Week of 8/6/06
McFarland out at JR Motorsports #88
Mark McFarland has been released from JR Motorsports and the #88 Busch car. This weekend 2 time champion Martin Truex Jr. will take over the wheel for the road course at Watkins Glen. You'll remember he won the inaugural Mexico City road course race. August 11, 2006
Kurt Busch runs first Las Vegas laps
Las Vegas native Kurt Busch was the first to turn some laps on the newly configured track with up to 20 degrees of banking. Kurt drove a car from the Richard Petty Driving Experience so they really didn't clock any laps, but he said "When we qualify here, it’ll be beyond the track record. It’s hard to tell right now exactly how fast it will be" August 11, 2006
Who's hot going into this weekend?
Jimmie Johnson is points leader for a reason, he has 19 top-15 finishes in 21 races
Tony Stewart has won the last two races, and 3 of the last 4 at the Glen
Jeff Burton has scored more points in the last 10 races than any other driver August 11, 2006
TRACK STATS | WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
Only 5 races left to get into the top 10 in points
Distance: 2.45-miles road course
Turns: 11
Banking: Ranging from 6 to 10
Miles/laps: 220.5 miles, 90 laps
Last year's winner: Tony Stewart
Up for grabs: $4.7 million August 11, 2006
I hear some road course 'ringing'
Road Course specialists pepper the entry list as always when we go to a track turning left AND right. Included are Boris Said (although he's been running ovals lately) Max Papis will try to make his debut, Scott Pruett and Ron Fellows. Of course you also have to keep an eye on Cup regulars like Robby Gordon, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart. August 10, 2006
Parrott back to RYR next week
Todd Parrott is heading back to Robert Yates Racing to what he calls a 'special opportunity' and he'll start next week sometime. Todd leaves Petty Enterprises as Bobby Labonte's crew chief with their OK where he's helped Bobby and the #43 car to 4 top 10's and a 5th at Bristol. August 10, 2006
No champion's provisional for you!
It turns out that Bill Elliott will not be able to use his Champion's provisional to locked into Sunday's race because he didn't make NASCAR's July 31st entry deadline, so he'll have to make the race on speed. August 10, 2006
TV Schedule
Busch and Cup are at Watkins Glen, and the Trucks are in Nashville this weekend.
Cup Series Qualifying @ 3pm Friday on Speed
Busch Series Racing @ 2pm Saturday on NBC
Truck Series Racing @ 5pm Saturday on Speed
Cup Series Racing (Road Course style) @ 1pm Sunday on NBC
All times are eastern
August 10, 2006
TESTING | ATLANTA
Jamie McMurray and Robby Gordon are on hand at the track yesterday and today as part of a Goodyear tire test. Robby ran a speed of 182.009mph, and Jamie was a bit slower at 178.149mph, but it was a brand new car and they wanted to get the balance right on the car. August 9, 2006
POINT STANDINGS | BUSCH & TRUCK
BUSCH SERIES
5 J.J. Yeley
4 Clint Bowyer
3 Denny Hamlin
2 Carl Edwards
1 Kevin Harvick is up by 374
TRUCK SERIES
5 Ron Hornaday
4 David Reutimann
3 Rick Crawford
2 Johnny Benson
1 Todd Bodine leads by 182 August 8, 2006
Knaus on board until 2010
Chad Knaus celebrated his 35th birthday by extending his contract as crew chief for Jimmie Johnson's #48 machine through the 2010 season. Chad has been Jimmie's chief since his rookie year in 2002 where they sat on the poll for the Daytona 500, and never finishing outside the top 5 in points. August 8, 2006
'Dega Nights tops box office
The NASCAR themed Talladega Nights the ballad of Ricky Bobby pulled in an estimated $47 million at the box office this past weekend which exceeded the studio's expectations. Will Ferrell's best opening had been "Elf" which took in $31.1 million in it's first weekend. August 8, 2006
POINT STANDINGS | CUP SERIES
Kasey Kahne dropped out this week 4 spots to 11th
10 Dale Earnhardt back in
9 Tony Stewart
8 Jeff Gordon
7 Denny Hamlin
6 Mark Martin
5 Kyle Busch
4 Kevin Harvick
3 Jeff Burton
2 Matt Kenseth
1 Jimmie Johnson is up by 107 after his Brickyard 400 win August 8, 2006
Waltrip makes bad history
Michael Waltrip made history this past weekend, but not the good kind. Michael failed to qualify for the Brickyard 400, and didn't buy his way in this time, so it ends his personal streak of 270 consecutive starts, and the family streak of having a Waltrip in a Cup race in the last 940 races spanning over 30 years. August 7, 2006
Quickcap - The Brickyard - Johnson wins
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
10 Kurt Busch
9 Tony Stewart (defending race winner)
8 Carl Edwards
7 Kyle Busch
6 Dale Earnhardt Jr. stayed out for track position
5 Mark Martin
4 Clint Bowyer
3 Kevin Harvick
2 Matt Kenseth
VICTORY LANE
1 He recovered from a blown left front tire early in the race to capture one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR...The Brickyard 400. Jimmie Johnson becomes only the second driver to Dale Jarrett to win both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year.
OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY
-Poll sitter Jeff Burton finished a disappointing 12th after dominating and leading the most laps
-Jeff Gordon came back from a broken bolt in his front sway bar to finish 16th, and moves up 1 spot in points
-There were multiple wrecks on the final lap, first Robby Gordon got into Greg Biffle, and separately Kasey Kahne ended up head on into the wall. Kahne is ok. August 6, 2006
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