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When: Sunday, March 30, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EDT, 11:00 a.m. PDT Green Flag Start

Where: Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia

Broadcast: FOX-TV Network, 1:30 p.m. EDT Pre-Race, 10:30 PDT

Track facts: Martinsville is NASCAR’s shortest track at .526 miles. The track possesses 12 degree banking in the turns, and it’s flat as a board on the straights. The track is asphalt with concrete corners.

Track History- NASCAR’s oldest track held its maiden race on September 25, 1949. The winner? World War II hero Red Byron. Curtis “Pops” Turner started from the pole. Jimmie Johnson has won the last THREE races at Martinsville, and no doubt he’ looking forward to this occasion to get his 2008 turned around.

The Qualifying Record? “Smoke”- Tony Stewart ran a qualifying lap in 19.306 with a speed of 98.083 m.p.h., October 21, 2005

The record for race speed is 82.223 m.p.h. by Jeff Gordon on September 22, 1996. He ran the race in 3 hours, 11 minutes, 55 seconds.

“The King” is the King. Richard Petty holds the record for victories at Martinsville with 15. Among active drivers, Jeff Gordon has 7.

Ol’ D.W. is the “King of Qualifying.” Darrell Waltrip has 8 poles. Jeff Gordon must really like it here. “The Rainbow Warrior” has earned 6 poles- making him top of the heap for active drivers.

21 caution flags flew last fall, beating the old record of 19. On three occasions, only one caution waved, the most recent being April 25, 1971.

Other track trivia: “Mr. September,” Harry Gant was the oldest winner at this track at the age of 51 years old in 1991. Richard Petty is the youngest Cup driver to win here, he did so just 2 months shy of his 23rd birthday in 1960. Petty Enterprises is the winningest team here with 19.

Who’s been the best here in recent years? Besides the defending champion Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch have posted the best averages in the last couple of seasons.

What’s Up?: NASCAR Cup action returns after taking an Easter holiday. Crew chief Gene Nead is leaving the #21. Until joining Wood Bros. in November, 2007, he was crew chief for Robby Gordon. There’s also talk of a merge between two Dodge teams- BAM Racing, owned by Beth Ann Morgenthau and Petty Enterprises.

What’s interesting about looking at the list of good runners on this track is that all of the drivers on that list have a reputation for aggressiveness, with the possible exception of Johnson, who in my opinion has a driving style quite similar to the “Silver Fox”- David Pearson. Johnson just lays back, and then….WHAM! He’s on you like a cat on a blue jay.

NASCAR Terminology- A NASCAR for Dummies Primer

Apron: We’re not talking about what grillmasters wear at infield and tail gate parties. In this case, the “apron” is the paved portion of a track that separates the racing surface from the infield.

B-post: This is the post extending from the roofline to the base of the window behind the driver’s head.

Compound: We’ve heard a lot about compounds after the controversial Atlanta race. The compound is the formula or recipe of rubber composing a particular tire. Left-side tires are considerably softer than right-side tires, and it’s against the rules to run left sides on the right. There are four basic components: rubber polymers, carbon blacks, oils and curatives.

Thanks for reading everybody! Enjoy the race.

When: Sunday, March 30, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EDT, 11:00 a.m. PDT Green Flag Start

Where: Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia

Broadcast: FOX-TV Network, 1:30 p.m. EDT Pre-Race, 10:30 PDT

Track facts: Martinsville is NASCAR’s shortest track at .526 miles. The track possesses 12 degree banking in the turns, and it’s flat as a board on the straights. The track is asphalt with concrete corners.

Track History- NASCAR’s oldest track held its maiden race on September 25, 1949. The winner? World War II hero Red Byron. Curtis “Pops” Turner started from the pole. Jimmie Johnson has won the last THREE races at Martinsville, and no doubt he’ looking forward to this occasion to get his 2008 turned around.

The Qualifying Record? “Smoke”- Tony Stewart ran a qualifying lap in 19.306 with a speed of 98.083 m.p.h., October 21, 2005

The record for race speed is 82.223 m.p.h. by Jeff Gordon on September 22, 1996. He ran the race in 3 hours, 11 minutes, 55 seconds.

“The King” is the King. Richard Petty holds the record for victories at Martinsville with 15. Among active drivers, Jeff Gordon has 7.

Ol’ D.W. is the “King of Qualifying.” Darrell Waltrip has 8 poles. Jeff Gordon must really like it here. “The Rainbow Warrior” has earned 6 poles- making him top of the heap for active drivers.

21 caution flags flew last fall, beating the old record of 19. On three occasions, only one caution waved, the most recent being April 25, 1971.

Other track trivia: “Mr. September,” Harry Gant was the oldest winner at this track at the age of 51 years old in 1991. Richard Petty is the youngest Cup driver to win here, he did so just 2 months shy of his 23rd birthday in 1960. Petty Enterprises is the winningest team here with 19.

Who’s been the best here in recent years? Besides the defending champion Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch have posted the best averages in the last couple of seasons.

What’s Up?: NASCAR Cup action returns after taking an Easter holiday. Crew chief Gene Nead is leaving the #21. Until joining Wood Bros. in November, 2007, he was crew chief for Robby Gordon. There’s also talk of a merge between two Dodge teams- BAM Racing, owned by Beth Ann Morgenthau and Petty Enterprises.

What’s interesting about looking at the list of good runners on this track is that all of the drivers on that list have a reputation for aggressiveness, with the possible exception of Johnson, who in my opinion has a driving style quite similar to the “Silver Fox”- David Pearson. Johnson just lays back, and then….WHAM! He’s on you like a cat on a blue jay.

NASCAR Terminology- A NASCAR for Dummies Primer

Apron: We’re not talking about what grillmasters wear at infield and tail gate parties. In this case, the “apron” is the paved portion of a track that separates the racing surface from the infield.

B-post: This is the post extending from the roofline to the base of the window behind the driver’s head.

Compound: We’ve heard a lot about compounds after the controversial Atlanta race. The compound is the formula or recipe of rubber composing a particular tire. Left-side tires are considerably softer than right-side tires, and it’s against the rules to run left sides on the right. There are four basic components: rubber polymers, carbon blacks, oils and curatives.

Thanks for reading everybody! Enjoy the race.

(A Special Weekly Edition Prepared for NASCAR_Nation)

I should take the week off……but I won’t. I’ll keep it a little more brief, but the occasion gives me opportunity to weigh in on trends as we make our way into Turn One of the 2008 season.

Biggest surprise- For me, it’s not Junior, I expected improvement. It’s not Toyota’s performance, you may remember I predicted that. It’s Richard Childress Racing. I had been dissing on them after their late 2007 collapse in the Chase. Kevin Harvick has been remarkably consistent, Jeff Burton is our most recent winner (plus he’s posting an average finish of 8.2), and Clint Bowyer has flashes of true racing brilliance. The tire strategy at Bristol was a HUGE gamble- and they made it work.

Biggest disappointment- It’s not Jeff or Jimmie. I’m predicting no 3-peat for J.J., and I stand my forecast that Gordon will not make the Chase. For me, the biggest disappointment has to be…..The Open Wheel Invasion. I support their presence in NASCAR, but man I didn’t think we’d see Jacques Villenueve and A.J. Allmendinger without rides, or Dario Franchitti as a “go or go homer.” Sam Hornish is hanging on, and Patrick Carpentier can’t get in a race. Reed Sorenson isn’t fulfilling his potential either.

In my opinion, things are better in NASCAR in 2008. Our first 5 races have produced 4 different winners from 4 different makes from 4 different teams. In doesn’t get much more even than that.

Did anyone really think (outside his legion of fans) that Junior would be Hendrick’s Top Driver statistically?
Rock Solid Shops- Joe Gibbs has brought respectability to Toyota. Richard Childress is solid to to bottom (imagine Bowyer being your #3 driver). Roush-Fenway has three drivers running solid, with a 4th showing signs of promise. Penske and Gillett Evernham are getting their money’s worth from Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne.

Hanging On- Richard Petty Enterprises looks to be in rough shape. Yates Racing can’t get a sponsor for Travis Kvapil. Bill Davis and the Wood Brothers appear to be on life support.

Did anyone really believe that DEI would be doing as well as they are? Martin Truex is looking pretty good and so is the Martin/Almirola Show in the #8.
T.V. Ratings Are Up
Crashing Out Is DownI’m not ready to say that this is a great year, but NASCAR seems to have something for 2008.

Now get out there and enjoy some spring air. Oh yeah, enjoy the Nationwide race in Nashville.

(Prepared Specially for NASCAR_Nation)

What’s Next- The Food City 500, Bristol, Tennessee, Sunday, March 16, 2008, 2:20 p.m. EDT, 11:20 Pacific, Broadcast on FOX.

Track History- This is a .533 mile oval track affectionately known as a “bull ring” or short track with 36-degree banking in the turns and 16 degree banking on the straights. The track surface is concrete, though it started out as an asphalt track.

The first NASCAR race ran here on July 30, 1961. Jack Smith took the checkered flag that day. In the last race ran here, Carl Edwards won on August 25, 2007.Kyle Buschwon the first 2007 race, when the “Car of Tomorrow” made its debut. Shrub will be remembered for saying he thought the car sucked.

Flyin’ Ryan Newman owns the qualifying record at the “Volunteer State” track with a time of 14.908 seconds on March 21, 2003. Cale Yarborough has earned the most poles with 9.

The immortal Charlie Glotzbach ran the fastest race at Bristol Motor Speedway with a speed of 101.074 m.p.h. (2 hr. 38 min. 12 sec.) on July 11, 1971.

20 caution flags flew at Bristol in the Spring of 2003, 0 flew on July 11, 1971.

(A Special Weekly Edition of bump-drafts prepared for NASCAR_Nation)

Up Next: The Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The green flag will drop at 2:25 p.m. Eastern, 11:25 a.m. for those of you in Rio Linda and points elsewhere in the Pacific time zone. Broadcast on FOX.

Track Trivia Atltanta Motor Speedway is 1.5 mile oval track with 24-degree banking in the turns. Geoff Bodine owns the fastest all-time qualifying speed on the “Peach Tree State” track at 197.478 m.p.h. back in 1997. Ryan Newman and Buddy Baker have the most
poles with 7 each. Greg Biffle was the last pole sitter here in October, 2007. Geoff Bodine ran the fastest qualifying time of 197.478 m.p.h. in 1997.

In 1997, Bobby Labonte set the race pace with an average speed of 159.904 m.p.h. in a Joe Gibbs Pontiac (the #18).

Labonte’s 6 AMS victories ar most among active drivers. Dale Earnhardt Sr. has the most victories overall at Atlanta with 9.

NASCAR racing began here in 1960, with Glenn “Fireball” Roberts clocking in the first victory.

Other Atlanta Trivia. One of the most famous races at A.M.S. occurred on March 11, 2001, when rookie Kevin Harvick went to Victory Lane, taking over the Mr. Goodwrench ride from Dale Earnhardt, who died on the final lap at Daytona just weeks earlier. It was an emotional win for mourners in Earnhardt Nation. Fittingly enough, Harvick just edged out Earnhardt’s last arch-rival, Jeff Gordon. The margin of victory? A mere .006 seconds.

“The Silver Fox”, David Pearson, famous for going easy on his car through much of the race so he could pounce at the end, won in Atlanta on September 17, 1961, having only led one lap! Once again, we’re reminded that the only lap where it really matters you lead is the final one. The November 7, 1982 event saw 45 lead changes- Bobby Allison took the checkered flag that day.

You won’t see this with the “new” car…..just 10 cars finished the first race in Atlanta in 1964. 41 finished the second race here in 2005.

Hopefully, we can expect fewer cautions this week…The track record for Atlanta in terms of cautions is 14 at the Fall, 2007 race. Twice Atlanta has had a race with just one caution flag- most recently in 1970.

The Craftsman Truck Series will run here Friday night, the Nationwide Series on Saturday afternoon.

What’s Up: The question right now is whether or not Carl Edwards can keep up his winning ways. During his great 2005 season, Cousin Carl swept the events here, just as Jimmie Johnson did last year.

You can be sure Johnson will look to rebound from his disappointing performance at Las Vegas last week. Johnson’s 14th place standing on the points chart is not a place he’s accustomed to being. We’ll also be looking for Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman to keep up their solid running, and I’m sure Tony Stewart will look to shake off the nasty crashes of last Sunday.

Atlanta is a fat track with the possibility of three lines to run. It will be pedal to the metal here with cars attempting to run wide open all day long.

NASCAR Speak Your chance to impress the uninitiated by dropping these terms.

“Main Switch Panel”- You ever wonder what that group of toggle switches were for to the left of the steering wheel? Those contain the switches for the starter, ignition, and cooling fans.

“Engine Guage Cluster”- While cluster may be a description of what happened in California, what we’re really talking about here is a group of gauges engine oil pressure, water temperature, oil temperature, voltage and fuel pressure.

“Master Switch”- This shuts down the electrical system in an emergency situation.

Special Thanks: There’s a lot that goes into making this little report happen. I want to thank Linda at NASCAR_Nation for providing the platform to share this post. It plays a big part in getting the word out. Thanks also to Kyle at FanZone for his role in making me a member of NASCAR media, opening up a world of up-to-date information for this and my radio gig. Thanks to people such as Linda, Kyle, Bob, and RevJim for the links, plus anybody else I don’t know about. Thanks to my friends at letsgoracingfans.com and NASCAR_Nation- two message boards I HIGHLY recommend for congregating with fellow NASCAR nuts.

Most of all, I want to thank my family- Lynnae, Hannah and Jonathan for their love and patience.

Thanks to God for all of this.

Enjoy the race.

Up Next- The UW-Dodge 400, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada. Sunday, March 2, 2008, 1:30 p.m. Pacific, 4:30 p.m. Eastern. TV coverage provided by FOX-TV Network

NASCAR racing debuted in Las Vegas in 1998. Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a mile-and-a-half oval track with 20-degree banking in the turns and 9-degree banking on the straights.

Mark Martin won the inaugural event here while driving for Roush Racing. Last season, Jimmie Johnson won his 3rd consecutive race at the “Diamond In The Desert” in 2007, en route to his 2nd consecutive Cup title.

Johnson is also King of The Hill here with 3 Cup victories. Jeff Burton likes it more. Burton has won 2 Cup races and 3 Nationwide races at LMS, including the Sam’s Town 300 in 2007.

For The Record- For qualifying, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Kasey Kahne all have 2 poles at Las Vegas. Kahne’s qualifying speed of 184.856 m.p.h. obliterated his old track record in 2007. For race speed, Mark Martin ran the fastest race here at the first race in Vegas with a speed of 146.554 m.p.h. in 1998.

The 2005 race featured the most cautions with 10. The fewest waved in 2000, just two caution flags came down that day.

2007’s race set the standard for lead changes with 28, 16 drivers took turns setting the pace. The 2000 race saw only 13 lead changes and 7 different leaders before Jeff Burton won the race in the #99 Ford now driven by Carl Edwards.

Track Trivia- This is a veteran’s race. Sterling Marlin is the oldest driver to win a race at age 44 (in 2002), Jimmie Johnson the youngest- with his 2005 victory at the age of 29.

42 of 43 qualifiers finished the race in 2000. 33 is the fewest number to finish, with that happening in 2004.

Trends On Track: After all the noise about Chevy and Toyota in the pre-season, the first two wins of 2008 have come to Dodge and Ford. Jimmie Johnson were dominant at Fontana, but it was Cousin Carl cruising to the finish for his 8th career win- taking the lead from the defending Cup champion with 17 laps to go in the rain soaked Auto Club 500.

It is evident that all the manufacturers are evening up with their new car programs. What you don’t see is one manufacturer or driver being dominant, though Kyle Busch leads in points in both the Cup and truck series…and he’s darn close in the Nationwide.

It should be noted that in pre-season testing, Juan Pablo Montoya, the younger Buscch, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards ran the best times.

NASCAR Terminology- Increase your track “cred” with a firm grasp of terms like these. Excuse me while I get my Jeff Hammond on.

Track Bar: This is NOT where you buy Bud at the track. The track bar is a lateral bar that keeps the rear tires centered within the body of the car. The bar connects the frame on one side to the rear axle on the opposite side and can be adjusted in height to alter the handling of the car.

Hood Pins: There are four metal-and-wire hood pins with wire tethers that serve as a safety feature by keeping the hood close.

Rear spoiler: I will resist the temptation to say something about thongs or scant bathing suits here. In NASCAR-speak, a “rear spoiler” is a good thing. This is a metal blade that is attached to the deck lid on the car. The spoiler deflects the air coming off the roof and onto the rear deck lid (remember- that’s the trunk) which, in turn, creates rear down force and more rear traction for the car.

That’s all for this week. Save some barbecue for me Sunday, OK?

(A Weekly Edition of bump-drafts prepared specially for NASCAR_Nation)

Up Next- The Auto Club 500 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA- my birthplace (shameless shout out). Sunday, February 24, 2008. This weekend’s events culminate with the Sprint Cup event Sunday afternoon- green flag at 4:16 Eastern, 1:16 Pacific. Broadcast on FOX-TV network.

California Speedway has been host to NASCAR since 1997. The track is a 2 mile oval with 11-degree banking in trioval and 3 degrees on the backstretch.

Jeff Gordon won the first event here on June 22, 1997. Last year, Matt Kenseth won the first of two Cup events at Fontana, Jimmie Johnson captured the checkered on Labor Day, en route to a dominant stretch of driving that helped Johnson win his second consecutive title.

For The Record- Gordon has won the most races here in the relatively short history at this southern California track with 3. Greg Biffle and Ted Musgrave are both big winners at California with 3 each in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series respectively.

Gordon, Kurt Busch and the Blue Duece’s brother Kyle have captured the most poles, with 2 each. Busch the younger owns the qualifying record at California with a speed of 188.245 m.p.h. in February, 2005. In the first race run here, Jeff Gordon completed the fastest race in 1997 with an average speed of 155.012 m.p.h. Last falls’ 30 lead changes marked the most in a Cup race, a feat equaled in the fall, 2005 race. we had the fewest lead changes here in May of 1998. The record for caution flags is 11, which has happened 3 times- including last Labor Day Weekend’s race.

Other Track Trivia- The oldest winner here is Rusty Wallace, who won at Fontana in April, 2001 at the age of 44. The youngest traveler to victory is Kyle Busch who was just 20 when he won the Fall, 2005 race.

In September, 2006- 42 of the original 43 qualifiers finished the race. Only 32 were able to finish the February, 2005 event.

In the news: The leader of the pack is not a Chevrolet, a Toyota or even a Ford. Dodge can lay claim to bringing the 2008 Daytona 500 winner home. There’s still plenty of buzz over Ryan Newman’s last lap victory, a victory in which he denied Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch the opportunity to provide Toyota its first victory in a Cup points race. Another component of the win was the help of Newman’s teammate Kurt Busch, a guy not typically thought of as one of the nice guys.

6 of the top 10 finishers were Dodges, adding a completely new story line to the ones already crafted for NASCAR’s first event of the new season. Missing was any hint of Hendrick dominance, although NASCAR’s most popular guy, Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave HMS one top 10 driver. Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, and Jeff Gordon all had good moments in the race, undone by crashes and mechanical problems.

This week provides not only a new event, but a completely different track with a completely different feel. The draft won’t be a factor in this race, plus history and testing suggest we should keep an eye open for a different group of guys at the top.

Not only do Gordon and Johnson do well here, but let us not forget that Mr. Consistency- Matt Kenseth has won the last two winter events here. Kasey Kahne has won at both the Cup and Nationwide level in California. For those who love variety, look for something a little different this week.

That’s what makes this sport interesting.

NASCAR Terminology- Become a NASCAR expert by learning how to conversantly use these terms.

Deck lid- No this is not Richard Petty’s big hat. For all you folks in Rio Linda, the deck lid as a stock car term for something your car has…….a trunk.

Sway or anti-roll bar- This is used to resist or counteract the rolling force of the car body through the turns.

Axle- We’re not talking about the lead singer from Guns ‘N’ Roses. The axle is a rotating shaft that connects the rear differential gears to the rear wheels.

That’s all for this week. Enjoy the ride. 2008 is going to be a wild one.

Thanks for reading and feel free to drop me a line any time.

See ya!

(Prepared specially for NASCAR_Nation from the pages of bump-drafts.com)

What’s This? For our new readers, On Track was born shortly after I joined a Yahoo! Group devoted to NASCAR- NASCAR For Dummies. Group owners wanted to put my background in media to work in the form of a weekly newsletter. Drew and Amanda gave me free rein to do what I wanted with it, so I cobbled together a newsletter that was a combination of NASCAR news, information, track trivia and a primer of terms for the beginning fan. In the Fall of 2007, NASCAR For Dummies merged with NASCAR_Nation, and at that time I graciously accepted the invitation to keep it going.

Operations shut down at the end of the season, and with excitement building for another season of track pounding, fire breathing, fender bending action- I present the first edition of On Track for the 2008 season.

Coming Up- The Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida. Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Televised by FOX.

This race is the Super Bowl of NASCAR. Daytona National Speedway opened in 1959, the inspiration of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Daytona is a 2 1/2 mile speedway with 31-degree banking in the turns (wicked steep), 18-degree banking in the turns and 3- degrees on the back stretch. The length of the track is 3,800 feet on the front stretch, 3,000 feet on the back stretch. DIS is home to two races per season- in addition to this Sunday’s Cup race is the Pepsi 400 in July.

Chevy driver Kevin Harvick won last year’s season opener in a thrilling photo finish against veteran Mark Martin. Lee Petty, the Petty family patriarch won the first race at this track by whisker in 1959 over Johnny Beauchamp in a highly publicized controversial finish as Beauchamp was at first named the winner. France invited witnesses from all over the country to submit photos to help determine the outcome, and with a few days- the original decision was reversed and Petty was named the winner.

For the Record- For TRACK records (again- there are two Cup events here per season, two Nationwide events, plus a Craftsman Truck event)- Bill Elliott owns the fastest qualifying record with a speed of 210.364 mph in days before restrictor plates. Buddy Baker owns the fastest race speed of 177.602 mph, running the February 17, 1980 Daytona 500 in a time of 2 hours, 48 minutes, 55 seconds.

“The King” is the King- Richard Petty has won the most Cup races here with 10. Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with 6 visits to victory lane. Cale Yarborough is the “President of Poles” at Daytona with 12 pole victories. Bill Elliott leads active drivers with 5. “Front Row” Joe Nemechek earned 6 Nationwide (formerly Busch) poles here.

Other track trivia- The oldest winner was Bobby Allison at age 50 in 1987, Jeff Gordon the youngest at age 23 in 1995. The most lead changes occurred in February, 1974 with 60. The Summer 1960 race had only ONE leader- Jack Smith- the pole-sitter. The 2006 Daytona 500 had 18 different leaders before Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag. The Most cautions came with 12 in the 1989 Pepsi 400, the fewest? Zero. That happened 12 times, the most recent in the 1971 edition of the Daytona 500. In the 2006 Pepsi 400, 40 drivers took the checkered. In the 1965 Daytona 500, only 7 crossed the finish- Freddy Lorenzen getting there first.

In News- This weekend’s festivities represent a fresh start. Just ask Bud Shoot Out winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. or front row qualifier Michael Waltrip. Each has their own embarrassments and trials- no doubt their recent accomplishments providing hope for a much better year. “Go or go-homers” David Reutimann and Joe Nemechek must also be relieved to know they are in the race, though for these two, their position won’t be known until after the running of the Gatorade Duel 150s Thursday.

Of course now the question for many doubters is whether or not the events of the last few days represent a true new beginning or a mirage. Some doubt Junior can keep up his success for 500 miles without burning his engine out. Those who loathe the existence of Toyota in NASCAR are left wondering how their cars will run outside of qualifying. Admittedly, Toyotas had a difficult time sustaining success in 2007, and their season got off to an embarrassing start when Michael Waltrip Racing was penalized for “illegal fuel substances.”

Speaking of trouble, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch were place on 6 weeks probation today for their practice behavior last week. Stewart and Busch have bad blood between them going back to a pit road incident last summer. Stewart tapped Busch into the wall during practice last week, Busch returned the favor by slamming into Stewart three times going down pit road. It also widely believed, but unconfirmed that Stewart punched Busch inside the NASCAR hauler. The season hasn’t started and we’re already having tempers flare. Just wait ’til the racing starts.

NASCAR Terminology- your opportunity to learn terms that will help you impress your newbie friends at back yard barbecues this summer.

Draft- This has nothing to do with beer or military conscription, but “draft” is a slang term for something that Junior Johnson discovered in the 1960 Daytona 500, enabling him to win in spite of having a slower car. Draft in NASCAR-speak is: “…the aerodynamic effect that allows two or more cars traveling nose-to-tail to run faster than a single car. When one car follows another closely, the one in front cuts through the air, providing a cleaner path of air (that is, less resistance) for the car in back.”

RPM- Revolutions per minute. This is a measurement of speed for the engine’s crankshaft. Drivers don’t have speedometers in their cars, relying more on RPM’s to determine how fast their going.

Tachometer- This dashboard instrument enables drivers to measure RPM’s, assisting them in gear selection and monitoring engine power.

That’s all for this week. Enjoy the festivities and as Red Green says: “Keep your stick on the ice.”

Thanks to NASCAR media.com and the 2007 edition of the Sporting News’ Officially Licensed NASCAR Record and Fact Book.

Extra Special thanks to my fellow fans at fanzone.com, NASCAR_Nation and letsgoracingfans.com- your friendship means a lot to me.

Extra, extra special thanks to- God, my wife and my kids for their love and support.

(From the pages of bump-drafts.com. Prepared specially for NASCAR_Nation and NASCAR For Dummies).

Up Next: The Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Sunday November 18, 2007, 2:50 p.m. EST on ABC/MRN. Homestead has been hosting NASCAR since 1999 with the Pennzoil 400. Homestead is a 1.5 mile oval track with 18 to 20 degree banking on the turns and 4 degrees banking on the straights. The race here will mark the end of the 2007 season.

Homestead Facts and Trivia- Tony Stewart won the first race here, right before the turn of the 21st Century. David Green won the pole in 1999 with a qualifying time of 155.759 mph.

Greg Biffle’s 3 Cup wins and single Busch Series win makes him the wins leader at Homestead. Ton Stewart owns a pair of victories in N.N.C. competition, David Reutimann has 2 Craftsman truck Series wins here as well, as does Joe Ruttman.

Jamie Mc Murray is the King of Qualifiers at the south Florida race track with a lap time of 29.816 seconds, earned in his Chip Ganassi Dodge days back in 2003. His speed? 181.111 miles per hour. Tony Stewart owns the fastest race speed, thanks to his performance in the inaugural race at Homestead with an average speed of 140.335 m.p.h.

The record for cautions here is 14, thanks to the 2004 race. The fewest yellows? 1was waved in 1999. Just one!

This track is also not one for taking out drivers, as many as 42 finished (in 2001), 32 is the mark for the fewest finishers (that’s happened 3 times, the latest being 2006).

NASCAR News & Gossip

The Grand Finale- It all ends here gang! The season that gave us the side-to-side finish of Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin at Daytona is now drawing to a close with Jimmie Johnson leading the way. We’ve seen a little of everything: photo finishes like the Johnson victory over teammate Jeff Gordon and Jamie Mc Murray’s sliver of a win over Kyle Busch at the Pepsi 400. 

Driver Domination- We’ve also seen what domination looks like. Johnson’s 4 race winning streak, the longest since 1998 when some guy named Gordon did it. Kurt Busch also showed us a dominating race run at the 2nd Pocono event.

Team Troubles- Teammate conflict has also grabbed headlines- the first Martinsville race resulted in a chilling period between Jeff and Jimmie. A Pepsi 400 wreck caused tensions between Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin that were bad enough that team owner Joe Gibbs had to intervene. The there was the recent row between Roush-Fenway teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth.

Junior’s On The Move- For all that other noise,  no other headline grabbed as much attention as the announcement by Dale Earnhardt Jr. that he was leaving DEI, the team founded by his legendary father. Teresa Earnhardt rebuffed Junior’s attempts to gain 51 percent ownership of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, resulting in the departure. 2008 will mark  Earnhardt’s maiden voyage at Hendrick Motorsports, a change that produces mixed emotions in Junior Nation. While many fans agree that this will provide the driver of the #88 Chevy the best equipment and technology in the business, it leaves fans who have generally thought of HMS as the "Evil Empire" feeling perplexed, considering that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will now be teammates with Senior’s last great rival, Jeff Gordon.

C-c-c-hanges- This move triggered a domino effect. Junior coming over to HMS meant the release of Kyle Busch. Busch will now join Joe Gibbs Racing, who announced over the summer that they will be racing in Toyotas in 2008. This pushed former open wheel star J.J. Yeley, and now the 30-year old Arizona native will move to Hall of Fame Racing to take a ride from journeyman driver Tony Raines. Raines is joined in the so-to-be unemployed ranks by David Stremme, Jeff Green (who got an early start on his vacation), Johnny Sauter, Sterling Marlin (who will likely retire), Regan Smith, and Kenny Wallace among others.

Jeremy Mayfield was taken on by a new employer when he moved to Haas-CNC Racing, taking over the #66 ride from Green. Scott Riggs will take over the #70 Chevrolet from Sauter.

All the moving around also brought about a merger. DEI joined forces this year with Ginn Racing. This not only brought about a releasing of Marlin and Joe Nemechek (who has since moved over to Furniture Row racing, driving the #78 car once occupied by Kenny Wallace), but the merger also brought in Mark Martin to be the elder statesman in the DEI garage. He will continue to race part-time in 2008, piloting the #8 Chevy vacated by Junior. Aric Almirola will race in the #8 when Martin is off.

Rudd Retires- Speaking of older drivers, the upcoming season finale will mark the end of the 32-year racing career of Ricky Rudd. Think about it, Rudd has raced with everybody from Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough to former Indy champ Sam Hornish. Rudd made over 900 starts in his Cup career and ol’ Ricky takes home 23 victories- the last coming in 2002 at Infineon. All you old schooler know that Rudd’s first came at Riverside in 1983. He’s been a team owner and has driven for the likes of the Wood Brothers, Rick Hendrick, Robert Yates, Richard Childress and Bud Moore among others.

Rudd may never go down in history as one of the greats, but certainly no career has been more enduring. Only Richard Petty started more races than the Chesapeake, Virginia native, as The King took the green flag an exhausting 1,184 times.

New, Yet Familiar Faces- While old schoolers Rudd and Dale Jarrett (who will hang it up 5 races into 2008) are going out, open wheelers are coming in. A veritable "foreign invasion" is taking place with former open wheel studs Jacques Villanueve (racing for Red Bull in the #27), Dario Franchitti (racing primarily in the Nationwide Series for Chip Ganassi), and Patrick Carpentier (racing for Gillette-Evernham in the #10) coming over to NASCAR. For long-time NASCAR fans, this is an uncomfortable situation as it is a reminder that the sport once dominated by red-blooded southern drivers is now becoming even more diverse with these guys, as well as Ohio-born Indy champ Sam Hornish, who will race for Roger Penske in 2008.

 New Sponsors- It should also be mentioned the Dale Jr. exit from DEI also triggered sponsorship changes. Budweiser, who’s sponsored Junior since he was a pup, will now sponsor a driver who LOOKS like a pup, Kasey Kahne in 2008. Mt. Dew/Amp will sponsor Junior’s #88 ride. After an eternity of sponsoring JGR’s #18 car, Interstate Battery is getting out of NASCAR. The car that will be run by Kyle Busch in 2008 will be sponsored primarily by M&M’s- who currently sponsors the #38 driven by David Gilliland. I’ve heard no word on who will pick Gilliland up.

Speaking of sponsors, the Cup Series will be sponsored by Sprint in 2008, the former Busch series will become Nationwide next year.

It truly has been the King of Silly Seasons, and the recent events that may very well prevent Jeff Gordon from getting this 5th Cup Championship has caused quite a debate over the worthiness of the Chase. Gordon fans are also quick to point out Gordon would have won his 5th back in 2004, the first year of the chase, had it not been for the new "playoff" system.

What’s Next?- For fans unhappy with the current direction take heart: all of events I’ve highlighted above tell you that nothing stays the same in this sport and it’s often a good thing. What changes there are ahead are unknown, but one thing is sure. It will be impossible for 2008 to be a repeat of 2007. We’ll be looking for changes in NASCAR leadership, and with that, a possibility of rule changes.

NASCAR Terminology-

Head and Neck Restraint- "NASCAR mandates the use of a head and neck restraint system, the approved HANS Device, for all drivers competing in any of NASCAR’s three national  series (Nextel Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), as well as its touring series." (Now if NASCAR can come up with a "mouth restraint" maybe Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch wouldn’t get in so much trouble. Oh wait, that’s what Mike Helton is for). Some theorize that HANS device could have prevented the death of Dale Earnhardt at Daytona in 2001.

Window Net- "Keeps a driver’s head and limbs inside the car during accidents." NASCAR pioneer Joe Weatherly died when his head hit the wall in a crash at Riverside in 1965, signaling the need for this safety device. 

Ignition Kill Switch- "Shuts off engine in emergency situations." When one considers driver deaths like Adam Petty’s due to stuck throttles, this is a critical safety innovation.

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading and thanks for your input.

Special Thanks- to Dixie, Drew, and Amanda.

Extra Special Thanks- to the 2007 Edition of the Sporting News Officially Licensed NASCAR Record and Fact Book for all the facts and definitions.

Extra, Extra Special Thanks to- God (the giver of all good things), my wife Lynnae (the giver of inspiration and the mother of my children), and to my Chicklettes (Hannah and Jonathan) for much pride and joy.

(From the pages of bump-drafts.com)

Up Next: The Checker Auto Parts 500, Phoenix International Raceway, Sunday November 11, 2007, 3:25 p.m. EST. The Valley of The Sun has hosted NASCAR since 1988. After two weeks on mile and a half tracks, NASCAR drivers will go at it this week on a 1-mile oval, with 9 to 11-degree banking in the turns, 3-degree banking on the front stretch, 9-degrees on the back.

Phoenix trivia- Alan Kulwicki won the first Cup event at Phoenix International Raceway on November 6, 1988. The Craftsman Truck Series started running here in 1995, the Busch Boys didn’t start running here until 1999.

The fastest qualifying speed here is owned by "Mr. Pole," Ryan "Rocket" Newman with a 26.499 lap in November, 2004 with a speed of 135.854. for the Busch Series, Kyle Busch turned in a best qualifying speed of 26.902 or 133.819 mph. In the Truck Series, Johnny Benson is the best all-time qualifier with a lap time of 27.137 seconds and a speed of 132.660.

For best race speeds, Tony Stewart ran an average speed of 118.132 in the #20 Pontiac in his 1999 victory, Jeff Burton set the pace in the November, 2000 Busch race with an average 115.145 in a Roush Ford. For CTS drivers, Kevin Harvick set the standard with an average speed of 108.014 from his November, 2002 win.

The Big Winners at Phoenix- 2001 & 2006 Busch champ Kevin "Happy" Harvick, now the 2nd winningest driver in Busch history (32 and 6 this year) has won 2 Cup races, a Busch race, and a Craftsman Truck race. 2002 Busch Series titleist Greg Biffle has won 2 Busch races and a truck race in the Grand Canyon State, Jack Sprague has 3 CTS checkereds.  In Cup driving, Davey Allison, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. have all won 2 apiece. Chase leader Jimmie Johnson has never won at PIR, and 2nd place chaser Jeff Gordon just got his 1st Phoenix win back in April.

Caution- The record here is 11 in November, 2004. The fewest? Just 2 in 1999. A record 41 Cup drivers finished the fall, 1999 race. The record for the fewest finishers is 27 in the November, 1989 race.

In NASCAR news, Jimmie Johnson has seized the Chase lead from Jeff Gordon with a slim 30-point cushion, thank to his victory Sunday in Texas. This gives the 32-year old El Cajon, Ca. native 9 wins for the 2007 campaign, easily outdistancing teammate Jeff Gordon, second in the Chase and second in 2007 wins with 6. Richard Childress driver Clint Bowyer is still hanging tough, just 189 points back of Johnson in third. Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards round out the top 5. Tony Stewart checks in at number 6. Chasers Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth round out the top 10, but have been eliminated from title contention, along with Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., who complete the top 12.

Carl Edwards clinched his first Busch Series title last week in Texas in the Dish Network #60 Ford Fusion, although Kevin Harvick made history with his 32nd Busch win, edging out Jack Ingram for 2nd all-time behind Mark Martin, who has won 47 in NASCAR’s 2nd Series.

Off the track, Gene Haas, one of the principals in Haas-CNC racing was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison after his conviction for tax fraud. Haas is owner of the #66 now being driven by Jeremy Mayfield, who replaced Jeff Green two weeks ago. He also owns the #70 Chevy currently driven by Johnny Sauter, who will reportedly be replaced by Scott Riggs in 2008.

Back to the Chase for the Cup, NASCAR followers are now speculating on whether or not Jimmie Johnson will manage a repeat of his 2006 NNC title. Adding to the intrigue is the fact his nearest competitor is his best friend and teammate. Chase naysayers are quick to point out that Gordon would be running away with the title under the old points system. For those of you keeping score, Gordon would be 439 out in front under the old scoring system. The Dupont Chevrolet driver is still very much alive in his "Drive For Five," but Johnson just looks so darn unbeatable. Every race, he’s running out front, avoiding the crashes that plagued him in mid-season, and Gordon, while good, just hasn’t had the car to keep up.

It’s a test of endurance for fans who dislike "Wonder Boy" and "J.J.". They try to maintain interest by speculating as to the end of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s winless streak, and they also wonder when recent strong runs by Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth might translate into victories. Kenseth drove his Ford Fusion to the limit, but just didn’t have the tires to catch Johnson last Sunday. In a show of class, Matty backed off when when it was apparent that the only way he could catch the 48 was by risking a wreck by driving a speed that the tires wouldn’t likely handle.

Track Terminology (your shot at impressing your friends with your knowledge of all things racing):

"A-frame" (it’s not just those funny looking houses they built in the 70s). "Either the upper or lower connecting suspension piece (in the shape of an "A") locking the frame to the spindle."

"Drag"- Besides what you take off a cigarette (which would be a "drag" I guess), drag is "The resistance a car experiences when passing through air at high speeds. A resisting force exerted on a car parallel to its airstream and opposite in direction to its motion."

"Greenhouse"- Al Gore loves to entertain us with talk of "greenhouse gasses." In NASCAR speak, however, the greenhouse is "The upper area of the race car that extends from the base of the windshield in the front, the tops of the doors on the sides and the base of the rear window in the back. Includes all of the A, B, and C pillars, the entire glass area and the car’s roof."

"Pit Road"- Not "Pit Row" for those of you in Rio Linda. "The area where pit crews service the cars. Generally located along the front straightaway, but because of space limitations, some race tracks sport pit roads on both the front and the back straightaways." 

Get all that? You’ll be quizzed on it later.

That’s all for this week. It’s hard to believe we just have 2 more races left before 2007 is in the books. A shout out to our family hairdresser Lisa. Lisa and her muffler shop-owner husband Mike  were given a trip from one of his vendors. Have fun and be safe! I expect a report.

That’s all for now. Keep your fenders away from the wall now, ya here?

Special Thanks to Drew, Amanda and Dixie Lady.

Extra Special Thanks to God, Lynnae, and the "Chicklettes."

Extra, Extra Special Thanks to….YOU for reading.

Sources: Yahoo! Sports and The Sporting News Officially Licensed NASCAR Record & Fact Book Book- 2007 edition.

What’s this? A new week, a new report, a new group. For the uninitiated, this is a special weekly report looking at the upcoming race and all the latest NASCAR News, originating from bump-drafts.com.

Up Next: The Dickie’s 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Sunday, November 4, at 2:55 p.m. Eastern. This Fort Worth track has been hosting NASCAR since 1997. It’s a mile-and-a-half track with 24-degree banking in the turns, 5-degrees in the straightaways. The driver who won the first Cup event here also won the last one back in April- Mr. Jeff Burton. Burton’s pair of wins makes him the winningest Cup driver at TMS. What a lot of people may not know (except the hard core fans) is that there are NASCAR drivers who have higher victory totals at Texas. Their names? Brandon Gaughan- who has won 4 Craftsman Truck races at TMS in 4 consecutive starts, sweeping the 2002 and 2003 events. Let us also not forget a pair of drivers with 3 Busch Series wins- Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin.

For record speeds, Brian Vickers possesses the fastest qualifying speed, running a 27.518 lap at a speed of 196.235 m.p.h. last November. For a race speed, Carl Edwards ran an average speed of 151.055 m.p.h. in his 2005 victory. Mike Skinner as 3 truck poles here, Bobby Labonte 2 poles in NNC driving, as does Jeff Green in the Busch series.

Texas Trivia- Tony Stewart OWNED the fall race last November, leading for 278 laps. In spite of that dominance, Smoke barely squeaked out a 0.272-second margin of victory over the 2006 Cup Champ Jimmie Johnson.

This Track Does Not Collect Drivers Like My Son- 40 racers were still running at the conclusion of the Dickie’s 500. The fewest number of finishers? 29, most recently in 1998.

A Two-Horse Race- I really feel sorry for fans who can’t bring themselves to root for either one of Rick Hendrick’s dynamic duo. Say what you want, but it truly has come down to a duel between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson’s victory in Atlanta whittles Gordon’s lead in the point to just 9. I don’t think I’m showing my pro-HMS bias to say a duel doesn’t get better than this. No matter what anybody else says, these two are the class of the 2007 season. Between the two of them, Jeff and Jimmie have 14 wins. Not to take anything away from the solid seasons of Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, or Carl Edwards- but the 24 and the 48 SHOULD be running out front at this stage of the season.
Can’t we at least agree that these two teams run as intelligent a race as anyone can? Steve Letarte and Chad Knaus and the respective crews are as much a part of the brilliance as the drivers are. It’s more than a fast car, these guys run smart races and don’t beat themselves with bad equipment or strategic miscues (but if you want to be honest, Jimmie and Chad have the edge here).

Still, anything can happen mathematically before it all ends. The luck that has visited the likes of Junior and Ryan Newman could befall Mssrs. Gordon and Johnson. Anything’s possible. Neither one have a track record for doing well at Texas.

But for that to happen now would almost be poetic INjustice.

Racing Terminnology- Impress your friends with your grasp of racing terms like these:

Impact data recorder- NASCAR’s answer to the “black box.” “The impact data recorder , which records numerous measurements such as G Forces and and Delta V (change in speed) from an accident, is located on the left side of the driver’s seat.

Fabricator- No, this is not the person who comes up with all the zany anti-HMS or DEI conspiracies. “A person who specializes in creating the sheet metal body of a stock car. Most teams employ two or more.”

Crankshaft- No we’re not talking about a rock band, the crankshaft is: “The rotating shaft within the engine that delivers the power from the pistons to the flywheel, and from there to the transmission.”

In other news

A Glimpse Of The Future- Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t get a sick note from his mom, so he went and test drove his new ride with Team Hendrick next year. It will only serve to tantalize his faithful fans who patiently endure one bizarre turn after another in Junior’s DEI swan song.

So That’s Where All The Water In Atlanta Is- In the Sunoco gas tanks. Now we know why Greg Biffle’s car was so wimpy, and why Denny Hamlin hiccuped on that last re-start. And here I thought Hamlin and his Crew Chief Mike Ford were being morons with their pit strategy. My bad, Denny. My bad.

Is This A Joke?- I’m still shaking my head over the wheel falling off of Junior’s car. How does a WHEEL fall off a race car?! Seriously, I fear for Martin Truex, Mark Martin and Paul Menard next year. DEI has to get it together sooner or later, right? This is starting to look like the baseball movie “Major League.”

That’s all for this week, and as Red Green says “Keep your stick on the ice.”

Thanks to the Sporting News for the ” 2007 Edition of the Officially Licensed NASCAR Record & Fact Book.”

Special Thanks to Drew and Amanda for inspiring me.

Extra Special Thanks to Dixie for letting me earn my keep.

Extra, Extra Huge Thanks to God, my wife Lynnae, and my “chick-lettes” Hannah and Jonathan.

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