Martinsville Storylines

Harvick passes Dale Jr late for win in first Martinsville race

Then there were five?

Mathematically, all 12 drivers are still eligible to win the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. But realistically, only the top five look like real contenders with four races remaining in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

That leaves five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson out. Or does it? That’s the major question – and storyline – heading into this weekend’s TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

With three races remaining, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship picture has dwindled to four drivers, with Austin Dillon holding a scant three-point advantage over fellow young gun James Buescher heading into Saturday’s Kroger 200 at Martinsville.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has its second consecutive open week. The series saw one of its own – Mike Wallace – capture victory at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.


NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

This Might Be It For Johnson
Jimmie Johnson, who has won an unprecedented five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championships, took another hit in the points with his 26th finish at Talladega. He is now 50 points behind leader Carl Edwards with just four races remaining.

To put that in an historical perspective: A 50-point deficit roughly translates to 208 points under the points system of years past. Since the inception of the current position-based points format, the largest deficit ever overcome with four race remaining is 144 by Alan Kulwicki in 1992. One bright side: Johnson dominates at Martinsville. At the Virginia short track, Johnson has six wins and a series-high Driver Rating of 121.9.

If Johnson doesn't win Sunday, it will be the first year since 2005 that he hasn't won a short track race in a season.

Dale Jr. Looks To End Slide At Paper Clip
Talladega was unusually unkind to Dale Earnhardt Jr., as NASCAR’s eight-time Most Popular Driver finished an uncharacteristic 25th to extend his wins drought to 125.

But another Earnhardt favorite awaits: Martinsville Speedway. He finished second there in the spring, and his Driver Rating of 98.9 makes the short track his best in terms of the loop data statistic.

Carl Edwards: Actor, Cover Boy…Champion?
This doesn’t make sense, but: Carl Edwards worst finish of this year’s Chase may have been his best.

At least he thought so. Edwards finished 11th at Talladega, and was ecstatic about escaping the treacherous track unscathed – and with a bigger points lead than he had entering the big track

He holds a 14-point lead over second-place Matt Kenseth, his Roush Fenway Racing teammate and 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.

Points Tight At The Top

Edwards and Kenseth at disadvantage at Martinsville (Getty)

Sunday’s race could be the defining moment of the championship hunt for the top-five drivers, all of whom are within 26 points of the lead.

Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth: For the first time in Chase history, Roush Fenway Racing occupies spots 1-2 in the championship standings. BUT…those positions are tenuous at best. Edwards and Kenseth have been up-and-down at Martinsville. Edwards has an average finish of 16.9 with just three laps led in 14 starts at Martinsville. Kenseth has just two top fives in 23 starts there.

Brad Keselowski: Keselowski, third in points, is the dark horse at Martinsville. In three starts, he has one top 10 – a 10th in this race last year.

Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick: It’s go-time for these two marquee drivers. Stewart has two victories at Martinsville. Harvick won the spring race there, and finished third in this race last season.

RCR Reaches Milestone; Hendrick On Deck
With its Talladega victory, Richard Childress Racing captured win No. 100 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Their first came in 1983.

Up next: Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th win. They’re one away from the major milestone. When they hit it, HMS will be only the second team ever to reach 200 victories, joining Petty Enterprises. If they do reach No. 200 this weekend, they’ll also tie Petty Enterprises with most wins all-time at Martinsville (19).

- NASCAR Media Services

Las Vegas Hilton Super Book Odds to Win Martinsville Tums Fast Relief 500

TUMS FAST RELIEF 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

CARL EDWARDS 18
JIMMIE JOHNSON 5
KYLE BUSCH 7
JEFF GORDON 6
MATT KENSETH 30
KEVIN HARVICK 6
DENNY HAMLIN 6
KURT BUSCH 30
TONY STEWART 7
DALE EARNHARDT JR 18
GREG BIFFLE 40
KASEY KAHNE 40
CLINT BOWYER 18
RYAN NEWMAN 25
BRAD KESELOWSKI 18
JOEY LOGANO 40
MARTIN TRUEX JR 50
DAVID RAGAN 50
JUAN MONTOYA 40
MARK MARTIN 40
JEFF BURTON 30
JAMIE McMURRAY 40
BRIAN VICKERS 100
DAVID REUTIMANN 100
PAUL MENARD 50
AJ ALLMENDINGER 75
MARCOS AMBROSE 100
REGAN SMITH 200
BOBBY LABONTE 1000
FIELD 300

Final Talladega Driver Ratings Following All Practice & Qualifying Sessions

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Good Sam Club 500
Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, October 23, 2011 - 11:16 pm (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds       Practice 1    Practice 2    Qualified    Talladega 1*

 1. Kevin Harvick 10/1            17th           DNP           13th            5th
2010 winner with two additional plate race wins at Daytona; tandem racing w/Paul Menard
 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12/1     21st             6th              6th             4th
Five-time winner, the last time in 2004, runner-up in 2009; tandem racing w/Jimmie Johnson
 3. Jeff Gordon 12/1                4th             10th             5th             3rd
Six-time winner, the last in 2007, inches away from winning in April; tandem racing w/Mark Martin
 4. Jimmie Johnson 12/1        22nd            5th              2nd            1st
Two-time winner, has never been so desperate for points in fall race; using winning car from April.
 5. Clint Bowyer 20/1              13th           DNP            3rd             2nd
2010 fall winner will be using teammate Paul Menard’s chassis; tandem racing w/Jeff Burton
 6. Kurt Busch 12/1                 12th            15th           14th           18th
No wins in any point plate races. Using winning Bud Shootout car; tandem racing w/Regan Smith.
 7. Kyle Busch 12/1                 26th             4th            34th           35th
2008 winner, his only top-five finish. Debuts new chassis; tandem racing w/Joey Logano.
 8. Mark Martin 30/1                 3rd             9th              1st             8th
Two-time winner, the last coming in 1997. Solid candidate because of owner and tandem partner.
 9. David Ragan 20/1              15th            12th            8th            39th  
Using winning Daytona chassis from July, also will have same driver (Kenseth) pushing him again.
10. Matt Kenseth 20/1             16th            11th           11th           36th
No top-10s since 2006, but is using same chassis that pushed Ragan to win at Daytona

* Results from the season’s first race held at Talladega on April 17, 2011. This is the fourth and final restrictor-plate race of the season.

Note: The fastest way around restrictor-plate races this season has been with drivers teaming up together forming a two-car draft train. Most drivers already know who they’ll be tandem racing with on Sunday.
     
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

MWR Teammates Fastest in Final Talladega Practice Session

It was David Reutimann, with a lap speed of 197.159 mph, on top of the speed charts in the final Good Sam Club 500 practice session at Talladega Superspeedway.

Second on the speed charts with a lap speed of 197.143 mph, was Martin Truex, Jr., followed by Joey Logano (196.350), Kyle Busch (196.346) and Jimmie Johnson (196.306).

You can see where this is going, right. It's one teammate after another in the two car tandem racing.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest during final practice was Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (196.302), Juan Pablo Montoya (196.025), Jamie McMurray (196.025), Mark Martin (195.632) and of course his drafting partner, Jeff Gordon (195.624).

It was interesting once again to watch all the two-car teams in action today.

In the first session Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards teamed up to be fastest followed by the Martin-Gordon duo. We also saw Marcos Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger post some fast times together.

It was interesting watching Kurt Busch team with his restrictor-plate buddy Regan Smith, even though he has a teammate in Brad Keselowski. Busch and Ragan have teamed up all season in the plate races, including the Gatorade Duel which Busch won.

Next up is qualifying tomorrow.

Practice Speeds from Friday

Driver Chassis Selections for Talladega Good Sam Club 500

Note: Not all teams list their chassis selections in press releases

Jamie McMurray has been very good in plate races (Getty)

#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevy will be bringing chassis #1118 to Talladega for this weekend's Good Sam Club 500. This is a brand new chassis that has never been used before.

#2-Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-639 during Sunday's Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Brad Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 15th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in July. The featured tag line on the bumper of the "Blue Deuce" this weekend at Talladega will be "In Honor Of Dan," to honor the life and legacy of IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, who passed away last Sunday.

#5-Mark Martin: crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-632 for Sunday's race at Talladega. This is the same chassis Martin has driven in all three of the restrictor-plate events held so far this season, earning two top-10 finishes, eighth, most recently, at Talladega and 10th in the season-opening Daytona 500.

#6-David Ragan: Driving the same chassis that earned him his first Sprint Cup series victory at Daytona in July, RK-691. Beginning this weekend in Talladega and running through the end of the season, UPS My Choice will be featured as the primary design on David Ragan's No. 6 UPS Ford. UPS My Choice is a game-changing new service introduced by UPS in October that dramatically increases the likelihood of a successful package delivery on the first attempt by providing package recipients delivery alerts, specific delivery time frames, reroute options, visibility tools and electronic signature release, all by accessing ups.com through a computer or mobile phone.

#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 721 for the 500-mile event at Talladega Superspeedway. This Stanley Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Daytona International Speedway in July. Australian Word of the Week: Station = A Big Farm or A Large Area of Grass for Grazing.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-634 debuted during Daytona Speedweeks. It set the 10th fastest time in Daytona 500 qualifying, which slotted it fifth for the Gatorade Duel. In that race, Stewart drove Chassis No. 14-634 to a 12th-place finish, which gave him a 25th-place starting spot for the Daytona 500. It had numerous sessions in the wind tunnel between Daytona and the April 17 race at Talladega, where in its third career start, it finished 17th after starting 30th. It returned to Daytona in July for the Coke Zero 400, where it started 19th and finished 11th. The Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega will mark Chassis No. 14-634's fifth career start and last of the 2011 season.

#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-779 which last run at Daytona. This weekend at Talladega, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Jeremiah Weed Ford Fusion.

#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 321 is a brand new chassis that will make its debut in Sunday's Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway running the orange Halloween M&M's colors.

Hard to believe Busch has never won a points plate race

#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-640" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend in the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This was the car that Busch debuted with an impressive victory in the season-opening Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Busch started 17th and paired up with Jamie McMurray to win his first Sprint Cup event on a restrictor-plate track. The team also used this car in the spring race at Talladega. Busch started eighth and was running sixth with two laps to go, but lost his drafting mate and fell to 18th at the finish. The "PRS-641" chassis will serve as the backup Dodge Charger for this weekend.

#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 335 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new #27 Serta/Menards Chevy Impala that will turn its first laps during opening practice on Friday at Talladega.

#29-Kevin Harvick: and Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches Chevy team will race chassis No. 377 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. It is a brand new racer that will see its first on-track activity this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

#31-Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 337 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Good Sam Club 500. Built new for the 2011 season, this #31 Caterpillar Chevy tested at Daytona International Speedway in January but will be put through its first competitive laps this weekend at Talladega. Thompson Tractor Company and Puckett Machinery will be featured on the deck lid of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for Talladega Superspeedway's weekend event.

#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 338 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #33 Chevy 100 Years Chevy was originally a #27 racer that has been driven three times this season by RCR teammate Paul Menard in the Daytona 500 (started-19th, finished-ninth), at Talladega Superspeedway in April (started-fifth, finished-12th) and at Daytona International Speedway in July (started-10th, finished-eighth).

#35-Geoff Bodine: will pilot the No. 19 chassis this weekend. Bodine competed at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero 400 in this chassis. He started 35th and looked to have a solid day before the wheel barring broke, relegating the team to a 38th-place finish. TBR also ran the No. 19 chassis with Steve Park at Talladega Superspeedway this season. Park started 33rd before and electrical issue ended his day early.

#36-Dave Blaney will pilot the No. 27 chassis this weekend at Talladega. He most recently piloted the chassis at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400, as well as the Daytona 500. Most notably, he drove the chassis at Talladega Superspeedway in April where he led 21 laps before a late-race spin spoiled a solid run.

#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Jim Pohlman and the #42 Energizer team have decided to bring chassis #1117 to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. This brand new chassis will see its first race action of the year in the Good Sam Club 500.

#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 722 for this weekend's event at Talladega Superspeedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Daytona and Talladega's first event of the season.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: will drive chassis No. 628 in Sunday's restrictor-plate race. He won the April race at Talladega Superspeedway in that chassis. Johnson finished fourth in backup chassis No. 618 in February's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-629. Earnhardt has raced this chassis three times this year -- the Gatorade Duel 150, the April event at Talladega and the July race at Daytona International Speedway.

#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Subway team will be unloading chassis RK-677 this weekend at Talladega. This car raced in the Budweiser Shootout in February, Talladega in April and Daytona in July.

- compiled by Jayski.com

Talladega Preview

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

As if last weeks race at Charlotte didn’t shuffle things up enough in NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship, we get the ultimate wild card race at Talladega this week. Every driver has a chance to win and each has also the same chance at finishing 30th or worse. Only five races are left and after Sunday’s race, things should be a lot clearer.

One of the greatest things I like about this years restrictor-plate racing, beyond cars going close to 200 mph, is the tandem racing. I like seeing teammates working together, or drivers who don’t really like each other learning to trust one another as they create an impromptu alliance because they have to in the moment. It’s a nice change of pace and adds some spice to the 36 race season.

What we have seen for the most part is teammates finding each other regardless if it means losing a few positions while waiting for their partner to catch up. The Hendrick drivers all figure to pair-up, as will Roush and RCR. Where it gets fun is when a driver’s partner has fallen out of the race and now they have to see who finds them attractive and is willing to give up on their current alliance.

It’s all about who is fastest paired up. Some drivers are better as pushers than pullers in the draft and after three races in this type of format, most teams have their plan B and C options knowing who will be the best option for them when plan A goes crashing, and it usually does.

The restrictor-plates for this weeks race will be a little larger than what we have seen in the first three plate races which will makes the speeds be a little bit higher, but most drivers still expect tandem racing to be the fastest way around the track.

The big story last week was Jimmie Johnson crashing late in the Charlotte race giving him a 34th-place finish and dropping him five positions to eighth in points, 35 points behind Carl Edwards. We can never count him out, but he’s in a position unlike any we’ve seen him in over the last five years of winning championships. He comes to Talladega this week hoping to match his victory from the first race there in April and is using the same car from that race this week.

For Edwards, he can probably taste the victory champagne already as he continues to have excellent finishes week after week. He has Las Vegas as his only victory on the season, but his consistency is what has gotten him to the top. He currently leads all drivers in top-five (16) and Top-10 finishes (22).

Roush drivers have proven to be better in the restrictor-plate races over the last two seasons, but Edwards looks to have a slim chance at finishing well. In 14 career races at Talladega he has only one to-five finish there, fifth-place in 2005. If he can duplicate his sixth-place finish from April, he will consider it a victory and be in prime position to capture the championship with four races to go.

The driver currently five points back in second-place that no one seems to be talking about is Kevin Harvick. He’s tied with Kyle Busch for the most wins on the season with four, but hasn’t garnered the attention deserved for such an outstanding season. This week at Talladega, he’ll be one of the favorites because he’s shown to be one of the more consistent drivers over his last three races there. He won and finished runner-up in 2010 and then finished fifth in this years race.

“Restrictor plate stuff has been great for us, you never know how it is going to go at Talladega, but we have been pretty good there in the past," Harvick said earlier this week. "I don’t anticipate the restrictor plate change doing anything. I think the speeds will be a little bit higher. I think the pop-off valve will probably be a bigger change than the restrictor plate for sure. I don’t think it’s going to change the two-car tandem other than you’re going to have to switch spots a lot more to keep the engine cool. For whatever reason, we’ve just always had a good plate program at RCR and when you have good cars, it makes it a lot easier to have success. We’ll stick with our teammates and see where we fall at the end.

Jeff Gordon is a six-time Talladega winner and finished third in the April race as three cars came to the finish line simulataneously. He knows he's got good stuff, but he's still not quite sure what his strategy will be for Sunday.

“My strategy is to race whatever way gives us the best chance to win," said Gordon. "I think the bonus ($100k to the driver who leads the most laps, provided there are 100 or more lead changes during the race) is a cool thing that the track is doing, and 100 might be reachable. Our plan is to be there at the end battling for the win. That could mean battling lap-after-lap for the lead, or it could mean staying a safe distance back and watching the race unfold. It could also be a mixture of the two. We’ll just have to wait and see once the green flag is waved."

The driver sneaking up on everyone is 2003 NASCAR Champion Matt Kenseth who won last week’s race, his third of the season. He’s only seven points behind and has put together four straight races coming in that has seen him finish sixth or better. He’s in the same boat as his teammate, Edwards, in that he hasn’t had a lot of success at Talladega, but if he could muster a top-10 finish it would go along way for the stretch run. His last top-10 at Talladega came in 2006. This week he'll be using the same chassis that finished runner-up at Daytona in July, the car that pushed David Ragan to victory.

“It’s kind of different doing a team-style race because you can’t do it by yourself at these superspeedway tracks anymore, you need a partner in order to have a good race," said Kenseth. "If you win or finish second, you know the other guy was just as responsible for your finish as you were in a way, so it’s definitely different. We had a great finish last weekend so we’ll take the momentum and just try to keep getting the best finishes we can in these final five weekends of the season for our No. 17 team.”

Just a side note on Kenseth's teammate David Ragan: He'll be using that same winning car that Kenseth pushed to victory at Daytona this week at Talladega. Of all the types of tracks on the circuit, Ragan has always looked his most comfortable in plate races.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, becomes a player this week because of the plates, even though he says he hates them, especially with having the tendem racing. But nevertheless, he's a five-time winner at Talladega and can run with the best of them. Despite not winning at Talladega since 2004, he has shown some consistency. This type of racing is in his blood. He finished fourth in the April race and was runner-up in 2009. This could be the ideal situation for him to end several winless streaks all at once.

As is the case for any restrictor-plate race, be careful of laying too much in any driver match-up no matter who the driver is. By the same token, you can almost take any driver at plus-money because anything can, and usually does happen. A long shot probably has a better chance of hitting at any one of the plate race tracks than any other type. There aren't many odds-to-win bets that anyone could say, "that driver has no shot this week."

Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (10/1)
2) #29 Kevin Harvick (8/1)
3) #33 Clint Bowyer (10/1)
4) #24 Jeff Gordon (10/1)
5) #2 Kurt Busch (12/1)

Bowyer Looking For Second Straight Talladega Fall Win

Clint Bowyer
No. 33 Chevy 100 Years Chevrolet

This Week’s Chevy 100 Years Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 338 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Chevrolet Impala was originally a No. 27 racer that has been driven three times this season by RCR teammate Paul Menard in the Daytona 500 (started-19th, finished-ninth), at Talladega Superspeedway in April (started-fifth, finished-12th) and at Daytona International Speedway in July (started-10th, finished-eighth).

Career Talladega Stats … The Good Sam Club 500 marks Bowyer’s 213th NSCS start.

o In 11 NSCS starts at Talladega, Bowyer owns one win, three top-five and five top-10 finishes.
o He has completed 80.2 percent (1,675 of 2,089) of the total laps contested at TSS during his career.
o The Emporia, Kan., native has led 63 laps at the 2.66-mile oval.
o Bowyer owns a 21.1 average starting position and a 17.8 average finishing position.

100 years of Chevy … Richard Childress Racing will honor Chevrolet’s 100years with a special silver-and-black paint scheme on the No. 33 Chevrolet driven by Bowyer this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.The hood from the No. 33 Chevrolet 100 Years Chevrolet Impala and the race-worn firesuit of driver Bowyer will be auctioned by Chevrolet to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program. The hood will be signed by Richard Childress as well as Bowyer and his RCR NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teammates: Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Menard. Childress and Bowyer will also sign the firesuit.

Site of First NASCAR Pole … In just his third NASCAR start, Bowyer earned his first career NASCAR pole award for the April 2004 running of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega.

Defending Champion … Bowyer and RCR teammate Kevin Harvick finished 1-2 in last October’s Talladega 500. The trip to Victory Lane with Bowyer gave car owner Richard Childress his 11th victory at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Bowyer led nine times for 19 laps on the way to his fourth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

So Close in April … Bowyer led a race high 15 times for 38 laps as the No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet team narrowly missed a second consecutive trip to Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing a NASCAR-record tying 0.002 seconds behind race winner Jimmie Johnson in a four-wide finish in the Aaron’s 499.

Looking Back on Charlotte … After a 19th-place qualifying effort on Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bowyer’s No. 33 Chevrolet became really loose with 20 minutes remaining in Friday’s final Sprint Cup Series practice session and made significant contact with the outside retaining wall, forcing the “Helping Hands” pit crew to bring out the backup chassis for Saturday night’s Charlotte 500. Bowyer and the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet team ended up 24th in the 334-lap event with a backup car.

Points Racing … Bowyer remains 13th in the NSCS driver championship point standings with five races remaining in the 2011 season.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:


What do you think of the recent rule changes at Talladega Superspeedway? What kind of race do you think it will be now?
“I am looking forward to seeing what the rule changes are going to do. It’s a step in the right direction. Do I think it will fix the two-car tandem? I really don’t know. I am reluctant to answer right now. Only time will tell.”

Did you like the two-car tandem at superspeedways?
“It’s not really up to me, you or anyone, but the fans. If the fans don’t like it, then I don’t like it and no one likes it. If they love it, then everyone loves it. We are in show business and here to put on a show. It’s as simple as that.”

There are times at Talladega Superspeedway when you have to give a little bit to avoid causing “the big one.” If you’re racing a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender, do you give them a break?
“Unfortunately, you can’t. As soon as you try to be consciously aware of a specific individual and try to give them something to help them or whatever, you’re probably putting them in more danger by not going with the flow of things and making sure everything is right. That’s kind of a tough to juggle at a track like Talladega Superspeedway.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release

Harvick Using New Chassis This Week at Talladega

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet Impala

This Week’s Jimmy John’s Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway … Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 377 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. It is a brand new racer that will see its first on-track activity this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Freaky Fast at Talladega … The black, red and white colors of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches will adorn the No. 29 Chevrolet as the team’s primary sponsor for the sixth and final time in 2011 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Chase Update … Halfway through the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Harvick sits second in the driver championship point standings, just five markers behind the leader. In the first five races he’s scored one top-five and four top-10 finishes. Harvick’s average finishing position thus far in the Chase is 7.2.

Talladega Autograph Session … Harvick is one of more than 10 drivers scheduled to participate in the NSCS autograph session at Talladega Superspeedway starting at 9 a.m. local time on Saturday. Ticketholders selected to attend by the track were notified earlier this month. For more details, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

Testing 1, 2, 3 … Prior to Friday’s practice sessions, Harvick and the No. 29 team will spend Thursday participating in NASCAR’s Electronic Fuel Injection test at Talladega Superspeedway.

Harvick at Talladega … In 21 starts at the superspeedway, Harvick has scored one win, one pole award, six top-fives and 10 top-10 finishes. His average starting position is 22.5 and he holds a 14.3 average finish at the 2.66-mile track. Harvick has led a total of 129 laps at Talladega and has completed 97.9 percent (3,894 of 3,977) of the laps run in NSCS competition at the track since 2001.

Last Time Around … Harvick and the No. 29 team nearly swept both races at Talladega Superspeedway last year. Starting 14th in the October race, he moved all the way up to first by lap two. He led a total of 12 laps and was passed for the top spot just before the caution flag waved on the final lap of the race by his Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer. In April 2011, Harvick started 38th at Talladega, led five laps and finished fifth.

In the Loop … Harvick holds several impressive NASCAR Loop Data statistics at Talladega heading into Sunday’s race, including: fourth in closers; fifth in green-flag passes (4,258); sixth in fastest laps run (54); eighth in laps led (93); and eighth in quality passes (2,323).

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Are you really excited about racing at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend?
“I am, restrictor plate stuff has been great for us, you never know how it is going to go at Talladega (Superspeedway), but we have been pretty good there in the past.”

How are the new changes to the restrictor plate going to change racing at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I don’t anticipate the restrictor plate change doing anything. I think the speeds will be a little bit higher. I think the pop-off valve will probably be a bigger change than the restrictor plate for sure.”

With the changes, will two-car tandems still be a factor at Talladega Superspeedway?
“Absolutely. I don’t think it’s going to change the two-car tandem other than you’re going to have to switch spots a lot more to keep the engine cool.”

What has made Talladega Superspeedway such a successful track for you?
“For whatever reason, we’ve just always had a good plate program at RCR and when you have good cars, it makes it a lot easier to have success. We’ll stick with our teammates and see where we fall at the end.”

You’re currently second in the point standings. What’s been the key for the No. 29 team’s strong finishes in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup so far?
“Just battling. Everyone is just battling to keep the cars up front and doing the things they have to do. We haven’t had the fastest cars in the first few races, but we just have never given up on it and wound up with decent finishes. Hopefully we can keep at that and get a little more speed out of them.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson Using Winning Talladega Chassis Again This Week

JIMMIE JOHNSON

NEWS
Johnson will drive the No. 48 MyLowe’s paint scheme in Talladega. MyLowe’s is an integrated online tool on Lowes.com that helps keep track of everything in your home. Users will never have to remember paint colors, warranty information or room dimensions again. When using the My Lowe’s card, purchases will all automatically upload to the users MyLowe’s site and can be customized from there. Johnson also will run the scheme in Martinsville and Texas.

RACE NOTES
Talladega Superspeedway
• Johnson has made 19 Sprint Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, where he has two wins, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has completed 96.3% (6468 of 3601) of competition laps at the 2.66-mile track and has led 217.
• He has an average start and finish of 9.8 and 16.4.

Chassis
• Johnson will drive chassis No. 628 in Sunday’s restrictor-plate race. He won the April race at Talladega Superspeedway in that chassis.
• Johnson finished fourth in backup chassis No. 618 in February’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on Oct.


JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES

YOU WON AT TALLADEGA SO DID YOU NOT WANT THE RULE TO CHANGE?
“I think with the new rules it’s a step to make us pass more. I don’t think we are going to be able to stay connected as long. Any time you put a bigger plate on the cars it allows for a larger closing rate with more opportunities to pass with more power. With that said, I don’t think the changes are large enough to have us not push. That threshold for pushing, the grip level is still so high at the race track that I don’t think it’s going to separate us yet but it should make for more passing. We see that more with a larger plate and then the fact that we can’t stay together we’re going to be changing, I don’t think we’ll be staying together as long we’ll be changing out more often which could lead to us being in a big pack like some of the fans want to see. We’ll get down there and see what happens. I don’t care what the rules are. I learned a long time ago to stop worrying about that stuff. I just go.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES

Career Wins
• Johnson has 55 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 9, 2011.
• The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently tied with Rusty Wallace for eighth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.
• He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (85).
• Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).
• Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.
• Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but five (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead, Kentucky) of the 23 tracks on which the series competes.
• Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.
• The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.

Career Poles
• Johnson has collected 25 poles in his Sprint Cup career.
• The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.
• He had a career-high six poles in 2008.
• Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010.

Career Starts
• Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.
• Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.
• In 358 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 147 top-five and 223 top-10 finishes.
• He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.
• Johnson has led a total of 12,047 laps (of 103,194) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 138,401 miles.
• He has finished on the lead lap 279 times.

Career Recognition
• Johnson was named by Forbes as the Most Influential Athlete in 2011.
• In 2009, Johnson became the first race car driver to be named Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in its 78-year history.
• Voted Driver of the Year four times in his career (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010), Johnson joins Jeff Gordon as four-time winners of the prestigious award.
• Johnson has won an ESPY for Best Driver four times, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Matt Kenseth Talladega Preview

Matt Kenseth is using chassis that pushed David Ragan at Daytona (Getty)

Matt Kenseth

Team: No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: Primary: RK-779 (Last run at Daytona)

Kenseth on racing at Talladega Superspeedway:
“It’s kind of different doing a team-style race because you can’t do it by yourself at these superspeedway tracks anymore, you need a partner in order to have a good race. If you win or finish second, you know the other guy was just as responsible for your finish as you were in a way, so it’s definitely different. We had a great finish last weekend so we’ll take the momentum and just try to keep getting the best finishes we can in these final five weekends of the season for our No. 17 team.”

Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Talladega Superspeedway:
“Our plan this weekend is to focus on practicing with the No. 6 car who is our drafting partner, as well as paying attention to the new rule with the pop-off valve and the change in temperatures that may present. We’ll have to monitor temps in order to see how long the pushing car can run behind the lead car now with this new rule in place. We all won’t be able to run as hot as we used to, so that will be our main focus on Friday in practice.”

FAST FACTS:

• In 23 Cup starts at Talladega, Kenseth has completed 4,060 of 4,353 laps (93.3 percent) and led for 167 laps

• Kenseth has an average starting position of 22.7 and an average finishing position of 19.3 at TSS

• Kenseth has achieved three top-five and six top-10 finishes at Talladega in the Cup series

• This weekend at Talladega, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Ford Fusion

• Entering the weekend at Talladega, Kenseth is currently third in the NSCS driver point standings

Tattoos For A Cause:

Knowing that tattoos are one of the most iconic symbols of badass NASCAR fans, Matt and his Talladega sponsor Jeremiah Weed flavored malt beverages, will provide free Jeremiah Weed and Matt Kenseth-inspired tattoos to adult race fans on the Saturday of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. A series of tattoos will be available for fans to choose from including Matt’s signature, a number 17, Jeremiah Weed logos and a Jeremiah Weed Lightning Lemonade flavored malt beverage can. For every tattoo inked, Jeremiah Weed will make a $100 donation to The Air Force Village, a charity committed to providing a safe, secure and dignified place for indigent surviving spouses of retired Air Force personnel.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release

Gordon Looking for Seventh Talladega Win Sunday

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 18, 2011) – Stay amongst the leaders and try to lead as many laps as possible? Or fall back from the main group of cars to avoid a potential multi-car accident during Sunday’s Good Sam Club 500? Jeff Gordon already has a plan.

“My strategy is to race whatever way gives us the best chance to win,” said the six-time Talladega Superspeedway winner.

In April at the 2.66-mile track, 26 leaders combined for 88 lead changes – a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record for most lead changes in an event. In fact, that number was reached in April of 2010, as well, with “only” 87 lead changes occurring in this race one year ago.

The track is now dangling a carrot in the form of a $100,000 bonus to the driver that leads the most times, provided 100 or more lead changes occur during the event. The $100k for 100 is appealing to Gordon, but so is the victory.

“I think the bonus is a cool thing that the track is doing, and 100 might be reachable,” said Gordon, driver of the Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet. “But reaching that target is not the No. 24 team’s goal once the race starts.

“Our plan is to be there at the end battling for the win. That could mean battling lap-after-lap for the lead, or it could mean staying a safe distance back and watching the race unfold. It could also be a mixture of the two.

“We’ll just have to wait and see once the green flag is waved.”

Tandem racing has become the norm at restrictor-plate tracks (Daytona International Speedway and Talladega), but Gordon does not yet know how recently announced changes to the pressure release valve and size of the restrictor plate will affect the racing.

“I don’t expect a whole lot different, but we won’t really know until we get into Friday’s practice and start drafting,” said Gordon, who has a record 12 restrictor-plate victories. “I think you’re still going to see two-by-two, but the cars might have to swap more frequently.

“But we are going to try to do everything we can to not have to swap.”

Along with his six victories, Gordon has two poles (including one earlier this year to extend his streak to 19 consecutive years with a pole in NASCAR’s top series), 14 top-fives and 18 top-10’s in 37 starts at the Alabama track. The style of racing has certainly changed since he first raced here in the early 1990’s.

“When I first started racing here, we were racing single file and you had to work lap-after-lap-after-lap for just one position,” said Gordon. “If you didn’t complete the pass, you could be shuffled out and lose 20 or 30 spots.

“Then we began racing in huge packs where you could race from 20th to first back to 20th in the span of a few laps.

“Now, it’s evolved into this two-car drafting, and it’s not as easy as maybe it looks on TV. It takes some skill but, most importantly, it takes getting two cars and two drivers and two spotters and two crew chiefs to work together. You have to watch your gauges a lot, you have to be really aware of what happens around you, and then you still have to put yourself in position as a two car tandem to win the race.

“It’s not an easy thing.”

- Performance PR Plus, Press Release

Denny Hamlin Talladega Preview

DENNY HAMLIN

EXPRESS NOTES:

Charlotte Recap: Denny Hamlin finished ninth in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Round 5 of the 2011 Chase for the championship won by Matt Kenseth.

Hamlin restarted fifth after the final caution with 12 laps remaining, but a tight race car prevented the 30-year-old driver from challenging for the win, as he collected his 11th top-10 of the season. The #11 FedEx Express Toyota started 17th in the 334-lap event around the 1.5-mile speedway. Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford worked through a tight condition on the race car during most of the race, but timely cautions, helpful adjustments and quick work by the FedEx crew on pit road put Hamlin inside the top-five with less than 100 laps to go.

Hamlin ran among the top-five as the laps clicked, with his car working better on the short runs. A flurry of late-race cautions moved the #11 Toyota into the top-three, but the tight condition returned and track position shuffled Hamlin back in the final running order. The finish keeps Hamlin 12th in the Chase standings following Charlotte, 86 points behind leader Carl Edwards.

Talladega Preview: The second half of the 2011 Chase kicks off Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Hamlin has three top-five finishes and four top-10 results in 11 previous starts at the 2.66-mile high-banked oval, including a career-best third place run in the spring 2008 event. The #11 FedEx car has consistently been one of the fastest at Talladega in recent years, with Hamlin leading at least one lap in his first 10 starts at the track, and has led 10 or more laps in six events. Hamlin finished ninth in the Chase race at Talladega one year ago after starting 17th and leading four laps.

Hamlin has the fourth-best average running position (15.1) at NASCAR’s longest track over the last six years, trailing only teammate Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya. In the spring race at Talladega this past April, Hamlin qualified 29th and spent the majority of the 188-lap event biding his time until the end. Working the tandem draft with Ryan Newman, Hamlin’s strategy was to avoid trouble early in the race to make a late push for the win. A late tire issue for Newman caused Hamlin to search for a new partner, finding one in Logano. The duo ran among the top-10 until three laps to go, when a spin in front of them caused the two cars to separate and Hamlin to lose the lead draft.


HAMLIN CONVERSATION – Talladega Superspeedway:

Do you think Talladega owes you a win after leading so many laps at the track? “You can never expect anything at Talladega other than you are going to need a great car and a good amount of luck. We’ve improved so much here over the years and we now come to Talladega thinking we can run up front and our record here shows that we can. It’s a matter of getting that strategy just right so when the time comes you know you are ready to go. If we can keep our car out of trouble at Talladega, I think we’ll have as good of a chance as anyone to win there.”


- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing, Press Release

Talladega Storylines

Count Jimmie Johnson in. No wait. He’s out. No, in.

The weekly Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup pendulum swings toward the “out” segment of popular opinion, as Johnson’s accident-induced 34th-place finish at Charlotte dropped him to eighth in the standings, 35 points behind leader Carl Edwards. That’s a hefty deficit, especially considering the stout list of drivers between Johnson and the points lead.

But here’s some good news for the five-time defending champion: half the Chase remains, and Talladega waits on deck. Talladega, often labeled the wild-card track of the Chase, could shake up the standings once again – a perfect opportunity for Johnson to wipe away Edwards’ robust cushion. He’ll have that opportunity on Sunday, in the Good Sam Club 500.

Elliott Sadler continues to slowly chip away at NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s lead, now down to just 15 points with three races remaining. The two frontrunners face two open weeks before the next race, at Texas Motor Speedway.

A familiar face has launched up the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings: Four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. Hornaday won his second consecutive race, closing to within 21 points of leader Austin Dillon. He’ll look to further knife into the deficit this weekend at Talladega, in the Coca-Cola 250 powered by fred’s on Saturday.



NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Streak Stopper: Johnson’s Title Hopes Take Hit
Jimmie Johnson’s 34th-place finish at Charlotte put a sixth-consecutive title in serious jeopardy. He now sits eighth in the standings, 35 points behind lead Carl Edwards.

Reason to be pessimistic: Those in front of him seemingly refuse to finish outside the top 10. Edwards has top-10 finishes in all five races, the only drive to do so. And second- and third-place Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth have each finished in the top 10 in four of the five Chase races. Johnson will need poor finishes from each to climb back into the hunt.

Reasons to be optimistic: The 35-point deficit roughly translates to a 145-point deficit in the points format from years past. In 2006, Johnson made up a 146-point deficit with five races remaining to win his first championship. In 2007, he ripped off a string of four consecutive victories with five races to go. He knows how succeed when faced with adversity.

And this: Johnson’s famous luck has evaporated. He owns the top Driver Rating (114.2) and best Average Running Position (6.5) in the first five Chase races, yet just the eighth-best average finish.

Five Down, Five To Go

Last Saturday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway marked the midpoint in the 2011 Chase. Here are some of the lessons learned through the first half…

Carl Edwards is for real: Edwards’ worst finish over the first five races was eighth at New Hampshire. Otherwise, he has performed superbly, boasting an average finish of 4.6 in the Chase. One glaring hole: No wins.

Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch navigate trouble spots: Prior to the Chase opener at Chicagoland, Harvick said he wanted to get through the first five races unscathed. Busch had hoped to evade his personal gauntlet of New Hampshire and Dover. Both got their wish, and are very much in the championship hunt. Harvick is second, only five points behind Edwards. Busch is fourth, 18 points out.

Don’t forget, Kenseth is a champion: With Tony Stewart opening the Chase with two consecutive victories, Jimmie Johnson see-sawing his way through the first five and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards vaulting to the points lead, 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup series champion Matt Kenseth has gone largely unnoticed – until Saturday night. Kenseth’s victory moved him to third, seven points behind Edwards.

Big Guns Have Rough Starts: Though not mathematically eliminated by any means, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin have a steep hill to climb. All are at least 60 points out of the points lead, and have combined for just two top fives in the first five races.

Talladega Is Junior Country

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s winless drought has reached 124 races, but when Talladega rolls around, none of that matters.

Earnhardt is always a threat at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ biggest track. He has led laps in each of the last 11 Talladega races, and better yet, owns a series-best Driver Rating of 92.7 there.

Heavyweight Bout: Richard Childress vs. Rick Hendrick
Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress, NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees both, each boast 11 wins at Talladega, most all-time among owners.

Both are also chasing a major milestone. Hendrick Motorsports’ next win will be its 200th. Richard Childress Racing’s next victory will be No. 100. Considering that the two powerhouse teams have combined to win each of the last three Talladega races, one of those milestones could be reached this Sunday.

Talladega’s Odds-On Favorite: The Field
Tight finishes and lead changes, that’s what Talladega does.

Last April, Talladega tied two records. One was for the closest margin of victory since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993. Jimmie Johnson beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line by .002 seconds.

The second was number of lead changes, 88. That tied a record also set at Talladega, prompting a rather unique bonus program for Sunday. If there are 100 or more lead changes in Sunday’s event, the driver who takes the lead the most times will win $100,000. Expect the intensity to be ratcheted up.

Also, a few rule changes to watch…

The size of the restrictor plate that teams will use to prepare and practice for the race will increase by 1/64 inch and is now going to be 57/64-inch diameter. This will provide the teams with an additional 7-10 horsepower.

Additionally, the pressure relief valve on the cars' cooling system will be re-calibrated to reduce the pressure by approximately 8 pounds per square inch from this past April's race at Talladega.

Said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton when the rules changes were announced last month, "After the last few superspeedway races, we've heard many drivers express their desire to open up the size of the restrictor plate some and we thought the time was right to do that. We anticipate these revisions in the rules package for Talladega will help continue to provide competitive and exciting racing for the fans."

- NASCAR Media Services

Las Vegas Hilton Super Book Odds to Win Talladega Good Sam Club 500

GOOD SAM CLUB 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

CARL EDWARDS 15
JIMMIE JOHNSON 12
KYLE BUSCH 12
JEFF GORDON 12
MATT KENSETH 20
KEVIN HARVICK 10
DENNY HAMLIN 20
KURT BUSCH 12
TONY STEWART 12
DALE EARNHARDT JR 12
GREG BIFFLE 25
KASEY KAHNE 20
CLINT BOWYER 20
RYAN NEWMAN 20
BRAD KESELOWSKI 20
JOEY LOGANO 25
MARTIN TRUEX JR 30
DAVID RAGAN 20
JUAN MONTOYA 30
MARK MARTIN 30
JEFF BURTON 30
JAMIE McMURRAY 20
BRIAN VICKERS 30
DAVID REUTIMANN 40
PAUL MENARD 30
AJ ALLMENDINGER 40
MARCOS AMBROSE 50
REGAN SMITH 40
TREVOR BAYNE 50
BOBBY LABONTE 60
DAVID GILLILAND 75
FIELD 25

Final Charlotte Bank of America 500 Driver Ratings Following All Practice Sessions

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Bank of America 500
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 4:46 pm (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds     Practice 1  Qualified  Practice 2  Practice 3

 1. Jimmie Johnson 9/2            10th           9th            10th             4th
Six-time winner with 20 Chase wins in 74 starts; using fourth-place Pocono chassis.
 2. Jeff Gordon 8/1                   27th          23rd           32nd            8th
Five-time winner, including first career win. Finished 20th in May race; last win came in 2007
 3. Kasey Kahne 20/1                1st            8th             2nd             1st
Three-time winner, the last coming in 2008; top 10-consecutive lap average in practice.
 4. Tony Stewart 10/1               11th           1st              5th            16th
2003 winner, his one and only win on the track; using sixth-place Indianapolis chassis this week.
 5. Kurt Busch 12/1                  24th          20th             4th             10th
2010 winner, finished fourth in May; using fourth-place car from Charlotte and Atlanta.
 6. Greg Biffle 18/1                    3rd            5th            17th             3rd
Runner-up in 2008, finished fifth in this race last year; the best of the Roush drivers in practice.
 7. Kyle Busch 7/1                    13th          25th             6th             13th
Has finished eighth or better in last eight of 10 Charlotte races; debuts brand new chassis.
 8. Kevin Harvick 12/1              19th          14th            19th            25th
2011 winner, his only top-five finish in 21 starts; using 22nd-place Michigan chassis this week.
 9. Ryan Newman 35/1             16th           6th             3rd              6th
Runner-up in 2009; strong practices Friday using a chassis that making it‘s debut runs.
10. Matt Kenseth 12/1              15th           2nd             24th           26th
2000 winner, his first career win; using winning Texas and Michigan runner-up chassis.

Note: This is the second race run at Charlotte this season. The first race, held on May 29, was won by Kevin Harvick who led only two laps on the day. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel while leading on the last lap.
     
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

Charlotte Bank of America 500 Preview

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Rear-view mirror full of No. 48 can be pretty intimidating

Carl Edwards leads Kevin Harvick by 1-point in NASCAR Chase for the Championship with six races to go, but only 4-points behind in their rear view mirror is defending five-time champion Jimmie Johnson following his win at Kansas Sunday.

Drivers used to say it was more nerve rattling having the late Dale Earnhardt in their rear view mirror during a race while leading than it was trying to catch him. The same could be said for Johnson with all his credentials and trophy’s dangling as the drivers up front try to concentrate on each race knowing that ‘five-time‘ is closing fast.

We may say that experience in the Chase doesn’t account for much because it’s just NASCAR and everything is dependant on the car, unlike football or other sports where experience really matters in the playoffs. But if we just look at the history of the Chase, there has been no one to consistently compete with Johnson. No one knows how to react or counter with Johnson’s excellence.

What we have seen is quite a few drivers wilt when given the opportunity to take him down in the defining moments.

His win Sunday gave him 20 Chase wins in 74 starts and it was his 55th overall tying him with Rusty Wallace for eighth on the all-time Cup win list.

Just think about it, he’s only been in the Cup series since 2002 and he’s never finished a season worse than fifth. Where's the growing pains of a young driver? It's like he just morphed as a robot and began winning. During the Chase era, beginning in 2004, only Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart can say they have beaten Johnson. None of these new ’Young Guns‘ knows what it takes to topple the giant.

This week's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile track won’t get easier for any of the other competitors considering Johnson’s dominance there over the years. He’s a six-time winner on the track in 19 starts that includes two other runner-up finishes and two third-places. His last win came in 2009, but based on the way his team had his car set for Kansas last week, he should be considered one of the strongest contenders to win.

We haven’t seen Johnson be his typical dominant self in the 1.5-mile tracks this season until Sunday, and it’s definitely not surprising that it happened during the Chase.

“I think we’re going to be a threat (at Charlotte Motor Speedway)," said Johnson ealier this week. "When I look back to Chicago, Kentucky, and Kansas obviously, our 1.5-mile stuff has been coming along pretty good over the last two or three months. So I feel good about it. Charlotte, with that asphalt that’s down, it is its own environment and it’s really tough to get your car right from the start of the race to the end of the race."

Edwards had a hard fought fifth-place finish last week at Kansas after struggling most of the day. It’s that type of racing on a bad day that can help slay the beast of Jimmie Johnson down the stretch and it’s what has kept him on top for now.

His Charlotte resume is quite impressive with seven top-10 finishes in 13 starts, but his only win on the track remains his non-points all-star win from this season. He’s considered a strong candidate to win on the basis of his win on the sister track of Las Vegas, his only win of the season.

Edwards looking for his first points win at Charlotte (Getty)

“Charlotte has been a little difficult for us," said Edwards. "We have been very hit and miss there. I do feel like our run in the All-Star race and 600 earlier this year will be something we can build on. We have a baseline strategy with the setup and we will go use that and hopefully it will work out better. I’m very grateful to be going into Charlotte as the points leader after our run in Kansas last weekend.”

Matt Kenseth also has to be considered a contender because of the car he's driving. He brought his winning Texas chassis which should translate well at Charlotte this week. Kenseth has one Charlotte win which came during his rookie year in 2000.

Harvick captured his first career win at Charlotte in May after Dale Earnhardt Jr ran out of fuel on the last lap. It was his only top-5 finish ever on the track. However, we’ve seen Harvick run well enough on these type of tracks this season to make him a contender once again this week.

“From a driver’s standpoint, it’s just never been a race track where I’ve had a great feel," Harvick said regarding Charlotte. "There’s nothing wrong with the surface, nothing wrong with the shape of the race track or anything like that. It’s just from a performance standpoint we just don’t have the stats that need to be there like we do at a lot of other places. Over the last couple of years it’s definitely gotten a lot better for us. We won a race there at the beginning of the year and after we won there we feel like we can win anywhere.”

Gordon can use Atlanta win well Saturday

Kyle Busch has kind of been quiet during this Chase run and currently sits 20-points back. If there’s a track that can get him going, it will be Charlotte. Up until this years race, Busch had an amazing run of finishing eighth or better in seven straight races.

The race we can probably take the most input from for this week in September race at the sister track of Atlanta just because it was the most recent of the similar tracks run. Jeff Gordon won that race in dominant fashion with Johnson and Stewart in tow.

“We’re definitely looking to win races now,” said Gordon, who is 10th in the standings – 47 points out of the lead – after an engine issue at Kansas relegated him to a 34th-place finish. “We aren’t out of the championship discussion, but a lot is out of our control.

“Our focus now is on leading as many laps as we can and winning as many races as we possibly can. Then we’ll see where we stand after a few more races.”

Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
3) #99 Carl Edwards (7/1)
4) #14 Tony Stewart (10/1)
5) #18 Kyle Busch (9/1)

Driver Chassis Selections for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte

Note: Not all team reports their chassis in press releases

#00-David Reutimann: The Aaron's Dream Machine racing this weekend is the same car that finished 32nd following a mechanical issue at Chicagoland Speedway in September.

#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion has decided to bring chassis #1120 to Charlotte this weekend. This chassis has never been used before and will see its first significant track time during the Bank of America 500 race weekend.

#2-Brad Keselowski: will race chassis PRS-802 during Saturday's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). This is a brand-new chassis to the #2 fleet.

#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-750 Last ran Texas -finished seventh; Backup: RK-711 Last ran Darlington - finished 21st

#5-Mark Martin: Crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-685 for Saturday's race. This is the same chassis that Martin drove to a 17th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month.

#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 735 for the 501-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Stanley Bostitch Ford Fusion has been run previously this season at Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte's spring event, Kentucky and at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-671: This car made its debut in late July in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It qualified 24th, and after serving a pit road penalty on lap 29 that dropped it to 32nd, rallied to finish sixth. Prior to Indianapolis, it had never turned a wheel on the racetrack, but it did spend considerable time in the wind tunnel. Chassis No. 14-671 has made a handful of return trips to the wind tunnel in preparation for its second career start on Saturday night in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte.

#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-741 (Last raced at Chicago)

#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 330: This is a brand new chassis that is slated to see action for the first time in Saturday night's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

#22-Kurt Busch: and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-750" Pennzoil Ultra Dodge Charger this weekend in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It has proven to be among the strongest intermediate track cars in the Penske stable. Busch debuted this car in the Coca-Cola 600 at CMS with a fourth-place finish. In the car's only other outing, Busch drove it from a 10th-place start to a fourth-place finish last month at Atlanta.

#27-Paul Menard: will pilot Chassis No. 326 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Chicagoland Speedway, where Menard tied his season-best starting position of second and drove it to a 20th-place finish.This racer also saw competition at Michigan International Speedway (August) where he started 11th and finished 26th, at Bristol Motor Speedway (March) where he started fourth and finished fifth, The Sprint Showdown (May) where he started third and finished 11th, and again at MIS (June), where Menard started ninth and finished fourth.

#29-Kevin Harvick: will race chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The team utilized this car for the August race at Michigan International Speedway where Harvick finished 22nd.

#31-Jeff Burton: will pilot chassis No. 372 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in Saturday's Charlotte 500. This brand new Caterpillar Chevrolet will be put through its first paces of competition this weekend.

#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 333 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This Chevrolet Impala, built new at the start of the 2011 season, has been utilized this year at Auto Club Speedway in March (started-17th, finished-seventh), Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in May (started-second, finished-16th), and both Pocono Raceway events in June (started-12th, finshed-16th) and August (started-14th, finished-18th).

#35-Geoff Bodine: will compete in the No. 297 chassis this weekend. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing this season. Paul Menard drove the chassis prior to this weekend's debut with TBR.

#36-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 293 chassis this weekend. Blaney drove the chassis at Kentucky Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the fall event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this year. Stephen Leicht also piloted the chassis this season at Richmond International Raceway September 10th. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing where Jeff Burton drove the chassis prior to its debut with TBR.

#39-Ryan Newman: Chassis No. 39-686: This is a new chassis that has not been on-track previously.

#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Crew Chief Jim Pohlman and the #42 Target team are bringing chassis #1119 to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. This brand new chassis will see its first race action of the year in the Bank of America 500.

#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 783 for this weekend's event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Chicagoland Speedway.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: will drive chassis No. 659 in Saturday night's race. He crossed the line fourth in that chassis at Pocono Raceway in August. Johnson finished second in backup chassis No. 669 at Dover International Speedway on Oct. 2.

#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-617. Earnhardt last raced this chassis at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. He also raced this chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Texas Motor Speedway in April and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

#99-Carl Edwards: RK-739 - Last raced Bristol, finished ninth.

- compiled by Jayski.com

Edwards Searching For First Charlotte Points-Race Win

Edwards using car that ran at Dover, Michigan and Bristol

Carl Edwards
Team: No. 99 Aflac’s Now Hiring Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne

Chassis Choice: RK-739 – Last raced Bristol, finished ninth. It's the same car that he finished fifth with at Michigan International Speedway in June. The car also finished 7th at Dover in May.

Carl Edwards on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “Charlotte has been a little difficult for us. We have been very hit and miss there. I do feel like our run in the All-Star race and 600 earlier this year will be something we can build on. We have a baseline strategy with the setup and we will go use that and hopefully it will work out better. I’m very grateful to be going into Charlotte as the points leader after our run in Kansas last weekend.”

Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “We have rebuilt the car we won with at the All-Star race, but we’re not bringing that this weekend. The 500-mile race is a little different than the 600, but starting out we’ll work with a similar set-up to what we had in May and go from there. The temperature will be a lot cooler than in May and it will be dark when we start so that is another big difference.”

Fast Facts

* THE CHASE IS ON…Carl Edwards enters the Bank of America 500 leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase point standings by one point over Kevin Harvick. In 30 starts this season, Edwards has accumulated one win, 15 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes, and two poles.

* FOR THE RECORD…Edwards will make his 14th Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts, Edwards has four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His average start is 18.6, and his average finish is 13.3. Edwards has completed 98.9% of laps attempted at CMS. Of the 4585 laps Edwards has completed, he has led 97 of them.

* IN THE LOOP… According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics compiled over the last 13 races at CMS, Edwards has turned 99 of the track’s fastest laps, spent 2445 laps in the top 15 and led a total of 97 laps. Edwards’ driver rating is 11th best among active drivers.

* ON THE TRACK…The Aflac team will be bringing chassis RK-739 to CMS. This car last raced at Bristol where Edwards finished ninth with it.

* REWIND, CHARLOTTE, October 2010… After fighting the handling much of the night Edwards ended up with a 12th-place finish. The crew spent the entire race making adjustments and they did make some gains by the end of the race, but Edwards ran out of time to gain any more track position.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release

Harvick Rolling With Runner-Up Michigan Chassis This Week at Charlotte

Harvick captured first Charlotte win in May (Getty)

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Jimmy John’s Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The team utilized this car for the first time in the August race at Michigan International Speedway where Harvick finished 22nd.

Freaky Fast at Charlotte… The black, red and white colors of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches will adorn the No. 29 Chevrolet as the team’s primary sponsor for the fifth time in 2011 this weekend at CMS.

Chase Update … Four races into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Harvick sits second in the driver championship point standings, just one marker behind Carl Edwards following a sixth-place finish at Kansas Speedway. Harvick has one top-five and three top-10 finishes thus far in the Chase. His average finish in the first four races is 7.5.

Harvick at Charlotte … In 21 races at CMS, Harvick has earned one win, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His average starting position is 19.8 combined with a 19.1 average finishing position. Harvick has led just five laps at the 1.5-mile track, but has completed 96.9 percent (7,219 of 7,450) of the laps run there in NSCS competition since 2001.

Picking Up the Pace … Harvick has publicly commented numerous times about his dislike of CMS. However, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has scored solid runs at the speedway recently. In the past three points-paying races at CMS, Harvick holds an average finish of 6.67, which is more than 12 positions better than his career average finish at the track.

Last Time Around … Last October Harvick took home an eighth-place finish at the Concord, N.C.-based facility, which at the time was his best finish at the 1.5-mile speedway since his rookie season in 2001. In May, the No. 29 team gambled correctly on fuel mileage and took home the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600. The win was Harvick’s first NSCS points-paying victory at the speedway.

In the Loop … Harvick holds some impressive Loop Data statistics at CMS heading into Saturday night’s race, including: first in closers and fourth in green-flag passes (973).

A #10, Hold the Tomatoes … While the Jimmy John’s menu offers a number of tasty, gourmet sandwiches, Harvick’s favorite is the #10 Hunters Club, minus the tomatoes. The sandwich features a quarter pound of fresh-sliced, medium-rare roast beef, provolone cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise and tomatoes (unless you’re like Harvick and ask for them to be left off).


KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway? “From a driver’s standpoint, it’s just never been a race track where I’ve had a great feel. There’s nothing wrong with the surface, nothing wrong with the shape of the race track or anything like that. It’s just from a performance standpoint we just don’t have the stats that need to be there like we do at a lot of other places. Over the last couple of years it’s definitely gotten a lot better for us. We won a race there at the beginning of the year and after we won there we feel like we can win anywhere.”

Talk about racing at night at Charlotte Motor Speedway with cooler temperatures expected: “As soon as it goes to night there, the track becomes a different race track than it is during the day. I’m sure that we’ll practice during the day and have no clue what we have at night. All-in-all, it’s going to be the same old Charlotte that it always is – really, really fast at night. The cooler it gets, the more grip there is.”


It’s known that you haven’t been a big fan of Charlotte Motor Speedway in the past. After winning at the track in May, can one win really give you a better attitude coming into this race? “We’ve definitely run better at Charlotte over the last couple of years. For us that’s a huge step. In the past, it’s been a place where you just want to come and survive and try to get a top-10 (finish). The last time we were in contention, I think we restarted fifth there and had a solid car all night. It seems like we’ve gotten better every time. Hopefully that win keeps everybody happy coming in before we get started.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release