Inspection complete

Both the post-race tear down and the engine inspection is complete following the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond and everyone passed.

Our View Most fantasy games don't adjust points for penalties, but it's still nice to carry into the next race without any negative press.

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MWR confirms Tryson

According to a tweet from @MartySmith, Michael Waltrip Racing has confirmed that Pat Tryson will be the crew chief for Martin Truex Jr. next year in the Cup series.

Our View It remains to be seen if the short time status of Tryson will affect Kurt Busch's Chase efforts. Follow the No. 2 team with some caution.

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R Gordon wins off-road race at Primm

Last weekend, Robby Gordon turned his car over to David Gilliland so he could race in the Primm 300 off-road race. It paid off; he won over Rob MacCachren by only a minute, according to Race-dezert.com.

Our View It's rare to see a NASCAR driver forego a points' paying Cup race, so this underscores Gordon's love of his off-road roots.

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With career best Richmond finish, Vickers makes the Chase

Brian Vickers earned his first career top-10 at Richmond since his inaugural start in 2004 (in which he finished eighth) with a solid seventh-place finish and that was enough to clinch his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase berth.

Our View By the numbers, he was a long shot, but this is why they run the race and Vickers is one of two drivers to make his first playoff appearance.

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Hometown Hamlin wins Richmond

After dominating most of the night, our pre-race favorite Denny Hamlin won the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Our View Yee haw.

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Richmond pit stalls

Jayski has posted the pit stall selections, and as expected Mighty Mark Martin has taken the best spot after winning the pole for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Our View Martin Truex Jr and Kasey Kahne have the only other two spots with an opening in front of them, but Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski chose stalls with openings behind them.

This could be especially positive for Keselowski, who is bound to be cheap in cap games and under-utilized in allocation games.

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N'Wide: Crippled Carl wins Richmond

Carl Edwards won the Richmond Nationwide race with one foot tied behind his back. Broken right foot and all, he outpaced the field after taking the lead late in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250.

Our View Edwards had to come from the back of the pack after a poor qualification effort. This gives him confidence entering the Saturday night Cup race, but his record is still not good enough to recommend starting him in the big show.

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Ku Busch loses crew chief

If the stress of the Chase were not enough, SPEED TV reported on Friday that Kurt Busch would lose his crew chief Pat Tryson at the end of the 2009 season.

Our View This situation could deteriorate in a hurry if the No. 2 team starts to struggle, so keep a close eye on Busch. If you are in conflict about starting him at all, err on the side of caution.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Richmond

Nearly all of the bubble boys will be clustered together on the start grid, adding to the drama of the final regular season race. The most popular Yahoo! players are together as well, so check out this week's qualification story .pdf story.

And in case you missed it, click here for this week's preview.

Martin wins Richmond Happy Hour

Mark Martin posted the quickest average speed in Happy Hour practice at Richmond, with a speed of 122.013 mph during 11 laps.

Our View That was a relatively short run, but he was also third-best in the morning session. His fastest lap in Happy Hour was third on the grid, so he should be considered a favorite to win both the pole and the race.

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Montoya fastest in Happy Hour

Juan Montoya had a seesaw Happy Hour session, but when the red and black flags were waved to signal its end, he was at the top of the charts with a lap of 124.412 mph.

Our View Montoya has been strong on the short tracks this year, but he has yet to score a top-five. If you are content with a top-10 at his level, however, he's still a good value.

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Truex wins Richmond practice 1

Martin Truex Jr. posted the quickest average speed in the first Richmond practice session among drivers working primarily on race trim. His average speed was 119.718 mph during 25 laps.

Our View After dominating early last week at Atlanta and falling off the pace late in the Pep Boys Auto 500, Truex needs redemption, but it's unlikely to come here. He has only one top-five in seven starts with an average of 23.9.

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Nemechek fastest in Richmond practice 1

Joe Nemechek posted the fastest single lap of practice in the morning session, with a lap of 122.867 mph.

Our View As one of the "go-or-go-home" drivers, he only turned 12 laps, but as a start and parker, this is pretty much the only thing on his agenda.

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F1: Sutil paces Italy GP practice 2

Adrian Sutil posted the fastest lap in the second practice for the Italian Grand Prix with less than five minutes remaining in the session.

Our View As impressive as that was, it was more notable that the driver he kicked off the top spot was Romain Grosjean, the rookie driver in the second Renault entry.

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RPM – Yates to merge

Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced an intention to merge their companies in 2010. Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard will be the drivers and the entity will race Fords.

Our View That leaves Bobby Labonte and Reed Sorenson out of rides next year.

This has to be one of the most convoluted entities of all time since RPM is made up of a merger between Petty and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports and Yates, who absorbed Hall of Fame Racing at the start of this year. The economy makes strange bedfellows, and it is not improving competition.

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Yahoo! Richmond Preview

Only 44 cars will be entered this week, but there are still some pretty good dark horse choices this late in the season. Find out our best bets in this week's Yahoo! preview (.pdf).

Kahne wins seesaw battle over Harvick

The night was filled with comers and goers, but a late-race caution gave the edge to Kasey Kahne. His short run setup was better than Kevin Harvick's and he sprinted out to the lead with a handful of laps remaining.

Our View Three drivers dominated at different times. Harvick led 66 laps compared to Kahne's 60, but Martin Truex Jr. led the most laps at the start of the Pep Boys Auto 500 and headed the field for 68 circuits.

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N'Wide: Harvick dominates Atlanta

Kevin Harvick led 131 laps and dominated the Degree V12 300, but the victory was still in question during the final laps as Dale Earnhardt Jr. tried to turn the race into a fuel mileage gamble. It didn't matter, Harvick ran down the leaders and won.

Our View Harvick also had to overcome a seven-second mistake on pit road. That showed a lot of strength.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Atlanta

Starting position is of critical importance at Atlanta, so the drivers starting on the first five rows should dominate this week's roster. Check out this week's Yahoo! qualification story (.pdf) to see who is hot prior to Sunday's race.

Truex wins third career pole

Martin Truex Jr. utilized cool conditions to win his second pole of the season and the third of his career with a speed of 184.149 mph. He will lead the field to green on Sunday night, with Kasey Kahne on the outside of the front row.

Our View Qualification is extremely important at Atlanta, but the No. 1 team's luck has been abysmal. Outside pole sitter Kahne will be a better bargain this week.

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Gilliland in fourth Gibbs car for three races

Earlier this week it was announced that Bobby Labonte would replace David Gilliland in the No. 71 in seven of the final 12 races this season, which left the California native out of a ride in those events. He won't sit idle for at least two races, however, as he has been tagged to attempt to qualify a fourth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at Texas and Homestead-Miami with sponsorship from Farmer's Bureau Insurance, according to ESPN.com. Gilliland is also expected to run the Gibbs car at Lowe's Motor Speedway, which is not a race Labonte is scheduled to run in the No. 71, but there is no shortage of drivers waiting to take his place.

Our View Gilliland will be much more competitive in the Gibbs car than he was in the start and park Racer's Group ride.

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Elliott out, Gilliland in at Atlanta

According to a tweet from @NateRyan, David Gilliland will replace Bill Elliott in the No. 21 Wood Bros. Ford this week while Elliott heals from back problems.

Our View If you've lost track of the musical chairs, it has gone this way: Erick Darnell is in the No. 96 at Atlanta (and six more races), displacing Bobby Labonte (who is in the No. 71 for those same seven events), displacing David Gilliland who now is in the No. 21. This time of year is not known as the Silly Season without reason.

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Correction: Labonte not guaranteed to start Atlanta

Bobby Labonte will not be able to use his past champion's provisional this week since he was not the original driver entered for the Pep Boys Auto 500, according to Jayski.com.

Our View Jayski quotes the following from the rule book: "If after starting position 1 through 42 are assigned and there remains an eligible car owner whose driver is the current or a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion who participated as a driver in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and who was entered in the Event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline, a 43rd provisional starting position, the "Champion's Provisional", will be assigned to that car owner."

The entry deadline is Tuesday of each week prior to each event.

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Edwards injured playing Frisbee

Carl Edwards has broken his foot while playing Frisbee, according to a tweet from Jayski. He is still expected to race this weekend, however.

Our View Edwards was a big enough favorite that this does not automatically eliminate him from contention for you roster, but if you were on the fence about starting him in games with rosters that must be decided pre-weekend, this could be the deciding factor.

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NASCAR lowers age in some divisions

NASCAR will lower the minimum age to compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series to 14, according to NASCAR.com.

Our View Several regional and national touring dirt series allow competitors to be this young and NASCAR apparently wants to keep up, but one has to wonder if this is too young.

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Labonte in No. 71 at Atlanta

Bobby Labonte will be behind the wheel of the No. 71 Chevrolet according to FoxSports.com, and as the most recent past champion running for a team outside the top 35 in owner points, he is guaranteed to start. Erik Darnell is taking over the No. 96 in seven of the last 12 races, which left Labonte out of a ride in those events until this deal was struck. Labonte will start those seven races with the Racer's Group.

Our View David Gilliland will sit out the seven races that Labonte starts, so it looks like he was the last man standing when the musical stopped. Until the Labonte/No. 71 gets a race or two under their belt and prove to be more than just a start and park operation, they should be avoided. This week, they enter the event with a sponsor on the hood, so the Racer's Group might actually try to go the distance.

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Yahoo! Atlanta Preview

The Chase contenders will be the ones to watch this week at Atlanta, but fantasy owners know it's not all about who wins. Check out this week's Yahoo! preview (.pdf) for a look at the top marquee drivers and dark horses alike.

Keselowski officially to Penske in 2010

On Tuesday morning, Penske Racing announced one of the worst kept secrets of the 2009 Silly Season: Brad Keselowski will run the No. 12 Dodge in 2010, according to multiple sources.

Our View This appears to be a one-year deal while Mark Martin runs his final season with Hendrick Motorsports. Don't be surprised to see him land in the No. 5 in 2011 with the possibility that Justin Allgaier could graduate into Cup that same year.

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Harvick re-confirmed in No. 29

With rumors still swirling around the garage and in the media about Kevin Harvick's desire to leave RCR, Richard Childress issued another statement saying both the driver and sponsor will be back in 2009.

Our View Unless results improve, however, the alliance will continue to be an uneasy one. NASCAR is known for quick turnarounds in momentum, however.

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Labonte may yet return to Yates in 2010

Yates Racing is still in negotiation with Ask.com to sponsor Bobby Labonte for 2010 and it is likely that their relationship with Roush-Fenway Racing will not comtinue next year, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View Not sure how that effects Erik Darnell for 2010, so fantasy owners will need to stay tuned for further details.

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Darnell to race No. 96

Erik Darnell will race seven of the last 12 races in the No. 96 Ford beginning this weekend at Atlanta, according to a press release from Yates Racing. Bobby Labonte will fill the seat for the other five races. He also is scheduled to race at New Hampshire, Kansas, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead.

Our View The young gun is the first official rookie to toss his hat into next year's ring, but this might also have other implications. It has been rumored that Roush Racing and Yates have been talking about making the smaller entity a satellite team and this could be the first step toward securing a ride for Jamie McMurray in 2010 as well.

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Keselowski / Papis will not exchange Christmas cards

It doesn't appear that Max Papis and Brad Keselowski will be exchanging Christmas cards this year after the No. 88 spun Papis' No. 01 late in the Montreal road race. For Papis' view, check out the tweets @MaxPapis.

Our View This budding rivalty is probably not going to be very impactful unless Papis gets a full-season ride next year.

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Edwards wins a wild one in Montreal

Marcos Ambrose dominated the NAPA Auto Parts 200 and ran a near-perfect race, but on the final lap, with pressure from behind, he jumped the final curve and lost the lead in the final 200 yards to Carl Edwards.

Our View This is why you never leave the track until the end.

Further drama was provided by NASCAR's decision to run the final segment of the race with rain tires in wet conditions, which caused a series of spins and off-road excursions in the race for the checkers.

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F1: Raikkonen wins Belgian GP

Kimi Raikkonen became the sixth different winner in the last six races, according to Formula1.com. This snapped a 25-race winless streak and was Ferrari's first win of the season.

Our View After Jenson Button won six of the first seven races, it is wonderful to see this kind of parity.

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IRL: Briscoe wins Chicagoland nail biter

Ryan Briscoe narrowly edged Scott Dixon in a chase for the checkers to win the Peak Antifreeze 300. The margin of victory was slight; in fact, this was the fourth closest race in IRL history. Last year's edition of this race boasted the second closest victory and now Chicagoland has three of the top four margins.

Our View After winning the pole and posting consistently fast practice speeds, we told fantasy players to make him the anchor of their roster, and the Penske pilot proved us correct.

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N'Wide: Ambrose on Montreal pole

Marcos Ambrose posted the fastest lap in qualification under wet conditions and will lead the field to green on Sunday.

Our View Ambrose led a contingent of road racers at the top of the grid including Ron Fellows in third, Boris Said in fourth and Jacques Villeneuve in sixth, but the surprise of the session had to be Carl Edwards. After crashing on the warm-up lap for the Gran Am race earlier today, he posted the second fastest time.

The qualification session was marred by rain, however, so some of the faster drivers in practice like Max Papis and Patrick Carpentier will have to come from the back of the pack. That won't hurt them, however, and fantasy owners should load up on road ringers.

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N'Wide to run COT in four races in 2010

The Nationwide Series will debut their version of the Car of Tomorrow (COT) in four races next year, beginning at Daytona International Speedway, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View The Cup version of the car has laid such a huge egg with fans that it is surprising they will indeed roll out a similar car in the Nationwide Series. So far as competition is concerned, however, the spec body style has tightened the field, which makes fantasy owners' task ever more challenging.

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Grand Am: Gaughan second at Montreal

Brendan Gaughan and Andy Lally finished second in the GT division of the Rolex Grand Am series and carried the banner for the NASCAR contingent.

Our View Now Gaughan will switch gears and race in the Nationwide Series on Sunday. This improves his odds in the heavier cars, but with so many road racing veterans in the field, he might still be considered only as filler.

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Yeley injured in sprint car race

J.J. Yeley suffered three broken vertebrae in an American Sprint Car Series Bandits race at Lakeside Speedway Saturday night after flipping his car in turn one, according to AutoRacingDaily.com.

Our View The flip did not appear to be severe, but with several incidents in the race, it blurred into the background. Running short track races keep the drivers sharp, but they also run the risk of injuries such as this.

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Grand Am: Edwards crashes at Montreal

Before the Grand Am race even started, Carl Edwards crashed his Doran Daytona Prototype in wet conditions and destroyed the car.

Our View Edwards was scheduled to run this companion race with the Nationwide Series along with Marcos Ambrose, but the conditions proved too much for the oval stock car racer.

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N'Wide: Papis leads Montreal's first practice

Road racing ace Max Papis led the first practice session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a lap of 85.632 mph under mostly wet conditions.

Our View The list was headed by road racing specialists. Including Papis, Patrick Carpentier posted the third fastest lap, NASCAR Canada driver Andrew Ranger was fourth fastest and Michael McDowell was fifth.

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F1: Fisichella wins Spa pole

Giancarlo Fisichella shocked the Formula 1 field by winning the pole for the Belgian Grand Prix in the Force India entry.

Our View As surprising as this is, Fisichella should not be on your roster. His best finish so far in 2009 was ninth in the Monaco Grand Prix.

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IRL: Briscoe wins Chicagoland pole

Ryan Briscoe proved that his fast speed in practice was no fluke. He posted the fastest speed in time trials as well with a lap of 215.364 and will lead the field to green Saturday night.

Our View Briscoe should anchor your fantasy lineup this week. Helio Castroneves will start on the outside of the front row and he was also quick all day Friday.

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IRL: Briscoe tops Happy Hour

After posting the second fastest time in the first practice session for the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300, Ryan Briscoe jumped to the top of the charts with a lap of 217.553.

Our View The other fast drivers from that session failed to back up their morning speeds. Helio Castroneves was only 12th fastest and Danica Patrick was 15th fastest. The leader of the first session, Scott Dixon was fourth fastest in Happy Hour, but that gives the edge to Briscoe nonetheless.

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IRL: Dixon tops Chicagoland practice 1

Scott Dixon posted the fastest time in Friday's practice for the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway with a lap of 217.460.

Our View Ryan Briscoe was second fastest and Helio Castroneves came in third, but fantasy owners might be particularly interested in the fourt-place driver. After struggling on the road courses, it appears that Danica Patrick is back in top form with a lap of 216.284.

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