STORYLINES: Pocono and Montreal
This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hits Pocono Raceway for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500, a key race on the NASCAR calendar. This is the half-way point in the Race to the Chase. After Pocono, only five races remain before NASCAR hits its “postseason” – the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Time is of the essence for those outside the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cut-off to get in. And those inside the top 12 are not only looking to stay in, but also need the coveted 10 potential Chase bonus points for each win.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to Canada this weekend for the much-anticipated road course race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Eight Canadians will run in the race, the second ever event held “north of the border.”
In The Garage: Pennsylvania and Canada Natives In NASCAR
This week brings another huge lineup of potential area angles, listed below.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pennsylvania Natives
Darin Nestlerode (Jersey Shore) – No. 31 car chief
Pat Tryson (Malvern) – No.2 crew chief
Greg Erwin (Hatboro) – No. 16 crew chief
Bob Osborne (Chester) – No. 99 crew chief
Billy Curwood (Shickshinny) – No. 42 engineer
Travis Geisler (Pittsburgh) – No. 12 engineer
Danny Emerick (Byrn Mawr) – No. 48 engine tuner
Stephen Ritchie (Jonestown) – No. 19 engine tuner
Josh Kirk (Chambersburg) – No. 5 mechanic/rear-tire changer
Lance Munksgard (Warre) – No. 41 pit crew coach
Jason Seitzinger (Shartlesville) – No. 24 shock specialist
Mike Motil (Hazelton) – No. 41 tire specialist
Jim Bender (Duryea) – No. 9 tire specialist
Sean Kerlin (Marysville) – No. 48 tire specialist
Mike Harrold (York) – No. 10 tire specialist
Steve Brown (Honesdale) – No. 29 tire specialist
Toby Mellott (Needmore) – No. 19 tire specialist
Dave Radney (Canton) – No. 88 transporter driver
Dave Littau (Pottsville) – No. 2 front-tire carrier
Terry Spaulding (Troy) – No. 19 front-tire changer
Chris Fasulka (Wilkes-Barre) – No. 88 gas man
Matt Myers (Ford City) – No. 88 front-tire carrier
Kevin Hebert (New Holland) – No. 77 rear-tire changer
Troy Welty (Manchester) – No. 07 windshield/driver support
Tom Mayerchek (Sharon) – No. 22 spotter
Gina Mayerchek (Sharon) – No. 22 scorer
T.J. Majors (Wampum) – No. 88 spotter
Brad Little (New Kensington) – No. 99 driver support
Scott Crowell (Towanda) – No. 20 second gas man
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Canada Natives
Mark MacCaull (Moncton, New Brunswick) – No. 00 engineer
Mike McCarville (Kensington, Prince Edward Island) – No. 10 shock specialist
Dave Skog (Lloydminister, Alberta) – No. 70 crew chief
Shaun Pect (Nanaimo, British Columbia) – No. 83 pit crew trainer/jack man
Randy Slack (Caldonia, Ontario) – No. 17 engine tuner
Aaron Johnston (Calgary, Alberta) – No. 31 assistant engineer
NASCAR Nationwide Series Canada Natives
Yves LaFrance (Montreal, Quebec) – No. 99 engine tuner.
Dave Carrier (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) – No. 24 mechanic/catch can (Race day only)
And now, the series-specific storyline rundown for the week …
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Remember Me?: Johnson “Becomes” Major Threat
With his win at Indianapolis, Jimmie Johnson seemed to announce to the world, “I’m back.”
And all competitors beware.
Clearly, with seven wins on the season, Kyle Busch has been the dominant force of the 2008 season.
But don’t forget about the two-time defending series champion. Johnson, with the win at Indy and a runner-up finish at Chicagoland, has hit his stride. He also owns wins at three of the remaining six tracks in the Race to the Chase. He swept at Pocono in 2004 and won at California and Richmond last season.
So, though Johnson has 20 potential Chase bonus points to Busch’s 70, that gap could close quickly.
Hamlin Set for Personal Playground
It’s fitting that Hamlin gets to celebrate a special milestone at Pocono Raceway.
Hamlin will run his 100th career NASCAR Sprint Cup race this weekend – and what a start it has been. In his first 99 races, Hamlin has four wins and 51 top-10 finishes.
But nowhere has he enjoyed success like Pocono. He won his first two races there – both from the pole. In five starts there, Hamlin has five top-10s. His worst finish is sixth, leading to an average overall finish of 2.8.
Richmond may be his “home track,” but Pocono has to rank first for the Virginia native.
Battle Intensifies for Top 12 Spot
Two points.
That’s Clint Bowyer’s cushion over Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick for the 12th – and final – Chase berth.
Bowyer’s 19th place finish at Indy – combined with Harvick’s 37th-place run – put him back into the top 12, barely. Harvick only needs to finish one spot ahead of Bowyer this weekend to overtake him in the standings.
But that’s not where the battles end. Only 242 points separate seventh-place Greg Biffle and 16th-place Ryan Newman.
Edwards Counting On Inside Information
Edwards may have a mole in the Pocono garage this weekend – crew chief Bob Osborne.
Osborne, a native of Chester, Penn. and graduate of Penn State University, might have some local knowledge for Edwards.
Not that he’ll need it, exactly. Edwards is as hot as a driver could be without winning a race. He finished second at Indy on Sunday (his second runner-up finish in the last three races), and has finished inside the top 10 in nine of the last 11 races. Edwards also has a Pocono win, in 2005.
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Oh, Canada! NASCAR Nationwide Series Heads To Montreal
The NASCAR Nationwide Series prepares for its second consecutive trip to Montreal’s famed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – where this year the son of the road course’s namesake will participate in the event.
Jacques Villeneuve leads a contingent of eight Canadians – including Patrick Carpentier (Quebec), Ron Fellows (Ontario) and DJ Kennington (Ontario) – who will race in front of their passionate fans. Carpentier is foregoing his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride in Pocono for Gillett Evernham Motorsports in order to concentrate on the Montreal event.
Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Terry Labonte – whose family tree extends to Montreal and was the test driver for the series in May 2007 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – will drive for Carpentier in Pocono.
Last year’s race was one of the most exiting in each of NASCAR’s national series in 2007. Kevin Harvick won the inaugural event. Robby Gordon was involved in a scrape with then-leader Marcos Ambrose with two laps to go, resulting in Gordon capturing the lead. Or so he believed. He wasn’t the winner, though he celebrated along with Harvick on the frontstretch.
Also performing a celebratory burnout along with Harvick and Gordon was Carpentier, the Quebec native who finished second after winning his first career pole in NASCAR competition earlier in the day. Harvick isn’t back to defend his race win and Gordon is racing in Pocono only. Ambrose returns with an eye on his first series victory.
Race Dotted With International Flair
Five countries will be represented in Saturday’s event: Canada with eight drivers; the United States with 32; one from Australia (Marcos Ambrose), one from Venezuela (Alex Garcia) and one from Italy (Max Papis).
Papis, who finished third last year, will take over for David Stremme in the No. 66 Rusty Wallace Racing entry. Papis is one of many road-course “ringers” in the race, including Boris Said (No. 25 Ford for Bobby Hamilton Jr.), Ron Fellows (No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports); Scott Pruett (No. 40 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge) and Scott Gaylord (No. 52 Jimmy Means Racing Ford). Also Justin Marks looks to make his series debut for Braun Racing. Marks is another road-course specialist who competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and won his first pole at Texas in June.
Top Two In Standings Are Rookies At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The great equalizer may be experience on this course and one driver who won’t turn his first lap until the race itself is standings leader Clint Bowyer. He is the only one of the five double-duty drivers in the race who will compete in the weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in Pocono during the weekend who did not run at Montreal last year. Stephen Leicht, who finished fifth in this race last year, will practice and qualify the car for Bowyer.
Second-place Brad Keselowski watched this race one year ago while Andy Pilgrim brought home a 15th-place finish for JR Motorsports. Third-place Carl Edwards, who is coming on of late with two wins and three top fives in his last six races, trails Keselowski by only seven points behind Keselowski. Edwards, the defending series champion, competed in this event last year.
Along with Leicht, the other all-important substitute drivers are: Auggie Vidovich for David Ragan; Colin Braun for Greg Biffle; Erik Darnell for Edwards and Chris Cook for David Reutimann. Braun, 19, has extensive road-course experience and captured his first career pole in NASCAR competition in Mexico City in April. Last week at O’Reilly Raceway Park, Braun won the pole and finished third.
Different Type Of Double-Duty For Kennington
DJ Kennington is a double-duty driver of another type in NASCAR. Driving full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year for MacDonald Motorsports (owned by another Canadian, Terry MacDonald), Kennington, 31, is also vying for the title in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and travels in similar fashion to his events when they compete on the same weekends as NASCAR Nationwide Series / NASCAR Sprint Cup Series double-duty drivers. He’s third in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series standings and ranks 24th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. This weekend’s trip for both races will be the easiest of the season for the former hockey goalie who was on the 1994 NHL Draft Roster before an injury ended one sports dream.
Rising Series Talent Will Be On Display In Canada
Although not competing in the race, Colin Braun is just one of a group of young drivers who are gaining respect – and top results – in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Joey Logano, 18, will make his road course debut in Montreal. Logano has two wins, two poles and three top-five and five top-10 finishes in only six series starts. Steve Wallace, 20, finished 10th in Mexico City earlier this year and was 10th at ORP last weekend.
Brad Coleman, 20, has struggled somewhat this season after moving from Joe Gibbs Racing to Baker Curb Racing, but he’s a solid 16th in the standings and is a sleeper in this event. Like Braun – with whom he shares the world record for youngest team in the Rolex 24 in GT Class – he gained his experience in road-course racing.
Landon Cassill, 19, who will drive for James Finch in Montreal instead of his usual role for JR Motorsports, has been one of the most improved drivers in the series. Over the last seven races, he earned his first career pole and four top-10 finishes (including the last three races).
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES
Benson – not Busch – the Story in the Trucks
Forget Kyle Busch. Johnny Benson is the red-hot driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with three victories and a second-place finish in his past five starts. Benson leads the standings – but by only 15 points over defending champion Ron Hornaday Jr.
Age is Just a Number
Old guys still rule. Three of the five members of the top five in the current championship standings – Ron Hornaday Jr., Rick Crawford and Mike Skinner – are in their 50s. Crawford is the most recent member of the “over-50″ club celebrating his birthday on July 26.
Crafton Making Believers
Matt Crafton remains a championship contender posting his eighth top-five finish at ORP. Crafton, 32, is 31 points behind standings leader Benson. Does his ThorSport Racing team have the horsepower to challenge Bill Davis Racing (Benson) and Kevin Harvick Inc. (Hornaday)? Looks like it. Crafton and teammate Shelby Howard posted ThorSport’s first “double” top-five at ORP.
Off-Week Gets Series Ready for Concrete Jungle
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has an off-week before heading to Nashville Superspeedway on Aug. 9 for the first of back-to-back races on concrete-surfaced tracks in Tennessee. Three of the top five title contenders – Benson, Hornaday and Skinner – have won on concrete tracks.
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