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CUP: Saturday New Hampshire Notebook
Written by: Tom Jensen   
09/14/2007 - 07:00 PM
Loudon, N.H.
 
Regan Smith contemplates the changeable weather. (Al Bello/Getty Images for NASCAR) » More Photos

RAIN, RAIN The 2007 edition of the Chase for the Nextel Cup will begin with an added element of pressure for the 12 teams competing for a championship: No Saturday practice. Steady morning rain at New Hampshire International Speedway washed out both practice session, which totaled one hour and 50 minutes. That means that Sunday's Sylvania 300, the first of 10 Chase races, will begin on a green track, with minimal practice time. Sunday's forecast is sunny, but with temperatures about 20 degrees cooler than they were for Friday's lone 90-minute Cup practice session.

So what does it mean? Maybe a lot, maybe not, said Kurt Busch, the inaugural Chase champion. "In 2004, the year we won the championship and won the race here at New Hampshire, practice was rained out on Saturday and we had a good setup from the July race that helped us," Busch said. "So, the cars that are fast in practice … and were fast here in July … expect more of the same from those same cats, the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon), the No. 1 (Martin Truex, Jr.), the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson). And, we've made a significant gain since then so I am really excited about this weekend's race and how it could play out for us."

Still, the green track and cooler temperatures will mean some guys nail their setups, while others will be chasing them all race long.

REGULAR SEASON CHAMP Jeff Gordon was understandably piqued at having a lead of more than 300 points – roughly the equivalent of his average point total for two full races – eliminated after Richmond last week. Not only did Gordon lose his lead after the end of NASCAR's regular season, he starts the Chase for the Nextel Cup in second place, 20 points because his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet teammate Jimmie Johnson won six races to Gordon's four in NASCAR's regular season.

That could change next season. NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications said that in the upcoming off-season, NASCAR will mull over a number of options, including having a separate award for being Nextel Cup regular season champion, and/or giving out a point bonus for winning the regular season title.

"If I didn't know what the rules were going into the season, I'd say we got the shaft. But that's not the case," said Gordon. "Ever since they've had the Chase, they've said what it is. This year they made the change to the 10 bonus points. It made
the regular season more exciting. It made everybody push harder to get those wins. It did what it was supposed to do. But I do think they're going to have to revisit now, going back. If you're going to have incentives for guys to win races, you have to have some kind of incentive for a guy to go out there and be the points leader at that point. I wouldn't be surprised if they revisit that a little bit."
Reutimann: no deal with Childress - at least not yet. (LAT photo) » More Photos

DODGE TO BACK NO. 19 While the garage at New Hampshire International Speedway was buzzing about next week's scheduled sponsor announcements for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (expected to be Mountain Dew energy drink Amp, with the No. 88, according a Charlotte Observer report) and Kasey Kahne (confirmed to be Budweiser), there are still plenty of teams looking to finalize deals for next year. Robert Yates Racing needs two new sponsors to replace Snickers on the No. 88 and M&M's on the No. 38, and Dale Earnhardt, Inc., has yet to confirm its fourth sponsor. Richard Childress Racing has extended its own internal deadline to land a sponsor for its proposed fourth car until the end of this month, a team source said.

One driver who doesn't have to worry about a sponsor is Kahne's teammate at Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Elliott Sadler. Sadler's No. 19 will continue to carry the colors of Dodge dealers nationwide, who again in 2008 will ante up to stay in Nextel Cup.

MORE SILLY SEASON A team source at Richard Childress Racing said Saturday that contrary to Internet rumors making the rounds, the team has not signed David Reutimann and has nothing definite on a possible fourth car. Although Reutimann has struggled considerably as a rookie with the start-up Toyota Nextel Cup operation, he's outperformed his more famous teammates, Michael Waltrip and Dale Jarrett, by a wide margin.

Through the first 27 NASCAR race weekends, Reutimann has had just six DNQs, compared with 10 for Jarrett and 16 for Waltrip. That's made him a hot commodity in the rapidly-dwindling supply of drivers for Silly Season, an honor not underestimated by Reutimann. "It's been flattering to have my name thrown around with some really good organizations, not that MWR is not a good organization and will become a great organization at some point. They're working hard towards that," said Reutimann. "But to have your name thrown around in those circles, yeah, that's pretty special."