landergolfer

Depends on the luck, Kenseth has in the next few races. If he has bad luck, yes but if he can keep up with what he has been doing NO! The Truck and Busch series championship are going to be great. Any picks for that? I am making a semi-return and hope to make my permenant return Monday or Tuesday. My modem at home got hit by lighting Labor Day weekend so I have not been able to get on the boards with my old computer. I have been to busy to go get my modem but I have a few days off so this is the perfect opportunity.

Wow! Do you know when the second string and thrid strings went in if they did go in?

Sorry I havent posted any news in the past two weeks. I was at Bristol then a storm hit at my house that knocked out my phone and cable Thursday then I left Friday to go to Pigeon Forge so I have had an interesting 2 weeks. WOW - Texas Terry wins the Southern 500! #5-Terry Labonte won the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, his first win in 156 races [Texas in 1999] at age 46. Labonte stopped and got the 76 checkered flag from the flagman, and took a lap around with it. Some of his crew climbed the fence on the frontstretch. #29-Kevin Harvick was 2nd for the third straight race in a row. The rest of the top five were #48-Jimmie Johnson, #42-Jamie McMurray and #9-Bill Elliott. Labonte has won the Southern 500 twice, his first career win on September 1, 1980 and today. It was Labonte's 22nd career win. All four Hendrick Motorsports teams have won a race this year [#24, #25 and #48]. Artist Looking: The popularity of NASCAR has spread to numerous types of memorabilia, posters, and even paintings. With paintings like Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Junior, Bristol native Bryan Haren has caught the eye of bigwigs at Bristol Motor Speedway and even Teresa Earnhardt. That hobby is now turning into a career with B-M-S using this Haren painting for the speedway's new Dale Earnhardt terrace. (See full story at the Bristol Herald Courier) Mayfield Out? Re-signed? UPDATE 2 going to the #30 car?: Ray Evernham may be in the market for a new driver, if Jeremy Mayfield leaves [the #19 car]. Evernham and other Dodge team owners have been under heavy pressure from Dodge executives to improve performance.(Winston Salem Journal) AND being told by source Mayfield will leave the #19 team, no idea where he goes, and who goes into the #19? would imagine a young gun of some caliber.(8-30-2003) UPDATE: however, PRN's Garage Pass reported on Thursday that Mayfield's option for 2004 was picked up by Evernham Motorsports.(8-31-2003) UPDATE 2 - not so fast? PRN's Garage Pass radio show reported last week car owner Ray Evernham and driver Jeremy Mayfield agreed to a new contract extension, however it appears that hasn't stopped Mayfield from talking with car owner Richard Childress. Sources tell PRN Mayfield has talked with Childress about the AOL Monte Carlo ride if Childress decides to replace Steve Park. Park, who says he wants to make it hard for Childress to replace him wants to stay with the #30 team. He recently finished 5th at Michigan. Stewart to run Truck race at RIR: Tony Stewart will drive Andy Petree Racing’s Monaco Coaches/Diamond Rio Chevrolet in the Virginia Is For Lovers Truck Series race at Richmond. A year ago, Stewart and Petree won the event. The victory continued a string of strong runs for Petree’s Truck teams, the previous ones coming with Petree himself behind the wheel. Stewart started 25th in the Richmond race a year ago but steadily made his way to the front, taking advantage of his own championship driving talents and the top-notch equipment fielded by Andy Petree Racing. He grabbed the lead from Kevin Harvick 34 laps from the end and never looked back, pulling away to a .259-second victory. Petree is also fielding a car for young up-and-coming driver Paul Menard through an ARCA, Busch and Winston Cup combination program. Menard is driving the Turtle Wax/Menard’s entry in Friday night’s NASCAR Busch Seires race at Richmond as well, and that car will have Monaco as an associate sponsor. Petree will be back behind the wheel of the Monaco Coaches Chevrolet in the Truck Series race at Martinsville in October. UPDATE - Vickers to Cup in 2004 in the #25: Hendrick Motorsports #5 Busch Series driver, Brian Vickers, is getting a bump up to Winston Cup. Vickers, 19, and his Busch Series sponsor, GMAC, will move to Hendrick Motorsports' #25 Chevy next season, ThatsRacin.com has learned. An official announcement of Vickers' move could come as soon as Tuesday afternoon. Vickers will replace Joe Nemechek, who has spent over a year in the car and won earlier this season at Richmond, Va. Nemechek is 23rd in points, with a win, one top-five and four top-10 finishes. He has also failed to finish six races. Following his win last weekend, Vickers moved into third in Busch points, just 67 behind leader Scott Riggs. He has won two of the past four races (Indianapolis and Darlington). Vickers' move to Winston Cup will open his #5 Chevrolet ride in the Busch Series. Hendrick plans to move 18-year-old Kyle Busch into the ride next season, sources said. Busch, brother of Winston Cup standout Kurt Busch, has been running a combination schedule of Automobile Racing Club of America and Busch series races this season. He has two ARCA wins and two poles in five starts and has finished second twice in three Busch starts.(ThatsRacin.com), see the official releases at the Hendrick Motorsports site. Burton re-ups with the #99 team: Roush Racing announced today that Jeff Burton, driver of the #99 Roush Racing Ford, has been signed to a new multi-year contract to continue driving for Roush Racing in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. “Jeff Burton is and has been an integral contributor to the success of Roush Racing for many years,” said Geoff Smith, Roush Racing president. “Jeff is an outstanding talent and ambassador for Roush Racing and the industry and his renewed commitment allows us to maintain our complete competitive strength.” “Now that Jeff is signed, we will continue to move forward to solidify a primary sponsor for the #99 team for 2004 and beyond,” Smith added. “Jack Roush has done so much for me and my career over the last eight years, I’m truly looking forward to continuing our partnership into the future,” said Burton. “We have a really strong, young team and they all have a tremendous work ethic and a hunger to win which is what Jack Roush and Roush Racing is all about. That combined with Jack’s willingness and ability to provide us with everything we need to be competitive, will enable us to win many races in the future and vie for championships.” Said owner Jack Roush, “The re-signing of Jeff, in addition to our other outstanding drivers, completes our competitive Winston Cup structure and provides us with an unmatched and quite remarkable line up for the next several years.” For sponsorship inquiries please contact John Miller at Roush Racing at 704.720.4600 Park in the #30 at Talladega NOT Andretti: Steve Park's official web site [www.steve-park.com see the scroll] reports that Steve Park [the current regular driver] will be in the #30 AOL Chevy and John Andretti will be in a 4th Childress car NOT the #30 Chevy as reported. [see my #1 Team News and Links page for past news on it]. Am hearing it could be #03, no idea on a sponsor....yet 2nd Team for Wells in 2004? UPDATE Riggs? #32-Ricky Craven, whose single-car team has struggled at times in a sport dominated by multi-car operations, may soon get some help. "I believe Cal is well on his way to having a second team, as early as next year," Craven said this week at Darlington, referring to car owner Cal Wells III. Wells fielded two cars in 2001, but dropped back to one after losing a sponsor.(Charleston Post and Courier)(8-24-2003) UPDATE: hearing Busch Series driver Scott Riggs [#10 Nesquik/ppc Racing Ford] could end up in the 2nd PPI Motorsports Ride and the team is close to signing a sponsor. However being told that the team has brought in at least two other drivers to talk to in the past week who were not Riggs. Sad News: Cancer has claimed the life of Bob Dotter, three-time Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) National Stock Car Champion. Dotter, 64, passed away on Monday, September 1. Dotter is the father of part time Truck Series driver and team manager, Bobby Dotter. Atlanta Motor Speedway officials announced today that the speedway has added a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race to its 2004 event schedule. The inaugural 200-mile event will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2004, as part of the Golden Corral 500 weekend. ALL NEWS FROM JAYSKI.COM AND OTHER INTERNET SOURCES

Busch wins a WILD race at Bristol: #97-Kurt Busch won the Sharpie 500(with a chorus of boos from the stands) at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third time in the last fourth Bristol races he has won. It was Busch's 4th win of the 2003 season and 8th of his career. #29-Kevin Harvick finished 2nd [interesting post-race comments about Busch]. The highest finishing rookie was #42-Jamie McMurray [in a very cool looking car] with a 3rd place finish. Points leader, #17-Matt Kenseth powered thru the field and finished 4th and increases his points lead to 351 over #8-Earnhardt Jr. [who finished 9th]. Wallace goes to the hospital UPDATE 3: #2-Rusty Wallace, involved in a hard crash with #15-Michael Waltrip and walked away from the wreck, requested to be airlifted to a nearby hospital to be checked out as he didn't feel right. UPDATE: Rusty has been released from the hospital, is ok and is on his helicopter and headed home.(TNT Race Coverage)(8-23-2003) UPDATE 2: Wallace was treated and released later in the evening after a negative CT scan.(NASCAR.com)(8-24-2003) More on Kodak: Kodak is in its 17th year as primary sponsor for the No. 4 Morgan-McClure team, but rumors persist that it will not return after this season. Team owner Larry McClure could not be reached for comment, but Ed McClure, his brother, says the contract runs through 2005. Because most sponsor contracts contain performance clauses, Kodak likely has an out. Sources at Dale Earnhardt Inc. deny that Kodak will sponsor the #1 car next season Looking Good for Kenseth to win the final Winston Cup: #17-Matt Kenseth leads the points standings by 351 points [with 12 races to go], and no driver has ever lost a lead that big in the race for the championship. In 1981, Darrell Waltrip was 341 points behind Bobby Allison with 17 races left, but came back to win the title by 53 points.( Latest on Rusty's Busch team: Rusty Wallace plans to field a Busch Series team next season and will make the announcement soon. The driver is expected to be Billy “Catfish” Parker, a late-model competitor and brother of Busch driver Hank Parker Jr. 2nd Team for Wells in 2004? #32-Ricky Craven, whose single-car team has struggled at times in a sport dominated by multi-car operations, may soon get some help. "I believe Cal is well on his way to having a second team, as early as next year," Craven said this week at Darlington, referring to car owner Cal Wells III. Wells fielded two cars in 2001, but dropped back to one after losing a sponsor.( weather info for Darlington, SC in Aug/Sept compared to Nov (1972-2000): August: Ave High Temp = 88.9F; Low = 69.8F; Precip = 5.35" September: Ave High Temp = 84.4F; Low = 64.3F; Precip = 4.11" November: Ave High Temp = 67.4F; Low = 43.7F; Precip = 2.91" So the weather in November sure looks a lot better for the Southern 500 then in late Aug/early Sept. Lights slowly going up at Darlington: Stakes around Darlington Raceway denote the locations of 74 light poles that will eventually encircle the track. Gurtis said officials from Musco Lighting are already on site doing preliminary work, although the heavy infrastructure work will wait until the summer of 2004. Cautions Tie a Record: the record for most cautions at Bristol is 20, done twice, last time on April 13, 1997, that is also the Modern era record for cautions at any Winston Cup race. The fall event record at Bristol WAS 16 in August 2001 it is now also 20 with Saturdays. crashfest.(8-23-2003) TOP FIVE [unofficial] DRIVERS POINTS after Bristol: #17-Matt Kenseth, 3592 #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 3241, -366 #29-Kevin Harvick, 3128, -464 #48-Jimmie Johnson, 3063, -529 #24-Jeff Gordon, 3060, -532 For full results see NASCAR.com.(8-23-2003) Most Winnings in 2003: #48-Jimmie Johnson, $4,052,380 (won the Winston) #97-Kurt Busch, $3,974,400 #29-Kevin Harvick, $3,597,310 Top 30: only one driver who has ran all 24 Winston Cup races have finished all the races in the top 30. #17-Matt Kenseth the points leader. #15-Michael Waltrip had finished in the top 30 until Bristol when he finished 42nd. #17-Kenseth's worst finish is a 22nd at Martinsville in the spring.(8-23-2003) Johnson Streak continues: #48-Jimmie Johnson has been in the top 10 in NASCAR Winston Cup points for 57 consecutive weeks, the longest current streak in stock car racing's top series. #15-Michael Waltrip is next with a 24-week streak.(8-23-2003) DNF Streak: #5-Terry Labonte has the longest streak without a DNF (did not finish) and starting all the races (in 2002 and 2003) at 30 straight races without a DNF (Talladega Oct 2002), followed by #29-Kevin Harvick at 27 straight races without a DNF (Atlanta Oct 2002) and #17-Matt Kenseth at 24 (Homestead Nov 2002). #15-Michael Waltrip saw his 33 DNF free race streak come to an end at Bristol. #24-Jeff Gordon holds the modern era record [1972-present] without a DNF (did not finish) and starting all the races at 56 (Darlington, March 2001, 31 races + all 25 in 2002 thru Richmond, Sept 2002). The all-time record is 84 races held by Herman Beam from April 30, 1961 thru March 10, 1963 (8-23-2003) Top Fives: There have been 29 different drivers (add none at Bristol) who have scored a Top-5 in an 2003 Cup race. 2002's total was 31.(8-23-2003) Top Tens: There have been 40 different drivers (add none at Bristol) who have scored a Top-10 in an 2003 Cup race; 2002's total was 42.(8-23-2003) No Top Fives Since.... It has been a while since some drivers have had a top five finish on the Winston Cup circuit. Here are those with the longest streak of races without a top-five finish: Driver, Races since, Finish, Track/Race, Date Brett Bodine, 273, 2nd, Indianapolis 8-6-94 Kyle Petty, 175, 3rd, Dover 9-21-97 Ken Schrader, 170, 4th, Richmond 9-12-98 Mike Skinner, 101, 2nd, Talladega 4-16-00 John Andretti, 73, 2nd, Bristol 3-20-01 Derrike Cope, 64, 5th, Atlanta 11-16-97 Jeremy Mayfield, 49, 5th, Richmond, 5-4-02 Kenny Wallace, 47, 2nd, Rockingham, 11-4-01 Todd Bodine, 33. 5th, Richmond 9-7-02 No Wins Ever.... Some regular drivers in Winston Cup who have never won a Cup race and how many starts they have: Active Drivers Driver, Races Run Kenny Wallace, 288 Mike Skinner, 221 Todd Bodine, 193 Mike Wallace, 138 Dave Blaney, 135 Kevin Lepage, 120 Jeff Green, 116 Drivers with the longest streak since they won a CUP race: Driver, Races Run, Last Win, Track Brett Bodine, 400, 4/22/90, North Wilkesboro Ken Schrader, 397, 6/2/91, Dover Jimmy Spencer, 296, 7/24/94, Talladega Derrike Cope, 291, 6/3/90, Dover Kyle Petty, 245, 6/4/95, Dover Terry Labonte, 156, 3/28/99, Texas John Andretti, 149, 4/18/99, Martinsville Jeremy Mayfield, 105, 6/19/00, Pocono Stock Car Fans - Rumblings - Bristol: Nothing like a short-track to get back to some real racing, eh? #97-Kurt Busch fought a dying alternator (two batteries?....whatcha wanna bet we're gonna see that become the norm real soon?) and held on to beat #29-Kevin Harvick to the finish of tonight's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. But how about the welcome he got in Victory Lane? The last time we heard a Bristol crowd react like that was August 28, 1999 when Dale Earnhardt drop-kicked Terry Labonte out of the way on the last lap to take the win. Then, that classic "What's wrong with ya'll?" look on his face in Victory Lane was forever etched in our minds. Busch claimed the wreckfest (we tied a Cup record with 20 cautions) for his 4th win of 2003 and the 8th of his career. He's now tied for 50th on the all-time win list with Dale Earnhardt Jr & Kyle Petty. He's credited with the 66th win for Roush Industries....they're just two behind the legendary car owner Bud Moore [records I have show Moore with 63 wins as an owner]. And now a word about Wally's attempt at waxing eloquent on the pre-race show. His comments about the privacy of driver communication with his crew would have played well a couple years ago....but that was before NASCAR decided that they could sell those conversations to the fans! When NASCAR found the cash cow in Trackpass and In Demand, they invited us to "get into their heads". So why should we care if they don't like us in their house? And, Busch also becomes a sweeper as he's taken both Bristol events this season. Anybody else wonder if Jimmy was watching and what he was thinking tonight? #32-Ricky Craven (8th) had his best finish since he was 8th at Dover in June. #23-Kenny Wallace (15th) had his best finish since he was 15th at Daytona in July. #01-Mike Skinner (18th) had his best finish since he was 11th at Darlington in March. #0-Jason Leffler (26th) had his best finish since he was 10th at Homestead in October of 2001 (only 6 races). STREAKIN....Kevin Harvick has 5 Top-5's in the last 6 races. Ryan Newman has 6 Top-10's in the last 7 races. Matt Kenseth has 5 Top-10's in the last 6 races. The Rookie Report: Jamie McMurray (3rd) jumps into the lead in this category with his 10th top-finish this season. He was followed by: Tony Raines (20th), Casey Mears (21st), Greg Biffle (22nd), and Larry Foyt (39th). This Week's Elevator...UP: Jamie McMurray (+28) becomes the leader of the pack as this is his third Operator award of the season. He was followed by Kevin Harvick (+21), Dale Jarrett (+20), and Casey Mears (+20). DOWN: The Big Dropper was Michael Waltrip (-39), followed by Mark Martin (-34), Jeff Gordon (-27), Ricky Rudd (-25), Ted Musgrave (-24), Rusty Wallace (-23), and Elliott Sadler (-21). Some big names on the down side of the "shaft" this week. Matt Kenseth tacks 22 markers onto his lead....it's now 351 over Little E. Jeff Gordon's "Magic Number" has now ballooned to 8th [which means if Kenseth finishes 8th or better in the last 12 races, Gordon cannot catch him], Dale Jr's number is 4. Kurt Busch's win translates to a 3-spot advance in the points (9th to 6th), while Michael Waltrip's crash gave him the same ride in the opposite direction (5th to 8th). ALL STATS AND NEWS PULLED FROM JAYSKI.COM OR STOCK CAR FANS NEWSLETTER

Busch should have been suspended for the Bristol race but now should be suspended for Darlington after a tape was released to two pool reporters and two incidents where Busch got into Marlin and Mears (he hit Mears twice). Here is a article of the video and see what you think. This is the EDITED VERSION WITH CLEANER LANGUAGE AND I WILL POST THE LINK FOR THE UNEDITED!!!! The view from the in-car camera was out over the hood of Busch's car and showed the car moving through the garage area until coming to a stop next to Spencer's team's hauler. It appears from the tape that Busch shut off the engine of his car.The entire episode with Spencer, which is caught in audio form only, lasted 48 seconds from the time Busch's car came to a stop to the time Busch exits his car and is seen walking through the garage area.It begins with Spencer heard yelling, "Get out of that car" repeatedly and is followed by more words from Spencer that are not audible.Busch then begins to speak. "You better, you better, you better. What ya got? You have the run of your life and you think you got something. One day out of the year, that's 365," Busch said. "Do something. Just (expletive) do something. You'll (expletive) die." Some inaudible words follow before a sound is heard, apparently coming from Spencer's punch. Seconds later, Busch is seen out the front window of his car walking through the garage. Now do you think Busch should have been suspended or fined? Roush and Busch made themselves look foolish by saying Kurt ran out of gas and that Spencer attacked him and that Busch did nothing wrong. One quote from Roush which he may regret later was that "Kurt is a model citizen and has never done nothing to provoke another competitor." Spencer was done wrong and Busch was not punshied enough. I can now say that I am a Spencer fan (after Harvick of course)and still do not pull for Busch. I was at the Bristol race and he got the biggest boos in my memory of going there which has been 9 years. NASCAR should have freed Mongo and took Busch out of the 97 for a race! The Link for the unedited verison. http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/6608820.htm Also, the trend for fighting in NASCAR has not really increased. There have only been 3 or 4 fist fights since Allison and Yarborugh went at it in Daytona.

There is now a tape of Busch talking to his crew under the next caution telling him that he is not good at being bad that he tried to flatten Spencer's fender, but got his instead. Here is the transcript: Busch: "See, I'm not very good at being bad. I was trying to flatten the seven car fender and I got mine. I needed to be further forward on his car." Response from Pit: " They just showed that on TV. You just missed by about an inch or two Ah, not far enough forward." Busch: "Inches only count unless you're playing Horseshoes and hand grenades. Ah, I don't wanna play either with that clown." Response from Pit: "I hear ya, man." Busch asked for it and got what he deserved in my opinion. Spencer was suppose to run all 3 races at Bristol and he now has a chance of just paying a fine since there is a n appeal at 8:30 this morning.

DO YOU THINK THE PUNSHIMENT FITS THE CRIME?? Personally, I think the punshiment is to severe. A $50,000 fine and 25-50 points taken away would have been enough in my opinion! Spencer will miss 2 races instead of just one which I think is not fair. Busch was the one that orginally started the payback by hitting Spencer and then Spencer payed him back at the Brickyard last year. They have had a few run-ins this year with Busch going out of his way a few times this year. NASCAR had told Spencer to behave and was then was provoked one too many times and reacted. Robby Gordon offered to pay the fine and said Busch had it coming. I agree with Gordon on those lines. But that is just my opinion I would like to know what you think on the following questions Would NASCAR have suspended Spencer if the next race was somewhere else besides Bristol? Do you think that Busch's punshiment was fair? and the main one, does the punshiment fit the crime

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Jimmy Spencer was suspended Monday from all NASCAR-sanctioned competition until Aug. 26 for punching Kurt Busch in the garage at Michigan International Speedway. Spencer was also fined $25,000 and placed on probation through the end of the year. Busch was put on probation until Dec. 31. "This was a very unfortunate situation," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "Emotions are a part of every sport, NASCAR Winston Cup racing included. However there is a fine line. In this instance, that fine line was crossed." Spencer could still face criminal charges. Lenawee County (Mich.) Sheriff Larry Richardson said Monday that investigators wouldn't turn over their report to prosecutors until at least Tuesday. Spencer will miss the Truck Series, Busch Series and Winston Cup race this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway -- the site of one of the first flare-ups in Spencer and Busch's long-running feud. The latest fight came Sunday when the two made contact late in the GFS Marketplace 400 as Busch attempted to pass Spencer. After the event, Busch's car apparently came to a stop near Spencer's hauler in the garage area. Witnesses said Spencer pulled in and hit Busch's car from behind. He then reportedly jumped from his car, approached Busch's window and punched the driver in the face. Jack Roush, Busch's car owner, originally said his driver's nose was broken. But a team spokeswoman said Monday that Busch only chipped a tooth. Spencer, a 15-year veteran, and Busch have had a strained relationship since Busch broke into Winston Cup in 2001. They made contact at a race in Phoenix during Busch's rookie season that both drivers complained about, then ran into each other again last year at Bristol when Busch bumped Spencer out of his way to score his first career victory. At Indianapolis last July, Spencer wrecked Busch early in the race and Busch responded with a series of gestures before walking off the track. He later called Spencer a "decrepit old has-been." NASCAR sat both drivers down after the Indianapolis race and the tension between the two had seemed to subside until Sunday. Suspension is a rarity in NASCAR. It's not clear when the last driver was suspended, but Kevin Harvick was "parked" for one Winston Cup race in April 2002 for rough driving in a Truck Series event. Ricky Rudd and his former engine builder were fined a combined $15,000 and put on probation for fighting in the garage area last year. Crew chiefs have been suspended before for rules violations, and a Busch Series driver and Trucks Series driver were suspended indefinitely for drug-related problems. Alittle old but I thought the following was interesting AND II: When they pulled in the garage Spencer hit Busch's car in the rear and then got out and punched Busch in face. Busch's nose was not bloody and did not appear to be broken but he will see his personal physician today. He is expected to have two black eyes. That punch prompted car owner Jack Roush to bring local police to the post-race discussion in the NASCAR trailer, and deputy Jeff Patterson said that there was an assault investigation under way. Spencer made a quick getaway without comment after an hour-long meeting with President Mike Helton of NASCAR . NASCAR officials didn't say what penalties that Spencer might be assessed, but suspension was being discussed, according to Tommy Baldwin, Spencer's crew chief. Roush said that Spencer was already under NASCAR orders to behave, a sort of secret probation apparently related to last summer's incident at Indianapolis. NASCAR officials had virtually nothing to say about the Spencer-Busch incident, apparently waiting to see if charges would be filed against Spencer.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-18-2003) AND III: A lot of questions remained unanswered about what happened between Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer after Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway. But the biggest question is what happens next. Potential punishment from NASCAR might not be Spencer's chief worry after he reportedly punched Busch in the nose following the race. Lenawee County sheriff's Deputy Jeff Paterson took statements for what he called "an investigation into the alleged assault" and said he would submit his findings to a prosecutor. Busch, the left side of his face puffy with swelling, emerged first. "Ask Jimmy," he said when asked what happened. Did Spencer hit him? "Ask Jimmy Spencer," Busch replied. He then got on a cart and was taken to the infield care center, then left the track after being treated there. The post-race incident apparently grew from contact between Busch and Spencer on Lap 150, when Busch passed Spencer into the lead after a restart following a yellow flag.(more at ThatsRacin.com)(8-18-2003)

Spencer could face charges after altecation with Busch: #7-Jimmy Spencer could face assault charges after a confrontation with competitor #97-Kurt Busch following Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400. As the drivers came onto pit lane at Michigan International Speedway following the checkered flag, Spencer drove into the rear of Busch's car and spun it around. Witnesses said Spencer then got out of his car, raced up to Busch's car and punched Busch several times in the face. Sheriff's deputies pulled Spencer away and took him to the NASCAR hauler. The witnesses said Busch, who finished 18th, was holding a bloody towel to his face when he entered the track medical facility. Jeff Patterson, spokesman for the Lenawee County Sheriff's Dept., confirmed to The Associated Press that his department was investigating an assault charge against Spencer, who finished 26th. Both drivers left the track without comment. "NASCAR spoke with both drivers about the incident that occurred today. If we should take any actions, we'll announce it at an appropriate time," NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said. "They spoke with NASCAR inside (the hauler) and (NASCAR officials) are going over the incident right now." Jeff Miles, the transport driver for Spencer, said, "I know he tried to put Jimmy in the fence on the straightaway." #31-Robby Gordon, another Winston Cup driver, offered to pay Spencer's fine and said Busch "had it coming for a while."(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(8-17-2003) AND The feud between Jimmy Spencer and Kurt Busch flared up again in the garage area at Michigan International Speedway after Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400, with Spencer allegedly punching Busch while Busch sat in his race car. Busch's car ran out of fuel, crew chief Jimmy Fennig said, as he tried to drive it back to his hauler after the race. It stopped, interestingly, in front of Spencer's transporter. Spencer then rammed Busch's rear bumper, causing the bumper to buckle. Spencer got out of his car and approached Busch, reaching through the window and allegedly punching Busch. By the time Busch crawled out, crewmen from Spencer's team had surrounded the #97. Busch waved and yelled at Spencer, and then walked to the NASCAR hauler. He did not appear to be bloodied. There were no other punches thrown. Almost immediately, however, Fennig went to NASCAR officials. "I want Spencer here right now," Fennig said angrily. "We're going to have a fight here." Roush told Speed TV that Spencer broke Busch's nose. Busch went to the track's infield care center after he left NASCAR's office trailer and a Roush Racing spokesperson said Busch would get his nosed looked at when he got home.(see full story at NASCAR.com)(8-17-2003) FROM JAYSKI.COM Wow! This could get interesting!!!

Race: Sunday, August 17, 2003 in Brooklyn, MI TV: TNT - 2:00pm/et Pre-Race Show: TNT - 1:30pm/et - hosted by Bill Weber Announcers: Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Pit Reporters: Bill Weber, Matt Yocum, Marty Snider, Dave Burns War Wagon: Bill Weber and many guests 2002 Race Winner: Dale Jarrett, 140.556mph, started 8th Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, June 1999, 173.997mph (no cautions) Track/Race Length: 2.0 oval, 200 laps, 400 miles Pit Road Speed: 45mph Track Specs: Superspeedway: 2.0-mile D-shaped oval Banking: turns: 18 degrees; straights: frontstretch 12 degrees, backstretch 5 degrees Backstretch Length: 2,242 feet; Front stretch Length: 2,229 feet 73 feet wide with 10-foot apron in turns, 45 feet wide with 12-foot apron on straightaways Pit lane is 50 feet wide and contains space for 44 individual pit areas Seating: 136,000, attendence: 151,000. Notes The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is $230,000 at Michigan for leading the points and winning the race (Sterling Marlin last won the award, $20,000 at Darlington on March 17, 2002). The $360,000 annual award is paid at $10,000 per race to the point leader at the end of each event if the driver is also the winner. The award increases by $10,000 each week the it goes unclaimed. If the point leader is not the race winner at the end of the year, the balance of the award is distributed among the top-10 finishers in the drivers point standings 53 Races since...: Leader bonus has been won. It's been 53 races since the NASCAR Winston Cup points leader won a race and took home the NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus. #17-Matt Kenseth leads the series points and has the only shot at claiming the bonus at Michigan. Should a driver win the bonus at MIS, it would bypass the largest payout in the history of the program. #18-Bobby Labonte collected the biggest paycheck, $190,000, with a win at Indianapolis in 2000. The $10,000 bonus is available following every NASCAR Winston Cup Series race. If the point leader does not win the race, the bonus rolls over to the next week. Sterling Marlin last won the award, $20,000 at Darlington on March 17, 2002, it was NOT won by #15-Waltrip at Daytona, it rolled over to Rockingham. How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph MIS Sold Out: The Sirius 400 at Michigan International Speedway is sold out, their 25th consecuitive NASCAR Winston Cup sellout dating back to June 1991. MIS is totally sold out for Sunday with only $40 infield general admission remaining. So you will see no holes or empty seats and thetrack plans to make the August Cup race their 26 straight sellout.(6-15-2003) MIS Gatorade Victory Lane Undergoes Facelift: Twenty years ago, Cale Yarborough rolled into the brand new victory lane at Michigan International Speedway on June 19, 1983. He became the first driver to visit the new MIS victory lane directly across from the start-finish line in the infield grass. His victory was quite fitting, as 14 years earlier Yarborough was the first Winston Cup driver to visit victory lane at MIS, as he captured the Inaugural Motor State 500 in 1969. As MIS prepares to christen a brand new victory lane, one thing is for certain: Yarborough will not be the winner since he retired in 1998. That means that a new driver will become a part of MIS history and visit the new Gatorade Victory Lane for the first time. When race fans enter the MIS gates to start the Sirius 400 weekend, they will notice that the MIS Victory Lane has undergone a facelift. The new Gatorade Victory Lane has been moved several feet to the North with a new concrete surface, shrubs and flowers. The now wider semi-circle is much bigger than its square predecessor, which was built prior to the 1983 season

Major NASCAR Announcent Friday: Major NASCAR announcement with NASCAR President Mike Helton, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer George Pyne at 10:00am/et on Friday, Aug. 15 at MichiganInternational Speedway media conference room. AND SPEED Channel will cover Friday's NASCAR Press Conference LIVE from Michigan, beginning at 10:00am/et. SPEED's Bob Dillner will be reporting.(8-13-2003) ....could it be for....... Fuel Supplier Chosen? hmm...heard this someplace before:.....Sunoco will replace Union 76 as the official fuel of NASCAR's top three series, beginning in 2004. An industry source, who spoke Thursday to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Sunoco will supply all the fuel used in NASCAR's Winston Cup - which will become the Nextel Cup next year - Busch and Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR planned [planned? or plans?] to make the announcement at a news conference Friday at Michigan International Speedway. ConocoPhillips, owner of longtime fuel supplier 76, informed NASCAR it would not be continuing the relationship because of a shift in its marketing strategy and focus after the merger of the two companies last year. The 76 brand, which had several different owners during the period, was the official fuel of NASCAR for more than 40 years. The source said several other companies were interested in replacing 76, but NASCAR chose the Sunoco brand "because of its longtime racing involvement, supplying fuel for about 30 different racing series." The deal with Sunoco is "long-term," but details were not immediately available #74 gets a sponsor for Michigan: In addition to serving as the title sponsor of this weekend's GFS Marketplace 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), Gordon Food Service, Inc. will take over primary sponsorship of the #74 BACE Motorsports Chevy driven by Tony Raines. Burton Plans Fund-Raising Run at Darlington: Roush Racing says driver Jeff Burton and Citgo, primary sponsor of his #99 Ford, will team up again to help raise money to find a cure for muscular dystrophy during the Aug. 31 Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Burton’s car will sport a special red, white and blue paint scheme for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Burton will wear a special helmet and firesuit that will be auctioned off to help raise money for MDA. This will be the third year the driver and sponsor have teamed on the effort ABC Report to be filmed: ABC, which was to film at "http://www.highlandrim.com" last Saturday, has rescheduled its visit. Track spokesperson Tammy Williams said the camera crew did not complete another assignment in time to get to the track, and plans to try again next month. ABC plans to use the segment as a part of a report about wives whose husbands are involved in a dangerous spor The Virginia Motorsports Initiative: Gov. Mark R. Warner announced Wenesday, a program to transform the state's NASCAR venues and other motor sport centers into engines for job creation and tourism, especially in economically depressed Southside and southwest Virginia. Standing in the pit of the 88,000-seat Martinsville Speedway, Warner (D) announced the launch of the Virginia Motorsports Initiative, a public-private partnership that he said will help "grow" jobs from the state's far southwestern tip to its midsection, a region where recent unemployment rates have climbed as high as 14 percent. Warner said several state agencies will help promote popular racing locales such as Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond as magnets for engine builders, component makers, race car teams and other sectors of an industry that has grown dramatically as a spectator sport -- and even boosted the Democrat's own 2001 campaign for governor. Triplett close to being a candidate: A former NASCAR executive has moved a step closer to announcing his candidacy for the 9th District congressional seat. Kevin Triplett of Abingdon, who recently resigned as managing director of business operations for the car-racing association, said yesterday he has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission that will allow him to further explore a bid for the Republican nomination in the so-called "Fightin' Ninth." The FEC requires prospective candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of raising $5,000 for a potential congressional bid, Triplett said. Triplett could make a formal announcement next month. The election will be in November 2004.( Bye-Bye Intrepid? Hello Charger? Daytona?: The "http://www.sceneplus.com" is reporting that the Dodge Intrpid will stop being made in 2004. While not announced, Dodge is expected to cease production of the Intrepid by the end of 2004. Dodge is supposedly looking at bring the Dodge Charger or Dodge Daytona back in 2005. Wintson Cup director John Darby said NASCAR has been informed by Dodge that the Intrepid would be replaced. The submission for a new car will be July 1, 2004 but the car doesn't hvae to be completed by then. The Intrpid has won 15 Cup races since making it debut in 2001 The 2004 Ford Racing Taurus participated in a test session at Atlanta Motor Speedway today, and when it was over, Ford Racing officials were very happy. "It went extremely well and pretty much according to plan," said Greg Specht, Manager, North American Racing Operations, Ford Racing Technology. "And we're very pleased that we got the track test out of the way." The 2004 Ford Racing Taurus was built by the Wood Brothers and was driven in the test by 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett, who also was pleased by the test. "Everything went well," said Jarrett. "The car seems to be very well balanced. They did a really good job of building the car. It looks really nice, the lines on it are good, and it did things on the race track that we think will help us to be more competitive even for next year." Specht said today's test with the 2004 Taurus was truly a team effort, involving Wood Brothers Racing, Robert Yates Racing and Roush Racing. "I'd like to thank the Woods for allowing Dale Jarrett in their car in place of Ricky Rudd, who had a previous commitment and couldn't be here today," said Specht. All news complied from Jayski.com and other various sources

Your welcome. Sequatchie(spelling) oringally posted the race info for the next race and final results. That was when I decided to post news and stats. I hope you tell everyone about this board so that maybe we can actually have a popular board

I did not to get to talk to my friend today but will try to let you know an answer tomorrow. If smokeyvol's friend wants them, go ahead and let them have it since I may have fount my friend some more. Thanks

What did the Top 10 in Drivers Points look like a year ago [2002], after 22 races? 1) #40-Sterling Marlin, 2944 (currently 17th - 2339 points) 2) #6-Mark Martin, 2891 (15th - 2496) 3) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 2888 (7th - 2768) 4) #20-Tony Stewart, 2840 (11th - 2550) 5) #24-Jeff Gordon, 2838 (3rd - 2898) 6) #2-Rusty Wallace, 2812 (12th - 2519) 7) #28-Ricky Rudd, 2794 (25th - 2095 now in the #21) 8) #9-Bill Elliott, 2756 (16th - 2347) 9) #12-Ryan Newman, 2683 (2636 - 9th) 10) #17-Matt Kenseth, 2664 (1st - 3294) (8-10-2003) Where did the current Top 10 in Drivers Points stand a year ago [2002], after 22 races? 1) #17-Matt Kenseth, 3294 (was 10th after 22 races in 2002, with 2664 points, 630 ahead of 2002) 2) #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 3036 (17th, 2331, +705) 3) #24-Jeff Gordon, 2898 (5th, 2838, +60) 4) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 2816 (3rd, 2888, -72) 7) #29-Kevin Harvick, 2778 (24th, 2140, +638, missed a race) 5) #15-Michael Waltrip, 2777 (13th, 2490, +287) 6) #18-Bobby Labonte, 2768 (18th, 2284, +484) 8) #97-Kurt Busch, 2696 (11th, 2620, +76) 9) #12-Ryan Newman, 2636 (9th, 2683, -47) 10) #31-Robby Gordon, 2627 (21st, 2210, +417) DNF Streak: #15-Michael Waltrip has the longest streak without a DNF (did not finish) and starting all the races (in 2002 and 2003) at 32 straight races without a DNF (Richmond Sept 2002), followed by #5-Terry Labonte at 28 straight races without a DNF (Talladega Oct 2002) Top Fives: There have been 28 different drivers (add #39-Scott Pruett at Watkins Glen) who have scored a Top-5 in an 2003 Cup race. 2002's total was 31.(8-10-2003) No Top Fives Since.... It has been a while since some drivers have had a top five finish on the Winston Cup circuit. Here are those with the longest streak of races without a top-five finish: Driver, Races since, Finish, Track/Race, Date #11-Brett Bodine, 273, 2nd, Indianapolis 8-6-94 #45-Kyle Petty, 173, 3rd, Dover 9-21-97 #49-Ken Schrader, 168, 4th, Richmond 9-12-98 #01-Mike Skinner, 99, 2nd, Talladega 4-16-00 #0-John Andretti, 73, 2nd, Bristol 3-20-01 #30-Steve Park, 65, 2nd, Dover, 6-3-01 #19-Jeremy Mayfield, 47, 5th, Richmond, 5-4-02 #23-Kenny Wallace, 45, 2nd, Rockingham, 11-4-01 Top Tens: There have been 40 different drivers (add #39-Scott Pruett at Watkins Glen) who have scored a Top-10 in an 2003 Cup race. 2002's total was 42.(8-10-2003) No Top Tens in 2003: there is only one driver who has made ALL the races and do not have a Top Ten finish: #41-Casey Mears (15th at Las Vegas). Consecutive Winston Cup Starts: Ricky Rudd is the current and all time leader with with 702 consecutive starts, the list of current streaks: Ricky Rudd, 702; Rusty Wallace, 611; Mark Martin, 495; Jeff Gordon, 351 [the longest ever from the start of a career, never missed a race]; Bobby Labonbte, 350. Matt Kenseth lost 28 points off his lead today....it's now 258 over Dale Earnhardt Jr. No drivers were mathematically eliminated today; that line remains unchanged at 46th and below. Kevin Harvick (7th to 5th), Tony Stewart (13th to 11th), and Ward Burton (22nd to 20th) made the only multiple position gains in the Top 45. Rusty Wallace (10th to 12th) and Dave Blaney (24th to 26th) did the same in the opposite direction. Didja know? Richard Childress Racing teammates #29-Kevin Harvick and #31-Robby Gordon were the only drivers to finish in the top five in both of this season's road-course races this season All Stats are from Jayski.com

Robby wins the Sirius at The Glen: #31-Robby Gordon lead the final 30 laps and won the Sirius at the Glen at Watkins Glen International. It is Gordon's third career Cup win, 2nd of the year and 2nd road course win. #39-Scott Pruett got his best career Cup finish with a 2nd place finish. Two wins in row for Richard Childress Racing, who has 76 wins as an owner. With a few hundred feet to go, #29-Harvick got into a fuel starved #24 Gordon car who nosed into the guardrail and spun around with the DuPont Chevy ending a few feet from the flag stand against the guard rail, finishing 33rd a lap down. Harvick and crew cheif were called to the 'big red trailer' [NASCAR]. #44-Fittipaldi was taken by hospital to the infield to be treated for possible carbon monoxide poisoning and dehydration. Finishing Order for the Sirius at the Glen looks like it has changed, with #41-Mears being dropped from 22nd to 32nd Why the change: Rookie #41-Casey Mears lost 10 spots Sunday after being penalized 30 seconds for going straight through the Inner Loop. Mears had unofficially finished 22nd before the penalty, which was the highest finish of any rookie. After the penalty, he ended up 32nd. AND During the last lap of the race, Mears ran out of fuel and drove through a section of the racetrack that is not allowed. He was penalized for the move and relegated to a 32nd place finish 32nd and all in between moving up a spot Cingular to Donate $100,000: Cingular Wireless, primary sponsor of the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevy, will donate $50,000 each to FDNY and Special Olympics as a result of Robby Gordon’s win Sunday at Watkins Glen. The donation marks the third time Gordon’s on-track success has benefited FDNY and Special Olympics. Following his November 2001 victory at New Hampshire International Speedway, car owner Richard Childress and Gordon donated $203,924, their total purse money, to the Uniformed Firefighters Association’s Widow’s and Children’s Fund. Cingular Wireless also donated $18,800 to Special Olympics Team USA in April 2003, a $100 per-lap-completed donation, after Gordon completed all of the 188 laps in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega. Cingular Wireless had pledged to each organization $50,000 if Gordon won Sunday’s Sirius at The Glen.. As part of Cingular Wireless’ support of FDNY and Special Olympics, the #31 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Chevrolet also carried a special paint scheme this past weekend at Watkins Glen International. “Sweeping both road course races this year is pretty special but being able to raise money for FDNY and Special Olympics makes it even more awesome for me,” Gordon said. “It’s all about us being able to give something back to these everyday heroes. I got to know a lot of the guys with FDNY back in 2001 when Richard Childress and I presented a check to them after we won at Loudon. They’re just a great group of selfless people and I’m glad we could help them out. Dale Jr. a Free Agent? #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he is a “free agent” and has no long-term commitment to drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc. In January, Junior said during a news conference he had reached a deal to stay with DEI through 2007. But he never signed a contract and said last weekend at Watkins Glen he has only a “driver's agreement” that runs from race to race. Junior says he wants to get the contract done—but on his terms. “I've paid my dues to get where I am, and I feel I have to stand up for myself,” he says. “There's too many security blankets on one side of the fence, and there need to be a few on my side. Right now the contract looks out totally after Dale Earnhardt Inc. rather than myself.” Junior expressed concerns that if the complexion of DEI should change through the sale of the company or the addition of a new partner, he wants the option to leave if he doesn't agree with the new ownership. Junior says he and crew chief Tony Eury Sr., an uncle, and car chief Tony Eury Jr., a cousin, are a package deal. Though Junior hopes to work things out with DEI, there are a lot of fans who would love to see him team up with Richard Childress, his late father's longtime car owner. DEI better not drag its feet Riggs to DEI? hearing that Scott Riggs may be the new driver for the #1 DEI Chevy in 2004 if a sponsor is signed. Insiders continue to look for Scott Riggs to get the call to join DEI next season, if sponsors agree. DEI officials expect to have a decision on the company's third team car by Darlington in three weeks Traction Control being used by 16 Cup drivers? As many as 16 Winston Cup teams may have used traction control this season, #54-Todd Bodine says. And he says he's been beaten this season by the illegal but virtually undetectable technology that keeps a car from spinning its rear wheels: 'Yes, unequivocally yes. I've heard numbers that up to 16 cars in here have it. The funny part is the guys who win with it and then forget they have it, and they can't do the burnout. So they stop, switch the (ignition) box, and then do the burnout. It's happened three times in Busch this year with two different drivers.' Traction control - standard equipment on many passenger cars - has long been a no-no in NASCAR. It was also a no-no in Formula One until inspectors finally gave up trying to police it. Some Winston Cup teams want NASCAR to legalize it, too, since it has proven impossible to police. 'They're almost undetectable,' Bodine says. 'There is one the driver himself can put in and take out when he gets in and out of the car. I don't know exactly how they all work, but I know they're hard to find. 'They've caught people, but the people they've caught, they're not going to say anything about. That's just the way they do it." So what's NASCAR to do, just ignore it? 'It's almost to that point' Bodine says. 'It's either that, or do like ASA and NASCAR puts the ignition boxes in the car itself,' Bodine says. The penalty for using traction control? 'You would definitely be thrown out of NASCAR,' car owner Jim Smith says. 'No fine. Just indefinite suspension. Pack your stuff up and go home.' However Smith concedes he's been hearing numerous reports that traction control is widespread, particularly on the Truck tour. 'There are even systems out there you can operate with your cellphone,' Smith added. Car owner Jack Roush dismisses all the talk: 'I'm like the dog that never heard the whistle, so I'm not getting fed. It looks to me like people are organizing a snipe hunt. I doubt NASCAR is missing anything, certainly not with the teams they inspect. If there were an opportunity, it would be for a team that wasn't torn down after a race

How much? I have a few friends looking for tickets. PM me if you need to.

I will be in turn 3. Been there every race since they built our seats. Are you staying at home or in a hotel Smokeyvol? I will be camping even though I live 45 minutes from the track. Also, are you going to either the truck race or busch races. Those are going to be awesome!

Your best bet will probably be ebay or pick up a NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated and look in the classfied section. There are several ticket brokers listed there. Be prepared to pay alittle more then face value. You can order Busch and Truck tickets through the ticket office.

The Winston Cup points race would look much different if NASCAR adopted another series' scoring system (wins in parentheses): Current NASCAR Winston Cup points standings (43 cars score points; 175 for a victory, 34 for 43rd): Driver (wins) Points 1. Matt Kenseth (1) 2,977 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1) -232 3. Jeff Gordon (1) -308 4. Jimmie Johnson (2) -430 5. Bobby Labonte (1) -432 6. Michael Waltrip (1) -439 7. Kevin Harvick -534 8. Kurt Busch (3) -559 9. Ryan Newman (4) -614 10. Jeff Burton -622 Hypothetical standings if NASCAR awarded 50 bonus points for winning a race: Driver (wins) Points 1. Matt Kenseth (1) 3,027 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1) -232 3. Jeff Gordon (1) -308 4. Jimmie Johnson (2) -380 5. Bobby Labonte (1) -432 6. Michael Waltrip (1) -439 7. Kurt Busch (3) -459 8. Ryan Newman (4) -464 9. Kevin Harvick -584 10. Jeff Burton -672 Hypothetical standings if NASCAR used the Formula One's scoring system (eight cars score points; 10 for a victory, 1 for 8th): Driver (wins) Points 1. Bobby Labonte (1) 69 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1) -1 3. Kurt Busch (3) -4 4. Matt Kenseth (1) -9 5. Ryan Newman (4) -10 6. Jeff Gordon (1) -16 7. Michael Waltrip (1) -31 8. Kevin Harvick -31 9. Tony Stewart (1) -33 10. Jimmie Johnson (2) -34 Hypothetical standings if NASCAR used the CART's scoring system (12 cars score points; 20 for a victory, 1 for 12th): Driver (wins) Points 1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1) 163 2. Matt Kenseth (1) -2 3. Bobby Labonte (1) -7 4. Kurt Busch (3) -24 5. Ryan Newman (4) -24 6. Jeff Gordon (1) -35 7. Tony Stewart (1) -69 8. Michael Waltrip (1) -69 9. Jimmie Johnson (2) -71 10. Kevin Harvick -86 Hypothetical standings if NASCAR used the Indy Racing League's scoring system (33 cars score points; 50 for a victory, 1 for 33rd): Driver (wins) Points 1. Matt Kenseth (1) 546 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1) -49 3. Jeff Gordon (1) -94 4. Bobby Labonte (1) -110 5. Ryan Newman (4) -124 6. Kurt Busch (3) -126 7. Jimmie Johnson (2) -145 8. Michael Waltrip (1) -156 9. Kevin Harvick -190 10. Jeff Burton -207

Harvick wins the Brickyard 400 at Indy: #29-Kevin Harvick won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first ever won from the pole. It is the 2nd win for the team [the late great Dale Earnhardt won in 1995 with the same team, then #3]. It is Harvick's 4th career win and first of the season. Harvick blew the right rear fender off the car when his burn out popped and shreaded the tire. Finishing 2nd was #17-Matt Kenseth, who extends his points lead even more. Last years winner, #9-Bill Elliott came back and finished 5th. Nice finish by #7-Jimmy Spencer and Mongo. And rookie #42-Jamie McMurray lead 22 laps and finished 3rd. #88 Jackman Update: On his first pitstop #88-Dale Jarrett spun out, hit his jackman, John Bryan, who was attended attended to on pitroad [which was closed] - John was (and is) awake and alert, Bryan was transported to the local hospital, Doug Yates told IMS radio that Bryan's shoulder hurts and he has pain in his pelvic area, but is awake and alert and Yates thinks he is OK - Good News! (radio and TV reports)(8-3-2003) Safety at IMS: Indianapolis Motor Speedway is using the traveling Indy Racing League safety team for today's race Paul Tracy to NASCAR? Volatile, hard-driving Paul Tracy, an outspoken Indy-car star, may be looking for place to race next season, with CART going down the tubes. And two Winston Cup team owners interested in Tracy are Chip Ganassi and Richard Childress. Childress has made a career of dealing with hard-to-deal with drivers. It's unclear if Childress might be considering expanding to four Winston Cup teams.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-3-2003) Jerry Nadeau Update: Jerry Nadeau says it's "a pretty realistic goal" that he'll make his return at next year's Daytona 500. Team officials had talked about Nadeau possibly racing again at the end of the season, but Nadeau is not sure that schedule will work as he continues to recover from injuries suffered in a crash at Richmond in May. "I was looking at timetable-wise Atlanta because Atlanta is such a good place and I've won there," Nadeau said of the Oct.26 race. "But, you really never know."(Roanoke Times)(8-2-2003)

The beach is awesome and the golf courses looked great. I played the Cane Patch par 3 twice and it was great. It was too hot to play a big course in the day so we played at night. We ate at the best seafood resturant and I highly recommend Origanal Benjamins on 17 Resturant row in North Myrtle. The closet I got to Conway besides the way home was watching the Hooters Pro Cup race at Myrtle Beach Speedway. Great Racing

I'm back from Myrtle Beach and I missed a very busy NASCAR news week. Here is my takes on some of the news in the world of Auto Racing: 1. ISC TAKES LABOR DAY DATE FROM DARLINGTON! It is a shame NASCAR can not keep some things from their heritage. Taking the Southern 500 is like moving the Green Bay Packers or Chicago Bears to another city on the opposite coast. In the process, Rockingham lost a date. The dates they have this year were not the best of dates and really hurt their chances at selling out the races. I was in the Rockingham Community on the day of the annoucement and it was like they were closing all the businesses and having to move. 2. SKINNER OUT OF THE #4 CAR No surprise from me. He has not had a finsh on the lead lap all year and missing the Michigan Race was the final factor. Skinner's future is not very clear and chances of him landing at a top team are not very good. 3. NEXTEL CUP? Another sad change in NASCAR, but one possibly for the better. One thing to watch for is how will this effect all of the other Wireless Providers already in Cup. 4. CITGO LEAVING ROUSH A sign of the times when a sponser leaves a high class ride. The #99 has not been performing that well but they should find some way to keep the time running. 5. JOHNS0N CITY'S JOHNNY MILLER IN CUP RACE! Johnny Miller of Johnson City is in the #4 for this weekend's race. Sure he starts 36th but it is his first Cup Race. He is a proven road racer!

RACE RECAP From Jayski.com #10-Scott Riggs won the Trace Adkins Chrome 300 at Nashville Superspeedway and became the first repeat winner at Nashville, his 4th overall, his 2nd win of the season and he is now the new Busch Series points leader for the first time in his career. The rest of the top five were #37-David Green, #1-David Stremme, #7-Randy LaJoie, and #25-Bobby Hamilton Jr. Riggs won by a margin of 0.53 seconds averaging 118.547mph in a race that featured 11 cautions for 42 laps. #21-Johnny Sauter had just passed rookie #1-David Stremme for third when the rookie tapped him, putting Sauter into the wall before spinning out into the infield. NASCAR stopped the cars on the backstretch to clean up the debris and finish under green. Sauter wasn't happy being put out of the race [drove infront of Stemme and slammed on the brakes a few times before Stremme drove low and went by Sauter]. "As a rookie, I can say I'm still learning," Stremme said. "But that's not how I drive. I'll have to talk to him later. He's a little hot right now." #92-Todd Bodine flew back and forth between Pocono where the Winston Cup Series will run Sunday trying to maintain his lead in the Busch Series. He started second but finished 26th when engine trouble knocked him out. Points Standing after Nashville: 10-Scott Riggs, 2056 37-David Green, 2038, -18 92-Todd Bodine, 2032, -24 2-Ron Hornaday, 1912, -144 5-Brian Vickers,1881,-175 For the full standings, see BGNRacing.com. -7- Side Note: Several Drivers were called into the Blue Truck after the race including Toad Bodine, Kerry Earnhardt, and I am not sure if Mike Wallace, Johnny Sauter, or David Stremme were called or not.

RACE RECAP Stewart wins the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway. #20-Tony Stewart won the Pocono 500, his first win of 2003, his first win since Watkins Glen in 2002 (27 races) and his first in a Chevy and Chevy's first win at Pocono in five years. #6-Mark Martin was 2nd, for the 5th time at Pocono. The race ended under caution after #1-Jeff Green got punted by #5-Terry Labonte when both drivers moved down at the same time. Points leader #17-Matt Kenseth was third and added to his lead a bit. The unofficial top 10: #20-Tony Stewart (37 laps led) #6-Mark Martin (7 laps led) #17-Matt Kenseth (10 laps led) #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (22 laps led) #12-Ryan Newman (1 lap led) #40-Sterling Marlin (44 laps led) #5-Terry Labonte (1 lap led) #22-Ward Burton (2 laps led) #38-Elliott Sadler (35 laps led) #32-Ricky Craven Cars on the lead lap: 20 (of 43 starters) Off track/out of race (8): #49-Schrader (out-accident); #88-Jarrett (out-accident); #14-Foyt (out-engine/brakes?); #91-Atwood (out-valve spring/engine); #7-Spencer (out-?); #97-Busch (out-accident); #4-Skinner (out-accident); #1-Green (out-accident); #16-Biffle (out-acciddent / some results have him out some do not, will correct if need be on Monday when official results come out) Laps Leaders Unofficial (16): #48-Johnson (23 laps led); #14-Foyt (5); #9-Elliott(2); #8-Earnhardt Jr.(22); #12-Newman (1); #17-Kenseth (10); #20-Stewart (37); #38-Sadler (35); #6-Martin (7); #5-Labonte (1); #22-Burton (2); #40-Marlin (44, most led); #15-Waltrip (1); #1-Green (1); #99-Burton (6); #54-Bodine (3); Cautions 5 for 24 laps Caution 5 - Laps 199 - 200: #1-Green got rearended by #5-Labonte with Green hitting the now dirt reinforced guardrail hard. Green walked away ok. Labonte felt Green was trying to block him as they both wen low at the same time and Labonte's momentum took him into Green's car. Behind that wreck, many cars got together including #16-Biffle, #4-Skinner, #9-Elliott. Caution 4 - Laps 193 - 197: #97-Busch cut down a tire and hit the wall. Caution 3 - Laps 153 - 157: #21-Rudd stalled on the track. Caution 2 - Laps 55 - 61: #88-Jarrett lost control and backed into the turn 1 wall, similar to Schrader, Jarrett got out of the car quickly and walked away ok. Jarrett thinks a right rear trie cut down or the tread came off the tire as he felt a vibration then the car turned around. Think it is time for SAFER in turn 1 at Pocono? Caution 1 - Laps 9 - 16: #49-Schrader backed into the turn 1 wall hard with the car erupting in flames after the car rolled completely over once, Schrader was able to scramble from the car. Schrader said he had a massive brake failure and he purposly backed the car into the wall, didn't want to hit head on or drivers side. RACE NOTES: (as noted on TV or MRN Radio) #25-Nemechek and #21-Rudd have returned to the race after repairs the rearends Many leaders and cars are pitting for gas only laps 170-180 range. #16-Biffle came in and got gas only on lap 166 Most drivers came in during the 3rd caution Green flag stops occured in the lap 122-131 range. Green flag stops occured in the lap 87-98 range. #7-Spencer is back on the track after getting a new rearend housing, came back around lap 75. During the 2nd caution most of the cars pitted, just laps after the green flag stops. #17-Kenseth ran out of fuel on his lap 51 pit stop just as he got int othe pits and had to be pushed out and lost a ton of time. Green flag pit stops are occuring bwtween laps 45-51 range. On lap 34, #7-Spencer almost hit the wall, came back and he and #6-Martin got together, both continued on but the front fenders of both cars garnered some damage. Around lap 19, #9-Elliott wacked the wall while leading and pancaked the right side of the car and is falling back in the field a bit now. On lap 18, #40-Marlin cut down a tire and had to pit, he was able to pit fast and get out on the lead lap. Most cars pitted during the first caution, #9-Elliott only took gas only and got out first. On lap 5, #16-Biffle got into #41-Mears, no major damage and both kept up to speed. On lap 3, #24-Gordon cut down a left front tire and had to pit but was able to pit and stay on the lead lap. Re-air: the race will be re-aired on Speed Channel, Wed, June 11th, 8:00pm/et and Thurs, June 12th, at 1:00am/et and at 3:00pm/et. Lineup/Qual Results/Lineup Links at Jayski's Pocono 500 Grid page. Unofficial Race Results at Nascar.com Harvick/Benson: NASCAR.com and ThatsRacin.com have #29-Harvick finishing 24th (91 points) at Pocono and #10-Johnny Benson 25th (88 points), while some AP results have Benson 24th and Harvick 25th. A Press Release from MBV states Benson finishing 25th. Will know for sure around 12:00noon/et on Monday when NASCAR releases the official results from the race. Unofficial Points Standings after Pocono: #17-Matt Kenseth, 2115 #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 1939, -175 #24-Jeff Gordon, 1882, -233 #18-Bobby Labonte, 1828, -287 #97-Kurt Busch, 1753, -362 #15-Waltrip, 1745, -370 #48-Johnson, 1738, -377 #2-Wallace, 1671, -444 #29-Harvick, 1630, -485 #40-Marlin, 1623, -492 See full standings at ThatsRacin.com. From Jayski.com

Byrd is probably the best athlete to go through Cloudland High School in history. The only disadvantage is his height and his jumping abilty makes that look like a minor advantage. One of Byrd's worser games was at Boyd but he dislocated his shoulder in the first quarter and broke his hand in the 2nd (or was it vice verse) and kept on playing.