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Happy Friday! Enjoy the 3 day weekend.
Today In Nascar History
9/01/1952 Fonty Flock wins at Darlington, his 1st win of the season and 10th of his career.
9/01/1958 Fireball Roberts wins at Darlington, his 4th win of the season and 18th of his career.
9/01/1969 LeeRoy Yarbrough wins at Darlington, his 6th win of the season and 12th of his career.
9/01/1975 Bobby Allison wins at Darlington, his 3rd win of the season and 47th of his career.
9/01/1980 Terry Labonte wins at Darlington, his 1st win of the season and 1st of his career.
9/01/1985 Bill Elliott wins at Darlington, his 10th win of the season and 14th of his career.
9/01/1991 Harry Gant wins at Darlington, his 2nd win of the season and 13th of his career.
9/01/1996 Jeff Gordon wins at Darlington, his 7th win of the season and 16th of his career.
9/01/2002 Jeff Gordon wins at Darlington, his 2nd win of the season and 60th of his career.
"When Junior passed me for the lead, I couldn't see for two laps, there were so many flashbulbs going off."
-- Matt Kenseth on Speed's NASCAR Victory Lane
Thanks VCJ!
Quote of the Day
"I think the Chase puts more pressure on more people. Because at this point four years ago, there were three or four cars that could win a championship, and at this point right now, there's about 12."
-Jeff Burton
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News gathered from multiple sources, including but not limited to: Jayski.com, Cup Scene Daily, Thatsracin.com, catchfence.com, nascar.com, yahoo!, espn.com and others.
from RD
RE: The post about Jimmy Spenser, I agree. I have for some time now noticed what the writer said, but didn't speak out. But now I will. Spencer simply acts like a dumb-ass trying to convince everyone he isn't.
Now about Kenny Wallace, what is up with him? He sits there on long shots waiving his arms, making faces, and generally vieing for attention like a 10 year old who doesn't think he is getting enough attention...what a nit wit.
rd
Terry Labonte returns to the track: Driving a #44 GMAC Chevrolet, two-time Nextel Cup Series champion Terry Labonte will make his 12th start at California Speedway on Sunday. It will mark the final California race of his storied career. Labonte will next race at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 1, followed by his final trip to Lowe's Motor Speedway on Oct. 14. The last race of his career will come Nov. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway. Labonte will return to his native Corpus Christi, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 6 to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Whataburger Field prior to Game 2 of the Texas League Division Series. Labonte will be pulling for his hometown Corpus Christi Hooks, owned by baseball great and fellow Texas legend Nolan Ryan.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)
There will be special offers and giveaways for those signing up to give blood, including: · A chance to win a 2006 Harley Davidson Fat Boy · Free Martinsville Speedway hotdogs and Pepsi · Free ticket to SUBWAY 500 pole day · Free T-shirt · A “goody” bag During the day several races cars will be on display in the infield and fans will have the opportunity to walk around the racing surface of the historic half-mile oval. There will also be live music throughout the day. At 6 p.m. there will be a commemorative ceremony in the infield in remembrance of September 11, 2001. There will be a moment of silence, a prayer, the national anthem played by local musicians and a color guard. Everyone is urged to attend the remembrance ceremony, whether you plan on giving blood or not. The NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive will be at tracks from coast-to-coast so that all race fans may get involved. Thirteen tracks are participating: Michigan International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, California Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway and Watkins Glen. Additionally, Hendrick Motorsports is also participating. - Martinsville Speedway, Press Release
Deputy Chief Anthony Cannatella of the New Orleans Police Department will serve as honorary crew chief of SKI Motorsports' No. 30 Chevrolet and driver Mike Skinner in Friday's Ameriquest 300 Busch Series race at California Speedway.
Cannatella, a 39-year police veteran, is being recognized for his leadership in commanding the rescue and relief efforts of the NOPD's Sixth District in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster last year.
Kathy Grindle
Cup Scene Daily
Last week I made a road trip to my hometown of Paducah, Ky. Heading back home is always nice, but it’s always an added bonus when I’m heading home to see a dirt track race. Not just any dirt track race though; it was Paducah International Raceway’s NASCAR Night III.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ken Schrader and promoter Bob Sargent own Paducah International Raceway (PIR), a 3/8th mile, high-banked oval, nestled amongst cornfields, soybean fields and country roads.
And while PIR may be out in the “boondocks,” it certainly isn’t lacking in popularity. Perhaps that had a lot to do with the special appearance list for NASCAR Night III; Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart and Martin Truex Jr.
When I arrived at the track on race day, I was a little surprised at how full the parking lot, actually a field, was. I couldn’t have parked any further from the entrance. My arrival timing qualified me in spot all the way down to the tree line in the back of the field. That just gave me more time to get excited about my arrival to the track, although a lucky dog pass would have been nice.
At first, I thought I was quite the adventurous one, making the five-hour drive from Atlanta for the race. Then I heard about J.T., Jeff and Jim, some folks who made the seven-hour trip from Ohio and slept in the van at the track after arriving around midnight.
I made my way up to the “pit shack” to get signed in. The pit shack sits at the entrance of the L-shaped pit area. The pits are more or less a gravel parking lot outside of the oval--thrilling nonetheless. While waiting to get my pass, I looked towards the backstretch of the pits and lo’ and behold there was Tony Stewart.
While it’s great to be able to catch a close-up glimpse of a NASCAR driver at a Superspeedway and get the chance to talk to them, there’s just something about seeing these guys at the local dirt tracks that is exhilarating. It’s also a thrill to see them racing alongside the local drivers.
For duration of the race, I made my way up to the top of the suites and scoring tower. As a part of the opening ceremony, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took to the microphone, welcoming the fans and presenting a $5,000.00 check to the Make-A-Wish foundation from himself, Ken Schrader and Bob Sargent.
After the race got underway, there was plenty of excitement to go around. If you’ve never been to a dirt track race before, you are really missing out. There really are no words to describe how exciting it is to watch these cars slide around the corners, especially when even after exiting the turn, the left side of the car is still off the ground.
Getting a little air can be exciting, but there’s definitely a limit where seeing air under a car can leave you completely speechless. During the UMP (United Midwest Promoters) Super Late Model Feature Event, current UMP National and Northern All Star point leader Randy Korte went for quite a tumble down the track. I saw the wreck begin to unfold when there was a four-way battle for the lead. Korte got into the wall on the front stretch and sparks started to fly. Then as if there were a ramp there, his car seemed to climb up the wall, sending him into multiple flips, a few of which were mid-air and above the wall. Korte’s car ultimately landed on the track on its roof. Korte was not seriously injured and is planning on being back in the car this Friday.
During the feature, Tony Stewart was moving up through the field fast, taking position after position. I was getting excited along with his fans, because I realized I was standing above the suites, right behind the flagman—the perfect spot to get a shot of Stewart climbing the fence. The rare photo however was not to be; unfortunately Stewart hit the wall on lap 10, spun and cut a tire, finishing 12th.
Brian Shirley finished first, Ken Schrader second, Kevin Cole third, Randy Sellars fourth and fifth place went to John Tindal.
The race might have been over, but the excitement continued for quite a while. PIR put on an impressive fireworks show for the race fans. After continuing for several minutes the fireworks show really went out with a bang with its jaw-dropping finale.
When all was said and done, I hung out at the track for a while to let some of the traffic die down. Sitting in traffic in Atlanta is one thing, but if I were stuck in stop and go traffic in the country like that, a bypass off the narrow road and through a field would be entirely too tempting. As I left the main gates and looked out into the parking area for my truck, I found myself somewhat amused to see how lonely it looked, sitting all by itself in the back of a nearly-empty field. However, the solitude reminded me that I wasn’t in the city, but in the country, where many of the NASCAR drivers got their start to success.
It turned out to be a fantastic trip home.
California Speedway
As told to Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
Think you know everything about NASCAR and its teams? Robert "Bootie" Barker, crew chief of Jeff Green's No. 66 Chevrolet, dispels some notions about life at NASCAR's top level.
Myth: A 25-year-old can't be an effective crew chief.
Fiction: It depends on the person and the situation. If a guy has grown up working in racing and has been doing it for 12 or 13 years already, and he's a smart guy and is with a good team, I see no reason why a 25-year-old can't be a good crew chief.
I think I was only 27 when I became a crew chief. There's a few guys in their mid to late-20s who are crew chiefs and seem to be doing a good job. It's all relative to the individual and the situation he's in.
Myth: Drivers get 100 percent of the purse.
Fiction: I haven't read every driver's contract, so I can't say for sure whether or not that's completely false, but I think it's a rare situation where the driver gets 100 percent. I'd say it's fairly common for the driver to get 40 percent of the purse, and some of the elite guys may even get 50 percent.
Where guys can make more money is with a higher base salary, or maybe they can negotiate a higher percentage of the revenues from their souvenirs or whatever. Also, they can make more through their personal endorsements.
If a guy's getting 100 percent of the purse, he's probably not getting any sort of base salary, so he better hope his team does extremely well and wins big purses. Again, I don't think there's many ,if any, guys who are doing it that way.
Myth: Over-the-wall crew are almost always under 40 years of age.
Fact: Yeah, that's pretty much true, and it's increasingly becoming the trend to go with younger guys. You want to get the best athletes you can, and you want to have them do the job for many years, so it makes sense to go with the younger guys.
Occasionally, you'll see a tire changer or carrier who's around 40, but usually the only guys who are around that age that go over the wall are your gas men or catch can men. It's no different from other athletic activities, in that a younger guy is usually quicker and stronger. It's a sad fact of life for us older guys, but it's true.
Myth: Crew chiefs are typically very stingy when sharing information.
Fact: This is absolutely true. All of us crew chiefs are paranoid, and whether or not we actually know something the other guys don't, we think we do, so we don't want to share too much.
There are some crew chiefs who'll talk to you and only tell you about 75 percent of the story, so it's not like they're lying. They're just not telling you everything they know.
Then there are some crew chiefs who'll lie to your face. Now, if there's a guy talking to you who is just way off the mark in his thinking, you'll usually point him in the right direction on information, because this is still somewhat of an extended family in the garage.
You want to beat the guy, but you don't want him to be embarrassed, so you'll tell him what he needs to know to keep him in the hunt. But, if your team has worked for two months on something to gain a slight advantage, and it takes you 10 seconds to tell that info to another crew chief, you're breaching the trust of your team by giving away all their hard work.
Now, if the other crew chief knows something useful that can help your team, then it's only fair to do a mutual trade of information.
Myth: It takes forever to paint a car.
Fiction: This depends on whether or not it's a superspeedway car for Talladega and Daytona, or if it's a downforce car.
If it's a downforce car, the idea is to keep the weight down, so you want to use as little Bondo (body filler) material as possible, and it doesn't have to be a perfect paint job. As long as it fits the templates and is fairly smooth, you're good to go.
When it's a car for Daytona, you really work on fitting the templates and getting the car as smooth as possible, so it can take up to three times as long. Your guys will Bondo the car, fit it to templates, sand it, Bondo it, fit it, sand it, etcetera.
If they have the time to really do it right, they'll paint it and clear coat it until the finish is like glass, so it can really slip through the air. On a downforce car, once it's primered and goes into the paint booth, it takes about a day to get it done. With a superspeedway car, it could be three times that, or more.
If NASCAR Stole Points Today; Edwards Selling Tickets For NASCAR
With three races left before the Cup playoffs begin, NASCAR would like everyone to make a big deal out of the "race" for 10th in the standings. I say hog wash. As of today Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the guy in 10th and he's 484 points behind leader Jimmy Johnson -- 484 points behind the leader!
That deficit drops to 45 in three races. If the playoffs started today, that would be 439 points just tossed out the window. In fact, if the playoffs started after last Sunday, Johnson would have woke up this past Monday morning missing a total of 3,206 points. Read that again, 3,206 points. He's a combined whopping 3,431 ahead of the next nine guys in points. Once the playoffs start the number drops to 225.
Let's go back to that 484 figure. First place pays 185 points, 43rd pays 34 points. If Johnson took the green flag in the next three races and then immediately drove back to the garage, climbed out of the car and went home, while Earnhardt went on the win ALL three events, Johnson would still be 31 points ahead.
Instead Johnson will run most, if not all, the laps in the three events and Earnhardt might not win any of them. But because of Brian France's smoke-and-mirrors show Johnson will be 45 points ahead of whoever is in 10th after those three races. And let's not forget that 484 point deficit could even be more.
Do you realize Kevin Harvick is third, 317 points back? Johnson could go home early the next two races and Harvick, the guy in third, still couldn't catch him. But yet Harvick, Earnhardt and about eight others could be crowned the 2007 Cup Champion. Don't believe the hype, that's just not right.
And the scary part is France is going to change the playoffs so even more undeserving guys get into the playoffs. I don't like it, I don't like it one bit. Run 26 races, wipe the slate clean and then give the championship to the guy who strings together a mere 10 good races ... Boo!!!
• Even NASCAR Scene recently did a top 10 mocking the foolishness. Their idea of a few changes to the playoff format under consideration for next season included -- any team with at least 400 points automatically qualifies.
• Sponsor exemption for any team whose primary funding comes from an official sponsor of NASCAR.
• Any current open-wheel driver who happens to be female and whose initials are D.P. is automatically qualified.
• TV coverage of those not in the playoffs encouraged, but only during rain delays.
• And the No. 1 idea is -- If all else fails, reset points so all playoff teams are tied for the lead going into the season's final race.
Edwards Was Mad: NASCAR announced Aug. 22 Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 car in the Busch Series, has been fined $20,000 and placed on probation until December 31, 2006 for running into Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 19.
First things first, Edwards was NOT on probation for his latest run-in with Tony Stewart a few weeks ago. For those of you who spent the last week in outer space, Edwards didn't like the fact Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked him to win the Busch race last Saturday (and I can't say I blame him) and he later showed his displeasure by running into the side of Junior's car.
After sitting in Junior's pit stall for a few seconds, Edwards took off down pit road (speeding I'm sure) and right out onto the track. Junior was riding around behind the pace car with his hand out the window and Edwards slammed right into the driver's side of Junior's car. Running into a guy on the race track is a no-no, but it does get plenty of air time on stations that otherwise wouldn't show clips of the race. And doesn't NASCAR love that!
For the record I don't agree with Junior wrecking Edwards to win the race but that's NASCAR racing at its "finest". Did Edwards get a tad loose? He sure did. Did Junior lift for a second? He sure didn't, instead he chose not to. But because NASCAR allows it, just about every driver in the field would have done the same thing including Edwards (even you Edwards fans have to admit he's run into his share of others). Was the fine a little low? I think so and I'm guessing even Edwards was thinking it was going to be higher.
Some were calling for Edwards to be parked for using his car as a weapon. Some compare it to a few years ago when Kevin Harvick spun Coy Gibbs in the Truck Series. The difference is Harvick was on probation, Edwards was not. And Harvick had some choice words for Bill France Jr. and had been in more run-ins then Edwards.
And can anyone tell me how Edwards was allowed to trot all the way to victory lane to confront Junior? Isn't there like 50 (at least one for each in the field) NASCAR officials on the payroll for a Busch race? Can't possibly have anything to do with the TV ratings ... nah!
Mayfield In A Whorff Motorsports Car This Weekend: No, not the Cup race. Bill and Jeremie Whorff, the father/son combination that finished one-two in this year's Oxford 250 at Oxford-Plains (ME) Speedway, will be furnishing Jeremy Mayfield with a car for the PASS South Series race, the Over-the-Mountain 150, at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway on Aug. 27.
Mayfield recently left the No. 19 Evernham Motorsports team and should be announcing this weekend he's signed to drive a Toyota next year for Bill Davis Racing.
Chuckle Of The Week: Eddie D'Hondt recently left Robert Yates Racing to co-own (Bill) Riley-D'Hondt Motorsports Cup team. D'Hondt says he's learned some valuable lessons as he's worked his way up through the sport.
When he worked for veteran car owner Junie Donlavey, he said he learned to race within a budget. Just how limited was the budget he was asked recently? He replied, "We had eight race cars but only two steering wheels."
From Where I Stand: For those scoring at home, last Saturday night at Oxford Plains (ME) Speedway, 14 of the top 15 guys in Pro Stock points showed up to race. Only Ricky Rolfe, who wrecked his race car in the 250 and is done for the season, wasn't there. I had heard rumblings that a good share of the drivers "would never race at Oxford again" because of the recent announcement of Oxford dropping the Pro Stocks in favor of Late Models in 2007.
• If you're a race car driver who jumps to the outside groove just to block someone, you're a bad race car driver. You've seen the jerk, after running around behind the same guy single file for 10 laps he turns right just because some guy is going to pass him. It'd be one thing if he got out there and went, but to jump out there only to block is dirty pool.
And if you're a spotter and tell your driver to get out there to block, you're just bad for the sport and I hope it happens to you and your driver some day.
Support The Racin Paper: Are you one of the thousands of fans who pick up a free copy of Mark "Marco" Thomas' Racin Paper at your local track each week? If so how about helping to keep the paper alive by sending him $18.99 for 20 issues during the off season.
The jury is still out, but Speedway Scene may have printed their last paper. When Marco started his paper a few years back he was one of four such publications. All but him have now come and gone. If we don't support him his paper too will disappear. It's less than a buck a week.
The address is P.O. Box 289, Conway NH 03818 or call him at 603-447-4251. You can also check out his web site at racinpaper.com/site/index.php.
Qualifying: Nextel Cup Series Sony HD 500 Friday, Sept. 1 6:30 p.m. Speed
Busch Series Ameriquest 300 Saturday, Sept. 2 10 p.m. TNT
Nextel Cup Series Sony HD 500 Sunday, Sept. 3 8 p.m. NBC
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
Your
Momma
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
9/01/1952 Fonty Flock wins at Darlington, his 1st win of the season and 10th of his career.
9/01/1958 Fireball Roberts wins at Darlington, his 4th win of the season and 18th of his career.
9/01/1969 LeeRoy Yarbrough wins at Darlington, his 6th win of the season and 12th of his career.
9/01/1975 Bobby Allison wins at Darlington, his 3rd win of the season and 47th of his career.
9/01/1980 Terry Labonte wins at Darlington, his 1st win of the season and 1st of his career.
9/01/1985 Bill Elliott wins at Darlington, his 10th win of the season and 14th of his career.
9/01/1991 Harry Gant wins at Darlington, his 2nd win of the season and 13th of his career.
9/01/1996 Jeff Gordon wins at Darlington, his 7th win of the season and 16th of his career.
9/01/2002 Jeff Gordon wins at Darlington, his 2nd win of the season and 60th of his career.
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Quote of the Month"When Junior passed me for the lead, I couldn't see for two laps, there were so many flashbulbs going off."
-- Matt Kenseth on Speed's NASCAR Victory Lane
Thanks VCJ!
Quote of the Day
"I think the Chase puts more pressure on more people. Because at this point four years ago, there were three or four cars that could win a championship, and at this point right now, there's about 12."
-Jeff Burton
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Comments from the Peanut Galleryfrom RD
RE: The post about Jimmy Spenser, I agree. I have for some time now noticed what the writer said, but didn't speak out. But now I will. Spencer simply acts like a dumb-ass trying to convince everyone he isn't.
Now about Kenny Wallace, what is up with him? He sits there on long shots waiving his arms, making faces, and generally vieing for attention like a 10 year old who doesn't think he is getting enough attention...what a nit wit.
rd
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Bits and PiecesTerry Labonte returns to the track: Driving a #44 GMAC Chevrolet, two-time Nextel Cup Series champion Terry Labonte will make his 12th start at California Speedway on Sunday. It will mark the final California race of his storied career. Labonte will next race at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 1, followed by his final trip to Lowe's Motor Speedway on Oct. 14. The last race of his career will come Nov. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway. Labonte will return to his native Corpus Christi, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 6 to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Whataburger Field prior to Game 2 of the Texas League Division Series. Labonte will be pulling for his hometown Corpus Christi Hooks, owned by baseball great and fellow Texas legend Nolan Ryan.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)
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Kahne's event raises $144k; Stewart ok after wreck: #9-Kasey Kahne's year-old charity, the Kasey Kahne Foundation, which raises money to aid disadvantaged and critically ill children, raised $144,000 from Race night at Skagit Speedway [WA]. Fans clamored to see him and fellow NASCAR driver Tony Stewart take part in the sold-out event. They came early and stayed late. They proffered everything from hats and glossies to model cars and T-shirts for autographs. Some just wanted to be near him, as evidenced by the squealing teenage girl who got close enough to take a picture on her cell phone before running off with a hugest of grins. It even took a little sting out of what could have been a bad break. Stewart, the defending Nextel Cup champion and currently eighth in the standings, flipped his car going around the third turn on the first lap of his qualifying heat. His car, which was later auctioned off, was badly damaged and Stewart appeared to have suffered a minor concussion. He was deemed fine enough to skip a hospital visit. Stewart returned later in street clothes, joking around in the pits with Kahne. Even the crash couldn't dampen the night's good vibes. "I love dirt track racing," Stewart told the crowd. "I was looking forward more to racing Kasey and being here than racing in (Sunday's Nextel Cup race at) Fontana (Calif.) this weekend. I love this kid like a little brother and I'm glad I could be here."(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Martinsville Speedway To Host Blood Drive, 9/11 Remembrance: Martinsville Speedway will be part of a nationwide blood drive on September 11 that will include a ceremony in remembrance of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The blood drive will be held in the infield of Martinsville Speedway from noon until 7 p.m. In addition to giving blood, fans are also encouraged to join the National Marrow Donor Program Registry of volunteer marrow donors during the blood drive on September 11. Martinsville Speedway, Carilion and the American Red Cross will partner with the NASCAR Foundation, the Hendrick Marrow Program and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation to present the local blood and marrow drive. Anyone wishing to make an appointment to donate on September 11 may do so by visiting nascar.com/foundation online. The Red Cross will also be signing up walk-up donations the day of the event. The National Marrow Donor Program will also be on site signing up potential donors.There will be special offers and giveaways for those signing up to give blood, including: · A chance to win a 2006 Harley Davidson Fat Boy · Free Martinsville Speedway hotdogs and Pepsi · Free ticket to SUBWAY 500 pole day · Free T-shirt · A “goody” bag During the day several races cars will be on display in the infield and fans will have the opportunity to walk around the racing surface of the historic half-mile oval. There will also be live music throughout the day. At 6 p.m. there will be a commemorative ceremony in the infield in remembrance of September 11, 2001. There will be a moment of silence, a prayer, the national anthem played by local musicians and a color guard. Everyone is urged to attend the remembrance ceremony, whether you plan on giving blood or not. The NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive will be at tracks from coast-to-coast so that all race fans may get involved. Thirteen tracks are participating: Michigan International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, California Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway and Watkins Glen. Additionally, Hendrick Motorsports is also participating. - Martinsville Speedway, Press Release
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Hurricane Katrina hero serving as honorary crew chief Deputy Chief Anthony Cannatella of the New Orleans Police Department will serve as honorary crew chief of SKI Motorsports' No. 30 Chevrolet and driver Mike Skinner in Friday's Ameriquest 300 Busch Series race at California Speedway.
Cannatella, a 39-year police veteran, is being recognized for his leadership in commanding the rescue and relief efforts of the NOPD's Sixth District in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster last year.
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Drivers adapting to not racing in the Southern 500
As the drivers head to California Speedway for the Sony HD 500 this weekend, some are still thinking of the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule and the way things used to be.
Veteran Kyle Petty says it's still a little different being in Calilfornia instead of Darlington Raceway, where the Southern 500 was one of NASCAR's premier events and a Labor Day weekend fixture for years.
"I grew up going to Darlington on this weekend every year. It was like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter," Petty said. "Some things are just givens. Darlington on Labor Day was just one of them.
"But, hey, things change. We had to grow with the sport and head West. We've been coming to California Speedway for a while. Now, we just come back on Labor Day. It's not the Southern 500, but it's still a race. It never used to be like this. It's just different."
Petty says the change was just something that needed to be done to help the sport expand its audience. With NASCAR growing and expanding and trying to tap into a new audience, some alterations to the schedule were needed.
"It was just a change that had to be done to help grow the sport," he said. "If you look at it like that, yeah, it was something that was good for the sport. We have a lot of races in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. We had to make a balance with some more races in the West. I think we have done a good job by adding another race here.
"I think it's still important we keep working on New York City and in the Northwest. We still need to hit those areas. The Busch Series is in Mexico, and there has been a lot of talk about Canada. NASCAR, as a whole, is doing a good job of balancing the schedules. You're never going to make everyone happy, but they do a good job."
Veteran Kyle Petty says it's still a little different being in Calilfornia instead of Darlington Raceway, where the Southern 500 was one of NASCAR's premier events and a Labor Day weekend fixture for years.
"I grew up going to Darlington on this weekend every year. It was like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter," Petty said. "Some things are just givens. Darlington on Labor Day was just one of them.
"But, hey, things change. We had to grow with the sport and head West. We've been coming to California Speedway for a while. Now, we just come back on Labor Day. It's not the Southern 500, but it's still a race. It never used to be like this. It's just different."
Petty says the change was just something that needed to be done to help the sport expand its audience. With NASCAR growing and expanding and trying to tap into a new audience, some alterations to the schedule were needed.
"It was just a change that had to be done to help grow the sport," he said. "If you look at it like that, yeah, it was something that was good for the sport. We have a lot of races in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. We had to make a balance with some more races in the West. I think we have done a good job by adding another race here.
"I think it's still important we keep working on New York City and in the Northwest. We still need to hit those areas. The Busch Series is in Mexico, and there has been a lot of talk about Canada. NASCAR, as a whole, is doing a good job of balancing the schedules. You're never going to make everyone happy, but they do a good job."
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Dirty Boys
Cup Scene Daily
Last week I made a road trip to my hometown of Paducah, Ky. Heading back home is always nice, but it’s always an added bonus when I’m heading home to see a dirt track race. Not just any dirt track race though; it was Paducah International Raceway’s NASCAR Night III.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ken Schrader and promoter Bob Sargent own Paducah International Raceway (PIR), a 3/8th mile, high-banked oval, nestled amongst cornfields, soybean fields and country roads.
And while PIR may be out in the “boondocks,” it certainly isn’t lacking in popularity. Perhaps that had a lot to do with the special appearance list for NASCAR Night III; Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart and Martin Truex Jr.
When I arrived at the track on race day, I was a little surprised at how full the parking lot, actually a field, was. I couldn’t have parked any further from the entrance. My arrival timing qualified me in spot all the way down to the tree line in the back of the field. That just gave me more time to get excited about my arrival to the track, although a lucky dog pass would have been nice.
At first, I thought I was quite the adventurous one, making the five-hour drive from Atlanta for the race. Then I heard about J.T., Jeff and Jim, some folks who made the seven-hour trip from Ohio and slept in the van at the track after arriving around midnight.
I made my way up to the “pit shack” to get signed in. The pit shack sits at the entrance of the L-shaped pit area. The pits are more or less a gravel parking lot outside of the oval--thrilling nonetheless. While waiting to get my pass, I looked towards the backstretch of the pits and lo’ and behold there was Tony Stewart.
While it’s great to be able to catch a close-up glimpse of a NASCAR driver at a Superspeedway and get the chance to talk to them, there’s just something about seeing these guys at the local dirt tracks that is exhilarating. It’s also a thrill to see them racing alongside the local drivers.
For duration of the race, I made my way up to the top of the suites and scoring tower. As a part of the opening ceremony, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took to the microphone, welcoming the fans and presenting a $5,000.00 check to the Make-A-Wish foundation from himself, Ken Schrader and Bob Sargent.
After the race got underway, there was plenty of excitement to go around. If you’ve never been to a dirt track race before, you are really missing out. There really are no words to describe how exciting it is to watch these cars slide around the corners, especially when even after exiting the turn, the left side of the car is still off the ground.
Getting a little air can be exciting, but there’s definitely a limit where seeing air under a car can leave you completely speechless. During the UMP (United Midwest Promoters) Super Late Model Feature Event, current UMP National and Northern All Star point leader Randy Korte went for quite a tumble down the track. I saw the wreck begin to unfold when there was a four-way battle for the lead. Korte got into the wall on the front stretch and sparks started to fly. Then as if there were a ramp there, his car seemed to climb up the wall, sending him into multiple flips, a few of which were mid-air and above the wall. Korte’s car ultimately landed on the track on its roof. Korte was not seriously injured and is planning on being back in the car this Friday.
During the feature, Tony Stewart was moving up through the field fast, taking position after position. I was getting excited along with his fans, because I realized I was standing above the suites, right behind the flagman—the perfect spot to get a shot of Stewart climbing the fence. The rare photo however was not to be; unfortunately Stewart hit the wall on lap 10, spun and cut a tire, finishing 12th.
Brian Shirley finished first, Ken Schrader second, Kevin Cole third, Randy Sellars fourth and fifth place went to John Tindal.
The race might have been over, but the excitement continued for quite a while. PIR put on an impressive fireworks show for the race fans. After continuing for several minutes the fireworks show really went out with a bang with its jaw-dropping finale.
When all was said and done, I hung out at the track for a while to let some of the traffic die down. Sitting in traffic in Atlanta is one thing, but if I were stuck in stop and go traffic in the country like that, a bypass off the narrow road and through a field would be entirely too tempting. As I left the main gates and looked out into the parking area for my truck, I found myself somewhat amused to see how lonely it looked, sitting all by itself in the back of a nearly-empty field. However, the solitude reminded me that I wasn’t in the city, but in the country, where many of the NASCAR drivers got their start to success.
It turned out to be a fantastic trip home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bobby Hamilton's goal remains the same: to race
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Forget that image of the valiant hero, battle with stoic nobility. For Bobby Hamilton, fighting cancer has been a nasty, difficult business.
Thirty-two times, Hamilton laid strapped to a table with a hard plastic mask, specially molded to fit him, covering his face, neck and upper torso as, for 20 minutes at a time, radiation was fired at the cancer cells in his neck.
Once, about three-fourths of the way through that part of his ordeal, Hamilton began waving his hands signaling for the treatment to stop. Mucus in his throat had build up to the point where Hamilton simply couldn't finish. He had 18 seconds left.
"They've won," Hamilton said. "I am pretty strong, but they have beaten the crap out of me. I don't mind telling you that. I wouldn't wish this on anybody."
That's not a concession. In fact, his medical report is replete with optimism and Hamilton's resolve to return to NASCAR Truck Series competition, perhaps as soon as the final race this year, is as strong as it ever was.
His matter-of-fact honesty, always a Hamilton trademark, also has not changed through weeks of chemotherapy and radiation at Vanderbilt University's hospital.
On March 17, Hamilton announced his diagnosis to a room full of stunned reporters at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He ran in the Truck race that night, then went to the hospital on Monday to start getting better. He had his final scheduled treatment on June 7.
Hamilton had severe blistering on his neck and sores in his mouth.
The swelling in his neck was so bad at one point he couldn't swallow his own saliva. His white blood cell count dropped and doctors warned that even the most mundane form of infection could turn into a major issue.
"I don't mind telling you I've sat up and looked at Lori (his finacee) and said, 'I just don't understand it,' and then burst into tears," Hamilton admits. "It's like, 'What am I doing wrong?'"
When people hear you've seen Hamilton, they invariably ask how he looks. He looks like he's had one hell of a fist fight, and that the foe most certainly got his licks in.
On good days now he can swallow sips of liquid. But on Wednesday he tried to take a small pill and couldn't get it down. Twenty-four hours later his throat still hurt like the pill was still stuck there.
He weighed around 200 pounds when this all started. Doctors told him to gain as much weight when he could still eat, and he made it up to 213. He then went down to as low as 169. Now, he's back up to 180, taking nutrition through a tube in his stomach.
Despite their toll on his body, the treatments have done the job. The prognosis is encouraging, but his lead physician, Dr. Barbara Murphy, doesn't talk in absolutes.
"She's very careful about that," says Hamilton's fiancé, Lori Shuler. "She doesn't say, 'Oh, you're cured of cancer. You're 100 percent clean.'"
A group of doctors at Vanderbilt's cancer center was split on whether Hamilton should have surgery to dissect a lymph node to check for lingering cancer. Dr. Murphy came down on the side of surgery, and now it's scheduled for Thursday.
"I don't want to go to bed at night," Hamilton says, "thinking we half-assed it."
It's still a long road back. Hamilton is weak, but after the surgery his rehab will pick up steam and he vows to start reclaiming the strength sapped from him over the past five months.
"The doctor told me that I'd take two steps forward and then one back," Hamilton said. "My problem is I haven't learned. I've learned a lot, but not enough.
"Last Sunday I had such a perfect day. It was like nothing had ever happened to me and I went all day long. But then it took me two or three days to get over it."
He came to Bristol on Wednesday to see the Truck Series teams he owns compete and wound up going to the infield care center to get two intravenous bags of fluid. Shuler nearly took him to the emergency room that night, but he was better on Thursday.
In June, not long after the final treatment and while the worst of the side effects were raging, Robbie Loomis called. Loomis, who'd worked at Petty Enterprises when Hamilton drove the No. 43 car, wanted to stop by on the way to the race in Sonoma, Calif. He brought Richard Petty, Kyle Petty and Dale Inman along, and they sat around and told stories and laughed.
"I think about that day a lot," Hamilton says. "That meant a lot to me to have them come by. Dale Inman walked up to me and said, 'I think about you every day.' And his eyes teared up."
Fellow Truck series driver Jack Sprague called. "He said, 'I don't handle this kind of stuff well. Just get better.'" Hamilton says.
Hamilton's son, Bobby Jr., has struggled, too.
"He walked in my office the other day," Hamilton says. "I was in there filing away some bills. "He looked at me and said, 'Why is your neck swollen again?' I said, 'What?' He said, 'Right there.' I said, 'That's just where I was bent over.'
"I keep having dreams that stuff has come back," Hamilton Jr. told his father.
Shuler remembers a woman at the hospital.
"Her neck was all blistered up and she'd had surgery," Shuler said. "She said, 'You don't know me but I am a fan of yours. I have the same thing as you do and it doesn't always turn out to be this ugly.' Bobby got up and went around and hugged her and said, 'You're beautiful to me.' I was just crying."
Hamilton says he doesn't know how to put into words how he's changed.
But he tries.
"I know that I treat people differently," he says. "Anybody who's not in a coffin deserves the same respect as anybody else in this world. You're a life, and every one of us is fighting for his life every day. Even if you're not dealing with something like this, you're trying to feed your family and live your life."
If you saw Hamilton right now, even without knowing he's having surgery this week, you'd say there's no way he'll be back in a Truck in November. But if you know anything about him, you wouldn't bet against it.
"Bobby Jr. asked me 'What if you get halfway through the race at Homestead and get tired?'" Hamilton said. "I said, 'I'll park.'
"My goal is to race. If I take the green flag, then I've won."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Forget that image of the valiant hero, battle with stoic nobility. For Bobby Hamilton, fighting cancer has been a nasty, difficult business.
Thirty-two times, Hamilton laid strapped to a table with a hard plastic mask, specially molded to fit him, covering his face, neck and upper torso as, for 20 minutes at a time, radiation was fired at the cancer cells in his neck.
Once, about three-fourths of the way through that part of his ordeal, Hamilton began waving his hands signaling for the treatment to stop. Mucus in his throat had build up to the point where Hamilton simply couldn't finish. He had 18 seconds left.
"They've won," Hamilton said. "I am pretty strong, but they have beaten the crap out of me. I don't mind telling you that. I wouldn't wish this on anybody."
That's not a concession. In fact, his medical report is replete with optimism and Hamilton's resolve to return to NASCAR Truck Series competition, perhaps as soon as the final race this year, is as strong as it ever was.
His matter-of-fact honesty, always a Hamilton trademark, also has not changed through weeks of chemotherapy and radiation at Vanderbilt University's hospital.
On March 17, Hamilton announced his diagnosis to a room full of stunned reporters at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He ran in the Truck race that night, then went to the hospital on Monday to start getting better. He had his final scheduled treatment on June 7.
Hamilton had severe blistering on his neck and sores in his mouth.
The swelling in his neck was so bad at one point he couldn't swallow his own saliva. His white blood cell count dropped and doctors warned that even the most mundane form of infection could turn into a major issue.
"I don't mind telling you I've sat up and looked at Lori (his finacee) and said, 'I just don't understand it,' and then burst into tears," Hamilton admits. "It's like, 'What am I doing wrong?'"
When people hear you've seen Hamilton, they invariably ask how he looks. He looks like he's had one hell of a fist fight, and that the foe most certainly got his licks in.
On good days now he can swallow sips of liquid. But on Wednesday he tried to take a small pill and couldn't get it down. Twenty-four hours later his throat still hurt like the pill was still stuck there.
He weighed around 200 pounds when this all started. Doctors told him to gain as much weight when he could still eat, and he made it up to 213. He then went down to as low as 169. Now, he's back up to 180, taking nutrition through a tube in his stomach.
Despite their toll on his body, the treatments have done the job. The prognosis is encouraging, but his lead physician, Dr. Barbara Murphy, doesn't talk in absolutes.
"She's very careful about that," says Hamilton's fiancé, Lori Shuler. "She doesn't say, 'Oh, you're cured of cancer. You're 100 percent clean.'"
A group of doctors at Vanderbilt's cancer center was split on whether Hamilton should have surgery to dissect a lymph node to check for lingering cancer. Dr. Murphy came down on the side of surgery, and now it's scheduled for Thursday.
"I don't want to go to bed at night," Hamilton says, "thinking we half-assed it."
It's still a long road back. Hamilton is weak, but after the surgery his rehab will pick up steam and he vows to start reclaiming the strength sapped from him over the past five months.
"The doctor told me that I'd take two steps forward and then one back," Hamilton said. "My problem is I haven't learned. I've learned a lot, but not enough.
"Last Sunday I had such a perfect day. It was like nothing had ever happened to me and I went all day long. But then it took me two or three days to get over it."
He came to Bristol on Wednesday to see the Truck Series teams he owns compete and wound up going to the infield care center to get two intravenous bags of fluid. Shuler nearly took him to the emergency room that night, but he was better on Thursday.
In June, not long after the final treatment and while the worst of the side effects were raging, Robbie Loomis called. Loomis, who'd worked at Petty Enterprises when Hamilton drove the No. 43 car, wanted to stop by on the way to the race in Sonoma, Calif. He brought Richard Petty, Kyle Petty and Dale Inman along, and they sat around and told stories and laughed.
"I think about that day a lot," Hamilton says. "That meant a lot to me to have them come by. Dale Inman walked up to me and said, 'I think about you every day.' And his eyes teared up."
Fellow Truck series driver Jack Sprague called. "He said, 'I don't handle this kind of stuff well. Just get better.'" Hamilton says.
Hamilton's son, Bobby Jr., has struggled, too.
"He walked in my office the other day," Hamilton says. "I was in there filing away some bills. "He looked at me and said, 'Why is your neck swollen again?' I said, 'What?' He said, 'Right there.' I said, 'That's just where I was bent over.'
"I keep having dreams that stuff has come back," Hamilton Jr. told his father.
Shuler remembers a woman at the hospital.
"Her neck was all blistered up and she'd had surgery," Shuler said. "She said, 'You don't know me but I am a fan of yours. I have the same thing as you do and it doesn't always turn out to be this ugly.' Bobby got up and went around and hugged her and said, 'You're beautiful to me.' I was just crying."
Hamilton says he doesn't know how to put into words how he's changed.
But he tries.
"I know that I treat people differently," he says. "Anybody who's not in a coffin deserves the same respect as anybody else in this world. You're a life, and every one of us is fighting for his life every day. Even if you're not dealing with something like this, you're trying to feed your family and live your life."
If you saw Hamilton right now, even without knowing he's having surgery this week, you'd say there's no way he'll be back in a Truck in November. But if you know anything about him, you wouldn't bet against it.
"Bobby Jr. asked me 'What if you get halfway through the race at Homestead and get tired?'" Hamilton said. "I said, 'I'll park.'
"My goal is to race. If I take the green flag, then I've won."
Matt speaks softly, but carries a loud stick shift
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
FONTANA, Calif. -- A small number of people, namely in Matt Kenseth's inner circle, refer to him as the "Silent Assassin," but Kenseth is hardly a killer.
Camera-killer, maybe. At the very least, camera-preventer.
He might be the most benign-looking and sounding individual in the garage. He garners roughly a fourth of the media attention commanded by a Jeff Gordon. Unlike a Tony Stewart or a Kurt Busch, he isn't even one most-feared drivers amongst his peers.
And, yet, Kenseth is in the midst of a streak that has been startling, and for the most part, overlooked.
Why is that? It is because Kenseth isn't 25 with a head full of black hair? It is because you can't remember the last time he raised his voice? Did the shirtless Gatorade commercials scare even more people away?
Even though Kenseth is the co-favorite (along with Jimmie Johnson) to win the 2006 championship, it is unlikely that the 34-year-old from Wisconsin will ever start racking up the accolades or endorsements afforded drivers with a fraction of the success Kenseth has enjoyed.
At Watkins Glen last month, Gordon entertained 35 warm bodies, sometimes referred to as reporters, during his weekly interview session. Kenseth garnered six.
Stats are overrated, but here is one that sticks out in my mind: Kenseth has scored 26 top-fives in the last 43 races, dating back to Chicagoland in July.
That is a top-five more than 60 percent of the time. It is simply staggering. And it is why Kenseth must be considered the favorite to win the title for the second time in four years.
Actually, Kenseth's record is misleading. Remember his spinout at Daytona at the hands of Stewart? And the one in Chicagoland this season at the hands of Gordon?
With all due respect to Johnson, who has broken the bank with huge wins in all of NASCAR's top events, Kenseth has been the top driver this season. If Kenseth could ever actually become comfortable on a road course, it wouldn't even be a debate.
Kenseth has 13 top-fives this season. No one else has more than 10. It is harder than ever to score a top-five in NASCAR's top division and, yet, Kenseth has as many top-fives as Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin combined.
What is even more amazing about Kenseth's year is that it comes at a time when Roush Racing appears to be on the bit of a downslide.
Roush Racing famously succeeded at getting all five of its cars in the Chase in 2005, but only Kenseth and Martin are going to make it this season. Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray have all had down years. Biffle, who has lost a couple of a wins due to bad luck, is the only Roush driver other than Kenseth to win this year.
So why does Kenseth keep such a low profile? Maybe someone will finally discover lost video footage of Kenseth actually raising his voice or leaping over a car to confront a competitor, but don't count on it.
The strange thing is that Kenseth has been one of the foremost drivers when it comes to on-track controversy. Who can forget his demolition-derby with Kevin Harvick at Pocono a few years back? Or his run-ins with Stewart and Gordon this season?
Maybe you have forgotten. Matt Kenseth tends to be forgotten, even as he kills them on the track. Because he comes into this weekend's Sony 500 at Fontana with two consecutive wins, it'll probably get worse.
And no one will notice.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
FONTANA, Calif. -- A small number of people, namely in Matt Kenseth's inner circle, refer to him as the "Silent Assassin," but Kenseth is hardly a killer.
Camera-killer, maybe. At the very least, camera-preventer.
He might be the most benign-looking and sounding individual in the garage. He garners roughly a fourth of the media attention commanded by a Jeff Gordon. Unlike a Tony Stewart or a Kurt Busch, he isn't even one most-feared drivers amongst his peers.
And, yet, Kenseth is in the midst of a streak that has been startling, and for the most part, overlooked.
Why is that? It is because Kenseth isn't 25 with a head full of black hair? It is because you can't remember the last time he raised his voice? Did the shirtless Gatorade commercials scare even more people away?
Even though Kenseth is the co-favorite (along with Jimmie Johnson) to win the 2006 championship, it is unlikely that the 34-year-old from Wisconsin will ever start racking up the accolades or endorsements afforded drivers with a fraction of the success Kenseth has enjoyed.
At Watkins Glen last month, Gordon entertained 35 warm bodies, sometimes referred to as reporters, during his weekly interview session. Kenseth garnered six.
Stats are overrated, but here is one that sticks out in my mind: Kenseth has scored 26 top-fives in the last 43 races, dating back to Chicagoland in July.
That is a top-five more than 60 percent of the time. It is simply staggering. And it is why Kenseth must be considered the favorite to win the title for the second time in four years.
Actually, Kenseth's record is misleading. Remember his spinout at Daytona at the hands of Stewart? And the one in Chicagoland this season at the hands of Gordon?
With all due respect to Johnson, who has broken the bank with huge wins in all of NASCAR's top events, Kenseth has been the top driver this season. If Kenseth could ever actually become comfortable on a road course, it wouldn't even be a debate.
Kenseth has 13 top-fives this season. No one else has more than 10. It is harder than ever to score a top-five in NASCAR's top division and, yet, Kenseth has as many top-fives as Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin combined.
What is even more amazing about Kenseth's year is that it comes at a time when Roush Racing appears to be on the bit of a downslide.
Roush Racing famously succeeded at getting all five of its cars in the Chase in 2005, but only Kenseth and Martin are going to make it this season. Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray have all had down years. Biffle, who has lost a couple of a wins due to bad luck, is the only Roush driver other than Kenseth to win this year.
So why does Kenseth keep such a low profile? Maybe someone will finally discover lost video footage of Kenseth actually raising his voice or leaping over a car to confront a competitor, but don't count on it.
The strange thing is that Kenseth has been one of the foremost drivers when it comes to on-track controversy. Who can forget his demolition-derby with Kevin Harvick at Pocono a few years back? Or his run-ins with Stewart and Gordon this season?
Maybe you have forgotten. Matt Kenseth tends to be forgotten, even as he kills them on the track. Because he comes into this weekend's Sony 500 at Fontana with two consecutive wins, it'll probably get worse.
And no one will notice.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Viewer's Guide
Fontana
By Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
Most Nextel Cup Series drivers, particularly those fighting for a spot in the Chase, were more than happy to cross the landmine known as Bristol off their calendars.
For Kevin Harvick, the date he's had circled on his calendar all season is Sunday, when he races at California Speedway, a track where he has the lowest average finish of any of the 13 drivers eligible for the Chase.
"It is really stressful because you don't want to have a hiccup and lose a bunch of points in one race," Harvick said. "We escaped Bristol and now head to California, which I feel is our worst track. I felt Michigan was our second-worst track.
"With the year that we have had, it would be a shame not to be in the Chase, but there is still that possibility that it could happen. But until it happens, we aren't going to count our chickens before they hatch. It is just a lot of pressure on everybody to make it happen."
Harvick will be the featured guest on NBC's pre-race show leading to the Sony HD 500 (7 p.m. ET Sun.).
The bad news for Harvick heading into Sunday is that his average finish is 21.9. The OK news is that no matter what he does Sunday, he can't be eliminated from the Chase. The good news is that with a finish of third or better, Harvick -- also third in the standings heading to Fontana -- will clinch a spot in NASCAR's postseason party.
On top of that, Harvick will have plenty of hometown support from nearby Bakersfield.
"It is nice to go out there, but I don't treat it as time to get to see my family and friends," he said. "I treat it as a job and go out like everybody else. We get there the day before everything starts on the track, so I don't spend a lot of time with them.
"It is cool to have them all there and obviously we are supported well there, but we still have to go out there and make it happen."
Considering all of that, Harvick remains cautiously optimistic about Sunday.
"We have run really badly there and we have run really well there," Harvick said. "It is just that our finishes haven't been that good. We have been kind of hit or miss.
"It has been the same way at Michigan for us, but we were decent at Michigan both races this year, so we are pretty comfortable with where we are for California.
Harvick said if and when the No. 29 team makes the Chase, it's a whole new ball game.
"I feel like if we get into the Chase, we will have a chance to do what we need. Once you get in, you can pretty much let it all hang out and go for it. It is a 10-race shootout, and that is the way we are going to treat it."
Also on tap Sunday:
• A look at Kasey Kahne doing some drifting at nearby Irwindale Speedway
• Wally Dallenbach welcomes former Pittsburgh Steeler and current NBC football analyst Jerome Bettis to "Wally's World."
Paul Tracy, Ryan Newman and Bill Elliott are the scheduled guests for Friday's Trackside from Fontana (11 p.m. ET, SPEED). If you're going to Fontana, the show will be taped at 5:45 p.m. local time at the SPEED Stage outside of Turn 4.
The ratings news was not great for TNT on Saturday night at Bristol. The Sharpie 500 drew a 3.6 overnight rating, down 7 percent from the 3.9 the race scored a season ago.
In this week's edition of "Ask Wally and Benny", several users want an opinion on NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow.
Benny Parsons offers up:
"I'm a fan of it," Parsons said. "I think that NASCAR is trying to approach this thing financially. I think the car itself will be cheaper to operate for an entire season than today's car.
"I also think the cars will be safer. It will keep the driver safer," he said. "They are going to move the roof up so that the taller drivers, such as Elliott Sadler, aren't so cramped inside the cars. They're going to move the driver to the right, away from the outside retaining wall, in case of a left-side collision. All of that is good.
"The cars will have some energy absorbing materials in the cars, especially for side impacts. We have safer barriers at the tracks now to absorb impacts. I think it's going to make racing better because it will take some of the aerodynamics away from the cars.
"Today, the cars are going through the corners so fast and they are so dependent on air that it makes drafting difficult. They will be able to run side-by-side in the corners better."
Now on to this weekend's schedule.
Nextel Cup Series: Sony HD 500
Track: California Speedway
• 2-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in corners
• 11-degree banking on frontstretch
• 3-degree banking on backstretch
• Frontstretch: 3,100 feet
• Backstretch: 2,500 feet
Race length: 250 laps/500 miles
TV schedule (All times ET)
• NASCAR Live: 5:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Bud Pole Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Trackside: 11 p.m. Fri, SPEED
• NASCAR Raceday: 11 a.m., 6 p.m. Sun., SPEED
• Pre-race: 7 p.m. Sun., NBC
• Race: 8:05 p.m. Sun., NBC
One year ago, Kyle Busch became the youngest winner in NASCAR's top series, a feat that was almost an afterthought with most of the focus on the battle for the final spots in The Chase for the Nextel Cup.
The most recent checkered flag went to Matt Kenseth, who won his second consecutive Sharpie 500 on Saturday, and his second victory in as many nights at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Keep an eye on Robby Gordon. He'll be busy this weekend reconnecting with family, friends and business associates near his hometown track. He'll be busy on-track, too, competing in both Sunday's Nextel Cup event and Saturday's Busch Series event.
Busch Series: Ameriquest 300
Track: California Speedway
• 2-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in corners
• 11-degree banking on frontstretch
• 3-degree banking on backstretch
• Frontstretch: 3,100 feet
• Backstretch: 2,500 feet
Race length: 150 laps/300 miles
TV schedule (All times ET)
• Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Race: 10 p.m. Sat., TNT
One year ago, Carl Edwards took control late in the race and drove away to an easy victory.
The most recent checkered flag went to Kenseth, who found a non-controversial way of winning Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. He made an unbelievable -- and clean -- move on Harvick to win the Food City 250.
Keep an eye on David Reutimann. Reutimann has four top-10 finishes in his past six Busch Series starts for Michael Waltrip Racing, including a ninth-place result at Bristol last Friday.
Reutimann also is scheduled to compete for MWR at Richmond, Kansas Texas and Miami.
"I enjoy the Busch races and this gives me a head start for next season [when he joins the Busch Series full time for MWR]," he said.
"We knew at the beginning of the season that I was going to run some Busch races for Michael, but we didn't know how many ... then Michael announced that I was going to drive his car in the Busch Series next season. That opened some doors."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
Most Nextel Cup Series drivers, particularly those fighting for a spot in the Chase, were more than happy to cross the landmine known as Bristol off their calendars.
For Kevin Harvick, the date he's had circled on his calendar all season is Sunday, when he races at California Speedway, a track where he has the lowest average finish of any of the 13 drivers eligible for the Chase.
"It is really stressful because you don't want to have a hiccup and lose a bunch of points in one race," Harvick said. "We escaped Bristol and now head to California, which I feel is our worst track. I felt Michigan was our second-worst track.
"With the year that we have had, it would be a shame not to be in the Chase, but there is still that possibility that it could happen. But until it happens, we aren't going to count our chickens before they hatch. It is just a lot of pressure on everybody to make it happen."
Harvick will be the featured guest on NBC's pre-race show leading to the Sony HD 500 (7 p.m. ET Sun.).
The bad news for Harvick heading into Sunday is that his average finish is 21.9. The OK news is that no matter what he does Sunday, he can't be eliminated from the Chase. The good news is that with a finish of third or better, Harvick -- also third in the standings heading to Fontana -- will clinch a spot in NASCAR's postseason party.
On top of that, Harvick will have plenty of hometown support from nearby Bakersfield.
"It is nice to go out there, but I don't treat it as time to get to see my family and friends," he said. "I treat it as a job and go out like everybody else. We get there the day before everything starts on the track, so I don't spend a lot of time with them.
"It is cool to have them all there and obviously we are supported well there, but we still have to go out there and make it happen."
Considering all of that, Harvick remains cautiously optimistic about Sunday.
"We have run really badly there and we have run really well there," Harvick said. "It is just that our finishes haven't been that good. We have been kind of hit or miss.
"It has been the same way at Michigan for us, but we were decent at Michigan both races this year, so we are pretty comfortable with where we are for California.
Harvick said if and when the No. 29 team makes the Chase, it's a whole new ball game.
"I feel like if we get into the Chase, we will have a chance to do what we need. Once you get in, you can pretty much let it all hang out and go for it. It is a 10-race shootout, and that is the way we are going to treat it."
Also on tap Sunday:
• A look at Kasey Kahne doing some drifting at nearby Irwindale Speedway
• Wally Dallenbach welcomes former Pittsburgh Steeler and current NBC football analyst Jerome Bettis to "Wally's World."
Paul Tracy, Ryan Newman and Bill Elliott are the scheduled guests for Friday's Trackside from Fontana (11 p.m. ET, SPEED). If you're going to Fontana, the show will be taped at 5:45 p.m. local time at the SPEED Stage outside of Turn 4.
The ratings news was not great for TNT on Saturday night at Bristol. The Sharpie 500 drew a 3.6 overnight rating, down 7 percent from the 3.9 the race scored a season ago.
In this week's edition of "Ask Wally and Benny", several users want an opinion on NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow.
Benny Parsons offers up:
"I'm a fan of it," Parsons said. "I think that NASCAR is trying to approach this thing financially. I think the car itself will be cheaper to operate for an entire season than today's car.
"I also think the cars will be safer. It will keep the driver safer," he said. "They are going to move the roof up so that the taller drivers, such as Elliott Sadler, aren't so cramped inside the cars. They're going to move the driver to the right, away from the outside retaining wall, in case of a left-side collision. All of that is good.
"The cars will have some energy absorbing materials in the cars, especially for side impacts. We have safer barriers at the tracks now to absorb impacts. I think it's going to make racing better because it will take some of the aerodynamics away from the cars.
"Today, the cars are going through the corners so fast and they are so dependent on air that it makes drafting difficult. They will be able to run side-by-side in the corners better."
Now on to this weekend's schedule.
Nextel Cup Series: Sony HD 500
Track: California Speedway
• 2-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in corners
• 11-degree banking on frontstretch
• 3-degree banking on backstretch
• Frontstretch: 3,100 feet
• Backstretch: 2,500 feet
Race length: 250 laps/500 miles
TV schedule (All times ET)
• NASCAR Live: 5:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Bud Pole Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Trackside: 11 p.m. Fri, SPEED
• NASCAR Raceday: 11 a.m., 6 p.m. Sun., SPEED
• Pre-race: 7 p.m. Sun., NBC
• Race: 8:05 p.m. Sun., NBC
One year ago, Kyle Busch became the youngest winner in NASCAR's top series, a feat that was almost an afterthought with most of the focus on the battle for the final spots in The Chase for the Nextel Cup.
The most recent checkered flag went to Matt Kenseth, who won his second consecutive Sharpie 500 on Saturday, and his second victory in as many nights at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Keep an eye on Robby Gordon. He'll be busy this weekend reconnecting with family, friends and business associates near his hometown track. He'll be busy on-track, too, competing in both Sunday's Nextel Cup event and Saturday's Busch Series event.
Busch Series: Ameriquest 300
Track: California Speedway
• 2-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in corners
• 11-degree banking on frontstretch
• 3-degree banking on backstretch
• Frontstretch: 3,100 feet
• Backstretch: 2,500 feet
Race length: 150 laps/300 miles
TV schedule (All times ET)
• Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Race: 10 p.m. Sat., TNT
One year ago, Carl Edwards took control late in the race and drove away to an easy victory.
The most recent checkered flag went to Kenseth, who found a non-controversial way of winning Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. He made an unbelievable -- and clean -- move on Harvick to win the Food City 250.
Keep an eye on David Reutimann. Reutimann has four top-10 finishes in his past six Busch Series starts for Michael Waltrip Racing, including a ninth-place result at Bristol last Friday.
Reutimann also is scheduled to compete for MWR at Richmond, Kansas Texas and Miami.
"I enjoy the Busch races and this gives me a head start for next season [when he joins the Busch Series full time for MWR]," he said.
"We knew at the beginning of the season that I was going to run some Busch races for Michael, but we didn't know how many ... then Michael announced that I was going to drive his car in the Busch Series next season. That opened some doors."
Urban Legends
California Speedway
As told to Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
Think you know everything about NASCAR and its teams? Robert "Bootie" Barker, crew chief of Jeff Green's No. 66 Chevrolet, dispels some notions about life at NASCAR's top level.
Myth: A 25-year-old can't be an effective crew chief.
Fiction: It depends on the person and the situation. If a guy has grown up working in racing and has been doing it for 12 or 13 years already, and he's a smart guy and is with a good team, I see no reason why a 25-year-old can't be a good crew chief.
I think I was only 27 when I became a crew chief. There's a few guys in their mid to late-20s who are crew chiefs and seem to be doing a good job. It's all relative to the individual and the situation he's in.
Myth: Drivers get 100 percent of the purse.
Fiction: I haven't read every driver's contract, so I can't say for sure whether or not that's completely false, but I think it's a rare situation where the driver gets 100 percent. I'd say it's fairly common for the driver to get 40 percent of the purse, and some of the elite guys may even get 50 percent.
Where guys can make more money is with a higher base salary, or maybe they can negotiate a higher percentage of the revenues from their souvenirs or whatever. Also, they can make more through their personal endorsements.
If a guy's getting 100 percent of the purse, he's probably not getting any sort of base salary, so he better hope his team does extremely well and wins big purses. Again, I don't think there's many ,if any, guys who are doing it that way.
Myth: Over-the-wall crew are almost always under 40 years of age.
Fact: Yeah, that's pretty much true, and it's increasingly becoming the trend to go with younger guys. You want to get the best athletes you can, and you want to have them do the job for many years, so it makes sense to go with the younger guys.
Occasionally, you'll see a tire changer or carrier who's around 40, but usually the only guys who are around that age that go over the wall are your gas men or catch can men. It's no different from other athletic activities, in that a younger guy is usually quicker and stronger. It's a sad fact of life for us older guys, but it's true.
Myth: Crew chiefs are typically very stingy when sharing information.
Fact: This is absolutely true. All of us crew chiefs are paranoid, and whether or not we actually know something the other guys don't, we think we do, so we don't want to share too much.
There are some crew chiefs who'll talk to you and only tell you about 75 percent of the story, so it's not like they're lying. They're just not telling you everything they know.
Then there are some crew chiefs who'll lie to your face. Now, if there's a guy talking to you who is just way off the mark in his thinking, you'll usually point him in the right direction on information, because this is still somewhat of an extended family in the garage.
You want to beat the guy, but you don't want him to be embarrassed, so you'll tell him what he needs to know to keep him in the hunt. But, if your team has worked for two months on something to gain a slight advantage, and it takes you 10 seconds to tell that info to another crew chief, you're breaching the trust of your team by giving away all their hard work.
Now, if the other crew chief knows something useful that can help your team, then it's only fair to do a mutual trade of information.
Myth: It takes forever to paint a car.
Fiction: This depends on whether or not it's a superspeedway car for Talladega and Daytona, or if it's a downforce car.
If it's a downforce car, the idea is to keep the weight down, so you want to use as little Bondo (body filler) material as possible, and it doesn't have to be a perfect paint job. As long as it fits the templates and is fairly smooth, you're good to go.
When it's a car for Daytona, you really work on fitting the templates and getting the car as smooth as possible, so it can take up to three times as long. Your guys will Bondo the car, fit it to templates, sand it, Bondo it, fit it, sand it, etcetera.
If they have the time to really do it right, they'll paint it and clear coat it until the finish is like glass, so it can really slip through the air. On a downforce car, once it's primered and goes into the paint booth, it takes about a day to get it done. With a superspeedway car, it could be three times that, or more.
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If NASCAR Stole Points Today; Edwards Selling Tickets For NASCAR
With three races left before the Cup playoffs begin, NASCAR would like everyone to make a big deal out of the "race" for 10th in the standings. I say hog wash. As of today Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the guy in 10th and he's 484 points behind leader Jimmy Johnson -- 484 points behind the leader!
That deficit drops to 45 in three races. If the playoffs started today, that would be 439 points just tossed out the window. In fact, if the playoffs started after last Sunday, Johnson would have woke up this past Monday morning missing a total of 3,206 points. Read that again, 3,206 points. He's a combined whopping 3,431 ahead of the next nine guys in points. Once the playoffs start the number drops to 225.
Let's go back to that 484 figure. First place pays 185 points, 43rd pays 34 points. If Johnson took the green flag in the next three races and then immediately drove back to the garage, climbed out of the car and went home, while Earnhardt went on the win ALL three events, Johnson would still be 31 points ahead.
Instead Johnson will run most, if not all, the laps in the three events and Earnhardt might not win any of them. But because of Brian France's smoke-and-mirrors show Johnson will be 45 points ahead of whoever is in 10th after those three races. And let's not forget that 484 point deficit could even be more.
Do you realize Kevin Harvick is third, 317 points back? Johnson could go home early the next two races and Harvick, the guy in third, still couldn't catch him. But yet Harvick, Earnhardt and about eight others could be crowned the 2007 Cup Champion. Don't believe the hype, that's just not right.
And the scary part is France is going to change the playoffs so even more undeserving guys get into the playoffs. I don't like it, I don't like it one bit. Run 26 races, wipe the slate clean and then give the championship to the guy who strings together a mere 10 good races ... Boo!!!
• Even NASCAR Scene recently did a top 10 mocking the foolishness. Their idea of a few changes to the playoff format under consideration for next season included -- any team with at least 400 points automatically qualifies.
• Sponsor exemption for any team whose primary funding comes from an official sponsor of NASCAR.
• Any current open-wheel driver who happens to be female and whose initials are D.P. is automatically qualified.
• TV coverage of those not in the playoffs encouraged, but only during rain delays.
• And the No. 1 idea is -- If all else fails, reset points so all playoff teams are tied for the lead going into the season's final race.
Edwards Was Mad: NASCAR announced Aug. 22 Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 car in the Busch Series, has been fined $20,000 and placed on probation until December 31, 2006 for running into Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 19.
First things first, Edwards was NOT on probation for his latest run-in with Tony Stewart a few weeks ago. For those of you who spent the last week in outer space, Edwards didn't like the fact Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked him to win the Busch race last Saturday (and I can't say I blame him) and he later showed his displeasure by running into the side of Junior's car.
After sitting in Junior's pit stall for a few seconds, Edwards took off down pit road (speeding I'm sure) and right out onto the track. Junior was riding around behind the pace car with his hand out the window and Edwards slammed right into the driver's side of Junior's car. Running into a guy on the race track is a no-no, but it does get plenty of air time on stations that otherwise wouldn't show clips of the race. And doesn't NASCAR love that!
For the record I don't agree with Junior wrecking Edwards to win the race but that's NASCAR racing at its "finest". Did Edwards get a tad loose? He sure did. Did Junior lift for a second? He sure didn't, instead he chose not to. But because NASCAR allows it, just about every driver in the field would have done the same thing including Edwards (even you Edwards fans have to admit he's run into his share of others). Was the fine a little low? I think so and I'm guessing even Edwards was thinking it was going to be higher.
Some were calling for Edwards to be parked for using his car as a weapon. Some compare it to a few years ago when Kevin Harvick spun Coy Gibbs in the Truck Series. The difference is Harvick was on probation, Edwards was not. And Harvick had some choice words for Bill France Jr. and had been in more run-ins then Edwards.
And can anyone tell me how Edwards was allowed to trot all the way to victory lane to confront Junior? Isn't there like 50 (at least one for each in the field) NASCAR officials on the payroll for a Busch race? Can't possibly have anything to do with the TV ratings ... nah!
Mayfield In A Whorff Motorsports Car This Weekend: No, not the Cup race. Bill and Jeremie Whorff, the father/son combination that finished one-two in this year's Oxford 250 at Oxford-Plains (ME) Speedway, will be furnishing Jeremy Mayfield with a car for the PASS South Series race, the Over-the-Mountain 150, at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway on Aug. 27.
Mayfield recently left the No. 19 Evernham Motorsports team and should be announcing this weekend he's signed to drive a Toyota next year for Bill Davis Racing.
Chuckle Of The Week: Eddie D'Hondt recently left Robert Yates Racing to co-own (Bill) Riley-D'Hondt Motorsports Cup team. D'Hondt says he's learned some valuable lessons as he's worked his way up through the sport.
When he worked for veteran car owner Junie Donlavey, he said he learned to race within a budget. Just how limited was the budget he was asked recently? He replied, "We had eight race cars but only two steering wheels."
From Where I Stand: For those scoring at home, last Saturday night at Oxford Plains (ME) Speedway, 14 of the top 15 guys in Pro Stock points showed up to race. Only Ricky Rolfe, who wrecked his race car in the 250 and is done for the season, wasn't there. I had heard rumblings that a good share of the drivers "would never race at Oxford again" because of the recent announcement of Oxford dropping the Pro Stocks in favor of Late Models in 2007.
• If you're a race car driver who jumps to the outside groove just to block someone, you're a bad race car driver. You've seen the jerk, after running around behind the same guy single file for 10 laps he turns right just because some guy is going to pass him. It'd be one thing if he got out there and went, but to jump out there only to block is dirty pool.
And if you're a spotter and tell your driver to get out there to block, you're just bad for the sport and I hope it happens to you and your driver some day.
Support The Racin Paper: Are you one of the thousands of fans who pick up a free copy of Mark "Marco" Thomas' Racin Paper at your local track each week? If so how about helping to keep the paper alive by sending him $18.99 for 20 issues during the off season.
The jury is still out, but Speedway Scene may have printed their last paper. When Marco started his paper a few years back he was one of four such publications. All but him have now come and gone. If we don't support him his paper too will disappear. It's less than a buck a week.
The address is P.O. Box 289, Conway NH 03818 or call him at 603-447-4251. You can also check out his web site at racinpaper.com/site/index.php.
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"Championships have always driven me to win races. That 3 car pulling into the track would cause people to look around and wonder what we were doing, to see how to beat us."
-Dale Earnhardt
-Dale Earnhardt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK Qualifying: Nextel Cup Series Sony HD 500 Friday, Sept. 1 6:30 p.m. Speed
Busch Series Ameriquest 300 Saturday, Sept. 2 10 p.m. TNT
Nextel Cup Series Sony HD 500 Sunday, Sept. 3 8 p.m. NBC
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
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Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
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