nascar 2009 <> after week #7 -- before week #8

wow ... now 7 races thru our 2009 season ... the leaderboard is packed with nascar superstars ... 4-time sprint cup champion jeff gordon is the points leader ... 3-time and reigning champion jimmie johnson runs second (-162) to gordon ... 2004 champion kurt busch and 2002/2005 champion tony stewart stand 3rd (-180) and 5th (-191) in points ... and the oh so talented kids with championship aspirations ... kyle busch and carl edwards ... are 7th (-240) and 8th (-265) in driver point standings ... cant get much better than that

jeff gordon's texas win was the 82nd of his career ... next checkered flag will tie jeff with cale yarborough for 5th on the all-time wins list ... two more jeff gordon wins match bobby allison and darrell waltrip for 3rd in all-time wins ... three active drivers "just behind" gordon's 82 career wins ... mark martin (35) <> jimmie johnson (34) <> tony stewart (32)

tonite we are racing from daylight (5 pm pdt) to under the lights around the 1 mile tri-oval that is phoenix international raceway ... it will be a late night for anyone planning to watch the race to its conclusion ... jimmie johnson has won the last 3 races at pir ... hendricks motorsports has won 4 in a row ... jeff gordon won in spring 2007 ... chevrolet has won the last 7 and 9 of 10 phoenix races ... from the desert nascar moves to talladega next sunday ... then under the lights of richmond and darlington leading into all-star weekend and memorial day weekend's coke 600 from charlotte

pool standings AFTER WEEK #7 <> samsung 500 at texas

• jason -- 985 points / 2 winners
• rich -- 938 (-47)
• floyd -- 896 (-89) / 1 winner
• kevin -- 876 (-109)
• tom* -- 859 (-126)
• jim -- 852 (-133) / 1 winner
• robin* -- 798 (-187) / 1 winner

*denotes rookie competitor

pool picks FOR WEEK #8 <> subway fresh fit 500 at phoenix (for most points <> for race win)

• jason -- kurt busch (2) <> jimmie johnson (48)
• rich -- joey logano (20) <> jimmie johnson (48)
• floyd -- kurt busch (2) <> jimmie johnson (48)
• kevin -- david ragan (6) <> tony stewart (14)
• tom -- mark martin (5) <> kyle busch (18)
• jim -- mark martin (5) <> jeff gordon (24)
• robin -- jimmie johnson (48) <> Jimmie johnson (48)
• tommy* -- jimmie johnson (48) <> jimmie johnson (48)

* denotes "just for fun"