Jeff Gordon Wins At Talladega
Jeff Gordon led only one lap on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, the one that counted, the last lap. The UAW-Ford 500 started out like a ballet but ended up like a heavyweight boxing match.

Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears and others hung back to the rear of the field to stay out of the "Big One" that they knew was surely coming. It was a strategy that was out of the normal for the ones holding back and Gordon said it was one of the hardest things that he's ever had to do. After the final caution and a restart with nine laps to go, Ryan Newman led his teammate Kurt Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya to the line. Johnson didn't take the lead until there was five laps to go, and Johnson had Jeff Gordon pushing him to the front. It looked like it was going to finish with Johnson in first and Gordon in second but on the last lap, Tony Stewart made a hard charge to the outside line and Gordon jumped up in front of Stewart. Stewart probably didn't like it but he had no choice but to push Gordon past Johnson.

It is the fifth victory for Gordon in 2007 and his sixth win at Talladega. It is Gordon's 12th restrictor plate victory and the 80th career win for the four-time champion. Gordon leaves Talladega nine points in the lead in the Nextel Cup standings over Johnson. A few beer cans were thrown at Gordon's car but it was nothing compared to earlier in the year when bottles and cans rained down on this car after breaking Dale Earnhardt's career win total.

The "Big One" came on lap 144 and involved thirteen cars including two cars in the Chase for the Championship, those of Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Busch's car was nearly destroyed and the Kenseth machine was heavily damaged but Kenseth was able to return to the track, many laps down. Denny Hamlin had minor damage and after a series of stops to repair the car, continued. Johnson held on for second while Toyota driver Dave Blaney finished third. Denny Hamlin pulled his Chevrolet to the fourth spot and Ryan Newman was fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Casey Mears, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Tony Raines and Reed Sorenson. The Nextel Cup Series moves to Lowe's Motor Speedway next Saturday night for the Bank of America 500. This is the 31st race of a 36 race schedule and the event is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.
To read the full article...     (Insider Racing News)
For full final race results...     (Insider Racing News)
For top-40 Nextel Cup drivers points...     (Insider Racing News)

Todd Bodine Wins Talladega Truck Race
"It doesn't make up for last year but it helps take some of the sting of losing away." So said Todd Bodine after winning the Mountain Dew 250 Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday. Last year in this race, as he did this year, had the best truck in the field but last year he was called for a penalty by NASCAR for going below the yellow line and it cost him a victory. This year he didn't get near the line for fear that someone - somewhere would call another penalty on him. After sitting on the pole, Bodine led 46 of the scheduled 94 laps. Bodine has led 15 times in eight races for a total of 181 laps but it's the first time this year that he led the most laps.

This was Bodines second victory this year, in 20 races this season, he has racked up 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes and is fourth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, 28 points behind third-place Travis Kvapil and 114 ahead of fifth-place Johnny Benson. Bodine trails point leader Ron Hornaday Jr. by 262. Skinner had been leading Hornaday on points before the race but a loose hood-pin forced him to pit late and he came out of a caution behind Hornaday on the track. Hornaday now leads Skinner by 14 points with five races remaining.

The race ended under a green-white-checkers finish. Bodine held off the charge of Rick Crawford (second) and Johnny Benson who finished third. -- “I’m just glad to come out on top for a change,” Bodine said. “I’ve always run well at Daytona and Talladega, I just never quite got it done. I finally got it done today. That’s the best part about this whole thing.” -- Rounding out the top ten were Jason Leffler, Dennis Setzer, Willie Allen, Ron Hornaday, Chad Chaffin, Regan Smith and Jon Wood.

Jacques Villeneuve's second truck series race ended early, after a collision on Lap 54 involving Bryan Silas and T.J. Bell. Villeneuve slowed to avoid a truck entering pit road, but contact with the No. 71 Chevrolet of Silas sent his No. 27 Toyota sharply to the right and into the No. 50 Ford of Bell as the trucks were entering the tri-oval. "There was a truck in front of me," said Villeneuve, who will make his Nextel Cup debut from the sixth starting spot in Sunday's UAW-Ford 500. "I slowed down to try to avoid him, and I got collected. I hope it won't be a repeat (on Sunday)."

But that wasn't the "Big One"... it occurred on lap 74 when Jack Sprague, while leading a 35 car pack, cut a tire and slowed to pit. Johnny Benson hit him from behind and shoved him into the oncoming traffic. It looked as though the entire field was wrecked but the total was more like ten trucks. The truck series is off next week but will return to action on Saturday, October 20th -- at Martinsville Speedway.

Childress Still Wants Four Car Team
Richard Childress said on Saturday morning at Talladega Superspeedway that he still wants to put a fourth team together but will wait until next year to get things started again. "We just had too many distractions with the No. 31 team this year to get it done," said Childress. "Next year we'll be able to concentrate on putting something together. We'd like to have something for 2009."

Fan Day At RCR ~ Today
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will host a fan appreciation day Fri., Oct. 12 at its Welcome facility less than an hour northeast of Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord. The RCR Fan Day, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., will be highlighted by autograph sessions with all the RCR drivers, including Chase for the Cup contenders Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick. Richard Childress, Scott Wimmer, Tim McCreadie, members of the famed “Flying Aces” pit crew, and Childress’ grandsons Austin and Ty Dillon are also scheduled to sign autographs between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Tickets for the 30-minute sessions will be handed out ahead of time on a first-come/first-serve basis.

The day’s activities will also include tours of the RCR Racing Museum, pit stop ride-a-longs, a collection of private cars owned by Childress and some of the drivers, live entertainment, food vendors, and a merchandise blowout tent sale. Sponsor activities and displays will include those from Shell/Pennzoil, Jack Daniel’s, DirecTV, RoadLoans, Dixie Stampede and Coca-Cola. A silent auction of racing related items, many of them autographed by the drivers, will take place to benefit Camp Care (www.campcarefree.com) of Stokesdale, N.C.

On Thurs., Oct. 11, pit crew members from RCR’s three NASCAR Cup Series teams will also sign autographs. The No. 07 Jack Daniel’s crew will sign from 9:40 a.m.-10:00 a.m., the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil crew from 11:40 a.m. - noon and the No. 31 AT&T crew from 2:40 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Oct. 12 Autograph Session Schedule

Richard Childress Racing is located on N.C. 8/Old U.S. 52 in Welcome. From Charlotte, take Interstate 85 North to exit 87 (I-85-BR/US-29/US-52/US-70) toward Lexington/Winston-Salem. Stay on US-52 N to exit 92 (NC-8/Old US-52); turn right at the end of the ramp and right again at the RCR sign. From Winston-Salem, take Interstate 40 to exit 193 (NC-8/US-52 South) toward Lexington to exit 97 (NC-8/US-52). Turn right at the bottom of the ramp, travel through Welcome and look for the RCR sign on your left.

Commission Upholds Edwards Penalties
On October 9, 2007, the National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of Roush Fenway Racing regarding the #99 car. The appeal concerned three penalties issued by NASCAR following post-race inspection on September 23, 2007 for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Dover International Speedway. The infractions concerned Section 12-4-A of the NASCAR Rule Book “Actions detrimental to stock car racing”; Section 12-4-Q “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the car, car parts, components, and/or equipment used in the Event do not conform to NASCAR rules” and Section 20-12.8.1.C of the NASCAR COT Technical Bulletin #3 dated 4/10/07: “Failed to meet the minimum rear car heights.”

The penalties assessed were:

The Appellants argued that the infraction was due to the failure of a clamp on a jack bolt and that the resulting low rear car height was a performance disadvantage. They further argued that penalties imposed during the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup should be assessed differently than during other portions of the season, and differently for Chase contenders than for other competitors.

In deciding the Appeal, the Commission considered several factors:

Therefore it is the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR. The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.

No. 41 Team Penalized 25/25/25,000
NASCAR has issued penalties and fines to the No. 41 team that competes in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, as a result of rule violations found last Sunday in post-race inspection at Talladega Superspeedway.

The No. 41 Dodge, driven by Reed Sorenson, was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.8.1C (failed to meet minimum front car heights) of NASCAR Car of Tomorrow Technical Bulletin #3 dated April 10, 2007.

Sorenson has been penalized 25 championship driver points, while car owner Chip Ganassi has been penalized 25 championship car owner points. In addition, crew chief Jimmy Elledge has been fined $25,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

Franchitti In Martinsville Truck Race
On the heels of Dario Franchitti’s successful stock car debut in the ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced on Tuesday the reigning Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series Champion will continue his development program in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Franchitti will qualify the No. 41 Target Dodge Ram next Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.

The Cunningham Motorsports-owned truck will be led by Ganassi Crew Chief Brian Pattie and his CGRFS team, who guided Franchitti through his ARCA debut last weekend. The 0.526-mile oval will mark Franchitti’s first run behind the wheel of a NASCAR Truck, and his first ever appearance at the Virginia short track.

Last week CGRFS announced Franchitti had signed a multi-year deal with the organization to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) beginning in 2008. Franchitti will become the first European driver in the 59-year history of NASCAR to join the series full time when he assumes the driving duties of No. 40 Dodge Avenger next season.

Ray Cooper Spirit Award Winner
Award-winning sportswriter and longtime manufacturer’s representative Ray Cooper has been named the third quarter recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Pocono Spirit Award. Cooper, diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, remains active in the sport despite curtailing his work with Dodge as a manufacturer’s rep in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series this year while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. A former recipient of the Joe Littlejohn Award, he was also the 1986 winner of the George Cunningham Award for excellence in writing. Cooper received 46 votes cast by the membership.

Jimmie Johnson, the defending NASCAR Nextel Cup champion and driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet, received 9 votes. Johnson recently raised nearly $500,000 for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation through an inaugural golf tournament, dinner and auction. The foundation is dedicated to assisting children, families and communities in need, and contributes to several charitable organizations.

The NMPA/Pocono Spirit Award, which has been presented annually since 1992, recognizes character and achievement in the face of adversity, as well as sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Four quarterly winners are selected, with one overall Spirit award winner chosen by a vote of the NMPA membership at year’s end. The award will be presented during the group’s annual dinner and awards ceremony in January, 2008.

James Hylton was named the first-quarter winner of the award while Bill France Jr. was the recipient of the award for the second quarter.

Tony Gibson Takes Over As No. 8 Crew Chief
Tony Gibson will be the crew chief for the #8 Budweiser team for the remainder of the season. He was the interim crew chief for six races earlier in the season after Tony Eury Jr. was suspended. In the six races with Gibson at the helm, the team recorded an eighth-place finish at Charlotte and two top-five finishes. Gibson, a native of Daytona, joined Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2003. He was crew chief for Steve Park and Michael Waltrip at DEI before becoming the car chief for the #8 Bud team in 2005. He spent six seasons and won two championships as the car chief for Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports before coming to DEI. In his long NASCAR career, he also won a Cup title with driver/owner Alan Kulwicki and has worked with drivers including Bill Elliott, Cale Yarborough, Lake Speed and Rob Moroso. His goal is to win a fourth championship with a third organization.

Martinsville Tickets Available
Fans who want the chance to catch all the action in the SUBWAY 500, the only short-track stop in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, still have the opportunity. Good seats remain for the SUBWAY 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on October 21

“It’s almost become a tradition here … many fans automatically assume we are sold out in the weeks leading up to the event,” said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. “Although the SUBWAY 500 traditionally sells out, good seats remain for this event. Sales are brisk for the SUBWAY 500, but good seats at good prices remain."

The SUBWAY 500 on October 21 is the sixth stop in the Chase For The NEXTEL Cup and is the only short-track race in the Chase. Last fall it was a wild affair won by Jimmie Johnson. Nine out of the 10 spots in the Chase changed after last year’s SUBWAY 500. In addition to available tickets for the SUBWAY 500, there are plenty of prime seats available for the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, scheduled for October 21.

Ticket prices for the SUBWAY 500 range from $42 to $77. Tickets for the Kroger 200 are $37 in advance and $42 on the day of the event. All seats are unreserved. Kroger 200 tickets for children ages 6-12 are $5. -- Martinsville Speedway is also offering the Fall Family Special with SUBWAY 500 tickets for children 12-and-under for free when an adult purchases a regularly-priced ticket on the backstretch for the October 21 race.

The child’s ticket must be picked up at the ticket office when the adult ticket is purchased. All children need a reserved ticket to get into the backstretch grandstands, so when buying adult tickets, please make the ticket agent aware of the number of children’s tickets needed. -- Adult tickets on the backstretch are $42 and $47.

Tickets for both the SUBWAY 500 on Sunday, October 21, and the Kroger 200 NASACAR Craftsman Truck Series race, on Saturday, October 20, are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. SUBWAY 500 tickets may also be purchased online at (www.racetickets.com).