Pistone: All-Star preview -

By Pete Pistone

SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE PREVIEW 

There are no points and simply pride and money on the line in Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Over the years that’s been a pretty good recipe for an entertaining night of racing.
Since the annual All-Star event made its debut back in 1985 it’s undergone a variety of changes, modification and tweaks. But at the end of the day it’s still all about one thing and one thing only – winning.
“Yeah, everybody amps it up so much saying there’s nothing on the line but money,” said former winner Tony Stewart. “Trust me, we all think of the trophy first and the money second. But it’s fun to know that you can take extra chances in that race and you know that everybody is going to do it so it just takes the whole level of racing and just takes it up a whole new level that we don’t get a chance to do when we’re racing (the normal schedule).”
The change of pace from the weekly grind of points racing makes Saturday night’s race special enough that in addition to the drive to succeed there’s also a “fun factor” in play.
“We’ve never been able to close the deal,” said Sprint Cup Series point leader Carl Edwards. “I’m excited to be able to go compete for a million dollars and not have points on the line. It’s just a fun weekend and I’m looking forward to it more than I have any other All Star race.”

In a bit or a rarity considering the history of the event, this year’s All-Star Race will again feature the same format used last year when Kurt Busch went to victory lane.
The Sprint Showdown preliminary event will see the first two finishers move into the main event along with one driver voted in by “Fan Vote” for an All-Star Race starting line-up of 22 cars.
A fifty lap segment opens up the All-Star Race followed by a pair of 20-lappers with a no holds barred ten lap dash to the checkered flag set to cap the night off and the $1 million pot of gold.
That all adds up to what some believe to be the best all-star event in professional sports.
“Our series, the hits are actually probably worse, harder, stronger,” said Jimmie Johnson of what takes place in the NFL’s Pro Bowl or NHL’s All-Star Game. “The intensity and commitment for our All-Star event seems to be a lot higher than others. So that mindset is the difference to me. Not to take anything away from those athletes. I should then say we’re surrounded by a steel cage so it’s easier for us to dish some stuff out and take some hits.”
 
Charlotte Motor Speedway 
Track Size: 1.5-mile

Banking/Straightaways: 5 degrees
Banking/Corners: 24 degrees

Race Facts 
There have been 26 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races.
The first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was in 1985.      

25 have been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1986, the event was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and won by Bill Elliott. That season was also the first year for what is now known as the Sprint Showdown.      
84 drivers have run in at least one All-Star Race.      
There have been 18 different winners of the All-Star Race.      

Mark Martin has participated in 21 races, more than any other driver.      
The race has featured a field that ranged from 10 drivers in 1986 to 27 in 2002.      
Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990 and 1993) and Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997 and 2001) are the only three-time winners of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
 
There have been seven different winners in the last seven NASCAR Sprint All-Star races.      

Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Terry Labonte (1988 and 1999), Mark Martin (1998 and 2005) and Jimmie Johnson (2003 and 2006) are the only other drivers to post multiple victories in the All-Star Race. Allison is the only driver to ever win consecutive All-Star events.      
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) and Ryan Newman (2002) are the only drivers to win the All-Star Race in their rookie season.      

Jeff Gordon is the youngest winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at 23 years, 9 months and 18 days (1995). Mark Martin is the oldest at 46 years, 4 months and 12 days (2005).      
Matt Kenseth has a 6.6 average finish in 10 appearances in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the best of any driver in this weekend’s field; followed by Jimmie Johnson with a 6.7 average finish in nine appearances. The best average finish by a driver with more than five starts is Ken Schrader, at 6.125.      

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has been won from the pole position four times; the first three came in consecutive years: Dale Earnhardt (1990) and Davey Allison (1991 and 1992). Kurt Busch posted the fourth win from the pole last season.      
The deepest in the field an All-Star Race winner has started was 27th, by Ryan Newman in 2002.    

Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won six All-Star Races: Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (two) and Terry Labonte (one).      
Five drivers have won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same year: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993), Rusty Wallace (1989), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001) and Jimmie Johnson (2006).

The record for lead changes in a NASCAR Sprint All-Star race is 10 in 2004. The most different leaders is nine in 2002.

Who’s Hot at the All-Star Race
Matt Kenseth – Fresh off his victory last Sunday in Dover Kenseth races to the All-Star Race with four straight Top 10 finishes in the event on his record. Kenseth is a winner of the 2004 race.
Tony Stewart – His recent rough streak could be cured with another win in the All-Star Race, where he’s run in the Top 5 four straight years including a victory lane-worthy performance back in 2009.
Kurt Busch  – A year ago Busch was the toast of Charlotte Motor Speedway with a win in the All-Star Race and a follow-up victory in The Coca-Cola 600. Things have not gone well for the Penske Racing team since Daytona but the ship would feel very righted with back-to-back $1 million paydays.


Who’s Not
Kyle Busch – You’d think the format of the All-Star Race would be perfect for Busch’s style of racing with the all-out dash to the checkered flag in the final ten-lap segment. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has not enjoyed the annual event very much at all and has only one Top 10 finish in five career starts.
Jamie McMurray – Charlotte is the scene of McMurray’s first career Sprint Cup win but the All-Star Race has not been a favorite of the Earnhardt Ganassi racing driver. An average finish of 17.2 in four career starts is McMurray’s performance record in the race.
Jeff Burton – The veteran has a best finish of fourth in six career races for Burton adds up to a career average finish of 14.8.

2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

Entry List
  Bayne, Trevor
  Biffle, Greg
  Bowyer, Clint
  Busch, Kurt
  Busch, Kyle
  Edwards, Carl

  Gordon, Jeff
  Hamlin, Denny
  Harvick, Kevin
  Johnson, Jimmie
  Kahne, Kasey
  Kenseth, Matt

  Martin, Mark
  McMurray, Jamie
  Montoya, Juan Pablo
  Newman, Ryan
  Reutimann, David
  Smith, Regan

  Stewart, Tony
  Fan Vote Winner
  Winner Sprint Showdown
  Second Place Sprint Showdown

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Pistone: Dover Sprint Cup preview - Dover race preview

FedEx 400 Race Preview

As the winds of controversy swirl around Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch this weekend at Dover, Jimmie Johnson and company are simply going about their business.
Once again Johnson comes into “The Monster Mile” as a weekend favorite on following the usual steady as she goes course that has served the No. 48 team well through its remarkable run of five straight Sprint Cup Series championships.

And while Harvick and Busch snipe at each other all Johnson can do is set back and smile as he sets his sights on a possible fifth win in the last six Dover outings.
“At times, yes,” Johnson said when asked if he sees the possible distraction a feud like the one Harvick and Busch are in can cause. “I remember being here in the Chase and watching the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) and the No. 29 (Harvick) going at it. At that point in time, yes.
“But now, the championship implications haven’t crossed my mind because it’s so far from now; things seem to get rectified in 2 to 3 weeks. So I haven’t thought of it in that perspective. It was exciting seeing discussions about it in major newspapers and the social media world; it’s been everywhere. So you hate to see somebody potentially injured and the stuff on pit road is really the sore spot of all of it. But it was exciting. It gave us all a lot to talk about. If something like that happens in the Chase, It certainly will affect those two drivers there, but we’re too far away from it now."
Now don’t misunderstand Johnson. While he’s glad that he’s not the one in the middle of this latest tiff he understands the value of having such rivalries and what they mean to the overall exposure of the sport.
"Yeah, it’s so funny; we’re all around the sport enough to know that and, in your position covering the sport, that it’s real easy one week to say oh well, it’s too vanilla out there; it’s too boring and these guys don’t rough each other up and back in the day this or that would happen,” he said in Friday’s media session at Dover.
“And then damn if we don’t go to the next race and all that happens and now you’ve got to write the opposite of that. So I think we’re all confused. What do we really want? Does anybody know? It changes every week. And if you read the articles and follow the path, we’re all confused in my opinion. At the end of the day, our sport is stronger than it’s ever been. We have more lead changes, more race winners, and I guess any press is good press."
There’s a good chance the press will be covering another Johnson victory come Sunday afternoon considering his stellar track record at Dover. He has six career wins and number seven would put him in the lofty company of Richard Petty and Bobby Allison as the only three drivers to have seven wins at the Delaware track.

“It reminds me a little bit of my off-road days and controlling the vehicle through a vertical motion coming into the corner, up over the hill and trying to land,” he said explaining his approach and subsequent successes at the track. “And also control the lateral forces that we see in the car. So that dynamic I enjoy. I really like this track. Our race wins and finishes kind of back that up. So, I’m looking forward to another great weekend and I would love to hopefully get a win and get some more points.”

Dover International Speedway
Track Size: One Mile
Race Length: 400 miles
Banking/Straightaways: 9 degrees
Banking/Corners: 24 degrees


Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Martin Truex Jr. (157.315 mph, 22.884 seconds)
2010 race winner: Kyle Busch (128.790 mph, 05-16-10)
Track qualifying record: Jeremy Mayfield (161.522 mph, 22.288 seconds, 06-04-04)
Track race record: Mark Martin (132.719 mph, 09-21-97)


Race Facts
There have been 82 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover International Speedway since the track opened in 1969.
There was one race in 1969 and 1970. There have been two-a-year since 1971.
Richard Petty won the track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
There have been 35 different pole winners, led by David Pearson (six).

David Pearson won the first pole in July 1969.

Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers, each with four poles.
32 different drivers have posted victories led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, each with seven.
Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers, with six victories.

Hendrick Motorsports has a series-high 12 wins.
50 races at Dover have been won from a top-five starting position; 17 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
13 drivers have won from the pole. The last to do so was Jimmie Johnson, in last season’s September race.
The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 37th, by Kyle Petty in 1995.
Several active drivers had their first start at Dover, including three past champions: David Ragan (finished 42nd in 2006), Kurt Busch (18th in 2000), Matt Kenseth (sixth in 1998) and Bobby Labonte (34th in 1991).

In addition, Matt Kenseth (2002) and Michael Waltrip (1991) earned their first pole at Dover. Martin Truex Jr. won his first race there (2007).

Who’s Hot at Dover
Jimmie Johnson – Can join Richard Petty and Bobby Allison as a seven time Dover winner for a trip to victory lane on Sunday afternoon. Johnson has won three of the last four races at Dover and brings a sparkling 7.9 average finish over the last five years with him to “The Monster Mile.”

Carl Edwards – Still on top the Sprint Cup Series point standings after posting another runner-up finish a week ago in Darlington to surprise winner Regan Smith. Has not finished outside the Top 10 at Dover since the 2006 season a string that includes a 2007 victory.
Kyle Busch  – In the middle of controversy with his feud still going strong with Kevin Harvick but that should not slow down his momentum at Dover. The defending race winner who also finished sixth in last fall’s trip to Dover will try for another NASCAR three-peat weekend with wins in the truck and Nationwide Series as well.
Who’s Not
David Ragan – Has not experienced as much success as the rest of his Roush Fenway Racing teammates at Dover over the years and despite the organization’s stellar record at the track, Ragan has a lofty 23.6 average finish in nine career starts.
Juan Pablo Montoya – Only one Top 10 finish in eight career starts is one reason why Montoya’s average finish is a whopping 21.9 at Dover.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dover has not been kind to Junior in recent years and the Hendrick Motorsports driver has an average finish of 20th in his last ten starts. He finished 30th and 23rd in two Dover outings last season.

Notebook
The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969.
The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.
The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.
The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.

There have been 82 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Delaware, all at Dover International Speedway.

Eight drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Delaware
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Pistone: Logano turnaround - Logano looks for turnaround

In a season punctuated by breakout performances from the likes of Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith one highly-touted driver is still waiting to make his mark in the Sprint Cup Series.

Joey Logano continues to struggle in his ascension to NASCAR’s top series and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is as frustrated as anyone about the situation.
“We’ll see what happens,” Logano said after ten races were put in the book last week in Darlington leaving the young driver mired in 25th place in the point standings. “You have to stay motivated and concentrate on the good things. We’ve run as good if not better than we did at the end of last year.”
The way Logano ended last year had many believing 2011 would finally be the season for him to shine. He ended the season with a string of Top 10 finishes that saw him rise to 16th in the final standings and head into the winter break with perhaps the most momentum in the entire series.

But any hope of that performance carrying over to the new campaign ended quickly with a string of bad luck and mechanical issues that have seen Logano finish in the first ten only once.
“It’s getting harder and harder every week,” Logano said. “You keep thinking all that stuff is behind you. We’re running good every week. We could have four Top 10 finishes but we don’t. … Eventually it is all going to go away and we’re going to get the finishes we deserve.”
The phrase without bad luck Logano would have no luck at all doesn’t help the former phenom feel any better about his current predicament. In fact it stings Logano even more to wonder what might have been had things gone his way rather than the mountain of challenges he’s had thrown in front of him.
“Everybody is going to have bad luck at some point,” Logano said. “Hopefully we’ve used ours up and we’re good from here out. But I still think we can make it by points if we’re as solid as we run every week.
“We can still do it. We’ve got to be smart, not make anymore mistakes from here out. But those wins could be a really big deal if we get them.”
Getting those wins may be Logano’s only hope of validating the prediction by many of a possible Chase berth this season. The new Wild Card eligibility will give Logano a second chance to make the playoffs should he not be able to climb up the standings with consistency from now until mid-September into the Top 10.
As the season races toward event number eleven this Sunday in Dover those thoughts may indeed play a part in future strategies employed by the team.
“We need to do the same thing we’ve been doing except seal the deal at the end of the race,” Logano said of the trend that has seen the No. 20 Toyota start several races off well only to have something derail the overall effort by the time the checkered flag flew. “We’ve run top-10 in every race so far; there’s no reason we can’t do that again Sunday.
“You’re going to want to take chances. We’re borderline to that point that we’ve got to try to make the Chase by wins because we’ve put ourselves behind the 8-ball so much.”

Perhaps some better fortune is in the cards for Logano at Dover this weekend where he’s experienced both highs and lows.
He considers it one of his favorite tracks which may sound strange for a guy who two years ago rolled over about a dozen times in a violent crash racing through turn three.
“I love it – I love Dover, it’s probably one of my top two tracks on the circuit,” he laughed.  “It’s one of the places that I’ve done really well at, and fell victim to the Monster.  I think a lot people think I’d hate Dover after I crashed there so big in the Home Depot Toyota, but I’m cool with it.  It’s a fun race track for me.  It may have something to do with the fact that I run well at it.”
Logano comes into Sunday’s FedEx 400 with two straight Dover Top 10 runs to his credit and points to that success as well as an understanding of how to approach the lightning-fast concrete track as reasons for his positive attitude.
“A lot places you get used to the speed,” he explained.  “There, you feel the speed.  It’s just a big Bristol.  The way that you drop into the turns, the way the car loads – all that.  It has a long turn where you’re carrying a lot of speed all the way through the turns.  It’s cool – it’s a lot of fun.  I always look forward to going there.”

So despite a less than stellar beginning to the year Logano hasn’t lost his enthusiasm or belief that he can succeed at NASCAR’s top level. The way he sees it, that’s the only option there is.
“It does me no good to get down on myself or the team or even the situation,” Logano said. “I know we can compete because we have. I know I can win because I have. I have the firm belief that all the ingredients are here for us to succeed and I truly believe that’s gonna happen.”

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Speed Read: Showtime Southern 500

Showtime Southern 500 Recap
They’ve been racing at Darlington Raceway since 1950. But Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 will go down as one of the best in the history of the legendary South Carolina track.
While the race clocked in at just over four hours and included some long stretches of strung out racing around the treacherous 1.366-mile track, the big finish was worth the wait.
Pit road drama, tire strategy, high emotions, fights and an upset winner were all neatly wrapped up in the final stages of Saturday night’s memorable race.

But while the water cooler talk Monday will surely be about the on track and post race scuffle between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, the Cinderella story of Regan Smith’s win should be the center of attention.
Complete results

Somehow in this day and age of multi-car super teams and power houses like Hendrick, RCR, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush dominating the Sprint Cup Series, a little one car team headquartered in Denver, Colorado won one of the sport’s most prestigious races.
Although the Furniture Row team does have an alliance with the Childress organization it is still very much a David battling against a sport filled with Goliaths.

“I don't think anybody realizes how much work has gone into getting this program where it is out of Colorado,” said Smith basking in the glory of his unlikely victory. “(Team presidents) Joe Garone, Barney Visser , all of them. Barney has put a huge, huge investment into NASCAR into this team. I can't be more proud to be driving it.”
Smith was almost here before when an apparent win at Talladega was taken away when NASCAR ruled he had dipped below the yellow out of bounds line and the victory was given to Tony Stewart.
But he doesn’t look at his accomplishment Saturday night as any kind of vindication. According to Smith winning at Darlington is just better.
“It feels a lot different at the end of the day when you say 'Hey, I won a race at Darlington,'” he said. “The names that have won here...the Pearsons, Yarboroughs and on and on, you name it. I was sitting behind some of those guys today and I was thinking 'Man, these guys are pretty awesome. They are legendary'. I don't know if my name deserves to be next to them, but after tonight, maybe it does."
Smith’s performance showed he most definitely belongs on the list of legends who have won at NASCAR’s top level.
It might take a little time for the young driver to believe it but it has every right to sink in even if it doesn’t happen for a while.
“We've got a neat trophy now,” he said. “Legends win this race, I'm not supposed to win this race. I've never even had a top five. I guess that shows in this series, anybody can win on any given Sunday."

Or Saturday night.

RISERS
Brad Keselowski
Finally something for the Penske Racing to feel good about on the Sprint Cup Series side of the house. While the defending Nationwide Series champion has been okay on the Junior Circuit, he’s struggled big time in the Miller Lite Dodge until Saturday night. A decision to stay out and not pit for tires at the end of the race proved to be a wise one and Keselowski came home third.
Kasey Kahne
Showed that his solid run last week in Richmond was not a fluke with a pole-winning performance to start the weekend and an effort that nearly netted him his first win of 2011. Kahne has to be considered a candidate for the Chase this year at least as a Wild Card and looks like he’ll be in the mix for wins in the coming months as he helps showcase the Team Red Bull ride for 2010.
Martin Truex Jr.
Things looked bleak for Truex when he spun trying to come into the pits, an embarrassing move in light of his radio blow up last weekend that caused a shake up on the No. 56 team’s pit road personnel. But he recovered nicely and drove a very fast race car back to the front half of the field to score a very respectable tenth place finish.


FALLERS
Joey Logano
Any memory of last year’s stellar run to close the season has been forgotten by the seemingly constant struggles of 2011. Logano got tapped and spun into the inside pit wall to ruin his night and hand him yet another disappointing finish and a 35th to show for his effort.
Jeff Burton
The veteran can share a lot of what Logano is going through with a tough opening ten races of 2011 as well. This time it was an overheating issue that cooked Burton’s engine and knocked him out with a dismal 33rd place finish.
Jimmie Johnson
Don’t usually see the five-time champion listed in this category but a painful night that was probably worse than the 15th place finish Johnson earned. Got spun out early after contact from Juan Pablo Montoya only to work his way back to the lead lap and get penalized late in the race for a missing lug nut after a trip to pit road. The radio communication between Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus was especially chippy Saturday night with all the frustration.


RADIO WAVES
(Choice comments and communications from drivers and crew chiefs)
“Sorry, I locked the front tires. He braked really early, and I locked the front trying to avoid him. Did he hit anything?" – Juan Pablo Montoya asking about Jimmie Johnson
"That boy (Montoya) can't stay away from controversy, can he?" – Tony Stewart
"It's a big old pile of @#%^. Who was that? Damn." – Dale Earnhardt Jr. surveying the damage from Brian Vickers’ car

“I'm gonna have to turn my radio off now" – a frustrated Kurt Busch
“Just can't wait to get out of here. Nature of the beast, there's no room to race at this place.” – Clint Bowyer

RACE RATING
On a scale of one to five "Pistone Pistons" I’ll give Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 a four. A 500-mile race at Darlington Raceway is a very long proposition and Saturday’s race as expected had long stretches of tedium. But like so many other races this year the best was yet to come and the closing laps provided enough mayhem, drama and high emotion for a month’s worth of racing. Tempers flared and a surprise winner emerged to make the 2011 edition of the Southern 500 one of the best in the storied track’s history.

DOWN THE ROAD

A week off from night racing and a Sunday afternoon trip to Dover International Speedway is next up for the Sprint Cup Series. “The Monster Mile” usually provides one of the season’s most grueling challenges and the one-mile concrete track will most likely live up to its name and make the garage area a busy place.

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Kyle Busch dominates, denies Hamlin weekend sweep at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. -- If there's one thing Denny Hamlin could change, he maybe wouldn't have been so forthcoming about Richmond International Racing in all those Joe Gibbs Racing team meetings.
But holding out information about his home track would make Hamlin a bad teammate, so he shared everything he knew.
Then Kyle Busch used those tips to beat his teammate Saturday night at Richmond, denying Hamlin a weekend sweep at his home track.
"I learned from Denny last fall, and I'm not going to say what I learned," Busch said after stretching his final tank of gas 107 laps to pick up his second victory of the Sprint Cup season.
It was Busch's third consecutive triumph in Richmond's spring race. Hamlin has won the past two fall races, and the last non-JGR driver to win at Richmond was Jimmie Johnson in September 2008.
So it was no surprise to see Busch and Hamlin finish first and second for a JGR sweep Saturday night. Hamlin just wished it had been him out front.
"It's tough when you share notebooks. You know those guys got exactly what you got," Hamlin said. "Just got beat by my teammate. He drove a great race. I thought he would burn his stuff up. Our cars were dead equal."
Hamlin, in an early season slump, really needed the strong finish to snap the funk that's had many wondering if last year's championship runner-up will challenge for the title again. He got off to a great start by winning his charity race Thursday night at RIR, and followed it with a victory in Friday night's Nationwide Series race.
And while he sat back in the closing laps, waiting to pounce should Busch's tank run dry, he never regretted giving Busch the information that ultimately beat Hamlin.
"If I don't tell him the things I know on short tracks, the crew chiefs don't relay information, it's not a good team," he said. "Yeah, it might cost me a race here or there because he out runs me. In the grand scheme of things, it makes me an overall better driver."
Kasey Kahne, fresh off surgery to repair a torn ligament in his knee, finished a season-best third to give Toyota the top three spots.
"We weren't quite good enough as the Gibbs cars, they were really good tonight," Kahne said. "But it's still a good run. The guys did a good job and it's nice to get a top-five."
The leaders seemed to have an easy go of it, with most of the fireworks coming far behind them in the field.
Roush Fenway Racing drivers David Ragan and Carl Edwards finished fourth and fifth in Fords, while Clint Bowyer was sixth in a Chevrolet. AJ Allmendinger was seventh and was followed by Johnson, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers.
But Stewart, despite his top-10 finish, was less than pleased with the performance.
"We have a lot of work to do," he said. "We (stink) right now. I am embarrassed about how bad our stuff is."
That was par for the course Saturday night.
Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya were involved in two different on-track incidents. The first caused Montoya, the pole-sitter, to brush the wall. His stop to repair the damage dropped him three laps off the pace. He later ran into the back of Newman when Newman was running eighth, and Newman vowed his payback would come after the race.
There was no confrontation, though. Montoya hopped on a waiting golf cart and headed out of the track, while Newman walked to the NASCAR hauler to complain about Montoya's driving. What kind of action did he want from NASCAR?
"Just fair, I guess. I don't know that you can have that," he said. "To retaliate the way he did just didn't show much class."
There's been some history between the two, including contact that led to a fiery crash for Montoya in his 2006 Cup debut at Homestead. Newman got a dig in when asked if he thought Montoya's still mad about that accident.
"Yeah, I don't know if he could even remember back that far," he said.
Meanwhile, Kurt Busch completely lost his composure on his team radio several times during the race. Frustrated by an ill-handling car, he was pushed over the edge when he ran into Newman seconds after contact between Newman and Montoya brought out the caution.
And Martin Truex Jr., in position for a top-five finish, threatened over his team radio to fire his entire crew when he was penalized twice on his final pit stop.
All that action made the actual finish fairly uneventful, and both Hamlin and Kahne shared a knowing smirk during the post-race news conference about all the in-race excitement.
"I watch the screen ... every time Montoya has damage, you see who did it, they usually end up getting wrecked," Hamlin said. "You usually know that's coming."
Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or
distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The
Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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Power Rankings: Johnson on track - Power Rankings: Johnson, Hamlin on different skids

There have been seven Sprint Cup Series races run so far in 2011 and six different drivers have visited Victory Lane.
None have been named Johnson and Hamlin.
The two drivers who teamed up to win fourteen races a year ago are both on the schneid as the season races closer to the quarter mark.
However there are two completely different feelings about the start inside both camps.

Denny Hamlin is still looking for his first checkered flag this season. (AP)

Although Jimmie Johnson has yet to take a checkered flag this year he's been far from uncompetitive. The five-time champion has three top 5- and four top-10 finishes to show for his effort, which have added up to a third place spot in the Cup standings only thirteen behind leader Carl Edwards.
Johnson may be disappointed that he hasn't won yet in 2011 but understands just how difficult a proposition it is with the competition level as high as it is today. In Johnson's mind by just being in contention to win and practicing consistency will lead to multiple trips to Victory Lane.
"We all want to win," Johnson said. "I think certainly the larger the number is and the more questions are asked then it becomes a focus for that particular driver. For myself personally, I feel like we're knocking on the door and I've always believed that if you run consistently in the top five, you're going to have your shots and you're going to win your fair share of races.
"We've been doing that these last few weeks. I feel like we're getting stronger and better and our opportunities are out there in front of us. Hopefully we can close, you never know. This sport is very, very difficult and you don't know when you're going to win next."
The positive outlook by Johnson and company in the face of their winless drought is something Denny Hamlin is having a tough time replicating.
After yet another disappointing night in Texas, where Hamlin carried a two-race winning streak prior to Saturday's Samsung Mobile 500, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver slid to 20th in the standings and a whopping 82 out of the top spot.
Some have pointed to Hamlin's disappointing end to last year's title run when he spun at the Homestead finale and lost the championship race to Johnson as having a carryover effect this year. But Hamlin does not see it that way.
"I think what probably makes this year different is we didn't end the year on a positive note," acknowledging the frustration level. "Every other year, like '08 and '09, we've finished the year with some wins. The last couple races is what sets us up for being one of the favorites in the following year.
"But then, I give everyone a warning that it's going to be slow, let us get there and it's typically what happens. I think what people were attributing this year's slow start to is the last couple races of last year. I know in my mind it has nothing to do with it, but it's just the way people see it -- like it's a letdown from last year. I honestly don't believe that."
But the bottom line is for whatever the reason Hamlin has been uncompetitive through seven races of the new campaign.
While Johnson has shown signs a win could come any week, things will need to change in a hurry for Hamlin if he is to have any hopes of piling up the win total he amassed last season.

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Kenseth snaps 76-race drought with Texas win

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Matt Kenseth can quit wondering. He is still good enough to win.
After going 76 races without a win, Kenseth finally got back into Victory Lane with a dominating run at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday night when the entire Roush Fenway team was outstanding.

"As you start to get a little older and start looking up at the results, it's been over two years since we won," Kenseth said. "You can't help but think, is the way it's going to go? Are we going to keep trickling backwards?"
Kenseth led 169 of 334 laps at the 1 ½-mile, high-banked track for his 19th career victory, his first since California in February 2009 when he won the first two races of that season. Since his other win at Texas in 2002, Kenseth had four runner-up finishes, including last fall behind Denny Hamlin, and six other top-10 finishes at the track.
"It has been a long time," Kenseth said. "I have lost a lot of close ones at this track. It feels good to be able to close it out."
This time, the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford was only trailing late behind Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch when both of those drivers were out of sequence on stops and trying to stretch fuel in hopes of catching a caution. Lucky for Kenseth, there were no yellow flags at the wrong time.

Kenseth went back ahead to stay with 13 laps to go when Busch had to make his final stop and give up a 8.2-second lead. Kenseth finished 8.315 seconds ahead of Clint Bowyer on warm and windy night for the first Texas race under the lights.
"One of the hottest times I've ever had in a car," Bowyer said. "More than anything, my feet were burning up."
Edwards, Kenseth's teammate, joked that he was "hopped up on Pepto Bismol" because of an upset stomach from something he ate earlier in the day. He also dealt with a loose car all night, but still finished third to take over the series points lead by nine over Kyle Busch.
"I was a little sick this morning. I thought I was alright. But my stomach was messed up about 50 laps in. My mom made a dish and I think one of the ingredients was bad," Edwards said. "We were trying really hard to get the car right and we never did. That's why I was happy with third."
It was a weekend sweep in the Lone Star State for car owner Jack Roush after Edwards won the Nationwide race Friday night. Roush has 16 NASCAR wins in Texas -- eight in Cup, seven in Nationwide and one in Trucks.
All four of Roush's drivers finished in the top seven Saturday night. Greg Biffle was fourth and polesitter David Ragan seventh, the best finish of the year for both.
"I'm really proud of what we've been able to do in 2011," Roush said. "I can't say how proud I am to be here with Matt. He hasn't gotten the success that his effort deserved in the recent past."
Kenseth led nine times and won with an average speed of 149.234 mph. The race featured 31 lead changes among 13 drivers.
Stewart had gone 58 laps since his last stop with 58 laps to go, and had nearly a 17-second lead over Kenseth and more than 19 seconds over Bowyer when he made his stop.
Any chance for a victory ended when Stewart got penalized for speeding on pit road. He finished 12th, the last driver on the lead lap even though he coasted across the finish line after running out of fuel.
Kurt Busch, who led five times for 50 laps, finished 10th. It was his fifth top-10 finish this season, his best being fifth in the season opener at Daytona.

Kenseth led 169 of 334 laps at the 1 1/2-mile, high-banked track for his 19th career victory. (Getty Images)

"Just a hard-fought battle all night," Kurt Busch said. "Overall, we got off-sequence which might have helped preserve that top 10. It's tough. We want to compete for top fives and wins and we're only getting top 10s right now."
While Kenseth had led only five laps in the first six races this season, he got to Texas coming off three consecutive finishes in the top six and had been in the top 12 for every race since an accident in the season-opening Daytona 500 led to a 34th-place finish.
Kenseth became the career laps leader at Texas, pushing his total to 669 laps in 18 starts.
The first night race of the season was also the first at Texas, which hosted its 21st Sprint Cup race since the track opened in 1997.
Hamlin finished 15th and Kevin Harvick 20th, both being denied trifectas.
Harvick had won the last two Cup races this season at Martinsville and California. Hamlin swept both races at Texas last season and was trying to become the first driver to win three consecutive Cup races at the track.
Both had problems early in the race, Harvick getting a penalty in the pits on the first stop and Hamlin with some power problems in his car.
After a runner-up finish last week at Martinsville, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had another strong run and finished ninth. But his winless streak was extended to 100 races since winning in Michigan nearly three years ago. That was his only win in 115 starts since joining Hendrick Motorsports, a span in which teammate Jimmie Johnson has won three season championships.
Johnson finished eighth at Texas, just ahead of Earnhardt.

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Pistone: Idle Thoughts - Idle Thoughts: big finish memorable enough

Sunday's Auto Club 400 in Fontana has already been called a classic among many fans. The thrilling 10 lap dash to the checkered flag between Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick that ended in a last lap pass for the win was one of the best finishes in NASCAR's recent history.
Notice how I said best finishes in NASCAR's recent history.
Because unfortunately the 190 circuits that led up to that mad run to the finish were about as dull an affair as I can remember.
Unlike last October's Auto Club Speedway race, last Sunday's return engagement to the very same race track featured none of the four and five wide racing that only five months ago had people proclaiming love for the much-maligned Southern California speedway.
But that wasn't the case at all in race five of the 2011 season with a single file parade droning on for about two hours or so before things heated up at the end thanks to a late crash, caution flag, pit strategy and final run to the finish.
The good news is Harvick's daring move and thrilling victory captured the attention of many local market and general media outlets. Sunday night sports reports featured video of the wild ending to the race and talk of another NASCAR last second win without any mention of the tedious hours that preceded it.
So the question is does a rip roaring ending equate to a race being a good one or does the entire event have to be enthralling in order for it to be memorable?
In reality its very rare for a NASCAR race or any sports event to provide non-stop excitement from beginning to end. Games and races all have ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys that play themselves out over the course of two to three hours.
I watched dozens of NCAA basketball tournament games over the last two weeks and although there were several nail biters and buzzer beaters, I'm hard pressed to remember many that kept me on the edge of my seat for 40 minutes of action.
An NFL game that's a snoozer for three and a half quarters could end in a game winning field goal at the gun that instantly makes it a highlight reel candidate.
Just last night I endured watching the Chicago Bulls slop their way to a 20-point deficit in the first three quarters against the 76ers and at times was tempted to change the channel or doze off. But a frenetic Bulls comeback in the last quarter that ultimately fell short grabbed my attention and provided a night's worth of entertainment despite the home team losing.
NASCAR racing isn't any different than any of these examples although it's sometimes held to a different standard.
There's a lot of scrutiny in the sport right now no doubt thanks to the story of television ratings dipping and attendance not of the sell-out variety. So those looking for excuses point to a race - at least most of it - like Fontana as perhaps a reason. Those first 190 trips around the track won't be used in any promotional initiatives to promote the sport.
But on the other hand the big finish certainly will. I've already seen television promos touting Harvick's thriller of a triumph.
That's no different than the buzzer beater or overtime field goal or penalty shot that decides a hockey game getting the spotlight even if the road to any of those exciting endings was a long one.
When Sunday's Auto Club 400 is remembered later this year or seasons from now, only what happened on the way to the checkered flag will stand out.
That's probably all that should matter.
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Pistone: Power Rankings - Power Rankings: Drivers not named J.J. getting theirs

Many of those who have been turned off by NASCAR recently point to Jimmie Johnson's dominance as one of the reasons.
Johnson's five straight championships and multiple trips to Victory Lane every year have been historic, but not everyone enjoys watching a dynasty.

Jimmie Johnson barely misses his first win of the season after Kevin Harvick steals the glory in Fontana. (US Presswire)

But although Johnson has again gotten off to a consistent start to the season and will certainly be a player for the title once the playoffs begin in September, he has yet to score a victory in 2011.
In fact, there have now been five different faces in Victory Lane through the opening five races of the season. That's a far cry from a year ago when Johnson had already claimed three of the first five wins.
Last summer there was a streak of 10 different winners in a row so there's a ways to go yet to match the run of even a year ago. Still, it's interesting to note the 2011 campaign has not only seen various drivers in Victory Lane but all have represented different organizations.
Trevor Bayne (Wood Brothers), Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports), Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing), Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing) have spread the wealth around the garage area.
It's still a bit premature to make a call that the competition level in the series is completely even. Hendrick will no doubt flex its muscle with Johnson and company poised to lead the way, as the 48 team has done over the last five years. RCR shows no signs of slowing down from last year's near win in the championship race. Roush Fenway has returned to the solid form that brought multiple championships to Jack Roush. And despite their mysterious engine woes, JGR is a formidable contender to win regularly and challenge for the crown.
There's a good chance the string of different winners will continue with Martinsville, Texas and Talladega all on the schedule horizon.
That might be the trick to interest those fans that have grown weary of the Johnson dynasty.

POWER RANKINGS
Current	Driver	Previous
1	Carl Edwards	1
He wasn't as strong at Fontana as many predicted, particularly with the reputation of Roush Fenway Racing's intermediate track prowess. Still finished sixth to keep his top 10 finishing streak alive in the early season and took over the Sprint Cup point standings lead in the process.
2	Kyle Busch	4
Busch absolutely dominated Sunday's race in Fontana, leading 151 of the 200 laps. But the late-race restart proved to be his undoing and Busch could not hold off eventual winner Kevin Harvick or second place finisher Jimmie Johnson in the final nine-lap dash to the checkered flag. Still showed great poise in handling his disappointment afterward, which will ultimately be a big factor in Busch being able to contend for a championship.
3	Jimmie Johnson	5
He's been shut out of Victory Lane so far but outside of the Daytona 500, Johnson has hardly been a non-factor. He was right in the thick of Sunday's battle for the win and, despite coming up short, knocked down a runner-up finish to continue his ascension in the Cup standings.
4	Ryan Newman	3
He has three top 5 and four top 10 finishes to start the season after Sunday's fifth-place finish in Fontana. Newman continues to impress in the early going and should be in the win picture before too long. Talladega?
5	Kevin Harvick	8
Maybe the best closer in the Sprint Cup Series, Harvick charged from seemingly nowhere to steal the win away from Busch and Johnson on Sunday and score his first career win at the California native's home track. After his win at Michigan last summer, Harvick and the RCR stable must now be considered favorites at two-mile tracks. That bodes well for the organization with two stops coming up later this year at MIS.
6	Kurt Busch	2
Things have gone a bit sour for Busch and the Penske Racing team since their strong Speedweeks in Daytona. They had an ill-handling racecar Sunday on a rough day that was punctuated by a smack into the outside wall. Busch may have his hands full righting the ship at Martinsville this Sunday.
7	Kasey Kahne	10
The Team Red Bull tandem of Kahne and Brian Vickers both posted top 10 finishes on Sunday. Kahne has been in the front of the pack at every race this season and his success with crew chief Kenny Francis has helped raise the entire organization's effort.
8	Matt Kenseth	11
The stealth-like Kenseth turned in another one of his patented quiet performances Sunday with a fourth-place finish to show for his efforts. The inconsistency that plagued the No. 17 team last season has been erased in the early part of 2011.
9	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	7
Fontana is not one of Earnhardt's best tracks so a bit of a moral victory for Junior to come out of Sunday's race with a 12th-place finish. He had another weekend when the car the team started the events with was not quite right, but adjustments throughout both practice and the race paid off with a decent run.
10	Jeff Gordon	6
He was never a factor, even in the top 10 on Sunday. Gordon had a relatively fast car in practice but struggled trying to find grip during the race and the best he could muster was a mediocre 18th-place finish.
11	Juan Pablo Montoya	15
He won his first pole since Talladega of last season and finished 10th on Sunday to rebound from his Bristol disappointment. Montoya made his 150th career Sprint Cup Series start and produced his third top 10 of the year in Fontana.
12	Tony Stewart	9
Same song, different track. Stewart was running strong and in contention for back-to-back wins at Fontana until late in the going. He started third on the final restart with nine laps to go but fell back to 13th for ultimately a disappointing end to what should have been a much better afternoon.
13	Paul Menard	12
The early-year magic wasn't there Sunday for Menard, who unlike RCR teammates Harvick and Clint Bowyer, could not find the fast way around the track. However, a 16th-place finish was still one of his better career runs at ACS.
14	Mark Martin	13
Despite qualifying 10th, Martin struggled at Fontana. A 20th-place finish was about all the No. 5 car had in it on Sunday.
15	Martin Truex Jr.	NR
A very respectable showing for Truex Jr., at least in the early going Sunday when the MWR Toyota was in the front pack. Got shuffled back to wind up 21st in the final rundown but has shown some life of late and crept up to 14th in the series point standings.

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Power Rankings - Power Rankings: If it's Bristol, Kyle Busch undisputed No. 1

People want to call him the "new" Kyle Busch. But he looked a lot like just plain old Kyle Busch this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
That's the Kyle Busch who is in Victory Lane more often than not at the .533-mile speedway and added a couple more wins to his total with a sweep of the Nationwide/Sprint Cup series races this weekend in "Thunder Valley."
That's five in a row at Bristol for those of you keeping score at home, spanning the Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide and Cup divisions. And when NASCAR heads back to Bristol for a tripleheader this August, you can bet Busch will be in the equation all three nights again.
While winning in the truck and Nationwide divisions is certainly satisfying to Busch, the big picture of course is the Sprint Cup effort. The repeated knock on Busch in NASCAR's top level has been his perceived inability to harness his emotions and focus on winning a championship.
Time and again Busch has proved getting to Victory Lane isn't as hard as dialing down what's bubbling up inside him, which sometimes spills over and gets in the way.
Whether it's a an on-track run-in with a driver, a tirade over his radio with his crew or a double-bird salute to a NASCAR official, Busch has found ways to create challenges that have so far proven to difficult to overcome to challenge for a title.
Perhaps we're seeing that change in 2011. True, there is a long way to go, and with only four races in the book, a lot can happen to upset anyone's apple cart. But so far, Busch has tempered himself and dealt with both adversity -- like an engine turning his car into a fireball at Las Vegas -- as well as triumph, as in his trip to Victory Lane on Sunday.
More wins certainly appear to be in Busch's future. Whether those can add up to being a championship contender still remains a question.
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Speed Read: Jeff Byrd 500

RACE WRAP 

Once you get the hang of Bristol Motor Speedway – whether the “old” configuration or the current layout – you really get the hang of Bristol Motor Speedway.
Darrell Waltrip rattled off seven straight wins at the .533-mile track in his day with the likes of Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch all finding “Thunder Valley’s” sweet spot over the years.
But right now Bristol couldn’t be any sweeter for Kyle Busch.
His win in Sunday’s Jeff Byrd 500 was his fifth straight at Bristol dating back to his truck series-Nationwide Series-Sprint Cup Series three-peat last August.

Throw in Saturday’s Nationwide win and his fifth career Bristol Cup triumph on Sunday and Busch completed his own personal “Drive for Five” at the track.
He did it Sunday in a patient sort of way, picking his spot to get to the front and making the most of it when the opportunity presented itself.
In the process Busch became the season’s fourth different winner, continuing the trend of spreading the wealth around early in the 2011 season. Five time champion Jimmie Johnson is still looking for his first trip to victory lane which no doubt keeps some fans happy who have tired of the five year dominance from the No. 48 team.
But was Sunday’s race enough to keep NASCAR on its early season course of momentum?
It wasn’t a Bristol barnburner by and measure and in fact at times slipped into a bit of a tedious rhythm when the field got strung out during long green flag runs.
With the NCAA basketball tournament in full swing this weekend’s television landscape was anything but barren so NASCAR was battling for many a sport’s fan on Sunday who was tied up in “March Madness.”
But Busch doesn’t care about any of that. The Joe Gibbs Racing team put the early year fears about engine issues in the rear view mirror and Busch gave the organization its first Sprint Cup win of the season.

That’s all that mattered as he swept Bristol for another weekend.
RISERS 
Carl Edwards
Continued his very stellar start to the 2011 season with another second place finish and week after week proves why he’s the favorite to unseat Johnson in the title race. Had a shot to run down Busch in the closing laps and even run into the 18 in the process but didn’t do either.
Paul Menard
There’s nothing fluke about what Menard is doing this season at Richard Childress Racing. Led early on Sunday and after getting shuffled back had a very fast car in the closing stages and knocked down another Top 10. The next few weeks with intermediate stops at Fontana and Texas will be crucial to the No. 27 team’s staying power.
Kurt Busch
The only driver to score Top 10 finishes in all four races this season, Busch remains on top of the Sprint Cup Series point standings because of that consistency. Still not happy with the way things went on Sunday and was in the middle of many heated exchanges with crew chief Steve Addington but the bottom line is the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge was again in the front pack at the finish.

FALLERS
Denny Hamlin
Has shown none of the swagger or performance that kept him in the title battle until last year’s final race. Was caught in an early race incident on Sunday and played catch up all day long eventually limping home to a 33rd place finish. Hamlin’s 2011 fortunes have to change in a hurry.
David Reutimann
Not much to cheer about for the Michael Waltrip Racing driver that many predicted would be a Chase contender this season. Also a victim of Sunday’s early shenanigans and nothing but a 30th place finish for a long day at Bristol.
Juan Pablo Montoya
All the confidence after a third place run two weeks ago in Las Vegas disappeared with an especially trying day at Bristol. Montoya was a factor early but needs to find a way to stop the up and down roller coaster of finishes to return to the Chase form of 2009.
RADIO WAVES

(Choice comments and communications from drivers and crew chiefs)
“Its' a blast for us, wonderful.'' – Carl Edwards on Kyle Busch’s weekend sweep.
"Before the race even started it was junk.” – Kasey Kahne on his brake package.
"The worst part about this whole deal right now is I gotta piss so bad." – Brian Vickers
"Can't we just all be friends?" – Kyle Busch on the track public address system after being booed in pre-race introductions.

RACE RATING 
On a scale of one to five "Pistone Pistons" I’ll give Sunday’s Jeff Byrd 500 a three. While it certainly won’t go down in the annals of Bristol Motor Speedway’s long and storied history, I’m still a fan of the side-by-side racing the new track configuration produces. However there wasn’t enough of it to make Sunday’s race a classic. A stirring duel between Busch, Edwards and Johnson in the closing laps didn’t amount to the kind of slam bang finish fans had hoped for but let’s face it – Busch has got the place figured out.
DOWN THE ROAD
The Sprint Cup Series heads west again this time to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. For the first time the track hosts the series in late March, which bodes well weather-wise. It will be interesting to see if last fall's first 400-mile race, which was by far the best Cup race in track history, carries over to next week's fifth race of the 2011 season.

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Behind the Hauler: Trevor Bayne -

He’s been on a whirlwind tour since becoming the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500 but Trevor Bayne has even found time to get back behind the wheel of a racecar since taking the checkered flag in “The Great American race” a month ago.
Bayne has been on a constant travel schedule completing every imaginable media interview possible from coast-to-coast with appearances on everything from “Ellen” to “Good Morning America” to “The George Lopez Show.”
The young driver has also had to navigate a busy racing schedule doing double duty on the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series in between the publicity madness.
He finally slowed down for a few days during the NASCAR off-weekend and spent some time with family in his native Knoxville, Tennessee and was able to stop by Sirius NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” for a few minutes to share thoughts about his roller coaster ride and upcoming trip to his home state track in Bristol.
What have you been up to the last few days at home base in Knoxville?

I got to spend some time with my family and got to go up to the capitol building in Nashville the other day…I’ve done all kinds of cool stuff man. My little brother learned to ride his bike without training wheels, went to the go-kart track for a second time to practice – we had a really cool weekend.
You always seem like a guy who’s full of energy but today you seem a little re-energized. Did the off weekend come at a really good time for you?
It couldn’t come at a better time really, I really needed it.  Trying to get back on track a little I mean we’ve been so busy. After the 500 we were always on a schedule – you guys know me I like to have my time to do like whatever and I wasn’t getting that at all. 7 O’clock, 8 O’clock, 9 O’clock – you’re always on a schedule and you leave one thing you’ve got five minutes to get to the next. For me to settle down for a few days that was really cool, I turned my phone off and just hung out.
Did you talk to President Obama?
No I didn’t talk to the President, I did talk to vice president Joe Biden. We were kidding around and he said the worst part about being vice president is you can’t drive cars anymore you have to be driven around so we’re going to take him out to s kid pad and let him fool around one day. (Laughs) But I don’t think the country trusts me enough for that one yet. But I mean it’s been so cool everything that’s happened. I was at the go-kart track yesterday and I have little five-year kids coming up to me and saying “I want to be just like you.” I’m like man this is crazy. It’s insane. I dreamed about this one day but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.
Now once you’ve got the first three races under your belt and you go back to work this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, did you go to Bristol a lot when you were growing up there in Knoxville?
I did. I’ve gone almost every year since I was five years old, I’d get out of Kindergarten early and rub it in all my friends face. I’d get to go out there and go down into the pits…..I’ve actually raced there more than nay other track in NASCAR. I’ve raced there six times, three in Nationwide and three in Hooters Cup so we’ve got a lot of track time there which is good for us.
We were talking about after the off weekend how it’s good for the sport to pick things up at a place like Bristol, I’d have to say in your case it’s really good to pick things back up at Bristol.

Yeh we’ve got a ton of people coming so I’m excited about that. I mean you need a ton of rest before you go there if you’re going to do both races so I’m glad I’ve had a little time to rest up here and get ready for a guess about 800 laps of racing this weekend. I think on Friday I get in the car like at 8 in the morning and don’t get out until like six with both series.
What is your expectation for the weekend? You have the new Nationwide Series car on Saturday and the first time in a Sprint Cup Series there on Sunday. You’re going to have a pretty big learning curve ahead of you.
Yeh for the teams too. I think this is going to be one of the toughest tracks we’ve gone to for the new cars trying to the set-up right, trying to get the attitude right when it loads up there as you’re coming through the center of the corner.  The Cup car I don’t really know what to expect. I think it’s going to be a good track for us, I know we have strong cars. You look at what Ford has done in these last five race, they’ve won four of them and probably should have won all of the Cup races so I’m pumped about going there in the Cup car. We’ve got really good power, we’ve got good stuff and (crew chief) Donnie Wingo and I are learning a lot about each other. Last week in Vegas we were running eleventh and I kind of got messed up coming to pit road…..I think we’re good there. I think we’re going to be contenders for the top ten pretty soon and on the Nationwide side we’re still looking for that first win. We’re working on it every week, getting a little better and a little better but hopefully at Bristol that would be a perfect place to get that first win in front of a hometown crowd and I’d love to be able to do that there.
What are one or two things that you have to do well at Bristol in order to win?
Well first of all you’ve got to make it to the end that’s the big thing. It’s kind of like racing at Daytona or restrictor plate racing in a sense or short track racing in America, I mean you have to survive the race and be there at the end and I think if you do that you’re a top ten finisher. That’s kind of our goal there and to be able to strike at the end if we can keep our car in one piece. So stay out of trouble and the second thing make sure you can get your car to turn off the bottom and make passes. It’s so tough to pass there. A lot of times when you get inside of somebody you get really loose as you come up and off the corner where either you’re gonna slide the nose or you’re gonna snap around. I always practice on the bottom because I figure it’s easier to move up so we’ll see what we can learn there when we first get on the racetrack to use for Saturday and Sunday.
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Pistone: Bristol bounce back - Idle Thoughts: Bristol bounce back needed

Whether or not NASCAR will bounce back from its off-weekend only three races into the 2011 season will be answered in Sunday’s Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
All the momentum the sport gained from the season-opening Daytona 500 and the subsequent stops in Phoenix and Las Vegas was put on hold when the schedule took a time out last weekend.
But NASCAR does have at least one thing in its favor when it goes back to work on Sunday and it’s the site of race number four of the year.
Bristol is about as unique a racing experience as there is in all of motorsports and this weekend’s visit to the half-mile Tennessee track is perfect timing for NASCAR to recapture the attention of both die-hard fans as well as those coveted casual followers.
Many fans revere the high-banked concrete track as one of the “must-see” stops on the calendar and with good reason. Bristol provides non-stop action and the kind of close short track competition that dates back to the beginnings of NASCAR and stock car racing.
The roller-coaster ride of a track sits inside a modern day Roman Coliseum with 165,000 grandstand seats surrounding it. And while not every one of those seats is expected to be occupied Sunday afternoon, an impressive crowd in excess of 125,000 is anticipated.
Solid attendance alone won’t help NASCAR jump back on the momentum train after the break. What the sport needs is simply a good old fashioned, hard-nosed short track race, which Bristol usually supplies even in the aftermath of the track’s reconfiguration in 2007.
That change created a multiple groove track and the never before imagined sight of two and three wide racing.
While the “new” Bristol doesn’t produce the conveyor belt single file parade that provided drivers with only one groove and one option to improve positions, which was simply to ram their way to the front, it still offers perhaps the best short track racing anywhere.
For NASCAR’s sake Sunday’s race needs to be a good one. Unlike the previous three weeks of the season, the television landscape will be a crowded one. FOX and the Sprint Cup Series won’t have the stage to itself with the biggest heavyweight challenge coming from the final day of the NCAA basketball tournament’s opening weekend.
A bland race dominated by a driver or two won’t do much to help NASCAR break through.
But with the series competing at Bristol, there’s not much chance of that happening.
Garage Chatter
Some believe the ongoing NFL labor problems and the very real chance of a lockout interrupting or canceling the 2011 season will benefit NASCAR. There’s no doubt that without the mighty NFL to contend with on Sunday afternoons NASCAR would enjoy an almost wide-open sports stage and television ratings would surely rise with the possibility of some football-starved fans looking for entertainment. But before there’s too much celebration in anticipation of that scenario there’s a flip side that could be a major downer. Talk has circulated that if the NFL season kicks off late – say a month or so after the planned schedule in early September – the league will extend the calendar into January and February in an attempt to play as close to a full season as possible. Super Bowl 46 (I hate Roman Numerals) is supposed to be played on February 5, 2010 at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. However if the schedule goes back say a week or two or even three because of the lockout and catch-up plan, the danger of a Daytona 500-Super Bowl conflict, even with the 500 going all the way back to the final Sunday in February next season, exists. So those who are hoping the NFL is idle in September so NASCAR may prosper may want to re-think things just a little.

The Indy Car Series has been in the news this week with CEO Randy Bernard making several announcements around the circuit’s pre-season testing session at Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park outside Birmingham. NASCAR ramifications could be felt in Bernard’s plan to offer a $5 million bonus to any “outsider” who wins the Indy Car season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16. A committee will choose from a list of potential candidates and there’s already talk of Penske Racing adding a fourth car to its Indy Car stable for current part-time Nationwide driver Sam Hornish Jr. The Sprint Cup Series competes at Charlotte Motor Speedway the night before so while its logistically possible for a driver to compete in both races, don’t look for anyone in this year’s Chase field to attempt the double. Bernard expects to have the outsider entry list available by August.

Firestone’s decision to leave Indy Car racing after the 2013 season may also impact NASCAR should Goodyear decide to return to open wheel racing. Before Firestone and parent company Bridgestone landed the exclusive tire manufacturer deal, Goodyear also participated in Indy Car before bowing out and becoming NASCAR’s sole tire supplier. If Bernard is successful in making American open wheel racing a prominent entity, Goodyear may look at the option of replacing its rival when Firestone leaves.

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Behind the hauler: Steve Letarte

Each week we'll bring you a one-on-one interview with some of the biggest names in NASCAR. This week we kick things off with Dale Earnhardt Jr. 's crew chief Steve Letarte .
Letarte is used to working in the spotlight. Prior to the assignment this year to work with NASCAR's most popular driver, Letarte spent three seasons calling the shots for Jeff Gordon.
Although it's very early in the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season, Letarte and Earnhardt Jr. have enjoyed a solid start turning in back-to-back top ten finishes in Phoenix and Las Vegas, where the No. 88 Chevrolet came home eighth in last week's Kobalt Tools 400.
Letarte stopped by Sirius NASCAR Radio's "The Morning Drive" and talked about the weekend and Vegas and his early assessment of working with Earnhardt:

How as your trip back home after Las Vegas?
It wasn’t bad. Wasn’t bad at all. I like going out to the west coast there’s some beautiful tracks out there but it’s a long way from home so we get to go back to work at Bristol before we go back out to California in a couple weeks.

Eighth place finish in Las Vegas. Good way to get some spring in your step as you head into the off weekend?
Yeh, we had a better car than we though we had al weekend long. We struggled on Friday in qualifying and we really weren’t the fastest thing again on Saturday, you know Dale and I and the engineers we all sat down and put together a plan for Sunday, you now it worked out relatively well. I though we had pretty good speed. You know I was a little disappointed with myself taking four tires at the end rather than two and maybe we could have gotten a top five out of it. I was gambling on the caution…I wanted to be on four tires in case the caution did come out.


You were so good at Las Vegas a year ago with Jeff. Was the car Junior drove out there the same as a year ago Steve?
No, no. A different car, you know the cars have evolved so much over a year that we build new cars all the time and try to get better. That car was something we built toward the end of last year. We have a brand new car ready to go out to California. It was a little different set up because the tire combination was a little different on both the left and right sides and it took a little different set up and I think that’s why were a little off both Friday and Saturday – we were hoping it was closer to what it was last year.
I don’t want to get too excited about top ten finishes but it’s no secret starting the year we wanted to get our feet on the ground and get momentum heading in the right direction…it was more than a top ten it was a legitimate fast race car that drove from the back to the top five, we drove in the top five for a chunk of laps. The most important thing to us we finish on good days with a good finish and that’s what we made sure we did.

Is this still a work in progress between you and Dale Junior and the team?
Oh absolutely. To think you’re going to have it figured out in three weeks is not really an accurate statement.  But he’s very comfortable. I can tell you it doesn’t take a lot of work. Dale and I get along really good. We spend a lot of time together away from the racetrack because we hang out together, we enjoy each other’s company, he’s a fun guy to be around, we have the same sense of humor. It’s an interesting conversation really. We went out to dinner Saturday night, we rode around Las Vegas, we talked about the car. They’re not forced conversations, they’re easy to have and I think without a doubt Mr. Hendrick new that, that’s why he put us together and it’s obvious to me what he saw now.

You and Dale Jr. went out to dinner. Were you recognized?
I know you’ll find this hard to believe but I wasn’t recognized. There were a few people when we’d stop at lights they’d recognized Dale Jr. and he’d give them a little wave. You know I learned what the fans love about Dale Jr. they love about Dale Jr. is that he’s an every guy’s guy. You know he’s a pretty simple guy, he likes to hang out. And that’s what we did, we rode around Las Vegas and we hung out.

What’s interesting about this Steve is that you said when you first got this job that your relationship away from the track was going to be just as important if not more so than what you did at the track in terms of your overall success.
Yes. That’s why it’s so important that it’s such an easy friendship. I truly enjoy hanging out with him. I believe he enjoys hanging out with me. We’re the same in a few ways and very very opposite in others. Like I say we complement each other, his feedback in the racecar has been tremendous. It’s been a really fun three weeks. I’m glad to say I’m disappointed in eighth. It feels good to be disappointed in eighth again. You know tenth in Phoenix we were happy with, eighth in Las Vegas while I’m pleased with eighth I know we had more in the tank and man it’s just a great feeling to have, we’re excited, it’s a fun relationship, so far it’s been a successful relationship and man, I’m just having a blast crew chiefing for Dale Jr.

Rick Hendrick has said the Dale Jr. even helps push the car through tech. What kind of message does that send to the crew?
You know I think what happens is there’s a big public perception of what Dale Jr. needs to be doing, what he needs to be better and he needs this and he needs that and I don’t think that quite lines up with what the truth is. I think the more he’s around the team I let the team decide for themselves. I don’t try to sell it to them. I learned a long time ago that I try to handle all relationships on a first name basis and I want my race team to handle relationships on a first name basis.  I want them to know Dale Jr. by themselves, not because of what I said or Rick Hendrick said or what he said at media day. The more they are around him the more they can develop that relationship. That’s what you need.

What ab out the timing of this off season Steve. Is this a good time to be off or would you rather be back at the racetrack with the momentum you have?
With the momentum we have I think we’d rather be at the race track, but with the long summer we have I wish we could sprinkle some of these off weekends throughout the season but you know Daytona’s so long and then back to back out on the west coast, it’s nice to have a little break. I get to spend time with my family so that’s great and it’s been a very busy off-season. Even though we weren’t at the racetrack in January I was at the shop a lot. I want Dale to rest up, I’ve been asking a lot of him and he’s committed and I want him to rest. It will be a good chance for everyone to step away from the busy schedule for a moment, maybe collect our thoughts maybe put them down on paper and see what we need to do when we get to Bristol, you know it’s always good to have a rest.

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Inside Brian France teleconference

NASCAR doesn't want this early break in the schedule and has taken steps to rectify that next year when the Daytona 500 slides back to the final weekend in February and the traditional March stop in action goes away. All of the momentum and positive stories that were generated in the first three races of the year have the potential to be derailed by the lack of a follow-up race this weekend. France is right when he points out NASCAR's season is a long one, but continuity at the beginning of the schedule is imperative and although there's nothing the sanctioning body can do about it in 2011, that will change beginning next season.

France on attracting a younger fan demographic:
I think having a young winner (Trevor Bayne) and Jeff Gordon runs up our young fan base and then (Dale Earnhardt) Junior, arguably he's competitive more than he was a year ago. Probably a lot of reasons. I think the kinds of racing we had just to get off to kind of a good start. But the young demo is something we're going to keep working at. It goes to candidly reaching new young fans. This is not a one-dimensional effort here just to get people to tune in on television. It's to get young fans really interested for the long run in every aspect of enjoying NASCAR the way we want them to enjoy NASCAR.

What it means:
Trevor Bayne's Daytona win was a shot in the arm for NASCAR's critical effort to attract a younger fan base in what is a rapidly aging audience. But there's a long way to go in this area and while France is correct in saying it's important for the sport to find that younger fan it's not going to be easy. The on track product needs to be the main draw but other initiatives are sorely lacking. Something as simple as a video game would help NASCAR plug into younger fans. Digger is not going to be the cure and NASCAR needs to find ways to bring a youth movement to the grandstands and television audiences.

France of possible rough driving:
We've said you have to mix it up, this is a contact sport. We feel really good about that. It's made the racing better. They've got to figure that out. They're doing that largely. I would say too with the wild card situation, where the last two spots are going to be decided by wins, if you don't happen to have the perfect Top 10 performance in the first 26 events, I think you saw the disappointment of Tony (Stewart) not winning (at Las Vegas) when he thought he should have won last weekend he now counts that because he doesn't start fast. He may need that. I think you're going to see an escalation of that. That's what great competition is. I'm actually happy to hear people complaining about that. It means it's working.

What it means:
"Boys Have at It - The Sequel." Last year's mantra has carried over to his season and NASCAR is fine with it. France is right when he points out the interest level in the sport definitely picked up when drivers were beating and banging their way around last season and although it hasn't been at quite the level of last year, it doesn't appear anyone behind the wheel has backed down from that approach. Whether it plays into the Chase qualifying field and the Wild Card aspect added this year to bring wins into a more prominent role of determining the playoffs remains to be seen. But France is dead on about Stewart's frustration not getting the Vegas win last week and how the ramifications of that may be part of a Chase scenario.

France on possible schedule changes:
Do we see any major changes in the schedule? We don't release that for another month or so. We did have a fair amount of changes last year and even some in the last couple years. So by definition I don't think you're going to see a lot of changes. We'll see how some of the new dates, their new time on the calendar works out. But I don't think there will be as much as there was say in 2010. We don't want there to be. We prefer to have good continuity. That's our preference.

What it means:
Outside of the Daytona 500 moving back a week and the schedule condensing don't look for any major overhaul of the calendar any time soon. Next year's slate will only feature two off weekends (Easter and a late summer rest) but other than that the order of races will more than likely mirror what we have in 2011. The Atlanta and Kentucky date swap along with Fontana losing a date to Kansas and Phoenix moving into the post-Daytona slot were major changes for this season and NASCAR will let things settle a couple years at least before looking at things. That means no changes in the ten races that make up the Chase. But when the new television contracts come up in 2014, I'd say schedule adjustments will be a major negotiating item.

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Pistone: Las Vegas preview - Kobalt Tools 400 Race Preview

KOBALT TOOLS 400 RACE PREVIEW
Two weeks and two different winners.
The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off to a solid start and so far has produced good racing and interesting story lines.
All that goes on the line Sunday for race number three of the campaign at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Although NASCAR’s top division has competed at LVMS since 1998, the 1.5-mile track has only had its current incarnation for a few years. The 2006 makeover added progressive banking to Vegas and brought a new dimension to the track as well as better competition.
But the change didn’t deter Jimmie Johnson from continuing his Las Vegas success. Johnson won the 2005 and 2006 events on the old layout and found himself right back in victory lane the following season mastering the new configuration. He added another win in last year’s event after out battling teammate Jeff Gordon and comes into Sunday’s race as a winner of four of the last seven Las Vegas races.
After stumbling out of the blocks at Daytona when he got caught up in the race’s giant early crash, Johnson was back in form last week with a third place finish in Phoenix. That momentum should carry the five-time champion into Vegas as the clear cut favorite to roll into victory lane.
Johnson’s biggest competitors will come from his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Gordon has finally knocked the monkey off his back after ending his 66 race winless streak in Phoenix last Sunday and surely remembers his 2010 Vegas disappointment. Mark Martin, who will run Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, has excelled at LVMS over the years. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shown new life in the early going with new crew chief Steve Letarte making a big difference in the attitude and performance of the driver in the No. 88 Chevrolet.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Race Length: 400.5 miles (267 laps)
Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees

Race Facts
There have been 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Serie s races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Four drivers have participated in all 13 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole.
Nine drivers have poles, led by Dale Jarrett, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Bobby Labonte (two each).
Eight different drivers have won, led by Jimmie Johnson (four). Johnson has won four of the last six races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including last season’s event.
Only five of the 13 races have been won from a top-10 starting position.
Las Vegas-native Kyle Busch became the first driver to win from the pole, in 2009.
Five of the 13 races have been won from a starting position of 20th or worse.
The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004.
There has been one green-white-checkered finish at Las Vegas: 2006 (270/267).
Jeff Burton won consecutive races in 1999 and 2000, and has finished in the top five in two of the last three races (fifth in 2008, third in 2009). Burton has been running at the finish in all 13 of his events.
In three of the last five races, the margin of victory was under one second.
Kyle Busch made his first start and Kasey Kahne won his first pole at Las Vegas, in the same event (2004).

Who’s Hot at Phoenix
Jimmie Johnson – The five-time champion has made a living out of performing well and winning at Las Vegas during his Sprint Cup Series career. Johnson has won four times at LVMS and carries an average finish of ten into Sunday’s race over the course of nine career starts.
Jeff Gordon – If momentum means anything no one has more of its right now than Gordon, who snapped his 66-race winless drought in Phoenix last week. Confidence abounds in the 24 camp and Gordon came within a call for four tires pit stop late in last year’s race from winning.
Jeff Burton – Motivation will be high for the veteran this week after two straight weeks two start the season with trouble in Daytona and Phoenix. A former two-time Vegas winner, Burton’s career average finish in 13 starts is just a shade below ten.

Who’s Not
Juan Pablo Montoya – His stock car career at Vegas has been mostly forgettable with a 27.6 average finish in four starts including last year’s embarrassing tangle with teammate Jamie McMurray.
David Ragan – Although intermediate-sized tracks like Las Vegas are Roush Fenway Racing’s bread and butter, the desert track has been vexing for Ragan. While he does a seventh place finish in four starts there are also runs of 42nd and 34th on his LVMS resume.
Kurt Busch – The Las Vegas native hasn’t been stellar at his home track. While younger brother Kyle won at LVMS in 2009, the best big brother Kurt has been able to muster is a couple of top tens in ten starts and an average finish of 21.9

Notebook
The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race won by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held on March 1, 1998, won by Mark Martin.
In 2006, the track was reconfigured to include progressive banking.
There have been 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Nevada, one at Las Vegas Park Speedway in 1955 and the rest at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1998-Present).
19 drivers all-time in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state as Nevada.

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