Atlanta Summer Preview

PREVIEW: DALE EARNHARDT JR. (NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET) 

VENUE: ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.54-MILE QUAD-OVAL) 
CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 25 OF 36) 
DATE: SEPT. 6, 2009 (325 LAPS, 500.5 MILES)

***** 
 
AT ATLANTA: In 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored one win, eight top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. He has an average start of 14.2 and an average finishing position of 11.6. He has completed 99.4 percent of all the laps he's attempted (6,391 of 6,432 total) and led 633 laps. 
 
ON A ROLL: Earnhardt has racked up two top-10 finishes in the last two Cup events. He scored a ninth-place finish on Aug. 22 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and took third-place honors on Aug. 16 at Michigan International Speedway. Earnhardt's back-to-back top-10 finishes -- the team's first of the season -- advanced the No. 88 four spots in the Sprint Cup point standings to 21st. 
 
PERSONAL BESTS: Earnhardt's eight top-five finishes at Atlanta match a personal best in that category for the 34-year-old driver. He also has scored eight top-five finishes at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Richmond (Va.) International Raceway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Earnhardt's average finish of 11.6 ties his personal best at a track. He holds the same average finish at Bristol. 
 
DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR's loop data statistics, Earnhardt is ranked third in the driver rating category at Atlanta with a score of 101.4. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator. 
 
ATLANTA CHASSIS: This weekend, crew chief Lance McGrew and the No. 88 engineers will unload Chassis No. 88-559, a brand new chassis that never has been raced or tested. It is the second car that McGrew has built from the ground up for Earnhardt. 
 
LOCAL TIES: Two members of the No. 88 team hail from the Peach State. Shock specialist Chris Golder was born in Alpharetta, Ga., a town roughly 35 minutes north of Atlanta. After graduating from high school in 1999, he raced in a pro-truck series at Lanier National Speedway in nearby Braselton, Ga. Golder went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and has worked at Hendrick Motorsports since June 2004. Matt Skeen hails from Stone Mountain, which is about an hour north of Atlanta Motor Speedway. Skeen, who played football at Gardner-Webb University in western North Carolina, provides pit support for the No. 88 team. 
 
HENDRICK AT ATLANTA: In 51 events (159 starts) at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has tallied 10 wins, 46 top-five finishes, 71 top-10s and four pole positions. Most recently, Jimmie Johnson led eight laps on his way to Victory Lane at Atlanta on Oct. 28, 2007. 
HOT AT ATLANTA: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has recorded a top-10 finish in the last 19 Cup events that have been held at Atlanta Motor Speedway. You have to go back to last century to find the most recent time Hendrick Motorsports failed to record a top-10 result there. It was Nov. 21, 1999, and Hendrick was then a three-car team with drivers Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Wally Dallenbach Jr. 
 
DOUBLE DUTY: Prior to running the Sunday Cup race, Earnhardt will drive JR Motorsports' No. 5 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday. Earnhardt, a 22-time race winner in the Nationwide Series, has six starts this season and most recently raced at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in July. In three previous Nationwide Series events at Atlanta, Earnhardt has two top-five finishes and has led 126 laps.   
DALE JR.'S GREAT GIVEAWAY: Fans can register now through Sept. 18 at http://www.dalejr.com/%22http://www.dalejrsgreatgiveaway.com//%22 to win weekly prize packages. The prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-and-greets and race-weekend giveaways, courtesy of JR Motorsports' 12 sponsorship partners. For more information, visit http://www.dalejr.com/%22http://www.dalejrsgreatgiveaway.com//%22.   
***** 
 
DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER, NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET (ON RACING AT NIGHT AT ATLANTA.): "I don't think it's going to change too much. The track is pretty wore down and will slow down over the long runs, but we will be running some pretty fast speeds the first five or 10 laps on new tires under the lights. That place is really, really fast." 
 
EARNHARDT (ON HIS GOALS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.): "We are mathematically out of the Chase at this point so we are watching everybody else and seeing how they are going to do. We are trying to help our teammates the best we can and support them in their efforts. I think Hendrick Motorsports has several opportunities to win the championship. We are going to try to win some races and help our teammates the best we can." 
 
LANCE McGREW, INTERIM CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET (ON PREPARING FOR THE FIRST NIGHT RACE AT ATLANTA.): "We've qualified at Atlanta for years at night, so you are always preparing for that. I think it's going to be wicked fast because Atlanta is really, really fast at nighttime. So, I don't really know if you go about it any differently than if it was a day race. It's just the track is going to be faster, and there's going to be more grip. That's pretty much it." 
 
McGREW (ON THE CHALLENGES AT ATLANTA.): "I've always thought Atlanta is such a driver's racetrack because it is so wide and races so wide that there's groove after groove after groove. If your car is not good on the bottom, we'll try the middle; if it's not good in the middle, we'll try two-thirds; if it's not good there, try the top. You'll go from the top of one end to the bottom of the other. There's always ability for a driver to hunt a line that helps his car, which I've always liked because, whether you believe it or not, these cars are never perfect. So, you always have to be able to hunt and peck and look for every last little hundredth (of a second) that you can find on the racetrack."

Credit: Hendrick Motorsports PR

Create-a-caption: Kyle Busch, stackin' hotties like cordwood

This one's for all the Kyle Busch fans out there ... and all the Kyle haters too, now that I think about it. Check out that smirk on his face -- you either love or loathe a guy with a smirk like that. Now, take the next step and tell us what's going on in this picture.

After the jump, Kasey Kahne is awfully excited.

Okay, not a great one this time. I blame the photo. And Kasey.

razz:
Kasey and entourage strain to get a closer look at the press conference to see if NASCAR officials do actually blow smoke out of their arses.

And a gold star to the person who can Stand up and give me the source of this reference:
"M-o-o-n, that spells moon!"

Bobby Labonte bounced from the 96 in favor of rookie

Who was it that said everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end? Whoever it was, Bobby Labonte must feel like punching him in the face right now.

Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, has been replaced in the 96 car for seven races by Erik Darnell, who will be making his Sprint Cup debut this weekend in Atlanta. It's the latest blow to Labonte's career, and it's one that Labonte apparently didn't see coming. When asked how Labonte took the news, Yates general manager Max Jones was honest:

"Not good," he said. "I wouldn't have either if I was him. He's a class act; he's a professional. I had to explain my side, why I was doing it, and he wasn't happy about it. But he understood, and I respect that."

For its part, Yates has struggled to attract sponsorship and drivers, and Labonte's decision to come to the team last December was a boost to the organization. The team already runs Paul Menard in the 98 Ford, but Menard is sponsored by -- conveniently enough -- Menard's, and so cash isn't an issue. Travis Kvapil ran earlier this year for Yates, but sponsorship coin had run out. There's talk of bringing in a third driver next year, perhaps Jamie McMurray, but the sponsorship issue still remains. Darnell was a business decision, getting him more seat and broadcast time to attract sponsors, but one that surely rings sour with Labonte.

Darnell will run at Atlanta, and is projected to be in the seat at Loudon, Kansas, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead. That leaves five races for Labonte, and it's a good bet those are the last five races he'll run in a Yates ride. Question is, will he get another?

Here's hoping Labonte lands on his feet; the guy's one of the good ones and doesn't deserve to go out like this. One other, far less important thing: we had a Bobby Labonte podcast ready to roll, but seeing as how almost all the questions were about Atlanta and the rest of the season, running it now would be ... awkward. So here's the Ask.com site Bobby wanted everybody to know about, and we'll see if we can get Darnell on soon.

Fryer's Five: Bye Bye Bobby [Yahoo! Sports]

Out with you: Looking back at August @ The Marbles

 

August is through today. Here's what we did around these parts this past month. Take a little trip down memory lane.

• NASCAR stormed the White House, and no burnouts were conducted on the South Lawn. Opportunity: missed.

• Big news came when Dale Earnhardt Jr. unloaded on the perceived problems of the Car of Tomorrow. Unsurprising news: everybody unloaded on Junior for not being able to handle the car.

• Richard Petty is taking your questions for next month. Behave, everybody, this is the King we're talking about here.

• We wondered what happened to the great Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Kyle Busch War that we were all expecting last year. And following along those same lines, we wondered if there even is a real rivalry in NASCAR now. Of course, that was before ...

• Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch started going at it in Michigan, and darned if Vickers didn't start feeling a little sorry for Kyle's upbringing.

• David Reutimann saw his Chase hopes vanish in a spin at Pocono, courtesy of Denny Hamlin.

• We welcomed the latest Jeremy Mayfield craziness with a little recap of what's happened so far, set to some appropriate music.

• We were at Bristol, and filed on-site Twitter reports here and here.

• Video of the month: Robby Gordon ripping through Ensenada for the opening five minutes of the Baja 500. Great stuff.

• Who among us does not love a Dale Earnhardt rollercoaster? Terrorists, that's who.

• After the Sam Hornish Jr./Jeff Gordon debacle at Pocono, we sized up the scariest wrecks of the 2009 season. Hopefully this post doesn't get any more candidates.

• And yes, Junior and Kevin Harvick aren't the only ones having trouble making the Chase in 2009. Hitler has had his problems, too.

And that's it! Hope you had as much fun this month as we did. Come on back in September for much more.

Victory video: Carl Edwards edges out Marcos Ambrose

It was a rainy road-course run in Montreal dominated by Marcos Ambrose. So of course Carl Edwards won. Wait, what? Ambrose slid right at the end to give Edwards the opening to win, and Mr. Flippy didn't miss out on the chance:

And for those who start kicking up the inevitable "they race in the rain in Nationwide, so why not in Sprint Cup?" Simple: road course vs. banked oval. A lot less likelihood of rain cascading down the track and causing a 43-car pileup on a road course. And yes, despite the furious finish, you'll note that it was three hours of, uh, less-than-thrilling racing capped by a riveting ending. So let's not even bring the rain question over to Sunday racing, okay?

We didn't finish outside the top ten again

 Did you notice it's now been three straight weeks we haven't finished below tenth? Sure people could say since it was an off week it doesn't count but this year i am taking any good news I can find!

Earnhardt Nation Website

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NASCAR Jesus welcomes you to the race for the Chase

Welcome, everyone, to the stretch run for the Chase! Your host for the next couple weeks is NASCAR Jesus. Guess this answers once and for all the Talladega Nights question of whether Jesus is a baby or a man, huh? And Jesus is a Budweiser fan, too! Who knew?

This particular piece of artwork, found by reader Nixiechick, is a work of artist Katie Moore, and is available here on a variety of media, from t-shirts to mousepads to coffee mugs. Here's the artist's take on the motive behind this creation: "I picture him coming back today, to save those who have claimed him as their savior. What would that Jesus have to be like, to want to save people like us? He would have to be a fan of consumption. He would constantly have jingles and advertisements running through his mind, and would be moving too busily and too quickly to stop and take a breath. When thirsty, this Jesus would want to grab a cold one. The King of Kings and the King of Beers are together at last." I can't tell if that's supposed to be snarky or not, so I'll let you make your own judgments on NASCAR Jesus.

Here's what I take, though: He's looking serenely at us, perhaps sick of hearing all our complaining about rain and points and rules and Junior and whatnot. And if Jesus can show patience even with ever-griping NASCAR fans, He's got serenity beyond what the rest of us can muster, that's for sure.

And now we're rollin' on the week and the stretch run to the Chase. Have fun, all!

NASCAR Jesus [Artwanted.com]

It's an off weekend for NASCAR. Deal with it as best you can.

Hey everybody, who's up for a little racing? You are? Too bad, because it's an off weekend in Sprint Cup. Sure, there are plenty of other races going on around the country, but many of the big dogs are off this weekend, hanging out and doin' nothing much at all. (Click here to see what your favorite drivers are up to this weekend.)

So here's what you should do. Introduce yourself to your friends and family again. Do a little yardwork. Maybe knock a couple items off the ol' honey-do list. Because the Chase is about to start up, and when that gets rolling, we're all going into the bunker. Have a good one, everybody!

New Members Board - Forum

 We have built a new forum for Earnhardt Nation. It's not finished but feel free to check it out;

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Create-a-caption: Kasey can't wait for the Easter Egg hunt

Kasey Kahne is excited to see ... something at Bristol Motor Speedway. What could it be? You know, don't you? (Thanks to Carol for the photo.)

After the jump, it's pile-on-Kasey week, as he looks to Jimmie Johnson for an autograph.

Baker:
KK: Come on, man. Let me have some of your Chase points, I could really use them right now!

Gator gets clever:
JJ: Look, Kasey, nothing personal, but I never shake hands with somebody who has a Siemens stain on their shirt.

Randy gets double-clever:
Rock Paper Scissors: Kahne may have beaten Abel with a rock...but it appears as though paper isn't working on Johnson.

Week-ending horror show: Kyle Petty and Project Runway

If I had to suffer through this one, so do you: Kyle Petty holding forth on "Project Runway." For whatever reason, he's a fan of the modeling show. But you won't believe how he shows his fandom.

My eyes! My eyes!

Four Wide: When the NFL talks, NASCAR listens

Every day, we bring you the best in NASCAR news and opinion. Get your day rolling right ... or left, whichever.

• NASCAR is moving Daytona's 2010 qualifying back a day to avoid conflict with the Super Bowl. This opens the door for Tony Stewart to both qualify for Daytona and play linebacker for the Patriots. [AP via Yahoo! Sports]

• Even though it hasn't been on the Nationwide circuit long, Montreal has already seen more than its share of fine racing action. [NASCAR.com]

• And now for the opposing view: NASCAR doesn't need Montreal on the Sprint schedule. [Pocky's Paddock]

• Ray Evernham and Erin Crocker have gotten married in a small ceremony in Vegas. I'm guessing Jeremy Mayfield was not invited. [Nuts n' Bolts]

• That White House visit a few weeks back went so well, Obama hosted himself a NASCAR tailgate! (Hint: satire.) [Black Flagged Online]

Got a link/tip? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com and follow us on Twitter.

The picture is clearing -- but not clear -- for Brad Keselowski

Just like in the NFL and the NBA, NASCAR prizes potential over performance, and no impending free agent is inspiring as much frothing as rookie Brad Keselowski. A driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series and connected with Hendrick Motorsports for Sprint Cup, Keselowski is the pretty girl at the dance right now, with everybody vying for his attention.

Rumors first surfaced at Bristol that he was headed to Penske to take over the No. 12 currently held by David Stremme, rumors which must have delighted Stremme to no end. While many outlets are reporting that as fact, and indeed it makes a whole lot of sense, we'll hold off on saying that's a definitive.

Even so, the picture just got a whole lot clearer, as Keselowski announced that he's bouncing from JR Motorsports in 2010. Junior has said that if Keselowski doesn't drive a Chevy in the Cup Series, he won't be driving a Chevy in Nationwide either. Penske is, of course, a Dodge house. Keselowski is walking away (at the end of the season, of course) from a team that's currently in third place in the Nationwide standings, behind Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.

Asked directly about his prospects for jumping straight into Sprint, Keselowski offered this beauty: "Man, that's hard to say at this time. I really don't have an answer for that. I wouldn't say yes or no. I would say that time will tell." Wow! The four-cliché quad! Boy's only 25 but he's already a master of the non-answer answer.

My take: in absolute terms, I think Keselowski's making a mistake walking away from Hendrick Motorsports. After one more year with Mark Martin, Keselowski could slide right into the No. 5 and take over the most prized seat in motorsports. On the other hand, he's clearly ready to run right now, and who am I to tell a guy to put his dream on ice for another entire year? Plus, it's not like Penske is necessarily a lifetime commitment.

Whichever way he goes, though, it's clear: rookie time is over. He's going to be expected to produce, big, from the very first "start your engines."

Keselowski says he won't return to JR Motorsports [NASCAR.com]

Richard Petty is ready to take your questions, everybody!

Exciting opportunity for you here, folks. Remember a few weeks back when Tony Stewart took questions from Marbles readers? Well, there aren't many NASCAR figures who could top Tony, but we found one: The King.

Richard Petty, in connection with STP, is going to take three questions from Marbles readers. It's part of the silver anniversary of Petty's 200th and final win, an event STP is calling the "Crowning Achievement." In honor of Petty, STP created a documentary series, the first episode of which is right here:

You can see Episode 2 here and Episode 3 here, and I strongly recommend them -- don't cost nothin', and it's basically required viewing for any NASCAR fan.

All right, the contest. As with Smoke, submit your best question below. I'll pick several of the best and put it to a vote. Deadline to get your questions in is midnight Monday. Get to it! The King awaits!

Four Wide: When Edwards derailed Junior's championship hopes

Every day, we bring you the best in NASCAR news and opinion. Get your day rolling right ... or left, whichever.

• Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. look back on a career-defining moment in Atlanta in 2004, when Edwards wrecked a championship-bound Junior. [Racin' Today]

• Thoughts on rookie status and the seven-race limit in Sprint Cup. [Bleacher Report]

• Brian Vickers is an extreme Red Bull driver! Extreme, I tell you! Living life on the edge! Kickin' butt and takin' names! EXTREEEEME! [All Left Turns]

• Kenny Wallace will thank all his fans with a special paint scheme in Montreal. [Scene Daily]

• Finish this sentence: "Kyle Busch is the next ... " You'll never believe what Randy Moss and Jerry Glanville said. [Unrestricted]

• Not exactly NASCAR, but funny nonetheless: the 10 worst women drivers on earth. [Hail Mary Jane]

Got a link/tip? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com and follow us on Twitter.

Bristol Summer Recap

DALE EARNHARDT JR.
NO. 88 AMP ENERGY SUGAR FREE/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET
POST-RACE RECAP/BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

DATE: Aug. 22, 2009
RACE: Sharpie 500
START: 27th
FINISH: Ninth
POINTS POSITION: 21st

RECAPPING THE RACE:

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy Sugar Free/National Guard Chevrolet, had a strong run in Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and finished ninth.

Earnhardt lined up his specially-painted silver Chevrolet in 27th and started his climb at the drop of the green flag. He immediately noted a tight-handling condition. The evening's second caution flag waved on Lap 63 with the No. 88 Chevy scored in the 17th position. Crew chief Lance McGrew called the 34-year-old driver down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. The crew also made an air-pressure adjustment and sent its driver back to green-flag racing on Lap 69 in the 17th position.

Earnhardt continued to report a tight-handling condition from the center of the corners through exit, but continued his ascent through the field. By Lap 144, the Kannapolis, N.C., native cracked the top 10. The evening's fourth caution period occurred on Lap 163 with Earnhardt running 11th. McGrew kept his driver on the track while a majority of the cars behind the No. 88 opted to hit pit road. The field went back to green on Lap 170, and the fresh tires prevailed.

Earnhardt had slipped to the 25th position when the evening's fifth caution flag was displayed on Lap 253. The crew bolted on four fresh tires, made an air pressure and chassis adjustment and refueled the No. 88 Chevy. Earnhardt restarted the race running 25th on Lap 263.

The adjustments seemed to do the trick, and Earnhardt radioed that the car was running better on Lap 278. Earnhardt confirmed the sentiment by reclaiming his spot inside the top 10 on Lap 400.

The final 100 laps of the 500-lap event was affected by a series of five caution periods, a disadvantage for the No. 88 Chevy that excelled on long runs. Earnhardt was scored as high as fourth on Lap 486, but ultimately crossed the finish line ninth.

QUOTING DALE EARNHARDT JR.:

EARNHARDT (ON SATURDAY'S RUN.): "It was a good finish for the AMP Energy Sugar Free/National Guard Chevy. The car was good in practice, and when the race started, we had some work to do. We made it better. I'm real proud of my team. My guys worked really hard. They had some awesome pit stops, and we just had a pretty decent car. We just didn't have what we needed there at the end and the cautions fell a little too often for me. That last run there we were real tight, and I needed long runs. It's a shame we had all them cautions. I think Mark (Martin) could have won the race, and we could have probably finished a little bit better."

Credit: Hendrick Motorsports PR

Who's more manly in their Wranglers, Earnhardt or Favre?

Hey, here's a topic football fans aren't sick of: Brett Favre! And here's a topic NASCAR fans aren't sick of: Dale Earnhardt Jr.! Why not combine 'em together for a tough-guy Wrangler ad campaign? It'd be the nexus of overhyped sports stories!

Well, that's exactly what Wrangler did, and Wednesday on ESPN's Sports Nation, Colin Cowherd took on the question of which overexposed pitchman was actually more manly, and thus more deserving of the Wrangler brand. Here, check it out:

You know, I'm not what you'd call Colin Cowherd's biggest fan, but he's got a point here. Favre is a wimpy whiner, Earnhardt -- win or lose (a lot) -- is more of a guy's guy. Sports Nation disagreed with Colin and me, which just means that a lot of people are wrong.

Boy. Danica one post, Favre the next. I just need to get Michael Vick in here somehow to hit the page-view trifecta. Maybe if Tony Stewart's monkey fought some of Vick's dogs ...

ESPN The Mag gives fans what they want: Danica Patrick naked

There are certain epochal moments in every race fan's life. The first time they visit a track. The moment their driver wins a championship. And now, a new one: the chance to see Danica Patrick in her birthday suit.

Sports By Brooks (link most likely NSFW) is reporting that two sources based in Bristol -- the ESPN HQ, not the track -- have indicated that in October, ESPN The Magazine will publish its own "nude" swimsuit issue to compete with Sports Illustrated's own bestseller. (Wait -- if they're nude, is it really a "swimsuit" issue?) Sports Illustrated's swimsuit covers have trended from granny-esque to girl-next-door to skank chic, but ESPN appears ready to raise -- or lower -- the bar by an order of magnitude. And, really, who'd complain?

If you're still even reading this and aren't lost in the galleries above, here's the deal: ESPN will apparently feature various athletes, including the estimable Ms. Patrick, in various "tasteful nude" poses -- you know, hands in strategic places, hips turned just so, drapes blowing in at careful angles, that kind of thing. So those of you hoping to see Danica ... um ... you know, I can't even think of a joke here that won't earn me an email from the higher-ups, so how about you just check out this vid of Danica's banned Super Bowl commercial and build your own?

Crass? Opportunistic? Absolutely. We'd heard along the ol' world wide grapevine that Danica wasn't doing the SI Swimsuit Issue this year, and this news appears to bear that out. Just one last question before I leave you with your imaginations: who's going to be the first sweaty, creepy race fan to ask her to sign one of these? Will it be you?

Danica to bare it all for ESPN Mag's nude issue [Sports By Brooks]

C-a-C: If it's not too much trouble, could I have an autograph?

Kasey Kahne is making an appeal to Jimmie Johnson, who doesn't seem to care much one way or the other. What's happening here, friends?

After the jump, President Johnson debuts at the White House.

Furiousd:
"I do my little turn on the catwalk. Yeah, on the catwalk. I do my little turn on the catwalk."

Rick G:
Is Carl giving the clap to the President, or is he just using a hand lotion? 

Mel G:
EDWARDS: Whoa Clint! Did you have beans last night?!!

Time to correct the Chase's greatest flaw: unfairness - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

Time to correct the Chase's greatest flaw: unfairness - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports: "No question, there are some purists out there who despise the thing, who wish it would go the way of bias-ply tires and the hemi engine. They're spitting into the wind. Seasons like this one, overloaded with drama and intrigue over who will get in and who will fall outâ€"in lieu of what would otherwise be a runaway championship raceâ€"only serve to justify its existence."

The VoiceEarnhardt Nation News and Comments

Four Wide: Which drivers are the best in sports with their numbers?

Every day, we bring you the best in NASCAR news and info. Get your day rolling right ... or left, whichever.

• Running down the top athletes wearing numbers 0-99 in sports today. There were several NASCAR drivers on the list, any guesses who? [Rumors & Rants]

• Could this next race be Brad Coleman's last as a member of Joe Gibbs Racing? Could be ... [Scene Daily]

• Nice profile of Bill Elliott's son Chase, who's only 13 but already hot on the trail of a racing career. [AP via Yahoo! Sports]

• Robby Gordon, still in the running for the FLOPPER award! What's the FLOPPER? It's the guy who finishes last in points while running every race, and Robby's the defending champ! [All Left Turns]

• A Formula One story on which is more important, the driver or the car? Includes bonus quote by the Intimidator! [New York Times]

Got a link/tip? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com and follow us on Twitter!

Victory video: Kyle Busch edges Mark Martin by a hairsbreadth

Did you miss the end of the Bristol race Saturday night? Shame, because it was the tightest finish of the year, with only 0.098 seconds separating winner Kyle Busch from runner-up Mark Martin. Although most of the crowd was pulling for Martin -- shoot, a full one-fourth of the stadium had held up cards to create a giant Martin sign just four hours before -- Busch held him off to take the victory and put himself that much closer to the Chase:

We'll talk more about this later today, but the whole Kyle bad/ Mark good dynamic got a bit twisted Saturday night. Bristol wasn't the best race of the season, but it could end up being one of the most significant if either Martin or Busch makes a real run at the championship.

Dale Jr. Finally Earns Back-To-Back Top 10s - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Sporting News

Dale Jr. Finally Earns Back-To-Back Top 10s - Unrestricted - Unrestricted - Sporting News: "BRISTOL, Tenn. â€" For the first time this season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has consecutive top-10 NASCAR Sprint Cup finishes.

Fresh off a third-place finish six days earlier at Michigan, Earnhardt Jr. came home ninth in Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway for his fifth top-10 in the season's 24 races."

The VoiceEarnhardt Nation News and Comments

Bristol: Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Quotes - P9 :: PaddockTalk :: F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, And More!

Bristol: Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Quotes - P9 :: PaddockTalk :: F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, And More!: "HOW DID YOU GUYS SLIP BACK THERE AT THE END?

'Well that last run there we were real tight. I needed long runs. My car wasn't good at the restarts and those guys behind us I think had a little bit better tires than we did. I'm real happy. We were running real good. It's a shame we had all them cautions. I think Mark (Martin) could have won the race and we could have probably finished a little bit better. All them cautions just stacked everybody up and we didn't have a good car on the restarts."

The VoiceEarnhardt Nation News and Comments

Racing in the Bristol bullring is truly a must-see experience

Part rock concert. Part carnival. All spectacle. That describes the Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. And when the track is the third-to-last stop before the Chase begins on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the scene is especially surreal.

I've been to large-capacity sporting events at some historic venues before. The Kentucky Derby. The Rose Bowl. But race day at this .533 mile track surrounded by grandstands that climb high into the rural eastern Tennessee sky is truly something to see in person.

They call the place the "World's Fastest Half-Mile." And the tableau is a unique one. Wow! There's a couple of shirtless dudes with tattoos on their chest. Look! There's points leader Tony Stewart (who's a lot shorter in person) hopping off a golf cart heading to a driver's meeting. Check it out! There's NASCAR president Mike Helton, soaking in the late afternoon sun outside a hauler in the pits. RVs as far as the eye can see. People wearing gear of their favorite drivers. Lots of 88s. Not so many 24s. Of course, when you pack 160,000 people into BMS, you're bound to have differing opinions. Needless to say, you do.

And this place is loud. It didn't earn its nickname of Thunder Valley for nothing. If you do go (and seeing this thing in person is something even casual race fans should do), bring earplugs. Lots of 'em.

Blair Johnson is a video producer for Yahoo! Sports.

We were one tap away from a Chase apocalypse tonight

One tap. That's all it would have taken. One tap that would have made a total mockery of the entire Chase. All that had to happen tonight was one missed turn, one turned tire, and Mark Martin and Kyle Busch would have gone into each other, wrecked each other out, and the Chase picture would have been in total disarray.

Finishing off the lead lap probably wouldn't have put Martin out of the Chase, but it certainly would have torpedoed Kyle's hopes. And that would have meant -- and, lest we forget, still could mean -- that the two guys who have the most wins this season in NASCAR, who between them have nearly a third of all victories, could both miss the Chase.

That's just stupid. And while I don't root for anybody to miss the Chase, it's kind of like college football -- somebody needs to get screwed, some undefeated team has to miss out on a chance to play for a title, in order to start to get real change enacted.

There's been plenty of talk on "fixing" the Chase format, ranging from minor tweaks to blowing it up entirely. Personally, I think the Chase format itself is just fine as it is. I like the idea of culling the herd, of letting the best race the best. (I'd love to see some combination of elimination of Chase contestants or Chase-only races, but that's never going to happen.)

It's the points that are the problem. You can't have a regular season where there's so little merit given to regular-season victories. I get that the idea is to prize consistency, but you're looking at a guy in Carl Edwards who hasn't won a single race, and yet is firmly in the Chase hunt, while seven guys with victories are either already out of the Chase or on the bubble. That, friends, ain't right.

You get a 10-point bump for winning a race; someone can bite off half that total by just pitting out of cycle and leading one lap. Ten points aren't enough; you need more credit for winning. Playoff teams in other sports either get home-field advantage or outright byes; it's high time NASCAR did more to reward regular-season domination.

Running wide open: The Sharpie 500 talkback thread

Bristol! Nighttime racing! What more do you need? Really, what more? Don't get greedy or anything! This is about as good as racing gets, crowding 43 cars onto a half-mile track. And with the Chase at stake and some bad blood between Chase contenders Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch on the rise, we're in for a fine evening. (Side note: Kyle and BV qualified next to each other, and will share a truck for the prerace circuit of the track. What wouldn't you give to see them break out into a fistfight right there in the back of the truck?)

Anyway, your defending champ is Carl Edwards, who beat out Kyle in that scene there above, then spun him after the race when Kyle got a little froggy. Will something similar happen again? Hang here or visit us at the live chat over on the main page as we find out. Enjoy the race, everybody!

Twittering away the day at Bristol Motor Speedway, part 1

We're hanging at Bristol for race day, and over on Twitter, I'm offering up a running commentary. Follow there, and check out what's been happening at Bristol so far. (Note: this is in reverse chronological order, so if you want the real feel, start at the bottom and work up.) 

I bust on the NASCAR fans, but seriously--you need to go to a race in your life. Great experience. Much less scary than blue-starters think.

http://twitpic.com/evn6l  - Part 3: the line at the Degree deodorant booth.

http://twitpic.com/evmyl  - Part 2: the line at the Skoal dip booth.

http://twitpic.com/evmsl  - A 3-part photo essay on NASCAR nation. Part 1: the line at the camel cigs tent.

http://twitpic.com/evkc2  - Best logo ever. Bonus: I apparently caught someone in witness protection on camera.

http://twitpic.com/evjaa  - I am preparing to descend into the madness that is the Bristol fan zone.

http://twitpic.com/evhti  - Just did a few pace car laps. Felt like I was getting sucked down a drain.

http://twitpic.com/evhrj  - Great gesture to honor Mark Martin's 1000th start.

http://twitpic.com/eva3g  - A shot of the RV-laden hills outside the track. Can you spot the Obama voter?

http://twitpic.com/ev2vk  - Bristol shows me some love.

Best sign on the way up: a strip club named "New Beginnings." Better than "Baby Needs Diapers And Daddy's Gone Back To His Wife," I guess.

http://twitpic.com/euyl7  - Made it!

http://twitpic.com/euqve  - There's some badass Transylvania-level fog in the TN foothills now.

http://twitpic.com/eugnk  - You think Bruce Wayne realizes this sign exists?

http://twitpic.com/eueri  - If you look closely, you can see the gov'mint men in the hills lookin' to bust up the moonshine stills.

http://twitpic.com/euaud  - Right after I snapped this shot, Brian Vickers shoved this whole display over.

Rolling now to Bristol. Sweet heaven, is it early.

Secrets of driving Bristol, from a guy who's done it often

I've seen hot tubs bigger than Bristol. Seriously. The kinds of hot tubs that Hollywood stars get photographed in -- seriously, those things are nearly as big as Bristol. It's a tight little bowl of a track, a half-mile cup that's one-fifth the size of Daytona or Talladega. It's so small that when the field is running at full 43-car strength, it stretches halfway around the track. 

I took some pace car laps around Bristol early Saturday afternoon, with former Sprint Cup driver Brett Bodine at the wheel. And the entire time, I felt like I was swirling down into a drain. You cruise the straightaways, you can feel yourself leaning into the center. You hit the curves, and you can feel your internal organs start to shift. Your limbs get heavy, your gut presses back deep into the seat. And at Bristol, the drivers will do this 500 times. 500. I think we did six laps, but I honestly don't know -- it all blurred into one mass of walls, retaining fences and seats.

It's a nerve-wracking track, and at the speeds they're going, NASCAR drivers get around it in about 15 seconds. So you'd figure you'd have to be up on the wheel all the time, right? Wrong. That's the way to put yourself out of the race in a hurry.

"It's a track where you can't relax, but you have to relax," says Bodine, who ran more than 14,000 laps here over 31 races. Just before the first time he drove at Bristol, Junior Johnson pulled him aside and demonstrated how to survive at the track -- relax your hands, one at a time, in the straightaways. If not, your hands cramp up and you can't react quickly enough.

And by the same token, the way this track sets up, you've got to be looking far down the track. Your spotter has to be watching down the turns, because you can't see that far, but it's up to you to react. That's racing in Thunder Valley, and it's going to make for a hell of a spectacle.

Bodine also thinks the track's recent reworking -- a project that took some of the banking out of the turns -- is actually beneficial and will make for some great racing. We're about to find out whether he's right.

(Note: We're in Bristol for the race. You can follow our minute-by-minute updates all Saturday by checking out the Twitter feed.)

Martin's revival keeps drummin' | TriCities

Martin's revival keeps drummin' | TriCities: "Kyle Busch earned the No. 15, while fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start from the 27th spot.

Earnhardt said he could never find a comfort zone in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“I couldn’t get in the corner, it was really loose in and it would just push off,” Earnhardt said. “We will see how it goes. The Chevrolet was good in race trim. We couldn’t get anything going in qualifying trim.

“We will just have to be good on pit road and be smart on the race track, but I think we have a pretty good race car.”"

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