| Upcoming Events in the World of NASCARMay in | | | | Greg Biffle for example, 2005 was a |
| Charlotte is a beautiful! The azaleas are in | | | | tremendous year. He finished the season 2nd |
| bloom, the temperature is mild, and the | | | | in points and compiled 6 wins. Roll the tape |
| delivery trucks are delivering the | | | | forward to the 2006 season, and Biffle's name |
| port-o-jons by the thousands. That's right, | | | | hasn't graced the top 5 in any race until |
| the whole town is gearing up for two action | | | | last week at Richmond.What's the difference |
| packed weeks of racing with the NASCAR Nextel | | | | from last year and this year? Luck! Biffle's |
| Cup All-Star race and the Coca-Cola | | | | still attacks every race like a rabid dog, |
| 600.Thousands of people will be coming to | | | | his crew is the same, and Roush Racing still |
| town for the next two weeks to witness the | | | | churns out some of the best equipment in |
| longest NASCAR race, the Coca-Cola 600, | | | | NASCAR.It seems in the past two week's, |
| making it the second largest sporting event | | | | Biffle has grabbed Lucky the Leprechaun and |
| in America.This year's All-Star and 600 races | | | | taped him to his dashboard. Last week, Biffle |
| will once again be nail biting terrific. | | | | finished 4th in Richmond, and this week |
| Lowe's Motor Speedway's track was recently | | | | romanced the Lady in Black with a win. |
| re-paved. The levigating days of last year | | | | Perhaps Biffle's string of bad luck (running |
| are history, and the officials at Lowe's | | | | out of gas at Phoenix, getting wrecked by |
| Motor Speedway are guaranteeing this year's | | | | Kurt Busch at Texas) is finally over. He |
| races will be just as fast as last year's and | | | | currently sits 97 points away from qualifying |
| safer.However, despite what the track | | | | for the Nextel Cup Chase for the |
| officials are saying, folks in and around the | | | | Championship, and excels at a number of the |
| garages as well as Goodyear reps are saying | | | | upcoming tracks.Who's Not?I hate to pick on |
| the speeds this year will actually be slower. | | | | Carl Edwards, I really do! The guy is such a |
| For the 2006 races at Lowe's Motor Speedway, | | | | winner in so many ways. Everything he does in |
| Goodyear is supplying a stiffer compound tire | | | | life, he does it to the extreme and never |
| which will ensure less blow outs on the | | | | once doubts himself.His 2006 season to date |
| track. What the drivers gain in safety, they | | | | has not gone as Carl wished. He currently |
| lose in speed. Stiffer tires do not grip the | | | | sits in 17th spot, 125 points out of |
| track as well as a softer tire. Less grip | | | | qualifying for the Nextel Cup Championship |
| means the drivers cannot carry as much speed | | | | race. It seems the luck Greg Biffle recently |
| in the turns which will also affect the top | | | | found has been lost in Carl Edward's pits. |
| end speeds on the straightaways.Some in the | | | | However, unlike Biffle, I'm not sure we can |
| garages are nicknaming the stiffer tires, | | | | fault luck for Carl's lack of success in |
| "restrictor tires". The tires will rob the | | | | 2006.Carl's crew chief from last year and the |
| cars of speed like the restrictor plates used | | | | early part of 2006, Bob Osborne, was shuffled |
| at Daytona and Talladega rob the cars of | | | | over to help jump start Jamie McMurray's |
| horsepower. However, fans do not be dismayed. | | | | team. Obviously, the shuffle has not gone as |
| I very seriously doubt that we will perceive | | | | planned. Both Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray |
| a 2-5 mph difference in speeds. The action, | | | | (currently 20th in the points) stand a strong |
| like every weekend in NASCAR, will be | | | | chance of not qualifying for the championship |
| heart-pounding dramatic!Expect Jimmie Johnson | | | | race-off at the end of the season. Jack Roush |
| to have lots of fun the next two weeks. Of | | | | and the rest of management at Roush Racing |
| the current drivers with 5 or more starts at | | | | will soon have to decide whether to leave Bob |
| Lowe's Motor Speedway, he has the highest | | | | with Jamie; or re-unite him with Carl to form |
| average finish of 7th.Other drivers to | | | | the successful duo that shocked the world of |
| note:Tony Stewart - Average Finish 12th | | | | NASCAR in 2006.Last Week's HeadlinesRecap of |
| | | | the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 at Darlington |
| Bobby Labonte - Average Finish 13th | | | | Raceway:Once again, Darlington Raceway |
| | | | offered up at incredible race! The oldest |
| Jamie McMurray - Average Finish 14th | | | | track in NASCAR manages to keep us young at |
| | | | heart with incredible racing action. The |
| Jeff Gordon - Average Finish 16thNext Week's | | | | gritty Darlington asphalt shreads even the |
| Schedule: | | | | stiffest tire compounds after just a few laps |
| | | | leaving drivers no other option but to lean |
| (all times CST)Nextel Cup: @ Lowe's Motor | | | | on each other or against the wall.Twenty |
| Speedway | | | | drivers earned their Darlington stripe |
| | | | Saturday night. There is only one driver I |
| 5/19/06 - 12:05pm NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star | | | | know of who likes to drive with a car sliding |
| Challenge Practice | | | | up the track, and that's Greg Biffle. Biffle, |
| | | | who also won last year at Darlington, |
| 5/19/06 - 07:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star | | | | dominated the Carolina Dodge Dealer's 500 |
| Challenge Qualifying | | | | leading 170 of 367 laps.Other drivers in the |
| | | | top 10 didn't fair so well. Casey Mears fell |
| 5/20/06 - 07:30pm NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star | | | | from 10th to 11th in the points with a 17th |
| ChallengeBusch Series - off until 5/27 at | | | | place finish. Kevin Harvick feel 4 sports |
| Lowe's Motor SpeedwayCraftsman Truck Series: | | | | from 5th to 9th with a 37th place finish, and |
| @ Lowe's Motor Speedway | | | | the pole sitter, Kasey Kahne dropped a spot |
| | | | moving from 7th to 8th with a 21st place |
| 5/19/06 - 10:50pm Quaker Steak & Lube 200 | | | | finish.Dale Earnhardt Jr continued on his hot |
| Practice | | | | streak finishing 5th, and jumping one spot |
| | | | from 6th to 5th in the points standings. Jeff |
| 5/19/06 - 04:15pm Quaker Steak & Lube 200 | | | | Gordon moved up 3 spots from 9th to 6th with |
| Qualifying | | | | a 2nd place finish. And the current points |
| | | | leader, Jimmie Johnson, extended his lead to |
| 5/19/06 - 08:45pm Quaker Steak & Lube | | | | 93 points over Tony Stewart with a 4th place |
| 200Who's Hot?With so many variables affecting | | | | finish.This article is provided to you by |
| NASCAR drivers each week, all one needs is a | | | | Everything Sports, Inc. is owned and |
| little luck to catapult him to the top.Take | | | | operated by Everything Sports, Inc. |