NASCAR approves Penske Racing's points swap

By SceneDaily Staff Report
Monday, December 17, 2007
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ROBERT LABERGE / GETTY IMAGES

NASCAR has approved the transfer of Sprint Cup owners points from Kurt Busch's No. 2 Penske Racing team to the organization's No. 77 and driver Sam Hornish Jr.

Hornish, a three-time Indy Racing League champion, will debut full time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season. Competing with a new team, the driver would have been outside the top 35 in owners points and, therefore, forced to make the race based on qualifying speed.

Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, will not be in danger of missing the season's early races, either, though he will now be outside the top 35 in the owners standings.

Busch, as the most recent past champion outside the top 35, will have access to a past champions provisional for six races if he needs it. For the first five events of the year, the 2007 series standings are used to lock in the field, but after that the Cup series reverts to current points.

The points swap means Penske now has a guaranteed starting spot for both drivers in the opening segment of the season.

Busch will lose some advantages, though. NASCAR rules, unless they change, require teams to line up for inspection and to go on the track for practices based on series points, so Busch will be deeper in the field for these sessions and could be slower getting on the track if his car, or one in front of him, has a problem. Busch finished seventh in the series this season.

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