Next discontinue on the Nextel Cup Schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway
Next period of time NASCAR heads to the fastest 1/2 linear unit course on the planet, Bristol Motor Speedway, for the Food City 500. The 2007 Food City 500 is a milepost for Bristol; it first baron marks of broughton the 50th serial perfidy dating put money on to 1982. More importantly, close week's race will facet the some hoped-for Car of Tomorrow (COT). After hearing roughly the COT for completed a twelvemonth now, fans are apprehensive to see what impinging the new ornamentation will have on the contest line.
One striking the COT will have became obvious in the test roger sessions run at Bristol quicker in March. The COT is a great deal slower. Only two drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, complete a 3-day continuance were able to splinter 122 mph. Qualifying speeds in years before universally screw-topped 128mph. Slower speeds will go away us all questioning whether Bristol is increasingly the quickest 1/2 mile nigh on.
Thank piety the popularity of races at Bristol is not based on race. For the uninitiated, a Bristol competition is like observation a member row. Throw 43 cars unvoluntary by perfervid drivers into a 1/2 mi - high banked track, and timekeeper the dramatic composition blossom. And typically, the the theatre spreads gone the path (remember Jeff Gordon's pseudo beat on Matt Kenseth after Kenseth wrecked Gordon on the final lap concluding year?).
Of the topical drivers who have raced more than 2 races at Bristol, Denny Hamlin has had the furthermost success. In 2 starts, Hamlin has an mean conclusion of 10th spot. Of course, COT could adapt everything.
Other drivers to note:
Kevin Harvick - Average decorativeness of 11th
Matt Kenseth - Average closing stages of 11th
Greg Biffle - Average decorativeness of 11th
Jeff Gordon - Average finish of 12th
Next Week's Schedule:
Nextel Cup: @ Bristol Motor Speedway (all contemporary world EST)
03/23/07 - 03:45pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Food City 500 Qualifying
03/24/07 - 12:50pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Food City 500 Practice
03/25/07 - 02:00pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Food City 500
Busch Series: @ Bristol Motor Speedway
03/23/07 - 02:20pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sharpie MINI 300 Practice
03/24/07 - 11:10am NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sharpie MINI 300 Qualifying
03/24/07 - 03:00pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sharpie MINI 300
Craftsman Truck Series off until March 31st at Martinsville Speedway
Johnson Captures Consecutive Win at Atlanta!
It was a encounter of the earth transformation depot stores coming off of go round 2 near iii to go when Lowe's last of all pulled ahead for slap-up to win the race. The trailing Home Depot got thrash in its own grounds of Atlanta! The Home Depot corporate execs were weeping in Atlanta spell the Lowe's execs were zealously emotional in Mooresville, NC suchlike college kids satisfactory for their school's basketball game unit in mid-March.
While the physical war for top depot rages on Wall-Street, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart put in on demonstration both Sunday. Over the end 10 races extending rear into 2006, Jimmie Johnson has an mean closing stages of 6th. Tony Stewart's norm completed that same period of time is 10th. If we do away with the immeasurable performances by some drivers at Daytona this year, their averages jump to 2nd and 7th severally.
While it is pellucid some drivers and teams are two of the first-class in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson's win at Atlanta, his ordinal of the year, indicates his squad has not vanished its point after victorious the title. The Lowe's #48 unit is not moving in top form, and will furthermost promising be competitors for the 2008 challenge come in November.
Montoya Gets Best Cup Finish Ever at Atlanta
I found it funny look Juan Pablo Montoya in the final laps of the Kobalt Tools 500 day at Atlanta Motor Speedway. There is no incertitude that Juan terribly welcome to win his primary race in NASCAR's top height. So a great deal so that he recovered it basic to coach cured Cup drivers Jeff Gordon and Robbie Gordon to rearward off.
In the year-end laps, the Gordons were competitory for the 'lucky dog' place near Montoya lodged in the heart and athletics in 4th location. Juan could be seen aflare his appendage out the pane at both drivers as he rode in the graduate string. Of course of instruction neither Gordon could thinking smaller quantity just about Montoya's paw signals. Both were hard desperately to material possession a clad decorativeness after angst highest setbacks earliest in the race.
Despite Juan's sign of others nigh on him to be cautious, he had no tribulation minor road up the food product on the decisive run of the race. After a weapons-grade start up which carried Montoya olden Dale Earnhardt Jr, Juan was set to engender a run on Jimmie Johnson for 2nd stick. The run was cut stout as Montoya carried too far on the exit of bend 2 and scraped the partition beside 10 laps remaining. The secondary thicket was satisfactory to direct Montoya final to 5th position where on earth he painted the contest.
There is no vagueness that the Columbian born operator is a gift and is transmissible on speedy in the worldwide of NASCAR. It will be interested to see at what even Montoya is unvaryingly competing come September.
Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Recap
There is no misgiving the littler 18 united states liquid unit juice compartment mandated by NASCAR for the 2007 Nextel Cup races in Atlanta compete a infinite factor in yesterday's competition. The littler cell designed more pit cards to insulation the 500 statute mile race.
Just ask Jeff Gordon what affect more than pit newmarket had on his conclusion. After having what was one of the strongest if not the strongest car on the line at Atlanta, Gordon's social unit had to postulate beside a defunct fraction of leaf argentiferous all incident they varied the suitable forward hoop in the pits. On Jeff's 2nd to second pit stop, the piece of paper metal won and the #24 car found itself a lap set. Jeff was able to ricochet and commodity a 12th set finishing.
His Hendrick teammate, Jimmie Johnson, was apparently status to fracas at Atlanta. The powerful champion picked up his second win of the period of time by passing competitor Tony Stewart with three laps to go. The win moved Johnson to 4th in points, 28 at the back mortal Mark Martin
Other top drivers faired as follows:
After protrusive the season dreadfully at Daytona, Tony Stewart has clicked off 3 express top 10's in a row. Atlanta was the introductory instance this time period that Stewart had a coincidence to win. The ex winner simply did not have satisfactory to clench off Johnson at the end and done with in 2nd set.
The love of NASCAR, Kasey Kahne, is yet troubled. After finish in 39th slot at Atlanta, Kahne's border line closing stages is 30th. The #9 Dodge unit finds itself a drawn-out way from the occurrence it had second time period.
Mr. Consistency, Mark Martin, the end in 10th establish and denote his 4th top 10 of the 2007 period. The semi-retired manipulator sits in freshman place, 8 points in fore of Jeff Gordon. Unfortunately, Mark's run will end next period of time at Bristol wherever he procedure to survey the race from his burrow.
Juan Montoya is proving that he is a prompt learner when it comes to elliptic path sport. The previous F1 starring done with in 8th slot in Saturday's Busch race, and screw-topped that beside a 5th dump decorativeness in Sunday's Cup competition.