Posted on 09/14/2006 2:42:57 AM PDT by Pete-R-Bilt
Drivers in the Chase, a closer look
DRIVER: Matt Kenseth
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,050
HOMETOWN: Cambridge, Wis.
AGE: 34
CAR: No. 17 DeWalt Tools Ford
CREW CHIEF: Robbie Reiser
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 1st (2003)
OUTLOOK: Kenseth, the driver many believe forced the Chase format because of his lackluster 2003 title run, has momentum on his side as he tries to win a championship under the new system. He's got four wins this season and has turned it up a notch heading into the Chase.
DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,045
HOMETOWN: El Cajon, Calif.
AGE: 30
CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Chad Knaus
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 2nd (2003, 2004)
OUTLOOK: Johnson, who has four wins this season, led the points for most of the year. A perpetual title contender, he's hoping this is the season he finally finishes the job.
DRIVER: Kevin Harvick
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,040
HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, Calif.
AGE: 30
CAR: No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Todd Berrier
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 5th (2003)
OUTLOOK: Harvick is the darkhorse of this championship Chase. He's running away with the Busch Series title and will get extra track time running both schedules. A championship would be the first for Richard Childress Racing since Dale Earnhardt's 2001 death.
DRIVER: Kyle Busch
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,035
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas.
AGE: 21
CAR: No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 20th (2005)
OUTLOOK: After a rocky start to the season that had him on almost every driver's bad side, Busch has quietly stayed out of trouble and made himself a championship contender. Probably too immature to win a title just yet, but talented enough to make a run at it.
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,030
HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Va.
AGE: 25
CAR: No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Mike Ford
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: --
OUTLOOK: The surprise of the Chase field, the rookie has been impressive and thrust himself into Chase contention by sweeping the Pocono races. He lacks the experience to win the title this year but could pull off a stunner like he did at the start of the year when he won the Budweiser Shootout.
DRIVER: Dalr Earnhardt Jr.
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,025
HOMETOWN: Kannapolis, N.C.
AGE: 31
CAR: No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Tony Eury Jr.
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 3rd (2003)
OUTLOOK: Earnhardt is on a comeback after finishing a career-worst 19th in the standings last year. But he's been hit-or-miss this year and had a pair of engine failures at inopportune times. Unless he gets really hot, he's a longshot to win the title.
DRIVER: Mark Martin
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,020
HOMETOWN: Batesville, Ark.
AGE: 47
CAR: No. 6 AAA Ford
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 2nd (1990, '94, '98, 2002)
OUTLOOK: Martin has yet to prove this season that his team is strong enough to win a title, and he's yet to win a race this year. But he'll go down fighting in what's likely his final season of full-time Cup racing.
DRIVER: Jeff Burton
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,015
HOMETOWN: South Boston, Va.
AGE: 39
CAR: No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Scott Miller
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 3rd (2000)
OUTLOOK: Although he's winless this season, Burton is having a tremendous year after several miserable seasons. He's led a ton of laps, but late-race slips have prevented him from making it to Victory Lane. If Burton can put it all together, he's got a chance.
DRIVER: Jeff Gordon
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,010
HOMETOWN: Vallejo, Calif.
AGE: 35
CAR: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Steve Letarte
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 1st (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)
OUTLOOK: After missing the Chase last year, Gordon's team has rebounded in hopes of getting him his fifth title. His season has just been OK by Gordon's standards, but the driver nicknamed "Money Man" is sure to turn it up a notch over the stretch run.
DRIVER: Kasey Kahne
ADJUSTED CHASE POINTS: 5,005
HOMETOWN: Enumclaw, Wash.
AGE: 26
CAR: No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
CREW CHIEF: Kenny Francis
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH: 13th (2004)
OUTLOOK: Kahne, who has five wins this season, dominated on 1.5-mile tracks earlier this year. With five of the Chase races on 1.5-milers, another hot streak could make him the runaway Chase winner
Earnhardt fans.....
Bono Manion on Claire B's show yesterday........
Talking about how Jr and the 8 team were really coming on and how they were really going to be the ones to beat. He said that DEI is working HARD to get them that championship. He said that the 2 teams are and will continue to work very close together and they will help each other as much as possible. He said that they have already moved into the new shop and so them and the 8 team work side by side now. They are just seperated by a hallway and so they share alot.
He said that DEI is very excited and determined to win the championship with Jr. He said they have improved greatly with engines and other things. They know what they are doing and have what it takes to go all the way. He said they have alot that they expect to show in the final 10 and he thinks they will be great. He said that the 8 team is just very focused and determined to go out there and be the team to beat every week for the championship. He said he has never seem them so excited and ready to go. They have a plan and know what they have to do. He said the team has a "togetherness" about them. They are working great together and things are better than ever. they want it bad for each other and they and DEI will do whatever they can to get it.
Croc Hunter and Peter Brock fans.....
Craftsman Truck Series driver Marcos Ambrose will carry tributes to fellow Australians Peter Brock and Steve Irwin on his Wood Brothers/JTG Racing entry in Saturday's Sylvania 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway.
Ambrose, driver of the No. 20 Ford, is a native of Tasmania, Australia. His Team Australia truck will carry a logo with Brock's No. 05 on the side and a logo in tribute to Irwin, known as the "Crocodile Hunter."
RIP and God Speed Mates.
I'm not the NASCAR fan that you guys are, but races at this track seem boring to me. What about you?
For anyone who missed Letterman last night NewYorkTexan got us screen caps on the old thread here http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1696635/posts?page=689#689
The weather looks ok for Sunday. Time to get this show on the road!
Roccus, I am very ignerant - but this 'un and Dover and Michigan seem to be pretty much a day at the office.
The 2001 New Hampshire 300 was originally scheduled for September 16, the Sunday after the September 11 terrorist attacks. NASCAR initially announced that the race would be held as scheduled, but the event was postponed until the Friday after Thanksgiving. There was much concern about the weather, but race day turned out to be unseasonably mild.
Two changes were made. In 2002, in an effort to increase competitive racing, the track's corners were turned into a progressive banking system, as the apron was paved and became part of the track, and the track's banking was varied from 4 degrees in the lower two lanes to 12% grade (about 7 degrees). The addition of SAFER barriers to the corner walls was made in 2003.
During the September 2003 Sylvania 300, an incident occurred at this track involving Dale Jarrett where his car was stuck in the middle of the race track and was in danger of getting hit while other cars raced back to the caution flag. As a result, NASCAR banned racing back to the caution flag, resulting in a "free pass" (popularly referred to as "the lucky dog") in which the first car behind the leader not on the lead lap would get their lap back during each caution period in all of NASCAR's national and regional series.
Well,you folks know better than I. It's just that in my mind's eye, NH = Indian file circuits. Although I used to enjoy NASCAR back in the late 60's early 70's, it was on broadcast TV, like Wide Wlorld of Sports etc. usually on tape. Cable wasn't available to me until 2000, so there's a big gap in my viewing. Living in NYC did have it's drawbacks.
WCG, I hit "post" before I thanked you for your response. Sorry.
NASCAR.Com now has the video of the Chase drivers delivering the Top Ten on Letterman last night.
Pete, OUTSTANDING thread this week! GREAT job!
>> also produce enough roughage to feed 1000 cattle for ranchers in the area.<<
Drunk cows staggering in the pasture, thanks to ethanol.
I'm watching KK at Richmond on Speed.
next time on Ophra.
Great thread ya put together!
Thanks for the thread!
NASCAR hits Big Apple to promote Chase (Letterman, Regis and Kelly, ESPN Zone show guests)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1701706/posts
Moderate to heavy rain here this weekend.
Snow level down to 7000
"RYR one car team in 2007? Robert Yates Racing co-owner Doug Yates told reporters in Richmond, Va., his team could shrink from two cars to one if sponsorship isn't found for its #88 [currently driven by Dale Jarrett with UPS as the sponsor](USA Today sidebar)(9-15-2006)"
No 88 car next year ? - that would be strange.
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