The next stop on the Nextel Cup schedule is Richmond International Raceway
Next Saturday is Cinco de Mayo; the celebration of Mexico’s defeat by Napoleon’s army on May 5, 1862. Expect a grand NASCAR-style celebration as the Nextel and Busch Cup teams head to Richmond International Raceway to battle under the lights.
Richmond has been rated by many as the “spiciest” track on the circuit. The 3/4 mile track offers up to 2 groves that produce excellent side-to-side racing while allowing the cars to reach speeds similar to that of the tracks.
Of all current drivers with 2 or more career starts at Richmond, Kyle Busch has been the most successful. In 4 starts, Busch has a third average finish.
Other drivers to consider:
Denny Hamlin – Eighth Completion Average
Dale Earnhardt Jr – Average finish of 10th
Clint Boyer – Average finish 11th place
Ryan Newman – Average finish 12th
Next week’s schedule:
Nextel Cup: @ Richmond International Raceway (all time EST)
04/05/07 – 11:15 am NASCAR Nextel Cup Practice – Crown Royal Introduces Jim Stewart 400
04/05/07 – 06:10 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Qualifying – Crown Royal Presents Jim Stewart’s 400
05/05/07 – 07:30 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Aaron’s Crown Royal presents the Jim Stewart 400
Busch Series: @ Richmond International Raceway
04/05/07 – 10:10 am NASCAR Busch Series Practice – Circuit City 250 Presented by FUNAI race
04/05/07 – 04:05 pm NASCAR Busch Series Qualifying – Circuit City 250 Presented by FUNAI race
05/04/07 – 08:00 pm NASCAR Busch Series Circuit City 250 Presented by FUNAI race
Craftsman Truck Series runs through May 18 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Jeff Gordon Beats Earnhardt In Pro Wins!
Looking at the final laps of yesterday’s Aaron’s 499, I never would have guessed that Jeff Gordon could win. I was stuck in 16th position in a single row with 10 laps to go. Finally, Gordon with the help of his teammate Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart began his assault on the lead cars.
After swinging and zigzagging, and pushing himself forward, Gordon was able to get past Jamie McMurray’s lead position before the penultimate caution flag went up. Then, on the first lap of what was supposed to be a green-white checkered finish, Gordon claimed victory as chaos erupted deep within the group. With a green-white checkered finish, NASCAR will finish the race if a yellow flag is raised.
For some, Gordon’s victory was hard to swallow. The victory, Gordon’s 77th in the Cup series, put him ahead of the late Dale Earnhardt on a day that would have been Earnhardt’s 56th birthday. But for many, Gordon’s victory is yet another validation that we are seeing a future legend make his mark in the history books.
Hendrick teams continue to dominate the 2007 season!
Six out of nine. That’s the number of races won by a Hendrick driver (6) out of nine races so far in the 2007 season. By combining resources among four Cup teams and equipping each team with the best NASCAR personnel, Rick Hendrick has amassed more. wins, 155 overall among all Cup teams, than any other owner in NASCAR history.
Tired of losing to DEI in restrictive license plate races, Rick Hendrick appointed a specially staffed group within his organization to research and develop high-level restrictive license plate cars for his four Cup teams. The panel paid off! In the last 14 restrictive plate races, Hendrick Motorsports has combined for 8 victories; a 57% winning percentage.
Through ingenious organization by Rick Hendrick, he has built the premier team in NASCAR history. He found that there is strength in the numbers when dividing the cost of running key operations, such as the engine department, among all the teams. That kind of business intelligence makes Rick Hendrick one of the best owners in all of professional sports!
Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway Recap
Yesterday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway gave fans the restrictive plate action they have come to love! The 2.67-mile-long track is the longest on the circuit and allows cars with restrictive power to race at speeds close to 200 mph while huddled together like a large swarm of bees.
While the action during the race was uninterrupted, the finish was anti-climatic. Under the final yellow flag of the day, Jeff Gordon claimed the checkered flag and the 77th victory of his career. The final yellow flag was waved during the green-white checkered final, as cars collided throughout the rear leg. When the yellow flag fell, Gordon was in the lead.
Loving fans adorned Gordon by showering him with beer cans from the stands. However, Gordon shrugged off the negativity and celebrated his historic victory.
How the best drivers fared:
Jeff Gordon made a late-race charge that only he could pull off. Coming from 16th with 10 laps remaining, Gordon teamed up with Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson to charge to the front of the pack. At the final yellow flag of the day under a green-white chess condition, Gordon claimed his 77th victory of all time. He now sits comfortably in first place, 203 points ahead of second-place Jeff Burton.
Tony Stewart had a tumultuous week that was anything but staged. Earlier last week, Tony commented on his weekly Sirius radio show that some of the debris warnings from NASCAR calls are similar to WWE performances. Unfortunately for Stewart, the 6 a.m. Friday morning meeting with Mike Helton followed by the racing accident at Talladega was all too real. Stewart finished the race in 27th position and is now sixth in points.
Dale Earnhardt Jr had one of the strongest cars of the day, but fear of running out of gas perhaps kept Earnhardt from charging for the win. Jr finished in eighth position and is now 13th in points.
Jimmie Johnson is exhibiting the same form of championship that he had last year. The reigning champion finished second, his sixth top-5 of the year. He is now fourth in points.
Kevin Harvick returned to top form by finishing fourth at Talladega. Last year’s Busch champion is now seventh in points.