Race #7 – Texas.

JL Racing wins the unofficial week at Texas.

There team is Jimmie Johnson (2nd), Jeff Gordon (1st), Mark Martin (6th), Kurt Busch (8th), Brian Vickers (16th), Joey Logano (30th), Michael Waltrip (24th) and Paul Menard (13th).

17 teams scored over 1,000 points this week. F1 Rules remains the 2009 Cobo Cup Standings leader, 118 points over second place Rocketman 2.

Some news:

Allmendingers sched to get longer: Richard Petty Motorsports is close to extending #44-A.J. Allmendinger’s schedule beyond the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24. “If you had told me last year that I’d be 15th in points right now, I would have laughed at you,” Allmendinger said. “But we’re in striking distance of the top 12.” With Allmendinger so close to the top 12 in points, RPM needs to decide whether it is committed to moving forward with the driver and the team before another organization snatches him up. According to multiple sources, Joe Gibbs Racing has already inquired about the driver’s status. While RPM is currently securing additional sponsorship (potentially with Hunt Brothers Pizza) nothing will guarantee Allmendinger and the #44 Dodge’s success faster than a revamped pit crew. Allmendinger inevitably loses positions every time he enters pit road. RPM has an Aug. 15 deadline to pick up Allmendinger’s option for 2010.

If #8 team closes, Truex could be free agent..to Gibbs?

UPDATE Bass Pro Shops not leaving: The buzz in the garage has Earnhardt Ganassi Racing shutting down the #8 Chevy and sidelining Aric Almirola after this weekend if a sponsor doesn’t magically appear. If that happens, three contracts are affected: #1-Martin Truex Jr., Bass Pro Shops Racing and Chevy. Truex’s contract states that he must have two teammates or he can leave the team. Bass Pro Shops has a performance clause and with Truex 28th in owner points, the #1 team is in a precarious position. Finally, Chevy can alter its support to EGR if three teams are not under the roof. The hot rumor at Martinsville last week had Truex replacing Joey Logano in the #20 Home Depot Toyota. Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs insisted Sunday and again by phone on Wednesday that “Joey’s our guy. We haven’t had any conversations with anyone,” Gibbs said. “We’d like to have someone in line by summer time, but you have to sit down, look at what partner is available, what driver is available and who would be a good fit for the team. We had [#96] Hall of Fame last year and we don’t have it now. So we have room for a fourth team. We’d love to have it.”

Gibbs mentioned JGR’s plans to run the #02 Farm Bureau Toyota to race later this season. An announcement was made in January that Farm Bureau Insurance was signed for six Cup races in 2009, including being the primary sponsor for two Cup races on Denny Hamlin’s car at Darlington and Atlanta and on Logano’s car at Martinsville. A fourth team will feature Farm Bureau as the title sponsor for the fall races at LMS, Texas and Homestead. Gibbs did not believe Farm Bureau was committed to a level where it could expand as a full-time sponsor in 2010.

Truex said on Friday that he’s committed to staying the course. “When I give someone my word by signing a contract, if they keep theirs and I keep my mind, there’s no reason to ever think about doing anything else, obviously,” Truex said. “Right now, my focus is on getting this car better and moving up in the points. We’re back here where we shouldn’t be. We’ve never been back this far before and we’ve had a tough start to the year.”

As for Bass Pro Shops, if Truex does leave. don’t be surprised if the sponsor fills out Ryan Newman’s program on the #39 Chevy at Stewart-Haas Racing [US Army is there for 23 races]. That deal, which is valued between $8 million and $10 million, could go down before summer.

UPDATE: SPEEDtv’s Hermie Sadler reported that EGR’s President Steve Lauletta said they would be meeting Tuesday to decide the fate of the #8 team and that Bass Pro Shops is signed with EGR thru the 2010 season and there is no ‘out’ for them.

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Phoenix:
no changes in who is in and who is out, but #71-Gilliland lost 20 points to 35th for the locked position

31) #77-Hornish/Penske: 571, +84
32) #98-Menard/Yates: 543, +56
33) #34-Andretti/Earnhart Ganassi: 540, +53
34) #7-Gordon/Robby Gordon: 531 +44
35) #20-Logano/Gibbs: 510, 23 points ahead of 36th

these teams/ drivers must qualify by speed but are close to the top-35:

36) #71-Gilliland/TRG 487, 23 points out of 35th
37) #8-Almirola/Earnhardt Ganassi: 451, -59
38) #82-Speed/Red Bull: 414, -96

The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.

Jimbo