NASCAR Notebook: Dover
Barry F. Hess
September 22, 2006
Who Will Defeat the Monster Mile?
Despite the chances of looming thunderstorms the NASCAR Nextel Cup will travel to the Dover International Speedway this weekend for leg number two in the 10 race Chase for the Nextel Cup.
With the focus on the 10 racers locked into the Chase, week two is already a do or die situation for three drivers, including the perennial championship favorite , Jimmie Johnson, who find themselves over 100 points out of the championship lead.
Combine that with the unpredictability of the high banked short track where passing is arguably together than any other track on the schedule and you have a recipe for one exciting race to the checkered flag.
Though Scott Riggs is outside the championship hunt the driver of the No. 10 Valvoline Dodge has to be optimistic heading into Dover.
A short track racer at heart Riggs has finished inside the top 15 in all but two short track races in 2006, including a fourth place finish two weeks ago at Richmond.
As he and his new race team continue to progress and prepare for a 2007 that is looking brighter each and every day look for Riggs to put together a strong qualifying effort en route to a solid top 10 finish.
It’s difficult to call the second race of 10 a must-win situation for anyone but if ever there were such a case it would have to Kyle Busch and his No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevy race team.
After his first Chase started with a lap two incident with Jeff Green and only got worse Busch finds himself 10th in the Championship points 146 markers out of the lead.
Heading into Dover, however, Busch has good reason to be optimistic.
Busch earned a fifth place finish in the summer race at Dover Downs but more importantly he has performed superbly in the few races that followed a poor performance.
In each of the three races that Busch has finished 30th or worse in 2006 he has followed them with finishes of fifth or better, a trend that will have to continue if he wants a legitimate shot at his first Nextel Cup.
Jeff Burton began his first ever Chase with a solid qualifying position, led some laps throughout the day and finished in the seventh position, a formula Tony Stewart proved last year is good enough to win a championship.
Look for Burton, who finished fourth at Dover in the summer, to follow that same format in week two of his title run.
While he may not earn his fifth pole award of 2006 Burton should qualify well and once again have a shot to get his No. 31 Cingular Chevy up front to lead laps and gain the all important bonus points.
Despite his solid finish last week, however, questions about Burton’s ability to finish races where he starts them are still looming as he continues to look for his first win since the fall Phoenix race of 2001.
Matt Kenseth’s goal last week in New Hampshire was just to survive.
Get out of Loudon in one piece and head to Dover as fast as humanly possible.
Kenseth has defeated the monster mile more than once in his career, including his second of four wins thus far in 2006.
Look for Kenseth to qualify near the front and compete for the lead all afternoon.
Currently third in points Kenseth has the opportunity to regain his point lead with a strong run at what he calls his favorite race track.
With one of the best pit crews in all of the Nextel Cup circuit look for Kenseth’s No. 17 De Walt Ford to gain several positions off pit road on a track where passing is at a premium.
Prediction: Most people have written Mark Martin as a long shot at best to finally win his first Nextel Cup championship in what is amounting to his last full-time season as a Nextel Cup racer.
Apparently most of those very same people have either forgotten or are just plain ignorant to the talent of the driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford.
Throughout his illustrious 19 year career Martin has not only defeated the monster mile on more than one occasion he has tamed the beast that has swallowed up and spit out countless drivers during that time.
Look for Martin, who earned a top 10 finish the last time he was in Dover, to start near the front and compete to not only lead the most laps but for the win as well.
Martin is more determined than ever after having to battle his way into the Chase at Richmond and after Sunday night he may have all the fuel he needs to continue battling…a checkered flag.
Déjà Vu For Johnson
We have all seen and heard this story before.
Jimmie Johnson heads into the Chase for the Nextel Cup having dominated the point lead optimistic about his chance to win a championship and then, wham, like slamming into a brick wall Johnson and company find themselves scratching their heads at season’s end wondering how in the world they coughed it up.
Last year it was tire trouble at Homestead-Miami, the year before he won four of the last six races of the season and still finished second to Kurt Busch and in 2003 the young California native earned finishes of either second or third in each of the last six races but never came close to catching Matt Kenseth for the title.
With the nightmares of year’s past in the back of his head Johnson and the rest of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy team traveled to New Hampshire with aspirations of exorcizing demons that won’t seem to go away….only to be caught up in a nasty wreck that dropped them to 39th place and all the way to ninth in points, 139 points out of the lead he has either had or was less than 10 points behind all season.
I hope I don't eat the words I said early, when I said you can't win the championship here in New Hampshire, but you can lose it,” a disappointed Johnson said as his team raced to get his wrecked race car bandaged well enough to get back on the track last Sunday afternoon. “I just don’t know what happened out there, just something weird with the engine that put us back there and then we got caught up in a wreck.”
Johnson, uncharacteristic of any Hendrick Motor Sports engine, lost a cylinder early in Sunday’s race and while he was able to remain in the top 10 briefly he soon feel back into the field where trouble lurks at every turn.
Having already used the one mulligan drivers racing for a championship usually get Johnson is focused on keeping his attitude positive as he picks himself up and tries to make another run at a title.
There are nine more races left,” said Johnson. “There's a lot of time left, anything can happen. I lost the Chase for the championship on the last lap of the last race at Homestead [In 2004 when Kurt Busch earned his first title]. Who knows, maybe I can win it that way this year.”
Happy Harvick All Smiles After New Hampshire
Last Sunday afternoon Kevin Harvick rolled the No. 29 Goodwrench Chevy into Victory Lane, nothing new for the Richard Childress Racing driver who has tasted victory four times in 2006.
But when he slipped out of his car and began celebrating with his crew he was definitely in new territory…the point’s leader.
Harvick has never led the points in the Nextel Cup until Sunday’s win and now that he has it he is not looking forward to giving it up.
We sure have the momentum right now,” said Harvick. “We just have to keep doing what we're doing. If we keep winning races, we're not going to get outscored in points.”
After stealing a win in Richmond from Kyle Busch Harvick has been the hottest driver on the circuit, with a career high four wins and 15 top 10 finishes, second only to his 18 in 2003, Harvick is looking to get RCR a championship they have hardly come close to since the death of the legendary Dale Earnhardt.
Random Thoughts
The next time you wonder why in the world a young driver like Brian Vickers decided to leave a prestigious race team like Hendrick Motor Sports all you need to do is look at the whining of Jeff Gordon after Vickers tried to pass him in a car that obviously could contend for the lead last Sunday…after all doesn’t Brian know he isn’t running for a championship and he is supposed to just let his teammates that are get by him with no questions asked!!!
Mark Martin formally announced this week he will race 12 races in the Roush Racing No. 60 Ford next year, with Boris Said racing another 12 races in the same car…it is great to see Mark finish out his career with Roush and not Robert Yates as was rumored!
With yet another slew of allegations that RCR drivers Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick were driving cars throughout the year that failed to meet NASCAR inspection parameters, including most recent news of illegal engines, you cant help but wonder what does NASCAR actually look at when they inspect these cars…do we really need them if the only way stuff like this comes out is through the media and in a courtroom???
Despite the chances of looming thunderstorms the NASCAR Nextel Cup will travel to the Dover International Speedway this weekend for leg number two in the 10 race Chase for the Nextel Cup.
With the focus on the 10 racers locked into the Chase, week two is already a do or die situation for three drivers, including the perennial championship favorite , Jimmie Johnson, who find themselves over 100 points out of the championship lead.
Combine that with the unpredictability of the high banked short track where passing is arguably together than any other track on the schedule and you have a recipe for one exciting race to the checkered flag.
Though Scott Riggs is outside the championship hunt the driver of the No. 10 Valvoline Dodge has to be optimistic heading into Dover.
A short track racer at heart Riggs has finished inside the top 15 in all but two short track races in 2006, including a fourth place finish two weeks ago at Richmond.
As he and his new race team continue to progress and prepare for a 2007 that is looking brighter each and every day look for Riggs to put together a strong qualifying effort en route to a solid top 10 finish.
It’s difficult to call the second race of 10 a must-win situation for anyone but if ever there were such a case it would have to Kyle Busch and his No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevy race team.
After his first Chase started with a lap two incident with Jeff Green and only got worse Busch finds himself 10th in the Championship points 146 markers out of the lead.
Heading into Dover, however, Busch has good reason to be optimistic.
Busch earned a fifth place finish in the summer race at Dover Downs but more importantly he has performed superbly in the few races that followed a poor performance.
In each of the three races that Busch has finished 30th or worse in 2006 he has followed them with finishes of fifth or better, a trend that will have to continue if he wants a legitimate shot at his first Nextel Cup.
Jeff Burton began his first ever Chase with a solid qualifying position, led some laps throughout the day and finished in the seventh position, a formula Tony Stewart proved last year is good enough to win a championship.
Look for Burton, who finished fourth at Dover in the summer, to follow that same format in week two of his title run.
While he may not earn his fifth pole award of 2006 Burton should qualify well and once again have a shot to get his No. 31 Cingular Chevy up front to lead laps and gain the all important bonus points.
Despite his solid finish last week, however, questions about Burton’s ability to finish races where he starts them are still looming as he continues to look for his first win since the fall Phoenix race of 2001.
Matt Kenseth’s goal last week in New Hampshire was just to survive.
Get out of Loudon in one piece and head to Dover as fast as humanly possible.
Kenseth has defeated the monster mile more than once in his career, including his second of four wins thus far in 2006.
Look for Kenseth to qualify near the front and compete for the lead all afternoon.
Currently third in points Kenseth has the opportunity to regain his point lead with a strong run at what he calls his favorite race track.
With one of the best pit crews in all of the Nextel Cup circuit look for Kenseth’s No. 17 De Walt Ford to gain several positions off pit road on a track where passing is at a premium.
Prediction: Most people have written Mark Martin as a long shot at best to finally win his first Nextel Cup championship in what is amounting to his last full-time season as a Nextel Cup racer.
Apparently most of those very same people have either forgotten or are just plain ignorant to the talent of the driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford.
Throughout his illustrious 19 year career Martin has not only defeated the monster mile on more than one occasion he has tamed the beast that has swallowed up and spit out countless drivers during that time.
Look for Martin, who earned a top 10 finish the last time he was in Dover, to start near the front and compete to not only lead the most laps but for the win as well.
Martin is more determined than ever after having to battle his way into the Chase at Richmond and after Sunday night he may have all the fuel he needs to continue battling…a checkered flag.
Déjà Vu For Johnson
We have all seen and heard this story before.
Jimmie Johnson heads into the Chase for the Nextel Cup having dominated the point lead optimistic about his chance to win a championship and then, wham, like slamming into a brick wall Johnson and company find themselves scratching their heads at season’s end wondering how in the world they coughed it up.
Last year it was tire trouble at Homestead-Miami, the year before he won four of the last six races of the season and still finished second to Kurt Busch and in 2003 the young California native earned finishes of either second or third in each of the last six races but never came close to catching Matt Kenseth for the title.
With the nightmares of year’s past in the back of his head Johnson and the rest of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy team traveled to New Hampshire with aspirations of exorcizing demons that won’t seem to go away….only to be caught up in a nasty wreck that dropped them to 39th place and all the way to ninth in points, 139 points out of the lead he has either had or was less than 10 points behind all season.
I hope I don't eat the words I said early, when I said you can't win the championship here in New Hampshire, but you can lose it,” a disappointed Johnson said as his team raced to get his wrecked race car bandaged well enough to get back on the track last Sunday afternoon. “I just don’t know what happened out there, just something weird with the engine that put us back there and then we got caught up in a wreck.”
Johnson, uncharacteristic of any Hendrick Motor Sports engine, lost a cylinder early in Sunday’s race and while he was able to remain in the top 10 briefly he soon feel back into the field where trouble lurks at every turn.
Having already used the one mulligan drivers racing for a championship usually get Johnson is focused on keeping his attitude positive as he picks himself up and tries to make another run at a title.
There are nine more races left,” said Johnson. “There's a lot of time left, anything can happen. I lost the Chase for the championship on the last lap of the last race at Homestead [In 2004 when Kurt Busch earned his first title]. Who knows, maybe I can win it that way this year.”
Happy Harvick All Smiles After New Hampshire
Last Sunday afternoon Kevin Harvick rolled the No. 29 Goodwrench Chevy into Victory Lane, nothing new for the Richard Childress Racing driver who has tasted victory four times in 2006.
But when he slipped out of his car and began celebrating with his crew he was definitely in new territory…the point’s leader.
Harvick has never led the points in the Nextel Cup until Sunday’s win and now that he has it he is not looking forward to giving it up.
We sure have the momentum right now,” said Harvick. “We just have to keep doing what we're doing. If we keep winning races, we're not going to get outscored in points.”
After stealing a win in Richmond from Kyle Busch Harvick has been the hottest driver on the circuit, with a career high four wins and 15 top 10 finishes, second only to his 18 in 2003, Harvick is looking to get RCR a championship they have hardly come close to since the death of the legendary Dale Earnhardt.
Random Thoughts
The next time you wonder why in the world a young driver like Brian Vickers decided to leave a prestigious race team like Hendrick Motor Sports all you need to do is look at the whining of Jeff Gordon after Vickers tried to pass him in a car that obviously could contend for the lead last Sunday…after all doesn’t Brian know he isn’t running for a championship and he is supposed to just let his teammates that are get by him with no questions asked!!!
Mark Martin formally announced this week he will race 12 races in the Roush Racing No. 60 Ford next year, with Boris Said racing another 12 races in the same car…it is great to see Mark finish out his career with Roush and not Robert Yates as was rumored!
With yet another slew of allegations that RCR drivers Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick were driving cars throughout the year that failed to meet NASCAR inspection parameters, including most recent news of illegal engines, you cant help but wonder what does NASCAR actually look at when they inspect these cars…do we really need them if the only way stuff like this comes out is through the media and in a courtroom???
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