Weekend Weather Issues Hurt Nemechek in Richmond
September 7, 2008
RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 7, 2008) -- A poor starting position and a lack of grip were the culprits that resulted in Joe Nemechek's 40th-place finish in Sunday's weather-delayed Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Nemechek started the 300-mile, 400-lap race 41st as a result of qualifying being canceled on Friday evening due to rain from Tropical Storm Hanna. The storm also forced NASCAR to postpone Saturday night's scheduled race until Sunday afternoon.
Nemechek did start the weekend on a high note after a good practice session on Friday afternoon.
"I felt really good about our Furniture Row Chevy after practice," said Nemechek. "We were in position to do something good in qualifying and that was very important because this is one track where you don't want to start in the back. But the rain came and there was nothing we could do."
Not only did Nemechek start in the back in Sunday's Cup race, he was unable to find the right grip on the .75-mile short track.
"The rain washed away the rubber on the track and it was slippery out there," noted Nemechek. "We tried a bunch of different things to compensate for the conditions, but nothing connected. We fought on and did the best we could. It was a rough day."
With 10 races remaining in the 2008 Sprint Cup schedule, the 3-year-old Furniture Row Racing team out of Denver, Colo. has qualified in 23 of the 26 events, snapping a team record of 21 starts in a season.
"We're disappointed that it's not a perfect 26 out of 26 qualifying record," said Nemechek. "And we'll be even more disappointed if we don't go 10 for 10 in the final races. I am very confident that we will achieve the goal of qualifying in the remaining 10 events."
The Richmond race winner was Jimmie Johnson. Rounding out the top five in order were: Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin.
The next Cup race will be Sunday (Sept. 14) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Nemechek won his first career Cup race in September 1999.
About Furniture Row and Furniture Row Racing:
Based in Denver, Colo., Furniture Row Racing® is owned and sponsored by Furniture Row® Companies. The team runs the No. 78 Sprint Cup car from its home base in Denver. For more information about the team visit http://www.FurnitureRowRacing.com. Furniture Row Companies is one of the largest family-owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers. The company is comprised of five specialty store brands including: Sofa Mart®, Oak Express®, Bedroom Expressions®, Denver Mattress Co® http://www.DenverMattress.com, and Big Sur Water Beds®. For more information and locations, please visit http://www.FurnitureRow.com or http://www.FurnitureRowRacing.com
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