June 9, 2009

Mayfield drug named

The drug Jeremy Mayfield allegedly took has been named. According to ESPN.com, NASCAR believes he tested positive for methamphetamines.

Our View: This is certainly a serious drug that is extremely addictive. We hope the truth eventually is revealed and if Mayfield was indeed under the influence, he deserves the suspension and banishment.

We also understand NASCAR reluctance to name the drug immediately, as this would have done major damage to Mayfield's reputation.

Michigan Yahoo! preview

Michigan is one of NASCAR's perfect tracks with long sweeping corners and enough room to pass. It has also been very predictable ever since Jack Roush started fielding cars. Check out this week's Yahoo! Fantasy Preview (.pdf) for a sneak peak at who'll be their toughest competitors.

Carpentier to drive for Waltrip at Infineon

Patrick Carpentier will drive the No. 55 for Michael Waltrip at Infineon Raceway next week, according to a Tweet from @mw55.

Our View: Michael Waltrip Racing's cars are powerful as evidenced by the strong runs of David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose. Carpentier could be one of the best road ringers at Infineon.

N'Wide: Kentucky's last five races

For the second straight week, the NASCAR Cup and Nationwide Series are at different tracks, making this one of the opportunity races for the Nationwide Regulars. Last week, only two Claim Jumpers made the long commute from Pocono Raceway to Nashville Superspeedway. And even though Kyle Busch won both the pole and the race with Carl Edwards finishing third in the Federated Auto Parts 300, that left eight spots remaining for the Regulars to score much needed top-10s for their resume.

The same thing often happens at Kentucky. Last year, Scott Wimmer took a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to a second-place finish behind teenage sensation Joey Logano and drivers without fulltime Cup rides swept the top five. Logano and Wimmer were followed across the line by Mike Wallace in third, Brad Keselowski in fourth and Bryan Clauson in fifth.

Marcos Ambrose was sixth and fantasy owners had to look as far back as seventh to find Claim Jumper David Ragan. The same thing could happen this week, and in any event owners would be able to theoretically fill their roster with the top drivers—if only they can identify them.

Average finish, last five races

DriverAvg Finish20082007200620052004







Joey Logano1.001



David Gilliland1.00

1

Scott Wimmer2.5023


Brad Keselowski4.004



Martin Truex Jr4.00


26
Ron Hornaday Jr4.00



4
Bryan Clauson5.005



Shane Huffman5.00
5


Stephen Leicht5.50
110

Aric Almirola6.00
6


Kevin Harvick6.00

6

Sterling Marlin 6.00


6
Mike Bliss 6.6789

3
Paul Menard 7.00

95
David Ragan7.5078


J J Yeley8.00
122711
Marcos Ambrose8.50611


Clint Bowyer8.509
12310
Brad Coleman8.50152


Denny Hamlin9.00

315
Landon Cassill11.0011



Robby Gordon 12.00



12
Greg Biffle 12.25
107302
David Reutimann12.3313168

Ashton Lewis 12.67

5258
Kelly Bires13.00197


James Buescher14.0014



Tony Raines 14.00


1315
Boris Said14.00

14

David Stremme14.25124
329
Kyle Busch14.6730
13
1
Dave Blaney15.00
15


John Andretti15.00

15

Cale Gale15.501813


Casey Atwood 15.50


922
Mike Wallace 15.753254
31
Brandon Miller16.00


16
Jon Wood16.00

2210
Robert Pressley 16.00



16
Jason Keller 16.501020
315
Steve Wallace16.67172211

Timothy Peters17.00
17


Stacy Compton 17.00

24819
Kasey Kahne 17.00



17
David Green 18.00
26211213
Tyler Walker19.00


19
Jason Leffler 19.25161440
7
Todd Kluever20.00
2317

Justin Labonte 20.50


1130
Michel Jourdain Jr20.50

1823
Kevin Hamlin21.00
21


Hermie Sadler 21.00



21
Randy LaJoie 21.00


21
Reed Sorenson21.50

394
Chad Blount22.00


22
Carl Edwards 22.502033361
Josh Wise23.0023



Steve Grissom 23.50


2720
Kevin Lepage24.0024



Kenny Wallace 24.0029
201433
Brent Sherman24.00
24


Billy Parker24.00



24
Tim Sauter 24.00

2820
Rusty Wallace 24.00


24
Aaron Fike24.50

3118
Kevin Grubb 25.00

25

Burney Lamar25.5032
19

Mark Green 26.0022

3323
D J Kennington26.0026



Mark McFarland26.00

26

Stanton Barrett 26.3325

1737
Regan Smith 27.00
19164132
Shelby Howard27.00
27


Joel Kauffman27.00

27

Jimmy Kitchens 27.00



27
Richard Johns28.00
28


Ryan Hemphill 28.00


28
Michael Waltrip 28.00


4214
Bobby Hamilton Jr28.332136

28
Chase Miller28.503918


Kyle Krisiloff29.00
29


Wade Day29.00


29
Johnny Benson Jr29.00



29
Chris Cook30.00

30

Derrike Cope31.0031



Kertus Davis 31.003730
26
Johnny Sauter 31.67

323825
Kenny Hendrick 32.0034

4418
Justin Diercks32.00
3133

Andy Ponstein33.0033



Robert Richardson34.00
34


Auggie Vidovich34.00

34

Eric McClure34.33283243

Jamie Mosley34.50
40353726
Jay Sauter 34.50

29
40
Brian Keselowski35.0035



Danny O'Quinn Jr35.00443823

Gus Wasson 35.00



35
Johnny Chapman36.0036



Clint Vahsholtz36.00



36
Wayne Edwards 36.00


36
A J Frank 37.00
37


Tim Fedewa 37.00


4034
Blake Feese37.50


3441
Justin Hobgood38.0038



Shane Hall38.00

38

Buckshot Jones 38.00



38
Brett Rowe39.00
39


Eric Jones 39.00


39
Travis Geisler39.00



39
Jeff Fuller39.33

413542
Brad Teague 39.6727

4844
Dwayne Leik40.0040



Chris Horn 40.75
35374348
Larry Gunselman41.0041



Mike Harmon 41.00
41


Danny Efland42.0042



Morgan Shepherd42.33434242

Carlos Contreras43.00
43


John Hayden 44.00

44

Stan Boyd 44.50

46
43
Johnny Borneman III45.00


45
David Odell45.00

45

Shawna Robinson 45.00



45
Stuart Kirby 46.00



46
Damon Lusk 46.00


46
Jerry Robertson 47.00


47
Justin Ashburn47.00



47


More Nationwide Newsbreakers

Double-file restarts are a non issue at Pocono

NASCAR now has one race under its belt with double-file restarts, but that was enough to allow Carl Edwards to offer suggestions, according to NASCAR.com.

Our View: Edwards suggested that the leader should have his own row—something known as a Delaware restart in dirt racing circles—which protects some of the advantage he has worked so hard to get.

Kurt Busch on double-file restarts
Tony Stewart on double-file restarts
Kasey Kahne on double-file restarts