Relief Donations...

Regular readers may be wondering where Roushketeer and I have been. Well, we both started new jobs that are taking a lot of our time. In fact, so much time that we really don't have time to maintain the blog anymore. It was fun while it lasted!

I was prompted to write today (probably our last post) because of the utter devastation in New Orleans and Mississippi. I encourage all of you to donate to the Katrina relief efforts, as Roushketeer and I will both be doing. If you work at a company that matches donations, donate there (look here for a small list). The people in Katrina's path need our help, and I hope that we don't turn our back on our own citizens when we've been so generous to others in the face of their disasters.

You can donate at the following places:

Red Cross
Salvation Army
Methodist Relief
Operation Blessing (through CBN)

More information is available at the FEMA website. And although it goes without saying, I'll say it here anyway: please pray for Katrina's victims. They need as many prayers as possible.

God bless -- Kara99

Wow, I'm Baffled...

Ok, so Roush announced today that Kurt Busch will be leaving to drive the #2 for Penske starting in '07... and, wow, we are big Roush fans over here at Gas-and-Go, and this possibility had not even entered into our speculation. I admit, I was blindsided by the news.

Kurt Busch is the reigning series champion, and is a member o one of the currently dominant teams in the sport... he has among the best equipment out there and, from all reports, a crew and teammates that work together well. So, why the move? The only explanation I can come up with is that Penske must have thrown a lot of money at him. Of course, I admit that my understanding of the internal politics and history of the sport and teams is pretty limited, so if anyone has a more compelling explanation, please comment and enlighten me!

The #2 is a storied team, and Rusty has been having a fabulous year... but the Charger has certainly had its share of problems, and the Dodge teams in general have not had a great year - in most cases they just haven't been able to keep up with Roush and Hendrick (and, lately, Gibbs in the form of Tony Stewart). So, I just don't get why Kurt would jump ship on Roush... I really don't.

The most interesting part of the story to me, however, is the unusual position that it puts Jack Roush in. In conjunction with his announcement that he signed with Penske starting in '07, Kurt asked to be released from his Roush contract in '06 in order to join the Penske operation next year. Sound familiar? yeah, I thought so... that's exactly the position that Jamie McMurray is in with respect to his current contract at Genassi and his future contract at Roush. So, Kurt is either quite fortuitous in his timing, or very very savvy (I presume it's the latter) - Jack can hardly put the pressure on Genassi (to the extent he can) to release Jamie, and, at the same time, refuse to release Kurt to Penske.

So, who will be driving the #97? I, for one, expect Jack to release Kurt for next year. Anyone think that Mikey can be convinced to drive a Ford?

Countdown to the Chase - Atlanta

Back from Martinsville, all 4 of the remaining races in the Chase, beginning with Week 7 at Atlanta, are on intermediate tracks, and 3 of these tracks have seen races earlier in the season.

Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Race #7 of the Chase / #33 of the Season
October 31, 2005

Track Specs:
1.54-mile oval: banking = 24' (turns), 5' (straits)
Attendance: 124,000

Stats of Note:
Most Recent Track Winner: Carl Edwards (3/05)
Winners at the Track in the Last 5 years: Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Bobby Labonte (2), Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick
Track Race Record: Bobby Labonte ('97)
Best Avg. Finish Among Active Drivers: Carl Edwards (2.0) over 2 starts; Kasey Kahne (4.3) after 3 starts; Jimmie Johnson (12.0) with 8 starts.

Comments:
It's been a wild ride at AMS this year - quite literally given the tornado that struck and severely damaged the facility in early July. The storm destroyed grandstands, tore down a scroing pylon and generally roughed-up the place. Managers, however, were steadfast that repairs could and would be completed in time for the Cup race in October. They appear to be moving in the right direction - the track has already reopened for limited purposes and even played host to the first on-track test of the new Fusion this week. I like a good comeback story... :)

The spring Atlanta race, in March, jumpstarted the beginning of the 2005 Cup season, with Carl Edwards barely edging Jimmie Johnson in the final stretch to become the first driver to secure his first career Busch and Cup victories in the same weekend (and at the same track!). It was a good race, with a fantastic finish! Fans will be well-served if the October race proves similarly unpredictable.

Predictions:
To Win
Greg Biffle finished 3rd in the March race in Atlanta, and declared it one of the worst days of his life. A bit dramatic, I'd say. But, that's the way Biff is - he just expects to be able to bring home the win when he knows he has a car capable of doing it. That intensity is a large part of his break-out season this year, I think... He is capitalizing on the combination of crew and equipment that has finally come together. Well, that plus the fact that he likes driving a loose racecar better than just about any driver on the circuit.

In any case, I will be very surprised if Biff doesn't win at least 2 of the 1.5-milers in the Chase (watch for the intensity to go up yet another notch come Loudin), and Atlanta is an excellent candidate to be one of those wins. This track is one of the few on which Biff has the stats, even outside of this year, to back up such a prediction. He has 3 top-10s in his 5 Cup starts here with an average finish of 13.6 (including one DNF). No win at the track in a Cup car yet, but that's just a matter of time. He also has 5 Busch starts, all of which resulted in top-10s, including 4 top-5s, 2 poles, and a win. Not bad... not bad at all...

To Do Well
OK, so I'd be stupid not to list March winner Carl Edwards as a possibility here. No, I don't think he's going to repeat (just as I didn't think he would at Pocono), but he has a great chassis for the track, and has the will and motivation to be a strong competitor. I'm thinking top 5. He also has the Busch win here from March as well. This track has also been good for another young driver... Kasey Kahne. Now, Kasey's been having a rather uneven season, but this is perhaps his strongest intermediate track. His 3 Cup races here have all been top-5s (2 5ths and a 3rd)... a statistic that no one is going to laugh at. I don't think either of these guys are going to make the Chase (although Carl definitely still has a shot if he finishes well at Indy), but they are young enough to look past that and see this race as an opportunity to gain momentum for 2006.

So, Kahne and Edwards are my young'uns for the race... but really, I'm going to be predictable, safe, and somewhat boring by also throwing Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson into my mix. Sure, these are names that you see me mentioning week after week... but can you blame me? Johnson, the points leader, very narrowly lost this year's March race to Carl, as I mentioned above, so it would be entirely arbitrary to leave him off the list. Oh, and there are also that win and 5 top-5s he has here in the last 8 starts. Tony, the hot hand at the moment of this writing (but we all know how fast that could change), finished an unimpressive 17th (but on the lead lap) in March. Nonetheless, he has a win and 7 top-10s in the last 5 years here, for an average finish of 9.0 in that period. I'll be looking for the 20 among the leaders (not that the ever-present orange paint scheme makes it hard to miss!).

Also watch
I try to shake things up a little with my picks in this category, although too often they aren't all that out-on-a-limb either. This week, I'm going with Brian Vickers, who has a solid, but ininspiring record on intermediate tracks in his 2 years of Cup racing. He seems to have sort of unlocked Atlanta, however, going from 43rd and 21st in his first two races here to 7th and 6th in his two more recent attempts... that's the kind of improvement in a young driver that makes an owner sleep well at night. He turned it up a notch in the June Pocono race, and it looked like he might get his first win there, which, I think, renewed both his confidence and his passion to get that win (and others to follow it). He's hungry, and this is a track he likes.

Next up: Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kurt and Eva Engaged!

Well, Eva Bryan will soon be a "trophy wife" instead of just a trophy girl. From his weekly diary, Kurt Busch writes:

"Europe was terrific. We also spent some time in Prague before the race that was a lot of fun. And I want you guys to be the first to know that while we were in Prague I proposed to Eva. Thankfully she said yes… We haven’t figured out everything as far as when and where the wedding will be, but we’re going to take our time."

Congrats to the happy couple!

Support Allen Bestwick!

We here at Gas-n-Go are big Allen Bestwick fans (see here, here, and here). Or, at a minimum, we much prefer Allen Bestwick over the guy in the booth now that replaced him. Allen is also being replaced on Inside Nextel Cup on Mondays on Speed. What a travesty! So to tell NBC, TNT, and Speed what a mistake we think they've made, I started a petition to "bring Allen back." It's available here, and I encourage you all to sign it!

We are definitely not the only ones who prefer Allen. I've spent a bit of time scouring the Internet, and I find virtually no comments indicating a preference for Bill Weber. And there are lots of people who love Allen. For instance, the great columns over at Insider Racing News have a ton of pro-Allen mentions and chronicle the mistakes that Weber makes. And here's a great article and discussion of a possible Allen fan club! This article says simply, "why do people insist on messing up a good thing?" and then lists the number of mistakes that Weber tends to make over and over again.

More... this writer said after the Pepsi 400, "[NBC] stuck in Bill Webber (sic), who from what I heard last night, is nothing more than a walking cliche." Several comments agree that Weber doesn't compare to Allen. One writes "Allen Bestwick is the best reporter of them all. just the race, and good info. No rodeo, jumping out of planes, or talking about himself.If he is out of the picture I will watch a lot less NASCAR programs. IF it is not broke do not fix it…"

At this discussion, a number of people support Allen over Bill. One writes, "NBC should've kept Allen Bestwick in the booth...he's more enjoyable to listen to than Bill Weber is. Bill's a good pit reporter & Allen's better in the booth than he is on pit road. Probably the only advantage of putting Weber in the booth is that we don't have to deal with the overdramatic interviews & Victory Lane interviews he used to do." I will note that lots of people have mentioned that -- Allen does great interviews, and won't hound Jr. with inane questions about his dad after every victory, like Bill had done.

Here is an excellent discussion of the Bestwick/Weber switch. I agree wholeheartedly:

For reasons beyond any kind of comprehension, NBC took Allen Bestwick, their best play-by-play announcer, and replaced him with the gruff, barking Bill Weber. While Weber was more than suited for last year’s role as lead pit announcer, reading from his cue cards, Bill’s lack of knowledge pales in comparison to Bestwick. For example, in between Benny’s two factual flubs listed above, was this exchange on lap 75. Parsons said, “And the reason they didn’t change; how many sets of tires, guys, do they get this weekend in the NASCAR Busch Series for this (sic) 300 miles?” Bill Weber, who obviously doesn’t know the answer, “‘Cause the NASCAR Busch Series limits the amount of tires they can have.” Enter Allen Bestwick with the answer, “They get six sets of tires, BP.”

During the Cup race on Sunday, Weber was all over the place. For example, just 14 laps into the race and following a discussion about Biffle, was this exchange. Weber said, “This is the battle for fourth, Casey Mears in the 41 trying to pass Biffle in the 16.” Wally Dallenbach immediately corrects him, “Actually I think it’s the other way around.” Weber, “You think so?” Benny, “You big dummy. remember Biffle had fallen back... come on Bill, wake up.” Or how about this exchange on lap 44 when Bill Weber says, “Martin Truex leading by 17 now over Clint Bowyer. Reed Sorenson had a real up and down day.” Wally Dallenbach says, “Read that again.” Bill Weber, “72. What’d I say?” Benny says, “17.” Weber, “No, it’s 72.” Benny, “That’s what I thought.” Weber, “Thank you. Just wanted to see if you were listening.”

The problem is that, as NASCAR fans; we have no choice but to listen. Listen to NBC’s mistakes, listen to NBC’s factual errors, listen to their bad jokes, listen to their excuses... the only thing we don’t get to hear is “Crank It Up,” that’s a Fox innovation. And the $64,000 questions are, “Is anyone at NBC listening?” and, “Does anyone at NBC care?” Perhaps not. Likely not. NASCAR bailed NBC out by creating an exciting Chase for the Championship and the NBC executives are content to continue with their under funded poop as long as their ratings are climbing. Can you imagine how much higher those ratings would be if we had Darrell, Larry and Jeff counting down the final ten races? Those boys would be squealing like greased pigs with contagious excitement!

And what does NBC do with Allen Bestwick, who had a multiple fracture of one of his legs less than 12 months ago? In its wisdom, and showing its corporate compassion, NBC rubs salt in Bestwick’s wounds by first swapping him with the inferior Bill Weber and then making Bestwick run (or limp?) up and down pit road in search of stories. After watching NBC’s conduct over the past three seasons it is apparent that Shane Hmiel wasn’t the only one associated with NASCAR racing that was using banned substances. There are apparently a few NBC executives who are totally out of contact with reality as well.

I couldn't agree more with the above quote! How awesome! Here's another message board post: "I've tolerated NBC for the first few years of this contract, but man!! NBC SUCKS!! Webber wouldn't know aero push from a bump draft! Where did they find this clown? He can look right at the action and still call it wrong.I.e., the yellow this afternoon when Carl Edwards cut a tire and hit the wall: Any idiot could see Kenseth beat Johnson to the pit line, but Webber calls Johnson the race leader -- and I think it was because some idiot in the truck put that up as a graphic, not because Webber even knew how to call it. A few laps earlier he had credited Harvick with passing Edwards when in fact it was Edwards who had just passed Harvick." Yes, another mistake by Weber. The writer continues, "Why did NBC put Alan Bestwick in the pits? He's not that good, but he was the best NBC had, and they take him out of the booth and put him down on the track. It just proves to me that NBC is not qualified to televise NASCAR..."

This message board has discussions of Allen as superbly qualified. More message board discussions here, all in favor of Allen. Trent over at Over the Wall doesn't say much to say about it, but lots of commenters are favorably disposed toward Allen, and a little disgusted with Weber, at this post.

There's an interesting discussion of who your dream announcer team would be here, at an interesting blog. The same blog has a number of comments about the switch here, and they definitely are all pro-Allen.

Finally, this post is just a great discussion of why Allen is better than Bill. "Allen Bestwick is the kind of broadcaster that can make a trip to a sewage treatment plant sound like a good time," the author writes. "My only suggestion at this point is to ask Bill to join Allen’s hockey team."

Well, I won't go that far. But I do want you all to feel better about the switch by voicing your opinion too! Note that my campaign to save Allen is not an indictment of FOX or NBC. I just think he is better than Weber, and I think it was really terrible of NBC to demote him the way they did.

Support Allen and sign the petition here!

Paper or Plastic

Okay, Nascar Nation has really gotten out of control. The stupid questions are just absurd. Do we really care -- or want to know -- that Travis Kvapil asks for paper bags at the grocery store because they're old school, or that Jeff Burton wants plastic because they have handles? The three hosts seem like they know about as much about NASCAR as do third graders from Maine.

And a rap video? You've got to be kidding me. Nascar's "Drive for Diversity" is not going to be helped by two guys thumping up and down and singing/rapping about pit stops. Nascar Nation produced and paid for the video, but I honestly cannot imagine why.

What on earth has Speed TV come to?

At least NBC 24/7 was good. Interesting story and great coverage about the Tim Fedewa firing. Good interviews with Armando Fitz, a mechanic, and Fedewa himself. All involved seem to be class acts. It was sad, though, the cameras showed us both Fedewa's house and David Stremme's new house. Stremme's seemed much much nicer, and man, is it sweet. His landscaping, however, was awful, and I agree that he should contact Carl Edwards to get some Scott's lawn care stuff. He also needs to trim his hedges, and hates snakes.

On NBS 24/7, we see Stremme in action discussing snakes. We don't have drivers looking absolutely mystified that someone would actually ask them whether they prefer paper or plastic. Good for Tony Stewart -- a couple of weeks ago, he said "Who cares?" in response to one of the dumb NN questions. Keep it up, Smoke. We like hearing gossip about a driver, or watching them as they go about their daily lives, but this NN nonsense is just plain stupid.

Kevin Harvick a Hothead?

So, yes, I agree that Kevin Harvick is a bit of a hothead. Yes, he has a temper, I know. But really, honestly, is he any worse than any one else? Did he really need to finish first in our poll of the week, so far ahead with 34% of the vote? Geez, more than twice as many people voted for Kevin than did Tony Stewart! Kurt Busch finished in second, with 21% of the vote.

Of course feuds and fights make the news, so I do remember many of these incidents, even when I wasn't such a huge NASCAR fan. But I decided to really lay it all out, and see how much of a hothead Kevin really is. He is one of my favorite drivers, if not my most favorite. Does he deserve the title of "biggest hothead" too? Below, I've listed all of the incidents or quotes (that I can think of) that would make Kevin a "hothead."

2001
Oct. 30, Talladega, Cup. Harvick tapped Todd Bodine’s bumper and sent him careening into the wall. Bodine called Harvick an “idiot” afterwards, and criticized his confrontational attitude. Bodine's crew chief was fined $10K for yelling at Harvick after the race.

2002
Mar. 23, Bristol, Busch. Harvick waited for Greg Biffle after the race and grabbed him on pit road. Harvick was fined $15K, placed on probation until Aug. 28.

Apr. 6, Martinsville, trucks. Harvick spun out rookie Coy Gibbs, then refused to go to the NASCAR hauler. He was fined $35K, "parked" a race, and put on probation until the end of the year. A lot has been written about this incident too.

May 20, Charlotte, the Winston. Harvick and Ryan Newman both got called to the hauler after trading bumps during a caution.

2003
May 4, Richmond, Cup. Teammate Jeff Green gets out of his car and gestures at Harvick for supposedly spinning Green out. Harvick had no comment.

Aug. 23, Bristol, Cup. Harvick was asked why fans boo Kurt Busch, and he apparently took Jimmy Spencer's side for punching Kurt, calling Busch "an arrogant, cocky punk," saying that he has a "really, really, bad attitude" and noting that he "hates losing to a Rubberhead" (referring to Busch's former sponsor, Rubbermaid).

Sept, 7, Richmond, Cup. Harvick stomped on the top of Ricky Rudd's car. He was fined $35K and put on probation until Dec. 31, 2003. There's so much written about the incident, I don't really need to say much.

2004
Feb. 21, Rockingham, Busch. Cup Teammates Robby Gordon and Harvick get into a battle of words after Robby, a lap down, raced Harvick so hard that McMurray passed both to take the lead away. Harvick told the media to "go ask the guy guiding the steering wheel -- or holding onto the steering wheel" because it would be a "waste of air" for Kevin to talk to him.

June 12, Pocono, Cup. Harvick and Matt Kenseth both spun each other out and spent an hour in the NASCAR hauler. Harvick said that Kenseth "needs to check his ego because it's getting too big." NASCAR fined both $25K, put the drivers on probation for seven weeks, and moved each of them to the end of the lead lap, losing ten spots in race. Matt talks at length about the "feud" between the two here, which had been brewing for awhile. You can also see a picture of Kevin wearing his infamous Matt Kenseth t-shirt.

Nov. 8, Phoenix, Cup. Harvick and Kasey Kahne hit each other on pit road after the race, after battling for position throughout the race. Harvick and Tommy Baldwin scream at one another. Jeff Gordon said that Harvick "was a little high-strung today." Kahne and Harvick were both fined $10K and put on probation. Read more about the incident from NASCAR.

2005
Feb. 17, Daytona, Gatorade Duel. Jimmie Johnson slowed down, Harvick hit him (perhaps because he was bump drafting through the corner), and the ensuing wreck took out several cars. Joe Nemechek threw a water bottle at Harvick and called him stupid, and Johnson said that RCR should fire Harvick. Read more here.

May 21, Charlotte, All-Star race. Nemechek and Harvick get into a name-calling and shoving match, with Harvick saying that Nemecheck should "take that and shove it where the sun don't shine, baby."

June 6, Dover, Busch. Battling for position, Harvick and Kyle Busch slam into one another and run through the grass pushing each other. Helton called both into the NASCAR hauler. Read more here, but this is one where you almost have to see the video to understand.

July 10, Chicago, Busch. Harvick doesn't pass leader and gets lucky dog, gets slammed by Biffle. Read most of the quotes here, but really all Harvick did was say Biffle was acting like a prima donna.

I really don't think that's too bad... Two or three incidents a year, that's it. He's aggresive but honest, and he's just got a cool wife in Delana. This writer agrees with me! And at least Kevin sort of has a sense of humor (the Matt Kenseth t-shirt, the law offices t-shirt...) So, Kevin's still going to be my driver.

Maybe I'll do driver temper reviews on a regular basis...this was kind of fun! Also be sure to vote in our new poll...this one might not be as fun, but hey -- who should be getting the open rides in Cup next year?

Eva Bryan, Kurt Busch's "Trophy Girl"

Okay, so while most drivers are headed to Mexico or doing something fun on their last off-week of the season, not Kurt Busch. According to his weekly diary entry, "I'm on a plane right now to Europe. Eva and I are going to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix Formula One race for our last off-weekend of the year. You guys know me - I can't be away from the racetrack for even one weekend! I hope everyone enjoys the weekend." That's just nuts.

I'm also watching one of my favorite shows, Beyond the Wheel, right now, and I must say, Biff just continues to crack me up. From the 16's in-car:

Greg Biffle: Now the guy that's taping the lids onto the bottle, you don't really have to do that, because normally the way I'd work it is they loosen the lid so they can get the air in, so I can get the liquid out of the bottle. Engineering type of thing.

Doug Richert: We'll get you a water here, hold the tape. The funniest thing was that the entire time Biff is saying this, he's driving and gesturing with it! It was amusing...

And finally, I'm not exactly sure how to react to Kurt's post-race comments on Beyond the Wheel.

in-car: Somebody needs to bring the little dog that we own to Victory Lane. She's a little winner as well.

studio interview: We wanted to bring Ginger to Victory Lane. It was great...We had the pet show the day before and then little Ginger won best of show for little dogs...and so it was great...she's got her trophy, I've got my trophy from it, and then of course, Eva's a trophy girl, so we had to bring her in there as well.

Is Eva Bryan supposed to be happy that she's Kurt Busch's "trophy girl"? (For more on Eva and Ginger, with info on where to see pictures of both, see earlier posts here and here). I just don't know how I feel. Of course, remember when Jay Mohr poked fun at Kurt at the Awards Ceremony, commenting that dating Eva "wasn’t a lateral move for you Kurt" and asking, "what was your pick-up line, 'Hello, I’m Peyton Manning'?" But still...wouldn't you think you'd avoid the term "trophy girl"?

E! True Hollywood Story: NASCAR Wives

Nothing is on TV during the day, I've discovered. So I watched E!'s True Hollywood Story about NASCAR. The first 40 minutes are the same-old, same-old, with Jr. talking about winning Busch races and losing his dad, other drivers talking about sponsorship and the crew behind the driver, etc. And then the show did a segment on NASCAR wives and girlfriends. Since many of our blog's visitors come searching for info on NASCAR wives, I thought I'd recap that portion of the show:

* When then Krissie Boyle met Ryan Newman, he told her that he drove stock cars for a living. She said something along the lines of, "What's a stock car?" (Reminds me also of the story of how Kurt Busch and Eva Bryan met -- they were set up a couple years ago after the July Pocono race -- and she was told he was a veterinarian. He's jokingly said that he doesn't think she would have gone out with a "redneck" racer had she known the truth...) But back to the Newmans: Krissie said she just watched everybody and everything around the track, couldn't believe what all when into the sport.

Krissie also mentioned the demands of NASCAR, and said that although she and Ryan have talked about having kids, it would have to be just a few years before he retires, because of the time constraints of traveling. She wants to be at the track with him, and I for one don't blame her. The Newmans (as mentioned before) have adopted dogs instead of kids for now, and I think it's great what they're doing with their foundation!

Ryan and Krissie also talked about what they do outside of racing, when they visit different cities. Krissie mentioned how she enjoys seeing what different cities have to offer. She, however, says she's developed a "shoe fetish" and Ryan has talked to her about controlling her spending for shoes! Too funny... an Imelda Marcos in NASCAR!

Krissie also discussed how she lays out Ryan's clothes for him on Sundays, so all he has to do is shower, dress and go straight to the driver's meeting. They then go to chapel together and just wait for the race to start. She also mentioned that it is really hard for her to watch when Ryan crashes. "That gets a little aggravating because there's nothing I can do about it. I can't go out and take my rental car out on the track and run them off the road!" Krissie Newman is an excellent speaker, very articulate and engaging.

* Michael and Buffy Waltrip were also featured on the show. E! visited their house (which is gorgeous, about 30 miles outside Charlotte in beautiful, serene wildnerness) and Mikey talked about how he proposed after his win at Bristol in 1993. He said how he had bought her a ring earlier in the week, and how it just seemed like the thing to do to propose in victory lane. Buffy mentioned how she didn't know he was serious because it all happened so fast. Finally, Buffy said that "there's a different level of respect for women in that sport [NASCAR]. I think at this point you stand just a good of a chance getting a job in racing as a woman as you do a man as far as marketing, PR, management, things like that."

* Speaking of sports marketing and management, then Shana Session was at Darlington in 1999 looking for a job, not really all that interested in the sport, when she met Jeremy Mayfield. Mayfield was driving the #12 Mobil Ford for Penske and started talking to her. He said on the E! show that after meeting her, he thought that she was cool, and that "this could be it." Four years later, the two got married. I was amused by the description of the wedding (from Jayski news on 1-6-2003):

Jeremy Mayfield married Shana Sessions, whom he has been dating for almost four years, in a ceremony in front of a mixture of local family and NASCAR friends at the First Baptist Church in Myrtle Beach. Mayfield arrived for his Grand Strand wedding in a red stretch limo bearing his #19 trademark. The wedding capped a whirlwind romance that began after a chance meeting at Darlington Raceway. Sessions was at the race not as a fan, but as a recent Clemson graduate considering a career in sports marketing. The week-long honeymoon will be on the Turks and Caicos islands. The couple is scheduled to return on Jan. 12 - just two days before Mayfield must begin testing at Daytona International Speedway.

Shana said that before, she didn't understand the sport, but she now has a lot more respect for it. She also talked about how as a NASCAR wife, you can't dwell on the bad, but it's hard to do such. Jeremy, for his part, said that his job as a driver is much easier with Shana traveling on the road with him. The travel and time constraints takes its toll (of course -- what driver or wife doesn't mention the exhausting schedule during a lifestyle interview?), but Jeremy comes home to a number of toys, and, of course, dogs. I should also mention that Jeremy and Shana got a new dog, a mini Bulldog named Zoë. You can read all about the Mayfield's dogs in his "Mayfield's Map" and in my NASCAR pet review here. Shana did show off their house for E!, saying how proud she was that Jeremy helped put some of it together, and pointing out the doggie bed near the window, strategically placed so the dogs can see exactly when daddy gets home.

* Chandra Janway was a model working in New York when she gave up her career to marry Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie said on the show how he is "so thankful she's willing to leave New York" and how he messed her modeling career up. A friend told E! that the Johnson's seem to have a good balance. I, for one, thought that Jimmie's simple line to Chandra at last year's Awards ceremony was great: "I love you honey and I can't wait until next week." It wasn't as elaborate or emotional as Kurt's tribute to Eva, but it seemed to reflect a very genuine happiness and love. I was impressed.

* Kenny and Kim Wallace were also featured on the E! special, along with a discussion of their appearances on NASCAR Drivers: 360. Kenny said being apart from Kim is hard, but they just "talk like mad on our cell phones." Kenny? Talk a lot? Never...

Not a terrible show. Didn't learn much, but I always enjoy hearing people affiliated with NASCAR, other than drivers, talk.

Countdown to the Chase - Martinsville

The Chase sees its only short track in Week 6. And, typical of short tracks, I predict exciting racing and many mangled cars.

Subway 500

Martinsville Speedway

Race #6 of the Chase / #32 of the Season
October 23, 2005

Track Specs:
0.526 mile oval (the shortest on the Cup circuit): banking = 12' (turns), 0' (straits)
Attendance: 91,000

Stats of Note:
Most Recent Track Winner: Jeff Gordon (4/05)
Winners at the Track in the Last 5 years: Jeff Gordon (3), Rusty Wallace, Jimmie Johnson, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Craven
Track Race Record: Jeff Gordon ('96)
Best Avg. Finish Among Active Drivers: Jeff Gordon (8.1)

Comments:
The second half of the Chase - the final 5 races before the Champion is crowned - begin with the season's final trip to a short-track. And, it is the shortest of all, barely over 1/2 mile. This is GREAT for spectators, who can see the entire track and all of pit row from almost any seat. It's not quite as fun for the guys in the fab shop, though, who often see their har work quickly transformed into bashed and battered piles of metal that vaguely resemble cars.

At this point, I think the top 5 in the points will be JJ, Smoke, Jr., Biff, and Mark Martin (not necessarily in that order). So, feel free to come back and taunt me mercilessly when it turns out
that I am completely wrong. Anyway, on to my Martinsville picks...

Predictions:
To Win
Kurt Busch probably would have won the race here in April if he hadn't been dumped (well, it was more ambigous than that, but...) on lap 447 by Jeff Gordon (who went on to win the race). So, for that reason, picking him to win here in October seems both reasonable and just :)
Kurt is far from having one of the best average finishes here, but he's had decent results: 1 win (10/02), 2 to-5s and 3 top-10s in 10 starts. And, on a track that catches nearly everyone sooner or later, he only has had one DNF. I just have a good feeling about this one...

To Do Well
I already mentioned Jeff Gordon's win here in April, one of 6 on this track in his career. The only active driver with more wins here is Rusty Wallace, who has 7 (most recently in 4/04). Both those guys should not be counted out. Rusty will be particularly motivated to get a win in his final season... this track is a good shot for him to do so. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has never won here, but when he runs well, he tends to run REALLY well... all 5 of his top-10s (in 11 starts) were also top-5s. I'd be very surprised if he gets his first win here come October, but if he keeps the nose clean, I think another top 5 is likely. This will be Mark Martin's 40th race at Martinsville. With a career average finish of 12.6, this track is pretty average for Martin - he has better finish averages at 9 current tracks and worse averages at 10 - but he was 3rd here in April (both his wins have come in the April race). With a little momentum on his side, this is almost certainly a top 10, and probably a top 5, for the #6.

Also watch
My dark horse here is Jeff Burton. He actually has the third-best average finish at Martinsville over the last five years (11.1), with no wins, but 5 top-10s in 9 races. The Cingular team has struggled a little this year, but I'm still a believer. The 31 won't be in the Chase, but a good finish here is in the cards.

And, after that brief interlude, it's back to nice generic intermediate track. Next up: Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Kentucky Speedway Lawsuit

So, I might as well reveal the big secret to my (and Roushketeer's) identity: we're lawyers-in-training. You probably could have figured that out if you read the blog closely, as we both are taking the bar exam this week. I figured I would finally comment on the Kentucky speedway lawsuit. I have not taken antitrust law, though, so if Roushketeer wants to comment further, I'd really like to encourage her to do so!

Marty's column this week prompted me to write the post, as he has an interesting discussion of the suit and a discussion of how the new Ford Fusion is probably very similar to the old Ford Taurus. But regarding the suit, Marty says:

In his infamous "Realignment 2004 and Beyond" speech early last year, Brian France stressed the fact that ISC could only redistribute dates within the company. Likewise for Speedway Motorsports. NASCAR cannot take a date from Atlanta, an SMI track, and move it to Phoenix, an ISC track. But SMI owner Bruton Smith could propose to NASCAR the possibility of moving a date from Atlanta to its SMI sister, Vegas. SMI owns and operates Atlanta, Bristol, Las Vegas, Sonoma, Texas and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. They also own North Wilkesboro and Rockingham, both of which were purchased from ISC for the sole purpose of shipping their respective events to Texas.

Kentucky Speedway has alleged that this arrangement -- the France's control of both Nascar and ISC -- violates the antitrust laws. Their complaint, which was probably written more for the media than the actual lawsuit, is very interesting and well-written. It's actually really engaging to read their facts and theories of liability. You can find the complaint here, and if you're at all interested, I'd read it. Honestly, I don't know enough about antitrust law, but the Kentucky speedway might actually have a claim. I hope that we fans of NASCAR consider the case on its merits, rather than jump to conclusions because we think it unfair that the Speedway would sue NASCAR and the Frances.

Now remember, I don't know anything about antitrust law. But I thought I'd share some of the pithy, snappy or just interesting bits from the lawsuit.

The actions of NASCAR and ISC in shutting out competition make the most egregious tactics of drivers fighting for position on the track look like a Sunday afternoon drive in the country.

Well, now, that's subtle. Egregious, by the way, means bad. Really bad.

The current television contract is valued at $2.4 billion. 95% of the television revenue is allocated to the NEXTEL Cup Series and 5% of the television revenue is allocated to the Busch Series.

Only 5%? Wow. That's shocking. I watch nearly as many Busch races as Cup races. I guess I'm in the minority. The extreme minority, if Busch races get such a miniscule portion of the tv money. Wow.

[O]ne in three U.S. adults are NASCAR fans. ... Attendance at NASCAR-sanctioned events exceeds 7,000,000. In 2003, 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S. were NASCAR sanctioned events. Women make up 40% of NASCAR’s fan based and 42% of NASCAR fans earn $50,000 or more per year. More than 70 of the Forbes 500 Companies participate in NASCAR, which is more than any other sport. NASCAR fans are almost twice as likely as baseball and basketball fans to purchase a sponsor’s product.

I always did say advertising with NASCAR is the best deal around. What surprised me was the notion that 42% of fans are so much higher than the median income across the country.

The crux of Kentucky's complaint is that they don't have a Cup race. But they also allege anticompetitive behavior with respect to the France's dealings with their Busch and truck races.

Another anticompetitive action taken by defendants is charging Kentucky Speedway disproportionately large purse and sanction fees, as compared to ISC tracks. For example, Kentucky Speedway purchased Louisville Speedway, and realigned a Craftsman Truck Race from Louisville Speedway to Kentucky Speedway. NASCAR raised the total awards to drivers from approximately $284,000 to $702,000, dramatically increasing the cost to Kentucky Speedway. However, when ISC’s tracks have moved races, the purses have either not increased or have increased by small amounts, and the purses required at ISC’s tracks for Craftsman Truck races are generally much lower than NASCAR requires of Kentucky Speedway. Similarly, Kentucky Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway all received Busch Series races within the same year. Kentucky Speedway receives “B” television revenue while the other tracks, affiliated with ISC, receive higher “A” television revenue, with no rational basis.

Kentucky Speedway alleges that ridding NASCAR of its monopoly with ISC (and the Frances) will truly benefit the fans. It will be interesting to see if fans' perception of the lawsuit will change overtime as more allegations and facts such as the following are demonstrated:

Such competition would benefit drivers by potentially increasing purse sizes and helping to ensure track safety. It would benefit sponsors and broadcasters by giving them more choice. And, most importantly, it would benefit race fans by lowering ticket prices and acknowledging consumer preference.

Would fans really be upset by that?

Poke-oh-boring

Okay, so I am happy for Kurt, am annoyed that Rusty keeps being consistently good, wish Mark would have won, really hope that Mark wins before the season is over, think Carl needs to learn a little patience, congratulate JJ for probably making that 400 point mark irrelevant given his 12th place finish after a truly abysmal day, am a little befuddled the media didn't pay more attention to Jeff's top-15 finish (not great, but hey -- it's not 30+ where he's been forever), very befuddled the media didn't cover Mike Bliss and Bootie Barker's top ten for the Net Zero team, and desperately wish NBC/TNT would realize how much better Allen Bestwick is than Bill Weber.

But really -- my main thought after this race: it's WAY too long. This race is just boring. Especially when dominant cars run here. The last few laps are exciting. Not the first 180. SHORTEN IT, folks.

This week Roushketeer and I have a big test (mine is two days long; Roushketeer's is three days!), and then we both are moving across the country the following week to start new jobs. As such, both of us will miss the Brickyard. (I even used to work for Allstate and I absolutely, adamantly refuse to call it the "Allstate 400." Bah humbug.) It's sad (both the new name and missing the race). I'm going to try to catch it from a bar, but I don't know if Roushketeer will have the opportunity. It is a little weird watching your "home" track (for me, as I grew up in Indy) from another state. But what a good race the Brickyard is. It's truly a magical place! I love it! It's so cool to walk across those bricks -- you can do it if you run the Mini-Marathon as you hit mile 8 or so. It's a great, great feeling.

As for predictions: Roush is sure going to be tough to beat at Indy.... I think he'll have 3 of the top 5, all 5 in the top 15, and the winner. I would find it hard to bet against Biff, too.

Countdown to the Chase - Charlotte

NASCAR goes home for Week 5 of the Chase - a nice time for the teams to have family and friends in the crowd and get to spend a weekend closer to home before the final push.

UAW-GM Quality 500

Lowe's Motor Speedway

Race #5 of the Chase / #31 of the Season
October 15, 2005

Track Specs:
1.5 mile quad-oval: banking = 24' (turns), 5' (straits)
Attendance: 167,000

Stats of Note:
Most Recent Track Winner: Jimmie Johnson (5/05)
Winners at the Track in the Last 5 years: Jimmie Johnson (4), Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton, Sterling Marlin
Track Race Record: Jeff Gordon ('99)
Best Avg. Finish Among Active Drivers: Carl Edwards (3.0). But, he's only had one Cup start here, so let's go to the next man on the list... Martin Truex, Jr. (7.0). Oops, he's only had one start also. I guess we will have to go with Jimmie Johnson (7.4). Surprise, surprise...

Comments:
Another 1.5-miler. You would think that would mean a race that a lot of teams could be good at. You would think that would make it wide-open for those who are good at the similar tracks. You would think...

Well, at least for the last 3 years that just hasn't been this case... since 2003 this has been Jimmie's house. But, that can't last forever.

On a more general note, I am realizing more and more which each of these previews that I write how futile these predictions are. So much of this depends on who has the momentum at the time, and that can swing at any moment. Who would have predicted before Sonoma, for example, that Tony Stewart would win 3 of the next 4 races, or that Jeff Gordon would have 6 finishes of 30th or worse in the last 9 races? So, I feel a little silly about making predictions at all, let alone so far in advance. But, the information is still interesting, so here goes...

Predictions:
To Win
Jimmie Johnson. Yeah, I know... that's a totally boring pick. It would be incredible for him to get a 4th in a row here, but, at the same time, it is awefully hard to pick against him. Although his last win here, in May, came much harder that the two last year (he edged Bobby Labonte in the final stretch), he seems to be charmed here, and the added incentive of a Chase win makes another victory nearly inevitable, I think. After all, this is where he turned his Chase prospects around last year with the first of 4 wins in 5 races. I just think that he's gonna be able to pull one more out here, making him the winner of 5 of the last 6. The people over at Lowe's have to just be eating this up... their car on their track.

To Do Well
If Jimmie drops the ball at all, though, others will be waiting... and there are many teams capable of a top-5s here. Eleven drivers have finished in the top 5 in the last three runnings of this race - only JJ, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart were there more than once from 2002-2004. So, of course, those guys have to be considered favorites to do well again. Despite Jeff's struggles, he's capable of busting out consecutive top-5s or wins at any point, and I fully expect him to before the season is out, if not before the beginning of the Chase.

Furthermore, the success of Hendrick cars at this track bodes well for their rookie, Kyle Busch. Kyle has a lot of success here in his own right, having won the last 2 May Busch races and this year's Craftsman Truck Series race at Lowe's. Though he finished a disappointing 25th in the 600 this year, I see lots of potential for a strong run in October.

Fords have not been exceptionally strong finishers in this race over the last few years. Kurt Busch's 4th last year is the only finish in the top 5 for a Ford in the last 3 runs (Dale Jarrett, Elliot Sadler, Matt Kenseth, and Jeff Burton (in the 99) each have one top 10 in that period, but that's it). Given Roush's strength on the intermediate tracks this year, however, I expect both Kurt and Greg Biffle to have respectable showings this year. Biff has 8 top-10s in 9 Busch races at Lowe's and although his Cup stats are much less impressive, his one Cup top-10 was 6th in the 600 this year, and, well, I just like him.

Also watch
Bobby Labonte is pretty much always competitive in Charlotte. Although he only has one win here (this race in 2000), he's been edged out at the last second more than once (by JJ in this year's 600 and by Jamie McMurray in the fall race in 2002). In 19 races on the track, Bobby has 13 top-10s and an average finish of 10.1 despite 2 DNFs. He's had truly horrid luck this season, but has shown signs of a recent comeback. Watch for him to be there in the end.

In addition to the win in 2002, in only his second Cup-series start, Jamie was comfortably in the top-10 in this race in 2003 an 2004. The only reason I wouldn't have his as a favorite is that I'm afraid his current "lame-duck" status at Genassi may affect his performance during the Chase this year.

Ok, off for some short-track bumper cars. Next up: Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Chase Predictions

Well, the Chase is just seven races away. Who will make it? Everyone’s talking about it, everyone’s got some sort of analysis about it. I started to write something up about it, but then I realized I have nothing to say but the same things everyone else says and ultimately am just relying on my gut (and who I like and want to be there).

So, instead of babbling about the why, here’s my prediction for top ten after Richmond:
1. Johnson
2. Stewart
3. Biffle
4. Newman
5. Sadler
6. Wallace
7. Busch
8. Martin
9. Mayfield
10. Earnhardt, Jr.

Left out: McMurray, Harvick, Gordon, DJ, Edwards

And, finally, my completely unscientific, unresearched, off-the-wall predictions for the end of year standings:

1. Earnhardt, Jr. (wins at Talladega)
2. Stewart
3. Biffle (wins at Kansas)
4. Newman (wins at Loudon)
5. Johnson (wins at Atlanta)
6. Martin (wins at Homestead)
7. Sadler (wins at Texas)
8. Busch
9. Mayfield
10. Wallace
Kenseth gets wins at Phoenix, Dover
Gordon gets win at Martinsville, 11th place for the trip to the Big Apple
Edwards gets win at Charlotte

If you want “real” predictions, read Roushketeer’s weekly Chase race countdowns. They are really good. I feel that the communication line between Jr. and the Eury’s is back open, though, and I think they are peaking at just the right time to swing momentum onto their side just as the Chase starts.

Now, for what I’d wish for:
1. Martin
2. Biffle
3. Newman
4. Gordon
5. Smoke
6. Harvick
7. Busch
8. Earnhardt
9. Sadler
10. Johnson
11. Kenseth

Wishful thinking, I know… wouldn’t it be great if Mark could finally win a championship? Ah, one can dream….

Thoughts on Loudon

- Wow, is Tony Stewart is on a roll or what. This is five weeks in a row where he’s had the dominant or close-to-dominant car. Think Michigan, where he finished second and led the most laps, wins at Sonoma and Daytona, and Chicago, where he was a tick slower than Kenseth’s dominant car but still really good (and finished way back in fifth because of pit strategy). Unbelievable. I can’t believe he is so particular about his ownership of post-race celebrations, though. You just won, Smoke … don’t worry so much about your “trademark” celebration. Just enjoy it!!

- Kurt Busch had a heck of a day. Great car, good driving, but just awful pitstops at the beginning. There will be some talking-to’s this week from Jimmy Fennig, Kub, and Jack Roush, I’m sure, despite the second place finish and jump up in the points.

- Scott Wimmer is sure making the most out of staying out to get airtime. You’d never have heard of him but for his “I don’t think I’ll pit when everyone else does” strategy, but, hey, it’s getting CAT some airtime, even if it is for running out of gas. At least he isn’t sponsored by Texaco or something.

- I wonder when the whole teammates issue of Silly Season will start. When do McMurray and Kenseth get along because they’re future teammates? When do Jr and Mikey not work together because they’re no longer teammates next year? (Okay, maybe scratch that last question. They really haven’t been teammate racing for most of the season.) It’s not as though teammate racing is set in stone—just think Smoke and Jr or Newman and Rusty—but it’s odd to see the 17 and 42 fighting so much. Roush boys—even if future Roush boys—need to stick together!

-Man, do I feel bad for Jeff Gordon. I don’t really even know what to say.

- I love trackpass. I don’t have Internet access at home now, so I’m just watching the races blind for the next few weeks. Oh, my how I miss it! It’s so much easier to follow my drivers through trackpass than through the scrolling bar at the top of the tv screen. I will say – I think it’s odd that the commercials for it have one lady saying, “you know what happens on the track before anyone else.” Uhhh, how so? The in-car audio has a fairly lengthy delay, so whenever there’s some sort of crash, I will always hear about it on TV before I hear it from a spotter.

- I’m a little intrigued by commercials for tickets to races. Some are just downright boring. Others are annoying (“home, home on the range…” for Charlotte), and others are kinda cute (“Happy July 2nd!” for Daytona). But really, what’s the point of a commercial for tickets to a race when the ad is so unmemorable that you could barely recognize what track the ad is for? And don’t most race fans pick races to attend based on things other than TV commercials (reputation for good racing, prestige or importance in Chase, and probably most importantly, location)? I’m also intrigued to see commercials next year. What will we do without that “great” comedic duo of Jr. and Mikey? That’s assuming Mikey gets a ride…maybe the 11 or 32, if their drivers are released? the 91 (the new Evernham car)? the new Yates car? one of Ganassi’s cars (the 42 if Jamie is released; the 41 if Casey goes to the 2)? I doubt Mikey would drive the 2.

- Finally, Bill Weber is a dolt. He can’t identify cars on the track (yes, that’s really “Carl Long” in the 99 and Kasey Kahne in the Cingular car…they’re so similar), and half the time he’s not talking about what is on the screen. And he’ll start to say something before he knows what he wants to say (“Kurt Busch is all the way back in … hmm…let’s see where he’s back there….”). Bring back Allen Bestwick! He’s SOOOO much better! And Wally doesn’t make fun of Allen, either. :) At least we get good victory lane interviews now. I'd rather see Allen in the booth and Bob Dillner or someone from Speed or even IRL in the pits for Allen, with Dave Burns taking the lead pit reporter position. :)

"RIP" Allen Bestwick

That would be "Reporting In the Pits." Along with the rest of the NASCAR-watching public, we over here at Gas-and-Go have been seriously disappointed by the relegation of Allen Bestwick to pit reporting for NBC this year so that Bill Weber could be elevated to the booth. Although Kara99 posted about this a few weeks ago, I thought it was worth giving another shout-out to Allen given the overwhelming results of our super-scientific (hardly) and infallibly-accurate (yeah... right...) Poll of the Week on the topic (see sidebar).

So, our voting public prefers Allen to Bill by a margin of over 12-to-1 (one person clearly felt sorry for poor Bill and threw him a pity-vote), which, in my opinion, speaks well for the fans who stumble across our corner of the internet and humor us by registering their opinions. NBC has a real problem when its primary booth announcer can't tell the cars apart (was that Matt Kenseth or Jimmie Johnson winning that race off pit road, Bill?) and the guy who can coherently articulate information and convey knowledge of the sport and personalities is stuck, literally, in the pits.

Of course, there are two discernible advantages to the switch that I have noticed: First, I'm sure the drivers and crew chiefs appreciate having Allen behind the microphone thrust in their faces. Second, there is appreciable entertainment value in listening to Wally Dallenbach blatantly making fun of Bill's most obvious errors while attempting to disguise his contempt. In fact, Wally is rapidly becoming my favorite announcer for this reason.

Here's hoping that tomorrow's broadcast is a pleasant surprise.

[And, of course, don't forget to vote in this week's Poll: Who is the Cup Series' Biggest Hothead? I try to make them interesting...]

Mark Martin Is Amazing...

Talk about loyalty. This man is incredible. Watching him race last year into the Chase after falling so far behind, watching him support his son so gallantly, watching him stay competitive even as he makes his last go-round has been fun. So when he announced that he'd be back for 2006 if Roush needs him, I just about lost it with joy. What a great, loyal, nice man. He's not doing it for himself, he's not doing it for the fans ... he's doing it for Jack Roush.

Mark Martin built Roush Racing into what it is today. And he's the one who is loyal to Jack. Unbelievable. I'm just utterly impressed.

Note: I don't have regular Internet access for the next week and a half, and Roushketeer is in the process of moving, so our posts may be a bit sporadic. But good luck to Mark and all the Roush boys at Loudon, and here's to ya!

Sort of unrelated update: I was checking my email, and I got a link to a Mark Martin contest, which excited me. Well, it's weird. I'm sure this is just a Ford or Viagra thing, but according to the rules, only men over the age of 35 can win the grand prize, a Ford F-150. Weird. I don't even know what to say to that. Any thoughts on why Ford/Viagra would restrict its grand prize to that group? (Granted, it is Viagra's target demographic, but still....)

Ford Teams Get the Fusion for '06

In Charlotte yesterday, Ford Racing unveiled the new Ford Fusion as the 2006 NASCAR entry for the manufacturer. Now, you can draw your own conclusions about the car, but I'm not that impressed... maybe any change would take getting used to, but this really doesn't look like a race car. A few comments:

- Now I understand that NASCAR restrictions are very stiff. limiting to nearly nonexistent the actual creativity in body design, but all it appears they did here was smooth out the lines a little, add that grill, and shrink the side windows.

- That grill... good luck taping that up for qualifying!

- This pic doesn't show it, but if you check out the one posted on NASCAR.com's story, note the side windows. Is it just me, or are those clearly not designed for some of the bigger guys to actually be able to get in to drive?

- So, Ford got all the drivers to show up for the unveiling (hardly surprising), which brings us a question I have had for some time. Do the drivers have a non-firesuit version of the firesuit? They practically live in those things at promotional and media appearances, and I would think that they have a version for that purpose that isn't as hot or uncomfortable as the real thing, right?

As the teams start testing the new car in preparation for it's debut at Daytona in February I'm sue we will get more information on how it actually will run on the track. For now, I guess, Ford fans can only hope that it has a more seamless introduction on the track than the Charger has experienced this year. Perhaps it would be prudent to win another Championship in this Taurus this year... just in case it takes a few years to work the kinks out of the Fusion.

Countdown to the Chase - Kansas

Welcome to Week 4 of my Countdown series... This episode finds us swinging through the Midwest for the Cup series' annual visit to Kansas City.

Banquet 400

Kansas Speedway

Race #4 of the Chase / #30 of the Season
October 9, 2005

Track Specs:
1.5 mile quad-oval: banking = 15' (turns), 10.4' (frontstretch), 5' (backstretch)
Attendance: 75,000

Stats of Note:
Most Recent Track Winner: Joe Nemechek (10/04)
Winners at the Track in the Last 5 years: Joe Nemechek, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon (2)
Track Race Record: Joe Nemechek (04)
Best Avg. Finish Among Active Drivers: Jeff Gordon (5.0)

Comments:
Ahh... the 1.5-mile intermediate track. There are 10 races on 1.5-mile tracks during the 2005 Cup season, and 5 of them appear in the Chase. Of course, these 7 tracks are not all identical, but several have very similar properties and teams tend to have set-ups ans chassis that run on several of them.

Of the 1.5-milers, Lowe's, Atlanta, and Texas have multiple races (and all appear in the chase). Chicago and Vegas made their single appearances in the first half of the season; Kansas and Homestead-Miami make Chase appearances only. All of this is important for several reasons... (1) I consider my picks on several of these tracks to be somewhat interchangeable - Roush and Hendrick drivers, as we have seen this year, can have a good day on any of them. (2) This is the type of track that drivers have the most experience on coming into the Chase, meaning that we have the most races to look to for potential high-performers with the new aero package. (3) Kansas itself is relatively new track - this will only be it's 5th Cup race - which means the drivers haven't seen it all that many times, and not all that often either with only one race per season.

With that in mind, here are my picks for Kansas...

Predictions:
To Win
I can resist no longer, I pick Greg Biffle to get his first win of the Chase in Kansas. Roush has no wins on this track yet, but that streak will end this year. Biff is going to be a very strong contender for the Championship, and the predominance of intermediate tracks in the Chase runs in his favor. We all know how little prior performance has been an indicator of Biff's season so far, but it is still interesting to note that of the 5 1.5-milers in the Chase, Biff's 2003-2004 average finish was best at Kansas - he finished 12th in 2003 and 3rd in 2004. In addition, he has run all four Busch races at Kansas and never finished outside of the top 5.

Biff has won at 2 of the 1.5-milers (Texas this year and Homestead at the end of last season) and has an additional top-5 at Atlanta this season. This will be the first of, I think 3 wins for him during the Chase. An ambitious prediction, of course, but he's up to it.

To Do Well
Jeff Gordon has been the man at this track, with 2 wins and 3 top-5s among the four races. However, he has lost all momentum as of this writing, and although I would leve to see him rapidly pull it together, make the Chase, and contend in this race, I admit to having lost a little faith. He will either be a strong top-5 here, or finish out of the top 20 - I don't think there is any middle ground here for the 24.

The man with all the momentum on his side at the moment - Tony Stewart - has a strong history at Kansas (3 top-10s and an average finish of 8.5) and has been the only driver to be able to really penetrate the Roush/Hendrick dominance on intermediate tracks this season. Look for him and Biff to have a nice duel a la Michigan in June. I also expect Jimmie Johnson to be in the mix - he's on track to win the Cup this year an will be looking to avenge his 32nd place at this track last year when a crash took him out with less than 30 laps left in the race. That DNF ultimately cost him the Championship, which he only lost to Kurt Busch by 8 points. JJ is always a contender.

As for veterans, look for Rusty Wallace and Joe Nemechek. Rusty is pushing for a Championship in his final season, and has always been strong at Kansas (2 top-5s, average finish of 8.5). By contrast, Nemechek has not been having the season he would have liked this year, but he has his best average finish at this track (15.5), produced by very erratic performances over the four races: 20th in '01, 4th in '02, 37th in '03 and a the win last year. Joe also has a Busch series win and 3 top-10s here. He's had a very strong car a couple of times this season, and although he isn't going to make the Chase, he could be a contender here.

Also watch
As bizarre as it is to pick a driver who has won twice this season as a "dark horse," I'm putting Carl Edwards in this segment for Kansas. He's only been on this track once in a Cup car, finishing 22nd in last year's race. His win at Atlanta this season, though, shows the potential he has on this type of track. Furthermore, he has run 3 Craftsman Truck Series races here, winning last year and finishing 2nd in 2003 and 8th in 2002. Not bad, Carl.

Now, back to the "home" of NASCAR - Charlotte. Next up: UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Thoughts?

Big Day of Testing!

So I went out to the track today to watch testing at IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway). No surprise, Biff and Kenseth topped the speed charts, although I certainly couldn't have told you that from just watching. I didn't bring a stopwatch or scanner, so I was a bit in the dark and just watching the cars go by for fun. I did enjoy the afternoon -- especially all the different paint schemes!

Most drivers brought two cars to test with, and marked the cars with an "A" and "B" or some other signifier. Others had one car straight out of the decal shop (Biff, for example, tested with the Charter car) and another with just one or two colors on it (Biff, for example, had a second car with half red and half blue). Many of the cars were just the gray primer and a number. Most of the numbers were decals, but Jeremy Mayfield and his crew decided to use green tape. At first I thought the car was the nine, because the "1" had fallen off. Then the next go round, I saw the rest of the "9" fall off, so I knew it was indeed Jeremy. Mayfield did bring out a "decalled" car, then came back out again with the car fresh out of the shop. This time, though, they didn't use tape. Instead they just took a spray can and painted a very non-symmetrical "19" on the car. It was really amusing.

I wish that I had a better camera, because these aren't very good pictures. I did get shots of Biffle, Kenseth, Harvick, Schrader, Kvapil, Rusty Wallace and Leffler, and Mears. I'm not going to upload any more pictures, but if you have any interest, I'll be happy to send some to you -- just email or comment and I'll pass them along! Also testing and out on the track were Robby Gordon, Elliott Sadler, all the MB cars, the rest of the RCR cars, Jamie McMurray, Mike Wallace, Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, and Michael Waltrip. Very fun!

I was hoping to get some autographs, but the track was blocked off to just allow fans into the grandstands in a very specific part. There were several hundred people watching testing, which surprised me, and a few concession stands open. All in all, a fun, free day at the track!