Full Throttle

Jeff Boyer and his #05 Boyer-Rimi Racing Chevrolet has the “pleasure” of starting shotgun on the field at The Rock, no not that Rock, this one when the Carolina 500 rolls off Sunday afternoon.

That’s not just shotgun on any field of stock cars, but shotgun on a field of FIFTY. And at that he’s in on a provisional, the ninth and last provisional in the field. Talk about being on the bottom rung.

Hell, Boyer will have to utilize a magnifying lens in his helmet just to get a glimpse of who sits on the pole. A pole that was won by a guy who Charlie has already slotted into the Sprint Cup seat now held by Tony Stewart, Joey Logano.

For the record, HELL YES, I’d love to be Jeff Boyer about now. But I’m not so you’re all stuck with me here.

Logano will start on the pole alongside Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the Roush-Fenway.com Ford for Sunday’s Carolina 500.

Other notables in the starting field are series points leader Matt Carter starting in the six hole, Alli Owens 22nd, Scott Speed winner of the last ARCA RE/MAX event in Kansas 25th and Gabi DiCarlo 32nd.

Two-time ARCA RE/MAX Series winner and NCTS veteran Chad McCumbee qualed in the 21st spot but turned up the wick during final practice to post the quickest speed.

Technorati Tags: Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Sprint Cup Series, Matt Carter, Chad McCumbee, ARCA RE/MAX Series, Sprint Cup, Kevin Harvick

Lets face it, this has to be the best for the team and “Kyle Petty, Son Of Richard.”

Petty will not compete this weekend in the Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway as Petty Enterprises looks to evaluate its #45 Dodge team. The organization has decided to use Truck Series regular Chad McCumbee for Sunday’s race at Texas.

The frank assessment from this quarter is Kyle should have stepped aside a few years ago. He’s been mostly a field filler since he last won at Dover in 1995. While any win is impressive on its own merits, he started 37th, led 271 laps of 500, and beat Bobby Labonte across the line. But it has to be said, that win broke a long drought, it was his first win in 60 events. (’93 at Pocono)

A small piece of advice for McCumbee, Kyle is said to have listened to Sister Hazel during race weekends to relax, don’t do it it, obviously it hasn’t helped.

UPDATE: The hammer is dropped on Petty, (as if it hadn’t already) General Mills is pulling his sponsorship of the #43 and moving it to the #33 as RCR’s fourth team in 2009.

UPDATE II: Bob Margolis at Yahoo! Sports is still pushing the Bobby Labonte to RCR rumor for 2009. Admit it… or don’t, coupled with GM Food’s announcement this rumor is falling into place.