I'm about to start building it here....

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!

I don't know exactly who all to say this to... I know 77GP Jerry, zjerry Jerry, and JuniorCar Brent are all fathers.... so I want to make sure I say Happy Fathers Day to those them. I need to get my dad something for Fathers day... have a few things in mind.

If anyone else here is a father, please tell me and I will include a Fathers Day remark to you in this part.

Points, Intro, and Congratulatory Remarks

Congrats to adgm2005, 2 poitns paying victories in 3 races!!! We seem to be on this pattern where people win every other race two times... if the trend continues, lougreen will win Michigan... and that makes sense because...

Defending Winner: lougreen03


Also, a congrats to Carl Martin for taking that Segment points lead and maintaining his overall lead... but Brent is creeping back up there after Carl....

Overall:

1) carlm54stl 1499 Leader
2) JuniorCar 1476 -23
3) bblackstone 92 1432 -67
4) Cowboy6622 1411 -88
5) SupplySgt 1407 -92
6) zJerry 76 1400 -99
7) Leprechaun93 1398 -101
8) lougreen03 1397 -102
9) 02 Earnhardt 1388 -111
10) montecarlo3831 1386 -113
11) 03JGMonte 1322 -177
12) butch049 1301 -198
13) 77GP 1265 -234
14) silverfish 1217 -282
15) RocknSS04 1142
16) STUMPMI 1141
17) SuperSportSteve 928
18) 01 Monte SS 908
19) adgm2005 895
20) 06 Mistre SS 428
21) Teacher 306
22) Ricks 2006 SS 213
23) yutzybrian 211
24) Racebound2 83
25) Possum 77
26) 04chevyboy 76
27) Emily666 61
28) SSMeansSuperSexy 60
29) mousehouse 54


Segment 2 Points

1) carlm54stl 549 Leader
2) Leprechuan 93 547 -2
3) 02 Earnhardt 522 -27
4) lougreen03 511 -38
5) bblackstone 84 511-38
6) JuniorCar 510 -39
7) SupplySgt 503 -46
8) Cowboy6622 501 -48
9) STUMPMI 492 -57
10) zjerry 488 -61
11) silverfish33 478 -71
12) montecarlo3831 449 -100
13) 03JGMonte 437 -112
14) adgm2005 423 -126
15) 77GP 414 -135
16) butch049 356 -193
17) SupersportSteve 243 -205
18) RocknSS04 220 -228
19) Ricks 2006 SS 213 -235
20) 01 Monte SS 68
21) SSmeansSuperSexy 60
22) 06 Mistre SS 45


Michigan History

This track is goign to be fast this year. And it is, in a sense, a throwback ot the original days. This place came along on the schedule in 1969, in a time when this sport was really growing superspeedways like weeds. Talladega, Michigan, Pocono, Texas World Speedway, Ontario Motor Speedway (last two now defunct) all came along in that same time period. It was also a time period of building cars that could defy what was previously thought possible... Torino Talladegas and winged Daytonas loved a lot of the tracks I just listed (except Pcoono... built 1970, didn't run a race until '74.)

But here are the pictures of this track at construction...

Jim Heddle photo


In 1969, the Torino Talladegas domianted. this was meant to be a 600 mile race, but they learned how long that was and that race was actually rain shortened at about 400 miles... and they decided that was about right. Thats what the race ahs been ever sinced.

Smyle Media, photo taken from University of Racing diecasts


From a Charger forum...


This is Ben Arnold.... guy who just never could find his way into a big team.
Racers Reunion Photo


This track also became a showodwn between Petty and Pearson in some of thier famous duals....



Photo form HowStuffWorks



In 1971, some weird stuff happens. Today, people talk about this race in manufacturers terms... since the manufacturers are so close. However, 1971 when they came to Michigan, a weird situation developed. The manufacturers had just backed out of racing, and David Pearson of all people had a low point in his career finding a ride. He refused to run with Holman-Moody.

He ended up driving a Pontiac GTO, first race for one of these cars ever, I believe he ran like 5th with it in one of the most un-competitive Michigan races ever. Basically, the Wood Bros 21 was fast, Pettys 43 was fast, and Allisons #12 fast, and that was it.

Here is Pearsons GTO.




And the guy who won the 1971 Motor State 400... Bobby Allison, driving the older, yet more aerodynamic, 1969 Mercury Cyclone....







This track is dangerous too. Ernie Irvan. lost his eye here. Dr. Jerry Punch may very well have saved his life because in the early 90s, the ydidn't have full medical personal at the track during practice sessions. Punch was covering the race yet was actually the first person on the scene to begin caring for Irvan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdrB8X61Ax4


And... dare we say... this is where Dale Jr won his last race.........


This Week at Michigan

We are seeing some weird stuff this season. Cautions are down at tracks that normally have them... like Texas, Charlotte, Bristol... yet up at places like Dover and the now repaved Pocono. Michigan is generally a track that a saw a lot of green flag runs and even back in 1998, had a caution free race won by Dale Jarrett.

This year, it is repaved, like Pocono. The paving company was careful to try to reproduce the old characteristics. But with ne wpavement comes new grip. It will probably be single grove. Despite all the "action" at Pocono, drivers still talked about how important it was to get track position because it just seemed like it was really tough to pass. But that's everywhere with the COT too. I think emphasis should be placed on qualifying when making picks this week.

So we have to see what w'ere going to get for race. We know we may see qualifying speeds near 200 mph... the tire tets here saw corner entry speeds over 210 mph. That's crazy fast! And with such relatively flat corners... it creates a dangerous track that may be too fast. If it's too fast and too on teh edge, the drivers will be scared to pass.

Also, with high speeds, drafting and slingshooting at teh ends of the straightaways may be a strategy... it may look like a race from 30 years ago fi we have that much speed.

We have to see if we're going to get a lot of green flag racing, or a lto of cautions (relatively speaking) like we had at Dover or Pocono.

Durability is going to be tough this week. With such high speeds at such sustained rates, its' goign to be tough really to see which teams hold up. We haev seen Kyle Busch have engine issues two weeks in a row. Do you want to chance going with him a third time? Do you? Are you sure?

Chevrolet teams, despite what I like to say about Furd power, seem to have the best durability... they're the least liekly to go to the garage with even ignition issues. That should definitely be taken into account. And that bit leads us to this weeks teams....



CHEVROLET TEAMS

Hendrick

Hendrick is kicking butt. I find it a borderline miracel taht the Toyotas beat them this week. Jimmie had the best car on teh track and was passing when no one else could. Yet all they talked about was Logano and Martin. Stupid. Come on TNT, get it together. Jeff Gordon is just overly stricken with bad luck. Kasey Kahne was going to be a factor and maybe could have helped me win Pocono, but hit that wall. Dale Jr is just getting closer and closer to winning those races. Any Hendrick team, save maybe Gordon with his luck, should be a great pick at Michigan

Childress

Harvick loves speed and going fast. I think Harvick should be a solid pick at Michigan. The rest of that team is going to be more of the same, I think.

However, Burton seems to be goign from a 20 something driver to a teen something driver.

Stewart-Haas

I think we are getting into Smoke season.. those boring, long, fast, flat summer tracks are good Tony STewart race tracks. Also, Ryan Newman is one of your better flat trackers. These two fat@$$es might just make some noise at Michigan.

FORD TEAMs

Fords have traiditonally run well at Michigan.

Roush

Biffle may be going into some sort of experimentation mode. I thought Dover might be a fluke... ti's a chase race, and he had a bad handling car at a race he normally runs well at. Then this week, he was having engine issues. Last year, Edwards went to crap mid season only to come right back, and admitted later that the team had been doing a lot of testing over the summer when they pretty mcuh realized they were in the chase becasue of their stride and their position in points. So Biffle might be in that same testing mode.

Kenseth seems to be somewhere in the middle and running strong. Kenseth is a good driver at Michigan.

Edwards got his first cup start here at Michigan, and ended a 2 year winless streak here in 2007.... I remember being pissed off at church camp as an Edwards fan because I had seen every race that year, and missed the one Edwards won.

Petty

Ambrose and Almirola have gone from totally reeking to only stinking. Almirola seems to have turned a corner now that he has Mike Ford, Hamsters old crew chief. That's pretty cool, I guess. He was on the pole at Charlotte, ran great at Dover, and made a ltitel splash at Dover....

TOYOTA TEAMS

Do you trust their reliabilty? Well, do you, punk?

Joe Gibbs Racing

Kyle Busch has blown two engines in a row... anyone want to chance it for a third time? He is good at Michigan when he is running.... yet so is Denny. And for some reason or other, Denny doesn't seem to have the engine issues at JGR that Busch and Logano do. I know each driver has their own way they like their engines built to perform, maybe Busch is having that problem.

Hamlin is getting good at this time of year too. He won last year, he's run well here many times, so you have ot think he will be a factor barring a blown engine.

Micahel Waltrip Racing

They should have won Pocono... but Martins engine failure at Kansas that cost me that win just sticks with me on this team. Bowyer has had problems... Truex seems to be unaffected. They're a whole new team this year with their new line up and competition director. So I'm interested in seeing how they do... I do'nt think they're ready to win yet, but what cna you do.

DODGE TEAMS

Penske

Keselowski was having issues and Allmendinger hit a wall. Brad K comes out of nowhere ever time he ever wins it seems, he isn't very momentum driven. But with the high speeds, this team just doesn't seem to have the reliability. I'm also wondering if, at this point in the season, how much support ar ethey still getting from Dodge since Dodge knows they're lsoing this team to Ford Motor Company next year? This is about the part in the season wehre I expect them to start dropping off if Dodge is going to abandon them as a lame duck team.



My Picks


Man... what to do this week. Johnson is good... but he has run out of gas a few times and been beaten at teh end several times. Hamlin has it going on right now... but he is a Toyota. I like Edwards, but every time that car switches sponsors, it goes to crap. I like Kenseth, I like Harvick, and I like all the Hendrick cars, and I even like Aric Almirola a little bit.... but I'm going to wait for some practice and qualifying ot go down and make a decision then.

 

14-48-17

 

Here's my pick's , I 'll be at Father's day car show with one of my son's..
1) Tony Stewart
2) Jimmie Johnson
3) Kevin Harvick

 

temp picks
88-48-29

 

1. #48 Jimmie Johnson 2. #11 Denny Hamlin 3. #88 Dale jr.<center><center>

 

Johnson
Gordon
Kenseth

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jimmie Johnson
Denny Hamlin

 

I will go with
Gordon(Jeff)
Harvick
Stewart

 

Just a quick heads up. Just arrived and got my first glimpse on the track of the newly paved MIS. Wow what a difference! Going to try to do picks and video in my phone. Not sure how to post them here with this new windows phone. Oh yea 1 more thing... When did Denny Hamlin have interstate battery's as a sponsor? Found a wreck in the gate 9 dump of 1 with his name above the door????? Its so smashed up..u can't even tell what body style it is! Lol

 

Do you think this car could be a Nationwide/Busch car? Interstate Batteries has sponsored the whole Gibbs organization for a long time.... back in the early 90s, even.


First time to my knowledge was Dale Jarrett in 1992....




Interstate Batteries stayed on that 18 car until I believe when Bobby Labonte left... then M&M's came in and sort of took it over.