NASCAR Addiction

 

You Know You’ve Overdosed On NASCAR When...
By Amy Hair - Cup Scene Daily

Your CD collection consists of pod casts of your favorite driver’s interviews, race chatter and miscellaneous commercials, and whoever rides in your car with you has to listen to your favorite of the week while you narrate. Never mind that they keep looking at their watches and giving you that look of deep worry and concern…

You love to go to the local gas station, buy a drink and hang out inside looking at the big cut out of your favorite driver advertising his sponsor’s wares, until the clerk starts to give you dirty looks.

You have your driver’s number on your key chain, your check book, you socks, your pajamas, your shirts, your hats, your purse, your earrings, your belly ring, your toe ring, your watch, your scanner, your car, and tattooed on a part of you that has never been seen by anyone other than your doctor.

Your cell phone rings are a conglomeration of everything from “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” to your driver’s voice yelling at you to answer the phone. And when it goes off in church you scramble to turn it off while at the same time you are wondering if anyone is envious of your awesome ring.

Your bedroom is a walk in shrine to your driver and all his accomplishments. You have every die cast in every size, every ticket from every race you’ve been too, every program from those races, and your sheets match your comforter and your curtains, all with your driver’s number and colors on them. Your collection of beer cans with the racing emblems on them are neatly arranged near the plastic cups you bring home from every race. This is the room that your friends avoid, as it just confirms their suspicions that you have absolutely lost touch with reality. more on NASCAR addiction

NEXTEL Cup Chase Clinching Scenarios

 

Chase Clinching Scenarios Following Sunday's Sony HD 500:

•Only 48 points separate positions four through 10 in the current Nextel Cup Series standings. Only 138 points separate positions four through 11. A driver can gain a maximum of 156 points over another competitor in each event.

•The 11th-place driver, Kasey Kahne, can move as high as fourth in the standings following Sunday’s Sony HD 500 at California Speedway.

•Any driver in positions four through 10 can fall from the top 10 following Sunday’s event.

•Drivers in positions four through 10 can clinch a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup following Sunday’s event.

•No top-10 driver will be mathematically eliminated from the Chase even if he finishes 43rd (last) at California.

•Kevin Harvick will clinch a Chase berth with a finish of third or better in Sunday’s event, no matter where another competitor finishes. Harvick also can clinch if he finishes lower than third, as long as his advantage over 11th place is 191 points or greater after the Sony HD 500.

•Harvick can fall as low as 10th in the standings following Sunday’s event.

•Also important: Top-10 drivers are racing for the highest finish in the standings before the Chase begins. Although the point separation to start the Chase is a mere five points per position, the 2004 series title was decided by eight points. The 2005 title margin was 35 points.

•The sports statistics experts at STATS LLC have calculated 574,560 different possibilities for the order of the top 11 drivers following Sunday’s event.

•Any driver with a lead of 191 points or more over 11th place following Sunday’s event will clinch a spot in the Chase. (Note: The clinching method used by NASCAR does not assume that a driver will be able to start all of the remaining races, although that is likely.)(NASCAR PR)(8-31-2006)

Kenseth Does The Bristol Stomp Sweeping Thunder Valley

 

Chase Is On for Kenseth After a Victory at Bristol
By VIV BERNSTEIN

BRISTOL, Tenn., Aug. 26 — With two victories in a row and four wins over all through the first 24 races of the Nextel Cup regular season, Matt Kenseth is proving week to week that he is the class of the premier Nascar series.

“Right now we’re in championship form,’’ Kenseth said as he celebrated in victory lane Saturday night after capturing the Sharpie 500 before a sellout crowd of 160,000 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It came a week after a victory at Michigan and a day after Kenseth won a Busch Series race here Friday night.

But while Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson, the Cup points leader, clinched their spots in the 10-race playoff Chase with two races remaining before the field is set, the pack behind them continued to shuffle. Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton moved closer to securing spots in the postseason, while others faltered.

Busch solidified his chances with a second-place showing, moving from seventh to fourth in the standings, but Saturday night’s biggest winner might have been Earnhardt. He came into the race in the perilous 10th spot in the points standings. (Only 10 racecars will make the Chase this year.) Earnhardt had a mere 49-point lead over the 11th-place Kasey Kahne, and had struggled so badly in qualifying here that he wound up starting 40th in the 43-car field.

Earnhardt used some savvy pit strategy to move to the front of the pack early in the race, opting to stay out on the track during a caution period while the leaders went to pit road. He maintained that track position the rest of the way to finish third, and wound up moving into ninth in the standings, and is now 92 points ahead of Kahne.

“I feel a whole lot better now as far as trying to get in,’’ Earnhardt said. “I think we got a really good shot at it now. Before, it was pretty much 50-50.’’

more Bristol results

Busch Is Best At Bristol Pole

 

By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY
BRISTOL, Tenn. — A fixture at the front when the checkered flag has fallen lately at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch will be in an unfamiliar position when the green flag drops on Saturday at the 0.533-mile oval.

First.

Busch, who has won five of the past nine Nextel Cup races at Bristol, captured his first pole position at the track on Friday. The Penske Racing South driver turned a 124.906-mph lap in his No. 2 Dodge during qualifying for the Sharpie 500, besting Jeff Burton's No. 31 Chevrolet (124.808).

LINEUP: Sharpie 500

Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.

Despite scoring eight top-10 finishes here, Busch hadn't been a strong qualifier at the high-banked concrete track. Before claiming his fourth pole position of the season and the seventh of his career, his average starting position at Bristol was 18th.

Through the first 23 races, Busch's average starting position (8.74) was tops among NASCAR drivers who had started every event.

"I guess I'm teamed up with a group that can qualify now," said Busch, who joined Penske this year after five seasons with Roush Racing. "Qualifying here is definitely tough because if you miss it just a little bit there's 20 guys between you and the first-place guy."

Busch will enjoy a head start on the mayhem that typically envelops the cereal-bowl shaped oval for its annual night race. A crowd of about 160,000 fans will pack the Colosseum-style arena with hopes of seeing tempers flare. Emotions boiled over during the track's March 26 wreck, which ended with Jeff Gordon shoving Matt Kenseth on pit road after being spun on the last lap. more on qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway

Saturday Night Is Alright For NASCAR Fighting!

 

Saturday night fever at Bristol
By RICK MINTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bristol, TN. - You almost have to see a NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway to believe it. The massive 160,000-seat stadium is filled to capacity with flashbulb-popping fans surrounding a high-banked, half-mile concrete track. It's a proverbial bowl surrounded by the Tennessee moutains.

Cars are circling at speeds of more than 120 mph, with sparks flying from suspensions, caused when the cars drag the pavement and bump into each other.

It's a tight fit. The track and grandstands cover 13 acres. Consider: Two Bristols could be built on the ground covered by the 29-acre lake that sits inside a portion of the infield at Daytona International Speedway.

The problem for most is getting inside. A Saturday night race at Bristol has been the hottest ticket in motor sports. This week's is sold out for the 49th consecutive time.

For the most part, Bristol has been successful from the start.

When Carl Moore, Larry Carrier and R.G. Pope decided in 1960 to build their own track, they chose a hilly, almost mountainous site that was being used for a dairy farm.

To manage the racing affairs, they brought in an experienced promoter and public relations manager, Hal Hamrick, who at 77 still publishes his own racing newspaper, FasTrack.

Long before the track held its first race on July 30, 1961, Hamrick was out speaking to civic clubs and any group that would have him promote the track and the NASCAR racing it would bring.

"The hardest thing we had to do was convince the folks in North Carolina and South Carolina that a track in Tennessee wasn't next to the Mississippi River," he said.

Hamrick and the owners courted the press, too, putting in the sport's first air-conditioned press box and arranging for Holman-Moody, one of the sport's top teams at that time, to fly reporters to Bristol for the first race. Local car dealers were talked into providing convertibles for reporters to drive during race week.

The drivers also were wooed. An infield hospital and a lounge for drivers were built, and Hamrick convinced many of the top stars, including Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen, who usually ran only the major events, to put Bristol on their schedules.

It all worked. More than 12,000 fans showed up for the first race just to watch time trials, and on race day the 21,500-seat grandstand couldn't hold them all. Hamrick estimated that nearly 5,000 either stood or sat on the ground to watch Jack Smith, with relief from Johnny Allen, win the 500-lap race.

The track continued to grow and had several different owners. The first night race, in 1978, ushered in a new era, one that saw a significant attendance jump. more on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway

NASCAR announces 2007 schedule

 

Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

NASCAR's schedule for 2007 features 36 points races at 22 different racetracks in 19 different states, beginning with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18.

Notable among the 36 events are 16 races that will feature NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow. The COT debuts at Bristol on March 25 and will be used in competition the following week at Martinsville. The COT will appear only once, however, on tracks of 1.5 miles or more, the one race being Oct. 7 at Talladega.

The schedule also is noteworthy for the repositioning of the marquee Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (Indianapolis Motor Speedway). The July 29 date for the Indy race marks the first time the event has been contested in July and results in a flip-flop with the second race at Pocono, which traditionally has preceded the Brickyard.

The second Pocono race moves to Aug. 5 on the 2007 schedule.

The Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway won't be the first race in July this year. That honor goes to New Hampshire International Speedway, which will host both the first event in the Race to the Chase and the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup.

The Loudon dates are July 1 and Sept. 16, with the Pepsi 400 scheduled for Saturday, July 7 at Daytona. NASCAR will announce starting times for the events and television information at a later date.

more on the 2007 NASCAR schedule

Car Of Tomorrow Is Ready, Are The Fans Ready Too?

 

New day dawns for Toyota's Car of Tomorrow
By Gary Graves, USA TODAY

BROOKLYN, Mich. — If its name weren't splattered across the rear bumper, Toyota's entry into NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series probably could've blended right in with its Chevy, Ford and Dodge counterparts.

The Camry's look, feel and horsepower remain a work in progress, and by next February's Daytona 500 even those who will race it won't recognize it. Most important for the Japanese carmaker was seeing how its Car of Tomorrow would perform on the track for the first time, and Monday's participation at Michigan International Speedway was a milestone in its quest toward distinguishing itself from its counterparts.

"Just getting here is a tremendous success for us," said Lee White, senior vice president and general manager for Toyota Racing Development. "We don't even have an approved Car of Tomorrow design, and the car you see here is just a shot in the dark. It was important to our teams to be here, because (Team) Red Bull's going to go to Daytona without any owner's points and will have to find their way into the race on speed.

"So it was important to get here and work within the system and be part of the NASCAR partnership with this Car of Tomorrow. Just taking the time to build these two cars with everything else that has to get done was a major accomplishment for us."

Enjoying it most was Michael Waltrip, who will drive one of his team's three Camrys (Dale Jarrett will drive another, and the third spot is still vacant). Bill Davis Racing and Team Red Bull also tested, and Waltrip viewed it as perhaps the most crucial in the start-up process. read more on the Car Of Tomorrow

Kenseth Manhandles Michigan For The Win

 

By Ron Felix

Despite a record ten caution periods for 36 laps, the GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday was by all accounts, a yawner. Yet when it was over some drivers were a little closer to securing a place in the Chase for the Championship and for others it was a dose of reality.

Matt Kenseth first took the lead from Ryan Newman on lap nine and with different pit strategies in play, the field seemed to be continually jumbled with everyone running different scenarios.

Kenseth won his third Nextel Cup race of the year, the other two coming at California Speedway and Dover. It was the 13th career victory for Kenseth in 243 starts. It was the second win for Kenseth at Michigan and 11th victory on a superspeedway. His last victory at Michigan came in June 2002.

"We stayed out and everybody pitted," Kenseth said explaining the early pit strategy; "and then the caution came out again in another seven or eight laps and I think most people would be thinking we’d pit, but we knew we weren’t in our fuel window so he decided to stay out and play it all the way through and it worked out good."

Kenseth led the most laps for the third time in 2006 and the first time since Chicagoland, five races ago. He led six times for 87 laps including the final 32 laps. Kenseth moved into 46th on NASCAR’s all-time winners list tied with Tim Richmond and Dick Rathmann.

This was team owner Jack Roush’s 93rd NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory. Roush has scored nine NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Michigan. Roush Racing has won at least one race each season 1997-2006, 10 consecutive years.

"The 17 team, the DeWalt team, is championship form," Roush said. "We’ve got an agreement with DeWalt that goes down the road for many years now, real happy about that. I think they’re happy with the results, certainly, that Matt’s been able to do for them what we expected and what they expected. Robbie did a nice job. The 17’s pit crew is by far the best we got. Robbie put that together, he won’t accept anything less than absolute perfection with the guys that go over the wall and change the tires. They had a great car. Robbie has figured out, among all the things in our inventory of aero potential and aero option, he’s figured out what Matt likes, and they were able to close the deal as they were able to twice before.” more on Win Some, Lose Some, Kenseth Best At Michigan

Mayfield And Evernham Settle, Now Someone Needs A Hug!

 

Mayfield: Evernham's love life sunk No. 19 team
By David Newton, NASCAR.COM

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Nextel Cup owner Ray Evernham declined on Friday to discuss court allegations that his relationship with developmental driver Erin Crocker led to the downfall of the No. 19 team and former driver Jeremy Mayfield.

Mayfield alleged in an Aug. 9 lawsuit filed in Iredale (N.C.) County to block his termination that Evernham was an absentee manager largely because of his "close personal relationship with a female driver he engages to drive on NASCAR's ARCA, Truck and Busch Series."

"That relationship became a subject of considerable discussion and distraction in the Nextel Cup garage area during the 2006 season," the court document said.

The document did not directly name Crocker, but she is the only female driver employed by Evernham Motorsports.

Evernham, who was in the garage with Crocker at Michigan International Speedway during qualifying for Sunday's race, issued the following statement through his public relations staff. ==>> continue story

Burton Grabs The Pole And Sadler's New Ride Puts Him On The Front Row!

 

Burton nips Sadler for fourth pole
By JEFF HOOD - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Brooklyn, Mich. — The Richard Childress Racing resurgence remains in high gear.

Five days after Kevin Harvick was victorious on the road course at Watkins Glen, his RCR teammate Jeff Burton motored around the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway at 187.936 miles per hour to win the pole for Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400.

It was the fourth pole position of the season for Burton, who received some timely advice from Harvick prior to his qualifying effort.

"Kevin qualified just ahead of us," said Burton, ranked fourth in the Nextel Cup standings. "He sent word down to me that the track had a tremendous amount of grip. That helped us."

Elliott Sadler was second-fastest while making his debut in the No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge, just one week after former driver Jeremy Mayfield struck an out-of-court settlement with team owner Ray Evernham over his termination. continue story

Sadler Seals Deal To Drive #19 At Michigan NASCAR Event!

 

SIGNED,SEALED,DELIVERED Sadler to drive No. 19 Dodge at Michigan
By Greg Engle - Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

Elliott Sadler officially joined Evernham Motorsports on Wednesday, testing with his new team at Kentucky Speedway. Team owner Ray Evernham said Sadler would be in the No. 19 Dodge beginning this Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Sadler's move has been anticipated for several weeks. Last month, he had announced his intention to leave Robert Yates Racing at the end of 2006.

"The last month has been tough," Sadler said on a teleconference Wednesday from Kentucky Speedway. "But everybody at Robert Yates Racing, Robert and Doug, we can look at each other in the eye and say we did it the right way. We did it the ethical way. Nobody is sour about anything. We did it the best way we could, the best way a break up can happen."

After weighing all of his options, Sadler said his decision to sign with Evernham was the leader of the organization himself.

"Ray Evernham has a lot of passion for this sport," Sadler said. "He's got the will to win. Going to the shop this week, he definitely has the resources I think to take me and Scott Riggs and Kasey Kahne to the next level."

Sadler scored his first win in 2001 at Bristol driving for the Wood Brothers. He joined Yates in 2003 and had two wins in the No. 38 Ford. In addition to the three wins, Sadler has seven poles and 16 top fives in 271 starts. more on Elliott Sadler joining Ray Evernham Motorsports.

Harvick Handles First Win At Watkins Glen

 

Credit: CIA Stock Photo
Harvick passes Stewart to win at The Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) -Kevin Harvick hasn't had the results Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have had on NASCAR's road courses. That may be about to change.

Running in the top 10 from the start of the race Sunday at Watkins Glen International, Harvick did what few thought was possible: He passed Stewart for the lead with three laps to go and won his first road race.

"I was taught to never give up, and that's kind of the attitude that I work in - never quit and just roll over,'' said Harvick, who climbed past teammate Jeff Burton into third in the points. "I think it probably surprised everybody else that we were able to drive back by and win.''

Since Stewart had won three of the four previous Cup races at The Glen and passed the No. 29 Goodwrench Chevy a few laps earlier, Harvick probably was right about his second victory of the year driving for resurgent Richard Childress Racing. more on Watkins Glen

NASCAR Wrecks - Will The Court Please Rise!

 

Mayfield takes Evernham fight to court
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service,August 12

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- At a brief meeting with the press before NASCAR Nextel Cup practice Friday morning, Ray Evernham confirmed that Jeremy Mayfield, driver of the No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge, had been terminated.

Mayfield, on the other hand, refused to go quietly and is seeking a legal remedy to the termination of his contract, sources told Sporting News' NASCAR News Service on Friday.

Evernham had announced Monday that Bill Elliott would replace Mayfield in the AMD at The Glen this weekend, after the No. 19 had slipped to 36th in owner points. Only the top 35 in owner points are guaranteed a staring spot in Cup races. As a past champion, Elliott normally would have a provisional starting spot, but that doesn't apply at Watkins Glen because the driver change was made after the entry deadline.

"The team will stay intact, as is," Evernham said. "Jeremy Mayfield has been terminated."

Information obtained from sources in the Iredell County Clerk of Court's office in Statesville, N.C., however, indicated Mayfield had obtained a temporary restraining order, the contents of which were not immediately known, and was seeking a preliminary injunction against his ouster in a hearing in Statesville on Friday.

Mayfield, who had one year and two option years remaining on his contract with Evernham, could not be reached for comment.

This story was produced by the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service, a free content provider for newspapers. For information on how to subscribe, please e-mail NASCAR Wire Sales & Marketing Manager Ron Wagner at rwagner@sportingnews.com
(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)

Busch Pushes Dodge To Take The Glen Pole

 

The first NASCAR Nextel Cup practice of the day at Watkins Glen gave little indication of the dominant qualifying session that took place later in the day.

But dominant they did.

First Dodge, then Chevrolet.The Dodges were led by Kurt Busch's Miller Lite Dodge who won sixth career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Bud Pole, lapping the circuit in 71.727 seconds at 122.966 mph. Though quick, Busch was still over a second off Jeff Gordon's track qualifying record of 70.798 seconds.

Beside Busch on row one will be fellow Dodge driver Kasey Kahne who posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 72.387 seconds, 121.845 mph. It is his 14th top-10 start in 2006 and his career-best road-course start.

But the Dodge contigent wasn't through. Ryan Newman's Alltel Dodge was third quick.Behind the Dodges began a string of Chevrolets. Not just one, or two or even three Chevys. But eight Chevrolets in a row, holding down the fourth through 11th qualifying positions.

The No. 24 DuPont car with Jeff Gordon at the wheel was fourth, followed by Brickyard 400 winner Jimmie Johnson who qualified fifth. Greg Biffle posted his worst start of the season (41st) and tied his career-worst start, which was also on a road course (Infineon – 2005). He failed to qualify in the top-10 for just the seventh time this season, but the fifth in the past six races.

Seven drivers failed to qualify for the AMD at the Glen: Chris Cook, Max Papis, Tom Hubert, Dave Murry, Dale Quarterly, Johnny Miller, and Brandon Ash.
The starting grid for Watkins Glen

Not so much 'silly season' as it is 'stupid season'

 

Not so much 'silly season' as it is 'stupid season'
By Karah-Leigh Hancock

Brian Vickers got out of his contract early to drive for Toyota and Red Bull next year. Right after he announced he was leaving Hendricks Motorsports, Casey Mears jumped on board, announcing that he would be driving the no. 25 car next year.

Dale Jarrett has jumped ship to Michael Waltrip Racing and will drive the UPS Toyota next year, leaving Robert Yates Racing where he’s been the marquee driver for years. Shortly after, his teammate Elliott Sadler announced that he asked out of his contract early to find another ride.

Mark Martin has planned on retiring for the past year and a half, and now word has it he may be back in the no. 6 again next year.

Now Jeremy Mayfield, who has been the main driver in the rumor mill lately will not be driving the no. 19 UAW/Dodge this weekend at Watkins Glen after falling out of the Top 35 in points.

Former Champion Bill Elliott will be driving the car, using his provisional incase the car doesn’t make it on time.

Mayfield was reached today by Nascar.com to comment on the matter and he had no idea he wouldn’t be driving in New York this weekend. Evernham had not contacted him to tell him and he didn’t know if his contract was now voided. Rumor has it that Sadler could be in the no. 19 as early as this season.

Hopefully not, for Sadler’s sake anyway.

Sadler and Jarrett are making a mistake in leaving Robert Yates Racing. While Yates have been struggling this year, so has the entire Ford field. Rousch is not dominating the series like he did last year with Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, and Mark Martin being in the Chase.

Yates only real bright spot this year was Sadler winning one of the Gatorade Duels.

If Sadler moves to Evernham, he will become second to Kasey Kahne, the boy wonder of NASCAR. He needs to go to a place where he will be top dog, even if that means going to a new team or staying at Yates where he would have top bill.

Jarrett, on the other hand, has seemingly lost his mind in going to Michael Waltrip Racing. Sure, it’s Toyota and it’s a big deal, what makes Jarrett think that he will be able to race competitively with Waltrip when Waltrip can’t even give himself a good car right now to make a race.

Twice this year he hasn’t qualified for a race, the Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte and All State 400 at the Brickyard this past weekend. Waltrip bought his way into the race in Charlotte, but what happens next year when he, Jarrett, and the third MWR driver doesn’t make the field? There will be more than 43 cars trying to make the race next year, many more than this year with the addition of several Toyota teams, along with other teams such as Dale Earnhardt, Inc. moving up to three teams (with the addition of Busch regular Paul Menard driving the no. 15). More on the silly stupid season

Top Ten Heading Into The Glen

 

The following is a rundown of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 10 heading into Sunday's AMD at The Glen, the sixth event in the "Race to the Chase," the 10 events prefacing the "Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup."

The AMD at The Glen (1 p.m. EDT on NBC) is the 22nd of 36 races on the series' schedule. The first 26 races of the season will determine the drivers involved in the third annual Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup contested over the final 10 races. Drivers who are in the top 10 or within 400 points of the standings' leader after those 26 races will vie for the 2006 series title in the "Chase."

No. 1 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet). Team: Hendrick Motorsports. Points: 3,124. Johnson rallied from early trouble to win at Indianapolis, his fourth victory of 2006. He has also won at Daytona, Las Vegas and Talladega. Johnson has a series-leading 17 top-10 finishes this season. He has been among the top 10 for 90 consecutive races, since March 2004. Johnson has two top-10 finishes in four races at Watkins Glen, both top fives. Johnson, who finished fifth in this race last year, has a 16.25 average Watkins Glen finish. He has led in two races on the 2.45-mile road course, but has yet to win a non-oval course event. Season-to-date Loop Data highlight: Johnson is ranked second in Driver Rating (102.6).

No. 2 - Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Power Tools Ford). Team: Roush Racing. Points: 3,017. Kenseth finished second at Indianapolis to retain his spot in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings for the 10th consecutive race. He has ranked in the top five since the season's second race, a victory at California. Kenseth was 15th in the standings at this point last season. He has three top-10 finishes in six races at Watkins Glen; his best finish (eighth) came in 2003. Kenseth, who has been running at the finish of all his starts at the New York track, placed 18th in this race last year. He has a 16.833 average Watkins Glen finish. He has never won or logged a top-five finish on a road course. Season-to-date Loop Data highlight: Kenseth is ranked second in Average Running Position (11.153).

No. 3 - Jeff Burton (No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet). Team: Richard Childress Racing. Points: 2,749. Burton finished 15th at Indianapolis to remain third in the standings. He has 13 top-10 finishes this season. Burton was 18th in the standings at this point last year. He has three top-10 finishes in 12 races at Watkins Glen; two were top fives. Burton finished 43rd in this race a year ago, his second DNF at Watkins Glen. He has a 20.583 Watkins Glen average finish. Although he has yet to win on a road course, Burton has seven top-10 finishes in 23 road course events. His best Watkins Glen effort was a second in 2001. Season-to-date Loop Data highlight: Burton is ranked fourth in Closers (33). more on the Top Ten Heading Into The Glen

Ganassi Puts Pruett In Stremme's Dodge At Watkins Glen

 

This weekend road racing veteran Scott Pruett will be behind the wheel of the #40 Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon Dodge [David Stremme is the regular driver].

This will be Pruett's second start in the #40 Dodge this season. This weekend Pruett will be pulling the triple play. Friday night he will be driving the #01 car in the Grand American Series, Saturday he will be in the #1 car for Phoenix Racing in the Busch Series and Sunday he will be driving the #40 car in the Nextel Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

Pruett has 36-career Nextel Cup Series starts dating back to 2000, four of which have come at the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International. He recorded his best finish of second at the track three years ago in the #39 Dodge. His average starting position at the Glen is 20th and his average finish is sixth. Overall, he has ten starts on road courses and his highest finish is second at Watkins Glen in 2003.

Crew Chief Steve Lane and the #40 Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon crew are taking chassis No. 311 for the second road course race of the season. Pruett tested this car at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) earlier in June before racing it in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway later that month.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)

Elliott To Pilot Mayfield's Dodge At The Glen, Here's Why...

 

By David Newton, NASCAR.COM

Ray Evernham has decided that Bill Elliott, not Jeremy Mayfield will drive the No. 19 Dodge this weekend at Watkins Glen.

Elliott to replace Mayfield in No. 19 at The Glen
Mayfield said no one has told him about change in entry list

Jeremy Mayfield may be free to leave Evernham Motorsports for Bill Davis Racing sooner than he expected.

Bill Elliott will be in the No. 19 Dodge that Mayfield has driven for Evernham since 2002 this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

Contractual agreements remain to be settled before it can be announced that Mayfield is out for the remainder of the season, sources close to the situation said.

A statement from Evernham Motorsports said the team has finalized its long-term plans for 2007 and expects to announce those in the coming weeks. Mayfield's name already has been removed from the team release where it lists Evernham's drivers.

Elliott Sadler, who last month was given his release from Robert Yates Racing after the season, reportedly already has accepted a deal to replace Mayfield in 2007. read more on Elliott at The Glen

NASCAR's Brickyard Belongs To Johnson

 

Jimmie Johnson Finally Wins Brickyard 400
By Ron Felix

In a quest for his first Nextel Cup championship, Jimmie Johnson once again battled back from adversity, to win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson left this race last year dazed and confused after a blown tire put his Chevrolet into the wall and left him with a minor concussion. This year Johnson must have had a minor flash back on lap 40 when his left front tire went flat. Johnson limped around to the pits for a new tire and repairs. It was just at that time that NASCAR had planned a competition caution and on the restart Johnson restarted in 38th place. He steadily worked his way to the front and took the lead for good with nine laps to go. The victory for Johnson is his fourth in 2006, tying Kasey Kahne for the most this season, his 22nd career win in 168 races and he lengthens his Nextel Cup points standings lead to 107 over second-place Matt Kenseth. Johnson has now been ranked among the top 10 in points for 90 consecutive races.

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Johnson led three times for 33 laps but Jeff Burton led the most, six times for 87 laps. Johnson scored his 17th top-10 finish in 21 races this season. He has top-15 finishes in 19 of the 21 races this season. Johnson moved to 26th on NASCAR’s all-time winners list, tying Terry Labonte and his four victories this year.

"I just took a cool down lap and I guess it'll take a little time to soak in," Johnson said. "I just saw Greg Zipadelli coming down pit road and he said, 'Today is a special day'. And the look in his eyes and on his face and that feeling setting in -- I'm speechless right now. I can't thank this race team for all that they've done. We overcame a left front flat tire and rallied back. We drove all the way to the front. I'm totally speechless. I'd just like to thank everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for the hard work..and Lowe's and all the employee-owners. I never thought I'd ever win at this race track - we've had such a drought at this race track -- and now we've got a victory." more on Johnson's Brickyard win and Watkins Glen this weekend

NASCAR's Burton Best At Brickyard So Far

 

Brickyard's best
Burton grabs rare pole for Allstate 400 at Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Jeff Burton and rookie Clint Bowyer gave Richard Childress Racing a sweep of the front row Saturday in qualifying for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Burton, who has driven in each of the 12 previous NASCAR races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway without qualifying higher than 16th, made an early lap of 182.778 mph stand up for his third pole of the season and only the fifth of a career that began in 1993.

"I think I left a little bit out there," said Burton, who along with Bowyer had to leave the track immediately after the Nextel Cup time trials to practice for Saturday night's Busch Series race at nearby O'Reilly Raceway Park.

Burton was the second of 50 drivers who tried to qualify for the 43 Brickyard starting spots, so he didn't really know what it was going to take to stay on top with the track getting hotter and more slippery as the session went on.

"I ran as hard as I thought I could run and come back," Burton said. "I was a little bit conservative in a few places that if somebody has a little more confidence, they might be able to do better than that."

Nobody did.

Bowyer went out seventh and posted a lap of 182.771. Kurt Busch, who was 25th in the qualifying line, wound up third at 182.752. The top three laps were separated by just seven-thousandths of a second. more on Jeff Burton winning the Indy pole

A Gordon Win Will Tie And Surpass Racing Legends

 

Gordon's in position to pass the big wheels
By DAVE KALLMANN
dkallmann@journalsentinel.com

Indianapolis - Jeff Gordon focuses more on accomplishments than numbers, and he's not really into what-ifs.

But still, he's quite aware of the possibilities that await him.

Should Gordon win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he would further extend his dominance in stock-car racing's annual trek to the open-wheel Mecca with a fifth title.

He would surpass his boyhood idol, Rick Mears, as well as fellow four-time Indianapolis 500 winners A.J. Foyt and Al Unser, on the track's victory list, while also tying Formula One great Michael Schumacher, the overall leader in its big three races.

And in the process, Gordon would collect his 76th checkered flag in NASCAR's top division, putting him even with the late Dale Earnhardt.

"It almost sounds too good to be true," Gordon said Friday, his 35th birthday.

"At this point I'm thinking that it is. We're just going to go out there and give it our best effort and see what happens." more on what a Jeff Gordon win means....

NASCAR Drivers: "Indy Beats Out Daytona!"

 

Survey: Indy's ahead of Daytona
Brickyard voted most popular

By CRAIG CUSTANCE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Indianapolis — There's no doubt it was an unscientific poll. That meant we grabbed anyone hanging around the garage at the Brickyard before Friday's practice for the Allstate 400 who was willing to talk and had them rank their five favorite NASCAR races.

The somewhat random sample produced an interesting result: Indianapolis has become as popular with NASCAR drivers and owners as longtime favorites Daytona and Charlotte.

Everyone mentioned the same two things: tradition and history, even if it's not all their own.

"At Darlington, the stock car guys built that history," driver Jeff Burton said. "Here at Indy, we haven't built the history. We have helped it, but we didn't start it, and I feel like we are walking on ground that others have made as important as it is. I think that is really cool." more on the most popular track in Nextel Cup

Penske and Roush Still Looking For First Nextel Cup Win at Indy

 

A no-win situation for Penske and Roush
Legendary owners still seeking first NASCAR victory on fabled track
By Terry Blount

Facts can defy logic at times. It's true in all aspects of life, those little things that make you shake your head and say, "That can't be right."

Take this little tidbit for example: Roger Penske and Jack Roush – two of the most successful team owners in motor sports – never have won a NASCAR event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Both men will sit on pit road Sunday for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, hoping to end a surprising drought at racing's most historic venue.

It's a Nextel Cup oddity that doesn't make sense, like Dale Earnhardt not winning the Daytona 500 until his 20th try.

Earnhardt won a lot at Daytona (Pepsi 400s, Bud Shootouts, IROC events, qualifying races) just not the 500 for his first two decades of trying.

Penske has won more at Indy than anyone else. His name deserves a permanent marker in Victory Lane. more on Roush and Penske winless at Indy

Stewart Returns To His Greatest Victory

 

He’s still feisty – Stewart readies for Brickyard 400
Rumors that he has become Mr. Sensitive are greatly exaggerated.
By Pete DiPrimio
pdiprimio@news-sentinel.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Stewart is angry again. Is this so bad? Sure, it offends a few people (fellow NASCAR drivers, media pontificators, Carl Edwards fans), but do we really want a soft, cuddly Stewart around when the feistier version is so much more compelling?

Stewart wrecks a few competitors, contributes a few million to charity, chastises a few young drivers for wild racing, scales a few fences after victories, enjoys a few Dairy Queen treats, cuddles with 6-pound pet Chihuahua Kayle and earns enough ($16.7 million in earnings and endorsements last year) to pay Barry Bonds’ lawyer fees.

Mellowed rumors aside, Stewart remains the unshaven face of success through passion and if you don’t like it, get out of his way.

“If you don’t have that desire,” he says, “you won’t be successful. You have to have that feeling in your gut that you want to win every weekend.” more on Stewart at Indy

NASCAR Wrecks - The Future At Robert Yates Racing

 

Gilliland said switching to Yates Racing
Jeff Gluck, Staff Writer

All signs are indicating that former Chino Hills resident David Gilliland will drive a NASCAR Nextel Cup car for Robert Yates Racing next season.

In addition to a morning Internet report that said Gilliland has signed a deal with Yates, industry sources said Gilliland and Yates will announce their partnership during the upcoming race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway confirmed a Yates news conference scheduled for 1:15 p.m. local time on Friday, Aug. 4.

Gilliland did not return a phone call today, but said Thursday, ``We're getting close on a few really good offers.''

Asked if something was likely to be done in the next week, Gilliland said, ``Yeah.''

A secretary at RYR said team owner Robert Yates and son Doug Yates were not in the team's race shop today, which marked the beginning of the final Cup off-weekend of the season. more on RYR's future star