| Upcoming Events in the World of NASCARWe | | | | wants to qualify for NASCAR's Nextel Cup |
| NASCAR fans are patriots at heart. And | | | | Chase for the Championship, he'll need to |
| there's no better way to celebrate the birth | | | | maintain his average at Daytona and finish |
| of our nation than at the most beloved track | | | | with another top 10.Who's Not?The dates have |
| in all of NASCAR, Daytona International | | | | changed, but the faces have not in this |
| Speedway. The beaches of Daytona were already | | | | week's Who's Not section. Suffering from |
| a destination for motor sports enthusiasts | | | | mechanical failures late in the race, Tony |
| before Bill France Sr decided to host the | | | | Stewart gave up position after position to |
| first NASCAR event there in 1947. Twelve | | | | finish 28th in yesterday's Dodge/Save Mart |
| years later, the track that we all know and | | | | 300. The 28th place finished booted Tony |
| love, Daytona International Speedway opened | | | | further down in the points to 7th place only |
| and hosted its first event drawing 41,000 | | | | 23 points in front of Jeff Gordon and 70 |
| people.Next week, the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams | | | | points in front of 10th place driver Kevin |
| head to Daytona to perform their craft in | | | | Harvick.There can't be anything more |
| front of a crowd of 175,000+. Expect the | | | | frustrating for a driver than running in the |
| Hendrick boys to dominate. Of all current | | | | top 5 for much of the day to end up with a |
| drivers with 4 or more career starts at | | | | mechanical failure that seals your fate in |
| Daytona, Jimmie Johnson (average finish of | | | | the race. While yesterday's 28th place finish |
| 6th) and Jeff Gordon (average finish of 13th) | | | | wasn't Tony's fault, it can't help to boost |
| both lead the pack.Also expect the following | | | | the driver's nor the team's confidence. Let's |
| drivers to do well next week:Other drivers to | | | | face it, the Home Depot team has been on a |
| note:Dale Earnhardt Jr - Average Finish 14th | | | | backwards slide since the All-Star break. In |
| Kevin Harvick - Average Finish 16th Dale | | | | 4 of the last 5 races, the #20 team has |
| Jarrett - Average Finish 16thNext Week's | | | | finished 25th or worst. That's hardly |
| Schedule:Nextel Cup: @ Daytona International | | | | satisfactory for a team coming off of a 2005 |
| Speedway (all times in EST) 6/29/06 - 2:10pm | | | | championship season.However, Tony didn't earn |
| NASCAR Nextel Cup Pepsi 400 Practice 6/30/06 | | | | the nicknames "Smoke" or "Tiger" for lying |
| - 04:35pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Pepsi 400 | | | | down and giving up. He is still in the top 10 |
| Qualifying 7/01/06 - 07:55pm NASCAR Nextel | | | | (barely), and has plenty of time to get back |
| Pepsi 400Busch Series: @ Daytona | | | | on track before the Chase for the |
| International Speedway (all times EST) 6/29 | | | | Championship. All teams go through a |
| 06 - 05:10pm NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie | | | | dry-spell in any season. I'm sure Tony |
| 250 presented by PepsiCo Practice 6/30/06 - | | | | prefers having his dry-spell now while he |
| 01:05pm NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 | | | | still has time to recover.Last Week's |
| presented by PepsiCo Qualifying 6/30/06 - | | | | HeadlinesI know what you're thinking, why is |
| 08:00pm NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 | | | | NASCAR at a road course? Because road courses |
| presented by PepsiCoCraftsman Truck Series: @ | | | | do not offer up the same passing lanes as an |
| Kansas Speedway (all times in Central) 6/30 | | | | oval track, some NASCAR fans are bored by |
| 06 - 12:30pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | | | | road course racing. What these fans fail to |
| O'REILLY AUTO PARTS 250 Practice 6/30/06 - | | | | recognize is that road course races help |
| 05:00pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | | | | vindicate NASCAR drivers to the rest of the |
| O'REILLY AUTO PARTS 250 Qualifying 7/01/06 - | | | | racing world.I find it interesting to see how |
| 02:15pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | | | | the gun-slinging road course mercenaries like |
| O'REILLY AUTO PARTS 250Who's Hot?We've been | | | | Boris Said stack up to the NASCAR Nextel Cup |
| ragging on Jeff Gordon hard of late. Of | | | | regulars like Jeff and Robby Gordon. Make no |
| course, he's probably been ragging on himself | | | | doubt about it, the gunslingers come to |
| too. After a lackluster start to the 2006 | | | | Infineon Raceway hungry! Many see the typical |
| season that had him 11th in points, Gordon | | | | NASCAR driver as a lame duck maneuvering |
| finally has tasted victory lane for the first | | | | blindly through the twists and turns of the |
| time in yesterday's Dodge/Save Mart 350 at | | | | course waiting to be overtaken by an |
| Infineon Raceway. Gordon's win yesterday is | | | | aggressive Boris Said with a "nothing to |
| his 9th career win at a road course making | | | | loose" attitude.Despite the expert talent of |
| him the most decorated road course driver in | | | | the hired help, it always seems the top |
| NASCAR's history.After starting 11th, Gordon | | | | NASCAR regulars always prevail. Yesterday's |
| was able to rocket himself through the field | | | | Dodge/Save mart 350 was no exception. The |
| and take over the top position in just 50 | | | | last portion of the race was completely |
| laps. The entire #24 DuPont team was solid | | | | dominated by NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte, |
| throughout the entire race. Jeff never missed | | | | Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart. While Boris |
| a mark, never spun out, restarted perfectly | | | | Said flirted with the top 5, he and the other |
| after every caution while his team posted | | | | road course veterans never challenged for the |
| some of the fastest times of the day on pit | | | | lead.Other notable finishers were Carl |
| road. This kind of a performance is | | | | Edwards (6th) and Greg Biffle (4th). Each |
| reminiscent of Gordon during his previous | | | | needed solid finishes to make a run at the |
| championship seasons.The big question is can | | | | top 10 in points. Biffle currently sits in |
| Gordon and his team maintain this | | | | 9th place and Edwards is 73 points out of |
| championship form as they head into the | | | | 10th.Terry Labonte posted a team best 3rd |
| remaining 10 races before the Chase for the | | | | place finish for Hall of Fame Racing. By |
| Championship? Next week, NASCAR heads to | | | | using clever pit strategy, Terry worked his |
| Daytona for the Pepsi 400 where Jeff Gordon | | | | way to the front. He held the top position |
| has been dominate. In 28 races at Daytona, | | | | for 16 laps before succumbing to race winner |
| Jeff has 6 wins, 11 top 5 finishes, and 16 | | | | Jeff Gordon. Labonte was passed late in the |
| top 10 finishes. For the math challenged, | | | | race by Ryan Newman, but managed to hold onto |
| that means on average Gordon finishes in the | | | | the 3rd place before crossing the start |
| top 10 in over half the races. If Gordon | | | | finish/line for the final time. |