pms
09-01-2006, 09:18 PM
Expect The Sony HD 500
to Produce a Lot of Racing Drama
by Dave Grayson
FONTANA, Calif. -- When the green flag falls on the Sony HD 500 this Sunday, at the Californnia Speedway in Fontana, racing fans can expect a certain ammount of racing drama that always comes with any race on the two mile, D shaped, oval. This race is the 25th one on the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule and the next to the last event before the line up for the prestigiious Chase For The Cup begins. That final line up will be officially determined following the conclusion of the September 9th race in Richmond, Virginia.
Already, the national racing press is repeatedly saying that the line up for the Chase is, pretty much, set in stone. I'm not too sure that this is true. First off, this is an enviroment where good or bad luck plays a huge role in the final outcome and nothing is what is seems to be until the checkered flag is dropped. Anyone who has monitored the history of Nextel Cup racing at the California Speedway already knows that this track has a reputation for producing late in the race surprises.
Going into next Sunday's Sony HD 500, there are only two drivers who are mathmatically locked into the Chase: Jimmy Johnson and Matt Kenseth. That alone should provide an interesting perspective to the race. These two drivers will not have to worry about points racing and are completely free to go for the win. Both have achieved a measure of success at the California Speedway in the past and are from powerhouse racing organizations that has a long history of success at this track.
Jimmie Johnson, who drives the #48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, won the Napa Auto Parts 500 back in 2002 and will be the first to tell you that the California Speedway is one of his better tracks. He has an astounding finish average of 7.6 there. Johnson will also have an emotional edge going into Sunday's race because it's a homecoming for him. He's from nearby El Cajon, California and the presence of family and friends is always a positive reinforcement for any race driver. His team owner, Rick Hendrick, has also watched his drivers perform well at this track including his two wins from driver Jeff Gordon.
Kenseth, the driver of the #17 Dewalt Ford for Roush Racing, is also likes the California Speedway. He's had a string of impressive runs there including a win in the Auto Club 500 last February. Team owner Jack Roush has sent three different drivers to the victory lane there in the past eight years. Roush has also won his fair share of Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series events there as well.
Still listed as soid contenders to make the Chase are drivers Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch the Sony HD 500 defending champion, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton. The national media is also saying that Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Mark Martin, in points positions eight through ten, are also locked in but I'm not too sure of that either.
That uncertainity lies in the fact that the hard charging Kasey Kahne is in 11th place in the standing. The national media states that Kahne is 110 points away from tenth, and the final slot in the Chase roster, and that figure is insurmountable with only two races left.It's certainly an obstacle before him but it's not insurmountable. We've seen those deficits wiped out before in past years. Any combination of bad luck by Stewart, Earnhardt or Martin followed by an outstanding California Speedway performance by Kahne could eradicate that deficit to the point where things could get really dramatic by the time the series rolls into Virginia the following weekend.
At the same time, expect these three drivers to raise the drama level this Sunday and expect them to do whatever is necessary to get a good finish to protect their championship interests. Stewart, along with crew chief Greg Zippadelli, are established masters at overcoming any racing adversity presented to them. They proved it last February, at the California Speedway, when they came from a lap down to take the race lead. Sadly, that afternoon ended in the late laps when their engine failed. It's typical of the up and down roller coast season that, at one point, actually put the team outside of the top ten in the standings. It's also typical of the aforementioned late race suprises that frequently happens at the California Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr is another driver that is going to bear some close scrutiny during the Sony HD 500. If you check the record books, you'll note that the California Speedway hasn't exactly been kind to the Budweiser team. The team is also experiencing the racing roller coaster syndrome and lately has had to rely on pit strategy to get track position to line themselves up for any kind of good finish. This is after spending a long afternoon of throwing adjustments into a frequently ill handling car. Make no mistake about it: Dale Jr needs a good finish this Sunday to avoid a lot of pressure in Virginia.
The same goes for Mark Martin who's currently tenth in the standings. However, there's one important difference here. The California Speedway has been extremely kind to Martin over the years. He has parked Roush Racing vehicles in victory lane there after winning races in the Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series. Look for Martin's AAA Ford to be very strong this Sunday and don't be too surprised if he picks up a couple of spots in the standings.
Not to be overlooked here is the presence of the two drivers who are 12th and 13th in the current standings: Greg Biffle, 251 points out of tenth, and Carl Edwards who is 261 out. Mathmatically speaking, this deficit is insurmountable and two of Roush Racing's biggest stars are not expected to make the Chase like everyone thought they would. There's no real mystery here. Both drivers have been victimized by some bad racing luck this year.
This is especially true of Biffle who, by my accounting, should have at least four wins this year and well entrenched in the top ten. A case in point ocurred this past February, at the California Speedway, when he suffered a late in the race engine failure after completely outclassing the field all afternoon long. It's a sterling example of the bad luck he's had this year and yet another example of how this race track can serve up late in the race surprises.
Edwards has been facing the same situation this season. He's had strong cars and good runs that weren't frequently disrupted by bad luck. Both of these Roush drivers have visited the California Speedway's Gatorade Victory Lane in the past and they will be a pair to watch this Sunday as they take on the role of spoilers.
Also remember that 11th place in the final standings is still up for grabs. That posistion comes with a one million dollar bonus at the end of the year plus the opportunity to stand on the stage during the nationally televised awards banquet to thank the sponsors. That alone is priceless.
If you haven't reserved your tickets for next Sunday's race yet you may want to call 1 800 844 RACE or visit the website at www.californiaspeedway.com. If making the trip to Fontana is not feasible then at least make it a point to watch the race on television. The Sony HD 500 is going to be loaded with racing drama.
to Produce a Lot of Racing Drama
by Dave Grayson
FONTANA, Calif. -- When the green flag falls on the Sony HD 500 this Sunday, at the Californnia Speedway in Fontana, racing fans can expect a certain ammount of racing drama that always comes with any race on the two mile, D shaped, oval. This race is the 25th one on the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule and the next to the last event before the line up for the prestigiious Chase For The Cup begins. That final line up will be officially determined following the conclusion of the September 9th race in Richmond, Virginia.
Already, the national racing press is repeatedly saying that the line up for the Chase is, pretty much, set in stone. I'm not too sure that this is true. First off, this is an enviroment where good or bad luck plays a huge role in the final outcome and nothing is what is seems to be until the checkered flag is dropped. Anyone who has monitored the history of Nextel Cup racing at the California Speedway already knows that this track has a reputation for producing late in the race surprises.
Going into next Sunday's Sony HD 500, there are only two drivers who are mathmatically locked into the Chase: Jimmy Johnson and Matt Kenseth. That alone should provide an interesting perspective to the race. These two drivers will not have to worry about points racing and are completely free to go for the win. Both have achieved a measure of success at the California Speedway in the past and are from powerhouse racing organizations that has a long history of success at this track.
Jimmie Johnson, who drives the #48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, won the Napa Auto Parts 500 back in 2002 and will be the first to tell you that the California Speedway is one of his better tracks. He has an astounding finish average of 7.6 there. Johnson will also have an emotional edge going into Sunday's race because it's a homecoming for him. He's from nearby El Cajon, California and the presence of family and friends is always a positive reinforcement for any race driver. His team owner, Rick Hendrick, has also watched his drivers perform well at this track including his two wins from driver Jeff Gordon.
Kenseth, the driver of the #17 Dewalt Ford for Roush Racing, is also likes the California Speedway. He's had a string of impressive runs there including a win in the Auto Club 500 last February. Team owner Jack Roush has sent three different drivers to the victory lane there in the past eight years. Roush has also won his fair share of Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series events there as well.
Still listed as soid contenders to make the Chase are drivers Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch the Sony HD 500 defending champion, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton. The national media is also saying that Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Mark Martin, in points positions eight through ten, are also locked in but I'm not too sure of that either.
That uncertainity lies in the fact that the hard charging Kasey Kahne is in 11th place in the standing. The national media states that Kahne is 110 points away from tenth, and the final slot in the Chase roster, and that figure is insurmountable with only two races left.It's certainly an obstacle before him but it's not insurmountable. We've seen those deficits wiped out before in past years. Any combination of bad luck by Stewart, Earnhardt or Martin followed by an outstanding California Speedway performance by Kahne could eradicate that deficit to the point where things could get really dramatic by the time the series rolls into Virginia the following weekend.
At the same time, expect these three drivers to raise the drama level this Sunday and expect them to do whatever is necessary to get a good finish to protect their championship interests. Stewart, along with crew chief Greg Zippadelli, are established masters at overcoming any racing adversity presented to them. They proved it last February, at the California Speedway, when they came from a lap down to take the race lead. Sadly, that afternoon ended in the late laps when their engine failed. It's typical of the up and down roller coast season that, at one point, actually put the team outside of the top ten in the standings. It's also typical of the aforementioned late race suprises that frequently happens at the California Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr is another driver that is going to bear some close scrutiny during the Sony HD 500. If you check the record books, you'll note that the California Speedway hasn't exactly been kind to the Budweiser team. The team is also experiencing the racing roller coaster syndrome and lately has had to rely on pit strategy to get track position to line themselves up for any kind of good finish. This is after spending a long afternoon of throwing adjustments into a frequently ill handling car. Make no mistake about it: Dale Jr needs a good finish this Sunday to avoid a lot of pressure in Virginia.
The same goes for Mark Martin who's currently tenth in the standings. However, there's one important difference here. The California Speedway has been extremely kind to Martin over the years. He has parked Roush Racing vehicles in victory lane there after winning races in the Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series. Look for Martin's AAA Ford to be very strong this Sunday and don't be too surprised if he picks up a couple of spots in the standings.
Not to be overlooked here is the presence of the two drivers who are 12th and 13th in the current standings: Greg Biffle, 251 points out of tenth, and Carl Edwards who is 261 out. Mathmatically speaking, this deficit is insurmountable and two of Roush Racing's biggest stars are not expected to make the Chase like everyone thought they would. There's no real mystery here. Both drivers have been victimized by some bad racing luck this year.
This is especially true of Biffle who, by my accounting, should have at least four wins this year and well entrenched in the top ten. A case in point ocurred this past February, at the California Speedway, when he suffered a late in the race engine failure after completely outclassing the field all afternoon long. It's a sterling example of the bad luck he's had this year and yet another example of how this race track can serve up late in the race surprises.
Edwards has been facing the same situation this season. He's had strong cars and good runs that weren't frequently disrupted by bad luck. Both of these Roush drivers have visited the California Speedway's Gatorade Victory Lane in the past and they will be a pair to watch this Sunday as they take on the role of spoilers.
Also remember that 11th place in the final standings is still up for grabs. That posistion comes with a one million dollar bonus at the end of the year plus the opportunity to stand on the stage during the nationally televised awards banquet to thank the sponsors. That alone is priceless.
If you haven't reserved your tickets for next Sunday's race yet you may want to call 1 800 844 RACE or visit the website at www.californiaspeedway.com. If making the trip to Fontana is not feasible then at least make it a point to watch the race on television. The Sony HD 500 is going to be loaded with racing drama.