The next stop on the Nextel Cup schedule is Michigan International Speedway
Next week, the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series teams head west, or the Midwest to be more exact, to the 2-mile tri-oval at Michigan International Speedway. Initially, MIS was inspired by the other great trioval of its time, Lowe’s Motor Speedway. But after almost 30 years of racing, he has developed a personality of his own that no driver has been able to master. Unlike other race tracks, since the 2000 season there has never been a single driver who has won back-to-back races at Michigan.
Don’t run to the store or sit on the toilet for too long next Sunday. Michigan races tend to go by very quickly!!! Of the three-oval tracks currently on the Nextel Cup circuit, Michigan has the fastest average running speed at just over 174 mph. Only Daytona and Talladega have faster average speeds.
Next week at MIS, expect Carl Edwards to continue making his move to qualify for the Chase for the Championship. In 6 starts at Michigan, Carl has an average finish of 7th.
Also expect the following drivers to do well next week:
Matt Kenseth – Average Finish 10th
Jeff Gordon – Average Finish 11th
Denny Hamlin – Average Finish 12th
Reed Sorenson – Average finish 12th
Next week’s schedule:
Nextel Cup: @ Michigan International Speedway
08/17/07 – 03:10 pm Practice NASCAR Nextel Cup 3M Performance 400
08/18/07 – 01:50 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup 3M Performance 400 Qualifying
08/19/07 – 14:00 NASCAR Nextel Cup 3M Performance 400
Busch Series: @ Michigan International Speedway
08/17/07 – 04:45 am NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series CARFAX 250 Practice
08/18/07 – 11:10 am NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series CARFAX 250 Qualifying
08/18/07 – 15:30 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series CARFAX 250
The Craftsman Truck Series ends August 22 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Kevin Harvick is Happy No More!
All hell broke loose late at the Centurion in the Glen. On lap 75, Juan Pablo Montoya tried to block Martin Truex Jr going into turn 1 and caused a huge crash and even bigger crash. Drivers Kevin Harvick, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Burton were left out in the accident.
It turned out that neither driver was too happy with the result. But Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya decided to discuss the facts in a more hostile tone, face to face. Later in the pits, when asked what they discussed, Harvick said, “I talked about kicking his ass.”
This is the kind of passion and excitement that has been missing from the often bland and censorship-happy world of NASCAR. A side effect of NASCAR’s effort to make the sport family friendly and politically correct (which I applaud) is that the drivers’ real and most passionate emotions are stifled or hidden. All the way from the off-track interviews to the celebration in victory lane, the driver’s behavior and responses are scripted.
However, there was no chance for NASCAR to script the altercation between Harvick and Montoya on Sunday. The two nearly clashed in a fight reminiscent of Cale Yarborough vs. the Allison brothers. In the end, there was no bloodshed, just two ultra-competitive individuals exchanging words. And what great adult entertainment he made!
Dale Earnhardt Jr is on the outside looking in!
Dale Earnhardt Jr was hoping to at least catch, if not beat, Kurt Busch in yesterday’s Centurion at the Glen. Before yesterday’s race, Kurt and his 7-point lead was all that stood between Jr and qualifying for the Chase.
However, the voodoo gods of NASCAR thought otherwise. Bad luck caught up with NASCAR’s most popular driver in the form of a broken engine valve. After running in the top 10 for much of the day, Earnhardt suffered engine trouble with just 26 laps to go.
As a result, Dale Earnhardt Jr now sits 14th in points and 100 points out of 12th and last qualifying spot in the Chase for the Championship. With only 4 races remaining to qualify for the Chase, the #8 team will need to find some luck and make friends with it. There is no room for poor finishes.
Summary of Centurion at the Glen at Watkins Glen International
Who said road course racing was boring?!?!?! Yesterday’s Centurion at the Glen turned out to be one of the most exciting races in recent weeks. From Dale Earnhardt Jr blowing an engine and Jeff Gordon losing it going into turn 1 while leading the race with 2 laps remaining, to the altercation between Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya, the fans were thoroughly entertained!
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the race was the final lap with the ever-aggressive Carl Edwards challenging Tony Stewart for the win. Carl was so aggressive that he shot out of a corner and into the gravel stops. Fortunately for Carl, he had enough momentum to get through the gravel and still finish in the top ten.
In the end, the race at the Glen had little impact on the points race, but it provided incredible entertainment for those of us watching at home.
Other drivers to consider:
Points leader Jeff Gordon was on the verge of his fifth win of the season when, with 2 laps to go, he lost control of his car going into Turn 1. In the end, Gordon finished in 9th place and still sits firmly at the top of the points standings. .
Jimmie Johnson achieved a quiet and unexpected finish in the top 5. Road courses don’t rank high on the reigning Nextel Cup champion’s list of favorite tracks. However, Johnson ran conservatively and consistently enough to finish third and maintain his seventh place in points.
Tony Stewart must love the summer heat. Perhaps because it goes hand in hand with his nickname, “Smoke”. In the last 4 races, Stewart has taken 3 wins, including a win in yesterday’s Centurian at the Glen.
Carl Edwards owes a lot to Boris Said. Several years ago, Jack Roush made a deal with Boris to provide cars for his own team in exchange for Boris mentoring the Roush drivers. It seems that Carl graduated as the leader of Boris’s class. At the end of yesterday’s race, Tony had to fend off a hard charging Edwards who finished in 8th place after a spin trying to catch Tony. As a result, Edwards moved up one spot in the points and now sits in fifth place.