Happy Monday everyone. What a fantastic race!  I loved it!  The weekend as a whole was great.  The Nationwide race, and the Cup race kept me on the edge…especially the final push to the finish!  What fantastic racing we had.

Today In Nascar History

June 1, 1997: Ricky Rudd wins the Miller 500 at Dover, the last 500-mile Cup race at the track.

"If I hit the lottery, I don't know that I'd want to pay the damn fine."

-- A frustrated Carl Long on the penalties levied by NASCAR

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

From Anthony

Hey Momma ~

Hope all is well.  Great race yesterday.  Wish Tony or Greg could have pulled it off.  Two really cool events going on at the moment.  Please let your fans know about www.vest4k9.com and www.smokescamero.com  Greg and Tony are doing some great work for their foundations, and allows fans some fun opportunities.  Thanks and talk soon. 

From Chip

Dear NASCAR Momma: Who was it that dropped dead and made Kyle Bush the resident expert on Dale Jr and his team? Who was the reporter who asked and what kind of you know what was he trying to stir up by asking Kyle's opinion about a team that he has no working knowledge of? Granting the response may actually be more truthful than most of us would like to admit, I still take issue with him being the one who said it. I do not recall any other driver from another team being asked to comment on another driver's team or performance. Is Mr. Bush a little jealous because he still gets boo's at driver introductions and despite his less than memorable finishes Dale Jr. is still considered NASCAR'S most popular driver? He claims that the fan rejection does not bother him but somehow I feel he is responding like a politician (you can tell he is lying cause his lips are moving).  Chip

From Eddie

Comment for Momma:

If the race is boring again this Sunday, can we tune in next Sunday & watch a fight between Billy Bad Butt & Tony Tuff Toosh??

Eddieintn

LOL…guess you don’t get your wish this time!  The racing was very exciting to me!

Bits and Pieces

Hendrick doesn't expect GM Bankruptcy to effect racing: Rick Hendrick met with members of the media at the conclusion of the race at Dover, on item discussed:
CAN YOU DISCUSS GENERAL MOTORS AND WHAT IS EXPECTED TO COME DOWN TOMORROW, JUNE 1ST, AS YOU UNDERSTAND IT?
“From what I’ve heard, and I don’t know a lot more than what you read in the media, but if they do file for Bankruptcy tomorrow, which all indications are that they will, it’s kind of a planned get-in, get-out situation. I’ve got a lot of faith in GM and especially Chevrolet. I’ve been with them for a long, long time. Our business is good; the products are good. And this economic downturn we’ve had has hurt everybody. It’s hurt every manufacturer; Toyota and everybody else. But I think some people, maybe their pockets were deeper than others. But I feel like we’re going to be good and we’re going to be okay. They’ve got great products right now so I’m hoping that if it happens, that they’ll get in and get out in a hurry and we’ll just take it a day at a time.”
DO YOU EXPECT IT TO AFFECT THEIR RACING? “I don’t think so. No, I don’t think so because you see Ford and Toyota and everybody; Chrysler is here. But you just never know. We just have to do the best we can. They’ve been a big asset to this sport and when you look at their competition, the people they’re heads-up with, are here, so I’ve had no indication that they’re going to cut back or do anything.”
IF THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SAY YOU’VE GOT TO STOP PROMOTING THROUGH RACING IF WE GIVE YOU MONEY. IF CHEVROLET WERE TO SAY THEY CAN’T GIVE YOU ANOTHER CENT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, WOULD YOU CONTINUE TO RACE CHEVROLETS ON YOUR OWN? OR DO YOU HAVE A PLAN “B”? “My Plan A is Chevrolet and my Plan B is Chevrolet and my Plan C is Chevrolet (laughter).”(GM Racing)(6-1-2009)

Double-File restarts at Pocono? NASCAR distributed proposals to crew chiefs regarding possible procedures for double-file restarts which could be introduced as early as Pocono Raceway next week. The proposal states all starts will be double file. The race leader will have his choice of which lane to use for the restart. The third-place car will always start in the inside lane. There will be no changes in the free pass or "lucky dog," and cars that are one lap down can choose not to pit, therefore regaining a lap during a caution. The new rule appears to be a work in progress but Pocono is a 2.5-miler with plenty of space and opportunity to figure it out.(FoxSports)

Edwards wins Budweiser Celebrity Billiards Shootout: Hundreds of race fans gathered on race weekend inside of the Rollins Center at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino to be a part of the “Budweiser Celebrity Billiards Shootout,” a nine-ball billiards contest won by #99-Carl Edwards. Edwards topped NASCAR on ESPN pit reporter Shannon Spake to win the $10,000 prize for his charity of choice, Speedway Children’s Charities. After sinking the clinching shot, Edwards wowed the crowd in attendance by performing his trademark back flip off of the pool table. The Friday, May 29 tournament featured some of the biggest names in the sport, including defending champion Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski and other familiar names such as NASCAR on ESPN pit reporter Jamie Little, NFL legend Herschel Walker, SPEED reporter Hermie Sadler and American Builder host Brian Gurry. The Budweiser Celebrity Billiards Shootout is expected to return as part of the Sept. 25-27, 2009 Dover race weekend. More details will be posted on DoverSpeedway.com.

Said to Compete in West Series Race in Sonoma: Road-race veteran Boris Said has confirmed that he will compete in the Bennett Lane Winery 200, presented by Supercuts, NASCAR Camping World West Series race at Infineon Raceway on Saturday, June 20. Said will drive the #57 entry for DenBeste Motorsports & Biagi Brothers, which is dedicated to the career of legendary Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler. The car features a special silver-and-black paint scheme, with hints of snake-skin colors throughout. Stabler was recently named the Grand Marshal of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Infineon Raceway, June 19-21. Said is no stranger to Infineon Raceway and should be one of the favorites when the green flag drops on the Bennett Lane Winery 200. He finished second in the West Series event in Sonoma in 2006 and third in 2007. Moreover, Said won the 1998 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in Sonoma, and he has also reached the Wine Country Winner’s Circle in a variety of other disciplines. He has four top-10 efforts in nine NASCAR Sprint Cup starts in Sonoma.(Infineon Raceway)

Moffitt breaks Logano's record: Brett Moffitt already broke one of Joey Logano’s NASCAR Camping World Series records. It didn’t take him long to take care of another. Moffitt became the youngest winner in NASCAR Camping World Series history Saturday night with his win in the South Boston 150 at South Boston Speedway. His #44 brettmoffitt.com Chevy led 81 laps – including the last 67 – and outpaced a pair of fellow teenagers in runner-up Ryan Gifford and third-place Ryan Truex.
Moffitt doesn’t turn 17 until August 7. Joey Logano, now driving the #20 Home Depot Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series, was 1 month, 5 days of turning 17 when he scored his first win in the NASCAR Camping World Series West, and he set the NASCAR Camping World Series East mark 11 days later with his win at Greenville Pickens Speedway. In the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East opener, Moffitt broke Logano’s record as the series’ youngest Coors Light Pole Award winner. With Saturday’s win, Moffitt also secured a starting spot in the postseason NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.(NASCAR)

Autistic teen to sing at Dover: Huguenot's Larry Oliveri has had to overcome several obstacles in his life and has had to cope with difficult challenges, but his God-given gift of song has helped him soar to new heights. Larry, now 17, was diagnosed with autism at age 3. A student at Bishop Patrick V. Ahern High School at the Seton Foundation for Learning in Graniteville, where he's developing his melodic singing voice -- especially in the opera genre -- Larry has performed in several school productions. Now his parents, Vivian and Paul, have given us an update on their eldest son. Larry has been tapped to sing "God Bless America" at the Dover International Speedway on Sunday. This race, the "Autism Speaks 400," is sponsored by the nationally known organization of the same name. In fact, the organization has invited the entire family -- including Larry's brothers, Paul Jr., 15, and Christopher, 8 -- to join them in their hospitality suite. In conversation with a neighbor about the upcoming Dover event, Larry said, "Autism never sounded so good!"(Staten Island Live), Larry Oliveri also gave the command to start engines and was the grand marshal.

Crew chief McGrew takes over for Dale Jr. at Dover: The interim crew chief for #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is taking over for the Sprint Cup race at Dover, a week earlier than originally planned. Lance McGrew was scheduled to work with #25-Brad Keselowski on Sunday, but he failed to qualify, freeing up McGrew to call the shots on Earnhardt's slumping #88 team. McGrew said after the driver's meeting that that the decision was made by owner Rick Hendrick and Hendrick competition director Ken Howes on Saturday night. "The powers that be decided to go ahead and give us a week head start," McGrew said. McGrew had been scheduled to start next week at Pocono Raceway. Team manager Brian Whitesell, who was scheduled to be the crew chief, will assist McGrew. Earnhardt starts 22nd at Dover International Speedway. Former Hendrick driver Kyle Busch took a shot at Earnhardt on Friday about the perception that his poor finishes were never his fault, always the crew chief. Earnhardt left his seat next to McGrew at the driver's meeting and took one in the front row for a brief chat with Busch. The two spoke for a little more than a minute before Earnhardt returned to his original seat.(ESPN.cpm/AP)

Robby Gordon to appeal penalty: #7-Robby Gordon says he will appeal NASCAR penalties levied against his Robby Gordon Motorsports team May 27. Gordon was penalized 50 owner and 50 driver points while crew chief Kirk Almquist was fined $50,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Officials said the rear axle housing of the #7 Toyota, which was taken following a third-place finish by Gordon in the May 25 Coca-Cola 600, exceeded the maximum specified toe of plus or minus one degree. “The bottom line is we were no more ‘body yawed’ than anybody else,” Gordon said May 30, “even though our rear end had more toe. We ... pulled our right-side trailing arm forward and our left-side trailing arm backwards. We fit the template on the right side before the race. So we aren’t doing anything funny there; there was no advantage.” (SceneDaily)

Richard Petty may do Indy 500 again: Richard Petty might be looking at a repeat trip to the Indianapolis 500. NASCAR's "King" fielded an Indy 500 entry for the first time in his prolific career when he put John Andretti behind the wheel last Sunday. Petty enjoyed the pageantry of race day, but couldn't stick around for the finish because of his NASCAR obligations. About an hour after the green flag dropped at Indy, Petty hopped a plane to Charlotte, N.C., for the Coca-Cola 600. Andretti finished 19th and the NASCAR race was rained out. Petty enjoyed his day so much at the IRL spectacle, that he would consider another run next season. "I told John that being that we ran pretty good up there, maybe we can get him in a couple of other races and get him practiced-up so when we get back to Indy he can do a better job," Petty said on Saturday. (Associated Press)

Eury to oversee road course testing for #48 team next week: Tony Eury Jr. is getting off to a quick start in his new role with Hendrick Motorsports' research and development group. On Tuesday, Eury will accompany the #48 Chevy team to Carolina MotorSports Park in Kershaw, S.C., to supervise road course testing with three-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. The private two-day session is closed to the public and the media. Eury will lead the effort and refine the #48 team's setup for the June 21 Sprint Cup event at Infineon Raceway -- the first road race of the 2009 season. In addition to his research and development duties, Eury will crew chief Hendrick Motorsports' #25 GoDaddy.com Chevy Sprint Cup effort with driver Brad Keselowski for the remainder of 2009. "Having someone of Tony's caliber in this role is an asset," said Doug Duchardt, vice president of development for Hendrick Motorsports. "He will be partnering with our lead chassis engineer on various projects, and his experience will make him a great fit with Brad. Having that veteran leadership is important for a young driver." Keselowski and the Eury-led #25 team will next attempt to qualify at Chicagoland Speedway in July.(HMS)

General Motors files for bankruptcy: General Motors has filed for bankruptcy, becoming the country's second automaker after Chrysler to go under in just over a month. GM president and CEO Fritz Henderson said in a statement issued by the company this morning that the nation's largest automaker now has an opportunity to "reinvent" its business. "Today marks a defining moment in the reinvention of GM as a leaner, more customer-focused, and more cost-competitive company that, above all, can quickly generate winning bottom line results," he said. The Obama administration has agreed to provide GM an additional $30.1 billion in federal assistance to support the company's restructuring. The administration announced the funding on Sunday night, on the eve of a 60-day period that the Obama administration gave GM to come up with a successful viability plan. The administration said yesterday that it had accepted GM's viability plan, which includes entering into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. GM is expected to emerge as a new company in 60 to 90 days. Under GM's restructuring plan, the U.S. government will receive $8.8 billion in debt and preferred stock in the new company and nearly 60% equity in return for its $30 billion in funding. In addition, the government will have the right to appoint initial directors to GM's board except for two members, one to be appointed by the Canadian government and the other selected by the trustees of the United Auto Workers union retiree health care fund.(more at ABC News)

Hendrick responds to GM Announcement: Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, today responded to the announcement by General Motors that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection: "The products General Motors offers are the highest quality and most fuel efficient in its history, and I have an unwavering faith in the company's leadership team and our government's commitment to support this reorganization. After all of the efforts of the past several months, it's unfortunate that bankruptcy has become the only option, but we at Hendrick Automotive Group and Hendrick Motorsports are certain that GM will emerge from this stronger and better equipped to compete than ever before. Hendrick Automotive Group can say with confidence that the customers of our 27 General Motors franchises can expect the same high level of care and service that our dealerships have always provided, and that the full range of warranties and parts will be available. From a racing perspective, our heritage is with General Motors. In 25 years together, Hendrick Motorsports has won eight Sprint Cup Series titles with Chevrolet, which has more NASCAR championships and wins than any other auto manufacturer. Since I was a kid, Chevy has represented the highest level of performance. I've never wanted to race anything else, and I have every confidence that we will continue to celebrate victories together for many more seasons to come. Speaking for the more than 6,000 teammates at Hendrick Automotive Group and Hendrick Motorsports, it has been a great privilege to be a small part of GM's rich history, and we are looking forward to an even brighter future together."(HMS PR)

Judge OKs Sale of Most Chrysler Assets to Fiat: A federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of most of Chrysler's assets to Fiat, clearing the way for the American automaker to exit court protection shortly. Judge Arthur Gonzalez said in a court filing Sunday that he approved the sale, the major piece of a plan orchestrated by a federal auto task force. The plan gives a 55% stake of the new company to a union-run trust for retirees, a 20% stake to Fiat that can ultimately grow to 35% and smaller stakes to the U.S. and Canadian governments. Chrysler LLC was forced into court protection on April 30. The sale to Fiat means Chrysler could be out of bankruptcy within the government's original timeframe of 30 to 60 days.(ABC News)

Double-File restarts at Pocono? NASCAR distributed proposals to crew chiefs regarding possible procedures for double-file restarts which could be introduced as early as Pocono Raceway next week. The proposal states all starts will be double file. The race leader will have his choice of which lane to use for the restart. The third-place car will always start in the inside lane. There will be no changes in the free pass or "lucky dog," and cars that are one lap down can choose not to pit, therefore regaining a lap during a caution. The new rule appears to be a work in progress but Pocono is a 2.5-miler with plenty of space and opportunity to figure it out.(FoxSports)

Rewind | Commentary, notes and key moments at Dover

By Jim Utter/thatsracin.com

Rewinding Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Dover international Speedway and examining some of the other issues:

Rearview mirror

Double-file restarts are coming, likely as soon as the next Sprint Cup race. There are going to be some people disappointed for the guys who fall a lap or more down. But seriously, other than a particular fan’s favorite driver, who is paying attention to the lapped cars? They are lapped for a reason. The “free pass” will still be available for the first car not on the lead lap, and if someone is good enough to compete for the win, he should be in position to earn that. More excitement is better racing, pure and simple.

Although there have been a lot of complaints about the quality of racing this season, if you throw out the rain-hampered Coca-Cola 600, the races at Dover, Darlington and Richmond have all been pretty solid.

Goodyear officials were confident the tire problems that plagued Saturday’s Truck series race would not occur in Sunday’s Cup race. And, with one or two exceptions, they were exactly right. Give credit where credit is due.

Notes

·         Mears puts up another top 10

Casey Mears finished ninth in Sunday's race at Dover, his second top-10 finish in the past four races. He was also ninth at Richmond, Va., last month.

Mears and his No. 07 Richard Childress Racing team struggled at the start of the season, posting three finishes of 24th or worse in the first five races.

“We all struggled at Charlotte last week, so it was good to come to Dover this week and run like we did,” he said.

“We had one run where we lost a lot of positions. These things are so temperamental. We just raised the track bar just a half-a-round and it just went horrible.

“But went bounced back and had a good, solid day.”

·         No repeat for Reutimann

David Reutimann's winning streak ended at one.

The best week of Reutimann's career ended with an 18th-place finish Sunday. Not bad, but not close to a repeat of his trip to Victory Lane last week at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He followed that winning the pole at Dover.

"The car just kind of gave up," he said. "It started getting really, really loose on entry and there was nothing we could do to fix it. I'm really, really disappointed.

Reutimann believes he can get the No. 00 Toyota into the 12-car field for the Chase for the championship. The 39-year-old Michael Waltrip Racing driver is within 31 points of Mark Martin for 12th place and the last spot in the Chase.

He was only six behind Martin when the race started.

"Something strange was going on with the car, and we've got to look at it because it went way bad quick and we could never get it back," Reutimann said.

·         Tire blows Hamlin's chances

Denny Hamlin's solid run came to a premature end when he blew a right-front tire and slammed hard into the wall just past the halfway point.

Hamlin was running in second place behind Jimmie Johnson when the No. 11 Toyota went up the banking and into the wall. He finished 36th and fell from fifth to seventh in the points standings.

"I pushed a little harder than what we had all day," Hamlin said. "If anything, we were going to be hard on the right rear, not the right front."

Hamlin said there was no warning anything was about to go wrong.

"I think it's just a freak deal," he said. "The tires just blew out. It's more bad luck for the 11 team."

Key moments

Lap 49

Jimmie Johnson takes the lead for the first time and shows his strength by leading the next 67 circuits.

Lap 117

A caution for debris catches several cars on pit road, including Jeff Gordon's No. 24, and leaves them a lap down.

Lap 369

During a caution for debris, four drivers - Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne - take two tires. Johnson, who has led most of the race, takes four and restarts ninth.

Lap 379

Johnson has made his way to third, leaving only Biffle and Stewart in front of him.

Lap 397

Johnson finally catches and passes Stewart to recapture the lead for the final time.

Next race

Pocono 500

Where: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa.

When: 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

TV: TNT.

Radio: Motor Racing Network.

Last year’s winner: Kasey Kahne.

The Associated Press contributed.

Stewart goes up on Gordon, tops standings

By Jim Utter/thatsracin.com

DOVER, Del. – Tony Stewart knows there is a lot of racing left this season.

And he certainly is aware he lacks a Sprint Cup points win in 2009.

But becoming the first owner/driver in NASCAR to take the lead in the series standings since the late champion Alan Kulwicki in November 1992 appeared to impress Stewart following his runner-up finish in Sunday’s Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway.

“That stat there is pretty cool, to be leading the points standings this early into the new venture,” said Stewart, who was passed for the lead by winner Jimmie Johnson with three of 400 laps remaining.

“I’m really proud of our guys (who) give us equipment that puts us in this position. It’s been a dream season for us up to this point and you hope you don’t wake up tomorrow and all of a sudden realize that we’re just getting ready to go to Daytona or something.”

Stewart was one of four drivers who took only two tires on the last pit stop and the last driver Johnson passed to earn his come-from-behind victory.

“It was fun racing with Jimmie like that,” Stewart said. “They’d been the fastest car all day so there’s no shame in running second to a guy that led the most laps all day.”

Stewart holds a 46-point lead over Jeff Gordon, who led the standings entering Sunday’s race. Gordon finished 26th.

“At this point (the points lead) is not crucial. I’m more disappointed we didn’t have a shot at winning the race,” Gordon said. “Those bonus points are what mean the most right now.

“Obviously, it’s important to stay in the top 12, but I don’t care whether we finish eighth or first in the top 12 as long as we have the bonus points with wins. Today was just not a good day. We need to regroup.”

Ryan Newman earns fifth consecutive top-10 NASCAR Sprint Cup finish

By SceneDaily Staff

DOVER, Del. – A sign of how good Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Newman has been lately: His eighth-place finish in the Autism Speaks 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday was his worst in the last five races.
Newman had a streak of four consecutive top-five finishes come to an end at Dover International Speedway, but he still moved up two spots to fifth in the Cup standings.
"It was not what we wanted for the U.S. Army Chevrolet, but it was a good points day for us and a great day for Stewart-Haas Racing with Tony [Stewart] running second,” Newman said. Stewart, Newman’s co-owner and teammate, took over the points lead.
Newman struggled with the handling of the No. 39 Chevrolet at Dover, but he and crew chief Tony Gibson did their best to get the car better.
"We were a top-10 car and that was it,” Gibson said. “We could never really hit on anything that really worked for Ryan. We danced with air pressures, wedge and track-bar adjustments but never hit on anything. … We keep on pounding away, pounding away and pounding away. We have to stay strong as a team, and if we do that we can prevail on a day like today.
“It's pretty good when you can say you're ticked off because you finished eighth. We have to get better and we want to win races quickly. Our driver never gives up and this crew never gives up.”
Newman was running 10th when the yellow flag waved with 37 laps to go. Gibson called for right-side tires only, and Newman restarted third. Though he couldn’t hang on for a top-five, he won’t complain about an eighth-place finish.
“I drove a little harder than I wanted to at the end on two tires,” Newman said. “I had to drive it so hard to get everything out of it. Typically with these cars the more you finesse them the better they are. But there was no finessing today. When everything is not clicking and you can still finish eighth – not a bad day overall."

Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne pleased with impact of new engine

By SceneDaily Staff

DOVER, Del. – There weren’t many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers happier than Richard Petty Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne after the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway Sunday.

Kahne posted a solid sixth-place finish as the No. 9 Dodge team used the new Dodge engine for the first time. Kahne also improved to 14th in the point standings after back-to-back top-10 finishes for the second time this year.

“It was a good day for our Budweiser Dodge,” Kahne said. “[Greg] Biffle and I were battling all day and it was fun. He ended up second, and we ended up sixth. It was a good race for us.”

A lot of things went right for Kahne in Sunday’s race.

“The new motor had plenty of power, which made the car fun to drive,” Kahne said. “We were good on pit stops and the car handled well. We were just so loose all day, especially on short runs. Our Dodge was great on long runs, but the race had so many debris cautions that it was crazy.

“As soon as we would get racing, a debris caution would come out and really take the pace away from the race. For our Dodge team, it was a really good day. We’ve made some really big gains the last few weeks.”

Penske Racing's Kurt Busch halts three-race slide with solid fifth-place finish at Dover

By SceneDaily Staff

DOVER, Del. – Penske Racing's Kurt Busch snapped a recent three-race slide with a fifth-place finish in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway.

Busch slipped a spot to fourth in the series standings but remains in solid position to earn a berth in the Chase For The Sprint Cup.

"This place is always tough, and to come out of here with a fifth-place finish is really awesome," Busch said. "I think that we can hold our heads high and be proud of our effort. Just before the second-to-last caution [for debris] came out, I thought that our Miller Lite Dodge was the fastest car on the race track."

Busch was second to eventual winner Jimmie Johnson with just under 50 laps to go. The team felt it had the fastest car on long runs and that Busch had a shot to catch the leader.

Then a late caution came out and the leaders pitted, with some opting for four tires and others taking two.

Busch was in the four-tire group and emerged on the track deeper in the field. Johnson took four as well, but made up more ground in the closing laps. Busch found that his four tires didn't help his handling.

"The last caution came out and we made the decision to take four tires and ended up on the loose side," he said. "That’s OK. Two-tire strategy was smart by the rest of the guys, but Jimmie prevailed today. He was really fast. … We wanted to get to victory lane today, but fifth-place … we’ll take it."

Crew chief Pat Tryson agreed, seeming surprised by how well those who took two tires - notably runnerup Tony Stewart and third-place finished Greg Biffle - fared in the closing laps.

"We thought we had a shot there after the last caution to win the race," Tryson said. "We decided to change all four tires and it looked like taking two held up better than we thought. The 48 won the race on a four-tire pit strategy; we just couldn’t run him down in the end.”

Casey Mears tops Richard Childress Racing contingent at Dover

By SceneDaily Staff

DOVER, Del. – The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season has been tough for Richard Childress Racing and driver Casey Mears, but the No. 07 Chevrolet team was solid at Dover International Speedway as Mears posted a ninth-place finish in the Autism Speaks 400 on Sunday.

That matched Mears’ season-best finish scored at Richmond International Raceway four races ago. It was also the best finish among RCR drivers at Dover.

"We're really happy to get another top-10,” Mears said. “We all struggled at Charlotte last week, so it was good to come to Dover this week and run like we did.”

None of the four RCR drivers finished higher than 25th in the Coca-Cola 600 Monday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and only Jeff Burton has a top-five finish in the last six races.

Mears has struggled all season, his first with the organization, with a best finish of 15th in the first nine races. But now he has two top-10s in the last four events.

“The Jack Daniel's guys didn't panic after Charlotte,” Mears said. “They knew Dover was a different race track and they hung on to their game plan and it really worked for us. The Jack guys did a great job all day on pit road.

“We had one run where we lost a lot of positions. These things are so temperamental – we just raised the track bar just a half a round, and it just went horrible. But went bounced back and had a good solid day."

Johnson rallies for win at Dover

By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

DOVER, Del.–It’s tough to keep a good man down–and when you have the combination of a great car and an excellent driver, it’s downright impossible, as Jimmie Johnson proved in Sunday’s Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway.

Restarting eighth on Lap 374 of 400, after NASCAR called the 10th caution of the race for David Stremme’s hard crash on the frontstretch, Johnson atoned for a slow pit stop and charged through the field to run down Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart and win his fourth Sprint Cup race at Dover, his second of the 2009 season and the 42nd of his career.

Johnson, who led 298 laps, cleared Stewart for the lead through Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 398 and pulled away to finish .861 seconds ahead of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet. Having taken two tires to Johnson’s four during the final pit stops for each team, Stewart repeatedly ran high through the corners to try to block Johnson’s line.

But Johnson finally found room to the outside through Turns 1 and 2 and completed the winning pass through the final two corners.

Biffle finished third, followed by Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch. Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Casey Mears and Mark Martin completed the top 10. In his first race at Hendrick Motorsports with a crew chief other than Tony Eury Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr. faded to 12th after a cracking the top five earlier in the race.

“Fortunately, I had such a good car that I could run around the top,” said Johnson, who climbed one position to third in the series standings. “My hat’s off to Tony Stewart. That was one heck of a race. I had to drive so far over my head to get by him. I’m just very proud of what we did out there on the racetrack today.

“I wasn’t going to give up. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I knew I had a great racecar. I knew there were some laps left, and it was just time to go–and I got it done. To have to run that hard to pass that many good cars to get the lead, that’s a challenge. I really had to suck it up and get going. I thought I was going to pound the wall a couple of times on the top. I cooked it off in there too fast and slid right up to the crumbs, and I’m like, ‘Please stay, please.’ And it stuck, and I made it back around.”

Stewart, who took the series points lead from 26th-place finisher Jeff Gordon, used his consummate skill to try to keep Johnson behind him.

“We had an opportunity,” said Stewart, who became the first owner/driver to lead the points standings since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. “We got to the lead there and got by Biffle and just couldn’t hold off Jimmie. He was like a freight train coming. I mean, I was surprised I could hold him off as long as I did, but I was pretty happy that we were able to do it for that long.

“I mean, when you’re the fastest car and you’re coming as fast as he was, it was just a matter of getting the opening that he needed, and we did everything we could to take his line away from him as often as we could, but just couldn’t do it long enough.”

Earnhardt’s strong run started to erode after Denny Hamlin smacked the wall on Lap 231 to bring out the fifth caution of the afternoon. With a quick pit stop, Earnhardt came out third for a restart on Lap 237, but his No. 88 Chevrolet developed a tight handling condition and began to fade.

Despite adjustments under the sixth caution (called because of debris on Lap 276), the condition worsened after a restart on Lap 281, and Earnhardt brought the car back to pit road five laps later, after a wreck on the backstretch involving Paul Menard and Robby Gordon put the race under caution for a seventh time.

The pit stop dropped Earnhardt to 15th for a restart on Lap 291, but changes to the car sent the handling from tight to loose, and Earnhardt wasn’t a contender for the win after that. Nevertheless, he gained one position in the standings to 18th, 215 points out of 12th place, the last position eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud

Autism Speaks 400

Matt McLaughlin · Frontstretch.com

The Key Moment: Coming up on two laps left to race, Jimmie Johnson powered around the outside of Tony Stewart to retake the lead.

In a Nutshell: Ever hear of a Cow-patty sandwich on whole wheat bread? The top and the bottom of the race weren’t bad… but everything in the middle was pretty tough to swallow.

Dramatic Moment: Those final ten laps watching Johnson storm back to the front were about as good as it gets.

What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong (Ecclesiastes)… but sometimes it is. Just don’t tell Kyle Busch that.

Cynics might guess that Rick Hendrick decided to fix Dale Earnhardt’s problems by repainting Jeff Gordon’s cars in AMP Energy green and giving Gordon the mutts of the litter at Dover.

You have to wonder if NASCAR hadn’t been so liberal throwing those debris cautions, Jimmie Johnson might not have lapped the field.

Doesn’t it seem that all of NASCAR’s severest penalties lately (drug use (Jeremy Mayfield), oversized engine (Carl Long), and toed out rear end (Robby Gordon)) all seem to be aimed at the small teams — not the major players with big dollar sponsors? I’m sure the top drivers and teams are all running squeaky clean programs this year. And I’m sure that Santa is going to bring me a Dodge Challenger RT and an Ultra-Glide for Christmas…

The implications and ramifications of Rick Hendrick’s decision to sack Tony Eury, Jr. as Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s crew chief this week continue to be the big story. On a personal level, I feel the decision was long overdue and probably should have been made back in the DEI days. The relationship between a driver and crew chief is akin to marriage, and marriage isn’t an institution cousins should enter into unless you want the result to be six-fingered offspring or Brian France. I will say that I don’t admire the position that Brian Whitesell or Lance McGrew find themselves thrust into. It’s like being the first lieutenant off the landing craft in a beachfront invasion … your life expectancy is under a minute. Let’s face it; NASCAR and the networks need Junior to be winning races on a regular basis to restore the sport’s waning popularity. If it doesn’t work out with the new crew chief, it’s never going to be Earnhardt’s fault despite his forthright admissions this week that he’s part of the problem. You can replace crew chiefs dozens of times, nay dozens upon dozens of times, and it will never be Junior’s fault even if they find him passed out at the entrance of his Whiskey River eatery an hour before the race. The bottom line is that those crew chiefs can be replaced… but the sport’s Most Popular Driver can’t be. I continue to think that Rick Hendrick needs to find a way to beg, cajole, or buy Ray Evernham’s acceptance of a spot atop the No. 88 team’s pit box in order to make this experiment work.

Throughout my so-called writing career, I’ve made a conscious decision not to refer to individual races by their sponsored name. It’s the World 600, not the Coca-Cola 600; or the Phoenix Spring race, not the Subway 500 kilometers. I even had to go to the mat with the editors here at Frontstretch to keep that tradition alive. Well, this weekend’s official race title, “The Autism Speaks 400 Presented by Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips and Cheese,” should make it obvious why I do that. Now that’s just silly. Can they even fit a title that long on the trophy?

There’s apparently a move in the works to adopt the system of double-file restarts (wherein the second place driver starts alongside the leader rather than behind him) in the next few weeks. I am excited by the idea, and think it will provide for better racing in the interim period between now and when NASCAR finally fixes or eliminates the New Car. But I’d add a codicil to the rule which I believe is already on the books, at least at the start of the race. The leader should have the choice to start on either the inside or the outside lane on any restart. At a lot of tracks, a driver on the inside line has a decided advantage over a driver on the outside lane where that leader traditionally restarts.

OK, game on. Jeremy Mayfield has filed a lawsuit against NASCAR specifically naming Brian France and Doctor Black and alleging grievous career harm. The suit in fact alleges “malicious” conduct on the part of both defendants in wishing to make an example of Mayfield to further the goals of NASCAR’s drug testing policy. (Which I find personally laudable.) In reading over the lawsuit’s statement of fact, I see a lot of merit in the case, especially when it comes to the method in which the test was conducted and the handling of the “backup B sample.” There’s also a lot of serious questions about how Mayfield was informed of the “failed” results and in comments made by NASCAR employees in the aftermath of this debacle. Once again, I see a lot of the typical NASCAR arrogance in their statements that amount to “it is as we say it is, because we say it is.” There’s a lot more evidence that Brian Zachary France shouldn’t be allowed to run a driveway lemonade stand much less a major race sanctioning body because nepotism isn’t a legitimate business model for succession. Well, friends and neighbors, this one is out of our hands now. The merits of the lawsuit won’t be decided in this column or on an internet message board; it will be decided in a court of law. Keep your hands inside the car, gentle readers — this is going to be a dark ride.

Related to the above, at least the issues are suddenly becoming clearer. The text of NASCAR’s vaunted drug testing policy is now readily available, and it is clearly ambiguous when it comes to over-the-counter and prescribed medications. It recognizes the legitimate use of prescribed drugs while noting that some of them (codeine in cough medicine is cited) can render a driver unfit to compete. I have no argument there. Again, reading between the lines it seems to be that the substance that triggered the positive result in Mayfield’s urine test is a maintenance drug that he takes for Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, a recognized and even somewhat prevalent medical condition. Drugs used to combat AADD contain tiny amounts of amphetamine, more colloquially known as speed. It seems counterintuitive that doctors would give a person who is already hyper speed to calm them down, but due to a history of the childhood version of this disease in my nephews I know this to be the case. The therapy works, and none of my nephews have excelled in track and field or Little League due to their medications. Oddly enough, I do recall AADD drugs being advertised during NASCAR broadcasts as well…

Jeff Burton emerged from last week’s “Town Hall” meetings with NASCAR on how to better the sport, saying that he feels the racing is better than ever and in fact better than the racing in what fans and scribes like to call ‘the good old days.’” I’m reminded of a quote by the inestimable Curtis Turner regarding drag racing. He compared drag racing to masturbation (not the term he used) saying it’s a lot of fun to do but not much fun to watch.

In these troubled times, it’s sometimes a struggle to see the positive side of life. Even the worst pessimists have to give thanks that this year’s aural assault that is the FOX portion of the NASCAR season is finally over. They say this is their ninth season in the sport, though sometimes it feels like this stupidity makes the 100 Year Wars seem like a food fight at a frat house. With FOX’s final signoff, hopefully Digger can finally retire and be inducted into the Animation Hall of Fame as the least loved drawn character ever, DW can continue his perpetual campaign for the position of Village Idiot of Franklin, TN, and Jeff Hammond can finally find his calling as the morning DJ of WKRP out of Helena, MT. Unfortunately, like the swine flu FOX’s season might have left us sickened — but it’s going to be back worse than ever next winter.

By the time you read this, it will be June 1st and sometime today General Motors will file for bankruptcy. What implications that will have for Chevy’s continued involvement in NASCAR racing will have to play out in the next few months. But while June 21st is officially the longest day of the year, I recall another date, June 6th, often referred to as the “Longest Day.” That was the date allied forces stormed ashore at Normandy Beach in a desperate and dangerous landing to preserve democracy for the free world. I have a personal stake in that invasion, having lost three relatives I never met to the slaughter. So what does any of this have to do with racing? We live in troubled economic times. Things are pretty bleak right now, but nothing nearly as bad as what Americans were dealing with one Sunday morning after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the massive damage that attack inflicted on our Pacific fleet. America was thrust into a World War on two fronts, and the bad guys had a decided advantage. Almost overnight GM, Ford, Chrysler and a host of other automakers no longer in business went from peacetime production to a wartime scenario wherein they built the Jeeps, trucks, planes, ships, and bombs that won World War II in support of the citizen soldiers that marched across Europe and went island to island in the Pacific to restore democracy to the free world in the face of tyrants. We as a nation have a debt that needs to be repaid right now. Either that, or the next time the crap hits the fan we’ll have to count on the Koreans and Japan to gear up and produce the materials to win the next World War. Frankly, that prospect makes me sick to the stomach…

When he’s winning, Kyle Busch can be a pretty loquacious guy; and when it comes to getting his digs in on Dale Earnhardt, Jr. who supplanted him at Hendrick Motorsports, the Vile One has a lot to say. But when he finishes a race poorly, suddenly Mr. Busch is in his golf cart and gone without a word spoken. Time to grow up and face the fact that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, Mr. Busch. To stretch my allotted rock and roll analogies for the week, in the words of the incalculable Mr. Dylan: “Once upon a time you dressed so fine, did the bump and grind in your time, dinchu? People called hey, beware, you thought that they were all kiddinchu… how does it feel?”

The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune

Fourth generation driver Jeffrey Earnhardt failed to qualify for this weekend’s Nationwide race in a DEI entry. It couldn’t be his fault. Teresa Earnhardt is at fault! Fire his crew chief! Maybe Tony Eury, Jr. is looking for a new full-time gig? In case you’re wondering, Jeff is Kerry Earnhardt’s son. Kerry was the product of Dale Senior’s first marriage which ended in divorce. His mom later remarried, and his stepdad adopted Kerry. For most of his life, Kerry went by his stepdad’s last name up until the point that he decided to give racing a go. That Earnhardt last name opened a bunch of doors…

Kyle Busch dominated in Saturday’s races, but cut down tires allowed him to once more snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

It was bad enough a caution flag shortly after he pitted left Jeff Gordon a lap down, but losing another lap under green couldn’t have improved his mood much. Add in the qualifying wreck, and it was a pretty long weekend for Jeff Gordon and his fans. That pain in his back had apparently migrated south a few inches.

It had been a pretty good week for David Reutimann, with his win in the rain-delayed World 600 and a pole at Dover on Friday. He had a decent run going during the race, too, before spinning out late to avoid David Stremme’s stricken Dodge. As it stands written in the Book of Bruce: “Well, they came so far, and waited so long, just to reach the part of the dream, where everything goes wrong…”

Denny Hamlin watched his chances at a win go up in a cloud of smoke when a Goodyear blew so badly the tire manufacturer tried blaming Al Qaeda.

The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune

Jimmie Johnson fought electrical problems all afternoon, but came away with the victory at Dover anyway.

A pit road collision with Kyle Busch could easily have ended Carl Edwards’ day, but he drove on to a seventh place finish.

It was another good day for Stewart-Haas Racing, with Tony taking over the points lead by finishing second and Ryan Newman posting another top 10 finish.

After a trying weekend of wet weather at Charlotte and the truck race being rain-delayed on Friday, Mother Nature finally showed her benevolent side with spectacular weather on Saturday and Sunday. WPVI’s weather witch must have accidentally locked herself in the basement.

After the disaster at Charlotte, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. must have been pretty well satisfied with a twelfth place finish on the lead lap. You have to learn to walk before you run…

Worth Noting

·         Jimmie Johnson earned just his second top 10 finish in the last five Cup points races. But the winner’s check might finally allow him to purchase medication to combat the fungal growth that has afflicted his face and scalp as of late. Some guys — Jerry Garcia, ZZ Top, and Bruce Springsteen come to mind — look good with a beard. Other guys… well, not so much.

·         Tony Stewart (second) now has top 5 finishes in six of the last eight Cup points races. Pass the horseradish; these crow sandwiches are getting pretty gamy.

·         Greg Biffle (third) enjoyed his best finish since he also finished third at Texas.

·         Matt Kenseth (fourth) has top 10 finishes in the last three Cup points races.

·         Kurt Busch (fifth) earned a top 10 finish for the first time since Talladega. No wonder his parents love Kyle more.

·         Ryan Newman (eighth) has now strung together five straight top 10 finishes. As the Boss might add, “man, the dope is there’s still hope.”

·         Casey Mears’ ninth place finish matches his best result of the 2009 Cup season and his tenure with Richard Childress Racing.

·         Mark Martin (tenth) now has top 10 finishes in seven of the last nine points-paying Cup races. Shine on you, crazy diamond…

·         Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (12th) finished within the top 20 for the first time in four races. And Darrell Waltrip left Dover singing, “But I’ll still sing you love songs, written in the letters of your name, and brave the storms to come, ‘cause it surely looks like rain…”

·         Jeff Gordon (26th) has managed just one top 5 finish since his win at Texas in what seems like billions and billions of years ago.

·         Joey Logano in 15th was the top finishing rookie of the race, but most importantly I’ve finally been able to recall why Logano looks so familiar. I defy anyone to watch a rerun of that ultimate camp Batman series of the 1960s, watch Caesar Romero’s classic Joker character and not think there’s a striking resemblance between the Joker and Logano.

·         The top 10 finishers at Dover drove five Chevys, three Fords, and a pair of Dodges. The top finishing Toyota pilot was the Joker… err, Joey Logano.

What’s the Points?

Tony Stewart assumes the points lead and has a 46-point gap on former top dog Jeff Gordon, who fell to second.

Jimmie Johnson’s win helped him wrest third spot from Kurt Busch, who now finds himself fourth in the standings, a still manageable 91 points out of the lead.

Ryan Newman had a good points day, bobbing up two spots to fifth. Denny Hamlin had a poor points day, submerging two spots to seventh. Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle each rose a spot in the standings to find themselves eighth and ninth in that tally right now. They displaced Jeff Burton, who fell two spots to tenth. Carl Edwards and Mark Martin round out the final two spots in the Chase as of now, while thirteenth place David Reutimann is 31 points outside one of those vaunted top 12 points positions.

Halfway through this year’s regular season, the point standings continue to be dominated by the multi-car giants. Rick Hendrick and Jack Roush each have three drivers in the top 12 in points. Both Stewart-Haas drivers, a satellite team for Hendrick, are also in the top 12. Joe Gibbs also has two drivers in it, while the remaining spots belong to Roger Penske’s Kurt Busch and Richard Childress’ Jeff Burton.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is now eighteenth in the standings, a daunting 215 points out of the top 12. But as Kenny Mayne might remind us, he remains popular. Tony Eury, Jr. … well, not so much.

Overall Rating (On a scale of one to six beer cans, with one being a stinker and a six pack an instant classic) — The final laps of the race were worth a six pack, but enduring the middle 300 laps of the race lowers the event’s overall average to three cans of Natty Bo…a curse Baltimore has foisted on beer drinkers since about the Bronze Age.

Next Up: Cue up the Rod Sterling prologue, because the circuit enters the Twilight Zone in the infamous Pennsylvania Triangle — where a lot of good cars enter but never come back.  

Five Points to Ponder

Dover Edition

Mike Lovecchio · Frontstretch.com

Scott impresses

Jimmie Johnson’s win in this week’s Cup Series event at Dover may not have been a surprise… but the results across the two other national series at the one-mile oval certainly were. Brad Keselowski was in the right spot at the right time in Saturday’s Nationwide race when Joey Logano got into Kyle Busch, who was restarting from the lead with just a handful of laps to go. It was only career win No. 3 for Keselowski in the series, who is expected to make the full-time jump to Sprint Cup in 2010.

While Keselowski has been in the public eye since his upset win at Talladega one month ago, Saturday’s rain-delayed Truck Series race produced the first career win for another promising young talent. In just his second full season, 21-year-old Brian Scott utilized late-race pit strategy to pick up his first NASCAR checkered flag, and in the process jumped into the top 5 in points, just 107 out of the lead. Scott posted seven top 10s in 25 starts last season, but has been on a tear early in 2009 with four top 10s and one win in his first seven starts. It’s pretty safe to say Keselowski is a “can’t miss” prospect, but Scott may be one of the few young guns to keep an eye on in the Truck Series as he climbs the NASCAR ranks.

Tire or contact?

Speaking of young guns, I’ve heard a couple of people blame Joey Logano for the late-race contact with Kyle Busch that essentially gave the win to the No. 88 team. I’ve been a Logano critic since the hype machine first fired up, but there is absolutely no validity to those thoughts that the contact was all on him. Busch was restarting with a tire going down and when he drove it off into Turn 1, he had to get off the gas to not lose the car… forcing Logano to get into the back of him. That left the move as nothing more than a racing accident… it’s that simple. As it is, the contact also took any chance of a win away from the No. 20 team in what’s been an impressive season for Logano in Nationwide to date. It’s not that Busch didn’t have any reason to be upset at his 17th place finish, though — it closed the deficit between Busch and Carl Edwards in the standings to just 40 points.

The debut that wasn’t

This week was supposed to be the Nationwide debut of a fourth generation Earnhardt, Jeffrey, but everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the 19-year-old. After crashing his No. 31 Rick Ware Racing entry during a mock qualifying lap in practice, he turned around and failed to post a good enough time in qualifying to get into the field on Saturday. Expectations are astronomically greater for anybody named Earnhardt in this sport, and perhaps the grandson of Dale Earnhardt felt the need to squeeze a little too much speed out of his car. At least he’ll have up to seven more starts this season in hopes of gaining experience before running for Rookie of the Year honors in 2010.

Davis finally gets a break

It’s hard to find a racing prospect who’s had as tough of luck as 18-year-old Marc Davis. Davis’s career began as a developmental driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, but after a number of setbacks he has since had to compete with a family-owned team just to be on the track. His equipment hasn’t always been top notch, but that all changed when Braun Racing announced this week that he will pilot the No. 10 Nationwide car in six races this season. He finished 34th this weekend in his first race with the team, but will have another chance to impress other owners June 6th at Nashville.

Frontstretch.com LIVE BLOG comment of the race

Each week, I will further expand on some of the more interesting fan comments from our weekly Frontstretch.com LIVE Cup race blog. Here’s one of the more interesting comment’s from this week’s edition:

Yeah, I think Kyle should not have chimed in on the (No.) 88 problems. He needs to focus on getting to the Chase with JGR, not Hendrick.

— Speeddemon787 on Kyle Busch taking a jab at Dale Earnhardt, Jr. this week.

I may be in the minority, but I for one had nothing against Busch’s comments about Junior. Busch may be arrogant and cocky, but he’s not stupid. We’ve all said the sport needs a great rivalry, and what better rivalry than NASCAR’s bad boy and NASCAR’s golden boy… it’s exciting, and could help both the sliding ticket sales and TV ratings. But while Busch will undoubtedly make the Chase in the No. 18 car, it is Junior who must run up front — no matter the crew chief — to keep feeding the rivalry.

P.S.: Our live blog pops up again next week! Come join the fun!

Notes to Ponder

One for the owner-drivers: With his runner-up finish, Tony Stewart became the first owner-driver to lead the points since 1992.

The FOX Cup: FOX awarding the FOX Cup to Stewart after the race was pretty silly. That trophy won’t be on Stewart’s mantle, it’ll be in the trash.

Speaking of FOX: Say goodbye to Digger and friends! Dover marked the last time we’ll have to see the furry creature in 2009, as TNT takes over broadcasting duties starting next week.

The new Dodge engine: Kasey Kahne finally got the new Dodge engine under the hood and picked up his second consecutive top 10. Could we see a late Chase run for the No. 9 team?

Junior and McGrew: The new driver/crew chief pairing resulted in a much-improved 12th place finish. Don’t look too much into it just yet, though, as McGrew was appointed crew chief for this week only after Keselowski failed to make the race.

Dream over for Carl Long?

By Marty Smith/ESPN.com

Growing up in central North Carolina, a stone's throw from the Virginia border, all Carl Long ever wanted to do was race cars. He was reared in short track infields all over Tobacco Road, watching his daddy compete in the Baby Grand National Series in the mid-'70s.

He dreamed that someday he'd rub fenders with Winston Cup royalty, the Allisons and the Waltrips and the Earnhardts.

These days in his home north of Charlotte there are photos, several of them, of Long as a child posing with some of those men. His heroes. But there's one in particular he keeps close by. He was 6 years old, perched on Bobby Allison's knee at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway.

You needn't see it physically -- only hear Long describe it -- to know it's a portrait of innocence and limitless potential and the starry-eyed prospect of a child's wish.

In a way, those dreams have been realized. Long has never been competitive at NASCAR's highest levels, and some folks don't even believe he belongs on the racetrack with Johnson and Gordon and the Busch boys.

And granted, he'll never beat them. But he did achieve the unthinkable.

He took an empty pocket and a full heart and made it to Cup.

Long got his racing start at Orange County and South Boston, driving Volkswagen Beetles against his ol' man and his uncles. He stayed after it, ascended through the ranks, praying he'd catch the eye of a big-time owner and get a real shot. He set that goal at age 35. But last year, at 40, reality smacked him in the face. It just wasn't happening.

So he changed directions, decided he'd race when he could, suit up and tape it off and chase the dream on Friday afternoons when he managed to scrap enough dimes together to try. At least he was still at the racetrack, consumed by an addiction to what he recently called "the worst drug ever:" racing.

On Tuesday, that dream could end.

Long gone.

Forever.

On May 20, NASCAR penalized the driver and crew chief Charles Swing for bringing a big motor to the Sprint Showdown. They levied a record penalty and fine: 200 championship points, $200,000 and a 12-race suspension. Long can't afford $200, much less 200,000 of them.

Long appealed the penalty, and a three-member appeals board will hear his case Tuesday. If the penalty is upheld, Long is done. If he can't pay the fine he'll lose his NASCAR license. With no license, he can't so much as race a late model.

"Right. I'm done," Long said Monday, standing behind the No. 34 team pit stall at Lowe's Motor Speedway during one of several Coca-Cola 600 red flag rain delays. "My wife and I are the owners, and sure, [NASCAR] could say, 'Carl, we'll reinstate your license after this is over with.' But I can't come back to the race[track] and drive and compete if she has to stay at home. If NASCAR reads in the fine lines, and gives me my license back, they still kill my livelihood."

The only way Long can remain in the sport is "if I win the appeal. I just hope the appeals board has got some common sense."

What went wrong?

Long maintains he purchased the engine from "a reputable builder," i.e., longtime engine man Ernie Elliott. It was a former Ganassi Racing motor which was expendable in the wake of Ganassi's merger with Dale Earnhardt Inc., and subsequent move to Chevrolet. Elliott bought it, then sold it to Long.

When Long showed up to compete in the Sprint Showdown, NASCAR surveyed his engine before the race and determined it to be illegal, larger than the maximum 358.000 cubic inch displacement allowed. Long's was 358.17.

"I've got a guy making me up a piece that's .17 of a cubic inch," Long said. "It's like cutting a Chiclet into 20 pieces and giving you a piece."

Ultimately, Long feels blame rests with Elliott.

"Apparently they didn't pay attention to what they sold me, or they just didn't care -- one or the other," Long said of Elliott. "I didn't think it'd ever wind up being where it is. All I did was buy a part from a guy, with a name, that says I'm legal to go racing. I went to a reputable builder, but he's not being held responsible. He just told me 'Good luck.'

"The pistons in the engine was a 4.185 size, which is the maximum limit in our series. And all the paperwork that he showed on them said it was a 4.183. The whole thing was, a mistake happened and I'm the guy that's got to pay for it."

Elliott, conversely, says he carries no responsibility. He said he'd never have sold the motor to Long if he didn't think it was legal. Elliott cites his company wasn't the last entity to work on the engine.

When he sold the engine, he no longer had control over it. If it were a leased engine, one Elliott saw weekly, he'd said he'd be right in the middle of it. But it belonged to Long, he said.

"All we did was bought an inventory and resold it -- that's our position on it," Elliott said.

Elliott also explained that he sold the motor to Long in January, which Long then ran at Daytona during Speedweeks before converting it to an "open," unrestricted engine.

"By virtue of the fact that it went to a race, for the small amount it was over, would you not believe an engine that ran hot enough to blow a head gasket and pour water out the tail pipes would not distort the bore more than [.17 inch]?" Elliott said.

"I think a piece of paper is thicker than one-thousandth of an inch."

Long said NASCAR tried its best to help. He said inspector Kenny Lawson went to every extreme to measure the motor, in every fashion possible, to ensure it did not conform. In the end, Lawson had no recourse. The motor was just too big.

The odd thing is, it was also weak. Long said he tested it on a chassis dynamometer the week before the Showdown and found it to be 50 horsepower short of the top teams.

"The bad part about it is, I borrowed the money from a guy to go buy the motor and NASCAR cut the purse short on me, so I can't even pay him back for the motor," Long said. "NASCAR kept the engine, and I'm $200,000 in the hole."

Long estimates he brings in $100,000 annually, which he uses to race and feed his family. Saying he "can't afford" 200 large is like saying he's not a favorite to win on Sundays.

"It's crazy," he said of the penalty. "If I'm gonna come cheated, I'm not gonna come just a little pregnant -- I'm gonna come way pregnant."

Straight priorities

Long's second wife, Dee Dee, is also his second priority. She knows that.

"Everything I've done in my life -- everything -- I've put my family, my job, everything second to racing," Long said. "Racing has been the No. 1 priority. That's probably one of the reasons I'm on my second marriage.

"Ask 90 percent of the people in here on pit road, what's your biggest [obstacle]? People's families can't take racing. Racing's a hard deal. But it's what I chose. Nobody's forcing me to do it. It's what I love to do."

And what if he loses that appeal? What if racing is gone forever? What then?

"I don't think words could explain it -- I truly don't," he said, leaned on a stack of tires, under a tent as the sun shone while the rain poured. "If I can't pay the fine, how do you get back in?

"If I hit the lottery, I don't know that I'd want to pay the damn fine. I understand there's people out in the Internet world trying to help me. But what good does it do? It keeps me in the sport, but I still feel this fine is unjust. If it stands, what's that [say] for the other guys out here?

"You're a victim of somebody else's mistake, and I will grant you there's probably not another driver out here that built their motor in their car. I'd doubt any of them even helped install it. That's the sport today. But I'm being held accountable. I just don't understand."

If he had to, Long figures he could go back to selling pizzas. Back in 1988, Long was manager of the year at a Domino's Pizza franchise in the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina.

"Maybe I should have just franchised back then and bought me a pizza store. I'd been a lot better off," he said. "But I wouldn't be as happy, because I'd have always said 'What if?'

"I'm still in the sport, and now I'm being kicked out of the sport. There's a bunch of other things I could do. I have my CDL [commercial driver's license], because I have to drive the hauler to the track a lot of the time. I can weld. I can fabricate. And I reckon I could BS, too, I don't know.

"But I don't know where exactly my career will go after this. I really hope I don't have to worry about that. I hope they let me continue to make a living in the sport that I love."

Long is what's right about NASCAR. He shows up to race because he loves to race, knowing full well he has no chance to finish in the top 10, much less win. I couldn't do that. I admire him for having the perseverance to try.

We're talking the thickness of a piece of paper. Here's hoping common sense prevails.

Dale Jr., new crew chief need results soon

by Larry McReynolds/foxsports.com

Well folks, as I'm sure you've heard by now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have a new crew chief starting this weekend after Rick Hendrick decided to split up him and Tony Eury Jr.

Despite the news, I still hold my ground that Tony Eury Jr. has not forgotten how to work on a race car or make it go around the corners and I don't think Dale Earnhardt Jr. has forgotten how to drive. But the partnership has just gotten stale — and it happens. The same thing happened to Dale Earnhardt and myself even after we won the 1998 Daytona 500, it's happened to other teams and it happens to husbands and wives. It doesn't make either part of the pair a bad person, but they just grow apart. Tony Eury Jr. is an exceptional crew chief, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is an exceptional driver, but I think with the way the competition is right now and this car being a little bit of a challenge that they got off pace a little. But just like when Dale Sr. and myself split up, Dale Jr. and Eury Jr. still get along and they still care about each other, but they just can't figure this car out.

Obviously, the question on everybody's mind right now is whether this is the right move or not, especially since the results weren't that great the last time this combination was split up. But there's no question folks, they had to do something. Earnhardt Jr. absolutely had a horrible car at Lowe's Motor Speedway this past weekend. You've got your other three Hendrick Motorsports teams — Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson — running up front, leading laps and winning races while the No. 88 crew is struggling to run in the top 25.

Hendrick absolutely had to do something. There was simply too much invested with the sponsors, the driver and the team; you can't run 35th and expect to continue doing the same thing and keep the same deal, especially not with the competition the way it is and the money being spent today.

It just wasn't working. It's not that the two didn't get along, they just couldn't figure this car out. I think that maybe Tony Eury Jr .was depending too much on Dale Earnhardt Jr. for feedback. When you look at their teammates, Jimmie Johnson climbs in his car and he just expects Chad Knaus to fix it — he gives him information, but he doesn't tell him how to fix it. Jeff Gordon doesn't tell Steve Letarte how to fix his car, and I don't even think Mark Martin — as smart of a racer as he is — tells Alan Gustafson how to fix his cars. The more Eury depended on Dale Jr., the worse they got.

How long will this move take to pay off? Will it pay off? There's absolutely no way to predict that. That said, it needs to yield results pretty quick — it doesn't need to take months. Mark Martin and Alan Gustafson went to Daytona at the start of the year and started clicking right off the bat. Now, if Earnhardt doesn't get immediate results at Pocono when Lance McGrew takes over (team manager Brian Whitesell will call the shots this weekend at Dover), I'm sure Rick Hendrick won't make a change immediately; he can't do that or he'd be changing crew chiefs every other week. They just can't get into the mindset that they will be using the rest of this year to get their act together and be ready for 2010 — they need results this year.

Speaking of McGrew, who will be taking over on an interim basis, he is a good crew chief. He's a smart crew chief. He's won races and a Nationwide Series championship. I think that was the perfect choice because he understands the Hendrick organization and structure. 

Tom Higgins Scuffs

Marcis stayed on track to score Richmond win

It was a race during which three of NASCAR’s most famous teams and stars outsmarted themselves.

No, I’m not specifically referring to Memorial Day, when journeyman driver David Reutimann won the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. As sprinkles began in the rain-plagued event, postponed from the previous day, Reutimann remained on the track while most of the top competitors pitted under a yellow flag for fuel and tires.

This gamble gave Reutimann the lead.

The showers intensified, forcing NASCAR to order a red flag and bring the field onto pit road.  After a wait of about two hours and with rain continuing, the 600 was declared official with only 227 of the scheduled 400 laps at the 1.5-mile track completed.

Reutimann’s first Sprint Cup Series victory, a terrific upset, stirred recollection of a somewhat similar situation that occurred 27 years ago.

The date was Feb. 21, 1982.  The site was the old Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, a .542-mile track in a state of disrepair and destined to be replaced in 1988 by a sparkling new facility at the same location.

Joe Ruttman was leading and pulling away on the 244th of 400 laps when the right-rear tire failed on his car.  Ruttman lost control and spun, bringing out the yellow.

The next three drivers behind Ruttman in the Richmond 400 - Richard Petty, Benny Parsons and Dale Earnhardt, all Winston Cup champions - dashed onto pit road for service.

The fourth in line, Dave Marcis, headily stayed on the track.  Marcis and his teammates, led by new crew chief Jerry Darling, had noticed thick, black clouds approaching from the southwest.

“Stay out!  Stay out!” Darling shouted into the radio hookup between himself and Marcis.  “You’re the leader!”

Six laps were run under caution, then heavy rain swept over the speedway, and the red flag was shown on the 250th circuit.  NASCAR shortly made the season’s second race official.

“There was no way I was coming into the pits,” Marcis said upon arriving in the press box, still wearing his helmet to keep the rain off his head.  “I couldn’t believe the guys in front of me pitted, not with weather threatening like it was.

“Richard stopping really surprised me.  He’s always on top of everything, more so than anybody, and I just knew he’d stay out.  But in he went.

“Maybe Richard and Benny and Dale had some little problem.  Maybe their cars were loose.  When that’s the case, and you see a yellow flag, the first reaction is to pit.

“When they did, I said to myself, ‘Here’s my chance!’