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Week of 5/7/06
Who's hot going into this weekend?
Tony Stewart's streak of leading a lap ended last week, but he still finished top 10
Kevin Harvick has 5 top 10's in the last 6 races
Carl Edwards has a little streak of 3 straight top 10's May 12, 2006
Record winnings on tap for Coke 600
There will be record prize money for the Coca-Cola 600 later this month. Drivers will do battle for 600 miles for a chunk of the $6.4 million dollars. This is over $2 million more than the total purse was just 5 years ago. (Drivers have mortgages too) May 12, 2006
TRACK STATS | DARLINGTON
Distance: 1.366 Mile Egg-Shaped Oval
Banking up to: 25
Length/Front and backstretches:1,229 ft.
Miles/Laps: 367 laps, 501 miles
Last year's poll sitter: Kasey Kahne
Last year's winner: Greg Biffle
Up for grabs: $5.4 million
What the drivers don't want is a "Darlington Stripe" May 12, 2006
TV Schedule - Darlington
Cup Series Qualifying @ 3:30pm Friday on Speed
Busch Series Qualifying @ 5pm Friday on Speed
Busch Series Racing @ 8pm Friday on FX
Cup Series Racing @ 6:30pm Saturday on FOX
All times are eastern May 11, 2006
Celebrities invade NASCAR
Some celebrity news to pass along to you, American Idol winner Carrie Underwood will headline the Coke 600 pre-race show and sing the National Anthem. The Red Hot Chili Peppers will take to the stage between the first two segments of the All Star Challenge, and Actor Luke Perry will wave the green flag this weekend at Darlington. May 11, 2006
Drivers, they are 'a changing
Driver changes for this weekend include David Reutimann driving Michael Waltrip's #99 Busch car on Friday, and Kevin Lepage taking over the #49 Cup car for BAM Racing. FitzBradshaw Racing will only field the #12 Dodge with Joel Kauffman. May 11, 2006
88 Team / Jarrett penalized
The 88 UPS Ford has been penalized for an unapproved rear sway bar mounting discovered during pre-race inspection at Richmond. As a result, crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe was fined $25,000 and suspended from NACSAR until June 7th. Dale Jarrett was docked 25 points as well. Robert Yates Racing will appeal. May 9, 2006
Kahne hangs up his drivers suit
Next Tuesday Kasey Kahne will trade in his driving suit and become part of the ticket sales staff at Kansas Speedway. They're hoping that with Kasey's help they will sell out for a 6th consecutive time. Kasey is the defending race winner from last year. As an added bonus, he'll autograph every ticket he sells. May 9, 2006
T. Labonte to make last Darlington start
Terry Labonte will make his 54th and final Darlington start this weekend. His first career Cup Series start came at this track, and his first Cup win was also at Darlington. Ironically his last win was at The Lady in Black in August of 2003 over Kevin Harvick, the final Labor Day weekend Southern 500. May 9, 2006
POINTS STANDINGS | BUSCH SERIES
10 Jon Wood
9 Johnny Sauter
8 J.J. Yeley down 3 spots
7 Greg Biffle
6 Kyle Busch
5 Paul Menard up one spot
4 Denny Hamlin
3 Carl Edwards
2 Clint Bowyer
1 Kevin Harvick is 313 points up May 9, 2006
Harvick extends contract
Kevin Harvick will remain behind the wheel of the #29 RCR Chevrolet through the 2009 season. Kevin inked the new deal last week with Richard Childress Racing. Kevin is atop the Busch points standings, and 5th in Cup.
Full Story:
RICHMOND, Va. (May 5, 2006) -- Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Kevin Harvick have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will see Harvick as an RCR driver through the 2009 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season.
Harvick drives RCR’s No. 29 GM Goodwrench/Reese’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and RCR’s No. 21 Coast Guard Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the NASCAR Busch Series. The Bakersfield, Calif., native began his tenure at RCR in 2000 driving the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series, winning three races and rookie of the year honors. Stepping into the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series after the death of the legendary Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500, Harvick went on that season to earn two victories, a ninth-place finish in the point standings and rookie of the year honors. He also earned the Busch Series crown in 2001 and, in 2003, co-drove (with Johnny Sauter) RCR’s No. 21 PayDay Chevrolet to the Busch Series owner’s championship.
His career statistics include six victories and 70 top-10 finishes in the NEXTEL Cup Series and 19 victories and 98 top-10 finishes in the Busch Series.
“Kevin is an important part of the RCR organization and we’re happy that will continue,” said Richard Childress, President and CEO of RCR. “He has done a great job in both the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series and we look for that to continue over the next several seasons.”
Harvick is currently seventh in the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with one win and four top-10 finishes. He leads the Busch Series standings by 274 points, ahead of RCR teammate Clint Bowyer in second place, with two wins and nine top-10 finishes.
“I’m looking forward to the next three years at RCR,” said Kevin Harvick. “We’ve made a lot of changes over the past year that have really helped point the organization in the right direction. The chemistry feels right between the drivers, the crew chiefs and the teams. Above all else, there is a long relationship at RCR that Richard and I have. I feel like it would take time to recreate what we’ve built over the last seven years.” May 8, 2006
TESTING | LOWES MOTOR SPEEDWAY | Busch Series
It's the Busch Series turn this week as nearly 50 teams take to the track for the final NASCAR scheduled test of the year for the series. Testing started yesterday and runs through tomorrow. May 8, 2006
POINT STANDINGS | CUP SERIES
1. Jimmie Johnson Leader?2. Tony Stewart -55?3. Matt Kenseth -99?4. Mark Martin -176?5. Kevin Harvick -208?6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -216?7. Kasey Kahne -247?8. Kyle Busch -284?9. Jeff Gordon -305?10. Casey Mears -353?after Richmond May 8, 2006
RACE RECAP | RICHMOND
RACE RECAP | RICHMOND
10 Clint Bowyer
9 Sterling Marlin on his 30th Anniversary of Cup racing
8 Ryan Newman
7 Carl Edwards
6 Tony Stewart
5 Kyle Busch
4 Greg Biffle with his 1st top 5 of the year
3 Kevin Harvick dominated this race, but pit strategy did him in
2 Denny Hamlin best career finish
VICTORY LANE
Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes home his 17th career Cup win, his first since Chicagoland last year, and moves from 8th to 6th in points.
OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY
-Matt Kenseth ran over someones brake rotor and punctured his oil tank, turns out it was his brake rotor, the 17 finished 38th.
-Jeff Gordon's 24 machine just shut down halfway through the race, they ended up 40th.
-Jeff Burton was running top 5 when he came into the pits while they were closed under the caution, he later wrecked and finished 15th
-Kurt Busch had a flat tire, came to the pits, had a pit violation, came back to the pits, then sped and had to come around again, his day put him in 29th
May 7, 2006
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