NASCAR Notebook: Texas
Barry F. Hess
November 03, 2006
Texas Two-Step
With just three races remaining until the 2006 Nextel Cup champion is crowned the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit prepares to travel to the ever-improving Texas Motor Speedway for what is sure to be a crucial stop in the 10-race Chase.
After loose lug nuts ruined his chances at both a win as well as the championship last year just ask Greg Biffle and he will tell you how crucial a strong finish deep in the heart of Texas is to the group of drivers still competing for the most coveted trophy in all of motor sports.
Designed much like Atlanta Motor Speedway of last week expect to see several drivers that ran well to bring the very same car with them this week.
Last week’s winner Tony Stewart will surly be bringing the same orange No. 20 Home Depot Chevy that rocketed him to his fourth win in what has turned out to be a disappointing 2006.
Expect to see another strong run from Stewart as he continues to run for as many wins as possible as he has all but locked himself into the million dollar bonus awarded to the driver that finishes in the 11th spot in points.
Look for Smoke to enjoy another strong handling race car that adjusts with the track as the race goes on. With strong a good qualifying effort and strong pit stops throughout Stewart could be looking at his first back-to-back wins of 2006.
Martin Truex Jr. was on his way to a top 10 finish last week in Atlanta before another spout of bad luck jumped up and bit the two-time Busch Series Champion and Nextel Cup rookie.
Despite having just two top 10’s in his last 10 races look for Truex and the No. 1 Pro Bass Shop Chevy to put together a solid car for Sunday’s race.
Whether or not he can finish towards the front remains to be seen but if ever there was a driver in need of a kiss from lady luck this weekend Truex would certainly be that guy.
Denny Hamlin has been stalking the point’s lead like hungry panther deep in the heart of the jungle each of the past two weeks.
With finishes of second and eighth respectively the most likely candidate for the 2006 Rookie of the Year award finds himself third in points and just 65 markers behind the leader.
After a solid afternoon last week turned into a mediocre evening when Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Chevy failed to keep up with the track as the sun went down expect to see another strong performance from the two-time winner this year.
Look for Hamlin to challenge for his fourth pole of the year as well as his third win.
Another trip to Victory Lane and the young Virginia native could be heading back to Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters this week with another trophy and the points lead for the first time in his short career.
If it’s possible to consider finishes of 11th and fourth place respectively surviving than Matt Kenseth has done just that over the last two weeks.
With less than stellar race cars Kenseth has successfully defended the point’s lead since regaining it three weeks ago.
Though his lead has shrunk to just 26 points over the dangerous and hungry Jimmie Johnson Kenseth is in position to earn the second championship of his career with a strong run in Texas.
Though his Roush Racing No. 17 DeWalt Ford typically shines at intermediate tracks like Texas, Kenseth’s recent struggles have had more to do with poorly handling race cars than anything else, a surprising problem that will need to be remedied this weekend in Texas if he has any chance at finding Victory Lane.
Prediction: When Carl Edwards started in 37th position only to finish 36th in the circuit’s first trip to Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year he should have known it was going to be a disappointing year.
After finishing third in points last year with four wins Edwards failed to qualify for the Chase and dropped out of the top 20 in points at one point this year.
But as the young and talented No. 99 Office Depot Ford team continue to prepare for 2007 they continue to get better in 2006.
With five top 10 finishes in their last six races Edwards and company has taken the 12th spot in the points from Biffle and has his eyes set on Stewart, the 11th position and the million dollar bonus, though he is still over 2,000 points away.
Look for Edwards to qualify near the front of the pack before flipping his way to Victory Lane for the first time this year as he prepares for a promising 2007.
Labonte Calls it Quits
It’s only fitting that a man with the nickname Texas Terry would decide to end his nearly 30 year career in NASCAR with one final race at the Texas Motor Speedway.
Whether you knew him as The Ice Man or the Iron Man or Simply just Terry, Terry Labonte spent most of his Nextel Cup career winning races, competing for championships and doing it all with a style and grace few have mirrored.
After being inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame in 2001 Labonte decided at the beginning of the year to race the final laps of his career at the home track of the Lone Star State.
Sunday’s start marks the 848th of his long and successful career that saw 22 wins and two Cup Series titles along the way.
He'll always do what's best for the team, even if it puts him in an awkward spot,” said owner of the No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevy Rick Hendrick, who first hired Labonte in 1994. “I looked at his statistics early in his career and I couldn't believe how well he'd run with the equipment he was in. He's always been a team player and a great friend.”
Fans at the track Sunday will be given the chance to say one last thank you to Labonte as he will be given a escort around the 1.5 mile track during the pre-race ceremonies.
Labonte previously held the record for most consecutive starts at 655 before it was broken by Ricky Rudd.
After teaming with Tony Raines and Hall of Fame Racing at the beginning of the year Labonte jumpstarted the new team with a second place finish in the No. 96 DLP car at the Infineon Road Course, still Texas Terry has no regrets at calling a 29 year career quits this weekend.
I still feel the same way about my decision,” Labonte said in an interview last week. “I think my wife asks me about that every other week but I still feel good about it and I'm still looking forward to going to Texas and running that race. Hopefully, we're going to have a good run. That's my biggest concern. But, as far as how I'll feel after the race is over, I don't really think I'll feel any differently.”
With just three races remaining until the 2006 Nextel Cup champion is crowned the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit prepares to travel to the ever-improving Texas Motor Speedway for what is sure to be a crucial stop in the 10-race Chase.
After loose lug nuts ruined his chances at both a win as well as the championship last year just ask Greg Biffle and he will tell you how crucial a strong finish deep in the heart of Texas is to the group of drivers still competing for the most coveted trophy in all of motor sports.
Designed much like Atlanta Motor Speedway of last week expect to see several drivers that ran well to bring the very same car with them this week.
Last week’s winner Tony Stewart will surly be bringing the same orange No. 20 Home Depot Chevy that rocketed him to his fourth win in what has turned out to be a disappointing 2006.
Expect to see another strong run from Stewart as he continues to run for as many wins as possible as he has all but locked himself into the million dollar bonus awarded to the driver that finishes in the 11th spot in points.
Look for Smoke to enjoy another strong handling race car that adjusts with the track as the race goes on. With strong a good qualifying effort and strong pit stops throughout Stewart could be looking at his first back-to-back wins of 2006.
Martin Truex Jr. was on his way to a top 10 finish last week in Atlanta before another spout of bad luck jumped up and bit the two-time Busch Series Champion and Nextel Cup rookie.
Despite having just two top 10’s in his last 10 races look for Truex and the No. 1 Pro Bass Shop Chevy to put together a solid car for Sunday’s race.
Whether or not he can finish towards the front remains to be seen but if ever there was a driver in need of a kiss from lady luck this weekend Truex would certainly be that guy.
Denny Hamlin has been stalking the point’s lead like hungry panther deep in the heart of the jungle each of the past two weeks.
With finishes of second and eighth respectively the most likely candidate for the 2006 Rookie of the Year award finds himself third in points and just 65 markers behind the leader.
After a solid afternoon last week turned into a mediocre evening when Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Chevy failed to keep up with the track as the sun went down expect to see another strong performance from the two-time winner this year.
Look for Hamlin to challenge for his fourth pole of the year as well as his third win.
Another trip to Victory Lane and the young Virginia native could be heading back to Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters this week with another trophy and the points lead for the first time in his short career.
If it’s possible to consider finishes of 11th and fourth place respectively surviving than Matt Kenseth has done just that over the last two weeks.
With less than stellar race cars Kenseth has successfully defended the point’s lead since regaining it three weeks ago.
Though his lead has shrunk to just 26 points over the dangerous and hungry Jimmie Johnson Kenseth is in position to earn the second championship of his career with a strong run in Texas.
Though his Roush Racing No. 17 DeWalt Ford typically shines at intermediate tracks like Texas, Kenseth’s recent struggles have had more to do with poorly handling race cars than anything else, a surprising problem that will need to be remedied this weekend in Texas if he has any chance at finding Victory Lane.
Prediction: When Carl Edwards started in 37th position only to finish 36th in the circuit’s first trip to Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year he should have known it was going to be a disappointing year.
After finishing third in points last year with four wins Edwards failed to qualify for the Chase and dropped out of the top 20 in points at one point this year.
But as the young and talented No. 99 Office Depot Ford team continue to prepare for 2007 they continue to get better in 2006.
With five top 10 finishes in their last six races Edwards and company has taken the 12th spot in the points from Biffle and has his eyes set on Stewart, the 11th position and the million dollar bonus, though he is still over 2,000 points away.
Look for Edwards to qualify near the front of the pack before flipping his way to Victory Lane for the first time this year as he prepares for a promising 2007.
Labonte Calls it Quits
It’s only fitting that a man with the nickname Texas Terry would decide to end his nearly 30 year career in NASCAR with one final race at the Texas Motor Speedway.
Whether you knew him as The Ice Man or the Iron Man or Simply just Terry, Terry Labonte spent most of his Nextel Cup career winning races, competing for championships and doing it all with a style and grace few have mirrored.
After being inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame in 2001 Labonte decided at the beginning of the year to race the final laps of his career at the home track of the Lone Star State.
Sunday’s start marks the 848th of his long and successful career that saw 22 wins and two Cup Series titles along the way.
He'll always do what's best for the team, even if it puts him in an awkward spot,” said owner of the No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevy Rick Hendrick, who first hired Labonte in 1994. “I looked at his statistics early in his career and I couldn't believe how well he'd run with the equipment he was in. He's always been a team player and a great friend.”
Fans at the track Sunday will be given the chance to say one last thank you to Labonte as he will be given a escort around the 1.5 mile track during the pre-race ceremonies.
Labonte previously held the record for most consecutive starts at 655 before it was broken by Ricky Rudd.
After teaming with Tony Raines and Hall of Fame Racing at the beginning of the year Labonte jumpstarted the new team with a second place finish in the No. 96 DLP car at the Infineon Road Course, still Texas Terry has no regrets at calling a 29 year career quits this weekend.
I still feel the same way about my decision,” Labonte said in an interview last week. “I think my wife asks me about that every other week but I still feel good about it and I'm still looking forward to going to Texas and running that race. Hopefully, we're going to have a good run. That's my biggest concern. But, as far as how I'll feel after the race is over, I don't really think I'll feel any differently.”
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