Nascar Nextel Cup Race - Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen On NBC - Sun. August 14, 1 p.m.

Nascar.com ^ | 8.10.05 | Me

[WestCoastGal]

WELCOME EVERYONE

This week we are going to Watkins Glen International Raceway in New York. Please join us for a full weekend of racing.

Watkins Glen International continues a road-racing tradition that dates back to 1948 -- when sports cars competed on the streets of the village at the southern tip of scenic Lake Seneca. The circuit, which at one time hosted the F1 United States Grand Prix, has grown to become one of the most respected facilities in the northeast.

Track Facts Banking/Turns: -- Distance: 2.45 miles Shape: Road course

Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen
NBC HDTV Sun. 1 p.m.
Toyota Tundra 200 - Truck Race
SPEED Sat. 5 p.m.
Zippo 200 - Busch Race
NBC Sat. 2 p.m.
Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen Bud Pole Qualifying SPEED Sat. 11:10 a.m.
All Times are ET

This is an impound race, all practice is on Friday, qualifying on Saturday (unless they change their mind) FRFL picks must be made by Saturday morning 2am pacific time. I will update the practice times as we get closer to Friday as well as adding the qualifying lineup etc.

[fideist]

Yeah, but will he be in the #15 next year? :-/

[WestCoastGal]

I doubt it.

I think Mikey and DW have stuff up their sleeve.

I also think Mikey found out that there were no current offers as good as what he had at DEI for the time being anyway.

[WestCoastGal]

Doesn't seem right to me but it's Yahoo's game. I didn't pick Pruett just in case of this weather problem.

If Nascar doesn't screw us up the weather does. It's the first time I might have had good points in qualifying.

[steveegg]

Interesting field-filler update; NASCAR.com is now saying that Jorge Goeters and the #50 made the show, with the #27 of Tom Hubert out (the only thing that would make sense is a previously-undetected post-entry by the #27). They still list Stremme in the #40.

[steveegg]

Doesn't seem right to me but it's Yahoo's game. I didn't pick Pruett just in case of this weather problem.

Heck; you didn't know that Marlin woudln't be in town for the weekend either.

Herman alert!

[WestCoastGal]

Herm had hair plugs done twice!! lol lol lol/stop it </Kenny

[steveegg]

$25,000-$30,000 for brakes? No wonder why they don't save the brakes anymore.

They showed the Hermanator back into the original soft wall a few years back. Sure, it's messy, but that sure looked better than backing into concrete.

[WestCoastGal]

That was a BIG hit.

Wally didn't get to say anything.

[steveegg]

Back to what we were talking about before Kenny Wallace.

Looks like everybody is in the same boat for qualifying (if they didn't hav Smoke and Flash in "A", they weren't paying attention to the road courses lately).

[steveegg]

Wally didn't get to say anything.

And that's a good thing :-)

The sun's out, but looking at the glock radar, they've got about 20-25 minutes before they get another burst. Expanding out further, the rain extends all the way back to Lake Erie.

[WestCoastGal]

Now the big question is which one to go with?

I know who I am taking, but it's close.

The rest of the picks are a little more difficult since the ringers are starting pretty much in the back and I hate that. Trouble runs amuck back there.

At least Jr will start closer to the front. However, it will take every ounce of fortitude and talent to stay there with what looks like another POC car.

[WestCoastGal]

"Expanding out further, the rain extends all the way back to Lake Erie."

That sucks considering they have been saying over and over that they have had a drought there up to now.

When do they run the race then? Monday?

What's the weather like tomorrow?

[steveegg]

Allow me to ReWrite™ that last paragraph some :-)

t least Jr Robot will start closer to the front. However, it will take every ounce of fortitude and talent to stay there with what looks like another POC car.

Siriusly, the rain-out is good for both of them.

[steveegg]

When do they run the race then? Monday?

I'd expect Monday (that's what they've done in the past when the Busch Series supported the Cup).

What's the weather like tomorrow?

U-G-L-Y with a capital Y. Dunno what happens when both races get rained out.

[steveegg]

The rain I'll be getting shortly will be in NY tomorrow.

They've got the covers off most of the cars, but the clouds have returned.

[WestCoastGal]

I think Jack Roush is ticked

Busch is mum about leaving Roush Racing
Defection has Nextel Cup garage abuzz heading into Watkins Glen race
By Mike Mulhern
JOURNAL REPORTER
Saturday, August 13, 2005


WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.

Why would a driver who has just won the NASCAR championship suddenly be ready to leave his team only eight months later?

That was one of the many questions facing Kurt Busch yesterday morning when he walked into the Nextel Cup garage.

Busch, who won last year's Chase for the Championship, patiently fielded rapid-fire questions about his pending jump from Ford car owner Jack Roush to Dodge's Roger Penske for the 2007 season. Busch's jump could come as early as next season, but only if Roush will release him from the final year of his current contract.

Roush pulled a similar move three weeks ago, signing Jamie McMurray to a 2007 contract even though McMurray is still under contract to drive for Chip Ganassi through 2006.

Penske officials said that Penske wouldn't be commenting for at least a week about signing Busch. But everyone else in the garage area - including a rather irate Roush - was abuzz about Busch's defection from the team that helped carry him to the title.

Busch would not say when Penske first offered him the ride - "I can't disclose that at all" - but said the process was not done overnight.

"It was a very difficult decision," said Busch, who was plucked out of obscurity by Roush five years ago. "But timing is everything in this sport. And opportunities are few and far between."

Busch says he gave veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig and his crew a motivational speech when he arrived at the track this week: "They know it wasn't them, they know it wasn't me, they know it wasn't Roush Racing. They know it's just this business.

"The crew understands they have a job to do, and I have a job to do, so let's focus on that."

Another question is whether Roush will, as he did last August when faced with a similar situation with Jeff Burton, simply release Busch immediately

Roush hinted that he might not have been willing to negotiate a new contract with Busch.

"You want some news - nobody has asked Jack if he was willing to negotiate with Kurt for beyond 2006," Roush said. "Geoff Smith (the general manager of Roush Racing) had been talking with Kurt about 2007 and beyond, but nobody asked Jack if he thought the end game was going to be worth the trouble.

"Kurt has been a challenge over a period of time, and every day, as I'm sure he was measuring what he was getting through the relationship, I was having dark thoughts about what I was getting and whether it was worth it."

Roush said that Busch delivered the news face-to-face.

"For me it was up close and personal - it was right across the table about 8:07 Tuesday morning," Roush said.

"Kurt said 'I know I wouldn't have had a chance to be in this business today if you hadn't found me and given me a chance four or five years ago. And I also know I wouldn't have been successful if you hadn't put Jimmy Fennig and all the other folks I needed, even though I didn't recognize that at first.'

"I had no idea where he was going with this.

"Then he said 'But on the other hand I've just been faced with a once in a lifetime opportunity I can't say no to. So I won't be won't be negotiating with you for 2007. And beyond that, I'd like to get released in 2006 so I can start next year.'

"I told him 'That's a problem. You've got a contract with me, you've made commitments to me, and I've made commitments to other people. And we're obviously not broke; we're at the top of our game. So I would expect you to keep your commitment to me unless Geoff Smith works out a different strategy.'

"He met with the team, and he told them - without giving them the details - that he was moving to a lesser team."

Busch, remarkably cool as he faced a horde of reporters and cameras, said he made his decision "because of opportunities and timing. I believe it was good for Kurt Busch. Jack jumped the gun on things (releasing the news). We'll see how it shakes out from here."

What Roush does next, Busch said, remains to be seen: "It's Jack's decision. We'll see what happens. (Next year) is still a question mark.

LINK

[steveegg]

Drivers to your cars.

[WestCoastGal]

I guess Cup would get first dibs on running Monday if they both get rained out???

[steveegg]

Roush is ticked...that somebody one-upped him on contract negotiations. There's a word that describes what Roush did with McMurray and what Penske did with Busch - tampering.

[WestCoastGal]

Yep, turn around is fair play. Although, I wonder though what he means by..

""Kurt has been a challenge over a period of time, and every day, as I'm sure he was measuring what he was getting through the relationship, I was having dark thoughts about what I was getting and whether it was worth it."