Stunning. What else do you call the surprising qualifying results for the Toyota teams at Talladega Superspeedway today?
Michael Waltrip is on pole. Dave Blaney shares the front row and five of the top six are Toyotas - including Jacques (gasp!) Villenueve at sixth freakin' fastest! Dale Jarrett starts 43rd, despite his 8th fastest time.
Start the inquiries! Where's the jet fuel? Why is Joe Gibbs smiling? How soon is Daytona?
Picture credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Three new organizations made huge financial commitments to the NASCAR Nextel Cup series this year. None of the three found the success they sought.
Ginn Racing has been news for the past week with the firing of established drivers Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek. The Ginn group may change even more. Merger and buyout rumors persist. Dale Earnhardt Inc. is the most mentioned partner.
Michael Waltrip named two time Winston Cup champ Terry Labonte as his replacement in the #55 NAPA Camry for the Indy race, stoking talk of making a permanent driver change. Meanwhile, the other two Camrys in the MWR stable continue to struggle. There is now talk that Burger King and Domino's may bail on the #00.
Red Bull Racing is no stranger to throwing mega bucks at racing series. The one Toyota team that appeared to take a long term view of it's driver line up, struggles to make races.
Last Tuesday ON PIT ROW, I asked veteran NASCAR crew chief Booty Barker what main advantage super teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Racing have over satellite or independent outfits. I suggested the obvious - money - and he disagreed.
To Barker, the advantage is their longevity.
Hendrick Motorsports has been around since 1984. Rick Hendrick has plenty of cash, sure. But over 30 plus years, he has built a collection of good, talented people. Then, once in a generation, a Jeff Gordon falls to you. Or a Mark Martin, in Roush's case.
It was a great interview. In it's light, the struggles of the new wanna-be teams is understandable. Great success would have been an accident.
Red Bull Racing essentially funds itself. Waltrip and Ginn did a masterful selling job to assemble the sponsorship that kicked off six full-season Cup teams. Unfortunately they may have oversold expectations. There is no long history of success to fall back upon.
A total of six Toyotas qualified for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Friday. But not mine. If I wasn't accustomed to being humiliated, I'd be....well, humiliated.
So how 'bout them Tie-otas, anyway? I still think this could be the Camry's best showing of the year. Not only will they have more cars competing than at any other time this year, but the driver line up is stacked with road-course capable performers from top to bottom.
Watching Robby Gordon's banzai run for the pole (almost), punctuated by his mini-burnout at the end was worth losing sleep over. I had little league duty early and missed the live qualifying. I caught Robby's act at about 1:30 this morning. Worth it.
Where did Jamie McMurray come from, anyway?
I wonder if NAPA is putting any pressure on Michael Waltrip to leave Texas Terry Labonte in the #55 for the races between here and Watkins Glen.
This thing is going to look pretty cool if those left fronts get off the ground as much during the race as they did in qualifying.
So as I prepare to fall on my sword for the Allmendinger call, I would like to point out the following, in support of, well..... me.
I did pick Robby Gordon in the ON PIT ROW Chain Game this week, and on the show as well.
I did not claim to be the first to break the Dale Earnhardt-to-Hendrick Motorsports signing.
I admit that I actually, truly, really have no godly idea of who will sponsor Junior in '08 (Nike).
If you have ever listened to ON PIT ROW and or are a regular reader of this or the Fast Lap blog, you already no that I'm no expert.
Good luck Robby.
Struggling NASCAR teams may find gold in the California wine country's rolling hills as road course ace's expand the list of serious contenders for the coveted Nextel...uh, yeah, it's still Nextel Cup win.
This is the place where many feel Juan Pablo Montoya will break the ice and add a Cup Series win to his earlier Busch win in Mexico City. Oh, and he had those Monaco Grand Prix and Indy 500 things too.
Among the veteran Cup regulars, Robby Gordon is a past winner here and always tough at the road courses. That team has been coming on a bit lately too.
Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd and Tony Stewart are also past winners at Sears Point and lots of other places too. How 'bout Boris Said. You just know he'll be in there.
And of course, NASCAR's newest papa Jeff Gordon (congratulations Gordon family, it just gets better) has pretty well owned this place with five wins in all. 
Watch the Toyotas. Regular Camry driver, Dale Jarrett probably has a chip on his shoulder and can definitely get it around this place. Significantly though, his team owner Michael Waltrip has replaced both himself and David Reutimann with Terry Labonte and P. J. Jones. Hall of Fame Racing has Ron Fellows driving a Chevy, fresh off a 24 Hours of Lemans run in the Corvette. Fellows and Labonte have successful road race resumes and Terry's champion's provisional guarantees a second straight start for the #55. Bill Davis Racing brings in Butch Leitzinger.
My dark horse pick is A. J. Allmendinger. The Red Bull rider will be strong.
Picture credit: Allmendinger - red Bull Racing Montoya - not sure, found unattributed
