S
stridsberry
Guest
Wreck-fests usually cause big changes in the ratings, and Saturday night was no exception. Almost every position changed hands, except at the top, where Tony Stewart continues to lead. Drivers making big gains include Jeff Gordon, Sterling Marlin, and Rusty Wallace. Among those taking a dive were Ryan Newman and Jeff Green.
1. (1) TONY STEWART 131.9
A sure top-10 finish went sour when contact with Jerry Nadeau broke an oil line – and cost him yet more precious ground in the point race.
2. (10) JEFF GORDON 126.5
Okay, the media exaggerators can shut up now. Jeff won a race, and dominated in the process. The streak is no longer a “story”.
3. (8) STERLING MARLIN 124.7
This was the first time that our point leader scored back-to-back top-10 finishes since Talladega (5th) and California (7th) – the 9th and 10th races of the year.
4. (3) DALE JARRETT 124
Lapped early, spun out on a restart…sounds like an average Bristol race to me.
5. (5) BILL ELLIOTT 122.2
These boys have got the whole qualifying thing down pat – they haven’t been outside of the first 3 rows in a couple of months.
6. (4) MARK MARTIN 122.1
Fought an ill-handling car all night, and then got caught up in the 2nd restart fiasco.
7. (12) RUSTY WALLACE 119.5
How close is Rusty to winning a race? He now leads the circuit with three 2nd-place finishes.
8. (2) JIMMIE JOHNSON 118.9
“No matter what circuit he’s been in, it’s always somebody else’s fault…” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
9. (9) KEVIN HARVICK 116.9
At the conclusion of the 1st half of the season, I said, “If he can back up to the top-20 in points, I’ll consider the 2nd half to be a success.” Well, it only took Kevin six races to get there.
10. (7) RICKY RUDD 115.3
It still astounds me that Ricky has gone 2/3 of the season with only nine top-10 finishes. Last year, he had reached double figures after only 14 races.
11. (11) MATT KENSETH 115.2
Still making a bid to get back in championship contention, but that mid-season hole may be too much to climb out of.
12. (6) RYAN NEWMAN 115
Two races at Bristol, and two head-on crashes resulting. The rookies have to learn somewhere.
13. (17) JEFF BURTON 107.9
I’m quite surprised that Jeff managed to stay on the lead lap after that head-on collision with DJ.
14. (16) MICHAEL WALTRIP 106.9
Yet another case of Mikey qualifying great, and then not even coming close to backing it up in a races. It’s time to integrate the phrase, “The car was perfect for a lap of qualifying, but come race time we’re going straight to the rear.”
15. (15) KURT BUSCH 101.5
Bristol has been most kind to Kurt this year, and was a good way to snap out of his recent troubles.
16. (14) ROBBY GORDON 100.8
It wasn’t just the JJ incident that lead to the 2-lap penalty. There was the dump job on Ricky Craven when Robby was lapped…not to mention shoving the leader out of the way to get back on the lead lap…
17. (18) BOBBY LABONTE 99.6
Ran in the top-5 for much the event before fading late, but he finally snapped that top-10 skein.
18. (13) JEFF GREEN 99.5
Was a victim of other people’s misfortune – but then again, who isn’t at Bristol?
19. (19) DALE EARNHARDT JR. 94.1
Finally, Dale was able to finish the job in a race, and not putter out late.
20. (22) RICKY CRAVEN 87
Ricky got a lot of TV time – but it was for all the wrong reasons. Considering everything this guy went through – the fender cave-in, the spin, the flat, etc. – 16th can be considered a great finish.
21. (20) TERRY LABONTE 82.8
He got lapped on the track, lapped in the pits, lapped when he spun…it all added up to 8.
22. (24) BOBBY HAMILTON 81.8
A rare strong run for Bobby nearly gave him a top-10 finish, which would have been useful for the job hunt.
23. (21) DAVE BLANEY 81.6
Nothing to brag about here. But next week might be good, since both Dave and the 77 ran great at Darlington last year (though the finishes were somewhat lacking).
24. (23) WARD BURTON 79.6
Yet another ran where Ward ran great and then got taken out. And his reaction gave me a flashback to Kansas City last year.
25. (25) JOHN ANDRETTI 79.1
He’s matched last year’s top-20 output; now to see if he can match the top-10 output.
26. (28) KEN SCHRADER 78
Yet another 14th-place finish? Either Kenny really likes that spot, or it’s a sign of better things to come.
27. (26) KYLE PETTY 77.7
Finally got a top-15 finish, which hadn’t happened for a couple months.
28. (29) JIMMY SPENCER 75.7
Bristol = Jimmy’s best track to date this year.
Jimmy = really happy, and is going to go celebrate at McDonalds.
29. (30) JEREMY MAYFIELD 71.2
He punts one guy around, and gets punted by another, whom he then slides into and takes out…it’s all in a night’s work at a short track.
30. (27) ELLIOTT SADLER 71
It may have been “the best car I’ve ever had”, but Elliott sure wasn’t showing that before the wreck.
31. (NR) THE CONSECO CAR 66.6 -new!
Mike Wallace, I’m very proud of you, getting a top-10 finish in that junker of a car. Then again, that’s the team’s 2nd top-10 in 3 races. Maybe A.J. will care a little more now.
32. (37) JOHNNY BENSON 64.6
He led his first laps of the season, and got another solid finish. MBV/MB2 must be trying to send the old Ponticrap out on a good note.
33. (33) CASEY ATWOOD 60.3
A top-10 run went sour with a wall encounter, but he was still able to salvage a decent finish.
34. (34) STEVE PARK 57.5
Let’s look at it this way: from here on out, Steve is guaranteed to do better than last year! Sweet Hallelujah!
35. (31) TODD BODINE 57.3
Parked the car after two early wrecks, with is too bad. I’d liked to have seen them “Discover” just how well a torn-up race car runs on a half-miler.
36. (32) MIKE SKINNER 56.9
It’s been a year and a half since Mike finished in the top-10, never mind contended for a win. I’ve nearly given up on any hopes.
37. (35) HUT STRICKLIN 56.8
In all actuality, I’m going to miss Hut if he’s not back on the circuit next year, if only because we need somebody from the Alabama Gang to keep it alive...and now you're gone.
38. (36) JERRY NADEAU 54.7
This just in: Jerry will be driving for the newly revived Eel River Racing next year, with Marshall Guitars as a sponsor. A press conference is expected on Friday afternoon at 3:43 pm.
By the way, the above statement was completely false. I just wanted to see if you were still paying attention.
39. (38) BRETT BODINE 52.8
It would seem that somebody on the crew screwed p fairly badly. Why else would you lose your brakes 10 laps into a race?
40. (39) JOE NEMECHEK 43.7
I want to see Joe be competitive, I really do. Even if he has to go back to the Busch Series full-time instead of putting up with 2nd-rate WC cars.
1. (1) TONY STEWART 131.9
A sure top-10 finish went sour when contact with Jerry Nadeau broke an oil line – and cost him yet more precious ground in the point race.
2. (10) JEFF GORDON 126.5
Okay, the media exaggerators can shut up now. Jeff won a race, and dominated in the process. The streak is no longer a “story”.
3. (8) STERLING MARLIN 124.7
This was the first time that our point leader scored back-to-back top-10 finishes since Talladega (5th) and California (7th) – the 9th and 10th races of the year.
4. (3) DALE JARRETT 124
Lapped early, spun out on a restart…sounds like an average Bristol race to me.
5. (5) BILL ELLIOTT 122.2
These boys have got the whole qualifying thing down pat – they haven’t been outside of the first 3 rows in a couple of months.
6. (4) MARK MARTIN 122.1
Fought an ill-handling car all night, and then got caught up in the 2nd restart fiasco.
7. (12) RUSTY WALLACE 119.5
How close is Rusty to winning a race? He now leads the circuit with three 2nd-place finishes.
8. (2) JIMMIE JOHNSON 118.9
“No matter what circuit he’s been in, it’s always somebody else’s fault…” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
9. (9) KEVIN HARVICK 116.9
At the conclusion of the 1st half of the season, I said, “If he can back up to the top-20 in points, I’ll consider the 2nd half to be a success.” Well, it only took Kevin six races to get there.
10. (7) RICKY RUDD 115.3
It still astounds me that Ricky has gone 2/3 of the season with only nine top-10 finishes. Last year, he had reached double figures after only 14 races.
11. (11) MATT KENSETH 115.2
Still making a bid to get back in championship contention, but that mid-season hole may be too much to climb out of.
12. (6) RYAN NEWMAN 115
Two races at Bristol, and two head-on crashes resulting. The rookies have to learn somewhere.
13. (17) JEFF BURTON 107.9
I’m quite surprised that Jeff managed to stay on the lead lap after that head-on collision with DJ.
14. (16) MICHAEL WALTRIP 106.9
Yet another case of Mikey qualifying great, and then not even coming close to backing it up in a races. It’s time to integrate the phrase, “The car was perfect for a lap of qualifying, but come race time we’re going straight to the rear.”
15. (15) KURT BUSCH 101.5
Bristol has been most kind to Kurt this year, and was a good way to snap out of his recent troubles.
16. (14) ROBBY GORDON 100.8
It wasn’t just the JJ incident that lead to the 2-lap penalty. There was the dump job on Ricky Craven when Robby was lapped…not to mention shoving the leader out of the way to get back on the lead lap…
17. (18) BOBBY LABONTE 99.6
Ran in the top-5 for much the event before fading late, but he finally snapped that top-10 skein.
18. (13) JEFF GREEN 99.5
Was a victim of other people’s misfortune – but then again, who isn’t at Bristol?
19. (19) DALE EARNHARDT JR. 94.1
Finally, Dale was able to finish the job in a race, and not putter out late.
20. (22) RICKY CRAVEN 87
Ricky got a lot of TV time – but it was for all the wrong reasons. Considering everything this guy went through – the fender cave-in, the spin, the flat, etc. – 16th can be considered a great finish.
21. (20) TERRY LABONTE 82.8
He got lapped on the track, lapped in the pits, lapped when he spun…it all added up to 8.
22. (24) BOBBY HAMILTON 81.8
A rare strong run for Bobby nearly gave him a top-10 finish, which would have been useful for the job hunt.
23. (21) DAVE BLANEY 81.6
Nothing to brag about here. But next week might be good, since both Dave and the 77 ran great at Darlington last year (though the finishes were somewhat lacking).
24. (23) WARD BURTON 79.6
Yet another ran where Ward ran great and then got taken out. And his reaction gave me a flashback to Kansas City last year.
25. (25) JOHN ANDRETTI 79.1
He’s matched last year’s top-20 output; now to see if he can match the top-10 output.
26. (28) KEN SCHRADER 78
Yet another 14th-place finish? Either Kenny really likes that spot, or it’s a sign of better things to come.
27. (26) KYLE PETTY 77.7
Finally got a top-15 finish, which hadn’t happened for a couple months.
28. (29) JIMMY SPENCER 75.7
Bristol = Jimmy’s best track to date this year.
Jimmy = really happy, and is going to go celebrate at McDonalds.
29. (30) JEREMY MAYFIELD 71.2
He punts one guy around, and gets punted by another, whom he then slides into and takes out…it’s all in a night’s work at a short track.
30. (27) ELLIOTT SADLER 71
It may have been “the best car I’ve ever had”, but Elliott sure wasn’t showing that before the wreck.
31. (NR) THE CONSECO CAR 66.6 -new!
Mike Wallace, I’m very proud of you, getting a top-10 finish in that junker of a car. Then again, that’s the team’s 2nd top-10 in 3 races. Maybe A.J. will care a little more now.
32. (37) JOHNNY BENSON 64.6
He led his first laps of the season, and got another solid finish. MBV/MB2 must be trying to send the old Ponticrap out on a good note.
33. (33) CASEY ATWOOD 60.3
A top-10 run went sour with a wall encounter, but he was still able to salvage a decent finish.
34. (34) STEVE PARK 57.5
Let’s look at it this way: from here on out, Steve is guaranteed to do better than last year! Sweet Hallelujah!
35. (31) TODD BODINE 57.3
Parked the car after two early wrecks, with is too bad. I’d liked to have seen them “Discover” just how well a torn-up race car runs on a half-miler.
36. (32) MIKE SKINNER 56.9
It’s been a year and a half since Mike finished in the top-10, never mind contended for a win. I’ve nearly given up on any hopes.
37. (35) HUT STRICKLIN 56.8
In all actuality, I’m going to miss Hut if he’s not back on the circuit next year, if only because we need somebody from the Alabama Gang to keep it alive...and now you're gone.
38. (36) JERRY NADEAU 54.7
This just in: Jerry will be driving for the newly revived Eel River Racing next year, with Marshall Guitars as a sponsor. A press conference is expected on Friday afternoon at 3:43 pm.
By the way, the above statement was completely false. I just wanted to see if you were still paying attention.
39. (38) BRETT BODINE 52.8
It would seem that somebody on the crew screwed p fairly badly. Why else would you lose your brakes 10 laps into a race?
40. (39) JOE NEMECHEK 43.7
I want to see Joe be competitive, I really do. Even if he has to go back to the Busch Series full-time instead of putting up with 2nd-rate WC cars.
