Sonoma Driver Ratings: Montoya tops list as driver to beat Sunday

Montoya looks good for a win Sunday

Jamie McMurray will be on the pole for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, the first of two road course races this season. Marcos Ambrose was fastest in Friday's first practice session and last years winner, Clint Bowyer, was fastest during happy hour, but we still still feel Juan Pablo Montoya is the driver to beat Sunday.

Even before practices, Montoya was high of the short list of candidates to win just because the road course races are basically his entire season. While his Earnhardt/Ganssi team has shown improvements on the season at other tracks, the one constant for Montoya -- regardless of how good of bad the team was running -- has been road courses. His only two wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series have come on the roads, the first coming at Sonoma as a rookie in 2007 and the other coming at Watkins Glen in 2010.

During Friday's practices, Montoya came in with the second fastest lap in the early session and was fifth quickest during happy hour. During the final session, Montoya also had the best 10-consecutive lap average among the seven drivers that ran that many. Many of the drivers didn't feel the need to run that many laps in a row because the 1.99-mile course is so long, but knowing that Montoya is fast on long runs is a nice bit of reassurance for those siding with the former Monaco Grand Prix winner.

Ambrose is going to the driver Montoya will have to pass to make it happen, but we think he will, and at 12-to-1 odds when maybe only 10 drivers have a chance to win, that's good enough for us to endorse. 

Top-10 Driver Ratings......The Linemakers on Sporting News

Rising Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing a team to take notice of at Pocono

Montoya and Mcmurray are getting faster every week

Race: Party in the Poconos 400
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @jpmontoya
Cars: No. 1 Banana Boat Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Track: Pocono Raceway (2.5-mile tri-oval), Long Pond, Pa.
TV: TNT (1 p.m. ET)
Social: @EGRTeams, #TeamGanassi

I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT

Going the Distance: 2012 marked the first season that NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono were scheduled for 400 miles. Prior to 2012 all NASCAR Sprint Cup races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway

Goodyear “Gives Back”: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, exclusive tire supplier of NASCAR’s three major national series, is honoring the U.S. Armed Forces with the launch of the “Goodyear Gives Back” program, a charitable fund-raising effort to benefit Support Our Troops®. This organization helps to boost the morale of active duty troops and their families through care packages sent to the front lines and programs for families at home. Throughout the program (May 23 – July 8) fans can join in by visiting www.Goodyear.com/GivesBack, where they can bid on authentic autographed race-used Goodyear NASCAR Support Our Troops tires, rides in the Goodyear blimp, VIP at-track experiences and other racing memorabilia. In addition, fans can make direct donations, and purchase limited-edition Goodyear Gives Backmerchandise – all to benefit the Support Our Troops organization.

#TEAMGANASSI

Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No.42 teams throughout the 2013 season by following “@EGRTeams”.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

@jpmontoya-“This week we are at pocono!!! pretty pump about it. got to keep the ball rolling. #momentum”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR POCONO RACEWAY

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Banana Boat Team

Dover Recap: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates debuted new colors on the No. 1 Chevrolet SS at Dover International Speedway, partnering with Parade Magazine to help launch the rebranding of their print and digital assets. McMurray and the No. 1 team consistently showed speed throughout the weekend and kept the Parade Chevrolet SS in the top-10 during practice, qualifying and the majority of the race until they were sent to the garage with less than 100 laps to go to replace the radiator, which resulted in a 33rd-place finish.

Got You Covered: Banana Boat will once again join McMurray and team as primary sponsor on the No. 1 Chevrolet SS. Banana Boat car will sport a special orange, blue and white paint scheme at Pocono Raceway. Banana Boat has you covered for all of your sun care needs. Stop by the Banana Boat Shade Station in the display area for fun games and activities and also learn about Banana Boat sun care products.

McMurray at Pocono: Making his 20th start at Pocono Raceway this weekend, McMurray has completed 3,664 laps of a possible 3,772 laps at the “Tricky Triangle”, having led 20 laps. McMurray has earned four top-10s, has an average start of 16.8 and an average finish of 21.4. McMurray started from the pole at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in 2005 and his best finish was ninth in 2004 and 2008. McMurray has 14 lead lap finishes in 20 races at Pocono, including eight of the last ten.

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team

Dover Recap: Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 team carried the Energizer colors and bunny to a second-place finish over the weekend at Dover International Speedway. The Energizer Chevy SS started in the 14th position and by lap 80 had broken into the top-10 and never looked back. The team crossed the finish line in the second position giving them their best finish of the 2013 season.

Montoya at Pocono: In 12 starts at Pocono Raceway, Montoya has completed 2,069 laps out of 2,168 laps possible or 95.4%. In his last start at the 2.5-mile track, Montoya started on the pole and finished 20th after rain showers moved through the area and shortened the race. He has tallied one top-five, four top-10s and has an average starting and finishing position of 14.3 and 18.7, respectively.

Making Gains: Montoya has climbed from 30th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings to 22nd over the course of seven races (30thfollowing the Martinsville race) and has accumulated three top-10 finishes in his last five races.

99 Wins and Counting …: The Target Racing program, which began with Target and Chip Ganassi Racing in 1990, is just one win shy of the 100-win plateau. The first win for the program came in 1994 with Michael Andretti’s Indy car victory at Surfers Paradise, Australia when the team was just a two-car open wheel program. The partnership between Target and Chip Ganassi Racing is one of the longest consecutive team partnerships in motor racing history.

Hit the Bullseye: Need something in a hurry? Be sure to stop by the nearest Target at the Pocono Commons in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on your way to the track this weekend. Call ahead at 570-426-1050 to ensure they have what you need. Get directions

ONE TEAM, SIX CARS, THREE SERIES

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 15 championships and over 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto: www.earnhardtganassi.com

- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

LVH odds to win 2013 Monaco Grand Prix; Rosberg 10-to-11 favorite

Monaco GP considered one of worlds great races; certainly most beautiful

MONACO GRAND PRIX
CIRCUIT DE MONACO
SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2013

SEBASTIAN VETTEL 4
FERNANDO ALONSO 15
KIMI RAIKKONEN 15
LEWIS HAMILTON 3
MARK WEBBER 12
NICO ROSBERG 10-11
JENSON BUTTON 100
FELIPE MASSA 500
ROMAIN GROSJEAN 200
SERGIO PEREZ 100
ADRIAN SUTIL 100
NICO HULKENBERG 300
PAUL DI RESTA 500
DANIEL RICCIARDO 300
JEAN-ERIC VERGNE 300
PASTOR MALDONADO 300
VALTTERI BOTTAS 1000
ESTEBAN GUTIERREZ 1000
CHARLES PIC 5000
FIELD 500

McMurray and Montoya Bringing Great Cars to Budwesier Shootout

Budweiser Shootout Drawing Party: Drawing for the starting positions in the Budweiser Shootout will be featured on the Budweiser Shootout Drawing Party live on SPEED 8PM (ET) on Friday February 17th.

A Fresh Start: Notable changes to the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) organization include a new Team Manager, Max Jones and Technical Director, John Probst. Jones most recently oversaw the merger of Yates Racing and Petty Enterprises in 2009-10 as President and General Manager. Probst comes to the team from Red Bull Racing.

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats Team:

Jamie McMurray is 15/1 to win Bud Shootout (Getty)

Opening New Doors: Jamie McMurray returns to EGR for the 2012 season in the No.1 Bass Pro Shops®/McDonald’s Chevrolet. The team will once again be led by crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion . The No.1 Chevy will have a new look for three races in 2012. LiftMaster, Banana Boat and Belkin will each have a primary paint scheme for one race.

Year in Review: In 2011, McMurray finished the season with one pole, two top-fives, four top-10s, 15 top-20 finishes and led 106 laps. In 36 starts, he completed 9,584 of 10,650 (90%). He had an average starting position of 17.8, average running position of 20.6 and average finishing position of 22.2.

Superspeedway Stats: In 37 starts in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) at superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) McMurray has accumulated three wins (Daytona 2007, 2010 Talladega 2009), eight top-fives, 10 top-10s and led 201 laps.

Shootout Success: In 2011, McMurray matched his best Budweiser Shootout finish (2009) with a second-place run, making it his third consecutive top-three finish. Among active drivers he yields the fourth best driver rating in the shootout with a 96.3. In his six Budweiser Shootout attempts (2004, 2006, 2008-2011) McMurray has claimed three top-fives, four top-10s and five top-20 finishes with 19 laps led. His best starting position came during his first attempt (2004), when he started third.

Driver Highlights:

* · 2012 will be McMurray’s tenth full season in the NSCS
* · McMurray will have Bass Pro Shops and McDonald’s as the primary sponsors on the No. 1 for the third consecutive year
* · McMurray has a total of 330 career starts in NSCS heading into Daytona
* · Won a career-high three NSCS races in 2010, including three of the series biggest events, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Bank of America 500 (Charlotte Chase Race)
* · With his 2010 victory in the Brickyard 400, McMurray became only the third driver (Dale Jarrett-1996, Jimmie Johnson-2006) in NSCS history to record wins in both of NASCAR’s marquee events (Daytona 500, Brickyard 400) in the same season. McMurray’s win at the Brickyard also gave owner Chip Ganassi the Triple Crown of American auto racing – winning the Daytona 500 earlier in the season, and teammate Dario Franchitti winning the Indianapolis 500 in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Bass Pro Shops: Bass Pro Shops, of Springfield, Mo. will enter their seventh season in the NSCS as the primary sponsor of the No. 1 Chevrolet. With 59 retail stores in 26 states and Canada, Bass Pro Shops are visited by over 100 million people annually. Bass Pro Shops also includes Tracker Marine Group, Resort Group and Restaurant Division featuring 30 unique locations.

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team:

Montoya is 30/1 to win Shootout (Getty)

A Fresh Start: Juan Pablo Montoya returns for his sixth full NSCS season at EGR in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet. The 2012 season has brought a lot of changes in the Team Target line-up, with one of the most prominent changes being the addition of Chris Heroy as the Crew Chief for the No. 42 car. Heroy was previously an engineer on the No. 88 team for Hendrick Motorsports. He also has minimal crew chief experience in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports.

Year in Review: In 2011, Montoya finished the season with two poles, two top-fives, eight top-10s, 20 top-20 finishes and led 125 laps. The team had no DNF’s (did not finish) and had the highest number of laps run out of any driver with 10,593, including all 12 of the chase contenders. He had an average starting position of 18.2, average running position of 17.2 and average finishing position of 18.5.

Superspeedway Success: In 20 superspeedway starts in NSCS competition Montoya has a best finish of second (Talladega, 2008) three top-fives and seven top-10 finishes with 77 laps led. Team Target performed well at Daytona International Speedway in 2011 with two top-10 finishes.

Target Shootout History: Montoya returns to the 34th running of the Budweiser Shootout for the third time in his career. Last year, Montoya finished 20th after being collected in an on-track incident just four laps into the second segment. In five Bud Shootouts, the Target car has never placed outside of the top-20. In his premier Budweiser Shootout performance in 2010, Montoya finished 10th after starting from the 20th position.

Driver Highlights:

* · Montoya will enter his sixth full-time year in the NSCS in 2012 with Target returning as the sponsor.
* · In 2011, Montoya had no DNF’s and had the highest number of laps run out of any driver with 10,593 (99.5%) including all 12 of the Chase contenders.
* · After his 2010 victory at Watkins Glen he became the first foreign born driver to have multiple wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
* · Only Latino, only Formula 1 driver, and only Indianapolis 500 winner to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
* · Three wins and seven poles in his stock car career (ARCA, Nationwide, NASCAR) with 22 top-five and 53 top-10 results in 206 combined starts. 1,039 laps led.
* · One of only three drivers to win in Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR Sprint Cup (Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti).

Target: Minneapolis-based Target celebrates its 23rd season in motorsports with Chip Ganassi in 2012. The partnership continues to rank as one of the longest current sponsor relationships in motorsports. Target serves guests at 1,763 stores across the United States and at Target.com. The company plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.

CHASSIS INFO

No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats (NSCS): Chassis #808. The No.1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats team will bring chassis #808 to the Budweiser Shootout. This is the same chassis that McMurray drove in the Budweiser Shootout in 2010 and 2011, crossing the finish line in third-place and second-place respectively.

No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1101. Heroy and the No.42 team are bringing chassis #1101 to the Budweiser Shootout. This is the chassis that Montoya drove to a sixth-place finish in the 2011 Daytona 500.

- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

EGR Preview: Chip Ganassi Goes For Sixth Win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

A Jamie McMurray repeat win could bring some happiness to 2011 (Getty)

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Brickyard Preview
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Advance Notes
Race: Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 31
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Location: Speedway, Ind.

NOTES

Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates on their official team Twitter page. Follow the No. 1 and No. 42 teams throughout the 2011 season @EGRTeams.

Sprint Summer Showdown: The Sprint Summer Showdown presented by HTC EVO 3D is putting $3 million on the line for fans, drivers and driver charities. Any driver that wins an NSCS race between Indianapolis and Bristol will qualify to win $2 million if he is able to win the race at Atlanta during Labor Day weekend ($1 million for the driver, $1 million for their charity). One lucky fan paired with the winning driver also has a chance to win $1 million. Visit www.sprint.com/speed for more information.

Kissing the Bricks: With a victory this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing would join Hendrick Motorsports as the only organizations to win back-to-back Brickyard 400’s (Jimmie Johnson 2008, 2009).

Twice as Nice: If either Jamie McMurray or Juan Pablo Montoya takes the checkered flag at Indy, they will become the first driver to win more than one race at IMS for team owner Chip Ganassi. Montoya won the 2000 Indianapolis 500 giving Ganassi his second of four Indy 500 victories, while McMurray won last year’s Brickyard 400.

McMurray has a 14.3 average finish in 8 Indy races

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops®/ Tracker Boats Team

Indianapolis History: Sunday will mark McMurray’s ninth Sprint Cup Series start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His best start and finish at the famed 2.5-mile oval came in 2010, when he won after starting from fourth-place. McMurray became the third driver to win the Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500 in the same season (Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett). In his eight prior events at Indy, McMurray has an average starting position of 15.2 and an average finishing position of 14.2. He has completed 1260 of 1281 laps (98.4%) and has led 38 laps. Including his win in 2010, McMurray has two top-five and four top-10 finishes at IMS.

Defending the Brickyard: McMurray returns to Indianapolis as the defending champion of the Brickyard 400. McMurray took the green for the 2010 Brickyard 400 in fourth-place and raced inside the top-six throughout the 160-lap event. After the decision to take two tires on the team’s final pit stop, McMurray was able to drive away from the field and take his first career victory at the Brickyard.

Two-Timing: With a victory, McMurray would join elite company in becoming only the fifth driver to win two or more Brickyard 400’s. He would join Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2008, 2009), Jeff Gordon (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004), Tony Stewart (2005, 2007), and Dale Jarrett (1996, 1999) in this exclusive club. Also, McMurray has the chance to be only the second driver to win back-to-back Brickyard 400s (Jimmie Johnson 2008, 2009).

With Ganassi at Indy: This weekend, McMurray will be making his fifth start at Indy for team owner Chip Ganassi. In his four previous starts at the Brickyard in Chip Ganassi owned race cars, he has notched one win (2010), both of his career top-fives (2003, 2010) and three out of his four career top-10s (2003, 2004, 2010). He has 38 laps led and has never finished off of the lead lap while driving for Ganassi at IMS.


Taking the Checkers: McMurray has been running at the finish in all eight of his career starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has also finished on the lead lap in seven of those eight races.

Loudon Review: After qualifying 25th, the team made significant gains during Saturday’s practice sessions and felt that the car would be strong on Sunday. The first caution of the day waived on lap 30, but the No. 1 team decided to stay out and gain valuable track position. McMurray restarted as the race leader and stayed among the top-10 until he was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 116. After the final stop of the day, Crew Chief “Bono” Manion told McMurray they were several laps short on fuel. The situation became more tenuous, when the team lost radio communication with 50 laps remaining. The fuel pressure eventually dropped as the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet ran out of fuel with three laps remaining and dropped from eighth to finish 31st.

In the Points: Jamie McMurray sits tied for 28th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings after finishing 31st at New Hampshire.

Montoya was Brickyard runner-up in 2007 (Getty)

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team

Ride Shotgun with Montoya: This weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Target Chevrolet will be featured on DirecTV HotPass. To ride along with the Montoya and experience the race in heart-pounding HD, DirecTV customers can tune in to Channel 796, starting at 1pm EST on Sunday afternoon.

New Voice on the Radio: The No.42 Target team has made a crew chief change, naming Jim Pohlman interim crew chief heading into this weekend’s Brickyard 400. Pohlman has been with the organization since 2006 and has worked in various roles. “We are pleased to have someone of Jim’s caliber to be able to place into this role. Jim has been with us for a number of years and I have confidence in his abilities to move the team forward,” said team owner Chip Ganassi.

Brickyard 400 History: Montoya has made four career starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400. In those starts he has one top-five, one top-10 and has led 202 laps (116 laps in 2009, 86 in 2010). Montoya’s best start came last season when he qualified on the pole, and his best finish of second at IMS was in his first NSCS start at the track in 2007. With three front-row starting spots in four races, his average starting position at the Brickyard is 4.5.

A Familiar Place: In 2007, Juan Pablo Montoya made history by becoming the first driver to compete in all three major events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis 500, United States Grand Prix and the Brickyard 400). Montoya had six starts in the U.S. Grand Prix with a best start of third in 2001 and a top finish of fourth in 2002. He scored a victory in 2000 in his one, and only start for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Indianapolis 500, and has a best finish of second (2007) in four Brickyard 400 starts.

Doubling Up at Indy: If Montoya wins Sunday’s Brickyard 400, he will become the first driver in history to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. Also, when he takes the green flag at IMS this weekend, he will have competed at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 12th consecutive year, racing in three different series.

Top of the Charts: Since his rookie season in 2007, Montoya has been a factor at Indianapolis Motor Speedway every time the NSCS has raced there. In only four races at the famed track, he has moved to the top of multiple statistical categories including “Fastest Driver Early in a Run”, “Number of Fastest Laps Run”, “Fastest Car on Restarts” and “Number of Laps Led”. He is also second in “Driver Rating” (Tony Stewart 109.3) with a score of 106.4 and fourth in “Average Running Position” with an average place of 11.53.

Loudon Recap: Juan Pablo Montoya was looking to continue a streak of strong performances at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and gain some valuable points toward reaching the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The team appeared to be on the right track as Montoya was second fastest in final practice and followed that up with an eighth-place qualifying effort. The crew spent most of the race playing on pit strategy, expecting the finish to come down to fuel mileage. The Target Chevrolet pitted a total of seven times for fuel, tires and adjustments. The team ran as high as third and as low as 30th throughout the race. While running 13th with two laps remaining, the Target Chevrolet ran short on fuel and coasted back to the finish line for a 30th-place finish.

In the Points: Following Juan Pablo Montoya’s 30th-place finish, the No. 42 team dropped four positions to 17th in points. Montoya now sits 59 points out of 10th, the cut-off for Chase contention.

New cars for both teams; each tested at Indy in June (Getty)

CHASSIS INFO

No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1112. Jamie McMurray will pilot chassis #1112 for the first time in a race this season when the NSCS heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This only other track time that this car has seen was back in June for the Goodyear tire test at Kansas Speedway.

No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1107. Juan Pablo Montoya will race chassis #1107 for the first time this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This chassis was tested earlier this season at the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Press Release

Montoya Gets New Crew Chief Beginning at Indy on Interim Basis

Jim Pohlman takes over as crew chief for the No. 42 car 

CONCORD, NC (July 19, 2011) – Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced today they have made a crew chief change on the No. 42 Target Chevrolet driven by Juan Pablo Montoya. Effective immediately, Jim Pohlman, who has been with the organization since 2006 in numerous roles, was named interim crew chief of the No. 42 team.

“We are pleased to have someone of Jim’s caliber to be able to place into this role on the No. 42 team. Jim has been with us a number of years and I have confidence in his abilities to move the team forward,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi.

The No. 42 team is currently 17th in the point standings, 59 points out of the 10th position.

For more information log onto www.earnhardtganassi.com.

- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Press Release

Montoya Fastest in Richmond Happy Hour; Driver Quotes Following Practice

JPM tops final speed charts at Richmond

Top-5 Speeds from Friday's Final Practice Session:
#42-Montoya 125.360
#29-Harvick 125.354
#99-Edwards 125.145
#78-Smith 124.867
#33-Bowyer 124.378
slowest: #46-Yeley 113.203 & #7-Gordon 120.773
incident: #46-Yeley lost an engine early in the session.(Jayski.com)

The teams will return to the track at 5:35 PM (EST) this evening for their scheduled qualifying session, and then won’t return to the track until Saturday for the drop of the green flag at 7:30 PM (EST).



JAYSKI.COM PRACTICE SPEEDS PAGE






DRIVER QUOTES FOLLOWING FINAL PRACTICE AT RICHMOND

Edwards debuted new car Friday, looking for first Richmond win (Getty)

CARL EDWARDS ON BEING SECOND FASTEST IN THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION AND LOOKING FOR HIS FIRST WIN AT RICHMOND: “Yeah, a win at Richmond would be huge. We have had a great year so far and it has been a lot of fun. Our car is pretty fast. We are going to go do a solid qualifying practice here in a minute and we will find out how fast we are in qualifying trim compared to everyone else. We did make a qualifying run which is why we were so fast on the board. This is a fun weekend. I think all the drivers like racing here as far as I know. It is going to be a fun race tonight and a good race tomorrow. We are glad to have Scotts on board. I just got a bunch of grass seed from them that we are going to plant here in the next couple of days and find out exactly how well the stuff works. I am excited. They have been a lot of fun this year. We have had some good races and hopefully we can come out of here with the points lead. We are enjoying leading the points. It is fun for everybody on our team.”

CARL EDWARDS ON WHETHER THE DIFFERENT TIRES FROM WEEK TO WEEK HAS IMPACTED HIM: “I kind of quit asking what tires were on the car or if NASCAR changed them or not because it seems like they change them every time we come to the race track. It is easy to get lost when you focus on stuff like that too much. As a driver I focus on getting my car set up and working the best it can. I know it is a challenge. It makes it challenging when you come back to a track and the tires are different and what you had before isn’t even close. There is a lot that goes into trying to predict how things are going to be with new tires. As a driver I just go drive the thing as fast as it will go and try not to focus to much on that other stuff. I used to pay a little bit more attention and it just didn’t seem to help me. It is important to understand it but if you get mad about it because it doesn’t help.”

CARL EDWARDS ON WHY HE THINKS GOODYEAR IS CHANGING TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS SO FREQUENTLY: “Is this a different kind than we ran last time? Did you ask them that? I really don’t know. You know you can go ask them, they are right outside. It is a good question really but I don’t know what the deal is. It seems like they have had very safe tires lately and that is the most important thing. I don’t know why they are changing them.”




Kenseth's car rapidly improved from first to final practice session (Getty) 

 MATT KENSETH ON WHAT TO MAKE OF ALL THESE TIRE CHANGES? “I have no idea. It is the same for all of us when we show up and I don’t know all the differences all the time. There are some tracks we have been to this year where maybe they missed it a little bit like Bristol where we had a different tire. They are always trying to make it better I think and make the racing better. I believe it is the same tire we ran at Phoenix so I don’t think it is that different. Weekends when you run good you are wishing you could run that tire more and weekends you don’t run well then you won’t want to run that tire.”

MATT KENSETH ON HIS TWO PRACTICES FRIDAY: “The last practice was a little bit better. When you really don’t get on the track again except from qualifying you kind of go off what you felt like after your last practice and we hadn’t practiced very well. This one was a little better and we made some improvements and progress to get a little hope. It was looking grim after the first session. It wasn’t looking very good."



Busch looking for third Richmond win

 KYLE BUSCH ON WHY HE'S BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL AT RICHMOND: "I don’t know. It’s just been a really good race track. Somehow we’ve been able to figure it out in the races. Sometimes we don’t practice great, sometimes we don’t qualify great, but we’ve always been able to come up through there. The qualifying stats aren’t as pretty as the race stats, but you don’t put too much emphasis on that. Certainly you’d like to qualify well and have a good shot at staying up front and staying out of trouble, but we’ve been able to make our way up through there. I think the long green flag runs suit my style pretty well and I like being able to get out there and kind of get strung out and run at your own pace — run at your own agenda.”

KYLE BUSCH ON WHETHER HE FEELS YOUNGER DRIVERS GET PSYCHED OUT BY HIM aFTER RUNNING HAMLIN'S RACE THURSDAY NIGHT: “You’d have to ask them. They might not really admit it. I would say that has a little bit to do with it. I would say they put a little bit of added pressure on themselves going against myself at that particular moment. They may have just screwed up a little bit. If people just concentrate on being consistent and running their own race and not worrying about who’s around them they can sometimes be a lot better off.

Darrell (Wallace Jr.) he ran into me under the caution coming to the green trying to force me higher up to get my right sides in the stuff. I’m like, ‘Kid, what are you doing.’ You know, I’m a little bit smarter than that. I know what’s going on here. And then he about wrecked us both. Luckily, I held on to it. But, apparently he got hit from behind. I don’t know.”

KYLE BUSCH ON IF HE FEESL LIKE A MENTOR: “Well, I can talk to them, as much as they want to talk to me. I think they’re either intimidated by me or they just feel like they don’t need the help. I’ve never talked to Max (Gresham) or to Darrell (Wallace Jr.). I was kind of the same way. I always hated calling a Jeff Gordon or a Jimmie Johnson about stuff like that. You know, those guys have their own agenda and are doing their own deals, so it’s kind of tough sometimes to feel like you’re being bothersome to them. So, I can imagine they’re the same way.”




Strong in Q-trim early

  PAUL MENARD ON WHAT HE WAS WORKING ON IN PRACTICE — RACE OR QUALIFYING: “We were working on race trim the first practice. We started off in qualifying trim. The track was cooler than it will be this next session so we wanted to get a good number and get a late draw. Probably 10 or 15 guys did the same deal. We’ll have a good draw for qualifying I think. I’m not sure anybody’s going to go a whole lot faster in the second practice. Now it’s a short practice and we’ll work on qualifying trim.”

PAUL MENARD ON HOW HIS CAR WAS IN PRACTICE?: “It was okay. Qualifying trim was good. We switched over to race trim and it was pretty good. Made a couple changes and it was not good at all. Really kind of got behind. Basically just went back to how we unloaded, reset it and it was back to being okay. We’ll learn some things here. I don’t think we’ll change a whole lot.

Bowyer looking for a return to Richmond's victory lane

CLINT BOWYER ON HIS TWITTER PARTY AND HIS SURPRISE RICHMOND WIN FROM 2008: “It was. First of all, that win was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in Victory Lane because it was a surprise, you know? We had a fast car all day long and we put ourselves up there and put ourselves in position. That’s what you have to do. But nonetheless, the right circumstances played out and we were able to win the race. There was so much! You couldn’t help but to laugh about it, you know? I could kind of see it coming, and I knew that I needed to put myself in position and then it happened, and it was like, oh my God. I could see it coming. It happened! It was just an incredible feeling and an incredible win for us. To put BB&T in Victory Lane and everybody, I’ll never forget that day. It was a pretty wild and exciting time. I was actually worried about Kyle Busch (laughs). I didn’t know how I was going to get him out of here.

“And the Twitter thing? What a joke! Oh, my. I was involved in a Twitter party. Did I host the Twitter party? I attended a Twitter party. I don’t know why we just didn’t get on the phone and talk to each other (laughter).

Ask him this question and then type this answer and then see what he thinks about this and they said this and type that. It was a mess. I was mad (at his PR representative); and I’m still upset with him that he made me even participate in such a goofy thing. I’d better not say any more.”

Juan Pablo Montoya Captures Auto Club 400 Pole; Post Qualifying Driver Quotes

Juan Pablo Montoya is starting his 150th NASCAR race this Sunday

FONTANA, Calif. -- Juan Pablo Montoya will start on the pole for his 150th career NASCAR race.

Montoya had the fastest time in Friday's qualifying at Auto Club Speedway, hitting 184.653 mph on the 2-mile oval. The former Formula One driver will start Sunday's 400-mile race on the front row next to Denny Hamlin, looking for his first win on an oval after earning his sixth career pole.

Montoya has two career Sprint Cup victories, both on road courses. He hasn't qualified particularly well this season but has two top-10 finishes, including a third at Las Vegas.

Joey Logano qualified third and Regan Smith was fourth.

Overnight rain cut the practice session short after a two-hour delay and pushed back qualifying an hour.


POST QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES:
DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford (Qualified 6th) – “It was pretty interesting coming to the green. I thought I had spun our UPS car out. It was loose and I took it a little easy through turn one and two. It did what I needed it to. It was pretty good. It was pretty comfortable when we unloaded. We made quite a few adjustments for this qualifying lap. We lost a little momentum coming to the green. The speed we gave up was from the start finish line.”

DO YOU ANTICIPATE OTHER DRIVERS HAVING TO GIVE A LITTLE IN ONE AND TWO? “Yeah, you are carrying so much speed getting into one and two. You are 204 or 205 and don’t have a lot of banking. If you miss it just a little bit you slip and slide and move around. Those turns are the most critical two corners here. I feel like it was ugly but we got through there. I am happy with the lap. Hopefully it holds up for a top-10.”

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford (Qualified 18th) – “We just needed one more run in practice. We made wholesale changes and took a guess at it. If we had one more stab at it I think we could have been way faster. The car will be good in race trim for sure but we will just have to battle through the field.”

MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 DeWalt Ford (Qualified 13th) “We went back to what we did at Vegas a little bit. We gained a little because of that but I don’t think it will be good enough. We are out here early and the track is cooling off so there will be some fast times out there. I am proud of my team, very proud of these guys for believing in me.”

TREVOR BAYNE – No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford (Qualified 27th) – “I was a little disappointed with it but it is tough going from Nationwide to Cup cars. We see that a lot. They are all going to pack in front of us. Truex just ran a 6.02 and we ran a 6.03. It is that tight all the time. That little bobble messes you up. We were tight in the center and I hit the seam wrong and we lost some speed there. I think we could have run a 40 or 50. We weren’t a pole run for sure but we could have beaten a couple of those guys. We will see where we end up. I don’t know where it will be, maybe 25th or something but we can race and I can’t wait. This place is so weird. I hate practice and qualifying because you have to run the bottom but I love the race because you love the top all day. I can’t wait to get to race time.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Qualified 21st - “Just not the lap we were looking for in our Miller Lite Dodge Charger. We unloaded good here and unloaded good in Las Vegas and in qualifying just seemed to struggle. We’re missing a little bit of something. Hopefully we can figure it out before the race tomorrow.”

KURT BUSCH (No. 22 Auto Club Dodge Charger R/T) Qualified 23rd - “We’re still trying to figure out the balance on this Auto Club Dodge Charger. We’re loose one run, tight the next. We’re just struggling with front-end ride quality. There wasn’t a lot of practice time today, so tomorrow’s sessions will be a key in trying to get this car dialed in for the race.


Auto Club 400 Starting Lineup 

Driver Notes & Quotes For 2011 Budweiser Shootout

Denny Hamlin is ready to kick off a new year beginning with the Shootout

DENNY HAMLIN'S THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT: “The Shootout is a fun event and it’s a race that we all want to win. It’s unique because you aren’t worrying about points, about how it’s going to affect your season. You’ll probably see guys try things in the Shootout that you won’t see in the 500 but it’s a short race and the format means that there is nothing to lose at the end. I think that’s what the fans like about this race. We just go out there and race.”

HAMLIN'S OUTLOOK FOR THE 2011 SEASON: “I’m ready to go. I feel as confident as we’ve ever been. Every year we’ve steadily made a progression towards the top and obviously had a career year last year. We know we can do it and we can win at all different kinds of race tracks. For me, I think we have everything in place. I’m keeping all of my key personnel from what we had last year. No changes there. Pit crew is the same. The driver will be a little bit better. Everything is in place to hopefully pull out a first one.”

HAMLIN ON WHETHER HE'S THE DRIVER TO UNSEAT JOHNSON: “I hope so. This is almost a free year for me. A lot of people are going to expect us to have a bad year coming off such a good year, because the expectations were so high last year. We came through and succeeded in winning a bunch of races like we said we were. We were championship contenders — almost won the championship. And this year, a lot of people expect a letdown year because it’s happened to guys before. For me, I know my passion for racing, and it’s impossible for me to fail in that aspect. Unless something crazy happens, we’re going to be right back in the same position this year as what we were last year.”

HAMLIN ON THE NEW POINTS SYSTEM: “I think (NASCAR) hit it right on the head. I really don’t think they could’ve made it any simpler for the new race fan coming into the sport or the driver that knows he’s 10 points behind. He’s got to pass 10 cars. It makes things so much simpler and for me it’s well understood. I think it’s going to reward those guys that go out and win during the regular season. It’s going to give you three bonus points. That’s three spots — that’s like 15 points going into the Chase versus last year’s 10. It’s going to pay to win races nowadays.”

HAMLIN REGARDING HIS STRATEGY FOR SEASON WITH NEW POINTS SYSTEM: “I think you’re going to have to run it the exact same way. The only difference is that wins are obviously going to pay more points. I like it. Of course, we won a lot of races last year. If we don’t win any going into the Chase this year, I’m not going to like it that much, but it should pay the guy that wins. You should see a battle — a guy that’s giving it all he’s got running second trying to win the race. I think NASCAR set that up for us, teed it up for us, and now it’s up to us to go out there and put on the show.”

Greg Biffle excited as ever to start the season

GREG BIFFLE ON THE BUD SHOOTOUT: This is about the most excited I can remember being about the start of a season. We had a good test at Daytona last month and we’re looking forward to seeing what we’ve got in the draft. The Shootout is a big deal if for no other reason than it is the first race of the season. It’s not a points race, so we can go out there and just have fun with it. It’s always good to get the extra laps and be able to experiment with a few things during practice and even the during the Shootout. I think we’re all just looking forward to getting back to racing.”

BIFFLE'S CREW CHIEF GREG ERWIN ON THE SHOOTOUT: "It's obviously very advantageous to be in the Shootout to get the extra track time for the Daytona 500. If you can go down there and run well in the Shootout, that can be a big morale booster for next week. It just really gives everyone on the team including the driver a chance to kind of work the bugs out before we get into a points race. We didn’t get to do a lot of drafting at the test, so the Shootout will give us a better indication of how our cars will perform in traffic. We believe the new nose we have for this season will be beneficial but it will be great to test that in race conditions before the 500.”

MATT KENSETH ON RACING IN THE BUD SHOOTOUT: “We had the chance to get on track at Daytona twice during the off-season with a tire test as well as NASCAR’s test in January and we have a lot more grip with the new track surface. In the past, handling was one of the main points we’d focus on for Daytona, but now with the new surface, I really think it’s going to make for extremely exciting racing. I think we definitely have what it takes to be contenders this season and I’m just looking forward to getting back onto the track to start this season with our Crown Royal team. The Shootout should be a lot of fun Saturday night for both drivers and the fans.”

KENSETH CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-719 (Brand new chassis)

Carl Edwards is ready to pick up where he left off in 2010

CARL EDWARDS ON RACING IN THE BUD SHOOTOUT: “With the new surface the Shootout is going to be a really important race to be able to go no holds barred and find out the most you can about the race track and the way the cars are going to race for the 500. It’s a fun race and I’m going to go win it if I can, and I’m excited to kick off the season with a fun race like that.”

EDWARDS' CREW CHIEF BOB OSBORNE ON THE SHOOTOUT: “The Shootout is a good test to help us prepare for the Duels and the 500. Generally the set-up is very close to what we run in both races, and it gives us a chance to see what the new surface is like in race conditions. It’s also a good warm-up for the pit crew. We’ve got one new guy (front tire carrier) going over the wall this year and a new fueling system, so it gives everyone a chance to work together for the first time under race conditions. I’m hoping to pick up where we left off last season.”

EDWARDS CHASSIS CHOICE: RK-677, Finished 9th in the 2010 Daytona 500

JAMIE McMURRAY BUD SHOOTOUT CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #808. The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats team will bring chassis #808 to the Bud Shootout. This is the same chassis McMurray drove to a third-place finish in last year’s Shootout.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA BUD SHOOTOUT CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #809. Bryan Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #901 to the Bud Shootout. This is the chassis that the Montoya qualified on the pole and drove to a third-place finish at Talladega in the fall of 2010.

- From Team PR Releases

Montoya Captures Talladega Pole

Sporting News Wire Service

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Benefiting from an early qualifying draw, Juan Montoya sped around 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway in 51.863 seconds (184.640 mph) Saturday to win the pole for Sunday's Amp Energy Juice 500.

The pole was Montoya's second at Talladega, his third of the season and the fifth of his Cup career. Montoya was the sixth driver to make a qualifying attempt.

Clint Bowyer (184.498 mph) qualified second for the seventh race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kurt Busch (184.388 mph) will start third, followed by Joe Nemechek (184.253 mph) andJeff Burton (184.161 mph).

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dave Blaney, Ryan Newman, Casey Mears and Sam Hornish Jr. will take the green flag from positions six through 10, respectively.

Chase leader Jimmie Johnson starts 19th, with second-place Denny Hamlin 17th and third-placeKevin Harvick 14th. Harvick won this season's spring race at Talladega but hasn't finished better than 20th in the previous three fall races.

Landon Cassill, Travis Kvapil and Johnny Sauter failed to qualify for the 43-car field.

Notes-n-Nuggets

• Juan Montoya earned his fifth Cup Series pole in his 142nd start.

• Juan Montoya has never won from the pole.

• Chevrolet earns its 15th pole in 2010; Ford has six, Toyota has six and Dodge has three.

• Jeff Gordon is the last driver to win from the pole at Talladega (April '07).

• Three of the past six Talladega races were won from 22nd or lower; the other three were won from the top 10.

• There have been six different race winners in the past six races at Talladega.

• Jamie McMurray finished first and second in the past two Talladega races.

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored top-15 finishes in the past three Talladega races.

• Jeff Burton finished 12th or better in four of the past five Talladega races.

• Kevin Harvick scored top-10 finishes in all three restrictor-plate races in 2010, the only driver to do so.

• Clint Bowyer (second) posted his career-best start in 20 restrictor-plate races.

• Kurt Busch (third) posted his career-best start in 40 restrictor-plate races.

• Joe Nemechek (fourth) was the fastest of the 11 go-or-go homers.

STARTING LINEUP

Montoya Dominated First Martinsville Practice; Stewart Fastest Late

Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin both jumped over Juan Pablo Montoya in the closing minutes of the first practice session at Martinsville Speedway. Montoya had dominated the leader board throughout in race trim as well as qualifying trim. Jeff Gordon and Hamlin were consistent throughout in both set-ups, but Jimmie Johnson never got up to speed. Gordon finished ninth while Johnson finished 13th fastest.

Practice 1 Speeds

Friday's First practice for the Tum's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway is being over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top-5, slowest and notes:
#14-Stewart 97.548 
#11-Hamlin 97.422
#42-Montoya 97.312
#16-Biffle 97.202
#00-Reutimann 97.172
#83-Kahne = 29th
#9-Almirola = 36th
slowest: #7-Conway 93.999 and #66-Johnny Sauter 94.097
incidents: #66-Sauter said he had something go wrong with the car and backed the car in to the wall, looks like the team will need a backup. #92-Setzer and smacked the wall and looks like the team will need a backup but has none, so the team has withdrawn from the race. #47-Ambrose spun out in turn 2, looks like no damage, cool looking paint scheme on the #47.(10-22-2010) From Jayski.com

Montoya Dominates at The Glen; Wins First Race Since Sonoma 2007

Juan Pablo Montoya held off the mid-race charges of a determined Marcos Ambrose and won the Sprint Cup road race at Watkins Glen International Sunday, capturing his first Cup race since 2007.

Montoya won in style, stretching out his lead over Ambrose to more than three seconds after a battle into the first turn on the final restart with 16 laps to go.

"This is what it's all about, right here," Montoya said on his radio after taking the checkered flag.

"Juan, you drove the race of your career," crew chief Brian Pattie said. "It was tremendous. Zero mistakes."

Kurt Busch battled past Ambrose late in the race to finish second. Ambrose was third, followed by AJ Allmendinger and Carl Edwards. Jamie McMurray was sixth, followed by Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon. Points leader Kevin Harvick finished 11th and maintained his points lead.

"It's about time to get another one," Montoya said in victory lane.

Ambrose, who started 11th, battled to the front and did get past Montoya on lap 40. "I just wore everything out trying to get him and I finally got him," Ambrose said. But he lost the lead to Montoya on a subsequent restart on lap 46 when his car wheel-hopped going into turn one.

Watkins Glen Final Results

Lots of Chevy's Look Primed To Get Their Eighth Straight Brickyard 400 Win

By Micah Roberts

Las Vegas Review-Journal

No matter how hard you try, it’s tough to make a case for any manufacturer other than Chevy to win Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at the storied grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Not only does history point to a Chevy win, but the actual performance during Saturday’s qualifying and final practice sessions all lean to the guys with bow ties.

You can make a slight case for Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin or Kurt Busch, who represent the best their manufacturers have to offer, but it will be a tough hill to climb to get past all the great Chevys. It’s not just because a Chevy has won the last seven Brickyard 400s, or that nine of the top-10 qualifiers are Chevys; rather it has more to do with the sheer volume of quality performances during practice by those driving the Impalas.

Friday’s two practices and Saturday's qualifying session were dominated by Juan Pablo Montoya. He lit up the boards with fastest laps during each of the two practice sessions and then went out and laid down the fastest lap in qualifying for the pole. The 2000 Indy 500 winner not only has a fast car this week, but he has unfinished business at the Brickyard as well, making him a top candidate to win Sunday. It still burns Montoya that he was penalized late in last year's race while leading. He put on an awesome display while leading 116 laps, only to finish a disappointing 11th.

Montoya wasn’t as impressive during Saturday’s post-qualifying practice while running exclusively in race trim as opposed to Friday’s top laps while in qualifying trim, but it’s going to be tough for someone to take away Position 1 throughout the day just because it’s his kind of track. The flat, sweeping left turns of Indy suit Montoya well and in many ways make entering and exiting the turns similar to a road course.

Montoya’s teammate, Jamie McMurray, will start fourth and is using the same car that finished runner-up in the Coca-Cola 600 in May. The duo will attempt to give car owner Chip Ganassi an unprecedented triple crown of sorts by winning the race. No car owner has ever won the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 in the same year as Ganassi did this year, and adding that third prestigious trophy to the case would be the ultimate gift any driver could give his owner.  

The most impressive group of cars during the final practice sessions came from the trio of Childress drivers led by Jeff Burton. Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick each had solid practices as well, giving all three drivers at least one session where they were no worse than third-fastest. For Burton, his practices were equally similar to Pocono, where he had a strong run despite finishing seventh. Burton was fastest during the first session and second-best during happy hour, and it’s not so coincidental that he’s using the exact same chassis he did at Pocono.

Two of the bigger underlying themes coming into the race involve Chevy drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and the all-time track records they could shatter. The Brickyard has been in existence for over 100 years and this week's race is only the 17th time NASCAR has had the honor of racing on it. But Gordon and Johnson could enter some hollowed territory should either of them win.

If Johnson wins Sunday, he would become the only driver — in Indy cars or stock cars — to win three straight races on the oval of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Michael Schumacher won the USGP four straight times on the infield road course and five overall. Jeff Gordon could tie Schumacher’s all-time facility mark with a win and pass A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears, whom he is currently tied with at four wins on the oval, a list Johnson is also attempting to join this week.

Johnson and Gordon also share a common bond with their past wins resulting in championships. Gordon has won the Sprint Cup title in two of the four years he’s won on the Bricks, while each of Johnson’s three wins have resulted in a title. Gordon and Johnson are part of an elite group in that area as well. Only two of the 16 Brickyard 400 races have been won by drivers who haven’t won a Championship — Kevin Harvick and Ricky Rudd, and in eight of the 16 instances, drivers that won the race also won the title the same year.

Based on the final practice sessions, neither Johnson or Gordon look to be top contenders, but they are a must for consideration just because of their history. Johnson’s final practice looked similar to what he did at Pocono, where he finished fifth, and he’s using the same chassis this week. Gordon’s practice didn’t raise any eyebrows, and was actually kind of mediocre, but it’s very reminiscent to his practices from 2004, the last time he won on the track.          

Mark Martin will use the same car this week that led 14 laps and finished runner-up in last year's Brickyard 400. He’s one of only four drivers to have competed in all 16 NASCAR races at Indy and has done very well compiling six top-five finishes, with a 13.4 average finish. He is one of the few, like Burton, who had terrific practices for both Friday and Saturday sessions. The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book has Martin listed at 40 to 1, which is easily the best value on the board. 

Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman are both teammates who drive Chevys and hail from Indiana. Newman looked the stronger of the two in practice, but Stewart is never someone to gauge on mere practice times because he always seems to do better than what he practiced. And when it comes to the Brickyard, Stewart gets greedy. He’s a two-time winner on his home track and holds the track record for best average finish at 8.5. If using Pocono as a model comparison because of the similarities between the horsepower needed on the long straightaways and the proper balance needed on the flat turns -- a race where Stewart finished third -- then he should be OK for this race despite his practice times.

Toyota's hopes lie within an unsuspecting source. Usually, it’s either Denny Hamlin or Kyle Busch who give the manufacturer the best chance to win. But this week it rests with Martin Truex Jr., who was the fastest during happy hour. Michael Waltrip Racing already gained an impressive win two weeks ago at Chicago, but a win at the Brickyard would be a little sweeter for the team making serious noise against all the mega-teams in NASCAR.   

As for Hamlin, he has been in a bit of a tailspin since winning at Michigan six weeks ago. After getting five wins in the first 15 races, Hamlin has experienced finishes of 34th, 14th and 24th over the last four races. It all started with an awful run at Sonoma, where Hamlin admittedly said the team didn’t do any type of testing and didn’t take the race seriously because the road courses represent only two races a year. While the logic may appear sound, the lackadaisical preparation for that race carried over into other places where he should have run well.

Hamlin should be in good shape this week because of Indy’s flat surface. On the similar track of Pocono, Hamlin has four career wins, including a victory there this season. During Saturday’s early practice session, Hamlin looked strong as he ran the most laps and had great average speeds. It was a little surprising to see that Hamlin didn’t bring his Pocono chassis this week because the tracks are so similar and because Hamlin has dominated every race with that car going, three-for-three in wins. His practice was good, but there would definitely be more comfort if he had his money car.

The ugly duckling of NASCAR this year has been Ford, which has gone winless through the first 19 races — the longest such drought since 1977. A Ford also hasn’t won at the Brickyard since 1999, when Dale Jarrett turned the trick. Ford's hopes this week rest with Kasey Kahne who had the quickest average lap speeds during happy hour among all drivers that ran at least 20 laps. Kahne is using his Michigan chassis that finished second.

The trio of Penske Dodges didn’t stand out in any practice session. Dodge's hope for gaining a win is with Kurt Busch, who will be using his winning Coca-Cola 600 chassis. Even though Dodge is the last non-Chevy to win at Indy, it doesn’t look promising this week.

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