Toyota/Save Mart 350

Here is a quick run down of trivial facts and statistics for this weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.

Infineon Raceway History

• The track opened as a 2.52-mile road course and drag strip in 1968.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held in 1989.
• The first nine races were 300 kilometers and switched to a 350k format in 1998.
• The track was re-configured to 1.949 miles in 1998 with the installation of an 890-foot chute between the original turns 4 and 7.
• The track was reconfigured to 2.0 miles in 2001 and re-measured at 1.99 miles in 2002.

Track Numbers

• NASCAR Cup Series Races: 19
• Pole Winners: 11
• Race Winners: 11
• Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole.
• Ricky Rudd won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
• Only three driver’s have won more than one pole.
• Jeff Gordon (five) leads all pole winners. Ricky Rudd has four, including three consecutive (1990-92) and Rusty Wallace has two.
• There have been five different pole winners in the last six races. Jeff Gordon (2004 and 2005) is the only repeat pole winner there since 2002.
• There have been consecutive pole winners three times: Ricky Rudd (1990-92), Jeff Gordon (1998-99 and 2004-05).
• Five driver’s have more than one victory there – led by Jeff Gordon with five. Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace (all with two) are the other multiple-race winners. *Jeff Gordon is also the only driver with consecutive wins, winning in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
• Seven of the drivers that have won races also have won poles there.
• There have been only five different race winners in the last 10 races at Infineon. Jeff Gordon (five), Tony Stewart (two), Robby Gordon (one), Ricky Rudd (one) and Juan Pablo Montoya (one).
• Five of 19 races have been won by the pole winner, including three times by Jeff Gordon. His victory from the pole in 2004 is the most recent.
• Last season’s race was won from 32nd starting position by Juan Pablo Montoya – the deepest in the field that a race winner ever started at Infineon.
• Jeff Gordon is the all-time leader in NASCAR Sprint Cup road-course victories with nine. Five of Gordon’s road-course victories have occurred at Infineon Raceway. He has three more victories than any other driver at the Sonoma track. Gordon also heads the all-time pole winners list for Infineon Raceway with five and has led the most laps there with 437 – more than twice the total of Rusty Wallace (171), who has led the second most.

Track Records

• Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon (94.325 mph, 75.950 secs., 6-24-05)
• Track race record: Ricky Rudd (91.007 mph, 6-23-02)

Infineon Raceway Race Day Data

• Estimated Pit Window: Every 30-32 laps, based on fuel mileage.
• Race #16 of 36 (6-22-08)
• Track Size: 1.99 miles (110 laps/350 Kilometers)
• Turns: 10

“The world has been placed back onto it’s axis once again now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won a race. However, the manner in which he made it to the finish has been raising some eyebrows from other drivers. Multiple times during the pace laps Dale would accelerate his #88 Chevy past the pace car (which supposedly is not permitted) then cut off his engine and coast in order to save fuel. Radio communications telling Dale to stay behind the pace car were broadcast at least twice during the telecast itself. At the same time, his car was clearly shown running ahead of the pace car. Matt Kenseth and Brian Vickers are two drivers who have since questioned Dale’s actions as well as how the situation was handled by NASCAR.

Below are Dale Jr.’s post-race loop data statistics for the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway. As you can see, Dale was one of the top cars this weekend and didn’t just back into a fuel mileage win. Instead, he coasted into it. With the final restart being that of the green/white/checkered variety, Dale’s actions appear to have been just what was needed to save enough fuel and enable him to maintain the lead until the final lap. At that point, the caution came out for an accident and the race was officially over. Momentum (and perhaps a small amount of remaining fuel) carried him around to the start-finish line where he broke his 76 race winless streak.

• Starting Position = 3rd
• Mid Race Position = 6th
• 20 Laps to Go = 10th
• Lowest Position = 16th (best of all drivers)
• Average Position = 6th
• # of Fastest Laps = 11
• Laps in Top 15 = 203 (best of all drivers)
• % of Laps in Top 15 = 100% (best of all drivers)
• Laps Led = 14
• % of Laps Led = 6.9%
• Final Driver Rating = 115.1 (4th best)

Earnhardt Jr Picture Pairs

Below are two images of the #88 team at Michigan International Speedway. They appear to be alike, but in fact there are twelve total differences between them. The first image is the original. Can you spot all twelve differences in the picture pairs? Spoiler Alert: Do NOT view comments until you’re ready as other members may have posted answers already!

Special Tribute at Michigan International Speedway

Crown Royal will deliver one of the fastest and loudest Father’s Day cards in history via a special paint scheme on the No. 26 Crown Royal Cask 16 Ford Fusion for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on June 15 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). The paint scheme will carry a personal ‘Thanks Dad’ Father’s Day message from Roush Fenway driver Jamie McMurray to his father, Jim McMurray and the millions of dads watching the race around the country.

To further celebrate the holiday, Michigan State football legend and former New York Giants Super Bowl Champion, Carl Banks will join Crown Royal at MIS prior to the race to host a Father’s Day barbeque fit for royalty. Banks will be onsite to tend the grill in honor of dads at the track, as well as several other special guests including Jamie and Jim McMurray and other members of the Roush Fenway crew. Following the cookout Banks also will receive a VIP pit tour of the garage and watch the race from atop the Crown Royal No. 26 pit box.

“It’s exciting to be able to return to Michigan to help Crown Royal celebrate Father’s Day at the racetrack,” said Banks. “I know how special Father’s Day is to me, so I think it’s really cool Crown Royal is taking the extra effort to treat dads like kings this weekend.”

Crown Royal donated branding on the hood of the No. 26 Ford Fusion to remind adults everywhere how their fathers have helped them achieve great things in their lives.

“My dad has always played a huge part in my life and racing career, so to be able to say thanks to him on Father’s Day with Crown Royal is really special,” said McMurray. “Now if we can get the No. 26 to Victory Lane this weekend, I will be able to give both my dad and Crown Royal the perfect Father’s Day present.

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal, the number one selling Canadian Whisky in the US by value, has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal’s smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. In addition to its motorsports sponsorships, the brand also sponsors the Crown Royal American Turf stakes race at Churchill Downs and a number of other major regional and national events. For more information on Crown Royal, visit www.crownroyal.com.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating 13 motorsports teams. Five in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; four in the Nationwide Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Erik Darnell and Colin Braun; and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Darnell, Braun and Joey Clanton; and one in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

“So what do you do after you and your buddies go cruising in the Man Van, kidnap a guy named Chad, and threaten to beat him with a sock filled with woodscrews, yet he still doesn’t add you to his Circle? Simple, you make him an offer he can’t refuse. Or offer a buyout, such as what Verizon Wireless is attempting with Alltel Wireless.

This week our panel sounds off on the anticipated Verizon buyout of Alltel and what it could mean for Ryan Newman and Penske Racing during Silly Season.

Mike: I’m no lawyer, but wouldn’t Alltel’s “grandfather” status be the same as Cingular’s? If that’s true then AT&T has done the heavy lifting on behalf of Alltel. I also like the Verizon “Can You Hear Me Now?” guy better than that weird Alltel Wizard and that smug guy named Chad.

James: Hmmm, a smug Chad versus the annoyingly repetitive “Can you hear me now?” guy.

Mike: I don’t think it will hurt Penske too much because they have several associate sponsors like Kodak that might be willing to increase their spend. Unless there is a surprise at Hendrick or Gibbs, Newman won’t find a lot of top vacancies. It’s a strange Silly Season this year. A month ago it seemed like there could be a lot of activity, but everyone is resigning with their same teams, leaving few good rides.

Darren: Did the AT&T thing really settle? Or, is it still in litigation? I agree that Penske should be able to pull out another sponsorship deal with someone. Hell, Yates finally did with Kvapil…but then that team deserves to have some backing…they’ve been putting up the results lately.

James: I agree. If Alltel is out, Roger Penske should be able to fill the void rather easily. It could be done with either current partial sponsors, or Penske can always slap the Penske Trucking decals on the #12 car when there is a vacancy. For what it’s worth, Jayski has Penske quoted as saying, We’re a team that can operate with or without a sponsor. We have done it in the past.”

Darren: I’m not sure when the contracts are up, but it seems like there should realistically be a vacancy at Hendrick (Mears), a vacancy at Roush (McMurray) and a vacancy at Gibbs (Stewart). But I got to say, if Stewart goes to Hendrick then I just may pack up my OneBadWheel database and go home. Hendrick = Walmart in that case. I think I’d have enough of NA$CAR if that happened.

James: From what I’ve read, Newman’s contract is up at the end of 2008 and the buyout (if it goes through will likely not be done until the end of the year. The timing is not great for neither a driver, nor a sponsor looking for a deal in 2009. I think Mears is good through 2009, so that eliminates Hendrick Motorsports. McMurray and Roush are sure selling it to the fans and media that McMurray has a ride for next year, so that seemingly eliminates Roush Fenway Racing. There’s a potential spot at Gibbs regardless if Tony stays or goes. Seems the only other two places Newman could consider (if he wants to go) would be Richard Childress Racing or Dale Earnhardt Inc.. I’d consider DEI a lateral move at best, and a move to RCR a good step up.

Darren: DEI is done. I think Truex Jr will bolt and they will fall not quite as low as Yates, but struggle with almost no success.

James: Wow Darren. You’ve got a harsh forecast for DEI. The question is, where would Truex go that is better than what he has? And whichever team that is, will he be the star driver of the team?

Mike: I agree with Darren. The gap between the Haves and Havenots is widening in Cup and DEI is on the wrong side. James makes a good point about Truex because there aren’t many rides that would be an upgrade. The only two I see are the 4th RCR car (new teams can be dicey) and the #12 at Penske if Newman leaves (again, where’s he going to go that’s better?).

James: If this all wasn’t enough to consider, what about Hélio Castroneves? He has expressed an interest in coming to NASCAR, he already drives for Penske in IndyCar, and he’s well recognized both in and out of the motorsports world after his stint on Dancing with the Stars. He would be a great draw for a sponsor! I guess this is why they call it Silly Season.”

Lifelock 400

Fuel Mileage Or Excitement?

This week after a boring Pocono race we head to Michigan, which can be boring itself. I have seen a lot of fuel mileage races won at Michigan and that’s not racing to me. I’m just hoping for a good race this weekend because next weekend we have a road course race and those aren’t the most exciting either.

My Pick To Win

Michigan is another Roush/Fenway Racing track. So, my pick to win this weekend is Carl Edwards. Carl has been the best of the Roush drivers this year on these types of tracks. Michigan is a 2-miler but is configured the same as most of the mile and a half tracks.

Michigan Frontrunners

Matt Kenseth has historically been the best Roush driver at Michigan and has been really coming on in the last month. Matt will be there at the end to challenge Carl for the top spot and a trip to victory lane.

Next on the list is Greg Biffle. Greg has been just as good as Carl most of the year but always seems to have some kind of mechanical problem that kills his chances to go to victory lane. This could be the week that he breaks out.

Martin Truex Jr. finished runner-up in both races here last year to Edwards and Kurt Busch. Martin has quietly had a decent year so far but needs a great run to really get noticed and get DEI back in the limelight. This is one of the tracks that Martin could make his move at.

Mark Martin was great at Michigan when he was at Roush but just hasn’t shown that spark here since he moved on. This team is just too inconsistent because of having different drivers in the car on certain weekends. I’m sure that they are learning a lot but they will not be legitimate contenders this weekend.

Kurt Busch won the fall race here last season but has struggled most everywhere this season. This team still hasn’t figured out the balance on the new car to keep up with the veer changing track conditions. Hopefully they can get a handle on things soon but it is probably a wait until next year season for them now.

Tony Stewart usually has a good race at Michigan and it is time for him to heat up. Tony has 9 top 10 finishes in his last 11 Michigan starts. This should be another race like the Coca-Cola 600 for Tony and barring a cut tire towards the end he should be in contention to take the checkered flag.

Denny Hamlin has been good at Michigan during his short career. Danny has only 4 races at Michigan under his belt but his worst finish is 14th. This makes him very consistent at a track that is higher banked than what he really likes to run on.

The RCR teams struggle more than any other team at Michigan and this weekend should be no different. I would try to stay away from Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer this week no matter what league I was in.

Yahoo! Fantasy Picks

Group A

• Carl Edwards (starter)
• Matt Kenseth

Group B

• Dale Earnhardt Jr (starter)
• Martin Truex Jr (starter)
• Greg Biffle
• Kasey Kahne

Group C

• Travis Kvapil (starter)
• Brian Vickers

Stay Away From

• Clint Bowyer

Dark Horse

• Kasey Kahne

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Lifelock 400

Here is a quick run down of trivial facts and statistics for this weekend’s Lifelock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI.

Michigan Speedway History

• Groundbreaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967.
• The track has had 77 NASCAR Sprint Cup races. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969.
• The first race was 500 miles in length; the second was scheduled for 600. The track was re-measured to 2.04-miles for the last race in 1970 and both races in 1971 – with the race distance being 402 miles. All other races have been scheduled for 400 miles.

Track Numbers

• NASCAR Cup Series Races: 77
• Pole Winners: 38
• Race Winners: 29
• Donnie Allison won the first pole at Michigan.
• David Pearson leads all drivers with 9 victories at Michigan.
• The race winner has started from the pole 15 times, the most productive starting position.
• 61 of 77 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 44 from the first four spots. However, five of the past seven race winners started outside the top 10.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 28th by Tony Stewart in 2000.
• The Wood Brothers have won 11 races – more than any other organization. Their last victory was in 1991 with Dale Jarrett as the driver.
• There have been five different Coors Light Pole winners and five different race winners in the past five races.
• Carl Edwards has finished on the lead lap in all seven of his Michigan races.

Track Records

• Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (194.232 mph, 37.069 seconds, (6-18-05)
• Track race record: Dale Jarrett (173.997 mph, 6-13-99)

Michigan Speedway Race Day Data

• Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage.
• Race # 15 of 36 (6-15-08)
• Track Size: 2 miles (200 laps/400miles)
• Banking/Corners: 18 degrees
• Banking/Frontstretch: 12 degrees
• Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees

Pocono 500

Still A Long Way To The Chase

We are now half way to the Chase for the Sprint Cup. David Ragan, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth are on the outside looking in right now but they are all within 100 points of the top 12. Any one of these drivers could make up 100 points in any given week on a driver in the top 12 who has some issues. So, the field isn’t set in stone because we have a lot of racing left before the start of the Chase.

This week we head to the Pocono Mountains for the first of 2 Cup races scheduled in a 7-week stretch. I said that Dover would be one of the best races of the year and now I’m going to say that Pocono will be one of the yawners of the season. Pocono is not built for passing and is hard on engines with the 500-mile length.

My Pick To Win

Denny Hamlin is my pick to win this weekend. Denny won the first 2 races he ran here in the Cup series and followed that up with 6th and 3rd place finishes last season. He has been one of the most consistent drivers on all of the flatter tracks since joining the circuit 3 years ago.

Pocono Frontrunners

Tony Stewart has a string of 5 straight top 10 finishes at Pocono, which is the longest current streak among active drivers. Tony also has a win here back in the 2003 season and had a streak of top 10 finishes going when he got that win too.

Kurt Busch has been very good at Pocono over the past 3 seasons with a couple of wins during that time. However, Kurt has really been struggling this year and I don’t have a lot of confidence in him at the moment. This team needs to get things turned around now. Kurt is only 80 points ahead of Mark Martin in the standings and Mark has sat out 3 races.

Jeff Gordon has 3 straight top 5 finishes at Pocono including a win in this race last season. This is another team that isn’t on the top of their game right now. Yes, Jeff is sitting 6th in points right now but he has no wins yet and he would be the first to tell you that they are working very hard to come away with the finishes that they are getting every week.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 2nd to Kurt Busch the last time he raced here but really struggled in the 6 races before that. Now that Junior is on a different team this year he should learn something from Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson that will make him more consistent here.

Jimmie Johnson won back-to-back races at Pocono during the 2004 season. He has done fairly well since that time also with 4 top 10 finishes in 6 races. Just like Jeff Gordon’s team, these guys aren’t hitting on all cylinders just yet. I think every team is still learning a lot about the new car this season and they will all get better with time.

Mark Martin is probably the best driver at Pocono without a win. Mark has 19 top 5 and 29 top 10 finishes at Pocono. It just doesn’t seem to matter whose car he is driving here he ends up towards the front. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mark get a win here this season.

Yahoo! Fantasy Picks

Group A

• Denny Hamlin (starter)
• Jimmie Johnson

Group B

• Ryan Newman (starter)
• Mark Martin (starter)
• Dale Earnhardt Jr
• Martin Truex Jr

Group C

• Brian Vickers (starter)
• Travis Kvapil

Stay Away From

• David Ragan

Dark Horse

• Brian Vickers

“

Pocono 500

Here is a quick run down of trivial facts and statistics for this weekend’s Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA.

Pocono Raceway History

• Opened in 1968 as a .75-mile track, Pocono Raceway held the first race on the 2.5-mile oval in 1971.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in 1974.
• There was one race from 1974 through 1981, and two a year since then.

Track Numbers

• NASCAR Cup Series Races: 60
• Pole Winners: 35
• Race Winners: 27
• Buddy Baker won the first pole at Pocono.
• Only 13 drivers have more than one Pole there.
• There have been 21 pole winners in the last 25 races. Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon (two each) are the only repeat pole winners there since 1995. Qualifying was canceled once.
• The pole has been swept just three times: Bill Elliott (1985), Ken Schrader (1993), Denny Hamlin (2006).
• Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono.
• Bill Elliott leds with five victories at Pocono. Eighteen drivers have won more than once there.
• There have been 12 different race winners in the 15 races since Bobby Labonte swept in 1999. Jimmie Johnson swept 2004 and Denny Hamlin 2006, while Kurt Busch won the July race in 2005 and 2007.
• There have been six season sweeps at Pocono, including two of the past four seasons.
• Bobby Allison and Tim Richmond each won three consecutive races at Pocono.
• 43 of 60 Pocono races have been won from a top-10 start; 12 by the pole winner.
• The June 2005 race was won by Carl Edwards from the 29th starting position, the deepest in the field a race winner has started.
• Rick Hendrick leads all other car owners with 11 Pocono victories.
• There have been eight car owner season sweeps, including three of the past four seasons (two of the car owner sweeps were with different drivers).
• Denny Hamlin, Paul Menard, Juan Pablo Montoya, Brian Vickers and J.J. Yeley are the active drivers that have finished on the lead lap in all of their races.
• Denny Hamlin won his first two appearances at Pocono Raceway, claiming both victories from the pole. Hamlin finished sixth and third in his second two races for an average finish of 2.8 in four races – the all-time best of any driver at the Pennsylvania track. He also led 283 of the 706 laps raced in the four races (40 percent).

Track Records

• Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne (172.533 mph, 52.164 secs., 6-11-04)
• Track race record: Rusty Wallace (144.892 mph, 7-21-96)

Pocono Raceway Race Day Data

• Estimated Pit Window: Every 28 – 30 laps, based on fuel mileage.
• Race # 14 of 36 (6-08-08)
• Track Size: 2.5 mile (200 laps/500miles)
• Banking/Turn 1: 14 degrees
• Banking/Turn 2:: 8 degrees
• Banking/Turn 3: 6 degrees
• Frontstretch: 3,740 feet
• Backstretch: 3,055 feet
• Shortstretch: 1,780