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Week of 10/9/05
Rusty leaves door open for more
Rusty Wallace is having an amazing year, so it's no surprise that he is leaving open the possibility of running a few races next year. He recently said "I'm hoping I'm content after Homestead and get through the Daytona 500, but if I just can't stand it, then I'm maybe going to pop in for a couple." October 13, 2005
Car of Tomorrow closer to racing
The Car of Tomorrow is getting closer to becoming race worthy. Several teams have already testing the car at Talladega recently, with another test scheduled for Atlanta on October 31st. Among the new features of the car include a larger cabin or 'greenhouse' where the driver sits for added safety. NASCAR hopes to debut the car in 2007. October 13, 2005
DRIVER MILESTONES - Charlotte
Ricky Rudd will make his 783 consecutive start the all-time leader with that stat. Elliott Sadler is getting ready to make his 200th career start. October 13, 2005
TRACK STATS | LOWES MOTOR SPEEDWAY
It's race #5 in the Chase for the Championship
Distance: 1.5 Mile Oval
Banking up to 24º
Length/Frontstretch: 1,952 ft.
Length/Backstretch: 1,360 ft.
Cup race is 501 miles or 334 laps
Last years poll sitter: Ryan Newman
Last years winner: Jimmie Johnson
Up for grabs: $4.9 million October 13, 2005
Awesome Bill to run Busch race this weekend
Bill Elliott will go Busch racing this weekend for the first time in 12 years at Charlotte. He'll take the wheel of last weeks winning #6 Evernham Dodge. Plus 7 of the top 10 Cup Chase drivers will run on Friday night as well. October 12, 2005
Drivers test Martinsville this week
TESTING | MARTINSVILLE
About 12 drivers are checking out the track this week to get set for the race next weekend. Including Sterling Marlin, Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards, and Greg Biffle. October 12, 2005
Top 5 - Busch Series Drivers
POINT STANDINGS | BUSCH SERIES
5 Denny Hamlin
4 Carl Edwards
3 Reed Sorenson is -251
2 Clint Bowyer is -49
1 Martin Truex Jr. October 12, 2005
TV Schedule - Charlotte
NEXTEL CUP QUALIFYING @ 7pm Thursday on Speed
BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING @ 2:30pm Friday on Speed
NEXTEL CUP FINAL PRACTICE @ 6pm Friday on Speed
BUSCH SERIES RACING @ 8pm Friday on TNT
NEXTEL CUP RACING FROM CHARLOTTE (LOWES) @ 7pm Saturday on NBC
All times are eastern October 12, 2005
Roush swaps drivers for 2007
Roush Racing announced over the weekend that Jamie McMurray will drive the #97 car, and Craftsman Truck Series driver Todd Kluever will take over the #6 car in 2007. Based on comments made recently by Jack Roush and Mark Martin, it seems that Mark will drive again in 2006. October 10, 2005
Reduction in multi-car teams is coming
Another bombshell from over the weekend was that NASCAR CEO Brian France said there will be limits placed on multi-car teams in the future. This new rule will affect Roush Racing and Hendrick Motorsports first, and anybody hoping to begin fielding more than 3 teams. This story is of course ongoing....
Excerpts from Brian France Q & A
Q: So what do you plan to do in terms of the multicar teams issue?
BRIAN FRANCE: We don't like the fact that the independent teams, or in particular a new owner looking at coming in the door, have a daunting task to compete and the concept of having to have five teams or three teams. That's why you haven't seen a lot of new ownership like a Ray Evernham come into the sport. You see Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman being a lone exception coming in next year. That means the opportunities aren't there for young drivers, it means opportunities aren't there to create the next Rick Hendrick and have that kind of success. It ultimately means that we don't field as many competitive cars as we'd like to field. We're going to have to address that. You're going to see some very clear policy to do that.
Q: What's the number you're looking at on limiting car owners to?
BRIAN FRANCE: We haven't arrived at that, but very shortly we're going to be announcing a long-range policy that will speak to that. To a Roush or a Hendrick, who's done everything right who has five cars and might have a sixth on the way, you're going to be impacted more. We're just trying to take everything into consideration. It would be some number much lower than five. It will be a cap. I am sure some might think about that, but we think we've worked through that and have a policy that works.
Q: Want it be grandfathered in?
BRIAN FRANCE: There will be a phase-in period. It won't happen tomorrow. But it would phase down from five to four to some other number. October 10, 2005
POINT STANDINGS | CUP SERIES
1. Tony Stewart Leader?2. Ryan Newman -75?3. Greg Biffle -88?4. Rusty Wallace -90?5. Jimmie Johnson -92?6. Carl Edwards -95?7. Mark Martin -113?8. Matt Kenseth -116?9. Jeremy Mayfield -157?10. Kurt Busch -224?after Kansas October 10, 2005
Kansas - Complete Rundown
KANSAS CITY, Ks. -- What a difference a week makes. Ask NASCAR driver Mark Martin.
It was just a week ago Martin crashed out of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series race early and was probably back home by the time Dale Jarrett was celebrating a win in Talladega's victory lane.
Sunday, however, jockey-sized Martin was doing the celebrating himself after dominating the second half of a 400-mile event at scenic Kansas Speedway.
Martin led most of the laps in the second half of the race and cruised home ahead of hard-charging teammate Greg Biffle. Both drivers were in Jack Roush-owned Fords.
Another Roush-prepared Ford was third, young Carl Edwards.
Tony Stewart's Home Depot Chevrolet was fourth and retook the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points lead from Ryan Newman, who finished back in the pack (23rd) after being involved in an early-race skirmish with several other cars, including Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Rounding out the top finishers were Matt Kenseth, fifth, Jimmie Johnson, sixth, Rusty Wallace, seventh, Casey Mears, eighth, Ricky Rudd, ninth, and Jeff Gordon, 10th.
Martin's win moved him up two spots in the point standings to seventh after his disappointing problems last weekend.
Stewart, Martin, Biffle and Kenseth all took turns at the point under green flag conditions but Martin was never seriously threatened in the final 100 miles.
Jeff Gordon passed teammate Brian Vickers on the last lap for 10th position. Earnhardt Jr. was 34th. Jarrett, last week's winner, finished 38th.
The Top Ten in the Chase standings as the series heads for next Saturday's race at Charlotte's Lowe's Motor Speedway are: Tony Stewart (5,684 points), Ryan Newman (75 points back), Greg Biffle (88 back), Rusty Wallace (90 back), Jimmie Johnson (92 back), Carl Edwards (95 back), Mark Martin (113 back), Matt Kenseth (116 back), Jeremy Mayfield (157 back) and defending champion Kurt Busch (224 back) October 9, 2005
RACE RECAP | KANSAS
RACE RECAP | KANSAS
10 Jeff Gordon
9 Ricky Rudd
8 Casey Mears
7 Rusty Wallace
6 Jimmie Johnson
5 Matt Kenseth
4 Tony Stewart
3 Carl Edwards
2 Greg Biffle
VICTORY LANE
1 Mark Martin grabs his 35th career win, the first of 2005 and led the most laps in the process with his #6 Ford.
OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY
-Second in points Ryan Newman got caught up in an early wreck and never could recover, he finished 23rd
-Kurt Busch had some tire issues, and ended up 14th
-Both Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte had alternator issues, Tony finished Top 5, Bobby not so much (39th).
-Roush Racing finished 1-2-3 on the day, and could be a sign of things to come with a bunch of mile and half race tracks still to come this season.
October 9, 2005
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