The atmosphere at Infineon Raceway Sunday morning is more relaxed for a NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend than I’ve seen in a while. Lots of activity is taking place but it seems lower key than I’ve seen at this event. It’s bound to pick up, as is the gentle breeze. Winds up to 35 mph are forecast. It’s sunny and the skies are clear, but it is not yet too warm.
Two teams, coincidently located next to each other, are beavering away making their new cars race ready for Sunday afternoon’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 race.
TRG’s team is working on its new car, obtained from the Earnhardt Ganassi with Felix Sabates team, where it had been the road course backup car for MARTIN TRUEX, Jr. For all intents and purposes, this Chevrolet is TRG’s (backup) car. It will retain the TRG No.71 and the entire TRG livery for the weekend including all the local sponsorship graphics. Nothing has changed – driver, number or sponsors. All points earned will go to driver DAVID GILLILAND and owner KEVIN BUCKLER.
Next door the situation is a bit different. The No.82 Red Bull Racing team is working away readying the No.87 Toyota for driver SCOTT SPEED. This is considered a driver change from owner/driver, JOE NEMECHEK in the No.87 Nemco Motorsports Toyota. The owner points will go to Nemechek, while the driver points will go to Speed. This car will run as #87 and the graphics will remain as they were previously – which isn’t much as Nemechek’s sponsorship for the weekend fell through on Saturday. Red Bull Racing is providing its crew, hauler and staff, and the car will be pitted in the pit lane space drawn by Nemco.
The difference in the car/points situation was clarified for me by JOHN DARBY, Director, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.