Time To Play Hardball

Just as the All-Star Game represents the halfway point in the Major League Baseball season, the NASCAR Nationwide Series stand-alone season begins its second half this weekend at Gateway. And with both events in the St. Louis area, there’s a fitting analogy. The next three races, starting Saturday, represent the pennant drive for those in the mix for the series championship.

PHOTO CREDIT: CIA STOCK PHOTO

Standings leader Kyle Busch has a comfortable advantage heading into this crucial trio of races that also includes O’Reilly Raceway Park and Iowa Speedway. Now, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Jason Leffler, second through fourth, respectively, need to channel the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals, who overcame an 11-game deficit in late August to catch the Philadelphia Phillies.

Last year entering Gateway, the drivers in second through fourth were 183, 217 and 254 points out of first. The furthest back of those three? Edwards. This time around, the Columbia, Mo., native is 192 points behind Busch and comes home to Gateway where he’s the defending winner.

RETURN TO SITE OF FIRST WIN: In 2000 Kevin Harvick began his rookie season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and scored his first career win at Gateway International Raceway. The victory not only marked his first NASCAR Nationwide Series win, but also his first win in NASCAR’s top-three series (Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup). Since winning at Gateway in 2000, Harvick has gone on to score 33 Nationwide Series victories with his most recent coming earlier this season at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

ST. LOUIS BOUND: With a three-year hiatus, Kevin Harvick returns to Gateway International Raceway for the first time since 2006 behind the wheel of the No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet. Having only three previous starts at the track, Harvick has an average starting position of 3.0 and an average finishing position of 2.3 on the strength of two wins and three top-five finishes. Harvick has completed all 600 laps attempted and has led 221 of those laps.

Continue reading “Kevin Harvick returns to site of first NASCAR win”

1 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.0
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s
• Average finish of 7.6
• Led 11 races for 237 laps
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s ; one pole
• Average finish of 9.1
• Finished 23rd last season
• Led five of 10 races for 215 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 9.3, second-best

PHOTO CREDIT: CIA STOCK PHOTO

2 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.7
2009 Rundown
• One win, 10 top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.2
• Led 11 races for 570 laps
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Four wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 8.6
• Finished fifth last season
• Led 10 of 15 races for 440 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 376 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

3 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.9
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.4
• Led 15 races for 945 laps
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, three top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 20.3
• Won last season’s Indianapolis race
• Led two of seven races for 104 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-best Average Running Position of 8.3

Continue reading “NASCAR'S Top 12 heading into Indy”

NSCS Recap: Martin wins Chicagoland Speedway shootout
JOLIET, Ill. (July 11, 2009) — Body-slamming and bump-drafting were the order of the day — at 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway, no less — and 50-year-old Mark Martin was the last man standing in a wild LifeLock.com 400.

Pulling away after a double-file restart with two laps left in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race, Martin won his series-best fourth race of the season and the 39th of his career. Martin gained two positions to 11th in the standings and will have at least 40 bonus points for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup seven races hence, if he can hold a position in the top 12.

PHOTO CREDIT: CIA STOCK PHOTO

Continue reading “Race Recap: Mark Martin wins Chicagoland”