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If Tony Stewart finishes ninth or better, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he will become the 2005 Nascar Nextel Cup Champion regardless of the performance of any other driver.
Denny Hamlin has scored four top-15 finishes in his six career Nascar Nextel Cup races (three were top-10s). His seventh-place finish at Texas is his Cup career-best.
A day after Roush Racing suspended Kurt Busch for the remainder of the season, officials at Homestead-Miami Speedway announced that the defending Nextel Cup champion will not participate in events leading up to Sunday's Ford 400. The unveiling of the 2004 Nextel championship banner at 1:00pm/et Tuesday has been canceled, speedway spokesman Phil de Montmollin said.
Dale Jr on Kurt Busch’s problems “If he gets back to full form as a race car driver and, you know, takes care of business and makes better decisions off the race track, he can tell everybody just how close he came to screwing it all up. So, hopefully he can put a positive spin on it…” Kurt should hire Jr as his “ spin doctor”
Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, on Kurt Busch’s problems “Well, it’s the last straw for Roush Racing. As I said, we’re officially retiring as Kurt Busch’s apologists, effective today… It was very offensive to us that he chose to take on the arresting office the way he did verbally, and then the fact that there was alcohol even in the smallest way involved in the whole circumstance was another element. Believe me, I would have been much happier not talking to you guys and just riding out my next couple of weeks and go on into the sunset with Kurt.” I think he means without Kurt.
Homestead-Miami Ford 400
The cars will be impounded for the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Practice is on Friday at 1:20pm/et. Happy Hour practice is also on Friday at 5:00pm/et and will air live on the SPEED channel. Qualifying is Saturday at 1:10pm/et and will also air live on the SPEED channel.
Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, and Jeff Burton are all tied for the most top 5 finishes at Homestead. They each have three. Jeff Gordon has the most top 10 finishes here with five.
Tony Stewart has the best record among the Chase drivers at Homestead. He has scored four top-10 finishes in six races there including two victories (1999 and 2000). Jimmie Johnson has the second-best record among the Chase drivers at Homestead. Johnson has scored three top-10 finishes in his four races there.
The last four races at Homestead-Miami Speedway have been won from a front-row starting position. The races in 2001 and 2002 were won from the Bud Pole while the races there in 2003 and 2004 were won from the second-place starting position. Five of the six races at Homestead-Miami Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
Joe Gibbs Racing has scored three victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway, one more than Jack Roush Racing who has two.
The new lights at Homestead-Miami Speedway will allow for later start times and therefore a "prime time", championship atmosphere at the Speedway's major events beginning with November's Ford Championship Weekend.
Phoenix Checker Auto Parts 500
The cars will not be impounded for the race at Phoenix International Raceway. Happy Hour will be on Friday at 6:00pm/et on the SPEED channel. Qualifying is on Saturday at 1:10pm/et also on the SPEED channel.
Mark Martin has the most top five (8) and the most top ten (13) finishes of all active drivers at Phoenix.
Eleven of the 18 races at Phoenix International Raceway have been won from a starting position outside the top-10. In April Greg Biffle became the first driver to win from a top-10 starting position (fifth) in the last four races there.
Casey Mears has raced at Phoenix three times in his Nextel Cup career. His best finish in those three races has been a 34^th place last year. His average finish here is 38.3.
Jeff Gordon has seven top ten finishes in the last eight races at Phoenix.
Texas Dickies 500
The starting time for Sunday's Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway has been moved back 40 minutes to 3:50 p.m. Eastern time. The switch was made, so NBC won't have to delay its live episode of "The West Wing'' at 8 p.m.
The cars will not be impounded for the race at Texas Motor Speedway. Qualifying is on Friday at 4:10pm/et and Happy Hour is on Saturday at 12:55pm/et. Both will be carried live on the SPEED channel.
In the nine races held at Texas the best finish from the pole position was 8^th. The worst finish for a pole sitter was 37^th.
Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett are tied for the most top 5 finishes at Texas with 4 each.
Tony Stewart has two DNF’s in his last three races at Texas Motor Speedway. His career average finish is 16.6 here, sixth among Chase drivers.
Jimmie Johnson has run four races at Texas with four top-10 finishes, the best streak among drivers in the top 10. Johnson finished a career-best third at Texas in April. He has a 6.50 average finish there, first among those in the Chase.
Matt Kenseth has competed in six races at Texas with two top-10 finishes, including a victory in April 2002. He finished 18th at Texas this past April, and has a 15.33 average finish there, fourth among Chase drivers.
Kurt Busch has competed in five races at Texas with four top-10 finishes. He placed seventh at Texas in April; his best finish there was fourth in 2001. Busch has a 9.8 average finish at Texas, second among Chase drivers.
Dale Jarrett has led 407 laps at Texas, the most of any driver. Jarrett is the only driver to have led in seven of the nine races there, leading in each of the first seven races there. He has not led since 2003, when he led just one lap.
Four Chase drivers have scored one victory at Texas: (Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman).
Atlanta Bass Pro 500
The cars will not be impounded for the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. First Practice (12:00 – 1:00pm/et) Happy Hour (1:30 – 2:30pm/et) and Qualifying (7:10pm/et) will all be held on Friday. The SPEED Channel will show Happy Hour and Qualifying live.
Nascar Busch Series driver Reed Sorenson (No. 39 Discount Tire Dodge) will attempt to make his Nascar Nextel Cup Series debut this weekend at Atlanta. The 19-year-old, from nearby Peachtree City, Ga., is currently in fourth place in the Nascar Busch Series, 429 points behind series leader Martin Truex Jr. Sorenson also will attempt to qualify for the Nov. 6 race at Texas Motor Speedway
Kevin Lepage has been running at the finish in all 11 of his races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. No other driver has competed in 10 or more races at Atlanta without scoring a DNF there.
Ryan Newman is the only driver to lead in each of the last seven races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Newman is also the only active driver that has led in every Nascar Nextel Cup race that he has competed in at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Tony Stewart is very consistent at Atlanta. Out of the last eight races here he has managed seven top ten finishes (including one win) and has and average finish position of 6.75
Even though Kurt Busch has a win at Atlanta, (fall, 2002) his career average finish position is 21.3, the worst of all the drivers in the Chase.
Watch for Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards to be in contention for the race at Atlanta. Biffle had the best car (most laps led) but let Johnson and Edwards by on the final laps. Edwards did not realize Biffle had the best car and inched past Johnson to win the race in the last half lap. Biffle whinned, and Edwards got his first Nextel Cup win.
Martinsville Subway 500
The cars will not be impounded for the race at Martinsville Speedway. Qualifying is on Friday at 3:10pm/et on the SPEED channel. Happy hour will be on Saturday at 11:10am/et also on SPEED.
Jimmie Johnson on his win at Lowe's and the upcoming race at Martinsville. “Momentum is an important thing. We're happy to be winning already in the Chase. Last year we won four; this year, so far two. So it's coming at a good time. We had a slow couple months before the Chase started. We definitely have things going in the right direction right now. But it's tough to carry momentum from a mile and a half track to a half mile track. It's totally different. Luckily, for us, it's a track that we've won at before. We know how to race there and what to do.
Rusty Wallace has 7 wins at Martinsville in his Nextel Cup career, the most of all current drivers. Jeff Gordon is second with 6 wins.
Jimmie Johnson has 6 top 10 finishes out of the last seven races at Martinsville Speedway. Jeff Gordon has 5 in a row.
Sterling Marlin has managed to get four top 10 finishes out of the last 5 races at Martinsville.
Greg Biffle has a career average finish position of 23.6 at Martinsville Speedway, the worst of all the drivers in the Chase for the Nextel Cup except Carl Edwards who has only raced here twice.
Lowe's UAW-GM 500
The cars will not be impounded for the race at Lowes Motor Speedway. Qualifying is on Thursday at 7:10pm/et on the SPEED channel. Happy Hour is on Friday at 6:10pm/et also on the SPEED channel. The race is Saturday night at 7:10 on NBC.
Tony Stewart talks about testing at Lowes Motor Speedway after crashing in the first half hour. "I don't know if it's the track or the combination of the track with the tires, I don't remember any of the drivers asking them to make the changes here. You have to give 'Humpy' [Wheeler, track president and general manager] credit though. He's trying to make it better but it's kind of made it worse.”
"It's pretty messed up," was Martin's summation. "This is the world's greatest race track and it was awesome the way it was. It's messed up now. 'Humpy' has tried to make it better by fixing the lower groove in one and two but they shouldn't have manipulated this race track in the first place. Did you see the race last time? The race in May was an indication of what we are going to have this time."
Mitch Lash, the jackman for the #12 Alltel Dodge driven by Ryan Newman, was injured during a lap 95 pit stop on Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Lash received multiple injuries to the muscle tissue in his right foot. Britt Goodrich, former jackman for the team, will take over jacking duties until Lash can return.
Jimmie Johnson has four wins out of the last five races at Lowes. He also has seven top ten finishes in a row and five top five finishes in a row. We think Jimmie has home field advantage at this one.
Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr both have three top five finishes in the last four races at Lowes, however, they both did poorly in the spring race here. Jamie finished 21^st while the best Jr could manage was a dismal 33^rd.
Kansas Banquet 400
Practice will begin 10/7 at 1:30p with the Speed Channel airing the final practice at 3:30p. Qualifying will be on 10/8 at 11:30a also aired on the Speed Channel. Coverage of the race starts at 1:30 10/9 on NBC.
Joe Nemechek won both the Nextel Cup and Busch Race last year at Kansas Speedway. He started from the pole position in the Cup race, and 19^th in the Busch race.
Ryan Newman talks about Kansas Speedway. "The Alltel team has just clicked with Kansas Speedway. We've been great there since our first race in 2002. It took us a couple of years to beat Jeff [Gordon], but we finally got a win there in 2003. Last year at Kansas, the Alltel Dodge was incredible once again, but we ended up in the wall instead of victory lane. That was a hard one to swallow. We're not going to let that happen this year.” With one victory and two second place finishes it’s easy to see why he likes to race here.
Tony Stewart has yet to win a race at Kansas. He hasn’t led a single lap there, but has posted good numbers. In the four Kansas races to date, he has one top five and three top-10 finishes. Last year he qualified 24th and finished 14th. Reinforcing Stewart’s Kansas potential are his finishes at a nearly identically configured track, Chicagoland Speedway. Stewart has a win, and other finishes of second, third and fifth.
Rusty Wallace will make his 700^th Nextel Cup series start at Kansas on Sunday. He has three top 10s in four starts at Kansas Speedway. “We’ve only been racing at Kansas for four years now – this will be our fifth race there – and we’ve had some really strong hot rods there every season,” said Wallace, now third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, “We’ve been a factor in all the races at Kansas except last season when that freaky deal with the side window happened. I think we can put the big numbers on the board in Sunday’s race and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Kansas Speedway is the only track in the Chase for the Nextel Cup that Mark Martin does not have a top 5 finish – his best was 6^th in 2001.
Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman both have 3 top 5 finishes out of the last 4 races at Kansas Speedway. Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart and Jeremy Mayfield all have 3 top 10 finishes out of the last 4 races here.
Dale Jarrett struggles at Kansas. Last year he managed to get an 8^th place finish, but, the three years before that, the best he could do was 30^th.
Talladega UAW-Ford 500
The cars will not be impounded for the race at Talladega Superspeedway. Qualifying will be on Friday at 4:10pm/et on the SPEED channel. Happy hour is Saturday at 12:10pm/et and will be aired at 5:30pm/et also on the SPEED channel.
Jimmie Johnson has 17 wins in his Nextel Cup career, 16 of those wins have been on superspeedways. His only short track victory came last year at Martinsville in October. He also has a top 10 finish at every track in the circuit and a top 5 finish at every track except Kansas and Indy.
Dale Earnhardt Jr has finished 1^st or 2^nd in seven of his last eight races at Talladega including a record 4 wins in a row. He has an 8.0 average finish position in his career at this track, the best of all active drivers. Tony Eury Jr is considered by many to be one of the best aero guys on the circuit. With all this going for him, Jr should be a lock for a top 5 finish. Why am I still scared to put him on my team?
Kevin Harvick has 4 top 10 finishes in the last 5 races at Talladega including 2 seconds and a third.
In his last 7 races at Talladega, Mark Martin has only one top 10 finish and only one top 15 finish. He has an average finish position of 24.3 for those 7 races.
Jeff Gordon has 4 top 10 finishes (including 2 wins, the last one earlier this year) out of the last five races at Talladega.
Of the 10 drivers involved in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, only one has claimed a victory at Talladega. Mark Martin won a race here in the spring of 1997, eight long years ago.
Dover MBNA RacePoints 400
The cars will not be impounded for the race at Dover International Speedway. First practice is on Friday at 11:00am/et. Qualifying is also on Friday at 3:10pm/et with a tape delay on the SPEED channel at 3:30pm/et. Happy hour will be Saturday at 11:10am/et shown on TNT at 12:00.
Out of the last 9 races at Dover, 8 have been won from a top 10 starting position. Only 6 drivers have ever won from outside the top 15.
Ryan Newman has 4 top 5 finishes (3 of those were wins) and 6 top 10 finishes in the last 7 races at Dover International Speedway. After the win at NHIS Flyin’ Ryan should be a good bet here.
Mark Martin has finished 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd in his last 3 races at Dover.
Kasey Kahne probably doesn’t like Dover to much. In his 3 career races here he has never finished better than 21^st and has an average finish position of 32.7
In the last 13 races at Dover Tony Stewart has never finished worse than 15^th and has only finished outside the top 10 twice. He has 9 top 5 finishes and 11 top 10 finishes for those 13 races. One word of caution, that 15^th place finish came earlier this year.
New Hampshire Sylvania 300
The cars will be impounded for the race at New Hampshire International Speedway. There will be two practices on Friday, the first is at 12:00pm/et. Happy hour is at 3:50pm/et and will be aired at 8:00pm/et on the SPEED channel. Qualifying will be on Saturday at 12:10pm/et and will be shown live on TNT. Starting time for the race is 1:10pm/et on Sunday.
Jeff Gordon has the most top 5 finishes of all current Nextel Cup drivers at NHIS with 9. Dale Jarrett has the most top 10 finishes at NHIS with 14.
In his last three races at NHIS, Kurt Busch has come in either first or second including a sweep in 2004. Jimmie Johnson also has a sweep here in 2003.
Mark Martin has not been able to finish better than 13^th in his last 7 races at NHIS.
Tony Eury Jr will back as crew chief on the #8 Budweiser Chevy of Dale Earnhardt Jr for the race at New Hampshire. As we all know, way back before the season started somebody at DEI had the great idea of switching crews between the #8 and the #15 cars. We just wonder who is going to yell cousin first?
Jeff Burton on his short, flat track successes this year. “It just seems like Phoenix, Richmond and Martinsville, those type of race tracks, are where we are doing our best this season. I’ve won quite a few races at Loudon. We didn’t run as well as we would have liked to in the spring, but we built a brand new race car to take back. It’s a really nice car and the body on it is really good. We put a lot of focus on this race. Hopefully that will pay off for us.”
Greg Biffle has 5 wins and 15 top ten finishes so far this season. NHIS may prove to be more difficult for him. His average finish position over the last 6 races here is a dismal 24.7 He did manage a 5^th place finish here earlier this year but he has never led a lap at this track.
Ryan Newman does well at NHIS. Out of his 7 races here he has 6 top ten finishes (4 of those were top 5 finishes) and 1 win in 2002. He has an average finish position of 8.9 over his career here.
Matt Kenseth has 7 top ten finishes in the last 8 races at New Hampshire International Speedway. His best finish was 2^nd in the fall of 2004.
In the last 7 races at NHIS Jeremy Mayfield has only 1 top ten finish, a 10^th in the spring of 2004. His average finish position is 21.7 over those 7 races.
Richmond Chevy Rock & Roll 400
The impound rule will be in effect for the race at the Richmond Int'l Raceway. There will be only one practice and that will be on Friday at 12:00pm/et on the SPEED channel. Qualifying is also on Friday at 6:10pm/et on TNT.
Only one point separates Jamie McMurray (10th) and Ryan Newman (11th) in the Nextel Cup Race for the Chase. If either one crashes, the other one is in. Jeff Gordon hopes they both crash – early.
Tony Stewart, the current Nextel Cup points leader, will compete in all three Nascar events at Richmond. Tony has 5 top 5 finishes, including 3 wins, and 7 top 10 finishes in his career here. His truck driving skills are also top notch at this track. He won the truck race in 02 and 03. In 04 he came in 3rd.
Bobby Labonte has 4 top 10 finishes out of his last 5 races at Richmond. He came in 8th here in the spring race. If he had done better in his last 5 Nextel Cup races ( best finish 20th last week) he would be worth looking at here. How about a fast practice run or a good qualifying position Bobby?
Dale Earnhardt Jr waxes philosophical, “As much as I love thesuperspeedways, Richmond is a place that I look forward to and circle on the calendar, I’ve always run well there, in the Busch Series and the Cup. We’ve finished in the top-five in half of the Cup races we’ve started and I think we’ve had something like eight top-10s.”
California Sony HD 500
The cars will be impounded for the race at California Speedway. Happy Hour will be Saturday 12:00pm/et with a tape delay on the SPEED channel at 2:00pm/et. Qualifying is also on Saturday at 5:20pm/et on the SPEED channel.
Jeff Gordon has 5 top 5 finishes (including 3 wins) at California Speedway, the most of any driver. Rusty Wallace leads the top 10 list with 6.
Dale Earnhardt Jr has two top-10 finishes in seven career starts at California Speedway. The last one came back in 2003 (6th), and he has only led a total of 1 lap here, that was back in 2001.
In four career starts, Jamie McMurray has only finished outside the top-5 once (a 15th) at California.
Ryan Newman has three straight top 10 finishes at California.
Bristol Sharpie 400
The cars will be impounded for the race at Bristol Motor Speedway. There will be one practice on Friday from 12:00 – 2:00pm/et on the SPEED channel. Qualifying will also be on Friday at 6:10pm/et on TNT.
Tony Stewart has scored 9 straight top 10 finishes in the last 9 races in the Nextel Cup Series. Bristol Motor Speedway, however, has proven to be more difficult. Tony was 3^rd in the spring race here but has an average finish position of 22 for the six races before that.
Elliott Sadler won the spring race in 2001 at Bristol from the 38^th starting position, the worst starting position to win a race here.
Kevin Harvick, who won the race at Bristol earlier this year, has 5 top 10 finishes out of the last 6 races here. Four of those were actually top 5 finishes. Matt Kenseth has 6 out of 7 top 10 finishes here.
Joe Nemechek has problems at Bristol. He has an average finish position of 30 over the last 14 Cup races here and the best he has ever done is 19^th Just say no to Joe. FYI – Dave Blaney is not to hot here either.
Kurt Busch has 4 wins out of the last 7 races at Bristol, including 3 wins in a row. His 35^th place finish here earlier this year was the first time in the last 7 races he has finished out of the top 8.
Rusty Wallace has been running at the finish in 36 consecutive races - since Bristol last fall, the longest current streak. He has also scored nine victories in his 43 races at Bristol, the most of any full time driver.
Michigan GFS 400
The cars will be impounded for the race at Michigan International Speedway. Happy Hour will be on Friday from 4:00 – 5:00pm/et. A tape delay will be broadcast on the SPEED channel 8:00pm/et. Qualifying is set for Saturday at 12:10pm/et FX will air a tape delay at 1:00pm/et
Dave Blaney will have a new crew chief for the race at Michigan International Speedway. Scott Miller will replace former crew chief Philippe Lopez. Miller won the race at Bristol this year when he was filling in for Todd Berrier on the #29 Chevy with driver Kevin Harvick.
“We’ve struggled on these types of tracks, but the last time we were there, we learned a lot we’ll be able to use this weekend… We’ve got to get our cars better when we unload rather than wasting a whole weekend trying to make it better. It’s an uphill climb when you unload a slow car. You spend your whole weekend trying to get it halfway competitive.” Jr talks about the upcoming race at Michigan.
Matt Kenseth has 7 top 10 finishes in the last 8 races at Michigan International Speedway. An 11^th place finish in 2002 kept him from being 8 for 8. In all 12 races Matt has raced here his worst finish was 17^th.
Travis Kvapil’s best finish in the last 5 Cup races is 27^th at New Hampshire International Speedway. That gives him an average finish position of 37 for those 5 races, the worst of all the drivers who raced in all 5 races.
Watkins Glen
The Impound rule will be in effect for the race at Watkins Glen. Happy Hour will be on Friday at 4:00pm/et. Qualifying is on Saturday at 11:10am/et. Both can be seen live on the SPEED channel.
Mark Martin has the most top 5 finishes (including 3 wins in a row) at Watkins Glen with 12. He also has the most top ten finishes here with 15.
Fords have not won a race at Watkins Glen in the last 8 years. Chevy's, on the other hand, have won 7 of the last eight races here.
Jimmie Johnson has raced at Watkins Glen 3 times in his Cup career. In those races he has only 1 top 10 finish, 4^th in 2003.
Joe Gibbs Racing has fired driver Jason Leffler from the #11 Chevy. Terry Labonte will compete in several of the upcoming Cup races beginning with Watkins Glen. When Terry is not available Busch drivers JJ Yeley and Denny Hamlin will split the driving duties.
Indy Brickyard 400
Due to rain on Friday Nascar revamped the Brickyard schedule. The Saturday schedule now includes two one-hour practice sessions , starting at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. ET. Qualifying will will start at 4:10pm. The cars will then be impounded.
Jeff Gordon has won the race at Indy four times, twice from the the 3rd starting position, once from 11^th, and once from as far back as 27^th (the worst starting position to win a Nextel Cup race here) proving he can win from anywhere on this track. If he can overcome his extended streak of bad luck, he might be a good pick here.
Of the top 35 drivers in the Nextel Cup Series, only three have not tested at Indy this July, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, and Mike Bliss. Johnson and Newman can rely on their teammates for testing and setup information but Mike Bliss may be left out in the cold. This is one advantage of having a multi-car team.
“This is not my favorite track, but we’ve learned to put on a good show here, so it’s OK” Mark Martin gives his take on the Brickyard 400. After the Pepsi 400 at Daytona he said he was glad he didn’t have to race there again. My guess is he doesn’t like the big tracks.
Dale Earnhardt Jr, finding some good out of his 32^nd place finish at Pocono

" We learned some stuff today. At the beginning of the weekend, we were really bad, and no matter what we did, we couldn't get the car running better. But there at the end, man, we were fast. We passed the second-place car, and then ran away from him. So if you paid real close attention to what happened today well, I don't know if I can explain it but we'll be OK. We got some stuff figured out today that really helped the car. I can't wait for Indy."
Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott are all tied for the most top 10 finishes at Indy with 9 each.
In his last 5 races at Indy, Bill Elliott has 5 top 10 finishes including a win in 02. To bad he doesn’t do so well at other tracks. His best finish so far this year is 20^th at Lowes.
Pennsylvania 500
The impound rule will be in effect for the race at Pocono. Happy Hour will be Friday 4:00 - 5:00pm/et. The SPEED channel will show a tape delay at 9:00pm/et Friday night. Qualifying is on Saturday at 12:10pm/et. TNT will show a tape delay at 1:30pm/et the same day.
In an effort to fix the tire problems that marred the first Pocono race in June of this year, Goodyear is recommending higher tire pressures for the left side tires. Go to our Editorial Page and get our take on the tire situation.
In the last 8 Cup races Rusty Wallace has finished outside the top 10 only twice. He had a 12th place finish at Chicago and an 11th place finish at Pocono this year.
Tony Stewart has 5 top 5 finishes in the last 5 cup races including 3 wins and 1 second. Smoke is on fire heading into his favorite part of the season, the second half.
Carl Edwards, who won the first race at Pocono this year, came from the 29th starting position, the worst starting position to win a race here.
New England 300
The impound rule will be in effect for the race at NHIS. Happy Hour will be Friday at 3:50 - 4:50pm/et on the SPEED channel. Qualifying will be Saturday at 12:10pm/et. TNT will air a tape delay at 1:30pm/et the same day.
Ryan Newman has 5 top 10 finishes out of the last 6 races, including 1 win, at NHIS.
Matt Kenseth has 6 top 10 finishes out of the last 7 races at NHIS. He is still looking for his first win here.
Chicagoland 400
The Impound rule will not be in effect for the race at Chicagoland Speedway. Qualifying will be Friday at 4pm/et on the SPEED channel. Happy Hour is on Saturday at 12:10pm/et also on the SPEED channel.
Out of the 4 races at Chicagoland Speedway no driver has won from any of the top 5 starting positions.
Terry Labonte, a late entry, will race at Chicagoland. He has an average finish position of 14.7 over the 4 races here. His best was last year when he started 24th and finished 6th.
Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Jeff Gordon are all tied for the most top 5 finishes at Chicagoland. They have 3 each.
Daytona 400
The impound rule will be in effect at Daytona, a first for a Nextel Cup Series at a restrictor plate track. Happy Hour is Thursday at 6:15pm/et, on the Speed Channel. Qualifying is Friday at 4:40 pm/et on TNT.
Dale Jr. has 5 top 10 finishes out of the last 6 races at Daytona.
Jeff Gordon has the most restrictor plate victories with 10, Dale jr. is second with 7 and Dale Jarrett / Sterling Marlin Marlin are tied for third with 5 wins each.
Jamie McMurray's best finish at Daytona is 31st, with three straight DNFs in five starts.
Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin will make their last appearance at Daytona as Nextel drivers this weekend. Both are winless in the cup races at Daytona.
Dale Jarrett won the pole at Daytona in February, and has not finished worse than 16th in the last five restrictor cup races, which is a very good record in the restrictor plate world.
This year's Daytona 500 paid competitors a record $17,623,980.00 while Saturdays Pepsi 400 is offering $5,932,320.00. What a difference a 100 mile makes!
Infineon
There will be no impound rule at Infineon Raceway. Qualifying will be on Friday at 6:10pm/et on the SPEED channel. Happy Hour is on Saturday at 2:10pm/et and FX will air a tape delay at 7:30pm/et.
Jeff Gordon has 8 top 5 finishes in the 9 races at Infineon, 4 of those have been wins, 3 of those have been from the pole position.
Scott Pruett has the most Nextel Cup experience of all of the road course specialists. In 2000, he started 28 races in the #39 Target car for Chip Ganassi Racing.
No Nextel Cup race at Infineon has ever been won from 8th or worse starting position, and of the 9 races held there, 4 have been won from the pole.
Boris Said, another road course specialist, has two 6th place finishes in the last two races held at Infineon.
Michigan
Cars will be impounded at Michigan. Happy Hour will be on Friday at 4:00pm/et. Qualifying is on Saturday at 12:00pm/et.
Matt Kenseth has 6 top 10 finishes in the last 7 races at Michigan including a win in 2002.
Tony Stewart has 4 top 10 finishes out of the last 5 races at Michigan.
Bill Elliott is entered in the # 91 McDonalds Dodge for the race at MIS. He has an average finish position of 18 for the last 4 races he has entered here.
The race at Michigan has been run 3 times with no caution flags, the most recent was in 1999.
Chevrolets are winless in the last seven races at Michigan. The last time a Chevy won was in 2001 with Jeff Gordon driving.
Pocono
The impound rule will be in effect at Pocono. Happy Hour will be Friday at 4:00pm/et. Qualifying is on Saturday at 12:10pm/et.
Terry Labonte, the only driver except Jimmie Johnson with any kind of a recent streak going at Pocono, has 5 top 10 finishes in the last 5 races here.
In the last 20 races at Pocono no driver has ever won from positions 6 thru 10 and Fords are winless in the last 5 races here.
The good news is that Mark Martin is very consistent with 18 top 5 and 25 top 10 finishes out of 36 career races at Pocono. The bad news is he has never won a race here.
Kevin Harvick has not faired so well at Pocono. In the last 8 races here he has managed only one top ten finish.
Dover
No Impound at Dover. Qualifying will be Thursday at 3:10pm/et on the SPEED channel. Happy Hour will be Saturday at 11:10pm/et on FX.
Of the last 8 races at Dover, 7 have been won from a starting position of 10th or better.
Tony Stewart has 11 top 10 finishes in the last 12 races at Dover. Smoke is smooth on this one mile oval.
In the last 9 races at Dover Jeff Gordon has 7 top ten finishes, 5 of those were also top 5 finishes.
With 3 wins out of the last 4 races at Dover, Ryan Newman is hot.
Lowe's
No impound at Lowe's. Qualifying will be on Thurs at 7:00pm/et on the Speed Channel. Happy Hour will be Sat at 5:30pm/et on FX.
Jimmie Johnson has 6 top 10 finishes in 7 races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He also has 3 wins out of the last 4 races there. His starting positions for those wins, 1st, 9th, and 37th , show can can win from the front or the back of the pack. Jimmie Knows Lowe's.
Dale Earnhardt Jr will have a new crew chief for the Coca Cola 600 at LMS. Steve Hmiel will replace Pete Rondeau on an interim basis. Interim means temporary doesn't it? Look for more changes down the road for Jr.
Jamie McMurray has 4 top ten finishes in his 5 races at LMS including a win in 2002.
In the 11 races before 2004, Elliott Sadlers average finish position was 28th. For the 2 races in 2004 his average was 6th. Factor in a 2nd place finish in the All Star Challenge and he might be worth keeping an eye on.
Boris Said on Lowe's, "Lowe's is a unique track and I still haven't hit the marks there the way I would like to." "Right now I haven't meshed with Lowe's personality." Sounds like a good candidate to mesh with the wall.
Richmond
The impound rule will be in effect for Richmond. The only practice session will be on Friday the 13th at 2:00pm/et. Qualifying will be the same day at 6:00pm/et. Both will be covered on the SPEED Channel.
Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth have both scored five top ten finishes in the last six races at Richmond. Both also have one win here. Mark in 1990 and Matt in 2002.
With three top fives, seven top tens (including three wins) in twelve starts at Richmond, Tony Stewart Should not be overlooked here.
100% of the winners have come from the top 25 starting postions.
Rusty Wallace has six career wins at Richmond the most recent was in 1997 when he started seventh.
Darlington
The impound rule will be in effect at Darlington. Final practice will be Thurs at 7:10pm/et on speed. Qualifying will be on Fri at 5:00pm/et on Speed. The race will be Sat at 7:00pm/et on FOX
In the last 20 races at Darlington:70% of the winners have come from the top 10 starting positions, Jeff Gordon has won 5 times and chevys have won 10 times.
With his last two finishes out of the top 10, his streak broken, and a wreck at Talladega, Jimmie Johnson's bad luck should be over. Look for him to do well at Darlington. He won both races here last year.
Talladega
No Impound at Talladega. Happy Hour will be Saturday at noon et. FX will air a tape delay of happy hour at 1pm/et Saturday.
Jimmie Johnson's 15th place finish at Phoenix is the first race this year he has finished out of the top 10. A bad qualifying run at Talladega, a track he hasn't done well at the last four races, puts him in the middle of the pack. He could be in line for "The Big One"
Watch out for friction between the Home Depot (Stewart) and the Lowes (Johnson) cars. Jimmie Johnson says "The last three or four weeks I've raced with him, when I get to him he's mad that I'm going by and he starts flipping me off," If "The BIg One" doesn't get Jimmie, Tony will.
Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace have never won a restrictor plate race. They have both tried sixty nine times.
Kevin Harvick has four top 10 finishes, three of which were top 5, in the last four races at Talladega. Let's hope Todd doesn't pull another boneheaded stunt this race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has moved up to 12th in the point standings heading into Talladega, a track he traditionally does well at.
Chevy's have won the last 12 straight races at Talladega, a track they have traditionally done well at.
Phoenix
Ricky Rudd will make his 760th consecutive career start at Phoenix, the most of any Nascar driver. Ever!!!
Starting position is not a factor at Phoenix. Most of the winners come from outside the top 10.
The impound rule is in effect at Phoenix. There will be only two practice sessions, both on Thursday, with the final practice at 10:00pm/et on Speed TV. Qualifying will be Friday at 6:00pm/et on Speed TV.
Mark Martin has 8 top 5 and 13 top 10 finishes at Phoenix, the most of any active driver.
Texas
In the 8 races at Texas motor speedway no one has won the race twice, and no driver has ever won from positions 1or 2.
No Impound rule at Texas this week. Happy Hour will be on Saturday.
In addition to his 1 Cup win at Texas, Mark Martin has three Busch series wins.
Jeff Gordon has the most top 5 finishes at Texas with 4.
In 2002 Matt Kenseth won from the 43rd position after having to change an engine.
Buschwhackers at Texas / J Mayfield, M Kenseth, M Martin, S Marlin, T Stewart, K Kahne, C Edwards, J McMurray, G Biffle, J Nemechek, E Sadler, M Waltrip, Kyle Busch, R Lajoie, S Barrett. Looks like it could be a mini Cup race.
Martinsville
Rusty Wallace has the most wins of any active driver at Martinsville with seven.
4 of the last 20 races at Martinsville have been won from the pole, including 2 in a row for Jeff Gordon in 2003.
There will be no impound rule at Martinsville. The regular Saturday happy hour is back.
A little FYI over the last 20 races 70% of all winners came from the top 15 starting positions.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Petty Enterprises and Morgan-McClure Motorsports tested at Martinsville Tuesday to help drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Petty, Jeff Green and Mike Wallace be a little more competitive on intermediate
tracks.
Not sure what this means but you will actually be able to buy a beer from the concession stands at Martinsville this week, a track first.
Is Kyle Petty really on the rise? After his first top 10 in 3 years at Bristol he thinks he might have a chance to win at Martinsville. His organization's last victory came in 1999, with John Andretti driving the No. 43. Who knows stranger things have happened.
Numbers say that Scott Riggs is one of the most improved drivers in NASCAR this season. For Fantasy players he is not a high bucks driver. Absolutely worth taking a look at!
Rumor has it that Todd Berrier (Harvick's suspended crew chief) is going to be watching the race from the concession stands! Wonder how many beers you get for a $25,000.00 fine.
Bristol
83% of the winners at Bristol come from the top 10 starting positions.
Bristol is one of the tracks where NASCAR is using the new impound rule.
Kurt Busch has won 4 out of the last 6 races at Bristol, including 3 in a row.
Robby Gordon has not finished a race this season. Seems his new Menard engines are giving him a little trouble. Maybe this will be the first!!!
ppc Racing has withdrawn John Andretti from the race at Bristol. Sponsor problems already????
Atlanta
Atlanta can be hard on engines because the driver uses a lot of throttle and the RPM's are high.
Ryan Newman had the pole for the last 4 races at Atlanta, his best finish was 5th in the spring of 04.
Jimmie Johnson (spring), and Dale Earnhardt Jr (fall) won the two races held here last year.
Carl Edwards, Jeff Green, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Jason Leffler, Jeremy Mayfield, Ryan Newman, Scott Riggs, Scott Wimmer, and Mike Wallace all tested at Atlanta during the off week. Ryan Newman was fastest.
Jimmy Spencer will attempt to qualify for all three races at Atlanta, Cup, Busch, and Truck.
Las Vegas
Fines for Las Vegas Harvick- crew chief Todd Berrier suspended 4 races, 25 driver points, 25 owner points, $25,000. Johnson- crew chief Chad Knauss suspended 2 races, 25 driver points, 25 owner points, $35,000. Kyle Busch- crew chief Alan Gustafson suspended 2 races, 25 driver points, 25 owner points, $25,000.
According to Speedweek Jason Leffler (with his hat off) is a hair taller than Bobby Hamilton Jr. but Bobby was a hair faster in qualifying. Now that has to mean something?
Matt Kenseth won the last two races at Las Vegas starting from the 25th and the 17th positions. Almost never a good qualifier, Matt seems to be able to get it together for the race.
Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, and Tony Stewart are all tied for the most top five finishes at Las Vegas. They all have 3.
Jr. had engine failure Thurs afternoon. J Burton and B Labonte hit the wall in separate practice sessions.
Besides engine failure Jr. had to park his car at Las Vegas. He was way off in his setup.
Old Tidbits
Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson are the only Chase drivers to each score two victories in the first eight races in the 2005 Chase for the Nascar Nextel Cup. Edwards has climbed from sixth to third in the point standings in the last three races, now just 77 points behind Stewart with two races remaining.
The maximum points that can be gained or lost in a race is 156, assuming all drivers start. Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth are all within the 156-point window and could mathematically overtake Tony Stewart at Phoenix.
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver that has ranked in the top 10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after every race in 2005. He has ranked among the top-10 drivers since Atlanta in March 2004, 67 straight races - the longest current streak.
Roush Racing has announced that Kurt Busch has been released from his Roush Racing contract obligations effective at the end of the 2005 year and that Jamie McMurray has signed to drive for Roush Racing commencing in the 2006 season.
Miller Brewing Company and Penske Racing South announced today that defending NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch will be the driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, following this season’s retirement of longtime racing legend Rusty Wallace. Busch’s first race in the #2 Miller Lite car will be at Daytona in February.
Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced that the inaugural Dickies 500 on Sunday, Nov. 6 will have a purse in excess of $6.8 million, making it the richest payout in the two-year history of the Chase for the Nascar Nextel Cup.
Dale Earnhardt Jr on his future at DEI. “In a perfect world, I would love to have a chunk of ownership in Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Also like to have Teresa involved in it and take it as far as we can go with it. That is my drive and my determination. That is why I climb in that car. If I didn’t want to be involved in it or be an owner or acquire ownership in it, I would go drive for somebody else. So, the reason I am there is to not only win championships but to be a big part of what happens at DEI for the next 20, 30, 40 years. That is the staying power for me to be a big part of it in the future.”
With just three races remaining before his scheduled retirement, Rusty Wallace is still 59 laps shy of leading 20,000 laps in his career. Wallace has led 19,941 laps and ranks seventh all-time. Wallace has led only one lap in the last nine races (since Bristol).
Jimmie Johnson has scored two wins and five top ten finishes in the first six races in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Ryan Newman also has five top ten finishes for those six races.
Tony Stewart has scored 16 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in 2005, both the most of all drivers. Stewart has scored four top-five finishes in the six races of the Chase, the most of all drivers. He has also led the most laps (583) in the first six races of the Chase, earning 40 lap leader bonus points, 15 more than any other Chase driver.
Jeff Gordon's victory in the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 23 clinched the 2005 manufacturers championship for Chevrolet in NASCAR’s premier division. With four races left in the season, Chevrolet has collected its 29th manufacturers crown and the 25th of NASCAR’s Modern Era, which began in 1972.
Roush racing has won the last race at all four of the tracks that remain in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Carl Edwards at Atlanta, Greg Biffle at Texas, Kurt Busch at Phoenix, and Greg Biffle again at Homestead.
The France family's decision to buy and shut down the Pikes Peak, Colo., race track, apparently with a clause that any buyer cannot use the facility for racing, has prompted heavy speculation that the France's International Speedway Corp. (ISC) may now revive plans to build a new superspeedway in the Denver metropolitan area.
Word from England is that billionaire home improvement magnate John Menard, whose engine company has been building racing engines for Robby Gordon’s team, has sold his racing and engine-building shop to Honda.
Hurricane Wilma did considerable damage to Homestead-Miami Speedway HMS president Curtis Gray said. Monday's winds, which topped 100 mph in the area, did "significant damage" to the garage suites that run the length of pit road. "Steel, canvas all tore loose," Gray told The News-Journal. "It took out some fencing and at least a dozen light poles. We had debris get into the catch fence near the start-finish line, and some damage in the grandstand area." he said. "It would be very difficult to accomplish this amount of work and all that needs to be done without the resources at ISC. We are comfortable and confident we'll be ready for championship weekend."
Tony Stewart remains the leader in the 2005 Chase for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Stewart is tied with Jimmie Johnson, each with 5,777 points. Stewart gets the first-place position based on the tie-breaker of his five victories as opposed to Johnson’s four. The 10 drivers will race over the remaining five races to determine the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion who is expected to win in excess of $5 million.
Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards and Mark Martin have each scored top-10 finishes in four of the five races in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.
Nine of the 10 drivers competing in the 2005 Chase for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup have scored at least one victory in the 2005 season. Five of the 10 drivers have scored multiple victories led by Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle each with five. Rusty Wallace is the only Chase driver that is winless in 2005.
NASCAR officials were so concerned with the rash of blown tires Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway that they contemplated calling the event early due to competitor mechanical problems for the first time in the sport's history. "We talked about a lot of options, and the enforcing of the recommended air pressure was the one we come up with the try to get through the evening, but certainly we talked about the option of having to shorten the race," Nascar president Mike Helton said. "There was serious discussion about stopping the race, period.”
Nascar is finally coming to the same conclusion we did! Check out our editorial on "TIRES" posted in June 2005.
“Well, I'm not known as a big mile-and-a-half track guy. I'm just a short-track guy. I really run well on the short tracks. I've only had like one top 10 on a mile-and-a-half all year long and thats including the Busch cars so to do it in the Cup Series in my second Cup start, it's a big confidence booster for sure.” Denny Hamlin on his 8^th place finish at Lowe's.
Jack Helton, president of Nascar discusses multiple car teams and the advantage they have over the smaller teams. "The problem is what the future of the sport is going to look like if you have that level of elites. We don't care if Jack's got five, six or 10 cars if it were good for the sport. But we don't think it's good, and we have to address that. That's a big move for us."
Check out our Multi Car Teams editorial that was posted July 20th 2005. Do you think they might be listening.
"I think we ought to have 43 owners," Robert Yates said. "I wish we'd never gotten to where I'm concerned if I don't own five cars, I don't have the resources or the energy to compete against a guy with five."
In a post-qualifying news conference at Kansas Speedway, Roush said Jamie McMurray would drive Roush Racing's No. 97 Ford in 2007 while Todd Kluever, a current Roush driver in the Craftsman Truck Series, would drive the team's No. 6 Ford.
"I don't want to box myself out. I'm hoping I'm content after Homestead and get through the Daytona 500," Rusty Wallace said last Sunday. "But if I just can't stand it, then I'm maybe going to pop in for a couple." Rusty sounds uncertain about his upcoming retirement.
Elliot Sadler talks about Jimmie’s driving style - "I guess he's trying to keep his streak alive -- he caused a big wreck here last year and he caused a big one again this year, Maybe that's his way of racing here at Talladega ... try to get rid of everybody so he can win the race.''
Elliot Sadler comment about restrictor plates being the cause of wrecks in last Sunday’s race, "We are all going to blame it on restrictor-plate racing, but we have all got brake pedals in the car.” Seems to us it’s the brakes that cause the problem, the first driver checks and the second driver wrecks.
Kenny Wallace got caught cheating at Dover. His crew chief Joe Garone was fined a measly $1,000 for having a false wall in his fuel cell.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley will proclaim Sunday, Oct. 2 as "Rusty Wallace Day" in the state, joining Talladega Superspeedway in special recognition of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver during pre-race ceremonies before the start of the UAW-Ford 500.
Ramblings by Rusty Wallace - "The crazy thing is I'm probably driving right now better than I ever drove in my life. I guess I don't need to be retiring, but hey, I've made the decision to do that. I'm really happy with the way I'm running. Heck, what am I second, by seven points? That's very strong, so I'm pretty happy with that. But, I do second-guess myself. But, I always second-guess myself, I just don't tell anybody." It sounds like Rusty is second-guessing about retiring.
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver that has ranked in the top 10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after every race in 2005. He has ranked among the top-10 drivers since Atlanta in March 2004, 60 straight races, the longest current streak.
Robby Gordon gives his take on Michael Waltrip’s personality, "You know, everybody thinks Michael is a good guy. He's not the good guy. The caution was out and he wrecked me. He's a piece of s**t.” WELL at least he hit you. You missed him with your car and your helmet. Way to go, Robby.
“If people are going to run you over for no reason and think they’re going to get away with it, you just go out there and ruin their day too” Kasey Kahne thinks an eye for an eye is the way to go. Watch your back, Kasey, what comes around, goes around.
If your wondering what Kurt Busch said to crew chief Rodney Childers about the early race wreck at NHIS, here is a quote. “I just wanted to tell his crew chief that he started his car way to loose so hopefully they don’t hurt anybody else in the Chase.” I bet those weren’t his exact words.
Last year at this time Dale Earnhardt Jr had led a total of 926 laps. So far this year he has led 27 laps. Don’t ever let anyone tell you the pit crew is not important.
OBVIOUSLY YOU HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH THE TIRE RUB COMING OFF OF TURN 4 WHEN DALE EARNHARDT JR. TRIED TO PIT. ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED THERE? YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD A HARD TIME PULLING OUT FROM BEHIND HIM:

"Well obviously I ran into him now didn't I?" Obviously, Tony Stewart gets a bit peevish when asked a stupid question.
Jeff Gordon, speaking on NASCAR's weekly teleconference, hinted that Robbie Loomis, his crew chief since the start of the 2000 season, may not be back next year. "If it's up to me, yeah, I'd love to have him as my crew chief," Gordon said. "Robbie, with his mom and some of the illnesses she's gone through, he's trying to decide right now what his plans are." Gordon said his team's poor performance of late is not a factor in any decision he or Loomis might make.
Roush racing has all five of their drivers in the top 10 in the Nextel Cup points standings. In addition they have won 10 of the 25 races this year. Hendrick Motorsports has won 6. Joe Gibbs Racing has 5. Evernham Motorsports has
2 victories and DEI and Richard Childress Racing have one each.
The year-long engagement of CASCAR -- Canada's top stock car series -- and NASCAR -- the U.S. behemoth that controlsthe sport almost everywhere -- is headed to the bedroom for consummation. The London Free Press reported yesterdaythat it's a done deal that NASCAR will buy out CASCAR owner Tony Novotny sometime in the next month and begin operating the series in 2006.
Kurt Busch talks about his Chase strategy, “We’ve been somewhat under the radar. That's a position that the 97 team has been pushed into, but yet it's better to have that when you go into the Chase without those expectations because we can sneak up on them and gain those points when we need to.” Pushed into? Maybe he’s leaving the team because it’s hard to shine with so many talented drivers in the stable. Easier to be a big fish in a smaller pond.
“Every year is kind of like a snowflake – they're all different.” Looks like Tony's anger management classes helped him get in touch with his feminine side. Get your head in the game Smoke.
A merger between RCR and Dale Earnhardt Inc. is rumored to be in the works. Although DEI vice president Richie Gilmore says the partnership will involve nothing more than promotional plans, the two organizations enjoyed a beneficial aerodynamic alliance several years ago. Considering the strength of powerhouses Roush and Hendrick Motorsports, a merger between RCR and DEI makes sense. The little teams are slowly getting swept under the rug.
"It's just one of those nights, It was pathetic. We'll go to Richmond and see what we can do. It doesn't matter right now. Everywhere we go, we either stink or we're good. Apparently what we've done in the past doesn't mean anything right now." Jeff Gordon, who is only 30 points out of the Chase, seems a little petulant. How about some cheese with that whine Jeff.
NASCAR has finally stepped in to eradicate the excessive tire problems teams have experienced this season--and remove some of the heat from Goodyear in the process. A new camber rule was put in place at Michigan that limits the angle of the front tires to 8 degrees. "We've had tire issues this summer at Pocono and Indy (because of) excessive camber," says Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "Some teams were on the mark, but others were way off." NASCAR already has a rear camber rule of 2 degrees and checks cars with a camber gauge during inspection
NASCAR told teams at the drivers' meeting that it would begin recording air pressures on the front tires of all cars before each race, keep the information confidential and use it to evaluate performance and to investigate tire problems.
Pole setters at Tracks with the impound rule have tendency to fade quickly once the race gets started. Could this be because they are in qualifying trim and the rest of the field is in race trim? Some drivers will do anything to attract a sponsor especially if they know they can't win.
"They're holding you for two laps, Dale."
"What for?"
"Something about knocking the 12
into the fence. I told them I didn't
know what he was talking about."
- Dale Jarrett and crew, conversing after Jarrett's second collision with Ryan Newman in a 17-lap span during Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. NASCAR held Jarrett's No. 88 Ford for two laps for rough driving.
"I'm the first to admit that Bristol hasn't been one of my better tracks," said Joe Nemechek, whose previous best finish at the high-banked short track was 16th in the 1995 summer race. "But tonight I kind of broke the jinx. It's been crazy for me here in the past and I will take this 12th-place finish with a smile."
Roush Racing drivers have won 10 of the first 24 races in 2005. Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won five and Joe Gibbs Racing also has five victories. Evernham Motorsports has two and Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Richard Childress Racing each have one.
After Bristol Tony Stewart has 10 straight top 10 finishes, including 5 victories in the last 10 races. He also has 11 top 5 and 16 top 10 finishes this season, the most of any driver including Jimmie Johnson.
After 23 races in the Nextel Cup Series, Chevrolet has extended its lead over Ford in the Manufacturers’ Championship standings to 19 points – a season high. Chevrolet, which won the title in 2004, currently has 170 points and 12 wins.
Jack Roush, commenting on his initial meeting with Kurt Busch about changing teams, had this to say “At 8:05 we were together in a conference room and he told me that he recognized that he would not be in the business if I hadn’t have found him. That we discovered him, basically…that we’d surrounded him with people that had supported his talent …even thought sometimes he hadn’t recognized that he needed those people, so we agreed on that.” Jack is getting a raw deal.
The list of Cup drivers who will attempt to qualify for Bush race at Bristol include defending champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, Sterling Marlin, Greg Biffle, Michael Waltrip and Jeff Green. Kyle Busch is entered in the truck race as well.
Watch the battle to get into the top 10 in the Nextel Cup standings heat up. Jamie McMurray (10^th) is a mere 51 points ahead of Dale Jarrett (11^th) who is only 7 points ahead of Jeff Gordon.
Robby Gordon whines about the restarts at Watkins Glen. ‘Those last three starts, he kind of did to me what he did to Boris the time before and jabbed the brakes right at the last second and got me checked up and then he took off. That was the difference in him winning the race probably… You do everything you can to sucker your competition. I thought I was ready for it because he did it one time and got me going and then he did it again and he caught me on the second time." Smoke is smooth. You could barely tell he did that.
"We had an absolutely flawless day," said Tony Stewart about the race at Watkins Glen. "I've been in zones before where I would finish in the top three when I was in midgets and sprints. . . . To win five out of the last seven, and be in the top five for the last eight weeks, that's a pretty good record."
8 straight top 10 finishes - $950,000, 7 out of the last 8 top 5’s - $1.2 million., 5 wins in the last 7 Cup races - $8 million. Not having to climb the pole at Watkins Glen, Priceless.
Consistency pays off for Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin. Rusty has 8 top 10 finishes in the last 11 Cup races. Mark is 7 for 10. Neither one has won a race this year yet they sit 4^th and 5^th in the point standings. Score one for the veterans. Would either one of these guys retire after winning a Championship?
After a wreck on an early restart knocked Jr out of the race at Indy, he had this to say about his car, “Man, I just hope I don’t have to get in that piece of crap again today. Hopefully I can go home.”
With all the talk about the fines imposed on drivers and teams for using (not so proper) 4 letter words on national TV, it makes you wonder , if a driver said "shoot" but meant "shit" would he still be fined?
As we reported way back before the first race at Daytona, Michael Waltrip and DEI will part ways at the end of the 2005 season. Martin Truex Jr is slated to be the third car on the DEI team and Waltrip had this to say about that. "I almost think it would be a challenge for DEI to run three teams given the ability they have right now. They might think they can, and they might well do it, but it didn't look like it would favor me if that's what they decided to do."
Mike Skinner had the two fastest cars in testing at Indy on Tues. Both his main and backup cars beat out second fastest Bobby Hamilton Jr. Martin Truex Jr came in third.
Of the 10 drivers currently in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, 6 have not won a race yet this season.
Greg Stucker, Goodyear's director of race tire sales and marketing, said this of the tire problems at Chicago. "We didn't get the tire wear we definitely needed,... and it caused some of the tires to make to much heat, which they couldn't handle. No question, we will have a new tire here next time."
Mark Martin, after finishing a disapointing 39th at Daytona - "I'm glad this is the last time I ever have to race here." Mark never did win a race here.
"I'm way too old and too fat to be doing that." - Tony Stewart on climbing the flag stand after winning the Pepsi 400 at Daytona.
Jeff Gordon has finished 30th or worse in 5 of the last 6 Nextel Cup Series Races. We will see how he does at Daytona.
Tony Stewart now has two straight wins at road course tracks with his win last week at Infineon. His last win before Infineon was at Watkins Glen.
"You know, I just made a mistake." Dale Jr said after spinning team mate Michael Waltrip out in the Coca Cola 600. "There's no problem between me and Michael, and I think Michael understands that." So far, no comment from Michael.
Dale Jarrett on Carl Edwards. "The 99 ran into me going down the backstretch and I'm not taking any more of his bull. If he wants to mess with me, we can calm him down. I guarantee you that."
Carl Edwards comments on the matter. "I was just trying to bumpdraft him, push him a little bit, and man it did not work." This feud should be ironed out by race time.
Greg Biffle has four wins this season, the most of any cup driver. He also has 4 top 10 finishes in the last 5 cup series races.
Big move of the week at Dover, Mark Martin is up 6 spots to 6th in the Nextel Cup points race. Jeff Gordon is down 6 to 11th.
Jamie McMurray, currently 13th after Dover in the Nextel Cup points race, has not led a lap in any race this year.
Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle both have four top 10 finishes out of the last 4 races before Pocono this season.
With Dale Jarrett having, what is for him, a mediocre season you had to think something was going to give. Crew chief Mike Ford resigned Monday 5/16 after 18 months in the position. Rumor has it that he did a better job on the aero package for the truck than on Dales car.
Sterling Marlin has dropped from 6th to 23rd in the points standings over the last 6 races.
Bobby Labonte on his engine failure at Dover. "I looked under the hood, and all the belts were gone off the front of the motor." With 6 DNF's this season, ( 4 due to engine problems) Bobby needs to tighten the belts on his crew.
Kurt Busch was acting like a spoiled brat at Darlington, cursing, throwing things, ignoring officials. Where is Jimmy Spencer when you need him?
Because of the tantrum Kurt Busch threw at Darlington. Nascar in their infinite wisdom has put him on "Unofficial" double secrete probation. He was told to start acting like a champion and knock off the spoiled brat routine.
Click here for Rusty Wallace/Snap-On "Press Release"
Jimmie Johnson has got to be asking "Where is the love!!". Seems like he is being blamed for every wreck that has happened this season including the big one Sunday. Just remember Jimmie it is better to flipped off than flipped on.
After not hearing anything from Dale Jr for several minutes at Talladega crew chief Pete Rondeau asked "are you sleeping in there?" Jr responded "no I'm just flipping everybody off."
Jeff Gordon is 2 for 2 in restrictor plate races this year. With a total of 10 plate wins in his career he is officially "King of the plate races."
In his first race back from a 4 race cheating suspension, Todd Berrier let his #29 car (Kevin Harvick) run out of gas on the last lap. Kevin dropped from 7th to 19th place at Phoenix.
Rusty Wallace is in 3rd place after Texas in the Nextel Cup points race. His best finish this year is 5th at Martinsville.
Elliott Sadler has moved up 10 spots in the Cup standings in the last three races. He is currently 3rd after Martinsville.
Robby Gordon's decision to use engines built by John Menard this season, has really hurt him in his bid to field his own race team. Money talks and bullshit walks or so say's Robby. Check this quote out "John Menard can buy NASCAR and all of Roger Penske's teams and still have money in the bank," Gordon said. "He'll get this figured out." We'll see!!!!
WOW missed this, Shane Hmiel was fined $10,000 and docked 25 points in the standings for giving Dale Jarrett "the finger" during the Busch Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this week. The image was shown on live television.
Chad Knaus and Alan Gustafson both had their suspensions overturned. They both are under a 90 day probation instead of a 2 race suspension.
Todd Berrier (Harvick's crew chief) was not so lucky, NASCAR deemed his improprieties as deliberate and upheld the 4 race suspension.
It seems Jack Roush didn't think Carl Edwards could win the Atlanta race. In a post race press release he admitted he thought teammate Greg Biffle had the better car and he wanted Carl to let him pass. Biffle seemed a little miffed and said he "couldn't do nothin' " with two cars in front of him.
Jamie McMurry managed to wrestle his charger into fourth place. This is the best finish so for for the new Dodges. Other Dodges - Ryan Newman, 9th - Rusty Wallace, 10th - Ken Shrader, 14th - Sterling Marlin, 15th. YAWN.
Dodges suck. The new charger's nose has a tendency to suck up trash and cause engine overheating.
Todd Berrier (Harvick's crew chief) says "If I had to do it again, I'd still play it to try and get away with it, because I know how I got caught." Sounds like he's from the "It ain't cheatin unless you get caught" school of thought.
Bill Elliot alert! Of the six races he started in 04, 5 resulted in finishes of 18th or worse. Same stuff, different year.
Ken Shrader was fined $5,000 for an unapproved final drive gear at California.
Scott Riggs got lucky with a fourth place finish at Daytona. That will probably be his best finish all year.
RUMOR has it that Johnson, Kahne, Martin, Mayfield, J Gordon, Busch all have fast cars at California.
Of the past nine races at California Speedway, four have been won from the top five. The other five have come from sixteenth or worse.
The new Dodge Charger's debut at Daytona wasn't that impressive, they came in 8th, 9th, and 10th.
With three wins out of the last four restrictor plate races, Jeff Gordon is fast becoming the new "King of Plate racing." Watch out Jr.
Nascar will reduce the size of the spoiler from 5 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches on all Cup cars.
Michael Waltrip has a contract for the 2005 season, However, DEI reportedly wants a top ten season for him to keep his ride.
Mark Martin may end up in the Craftsman Truck Series in 06
Evernham Motorsports recruits "Slugger" Labbe to help develop restrictor plate program.
Dale Earnhardt Jr will buy his own plane. He got tired of bumming rides. It made Tony Stewarts day. (=:
Carl Edwards had 13 starts in 2004, 5 of them ended in top 10 finishes.
DEI played musical chairs with their crew chiefs. Waltrip and Jr switched.
Brian Vickers reunites with Lance McGrew, his 03 Busch series championship crew chief.
Scott Pruett, with only two starts last year, finished one point ahead of Andy Hillenburg, who had five.
It has been rumored that besides not having a Nextel Cup ride this year, Ward Burton is a little difficult to work with.
The new Dodge 2005 cup car is a "Charger". If you have been around Nascar racing for long that has to bring back a lot of memories. Like # 43.
Terry Labonte is only going to compete in 10 races for 2005.
With altercations on and off the track in 2004 it looks like Jimmy Spencer will have a lot of time on his hands in 2005. Jimmy will be 48 in February.
Watch out for Petty and Green, after having a lot of problems with their in house motors in 2004 they decided to switch to Ray Evernham's motor program for 2005.
Indy car owner John Menard will be building one of a kind motors for Robby Gordon's new team.
The pressure is on Waltrip and Marlin for 2005. Do not be surprised if one or both are rideless in Nextel before the end of the season.

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Send mail to webmaster@cswebs.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2004 - 2008 Nascar Cheat Sheet "Not Affiliated With NASCAR™"
Last modified: 10-Jul-2008