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Centurion Boats at the Glen Preview

Aug 11, 2007 - 10:27 AM

August 12, 2007
Watkins Glen International 
Watkins Glen, New York
Race 22 of 36 on Nextel Cup circuit (21st points race)

TV: ESPN, 1 p.m. EDT

Laps: 90 
Track length: 2.45 miles 
Race length: 220.5 miles
Configuration: 11-turn permanent road course

Qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 124.580 mph, 2003
Race record: Mark Martin, Ford, 103.300 mph, 1995


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Jeff Burton 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $4,079,479

Ran 11th last week at Pocono but remained fourth in the series 
standings; registered four top-10 finishes over the previous 
five races, with the lone blip a 16th at Daytona; ran seventh at 
New Hampshire and third at Sonoma to end a stretch of four
consecutive finishes outside the top 10; trails series points
leader Jeff Gordon by 473 points; has six top-five finishes and
12 top-10s this season; captured his first victory of the season
at Texas; ran 11th in this event last season.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc. 
Car: No. 8 Chevrolet Impala 
2007 Earnings: $3,253,253

Registered a season-best second-place finish last week at Pocono
but fell to 13th in the standings behind Kurt Busch, who 
captured his first checkered flag of the season; trails Busch by
just seven points for the final spot in the Chase for the Nextel
Cup; finished 19th or worse over the previous three races, 
including a 34th at the Brickyard and a 36th at Daytona; leaving
the company his father founded to run for Hendrick Motorsports 
in 2008; has yet to win a race or a pole this season, but has 
four top-five finishes and eight top-10s; also has five finishes
of 30th or lower; placed 18th in this event last season.


Jeff Gordon 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $4,633,857

Ran fourth at Pocono for his ninth straight top-10 finish; still
owns a comfortable 371-point cushion atop the series standings 
despite being docked 100 points for failing post-qualifying 
inspections at Sonoma, where he ran seventh; has four checkered
flags this season and 79 career, just four shy of tying Cale 
Yarborough for fifth place all-time; reached a landmark 
milestone at Talladega, recording his 77th career victory to 
pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth all-time; has completely
dominated the circuit this season and is on pace to capture his
fifth career title, leading the series in poles (7), top-five 
finishes (14) and top-10s (19); ran 13th in this race last year.


Denny Hamlin 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $3,225,271

Rebounded from a 22nd-place finish at the Brickyard by placing
third last week at Pocono; remains second in the standings, 366
points behind Gordon; followed up his first win of the season 
at New Hampshire by finishing dead last at Daytona after 
wrecking early in the race with teammate Tony Stewart; has 
avoided the sophomore slump by finishing out of the top-10 just
six times in the past 17 races; has eight top-five finishes and
12 top-10s this season; finished second at Darlington and has 
four third-place finishes at Las Vegas, Martinsville, Phoenix 
and Richmond; rounded out the top 10 in this event last season.


Kevin Harvick 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $5,517,553

Struggled to 17th last week at Pocono but still is comfortably
nestled at ninth in the standings; finished seventh at the 
Brickyard and has five top-10 finishes over his past seven races,
with the other blemish a 34th at Daytona; won the season-opening
Daytona 500 by nipping Mark Martin at the finish line; has four
top-fives and 10 top-10s this season; finished second to Juan
Pablo Montoya on the road course at Sonoma; has finished lower
than 30th only twice this season; won this event last season.


Jimmie Johnson 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $4,300,306

Finished fifth at Pocono; defending series champion continued 
his up-and-down season by finishing 39th at the Brickyard after
a fiery crash on the heels of a 37th three weeks ago at Chicago;
prior to past two poor showings, finished 10th at Daytona after
running fifth at New Hampshire; has posted victories this season
at Las Vegas, Atlanta, Martinsville and Richmond; despite 
collecting 10 top-five finishes, has been hurt by five finishes
outside the top 35; finished 17th in this event last season.


Matt Kenseth 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $3,962,804

Ran 14th at Pocono but remained third in the standings; posted
fourth straight top-10 finish by placing 10th at the Brickyard;
ran 34th and 42nd, respectively, prior to the four straight 
top-10 results; captured his only victory of the season in the
campaign's second race at California; has seven top-five 
finishes and 14 top-10s this season; struggled to 21st in this
race last season.


Tony Stewart 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $4,117,836

Continued his mid-season surge by finishing sixth at Pocono; 
remained fifth in the standings, but trails Gordon by 487 
points; captured back-to-back victories at Chicagoland and at
the Brickyard; finished 38th at Daytona prior to his win at
Chicago after an early-race crash with teammate Denny Hamlin;
has turned his season around with seven finishes of sixth or
better over the last nine races; was runner-up to Harvick in
this event last season.


2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
 2. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
 3. Jamie McMurray (26), Ford
 4. Robby Gordon (7), Chevrolet
 5. Carl Edwards (99), Ford
 6. Scott Pruett (40), Dodge
 7. Elliott Sadler (38), Ford
 8. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge
 9. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
10. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet

Past Champions
--------------
2005  Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 86.804 mph
2004  Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 92.249 mph
2003  Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 90.441 mph
2002  Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 82.208 mph
2001  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 80.081 mph
2000  Steve Park, Chevrolet, 91.336 mph
1999  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 87.722 mph
1998  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 94.466 mph
1997  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 91.294 mph
1996  Geoffrey Bodine, Ford, 92.334 mph
1995  Mark Martin, Ford, 103.300 mph
1994  Mark Martin, Ford, 93.752 mph  
1993  Mark Martin, Ford, 84.771 mph
1992  Kyle Petty, Pontiac, 88.980 mph
1991  Ernie Irvan, Chevrolet, 98.977 mph
1990  Ricky Rudd, Chevrolet, 92.452 mph 
1989  Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 87.242 mph
1988  Ricky Rudd, Buick, 74.096 mph
1987  Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 90.682 mph
1986  Tim Richmond, Chevrolet, 90.463 mph
1965  Marvin Panch, Ford, 98.182 mph
1964  Billy Wade, Mercury, 97.988 mph  
1957  Buck Baker, Chevrolet, 87.007 mph