| Upcoming Events in the World of NASCARMay in | | | | security!Everyone in NASCAR knows the man to |
| Charlotte is a beautiful! The azaleas are in bloom, the | | | | beat at Lowe's Motor Speedway is Jimmie Johnson. |
| temperature is mild, and the delivery trucks are | | | | He has won 4 consecutive races there, 3 |
| delivering the port-o-jons by the thousands. That's | | | | consecutive Coca-Cola 600's, and 2 All-Star |
| right, the whole town is gearing up for two action | | | | Challenges. His dominance at LMS is awe-inspiring for |
| packed weeks of racing with the | | | | the fans, and frustrating for his competitors. It will be |
| NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star race and the Coca-Cola | | | | interesting to see if he can win his 4th consecutive |
| 600. Thousands of people will be coming to town for | | | | 600 this coming Sunday!Who's Not?I hate to pick on |
| the next two weeks to witness the longest | | | | Carl Edwards, I really do! The guy is such a winner in |
| NASCAR race, the Coca-Cola 600, making it the | | | | so many ways. Everything he does in life, he does it |
| second largest sporting event in America.This year's | | | | to the extreme and never once doubts himself.His |
| All-Star and 600 races will once again be nail biting | | | | 2006 season to date has not gone as Carl wished. He |
| terrific. Lowe's Motor Speedway's track was recently | | | | currently sits in 17th spot, 125 points out of qualifying |
| re-paved. The levigating days of last year are history, | | | | for the Nextel Cup Championship race. It seems the |
| and the officials at Lowe's Motor Speedway are | | | | luck Greg Biffle recently found has been lost in Carl |
| guaranteeing this year's races will be just as fast as | | | | Edward's pits. However, unlike Biffle, I'm not sure we |
| last year's and safer.However, despite what the | | | | can fault luck for Carl's lack of success in 2006.Carl's |
| track officials are saying, folks in and around the | | | | crew chief from last year and the early part of 2006, |
| garages as well as Goodyear reps are saying the | | | | Bob Osborne, was shuffled over to help jump start |
| speeds this year will actually be slower. For the 2006 | | | | Jamie McMurray's team. Obviously, the shuffle has |
| races at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Goodyear is | | | | not gone as planned. Both Carl Edwards and Jamie |
| supplying a stiffer compound tire which will ensure | | | | McMurray (currently 20th in the points) stand a |
| less blow outs on the track. What the drivers gain in | | | | strong chance of not qualifying for the championship |
| safety, they lose in speed. Stiffer tires do not grip | | | | race-off at the end of the season. Jack Roush and |
| the track as well as a softer tire. Less grip means | | | | the rest of management at Roush Racing will soon |
| the drivers cannot carry as much speed in the turns | | | | have to decide whether to leave Bob with Jamie; or |
| which will also affect the top end speeds on the | | | | re-unite him with Carl to form the successful duo |
| straightaways.Some in the garages are nicknaming | | | | that shocked the world of NASCAR in 2006.Last |
| the stiffer tires, "restrictor tires". The tires will rob | | | | Week's HeadlinesRecap of the Nextel All Star |
| the cars of speed like the restrictor plates used at | | | | Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway:One part of |
| Daytona and Talladega rob the cars of horsepower. | | | | NASCAR's appeal is the drama that occurs off-track. |
| However, fans do not be dismayed. I very seriously | | | | The season long love affair between Matt Kenseth |
| doubt that we will perceive a 2-5 mph difference in | | | | and Tony Stewart is continuing to blossom. The first |
| speeds. The action, like every weekend in NASCAR, | | | | seeds were probably planted late last year, but |
| will be heart-pounding dramatic!Expect Jimmie Johnson | | | | started to grow and flower at the Daytona 500 |
| to have lots of fun the next two weeks. Of the | | | | earlier this year (remember Tony intentionally |
| current drivers with 5 or more starts at Lowe's | | | | ramming into the nose of Matt Kenseth and Matt |
| Motor Speedway, he has the highest average finish | | | | Kenseth's subsequent retaliation coming off of pit |
| of 7th.Other drivers to note:Tony Stewart - Average | | | | road?). Saturday night's events at the Nextel All Star |
| Finish 12th | | | | Challenge are sure to fertilize the relationship and |
| Bobby Labonte - Average Finish 13th | | | | guarantee more drama for us to enjoy the rest of |
| Jamie McMurray - Average Finish 14th | | | | the season.Tony Stewart ran into Matt Kenseth in |
| Jeff Gordon - Average Finish 16thNext Week's | | | | the final 20 lap segment causing both cars to wreck. |
| Schedule: | | | | After the race, Tony flipped Matt the "bird". |
| (all times CST)Nextel Cup: @ Lowe's Motor | | | | Evidently, that is how Tony says I love you.Tony and |
| Speedway | | | | Matt's wreck was just one of several in the entire |
| 5/27/06 - 6:05pm Coca-Cola 600 Practice | | | | race. The biggest wreck happened when Kasey |
| 5/25/06 - 07:10pm NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 | | | | Kahne lost control coming out of Turn 2 and slid into |
| Qualifying | | | | Mark Martin. Both cars lost control down the back |
| 5/28/06 - 05:40pm Coca-Cola 600Busch Series: @ | | | | stretch, and caused a 8 car pile up that eliminated |
| Lowe's Motor Speedway | | | | themselves and Kyle Busch, Jeremy Mayfield, Jamie |
| 5/25/06 - 01:50pm CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 | | | | McMurray, and Greg Biffle from the field.Kyle Busch |
| Practice | | | | won the 40 lap, Segment 1, but the fans at home |
| 5/25/06 - 08:45pm CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 | | | | voted to invert 10 drivers in the field (thus sending |
| Qualifying | | | | Kyle to the back of the line to start segment 2). |
| 5/27/06 - 08:00pm CARQUEST Auto Parts | | | | Between the first and second segment, the crowd |
| 300Craftsman Truck Series: @ Mansfield Motorsports | | | | was entertained with a crazy performance by the |
| Speedway | | | | Red Hot Chili Peppers.The 30 lap, Segment 2 was |
| 5/26/06 - 01:30pm City of Mansfield 250 Practice | | | | perhaps the most action packed segment that |
| 5/26/06 - 06:30pm City of Mansfield 250 Qualifying | | | | included several lead changes and the monster wreck |
| 5/27/06 - 02:15pm City of Mansfield 250Who's | | | | that took out 6 drivers. Kevin Harvick won Segment |
| Hot?This week's pick for Who's Hot is simple, Jimmie | | | | 2, and started in pole sitter's spot starting the final |
| Johnson. Jimmie is currently the Nextel Cup points | | | | segment. However, Kevin opted to take only 2 tires |
| leader with a 93 point lead over second place, Tony | | | | in the final pit stop while the rest of the field took |
| Stewart. After this past week, Jimmie is $1,000,000+ | | | | 4.Jimmie Johnson, with fresh tires, quickly took over |
| richer. He pocketed a cool million for winning the All | | | | the lead from Kevin at the beginning of the final 20 |
| Star Challenge, and also got a contract extension | | | | lap segment and never shared it with anyone else for |
| with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2010 season. | | | | the rest of the race.This article is provided to you by |
| Oh, and guess what, his sponsor, Lowe's, signed up | | | | Everything Sports, Inc. is owned and operated by |
| through the 2010 season as well. I call that job | | | | Everything Sports, Inc. |