NASCAR + more 08-18-08
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08-18-2008, 12:21 PM
NASCAR + more 08-18-08
THE BIG STORY
Carl Edwards won Sunday's 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway to complete a weekend sweep on the two-mile oval. After winning Saturday's Nationwide Series event, Edwards' Roush Fenway Ford held off Kyle Busch's Toyota on a restart with two laps to go Sunday and got to the checkered flag .947 second ahead for his fifth win of the season. David Ragan was third, followed by fellow Roush drivers Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin had poor results, and with three starts to go before the Chase, Hamlin is just 26 points ahead of Clint Bowyer for the last position. Busch tops Edwards by 222 points.
Also: Ryan Newman confirmed a multi-year deal to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing starting in 2009...Mike Skinner replaced Michael McDowell in the No. 00 Toyota and will stay in the car for Bristol and California...No. 30 Truck series crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. was fined $2,500 by NASCAR for a right-side bed panel height violation at Nashville. Todd Bodine was penalized 25 driver points and Stephen Germain 25 owner points. . . Keith Jones, the de Ferran Motorsports crew member injured in the ALMS Mid-Ohio race, was released from a burn center and will continue his recovery at home with continued outpatient rehabilitation...Bobby Hutchens went from GM of Earnhardt-Childress Engines to VP-competition of DEI. Return to Top
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Brian Vickers got the pole Friday at Michigan with a 188.536 mph lap. Sunday, Jimmie Johnson led the first lap, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. went by on lap eight. Marcos Ambrose' engine blew on lap 19 for the first caution. Earnhardt slowed due to debris in his grille and Vickers took the lead around lap 50. He eventually finished seventh. Carl Edwards, who started 27th, got first place from Junior on lap 74. Paul Menard tagged Ryan Newman, who hit Dave Blaney, putting Blaney hard into the wall. On lap 91, Tony Stewart, Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Reed Sorenson were four-wide coming off turn four. There was contact and Johnson had a flat tire. He wound up 17th. Six laps later, Gordon had a tire go, and went to the garage for extensive repairs. He finished 42d. On lap 142, Kyle Busch took first from Edwards. Following two debris cautions, Edwards and Busch both took just two new tires on a pit stop with 22 laps remaining, and Edwards got out first. With 18 laps left, Earnhardt Jr. got into the wall off turn two. He finished 23d. There was another restart with 10 laps left. Four tours later, Denny Hamlin's engine let go, causing a yellow. The restart came with two laps left. Edwards got a good restart and averaged 140.351 mph with seven cautions for 27 laps. Edwards began the weekend with his 29th birthday.Return to Top
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Carl Edwards got out of the pits ahead of leader Tony Stewart after pit stops following a lap 93 caution and went on to win Saturday's Carfax 250 at Michigan. Edwards' Roush Fenway Ford led 71 of the 125 laps. The race finished under yellow when Danny Efland crashed on the last lap. Brian Vickers was second in a Toyota with Stewart, in his last scheduled Nationwide race for Joe Gibbs Racing, third. Edwards averaged 136.571 mph with six yellows for 21 laps. Clint Bowyer had side-to-side contact with David Reutimann (a cut tire put Reutimann into the wall) and finished 10th, so Edwards now trails him by 113 points. The No. 18 and No. 20 Gibbs' Toyotas were put on a chassis dyno after the race and officials discovered an attempt to keep the throttle from fully opening. J.D. Gibbs acknowledged the issue Sunday and penalties are expected. NASCAR fined Kirk Almquist, No. 9 Dodge crew chief, $5,000 and Paul Wolfe, No. 22 Dodge crew chief, $1,000 for car violations discovered at Watkins Glen. Return to Top
NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series
Tony Schumacher won his fifth consecutive race, and 10th of the season, in Sunday's Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, near Reading, Pa. It was his 51st victory, one behind class record-holder Joe Amato. His Army dragster defeated Larry Dixon, 3.845 seconds, 313.88 mph vs. 3.891, 302.35 mph at 1,000 feet. Schumacher is 526 points ahead of Antron Brown. In Funny Car, Jack Beckman won in the Valvoline Dodge Charger, besting his boss, drag racing school instructor Frank Hawley. It was Hawley's first final round since 1990. Beckman clocked 4.183, 291.57 mph vs. Hawley's tire-smoking 6.967, 95.08 mph in a Charger at 1,000 feet. Beckman qualified 13th. Tim Wilkerson is 123 points clear of Tony Pedregon. In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin's Chevrolet Cobalt ran 6.650, 206.39 mph at a quarter-mile to best Dave Connolly, who fouled on the starting line in a Cobalt. Ron Krisher qualified seventh in the Valvoline Cobalt and lost in the first round. Greg Anderson is plus 37 points on Kurt Johnson. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith outran Angelle Sampey, both on Buells, 6.957, 188.81 mph to 7.061, 186.28 mph. Smith tops Andrew Hines by 73 points. Return to Top
Racer of the Week
Jack Roush. His cars sweep at Michigan, his home track, and take four of the top-five Cup finishes.Return to Top
Yes, He REALLY Said That
Jeff Gordon, on if he favors Cup racing in the rain. "No. I like to race when I can see what's in front of me."Return to Top
Valvoline Winners Last Weekend
Carl Edwards, NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, Michigan. Tony Schumacher, NHRA Top Fuel class, Reading. Jack Beckman, NHRA Funny Car class, Reading. Dan Fletcher, NHRA Super Stock class, Reading.Return to Top
This Weekend
NASCAR features Bristol week, with Wednesday night Trucks, Friday night Nationwide and Saturday night Cup action. IndyCars and Grand-Am tour Sonoma. Formula One is in Spain. ALMS visits Mosport.
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