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♦ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 8A wmscm Point Standings Jkt Green Flag News and Notes Busch Series closes in on race date in Canada Although the Nextel Cup Series schedule was released last week, the Busch Series schedule is still a month away from being released. But it’s clear ly taking shape. When Norman Legault, race promot er at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, announced it was not inviting the CART Champ Car World Series back next year, it meant NASCAR will be road racing north of the border next year. The government allows only two races a year in the park on Notre Dame Island. Formula One certainly isn’t leav ing, so CART is the odd racing series out The Busch Series expanded to Mexico City in 2005 and it was received as an overwhelming success. That immediately sparked interest in moving the sport to Canada. To make room for the expansion, NASCAR either will move to 36 regular season events or eliminate a current race - most likely the poorly attended race last month at Martinsville, Va. Dodge Charger to get new nose in 2007 The Dodge Charger finally will get a new nose in 2007. The manufacturer tried to get a revi sion of its front bumper earlier this year, but the changes constituted a change in the template, NASCAR said. Dodge offi cials said their current bumper doesn’t provide enough downforce for the front tires, especially in traffic. The new nose is expected to have a sleeker look, especially around the head light wells. The change can’t come quick enough for Dodge. It currently doesn’t have any teams ranked in the top 10. Night races far from a boon for TV ratings Race fans at the Bristol Motor Speedway consider last Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 a roaring success. In fact, they consider the night race one of the most-popular of the season. Television viewers, however, contin ued to see it differently. Night races continue to be ratings losers for NASCAR Night races, includ ing last Saturday’s Sharpie 500, have pro duced she of the top-11 worst of the year - not counting races postponed a day by weather. BEAT From page 6A HaCs 25. Morrow 10 Marrow 28. HaCo 26 Marrow 26. HaCa 24 In the second match, the Lady Bears won the first game 25-10 because of a for feit. Morrow was late and the referee was just about to call the match when it showed up, explained Jones. The Lady Bears played well in the second, he added, CLARKE From page 6A loaded, but a wild pitch brought one runner to the plate. Clarke struck out the side in the top of the first and finished with five whiffs. She walked a batter with one out in the second, but catcher WIN From page 6A Jackson. They lost the first match 25-17 and the second 25-14. ■7/ HASCAR . tjyyypi CUP SERIFS Longing to be average ./HroSlljMße Kasey Kahne 11th place 9O points out of 10th Wins: 4 Average finish: 16th Making the Chase requires consistent mediocrity, not wins By Don Coble Morris News Service FONTANA, Calif. - When asked if he’d trade a couple of wins to finish 13th every week, Greg Biffle never hesitated. “I’d take it,” he said. A sport that’s the purest of all competi tions - the first one across the finish linb wins has been transformed into something far more complicated.'Finishing first isn’t nearly as important as simply finishing. The top-10 drivers in the Nextel Cup Series standings after next week’s race at Richmond, Va., will move into the Chase for the Championship, NASCAR’s made-for-tele vision series that determines the champi onship. Everyone else will race for 11th and whatever crumbs are left by the playoff contenders. On the surface, making the Chase seemed simple. An average finish of 14th with no laps led and no wins is enough to be in the top 10. Thirteenth place would be good enough for fourth place in the current rankings. “If you offered me 13th place every week, I’d take it now,” Biffle said. “You have to learn how to play the game. I’ve learned. It’s all about consistency.” Biffle is 12th in the standings with two races to go before the Chase. But he’s 251 points behind lOth-place Mark Martin. Even but made some errors at “critical junctures” and lost 28-26 (a normal game is to 25 - win by two). The final game of the match went back and forth, Jones said, as neither team could consistently string a run together. Morrow was able to squeak by 26-24. “(I) felt that Morrow snuck by with one,” he said. “While not making excuses, the squad was without start ing Middle Hitter Jennifer Doerbreiner, who stayed behind to rehab a sore Laura Thompson threw out that runner at third base after a strikeout. With one out in the third, Clarke hit a Northeast Raiderette. That runner would be thrown out at home trying to score on a pitch in the dirt with two outs. Ashley Craddock of Perry “We didn’t play very well in that one,” Hardy said. “Mary Beth and Leigh Anne Fall played solidly on defense. (But) our only offensive weapon was Ashley. We just couldn’t get much going.” Driver Behind Jimmie Johnson Leader Matt Kenseth -7 Kevin Harvick -321 Kyle Busch -402 Jeff Gordon -408 Biffle doubts he can make up that much ground in two races. “It’s unbelievable we’re in the position we’re in,” Biffle said. “I never would have believed it. I never thought it would end up this way. We’ve led a lot of laps, but that does n’t count.” Biffle’s had eight finishes of 31st or worse. That’s why he’s behind. Kasey Kahne, who’s tied with Jimmie Johnson for the most wins (four) this year, also has six finishes of 31st or worse. Although he’s been ranked among the top 10 for 19 of the 25 racing weeks - being as high as second during the second month - Kahne started a slide in June that’s dropped him from third to 11th in the rankings, '9O points behind Martin. “I wouldn't have expected we’d be 11th going into this weekend, but that’s racing,” Kahne said. “It’s humbling sport and it’s all about the ups and downs. That’s what makes it so good. It (confidence) was real high (after fourth victory of the season at Michigan in June). It was as high as it’s been all season long. Wherever we went after this we went into that race thinking we were going to win or run up front. We’ve just had some struggles since then.” Casey Mears spent the first 10 races ranked in the top 10. He started the season with three top-10 finishes, only to start a run in July of five consecutive runs of 21st or Achilles tendon. “Our trainer thought the rest would have her ready for Saturday when we start area play.” Jones added he can’t wait to play Morrow Oct. 5 at Houston County with a full and healthy squad. Overall, Morgan Hollars had a total of 20 assists throughout both matches. Catherine Goodman had five kills. The attack, Jones added, was started once again by several key digs by defensive had two extra-base hits, a double and an RBI triple. Thompson had two hits with one RBI, Erica Smith and Clarke each doubled for an RBI and Crystal Greer sin in i " Irib,WiN.TOAV;N(OBTICIANS',IMCii ■■MraiSF Impißs To Choose From J KtMPrlcelThis Includes Metal 1 Lenses r m ACCEPT MOST INSURANCE ASSIGNMENTS A CIGNA SPORTS Wm NASCAR [( BUSCH J/ / f ‘ * Greg Biffle 12th place 251 points out of 10th Wins: 1 Average finish: 18th specialists Dhwani Patel, who had four assists and two key digs, Sam Moncada who had six key digs and three assists, and Brittany Pierce who had three assists. Devon Preston had ten aces while Nicole Williams had four. The record for the Lady Bears is now 9-2 overall and 0-0 in Area 2-AAAAA. They next play Saturday in area play at Luella High School. They play Luella at 11 a.m., Union Grove at noon and Mundy’s Mill at 1 p.m. gled in a run. Some Panthers came off the bench to contribute to the scoring. Bailey Clay walked with the bases loaded and Haley McCarty had a hit. Two Complete Pair If Eyeglasses $69" Driver Behind Kevin Harvick Leader Carl Edwards -519 Denny Hamlin -562 Clint Bowyer -666 J.J. Yeley -704 worse. Now he’s out of playoff contention. “At the beginning of the season, in the first three races, we were good," Mears said. “After that, we haven’t been finishing like we should. The last (seven) races have been a killer. We didn’t capitalize on the races we needed to capitalize on. Now we’re fighting for 11th. “At the places you normally struggle, you have to be 15th. At the places you normally run good, you need to be top 10, fighting for a win. We were on a path to do that earlier in the year, then we got lost. The secret is to average 14th or 15th every week. If you do that, you’d be right in it.” The Chase has created other meltdowns. Ryan Newman started the season strong with third-place finish at the Daytona 500, but he quickly dropped out of the top 10 with a 43rd-place finish at Las Vegas, the third race of the year. He’s never recovered. Kahne has been the most-amazing flop. He’s only had two top-10 finishes since June. “There’s no room for error right now,” he said. “We just need to do our thing and not make any mistakes and just be smart about everything we do. Everything has changed since then (Michigan in June), and I would n’t have expected it to change like it has. This is going to be a big week. It’s going to tell a lot about what’s going to happen the rest of the season.” WHAT'S NEW IN HEARING TECHNOLOGYIIIIii l > Hearing Associates, Inc. is Sponsoring a Consumer Seminar September 14 th , 2006. Meet Dr. James Martin, Widex Hearing Aids. CALL NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT! Bring This Ad & Receive up tp SSOO OFF On A Pair of Digital Flearing Aids Offer expires October 1.2006 Annette R. Peppard AU.D. (Licensed Audiologist TcRRFTSMfm WmJCKSERt^M Bg V |Ngj * ** r * * ,- > rr "jw Carl Edwards 13th place 261 points out of 10th Wins: 0 Average finish: 18th Hearing Associates, inc. gn THE HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Driver Behind Todd Bodine Leader Johnny Benson -154 David Reutimann -230 Ted Musgrave -244 Rick Crawford -301 This Week’s Race WHERE: California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. WHEN: 8 p.m., Sunday TRACK DIMENSIONS: 2-mile oval with 14-degree banking in the cor ners BROADCAST: Television NBC; Radio Motor Racing Network LAST YEAR’S WINNER: Kyle Busch TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying - 188.425 mph (Kyle Busch); Race 155.012 mph (Jeff Gordon) COMPANION EVENTS: Friday - Pole qualifying (6:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday Busch Series Ameriquest 300 (10 p.m., TNT). RACE NOTE: Dodge has yet to win a race at the 10-year-old California Speedway. Dodge’s top driver, Kasey Kahne, could use a win to bolster his Chase chances. He is 11th in the points standings, 90 points out. 302 Margie Dr. Warner Robins, GA (478) 953-2705 Mon-Fri 9-5 • Sat, by Appt. 00037747