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Today In Nascar History
06/02/1961-Jim Paschal wins at Spartanburg, win #1 of the season, and #8 of his career.
06/02/1963-Fred Lorenzen wins at Charlotte, win #2 of the season, and #7 of his career.
06/02/1966-David Pearson wins at Asheville, win #7 of the season, and #20 of his career.
06/02/1967-Jim Paschal wins at Asheville, win #3 of the season, and #24 of his career.
06/02/1968-David Pearson wins at Macon, win #8 of the season, and #38 of his career.
06/02/1985-Terry Labonte wins at Riverside, win #1 of the season, and #5 of his career.
06/02/1996-Jeff Gordon wins at Dover, win #4 of the season, and #13 of his career.
06/02/2002-Jimmie Johnson wins at Dover, win #2 of the season, and #2 of his career.
"Now, are you getting paid for being on the show today, or did you have to pay to be here?"
--Ken Schrader on Inside Nextel Cup regarding Michael Waltrips "teaming" with Derrike Copes team.
from Bob S
from HM
Sometimes when you hate somebody too much it hurts when they are as good as Tony.
It's a sign that you have arrived when folks boo and hate you just because you win too much. I've seen it happen to D. Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, and now Tony. Comes with the territory. Yet, if you have a great personality like Richard Petty or Bill Elliot you can be teflon coated.
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Willy T. Ribbs, an African-American driver
How can a hyphenated American be a fan of anything when they do not actually exist. This so called "political correctness" has gone a bit too far.
I'm old enough to remember when blacks had pretty much arrived and were accepted as well as any other guys in sports. It seemed that by the end of the 60s that a lot of the time writers just mentioned atheletes by name . . . not by color. Even Jesse Jackson differentiated himself by touting cooperation through his "Rainbow Coalition" and folks like Malcolm X urged not demanding "rights" but fitting in. Latinos were largely just part of society. Then flipped his approach to the rabble rouser's "seperate and unequal strident noise making" and the bogus "African-American" was invented. Took everything backwards IMHO.
Cheers, Bob
My Mom sent this to me and I just couldn't resist putting it in....
Two guys from Minnesota are sittin' in a boat on Elk Lake fishing and suckin' down beers when all of a sudden Mike says, "I think I'm going to divorce my wife -- she hasn't spoken to me in over six months."
Harry sips his beer and says, "You better think it over - women like that are hard to find."
Race #450 for Gordon: #24-Jeff Gordon is scheduled to make his 450th consecutive and career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series start at Dover International Speedway. Along the road that leads to this 450th start are mile markers that include: winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his 50th start; his first of three Daytona 500 wins and becoming the youngest driver to win NASCAR's most prestigious race in his 125th race; starting from the pole at Richmond for race 200; the second of four Brickyard 400 victories came with start 175; and his third win at California Speedway came in Gordon's 375th start.(Performance PR Plus)
All Tape Delay but the race: for some reason, both Nextel Cup Qualifying and Happy Hour practice for the race at Dover will be shown via tape delay, if someone wishes to watch qualifying or practice and not find out the outcome, be warned, it will be posted here after each session, along with the tape delayed showing of the Truck Series race.
The feeling hit him during a recent team meeting. The No. 31 Chevrolet team had gathered in its hauler to discuss race-day adjustments, and the confidence combined with the energy in the room created an unshakable feeling of déjà vu for Jeff Burton.
It was as though he were driving the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing back in the late 1990s -- back when he was knocking on the door of winning a title. That feeling -- that fleeting sense of legitimate hope and faith in your car's ability to win on Sunday and your team's ability to help you finish in the top five -- is not so rare in NASCAR's elite, well-funded teams. But for Burton, it has been a long time coming.
"The way to be in the top 10 and the way to win a championship is to run well," Burton said. "Our team meetings are more productive today because we talk about fine-tuning our cars rather than trying to get from A to Z. Today, we're a whole lot closer. So our team meetings are much more productive, much more focused."
After finishing fourth, fifth, fifth and third in the points standings from 1997 through 2000, Burton began a downward spiral that led to his voluntary departure from the Roush Racing conglomerate and his undertaking a rebuilding project with Richard Childress Racing. When Burton first signed on to drive Childress' 31 car, though, some believed it was Childress who had taken on a rebuilding project.
Burton's 10th-place points finish in 2001 marked his highest finish in the 2001-05 span. Since then, he has finished 12th, 12th, 18th and 18th. This season, he's on pace to qualify for his first Chase for the Nextel Cup.
And Burton isn't the only driver eyeing his first Chase. Burton's teammate, Kevin Harvick, ranks 10th and is on pace for his first appearance after finishing 14th in the past two seasons. Third-year racer Kasey Kahne (sixth) and second-year driver Kyle Busch (ninth) are surprises among the top 10, too. And although veteran driver Mark Martin qualified for the first two Chases, his sitting in third now is remarkable considering at this point last year he had planned to retire -- before team owner Jack Roush asked him to stick around for just one more go-around.
"I'm just so proud of this team and everything they're doing to keep us up there," Martin said. "It's unbelievable the effort they're putting in right now."
Harvick and his team know what it's like to be struggling -- which makes the taste of success all the sweeter.
"It's been very fun to be a part of," Harvick said. "I think the last time I went on a roll like this in racing was racing late models. The team has done a great job. Everybody has put great race cars together, and we've been able to capitalize on situations whether we had the best car or not. We've put ourselves in a position to win races and do the things we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win.
"It's been a lot of fun. You know the downside of it, so the upside of it makes it enjoyable."
But nobody can be as ecstatic as Richard Childress, who was in a deep trench trying to dig his way back to the top of the sport after the death of his longtime driver and friend, Dale Earnhardt. In the year Earnhardt died, in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Harvick stepped into the role of driver for Earnhardt's old team and, with one less race than everyone else on the circuit, managed to finish ninth. Only once since then, in 2003, has Childress had a top-10 points finish -- also by Harvick. But in 2003, there was no Chase format and neither Harvick nor any of the three drivers directly ahead of him in the final standings ever had a chance to close the enormous gap Matt Kenseth built on his way to his first title.
Now, nearly halfway through the first 26 races, Childress is on his way to loading two bullets in the title chase gun. His third bullet, rookie Clint Bowyer, is 15th.
"We're able to discuss things between all three teams that are relative, as opposed to last year," Burton said. "Last year, even though we worked well together, on a lot of occasions we had three different directions. This year, we're much closer in our aerodynamics and our chassis, so it's much more productive and meaningful, without a doubt."
Burton said it was an incredible feeling to be back in a consistently top-10 car. In a world where numbers matter most -- particularly the number signifying where a driver finishes a race -- Burton finally has regained a sense of belonging in the competitive world of elite stock car racing.
"We are a competitive sport, obviously, and at the end of the day, results are what matter," he said. "When we look at how we've run this year, what we look at is in what position did we run in the race? How do our pit stops compare to our competitors'? Do we run best at the beginning of runs or at the end of runs? How is our overall speed? All of those things are better than last year. Obviously, we're higher in points than we were last year. And, we've had a whole lot more trouble this year than we did last year.
"So when you look at the tools we use to measure, we certainly have made improvements."
That's not to say that there isn't room for more improvement, though.
"We do still need some speed," Burton said. "We're certainly a fifth- to 10th-place team, there's no question about that. But there are three to five cars that seem, on a weekly basis, to be consistently better than we are. So we're striving to get there. We're striving to narrow that gap."
Rupen Fofaria is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
It’s a warm, cozy, comfortable feeling. No one with the surname Du Pont ever looked so forward to the First State, Delaware.
If not for Rhode Island — which, of course, isn’t one (an island) — Dover would be the last state … in size. Probably the fact that it was first — to ratify the Constitution of these United States — is a crucial part of why it remains a state at all. It has three counties — Kent, New Castle and Sussex — and they were once the three lower counties of Pennsylvania, that is, up until 1776.
The second smallest state may have somewhat the inferiority complex, which can be seen in all the “First State” emblems and maybe even in the fact that its largest sports facility, Dover International Speedway, is nicknamed “the Monster Mile.” If there’s a big wreck at Dover, I guess it’s a “Monster Mash,” which, of course, was once a graveyard smash.
This track used to be Dover Downs. In fact, Dover Downs is still inside it. They raced horses here before they raced cars, and harness racing still takes place on a regular basis in the slightly smaller track located just inside the concrete mile. Dover is the capital of Delaware and, as any race fan can tell you, there is absolutely no state tax. A buck’s still a buck here, not $1.06. It would be tempting to say that people around here don’t have as much change in their pockets, but that would be ignoring those who frequent the slots casino that is also on the grounds of the track. Those folks can break a dollar with the best of them. Quarters are in plentiful supply.
This is an original track — an oval that is actually oval and thus rare in this age, high-banked at 24 degrees, paved in concrete — in an original state. Most of Delaware is agricultural, which seems kind of surprising since urban monstrosities like Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., lurk just across nearby boundaries. This little peninsula is referred to as Delmarva, simply because it has been parceled out between Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Maybe the citizens of Virginia call it Vadelmar, or maybe in Maryland, it’s Marvadel. There’s not much to it, any way you say it.
So why do I look so forward to it? It’s the same reason my heart used to yearn for Rockingham when it fell a week after the Daytona 500.
Racing at Dover just strikes me as being so … normal.
This is my fond farewell to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and total madness. I’ll be highly disappointed if the Red Hot Chili Peppers show up here. In fact, I noticed on a billboard driving down here from the Philadelphia airport that, on July 7, Creedence Clearwater Revival Revisited is playing the Rollins Center here. The Disgruntled Clown is playing Christina’s Comedy Zone on July 2. This area has been known to host the likes of Smokey Robinson, Wayne Newton, Gladys Knight and the Temptations.
Here’s what I’m expecting on Sunday: a stock-car race.
I don’t want to hear any driver’s new rap anthem. I don’t want anyone who ever thought about appearing on “American Idol.” I don’t want shirtless guys in kilts banging on drums. I don’t want any movie stars hanging around in the press box, and I don’t want a movie premiere out in the infield.
I just want a race, an old-fashioned one with regular-size fuel tanks and tires that are neither too soft nor too hard. I want the track illuminated by the sun, as God intended it, and the parking lot clear long before midnight.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyle Busch hurting only himself with tantrums
If driver would relish the bad-boy role, he would have more appeal
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
In a shocking development, Kyle Busch reacted like a child resisting naptime after wrecking out of the Coca-Cola 600, displaying a tantrum befitting Nellie Olson.
Folks want to string him up by his toenails, flog him, relieve themselves on that plush lawn he unveiled during FOX's pre-race show last weekend.
But why?
In this instance Busch owes no one an apology but himself. Because ultimately, he's the only person that truly suffers from such immaturity. (All due respect to crew chief Alan Gustafson, of course. After the wreck, Gustafson had to sit around all night just to stand by as NASCAR officials blessed out his driver. Ugh.)
I can't help but wonder how ridiculous Busch must have felt when he saw the replay.
Is it frustrating to watch a top-five car roll away on a hook? Indescribably so. Does playing Ultimate Frisbee with a HANS device reverse time, piece it all back together? No.
Maybe Busch will get a personal endorsement deal with Hasbro. He may need it someday.
Kellogg's can't be happy. They love his talent, but the attitude's worn thin. They're a conservative family company, and thus it stands to reason they'd much rather Busch take the Carl Edwards approach: "Aww shucks, man, I got wrecked. It stinks, but it's OK. Casey is a neat guy. We'll hug it out at Dover."
That's not realistic. Edwards is an anomaly. Few athletes show such restraint.
I wish Busch would relish the bad-boy role. But reactions like this must be warranted. This one wasn't even close.
Not that Busch pulled a Delmon Young or anything. Young, the first player taken in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft and one of the most promising prospects in the minor leagues, was suspended 50 games, without pay, after throwing a bat at an umpire. A well-deserved penalty.
Busch didn't go to that extreme. His reaction didn't put Casey Mears' health in danger. It was merely irresponsible. Busch has said on multiple occasions that he wants to distance himself from his brother's tumultuous past.
Personally, I feel this only worsens the stigma. Because honestly, I don't think we'd all be so quick to judge were the roles reversed. If it were Mears that resisted safety workers and threw his HANS device, would we even care? Probably not.
NASCAR fined Busch 50 grand and placed him on probation for the rest of the year. It probably should have been twice that. He also got a points deduction, one warranted by precedence. But it's a shame his team has to suffer.
Maybe Busch should give his portion of next week's winnings to the crew.
Some say he should sit. I disagree. If NASCAR won't suspend a driver for retaliating with his car, then in no way should it sit him just for throwing an object at another vehicle.
Rusty Wallace says he should get his "ass kicked." If Mears opts to dot his eyeball in Dover, fine.
Henceforth nothing pertaining to the matter, well, matters.
The damage is done.
And ultimately Kyle Busch is the only one that suffers.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
Darrell Waltrip / AllWaltrip.com
Folks, a lot of times things happen in racing, and I tell you what's happening based on my observations. Certainly the circumstances have a whole lot to do with what I think, but it's not about my opinion. It's about my experience.
I drove for 30 years, and everything imaginable has happened to me. It's like that old saying, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." When I see something happen, I can only tell you about my experiences in that situation. Whether it's something that happens on or off the track or it's a decision that NASCAR makes, all my opinions are based on my experiences.
Stewart should sit out
When Tony Stewart crashes and breaks his right scapula, I know how that feels. In 1995, Dale Earnhardt and I were racing Jeff Gordon in the final segment of all-star race, and Earnhardt and I wrecked. I broke my shoulder blade and three ribs in my back. It was one of the worst injuries that I had ever experienced. It was even worse than when I broke my femur in 1990. When I saw what happened to Stewart and heard the diagnosis, I do know what he's going through.
After my accident, Jimmy Hensley drove in relief for me for four or five weeks. It took that long to heal to a point where I was somewhat back to normal. I don't know if I ever got back to normal that whole year or not. Right after I got back in the car on a weekly basis, I crashed again really hard in Michigan and reinjured my ribs.
When I say that going to Dover this week with a broken shoulder blade is going to be very difficult for Stewart, I know it is because I tried it. Heading into the Dover race in 1995, we were in the top 10 in points, and I didn't want to fall out so I started the race. Fortunately, there was a quick caution right after the start, and I got out of the car. The track had just been concreted so I had no experience. Hensley practiced the car, and I was a race behind on the concrete. Wuite honestly, I don't think I ever caught up. When we got back there the followiong year, I was lost.
My advice to Stewart is stay out of the racecar. Don't even start the race because you're going to aggravate your injuries getting in and out and dragging your body through the window and against the seat. You're a good enough driver, and you've got a good enough team to miss a couple of races and get yourself healthy. Just think about the big picture — the final 10 races. You just need to be within 400 points of the leader, and you can do that so stay out of the car. Rest up and get yourself healed up. You're a great driver when you're well, but you're handicapped when you're trying to deal with injuries.
I didn't stay out of the car, but don't do as I've done, do as I suggest. I think you'll be a lot better off. One of my favorite sayings — and it will be on my tombstone — is "Hear me now, and believe me later." So hear me now, Tony, and then you'll believe me later.
Michael makes a deal
My brother striking a deal to get into the Coca-Cola 600 wasn't the first time it's happened in the sport. Last year at Talladega, Cal Wells did the same thing with the Tide car. Plus, I know from firsthand experience because I did it in 2000 with Carl Long. He qualified, and we didn't in our K-Mart deal. What you don't know behind the scenes, folks, is almost every major sponsor has a clause in their contract that says the drivers have to be in every race. If you're not, it's a significant penalty to the team. Spending money to get a sponsor's name on the car and in the race is protection for your sponsor, and you're cutting your losses. If you don't have a car in the race, it's a whole lot more expensive than making a deal with somebody to get a car in the race.
It's a business deal, and it doesn't have anything to do with politics or anything else. You go to a team that doesn't have a major sponsor, and you offer them a deal. It's a win-win because they're going to make money on the deal, and your're in the race so there's no real down side to it. There are no political or ethical concerns. It's racing, and in racing, you make deals.
We gave Carl Long a lot more money for his car than he would have made if he had started five Coca-Cola 600s, and I'm sure that's the same thing Michael did with Derrike Cope's team. They made it well worth their time. As a matter of fact, my car owner, Travis Carter, did a lot of things to help Long in some of the other races that he ran. I'm sure that's what Michael and his crowd will do for Cope. Don't look at it as one race or incident and think it's a rotten deal. Derrike and Michael won, and Derrike will get a lot of help down the road.
Tire talk
In 1989, I won the Coca-Cola 600 on Hoosier Tires, and there was a whale of a tire battle. People were blowing out tires left and right so I know what that's like to race on uncomfortable tires that you're not sure about.
After the 1990 season, I left a very successful Hendrick Motorsports to start my own team with Western Auto. Remember Western Auto, an auto parts company that was owned by Sears? Michael left Dale Earnhardt Inc. to start his own team with Toyota. I'm not a know-it-all, but I humbly submit to you that I've just aobut done it all. When I see rules, caution flags, tracks doing something, teams doing something, rules violations, running out of gas and teams running out of gas, I literally can't think of anything that hasn't happened before.
It's a new and ever-changing NASCAR, but we had the Car of Tomorrow in 1981. We went from the large, 115-inch wheel base Monte Carlos, Buicks, Pontiacs and all of those big cars to the 110-inch wheel base small cars like we have today. What an undertaking that was! It cost Junior Johnson thousands of dollars at the time. In 1981, Tim Brewer built 12 racecars in one year. We would build a car and race it. If it didn't win, we would build another one because we had the resources to do it. That's the way the Car of Tomorrow will be. The better teams will have the resources to make the Car of Tomorrow better. If you give everybody the same car, it's going to separate the field because the teams with the most talent, the most money and the best people are going to get further ahead.
Indy is a perfect example. Last year, there were Toyotas and Hondas. The teams with the Hondas, including Danica Patrick, had an advantage and finished 4th. No disrespect to Danica. I'm just pointing out the fact that when you give everybody the same thing like they did this year at Indy, Penske rises to the top. Ganassi rises to the top. Michael Andretti's team rises to the top.
I don't ever want someone to think that I'm a know it all, but I sure do appreciate it when people say, "Let's get DW's opinion because he's been there, and he's done that." In some cases, I've even got the scars to prove it.
Qualifying: Nextel Cup Series Neighborhood Excellence 400 Friday, June 2 5:30 p.m. Speed
Craftsman Truck Series AAA Insurance 200 Friday, June 2 8 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Busch Series StonebridgeRacing.com 200 Saturday, June 3 12 p.m. Speed
Practice: Nextel Cup Series Neighborhood Excellence 400 Saturday, June 3 2 p.m. FX
Busch Series StonebridgeRacing.com 200 Saturday, June 3 3:30 p.m. FX
Nextel Cup Series Neighborhood Excellence 400 Sunday, June 4 2 p.m. FX
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
Today In Nascar History
06/02/1961-Jim Paschal wins at Spartanburg, win #1 of the season, and #8 of his career.
06/02/1963-Fred Lorenzen wins at Charlotte, win #2 of the season, and #7 of his career.
06/02/1966-David Pearson wins at Asheville, win #7 of the season, and #20 of his career.
06/02/1967-Jim Paschal wins at Asheville, win #3 of the season, and #24 of his career.
06/02/1968-David Pearson wins at Macon, win #8 of the season, and #38 of his career.
06/02/1985-Terry Labonte wins at Riverside, win #1 of the season, and #5 of his career.
06/02/1996-Jeff Gordon wins at Dover, win #4 of the season, and #13 of his career.
06/02/2002-Jimmie Johnson wins at Dover, win #2 of the season, and #2 of his career.
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Quote of the Year"Now, are you getting paid for being on the show today, or did you have to pay to be here?"
--Ken Schrader on Inside Nextel Cup regarding Michael Waltrips "teaming" with Derrike Copes team.
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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.
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Comments from the Peanut Galleryfrom Bob S
from HM
Sometimes when you hate somebody too much it hurts when they are as good as Tony.
It's a sign that you have arrived when folks boo and hate you just because you win too much. I've seen it happen to D. Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, and now Tony. Comes with the territory. Yet, if you have a great personality like Richard Petty or Bill Elliot you can be teflon coated.
------------------
Willy T. Ribbs, an African-American driver
How can a hyphenated American be a fan of anything when they do not actually exist. This so called "political correctness" has gone a bit too far.
I'm old enough to remember when blacks had pretty much arrived and were accepted as well as any other guys in sports. It seemed that by the end of the 60s that a lot of the time writers just mentioned atheletes by name . . . not by color. Even Jesse Jackson differentiated himself by touting cooperation through his "Rainbow Coalition" and folks like Malcolm X urged not demanding "rights" but fitting in. Latinos were largely just part of society. Then flipped his approach to the rabble rouser's "seperate and unequal strident noise making" and the bogus "African-American" was invented. Took everything backwards IMHO.
Cheers, Bob
My Mom sent this to me and I just couldn't resist putting it in....
Two guys from Minnesota are sittin' in a boat on Elk Lake fishing and suckin' down beers when all of a sudden Mike says, "I think I'm going to divorce my wife -- she hasn't spoken to me in over six months."
Harry sips his beer and says, "You better think it over - women like that are hard to find."
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Bits and PiecesRace #450 for Gordon: #24-Jeff Gordon is scheduled to make his 450th consecutive and career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series start at Dover International Speedway. Along the road that leads to this 450th start are mile markers that include: winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his 50th start; his first of three Daytona 500 wins and becoming the youngest driver to win NASCAR's most prestigious race in his 125th race; starting from the pole at Richmond for race 200; the second of four Brickyard 400 victories came with start 175; and his third win at California Speedway came in Gordon's 375th start.(Performance PR Plus)
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Special Paint for Yeley at Dover; The #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy of J.J. Yeley will be carrying a special paint scheme this weekend, featuring Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate), a prescription medicine for the treatment of migraine headaches. Sunday’s race will be the fourth of 11 events this season in which GlaxoSmithKline will be the primary sponsor of Yeley's Chevy.(JGR PR)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two drivers doing triple duty at Dover: two drivers are entered to run all three NASCAR races at Dover: Nextel Cup, Busch Series and Truck Series: #5/5/51-Kyle Busch #99/60/50-Carl Edwards.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Champ Car accusing NASCAR of sabotage: Champ Car is accusing NASCAR of trying to sabotage a proposed race in downtown Phoenix next year in an effort to do away with all street racing in this country. And stock car racing's major sanctioning body claims nothing could be further from the truth. Today in the state legislature a bill will be introduced that calls for a decibel level for any future motor sports events in a city or town in Arizona. "NASCAR and ISC have spent the past few weeks trying to undermine our proposed race in Phoenix and it's my understanding that NASCAR has hired 22 lobbyists to beat us up," said Kevin Kalkhoven, who co-owns Champ Car with Gerald Forsythe. "Why are they afraid of our product? Is big, bad NASCAR afraid of open competition?" Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications, responded to those charges by stating: "Neither NASCAR, nor any of its representatives, agents, or employees, has taken a position on Champ Car's proposed event in Phoenix or participated in any conduct that would impede Champ Car's ability to run an event. Nor is it in NASCAR's best interest to do so. "NASCAR understands that in order to keep motorsports healthy and vibrant in North America, it is imperative that race tracks and race fans have a broad "product list" from which to choose."(read more at Robin Miller's Speed Channel column)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fellows in the #32 at Infineon Raceway, and Watkins Glen UPDATE: A brand new NASCAR Nextel Cup chassis built by world famous racing engineering firm Pratt and Miller should provide Ron Fellows with renewed hope to earn his first victory in stock car's top series next month in California. Fellows tested the much heralded chassis -- one he will use in his attempt to win the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway June 25 in the #32 PPI Motorsports Chevy -- at Virginia International Raceway yesterday. Fellows has a long and hugely successful history with Pratt and Miller who have prepared his winning #3 Corvettes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours at Daytona and for his three American Le Mans Series GT1 championships. Even though it was his first time in the new car yesterday, Fellows already was confident it will fare much better than the car he had in 2005 at Infineon when he earned a top-10 finish. A big part of Fellows' hopes for the #32 Chevrolet this time around is that Pratt and Miller purpose built the car with him in mind. But it was on the track where Fellows saw a huge improvement over many of his previous Cup cars. Nextel Cup points leader #48-Jimmy Johnson -- who Pratt and Miller also built a road course chassis for -- was at VIR yesterday with Fellows. "We compared very favourably with Jimmy's speeds," Fellows said. "That's really good to have that kind of benchmark." Fellows said the car still has some handling issues but he is confident the team will work them out before the Infineon race. "At Infineon you need a car that is really good in the turns," he said. "We are sure we will be able to get this car to unload near perfect next month." He said he was sharing information with the #48 team and in return was able to gauge his progress off of another Hendrick Motorsports team -- the #25 Chevrolet of Brian Vickers -- who was running an in-house chassis. Fellows hopes to get on another round of tests for team owner Cal Wells after the Infineon race to prepare for Nextel Cup's second road course event in August at Watkins Glen.(Toronto Sun), Travis Kavpil is the regular driver of the #32 PPI Motorsports Chevy. but the team is mired outside the top-35 in owners points.(5-17-2006) UPDATE: PPI Motorsports (PPIM) announced today that road course expert Ron Fellows will once again drive the #32 Tide/Downy Chevy in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 25. As for the team’s full-time driver Travis Kvapil, he will take over the reigns of the #78 Furniture Row Chevy for Kenny Wallace who has a Busch Series commitment. Both drivers will be racing identically prepared chassis built by Pratt and Miller Engineering and Fabrication … the same company responsible for the highly successful Corvette Racing program and its domination of the American Le Mans Series for which Fellows is a driver. So far, Kvapil and Fellows have participated in three days of testing at Virginia International Raceway (May 16, 30 & 31) with another test scheduled with Kvapil going solo since Fellows is in France participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans festivities and race.(PPI Motorsports Site)
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FitzBradshaw Racing for Sale?: UPDATE 3 - Bought by Waltrip? DENIED A source has confirmed that FitzBradshaw Racing is for sale. Co-owned by Armando Fitz and former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw, the team has struggled on the track this year with rookies Joel Kauffman and Tracy Hines. Three drivers have shared the team's #12 entry, with a best finish of 20th by David Reutimann at Daytona. The team's other entry, which carries the #14, also has a best finish of 11th, by Carlos Contreras at Mexico. The team entered only one car at Darlington because of sponsorship issues.(SceneDaily.com/Article Removed from site)(5-17-2006) UPDATE: Statement from Armando Fitz: "As a result of restructuring our organization from a 3-car team to a 2-car team, we are simply exploring our options of relocation. Therefore, our current building has been placed on the market as we look for a smaller facility. We are NOT selling our race team. FitzBradshaw Racing is committed to our Sponsors and personnel not only for the remainder of the season but for the future as well."(FBR PR)(5-17-2006) UPDATE 2: Bought by Waltrip?: Rumored that Michael Waltrip has purchased all assets of FitzBradshaw Racing and moving them to Jimmy Spencer's old shop that he recently bought. Meanwhile, FitzBradshaw Racing has made an agreement with ppc Racing to lease the #12, sponsor Supercuts, and driver Joel Kauffman to them. FitzBradshaw racing will finish out the year with Tracy Hines and the #14 car and Family Dollar as sponsor.(6-1-2006) UPDATE 3: DENIED ppc Racing has denied both aspects - that Waltrip bought FBR and that ppc will field an entry for Kauffman.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rusty Wallace KIA Now Open Near Knoxville, TN - NASCAR Driving Legend Adds to Family of Automotive Dealerships: Although Rusty Wallace’s legendary NASCAR driving career may be over, he is far from retired. Rusty’s latest business venture has seen he and longtime business partner Ray Huffaker add a sixth automotive dealership to their collection. Rusty Wallace Kia, formerly known as Harry Lane Kia, is now open for business in Alcoa, TN, just five minutes south of Knoxville. “We’ve been looking at Kia for quite some time now. Ray and I have talked to many Kia dealers, all of whom say that Kia has been a very good partner for them,” noted Wallace, “With Kia just announcing plans to build their first ever U.S. manufacturing plant and the all-new Kia Sedona earning a five-star crash rating from the U.S. Government, Ray and I felt that the time was right to make a move.” Rusty Wallace Kia joins five other automotive dealerships throughout Eastern Tennessee in comprising the Rusty Wallace Family of Dealerships. Among those dealerships are Rusty Wallace Toyota and Rusty Wallace Honda. Wallace sees a strong parallel between Kia and those two brands. “Ray and I feel that Kia’s product is a very good one. We’ve researched the brand very hard and feel that Kia’s product is very comparable to that of Honda and Toyota, which have both been great makes for us. Kia has state of the art manufacturing facilities that produce high quality products. Their top of the line warranty, known as “The Kia Total Protection Package,” shows that they’re willing to stand behind their products. Kia’s advertising talks about “The Power to Surprise” and so far, Kia has definitely surprised us in a positive way. We’re proud to add the Kia brand to our family,” said Wallace. Rusty Wallace Kia is located at 4612 Alcoa Highway, in Alcoa, TN, on the way to the Maryville/Alcoa Motor Mile. Look for an announcement concerning the dealership’s grand opening soon. The grand opening is slated to feature a public autograph session with Wallace and fellow NASCAR great, Mark Martin. For more information, please stay tuned to the official Rusty Wallace, Incorporated website, rustywallace.com, or the dealership’s temporary website, located at www.rustywallacekia.com. - RWI Racing, LLC Press Release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harvick to Run Parital Busch Schedule in 2007: Even if Kevin Harvick wins the Busch Series championship this season he won't return to defend his title in 2007. Harvick said May 27 he won't run a full schedule next season. "We'll probably go back to 17 or 18 races," Harvick said.(NASCAR Scene)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jarrett spotting for Jarrett: been told that Jason Jarrett, son of #88-Dale Jarrett. will spot for Dale this weekend at Dover and possibly for the rest of the season. Jarrett lost his regular spotter Eddie D'Hondt after Darlington when D'Hondt was released by Robert Yates Racing as the Team Manager. Last week at Charlotte, Jarrett and the replacement spotter had a mis-communication which lead in part to Jarrett's lap one wreck with #7-Robby Gordon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Others too, look forward to Dover
By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily
As NASCAR looks towards the Northeast for the first time this season, several drivers are also looking for brighter days ahead.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #8 team enter the Dover race weekend fifth in the Nextel Cup point standings, 271 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson and 40 points behind fourth-place Tony Stewart. Through 12 races, Dale Jr. has one win (Richmond), four top-fives and five top-10s. The #8 Chevy has led four races for 88 laps.
Dale Jr. heads to the track where he scored one of his 17 career victories (Sept. 23, 2001), a memorable victory for being the first NASCAR race following 9/11. Junior led 193 laps that day and the photo of him holding an American flag out of his car as he celebrated his victory was seen around the world and provided inspiration to Americans everywhere at one of the lowest points in the nations history.
Earnhardt finished 11th at Lowes Motor Speedway last week; an amazing finish when you consider that he qualified 34th and was put a lap down after a pit road penalty.
“It was definitely eventful. I know on paper an 11th-place finish isn’t anything to brag about, but from where we were at the beginning of the week – or even at the beginning of the weekend for that matter – it was pretty cool to come out of there the way we did,” Dale Jr. said. “I was happy about it, and I can’t describe how much fun it is to pass so many cars. (NASCAR’s new loop scoring system showed Dale Jr. passed 112 cars under green flag conditions.)
We ran in the top-five, and had that caliber of car most of the night, but in looking at the big picture, we didn’t hurt ourselves in the points. We’re building a gap on the rest of the top-10, and at this point of the year, that’s all that matters.”
Earnhardt hopes to continue his teams rebuilding process this weekend.
“We’ve never been consistent at Dover, but we’ve won there, so there’s always that small piece of confidence in the back of your mind that we can do it again,” Earnhardt said. “I’m looking forward to going back with Tony Jr. and seeing how much better we can be. We seem to improve each week, so I like the direction we’re heading, and hopefully we can keep it rolling. The difference between our car in the All-Star race versus the same car in the 600 shows how hard they’ve been working.”
Jeff Burton is quietly enjoying a strong season. Burton started 11th last Sunday at Lowes and finished 6th. As a result of that strong run Burton climbed two spots and now sits 8th in the points.
Burton has eight top-10 finishes in 24 races at Dover, his most recent a fourth-place effort in 2004 and he says that the most taxing aspect of Dover is the track itself.
"That is a demanding racetrack, “Burton said. “It's hard to get your car set-up to do the things that you need to do with it. The exit of those corners gets very tight. Getting your car to turn well is the hardest thing you can do there and keep the rear wheels underneath it getting off the corners. So that's a very challenging racetrack.
Physically, it's challenging. And it's hard to get your car to handle well. But the exit of those corners is as tight as anywhere we go. And then, if something happens, you're going to hit something hard. There are no easy wrecks at Dover. Staying out of that wreck, because it will be a devastating wreck, and getting the car to really have good bite off the corners is the hardest thing."
Kevin Harvick may not have had a Sunday to remember last week at Lowes. In the final numbers Harvick finished 34th, but the stats don’t tell the whole story. Late in the event, Harvick’s Chevy broke a transmission and it appeared his night was over. After parking his racecar in the garage, his crew chief Todd Barrier led his crew in a Herculean effort and changed the transmission in less than 20 minutes. Much to the astonishment of everyone, Harvick would reenter the fray and finish the race with his head held high.
Harvick now carries that pride to Dover and a 10th place position in the points. Harvick has four top ten finishes in ten races at Dover and says that the key to running well at Dover is all about balance.
"Getting the balance on your car right, and running your car free enough to where you can get back to the throttle in the middle of the corner and get up off the corner without pushing your front tire so you can stay in the gas, “Harvick said. “It is a pretty sensitive racetrack as far as getting the balance right on your car."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily
As NASCAR looks towards the Northeast for the first time this season, several drivers are also looking for brighter days ahead.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #8 team enter the Dover race weekend fifth in the Nextel Cup point standings, 271 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson and 40 points behind fourth-place Tony Stewart. Through 12 races, Dale Jr. has one win (Richmond), four top-fives and five top-10s. The #8 Chevy has led four races for 88 laps.
Dale Jr. heads to the track where he scored one of his 17 career victories (Sept. 23, 2001), a memorable victory for being the first NASCAR race following 9/11. Junior led 193 laps that day and the photo of him holding an American flag out of his car as he celebrated his victory was seen around the world and provided inspiration to Americans everywhere at one of the lowest points in the nations history.
Earnhardt finished 11th at Lowes Motor Speedway last week; an amazing finish when you consider that he qualified 34th and was put a lap down after a pit road penalty.
“It was definitely eventful. I know on paper an 11th-place finish isn’t anything to brag about, but from where we were at the beginning of the week – or even at the beginning of the weekend for that matter – it was pretty cool to come out of there the way we did,” Dale Jr. said. “I was happy about it, and I can’t describe how much fun it is to pass so many cars. (NASCAR’s new loop scoring system showed Dale Jr. passed 112 cars under green flag conditions.)
We ran in the top-five, and had that caliber of car most of the night, but in looking at the big picture, we didn’t hurt ourselves in the points. We’re building a gap on the rest of the top-10, and at this point of the year, that’s all that matters.”
Earnhardt hopes to continue his teams rebuilding process this weekend.
“We’ve never been consistent at Dover, but we’ve won there, so there’s always that small piece of confidence in the back of your mind that we can do it again,” Earnhardt said. “I’m looking forward to going back with Tony Jr. and seeing how much better we can be. We seem to improve each week, so I like the direction we’re heading, and hopefully we can keep it rolling. The difference between our car in the All-Star race versus the same car in the 600 shows how hard they’ve been working.”
Jeff Burton is quietly enjoying a strong season. Burton started 11th last Sunday at Lowes and finished 6th. As a result of that strong run Burton climbed two spots and now sits 8th in the points.
Burton has eight top-10 finishes in 24 races at Dover, his most recent a fourth-place effort in 2004 and he says that the most taxing aspect of Dover is the track itself.
"That is a demanding racetrack, “Burton said. “It's hard to get your car set-up to do the things that you need to do with it. The exit of those corners gets very tight. Getting your car to turn well is the hardest thing you can do there and keep the rear wheels underneath it getting off the corners. So that's a very challenging racetrack.
Physically, it's challenging. And it's hard to get your car to handle well. But the exit of those corners is as tight as anywhere we go. And then, if something happens, you're going to hit something hard. There are no easy wrecks at Dover. Staying out of that wreck, because it will be a devastating wreck, and getting the car to really have good bite off the corners is the hardest thing."
Kevin Harvick may not have had a Sunday to remember last week at Lowes. In the final numbers Harvick finished 34th, but the stats don’t tell the whole story. Late in the event, Harvick’s Chevy broke a transmission and it appeared his night was over. After parking his racecar in the garage, his crew chief Todd Barrier led his crew in a Herculean effort and changed the transmission in less than 20 minutes. Much to the astonishment of everyone, Harvick would reenter the fray and finish the race with his head held high.
Harvick now carries that pride to Dover and a 10th place position in the points. Harvick has four top ten finishes in ten races at Dover and says that the key to running well at Dover is all about balance.
"Getting the balance on your car right, and running your car free enough to where you can get back to the throttle in the middle of the corner and get up off the corner without pushing your front tire so you can stay in the gas, “Harvick said. “It is a pretty sensitive racetrack as far as getting the balance right on your car."
Burton leading surprising Childress surge
By Rupen Fofaria
Special to ESPN.com
By Rupen Fofaria
Special to ESPN.com
The feeling hit him during a recent team meeting. The No. 31 Chevrolet team had gathered in its hauler to discuss race-day adjustments, and the confidence combined with the energy in the room created an unshakable feeling of déjà vu for Jeff Burton.
It was as though he were driving the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing back in the late 1990s -- back when he was knocking on the door of winning a title. That feeling -- that fleeting sense of legitimate hope and faith in your car's ability to win on Sunday and your team's ability to help you finish in the top five -- is not so rare in NASCAR's elite, well-funded teams. But for Burton, it has been a long time coming.
"The way to be in the top 10 and the way to win a championship is to run well," Burton said. "Our team meetings are more productive today because we talk about fine-tuning our cars rather than trying to get from A to Z. Today, we're a whole lot closer. So our team meetings are much more productive, much more focused."
After finishing fourth, fifth, fifth and third in the points standings from 1997 through 2000, Burton began a downward spiral that led to his voluntary departure from the Roush Racing conglomerate and his undertaking a rebuilding project with Richard Childress Racing. When Burton first signed on to drive Childress' 31 car, though, some believed it was Childress who had taken on a rebuilding project.
Burton's 10th-place points finish in 2001 marked his highest finish in the 2001-05 span. Since then, he has finished 12th, 12th, 18th and 18th. This season, he's on pace to qualify for his first Chase for the Nextel Cup.
And Burton isn't the only driver eyeing his first Chase. Burton's teammate, Kevin Harvick, ranks 10th and is on pace for his first appearance after finishing 14th in the past two seasons. Third-year racer Kasey Kahne (sixth) and second-year driver Kyle Busch (ninth) are surprises among the top 10, too. And although veteran driver Mark Martin qualified for the first two Chases, his sitting in third now is remarkable considering at this point last year he had planned to retire -- before team owner Jack Roush asked him to stick around for just one more go-around.
"I'm just so proud of this team and everything they're doing to keep us up there," Martin said. "It's unbelievable the effort they're putting in right now."
Harvick and his team know what it's like to be struggling -- which makes the taste of success all the sweeter.
"It's been very fun to be a part of," Harvick said. "I think the last time I went on a roll like this in racing was racing late models. The team has done a great job. Everybody has put great race cars together, and we've been able to capitalize on situations whether we had the best car or not. We've put ourselves in a position to win races and do the things we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win.
"It's been a lot of fun. You know the downside of it, so the upside of it makes it enjoyable."
But nobody can be as ecstatic as Richard Childress, who was in a deep trench trying to dig his way back to the top of the sport after the death of his longtime driver and friend, Dale Earnhardt. In the year Earnhardt died, in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Harvick stepped into the role of driver for Earnhardt's old team and, with one less race than everyone else on the circuit, managed to finish ninth. Only once since then, in 2003, has Childress had a top-10 points finish -- also by Harvick. But in 2003, there was no Chase format and neither Harvick nor any of the three drivers directly ahead of him in the final standings ever had a chance to close the enormous gap Matt Kenseth built on his way to his first title.
Now, nearly halfway through the first 26 races, Childress is on his way to loading two bullets in the title chase gun. His third bullet, rookie Clint Bowyer, is 15th.
"We're able to discuss things between all three teams that are relative, as opposed to last year," Burton said. "Last year, even though we worked well together, on a lot of occasions we had three different directions. This year, we're much closer in our aerodynamics and our chassis, so it's much more productive and meaningful, without a doubt."
Burton said it was an incredible feeling to be back in a consistently top-10 car. In a world where numbers matter most -- particularly the number signifying where a driver finishes a race -- Burton finally has regained a sense of belonging in the competitive world of elite stock car racing.
"We are a competitive sport, obviously, and at the end of the day, results are what matter," he said. "When we look at how we've run this year, what we look at is in what position did we run in the race? How do our pit stops compare to our competitors'? Do we run best at the beginning of runs or at the end of runs? How is our overall speed? All of those things are better than last year. Obviously, we're higher in points than we were last year. And, we've had a whole lot more trouble this year than we did last year.
"So when you look at the tools we use to measure, we certainly have made improvements."
That's not to say that there isn't room for more improvement, though.
"We do still need some speed," Burton said. "We're certainly a fifth- to 10th-place team, there's no question about that. But there are three to five cars that seem, on a weekly basis, to be consistently better than we are. So we're striving to get there. We're striving to narrow that gap."
Rupen Fofaria is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
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Bring me back to ol' Delaware
by Monte Dutton
Gazette Sports Writer
by Monte Dutton
Gazette Sports Writer
It’s a warm, cozy, comfortable feeling. No one with the surname Du Pont ever looked so forward to the First State, Delaware.
If not for Rhode Island — which, of course, isn’t one (an island) — Dover would be the last state … in size. Probably the fact that it was first — to ratify the Constitution of these United States — is a crucial part of why it remains a state at all. It has three counties — Kent, New Castle and Sussex — and they were once the three lower counties of Pennsylvania, that is, up until 1776.
The second smallest state may have somewhat the inferiority complex, which can be seen in all the “First State” emblems and maybe even in the fact that its largest sports facility, Dover International Speedway, is nicknamed “the Monster Mile.” If there’s a big wreck at Dover, I guess it’s a “Monster Mash,” which, of course, was once a graveyard smash.
This track used to be Dover Downs. In fact, Dover Downs is still inside it. They raced horses here before they raced cars, and harness racing still takes place on a regular basis in the slightly smaller track located just inside the concrete mile. Dover is the capital of Delaware and, as any race fan can tell you, there is absolutely no state tax. A buck’s still a buck here, not $1.06. It would be tempting to say that people around here don’t have as much change in their pockets, but that would be ignoring those who frequent the slots casino that is also on the grounds of the track. Those folks can break a dollar with the best of them. Quarters are in plentiful supply.
This is an original track — an oval that is actually oval and thus rare in this age, high-banked at 24 degrees, paved in concrete — in an original state. Most of Delaware is agricultural, which seems kind of surprising since urban monstrosities like Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., lurk just across nearby boundaries. This little peninsula is referred to as Delmarva, simply because it has been parceled out between Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Maybe the citizens of Virginia call it Vadelmar, or maybe in Maryland, it’s Marvadel. There’s not much to it, any way you say it.
So why do I look so forward to it? It’s the same reason my heart used to yearn for Rockingham when it fell a week after the Daytona 500.
Racing at Dover just strikes me as being so … normal.
This is my fond farewell to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and total madness. I’ll be highly disappointed if the Red Hot Chili Peppers show up here. In fact, I noticed on a billboard driving down here from the Philadelphia airport that, on July 7, Creedence Clearwater Revival Revisited is playing the Rollins Center here. The Disgruntled Clown is playing Christina’s Comedy Zone on July 2. This area has been known to host the likes of Smokey Robinson, Wayne Newton, Gladys Knight and the Temptations.
Here’s what I’m expecting on Sunday: a stock-car race.
I don’t want to hear any driver’s new rap anthem. I don’t want anyone who ever thought about appearing on “American Idol.” I don’t want shirtless guys in kilts banging on drums. I don’t want any movie stars hanging around in the press box, and I don’t want a movie premiere out in the infield.
I just want a race, an old-fashioned one with regular-size fuel tanks and tires that are neither too soft nor too hard. I want the track illuminated by the sun, as God intended it, and the parking lot clear long before midnight.
By the Numbers
Dover
Dover
Where you start determines where you finish at the Monster Mile
By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
Kyle Busch may have created some headlines this year, but none of them have been the type of headlines he's wanted.
Dover could be the medicine to change that.
Busch, who won two races during his rookie campaign last year, found the Monster Mile to be a good runner-up among favorite tracks. Literally.
In this race last year, Busch led 90 laps on his way to finishing second to Greg Biffle. In the fall, he was second again, to Jimmie Johnson.
But to get his No. 5 Chevy into Victory Lane in Sunday's Neighborhood Excellence 400 (1:30 p.m. ET, FX), Busch will need a top-10 starting position because his 12.5 average won't cut it. At least the numbers say so.
What you didn't know
6.15 -- Average starting position for winners at Dover. Eleven races have been won from the pole position. Tony Stewart (27th, fall 2000) and Kyle Petty (37th, spring 1995) are the only drivers who have won from a starting position worse than 20th.
Driver Rating: Neighborhood Excellence 400
124.5 -- Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Johnson led 24 laps and finished fourth last spring at Dover, then followed it up with 134 laps led in the fall and his third victory at the Monster Mile.
NASCAR's driver rating combines the following categories: wins, finishes, top-15s, average lead-lap running position, average speed under green, fastest lap, led most laps and lead-lap finish. Statistics based on current and past year at track. Maximum rating: 150 points.
Numerology
Sunday will be the 73rd race at Dover International Speedway, where a good starting position translates to a good finish. The first 12 races at the track were won by a driver who started inside the top five -- a tradition that has rarely been broken.
Rookies don't seem to think so, at least as of late. For the last eight years, at least one rookie finished in the top 10. There'll be six rookies in the field this weekend, and only J.J. Yeley (fall 2005) has raced there before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
Kyle Busch may have created some headlines this year, but none of them have been the type of headlines he's wanted.
Dover could be the medicine to change that.
Busch, who won two races during his rookie campaign last year, found the Monster Mile to be a good runner-up among favorite tracks. Literally.
In this race last year, Busch led 90 laps on his way to finishing second to Greg Biffle. In the fall, he was second again, to Jimmie Johnson.
But to get his No. 5 Chevy into Victory Lane in Sunday's Neighborhood Excellence 400 (1:30 p.m. ET, FX), Busch will need a top-10 starting position because his 12.5 average won't cut it. At least the numbers say so.
What you didn't know
6.15 -- Average starting position for winners at Dover. Eleven races have been won from the pole position. Tony Stewart (27th, fall 2000) and Kyle Petty (37th, spring 1995) are the only drivers who have won from a starting position worse than 20th.
Driver Rating: Neighborhood Excellence 400
124.5 -- Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Johnson led 24 laps and finished fourth last spring at Dover, then followed it up with 134 laps led in the fall and his third victory at the Monster Mile.
NASCAR's driver rating combines the following categories: wins, finishes, top-15s, average lead-lap running position, average speed under green, fastest lap, led most laps and lead-lap finish. Statistics based on current and past year at track. Maximum rating: 150 points.
Numerology
Sunday will be the 73rd race at Dover International Speedway, where a good starting position translates to a good finish. The first 12 races at the track were won by a driver who started inside the top five -- a tradition that has rarely been broken.
- 0 -- DNFs for Tony Stewart and Elliott Sadler in their 14 races at Dover.
- 1 -- Lead-lap finish for Michael Waltrip in 40 starts at Dover (1996). His average finish at the track is 20.8, with two top-fives.
- 1 -- Lap that Greg Biffle was not inside the top 15 in last spring's Dover race. His worst running position was 16th.
- 2 -- Polesitters in the last six Dover races. Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman have two apiece, while qualifying was canceled for the other two races.
- 3 -- Laps recorded last spring that ranked among the fastest 25 laps last year at Dover.
- 4 -- Victories each by Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, the most among full-time drivers.
- 6 -- Active drivers who made their Nextel Cup debut at Dover: Carl Long (fall 2001), Kurt Busch (fall 2000), Matt Kenseth (fall 1998), Hermie Sadler (spring 1996), Bobby Labonte (spring 1991) and Tony Raines (spring 2002).
- 6.0 -- Average starting position for Tony Stewart at Dover, the best among full-time drivers with more than two starts. He has 11 top-10s at the track and has never finished worse than 18th (fall 2005).
- 6.50 -- Average finish for Ryan Newman at Dover, one of only three tracks where his average finish is better than his average starting position (7.13).
- 8 -- Drivers who had an average running position inside the top 10 last year at Dover: Jimmie Johnson (4.580), Kyle Busch (4.729), Kurt Busch (5.295), Mark Martin (5.321), Greg Biffle (6.475), Elliott Sadler (6.672), Ryan Newman (8.066) and Jeremy Mayfield (9.267).
- 9 -- Winners in the last 10 Dover races who started inside the top 10, seven of which started fifth or better. In the track's history, 82 percent of winners started in the top 10. Just 13 winners have come from a spot outside the top 10.
- 12 -- Former Dover winners who will attempt to qualify for Sunday's race.
- 16 -- Drivers who were within 400 points of the leader after 12 races last season. Just six drivers are within the 400-point range this year.
- 24 -- Top-10 finishes by Mark Martin at Dover in his 39 career starts.
- 25.44 -- Percent of passes made in Turn 4 last year at Dover, the most popular place to pass. Going into that side of the track, however, was not as successful, as just 8.61 percent of passes were made in Turn 3.
- 26 -- Victories by Chevrolet, the most among the three manufacturers. Ford has 21 wins, and Dodge has five. A Dodge has won three of the last six races at Dover, all by Ryan Newman.
- 30.914 -- Average running position for Jeff Gordon last year at Dover, just slightly better than Bobby Labonte's 35.576 average.
- 103 -- Passes made by Kyle Petty last year at Dover. Petty finished 19th last spring (started 30th) and eighth last fall (started 34th).
- 128 -- Laps led by Elliott Sadler in last spring's Dover race, second only to winner Greg Biffle. Sadler was the leader at the race's halfway point.
- 150.700 -- Average speed, in miles per hour, Greg Biffle recorded on the backstretch at Dover last year, the fastest among drivers. He also had the fastest speed on the frontstretch (149.993 mph), indicating his spring victory was likely won on the straightaways.
- 205 -- Laps led by Kurt Busch in his 11 races at Dover, the most among drivers who have not won at the track.
- 450 -- Consecutive starts for Jeff Gordon once the green flag flies at Dover on Sunday.
- 1990 -- Year Derrike Cope won the June race at Dover. Cope's only other career victory was the Daytona 500 that same season.
- 2,117 -- Laps led by Jeff Gordon at Dover, more than any other active driver and fourth-most all-time.
Rookies don't seem to think so, at least as of late. For the last eight years, at least one rookie finished in the top 10. There'll be six rookies in the field this weekend, and only J.J. Yeley (fall 2005) has raced there before.
If driver would relish the bad-boy role, he would have more appeal
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
In a shocking development, Kyle Busch reacted like a child resisting naptime after wrecking out of the Coca-Cola 600, displaying a tantrum befitting Nellie Olson.
Folks want to string him up by his toenails, flog him, relieve themselves on that plush lawn he unveiled during FOX's pre-race show last weekend.
But why?
In this instance Busch owes no one an apology but himself. Because ultimately, he's the only person that truly suffers from such immaturity. (All due respect to crew chief Alan Gustafson, of course. After the wreck, Gustafson had to sit around all night just to stand by as NASCAR officials blessed out his driver. Ugh.)
I can't help but wonder how ridiculous Busch must have felt when he saw the replay.
Is it frustrating to watch a top-five car roll away on a hook? Indescribably so. Does playing Ultimate Frisbee with a HANS device reverse time, piece it all back together? No.
Maybe Busch will get a personal endorsement deal with Hasbro. He may need it someday.
Kellogg's can't be happy. They love his talent, but the attitude's worn thin. They're a conservative family company, and thus it stands to reason they'd much rather Busch take the Carl Edwards approach: "Aww shucks, man, I got wrecked. It stinks, but it's OK. Casey is a neat guy. We'll hug it out at Dover."
That's not realistic. Edwards is an anomaly. Few athletes show such restraint.
I wish Busch would relish the bad-boy role. But reactions like this must be warranted. This one wasn't even close.
Not that Busch pulled a Delmon Young or anything. Young, the first player taken in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft and one of the most promising prospects in the minor leagues, was suspended 50 games, without pay, after throwing a bat at an umpire. A well-deserved penalty.
Busch didn't go to that extreme. His reaction didn't put Casey Mears' health in danger. It was merely irresponsible. Busch has said on multiple occasions that he wants to distance himself from his brother's tumultuous past.
Personally, I feel this only worsens the stigma. Because honestly, I don't think we'd all be so quick to judge were the roles reversed. If it were Mears that resisted safety workers and threw his HANS device, would we even care? Probably not.
NASCAR fined Busch 50 grand and placed him on probation for the rest of the year. It probably should have been twice that. He also got a points deduction, one warranted by precedence. But it's a shame his team has to suffer.
Maybe Busch should give his portion of next week's winnings to the crew.
Some say he should sit. I disagree. If NASCAR won't suspend a driver for retaliating with his car, then in no way should it sit him just for throwing an object at another vehicle.
Rusty Wallace says he should get his "ass kicked." If Mears opts to dot his eyeball in Dover, fine.
Henceforth nothing pertaining to the matter, well, matters.
The damage is done.
And ultimately Kyle Busch is the only one that suffers.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
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It's not my opinion; it's my experienceDarrell Waltrip / AllWaltrip.com
Folks, a lot of times things happen in racing, and I tell you what's happening based on my observations. Certainly the circumstances have a whole lot to do with what I think, but it's not about my opinion. It's about my experience.
I drove for 30 years, and everything imaginable has happened to me. It's like that old saying, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." When I see something happen, I can only tell you about my experiences in that situation. Whether it's something that happens on or off the track or it's a decision that NASCAR makes, all my opinions are based on my experiences.
Stewart should sit out
When Tony Stewart crashes and breaks his right scapula, I know how that feels. In 1995, Dale Earnhardt and I were racing Jeff Gordon in the final segment of all-star race, and Earnhardt and I wrecked. I broke my shoulder blade and three ribs in my back. It was one of the worst injuries that I had ever experienced. It was even worse than when I broke my femur in 1990. When I saw what happened to Stewart and heard the diagnosis, I do know what he's going through.
After my accident, Jimmy Hensley drove in relief for me for four or five weeks. It took that long to heal to a point where I was somewhat back to normal. I don't know if I ever got back to normal that whole year or not. Right after I got back in the car on a weekly basis, I crashed again really hard in Michigan and reinjured my ribs.
When I say that going to Dover this week with a broken shoulder blade is going to be very difficult for Stewart, I know it is because I tried it. Heading into the Dover race in 1995, we were in the top 10 in points, and I didn't want to fall out so I started the race. Fortunately, there was a quick caution right after the start, and I got out of the car. The track had just been concreted so I had no experience. Hensley practiced the car, and I was a race behind on the concrete. Wuite honestly, I don't think I ever caught up. When we got back there the followiong year, I was lost.
My advice to Stewart is stay out of the racecar. Don't even start the race because you're going to aggravate your injuries getting in and out and dragging your body through the window and against the seat. You're a good enough driver, and you've got a good enough team to miss a couple of races and get yourself healthy. Just think about the big picture — the final 10 races. You just need to be within 400 points of the leader, and you can do that so stay out of the car. Rest up and get yourself healed up. You're a great driver when you're well, but you're handicapped when you're trying to deal with injuries.
I didn't stay out of the car, but don't do as I've done, do as I suggest. I think you'll be a lot better off. One of my favorite sayings — and it will be on my tombstone — is "Hear me now, and believe me later." So hear me now, Tony, and then you'll believe me later.
Michael makes a deal
My brother striking a deal to get into the Coca-Cola 600 wasn't the first time it's happened in the sport. Last year at Talladega, Cal Wells did the same thing with the Tide car. Plus, I know from firsthand experience because I did it in 2000 with Carl Long. He qualified, and we didn't in our K-Mart deal. What you don't know behind the scenes, folks, is almost every major sponsor has a clause in their contract that says the drivers have to be in every race. If you're not, it's a significant penalty to the team. Spending money to get a sponsor's name on the car and in the race is protection for your sponsor, and you're cutting your losses. If you don't have a car in the race, it's a whole lot more expensive than making a deal with somebody to get a car in the race.
It's a business deal, and it doesn't have anything to do with politics or anything else. You go to a team that doesn't have a major sponsor, and you offer them a deal. It's a win-win because they're going to make money on the deal, and your're in the race so there's no real down side to it. There are no political or ethical concerns. It's racing, and in racing, you make deals.
We gave Carl Long a lot more money for his car than he would have made if he had started five Coca-Cola 600s, and I'm sure that's the same thing Michael did with Derrike Cope's team. They made it well worth their time. As a matter of fact, my car owner, Travis Carter, did a lot of things to help Long in some of the other races that he ran. I'm sure that's what Michael and his crowd will do for Cope. Don't look at it as one race or incident and think it's a rotten deal. Derrike and Michael won, and Derrike will get a lot of help down the road.
Tire talk
In 1989, I won the Coca-Cola 600 on Hoosier Tires, and there was a whale of a tire battle. People were blowing out tires left and right so I know what that's like to race on uncomfortable tires that you're not sure about.
After the 1990 season, I left a very successful Hendrick Motorsports to start my own team with Western Auto. Remember Western Auto, an auto parts company that was owned by Sears? Michael left Dale Earnhardt Inc. to start his own team with Toyota. I'm not a know-it-all, but I humbly submit to you that I've just aobut done it all. When I see rules, caution flags, tracks doing something, teams doing something, rules violations, running out of gas and teams running out of gas, I literally can't think of anything that hasn't happened before.
It's a new and ever-changing NASCAR, but we had the Car of Tomorrow in 1981. We went from the large, 115-inch wheel base Monte Carlos, Buicks, Pontiacs and all of those big cars to the 110-inch wheel base small cars like we have today. What an undertaking that was! It cost Junior Johnson thousands of dollars at the time. In 1981, Tim Brewer built 12 racecars in one year. We would build a car and race it. If it didn't win, we would build another one because we had the resources to do it. That's the way the Car of Tomorrow will be. The better teams will have the resources to make the Car of Tomorrow better. If you give everybody the same car, it's going to separate the field because the teams with the most talent, the most money and the best people are going to get further ahead.
Indy is a perfect example. Last year, there were Toyotas and Hondas. The teams with the Hondas, including Danica Patrick, had an advantage and finished 4th. No disrespect to Danica. I'm just pointing out the fact that when you give everybody the same thing like they did this year at Indy, Penske rises to the top. Ganassi rises to the top. Michael Andretti's team rises to the top.
I don't ever want someone to think that I'm a know it all, but I sure do appreciate it when people say, "Let's get DW's opinion because he's been there, and he's done that." In some cases, I've even got the scars to prove it.
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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
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NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK Qualifying: Nextel Cup Series Neighborhood Excellence 400 Friday, June 2 5:30 p.m. Speed
Craftsman Truck Series AAA Insurance 200 Friday, June 2 8 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Busch Series StonebridgeRacing.com 200 Saturday, June 3 12 p.m. Speed
Practice: Nextel Cup Series Neighborhood Excellence 400 Saturday, June 3 2 p.m. FX
Busch Series StonebridgeRacing.com 200 Saturday, June 3 3:30 p.m. FX
Nextel Cup Series Neighborhood Excellence 400 Sunday, June 4 2 p.m. FX
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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