Allstate 400 News and Notes

Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Preview

Kyle Busch is once again coming off a victory as the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard on July 27.

Busch got past Jimmie Johnson on the final laps last time out to take the checkered flag in the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The standings leader now has seven wins on the season, and he's 262 points up on second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, and Tony Stewart rounded out the Top 5 at Chicagoland. Brian Vickers was sixth, Matt Kenseth was seventh, and David Ragan, Martin Truex Jr., and Ryan Newman made up the rest of the Top 10.

Jeff Gordon finished 11th in the LifeLock.com 400, while Kasey Kahne was 15th, Earnhardt Jr. was 16th, Jeff Burton was 19th, and Clint Bowyer was 22nd. Carl Edwards had to settle for a 32nd-place result, and Denny Hamlin was well back in 40th spot.

Burton, Edwards, Johnson, and Gordon remain in spots three through six in the standings heading into the Allstate 400, while Biffle jumped four spots into seventh place. Kenseth, Harvick, Stewart, Kahne, and Hamlin round out the Top 12.

Gordon has had the most Cup Series success at Indy amongst active drivers, as he's visited victory lane there four times (2004, 2001, 1998, 1994). Stewart won this event both last year and in 2005. Johnson (2006) and Harvick (2003) also have Indy wins.

Next month's Sprint Cup Series schedule kicks off on August 3 with the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. That event will be followed by the Centurion Boats at The Glen, the 3M Performance 400, the Sharpie 500, and the Pepsi 500.

Allstate 400 at The Brickyard PreQ

Matt Kenseth continues his hot streak dating all the way back to Darlington. He has nine top 10s in the last 10 races with his poorest finish being 18th place. Kenseth has yet to get to victory lane this season and he continually comes out on top of the PreQ report because of solid statistically averages at these tracks and his hot streak. He again is the No. 1 rated driver for the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard. Kenseth has run well at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his career averaging a 13th place finish. He struggled in his first two trips at the track but has since recorded five top 10s in the last six starts with a pair of runner-up finishes. It would be a coup if Kenseth won this weekend.

As has been the case with Kenseth so it has been with Jeff Gordon. Gordon, like Kenseth, is still searching for his first win of the season but has been running very well over the 10 events with eight top 15 finishes five of those in the top 10. Gordon also loves racing at Indy averaging an 8th place finish in the last 10 starts at the track with just two finishes outside the top 10 while kissing the bricks three times – the most wins of any driver. Gordon would love to get his first win in one of the biggest races of the season. Jump on the #24 DuPont Chevrolet bandwagon for this race.

Yet another big name driver is searching for their first win of the season as Tony Stewart has not gone to victory lane during the 2008 season. Stewart has had his moments this season but has not put together that summer run he usually does at this point in the season. Now that he has made the announcement that he will be leaving Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the year Stewart can now focus on racing – something he has proven to do very well. In nine career starts at Indy Stewart is averaging an 8th place finish finishing every race in the top 20 with two wins, both coming in the last three years. Like the drivers mentioned above Stewart would like nothing more than to get to victory lane at his ‘hometown’ track.

Although he does have a win at this track a driver that fantasy players may want to avoid is Jimmie Johnson. This is one of Johnson’s poorest tracks in the series as he averages just a 24th place finish in six career starts with three finishes coming outside the top 30. Johnson has not been that stellar (especially for Johnson’s standards) this season with just one win and nine top 10s. With a tough history at Indy and an up-and-down season it could be a long weekend for the #48 Lowes Chevrolet.

The driver that has been mentioned joining Tony Stewart and his new team is Ryan Newman. Newman surprised everyone in the season opener taking the checkered flag in the Daytona 500. Things have not gone so well since then. He has fallen to 16th in the point standings recording just six more top 10s finishes. He now heads to Indy with some lackluster stats averaging a 24th place finish in seven career starts with a lone top 10 finish. Newman could see his chances of making the Chase for the Championship take a big hit this weekend. If that ends up being the case he may just start looking ahead to the 2009 season. We would recommend avoiding the #12 Alltel Dodge for the race at Indy.

profantasysports.com

Gordon looks to break ahead of the pack in the place it all began

The conspiracy theorists jumped all over Jeff Gordon's victory in the Brickyard 400 in 1994. They floated rumors that somehow, someway, NASCAR had given Gordon, the hometown hero, The Call in Sprint Cup's inaugural race at the storied Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Why, you ask, would NASCAR do that? Some believed it feared the novelty of a first race wearing off and the crowd showing a decline the next year. Gordon, with his droves of fans in the Midwest from his days winning short-track races and USAC championships, would guarantee the massive crowd, estimated at 250,000, would return.

Or, how about this one: Gordon was the best story and would get the best play in the nation's newspapers, magazines and on television and radio stations. The first Brickyard had delivered a Daytona 500-style media presence, one it never had before in the mid-summer, and the better story and the bigger the play would help maintain it in future years.

Naturally, the conspiracy said, NASCAR knew this wouldn't be the kind of Cup race its fans were accustomed to seeing. With those flat turns and long straights, there wouldn't be much passing and, on top of that, spectators couldn't see the entire track. Unable to count on the traditional fan, NASCAR had to reach out to a new group of open-wheel types to fill in the gaps.

Let's face it: the Brickyard 400 was an event NASCAR desperately wanted to succeed and desperate measures were needed.

Exactly how NASCAR got the tire on Ernie Irvan's car to go down with five laps remaining was never discovered. Irvan was leading and he and Gordon had waged a lead-swapping duel, four times in 15 laps, when the tire was punctured.

Gordon, with one victory in the middle of his second Cup season, beat Brett Bodine to the checkered flag by .53 of a second. Gordon was the youngest driver in the field, having turned 23 two days before the race. He wasn't a driver with stock car roots. He hailed from California and spent his teenage years in Indiana. Gordon seemed like an unlikely winner in such a momentous event and it inspired the conspirators, who found their reasons to believe.

Winning at Indianapolis was even a little difficult for Gordon to believe.

"Without tears coming up, I tell you, this is the greatest thing in the world," Gordon said that day. "It's far past our expectations. I never thought it would happen."

History, of course, has long ago vindicated that win in the first Brickyard. Gordon, with his 81 victories and four Cup championships, has made everyone a believer. Gordon also won at Indianapolis in 1998, 2001 and 2004. He became a legend, not a flash-in-the-pan.

Gordon undoubtedly would like to add to that legend in Sunday's 15th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, but what he really needs most is a win anywhere. Gordon's past success at Indy makes it a good prospect.

He's been stuck on 81 wins, sixth on the all-time list, through 24 races, 19 this season. With that notable exception, he's had a decent season. Gordon is sixth in the points, 128 in front of No. 13 Clint Bowyer in the Race for the Chase with seven races to go.

"We want those wins, we want to be more competitive," Gordon said. "We've got the consistency down. Now, we just need to lead more laps and put ourselves in position to win more races. You never know when you're going to have your next win.

"It's the most competitive racing series there is. It's one of those things where I'm frustrated. I feel like we could do better. We're a great team, just performance-wise we've missed a little bit and we've let a couple of opportunities slip away."

Gordon's hometown is Vallejo, Calif., but his family moved to Pittsboro, Ind., when he was 14 to provide more racing opportunities. Pittsboro, located 20 miles west of the famed track, honored him several years ago by naming a street Jeff Gordon Boulevard.

"I always tell everybody Pittsboro is my adopted home," he explained. "Because I was older, the experiences kind of stuck with me a little more, but I am from Vallejo. A lot of people don't realize I lived there for 14 years. I lived in Pittsboro a lot less than that, but very significant things happened in my life, especially in racing in Indiana. I don't think I'd be here if not for that.

"The reason why Pittsboro became so known as my hometown is because nobody could pronounce Vallejo (correctly pronounced Val-a-o). We would go to a race track and fill out the entry blank and they'd be announcing me and my mom or dad would say, 'They didn't get it right again. Valley-ho, or Valley-Joe.' The announcers could never get it right. So, obviously, when we moved to Pittsboro, they could pronounce Pittsboro, no problem."

The Brickyard 400 clearly isn't just another Cup race to Gordon, who visited the track while in town to do media interviews on the Thursday prior to Chicagoland.

"Just every time you go around there, there is something about it that gets you fired up. It's kind of like going to Daytona, but for me there's even a lot more memories and excitement because as a kid I remember taking that bus around there, going to the museum, and just thinking how cool would it be to race at the track one day.

"Now, I get that opportunity and I've won there four times, so it's always a race that I really look forward to and this team looks forward to. Pretty much every team and driver out there, they're geared up wanting to win that race. It's a big one."

sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Hornish hoping for bounce back at Brickyard

It all happened so fast Sam Hornish Jr. didn't really get a chance to realize exactly what was going on.

Chasing down Marco Andretti during the final yards of the 2006 Indy 500, Hornish swept past the son of racing royalty to win by about a car length, the distinct rumble of the yard of bricks under his wheels at the finish line telling Hornish he'd finally captured the most-coveted title in open-wheel racing.

``I couldn't have scripted it any better,'' Hornish said.

The fairy-tale finish hasn't necessarily led to happily ever after for the three-time Indy Racing League champion during his rookie season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup.

The winningest driver in IRL history returns to familiar territory for Sunday's Brickyard 400 in an unfamiliar position: struggling to find the magic that seemed to flow so easily during Hornish's dominant open-wheel career for team owner Roger Penske.

``We've been on a roller coaster, been on a lot of lows and we're waiting for it to come back up,'' said Hornish, who is 33rd in the Sprint Cup standings. ``When we started out the season, we thought if we could be in the top 25 in points, win rookie of the year (it) would make it feel like a wonderful season.''

Hornish still has a realistic shot at catching Regan Smith for rookie of the year honors. Finding a way to sneak into the top 25 could be more difficult. Hornish hasn't finished higher than 13th in any of his 19 starts this season thanks to a mixture of the circuit's steep learning curve and a little bad luck.

``We really should be in the top 25 in points,'' Hornish said. ``I've made mistakes and we've made mistakes as a team.''

Even on days when the car appears to be right, strange things seem to happen. Hornish was running second in the LifeLock 400 in Michigan last month when a hot dog wrapper got stuck on his car's grill causing the engine to overheat. He ended up 22nd.

``I live for days like Michigan, where I feel like I could have won,'' he said. ``It's not every day you feel like that.''

Those days have been rare this year for a driver who won 19 IRL races before jumping to the Sprint Cup following the 2007 season. While Hornish didn't expect a seamless transition, he also didn't expect to spend so much time at the back of the field. His average finish over his last four races is 34th.

``You always feel like you should be able to head in the right direction,'' he said. ``We've had some things that have been pretty tough, days when no matter what we did we couldn't make the car any better.''

Though his patience has been tested, Hornish doesn't regret making the move to NASCAR even after the IRL and ChampCar merged this winter, unifying American open-wheel racing for the first time in over a decade.

``In the IRL you felt like you could win every day, (but) I felt like I wasn't getting the challenge that I needed,'' he said. ``It was time for something different.''

Hornish hasn't ruled out a return to the IRL, though it would likely be an occasional cameo on Memorial Day weekend, much like Tony Stewart has done in the past. The thought of riding the Indy 500 during the day then hopping a plane and running the Coca-Cola 600 later that night is intriguing.

``Who knows?'' he said. ``I'm kind of a pessimist myself anyhow. Who knows? I could get fired tomorrow.''

Unlikely, though Hornish will have at least one new teammate next season now that Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman has announced he's leaving Penske and could be poised to join Stewart's fledgling team for the 2009 season.

``It's something to see him leave, but we have to continue to move forward,'' Hornish said.

That won't include a move into Newman's No. 12 car. Hornish plans to stay in the No. 77 as he tries to help Penske translate to NASCAR some of the success that's made him arguably the greatest owner in open-wheel racing.

``It's hard for any kind of organization to have (the) kind of success that Roger has had in the IRL,'' Hornish said. ``He's won over 100 victories over there, 12 championships, 14 Indy 500s. The Yankees are the only thing that's got anything close to that.''

Hornish sees the day when Penske Racing is able to compete on a consistent basis with the Hendrick Motorsports of the NASCAR world. It just might not be Sunday.

``It takes time,'' he said. ``It's not an overnight flip-the-switch kind of thing.''

Zipping around the Brickyard in the bulky Car of Tomorrow will be a decided departure from running in the Indy 500. Yet Hornish is ready to step back on the grid, soak in the track's electric atmosphere and prove he can win at Indy regardless of what he's driving.

In a way, it's something Hornish might have been thinking about even during the greatest moment of his career. Consider that in the moments after winning Indy two years ago, Hornish went out and kissed the bricks, a tradition made famous not by Indy drivers but by the NASCAR boys after they began racing there in 1994.

``I just wanted to lay out there forever,'' he said. ``I didn't know how they would come and scrape me up over there. ... I would love to be the first guy to kiss the bricks after the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. I'm looking forward to having a really good day.''

Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - Indianapolis

Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Victory Lane has transformed itself into a Hall of Fame of sorts.The list of winners reads like a who’s who of NASCAR. Of the 14 races, 12 have been won by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions.The only Brickyard winners who are not also series champions are Ricky Rudd (1997) and Kevin Harvick (2003). Also, “Kissing the Bricks” – the traditional celebration of the winning team – often foreshadows a series championship. Six winners in the 14-race history of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard have gone on to win the series championship in the same year:

2006: Jimmie Johnson
2005: Tony Stewart
2001: Jeff Gordon
2000: Bobby Labonte
1999: Dale Jarrett
1998: Jeff Gordon

Additionally, each Indy winner was in the top 10 in points going into the Brickyard race.
Though not a past champion, all focus will likely be on points leader Kyle Busch.

Busch, winner of two consecutive races and seven overall in 2008, owns statistics that suggest an Indy win (the last driver to win three consecutive races was Jimmie Johnson last season, when he won four straight).

In his three Brickyard races – all top-10 finishes – Busch has a Driver Rating of 98.3, an Average Running Position of 11.9 and has run 70% of the laps among the top 15.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating

1 Kyle Busch 3 0 0 1 3 0 7.0 98.3
2 Dale Earnhardt Jr 8 0 0 0 2 2 21.1 67.4
3 Jeff Burton 14 1 0 1 3 0 18.4 98.6
4 Carl Edwards 3 0 0 0 1 0 13.0 81.5
5 Jimmie Johnson 6 0 1 1 2 3 23.5 83.1
6 Jeff Gordon 14 3 4 8 11 1 8.9 89.9
7 Greg Biffle 5 0 0 0 1 0 19.2 84.4
8 Matt Kenseth 8 0 0 4 5 1 13.3 106.1
9 Kevin Harvick 7 1 1 3 5 0 7.7 108.7
10 Tony Stewart 9 1 2 4 6 0 7.6 121.4
11 Kasey Kahne 4 0 0 2 2 2 20.5 91.2
12 Denny Hamlin 2 0 0 0 1 0 16.0 92.1

Selected Driver Highlights

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last three races at Indianapolis. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)
• One top five
• Average finish of 8.5
• Average Running Position of 12.7, ninth-best
• Driver Rating of 90.3, 10th-best
• 242 (75.6%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-best percentage
• 56 Quality Passes (average of 28 per race), fourth-best average (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)

Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
• One top five, three top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 18.4
• Average Running Position of 10.9, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 98.6, sixth-best
• 30 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• 343 (71.5%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
• 60 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 7.0
• Average Running Position of 11.9, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 98.3, seventh-best
• 12 Fastest Laps Run, tied for eighth-most
• 129 Green Flag Passes, tied for seventh-most
• 336 (70.0%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
• 76 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Four wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 8.9
• Driver Rating of 89.9, 11th-best
• Eight Fastest Laps Run, 14th-most
• 150 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
• 255 (53.1%) Laps in the Top 15, 10th-most
• 66 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• One top 10
• Average finish of 16.0 in two races
• Average Running Position of 12.4, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 92.1, eighth-best
• 10 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
• 246 (76.9%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-best percentage
• 67 Quality Passes (average of 33.5 per race), series-best average

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• One win, three top fives, five top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 7.7
• Average Running Position of 8.1, second-best
• Driver Rating of 108.7, third-best
• 22 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 170.145 mph, third-fastest
• Series-high 432 (90.0%) Laps in the Top 15
• 84 Quality Passes, third-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Four top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 13.3
• Average Running Position of 8.5, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 106.1, fourth-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 170.048 mph, fifth-fastest
• 404 (84.2%) Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most
• 62 Quality Passes, tied for seventh-most

Mark Martin (No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
• Five top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 14.4
• Average Running Position of 9.6, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 102.9, fifth-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 170.056 mph, fourth-fastest
• 419 (87.3%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
• Series-high 92 Quality Passes

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
• Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 7.6
• Average Running Position of 8.2, third-best
• Series-high Driver Rating of 121.4
• Series-high 76 Fastest Laps Run
• Average Green Flag Speed of 170.751 mph, second-fastest
• 406 (84.6%) Laps in the Top 15, third-most
• 86 Quality Passes, second-most

At Indianapolis Motor Speedway

History
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway has existed since 1909, and is the original “Speedway,” the first racing facility historically to incorporate the word into its name.
• With a permanent seating capacity for more than 257,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000, it is the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history.

Notebook
• There have been 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the first race was held there in 1994.
• Five drivers have competed in all 14 races at IMS: Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
• Rick Mast won the first pole in 1994.
• Jeff Gordon won the 1994 inaugural race.
• Jeff Gordon leads all pole winners with three.
• Nine drivers have won, led by Jeff Gordon with four.
• Dale Jarrett (two) and Tony Stewart (two) are the other multiple winners.
• Hendrick Motorsports has won five races, more than any other organization.
• Seven races have been won from a top-five starting position.
• The furthest back a race winner has started at Indianapolis was 27th, by Jeff Gordon in 2001.
• There has been one green-white-checkered finish at Indianapolis: 2004 (161/160).
• The only time in the modern era that three brothers led at least one lap in the same race occurred in the inaugural race at Indianapolis (1994): Geoffrey, Brett and Todd Bodine.
• Dale Jarrett (1996) and Jimmie Johnson (2006) are the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and the Allstate 400 in the same season.
• Kyle Busch has an average finish of 7.0 in three Indianapolis races, the best of any driver with more than one race.
• The winner of the Indianapolis race has won the championship in the same year six times in the 14 years the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has raced at Indy.

2006: Jimmie Johnson
2005: Tony Stewart
2001: Jeff Gordon
2000: Bobby Labonte
1999: Dale Jarrett
1998: Jeff Gordon

NASCAR in Indiana
• There have been 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Indiana.
• 75 NASCAR national series drivers (all-time) have their home state recorded as Indiana.
• There have been 10 race winners from Indiana in NASCAR’s three national series:
Driver NSCS NNS NCTS
Tony Stewart 32 7 2
Ryan Newman 13 7 0
Darel Dieringer 7 0 0
Charlie Glotzbach 4 0 0
John Andretti 2 0 0
Earl Balmer 1 0 0
Larry Frank 1 0 0
Dick Passwater 1 0 0
Tony Raines 0 0 4
Kenny Irwin Jr. 0 0 2

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Data
Race # 20 of 36 (7-27-08)
Track Size: 2.5 miles
Race Length: 400 miles (160 laps)
Banking/Corners: 9 degrees
Banking/Straights: 0 degrees

Driver Rating at Indianapolis
Tony Stewart 121.4
Juan Pablo Montoya* 120.7
Kevin Harvick 108.7
Matt Kenseth 106.1
Mark Martin 102.9
Jeff Burton 98.6
Kyle Busch 98.3
Denny Hamlin 92.1
Kasey Kahne 91.2
Clint Bowyer 90.3
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (3 total) at Indianapolis.
* — Montoya competed in one IMS race.

Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Reed Sorenson (184.207 mph, 48.858 seconds)
2007 race winner: Tony Stewart, 117.379 mph, 7-29-07)
Track qualifying record: Casey Mears (186.293 mph, 48.311 secs., 8-7-04)
Track race record: Bobby Labonte (155.912 mph, 8-5-00)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 30-32 laps, based on fuel mileage

Brickyard 400 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Here we go again with the Brickyard 400!

I say that with excitement because this is a race I look forward to, or rather should say, look forward to than most of the others. I like all the races, but I have them tiered in excitement levels. Baseball is a passion of mine for the most part because of nostalgia and historical content. I love how baseball evolves without changing much, if that makes any sense.

In the same fashion I love baseball, I like the Brickyard races. True, there isn’t much NASCAR history with only 14 races being run there, but it’s that aura of being the auto racing cathedral that elevates it past several other tracks on my excitement level chart. I love PacBell park in San Francisco, but I’d take a game at Yankee Stadium if given the choice every time just because of that chill you get from the ghosts of past.

I think I see it in the drivers as well, which adds to it. They hold this track with such reverence and respect making it arguably the 2nd biggest win opportunity of their career, outside of the Daytona 500.

They all want it, but only a few have been able to win it. It seems like only the best of the best win at the Brickyard. There is a nice correlation between the drivers winning at Indy winning the Championship. In six instances, the driver just kept on going without a hitch throughout the season after kissing the lucky bricks.

Another instance of only the best winning is that of the 14 races won at the Brickyard, only twice has it been by a driver that has never won a NASCAR Cup Series Championship during their career.

Those are some nice historical points to go on so let’s see who and how they apply this week: Kyle Busch is the favorite at 9/2. It looks like he’s going to win the Championship, so he probably fits the theory best. Busch has also had quite a run at Indy over his career with a 10th, 7th, and a 4th place finish last year. He’s looking a lot like the ’98 Jeff Gordon.

Speaking of Gordon, he’s a nice driver to go with if discussing Indy NASCAR history. First of all, he lived there for a short period of time, he won the inaugural Brickyard 400, and then captured three more Brickyard wins to give him four wins which is double more than anyone else. If you like him this week, giving him five Brickyard wins, you can get as high as 14/1.

Tony Stewart is a Cup champion and also defending champion of this race. That gives Stewart two Brickyard wins tying him with Dale Jarrett for second most. I’m still a little apprehensive about Stewart and his involvement with the team he currently owns, but he looked pretty good against everyone in Chicago two weeks ago. I keeping thinking he’s got to win soon, but really Tony, soon is looking close to never. His credentials are nice, however. Not only does he have an average finish position of 7.6 in his nine career starts, the brash driver hails from Indiana too.

The candidate that fits the criteria is Jimmie Johnson. He’s only got one win on the season, but he’s been much better than that despite giving a way a few early shoe-in good finishes in his not-yet-ready for cookie-cutter tracks Car of Tomorrow. The guy is a two time Cup Champion and won at Indy in ’06. Odds on Jimmie are kind of nice this week in the 8/1 range.

The one driver that didn’t make the list was Matt Kenseth, a viable past Champion with a good car capable of winning. Kenseth has the reverse curse working for him because he drives for Jack Roush, the owner who has never won at the Brickyard despite having so many cars under his umbrella. I hate when people pile on certain athletes and coaches for not doing something in their sport, and then all it does is build the pressure even more, but I’m going to do it anyway. Roush’s multiplex of cars have never won any of the two biggest races in NASCAR, the Brickyard 400 or the Daytona 500. He used to say its all about winning Championships, but now he’s got two of those, so you gotta think he wants a high profile win more than anything? If you think Kenseth can be that guy, he can be found in the 14/1 range.

I like all the past history stuff and champions theme, but it doesn’t register as well with me as simple trends in recent similar situations. For the Brickyard races, looking at the previous Pocono race, or races, has been a great model for success. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the winner, but more about who did well at Pocono just before going to Indy. I love knowing that Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson, the two drivers who led the most laps at Pocono in June, are bringing their same chassis.

Kasey Kahne was dominant at Pocono where he took his 2nd win of the season fresh off his two-week Charlotte crushing. He finished just behind Dale Earnhardt Jr’s fumes at Michigan, but has fallen off a bit since, or rather, cooled off. Granted, the last couple of races have been as diverse of courses as one will find over a four-race stretch, but I still expected more from him in Chicago where he was a non-factor all night.

Brian Vickers Toyota may have been the car to beat late in the June Pocono race but Kahne had much fresher tires. Still, Vickers managed to hold on for the impressive 2nd place finish late in that race. He’s a driver you may want to pay close attention this week especially with odds in the 25/1 range. He led on three separate occasions in different stages of that Pocono race. It’s hard to imagine it actually happening, but Vickers has been very close a few times this season.

In another instance of the two races mirroring each other, Last season six of the top 11 finishers at June’s Pocono event went on to finish in the top 11 at the Brickyard. Two drivers who came from absolutely no where on the trend screen to finish well at Indy were Ganassi teammates Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya. Sorenson data can’t be found to support him doing well there, but as for Montoya, all you had to was look at his track record winning the Indy 500 and participating in Formula Ones U.S. Grand Prix where his best finish was 4th.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction

1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (8/1)
2) #20 Tony Stewart (8/1)
3) #9 Kasey Kahne (5/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (9/2)
5) #83 Brian Vickers (25/1)

Martin makes advanced prediction

While I looked hard at the possibilities of Mark Martin, I had to pass. But when I heard his statements regarding this week’s race, I had to re-think a bit. The below text is from a conversation Martin had while getting out of his car after Pocono in a 10th place finish. It almost sounds like someone else because Martin has never been so bold, but it could just be one of those after the race type statements where he’s got his adrenaline rushing without much hydration.

“I'm planning on winning the Brickyard in the 8 car,” Martin said. “We've got the stuff. We've got the team. The cars are awesome on flat tracks … I have never planned on anything any more than my plan is for the Brickyard. That's the crown jewel.

“And if you look at how that car ran at Phoenix, I believe that we can adapt that setup to work there. The team is strong enough on pit road, and (crew chief) Tony Gibson and those guys that work on that car are due a win.

“They got several disappointments last year when they had great race cars and had failures and what have you. Nothing would make me happier than to see their faces in Victory Lane.”

Martin had his best finish at Indy In 1998 while driving for Jack Roush. Not-so coincidentally, the results from that Indy race had Gordon and Martin 1-2, which is exactly how the season point went.

Allstate 400 at The Brickyard Driver Rating

Tony Stewart tops this week’s driver ratings with a solid 121.4. In nine races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, otherwise known as “The Brickyard”, Stewart has two wins and six top 10s, and an average finish of 7.6. With Stewart leaving to become a driver and owner at Haas CNC Racing, this hometown race will be incredibly important for Smoke. He has led an incredible 215 laps, more than anyone except Jeff Gordon. There is also buzz this week that Stewart may announce who the second driver will be at Haas. He understands the importance of getting it done quickly. "Obviously, I'd love to announce it sooner than later," Stewart said. "It will be a key to being able to attract sponsors to the second car.

Jeff Gordon is only 11th in NASCAR’s driver rating, but having won four times at Indy, he has to be considered a top contender. He is the only driver to win more then two races at The Brickyard, and has finished in the top 10 in 11 of the 14 races he has started there. Those are important figures when trying to find a top tier fantasy option. Gordon has an average finish of 8.9, and has led a staggering 433 laps. Don’t ignore Gordon’s chances to win this weekend. "We’ve had a lot of success here, so it’s a race that I always look forward to and this team looks forward to," Gordon said. "You gear up to win the Brickyard – pretty much every team and driver is geared up to win this race.”

If you’re looking for a sleeper, look no further than Juan Pablo Montoya. He is 2nd in NASCAR’s driver ratings, but has only raced at Indy once as a Cup driver. Last year he finished 2nd, and may be poised to take home his first victory of 2008. Montoya was the first driver to compete in three series at the track, having won the Indianapolis 500 in 200, and finishing 4th in the 2002 Formula One U.S. Grand Prix. Montoya has the pedigree and experience to win here this weekend. Let’s see if he’ll have the car to match.

profantasysports.com

Driver Handicaps: Indianapolis

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's Allstate 400 at The Brickyard. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 160-lap event.

Who's HOT at Indianapolis
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in wins (4), top 10s (11), laps led (433) and poles (3).
• Defending race winner Tony Stewart is the only other active driver to capture multiple checkered flags.
• Kyle Busch has the best average finish (7.0) among drivers that have made two or more starts.
• Mark Martin is coming off three consecutive finishes of seventh or better.
• Kevin Harvick, the 2003 winner, has finished in the top 10 in five of his seven starts.
• Juan Pablo Montoya finished second in his first start and won the 2000 Indy 500.

Keep an Eye on at Indianapolis
• Kasey Kahne is the latest winner at Pocono, a track that usually carries over to success at Indy.
• Jimmie Johnson and Bobby Labonte are the only other active drivers that have won at Indianapolis.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in five of his last six starts at Indy.
• Brian Vickers has posted an average finish of 8.8 in his last six starts in 2008, including a runner-up finish at Pocono.
• Although he has yet to score a top five at Indy, Denny Hamlin has an excellent record on the flat ovals in the Sprint Cup Series.
• Besides Gordon and Stewart, Jeff Burton is the only other active driver that has led more than 100 laps at Indy.
• In 14 races at Indy, Hendrick Motorsports has posted five wins, 13 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s.

Indianapolis Rookie Report
None of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates have made a Sprint Cup Series start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sam Hornish Jr. has made eight previous starts at the track in the IndyCar Series. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2006 and finished fourth there last year for his only top-10 results at the track. Rookie Standings

Qualifying Tidbits
There have been 11 different pole winners in the 14 Sprint Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon is the only active driver with multiple poles (1995, 1996 and 1999) in that span. With the exception of Toyota, each manufacturer has won a pole in the last three races with drivers Reed Sorenson (Dodge), Jeff Burton (Chevrolet) and Elliott Sadler (Ford). Mears is the current qualifying record holder with his 2004 lap of 186.293 mph. Eight of the races have been won from a top-10 starting position, most recently when Jimmie Johnson won from the fifth slot. With qualifying starting at 10:10 a.m. (ET) on Saturday the draw usually plays a part on who will win the pole.

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Mark Martin
Pete Pistone: Kasey Kahne
Rachael West: Kyle Busch
Kym Opalenik: Tony Stewart

Top 20 Driver Notes - Based on Current Standings

1. Kyle Busch: Busch has the best average finish (7.0) among all drivers with two or more starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This weekend he will be shooting for his fourth consecutive top 10 at the 2.5-mile track when he makes his Indy debut in a Toyota.

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. earned his best finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2006, when he finished sixth. The finish was one of only two top 10s in eight starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This weekend Earnhardt Jr. will make his Indy debut with Hendrick Motorsports when he climbs into the same car (chassis No. 88-499) that finished sixth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

3. Jeff Burton: Last year, Burton finished eighth to mark his first top 10 in three starts with Richard Childress Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His only other two top 10s in 14 overall starts came with Roush Fenway Racing in 1999 and 2000. Burton has led four times at IMS for 113 laps, most recently in 2006 when he led for 87 circuits from the pole. He owns an average starting spot of 24.1 and a finishing average of 18.4 at Indianapolis. This weekend Burton will race the same car (chassis No. 246) that most recently finished fifth at Pocono last month.

4. Carl Edwards: Edwards has posted an average finish of 13.0 in his three starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His best finish at The Brickyard is ninth place, captured in August of 2006. This weekend Edwards will shoot for his first top five at the track in a new car (chassis No. RK-609) that will carry the Aflac colors, a paint scheme he has one win with in 2008.

5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson scored his first win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2006 after leading 33 laps from the fifth starting position. It marked the second time in five starts that Johnson has finished inside the top 10 at Indy. In 2004, 2005 and 2007 Johnson recorded DNFs after an expired engine and two accidents, respectively, took him out of contention. This weekend he will be racing the same car (chassis No. 504) that finished sixth at Pocono in June.

6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon will be looking to tie Formula One driver Michael Schumacher as the only five-time winners in the 98-year history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gordon leads just about every sprint Cup statistical category at IMS with four wins, three poles, eight top fives and 433 laps led. Gordon's 16th-place finish in the 2006 race was his only outside the top 10 in the last seven events. Last year he finished third.

7. Greg Biffle: Biffle has completed every lap in the five Sprint Cup Series starts he has at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Last season he led his first laps (11) at the track en route to a 15th-place finish. This weekend Biffle will race a new car (chassis No. RK-608) in the Allstate 400.

8. Matt Kenseth: Last year, Kenseth captured his fifth top-10 finish, and third consecutive, in his eight starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Two times Kenseth has finished in the runner-up position, accomplishing the feat in 2003 and 2006. This weekend he will be driving a new car (chassis No. RK-625) that was built specifically with Indy in mind.

9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 33 laps from the pole en route to his 2003 Brickyard 400 victory. Last year in this event, Harvick led 18 laps for the second consecutive season en route to his fifth top 10 in seven starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His 7.7 average finish is second only to Tony Stewart among drivers with seven or more starts. This weekend Harvick will climb back into the same car (chassis No. 254) that finished third two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway.

10. Tony Stewart: Indiana native, Stewart captured his childhood dream in 2005 by winning his first of two Allstate 400s after leading 44 laps from the 22nd starting position. The win came in the 15th race he had competed in at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with his most starts (nine) coming in a Sprint Cup Car. Last season saw Stewart lead 65 laps en route to his second victory. He has also raced five times in the IRL IndyCar Series and three times in the IROC Series. Stewart became the first driver to start from the pole and lead the first lap in both the Indianapolis 500 (1996) and the Brickyard 400, after he won the pole in 2002. He owns an average starting spot of 16.2 and finishing average of 7.6, and is second on the all-time list with 215 laps led at Indianapolis.

11. Kasey Kahne: Kasey Kahne is coming off three consecutive top-five starts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, giving him the third-best starting average at 6.2. His best finishes in the Allstate 400 came in his first two starts when he scored consecutive top fives. This weekend he will look to carry his success from his Pocono win into Indy.

12. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin's average finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway dropped from 10.0 to 16.0 after finishing 22nd in his second career start at the 2.5-mile track. The finish came after he suffered through an early pit road speeding penalty (lap 17) and ran out of fuel after trying to race his way back to the front. In 2006, Hamlin finished 10th in his first start at The Brickyard even after his No. 11 Chevrolet experienced intermittent engine trouble. This weekend Hamlin will debut a new car (chassis No. 220) in the Allstate 400.

13. Clint Bowyer: Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of Bowyer's best tracks on the circuit based on his 8.5 average finish. In his first start in 2006, he started second and finished fourth. This weekend he will look to lead his first laps and capture his second top 10 at the 2.5-mile track when he climbs into a new car (chassis No. 257).

14. Brian Vickers: In 2007, Vickers finished 21st in his first start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Team Red Bull. His previous three starts came with Hendrick Motorsports where he posted an average finish of 16.3.

15. David Ragan: This weekend will mark Ragan's second career start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Last year he qualified 30th and finished 16th. This weekend Ragan will pilot the same car (chassis No. RK-584) that finished eighth at Michigan.

16. Ryan Newman: Newman has competed in seven races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has finished inside the top-10 once, a fourth, in 2003. Last year he recorded his second DNF at the track after a crash took him out on lap 20. Newman leads all drivers with more than one start with a 5.1 starting average. He has yet to win a pole for the Brickyard 400, but has never started worse than eighth. This weekend Newman will be driving a new car (chassis No. PRS-580) in the Allstate 400.

17. Martin Truex Jr: Indianapolis Motor Speedway is Truex Jr's worst track on the circuit where he has posted three career starts, based on his average finish of 24.3. His finishing average is hampered by a crash in his track debut that placed him 42nd. Truex brought the average down last season with a 12th-place finish.

18. Kurt Busch: Busch has three top-10 finishes in seven career starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - all coming with Roush Fenway Racing. His best finish (fifth) came in his first start at the 2.5-mile speedway in 2001. After finishing 18th in 2005, Busch's only other finish outside the top 15 resulted in a DNF and Busch calling Jimmy Spencer a "decrepit old has-been" after Spencer sent Busch into the Turn 3 wall on lap 36 in the 2002 race. In his two starts with Penske Racing Busch has posted an average finish of 11.5.

19. Bobby Labonte: Labonte has captured five top 10s, and one win in 11 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His last two starts have been with Petty Enterprises, with his best finish of 19th coming last season with the team.

20. Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya made history last year by becoming the first driver to compete in all three major events at Indianpolis Motor Speedway (Indy 500, U.S. Grand Prix and the Allstate 400). He has six starts in the Grand Prix with a top finish of fourth, and a win in his only start in the Indy 500. Last year Montoya continued his success at Indy by scoring a second-place finish in his first NASCAR start at the track.

Racingone.com

NASCAR hits the bricks

Race at Indianapolis is considered one of the big ones of the year, and Ryan Newman has a chance for a rare double.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Rowdy, Smoke, Junior and 40 other NASCAR drivers are back at work in hope of kissing the bricks.

The Sprint Cup Series, rested from its final weekend off this season, returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday.

The race has become the sport's midsummer classic only 14 years after being added to NASCAR's schedule, drawing more than 200,000 spectators around the 2.5-mile rectangular track.

Indy's rich history in open-wheel racing provides an illustrious backdrop that makes the venue appealing to NASCAR drivers, so much so they have developed their own tradition in Victory Lane. The winner and his crew turn their caps backward, kneel and kiss the strip of bricks at the start/finish line that remains from the 99-year-old speedway's early surface.

"The Brickyard is a special race," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose late father, seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, won here in 1995. "There's a ton of history. It's a top-five track as far as places I want to win over the course of my career."

But the Brickyard 400 represents more than one prestigious race. It also starts the final swing toward the series' Chase for the Cup championship playoff. Only seven races remain to set the Chase field; the last two are the Aug. 31 race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana and the Sept. 6 event at Richmond, Va.

After Richmond, the top 12 drivers in points vie for the title over the season's last 10 races.

Comfortably atop the points is "Rowdy" Kyle Busch, 23, whose breakout season has included a stunning seven wins through 19 races. But he has yet to win at Indianapolis. "It would mean a lot to kiss the bricks," Busch said.

The defending Brickyard 400 winner is two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart, an Indiana native known as "Smoke" who considers Indy sacred ground. Stewart, a former open-wheel racer with five Indy 500 appearances, won his second Brickyard 400 last year for Joe Gibbs Racing after casually sipping water at 200 mph on the final lap.

Stewart, currently 10th in points, recently announced plans to leave Gibbs after this season to become a co-owner/driver of his own two-car team, Stewart-Haas Racing, in 2009. There is also speculation that today he will announce plans to drive a No. 14 Chevrolet next year -- the number used by his racing hero A.J. Foyt -- with primary sponsorship from Old Spice and Office Depot.

The second driver for Stewart's team hasn't been announced, although Ryan Newman -- who plans to leave Penske Racing after this season -- is considered a top candidate.

Newman also is trying to become the third NASCAR driver -- along with Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jarrett -- to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. But Newman has struggled at Indy with one top-10 finish in seven starts.

Another driver switching teams after this season is veteran Mark Martin, who will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2009. Martin said last month that he expected to win the Brickyard 400 this year in his No. 8 Chevy. "Indy is one of the crown jewels of racing and we have the team that can get it done," he said.

Sunday's race also will mark the first appearance of NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow at Indy. Phased in last year and now the sole vehicle used in the Cup series, the COT was designed mainly to increase driver safety.

But drivers have complained that the car makes it difficult to race side-by-side, a problem that could be compounded here because passing already has been a challenge at the flat, sprawling Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Qualifying to set the race's 43-car field is Saturday.

latimes.com

Allstate 400 at The Brickyard HOT! Sheet

As we get back to the track this week we remind you just how good Matt Kenseth has been recently. In his last eight races, he only has one finish worse than 8th, and that came at New Hampshire when he was 18th. The #17 car has led at least one lap in five of the last eight events. If not for a flat tire in the last race at Chicago, he would have had a good shot to win but instead wound up 7th. He has three top 10s in a row at Indy so we expect the momentum to continue.

One driver that needs to heat up quickly, and he is, would be Martin Truex, Jr. His appeal of a 150-point penalty was denied this week, so if he plans on making the Chase he will have to continue averaging in the top 10 like he has done over the last three events. At New Hampshire he ran 4th. At Daytona he went from 35th to 17th. Then at Chicago he led a couple of laps and ended up 9th. He’ll be a man on a mission, so look out.

Fresh off of his ESPY for the best driver of the year, Jimmie Johnson looks to stay out front. He is racking up the bonus points for leading as he has done so in seven of the last eight races. The only one in that stretch in which he didn’t lead a lap he still managed to gain a top 10 (New Hampshire – 9th). At Chicago, he was passed during the green-white-checkered stage and went home runner-up. He won here two years ago and it wouldn’t surprise us if he does it again.

At the other end of our sheet this week is a former leader in the standings, Jeff Burton. The #31 team has been falling rapidly thanks to five finishes in a row outside the top 10. In that span, they have a 19.2 average finish. At Daytona, they had their first DNF of the season when they wrecked out in 37th. They never found the right setup at Chicago and went from 3rd to 19th. We’re not saying bench him, but he gets our “buyer beware” label this week.

Not too long ago, Travis Kvapil was giving fantasy owners some good points. However, as you can see on our chart he has really struggled in the last three races as he has an average finish of 36th. It started at New Hampshire when he placed 36th. Daytona was a little better at 31st. But then at Chicago he ended up six laps down in 41st. He doesn’t have much experience crossing the yard of bricks. In fact, he wasn’t even in last year’s race, so go ahead and look elsewhere.

profantasysports.com

Hendrick Motorsports is fast-tracking it at Indy

Three of the team's drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., are among the five fastest on opening day of practice for Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Hendrick Motorsports drivers staked an early claim Friday for this year's NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Hendrick's Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted three of the five fastest laps in opening practice for Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, widely considered the second biggest race in the Sprint Cup Series behind the Daytona 500.

But just behind them was Kyle Busch, the sport's hottest driver this year with seven wins in 19 races and a comfortable lead in the Cup points standings.

Busch, a Joe Gibbs Racing driver hoping to win his first Brickyard 400 in his fourth start, is considered a favorite again Sunday.

"If we could win here, it would be pretty special," said Busch, 23. "It's still been a great year."

Johnson, the reigning series champion, won here in 2006.

And Gordon, a four-time Cup champion, also is the only four-time winner of the Brickyard 400. "We'd love to get our fifth win here," Gordon said.

But Gordon, still searching for his first victory this season, said, "I'm not looking at setting a record right now as much as I'm looking at just wanting to win."

The fastest lap in opening practice was turned in by Elliott Sadler, driving a Dodge prepared by Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Sadler averaged 179.190 mph around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis oval.

Johnson led the second practice at 180.047 mph, followed by Gordon, Ryan Newman and Sadler teammate Kasey Kahne. Qualifying to set the race's 43-car grid is today.

The practices were a key shakeout for the teams because it was the first time that the whole Cup field had driven NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow at Indianapolis.

The car, designed mainly for increased driver safety, became mandatory this season after being used only at certain tracks in 2007.

"With the COT, it's hard to say that we can run up front for sure," said Juan Pablo Montoya, who won the Indianapolis 500 open-wheel race here in 2000 and finished second behind winner Tony Stewart in his first Brickyard 400 a year ago.

"I think our expectations should be to keep improving during the race," Montoya said.

But other drivers came away from Friday's practice with confidence, including Earnhardt, even though he bobbled on the track during the second practice to drop to 10th fastest in the session.

"I couldn't be happier with what I've got under the hood," Earnhardt said.

------

Stewart confirmed the poorly kept secret that he will drive the No. 14 Chevrolet in the Cup series next year for his new two-car team Stewart-Haas Racing.

The car, with primary sponsorship from Office Depot and Old Spice, was unveiled by Stewart at a news conference. The number 14 was used by racing legend A.J. Foyt, who "has always been my all-time hero," Stewart said.

The team's second car will carry No. 4 -- Stewart's number when he raced go-karts as a youngster -- but a driver and sponsorship for that car haven't yet been announced.

Stewart, a two-time Cup champion, currently drives the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota for Gibbs.

Members of his new team "have been joking around that we have a can that we have to put $10 in every time someone says Home Depot instead of Office Depot," Stewart said.

latimes.com

NASCAR Preview: Indianapolis
by Eric McGuire

Brickyard 400

Indianapolis is one of the most unique tracks the circuit goes to. It's a big, 2.5 mile speedway with flat 90 degree turns. The speedway is entirely symmetrical and turns 1 and 2 were designed to be just like 3 and 4. Obviously, the track was set up for Indy cars and the larger stock cars can be bears to drive around the narrow groove.

Because the track is so unique, fantasy players have to rely a lot on past races there -- even if the COT has never been there. At the same time, take notice of drivers who have been strong all season. Drivers who have been able to get their car to handle well through the 4 corners (like Tony Stewart) and who have had great horsepower all year (like Tony Stewart) should be at the top of your fantasy lists for this weekend.

1. Tony Stewart, #20 Home Depot Toyota, Gibbs Racing
Stewart won this race last season after leading 65 laps. He has 4 top 5's in 9 starts (won in 2005) and has the best average finish among active drivers with more than 3 starts. He should be one of the top class A picks you consider this weekend.

2. Kyle Busch, #18 M & M's Toyota, Gibbs Racing
7 wins in 19 starts in 2008. It's tough to rank anyone over him no matter where the series goes. He has never finished outside of the top 10 in 3 starts at the Brickyard and was 4th last year after leading 17 laps.

3. Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports
The Brickyard King has 4 wins in 14 starts and was 3rd last season. He never really showed that he could run out front well last season, but he won the first race here and is a candidate to win the first one in the new car. There is no better place to break out of this winless streak for Gordon.

4. Kevin Harvick, #29 Shell/Reeses/GM Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Harvick has an average finish of 7.7 at the Brickyard (4th best among active drivers) and was 7th last season after leading 18 laps. He has 5 top 10's in 7 starts and a win. He's definitely a class A choice to consider this weekend.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr, #88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Earnhardt is a great class B choice this weekend. He had the car to challenge Stewart last season before blowing an engine and led 33 laps. He has just 2 top 10's in 8 starts, but was 6th in 2006, giving him a couple strong runs in a row.

6. Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports
Johnson won this race in 2006 and is coming off a 2nd place run at Chicago where he almost captured the win. He is finally getting comfortable in the new car after spending last season chasing the championship and not testing as much as other competitors. He could win this weekend.

7. Mark Martin, #8 Army Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Martin has 9 top 10's in 14 starts at Indianapolis and should be considered for your clas B roster this weekend. He was 6th last season and will be driving for a team that had a dominant car in this race last year with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

8. Jeff Burton, #31 ATamp;T Mobility Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Burton was 8th last season in this race after leading the most laps in the 2006 event. He isn't good enough to overtake the top notch class A drivers for a spot on your roster, but will be a factor during the race.

9. Matt Kenseth, #17 DeWalt Tools Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
After his 10th place finish last year, Kenseth has 5 top 10's in 8 starts at the Brickyard, 4 of them top 5's. I'm not sure he will be a contender for the win, but he usually finishes solidly. If he weren't in the class A group, he'd be a great pick.

10. Kasey Kahne, #9 Budweiser Dodge, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports
Kahne will be forgotten by most fantasy players this weekend who don't look beyond the statistics at the Brickyard. In 4 trips to Indy, Kahne has never qualified worse than 12th. He scored top 5's in each of his first two starts, including a 2nd place run where he led 39 laps in 2005. He crashed last season, but based on his having run better than he did last year, he may have a car that will allow him to once again show his talent here

11. Clint Bowyer, #07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Bowyer finished 4th in his rookie year and 13th last year. He's a solid pick to do well, but not a top class A option.

12. Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Biffle has just 1 top 10 in 5 starts, but did lead 11 laps last year despite finishing 15th in the race. He's not a top class B option, but is intriguing considering his 2008 turnaround and season long consistency.

13. Carl Edwards, #99 Office Depot Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Edwards was 9th, 12th, and 18th in his last 3 starts at the Brickyard. There are too many other good class A choices to use him this weekend.

14. Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Dodge, Penske Racing South
Busch was 12th and 11th in his last 2 Brickyard starts and he has 1 top 5 in 7 starts. He isn't a top pick, but is another viable option at least.

15. Denny Hamlin, #11 FedEx Toyota, Gibbs Racing
Hamlin was 22nd last season after a 10th in 2006. He is good on almost all of the flatter tracks on the circuit and is one of the best drivers at Pocono. He won't be on your class A roster this weekend, but don't be surprised if he joins his Gibbs teammates near the front of the field.

16. Brian Vickers, #83 Red Bull Toyota, Red Bull Racing
Vickers is coming off another top 10 at Chicago and gets around Indianapolis pretty well. His last three finishes at the Brickyard are 3rd, 17th, and 21st. He is definitely the top class C choice yet again this weekend.

17. Juan Pablo Montoya, #42 Texaco Havoline Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing
It's easy to forget that Juan Pablo was 2nd in this race last season. He has a storied history at Indianapolis and this is another weekend (along with the road courses) that he is worth taking a chance on in the class B group.

18. Ryan Newman, #12 ALLTEL Dodge, Penske Racing South
Newman crashed last year and had a race to forget, but was 13th in 2006. Still, he has just 1 top 10 in 7 starts; there are many better drivers to use this weekend.

19. Martin Truex, Jr., #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc
Truex has finished 19th and 12th in his two Brickyard starts. The team needs to rebound from the penalty it was given after Daytona if it wants to make the Chase and they are running out of time to do it. I'm not sure this is a good time to have Truex on your roster based on the way he has run this season overall.

20. David Ragan, #6 AAA Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Ragan was 16th in his only start at the Brickyard and has been consistent enough this year to put himself in contention for a Chase spot. He isn't good enough this weekend for your class B roster though.

21. Reed Sorenson, #41 Target Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing
Sorenson joins his teammate Montoya in the sleeper category this weekend. He was 5th in this race last year and led 16 laps -- a great improvement from his 30th place finish in 2006. It may have been outside the norm for him, but if your league allows you to substitute after qualifying and practice, he will be someone to keep an eye on.

22. Dave Blaney, #22 Caterpillar Toyota, Bill Davis Racing
Blaney placed an impressive 9th last season in this event, but his classification as a B driver makes him all but obsolete in Yahoo fantasy leagues. If you are in a league that ranks by current point standings, he will be a good choice.

23. Bobby Labonte, #43 Cheerios Dodge, Petty Enterprises
Labonte has a win and 4 top 5's (in 4 straight starts from 1997 to 2000) in 14 starts, but was just 19th last season in this event and does not have the horsepower to be a factor this weekend.

24. David Gilliland, #38 freecreditreport.com Ford, Robert Yates Racing
In his only start at the Brickyard, Gilliland scored a 17th place finish. He isn't likely to better that result, but deserves to be ranked based on it.

25. Paul Menard, #15 Menard's Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Menard was 20th in Indy last year, making him another good class C option should you feel that you are using Brian Vickers way too often.

26. Elliott Sadler, #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports
Sadler has 1 top 5 (also his only top 10) in 9 Brickyard starts. He was 28th last season and you should avoid him in your fantasy league.

27. Casey Mears, #5 Kellogg's/Carquest Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Mears hasn't been that impressive at Indy since his 6th place run a few years ago. As usual, he shouldn't be on your class B roster this weekend.

28. Jamie McMurray, #26 Crown Royal Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
I don't think I'm alone in advising you to leave McMurray off your roster at the Brickyard. He has a top 10 in 5 starts, but is in the same sinking ship as Mears this season despite being in solid Roush equipment.

29. Robby Gordon, #7 Jim Beam Dodge, Robby Gordon Racing
Gordon scored back to back top 10's at Indy in 2002 and 2003, but has not been a factor in any race since then. Look elsewhere in the class B group.

30. Travis Kvapil, #28 Ford, Robert Yates Racing
Kvapil is listed based on his consistency throughout 2008 in the class C group that lacks depth compared to last season (when fantasy players could choose from JJ Yeley, David Stremme, and Reed Sorenson on a weekly basis). Outside of Brian Vickers, the group lacks a true threat to score a top 10 on any given weekend.

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Johnson grabs the pole for Indy

Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Jimmie Johnson edged Mark Martin for the pole in Sunday's 15th running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson, the No.48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver and two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, rounded the famed 2.5-mile track in 49.515 seconds (181.763 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Johnson's second of the season and the 15th of his Sprint Cup career. He won the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500 in February.

"I had a great race car," Johnson said. "I was a little unhappy with myself after my qualifying lap and sat in front of the truck pretty nervous, knowing that Mark (Martin) was coming and some other good cars. I just got through one so well, I went into two and went into my normal mark. My car got tight and missed two, and you have such a long straightaway. I thought I was going to pay for it and really be behind."

It was Johnson's first pole in seven races at Indianapolis. He won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 2006.

Martin, in the No.8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., posted the second-best time of 49.616

Dodge drivers Ryan Newman (49.732) and Kasey Kahne (49.776) will make up row two.

Points leader Kyle Busch qualified 19th. Busch comes to Indianapolis with a 262-point lead, and as good as he's been lately, Busch is surely a favorite to win. He has finished 10th or better in his first three races at Indy.

Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Tony Stewart, is another favorite to win at Indy. Stewart, from nearby Columbus, IN, has won two of the last three races there. He'll start 14th.

Last year, Stewart passed Harvick in the closing laps and held off Montoya at the finish for his second victory at Indianapolis. He made his final pit stop with 33 laps to go, taking on four fresh tires. After green-flag stops cycled through, Stewart reclaimed the lead with 31 laps remaining.

Stewart built a 3.8-second lead with 25 laps to go, but his margin was erased when the caution flag flew after Earnhardt, Jr.'s engine blew, spewing oil onto the track.

On the restart, Stewart and Harvick pulled ahead from the field and battled for the lead. Stewart took a look on the inside with 15 left but couldn't complete the move. He made the same attempt at the end of the backstretch with 13 remaining, but again, Harvick turned him away. The third time was the charm. After getting Harvick a little loose, he completed the pass with 10 to go.

Montoya moved up to the second spot, but could not catch Stewart in time. Stewart crossed the finish line 2.982 seconds ahead of Montoya for the win.

Montoya has a chance to become the first driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. He joined A.J. Foyt and Danny Sullivan as previous Indy 500 champs who have competed in a Cup race at Indy. Foyt finished 30th and Sullivan came in 33rd in the 1994 inaugural Brickyard 400.

Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Jeff Gordon (fifth), Carl Edwards (ninth), Matt Kenseth (10th), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (11th), Juan Pablo Montoya (13th), Kevin Harvick (18th) and Jeff Burton (32nd).

Bill Elliott, Johnny Sauter, Tony Raines and Stanton Barrett are those drivers who failed to qualify.

The green flag is scheduled to drop on Sunday around 2 p.m. (et).

McMurray says he'll be back at Roush Fenway in '09
July 26, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Jamie McMurray said he isn't going anywhere, no matter what team owner Jack Roush said, or didn't say.

While running down Roush Fenway's future plans Friday, the owner left McMurray off the list but made sure to mention fellow Roush drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, David Ragan and Greg Biffle.

Though he called McMurray ``important'' to him, Roush expressed disappointment in McMurray's performance this season. The 32-year-old is 22nd in the season points race and all but assured of missing the Chase for the championship for the third consecutive year.

Asked about it after qualifying eighth for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis, McMurray called Roush's comments no big deal.

``I can't control what Jack says and sometimes Jack will go off a little bit and it maybe gets out of control,'' he said. ``If you look at the results (we) haven't been as good as the other four teams, so Jack is just kind of stating the obvious.''

McMurray has just three Top 10 finishes this season, hasn't won in over a year and is below his four teammates in the season standings.

``I can give you a long list of things that if it would have been just a little different, we would have had some really good finishes,'' McMurray said. ``So I'm optimistic with all that, so we'll just have to move on.''

Perhaps to another team. There has been speculation that McMurray, whose contract with Roush Fenway runs through 2009, could leave to join Richard Childress Racing, rumors that McMurray flatly denied.

``There's no truth to that,'' McMurray said. ``Richard is looking for a driver and I'm somewhat flattered to have my name on a list that another owner would want you, but I will be in this car and not at Richard Childress Racing.''

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TICKED OFF TOYOTA: Toyota is still smarting over NASCAR's mandate to cut down its horsepower in its Nationwide Series engines, an order top official Lee White called ``draconian'' and punishment for the manufacturer's success this season.

NASCAR changed the size of the spacer that's used in all Nationwide motors, a move that targeted Toyota's dominance and is expected to squeeze 15 horsepower out of its engines.

Toyota has dominated the Nationwide Series, winning 14 of 21 events heading into Saturday night's race at O'Reilly Raceway Park. All but one of those wins have been done with a Camry fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing.

Bowing to complaints from other teams, NASCAR changed the parameters earlier this week even though it allows that Toyota was within the rules.

``This is about too much success to soon and we understand that,'' said White, president of Toyota Racing Development. ``We don't have to like it, but we understand it.''

White said testing under the new guidelines showed that Toyota motors had fallen to the back of the pack in horsepower, but the rule change would not deter their focus on technology and advancement.

``We're going to be here. If we have to race armadillos, we're still going to be here cranking on armadillo horsepower and racing,'' White said.

Kyle Busch, who has picked up five Nationwide wins this season, doesn't think the rule change will make much of a difference on the track.

``I think that was a bad decision on NASCAR's part,'' Busch said. ``I think it was just a lot of whiney complainers that got their way and hopefully we can go out there and whoop their (butt) again.''

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PENSKE RIDE: With Ryan Newman leaving Penske Racing at the end of the season, there has been plenty of speculation about possible replacements in the No. 12 Dodge.

Roger Penske, with his IndyCar team in Edmonton for Saturday's race, said the process to find a new driver for the team's third car has just begun.

``A number of people have called us,'' Penske said. ``We've got options to take a look at.''

Penske expects to take the next few weeks going through the process after sitting down with sponsors to discuss driver options, though he stressed he's still focused on helping Newman finish the year strong.

``It would be to the benefit of Ryan, our team, everybody to get him in the Chase,'' Penske said.

Newman, who will start third on Sunday, has plenty of work to do to get into NASCAR's postseason. The Daytona 500 champion is 16th in the points, 189 behind Denny Hamlin, currently holding down the 12th and final Chase-eligible position.

Former Penske driver Rusty Wallace, now a TV commentator, made some waves earlier this week when he said Newman had been fired. Newman denied it on Friday and Penske followed suit Saturday.

``(Newman) made a decision, we made it together that he'd move on,'' Penske said. ``There was no issue between the two of us. There's some reports that there was and that's not the case.''

Newman, who made several jokes at Wallace's expense on Friday, took the high road after being vindicated by Penske.

``The bottom line is what (Wallace) said wasn't true and we'll move on,'' Newman said.

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GIVING UP THE KEYS?: Mark Martin laughed off questions Saturday comparing him to Brett Favre, saying that unlike the NFL star, Martin has never used the word retirement.

The 49-year-old Martin, who qualified second for Sunday's race, will run full-time on the Sprint Cup for the first time since 2005 next year when he joins Hendrick Motorsports. The two-year deal to replace Casey Mears means Martin will put off - again - his postracing career.

Martin admits the decision to retire - whenever it comes - will be a difficult one. He likened the decision to the difficult process of watching his father take away the car keys of his grandfather, Clyde Martin. His grandfather was around 90 at the time, but the family decided to take away his driving privileges after striking someone on a bicycle with his car.

``That was a really hard day you know,'' Martin said. ``At some point in time you have to meet those kinds of things all through life. I think for a professional athlete that is pretty good at what he does, that comes earlier in life.''

Just not yet for NASCAR's fast old man.