Wild one
So Jeff Gordon took the pole, last year's winner Kurt Busch will start 42nd and the first car Gordon will probably catch is that of A.J. Allmendinger, who rode the outside wall to his first Cup start of the season. (AJA goes off 43rd.)
Here's your starting grid. No, I can't explain why Regan "I'm Just Borrowing Mark Martin's Car" Smith will start 26 spots ahead of Matt Kenseth.
Yes, the drivers are complaining. Just think if someone replaced your desk and desk chair with a card table and a folding chair. You'd complain, too.
If you want some more details about what the COT is all about, USA Today put together a nice flash graphics package.
Meanwhile, Ft. Worth racin' 'riter John Sturbin is aghast that NASCAR has rules. You know, like other sports. (P.S.: There's no such language as "American," despite what the textbooks say in Texas.)
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