Saturday, May 30, 2009

Sprint Cup 2009, Race 13: Reuty-Toot-Toot


Life is good for David Reutimann!!!
Determined to show his victory in Charlotte on Monday wasn’t just being a lucky dog, David Reutimann sits on the pole for Sunday’s race with Kasey Kahne, a driver much in need of a little boost for his season on the outside of the front row. However, the #9 team is not the only member of Richard Petty racing to start off against the monster way up front, Reed Sorenson, #43 registers a 4th position, A.J. Allmendinger, #44 checks in at 7th and the final Petty Dodge, Elliot Sadler secured 10th. All four Petty Dodges starting in the top ten. Also needing to build some positive momentum, Juan Pablo Montoya puts his #42 Chevy in 3rd for Earnhardt-Ganassi. Greg Biffle tops the Ford and Roush effort in 5th, but for all the joy the fellows earning top spots can celebrate for their fine starting spots, along with Brian Vickers in 9th, they only need to survey the top ten and see Kyle Busch in 6th and Jimmie Johnson in 8th, two drivers who could make it a long miserable afternoon for fellows who haven’t been as successful roughing up the concrete monster.

Needing some tangible progress to begin the second third of the season, three of the remaining Roush-Fenway cars start in the top 20: Edwards – 13th, Kenseth -14th, and McMurray in 18th. David Regan still needs some solid results to turn his season around way back in 26th just ahead of another Ford driver who needs to get a break, Bobby Labonte in 27th.

Several of the drivers who’ve been living high and happy recently will face a tough start on Sunday with Mark Martin way back in 28th and Tony Stewart in a miserable 31st. Even worse, points leader Jeff Gordon wrecked during qualify and will have to roll out a backup car starting in next to last. Brad Kesolowski couldn’t qualify the #25 Hendricks Chevy for the field. He’s the only competitive driver sent home. Richard Childress’s gang continues its run of falling short with only Casey Mears breaking the top 20 in 17th. Clint Bowyer starts 25th, Jeff Burton – 32nd, and Kevin Harvick, 35th as his season continues to unravel.

Joey Logano takes his first start in 21st – not bad for a rookie at one of the toughest tracks to manage for a good hot lap.

If change brings fortune to the #88 team, qualifying doesn’t show the winds of change have done much more than stir up the same old kind of dust with Dale Junior beginning the next chapter in his career in 22nd. His nephew, Jeff, Kerry’s son, wrecked trying to qualify for the Nationwide event just missing the field. The 4th generation, Earnhardt, though obviously nervous and shaken after his wreck bore a haunting resemblance to his famous grandfather.

What a lively weekend of racing as the engines roar in the battle between the bays Saturday afternoon with the Nationwide fellows starting their engines at 2:00 pm on ABC. Trucks slam the pedal to the metal on Speed TV at 6:00 pm. Fox broadcasts its last race of the season starting at 1:30, Sunday.

Kyle Busch will start all three races while other drivers seek double duty possibilities. Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Mike Bliss, Scott Speed, and Tony Raines attempt Nationwide and Sprint Cup. Mike Skinner attempts Camping World Trucks and Sprint Cup. Dennis Setzer, Johnny Chapman, Scott Wimmer, and Terry Cook attempt Nationwide and Trucks. Given how physically demanding the Monster Mile is, are these fellows brave, crazy, or lots of both?

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