Newman on GM cutbacks

WHEN TONY MADE HIS ANNOUNCEMENT CHEVROLET WAS A BIG PART OF THAT, THEY ANNOUNCED THEY ARE GOING TO BE CUTTING BACK THEIR NATIONWIDE AND TRUCK SERIES PROGRAMS, DOES THAT WORRY YOU KNOWING YOUR TEAM GETS SUPPORT FROM THEM?

“I don’t know the entire financial situation on any of the big three. My first comment in respect to all of this back when Chrysler announced something, I don’t think it was bankruptcy but they announced something and the bottom line was we’re here to support all the manufacturers because Chevrolet doesn’t just win a race against Ford they win a race against Chrysler and Toyota and everybody else. The bottom line is we’re here to support all of them and whatever we can do as drivers, team owners, sponsors to help the economy, to help the situation, to help GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota is what we need to do. I don’t know financially their situation as far as what they’re going to pull from and how much they’re going to pull and how long this is going to last and all that stuff. That’s a question for the Chevrolet people but the bottom line is as media, as drivers, as everybody else we need to help out their situation.”

From a GM Press Release

Jeff Burton on GM cutbacks
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on GM cutbacks
Jeff Gordon on GM cutbacks
Fantasy racing perspective on GM cutbacks

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Kurt Busch on improving a car at the track

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF GETTING YOUR CAR BETTER THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND?

“The biggest thing is to utilize practice time in the best way that you can. Without testing this year, when we show up at these race tracks, I feel the best thing for us to do is to knock out a few odds-and-ends items that you wouldn’t normally run at a specific race track like Michigan. We’ll try this or try that and then settle in to our normal changes that we would work on with our Miller Lite Dodge and try to dial it in on the high lane, low lane; there’s so many lanes to choose from here at this race track that they handle differently. You’re keeping an overall perspective on how to work through practice trying to finesse through big changes at the beginning, then the smaller ones at the end of practice and then fine-tune it. Then as the race progresses, the track rubbers in and the low line isn’t preferred, but you have to go down there to make some decent passes and make sure that your car runs on long runs because fuel mileage always pops up here in Michigan. Finally, with the double-file restarts, you’re always going to have to pay attention how quick your car takes off on fresh tires because you’re going to be stacked side-by-side with guys that you’re racing for position instead of having lapped cars down there.”

From a Dodge Press Release

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Johnson is about due at Michigan

IS THIS GETTING TO BE A TRACK WHERE YOU ARE ABOUT DUE?

“I think so. That stat we are well aware of it (14 starts at MIS no victories). I feel that we have had some really good chances to have victories here. We had a fuel mileage situation one time get us, last year leading when the whole pit cycle started and the No. 88 was able to make it in one. I think we are closing in on it. We knew early in our career that this was a tough track for us. I think over the last three or four seasons, we’ve done a very good job of being competitive, we just haven’t been able to be there on the last lap in the right position. With all the work that has gone in to it and how consistent, we have been leading laps and running up in the top-five, I think it is out there for us.”

From a GM Press Release

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N'Wide: Logano still fastest

Joey Logano was fastest in the first practice session at Kentucky and he proved that was no fluke by posting the fastest time in the second session as well with a lap of 174.842 mph.

Our View: In fact, he was head and shoulders above second place Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

However, Kyle Busch is liable to be his closest competition on Saturday and he was not at the track, having stayed in Michigan to spot for Brian Ickler.

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ARCA: Buescher finishes fourth at Michigan

One of the two drivers doing double duty with the ARCA and Camping World Truck Series, James Buescher finished fourth in the Racing for Wildlife 200.

Our View: This is a good warm-up for the truck driver; seat time in any vehicle is valuable.

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Burton on GM Cutbacks

CHEVY HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE PULLING BACK SUPPORT TO THE NATIONWIDE AND TRUCK SERIES. HOW DEVASTATING IS THAT TO THESE SERIES?

“I hate to comment on it because I don’t know a whole lot about it. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Richard (Childress) this morning a whole lot about it but I will tell you that I know Chevrolet is going to do everything that they can to do the best job that they can in motorsports.

"This is an unprecedented time and in many ways it’s a sad time and in many ways it’s an exciting time. Chevrolet having to pull support is a big deal because so many people rely on and they have been such a big part of the series.

"So I don’t know everything I need to know about it to comment a hundred percent but I can just tell you that in my talks with Chevrolet is that they want to do everything they can to stay involved and be a part of the NASCAR deal. And I think they are but they have some tough decisions to make.”

From a GM Press Release

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on GM cutbacks
Jeff Gordon on GM cutbacks
Fantasy racing perspective on GM cutbacks

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ARCA: Kligerman wins at Michigan

Parker Kligerman won the Racing for Wildlife 200 by holding off Richard Childress' grandson Austin Dillon and the field. His passed two cars for the lead before the final caution for a spin involving Justin Marks.

Our View: This team was scheduled to run only eight times this year unless a sponsor was found. This was the eighth time and they still don't have a sponsor, but they do have two wins in 2009.

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Gordon on GM cutbacks

ANY REACTION TO REPORTS THAT GM IS PULLING OUT OF THE NATIONWIDE AND TRUCK SERIES?

“I think we all have been watching and waiting to see the reaction and I think it is no surprise that there are going to be big cutbacks. And as a dealer as well as a race car driver, we’re doing everything we can to keep our business going strong and doing everything we can to support them in the decisions that they’re making so that we see a great company, whether it’s smaller than it was before or not, come out of it with continued good products out there and giving the customers what they want as well as thinking that NASCAR racing is important to them from a marketing standpoint. So, you know they’re going to make cutbacks and it’s unfortunate for those that have to deal with that. We’re involved with that with the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports being involved with that. So, it’s unfortunate, but those guys have to make decisions and do the best they can to keep their business and we’re going to stand by them.”

From a GM Racing Press Release

Earnhardt on GM cutbacks
Fantasy racing perspective on GM cutbacks

N'Wide: Logano paces practice 1

Joey Logano got to the track after the first practice session at Kentucky Speedway started, but he wasted no time getting to the top of the charts. He posted the fastest lap in this session with a speed of 172.783 mph, according to @NASCAR_NNS, the official tweet of NASCAR PR.

Our View: Logano was already one of our favorites. If he's just as fast in the evening, he could become THE favorite to win.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Michigan

Historically, qualification had been important at Michigan. We say "historically," however, because that is well in the past. In recent years, winners are just as likely to come from outside the top 10 as inside that mark. Check out this week's Yahoo! story(.pdf) of who's going to be hot at in the LifeLock 400.

Skinner goes home from Michigan

Mike Skinner was the slowest of the "go-or-go-home" drivers, and he will be the only driver heading home early from the LifeLock 400.

Our View: Not that it would have mattered; Skinner is one of the start and park drivers.

Fantasy perspective on GM cutbacks

In the light of GM filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, major cutbacks are expected NASCAR-wide, according to both the Associated Press and The Sporting News.

Our View: Earlier this week, Richard Petty Motorsports announced major layoffs among their teams after a similar declaration from Dodge. This won't effect superteams like Hendrick Motorsports, but in general, Ford drivers might be better values for the remainder of the season.

Earnhardt on GM cutbacks

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Vickers wins Michigan pole

Brian Vickers was the 12th driver to hit the track and he knocked Kyle Busch off the provisional pole. He held off the remaining 30-odd drivers to win his third pole of the season.

Our View: That ties him for the season with Mark Martin and this dark horse has been solid on the two-mile tracks since switching to Toyotas and Red Bull Racing.

Trucks: changes expected to 2010 schedule

The Camping World Truck Series schedule has not been released yet, but ThatsRacin.com is anticipating some major changes. These include the removal of the Milwaukee Mile and additions at Darlington Raceway and Iowa Speedway.

Our View: The Trucks have been extremely exciting at Darlington in the past so we certainly hope that one comes true. Rusty Wallace's Iowa Speedway would also be a welcome addition; it's a short track patterned after Richmond International Raceway.

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Skinner, Marlin slowest in practice

Only one driver will go home this week without racing and if practice is any indication, that driver will be either Mike Skinner (44th fastest with a speed of 181.616 mph) or Sterling Marlin (41st – 181.887).

Our View: Both of these teams are start and park operations, so it won't make any difference to your fantasy roster.

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Gordon's got what he's got

Jeff Gordon was never able to return to the track after he blew an engine and was forced to change the powerplant. He completed only five laps of practice.

Our View: Worse still, he landed only 37th on the grid. This could be a long week for the No. 24 team.

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Earnhardt on GM cutbacks

From a JR Motorsports Press Release

“Obviously the automotive industry is dealing with unprecedented business challenges, and we understand the need for restructuring to accommodate the need to reduce costs and maximize return. We have been proud supporters of the Chevrolet brand our entire lives and don’t anticipate that ever changing. We are fully capable of adjusting our business model to accommodate this change, and with the backing of Hendrick Motorsports, we will continue to lend our full support to Chevrolet. The manufacturer support GM provides at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level is more critical in nature than in the Nationwide Series, and I hope Chevy is able to continue supporting that level, as the promotion of NASCAR works well for its demographics.”

- Kelley Earnhardt, vice president and general manager of JR Motorsports

Johnson fastest in Michigan practice 1

Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest single lap in NASCAR's first practice session at Michigan with a lap of 188.818.

Our View: He'll be the 23rd driver to take time and if the track improves (which we're not sure it will), he should be considered a favorite for the pole.

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N'Wide, Trucks: KHI, JR Motorsports lose GM support

According to @BobPockrass and @DustinLong, in the widening financial crisis for the Big Three automakers, Kevin Harvick, Inc. and JR Motorsports have confirmed they have lost factory support.

Our View: Both organizations vow to keep fielding strong cars, but also hint that restructuring is in order. However, smaller crews will mean less resources and in turn, less speed.

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Michigan qualifying order

Jayski.com has published this week's qualifying order. David Ragan will be the first driver on track and Sam Hornish Jr. is scheduled at 35th.

Our View: The track shouldn't change much between the first and 35th driver, but no one want to the be the first guy out.

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ARCA: Ickler Fastest in Michigan practice

Brian Ickler posted the fastest lap in Friday morning's practice session at Michigan, according to ARCAracing.com. He topped 41 drivers.

Our View: Ickler will be doing double duty this week in the ARCA and Camping World Truck Series this week. James Buescher will also run the double header on Friday.

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Gordon blows up in Michigan practice 1

Jeff Gordon blew up in the first practice session. He will have to change the engine and will have to start at the back of the pack regardless of where he qualifies.

Our View: This is another setback for a driver and team that is losing momentum, but four drivers have already won this season after being sent to the back of the pack with an engine or car change.

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Mears scrapes Michigan wall in mirror incident

Casey Mears scraped the wall in an incident that was almost identical to David Reutimann's. His accident happened on his first lap of practice as well.

Our View: The drivers are on full kill from the time they leave the garage. They may want to scale back to 95%.

See also: Reutimann scrapes wall at Michigan

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N'Wide: Blue skies above

According to reports from the track by @BobPockrass, the sun is shining over Kentucky Speedway. All on track activity should get in the books without problem.

Our View: It would certainly be nice to make a weekend without rain delays. This will allow the Nationwide Regulars to develop some rhythm.

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Reutimann scrapes wall at Michigan

David Reutimann scraped the wall early in Michigan's first practice session before he even made his first lap. The splitter drug the ground and caused the incident before he even started the timing clock.

Our View: That's not a very good start for a driver looking for his first top-10 on this track.

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Trucks: Crafton tops Michigan practice 1

Matt Crafton topped the first practice session for the Michigan Camping World Truck Series race, according to @NASCAR_Trucks. Rookie Brian Ickler was second quick.

Our View: Crafton is the current points' leader in this series, and this is a great way to start defending his lead.

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Trucks: Benson in No. 15 at Milwaukee?

Kyle Busch intends to turn the keys of his No. 15 Billy Ballew truck over to Johnny Benson Jr. at the Milwaukee Mile, according to a tweet from @DustinLong.

Our View: Benson recently lost his ride in the No. 1 truck. If this happens, it could make Benson the favorite to win on the one-mile flat track since Busch has been so dominant in that ride all year.

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N'Wide: Gaughan crew chief suspended for racial slur

Brendan Gaughan's crew chief Bryan Berry has been suspended from NASCAR for using a racial slur against rival Marc Davis, according to NASCAR.com. This came as the culmination of an incident in the pits; Davis is a black teenage driver racing for Braun last week.

Our View: First Gaughan runs into Davis while that driver was pulling behind the wall with a blown engine, then his crew chief verbally assaults him. So much for the good guy image Gaughan was trying to develop.

Incidents like this can set NASCAR back decades.

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IRL: Several tests on tap

Most of the Indy Racing League drivers tested at a variety of locations this week in preparation for the upcoming season. According to OpenWheelWorld.net, they were:

Watkins Glen International: Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Mario Moraes, Mike Conway, Milka Duno, Justin Wilson and Richard Antinucci.

Richmond International Raceway: Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe, Dan Wheldon, Raphael Matos and E J Viso.

Chicagoland Speedway: Ed Carpenter (in a Firestone tire test).

Iowa Speedway: Dario Franchitti

Our View: Practice makes perfect, so put a tickle file in your computers for the appropriate week and then watch these drivers closely in open practice sessions when that race rolls around.

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The House of Roush

Few owners have dominated a track like Jack Roush has done at Michigan International Speedway. This week, he could tie the legendary Wood Bros. with the most wins on this track at 10 and his drivers have at least one victory per season since 2002.

That makes selecting a roster this week very easy.

Michigan is one track where fantasy owners can literally load their roster with a single organization and then sit back in the easy chair and reap the rewards, because Roushketeers have been perfect on this track several times in the last half-decade. When they've missed, it's often by a very slim margin.

Last fall, Roush placed all five of his drivers in the top 10 and all but a single driver was in the top five. Led by Carl Edwards in first, David Ragan finished third, Greg Biffle was fourth and Matt Kenseth was fifth. By comparison, Jamie McMurray had a disappointing day in 10th, but he was happy to have that result in light of the generally miserable year he faced up till then.

In the spring race, all but Biffle finished in the top 10 as well, which gave Roush an average finish during the year of 7.1. That also means four of the five drivers swept the top 10 on this two-mile track last year—including the dark horses Ragan and McMurray.

As impressive as that was, however, it was not their best outing in recent years. In the two Cup races of 2005, Roush earned one victory, six top-fives and eight top-10s en route to an average finish of 6.2. This was no anomaly, since three of the five Roushketeers (Edwards, Kenseth and Biffle) were in the midst of top-10 streaks ranging from four to six consecutive races.
With Edwards riding a current four-race top-10 streak and Kenseth carrying three Michigan top-fives into the weekend, you could very well see the same thing this week.

Roush Racing, last five years

Race	Driver	Car	Finish
2008.2	Carl Edwards	99	1
2007.1	Carl Edwards	99	1
2006.2	Matt Kenseth	17	1
2005.1	Greg Biffle	16	1
2004.2	Greg Biffle	16	1
2006.1	Carl Edwards	99	2
2004.2	Mark Martin	6	2
2008.2	David Ragan	6	3
2008.1	Matt Kenseth	17	3
2005.2	Matt Kenseth	17	3
2005.1	Mark Martin	6	3
2008.2	Greg Biffle	16	4
2007.2	Matt Kenseth	17	4
2006.1	Greg Biffle	16	4
2005.2	Carl Edwards	99	4
2005.1	Matt Kenseth	17	4
2008.2	Matt Kenseth	17	5
2006.2	Mark Martin	6	5
2005.1	Carl Edwards	99	5
2005.2	Greg Biffle	16	6
2004.2	Kurt Busch	97	6
2008.1	Carl Edwards	99	7
2007.2	Carl Edwards	99	7
2006.2	Greg Biffle	16	7
2005.2	Kurt Busch	97	7
2004.1	Matt Kenseth	17	7
2008.1	David Ragan	6	8
2007.1	Jamie McMurray	26	8
2004.2	Matt Kenseth	17	8
2008.2	Jamie McMurray	26	10
2008.1	Jamie McMurray	26	10
2004.2	Carl Edwards	99	10
2004.1	Kurt Busch	97	11
2005.1	Kurt Busch	97	12
2006.1	Matt Kenseth	17	13
2004.1	Jeff Burton	99	13
2006.2	Jamie McMurray	26	17
2005.2	Mark Martin	6	17
2007.2	David Ragan	6	18
2007.2	Greg Biffle	16	19
2008.1	Greg Biffle	16	20
2007.1	David Ragan	6	21
2006.2	Carl Edwards	99	22
2006.1	Jamie McMurray	26	23
2004.1	Greg Biffle	16	23
2006.1	Mark Martin	6	27
2007.2	Jamie McMurray	26	30
2004.1	Mark Martin	6	34
2007.1	Greg Biffle	16	38
2007.1	Matt Kenseth	17	42
2006.2	Todd Kluever	06	43

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IRL: Antinucci to debut at the Glen

Richard Antinucci will make his Indy Racing League debut at Watkins Glen driving for Team 3G, according to OpenWheelWorld.net.

Our View: He could be a better value than his inexperience would suggest, since he won both races of a double-header at the Glen in 2008.

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N'Wide: Leicht finally defends Kentucky win

Stephen Leicht won at Kentucky two years ago, but has only made sporadic starts since then. This week is his first chance to defend that win, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: Leicht will face intense competition with Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and last year's winner Joey Logano making the long commute from Michigan International Speedway. Still, in a RCR Chevrolet, Leicht has to be favored for a potential top-five.

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Ragan, et. al. test at Infineon

David Ragan, Max Papis, David Reutimann and Joey Logano tested late models (not Cup cars) at Infineon Raceway on Wednesday, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: The testing ban does not apply because these are not Cup or Nationwide cars and they are considerably different in terms of handling. So why do it? According to Ragan, “Even if we drove a rental car out here it would help. I just needed to get back into the rhythm of turning left and right.”

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Trucks: Michigan's last five races

As fields thin in the Truck series, finding consistent top-10 finishers is not that difficult, but it's also not that simple. Luck continues to play an important role in who will finish up front. Ron Hornaday Jr. has had one of the trucks to beat the last two weeks after starting on the front row each time, but mishaps sent him home 26th at Dover and 19th at Texas. Worse still, this has not been one of his favorite tracks with an average finish of 17.5 that puts him well down the grid.

On the other hand, Todd Bodine has a little momentum on his side after winning last week at Texas—and Michigan has been among his preferred tracks. He's yet to win there, but with a four-race streak of top-10s, he deserves a spot on the roster for consistency alone.

Mike Skinner has a slightly lower average finish of 6.2, but he's been nearly as consistent with four top-10s and a worst of 11th in his last five races on this two-mile track. He and Bodine should be the marquee regulars who anchor your roster.

"Rowdy" Kyle Busch is back on the lineup this week after taking Texas off and he's looking to improve on two runner-up finishes from 2005 and 2007. Last year he finished seventh, which gives him even more to prove.

Notably, only one winner from the last five years is on the lineup this week. Dennis Setzer found victory lane in 2005, but his results have been eroding ever since. He was eighth in 2006, 24th in 2007 and 16th last year, so fantasy owners can reasonably expect a different winner this year.

Average finish, last five races

Driver	Pwer Avg	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004
Travis Kvapil	1.00		1			1
Scott Speed	3.00	3
Kyle Busch	3.67	7	2		2
Bobby Hamilton Sr	4.00				3	5
Todd Bodine	6.00	4	7	4	9
Colin Braun	6.00	6
Kevin Harvick	6.00		8		4
Carl Edwards	6.00					6
Mike Skinner	6.20	8	4	11	5	3
Johnny Benson Jr	8.00	2	9	1	24	4
Shane Hmiel	8.00					8
Brendan Gaughan	8.75	5	3	16	11
Terry Cook	10.00	10	11	9	13	7
Dennis Setzer	11.80	16	24	8	1	10
Donny Lia	12.00	12
Rick Crawford	12.20	11	6	6	6	32
Erik Darnell	13.00	1	26	12
Justin Marks	13.00	13
J J Yeley	13.00					13
Mike Bliss	14.00			14
Jimmy Spencer Sr	14.00				14
Randy LaJoie	14.00					14
Robert Huffman	14.00				19	9
Chad Chaffin	15.00	27			7	11
Todd Kluever	15.00				15
Chad McCumbee	15.33	9	19	18
David Reutimann	15.67			15	8	24
Ryan Matthews	16.00		16
Ted Musgrave Sr	16.40	24	5	23	28	2
Stacy Compton	16.50	21	12
Regan Smith	17.00	17
David Starr	17.00	26	13	13	12	21
Aaron Fike	17.00		17
Robert Pressley	17.00				17
Ron Hornaday Jr	17.50	23	10	7	30
Mark Martin	17.50		33	2
Chase Montgomery	17.50				20	15
Matt Crafton	17.60	15	34	5	22	12
Bobby Labonte	17.67		18	3	32
Kraig Kinser	18.00		14	22
Sean Murphy	18.00				18
Shelby Howard	19.00	19
T J Bell	20.00	20	20
Joey Miller	20.00			20
Lance Hooper	20.00					20
Bill Lester	20.50		15	33	16	18
Blake Bjorkland	21.00		21
Johnny Chapman	21.00				23	19
Jack Sprague	21.20	30	29	10	10	27
Deborah Renshaw	21.50				21	22
Jon Wood	22.00	14				30
Marc Mitchell	22.00	22
Willie Allen	22.00		22
Tim Sauter	23.00		23
Andy Houston	23.00					23
Bobby East	24.00	18		30
Erin Crocker	24.00			24
Brian Scott	25.00	25
David Ragan	25.00			19		31
Clay Rogers	25.50		25		26
Boston Reid	26.00		35	17
Tracy Hines	26.00				36	16
Marcos Ambrose	26.00			26
Shane Sieg	26.00					26
Steve Park	26.33			31	31	17
Ryan Moore	27.00			27
Shigeaki Hattori	27.00				27
Jason White	27.50	28	27
Travis Kittleson	28.00		28
Bobby Hamilton Jr	28.00			28
Kevin Lepage	28.50		36	21
Mario Gosselin	29.00	29
Kelly Sutton	29.00			25	37	25
Hank Parker Jr	29.00					29
Kerry Earnhardt	29.00			29
Ken Schrader	29.50		30		29
Timothy Peters	30.00			35	25
Nick Tucker	31.00	31
Brandon Whitt	31.00				34	28
J C Stout	31.50	32	31
A J Allmendinger	32.00		32
Kyle Krisiloff	32.00			32
Rick Markle	33.00	33
Ricky Craven	33.00				33
Phil Bonifield	33.00					33
Chris Jones	34.00	34
Martin Truex Jr	34.00			34
Loni Richardson	34.00					34
Brad Keselowski	35.00				35
Aric Almirola	36.00			36
Bryan Silas	37.00		37
Robert Richardson	37.00			37
Blake Mallory	38.00				38

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Trucks: Peters headed to Red Horse

Immediately on the heels of the announcement that Johnny Benson Jr. would lose his ride in the No. 1 Red Horse Racing team for lack of funding, Timothy Peters announced he would bring his sponsor Strutmasters and crew chief Chad Kendrick to the team, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: Peters will inherit the points from the No. 1 team, but this will be renumbered 17. Look for his results to improve slightly.

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Said gets ride for Infineon

Boris Said will try to get the No. 08 EM Motorsports car into the show at Infineon, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: This is great news for EM Motorsports, but don't look for Said to be particularly competitive even if he makes the show. This part time team simply does not have the funding to run in the front half of the pack.

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Week 24 Unified Power Rankings

Yawn. Jenson Button won again in the Turkish Grand Prix, which is his sixth victory in seven races and picking a winner in that series is now officially a no brainer. Until Button stumbles—and at this point, it seems unlikely he's going to do so all season—place him on your roster and hold him there.

For the first time this year, however, his wingman Rubens Barrichello had a bad finish. A pair of spins in the Turkish GP caused him to finish outside the points for the first time this season and he plummeted seven spots in the Unified Power Rankings from second to ninth.

That allowed a pair of winners to climb the grid. Tony Stewart had to overcome rolling out a backup car and his shotgun to the field start, but after practice, he was confident he had the ponies under the hood to get the job done. Stewart used a little strategy and a lot of power to hold off Carl Edwards and earn his first victory as an owner driver. He's now second on this chart.

One of the keys to Stewart's success in the Pocono 500 was a strong pit stop, and that is also how Helio Castroneves got in front of Ryan Briscoe late in the going at Texas Motor Speedway. Once in the lead of the Bombardier Learjet 550k, he was untouched and scored his second victory in the last three races. Castroneves sits third.

Jason Leffler continues to be the strongest Nationwide Regular in NASCAR's second series. With most of the top spots typically going to Cup drivers, last week's Federated Auto Parts 300 in Nashville was an opportunity race. Only two Claim Jumpers made the long commute, so even though Kyle Busch won the race and Edwards finished third, Leffler was able to pick off a fifth-place finish and climb two spots on the Unified Power Rankings grid from eighth to sixth.

Success in any fantasy racing league is reliant on finding dark horses. In the Camping World Truck Series, check out Jason White, who has been 14th or better in his last four races. And on the strength of his eighth-place finish at Texas last week and a fourth at Dover the previous week, he jumped an amazing 28 spots last week and 10 spots the prior week to land in the top 50—50th to be exact. Matt Crafton is the highest ranked Truck driver. He sits 19th on the grid.

Unified Power Rankings
Top 50

Rank	Driver	Points	Last week	+/-
1	Jenson Button	110.57	1	0
2	Tony Stewart	97.33	3	1
3	Helio Castroneves	95.80	4	1
4	Jimmie Johnson	90.82	6	2
5	Ryan Briscoe	90.67	7	2
6	Jason Leffler	87.90	8	2
7	Dario Franchitti	87.67	9	2
8	Ryan Newman	87.20	11	3
9	Rubens Barrichello	87.14	2	-7
10	Mark Martin	87.00	10	0
11	Mark Webber	85.29	15	4
12	Scott Dixon	84.50	16	4
13	Kurt Busch	83.55	5	-8
14	Danica Patrick	83.33	13	-1
15	Brad Keselowski	83.20	14	-1
16	Jeff Gordon	80.55	17	1
17	Kyle Busch	79.46	18	1
18	Carl Edwards	79.24	21	3
19	Matt Crafton	79.00	27	8
20	Matt Kenseth	78.69	20	0
21	Jeff Burton	78.63	22	1
22	Timo Glock	78.43	19	-3
23	Denny Hamlin	78.18	12	-11
24	Dan Wheldon	78.17	23	-1
25	Joey Logano	77.15	24	-1
26	Greg Biffle	76.93	28	2
27	Juan Montoya	75.64	31	4
28	Fernando Alonso	74.00	25	-3
29	Kasey Kahne	73.27	26	-3
30	Nico Rosberg	72.57	33	3
31	Sebastian Vettel	72.00	36	5
32	David Reutimann	70.85	43	11
33	Marco Andretti	70.00	44	11
34	Tony Kanaan	69.83	35	1
35	Jason Keller	69.30	30	-5
36	Steve Wallace	69.10	38	2
37	Marcos Ambrose	68.36	54	17
38	Justin Allgaier	67.60	39	1
39	Dale Earnhardt Jr	67.07	32	-7
40	Jarno Trulli	66.29	53	13
41	Johnny Benson Jr	66.00	47	6
42	Ron Hornaday Jr	65.80	29	-13
43	Brian Vickers	65.40	34	-9
44	Clint Bowyer	65.36	40	-4
45	Rick Crawford	65.20	62	17
46	Jamie McMurray	64.91	45	-1
47	Sam Hornish Jr	64.73	63	16
48	Martin Truex Jr	63.82	42	-6
49	Kevin Harvick	63.00	37	-12
50	Jason White	62.80	78	28

Previous Unified Power Rankings:

Week 23
Week 22
Week 21
Week 20

Gordon loves Michigan

Jeff Gordon lists Michigan International Speedway as one of his favorite tracks , according to SceneDaily.com.

“The track is big, wide, and it’s fast. The corners have multiple grooves, so you can run from the white line all the way to the wall. And you can change your angles in and off the corners," Gordon said.

Our View: He has two victories there and 15 top-fives, the last of which came in August 2006. Unfortunately, his lat three efforts there have been 18th or worse.

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N'Wide: Logano to pull double duty

Joey Logano will be one of the drivers making the long commute from Michigan International Speedway to Kentucky Speedway this week, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: Logano is the defending winner at Kentucky. That was his first Nationwide win, which he took from the pole.

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IRL: Lloyd leaves Ganassi

Alex Lloyd is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing, according to a Tweet from @IndyCarPR, saying that if he is going to explore his options, he needs to be a free agent.

Our View: So far, Lloyd has made only one start this season in the 33-car Indy 500 field where he finished 13th, so it's hard to say what kind of fantasy value he will be when he finds another ride.

Roush one short of record at Michigan

Roush-Fenway Racing is one win away from tying the Wood Bros. for the most victories at Michigan International Speedway, according to a Tweet from @NASCARSays, the official NASCAR PR account. The current record stands at 10 victories.

Our View: This track has been completely dominated by Roush in recent years and their drivers have at least one win per season since 2002. Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle all have to be considered favorites to either win or finish in the top 10.

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

Driver	Avg Finish	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004
Joey Logano	1.00	1
David Gilliland	1.00			1
Scott Wimmer	2.50	2	3
Brad Keselowski	4.00	4
Martin Truex Jr	4.00				2	6
Ron Hornaday Jr	4.00					4
Bryan Clauson	5.00	5
Shane Huffman	5.00		5
Stephen Leicht	5.50		1	10
Aric Almirola	6.00		6
Kevin Harvick	6.00			6
Sterling Marlin	6.00				6
Mike Bliss	6.67	8	9			3
Paul Menard	7.00			9	5
David Ragan	7.50	7	8
J J Yeley	8.00		12	2	7	11
Marcos Ambrose	8.50	6	11
Clint Bowyer	8.50	9		12	3	10
Brad Coleman	8.50	15	2
Denny Hamlin	9.00			3	15
Landon Cassill	11.00	11
Robby Gordon	12.00					12
Greg Biffle	12.25		10	7	30	2
David Reutimann	12.33	13	16	8
Ashton Lewis	12.67			5	25	8
Kelly Bires	13.00	19	7
James Buescher	14.00	14
Tony Raines	14.00				13	15
Boris Said	14.00			14
David Stremme	14.25	12	4		32	9
Kyle Busch	14.67	30		13		1
Dave Blaney	15.00		15
John Andretti	15.00			15
Cale Gale	15.50	18	13
Casey Atwood	15.50				9	22
Mike Wallace	15.75	3	25	4		31
Brandon Miller	16.00				16
Jon Wood	16.00			22	10
Robert Pressley	16.00					16
Jason Keller	16.50	10	20		31	5
Steve Wallace	16.67	17	22	11
Timothy Peters	17.00		17
Stacy Compton	17.00			24	8	19
Kasey Kahne	17.00					17
David Green	18.00		26	21	12	13
Tyler Walker	19.00				19
Jason Leffler	19.25	16	14	40		7
Todd Kluever	20.00		23	17
Justin Labonte	20.50				11	30
Michel Jourdain Jr	20.50			18	23
Kevin Hamlin	21.00		21
Hermie Sadler	21.00					21
Randy LaJoie	21.00				21
Reed Sorenson	21.50			39	4
Chad Blount	22.00				22
Carl Edwards	22.50	20	33	36	1
Josh Wise	23.00	23
Steve Grissom	23.50				27	20
Kevin Lepage	24.00	24
Kenny Wallace	24.00	29		20	14	33
Brent Sherman	24.00		24
Billy Parker	24.00					24
Tim Sauter	24.00			28	20
Rusty Wallace	24.00				24
Aaron Fike	24.50			31	18
Kevin Grubb	25.00			25
Burney Lamar	25.50	32		19
Mark Green	26.00	22			33	23
D J Kennington	26.00	26
Mark McFarland	26.00			26
Stanton Barrett	26.33	25			17	37
Regan Smith	27.00		19	16	41	32
Shelby Howard	27.00		27
Joel Kauffman	27.00			27
Jimmy Kitchens	27.00					27
Richard Johns	28.00		28
Ryan Hemphill	28.00				28
Michael Waltrip	28.00				42	14
Bobby Hamilton Jr	28.33	21	36			28
Chase Miller	28.50	39	18
Kyle Krisiloff	29.00		29
Wade Day	29.00				29
Johnny Benson Jr	29.00					29
Chris Cook	30.00			30
Derrike Cope	31.00	31
Kertus Davis	31.00	37	30		26
Johnny Sauter	31.67			32	38	25
Kenny Hendrick	32.00	34			44	18
Justin Diercks	32.00		31	33
Andy Ponstein	33.00	33
Robert Richardson	34.00		34
Auggie Vidovich	34.00			34
Eric McClure	34.33	28	32	43
Jamie Mosley	34.50		40	35	37	26
Jay Sauter	34.50			29		40
Brian Keselowski	35.00	35
Danny O'Quinn Jr	35.00	44	38	23
Gus Wasson	35.00					35
Johnny Chapman	36.00	36
Clint Vahsholtz	36.00					36
Wayne Edwards	36.00				36
A J Frank	37.00		37
Tim Fedewa	37.00				40	34
Blake Feese	37.50				34	41
Justin Hobgood	38.00	38
Shane Hall	38.00			38
Buckshot Jones	38.00					38
Brett Rowe	39.00		39
Eric Jones	39.00				39
Travis Geisler	39.00					39
Jeff Fuller	39.33			41	35	42
Brad Teague	39.67	27			48	44
Dwayne Leik	40.00	40
Chris Horn	40.75		35	37	43	48
Larry Gunselman	41.00	41
Mike Harmon	41.00		41
Danny Efland	42.00	42
Morgan Shepherd	42.33	43	42	42
Carlos Contreras	43.00		43
John Hayden	44.00			44
Stan Boyd	44.50			46		43
Johnny Borneman III	45.00				45
David Odell	45.00			45
Shawna Robinson	45.00					45
Stuart Kirby	46.00					46
Damon Lusk	46.00				46
Jerry Robertson	47.00				47
Justin Ashburn	47.00					47

More Nationwide Newsbreakers