On the weekend short-track action is called for in Bristol, where the route should celebrate her one hundredth Cup race. With three races still to chase the battle for the top 12 this year but is already mostly gone, but Bristol is also time for a "big one" good.
99 Cup races were at the Bristol Motor Speedway has been held since 1961, which means that at this year's August race at the traditional route an anniversary present. The hugely popular short track has also received in 2011, two dates on the calendar - no wonder when you consider that from the beginning were sold out until about 2008 at each race all the tickets. The races are usually always pretty action packed and even how often it comes to the big super speedways to the "big ones", which sometimes take a race to be interrupted cleaning up after themselves. Very little space provides the route for the 43 cars, will there ever be properly modeled and pushed around. Bristol is thus actually the last "game changer" in front of the Chase, as with Atlanta (Intermediate oval) and Richmond (three-quarter mile) to follow it fairly predictable routes in the "normal size".
Since the Neubetonierung 2007, there were a lot of criticism that the route is without the many waves of strikes and become boring. Since last year it struck two birds with one stone so and extended the SAFER walls several feet out of the corners on the line. Besides the additional security obtained was close to the track, which again makes racing more turbulent possible. The spring race is enough evidence for it, because it's been 3 hours and 20 minutes, the longest since the introduction of the Bristol race CoT in 2007 - including a "big one" with 13 cars and a red flag in the second half of the race. It must be said in fairness, however, that there was an interruption due to rain later. Currently, the rain and thunderstorm probability for the Saturday evening race time 30%.
Bristol-typical is it that emerge over the 500 rounds of mostly 3-4 victory candidates in several phases, and then possibly adopt again. It's mostly a matter can customize how the combination of driver and crew chief for the car to the slowly changing grip conditions between day and evening / night. And this is where I also had the first discussion point: Jimmie Johnson. In the last race was clear that Johnson and Chad Knaus have more problems with the # 48 just constantly adapt to these changing circumstances. Although Johnson won the spring race at Bristol, which also represented also his first ever win on the concrete track, but was strong in his day early in the season even before the change from rear wing spoiler to.
Hendrick Motorsports last lurks in the form of a small crisis, which could eventually cost Mark Martin the Chase-qualifying. How bad is it to the veteran, may be seen on the results since season race number 10 in Richmond. Martin drove one in the first ten championship races, four top 5 results, he came from Richmond, only a meager two Top10s. I would be the twelfth and final Chase-place rather Clint Bowyer attribute, the results look much better on average. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr will probably not qualify for the championship decision, because its outcome statistics looks like desolate look like with his teammates: the last five races have been forgotten for Junior all, because every time he went beyond 19th place finish. Also for Jimmie Johnson since his victories in Sonoma and New Hampshire only one Top 10 results from six races is on paper.
I currently have a hunch that the # 48 but will be back full time for the Chase for the post. However, you know, of course, never be 100 percent if this madness power can be repeated a fifth consecutive time. It is quite possible that this year may Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon or even a Roush driver make the sack. Jeff Gordon is available at Rick Hendrick at the moment because even the best of the last four races he took out at least two Top10s and before that he ran five times in a row in the top 5. The diligent collector points while missing the last bit to end the long winless series (Texas, 2009), but his consistency has put him in 2nd place in the championship behind Kevin Harvick.
Bristol is for Hendrick in recent years does not necessarily have the best patch: Before Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch won in the spring of 2007, the first CoT race in the # 5 Before that you have to dig for some time to find Jeff Gordon to win in 2002. Chevrolet is generally not as the great thriller on this half mile, the cars from Richard Childress Racing I see but definitely in the top 10. Alone, the winner of last week, Kevin Harvick was able to accumulate so far in 2010 11 and 16 Top 10 Top 5 results. In the last eight races are for the Californians no less than six Top5s impact. When Jeff Burton there are fewer than five Top10s from the last six starts, only in Michigan, he had bad luck recently, when he clashed with Jeff Gordon. Clint Bowyer still has to improve a little in order to consolidate the twelfth Chase Square.
Juan Pablo Montoya and teammate Jamie McMurray can at best hope for Top 10 results, which reflect their performance in recent years. Montoya's best Bristol result is only a ninth place in the spring of 2009, this year he was the victim of the "big ones". Tony Stewart was able to expand its summer series continues in Michigan and landed with a sixth place in the tenth Top 10 results from the last twelve races. In the spring he came to Bristol on a strong second place. Ryan Newman drives his abilities in 2010, unfortunately, still only afterwards, but the victory in Phoenix was as good as nothing.
This weekend, I'd put my money rather due to the Fords and Toyotas. Denny Hamlin can show from the years 2008 and 2009 only Top6 results in Bristol and ended on the last three races, two also in the Top 5. Hamlin are the short tracks and I think he could on Saturday put a final exclamation point in front of the Chase, if he has to fight not because again, as in the Michigan-final stage with electronic problems. His teammate, Kyle Busch can indeed show from the last nine races, only a meager two Top10s is in Bristol but a monster. In 2007 he won as mentioned for the first CoT race season runs both equally and 2009, he also won on Wednesday had the truck race. His statistics since 2006 is impressive: 8/2/1/9/2/17/1/1/9! As for Joe Gibbs Racing could go so well but in this race.
At Ford, my favorites are on Saturday rather than Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne. Biffle brings Top5s with three of the last four starts and came in the last two Bristol races to the finish in fourth place respectively. Edwards has been one of six races Top7-series on paper and may know the concrete ovals, while there were reported in Michigan only at Kenseth's first Top 10 result after nine races. Kahne also weakens continue, but with Red Bull and Hendrick always too rosy future ahead of him to be still upset about Richard Petty Motorsports.
On Kurt Busch Dodge competitive than single-pilot, one should also pay attention, because he ran at Bristol in recent years, ever again with the win. Third place in the spring speaks for its strength. Generally, one can see that the blue # 2 in one week mitfährt for the win and also occasionally race wins, seven days later, only to again sink into mediocrity. The team currently lacks the necessary consistency to win another Cup title, a chase, however, is how to participate in almost every year, but pretty sure. As a tip I've Marcos Ambrose in stock, which seems to be the extreme distance. In his first two appearances, he went out of Bristol right away a tenth and a third place. The spring race ended for him after the "big one" did not suddenly, after he has previously failed to qualify in ninth place. Let's see what the Australians can show this weekend.
The list of past, still active winners is as follows:
First Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch (5 each)
Second Kyle Busch (3)
Third Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards (2 each)
4th Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Elliott Sadler (1 each)
In summary, therefore, again assumed the distribution for the weekend: Gibbs, Roush and Hendrick before, somewhere in between I see Kurt Busch behind RCR and EGR on Top 10 course. Unfortunately you can never know exactly when NASCAR, who has now found the ultimate solution for a nagging problem and suddenly turns the pecking order - I probably would otherwise considerably richer ...
The fight for the Chase and the places I have TOP35 in the Michigan-analysis already written a lot, so here only briefly: Mark Martin, who in 13th currently 35 points adrift of the top 12 has, will probably argue with Clint Bowyer alone to chase the last rank. If there is a "big one", in Martin and Bowyer were involved, then Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray go again within reach. For Kasey Kahne (-126) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-129) is behind it probably already too late.
The Owner standings saw no significant change, within only a few rotations and shortening the distance between the pursuer to a still large 161 points. The # 38 Front Row Motorsports team with Tony Raines currently at the helm after the departure of Kevin Conway released presumably to "start & park" application, so my guess. This can be seen on Saturday. Bill Jenkins may direct as a persecutor of the TOP35 had not even pay the salaries of its driver, David Stremme and therefore have already jumped Boris Said. The courts seem so serious and related starter box is getting smaller. I am on the further developments of the Silly Season (including RPM from four to two teams) and their impact on the starting grid in 2011 stretched. Let's see when the number of 43 cars with "start & park" teams can no longer be held. According to the tables, there are the broadcast times.
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The trucks are due to the tightness in the infield of the track already traveled on Wednesday, when Kyle Busch won in a crash Aric Almirola Festival before and Ron Hornaday Jr. So still remain Cup and Nationwide Series for the weekend.
In principle, the entire quality and training operation takes place entirely on Friday, the only Cup race is held on the night of Saturday to Sunday. Although for the Cup after qualifying participants no longer present practice, is not subject to "impound" rules. The night race in the ABC / ESPN Cup track to be transferred to ABC (except Atlanta, because Sundays):
Friday:
Clock 16:30, Nationwide Final Practice (SPEED)
18:00 clock, Sprint Cup Practice (SPEED)
20:30 clock, Sprint Cup Final Practice (SPEED)
Clock 22:00, Nationwide qualifying (ESPN)
23:30 clock, Sprint Cup Qualifying (ESPN)
Clock 01:00, Nationwide Food City 250 (ESPN)
Saturday:
01:00 clock, Sprint Cup Irwin Tools Night Race (ABC, starting around 01:15 clock)
It is interesting how little interest the ABC Network still at the NASCAR shows: Just a quarter of an hour before the race goes on the air and it shows only the lucrative night race in prime time (except in Atlanta, because on Sundays). Who wants to be informed earlier, must watch NASCAR Raceday on SPEED from 23 clock.
