| Upcoming Events in the World of NASCARNext | | | | at NIS, he finishes in the top ten 55%, and |
| week, the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams head to the | | | | in the top five 41% of the time.Perhaps Tony |
| largest sporting venue in the Northeast, New | | | | Stewart, and the rest of the backsliders who |
| Hampshire International Speedway, NIS. As it | | | | are dropping down the points standings, needs |
| turns out, the friendly residents of New | | | | to visit a few Belgium mail-order bride |
| Hampshire who live by the state creed of | | | | sites.Who's Not?I'm going to go out on a limb |
| "Live Free or Die" are huge NASCAR fans and | | | | here and say that Carl Edwards is a definite |
| regularly pack the seats to the tune of | | | | non-qualifier for the Chase for the |
| 100,000+.The mile long oval with its | | | | Championship. Currently, Carl sits 193 points |
| low-banked turns can be considered a close | | | | out of tenth and 625 points out of |
| relative to Martinsville Speedway. Just like | | | | first.After a dazzling rookie season, many |
| at Martinsville, the racing at NIS offers | | | | set high expectations for Carl and thought he |
| hard-braking & nail-biting passing in the | | | | would back flip his way through the 2006 |
| turns but with the added benefit of a second | | | | Nextel Cup schedule. However, the careers of |
| grove. Drivers push their cars and each other | | | | all NASCAR drivers can be compared to a race |
| to the limits as they jockey for position and | | | | at Bristol. Sometimes you're racing in the |
| sometimes "lean" on each other for support.Of | | | | inside grove smoking everyone, sometimes |
| all current drivers with 2 or more career | | | | you're in the outside grove watching everyone |
| starts at New Hampshire, Ryan Newman, who | | | | smoke you, and sometimes you're going around |
| also holds the track qualifying record with a | | | | the track a$$-end first looking at your |
| speed of 133.357mph and who sports an average | | | | competitors in eye before they dip down to |
| finish of 8th, leads the pack.Also expect the | | | | pass you. Right now, I would say Carl is |
| following drivers to do well next week:Other | | | | definitely in the outside grove watching the |
| drivers to note:Jimmie Johnson - Average | | | | world go by.Carl's performance at Chicagoland |
| Finish 9th | | | | Speedway left a lot on the table for a Roush |
| | | | driver who normally dominates the 1 1/2 mile |
| Matt Kenseth - Average Finish 11th | | | | super speedway events. Carl's 20th place |
| | | | finish is all drivers like Greg Biffle, Denny |
| Mark Martin - Average Finish 12thNext Week's | | | | Hamlin, and Jeff Gordon needed to give them a |
| Schedule:Nextel Cup: @ New Hampshire | | | | chance to make the Chase for the |
| International Speedway | | | | Championship.Last Week's HeadlinesThere were |
| | | | a number of winners at yesterday's USG |
| 7/15/06 - 10:05pm NASCAR Nextel Cup LENOX | | | | Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The |
| Industrial Tools 300 Practice | | | | principal winner was Jeff Gordon who had the |
| | | | car to beat for most of the day. After |
| 7/14/06 - 03:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup LENOX | | | | starting 13th, Gordon rocketed his way to the |
| Industrial Tools 300 Qualifying | | | | front before making a pit stop that would |
| | | | leave him behind the leaders for much of the |
| 7/16/06 - 02:10pm NASCAR Nextel LENOX | | | | day. However, when the time was right, Gordon |
| Industrial Tools 300Busch Series: @ New | | | | pushed his way to the front and outlasted a |
| Hampshire International Speedway | | | | gasoline starved field to take the checkered |
| | | | flag.The other big winner of the day was |
| 7/14/06 - 02:00pm NASCAR Busch Series New | | | | NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" set to make its |
| England 200 Practice | | | | debut next year. The "Car of Tomorrow" has |
| | | | received lots of flack from NASCAR purists |
| 7/15/06 - 03:10pm NASCAR Busch Series New | | | | who think the car's boxy look and rear-winged |
| England 200 Qualifying | | | | spoiler make it even further removed from a |
| | | | stock car. However, NASCAR's intentions in |
| 7/15/06 - 03:00pm NASCAR Busch Series New | | | | developing this car were to make for better |
| England 200Craftsman Truck Series: @ Memphis | | | | side by side racing.Future races at |
| Motorsports Park | | | | Chicagoland, and at every other 1 1/2 mile |
| | | | super speedway, will be more entertaining |
| 7/14/06 - 07:45pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck | | | | because the "Car of Tomorrow" will allow the |
| Series O'Reilly 200 Practice | | | | drivers trailing the leader to make runs at |
| | | | the leader. Often times during the USG |
| 7/15/06 - 05:00pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck | | | | Sheetrock 400, the car in front wasn't the |
| Series O'Reilly 200 Qualifying | | | | most powerful or the best handling car on the |
| | | | track. Instead, it had the benefit of |
| 7/15/06 - 08:15pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck | | | | breathing clean, less turbulent air. The cars |
| Series O'Reilly 200Who's Hot?It always helps | | | | following the leader couldn't make runs or |
| when your Belgian supermodel girlfriend says, | | | | even pass the leader while bouncing around in |
| "I do", and it certainly has helped Jeff | | | | his turbulent wake. Not until Matt Kenseth |
| Gordon. Now I don't mean to discredit all the | | | | was slowed by Casey Mears could Jeff Gordon |
| hard work put in by the countless number of | | | | make his winning move (or wrecking move as |
| employs at Hendrick Motorsports and I | | | | some angry fans will call it).Other key |
| definitely do not mean to discredit Jeff | | | | finishes of the day were Tony Stewart (32nd) |
| Gordon's driving abilities, but the only | | | | who slid fast after running out of gas with |
| difference between the last 3 weeks and the | | | | two laps to go. Matt Kenseth fell on hard |
| first 15 races of the 2006 season (and not to | | | | times after getting the boot from Jeff |
| mention all of the 2005 season) is that Jeff | | | | Gordon. Shortly after in the ensuing caution, |
| has a new future wife in Ingrid | | | | Kenseth also ran out of gas. He was able to |
| Vandebosch.I've done some research of my own, | | | | recoup, and explode across the start/finish |
| and have determined that if I were to pick my | | | | line in 21st place sideways.Kenseth's finish |
| very own supermodel to assist in my racing | | | | moved him 48 points out of first place |
| career, that she would indeed have to be from | | | | currently occupied by Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie |
| Belgium. To no avail, I've been racking my | | | | had a non-eventful yet typical day finishing |
| brain trying to determine a clever way to | | | | 6th after starting 5th.The big point's mover |
| weave Belgian supermodels back into a NASCAR | | | | of the day was Jeff Burton who finished in |
| track for success. It's just that Belgium is | | | | 2nd place. Burton gained 3 spots in the |
| a land of beautiful people.All jokes aside, | | | | points, and now occupies 4th.Yesterday's USG |
| Gordon is driving like his a$$ is on fire, | | | | Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway marked |
| and it's up to the competition to figure who | | | | the halfway point in the 2006 Nextel Cup |
| or what lit it. He has won 2 of the last 3 | | | | season. The race featured 18 lead changes |
| races, and now sits in 10th position in the | | | | between 10 different drivers, and 8 total |
| driver's standings. Next week at New | | | | cautions.This article is provided to you by |
| Hampshire International Speedway, expect | | | | Everything Sports, Inc. is owned and |
| Gordon to keep the fire burning. In 22 races | | | | operated by Everything Sports, Inc. |