Edwards off crutches

Carl Edwards is off his crutches—at least for the moment—according to multiple tweets from the track (see @BobPockrass and @DustinLong).

Our View This comes at a great time since Edwards is typically one of the favorites on either two-mile track. A victory might still be a little stretch, but a solid finish on either side of fifth will make him great value at Auto Club Speedway.

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Official tweets from the track

Danica Rumor Retracted

As quickly as they spread the rumor, ESPN Insider (via Jayski.com) retracted the story saying that the real number per race is likely closer to $50,000 or $100,000.

Our View That would certainly make her more appealing to a sponsor.

One thing the rumor underscores, however, is that even false reports about this superstar will get a lot of media coverage.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Auto Club

Grip was at a premium this week in Fontana, Calif. and if some of the Chasers don't find it on Saturday, the Pepsi 500 is going to seem like a 1,000-mile event. Several top contenders are going to come from deep in the pack, but Matt Kenseth has proved that it can be done. For a list of potential comers and goers, check out this week's Yahoo! qualification story .pdf story.

Hamlin wins Auto Club pole

Denny Hamlin posted a lap of 183.870 mph and will lead the field to green in the Pepsi 500. David Reutimann was the only other driver to break the 183 mark with a lap of 183.108.

Our View Hamlin is a flat track master and while this course is steeper than Pocono, New Hampshire and Phoenix, it fits well into his portfolio.

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Official tweets from the track

Montoya fastest in Auto Club practice 1

Juan Montoya topped the speed chart in Friday's practice, with a lap of 183.556 mph.

Our View Montoya continues to be the biggest surprise of the Chase and he is one of the best values in most games.

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Official tweets from the track

Busch blows engine in Auto Club practice 1

Kyle Busch woke up Friday morning with a touch of the flu, but his day got even worse during practice. The No. 18 blew an engine after the driver missed a shift in the first session and the team will be forced to change it.

Our View No matter where he qualifies, Busch will now have to start at the back of the grid. He had a strong run at Auto Club Speedway in the spring, but it appears unlikely he will be able to back that up this week.

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Official tweets from the track

Danica wants $8 Mil for Nationwide Deal?

According to ESPN Insider, Danica Patrick is asking for eight million dollars to run eight Nationwide races in 2010, which would make her one of the most expensive part timers of all time.

Our View She would certainly bring a lot of attention to the series, but it's hard to imagine someone stepping up to the plate for that amount of cash in today's economy.

Wonder how much she wants for the ARCA races...

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IRL: Homestead Avg. Fin

If you were thinking about Dan Wheldon this week – we highly agree.

Driver	Avg Finish	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004
Dan Wheldon	1.80	3	1	1	1	3
Sam Hornish Jr	2.25		3	3	2	1
Helio Castroneves	4.40	4	9	2	5	2
Scott Dixon	8.40	1	2	5	16	18
Tony Kanaan	7.00	8	5	11	3	8
Ryan Hunter-Reay	7.00	7
Patrick Carpentier	7.00				7
Felipe Giaffone	8.00			8
Vitor Meira	8.50	10	4	16	4
Tomas Scheckter	8.25		8	9	11	5
Eddie Cheever Jr	10.00			10
Scott Sharp	10.25		12	7	13	9
Darren Manning	9.50	13	13		6	6
Dario Franchitti	12.50		7	4	22	17
Sarah Fisher	11.00		11
Kosuke Matsuura	11.25		16	6	12	11
P J Chesson	12.00			12
Anthony Foyt IV	12.75	9	18		9	15
Oriol Servia	12.00	12
Ed Carpenter	12.20	5	6	20	18	12
Marco Andretti	12.33	2	20	15
Danica Patrick	13.00	6	14	17	15
Alex Barron	14.33		19		8	16
Bryan Herta	13.33			13	14	13
Buddy Lazier	14.00			14
Franck Perera	14.00	14
Buddy Rice	13.00	11	10	18	19	7
Paul Dana	14.50			19	10
Justin Wilson	15.00	15
Mario Moraes	16.00	16
E J Viso	17.00	17
Roger Yasukawa	17.00				17
Jeff Simmons	17.00		17
Enrique Bernoldi	18.00	18
Marty Roth	18.00	21	15
Ryan Briscoe	19.50	19			20
Milka Duno	20.00	20
Tomas Enge	21.00				21
Jay Howard	22.00	22
Bruno Junqueira	23.00	23
Hideki Mutoh	24.00	24
Will Power	25.00	25

Trulli NASCAR?

Add Jarno Trulli to the list of potential Formula 1/NASCAR crossovers. He will reportedly test a Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota at Lakeland this winter along side Mika Salo.

Our View Trulli could potentially join Nelson Piquet Jr. and IndyCar stars Vitor Meira and Danica Patrick in part= or full-time schedules in 2010. If these stars are capable of bringing any kind of sponsorship to the table, the field is wide open for them with up to 14 percent of the field being taken by "start and park" teams this year.

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