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Front Page ->>Page 2 Stories
12 Gauge: The tire edition after Atlanta
Posted:0535hrs

By Bill Marx,Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

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In honor of all the talk about tires after Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta, this week's theme for 12 Gauge is ... tires. All performance references for the top 12 drivers in the points standings are from Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500.

1. Kyle Busch, 665. Joe Gibbs re-retired from football just in time to catch the hottest act in NASCAR bring back glory to Gibbs' original car, the No. 18. And guess who's the defending champ of this week's Food City 500 at Bristol?

--(Cont'd From Front Page)-- 2. Greg Biffle, 592. In case you are wondering, the Michelin Tire mascot is Bib, not Biff. Bib is short for Bibendum. We might need to know this in the future if Tony Stewart gets his way and Michelin (or any tire manufacturer not named Goodyear, according to Tony) becomes the official tire of NASCAR.

3. Kevin Harvick, 574. Harvick was one of three drivers to spend the entire race in the top 10 (Jeff Gordon and Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer were the others). Harvick might not be winning, but he's doing the next best thing.

4. Ryan Newman, 571. A tire rub did in Newman on Sunday, courtesy of Juan Pablo Montoya's moving up the track on Lap 226 and getting into Newman's fender. Newman had to pit under green and never was able to get the lap back, but he did finish 14th for his fourth top 15 in four races. In a semi-related note, tire in Spanish is neumatico.

5. Jeff Burton, 555. Week after week, Burton proves he's not ready for the retirement home. Why do I bring that up? Burton, 40, is the elder statesman of the top 12.

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 531. Junior's crankiness on his radio communications to the No. 88 crew -- and crankiness is the G-rated euphemism -- is tiresome. He was all over those guys Sunday. But ... he did earn his second top five of the season Sunday. Last year, he scored his second top five in race No. 15.

7. Kasey Kahne, 528. Kahne's 28th-place finish retires his streak of top 10s at three. His day was so forgettable, he was looking ahead to Bristol before he left Atlanta Motor Speedway.

8. Tony Stewart, 525. Smoke did everything but take a tire iron to Goodyear after the race. Based on his comments, you never would have guessed he finished second. Is this guy entertaining, or what?

9. Brian Vickers, 491. Look who's in the top 10 for the first time since the second race of the 2006 season. Safe bet: Vickers never will tire talking about his early season success. After four races last season, he was 40th.

10. Kurt Busch, 478. If his younger brother stays on his current tear, will Kurt feel like a spare tire at the next Busch Family Reunion? Maybe not, considering Kurt has a championship, and Kyle doesn't. Then again, in the 116 Cup races they have appeared in together, Kyle has finished ahead of Kurt 65 times (65-51).

11. Martin Truex Jr., 471. At the end of last year, Truex talked about how important it would be to finish in the top 10 so he could get all spiffed up and attend the season-ending awards banquet in New York. He finished 11th, 35 points out of 10th. It's still too early for him to purchase the proper attire, but he's moving in the right direction.

12. Matt Kenseth, 470. Kenseth was tireless in his pursuit of a good finish Sunday. He started 38th and was a lap down by Lap 27. But Kenseth and the No. 17 team never gave up and finished eighth.



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