th qualifying attempt, which can not occur before Bristol.

	2003 Winston Cup Series
Results
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Statistics
Video Highlights
Best 25: Last 6 races
Best Starts by Driver
Best Finishes by Driver

• 8 -- The number of top-10 finishes at Indianapolis by Rusty Wallace, more than any other driver.

• 8 -- Bill Elliott's average finishing position at Indianapolis in nine starts, the best of drivers with two or more starts.

• 9 -- The degree of banking in the turns at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

• 9.78 -- Bill Elliott's average starting position in nine races at Indianapolis, the best among active drivers with more than five starts.

• 10 -- The leading number of top-five finishes in the first 20 races of 2003, by Bobby Labonte.

• 12 -- The number of different Bud Pole winners in the first 20 races of 2003, including five by series leader Ryan Newman.

• 13 -- The number of races this season of the 20 run in which Pontiac has failed to lead a lap.

• 15 -- The series leading number of top-10 finishes by Matt Kenseth in 20 races this season.

• 16 -- The number of drivers that have competed in all nine Winston Cup races at Indianapolis.

• 18 -- The number of top-15 finishes in the first 20 races of the 2003 season by Winston Cup point leader Matt Kenseth.

• 19 -- The best finish by Jeff Green in four races at Indianapolis.

• 20 -- The number of races this season in which a Chevrolet has led at least one lap, the only manufacturer in the sport to accomplish the feat.

• 21 -- Elliott Sadler's best finish in four races at Indianapolis.

• 27 -- The deepest in the field an Indianapolis Winston Cup race winner has started, by Jeff Gordon in the 2001 Brickyard 400.

• 30 -- The consecutive number of races in which Michael Waltrip has been running at the finish, Winston Cup's longest active streak.

• 48 -- The number of races since Kyle Petty last scored a top-10 finish, since Talladega in April 2002.

• 52 -- The number of entries at Indianapolis, the most for any Winston Cup event this season.

• 53 -- The number of races in which Jimmie Johnson has remained in the top 10 in the Winston Cup standings, the longest such streak among active drivers.

• 65 -- The speed, in miles per hour, that the pace car will travel under caution at Indianapolis. Pit road speed at Indy is 55 mph.

• 82 -- The number of races since Rusty Wallace last won, on April 29, 2001 at California Speedway. Wallace was runner-up to race winner Bill Elliott in the 2002 Brickyard 400, and was also second in 1995 and 2000.

• 155.912 -- The Indianapolis race record average speed, set on Aug. 5, 2000 by Bobby Labonte, in two hours, 33 minutes and 56 seconds.

• 160 -- The number of laps it takes to cover 400 miles at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

• 182.960 -- The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Bud Pole Qualifying record, in miles per hour, set by Tony Stewart on Aug. 2, 2002, in 49.191 seconds.

• 306 -- The number of the 1,440 laps raced in nine Brickyard 400s led by Jeff Gordon (21 percent of the total), tops among all drivers.

• 350 -- The number of consecutive Winston Cup starts for Jeff Gordon, if he starts the Brickyard 400, the all-time record for a driver having started every race since his first career start.

• 400 -- The number of races in which Brett Bodine has competed since his last victory, on April 22, 1990 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

• 660 -- The length, in feet, of the short chutes connecting Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

• 1,439 -- The number of laps completed by Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott in the nine previous Brickyard 400s, of the 1,440 possible laps.

• 3,300 -- The length, in feet, of the front and backstretches at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

• 102,150 -- The minimum purse award for last place in the 2003 Brickyard 400.

• 210,000 -- The value of the NASCAR Winston Cup Leader bonus at Indianapolis, available to Matt Kenseth if he can win the Brickyard 400. It is the highest amount available in the history of the program.

• 7,881,873 -- Posted awards for the Brickyard 400.

[NormsRevenge]

Starting Lineup for Sunday's Race

Pos.
1	#29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	GM Goodwrench Service	184.343	48.822	Leader
2	#12	Ryan Newman	Dodge	ALLTEL	184.238	48.850	-0.028
3	#9	Bill Elliott	Dodge	Dodge Dealers	183.925	48.933	-0.111
4	#22	Ward Burton	Dodge	Caterpillar	183.741	48.982	-0.160
5	#15	Michael Waltrip	Chevrolet	NAPA Auto Parts	183.722	48.987	-0.165
6	#97	Kurt Busch	Ford	Rubbermaid	183.711	48.990	-0.168
7	#25	Joe Nemechek	Chevrolet	UAW/Delphi	183.445	49.061	-0.239
8	#18	Bobby Labonte	Chevrolet	Interstate Batteries	183.408	49.071	-0.249
9	#48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	Lowe's	183.333	49.091	-0.269
10	#19	Jeremy Mayfield	Dodge	Dodge Dealers	183.262	49.110	-0.288
11	#81	John Andretti	Chevrolet	Kraft Foods 100th Anniversary	183.098	49.154	-0.332
12	#40	Sterling Marlin	Dodge	Coors Light	182.890	49.210	-0.388
13	#31	Robby Gordon	Chevrolet	Cingular Wireless	182.801	49.234	-0.412
14	#2	Rusty Wallace	Dodge	Miller Lite	182.741	49.250	-0.428
15	#20	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	Home Depot	182.541	49.304	-0.482
16	#38	Elliott Sadler	Ford	Pedigree	182.430	49.334	-0.512
17	#17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	Smirnoff Ice/DeWalt	182.341	49.358	-0.536
18	#16	Greg Biffle*	Ford	Grainger	182.286	49.373	-0.551
19	#24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	DuPont	182.223	49.390	-0.568
20	#77	Dave Blaney	Ford	Jasper Engines & Transmissions	182.149	49.410	-0.588
21	#57	Kevin Lepage	Ford	CLR	182.131	49.415	-0.593
22	#42	Jamie McMurray*	Dodge	Havoline	182.098	49.424	-0.602
23	#30	Steve Park	Chevrolet	America Online	181.976	49.457	-0.635
24	#01	Mike Skinner	Pontiac	U.S. Army	181.829	49.497	-0.675
25	#6	Mark Martin	Ford	Viagra	181.770	49.513	-0.691
26	#0	Jason Leffler	Pontiac	NetZero HiSpeed	181.759	49.516	-0.694
27	#191	Casey Atwood	Dodge	Evernham Motorsports	181.675	49.539	-0.717
28	#41	Casey Mears*	Dodge	Target	181.123	49.690	-0.868
29	#23	Kenny Wallace	Dodge	Stacker 2	181.046	49.711	-0.889
30	#1	Jeff Green	Chevrolet	Pennzoil	181.025	49.717	-0.895
31	#154	Todd Bodine	Ford	National Guard	180.915	49.747	-0.925
32	#7	Jimmy Spencer	Dodge	Sirius Satellite Radio	180.832	49.770	-0.948
33	#74	Tony Raines*	Chevrolet	Aaron's	180.741	49.795	-0.973
34	#88	Dale Jarrett	Ford	UPS	180.585	49.838	-1.016
35	#32	Ricky Craven	Pontiac	Tide	180.545	49.849	-1.027
36	#8	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	Budweiser	180.484	49.866	-1.044
Provisional
37	#99	Jeff Burton	Ford	CITGO	179.648	50.098	-1.276
38	#5	Terry Labonte	Chevrolet	Kellogg's/got milk?	180.343	49.905	-1.083
39	#21	Ricky Rudd	Ford	Motorcraft Quality Parts	179.770	50.064	-1.242
40	#10	Johnny Benson	Pontiac	Valvoline	180.480	49.867	-1.045
41	#45	Kyle Petty	Dodge	Georgia Pacific	179.960	50.011	-1.189
42	#14	Larry Foyt*	Dodge	Harrah's	178.845	50.323	-1.501
43	#37	Derrike Cope	Chevrolet	Friendly Ice Cream	178.186	50.509	-1.687
Did not Qualify
44	#11	Brett Bodine	Ford	U.S. Micro/Brick Car	180.484	49.866	-1.044
45	#79	Billy Bigley	Dodge	Arnold Development Companies	180.220	49.939	-1.117
46	#49	Ken Schrader	Dodge	BAM Racing	180.368	49.898	-1.076
47	#71	Jim Sauter	Chevrolet	ARAN Trading	179.140	50.240	-1.418
48	#43	Christian Fittipaldi	Dodge	Boxtops for Education/Cheerios	179.133	50.242	-1.420
49	#104	David Reutimann	Pontiac	Kodak EasyShare	178.912	50.304	-1.482
50	#07	Ted Musgrave	Dodge	Sirius/hhgregg	179.465	50.149	-1.327
51	#02	Hermie Sadler	Pontiac	Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling	178.628	50.384	-1.562
52	#4	Robert Pressley	Pontiac	Kodak Perfect Touch	179.269	50.204	-1.382

* Denotes Rookie

[NormsRevenge]

Harvick sets Brickyard 400 record

Leave it to Richard Childress Racing to score Bud Poles in the two biggest events of 2003. They won the Bud Pole for the Daytona 500, and Kevin Harvick won the Bud Pole for the Brickyard 400 with a record-shattering lap. Ryan Newman was a close second.

[NormsRevenge]

R. Gordon tops Happy Hour charts at Indy

By Lee Montgomery, Turner Sports Interactive August 2, 2003
6:38 PM EDT (2238 GMT)

SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- Robby Gordon is back at the top of the charts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, pacing Happy Hour with a fast lap of 176.294 mph Saturday in preparation for Sunday's Brickyard 400.

	Robby Gordon

Gordon, who fell two laps short of winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1999, positioned himself as one of the drivers to beat at the famed 2.5-mile speedway in Sunday's race.

Oh, sure, it's only Happy Hour. It doesn't pay any points. But Gordon said it was important to him and his Richard Childress Racing team.

"Mentally, it's a big thing," Gordon said. "I know a lot of guys say, 'Ah, it's only Happy Hour.' But we ran four laps in a row that were quicker than almost everybody else's laps. So I feel real good going into the race."

Gordon's lap came near the end of the 45-minute session, when temperatures cooled the track and helped pick up speeds.

"It was at the end of the day," Gordon said. "Indianapolis is notorious for being fast in the morning, like we saw in qualifying, slow in the afternoon and then fast again in Happy Hour. But I feel good. I'm real excited. I've got a great race team."

Gordon edged rookie Jamie McMurray, who went 175.987 early in the session. McMurray was also second-fastest in Saturday's first 45-minute session at 176.184 mph, behind Tony Stewart's 176.581.

 BRICKYARD 400

•	Happy Hour Speeds

•

Lineup

•	Harvick sets track record

•	Complete race coverage

•	Saturday's Photo Gallery

•	Friday's Photo Gallery

Steve Park was third in Happy Hour in another RCR car at 175.960, followed by Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman.

Polesitter Kevin Harvick, teammate to Gordon and Park, was 14th fastest.

Gordon, who has raced in nine Indy 500s -- including a 22nd-place finish this May- - starts 13th in Sunday's 160-lap race.

"It's kind of been an up-and-down day," Gordon said. "We honestly thought we were going to come here and have a shot at the pole. I'm very happy that my teammate got it. At least one of us got it, because I came here and tested.

"One thing about Kevin and me, we're able to share setups. ... Between the two, we push each other. That right there is helping RCR move back to the front of the grid.

"We may not get along the best, but the key is that probably doesn't hurt us either. We push each other. We're competitive and we both want to win."

Gordon said his car pushed in Saturday's practices, and the crew worked on the rear of the car to loosen it up.

 ROBBY GORDON

•	Driver Page

•	2003 Season Stats

•	Video Highlights

•	Driver vs. Driver

"That didn't work," Gordon said. "We had to go to the front of the car to free it up, and then come back and tighten up the back of the car so it wasn't too loose (under) power. I feel real good to be going into the race now, to be honest with you."

Winning at Indianapolis would be a dream come true for Gordon. He's not an Indiana native, but he's fully aware of the history of this historic facility.

"When I was a little kid, I only dreamed of being here," Gordon said. "Now, to race twice a year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ... winning the Brickyard would be awesome. We've got a lot of work ahead of us tomorrow. We can't make any mistakes in pit lane, can't make any mistakes on the racetrack.

"Track position is going to be key, when we get two (tires), when we get four. If we do position ourselves to win this thing, I didn't do it by myself. I've got a great race team behind me with RCR. These guys push hard every week, and we continue to move up the grid in the points standings. That's our goal, to be toward the top at the end of the year."

[NormsRevenge]

Bill France (left) and Jim Hunter in the garage area at Indy Credit: Autostock

NASCAR considering changing points system

By Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press

August 2, 2003
4:58 PM EDT (2058 GMT)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- NASCAR is considering changing its championship points system to give bigger rewards for winning poles and races. The current system favors consistency over winning.

The system, which began in 1975 and is often criticized, has been under attack this season while Matt Kenseth has built a whopping 232-point lead in the championship race with just one victory but a string of top-10 finishes.

"We are reviewing the points system, as we often do when there is talk about one driver having so big of a lead that it looks like the championship will be decided before the season is over," NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter said Saturday.

"So we will look at every viable option and at the end of the year apply it to the point standings and see how things might have been different."

One of the scenarios NASCAR is looking at is awarding a sizable points bonus to the race winner -- anywhere from an additional 10 points to 50 -- and giving a bonus for winning the pole.

Other options include awarding the same amount of points to drivers who finish 30th through 43rd, or not awarding any points after 36th position. Both of those scenarios would make it pointless for damaged cars to return to the racetrack.

NASCAR has already applied all those scenarios to past seasons and found that it never changed the series champion, Hunter said.

The current NASCAR points system was created by Bob Latford, who died on July 23. Latford invented the system on a request from NASCAR head Bill France Sr., first drawing it up on a cocktail napkin at the Boot Hill Saloon in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Under the current points system:

• The winner of a race gets 175 points.

• Second through sixth each get five points less than the place before them.

• Seventh through 11th get four points less than the place before them.

• Twelfth and lower get three points less than the place before them.

• All 43 places are awarded points, unlike many other major racing series that stop giving points after certain positions.

• Drivers who lead a lap earn five bonus points.

• The driver who leads the most laps in a single race earns five additional bonus points.

That format has created scenarios in which drivers play it safe, choosing not to risk much in going after victories when a top-10 finish will suffice.

"The way the championship points are structured, winning is not the most important thing," said four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon. "It pays the most points, but a top-five these days is almost as good as a win."

The current system also encourages cars that have been damaged in an accident to make patchwork repairs to get back on the track and pick up a few more positions and points.

That practice caught NASCAR's attention last month at Daytona when the hood from Robby Gordon's repaired car flew off and into the grandstands.

"I do have a problem with the way it pays points all the way back to 43rd and that we have to go back out there with these wrecked race cars and ride around at a minimum speed," he said. "It's no fun for anybody and I know the competitors don't like it because you're in the way."

If NASCAR were using the same points system currently used by any of the major auto racing series, its current championship race would look a lot different.

Under the Formula One system, Bobby Labonte would have a one-point lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 10 points would separate first and fifth place.

If CART's scoring system were used, Earnhardt would lead Kenseth by two points, with 24 points separating first and fifth place.

Under the IRL scoring system, Kenseth would have a 49-point advantage over Earnhardt and the top five would be separated by just 124 points.

[steveegg]

Let me guess; all the critcism of the points system is because a Yankee Cheesehead's crushing an Earnhardt.

[tubebender]

I had a heck of a time finding this thread evn though I kept looking for keyword Nascar. I corrected it :-)

It's a sad day when Ken Schrader goes home because they have no owner points. I doubt he will finish the season...

[NormsRevenge]

Sorry about that, Chief!! ;-)

I usually ping out the night before but I'm trying some things out here. Thanks for your persistence. :-)

[NormsRevenge]

Sunday at the Brickyard Ping!!!

[Dog Gone]

I'm glad you pinged me. I had forgotten to choose a lineup.

[glock rocks]

Good morning Sir!

just firing up the grille... lookin quite PIG porkish out today.

I'll be rooting for Ward today, and my oh my look at JJ... hmmmm.

wazzup wid the gibbs kids? hope they had a heart to heart with the motor building boys this week...

[BushCountry]

Nemechek is starting 7th, hopefully another top 10 finish. I am not greedy, you see (I can't be, I have to be a little realistic), as long as one of his teammates wins also, I will be happy. With Jimmie and Jeff as his teammates this is a more realistic goal.

How about NASCAR wanting to change the cup rules? I like the idea since Joe has a better finish record than alot of those ahead of him.

[countrydummy]

concerning the 'gibbs kids".....I sure hope the engines don't blow this week! Such rotten luck for Bobby lately!

[NormsRevenge]

I had to cancel my BBQ due to lack of attendees. But that's OK. More beer for me ;-)

Weather looks good in Indy.

I hate that it is on NBC, I wonder how many thousands of commercials they stuff into the "race coverage" this week?

[tubebender]

I usually seek out your early post and put it on my Tool Bar Favorites so it is always within reach. I update it every 50 posts so it's always fresh...