European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 24, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 42 stars and stripes june 2007 Hendricks season hits Speed bump Johnson on track saturday after altering illegal bumpers racing Roundup the associated press Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon wasted no time returning to the track after Lascar inspectors approved their the reigning Sextel cup Champi and Gor his Hen Drick motor sports team mate and fou time series were the first cars on the inf Neon race Way Road course for practice sat the two had an unexpected Day off Friday after their cars failed Lascar deemed the front fenders on the 24 and 48 Cheyrol ets illegal and banned the Drivers from the Days practice and Lascar allow the teams to alter the fenders and Send the cars Back through in both teams did that Fri but waited until saturday morning for official everything is Doug do vice president of develop ment for were Way but Well just go out there and prepare today the Way we would on any saturday and Hope for the Johnson and Gordon will Start 41st and 42nd in the 43car lineup for sundays Mart a five time Winner and the defending Champion at Sono said its going to be Tough to try to drive to the front on the treacherous Road circuit that winds through the Hills of North Ern California wine making it even More difficult is the fact that this is the Road Rac ing debut of Nastars new car of a virtually unknown Quantity on this kind of Bob Brodbeck Gordon and Luke Hendricks motor sports top two Jeff Gordon right and Jimmie were not allowed to practice or qualify Friday after their cars failed the Crews made adjustments and both Drivers returned to the track on Gordon leads in Points and Johnson is were really put into a bind Here and were going to do our that All i can said Gor the series Points you know were going to do All we can to make the car As fast As it can be and to try to come up through that Field the Best smoothest Way possible while try ing to stay out of trouble and try ing to play the right pit Well try to do everything in our Power to get the Best finish out Here we ill be right now its a Little hard for us to be realistic about a its More about being realistic about trying to get a top Johnson said the key is to concentrate and not get too upset about the track time he and Gor Don we cant get that he we just have to make sure that when we do get on the race track that our Heads Are in the right were focused on the right things and we do the Best Job that we Sextel cup Jamie Mcmurray out drove the Road racing specialists and the rest of the contenders Friday to win his first pole in nearly two Mcmurray posted his Lap of 1 seconds Mph on the inf Neon raceway Road course Midway through the then had to wait for Nastars top Ryan and former for Mula one Star Juan Pablo Mon both at the rear of the qualifying to try to Knock him but Newman wound up ninth at and Montoya came up Way Short at Good for Mcmurray wound up winning his third career pole and first on a Road Robby considered one of the Best Road racers in was second to Mcmurray at followed by Dale Earnhardt at Road racing Ace Boris said at and former Sonoma Winner Tony Stewart at out the top 10 in qualifying were Jeff Par time racer Bui Kasey Newman and Clint Bow craftsman trucks at West Johnny Benson was in the Lead with a Sweet handling truck on one of his favorite but he still didst like the sight of aggressive Veteran Ron Hornaday in his rear View Mir any time Ron Hornaday be Hind you on a youd better be Benson Benson mashed the Gas and cruised away from Hornaday with four laps to then held on to win the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 on Friday night a this Sec Ond straight craftsman truck series Victory at the Milwaukee Benson took the Lead from series Points Leader Mike Skinner on Lap and appeared to be cruising to a fairly comfortable Victory when Jack Sprague spun out with eight laps to Gordon next Els top Driver serious about role As dad from Back Page Gordon believes this seasons Success is a direct result of the satisfaction of his personal i always had hoped that there was going to be a Day in my life that things were going really Good in my there is nothing better than sharing those winning moments and Success with the people you care about the and Ive never before had it Gor Don if you go Back to my first Champion i was recently married and but my mom and we went through our prob and they we rent a part of As Happy As i i was not Happy about that so it seems like theres always going to be but right i cant think of any thing major not going it raises questions about How Long Gordon plans to run the grueling 36race Hes Adamant he wants to be a Handson father and has spent the past nine months at Doc Tor baby assembling furniture and researching wanted Safe and Cool and settled on a pair of he views raising a child As the most important Job hell Ever because he Doest want to be an Absentee Gordon plans to have Ingrid and Ella on the Road with him As much As the problem his schedule at the track is stacked with appointments and when he finally returns to the motor Home at the end of a Long Gordon needs rest and and a baby could disrupt that Down Ingrid Doest want to do that to me while i am at the races she knows How important those weekends Gordon and As much As id like to visit and spend if its going to be then its not Worth so for the two wont travel with the family plans to use a baby nurse to help put Ella on a when she starts com ing to the race  have a new motor Home equipped with a Builtin crib and play it might make other Crew chiefs worry that their Driver wont be focused come race but Letarte int too maybe that kid keeping him up All night hell want to get in a race it will at least be Letarte but its certainly not going to Lessen his every part of his life is and i think theres nothing More that he wants than to take Ingrid to new York As a Champion and carry his baby around new York As the Hes at the Point of his career where this is All about putting his name Down As the Cham Pion at the end of this special Gordon int sure what to expect the next few he Doest know How the baby will change his and a part of him fears the everything scares me about and the thing that scares me the most is fail he i think its the toughest Job on the and i am sure its going to change but i Hope its going to change me in a positive and not a negative my career is extremely but i want to be a great and i just dont know if anything is going to be More important than my racing scoreboard Mart 3so lineup Sextel cup after Friday qualifying race sunday at inf Neon raceway Lap length Miles car number in parentheses 26 Jamie 7 Robby 8 Dale Earnhardt 60 Boris 20 Tony 31 Jeff 21 Bill 9 Kasey 12 Ryan 07 Clint 96 Ron 19 Elliott 43 Bobby 2 Kurt 99 Carl 44 Dale 16 Greg 1 Martin Truex 22 Dave 14 Sterling 91 Marc 29 Kevin 45 Kyle 5 Kyle 55 Terry 01 Regan 17 Matt 88 Ricky 41 Reed 23 Butch 66 Jeff 42 Juan Pablo 18 70 Johnny 38 David 11 Denny 6 David owner 25 Casey owner 13 Joe owner 40 David owner 24 Jeff owner 48 Jimmie owner 00 failed to qualify 4 Ward 10 Scott 02 Brandon 15 Paul 83 Brian 84 a 37 Brian 78 Kenny 49 Klaus Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 craftsman trucks Friday at Milwaukee mile West Lap length mile Start position in parentheses 4 Johnny 200 14 Ron Hornaday 2 Todd 1 Mike 13 Rick 7 Erik 23 Mike 5 Travis 11 Matt 15 David 3 Jack 25 Stacy 16 Terry 6 Ryan 20 Benny 10 Tim 12 Ralg 24 Ken f 26 Dennis 27 Kelly 17 Aaron 19 Shane 31 Chad 22 Bill 30 Jack 29 Jason 34 Blake 21 Brendan 32 Josh 35 Bradley 9 Willie 18 Peter 33 Scott 8 Ted 28 Kelly 36 Randy rear race statistics time of race 2 5 39 Sec margin of Victory caution flags six for 18 Lead changes three among three Lap leaders 1103 104158 159 leaders summary times laps 1 time for 103 laps 2 times for 96 laps 1 time for 1 Point standings