FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Homestead, 11/16/08

Well, it's over for 2008 … and it wasn't as pretty as we Joe Nemechek & FRR fans had hoped. Safe to say, a single-car team has some distinct disadvantages to overcome.

I'm going to wait until we learn what FRR's definition of a "limited schedule" is for next season before I speculate much about 2009. I'm guessing performance in the first five races will add or subtract races for FRR. To all my Nemechek Nation Friends, have a good off-season. Go have some fun at your local track.

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Phoenix, 11/9/08

(See chart notes)

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Texas, 11/2/08

(See chart notes)

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Martinsville, 10/19/08

(See chart notes)

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Charlotte, 10/11/08

(See chart notes)

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Talladega, 10/05/08

(See chart notes)

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Kansas, 9/28/08

(See notes on chart)

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Dover, 9/21/08

(See notes on the chart)

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after New Hampshire, 9/14/08

Ouch! Sad day at New Hampshire. Car was working pretty good until it slammed into the interior wall (got a bit of a shove from another driver). On the upside, maybe FRR is close to figuring out the intermediate tracks.

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Richmond, 9/07/08

Well, I'm just gonna keep watching this to see how close the "Owner Position 35 Prediction" comes to truth at Season's end. Those early DNQs may have been the killers and we didn't even know it at the time.

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Fontana, 8/30/08

Not pretty. Promising day ended early for FRR #78 and Joe Nemechek. You can read the notes on the chart.

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Bristol, 8/23/08

Official numbers. No change from "unofficial" version posted 8/24. Beginning next week, I'll start tracking how #78 is doing toward picking off the next Owner in the standings.

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after MIS, 8/17/08

As promised, here's the update. Top 35 Owner Prediction line is updated (I left the original T-35 Owner Prediction on the chart for reference). And FRR #78's Recovery line is added. As "must do's" go, it isn't pretty. Basically, FRR #78 has to equal its best two weeks (New Hampshire (6/29) and Daytona (7/5)) every week for the rest of the season ... and/or hope for the teams on the Top 35 "bubble" to collapse right before our eyes.

A disappointing weekend for FRR #78. I'll be updating the chart to show what FRR #78 needs to do to make Top 35 by season's end.

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Watkins Glen, 8/10/08

FRR/#78 Owner Points update after Pocono, PA, 8/3/08

FRR #78 Owner Points a/o 7/27/08 (Indy - Brickyard 400)

FRR #78 Owner Points a/o 7/12/08 (Chicago)

Weird week at Chicago. The Racing gods seem to have whacked the whole bottom third of the field. Net result is #78 is net +/-0 change against the Top 35 owner. Downside is that we lost one spot in the standings AND the Chicago opportunity to make significant gains. Team probably needs the off-week between now and Indianapolis.

FRR #78 Owner Points a/o 7/5/08 (Daytona)

(Official Owner Standings, as of 7/7/08/1100EDT)

With another Top 20 finish, the #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy picks up another 33 points in the quest to break into the Top 35 this Cup season.

Driver Joe Nemechek and the FRR Team worked hard keeping an ill-handling car on the lead lap throughout the race and began picking off competitors near the end. Finished in 18th, after enduring much of the race in the mid-to-high 30s.

FRR #78 Owner Points a/o 6/29/08 (Loudon, NHMS)

Very encouraging week for FRR/#78. Despite qualifying difficulties, the Team was able to get and KEEP a good car put together throughout the the race. And BIG praise to Joe Nemechek for wheeling that car around such a flat track! Lead lap; 20th place finish!

#78's Top-20 finish resulted in closing the gap to Top-35 by 42 points (combination of #78 improvement and "flattening" of the Top-35 score). If #78 keeps making gains while the bottom third of the current Top 35 owners stay flat, #78 should be in Top-35 before the '08 Season is complete.

FRR #78 Owner Points Update from Infineon, 6/22/08

Oddly enough, we (#78) slipped two spots (to #42) but still managed to close the Top 35 gap by another 14 points. We're in a very tight cluster of teams ... a virtual tie for 40th position. When #78 breaks into T-35, remember that they had to overcome the affects of 3 "Did Not Qualify" races earlier in the season.

FRR #78 Owner Points Update from Michigan, 6/15/08

Official Owner standings after Michigan (6/15/08). If these numbers hold, we lost 2 points in the race for #35. Really need to start bending the FRR curve up in the next couple of weeks.

FRR #78 Owner Points Update from Pocono, 6/8/08

Here's the latest as of Pocono, 6/8/08. Made up a little ground on Top 35 points threshold.

Updated #78 Sprint Cup Owner Points - Top 35 Prediction

Hey, all. Fell off the Top 35 pace a bit last week (6/1). Need good run at Pocono.

Nemechek/FRR Top-35 Prediction (5/31/08)

To all my http://www.joenemechek.net/ friends. I'm still working out a couple of the nuances, but I'm thinking the numbers say Top-35 is a doable-do this year ... despite recent setbacks.