Stock Car Insider – June 26 Issue
Upcoming events in the world of NASCAR
NASCAR fans are patriots at heart. And there’s no better way to celebrate the birth of our nation than at the most beloved track in all of NASCAR, Daytona International Speedway. Daytona’s beaches were already a destination for motorsports enthusiasts before Bill France Sr decided to host the first NASCAR event there in 1947. Twelve years later, the track we all know and love, Daytona International Speedway, opened and hosted its first draw of events. 41,000 people.
Next week, the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams head to Daytona to perform their trade in front of a crowd of more than 175,000. Expect the Hendrick boys to dominate. Of all current drivers with 4 or more career starts at Daytona, Jimmie Johnson (average finish 6th) and Jeff Gordon (average finish 13th) lead the pack.
Also expect the following drivers to do well next week:
Other drivers to consider:
Dale Earnhardt Jr – Average Final 14 Kevin Harvick – Average Final 16 Dale Jarrett – Average Final 16
Hours for next week:
Nextel Cup: @ Daytona International Speedway (all times EST) 6/29/06 – 2:10 pm NASCAR Nextel Pepsi 400 Cup Practice 6/30/06 – 4:35 pm NASCAR Pepsi 400 Cup Qualifying NASCAR Nextel 01/7/06 – 07:55 pm NASCAR Nextel Pepsi 400
Busch Series: @ Daytona International Speedway (ET) 6/29/06 – 05:10 pm NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 presented by PepsiCo Practice 6/30/06 – 01:05 pm NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 presented by PepsiCo Qualifying 6/30/06 – 08:00 pm NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 presented by PepsiCo
Craftsman Truck Series: @ Kansas Speedway (all times in Central) 6/30/06 – 12:30 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 250 Practice 6/30/06 – 5:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O ‘REILLY AUTO PARTS 250 Qualifying 7/01/06 – 02:15pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 250
Who shot?
We’ve been taking a beating on Jeff Gordon lately. Of course, he’s probably been making fun of himself too. After a lackluster start to the 2006 season that placed him 11th in points, Gordon finally got his first taste of victory lane in yesterday’s Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Gordon’s win yesterday is the ninth of his career on a road course, making him the most decorated road course driver in NASCAR history.
After starting 11th, Gordon was able to propel himself through the field and take the lead in just 50 laps. The entire #24 DuPont team was solid throughout the race. Jeff never missed a mark, never spun, restarted perfectly after each caution as his crew posted some of the fastest times of the day on pit road. This kind of performance is reminiscent of Gordon during his previous championship seasons.
The big question is, can Gordon and his team maintain this championship form as they head into the remaining 10 races before the Chase for the Championship? Next week, NASCAR heads to Daytona for the Pepsi 400, where Jeff Gordon has been dominating. In 28 races at Daytona, Jeff has 6 wins, 11 top 5 finishes and 16 top 10 finishes. For those of you struggling with math, that means that, on average, Gordon finishes in the top 10 in more than half of the races. If Gordon wants to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship, he’ll need to maintain his Daytona average and finish in the top 10.
Who does not?
The dates have changed, but the faces have not in the Who’s Not This Week section. Tony Stewart, who suffered mechanical failure late in the race, dropped position after position to finish 28th in yesterday’s Dodge/Save Mart 300. 70 points ahead of 10th place Kevin Harvick.
There can be nothing more frustrating for a driver than running in the top 5 for much of the day only to end up with a mechanical failure that seals your fate in the race. While yesterday’s 28th place was not Tony’s fault, it can’t help boost the confidence of either the driver or the team. Let’s face it, the Home Depot team has been regressing since the All-Star break. In 4 of the last 5 races, the #20 team has finished 25th or worse. That’s not satisfying for a team coming off a championship season in 2005.
However, Tony didn’t earn the nicknames “Smoke” or “Tiger” for lying down and giving up. He’s still in the top 10 (barely) and has plenty of time to get back on track before the Chase for the Championship. All teams go through a dry spell in any given season. I’m sure Tony would rather have his dry spell now while he still has time to recover.
headlines from last week
I know what you’re thinking, why is NASCAR on a road course? Because road courses don’t offer the same passing lanes as an oval track, some NASCAR fans grow bored with road course racing. What these fans don’t realize is that road course racing helps vindicate NASCAR drivers to the rest of the racing world.
I find it interesting to see how gun-throwing road course mercenaries like Boris Said stack up against NASCAR Nextel Cup regulars like Jeff and Robby Gordon. Don’t hesitate, the gunslingers are coming to Infineon Raceway hungry! Many view the typical NASCAR driver as a lame duck maneuvering blindly through the twists and turns of the circuit hoping to be passed by an aggressive Boris Said with a “nothing to lose” attitude.
Despite the expert talent of the hired help, it always seems that the best NASCAR regulars always prevail. Yesterday’s Dodge/Save mart 350 was no exception. The last part of the race was completely dominated by NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. While Boris Said flirted with the top 5, he and the other road course veterans never battled for the lead.
Other notable finishers included Carl Edwards (6th) and Greg Biffle (4th). Each needed solid finishes to get into the top 10 in points. Biffle currently sits in ninth and Edwards is 73 points behind in tenth.
Terry Labonte posted a team best third-place finish for Hall of Fame Racing. By using a clever strategy in the pits, Terry worked his way up to the front. He held the lead position for 16 laps before succumbing to race winner Jeff Gordon. Labonte was passed late in the race by Ryan Newman, but managed to hold 3rd place before crossing the finish/start line for the last time.