F1: Williams goes to Hell

Williams Racing will have additional backing from Hell Energy Drinks, according to a team press release. This Hungarian manufacturer has aspirations of becoming the No. 2 brand behind Red Bull.

Our View: It's great to see new "sponsors" in the sport because they bring a new vibe to the series.

Nationwide regulars run strong at Darlington

A Cup veteran, Matt Kenseth may have won the Diamond Hill Plywood 200, but Nationwide Regulars acquitted themselves well. Jason Leffler finished second, rookie Erik Darnell was fourth, rookie Justin Allgaier was fifth, Mike Bliss was seventh and Scott Wimmer came home in 10th.

Our View: It's been quite some time before three Nationwide Regulars finished in the top five and since these drivers command a lower salary cap, fantasy owners got a lot of bang for their buck.

Nationwide: Kenseth wins Darlington

Kyle Busch dominated the Diamond Hill Plywood 200, but a cut tire on the final caution flag handed the victory to Matt Kenseth. It was his 25th win in the series.

Our View: With a handful of laps remaining, Kenseth was catching Busch, but the fans were denied a great battle by Busch's misfortune.

F1: Ferrari Spanish GP preview

The season may already have four races under its belt, but the emotional start to the year happens when the series runs its first European race, according to a press release from Ferrari.

Our View: Ferrari will be challenged with a new chassis and aero-package this week and their thoughts about how this will impact Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa can be found in this release.

Yahoo! qualification story

After two wild practice sessions and an equally dramatic time in qualification, it's hard to find a favorite this week. Here are our best guesses: check out this week's Yahoo! qualification story (.pdf).

Matt Kenseth may be the only truly happy driver on Friday night; he set a new track record and sits on the pole.

Kenseth breaks track record, on Darlington pole

Matt Kenseth earned the Darlington in fine fashion. He eclipsed Greg Biffle's mark of 179.442 set last year and earned a rare pole.

Our View: Kenseth is not known as a strong qualifier, but when he starts up front, he is hard to beat. With a smooth driving style, he has to be considered one of this week's favorites.

F1: Massa loves Spain

Felipe Massa told press this week: "in terms of the car, we have made a good improvement since the last race, but you have to remember that the other teams are not sleeping and they have also been working a lot to improve their own position," according to a team press release.

Our View: In six previous starts on the Circuit de Catalunya, Massa has amassed an average finish of 5.3 in six starts. He also has a victory on the Valencia Street Circuit, which makes him a master of Spain.

Happy Hour stripes

Here is a partial list of the cars that received stripes in Darlington's Happy Hour:

In Happy Hour:

Sam Hornish Jr. scraped the wall and spun
David Stremme slammed the wall; into backup
Denny Hamlin got a light stripe
Max Papis striped his car
Greg Biffle striped his car
A.J. Allmendinger striped his car
Scott Speed got another stripe
Reed Sorenson changed an engine
Bobby Labonte striped his car
Marcos Ambrose big stripe (backup?)

Martin quickest in Darlington Happy Hour

Mark Martin posted the quickest average speed in Happy Hour practice, with a speed of 176.310 mph during a short seven lap stint.

Our View: Martin is usually one of the drivers who spends a lot of time on track, but with approximately 20 incidents in both sessions, he can be forgiven for not spending a lot of time on track Friday.

F1: Drivers side with Ferrari

Max Mosley may believe Formula 1 can survive without Ferrari, but most of the drivers in the sport do not agree, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Our View: Drivers are concerned that politics will damage the sport, but that has never kept this fiery sanction from following their own council. “Without Ferrari it’s not Formula One anymore,” Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella said Thursday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Gordon sets fastest lap in Happy Hour

Jeff Gordon posted the single fastest lap in Happy Hour practice, with a speed of 177.633 mph.

Our View: If he can back that up in qualification (assuming that session is not rained out), this could be his first Darlington pole since the 2000 Mall.com 400. He has a total of two poles.

IRL: Doornbos crashes in practice

Robert Doornbos made contact with the turn two wall shortly before 1 pm during Friday's practice session at Indy.

Our View: With the incredible speeds these cars are turning, it takes a long time to get comfortable on the rectangular track.

Allmendinger brings out caution

We've stopped blogging each time a car received a Darlington stripe (partly because the frequency of posting about these incidents has Blogger thinking I'm a spammer), but A.J. Allmendinger did enough damage to bring out a caution flag at the 32 minute mark.

Our View: The durability of this car makes it hard to wave a red flag over every effected driver. Allmendinger, however, does not have a very good Darlington record, so he should be avoided on Saturday.

Practice 1 stripes

Here is a partial list of the cars that received stripes in Darlington's first practice session:

In Practice 1:
Kurt Busch scrapped the wall and spun.
Tony Stewart striped his car
Jeremy Mayfield striped his car
Brad Keselowski striped his car
Scott Speed crashed his primary and then striped the backup
Dave Blaney spun
David Reutimann crashed and rolled out a backup
Kasey Kahne striped his car
Sam Hornish Jr. striped his car

Vickers posts single fast lap

Brian Vickers posted the single fastest lap in Darlington's Practice 1, with a speed of 174.167 mph, which makes him a frontrunner to earn his third pole of the season.

Our View: His average speed of 165.340 during 42 laps, however, was well down the grid and he will need to pick up the pace in Happy Hour if he wants to be considered a favorite for the race.

Biffle wins Practice 1

Greg Biffle posted the quickest average speed at Darlington, with a 171.756 mph during 41 laps.

Our View: Biffle's single fastest lap of 174.117 was second on that grid, which gives him a great combination of speed and consistency. He's won back-to-back races in 2005/2006 and this makes him a favorite to take another.

F1: Spanish Grand Prix quotes

Formula1.com has posted quotes pertaining to the Spanish Grand Prix on their site.

Our View: Fantasy owners always want to take drivers' comments about their car with a grain of salt because no one wants to speak ill of their ride, but this can be an interesting way to take their temperature.

Reutimann destroys car

David Reutimann destroyed his car at Darlington in Practice 1 at the one hour, 17 minute mark.

Our View: He will join Scott Speed in rolling out a backup car. There is simply no way to make a comfortable lap on this track.

Speed crashes in Practice 1

Scott Speed became the first driver to sustain significant damage at Darlington in the first practice session. He not only "striped" his car, he looped and crashed. Speed will have to roll out a backup car.

Our View: This is an even bigger issue for Speed since he is one of the drivers required to qualify on time. As a rookie, however, Speed would not be a great value even if he makes the show.

Mayfield also crashes

Add Jeremy Mayfield to the list of drivers in the wall at Darlington in the first practice session. He slapped the wall moments after Tony Stewart.

Our View: Mayfield was not expected to run well, however, so this will not impact fantasy owners very much.

Stewart flattens right side in Practice 1

Moments after the track went back to green following Kurt Busch's spin, Tony Stewart slipped into the wall in turn four and flattened the side of his Chevrolet.

Our View: Just in case you thought the "Lady in Black" had a better attitude since it was repaved, she's just as cantankerous.

Busch off to an exiting start in Darlington practice

Kurt Busch got the first practice session off to an exiting start. He spun on the backstretch in the first minutes of the session, but made only slight contact with the wall.

Our View: Busch has run strong here in the past, but this just proves how difficult this track is to navigate.

IRL: Day 1 practice times

Marco Andretti may have posted the fastest lap (at 225.478 mph) in the first day of practice, but where did everyone else settle in? Check out the full practice grid at Motorsports.com.

Our View: Notably, Robert Doornbos was the fastest rookie with a seventh-best speed of 223.593 mph and Danica Patrick was the fastest female driver at 223.253 mph. She settled into eighth on the grid.

Nationwide: Logano's turn

Joe Gibbs Racing is giving Joey Logano a great chance to win the Nationwide Darlington race, according to NASCAR.com. He will campaign a car that has won the last three editions of this race.

Our View: Denny Hamlin took the No. 20 to victory lane in 2006/2007; Tony Stewart won in that same car last year. However, Logano will attempt to keep that streak alive in his first-ever attempt on the "Track Too Tough to Tame."

F1: Raikkonen in new chassis

Kimi Raikkonen will race a lighter Ferrari in the Spanish Grand Prix, according to Formula1.com.

Our View: The lighter car will allow him to make better use of the KERS system. His teammate Felipe Massa has not struggled nearly as much in his heavier version. While Raikkonen hasn't been all that strong this year, he has steadily improved from 15th to sixth in four races.

Kurt Busch

What a difference a year makes. Last year, in the first 10 races of the season, Busch managed only an average finish of 23.6. This year, he's more than doubled his performance, with an average finish of 9.7 and is battling for the point lead. It may be one of the most incredible turnarounds in recent memory, and it has made him one of the top fantasy choices nearly everywhere.

Better still, with a worst finish of 23rd and only two finishes outside the top 15 in the first 10 events, the down side of starting him has been practically non-existent, which makes him an even better value for your roster. Given the struggles he experienced in 2008, however, there is no guarantee that he will keep his momentum alive all season, so now is the time to ride this dark horse pony until he goes lame.

Updated: 5/7/2009

Track	Avg. Fin	Avg. Start	Attempts
Cup
Talladega Superspeedway	12.12	23.29	17
Phoenix International Raceway	12.46	15.00	14
Auto Club Speedway	12.93	12.00	14
Bristol Motor Speedway	14.18	20.47	17
Homestead - Miami Speedway - old	14.33	14.33	3
Texas Motor Speedway	14.77	18.23	13
New Hampshire Motor Speedway	15.50	15.31	16
Pocono Raceway	15.69	13.94	16
Chicagoland Speedway	17.25	22.13	8
Darlington Raceway	17.58	11.50	12
North Carolina Speedway	17.63	16.38	8
Daytona International Speedway	17.88	23.29	17
Indianapolis Motor Speedway	18.00	18.25	8
Atlanta Motor Speedway	18.59	16.94	17
Richmond International Raceway	18.71	20.47	17
Infineon Raceway	19.13	9.38	8
Michigan International Speedway	20.13	13.50	16
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	20.44	5.67	9
Kansas Speedway	20.75	19.50	8
Lowes Motor Speedway	20.88	22.65	17
Watkins Glen International	21.38	11.25	8
Dover Downs International	21.41	10.47	17
Martinsville Speedway	21.78	18.72	18
Homestead - Miami Speedway Progressive	25.80	17.40	5
Nationwide
Watkins Glen International	2.00	1.00	2
Dover Downs International	3.00	32.00	1
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	4.00	4.00	1
Phoenix International Raceway	4.00	3.00	1
Texas Motor Speedway	4.50	12.50	2
Chicagoland Speedway	6.00	3.00	1
Michigan International Speedway	21.00	6.00	1
Lowes Motor Speedway	21.50	6.00	2
Truck
Auto Club Speedway	1.00	1.00	1
Dover Downs International	1.00	1.00	1
Milwaukee Mile	1.00	1.00	1
New Hampshire International Speedway	1.00	5.00	1
Daytona International Speedway	2.00	34.00	1
Mesa Marin Raceway	2.00	6.00	1
Michigan International Speedway	2.00	4.00	1
Pikes Peak International Raceway	2.00	7.00	1
Watkins Glen International	2.00	7.00	1
Richmond International Raceway	3.00	1.00	1
Phoenix International Raceway	4.00	6.00	1
Texas Motor Speedway	4.50	4.50	2
Evergreen Speedway	5.00	3.00	1
O'Reilly Raceway Park	6.00	3.00	1
Homestead - Miami Speedway - old	9.00	17.00	1
Portland International Speedway	11.00	2.00	1
Nashville Speedway USA	12.00	12.00	1
Memphis Motorsports Park	13.00	13.00	1
Nazareth Speedway	14.00	15.00	1
Chicago Motor Speedway	19.00	3.00	1
Gateway International Raceway	21.00	17.00	1
Martinsville Speedway	23.00	22.00	1
Kentucky Speedway	29.00	36.00	1

More Driver Profiles

Tony Stewart

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Our View: This is a great way to compile all of our collective genius.

F1: Spanish GP preview

The Spanish Grand Prix could be a pivotal race for teams, since it will be teams' first chance to test the new aerodynamic package, according to Formula1.com.

Our View: The series has virtually banned testing this year, so track time is the only way drivers will improve. Normally a top heavy sanction that benefits well-funded teams, this might just level the playing field.

IRL: Bell entered at Indy

Townsend Bell will drive the No. 8 KV Racing Technology at Indy, according to IndyCar.com.

Our View: Bell finished 10th in last year's edition of this race while driving for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. This year, he will be on the same team as Paul Tracy and Mario Moraes and the combined efforts of these three drivers should make him even stronger this year.

IRL: Practice report, day 3

IndyCar.com has posted a practice report on their site. This is a daily feature.

Our View: This is a great way to count down to the Indy 500. Follow along to see which drivers are getting up to speed.

Sorenson tests late model at Infineon

Reed Sorenson found another loophole in NASCAR's test ban and tested a late model (non-Cup / non-Nationwide car) at Infineon Raceway. For more, check out the story at SceneDaily.com.

Our View: On road courses, seat time is more important than the type of car as drivers look for the best line around the track. Sorenson certainly needs the practice since his best finish at Infineon is a 29th.

Logano's first Darlington crash

Joey Logano has not yet raced at Darlington, but he's already crashed there, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: En route to a Hooters Pro Cup race in Myrtle Beach to watch Brandon McReynolds (son of Larry) race, he and Corey LaJoie (son of Randy) stopped off to see the track as it was going through last year's repaving. While racing down the stands on foot, he tripped and fell 14 steps. There is a reason why rookies are not commonly preferred on the "Track Too Tough to Tame."

Stewart, Busch chase history

Two of the hottest drivers on the circuit, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, are chasing history, according to NASCAR.com. Neither driver has won a Southern 500 yet, and that is one of the races that defines a driver's career.

Our View: Busch came closest in 2004 with a sixth-place finish. That was the last year NASCAR ran a Southern 500. Busch also came close to winning on this track in the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 when he banged fenders with Ricky Craven at the checkers before finishing second.

Stewart finished fourth in the 2001 Southern 500 and he has one other fourth-place finish to mark his best attempts.

IRL: Andretti currently fastest

Marco Andretti has set the new fastest lap at Indy with a 225.478 in the middle of the afternoon on Thursday.

Our View: Racing is certainly in the Andretti blood.

Tony Stewart

It didn't take long for Tony Stewart to silence the critics. Many (this writer included) thought it would take a while to turn Haas CNC Racing from a sow's ear into a silk purse, but Stewart came well prepared with a gold needle. He came out of the chute blazing and earned four top-fives and seven top-10s in the first 10 races, which were capped by a pair of second-place finishes.

The good news for his fans is that the best part of his schedule has yet to come. Stewart is fastest during the hot summer months and during the early fall, so fantasy owners should be prepared to place-and-hold him on their roster for some time.

Updated: 5/7/2009

Track	Avg. Fin	Avg. Start	Attempts
Cup
Watkins Glen International	5.70	5.50	10
Indianapolis Motor Speedway	9.10	16.00	10
Homestead - Miami Speedway - old	9.75	12.00	4
Infineon Raceway	10.00	10.00	10
Richmond International Raceway	10.05	15.71	21
Phoenix International Raceway	10.07	14.40	15
Chicagoland Speedway	10.25	15.25	8
North Carolina Speedway	10.82	18.73	11
Atlanta Motor Speedway	12.05	16.43	21
Martinsville Speedway	12.14	13.62	21
Dover Downs International	12.15	18.60	20
Michigan International Speedway	12.45	22.35	20
Darlington Raceway	12.50	17.13	16
New Hampshire Motor Speedway	12.60	12.45	20
Texas Motor Speedway	12.60	20.13	15
Pocono Raceway	13.00	12.30	20
Lowes Motor Speedway	13.05	13.85	20
Homestead - Miami Speedway Progressive	13.33	14.83	6
Talladega Superspeedway	13.76	17.38	21
Kansas Speedway	14.75	17.88	8
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	15.45	15.27	11
Auto Club Speedway	15.88	14.94	16
Bristol Motor Speedway	16.38	13.33	21
Daytona International Speedway	17.24	10.43	21
Truck
Dover Downs International	2.00	11.00	1
O'Reilly Raceway Park	10.00	9.00	1
Richmond International Raceway	10.50	20.67	4
Lowes Motor Speedway	33.00	19.00	1
Nationwide
New Hampshire Motor Speedway	2.33	10.33	3
Watkins Glen International	4.00	1.00	1
Gateway International Raceway	5.00	22.00	1
Phoenix International Raceway	5.00	3.00	1
Chicagoland Speedway	8.67	8.33	3
Daytona International Speedway	8.89	16.67	9
North Carolina Speedway	9.67	1.33	3
Auto Club Speedway	9.80	7.60	5
Dover Downs International	10.00	19.50	2
Atlanta Motor Speedway	13.00	10.80	5
Hickory Speedway	13.00	26.00	1
Texas Motor Speedway	13.00	5.00	6
Kansas Speedway	13.33	21.00	3
Pikes Peak International Raceway	14.00	44.00	1
Darlington Raceway	14.60	16.60	5
Milwaukee Mile	17.00	28.50	2
Nashville Speedway USA	17.00	14.00	1
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	19.00	17.75	4
Talladega Superspeedway	19.33	19.50	6
Michigan International Speedway	19.80	12.25	5
Lowes Motor Speedway	22.57	19.43	7
O'Reilly Raceway Park	23.00	14.67	3
Bristol Motor Speedway	25.00	15.00	4
Myrtle Beach Speedway	35.00	25.00	1
Richmond International Raceway	37.25	21.75	4
Homestead - Miami Speedway - old	38.00	30.50	2
IRL
Pikes Peak International Raceway	2.00	2.50	2
Walt Disney World Speedway	4.33	3.00	3
Atlanta Motor Speedway	5.00	25.00	1
Phoenix International Raceway	5.00	2.67	3
Dover Downs International	8.00	1.00	1
New Hampshire International Speedway	9.00	9.00	3
Texas Motor Speedway	13.00	1.33	3
Lowes Motor Speedway	14.00	1.00	2
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	15.33	2.33	3
Indianapolis Motor Speedway	15.40	7.60	5

IRL: Franchitti currently fastest

With a lap of 223.679 mph, Dario Franchitti eclipsed an earlier top mark of 223.397 set by Helio Castroneves.

Our View: That is hauling the mail. This is one of the many reasons why this race is America's favorite.

IRL: Barrett passes rookie test

Stanton Barrett has officially passed his Rookie Orientation Program.

Our View: It took longer than it should have with rain slowing Barrett's efforts on a couple of occasions, but now the path is clear for him to attempt the Indy 500. With 33 cars in the field, however, he will probably not finish anywhere near the leaders.

IRL: Hunter-Reay crashes

Ryan Hunter Reay crashed at Indy, during the first open test for the Indy 500.

Our View: To find the edge, drivers have to step over it. Indy Racing League teams come with two primary cars for the Indy 500, so this probably won't be that much of a setback.

IRL: Barrett allotted an hour on Thursday

Stanton Barrett will be allotted an hour of practice time Thursday morning to complete his Rookie Orientation Program for the Indy 500, according to IndyCar.com.

Our View: This is likely to add pressure to the former stuntman, but he has to complete phase four of the program before the IRL will allow him to attempt to qualify.

F1: Nakajima admits Toyota ties responsible for ride

Kazuki Nakajima has confirmed that his ties with Toyota helped secure his ride in F1, according to SpeedTV.com, but that is no guarantee he will endure.

Our View: Drivers "buying" rides into F1 is nothing new, but performance is still the key to success. More than any other sanction, however, the world championship is top heavy and you fantasy team should reflect that.

IRL: Rain cancels practice

Persistent rain has canceled practice at Indianapolis. Weather permitting, the track will re-open Thursday at 9:30 am.

Our View: In the big scheme of things, this won't matter much since there is plenty of time to get on the track in the month of May, but it could be crucial for rookie Stanton Barrett. He has not yet completed his Rookie Orientation Program, although Nelson Philippe did manage to finish phase four.

Martin to run fulltime in 2010

Mark Martin has signed on for another full season racing for Hendrick Motorsports, according to NASCAR.com.

Our View: There's nothing like running well to put a little more gas in the tanks. This takes a little pressure off winning the championship in 2009, which should improve Martin's odds on a weekly basis since 'relaxed' drivers are fast drivers.

F1: Mosley's son found dead

Alexander Mosley, son of F1 president Max Mosley, was found dead in his London apartment Tuesday afternoon, according to CBSSports.com. He was the victim of an apparent drug overdose.

Our View: Mosley has been under attack for quite some time, but auto racing fans will no doubt express their sympathy.

New Attitude, Same Lady

The Lady in Black freshened her makeup last year with a multimillion dollar repaving job, but she still has the same old attitude.

New pavement has temporarily softened this track's rough exterior, but the groove still lies right up against the retaining wall—and that makes this a tricky track to negotiate. The famed Darlington stripe comes from getting a little too close to the wall, which causes the Lady in Black to reach out and slap drivers for their effrontery.

While she is still as cantankerous as ever, Darlington will find that her suitors have a harder shell now than in the past. The new car design is much more durable than its older counterparts and will take a lot of damage before it stops being competitive. Last year, Kyle Busch bounced off the wall numerous times en route to victory. And last week, five drivers who finished 11th or better were involved in on track incidents. That means dark horses might do better at Darlington this year than ever before.

Join us at http://www.eventdaygames.com/ this week to play along with our unique fantasy game.

F1: Richards looks east

Former Benetton boss David Richards, is looking for backing from the Mid-East, now that Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are well represented on the Formula 1 calendar, according to SpeedTV.com.

Our View: F1 management has long said they are more interested in markets such as this than in North America. At least their efforts are starting to bear some fruit.