Pepsi 400 qualifying at Daytona cancelled due to rain, Gordon will start from pole
Quote selected text Published July 6th, 2007 in NASCAR News
Qualifying for the Pepsi 400 was washed out Friday, leaving several teams out of the season’s second race at NASCAR’s most storied track.
Nextel Cup series points leader Jeff Gordon was awarded the pole. Denny Hamlin will start second, followed by Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton.
“It’s unfortunate you can’t control Mother Nature, and the rules are what the rules are,” Gordon said. “It’s hard to be too overjoyed about this pole because I do feel for those guys.”
Boris Said and two others were poised to make the race, but steady rain forced NASCAR officials to cancel the qualifying session with 14 cars left to make runs. NASCAR couldn’t postpone qualifying much longer because of the Busch Series race scheduled to start later Friday.
Said was sitting on the pole when the rain started, and Dave Blaney, Jeremy Mayfield, Kenny Wallace, Michael Waltrip, Scott Riggs and David Reutimann also were in position to make the 43-car field.
Starting Lineup:
Pos # Driver Sponsor Car
1 24 Jeff Gordon Dupont Chevrolet
2 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Chevrolet
3 17 Matt Kenseth R&L Carriers Ford
4 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet
5 31 Jeff Burton AT&T Mobility Chevrolet
6 20 Tony Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet
7 99 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford
8 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
9 01 Mark Martin Principal Financial Chevrolet
10 5 Kyle Busch Kellogg’s Chevrolet
11 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
12 07 Clint Bowyer Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet
13 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevrolet
14 12 Ryan Newman Alltel Dodge
15 26 Jamie McMurray Irwin Ford
16 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
17 18 J.J. Yeley Interstate Batteries Chevrolet
18 16 Greg Biffle Dish Network Ford
19 43 Bobby Labonte Cheerios Dodge
20 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Texaco/Havoline Dodge
21 25 Casey Mears National Guard Chevrolet
22 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
23 96 Tony Raines DLP HDTV Chevrolet
24 6 David Ragan AAA Ford
25 7 Robby Gordon Camping World Ford
26 40 David Stremme Coors Light Dodge
27 9 Kasey Kahne I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry Dodge
28 41 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge
29 14 Sterling Marlin Waste Management Chevrolet
30 66 Jeff Green HAAS CNC Machine Tools Chevrolet
31 88 Ricky Rudd M&M’s Ford
32 38 David Gilliland M&M’s Ford
33 13 Joe Nemechek Charleston, SC Fire Dept. Chevrolet
34 45 John Andretti Tire Kingdom Dodge
35 70 Johnny Sauter Yellow/HAAS CNC Chevrolet
36 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
37 44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota
38 21 Bill Elliott U.S. Air Force Ford
39 10 Scott Riggs Valvoline Dodge
40 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Toyota
41 15 Paul Menard Menards Chevrolet
42 00 David Reutimann Burger King Toyota
43 78 Kenny Wallace Furniture Row Chevrolet
Bookmark to:
- First Nextel Cup practice rained out
- No Petty at Daytona, first time since 1965
- Report: Pepsi pulling Daytona sponsorship after nearly 50 years
- Daytona and NASCAR to honor Bill France Jr. during Pepsi 400 weekend
- NASCAR rules leave some (many?) shaking their head
Thus putting Jeff Gordon on the pole at a restrictor plate race. Yayyy.
Not.
Yea Jeff Gordons going to win it. But damn I feel bad for Boris Said who had the pole, was easily in the race. But because of the rain he has to pack up and go home. Tough break really.
Yeah I feel so bad for guys like Boris, Mikey, and Mayfield…they were in only if the rain woulda held off a lil’ longer! I thought Boris’s idea was a goosd one though…they shoulda finished it up tomorrow morning. Oh well.
I wish they would have made the race too, but it doesn’t matter if you are on pole at Daytona, that doesn’t mean Jeff will win. It’s just too bad for those guys that had made good runs and were in. I liked Boris’s idea too, sometimes Nascar should listen to the drivers and fans. Yeah, wishful thinking!!!
Thank God they canceled it!! now Jeff Gordon is gonna lead it!!! Thats good Boris Said isnt in it , he has no consistancy!!! He starts the race in front then 5 laps later he is almost last!! !
Vinny:
And Boris Said managed to finish 4th last year in the Pepsi 400. Hmm.
Yeah you can def tell the people who don’t WATCH consistently…haha Boris won the pole last year at the Pepsi 400 on a qualifiying setup and still finished top five!
YEA! JEff LOVES THE POLE!! haha
that is messed up big time they should have allowed the people who qualified already start from where they placed
just not right… the guy on the pole does not make the race… wait how many in the top 5 did not make the race
How about put the top 35 in points in(which is a dumb rule) and fill the field with the fastest practice times instead of qualy times?
At least it would be based on speed that way……..sort of.
Gordon wont lead the first lap……hamlin starts 2nd and dont forget stewart who has absolutely dominated here the past 2 years he starts 6th
they wont even be full speed first time around. jeff will be passed on the second lap… ahaha. hell, it’ll probably be Tony who passes him.
No , Tony was too busy crashing his team mate to win this race.
Yes Justin, that was the funniest thing I ever saw. Tony I’m a cry baby Bitch taking out his team mate then put all the blame on Hamlin! Tony will never take responsibility on his own actions. Why he is still in the cup I have no clue. But he needs to get off the porch cuz that pup can’t play with the big dogs.