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.

Newman's Team Earns Pit Crew Challenge Win at Pocon

No. 12 team takes top honors in Checkers0x00ae/Rally's0x00ae Double Drive-Thru Challenge
Ryan Newman's team took top honors in the Checkers0x00ae/Rally's0x00ae Double Drive-Thru Challenge during Sunday's Nextel Cup event at Pocono Raceway.
The Alltel team spent the least amount of time on pit road during the Pennsylvania 500 (230.512 seconds), claiming its second win of the season in the weekly competition.

"The guys have worked so hard all year long and we've had great pit stops during each and every race," said Newman. "I'm proud of this crew. They've really stepped it up this year and I'm glad that they're on my pit crew because I know I can count on them during the races to do the best job they can."

Checkers/Rally's will present Newman's over-the-wall crew with an $11,000 check for winning the weekly challenge. An additional $111,150 prize will be presented to the pit crew with the most wins at the completion of the 36-race Nextel Cup schedule.

The No. 12 crew, out of the Penske Racing stable, includes: Britt Goodrich (jackman), Scott Reiniger (front-tire carrier), Ben Brown (front-tire changer), Trent Cherry (rear-tire carrier), Joe Piette Jr. (rear-tire changer), George Whitley (gasman), Bryan White (catch can) and Michael Warren (eighth-man). Cherry and Bob Pressley are the pit crew coaches.

Mark Martin's/Regan Smith's No. 01 crew leads the season-long Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge standings with four wins.

To win, teams are required to finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time on pit road. Checkers/Rally's is in its third season as title sponsor for the Pit Crew Challenge.

2007 Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge Winners -- Nextel Cup Series
Daytona (2/18) Martin Team
California (2/25) Martin Team
Las Vegas (3/11) Martin Team
Atlanta (3/18) Johnson Team
Bristol (3/25) Hamlin Team
Martinsville (4/1) Earnhardt Team
Texas (4/15) Martin Team
Phoenix (4/22) Hamlin Team
Talladega (4/29) Busch Team
Richmond (5/6) Gordon Team
Darlington (5/13) Gordon Team
Charlotte (5/27) Hamlin Team
Dover (6/4) Newman Team
Pocono (6/10) Gordon Team
Michigan (6/17) Kyle Busch Team
Infineon (6/24) Harvick Team
New Hampshire (7/1)Johnson Team
Daytona (7/7) Mears Team
Chicago (7/15) JHarvick Team
Indianapolis (7/30) Sorenson Team
Pocono (8/5) Newman Team
***

Newman Looks Forward To Watkins Glen

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 7, 2007) There are only two races a year that require NASCAR Cup Series drivers to turn right, Infineon and Watkins Glen.

The June race at Infineon for Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Avenger, didn't turn out the way the team had hoped. This week, the team gets another chance at its second road-course race of the season in Sunday's Centurion Boats at Watkins Glen International.

"I like racing at Watkins Glen," Newman said. "We're taking the same car that we had at Infineon and I think we'll have a good shot at winning this Sunday.
"We had a good run at Infineon, but our fuel strategy didn't pay off like we thought it would."

Newman will make his sixth start at the New York track and his 210th in the Cup Series. He has an average start of 7.6 and an average finish of 15 at The Glen, and has led 19 laps in three races. Out of 452 possible laps, Newman has completed 451, giving him a 99.8 percent completion rate since he first raced at Watkins Glen in 2002.
Crew chief Mike Nelson and the No. 12 Kodak Dodge team will take chassis PRS-517 to New York, the same car Newman drove in Sonoma, Calif., in June. The back-up car is PRS-511. This chassis was tested at Virginia International Raceway and Kershaw, S.C., earlier this year.

Newman will also race the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger in NASCAR's Busch Series event on Saturday, making his third Busch start at The Glen and his 35th in the series.

Newman has started both of his Watkins Glen Busch races in the top five. His average start is 4.5 and his average finish is 21. Newman won at The Glen in 2005, but finished 41st last year after a fiery incident on lap 29.

"Last year, we had a freak accident that caused the engine to basically explode, but we won there two years ago and we're looking to do that again," said Newman, who has led nine laps in the two Busch races and has completed 111 laps of a possible 165, leaving him with a 67.3 percent completion rate.

I like driving the road courses and I think Watkins Glen is a better road course to race at than Infineon. There¿s more opportunity to pass and I think the racing is a little more competitive. I'm looking forward to getting back to The Glen.

Crew chief Matt Gimbel and the No. 12 Kodak Dodge team will take chassis PBC-005 as their primary car and PBC-009 as the backup. Neither car has been on the track this year.

ESPN2 and MRN Radio will cover the Zippo 200 at The Glen on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. EDT. ESPN and MRN Radio will broadcast Sunday's Centurion Boats at The Glen live at 1 p.m. EDT.

WATKINS GLEN/THE CENTURION BOATS AT WATKINS GLEN/ZIPPO 200 PREVIEW

The Centurion Boats at Watkins Glen International will be Ryan Newman's second NASCAR Cup race in the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Avenger. This will be Newman's sixth start at the New York road course and his 210th in the Cup Series.

Newman has an average start of 7.6 and an average finish of 15 at Watkins Glen.

Newman has led three races for a total of 19 laps. He has completed 451 laps of a possible 452 for a 99.8 percent completion rate since he first raced at The Glen in 2002.

The No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger pit crew won its second Checker's/Rally's Double-Drive Thru Challenge for spending the least amount of time on pit road at Pocono.
Last weekend, in Pocono Lake, Pa., Krissie Newman and friends helped raise money for the Ryan Newman Foundation by waiting tables at Moyer's Country Kitchen. Owners Donnie and Jeri Moyer – friends of the Newmans – "hired" Krissie and Michelle Croom, executive assistant for RNF, to work at their new restaurant that opened on July 7. The RNF raised $600 from the women's tips, which was matched by Krissie's parents, Jim and JoAnn Boyle.

Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Kodak crew are taking PRS-517 to Watkins Glen. This is the same car Newman used at Infineon Raceway in June. PRS-511 is the backup car. It also served in that role at Infineon. It was tested at Virginia International Raceway and Kershaw, S.C., earlier this year.

Newman's Remarks On Watkins Glen: "We had a good run at Infineon, but our fuel strategy didn't pay off like we thought it would. I like racing at Watkins Glen...we're taking the same car that we had at Infineon and I think we'll have a good shot at winning this Sunday."

NASCAR Busch Series
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger, will make his third Busch Series start at Watkins Glen International and his 35th in the series.
Newman has started both of his races at Watkins Glen from the top five. His average start is 4.5 and his average finish is 21. Newman won at The Glen in 2005, but finished 41st last year after a fiery incident on lap 29.
Newman has led nine laps in the two events. He has completed 111 laps of a possible 165, giving him a 67.3 percent completion rate.
Neither the primary car nor the backup car going to Watkins Glen for the Zippo 200 has been on a track this year. The primary car is PBC-005 and the backup car is PBC-009.

Newman on Watkins Glen: "I like driving the road courses and I think Watkins Glen is a better road course to race at than Infineon. There's more opportunity to pass and I think the racing is a little more competitive. I'm looking forward to getting back to The Glen. Last year, we had a freak accident that caused the engine to basically explode, but we won there two years ago and we're looking to do that again."

Newman wants to capitalize, move into Chase field

CONCORD, N.C. - Ryan Newman finished seventh in the Pennsylvania 500 and still lost ground on the two guys he's battling to get into the Chase For The Nextel Cup.

Newman's Penske Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, won the race to move into 12th, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second and dropped to 13th with just five races remaining before the 12-driver Chase field is set.

 

Newman's Penske Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, won the race to move into 12th, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second and dropped to 13th with just five races remaining before the 12-driver Chase field is set.

 

Earnhardt Jr. is seven points behind Busch, and Newman is 90 points behind Busch.

 

"We just have to stay focused and be doing what we've been doing and take it to the next level," Newman said Monday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where he was testing for Goodyear. "We've had good runs, but we didn't capitalize on the guys we need to capitalize on, and that's what it's all about."

Newman had started fourth in the race at Pocono, while Busch started second.

 

"It was a great run for both Penske drivers," Newman said. "It wasn't the finish I thought we were capable of, but it was a good run for both teams."

The series heads to its final road-course race of the season this weekend at Watkins Glen. Michigan, Bristol, California and Richmond also remain before the Chase.

 

And with two short-tracks and a road-course race, Newman believes it's wide open as far as who makes the Chase.

"Crazy stuff can happen between Bristol, Richmond and the road course," he said.

Four Cup drivers take on Goodyear tire test at Lowe's

CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 6, 2007) - With late-afternoon temperatures approaching 100 degrees and track temperatures exceeding 140 degrees, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers and David Ragan tested Goodyear tires Monday at Lowe's Motor Speedway in preparation for the Bank of America 500 on Saturday night, Oct. 13.

Even though the four teams had an eye on 2008 as they tested NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow, a portion of what they learn during the two-day session will apply to the current cars that will be used here this fall.

"This test today is important because I believe in testing in the extreme," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The track temperature is about 145 degrees up there in the fourth turn, and that's about as extreme as it will get here. Even though it will be a lot cooler in October, this track is notorious for changing quickly and this is a good test for that.

"I'm particularly glad the Car of Tomorrow is here," Wheeler added. "The Bank of America 500 will be the last race for what I call the 'Twisted Sister' car and I'm glad to see it head down the road."

Offering a bit of relief from the scorching heat, Wheeler distributed popsicles to the drivers, crew members and Goodyear engineers and showed off an ice carving that resembled a Goodyear tire.

"It's really hot and that makes it kind of miserable inside the race car," said Newman. "It's hard to stay focused, but we're getting Goodyear some good feedback and data for the Car of Tomorrow. I don't think there is anything different for this fall, but for next year there are some options that we are working on. The actual tire we ran in May still feels like a really good tire with this car.

"Honestly, the temperature is not going to be much different when we are here in the fall. I've seen it be 90 to 95 degrees then," Newman added. "It cools off at night a little more, but I think we are still going to see plenty of temperature."

Wheeler said the extreme temperatures were having a greater impact on the drivers and crews than the race cars.

"Look at the way Ryan Newman is sweating," he said. "I'll bet he'll lose 12 to 14 pounds of water just being in that race car. It's 130 to 140 degrees inside the car and that's like working up on a roof, pouring hot tar. On top of that, they're running 300 feet a second and the concentration and focus is a tremendous strain."

When asked about the hottest he's ever been in a race car, Truex Jr. responded, "Probably today. I guess it's because the car is not set up to race and doesn't have all the heat shields and the insulation in it. Fifteen laps feel like 800 miles to me."

Ragan, a Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender, said he would like to run the Car of Tomorrow in the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500.

"It's a shame we can't run the COTs here in the fall," Ragan said. "The COT car doesn't handle as badly here as I was anticipating. Usually, Lowe's Motor Speedway is known as a hot, slick track during the summer months, but with this car it's not that bad.

"The biggest thing for me is to just make some laps because this is the first time I've been in a COT car on a track bigger than Dover or New Hampshire."

The tire test is scheduled to continue through Tuesday afternoon with the same four drivers expected to once again battle the elements.

Tickets for the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500, round five of the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, can be purchased by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS or visiting www.lowesmotorspeedway.com. Tickets for the Dollar General 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday night, Oct. 12, and Bojangles' Pole Night on Thursday, Oct. 11, are also on available.

Pocono II: Dodge teams race quotes

Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger), Finished 7th

COMMENTS ON HAVING A TOP 10 CAR THROUGHOUT THE RACE -- "It was a good run. It should have been a great run. We should have done better than that. Congratulations to Kurt. His team did an excellent job. We just have to keep going. Obviously the No. 2 was a little better than the No. 12 today."

***

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger) Finished 16th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "It was okay. The car was okay. We're struggling needing a little bit of horsepower. That's where we are, we just need to make it better over the next few races."

***

Scott Riggs (No. 10 Valvoline/Stanley Tools Dodge Charger), Finished 24th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We just had to keep working on the car all race long. Through the start we battled tight condition after I made contact with another car on the opening laps and knocked in the left front fender. But we kept digging. The crew had some great stops and we just kept working on it. Toward the end we had the best handling car that we had all day and ended up salvaging 24th. It wasn't exactly what we were looking for but it was a strong team effort."

***

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger), Finished 27th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We had a good car through the first half of the race and ran in the top 10 much of the time. I don't know whether it was tires or we missed it on our adjustments, but the car was loose with no rear grip. I think part of it was a tire problem on the right front. It wasn't the finish we were looking for, but there were some positive things that happened today. The crew did a good job on pit stops. We had a good setup in the car at the start of the race. It's back to the car of tomorrow at Watkins Glen, so we have a little time to do more work on our Dodge Charger."

***

Reed Sorenson (No. 41 Target Dodge Charger), Finished 28th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We got hit by the 99. Something happened with three or four of them up in front of us. I guess the tunnel turn there being so slow and everybody bottlenecking down in there. Three or four of them were hitting and caused a wreck."

BEFORE THE WRECK -- "We were moving up. I think we were 18th after that last pit stop. I think we could have finished in the top 15th."

***

Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger), Finished 32nd

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We just couldn't get the car hooked up with the track. The car had no rear grip. We took advantage of every stop to make adjustments and we made some progress, but never got the car hooked up with the track they way we were able to do during practice on Saturday. I don't know what happened, but we just couldn't get through the corners and got behind early. We never had the opportunity to get in position to recover."

-credit: dodge motorsports

PENSKE RACE REPORT - POCONO

Kurt Busch owned Pocono Raceway Sunday, dominating the Pennsylvania 500 in his Miller Lite Dodge Charger in unprecedented fashion to claim his 16th career Cup victory and move into Chase eligibility with five races remaining before the title battle begins.
Ryan Newman also produced a top-10 finish in his Mobil 1 Dodge Charger in the 200-lap race on the 2.5-mile track to remain in contention for a top-12 spot in the standings. Newman finished seventh in the event to hold on to the 14th position, 90 points behind Busch.
"We had a top two or three car today, but we made the wrong adjustments for our second-to-last run and it really hurt us" said Newman, who led once for one lap. "The guys did an excellent job in the pits, and (crew chief) Mike (Nelson) made good calls all day. I wanted the car freed up just a little bit and we just went a little too far on our track bar, but it was still a good run for the Mobil 1 Dodge and we're still in a good position to make the Chase, so the day was good...just not great."
Busch, however, did have a great day, leading seven times for a record 175 laps. The only time Busch didn't lead was when green-flag pit stops cycled through the field and after a slow stop during the fifth of seven caution periods. By leading all but 25 laps on the tricky, triangular-shaped track, Busch broke the record of 164 laps led by Jeff Gordon en route to his 1998 Pennsylvania 500 victory.
Busch's first victory this year and his second at Pocono moved the Las Vegas native into 12th in the point standings, this year's cutoff position for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. He is now 38 points behind 11th-place Martin Truex Jr. and a mere seven points in front of the 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished second Sunday.
"It was a great team win and I am so proud to be driving the Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing," said Busch, who has finished in the top two in four of the last five Pocono races. "I'm proud of all my guys; all the guys back in the shop who help prepare these cars, all the guys over on the engine side, who continue to give us that great Penske-Jasper horsepower, and all my immediate team members who give it their all here at the race track every week.
"I am so pleased and proud of the unbelievable job (crew chief) Pat Tryson has done coming in here and leading our team. Pat is due much of the credit for our strong performance here today. We're really hitting our stride and it's coming at the right time."
Busch also cited Roy McCauley and Troy Raker for their contributions to the team. McCauley began the season as Busch's crew chief, but stepped aside when his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with Leukemia and he decided to stay home to assist her with her battle. Raker stepped in as the team's interim crew chief until Tryson was hired.
"It's so neat to still have them working and nurturing our team along," said Busch, who finished 4.131 seconds ahead of Earnhardt Jr. to break a 51-race winless streak. "We have a great team behind us and we think this is just the beginning of much future success."
Once the green flag waved on Sunday's race, it was clear Busch was the class of the field.
"I can honestly say that when the green flag dropped and we flew off into turn 1 and made the outside move work around the (No.) 8 car (Earnhardt Jr.) to get the lead, I did say to myself, 'Man we really have something for them here today,'" Busch admitted after recording his seventh top-five at Pocono and his fourth of the season.
Busch grabbed the lead from pole-winner Earnhardt Jr. on the first lap and had built a 3.9-second lead over Newman by the time the first round of green-flag pit stops unfolded. He possessed a 12.1-second lead on Newman when the second yellow flag fell on lap 54 for debris.
Busch continued to hold the point through another two rounds of green-flag stops, with the team making minor air pressure and wedge adjustments to counter the track becoming tighter.
At the halfway mark in the 200-lap race, Busch possessed a 4.2-second advantage over Denny Hamlin, who won both Pocono races last year.
Busch fell behind on lap 139 during a 14.582-second pit stop under the fifth yellow. Restarting eighth on the lap 143 return to green, Busch drove to the inside, outside and went three wide in turn 2 on lap 144 to advance back to fourth. He picked off Matt Kenseth for third on lap 145 and got around Reed Sorenson for second on lap 146.
Busch chased down Earnhardt Jr. and made the pass in turn 3 on lap 153 to regain the lead.
"Kurt kept his cool when we got behind," Tryson said. "We went from leading, all the way back to eighth on the restart, but it didn't get him rattled. He knew that he had the best car out there.
"To tell you the truth, he made exciting moves, particularly over there in the tunnel turn, that were amazing. We had some of the TV guys telling us after the race that he made some impossible passes out there in playing catch-up.
"I certainly have the utmost confidence in Kurt's abilities, but I even have to admit that I don't know if I've ever seen anybody pass that many cars running through (turns) two and three here in that little number of laps. It was incredible with what he was able to do behind the wheel of our Miller Lite Dodge."
Busch noted his team was trying to only look ahead, not behind.
"We have some really good tracks coming up and we hopefully, can continue to climb on up the points ladder" Busch added.
Busch and Newman will have double-duty next weekend at Watkins Glen, competing in Saturday's Busch Series race and Sunday's Cup event. Busch is the defending champion of Saturday's race and Newman won the event in 2005. ESPN and MRN Radio will provide live coverage of both races.

Top-10 finish at Pocono leaves Newman in contention for Chase

LONG POND, Pa. – Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, was disappointed by his seventh-place finish in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, but the team remained in contention to make the "Chase for the Championship" with just five races left before the cutoff.
"We had a top two or three car today, but we made the wrong adjustments for our second-to-last run and it really hurt us," Newman said after climbing from his car on pit road. "The guys did an excellent job in the pits, and [crew chief] Mike Nelson made good calls all day. I wanted the car freed up just a little bit and we just went a little too far on our track bar, but it was still a good run for the Alltel Dodge and we're still in a good position to make the Chase, so the day was good…just not great."
Newman, whose car sported a special Mobil 1 paint scheme for the race, remains in 14th position with five races left until the championship starts. He is 90 points behind teammate Kurt Busch, who snapped a 51-race losing streak Sunday, took the checkered flag and moved into the 12th and final sport for the Chase.
Newman, who qualified fourth at the 2.5-mile, triangular-shaped track, moved up to the second position as soon as the green flag waved, falling in behind Kurt Busch to lead the field. The car was a little tight in turn two and Busch was able to get away from him and the rest of the field, but Newman hung on to second for a good portion of the race. In fact, the only time Newman fell out of the top 10 was during green-flag pit stops while the field was cycling through. The first time he dropped out of the top five was on lap 145 when his car was too loose after the track bar adjustment.
For most of the race, Newman's Dodge was too tight and the condition kept him from gaining ground on Busch, who led a record 175 laps en route to victory lane. The car's tightness seemed to remain even after two pit stops to correct the problem. On Newman's third stop, Nelson called for two rounds of wedge out of the left rear and two rounds up on the right-side track bar, but those changes seemed to make Newman's car too loose until the sun popped out from behind the clouds. Then, all of a sudden, the car became too tight, again.
When Newman pitted for the fourth time – on the third green-flag stop of the day – he crossed the start/finish line as the race leader and earned five bonus points with the help of Nelson and Newman's spotter, who assisted in making the strategy call to get Newman the extra points.
On that same stop, Nelson had the Alltel crew put a half-round of wedge into the left rear, which seemed to help the car a great deal. Newman told his crew at one point that the car felt "pretty nice," but it would only be a few more laps before the car tightened up again and gave him more problems.
The next stop was on lap 140, which was when the track bar adjustment occurred that caused Newman's car to get too tight and dropped the Alltel Dodge out of the top five. When Newman came down for his last stop on lap 170, Nelson reversed the previous adjustments, but the move wasn't enough to help Newman fight his way back into the top five.
With only 30 laps remaining after his last stop, Newman fought off a charging Clint Bowyer. He was able to pass some lapped cars and get traffic in between him and Bowyer, but with less than 10 laps remaining, Bowyer passed the lapped cars and was coming on strong. Fortunately, Newman held on to earn his ninth top-10 finish of 2007.
Next weekend, Newman will drive the No. 12 Dodge Avenger in Sunday's Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. ESPN and MRN Radio will cover the race beginning at 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
Newman will also drive the No. 12 Dodge Charger in Saturday's Zippo 200 at The Glen in the NASCAR Busch Series. ESPN2 and MRN Radio will broadcast the race live on Saturday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.

Ryan Newman Finished 7th At the Pennsylvania

Ryan Newman and the Mobile 1 Dodge team had a great day at Pocono for the Pennsylvania 500 finishing 7th and earning his 9th top 10 finish of the season.

Newman ran in the top 5 for most of the day and fell off just a little at the end of the race.

Newman even managed to grab 5 bonus points for leading a lap and maintain his 14th position in the points standings.

Even with a top 10 finish and 5 bonus Newman dropped to 100 points behind 12th. Kurt Busch moved up to 12th. Dale Earnhardt JR finished 2nd but fell to 14th after Kurt Busch's win. JR is only 7 points behind Busch.

Kurt Busch, Newmans teammate, by far had the strongest car today. He led 175 laps of the 200 lap race and ended up in victory lane.

Not a bad day for Rodger Penske having Kurt Busch in the winners circle and Ryan Nemwan finishing up 7th.

Ryan Newman Finishes 7th and Kurt Busch dominates at Pocono

Busch dominated the Pennsylvania 500 from start to finish, earning his first Nextel Cup Series victory in more than a year and in the process put him in contention – at least for now – for a second series championship.

He also set a NASCAR record, leading 174 of the 200 laps. Jeff Gordon held the record, leading 164 laps on the way to a win in July 1998. Busch’s win is the 16th of his career and first since March 26, 2006 at Bristol, Tenn.

Busch pulled ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 4.131 seconds to take Sunday’s win. The victory allowed him to move ahead of Earnhardt Jr. for the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup with five races remaining before the field is set after the 26th race.

Denny Hamlin finished third, Jeff Gordon fourth and Jimmie Johnson fifth.

RESULTS:

Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
1 2 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge 200 195 10 $212,108 Running 7 175
2 1 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevy 200 175 5 $218,708 Running 1 8
3 6 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Chevy 200 165 $157,200 Running
4 11 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevy 200 160 $155,136 Running
5 7 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevy 200 155 $148,936 Running
6 24 20 Tony Stewart Home Depot Chevy 200 150 $136,361 Running
7 4 12 Ryan Newman Mobil 1/alltel Dodge 200 151 5 $127,350 Running 1 1
8 15 7 Clint Bowyer Camping World Chevy 200 147 5 $88,925 Running 1 1
9 25 1 Mark Martin U.S. Army Chevy 200 138 $87,325 Running
10 8 25 Casey Mears National Guard/GMAC Chevy 200 134 $94,475 Running
11 18 31 Jeff Burton AT&T Mobility Chevy 200 130 $111,391 Running
12 3 5 Kyle Busch Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevy 200 132 5 $87,650 Running 1 2
13 20 88 Ricky Rudd Combos Ford 200 124 $104,533 Running
14 37 17 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Ford 200 126 5 $122,191 Running 1 1
15 17 96 Tony Raines DLP HDTV/Rush Hour 3 Chevy 200 118 $81,100 Running
16 9 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 200 115 $106,425 Running
17 23 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevy 200 112 $114,186 Running
18 21 21 Bill Elliott Air Force Ford 200 114 5 $89,214 Running 1 1
19 32 66 Jeff Green HAAS Automation/Garmin/Samsung 200 111 5 $94,958 Running 1 4
20 19 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Toyota 200 103 $95,483 Running
21 29 99 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford 200 100 $76,625 Running
22 13 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats 200 102 5 $94,170 Running 1 1
23 12 16 Greg Biffle Dish Network/DOG The Bounty 200 94 $83,375 Running
24 16 10 Scott Riggs Stanley Tools/Valvoline Dodge 200 91 $75,350 Running
25 34 40 David Stremme Target Dodge 200 88 $67,525 Running
26 35 15 Paul Menard # Menards/Energizer Chevy 200 85 $66,775 Running
27 5 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 200 82 $110,616 Running
28 10 41 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge 200 84 5 $88,533 Running 1 5
29 28 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 200 76 $66,125 Running
30 26 43 Bobby Labonte Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge 199 78 5 $103,411 Running 1 1
31 43 36 Jeremy Mayfield 360 OTC Toyota 199 70 $62,825 Running
32 14 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 198 67 $83,520 Running
33 36 6 David Ragan # AAA Insurance Ford 198 64 $99,550 Running
34 42 45 Kyle Petty Marathon Dodge 198 61 $73,933 Running
35 27 18 J.J. Yeley Interstate Batteries Chevy 198 58 $90,033 Running
36 41 70 Johnny Sauter HAAS Automation Chevy 198 55 $61,900 Running
37 30 7 P.J. Jones Menards/MAPEI Ford 198 52 $61,725 Running
38 39 55 Michael Waltrip NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 194 49 $71,147 Running
39 33 38 David Gilliland M&M’s Ford 192 46 $88,689 Running
40 22 26 Jamie McMurray Crown Royal Ford 177 43 $69,325 Accident
41 31 0 David Reutimann # Burger King Toyota 159 40 $61,180 Fuel Pump
42 40 44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 151 37 $61,030 Fuel Pressure
43 38 4 Ward Burton State Water Heaters/LUCAS 109 34 $61,197 Engine

Newman, Biffle watching dogfighting case against Vick with interest

LONG POND, Pa. - Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle have a keen interest in the federal case against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Mike Vick. Both are heavily involved in animal rescue operations, and they said dog-fighting charges against Vick will bring much-needed attention to their cause.

Newman, along with his wife Krissie, had t-shirts made this week that read: "7 to life" on the front and "Neuter Vick" on the back. Krissie Newman said he will wear the t-shirt throughout his trial.

"Everybody is innocent until proven guilty," Ryan Newman said. "But his little group has made it clear they fight dogs. People who defend that are slugs. This separates the smart people from the dumb."

Krissie Newman joined other wives of Dodge drivers Saturday working at local restaurant. Their salaries and tips were donated to local Humane Society.

"If nothing else, everyone knows about dog fighting now," Krissie Newman said. "It has a face, and it's Michael Vick."

Biffle said he's troubled by people who compare dog fighting to ultimate fighting, or people who believe it's not a problem.

"I have read the indictment," Biffle said. "I got so mad when I read it. This will be a high-profile case. If it was anyone else, it wouldn't be a national story. If it's true, it's galling. If it's true, he's great athlete who made some very poor decisions. If he did it, he has to pay for it."

NASCAR teams prepare for tire test at Charlotte

LONG POND, Pa. - Four NASCAR Nextel Cup teams are scheduled to participate in a Goodyear tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway Monday and Tuesday.

All four manufacturers are represented in the session. Penske Racing's Ryan Newman (Dodge), Roush Fenway Racing's David Ragan (Ford), Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Martin Truex Jr. (Chevrolet) and Team Red Bull's Brian Vickers (Toyota) will participate in the session.

"This is the most important tire test in the 48-year history of the speedway," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The track has changed dramatically since it was paved. It has become much faster and, even though it has more grip, we've seen several drivers crash by themselves. Why this is happening we don't know, but I suspect it's a combination of the loose nature of these old 'twisted sister' race cars, the speeds and a hard tire compound.

"The paving has now aged sufficiently to adapt well to a new compound tire and we need all the handling help we can get for the cars since the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500 will be a pivotal race in the Chase. Everyone in the garage area is going to be paying a lot of attention to this test."

Penske out to snap a four-year drought

LONG POND, Pa. - Roger Penske sowed the seeds of his racing empire in Pennsylvania soil, so it should come as no surprise that he has been the winning car owner seven times at Pocono Raceway.
But since sweeping both Pocono races in 2000, Penske has had just one car - Ryan Newman's No. 12 Dodge in July 2003 - make it back to Victory Lane here.

What has made the drought particularly tough to take are the near misses, with Rusty Wallace taking second in 2005, Kurt Busch finishing as the runner-up twice last season, and Newman settling for second in the rain-shortened Pocono 500 this past June.

Once again, Penske's Dodge Chargers appear primed to run up front and should be considered among the favorites to capture today's Pennsylvania 500.

Busch, who won at Pocono two summers ago while driving for Roush Racing, will start second in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. He topped the speed charts in two of the three practice sessions.

Malvern native Pat Tryson has seen the No. 2 team climb three positions and gain 223 points in the standings since taking over as Busch's crew chief five races ago.

"We're determined to give [Busch] what he needs to win," Tryson said. "We're looking to get our Pocono mojo working again."

Busch has been pleased with his car's performance this weekend, and he believes that the qualifying effort could be the key to keeping him at the front of the field.

"Track position is very important at Pocono," he said. "We're happy to be [on the] outside pole and have a shot to get those five points for leading a lap. Big-picture is what we're racing for right now."

Newman qualified fourth in the Mobil 1 Dodge and ran among the top seven in each practice over the last two days.

"I'm confident we'll have a good car for the race," he said.

Pole-sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled in yesterday's morning session, but after he ran mid-pack, his crew went to work on the setup of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet and Junior rebounded with the 13th-fastest lap in Happy Hour.

Kyle Busch, who qualified third, also had issues in practice. But after putting the back end of the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet into the wall, Busch rallied to finish 14th-fastest in the final practice.

Seventh-place starter Jimmie Johnson, a two-time Pocono winner, ended the day atop the leader board, followed closely by Tony Stewart, who will start 24th. Denny Hamlin, with two wins here last season and a sixth-place finish in June, again has the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet on a rail. Hamlin will start sixth and wound up no worse than ninth during the three practices.

Matt Kenseth, who has just three top-five finishes in 15 starts here, might be the dark horse to watch today. Though Kenseth had a pedestrian effort (37th) in qualifying, the 2003 series champion found something in yesterday's sessions - putting the No. 17 DeWalt Ford up to second on the speed chart.

"This hasn't been a track, except once or twice, [where] we've been a threat to win," Kenseth said. "So we just get here and dig at it as hard as we can and try to get our car competitive, and race for the best spot we can on Sunday."