Martinsville Ain't Bristol, But Then Again...

 

Drivers and Storylines to Watch at Martinsville
By Greg Engle - Cup Scene Daily

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series heads to the second short track in a row this week, Martinsville, for the running of the DIRECTV 500. For some Martinsville is paradise, for others it’s a nightmare realized.

Storylines to watch:

-Starting Up Front is Not Important at Martinsville Speedway. The last four races at Martinsville Speedway have each been won from starting positions of 15th or lower

-Will the Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus reunion pay off with a good finish this week? Last week Johnson’s 30th place finish at Bristol, the first race since Knaus returned after being suspended since Daytona, didn’t bode well for the reunited duo.

-Will this be the week Petty finally wins? Petty Enterprises has won 19 of the 114 races at Martinsville Speedway, the most of any car owner. They’ve looked strong with new driver, Bobby Labonte on several occasions so far this year.

-Will emotions run high again? Last weeks Bristol bump fest resulted in some bad blood and there may be a driver or two looking for revenge.

Here are your drivers to watch when the green flag drops Sunday at 1:30 PM.

Jeff Gordon has become the master of the .526-mile D-shaped oval. He rolls in here looking to revenge his to 21st finish at Bristol after a much-publicized altercation with points leader Matt Kenseth.
That dropped from sixth to seventh in the standings. But don’t look for the four-time champion to take out his frustrations by using his bumpers. Instead he’ll do his talking on the track.

Gordon has competed in 26 races at Martinsville, scoring seven victories and 20 top-10 finishes. He has won four of the last six races at Martinsville, including both events last year, and was in the top 10 in the other two races. His 7.85 average finish is the best among all drivers with more than one start here.

"Emotions were high last week, but I won't carry any of that into Martinsville," Gordon said. "We have to race the same guys week in and week out, and you can't be concentrating on paybacks. I go into each race with no enemies, and I hope not to create any during the race.".

Jimmie Johnson, Gordon’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports suffered his own woes at Bristol. He finished 30th and dropped from first to third in the standings. Johnson has competed in eight races at Martinsville, scoring one victory (October 2004) and seven top-10 finishes.

His only Martinsville finish outside the top 10 came in April 2002, in his first race at Martinsville. He has an 8.5 average finish at Martinsville, second only to Jeff Gordon (7.85) among drivers with more than one start there. Johnson finished eighth at Martinsville in this race one year ago and third there last October.

"Martinsville is a demanding track, “Johnson said.” Your equipment takes a beating. The demands on your brakes and your equipment is unbelievable. If you listen to our radio on Sunday you will hear Chad remind me to take care of my brakes about every 50 laps. At Martinsville, it isn’t just the car that takes a beating. It's tough for the drivers as well. Think about it. Five hundred laps with two very difficult turns means you make a thousand turns. That's a lot."

Tony Stewart had the dominant car at Bristol, leading 244 laps in the first half of the race before fading late for a 12th-place finish. The defending series champion can take some solace from that fact that he climbed to ninth in the standing.

Stewart scored his first career pole at Martinsville in just his eighth Nextel Cup start. He now has 10 career poles, the last one coming at last fall's Martinsville race, when he set a track record. In fact Stewart's only Nextel Cup win at Martinsville — the 2000 NAPA AutoCare 500 — he started from the pole. Overall here Stewart has registered four top-five finishes and seven top-10s.

Stewart will drive chassis No. 103, which got its first track time of any kind last fall at Richmond.

Stewart came from 25th to as high as third before finishing seventh in that race.One of the keys this Sunday will be patience says Stewart.

"You learn how to protect the car. You learn how to not beat it up,” Stewart said. “You learn it's a lot more fun racing when you use a lot more patience. Patience seems to be the biggest variable that can hold you up at a place like Martinsville. Needless to say, after going there a couple of times, I've learned how to be patient - out of necessity, basically."

Kasey Kahne finished 10th at Bristol last week to remain second in the standings, just eight points behind leader Matt Kenseth; it’s a position he earned after scoring his second career win at Atlanta a few weeks ago.

One year ago Kahne ranked 24th in the point standings. Overall Kahne is one of three drivers to have scored five top-15 finishes in the first five races in 2006 tying Johnson and Mark Martin for the series lead.Kahne’s maturity as a second year driver is beginning to show as he’s tried to keep his fast start in perspective.

"We're off to a good start this season, but it's only the start," Kahne said. "We're five races into the season."

Kahne may have has just one top-10 finish in four races at Martinsville, but he was second in this race one year ago. He finished 17th there last October, and his average finish is 13.25. Most importantly Kahne has been running at the finish in all four of his races here.

"We know we can run up front at Martinsville," Kahne said, adding, "Finding the right setup is critical."

Kurt Busch used the bump-and-run tactic to score his fifth win at Bristol and his first since joining the Penske team driving the famous blue deuce, the No. 2 Dodge. The win propelled Busch from 27th to 16th in the point standings. Busch has four top-10 finishes in 11 starts at Martinsville; one of them was a victory in the fall race in 2002.

Busch said his feelings for the track have "gone full circle because it's back to feeling it truly is such a unique and fun track to race on. I've really grown to appreciate the place and enjoy going there to race."

Busch was in the spotlight this week after bump-and-run tactic last week at Bristol. Busch said though that he wouldn’t have a problem with it if Kenseth returns the favor this weekend.

"If we're leading and he's running second and he bumps me out of the way, I'd understand," Busch said. "If I had flat-out dumped him, then there would have been a problem. I would have felt bad about it. He was able to continue on."

Matt Kenseth had the victory at Bristol in his grasp before being bumped by Kurt Busch on lap 495 and settling for a third-place finish. That finish was his fifth top-15 finish of the season though and put him atop the Nextel Cup point standings for the first time in 71 races, since April 4, 2004.

One year ago Kenseth ranked 28th in the point standings and in 2003 and 2004, Kenseth also held the top spot in the point standings after five races.Kenseth has three top-10 finishes in 12 races at Martinsville and like Kahne has been running at the finish in all but one race here.

He finished 11th in this race one year ago and 12th there last October. He has completed more laps at Martinsville in the past eight Cup races than any other active driver (3,998 of 4,000).

“We have a different car we take to Martinsville,” Kenseth said. “We usually take the car I like the least to Martinsville, but we’re taking a decent car to Martinsville that we’ve ran good on the flat tracks with. At Bristol we’ve just got one car that we’ve run here the last six or seven races that seems to like this place alright, so we’ve got a different car that we only use at Bristol.”

Mark Martin finished sixth at Bristol and remained fourth in points. The consistent veteran driver is off to a great start in this his final season in the Nextel Cup series. He has placed in the top 12 in each of the first five races this season including a runner-up to Kahne at Atlanta.

Martin has competed in 40 races at Martinsville, scoring two victories (April 1992 and 2000). His 21 top-10 Martinsville finishes are the most among active full-time drivers here. He finished third in this race one year ago and 34th there last October but still has a 13.175 average finish here.

"Pat (Tryson) and the team have been outstanding this season, “Martin said referring to his crew chief. “We've been a top-10 car every week, and we've been able to run up front, lead laps and contend. We've won at Martinsville before and we had a strong run there in the spring last year, so if we can expand on that, hopefully we can be in good shape."

Kyle Busch finished eighth last week at Bristol his third top-10 finish of the season. His only finish outside the top-15 this season was his 23rd at Daytona. Another second year driver the reigning Raybestos Rookie of the Year is fifth in the points standings.

Kyle scored a 39th in this race last season after completing just 304 laps but ran ninth at this track in the Subway 500 in the fall. He’s also coming here after scoring a win in last Saturday’s snow delayed Busch series race. With his brother Kurt winning Sunday's Cup event, they became the first brothers to sweep a Busch/Cup weekend since the Burton brothers at Darlington in the fall of 2001.

Busch feels fortunate to have some mentors on his Hendrick Motorsports team that he can lean on this weekend.

"Jeff Gordon is the man at Martinsville and, lately, Jimmie Johnson has been the man, too, “Busch said. “So, in just my second year, I'm lucky to have those guys to lean on. Even though I'm not a rookie anymore, I've only raced a handful of times there and I'm still learning. Martinsville is still tough."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th at Bristol last Sunday, that followed a third at the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 20. Dale Jr. has placed in the top 11 in four of the first five races this season and is sixth in the standings; he ranked 17th in the point standings one year ago. His only finish outside the top-15 this season was his 27th at Las Vegas

Earnhardt Jr. has competed in 12 races at Martinsville, scoring five top-10 finishes, all top-fives. He scored a third-place finish in this event in 2004 and ran 13th in this race last season.The team prepared for Martinsville this week by heading to Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Easley, S.C. Monday, to test a brand new short-track car that will most likely be the primary chassis for this weekend's race.

“Even though we've never won at Martinsville, I've always felt like our chances are as good as anyone else's, “Earnhardt said.” We went awhile there where we did everything but win. That gave me a lot of confidence, and I've always considered our short-track program to be one of the best."

Ryan Newman staged a late race rally to finish ninth at Bristol and jump five places in the point standings.

"It was a good comeback from being almost a lap down, getting spun out and being the last car on the lead lap," said Newman.Newman has five straight top-10 finishes at Martinsville, including four top-fives."We're knocking on the door to score out first win at the track," he said. "We're definitely close."

Newman adds that the key to winning is "track position at the end of the race. That is crucial. It's not easy to pass at Martinsville, so in those final laps, you want your car to be in a winning track position."

Newman also admits, "I used to hate Martinsville. But I don't anymore. I really had to adapt to Martinsville over the years. The Alltel team has gotten its mechanical problems worked out; mostly these were brake problems because I abused them."

OTHERS:

Dale Jarrett has scored two top-10 finishes in 2006, and all five of his finishes have been top-20s. He has competed in 39 races at Martinsville, posting one victory (April 2001) and 18 top-10 finishes.

Elliott Sadler hopes for another top-10 run like his ninth a year ago in the spring race at Martinsville. He knows a repeat performance could vault him back into the top 10 in the point race.

Denny Hamlin says he has had Martinsville "circled on the calendar from the get-go. That's one place that I feel at home. Martinsville is one of my favorite tracks, both because I know it well and because it fits my driving style." In his Nextel Cup debut at the track last fall, Hamlin qualified fifth and finished eighth.

Jeff Burton boasts one win, nine top-fives and 12 top-10s in 23 starts at Martinsville. "I really enjoy Martinsville," he said. "It's a fun race track. I enjoy the challenge. It's a difficult racetrack. It's hard to get the car handling the way you want it. I like the fact that it is similar to the way Richard Petty had to drive it, and I think that's really cool."

Kyle Petty, who will be making his 51st start at Martinsville, has five top-five and 14 top-10 finishes at the .526-mile track. His 14th-place finish last fall was his best run at the Virginia facility in 12 races.

Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at:greg@cupscene.com

Gordon's Shove's His Way To A Lighter Wallet

 

Jeff Gordon Fined by NASCAR as a Result of Bristol Infraction:

NASCAR announced today that Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, has been fined $10,000 as a result of his involvement in an altercation on pit road [he pushed #17-Matt Kenseth] after the completion of Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Gordon has also been placed on probation until Aug. 30, 2006. Gordon was in violation of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup rule book.
(NASCAR PR)

NASCAR Wrecks - Lowe's Car Wrecks At Lowe's

 

Johnson wrecks in LMS tire testing:

#48-Jimmie Johnson crashed in Turn 4 when his right rear tire went flat at Lowe's Motor Speedway during the Goodyear tire test Wednesday morning.

Johnson was not injured in the accident, but his Hendrick Motorsports Chevy could not be repaired enough for him to continue to test on the newly repaved track.

"The tire went down, lost air pressure," said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear's Nextel Cup product manager. "He had felt the tire start to go down in Turn 1, and in Turn 3, the deflation of the tire completed. ... We're still looking at the tire and trying to come up with a concrete determination of what caused the tire to go down. We don't know if it was a puncture or wear-related at this point."

Johnson's was the only incident during the Tuesday all-day session and the Monday morning session. #43-Bobby Labonte, #10-Scott Riggs, #29-Kevin Harvick and Bobby Hamilton Jr. in a truck also participated in the session.
(SceneDaily.com)

NASCAR Wrecks - Mr. Excitement Is Back!

 

Spencer to drive the #49:

Jimmy Spencer will drive the #49 Dodge Charger for BAM Racing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

Spencer will join BAM Racing as an advisor for the team and mentor for rookie driver Brent Sherman. Spencer may run several additional races with BAM Racing this season, either in the #49 Dodge or another car.

“I enjoy working with young drivers as they progress through the ranks of NASCAR,” said Spencer. “Brent has the determination and support it takes to compete at this level. I hope to be able to help him make a successful transition to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.”

“The team has made this decision due to the fact that NASCAR will not allow rookie drivers any test sessions at Martinsville,” commented team general manager Eddie Jones. “Brent has never been to Martinsville before and our hope is that Jimmy will be able to provide him with the guidance it takes to compete at short tracks.”

“I believe the team is being fair in its decision for this weekend,” said Sherman. “Although I am not currently in a championship race, the team is in a points race. I always welcome opportunities that are presented to me, and to work with a veteran like Jimmy Spencer is a great opportunity. I hope that this decision will not only benefit me, but the team as well.”

Sherman will return to driving duties for the #49 Dodge Charger for the upcoming race at Texas Motor Speedway.
(BAM Racing PR)

Kurt Busch Bangs Bristol

 

Kurt Busch bangs his way to a win at Bristol
By Greg Engle - Cup Scene Daily

No wonder this place sells out years in advance.

Bumping, banging, cursing, shoving, mangled sheet metal, bruised egos and near frozen concrete.

All in all a typical Bristol weekend.

The emotions ran high and low Sunday for the running of the Food City 500. Kurt Busch won the race to give the Busch Boys a weekend sweep since younger brother Kyle won Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race.

The high of the emotions came when Kurt Busch imitated making snow angels at the finish line after he brought home the famous blue deuce to score his fifth win here. A win that came, like three prior ones, with a controversial move at the end.

Busch took the lead from Matt Kenseth by bumping him just enough to disturb his car and drove underneath while Kenseth battled for control just five laps from the finish. Defending race winner Kevin Harvick also slipped past at the same time.

"An awesome short-track win for us," Busch said. "We've been close, we just haven't had the luck this year. Today we had to muscle past Kenseth, and he's a good friend of mine. ... He knows that this is short-track racing. He knows he slipped a little bit, he knows how hungry we were to win."

While acknowledging his friendship with Busch, Kenseth said he felt that his former teammate crossed the line.

"We are great friends, we always race good together," said Kenseth, who was slowed up by Dale Jarrett on the turn. "He just knocked me out of the way. I thought if he had a run under me and had me beat, that would have been OK.

"But I had a better car and could beat him off the corner," Kenseth continued. "But he just drove extra hard and knocked me out of the way. So I thought it was a little bit of a cheap shot, but I was holding everybody up. I couldn't get the 88 car (Jarrett) to get out of my way for whatever reason."

Busch cut a tire on lap 62 and dropped all the way back to 30th position before battling his way back for the victory.

The story of the first half of the race was the domination of Tony Stewart and the woes of Jimmie Johnson.

Stewart led 244 laps all in the first half of the race then battled to get a top fifteen finish, while Johnson scraped the wall on the first lap, then blew a tire shortly thereafter and spent the rest of the afternoon racing backwards.

In typical Bristol style, the field spent a great deal of the day playing bumper cars. There were at total of 18 caution flags, shy of the record of 20 and even a 15-minute red flag on lap 193 after 23 cars had been involved in seven crashes.

The cooling off period did nothing to temper emotions as later in the event Jeff Gordon booted Martin Truex Jr. who was a lap down but starting beside the leaders as he tried to get back on the lead lap.

Then, on lap 437 Truex appeared to be slowing Gordon's progress and the two made contact, which slowed them both down the backstretch. Tony Stewart, running just behind Gordon, ran into the back of Truex's Chevy, sending it slamming head-first into the inside wall.

Gordon said Truex shouldn't have slowed to let other lead-lap cars take spots in front of him, but still he seemed apologetic for spinning Truex.

"I did not want to get into Martin," Gordon said. "I know he wasn't happy with me; he shouldn't have been.

"I understand why he was upset . . . hopefully we'll talk and go on."

“We just had a rough day,” Truex commented after it was all over. “We were just about ready to get our lap back. We got our car running pretty decent. We ran a lap or two and we were the first car a lap down up there on the bottom. What did we run - two laps?

Then we just got spun out. It was unfortunate. I don't know what happened the second time. I guess we got spun out again.”

Stewart who longed strong during the first half faded at the end of the race and wound up 12th when the checkered flag waved.

"I am really disappointed," said Stewart. "We had an awesome car all day. I felt like I ran the most patient race I have ever run at Bristol. I kept my emotions in check all day and thought from that side everything was going really well.

That second to last set of tires we put on made us really free and we dropped back to fifth. Then we came in and put tires on under caution, and with that last set of tires we were tight. I couldn't turn it through the center (of the corner) at all. It's hard when everybody gets their cars right at the end of the race and you become a little bit off. It was hard to hold those guys back. So we just tried to race smart there and bring our car home in one piece."

The lowest of the emotions though can be best typified by the actions of two of the sport's mildest-mannered drivers both of whom decided to give the other a ‘friendly’ shove both on and off the track.

Former champion Matt Kenseth after recovering from Busch’s bump, ran into Jeff Gordon's rear bumper on the final lap, spinning four-time champion and costing Gordon a possible top-five finish.

Kenseth tried to apologize to Gordon after the race but was angrily shoved away by a helmet clad Gordon.

"Kenseth got shuffled out and he was holding guys up," said Gordon, who finished 21st. "We went down into (turn) 1 afterwards and he just wrecked me. I'm sure he didn't mean to do it and all that stuff. But I wasn't happy about it and I showed it to him after the race."

"I had to apologize to Jeff," Kenseth said. "He's right, it was my fault. He didn't bump me out of the way, and I did wreck him. But it was not intentional; I drove in too hard. I didn't do it on purpose, and I would be mad if I was him. I left my car to go over and apologize, which I should have waited a little bit longer."

Second place Harvick, who two days ago said he wanted "whip" Busch, raced him clean all day but continued his war of words afterward saying he was still upset with Busch: "He took a cheap shot at me last week on the racetrack (at Atlanta), and that's not something that goes over well.

"I meant exactly what I said the other day. I'm not going to take it with our cars on the track, but if I have to I'll take it out with him."

Busch finally took the time to respond to Harvick: "I'd like to ice this down. Kevin was asked about his contract, and he just wanted to turn the audience to a different direction.

"If he'd won the race today, I'd have gone to Victory Lane and congratulated him. I've got no problem with Harvick. I race him clean."

It was a wild afternoon that included a large piece of Dale Jarrett's rear bumper being knocked loose, flapping in the breeze for several laps, then finally flying off his car and into the stands.
And pit road was again a dangerous place, with Casey Mears tagging Kevin Lepage's right-front tire changer on one pit stop.

Carl Edwards was fourth and Bobby Labonte was fifth, a strong showing for the famous No. 43 Petty-owned Dodge.

Rounding out the top 10 were Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, the younger Busch, Ryan Newman and last week's Atlanta winner Kasey Kahne.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., was 11th even though he never challenged for the lead. Tony Stewart was 12th, having led the race several times before his car lost its handle for the final 30 laps.

When the smoke cleared and Busch imitated making snow angels at the finish line, he reveled in the spotlight of his first win with his new Penske Racing team and bringing home a victory at Bristol in the famous No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge.

"This is unreal to have this car and just the determination today from the crew," said Busch, who won $175,858. " I'm just so happy to be able to have the chance to drive this car and to have Roger's privilege to do so."

While telling the media that he would name the winning car “Rusty” in honor of its former driver, Busch also hope that none of the negative emotions would carry over past Sunday.

"That's what goes on, man," he said. "This racing is awesome; fans dig it. That's the big thing about Bristol; you have to come to race hard. You have to be able to hoist up the end of the trophy without any grudges."

The next event on the Nextel Cup schedule is the April 2 DIRECTV 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX.

Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at :greg@cupscene.com

Bristol Baby - Let's Rock It Up!

 

Storylines and drivers to watch at Bristol
By Greg EngleCup Scene Daily

-Only seven of the 90 NASCAR Nextel Cup races at Bristol have been won from a starting position of 15th or worse. All seven of those wins have occurred since 1990. The last driver to win a race at Bristol from outside the top 15 was Dale Earnhardt Jr. who won from the 30th-place starting position in the 2004 Sharpie 500.

-Points leader, Jimmie Johnson finished 36th at Bristol last August, his worst Bristol finish and only DNF here.

-A Ford has won four of the last six races at Bristol; a Chevrolet won the other two. A Dodge has not won at Bristol since Richard Petty won the 1975 Volunteer 500.

-Weather could once again play a role like it did last weekend at Atlanta.

The forecast looks wretched, with temperatures not expected to go above 50 degrees. In fact, Sunday's high is expected to be 43. Snow could even fall before the weekend is out.

Rain is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday. Remember, last year's Busch Series race was postponed due to rain. Even if the Nextel Cup race gets in Sunday, the weather could have some serious impact on the traction of the race track, how cars and motors perform and whether setups will have to be radically altered.

Here are a few of the drivers to watch this weekend.

Jeff Gordon finished in fourth at Atlanta last Monday to record his second consecutive top-five finish. He ran fifth at the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 on March 12 and is quietly making his presence known. He’s climbed from 25th to sixth in the point standings since Daytona and is currently sixth in the standings with 539 points.

Gordon has enjoyed success at this track, capturing five checkered flags and four poles while recording 10 top-five finishes and 16 top-10s, in fact he won this race three consecutive years from 1996-1998. Gordon also leads all active drivers with 2,385 laps led in 26 races at Bristol
Although he ran 15th in this race last season Gordon returned and scored a strong sixth-place finish at this track at the Sharpie 500 on August 27.

Gordon has a 4.7 average starting position and has started from inside the top 10 23 times at Bristol. "Starting up front here is definitely an advantage," Gordon said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is riding into Bristol with high hopes after a third place finish at Atlanta helped him to recover from a 27th place finish at Vegas. Atlanta was his first top-five finish of the season and vaulted him from 11th to seventh in the standings with 534 points. He finished 11th at the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway and ran eighth at the Daytona 500.

In 12 races at Bristol, Earnhardt has one victory (August 2004) and six top-10 finishes the longest current streak among active drivers.

“The thing about Bristol is you can be really good but still caught up in a wreck,” Dale Jr. said. “That’s probably the main concern. Even if you’re the leader, it’s hard to miss wrecks sometimes because of all the lapped traffic. That’s just Bristol.”

Looking at his overall stats from the season so far, with four races completed this season; Earnhardt's average finish is 12.25. Only once (2004) has he gotten off to a better start. Matt Kenseth finished 13th at Atlanta and slipped to third in the standings; he currently has 612 points, 78 behind Johnson. Kenseth scored a disappointing second-place finish at Las Vegas after he led for 146 laps and had the dominant car throughout the race before losing to Johnson in the last lap.

The highlight of his season so far came when he captured the checkered flag at the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on February 26. Prior to that, Kenseth battled back to a 15th-place finish at Daytona after being involved in a major controversy with Stewart. He is second in Miles Led running out front for 369 miles.

Kenseth finished seventh in the standings last year and recorded 12 top-five finishes last season, including six over the final 10 races.

The 2003 Cup champion has competed in 12 races at Bristol, scoring one victory (last August) and seven top-10 finishes — all in the last eight races there. He finished 16th last season in this race - his only finish outside of the top 10 in his last eight races here

Kenseth, who will make his 225th NASCAR Nextel Cup start Sunday, says Bristol "is a fun place to run if you can get your car to handle good."

Kurt Busch has struggled so far in this his first season with Penske Racing South. The 2004 Nextel champion has finished outside of the top 15 in each of his first four races. Monday was no different as he ran 37th at Atlanta, completing 321-of-325 laps.

But Busch and his car may make for a winning combination this weekend. Busch has dominated at this track, winning four times and registering seven top-10 finishes in 10 career races, in fact he won this race three consecutive years from 2002-2004.

The No. 2 Dodge, when driven by the now-retired Rusty Wallace won seven Cup races at Bristol, Wallace overall won a total of nine races.

"I'm just excited to have the chance to drive this car at Bristol," Busch said on this week's NASCAR teleconference. "I know how many times I've tried to hold it off because it was just going that much faster than mine.”

Even though NASCAR's new rules prohibit advance testing at many tracks, including Bristol, Busch has driven the No. 2 on a short track --- USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Fla. He's confident he'll hit Bristol with a fast chassis setup, especially since Wallace apparently passed along a few of his old tricks.

"Rusty is definitely very keen on what shocks you need to run at Bristol, the different adjustments," Busch said. "I'm going to use that knowledge as well as what I've had there in the past. Hopefully, we can definitely put together a good run to gain some points back."

Busch could certainly use the points. After his two 16th-place finishes and a 38th and a 37th in the first four races this season, he's 27th in the standings.

Clint Bowyer finished 27th at Atlanta on Monday and fell to 10th place in the Nextel Cup standings with 471 points. The rookie driver finished 15th at Las Vegas on March 12 and leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings with 43 points.

Bowyer made a strong statement with a sixth-place finish in the Daytona 500, his second career race on the Nextel circuit. That made his just the eighth driver in NASCAR history to secure a top-10 finish in the Daytona 500 in his rookie campaign.

Bowyer will compete in his first Cup race at Bristol in just his sixth career start although he finished fourth at this track last season in the Busch Series Food City 250. He’ll race the same car that Dave Blaney drove to a 30th-place finish last August at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Mark Martin has shown consistency so far this season having placed in the top 12 in each of the first four races this season. He was runner-up to Kasey Kahne at Atlanta Monday. He ran sixth at Las Vegas to follow a ninth-place finish at the Auto Club 500.

Martin is currently fourth in the standings with 600 points and is heading to a track he has excelled at. Martin has won here twice and registered 15 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s, the most among active drivers. He also won four consecutive poles at Bristol in 1995-96.

He finished 31st in this race one year ago and 16th last August.

"Bristol can be crazy, “Martin said. “I've always said it is like flying a jet fighter around the inside of a basketball arena, and try that with 42 other jets doing it at the same time. It can get really intense and it takes a great deal of patience by everyone.

You just have to hope that you run well and that you can stay out of all the trouble, which isn't always easy to do. Over the years Bristol has been the source of some real highs and lows for me.

I've had some of the most memorable races I can remember there and some pretty tough times there as well. We've had a lot of trouble staying out of the wrecks lately there. In fact our luck has been so bad there as of late that we are definitely due and hopefully we'll see that there this weekend."

Crew chief Pat Tryson scored his first career Cup win at Bristol in 2001. His pit strategy was vital in the victory by the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, with Elliott Sadler at the wheel.

"Bristol has been a pretty tough place for us the last few years, “Tryson said. “We've had some good runs, but some really bad luck and we've seemed to get caught up in a lot of wrecks. We know that Mark can get the job done and I think that we'll have a good car, so if we can just stay out of all the wrecks and keep our nose clean then I think that we should be able to get a good finish and maybe even be there at the end again."

Kevin Harvick finished 39th at Atlanta after an ill handling car ruined his day. But Harvick looks to get back on track this weekend as he heads here as the defending champ on the race. He won here last year to score his first win since 2003, overcoming a stack of obstacles.

Last year, Harvick was without his crew chief Todd Berrier who was sitting at home for rules violations. The team also had to change the power steering pump after finding a puddle of leaking power steering fluid hours before the start of the race. Harvick had to start from the rear of the 43-car field after the No. 29 team made the unapproved repairs

Harvick has the best average finish, 11.4, of any active NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver with at least eight starts at Bristol. Greg Biffle is the only active driver with a better average finishing position than Harvick at 10.6, but Biffle only has six starts. In 10 starts, Harvick has compiled a record of one win, five top-five finishes, seven top-10 finishes, and one DNF. Harvick also has four Busch Series wins at the track (2000, '01, '03, and '05).

"The competition at the Cup level, especially at a track like Bristol is pretty tough," said Harvick. "The Cup race is twice as long, which at Bristol means twice as many chances for something to happen. We had come so close to winning in the past, but just didn't have the extra little bit to do it. Last year's win was great for this GM Goodwrench team. We overcame so much."

Harvick has completed 4845 of 5000 laps (96.9%) in 10 starts at Bristol, of those 4845 laps complete, he has led 341 of them.

"Bristol is special to me because it brings back a lot of memories. I grew up on a half-mile, high-banked racetrack in Bakersfield. I know Bristol is a lot more banked, but it's kind of the same mindset for me driving around the racetrack. It's short-track beating and banging, a lot of fun and what I really like to do. I seem to have a lot of success every time I go there, so I'm always looking forward to going back."

Kasey Kahne Won the Golden Corral 500 to move into second place in the standings, 50 points behind Johnson. He finished fourth in two consecutive races after placing 11th at Daytona.

Kahne was the Rookie of the Year in 2004, but struggled to just five top-five finishes in 2005. He ran 14th in this race last season and has struggled at this track, placing outside of the top 15 in his other three races here. He has scored top-15 finishes in the first four races in 2006 though, joining Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin in that category

Look for Kahne to run strong here this weekend though, remember his first ever win cam at another short track, Richmond.

Kahne's win at Atlanta was the eighth Cup win for Evernham Motorsports. The organization has won at least one race each year since its inception in 2001: "We're pleased with the start this year, but we know how fast things can turn around," he said.

Others:
Jimmie Johnson will run his first race with crew chief Chad Knaus, who was reinstated Wednesday after serving a four-week suspension; The current points leader finished sixth in this race last season and has registered two career top-five finishes at this track.

Tony Stewart finished third in this race last season; his fourth career top-five finish at this track. He’s also won here in 2001 at the Sharpie 500.

Dale Jarrett has competed in 39 races at Bristol, posting one victory (August 1997) and 19 top-10 finishes. He finished fifth in this race one year ago.

Jeff Burton finished second last August here. That gives him two top-five finishes in the last three races at Bristol.

Elliott Sadler scored the first win of his Cup career at Bristol in 2001. He won the pole for the Food City 500 a year ago and finished second in the race.

Martin Truex Jr., another Cup rookie, won his first NASCAR Busch Series race at Bristol in 2004. "It was special in many ways," Truex said.

Ryan Newman has three top-10 finishes in eight starts at Bristol, including a second in August 2004.

Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at:greg@cupscene.com

NASCAR Wrecks - Short Track Madness

 

SHORT TRACK MADNESS
Back-to-back short tracks offer no shortage of intrigue

After four races at some of NASCAR’s largest and fastest speedways, it’s time for back-to-back short tracks.

Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway host the next two stops on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule. At just over a half-mile in length, the two smallest tracks on the circuit are known for producing some of the biggest thrills.

Adding to the drama of the close-quarters racing at Bristol, Sunday’s Food City 500 is a pivotal date on the 2006 schedule. In the first five races of the season, including Bristol, the top 35 teams from the 2005 car owner point standings were guaranteed a starting position in each race.

At Bristol, the pressure to maintain a “locked in” position in the top 35 is on the line. Following this weekend’s race, the top 35 teams in the current 2006 car owner’s point standings are guaranteed a starting position in the field. Sunday’s race also is an intriguing chapter in the ongoing story of Kurt Busch’s switch to the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, owned by Penske Racing South.

With his previous team, Roush Racing, Busch mastered Bristol’s high-banked layout and won four of the last eight NASCAR Nextel Cup races there.

In other words, Busch became a present-day Rusty Wallace, whose former car he now drives.

Before Busch took over driving duties in Penske’s famous No. 2, Wallace brought the Penske team seven Bristol victories in a nine-year span, from 1991-2000. Wallace has a total of nine Bristol wins, dating back to 1986.

Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion, says he immediately recognized the potent team-driver-track combination when he joined his new team.

“We looked at the schedule and put a big circle around [the date at] Bristol,” said Busch. “We’re so excited to go to Bristol; this is definitely the focal point and the beginning of the season for us. I’m excited to have a chance to drive this car at Bristol. I know how many times I tried to hold [this car] off, because it was just going that much faster than mine. We know we have the best possible car to go to Bristol with. And for myself, with four victories there, it’s my favorite track on the circuit.”

NASCAR's Top Ten Nextel Cup Drivers

 

A weekly look at the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Top 10

Kasey Kahne's win at Atlanta Monday moved him up a spot in the standings. This mark’s his career-best point ranking and the highest standing ever for an Evernham Motorsports driver. The win was the eighth Nextel Cup Series win for Evernham Motorsports. and the team has now won at least one race each year since it’s inception in 2001.

At this point in the season, Kahne and Jimmie Johnson are the only two drivers to score three top-five finishes in the first four races of 2006.

Here's the rest of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Top 10 heading into Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the fifth of 36 races on the series’ schedule (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

No. 1 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), Team: Hendrick Motorsports. Points: 690. Johnson finished sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway to maintain his lead in the point standings. He is the only driver to start the season with four top-10 finishes. Johnson has been in the Top 10 for 73 straight races, since Atlanta in March 2004. In eight career races at Bristol, Johnson has finished in the top 10 five times. Johnson also leads the field in two categories of NASCAR’s new Loop Data statistics with a Driver Rating of 114.1 and Average Running Position of 5.719.

No. 2 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge). Team: Evernham Motorsports. Points: 640. Kahne captured the checkered flag at Atlanta and moved up one spot to second in the standings, the highest ranking of his career. He is one of four drivers to finish in the top 15 in every race this season. Kahne has not fared well at Bristol. In four races, his highest finish is 14th. Kahne led all drivers with a Driver Rating of 126.6 at Atlanta. He was also the Fastest Driver Late in the Run.

No. 3 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DeWalt Power Tools Ford). Team: Roush Racing. Points: 612. Kenseth finished 13th at Atlanta and slipped to third in the standings. Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in seven of his last eight races at Bristol, including a win last August. He is second in Miles Led running out front for 369 miles. He is also second with a Driver Rating of 111.6.

No. 4 – Mark Martin (No. 6 AAA Ford). Team: Roush Racing. Points: 600. Martin was the runner-up at Atlanta and moved up one spot to fourth in the standings. Martin has 38 career starts at Bristol and has 20 top-10 finishes – the most among active full-time drivers. This season, he is the only driver to run all 1,049 Laps on the Lead Lap. He is also second with an Average Running Position of 7.680.

No. 5 – Casey Mears (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge). Team: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Points: 554. Mears finished 21st at Atlanta to drop to fifth in the standings. That was his first finish outside the top 10 this season. Mears has never finished higher than 21st in six races at Bristol. He is the third-ranked Closer, moving up a total of 22 positions in the final 10 percent of this season’s races. He was the third best Closer at Atlanta, moving up six positions over the last 33 laps.

No. 6 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet). Team: Hendrick Motorsports. Points: 539. Gordon climbed three spots to sixth after finishing fourth at Atlanta. He has 26 starts at Bristol and has finished in the top 10 16 times. His five wins at the track are the most among active drivers. Gordon is tied for third in Laps Run on the Lead Lap. He has been on the lead lap for all but two laps this season.

No. 7 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet). Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc. Points: 534. Earnhardt Jr. finished third at Atlanta to climb back into the top 10. The finish was his second top 10 of the season. He has competed in 12 races at Bristol, scoring one victory and six top-10 finishes. Earnhardt Jr. is sixth in Quality Passes with 315. At Atlanta he passed 34 cars that were running in the Top 15.

No. 8 – Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet). Team: Hendrick Motorsports. Points: 530. Busch fell two spots to eighth in the standings after finishing 12th at Atlanta. In two career starts at Bristol, Busch has finished 28th and 33rd. He tops all drivers in Quality Passes in NASCAR’s new Loop Data statistics. Season-to-date, Busch has passed 371 cars running in the Top 15 while under the green flag.

No. 9 – Dale Jarrett (No. 88 UPS Ford). Team: Robert Yates Racing. Points: 490. Jarrett jumped four positions to ninth in the standings after a ninth-place finish at Atlanta. He has finished in the top 20 in all four races this season. In 39 career races at Bristol, Jarrett has 19 top-10 finishes. Jarrett is the fifth best Closer in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. He has improved 19 positions over the last 10 percent of this season’s races.

No. 10 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet). Team: Richard Childress Racing. Points: 471. Bowyer finished 27th at Atlanta and dropped to 10th in the standings. He will be making his first career start at Bristol this weekend. Bowyer has made 138 green flag Passes on the Backstretch this season, more than any other driver on that segment of race tracks.

Fast Facts

Top 10 following Atlanta (Race 4 of 36):
1. Jimmie Johnson 690 pts
2. Kasey Kahne 640 (-50)
3. Matt Kenseth 612 (-78)
4. Mark Martin 600 (-90)
5. Casey Mears 554 (-136)
6. Jeff Gordon 539 (-151)
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 534 (-156)
8. Kyle Busch 530 (-160)
9. Dale Jarrett 490 (-200)
10. Clint Bowyer (r) 471 (-219)

(r) Denotes Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate.

Weeks at No. 1: Johnson (4).

New arrivals this week in the Top 10: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett
Dropped out of the Top 10: Jeff Burton, Elliott Sadler

Closing in on the Top 10:

11. Jeff Burton 466 pts.
12. Tony Stewart 46413.
Elliott Sadler 46114.
Brian Vickers 45615.
Martin Truex Jr. 442

Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at:greg@cupscene.com

Kasey Kahne Conquers Atlanta Motor Speedway

 

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 20, 2006) – Kasey Kahne wins at AMS: Kasey Kahne held off a late charge by veteran Mark Martin to claim the second victory of his career today at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kahne’s win put a Dodge back in victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway after a 29 year drought. And it was 29 years to day, as the last time a Dodge visited victory lane at AMS was with Richard Petty on March 20, 1977.

In two starts in the spring race at AMS, Kahne has finished fifth and third, climbing his way to victory lane in his third spring event. His great success in the spring race, also transferred over into Georgia Power Cup qualifying and the Nicorette 300 this weekend as well.

“This weekend we ran second in the Busch race, qualified first in the Cup race and ended up winning it today,” Kahne said of his weekend. “It was just a great effort by the guys and I’m proud to be driving for Ray (Evernham) right now, that’s for sure.”

Kahne was not only fastest during Friday night’s qualifying session; he stayed in the top-five of the speed charts all weekend long.

The win moved Kahne to second in the NEXTEL Cup championship standings, just 50 points behind Jimmie Johnson.

Mark Martin finished second, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.

“We had the best scenario there at the end,” said Martin. “My car was great on the long green-flag runs and not so good on the short runs, so I thought we were going to get (Kasey) there at the end. But he got a hand full of wheel and got it down on the bottom of the track. We just didn’t have anything for him.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the top finishing Chevrolet on a day where tire wear was on the minds of the drivers.

“The track is getting a little slick, but it still puts on a great show and I wouldn’t consider a paving job for a least a few more years here,” said Earnhardt. “I enjoy getting around here…I love this place. I never really enjoyed getting around an older (surface) like Rockingham. It was a little too worn out for me, but this place is far from wore-out. It puts on a good show.”

The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup championship will be in full-swing when the NEXTEL Cup stars return to Atlanta Motor Speedway in October for the Bass Pro Shops mbna 500.

Bill Lester Makes NASCAR History

 

Kahne wins NASCAR pole at Atlanta, but Bill Lester scores a big win as well
By DAVID POOLE - The Charlotte Observer

HAMPTON, Ga. - If Bill Lester had been born in 1981, he might very well be among the big stories in NASCAR these days.

In the days of increased diversity efforts in the sport, a young, college-educated African American driver with a healthy dose of talent and determination would almost certainly be among racing's hottest commodities.

But even though Lester is 45, not 25, he still made headlines Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway by earning a spot for Sunday's Golden Corral 500, becoming the first African-American driver in nearly 20 years to qualify for a Cup race.

"This is essentially the culmination of a very long dream I've had to race at the top level of professional motorsports," said Lester, who will be the sixth African American all time to race in NASCAR's top series, the first since Willy T. Ribbs ran at Michigan in June 1986. "There have been a lot of doubters and nay-sayers along the way. I'm happy that I stuck to my guns.

"This night means a lot to me."

Lester's lap at 190.502 mph was the 19th fastest overall lap on an evening in which Kasey Kahne also denied Ryan Newman a seventh straight pole at this 1.54-mile track.

Kahne ran 192.553 mph and his lap was two thousandths of a second faster than the lap at 192.540 mph turned in by Newman, who had last been topped in qualifying here since October 2002.

"Atlanta is one of my favorite race tracks, and it always has been," said Kahne, who won his seventh career pole. His last No. 1 qualifying effort came last May at Richmond, where he scored his only career Cup series victory that weekend.

For Lester, meanwhile, with the challenge of qualifying for his first Cup race now behind him he is hoping that Sunday's race is only a beginning.

His No. 23 Dodge team, owned by Bill Davis and sponsored by Waste Management, plans to enter at least two more Cup races this year, at Michigan in June and at California in September. Lester hopes that will lead to more races down the road.

"Maybe this will shake the branches a little bit and get more money from corporate America to come out and support the program," said Lester, who was fastest among 17 cars needing to make the field on speed, with eight making the cut.

"We definitely have an eye toward next year," Lester said. I would hope to be considered and that everything will line up for an opportunity to race in 2007, hopefully with Toyota."

Bill Davis Racing, for which Lester drives a Toyota truck now, will field two of Toyota's six Cup teams in 2007.

Lester was born in Washington, D.C., but lives in Atlanta. He got a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California and went to work for Hewlett-Packard in 1984. He raced sports cars on the weekends and, in 1988, said he and his wife, Cheryl, agreed he could become "gainfully unemployed" for three years as he chased his dream of being a full-time driver.

"I wasn't complete because I wasn't doing what I wanted to do with my life," Lester said.

Near the end of that window, he got a full-time ride in the Truck Series with Bobby Hamilton Racing. He made his 106th career Truck Series start Friday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and now he'll make his Cup debut in his adopted hometown.

Lester said he was relieved after his two-lap run made history. He had tested his car at Kentucky Speedway last week and was confident he'd be fast enough.

"But you just never know until you do it," Lester said. "I was just hopeful that my prayers and dreams would be answered. I hope this is just a beginning and that this will open a lot of eyes and a few more doors."

Jeff Burton continued his strong early season qualifying efforts with a third fastest lap at 191.973 mph, putting him on the inside of Row 2 alongside Bobby Labonte in the No. 43 Dodge. Rookie J.J. Yeley and Kevin Harvick, Burton's Richard Childress Racing teammate, will be on Row 3, with Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Casey Mears rounding out the top 10.

NASCAR Wrecks: What To Watch For In Atlanta

 

By Greg Engle-Cup Scene Daily

The storylines for Atlanta:

-Will anyone have anything for Jimmie Johnson? Johnson has the strongest start to a season since Cale Yarbrough in 1977.

-Will Tony Stewart find the elusive decent finish that he’s struggled to score this season? The defending champ sits 19th in points and if he doesn’t score a decent finish soon and improve his points position the hole he’s fallen into may become a chasm he can’t climb out of. In 2005, eight of the top ten drivers in points after Las Vegas made the Chase for the Championship.

-Will the struggling Dodge teams score well here, or was Kasey Kahne’s fourth place finish last week at Vegas a fluke?

-If African-American driver Bill Lester makes the race, will he be competitive and if not how will fans react? Lester is a talented, deserving driver; hopefully if he makes the race but winds up not finishing well, some won’t label him as a ‘token’ driver.

-Can Carl Edwards defend his title here, the track where he scored his first ever Nextel Cup series win beating Johnson by mere inches?

-Will the race finish under a green-white-checkered flag? All three races so far this season have ended that way.

Here are your drivers to watch this week at Atlanta:

Jeff Gordon scored a fifth place finish last week at Vegas and that was actually a bigger story than was portrayed in the media.

Gordon has improved his finishes in each race; he ran 13th at the Auto Club 500 after finishing just 26th at Daytona and is now ninth in the standings with 374 points. That’s the first time Gordon has been in the top 10 since Bristol last August, ending a 14-race absence, the longest of his career.

This slow improvement for Gordon may be an ominous sign for the rest of the teams. He and his Hendrick Motorsports team may be putting themselves in position for Gordon’s elusive fifth title.
Gordon’s upward mobility has a pretty good chance of continuing this weekend here at Atlanta, a track where he has enjoyed tremendous success, capturing four checkered flags and 11 top-five finishes in 27 races.

Gordon says even now in his14th Cup season after winning four championships and 73 races he’s still learning. When he failed to make the 2005 Chase, Gordon and his team participated in several late-season tests. The tests included Atlanta, where he scored a second-place finish here the last time the series paid a visit in October.

That finish late last year helped provide a much-needed spark for the 2006 season and may give Gordon a shot at his ‘Drive For Five.’

Jimmie Johnson: there’s no one hotter than Gordon’s teammate. Johnson has dominated the Nextel circuit so far, racking up two victories and a second-place finish over the first three races.

Johnson gambled making a move in the last turn of the final lap last Sunday to pass Matt Kenseth and win the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. That was his second victory in three races to go along with a second-place finish at California. He leads Kenseth by 52 points in the standings.

Johnson will run his fourth consecutive race this week without suspended crew chief Chad Knaus and is confident heading to Atlanta:

"I'm looking forward to it. We're on a great roll here with another 1.5-mile track coming up. ... In general, we've had so much success at Atlanta that I'm not that worried about going to the track."

He has one win and five top-five finishes in the last nine races here and was runner-up to Edwards in this race last season.

Matt Kenseth will be looking to avenge his disappointing second-place finish at Las Vegas. Last Sunday he led for 146 laps and had the dominant car throughout the race before watching Johnson snatch the victory on the last lap.

Kenseth can hold his head high though, he captured the checkered flag at the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on February 26 and is currently second in the standings, 52 points behind Johnson. One year ago Kenseth ranked 28th. Kenseth has led the most laps in Nextel Cup this young season with 214, 39 more than the 175 by teammate Greg Biffle

This isn’t Kenseth's best start to a season though. In 2003, after three races, Kenseth took over the top spot in the point standings and went on to win the championship.

Kenseth has competed in 12 races at Atlanta; scoring six top-10 finishes, but also has three DNFs (Did Not Finish) here. He finished 31st in this race one year ago and fifth there last October.

Kyle Busch finished third at Las Vegas last Sunday, his second straight top-10 finish. That finish wasn’t without a bit of controversy though after Busch tangled with Tony Stewart late in the event, raising Stewart’s ire.

Stewart led six times for 54 laps in last Sunday's race and with 40 laps to go, Stewart nudged his Chevrolet into Busch's rear bumper along the backstretch. Stewart later scraped the wall, most likely leading to a flat tire with nine laps to go and relegating him from a sure top-five finish to a dismal 21st place showing.

Stewart claimed that Busch held him up on an attempted pass and showed his displeasure with the young driver by gesturing out his window at him during a caution.

"With 80 laps to go, he's holding us up and we all have another pit stop to make," said Stewart, who is 19th in the standings, 236 points behind Johnson. "Work on your car and go on.
"There's just an etiquette. I'm frustrated with it and I honestly think I have every right to be. There's absolutely no reason to hold a driver up when there's 80 laps to go."

Busch said he didn’t know what he did to prompt Stewart's outburst.

"I guess we have to have one of our little chit-chats again," said Busch, who referred to Stewart's tendency to openly discuss his disagreements with other drivers. "But I had a blast out there. It was a lot of fun being able to race up front as we did and being able to race Tony the way that we did. It was clean, but I guess maybe I aggravated him in some sort of way."

The 20-year-old driver finished 10th in the Auto Club 500 and currently ranks sixth in the standings with 403 points, 137 behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

Busch has competed in just three races at Atlanta, posting his best finish of 12th in both races there in 2005 "Atlanta is the fastest race track on the circuit besides Daytona and Talladega," Busch said. "You can hit 210 (miles per hour) on the backstretch. I learned last year not to get into turn three too hot — I wrecked the car in qualifying. Our goal is to qualify well and be at the front throughout the race."

Carl Edwards hopes to rebound from a 26th-place finish at Las Vegas.

"It just didn't go as well as we planned," said a dejected Edwards. "We kind of had the wrong springs (on the car), I think, and struggled all day."

The popular Roush Racing driver ran third at the Auto Club 500 the week prior but was the first driver out of the Daytona 500 and ranks 23rd in the standings with just 284 points.

So Edwards must be happy to head to Atlanta this week. It was at this track a year ago that Edwards scored the first win of both his Busch Series and Cup career; that’s something no driver has ever done.

“I’m pretty excited about racing in Atlanta, to say the least,” he said. “Last year we had a great run and we hope to improve on that. Atlanta is a fast track with multiple grooves, which makes it easy to pass and a lot of fun.”

Greg Biffle finished eighth in last Sunday's UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 for his first top-10 finish of the season after capturing his second career Nextel pole Saturday. He jumped 13 places in the point standings, from 38th to 25th.

Biffle is trying to recover from a 42nd-place finish in Auto Club 500 on February 26, a race where he led 168 of first 215 laps before his engine expired.

He is 25th in the Nextel Cup standings with 269 points heading to Atlanta. Here he has scored four straight top-10 finishes, the best of all active drivers. In the spring race a year ago, Biffle led nine times for 151 laps before finishing third, his best finish at Atlanta

"Atlanta is one of the fastest tracks on the circuit and there's always good racing there,” Biffle said. “We're taking a car that is very similar to what we raced in Las Vegas and California. I think we've learned a few things these last couple of weeks that should help us out in Atlanta.

I've had a lot of success in Atlanta in the Busch series and we had two good runs there in the Cup car last season. We're looking for some solid top-five finishes and to make up some ground in the points during the next few weeks and I think we can definitely get it done."

Clint Bowyer has been the quiet rookie so far, although he’s making a lot of noise on the track. The Richard Childress Racing driver is seventh in the standings with 389 points after finishing 15th at Las Vegas on Sunday.

He leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings with 35 points.

Bowyer started the year loudly with a sixth-place finish in the Daytona 500, his second career race on the Nextel circuit. He became just the eighth driver in NASCAR history to secure a top-10 finish in the Daytona 500 in his rookie campaign.

This Sunday will mark his first Nextel Cup race at Atlanta and his fourth career start:

"Atlanta separates the men from the boys, that's for sure," said Bowyer, who has started two Busch races at Atlanta and had a best finish of 20th in 2004. "You've got to let it all hang out and go for broke. It's a very fast racetrack. The coolest thing about Atlanta is that it's fast, but it's not that one-groove fast, kind of like Texas. You can race there two- and three-wide."

Bowyer will be pulling double duty this weekend as he once again returns to the seat of RCR's No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet on Saturday in the Nicorette 300 NASCAR Busch Series race.

Kevin Harvick travels to Atlanta on the heels of an 11th place finish in Las Vegas.

Harvick ran in and out of the top-five for 202 of the 267 laps last weekend and was sitting in the third position with 30 laps to go before a tight racecar doomed his chances of a top-five finish. Nonetheless, Harvick was happy with his team's effort and looks to bring that success with them to another 1.5-mile track this weekend.

He’s also on firmly in control and on top of the Busch Series standings and will wear two hats, one as driver and the other as team owner as he pilots his own car in Saturday’s Busch Series race. This will make just his second start in a Kevin Harvick Incorporated car. Harvick’s first start was three weeks ago at California Speedway where he finished eighth.

“It was pretty cool being able to drive a KHI Chevrolet in the Busch Series a few weeks ago at California. I’m really proud of the hard work that the guys have put into all the teams and their efforts on and off the track. It was cool to able to driver for the team I own, and get to experience first-hand what we’re (KHI) putting on the track each week. ”

Harvick always travels to Atlanta with the poignant memories of his first ever Nextel Cup win. In just his third race in the NASCAR Cup Series, Harvick beat Jeff Gordon by mere inches to win at AMS in March of 2001.

One of the most memorable wins in the history of NASCAR, the victory brought a small amount of joy to a grieving Richard Childress Racing organization, following the passing of legendary driver Dale Earnhardt. Harvick continued his success at AMS in the fall event of that year finishing third and solidifying the No. 29 team as a force to be reckoned with at the 1.5-mile track.

"I remember how emotional it was for everyone, including myself, and RCR,” Harvick said. “It almost felt like a dream. I think that race was very important to the beginning of the healing process that still goes on to this day."

Dale Earnhardt Junior was on the brink of a top-15 finish at Vegas last week when he was assessed a pit-road speeding penalty during the caution flag before the green-white-checkered flag finish. That led to a 27th-place finish, which dropped him out of the top 10 in the point standings, although only four points out. "This one stings," said Earnhardt. "I am not sure what to even say or think."

Earnhardt is still convinced that his team is a much better one than the one he had in 2005. "We've gained a lot of ground," says Earnhardt. "This is the best opportunity I've had as a driver when it comes to driving good equipment and having a team that's really capable from top to bottom."

This week Earnhardt heads to the track where he has finished seventh or better in seven of the last nine races at Atlanta, including a win in 2004. He has led in nine of his 13 career races there for a total of 474 laps.

“Atlanta is a track me and Tony (Eury) Jr. have always ran great at. I think he’s the best guy at Atlanta as a crew chief. We always go in feeling like we’ve got something to work with and a good chance to win. His cars are fast. The last time we were there we led the most laps and hung around the top-five the entire day. That felt good.”

Mark Martin ran sixth last week at Las Vegas to follow a ninth-place finish at the Auto Club 500. The veteran driver has placed in the top 12 in each of the first three races this season and is currently fifth in the standings with 430 points. Martin will be retiring from full-time Nextel Cup competition this year and hopes to go out with a bang; those stats at this point in the season show he may be gearing up to do just that.

"Our car at Las Vegas was really awesome and it was probably the best car that I've had in a long time," Martin said. "I'm very pleased with the way that we have run in all of the races this year, and if we can keep up that level of performance we are going to be in really good shape this season."

Martin has shined at this track, capturing two checkered flags and registering 12 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s; He finished fourth in this race one year ago and third there last October. His average Atlanta finish is 16.05. Martin has competed in 40 races at Atlanta, scoring two victories (November 1991 and 1994) and 20 top-10 finishes, the most among active full-time drivers here.

He will have another chance to add to his Atlanta accolades when he starts his first Craftsman Truck Series race here this Friday night as well. By the way, Martin, a ‘rookie’ in the series has won both truck races he’s competed in so far this year.

“We’ve had a blast in the truck this season and it’s going to be a lot of fun to get out there in the No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150 at Atlanta,” added Martin. “We’ve really set the bar there and you have to realize that we can’t win every race. There is really some great competition in that series, but we are sure going to try and make it three in a row.”

Others:

Kasey Kahne has competed in four races at Atlanta; scoring top-five finishes in his first three events. Casey Mears, who ranked 15th in the point standings at this time last year, joins Jimmie Johnson as the only drivers to start the season with top-10 finishes in each of the first three races.

Jeff Burton is making his first appearance in the top 10 in points since Pocono in July 2003, ending a 90-race absence. He ranked 21st in the standings at this point one year ago. Burton has competed in 23 races at Atlanta, scoring 10 top-10 finishes. He finished 15th in this race one year ago and eighth there last October.

Ryan Newman has won six straight poles at Atlanta. However, his best finish in that remarkable string has been fifth. In fact, Newman has only two top-10 finishes in those six races. Nevertheless, Newman calls Atlanta "one of my favorite places to race, just because it's so fast."

Tony Stewart has finished outside the top 10 only once in the last nine races at Atlanta. Included in this streak were four straight top-five finishes topped by his victory in the spring of 2002. Stewart, the defending Nextel Cup champion, needs another top-five run to get back in the hunt for the 2006 title.

Jamie McMurray has two top-10 finishes in the last three races at Atlanta and like Stewart needs another top-10 run to get back in the hunt for a spot in the Chase.

Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at:greg@cupscene.com

Evenham joins hunt for missing Orlando woman

 

Evenham joins hunt for missing Orlando woman
Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge to feature photo of Jennifer Keese

STATESVILLE, N.C. - Evernham Motorsports president and CEO Ray Evernham announced Tuesday that the decklid of Jeremy Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger will feature a photograph of 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse, missing from the Orlando, Fla., area since Jan. 24, during Sunday's Nextel Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kesse was reported missing when she failed to show up for work on Jan. 24. Two days later, police officers found her car abandoned in an apartment complex just one mile away from her condo. Shortly thereafter a massive search effort commenced throughout central Florida to find the five-foot eight-inches, green-eyed female with sandy-blonde hair.

NASCAR team owner Evernham attended high school with Kesse's mother Joyce, and felt compelled to help when he heard of the disappearance.

"I'm very loyal to my friends and family in New Jersey," Evernham said. "When someone I went to high school with calls and asks for help, I'm going to do what I can to get the word out. "Hopefully someone will see the decal on our race car and provide information that can help solve this case."

Since the search for Kesse began, the Orlando Police Department has received more than 1,000 leads, but officers are still hopeful that someone out there has additional information that can lead to a break in the case.

There is an $115,000 reward for information leading to her safe return. For more information about Jennifer Kesse, please visit http://www.jenniferkesse.com. Anyone with information concerning her disappearance, please call 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).

Darrell "D.W." Waltrip's Dream Comes True

 

Darrell "D.W." Waltrip's Dream Comes True:

Aaron Rents announced that for the first time ever, Darrell Waltrip will take the wheel from younger brother Michael Waltrip to race the #99 Aaron’s Dream Machine at the upcoming Busch Series race at Martinsville Speedway on the evening of July 22, 2006.

NASCAR fans familiar with the Waltrip brothers and their long-standing relationship with Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership know that for years, Michael Waltrip has famously and repeatedly turned down older brother Darrell’s requests to drive the Aaron’s Dream Machine.

However, in a surprise announcement made during the final moments of a Darrell Waltrip Roast benefiting the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Tennessee, Darrell’s wife Stevie dramatically handed the three-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion one of Michael’s racing helmets along with her permission to drive the #99 Aaron’s Dream Machine during the Martinsville race.

Despite the fact that Darrell Waltrip completed what he called his “One and Done” race this past October in the #12 Toyota Tundra at Martinsville, the driver jumped to his feet to accept the helmet and express his thanks at the opportunity that had eluded him until this point.

“I can’t believe it,” said Darrell Waltrip. “The Aaron’s ad campaign has been a lot of fun for me over the years, but I seriously thought I would never get to race that car. I really appreciate Michael and Aaron’s and, of course, my wonderful and supportive wife Stevie, for giving me this opportunity. Like they say, Dreams Come True at Aaron’s!”

President of Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership Ken Butler stated, “When we let the fans vote on whether or not to let D.W. race the #99 Aaron’s Dream Machine, the response was definitely in favor of letting him drive it. Now we can bring this very successful campaign and very important partnership with the Waltrip family full circle for Aaron’s. I have a great respect for Darrell Waltrip and what he has accomplished in his career, including his 13 previous Busch series wins. We are honored to have him represent Aaron’s behind the wheel in Martinsville.”
(more at michaelwaltrip.com)

Busting on Busch

 

LAS VEGAS – "Why's everybody always pickin' on me?"

The Coasters bemusedly asked that question when they sang the exploits of buffoonish cartoon character Charlie Brown back in the late 1950s – and Kyle Busch is reprising it in 2006.

Busch has become NASCAR's whipping boy of the moment, the stooge du jour, if you will. It seems that if something has gone wrong on the race track this season, Busch has been the guy who's gotten much – if not all – of the blame.

Overaggressive driving? Blame Busch.

Involved in a wreck? Blame Busch.

Cocky and selfish? Blame Busch.

He even was singled out last week in Mexico for yet another malapropos, almost causing an international incident.

Older brother Kurt Busch – who's had his own share of battles – has tried to talk with the sibling he calls "Little Shrub" and show him the wrongness of his ways.

Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have done the same. Even reigning Nextel Cup champ Tony Stewart spent an hour-and-a-half counseling the younger Busch prior to the race at Fontana, Calif., two weeks ago.

Yet the finger-pointing and blame game/name calling continued Sunday when Busch – who finished third in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 here at Las Vegas – once again drew Stewart's wrath for driving like an old lady in the fast lane of the freeway.

"With 80 laps to go we're sitting there for 15 to 20 laps behind him trying to get by and he's holding us up for no reason," Stewart moaned. "There's just an etiquette. I'm frustrated with it and I honestly think I have every right to be."

This routine is becoming familiar for the 20-year-old Busch. He knows what's coming next.

"I guess I'll have to go have another chit-chat with [Stewart] to figure out what I did wrong," Busch said. "I guess we can't race each other. I don't know."

Busch is the latest in a long line of young drivers in recent years who have been cast as guys who get under other drivers' skins. No matter how hard they try, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't.

We can point to folks like Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and even Stewart himself. Each of them went through a stage where they were frequently singled out as being the cause of numerous on-track incidents, be those accusations right or wrong.

Sunday race winner Johnson can particularly relate. He spent much of the last two seasons as Public Enemy No. 1 to many fans and even some of his fellow competitors. Even if Johnson was totally wrong, he was still right – in his own mind, that is.

"It's tough when the momentum is against you or for you and you can't stop that momentum," Johnson said. "I've experienced that on my own. ... It's challenging – it doesn't matter if you're Jeff Gordon, you have your challenges. Tony Stewart, myself, his brother Kurt Busch has been through a lot – when that momentum shifts, it's a tough animal and it's very hard on you."

I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson secretly is glad Busch has replaced him as one of Nextel Cup's most visible young menaces behind the wheel. But at the same time, Johnson hopes Busch realizes that if he thinks he's going to fight the entire world of NASCAR, he's waging a losing battle.
Admitting you're wrong isn't a sign of weakness.

"It builds character and I think you learn lessons through it," Johnson said. "So [with] the experience that Kyle's been going through, I think he'll be a stronger and better driver and also outside of the car, facing these problems, as his career goes on."

There's no question how talented the younger Busch is. For the most part, he drives smart. But when he makes a mistake, he sometimes tries to deflect blame rather than admitting he screwed up – though he seems to be trying to improve in that regard.

That's much the way Johnson was until he began to take greater responsibility for his actions rather than automatically trying to blame the other guy. Sure, Johnson backslides every now and then, but for the most part he's learned some valuable lessons. Owning up to misdeeds takes some of the heat off – even if a driver secretly still thinks he's right.

Busch, on the other hand, has a tendency to takes things either too lightly or too personally – just like Johnson used to. And therein lies the rub.

Admit you're wrong and you gain respect. Constantly make excuses or cast aspersions in every other direction other than your own and you're setting yourself up to be vilified.

"The race track is not only theirs, but it's mine too," Busch boldly said after Sunday's race. "That's the only thing that I'd like to try to gain a little respect on."

That's where you've got it wrong, Kyle. To gain respect, you have to give respect first.

Busch has to be a man, not a kid just out of his teen years. If he did something that drew someone else's ire, they have good reason to indict him – just like Stewart did again on Sunday

If Busch continues on this path, there will be no room for him in Nextel Cup – no matter how talented he is behind the wheel.

"I don't know if it's because I'm 20 years old and I'll accept all the blame or whatever," Busch said.

So far, Kyle, you haven't done a very good job of that. Maybe if you finally start doing so, people will stop picking on you.

Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is a Yahoo! Sports NASCAR columnist. Send Jerry a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

History being made at Atlanta Nextel Cup Race

 

African American steps into Nextel spotlight
By MIKE BRUDENELL

Bill Lester never has trumpeted his unusual role in racing. He's a black driver competing in NASCAR, which traces its roots to Southern white boys who spent a lot of nights in the hills of North Carolina running booze.

But for the rest of this week, the Craftsman Truck regular will attract lots of attention. He will become the first black competitor in 20 years to run a NASCAR Nextel Cup race if he qualifies for Sunday's Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

A news conference announcing Lester's attempt will be held today at the Omni in Atlanta. Lester, a graduate of the University of California, will find himself in the hot seat when it comes to diversity in racing, like it or not.

Lester, 45, will drive the No. 23 Waste Management Dodge this weekend for Bill Davis Racing. Calls to his Toyota truck team Monday were not returned.

The flamboyant Willie T. Ribbs was the last black driver to compete in a Cup event, in June 1986, at Michigan International Speedway.

Driving the Red Roof Inns/Digard Chevrolet, Ribbs started 37th and finished 39th after blowing an engine.

Coincidentally, Lester, a former engineer with Hewlett-Packard, took over Ribbs' Craftsman Truck ride with Dodge in 2001. Since then, he has established himself as a strong qualifier, recording back-to-back poles at Kansas and Kentucky last year, and a solid all-around racer, finishing 14th in points in 2003 and 17th in 2005.

In 1999, Lester became the first black driver in a NASCAR Busch Grand National race, finishing 21st at Watkins Glen.

Ribbs became the first black to start in the Indianapolis 500 in 1991. He was charismatic and confrontational -- a major force in Formula Ford in the late '70s' and Trans-Am in the mid-'80s. But he never carved out a significant career in open-wheel or stock car racing.

Ribbs was prone to lashing out and making excuses. Lester, perhaps less gifted as a driver, has been willing to sacrifice a lot to go racing and deserves his shot at NASCAR's premier series at Atlanta.

Qualify or not, it would be a surprise to hear him blame someone else for not making the grade, even if true.