Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
r_ONJTM«^jrtJ«*S^
All times Eastern
Next*! Cup
AMD at the Glen, | ji~^
1 p.m.. Sunday NBC
ImehStriw
zippo 200, mm
2 p.m.. Saturday NBC
ftucKSertos ffgggg
Toyota tundra 200, cm4«*h
5 p.m., Saturday
P Jimmie Johnson has impecca
ble timing. He overcame more
than his share of adversity at
Indy. His crew replaced a dead
battery just before the start, he
suffered tire failure on the 39th
lap and weathered a pit-road
fire. Somehow, he managed to
win. It's the stuff of champions.
P Attendance at this year s All
state 400 was only about
225,000 at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, which seats approxi
mately 257.000. Sellouts were
commonplace until the past few
years.
p Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed to
slip back into the Nextel Cup
standings' top 10, thanks to a
late decision not to pit in order
to gain track position. He fin
ished sixth but still seemed a
bit disappointed afterward. “I’d
like to have a better car so we
don't have to make those kinds
of calls,” he said. “We've got a
lot of talent on our team. We
put it to good use on pit stops.
We need to do better and get
better cars."
P For now, at least, the sport's
biggest names are all in the top
10, with Jeff Gordon eighth. Tony
Stewart ninth and Earnhardt Jr.
10th. The situation is perilous,
though, entering the final five
races of the regular season.
Four other drivers Kasey
Kahne, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch
and Carl Edwards still have a
shot at making the top 10 and
the Chase.
p Jimmie Johnson has won 22
races in only 168 tries. That's
the same number of victories as
his occasional teammate, Terry
Labonte, who is retiring at sea
son’s end. Labonte has compet
ed in 843 races.
p Thirty-five drivers finished on
the lead lap at Indy. That's the
most in NASCAR history for a
400- or 500-mile race.
p It seems unbelievable that
Ryan Newman ranks 18th in the
points standings. He's 408
points out of 10th place.
P Jeremy Mayfield, who made
the Chase in both 2004 and
2005, is now 34th in the points
standings. He’s nearly 1,500
points behind Johnson.
ANOWHO'SNeT-
> Who's hot
Jimmie
Johnson has
finished in
the top 15 in
19 of the
season's 21
races. ... Jeff
Burton has
finished in
the top 15 in
Burton
15 straight races.
Who’s not A crash on the
last lap cost Kasey Kahne four
positions in the points stand
ings and dropped him out of
the top 10 for the first time
since the Daytona 500.
Driver rosters should fall into place soon
The final pieces of next
year’s driving roster should
fall into place in the next few
days.
Jeremy Mayfield is out at
Evernham Motorsports, per
haps as soon as this week.
He’s headed
to Bill Davis
Racing.
The sec
ond Toyota
Camry at
Davis’ race
team will
be driven
by Dave
Blaney.
Elliott
W'-ti Mscuri '
[fclsi33|]
cur sinus
NOTEBOOK
Don Coble
Morris News
Service
Sadler
will replace Mayfield at
Evernham.
David Gilliland will replace
Sadler at Robert Yates
Racing. That leaves one job
open at Yates - the position
vacated by Dale Jarrett, who
will drive one of Michael
Waltrip’s Toyotas next year.
The addition of new teams
has created a shortage of good
drivers and crew chiefs in the
sport. It’s also putting a lot
of pressure on teams to keep
sponsors happy, especially
since many are not guaran
teed a spot in the starting
lineup.
“I personally think that
much like the Dallas Cowboys
or the Carolina Panthers,
they know they are going
► If you have a question or a comment, write: NASCAR This Week, c/o The Gaston Gazette, RO. Box 1538, Gastonia, NC 28053
■ Race: AMD at the Glen
■ Where: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Inter
national (2.45 miles). 90
laps/220.5 miles.
■ When: Sunday, Aug. 13
■ Last year’s winner: Tony Stewart
■ Qualifying record: Jeff Gordon.
Chevrolet, 124.580 mph, Aug. 8.
2003.
■ Race record: Mark Martin. Ford.
103.300 mph. Aug. 13. 1995.
■ Last week: It must have been
tempting at dusk for Jimmie John
son to whistle, or snap his fingers,
or sing some song along the lines
of "Everything's Going My Way.” For
Johnson, the man who has
achieved everything but a Cup
championship, an Allstate 400 vic
tory could hardly be read as any
thing but a good omen. But races
aren't tea leaves, even though the
winner of the (now) Allstate 400
WM AT'SHJ P N EKrT
Casey Mears
Family Tradition
When Mears comes to Indy, he visits ghosts from the past
By Monte Dutton
NASCAR This Week
SPEEDWAY, Ind. Many drivers
have sentimental ties to Indianapolis
Motor Speedway, but no one has fami
ly ties that approach those of 28-year
old Casey Mears.
Mears’ father, Roger, competed in
the Indianapolis 500, and his uncle,
Rick, is one of three four-time win
ners in the history of the 500. Rick
Mears is one of the legends of Ameri
can motorsports.
For obvious reasons, Casey Mears
said: “Out of every place that we run,
this is the place I probably look for
ward to the most. You know, one, the
track is a lot of fun. Obviously, it’s got
a lot of history. Then, you know, hav
ing the family history in the back
ground here, as well, just makes it
much more exciting to me.”
Mears, from Bakersfield, Calif.,
could manage only a 23 rd -place finish
in the Allstate 400, and he started the
race 39 th . The result was bitterly dis
appointing, especially when compared
with his sixth-place finish in 2005. He
holds the track record, having turned
a lap at 186.293 mph in winning the
pole in 2004. This time, Mears faded
after running ninth with 40 laps re
maining.
He recalled his track-record quali
fying run,on Aug. 7, 2004, as“one of
the most special days I ever had in
motorsports. ... What was crazy about
that was we were one of the cars that
went out early, and the track contin
ued to cool off the whole time, but it
was such a great lap that it would
have been really hard for anybody to
beat. ... To actually come home with
that pole, you know, was just huge.”
Before he moved to NASCAR,
Mears tried unsuccessfully twice to
make the field for the Indy 500.
“Just didn’t have the team to do it
with,” he said, matter-of-factly, “and
missed the show.”
Next year Mears will move from
"I think we need 43 teams that know
they are going to be in the show that
at the same time have to do a certain
amount of things to validate that they
deserve a franchise/'
-Jeff Burton
to have a chance to play in
every game,” Jeff Burton
said. “They don’t know if
they are going to make the
playoffs, but we need that
here. I think it would protect
the owners and it would pro
tect our sponsors and I think
we have to find a way to move
towards that. I think we need
43 teams that know they are
going to be in the show that
at the same time have to do
a certain amount of things to
validate that they deserve a
franchise. We need to find a
way to guarantee everybody
they are going to be in the
show for our sponsors and
car owners. It isn’t about the
drivers; it is about the spon
sors and the car owners.”
MARTIN MERRY-GO-ROUND:
Mark Martin has been offered
$8 million to return to the
No. 6 Ford next year, accord
ing to Speed Channel.
Ford and Roush Racing are
concerned there isn’t enough
has gone on to win the (now) Nextel
Cup championship five times. John
son virtually disappeared early,
thanks to a blown tire on the 39th
lap. and appeared as if by magic to
seize the lead for the third and final
time on the 151st of 160 laps. “It's
way too early to say we've broken
the pattern." said Johnson, “but it's
a great start.' Johnson had never
finished better than ninth at Indy,
and his finishes the previous two
seasons had been 36th and 38th.
Johnson has also never won the
championship, so the obvious ques
tion in this race's aftermath was
whether the victory would be a har
binger of the glory experienced by
Jeff Gordon in 1998 and 2001,
Dale Jarrett in 1999, Bobby
Labonte in 2000 and Tony Stewart
in 2005. All won championships in
the year they also won at Indy.
Nextel Cup Series No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge
wHmL,-, k - HHB—
Hr
|| T~ IHI
aw k\
£&/'' ' Y M
U Wl jJEiIjHHnBHIBI
John Clark/NASCAR This Week
Next year, Casey Mears will move from Chip Ganassi Racing to Hendrick Motorsports,
where he will succeed Brian Vickers in the team’s No. 25 Chevrolet.
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix
Sabates to Hendrick Motorsports,
where he will succeed Brian Vickers
in the team’s No. 25 Chevrolet. He
said he will continue as driver of
Ganassi’s No. 42 Dodge through the
end of the season.
When Mears was growing up, he
didn’t actually attend the races in
which his father and uncle competed.
TJie speedway didn’t allow pit-and-
talent available to replace
Martin, who was supposed to
retire from the Nextel Cup
Series after last year.
Todd Kluever hasn’t shown
any real promise in the
Busch Series, so car owner
Jack Roush is desperate to
keep Martin in the car for
one more year.
RACE FOR THE CHASE HEATS
UP: The wreck on the final
lap of last Sunday’s Allstate
400 may have a lasting
affect on the Chase for the
Championship.
Robby Gordon’s Chevrolet
veered into Greg Biffle’s Ford
in the fourth turn, sending
both cars into the wall. At
the same time, Kasey Kahne
crashed. Both Biffle and
Kahne were headed to top
-12 finishes. Biffle wound up
33rd; Kahne was 36th.
Kahne dropped four spots
in the Nextel Cup Series
standings to 11th; Biffle is
12th.
SPORTS
■ Race: Zippo 200
■ Where: Watkins Glen
(N.Y.) International (2.45
miles). 82 laps/200.9
miles.
■ When: Saturday, Aug.
12
■ Last year’s winner:
Ryan Newman
■ Qualifying record: Tony
Stewart, Chevrolet,
121.069 mph, Aug. 13,
2005.
■ Race record: Terry
Labonte, Chevrolet,
91.468 mph, June 30,
1996.
■ Last week: Points
leader Kevin Harvick won
for the fifth time this
season in the Kroger
200 at O'Reilly Raceway
Park in Clermont, Ind.
BACK TO SCHOOL!
BACH TO SHAPE!
Htyaun Sxcu&e fu&t
Ask Us
How.To
Receive
(MONTHS
FREE!
* Child Care ||
• Sauna
* Smoothie Bar
* Professional Staff
rf*sß**>
PRIMS CIITE&
1291 S. HOUSTON LAKE HO., SUITE Q
WARNER ROBINS, GA
4TB-2 18-9363
Must be 18 yrs of age or older, first time guest, local resident. 'Certain restrictions apply.
cftArrsMxNrrST
■ Race: Toyota Tundra
200
■ Where: Nashville Su
perspeedway, Gladeville,
Tenn. (1.333 miles),
150 laps/200 miles.
■ When: Saturday, Aug.
12
■ Last year's winner:
David Reutimann
■ Qualifying record:
Mike Skinner, Toyota,
161.440 mph, Aug. 13,
2005.
■ Race record: Scott
Riggs, Dodge, 132.466
mph, Aug. 10, 2001.
■ Last week: Rick Craw
ford, In a Ford, won the
Power Stroke 200 at
O'Reilly Raceway Park in
Clermont, Ind.
garage access to persons under 18
years of age. He watched the 500 at
family gatherings back in Bakersfield.
Of his father and uncle, he said:
“They were both very influential on
my racing career and my life. It
would be hard to name somebody
above and beyond those guys.”
Contact Monte Dutton at
hduttonso@aol.com
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2006
WATKfNSOtEN BATA
AMD at the Glen
Aug. 13 j
f : I Watkins Glen.
Distance: 2.45 mile road course [’ejSStT]
Turns: 1.1
° ” Mlles/Laps: ...220.5 mi. -90 taps W
Banking m Banking varies
straights in tome l llj
Tj|/
!
fl mm I MiP
Jf MM ‘ipw|
H' iffL/ MM!
5
:
fc* A
FEUD OF THE WEEK
v
E
R
S
U
S
IX Jmm
Said
Boris Said vs.
Read Sorenson
It was only the 20th lap of the All
state 400 when Sorenson's Dodge
tapped Said's Ford in turn three. “On
the restart, I guess the '4l' car
(Sorenson) just got into me a little
bit," Said remarked. “It's just one of
those racing deals where he was do
ing his deal, and I was doing my deal
and our deals ended up colliding, so
it's a bad day for me. I feel really bad
because I really wanted to run this
race."
NASCAR This Week's Monte
Dutton gives his take: “Said, mak
ing his third start as a car owner,
had none of the luck he had in the
Pepsi 400, where he used a strate
gic move (not pitting) to gain track
position and end up finishing fourth.
Easy come, easy go.”
»~vxrgi v i -
New book examines origins
of East Coast racing
“Paved Track, Dirt Track” (Coastal
181), by Lew Boyd, is the complete
history of two famed race tracks. Old
Bridge Stadium in New Jersey and
Nazareth Raceway in Pennsylvania.
The author chose the two tracks to
"exemplify the heart of East Coast
modified racing.” Boyd conducted
more than 100 interviews with Mario
Andretti, Wally Dallenbach, Frankie
Schneider, Gil Hdarhe; Buzzle Reuti : ’
mann and others. The book covers
the evolution of racing at the two
tracks from just after World War It to
the 19905. The book is available for
$23.95 plus $6 for shipping and
handling. To order, call toll-free 1-
877-907-8181 or order online at
www.coastallßl.com.
1-1 szt tsi
I remember Pearl Harbor
Toyota may be an employer of
25,000 U.S. workers, but where
are the profits going? To Japan,
of course. Were our government wise
enough to keep foreign cars out, this
money could be going into our own
economy.
This will spoil the racing picture for
me. Oh, I'll still watch it until the for
eign entries outnumber our own. I still
remember Pearl Harbor.
Bob Rice
Canton, Pa.
Thanks for letting us know how you
feel. As we've seen this season, there
are plenty of fans upset that Toyota is
coming to Nextel Cup.
24 Hour Access
Best Equipment
In Town
• Free Weight
V
* Tree One On
One Training
* Indoor Cycling
* Aerobics
* Tanning
*4’.
ff* jsy
Spwtig|gg
IJuEil
* Super Clean
Facility
• Conveniently
Located
3B
Sorenson