New characters to appear in weekly top 35 drama

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Eddie Wood clung to the numbers on the speed chart like a shipwreck survivor on a life raft. His driver, Jeff Green, had posted the ninth-quickest time of Friday's abbreviated practice session at Bristol Motor Speedway. His car, he knew, was good. But as he stood under the awning listening to the raindrops fall, he knew the inevitable was coming, and tried to put forth a brave face.

Sprint Cup Series

Owner points, pos. 30-40

Pos.	Car	Points	+/-
30.	No. 5	331	+33
31.	No. 26	318	+20
32.	No. 44	315	+17
33.	No. 55	303	+5
34.	No. 70	301	+3
35.	No. 96	298	--
36.	No. 77	280	-18
37.	No. 22	273	-25
38.	No. 40	264	-34
39.	No. 01	232	-66
40.	No. 45	217	-81
44.	No. 21	163	-502

• Owner Points

"If it rains, at least the car's better," said Wood, co-owner of NASCAR's legendary Wood Brothers organization. "That means maybe it will be better next week. That's all you can do."

The official announcement came a few hours later. Rain washed out qualifying for the Food City 500, sending the No. 21 car home early for the fourth time in five races this season. The ninth-fastest car in practice wasn't good enough. That's the brutal reality awaiting teams outside the top 35 in owner points, a perilous tightrope that some teams like the Wood Brothers are forced to walk each Friday afternoon.

At the next Sprint Cup event, two weeks from now at Martinsville Speedway, the cast of characters in this weekly drama changes. NASCAR uses the previous year's owner points for the first five races of the current season, and then shifts to the current standings. One week, Brian Vickers of Red Bull Racing is sweating out qualifying because of his low finish last year. The next, he's guaranteed a berth because of his ninth-place position now.

It makes for an interesting swing of emotion, from stress and anxiety to joy and relief.

"It's going to be a huge relief and a tremendous step forward for Red Bull," said Vickers, who made the Bristol race because of the rain. "To go through what we went through last year, I don't think anybody anticipated it, but it definitely built a lot of character in the organization. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It will be really nice to go to the racetrack and focus on race trim. It will be nice to have that choice. It's been a long time where we've come to the racetrack just gung-ho qualifying trim and you cross your fingers."

Then there's the other end of the spectrum. Sam Hornish Jr. was guaranteed a berth in the first five races of this season after team owner Roger Penske switched owner points between Hornish's No. 77 car and the No. 2 of former series champion Kurt Busch, who had a past champion's provisional available to him if needed. Now, Hornish is 36th in owner points, and about to go back on the bubble. (Continued)