NASCAR Basics - Track Types - Followed By a Question

Ok, Lets take a look at what it takes to make a track a Road Course, Intermediate, Short or Superspeedway. I am getting this information from NASCAR.com.

I do have a question about this which I will ask at the end.

Short Track -
An oval racetrack that is less than 1 mile in length.

Intermediate Track -
An oval that is greater than 1 mile in length, but less than 2 miles in length.

Road Course -
A racing circuit comprised of left- and right-hand turns, as opposed to an oval which is comprised exclusively of left-hand turns.

Superspeedway-
A racetrack that is greater than 2 miles in length.
(**NOTICE IT DOES NOT SAY ANYTING ABOUT BEING AN OVAL)**

Ok, that is all pretty simple and easy to understand. These are the definitions off of NASCAR.com on there TRACKS PAGE.

Alright, forgive my ignorance or whatever. But I never really paid attention to this before starting this blog. I always just figured that the Superspeedways were Talladega and Daytona.

He is my question(s). Why aren't Pocono, Indianapolis, Michigan and others scored as SuperSpeedways? There are listed on NASCAR.COM as Superspeedways, but when it comes to the numbers they are added as Intermediate tracks.

According to NASCAR.COM, here is what they have listed as Superspeedways -

1.Daytona
2.Fontana
3.Indianapolis
4.Michigan
5.Pocono
6.Talladega

HMMMM, well me being as picky and anal as I can be don't see why all these are Superspeedways and I don't understand why some of them aren't scored as Superspeedways.

Why do they have Michigan and Fontana listed as Superspeedway's. They are 2 mile tracks.

And why don't they Score Indianapolis and Pocono as Superspeedways? They are 2.5 miles tracks?

Also, I can not think of it right now and I have been racking my brain, but I could have sworn that there was a Short Track scored as an Intermediate or and Intermediate scored as a Short Track, but for the life of me I can't remember.

When I first started this blog, I started paying attention to that. I also started paying attention when I listed a track as a Superspeedway (because I was looking at NASCAR.COM) and Newman's Intermediate stats were updated.

And overall, if NASCAR wants to list those as Superspeedways that is fine. I have no problem with that. But then they should score them as Superspeedways.

HMMM....Just wondering. If you have the answer, I would appreciate it. Just something that bugs me --- just a little.

Newman and Dale Earnhardt JR - Talking

I just liked this picture and wanted to post it.

Wonder what these 2 could be talking about at Watkins Glen?

Ryan Newman 3rd Practice ResultsFor Watkins Glen International

Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge team had their third practice at Watkins Glen International today for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Centurion Boats at The Glen.

Newman was 18 in practice with a speed of 119.665 mph / 73.706 sec.
Newman was -2.371 seconds behind the leader Robby Gordon who had a practice time of 123.642 / 71.335.


Kurt Busch - 11th
Martin Truex - 15th
Dale JR - 28th
Dale Earnhart JR was interviewed afterward and said that his car was not good in anyway. He is really not happy with the speed and handling of his car.

Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Practice 2 Results

Practice 3 Results


Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International

Busch Series - Newman Startiing 3rd at Watkins Glen

Ok, I have not posted anything about Ryan Newman racing in the Busch series this weekend at Watkins Glen for the Zippo 200.

Newman will be starting 3rd (in about a half hour) at Watkins Glen.

This is one of Newmans few Busch series races this year. He will driving the Kodak think: Car.

Newman's teammate Kurt Busch grabbed the pole in his #139 Penske Truck Rental car.

Good luck to Ryan Newman and his #12 KODAK Dodge Busch Series Team for this race.

Mike

Ryan Newman 2nd Practice ResultsFor Watkins Glen International

Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge team had their seodnd practice at Watkins Glen International for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Centurion Boats at The Glen.

Newman was 10th in practice with a speed of 120.065 mph / 73.46 sec.
Newman was -0.563 seconds behind the leader Tony Stewart who had a practice time of 120.993 / 72.897.

Busch - 5th
Truex - 24th
Dale JR - 31st



Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Practice 2 Results


Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International

DEI VS Penske - I'm Lovin' It - The Fight For The Chase Is On

I have to say. I am lovin all this talk about DEI VS Penske. Don't get me wrong. Besides being a Ryan Newman Fan, I am also a huge Dale Earnhardt JR fan. Martin Truex JR is also towards the top of my list. Newman's teammate Kurt Busch.....not so close to the top of my list.

But how exciting is this? For me it is exciting....and nail biting. I realize that Newman has to have some real good finishes with a splash of Busch, JR or both not doing so good. Am I torn.....no. I want Newman in the chase. After that, I want JR in the chase. After that....I could care less.

This week could definetly have an impact on Newman's points standing.

LEt's take a look at these 4 drivers and Watkins Glen.

Martin Truex JR has only raced here 1 time in the Nextel Cup Series. He started 35th and finished 28th. That is all there is to really say about Truex on this track. He only has 3 Nextel Cup Series road races under his belt with no poles, wins, top 5's or top 10's. He has an average finish of 22.3 on road courses.

Kurt Busch has raced at Watkins Glen 6 times with 1 pole, no wins, no top 5's and 1 top 10 finish. His average finish here is 25. At road courses Busch has 13 starts, no wins, 3 top 5's, and 4 top 10's. His average finish on road courses is 20.8.

Dale Earnhardt JR has raced at Watkins Glen 7 times. JR has no poles, no wins, 2 top 5 finishes and 3 top 10 finishes. His average finish here is 17.6. On road courses JR has 15 races with no poles, no wins, 2 top 5 finishes and 3 top 10 finishes with an average finish of 19.9.

Ryan Newman has raced at Watckins Glen 5 times with no poles, no wins, 1 top 5 and 3 top 10 finishes. His average finish here is 15. On road courses Newman has 11 races with no wins, 3 top 5 and 7 top 10 finishes. His average finish on road courses is 12.2.

Now that all of that is typed out, lets look at it in simple form.

DRIVER	Starts	Wins	TOP 5	TOP 10	AVG FIN
Ryan Newman	5	0	1	3	15.0
Dale Earnhardt JR	7	0	3	10	17.6
Kurt Busch	6	0	0	1	25.0
Martin Truex JR	1	0	0	0	28.0

The order that you see them above in the table is the order that I am picking them for the race on Sunday. I think by far it is obvious that Newman and Dale Earnhardt JR are better here then the other 2 here. Looking at these numbers JR is better than Newman, but Newman really needs to step up his game and I think he is going to.

And while Marin Truex JR was stepping up his game for a while, he has been slightly falling back off. But by no means is he doing bad.

I do believe that the real battle here will be between Newman and JR. (Maybe not actually battling on the track, but battling for the best finish).

Oh yeah, and here is a snap shot of the point spreads between the racers. Truex is in 11th position with 2437. Busch is in 12th, -38 points behind 11th. JR is in 13th only -7 points behind busch. Newman is in 14th -83 points behind JR.

This means that there is only a 45 point difference between Truex, Busch and JR. Ad Newman to the mix and there is a 138 point difference.

Close behind Newman is a tie between Mark Martin and Greg Biffle. They are 126 points behind Newman. So they could still be in the game as well.

Ahead of Truex JR is Clint Boyer in 10th. He is 127 points ahead of Truex JR.

So, there is about the same "cushion" both ahead and behind of these 4 drivers.

GOOD LUCK TO RYAN NEWMAN AND THE #12 KODAK DODGE TEAM THIS WEEKEND!!!

Kodak Giving Away 10 Tickets To Fontana - Sept 2nd

Kodak has given me the opportunity to give away 10 NASCAR Nextel Cup tickets for the Sharp AQUOS 500 at Fontana’s California Speedway. Kodak has also said that I could keep 2 of the tickets for myself, but I really don’t think I will be able to go; so all 10 are up for grabs.


Tickets are for entry to the track and for your seats only. Nothing extra except for having a GREAT TIME!!

I will be giving 5 pairs of tickets away. If one of the entrants only wants one ticket, please let me know so that if that entrant is chosen, then I can give the other single ticket away as well.

If you don't win a ticket from me, then you can still try for a pair of tickets on September 1 from 11 am to 3 pm. Kodak will be giving away 75 pairs of tickets to the NASCAR Sharp AQUOS 500 race on September 2, 2007 at California Speedway. The first 75 fans to bring an old inkjet printer to the Hollywood & Highland Center's Awards Walk on Saturday, September 1 from 11 am to 3 pm will receive 2 tickets to the race! ! All printers will be sent to an electronics recycling center. The No. 12 Kodak Dodge will be on display with the winning paint scheme from our "Ink Ryan's Ride" contest (http://www.thinklikeryan.com/).

You can read more about “Ink Ryan’s Ride” from this site as well HERE!

Kodak has told me that I can give these tickets away in any fashion I like. I really want to have a little fun with this, but not make it to much work. So here we go -

Answer the following 3 questions.

Who is Ryan Newman’s Wife?

What is the name of Ryan Newman’s Charity?

Who are the 3 sponsors that sponsor Ryan Newman and the #12 Dodge in the Nextel Cup?

Will Ryan Newman make the chase? (Correct answer is yes – but if you really want to answer no then it is OK!)

Next, just give me a short (or long) paragraph why you think you need, want or deserve the ticket(s). You can beg, whine, moan, plead, explain what a Newman fan (or hater) you are, or just tell me why you want them! Feel free to have some fun with this!!!!!

Not neccessary, but if you have a blog or website, let me know. I am always looking for new stuff to look at!

******Email entries prior to Sunday August 19, 2007 up to 1 hour after the checkered flag at Michigan International Speedway!!!

*****UPDATE - If rained out (looks like it will be) then all entries must be in by 8pm on August 19th 2007 (scheduled race day)!!

******Winners will be chosen on Monday August 20, 2007!!

******Kodak would like to have the winners tickets mailed out by the 24th. The sooner I give your email address to Kodak the better. I will notify Kodak no later than the 21st. I will also notify the winners.

******Email your entry to atcelltech@yahoo.com with a subject of KODAK TICKETS. The subject is not important, but it will help me to identify the emails quickly and to make sure my spam blocker is not putting it into the spam folder. If you only are interested in one ticket, please let me know!******

My fiancé and I will review all entries, decide on 5, notify the winners and then I may post the winners entries after they are notified. I will definetly post who the winners are!

Once we have selected the winners, I will give the representative from Kodak your email address. She will then contact you for your address and send you the tickets. I will also provide you with her email address. I would also appreciate it if the winners let me know that they got their tickets.

I have been assured by Kodak that your information will be (and I quote) “handled with respect to the Kodak privacy policy (http://www.kodak.com/go/privacypolicy)... we won't give out their information etc”. The same goes for me. I am having you submit your responses to me via email. I will not use any information I obtain from you for ANY purpose other than contacting you about this “contest”.

There also will be daily posting about contest.

Rain Washes Out NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Qualifying At Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Aug. 10, 2007) ¿ Rain shortened NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice Friday, then washed out qualifying for this weekend's Centurion Boats at The Glen, forcing officials to use the owner points to determine the starting lineup.

Kurt Busch, fresh off his dominating Pocono victory, will start 13th in his Miller Lite Dodge Avenger for the season's final road course race. Teammate Ryan Newman will go off 15th in his Kodak Dodge Avenger on the 2.45-mile road course.

Barring inclement weather, Busch and Newman will have two practice sessions Saturday. The first session is scheduled from 10:30-11:20 a.m., with Happy Hour set for 1:50-2:50 p.m. EDT.

Sunday's 90-lap race begins at 2 p.m. ESPN and MRN Radio will broadcast the event beginning at 1 p.m. EDT.

Watkins Glen Qualifying Rain Out - Ryan Newman Starting 15th

Qualifying today at Watkins Glen was rained out.

 

Due to the rain, drivers will start the race based on owner points.

 

This leaves Newman starting 15th, Dale Earnhardt JR. staring 14th and Kurt Busch starting 13th with Biffle following up behind Newman.  What a great way to start.  The 3 main people battling for 12th in points.........all starting together.

 

Good luck to Ryan Newman and his #12 Kodak Dodge Nextel Cup Team. 

 

QUALIFYING ORDER

Ryan Newman 1st Practice ResultsFor Watckins Glen International

Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge team had their first practice at Watckins Glen Internationalfor the NASCAR Nextel Cup Centurion Boats at The Glen.

Newman was 29 in practice with a speed of 119.71 mph / 73.678 sec.

Newman was -1.102 seconds behind the leader Denny Hamlin who had a practice time of 121.528 / 72.576.



Practice 1 Results

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watckins Glen International

Earnhardt Jr. making cameo in Nickelback video

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants to be a rock star, and soon, he will be.

The Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver is one of the celebrities appearing in the new Nickelback music video, "Rockstar." It's Earnhardt Jr.'s eighth appearance in a music video. This one debuted last week and is available on MTV.com.

"It's always cool to be in videos for big-time music artists, because it allows us to branch out and reach a whole group of people we might not reach through racing," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I really like Chad Kroeger and the guys from Nickelback. I met them in Richmond a few years ago. They were really cool then, and it was an honor to be asked to be in their latest video."

The video captures the everyday dreams of someone to be a rock star and includes a mix of actors, musicians and athletes in their own respective environments lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. Other celebrities appearing in the video include rapper/musician Kid Rock, former hockey standout Wayne Gretzky, Gene Simmons of Kiss, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, UFC fighter Chuck Liddell, the NBA's Grant Hill, musician Ted Nugent and Playboy's Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson.

GO HERE to see the video on MTV.COM. I thought it was pretty cool!!  Gets a thumbs up from me!!!  - Mike

DEI vs. Penske Racing

by Steve Waid @ SceneDaily.com

 

With just five races before the Chase For The Nextel Cup begins, all types of scenarios can play out.

 

That's because we don't yet know which 12 drivers will make the Chase and with time running out, some of them might adopt some "desperate" strategies. The outcome is certainly unpredictable.

 

It's pretty certain Jeff Gordon is definitely in, and I don't think there's much concern for Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart and a few others, either.

 

Where we should focus our attention is on positions 11th through 14th. The drivers there are the ones in the biggest scrap for a place in the Chase.

 

It's Dale Earnhardt Inc. vs. Penske Racing.

 

Martin Truex Jr. of DEI is 11th in points, followed by Kurt Busch of Penske, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of DEI and Penske's Ryan Newman.

The gap between Truex and Newman is just 128 points, certainly not insurmountable in five races.

 

Busch is just 38 points behind Truex, and he's only seven ahead of Earnhardt Jr. Newman has the most ground to make up as he's 90 points out of 12th place. Again, that can be made up in the time remaining.

 

Busch vaulted into 12th place after a dominating win at Pocono. Earnhardt Jr. finished second but dropped to 13th place because Busch, who had been 13 points behind Earnhardt Jr. going into the race, accumulated 20 bonus points with his victory.

 

Any kind of scenario could be played out over the next five weeks, but it's clear the obvious battle for a spot in the Chase is between DEI and Penske.

And it will rage right on through Richmond.

 

UTTERLY SHAMELESS: Listen to Steve on Fox Sports Radio's "Race Day on Fox" at 8 a.m. EDT Sunday. Check out your local Fox Sports Radio affiliate or XM Radio Channel 142.

NASCAR's ratings keep dropping

NASCAR TV coverage gives sponsors some perks: Their logos can pop up in the middle of the action, and the sport's diehards are famously loyal to the brands that power their favorite drivers.

 

But NASCAR is losing eyeballs.

 

So far this season, NASCAR Nextel Cup Sunday races are averaging 4.6% of U.S. TV households, down 9% from last year — and down 20% from 2005 for the same 22 races. Over the past years, each network carrying Cup races has seen ratings declines. NASCAR's second-tier Busch Series Saturday races, which ESPN2 this season inherited from TNT and FX, are off 11% from last year.

 

One thing that might help: NASCAR's final 11 races, when it faces competition from football, are all on a broadcast network (ABC) — up from eight on a broadcast network (NBC) last year.

 

NASCAR's national ratings are far more telling than those for other sports. While NASCAR's Cup races are the only option for every NASCAR-seeking eyeballs, fans of Major League Baseball and the NBA can find TV games virtually every day of the week on local, regional and national channels — meaning those sports' national ratings represent just a slice of TV viewing, not the whole pie.

 

Kodak Letting Me Give Away 10 NASCAR Tickets

Recently I was contacted by a Representative of Kodak. She asked me if I would be interested in giving away 10 tickets to a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race. These tickets will be for the race at Fontana's California Speedway for the Sharp AQUOS 500.

I am really excited about this. More so excited that I was contacted about it. The reason I was selected is because the person I have been speaking with at Kodak found this blog. She also runs(?) Kodak's website and is a blogger her self.

There are a couple of reasons that this race was selected. For starters Ryan Newman will be driving the #12 Kodak Dodge at that race. Also, Kodak recently hosted a competition for someone to come up with a design (paint scheme) for the Kodak Dodge driven by Ryan Newman. The winning paint scheme is going to be unveiled the day before the race.

I am really excited about this. This should be cool. With in the next couple of days I am going to come up with some way for me to decide who gets the tickets. I am thinking of a couple of diffent ways.

So, more than likely I will be giving away 5 pairs of tickets. Kodak told me that 2 of the tickets are mine if I want them. But for right now, I don't see how I can make it out to California. For starters, my fiance is almost 7 months pregnant (will be for that race) and we are still scraping together cloths, crib stuff and .....yeah....all that stuff. So I am pretty sure I will be giving away all 5 pairs.

So, stay tuned for your chance for tickets to the California Speedway. With in the next couple of days I will have something posted. Just as a heads up, these tickets are just for entrance and seats, nothing extra except for having a real good time.

Mike

BUSCH, NEWMAN PUT SQUEEZE ON CHASE

Penske Racing's fortunes seem on an upturn -


In one respect it almost seems unfair.

As Dale Earnhardt Jr. attempts to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup, he is facing a 2-on-1 battle.

Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver and 13th in points, trails Penske Racing's Kurt Busch by seven points for the 12th and final Chase spot entering Sunday's Centurion Boats at the Glen at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Sitting in 14th is Busch's teammate, Ryan Newman.

Busch catapulted past Earnhardt Jr. for the 12th spot last weekend with his dominating win at Pocono (Pa.) and ended a 51-race winless streak. Earnhardt Jr. has a sizable (47 races) winless streak of his own.

Newman "came to Victory Lane and congratulated us. The team chemistry is really on its peak right now with the way we share information and help each other on the track," Busch said.

"If we have a fast car guys know it out on the track and Newman definitely helped us get to this point."

In recent weeks, Busch and Newman have made considerable gains. Earlier this season it appeared Penske Racing's hopes for contending for a series championship would have to be put off until 2008.

Busch's 100-point penalty after driving into Tony Stewart's pit during the June 4 race at Dover, Del., left him 17th in points. Newman at the time was 15th.

Since then, Busch has picked up a victory and moved into the Chase with five races left before the field is set. Newman has four top-10 finishes during the span and is 83 points behind Earnhardt Jr.

The performance is a big step up over last year when Busch finished 16th in points and Newman a career-low 18th.

"Kurt's win came at the right time. Everybody keeps saying, `What's the matter?' But we've been running good but not delivering at the end of the race," said team president Don Miller.

"It's frustrating. This is the reward. It's been there all along. Our team performance has been great the past three months. This is the type of sport where one weekend you're happy and the next weekend it will rip your guts out.

"This is an indication of what we are about."

Unlike many Cup organizations, Penske has avoided the increasing temptation to expand.

"I've been where there's five cars and where there's single cars. But having the right teammates is more important than having the numbers," Busch said. "Everybody has to want to work together and like working together.

"Obviously four is better than two if it's working right. But if it's not working right, it can be worse than two."

While a road course might not seem like the best place to pick up ground in the standings, Busch and Newman have shown promise. Busch won the Busch Series race at Watkins Glen last year; Newman won the series' race in 2005.

"I think we have two really good road racers and I fully expect this momentum to continue," Miller said. "They both are going to run both races this weekend. They're going to have extra time on the track and considering their records, we have a good chance at a win or two."

Chasing the Chase

In the past nine races Penske Racing teammates Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch have gone from afterthoughts to the verge of qualifying for the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Here's a summary of their seasons:

Newman Busch
Points position 14 12
Position 9 races ago 15 17
Wins 0 1
Top-fives 3 4
Top-10s 9 6

NASCAR upsets IRL president

This has been on the news quite a bit up here in Michigan.

Indy Racing League president Brian Barnhart said his series was put in a scheduling quandary by broadcast partner ESPN and powerful NASCAR for next season, the end result being the loss of Michigan International Speedway as a venue. Barnhart said the move of the Brickyard 400 from its normal slot - what would have been this past weekend - to July 29 started a series of events that negatively impacted the less-popular IRL

fanNation.com

New Ryan Newman Podcast - After Pocono II

Driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Ryan Newman and XM Satellite Radio Host Claire B. Lang catch up after a 'hot' tire test from Lowe's Motor Speedway to recap last week’s race at Pocono Raceway, where the team captured another strong Top-10 finish.

They also chat about how drivers handle the heat in racecars that reach over 140 degrees inside.

In addition, Newman provides fans with his take on the team's chances of making the Chase, as well as answers questions from the Alltel All Axcess Racing Mailbag.

Finally, Newman previews the upcoming race at Watkins Glen International, providing fans with an inside look at the last road course event of the season.

Go to AlltelRacing.com and have a listen!!

Ryan Newman and the Watckins Glen International

Welcome to Watckins Glen International located in Watkins Glen, NY.

Ryan Newman and his Penske Racing #12 Kodak Dodge will be racing here this weekend in the Centurion Boats at The Glen.

With 5 races under his belt here at Watkins Glen, Newman has achieved 2nd, 8th and 9th place finishes. His lowest starting position was 13th and the rest were top ten and top five starts. With the Chase right around the corner, these numbers should equal a good run for Newman this weekend and help him close in on the important 12th place in points!

Watckins Glen International

-Location : Watkins Glen, NY
-Completed : 1948
-Distance : 2.45 miles
-Shape : Road course
-Seating : N/A


-Nextel Cup Top Race Speed : 103.03 by Mark Martin on 8/13/1995
-Nextel Cup Top Qualifying Speed : 124.58 by Jeff Gordon on 8/8/2003


MANUFATURER WINS AT Watckins Glen International SINCE 2002
PONTIAC = 1
DODGE = 0
FORD = 0
CHEVROLET = 4


RYAN NEWMAN'S STATS AT Watckins Glen International

Ryan Newman's Stats
At Watckins Glen International		At Road Course Tracks
STARTS	5	11
POLES	0	NA
WINS	0	0
TOP 5	1	3
TOP 10	3	7
AVG START	7.6	10.4
AVG FINISH	15	12.2
LAPS COMP	451	NA
% COMP	-1.0022	NA
LAPS LED	19	NA

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the Penske Racing's #12 Kodak Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup Team at Watckins Glen International for the Centurion Boats at The Glen this coming week and weekend!!!

Mike Pratt

Ryan Newman - KODAK Podcast

Join NASCAR's Ryan newman -- driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge in Nextel Cup racing -- for a glimpse at the pursuits and passions of a race car driver.




Go to Kodaks Podcast Site and Take a look.

Newman: Vick Should Be Neutered, Supporters Are Dumb

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman says that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but ... with regards to Michael Vick:
"His little group has made it clear they fight dogs. People who defend that are slugs. This separates the smart people from the dumb."
Newman and his wife Krissie, who raise funds for animal welfare through The Ryan Newman Foundation and serve as volunteer board members for The Humane Society of Catawba County, hope that the Michael Vick case will bring more attention to dog fighting.

They'll call some attention to it themselves by sporting the t-shirts they had made last week that say: "7 to life" on the front and "Neuter Vick" on the back, which Krissie says Ryan will wear through the end of the season.

Like the Newmans, Greg Biffle and his fiancée Nicole Lunders, founders of The Greg Biffle Foundation, are also outspoken animal rights advocates. Biffle recently spoke out saying that Vick deserves the stiffest punishment available--if found guilty.

Lunders had this to add:

"The accusations against Michael Vick are sickening ...I have seen the after pictures and stories of animal fighting ring busts and it is disgusting and heartbreaking. The torture that the animals endure is horrible. The unfortunate thing is that this has been going on for quite awhile and most dog fighting rings are underground. This case has gotten everyone's attention and I hope that whether he is found guilty or not that people stand up and demand harsher penalties for this crime. I also hope that it will help put an end to this barbaric torture of animals."
As a non-Vick supporter, my hope is for a "smart" jury and swift sentence from a judge like this one, who assigns a punishment that befits the crime.