Johnson fastest again in Happy Hour

Jimmie Johnson backed up his fastest single lap of 122.725 mph in the morning session for the Food City 500 with another fastest lap in Happy Hour. This time, his top speed was 122.287 mph.

Our View His average speed of 119.009 mph was third best compared to second best in the morning session. However, the most important stat is that Johnson ran 116 laps in this session and still maintained that speed. Johnson reports that a light switch has flipped on how to run this place. Perhaps it's time to dump the reservations surrounding his Bristol record and go ahead and recommend him.

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Almirola practically skips Food City 500 Happy Hour

Aric Almirola logged only eight laps in Bristol's Happy Hour and that would seem to suggest this unsponsored team will start and park.

Our View We are reporting this because he was fast enough in Happy Hour and did a long enough run to make us consider him as a dark horse. Running only eight laps, however, suggest this team is not serious about racing on Sunday.

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Logano notably fast in Sat. a.m. session

Joey Logano posted both the fifth fastest single lap (at 121.697 mph) and the fifth quickest average speed (119.717 mph during 55 laps) in the Saturday morning session for the Food City 500. This comes on the heels of winning his first career Cup pole on Friday and his fastest single lap in Friday's practice session.

Our View This certainly makes him a driver to watch closely in Happy Hour, although we are not yet ready to make him a favorite to win the race outright. If he can stay out of trouble, however, he could be headed for a top-five.

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Earnhardt wins Food City 500 Sat. a.m. practice

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the fourth fastest single lap in the morning practice session for the Food City 500 (at 121.705 mph), but he was strongest on the long run. His speed of 120.039 mph during 55 laps made him the only driver to crack the 120 mark.

Our View Earnhardt has had some strong runs at Bristol in the past, but it's hard to recommend him considering the dismal luck he brings into this weekend. Diehard fans will want to start him, but it is safest to watch him from the sidelines until the crew begins to click.

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Almirola a dark horse?

Keep an eye on Aric Almirola during Happy Hour: he posted the 14th quickest average speed of 119.349 mph during 36 laps of practice and could be one of the most surprising dark horses of the weekend.

Keep an eye on Aric Almirola during Happy Hour: he posted the 14th quickest average speed of 119.349 mph during 36 laps of practice and could be one of the most surprising dark horses of the weekend.

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Johnson fastest in Food City 500 Sat. a.m. practice

Jimmie Johnson posted the single fastest lap of 122.725 mph in Saturday morning's practice session, which confirms his fourth-place qualification effort. In addition, his average speed of 120.039 during 55 laps was the second best on that chart.

Our View We stand by the fact that this is one of his weakest tracks. The issue at Bristol is not so much speed as it is attitude in heavy traffic.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Bristol

An impressive 35 percent of Bristol winners have started on the first five rows, but only 18 percent of the top-fives have been earned by that same row. There are going to be some good values deep in the pack, so check out this week's Yahoo! qualification story to find out who they are.

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Logano wins Food City 500 pole

Joey Logano proved that his fastest lap in practice was not a fluke: he backed it up with his first career pole on one of NASCAR's toughest tracks. With a speed of 124.630, he'll lead the field to green on Sunday in the Food City 500.

Our View Starting up front hasn't helped him much at Bristol, but with only two Cup races, he's record can be discounted.

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Logano fastest in Food City 500 practice 1

Joey Logano posted the single fastest lap in the first practice session for the Food City 500 when drivers typically work on qualification trim. His top speed was 124.114 mph.

Our View Logano started eighth last fall and looked good in the early going, but he was slowed by crash damage and finished 16 laps off the pace.

That was not his best qualification effort, however. In 2006, he qualified fifth in a USAR Pro Cup race. That was also a bad omen as he crashed two-thirds of the way through the race.

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Joey Logano 2009 Pit Hat

Labonte crashes in Food City 500 practice 1

Bobby Labonte spun at the 20-minute mark in the first practice session for the Food City 500. He made significant contact with the wall and will almost certainly need to roll out a backup car.

Our View In addition, one of this week's favorites Kyle Busch also spun and a perennial favorite Jimmie Johnson looped down the frontstretch, but neither of these drivers made contact.

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Yahoo! Bristol Preview

NASCAR re-affirmed their "have at it, boys" policy by levying a light penalty against Carl Edwards for his retaliation against Brad Keselowski—just in time to head to back-to-back short tracks. If you thought Atlanta was wild, folks: you ain't seen nothing yet. Check out this week's Yahoo! Preview (.pdf).

Ku Busch wins a wild one at Atlanta

Kurt Busch survived to attempts at a green-white-checkered finish and scooted away from Matt Kenseth and Juan Montoya to win the Kobalt Tools 500.

Our View Busch had one of two dominant cars along with Kasey Kahne (who finished fourth).

This race featured action at the end and retaliation between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski for an early-race incident that shuffled the finishing order—but fans' hearts got to pumping.

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Stewart & Newman to change engines

According to @bobpockrass: Engine changes for Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart. Possible valve train issue. They will have to drop to the back for the start of the Kobalt Tools 500.

No other Hendrick cars will change engines (according to @JesseEssex). Didn't see same issues in "scope" if valve trains. #nascar

Burton Wins Kobalt Tools 500 Happy Hour

Jeff Burton had the quickest average time in Happy Hour for the Kobalt Tools 500 with a speed of 179.359 mph during 45 laps. His fastest circuit of 185.158 was sixth best, which gives him a great balance of speed and durability.

Our View Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has a ton of momentum, so this could be Burton's opportunity to score a second top-five in 2010 like he did at Auto Club Speedway.

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Martin fastest in Kobalt Tolls 500 Happy Hour

Mark Martin posted the single fastest lap in Happy Hour practice for the Kobalt Tools 500 with a speed of 185.524 mph.

Our View Races aren't won on a single lap, however, and his average speed of 178.074 during 45 laps was well down the chart. Moreover, last year Martin finished 31st in this race but was in top form during the fall with a fifth.

This weekend could go either way for the veteran.

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Ky Busch, Said run out of room in Atlanta Happy Hour

Kyle Busch and Boris Said ran out of room exiting turn two at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the closing minutes of practice and the two made contact. That will effectively end the session for the No. 18, which was 23rd on the speed chart.

Our View The damage on the No. 18 is not very great. It appears that it was all behind the wheels so he probably won't have to roll out a backup.

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Biffle slaps wall in Kobalt Tools 500 Happy Hour

Update: Greg Biffle has rolled out a backup.

Biffle slapped the wall 10 minutes into Happy Hour for the Kobalt Tools 500 and sustained significant damage.

Our View Expect him to roll out a backup car and give up his 13th-place starting position. Driver can come from the back at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but winning from there is nearly impossible.

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Menard notably fast in Kobalt Tools 500 practice 1

There weren't a lot of surprises on the average speed chart, but one name jumped to the forefront: Paul Menard posted the second quickest average speed of 180.614 during 27 laps.

Our View If you are looking for a sleeper this week, give Menard a second glance. Last fall, he was well worth starting in the fall Pep Boys Auto 500 with a 15th-place finish.

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Stewart wins Kobalt Tools 500 practice 1

Tony Stewart had only the 21st fastest lap in Saturday's first practice session, but races aren't won in a single circuit. His average speed of 180.900 during 25 laps was the fastest in the field.

Our View Stewart was the "cookie-cutter" king for a while—before Jimmie Johnson came along—and he is hungry to regain his crown.

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Johnson posts fastest lap in Kobalt Tolls 500 practice 1

Jimmie Johnson posted the single fastest lap in Saturday's first practice session with a speed of 189.694 mph.

Our View His average speed of 180.128 during 35 laps was not bad either and it ranked sixth on that chart. Once more, he will be one of the drivers to beat on Sunday.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Atlanta

With rapidly cooling conditions, drivers chased the weather and the track on a venue where qualification is very important. Who prevailed? Find out in this week's Yahoo! qualification story (.pdf).

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Almirola, Mears and Cook go home from Atlanta

Three drivers failed to make the Coca-Cola 600: Aric Almirola, Casey Mears and Terry Cook failed to find enough speed to qualify.

Our View Neither Mears nor Cook have made a single race this year.

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Earnhardt win Atlanta pole

Slowly but surely, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is turning his season around. He gave his fans something to cheer about this week by winning the pole for the Kobalt Tools 500.

Our View His top speed of 192.761 is the fastest pole ever recorded for the Car of Tomorrow (COT) and Earnhardt's second at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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Martin fastest in Atlanta practice 1

Mark Martin posted the fastest single lap in the first practice session with a 189.409 mph.

Our View Martin only took nine laps total, but he made the most of them. Last year, Martin tried to take the nickname "Rocketman" away from Ryan Newman and he should be considered a threat for the Kobalt Tools 500 pole.

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Yahoo! Atlanta Preview

Two "cookie-cutter" races in a row will present fantasy owners with some predictable options, but it would be difficult for this race to be as similar as between Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Check out this week's Yahoo! Preview (.pdf).

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Johnson wins two in a row

Jimmie Johnson took four tires while Jeff Gordon took only two on the final pit stop and that made the difference at the end. Johnson won his second race in a row in the Shelby American. In fact, for the second consecutive race, he finished just ahead of Kevin Harvick as that driver also slipped past Gordon.

Our View Johnson has officially regained his title as the "Cookie-cutter" king after struggling at Vegas during the last two races.

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N'Wide: Harvick wins at Vegas

Kevin Harvick was happy with the result of the Sam's Town 300, but he was not happy with the crew's performance. Using a long green flag segment to finish the race, he scooted out to a 1.3 second lead over Denny Hamlin.

Our View Mistakes in the pit could have cost him the race, but Harvick's talent in the car made up the difference.

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Martin wins Vegas Happy Hour

Mark Martin posted the quickest average speed in Las Vegas Happy Hour with a speed of 181.356 mph during 26 laps and with the third-fastest speed of 183.299 mph, he had the best mix of speed and durability.

Our View Martin blew an engine in this race last year, but it's impossible to overlook him as one of the favorites to win the Shelby American.

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Bowyer fastest in Vegas Happy Hour

Clint Bowyer posted the fastest single lap in Happy Hour for the Shelby American with a speed of 183.530 mph. The session was shortened a little by rain.

Our View RCR has the greatest momentum of all teams and with a decent qualification run in the top 15, Bowyer is liable to be the best of that group.

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Earnhardt spins in Vegas Happy Hour

"Twenty-nine, seventy-four, that's your fastest lap so far," Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s spotter called just before he spun five minutes into Happy Hour. Guess he found the limit.

Our View Fortunately, Earnhardt did not make any contact with the wall or another car—and the engine did not appear to over-rev while he was spinning. Four fresh tires should be all the No. 88 needs before continuing practice.

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Ky Busch wins first Sat. Vegas practice

Kyle Busch posted the fastest single lap of practice in the first Saturday session with a speed of 184.037 mph. His brother Kurt was not far behind: the No. 2 posted a lap of 183.486 mph, which was third best.

In fact, Kyle won practice overall; he also posted the quickest average speed of 181.725 mph during 30 laps.

Our View Of the two, Kyle has a much greater chance of finishing up front. He's finished 11th or better at Vegas in all but one of his starts.

Kurt's average speed of 180.499 was only 14th quick, which is about where you can expect to find him at the end of a typical Vegas race.

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N'Wide: Keselowski on Vegas pole

Brad Keselowski carried his momentum from last week's third-place finish in the Stater Bros. 300 at Auto Club Speedway into this week's Las Vegas Motor Speedway race and that was enough to give him the pole for Saturday's contest.

Our View Unfortunately, he's suffered crash damage in his last two Nationwide attempts on this track and he's blown an engine one other time. In four Nationwide starts at Vegas, his best result is only 23rd.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Las Vegas

One hometown hero won the pole for the Shelby American, but another is much more likely to win the race. Find out which is which in this week's Yahoo! qualification story (.pdf).

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Ku Busch wins pole at hometown LVMS

Cool temperatures helped Kurt Busch and a myriad of other drivers break the old track record. When the dust finally settled, he raised the mark to 188.719 mph.

Our View Until the final cars went out on track, however, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed unassailable with his speed of 188.173. He was the second driver to take time and settled into fourth on the grid. By comparison, the first driver was Jimmie Johnson and he eventually qualified 20th.

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Montoya fastest in Vegas practice 1

Juan Montoya posted the fastest single lap in the first practice session that is usually devoted to qualification setups. His top speed of 186.168 mph was set early in the session.

Our View Montoya has been solid on the unrestricted, intermediate speedways during the last two years, but last week's struggle at Auto Club Speedway and last year's trouble at Vegas make him a risky proposition.

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Some chassis choices for Vegas

@DustinLong has identified some of the cars that will be used this week:

Among RCR, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton will have new cars this weekend; Clint Bowyer using same car he drove at Indy (21st) & Kansas (18th) last yearr.

Kurt Busch using same car @ Vegas that he won with at Texas last year and should have won with at Homestead.

Denny Hamlin will use this weekend @ Vegas has won in both its starts, winning at both Pocono and Martinsville last year.

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Yahoo! Las Vegas Preview

This week is the first of back-to-back "cookie-cutter" races. Who will get off on the right foot? Our best guesses can be found in this week's Yahoo! Preview (.pdf).

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Johnson wins fifth Auto Club race

He won in his first start at this track in 2002 and now Jimmie Johnson has five Auto Club Speedway victories after holding off a furious charge by Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.

Our View That is his sixth top-three finish on this track in his last seven starts. During that span, he has an average finish of 2.57, which makes him as much of a must-have as you will find.

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N'Wide: Logano dominates, Busch wins Stater Bros. 300

Joey Logano dominated the race but he was roughed up by Greg Biffle on the final restart. Kyle Busch exacted revenge, however, and passed Biffle in the run to the checkers.

Our View The best car doesn't always win and today, they finished fifth after getting knocked around by Biffle and Brad Keselowski—who must have thought Denny Hamlin was in the No. 20 this week.

Keselowski dumped Logano only a few yards from the finish line.

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Johnson wins Auto Club Happy Hour

After posting the single fastest lap in the first Saturday practice session at Auto Club Speedway, Jimmie Johnson logged the quickest average speed in Happy Hour at 177.507 mph during 39 laps.

Our View Johnson has been as close to perfect in the last three years at Auto Club as is possible. He remains a must-have.

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Martin fastest in Auto Club Happy Hour

Mark Martin backed up his second fastest lap and second quickest time in the first practice session of Saturday with the fastest single lap (181.726 mph) and the fifth quickest average speed in Happy Hour.

Our View Martin was hit-and-miss on the two-mile tracks last year, but it appears this is going to be a great weekend for the veteran.

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Montoya wins Auto Club practice 2

Juan Montoya posted the quickest average speed during the Saturday morning session with a 178.917 during 12 laps.

Our View His fastest lap of 180.429 wasn't bad either; that placed him sixth on the speed chart and the No. 42 could be one of the best values in the game.

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Johnson posts fastest lap in Auto Club practice 2

Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest single lap of practice in the first Saturday session, with a speed of 182.537 mph.

Our View His average speed during 25 laps was third best at 178.253 mph, which gives him one of the best balances of speed and sustainability.

Both drivers ahead of him on the average speed chart posted fewer laps.

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N'Wide: Patrick's learning curve continues

Danica Patrick will race on Saturday afternoon, but not because of the time she laid down in qualification. She'll roll of the grid 36th, but was actually slower than two of the "go-or-go-home" drivers (Morgan Shepherd and Danny O'Quinn) who failed to make the show.

Our View She was tentative on her qualification lap in part because she knew that with top-30 owners' points, she would be guaranteed a starting position. She'll improve during the race, but a top-20 is probably the outside mark fantasy owners should expect.

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N'Wide: Logano on Auto Club pole

Joey Logano was the second driver to hit the track in qualification for the Stater Bros. 300, and despite slick track conditions, he logged the fastest time and will lead the field to green in a few hours.

Our View The track may have been slick, but Logano benefited from cool conditions so the net effect was positive. He should have a car capable of staying in the top five all day.

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