Unofficial Points Standings

[muggle not]

Unofficial points standings after Fontana:

1 +1 Mark Martin 335 Leader
2 +1 Jeff Burton 330
3 +5 Jeff Gordon 309
4 -3 Kevin Harvick 307
5 -- David Ragan* 270
6 +11 Clint Bowyer 264
7 -- Joe Nemechek 259
8 +2 J.J. Yeley 251
9 +14 Kyle Busch 239
10 -1 David Stremme 2360
11 -5 David Gilliland 235
12 +28 Matt Kenseth 232
13 +2 Johnny Sauter 224
14 -- Robby Gordon 218 0
15 +22 Jimmie Johnson 216
16 -5 Elliott Sadler 216
17 +8 Greg Biffle 211
18 +10 Denny Hamlin 209
19 +17 Kurt Busch 196
20 -2 Juan Montoya* 191
21 +18 Tony Stewart 186
22 +13 Ryan Newman 181
23 -3 Bobby Labonte 179
24 -5 Casey Mears 173
25 -9 Sterling Marlin 170
26 -2 Carl Edwards 170
27 -1 Ricky Rudd 167
28 -7 Dale Jarrett 164
29 -25 Mike Wallace 160
30 -18 Reed Sorenson 158
31 -- Tony Raines 158
32 -10 Kasey Kahne 150
33 +8 Kyle Petty 139
34 -- Brian Vickers 134
35 -1 Jeff Green 128
36 -7 Jamie McMurray 122
37 -24 Boris Said 121
38 -11 Martin Truex Jr. 118
39 -6 Ken Schrader 113
40 -8 Dave Blaney 112
41 -11 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 110
42 -4 David Reutimann* 107
43 -- Paul Menard* 103
44 -2 Scott Riggs 67
45 -- John Andretti 61
46 -3 Michael Waltrip -27

[Matt]

Honestly, you are already starting to look at the points? It's two races in, don't even start to look at those until at least the 10th race.

[muggle not]

Originally Posted by Matt

Honestly, you are already starting to look at the points? It's two races in, don't even start to look at those until at least the 10th race.

I strongly disagree. The points early on are very meaningful. Jr, for example is digging himself a hole that will be difficult to get out of. Also, the early points standings give a good indication that Hendricks and RCR are going to be the teams to beat this year. Roush could be in for a tough year. The performance with the COT will be important towards the championship drive. RCR may have an edge in that respect as they have done significant testing of the COT.

[Craig]

Please keep posting them! I'm interested, even if Matt isn't!

[Knowlesy]

Absolutely. It's important to keep track of what is a complex championship.

[Craig]

(I think muggle nut has kinda just been volunteered to carry on posting the points to this thread throughout the season... )

[muggle not]

Originally Posted by Craig

(I think muggle nut has kinda just been volunteered to carry on posting the points to this thread throughout the season... )

Thanks guys...and gals. I accept the "sentence".

[kingfloopy]

Toyota isn't looking too good right now. 3 of their drivers are our of the top-35 already and two haven't even started a race yet and one barely in the top-35. I think the #36 and #84 are going to have a very hard time the rest of the season they will have to pull hard to make it in the top-35 especially since I'm sure they'll miss more races. They are dominating the truck series right now though, so maybe it will turn around, but I see a lot more hard times ahead and have a feeling Mayfield and Allmendinger may be looking for new rides (maybe even voluntarily) by midseason if performance doesn't improve.

J.D.

[muggle not]

Originally Posted by kingfloopy

Toyota isn't looking too good right now. 3 of their drivers are our of the top-35 already and two haven't even started a race yet and one barely in the top-35. I think the #36 and #84 are going to have a very hard time the rest of the season they will have to pull hard to make it in the top-35 especially since I'm sure they'll miss more races. They are dominating the truck series right now though, so maybe it will turn around, but I see a lot more hard times ahead and have a feeling Mayfield and Allmendinger may be looking for new rides (maybe even voluntarily) by midseason if performance doesn't improve.

J.D.

They didn't do Allmendinger any favors by putting him in a Cup car. He should have raced a year or 2 in the Trucks and / or Busch.

[StuiE]

I think you can see which non-top 35 cars are going to be in the top 35 come the 6th race of the season, Johnny Sauter and Joe Nemechek are really the only ones up there, some good cars out of the top 35 though. Ginn looks like they will have a breakout year.