NASCAR Storylines for the weekend.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Believe
it: only 101 points separate the top nine drivers in the points, coming
out of Kansas, the third event in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR
Sprint Cup.
And to take it a step further, the top three – Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick – are separated by only 30 points.
Back On Top
It’s
an ominous sign. Jimmie Johnson, the four-time defending series
champion, has reclaimed the points lead, after finishing second at
Kansas. The Chase is Johnson’s time of year. It’s up to his Chase rivals
to change that.
Biffle Is After a Title – And Some History
No
one has ever won championships in all three of NASCAR’s national series
– NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck. Greg Biffle,
winning this past Sunday at Kansas has a chance to do so.
Biffle
won the truck title in 2000, the Nationwide title in 2002. He came
close to a career sweep in 2005, finishing second to Tony Stewart by
only 35 points.
Biffle is up to eighth in the standings, 85 behind Johnson.
Auto Clubbin’
California
natives Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are 1-2 on the all-time win list
at Auto Club Speedway, Johnson with four and Gordon with three (tied
with Matt Kenseth).
Johnson goes into this weekend as the Pepsi Max 400’s three-time defending champion.
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Full-Time For Danica Rest Of The Way
Her
IndyCar season over after a spectacular runner-up finish last Saturday
at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Danica Patrick now turns her attention
strictly to NASCAR.
Patrick
is running a partial NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule for JR
Motorsports this year, her first in NASCAR national series competition.
She’s run in seven races thus far and is scheduled to enter the final
six of the season, starting Saturday at Auto Club Speedway. These six
events will mark her longest string of NASCAR races. She started the
season with three consecutive races at Daytona, Auto Club Speedway and
Las Vegas.
Saturday’s
race at Auto Club will be her first return event of the year. So for
the first time, familiarity will be on her side.
She finished 31st at ACS in February. Her best finish to date is 25th at New Hampshire.
Stenhouse Gets His Groove Back
In
perhaps the most stunning turnaround of the NASCAR Nationwide Series
season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – who turned 23 last Saturday at Kansas and
celebrated with a sixth-place finish, the highest result among
series-only regulars – is being mentioned with the hottest drivers in
the series. He overtook Brian Scott for first in the Raybestos Rookie
standings following Kansas, his first lead after trailing Scott by a
season-high 35 points following Road America 15 races ago.
After
five Did Not Finish (DNF) results in his first 12 races, Stenhouse hit
rock bottom after not qualifying for Race 13 at Nashville. He was
benched by owner Jack Roush for the following race at Kentucky before
slowly climbing back. His average finish since is 13.4, and he’s posted
three top fives in his last four races. (Stenhouse didn’t run at Watkins
Glen, ceding to Roush-Fenway Grand Am driver Billy Johnson)
One big
assist for Stenhouse has been the introduction of the NASCAR Nationwide
Series new car for four races this year. The native of Olive Branch,
Miss., says it drives more like an ARCA car to him, which makes his
command much better. In the three new car races already completed, he’s
shined with finishes of third at Daytona, 13th at Michigan and fourth at
Richmond. The final new car race is Oct. 15 at Charlotte before full
introduction next year.
Stenhouse was 39th at Auto Club in February after an accident ended his day.
JGR Stands In Harvick’s Way For Home Win
Kevin Harvick has to be wondering what it will take to get a win at his home track.
The
two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion and Bakersfield native has
won at 18 of25 active tracks on the series schedule. He’s tied with 2007
series champion Carl Edwards for the all-time lead in top fives (eight)
at Auto Club Speedway, and holds the record with 12 top-10 finishes
there. But a win has eluded him.
Last
year, Harvick was fourth. In February, he was 38th due to engine
failure. That’s his worst finish this year and worst since he was 41st
at Chicago in 2004.
Winning
this time around might be even more daunting considering the recent
record of Joe Gibbs Racing at Auto Club. JGR has won the last five races
at ACS, including last year by Joey Logano, who comes in off a win at
Kansas. His teammate – and reigning series champion— Kyle Busch won in
February and is charging toward an owner title for his No. 18 team. The
No. 18 team leads the No. 22 Penske Racing team of Brad Keselowski – the
driver standings leader with a 374-point advantage over second-place
Edwards – by 134 points.
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Championship Standings Heats Up, Second On Back
The
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has two more open weekends on the
schedule before the final five-race stretch to the season-ending race in
Homestead. Todd Bodine maintains a commanding 262 point lead over
second-place contender Aric Almirola.
However,
the battle for second through sixth positions remains hot – only 161
points separates the five spots. Johnny Sauter’s runner-up finish at Las
Vegas moved him within 38 points of second place. Austin Dillon’s win
at Las Vegas moved him up two positions to third just 88 points behind
Sauter. Timothy Peters and Matt Crafton are currently tied for the fifth
position.
Owners’ Battle One To Watch
Though
Bodine has a commanding lead in the drivers’ standings the owner’s
standings display a different story. Bodine’s team owner – Steve Germain
– holds a mere 39 point lead over Kyle Busch, who is expected to run
the final five races of the season.
Bodine,
who has four wins this season, has 11 wins and 23 top-five finishes at
the final five tracks, but has yet to score a short track win in his
career. In 2009 Busch won two of the final four races of the season and
has five wins so far in 2010.
Skinner Still Looking For 2010 Win
Mike
Skinner continues to search for a win 2010. Skinner, who won the first
NASCAR Camping World championship in 1995, has scored at least one
victory in the last five seasons. This season has been less than stellar
for Skinner – only two top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 20 races
thus far.
However,
a victory could be right around the corner. Skinner has five wins and
23 top-five finishes at the final five race tracks on the schedule.
Closest Chase Ever Thus Far
Stenhouse was 39th at Auto Club in February after an accident ended his day.
Posted by dennisp at 10/6/2010 8:34 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Hot Rod Magazine NASCAR Hot Rod School of Hot Rod Dennis Pittsenbarger
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Hot Rod Magazine NASCAR Hot Rod School of Hot Rod Dennis Pittsenbarger
Comments