NASCAR Nextel Cup Food City 500 Projections

Here are our pre-qualifying projections for the finishing order for this weeks Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. These are specifically for those of you that must freeze your drivers prior to tomorrow's qualifying runs. (Yahoo leagues note: you must finalize your drivers by 3:00 PM Eastern)

1. Kurt Busch
2. Ricky Rudd
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Rusty Wallace
6. Jamie McMurray
7. Jimmie Johnson
8. Jeff Burton
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11. Ryan Newman
12. Sterling Marlin
13. Mike Wallace
14. Mark Martin
15. Bobby Labonte
16. Jimmy Spencer
17. Terry Labonte
18. Elliott Sadler
19. Dale Jarrett
20. Ken Schrader

SPECIAL NOTE: Of the top 20 listed above, Ricky Rudd, Mike Wallace, and Elliott Sadler have finished a significantly lower than average percent of races at Bristol. Rudd ha finished only 8 out of 14 (57.14%) within 10 laps of the leader. Wallace has completed 1 of 4 (25%) while Sadler has 8 of 13 (61.54%). Other driver with low completion percents:

• Kyle Petty - 8 of 13 (61.54%)
  
• Jeff Green - 3 of 8 (37.5%)
  
• Dave Blaney - 3 of 8 (37.5%)

Best completion percents include:

• Sterling Marlin - 13 of 14 (92.86%)
• Terry Labonte - 13 of 14 (92.86%)
• Jeff Gordon -12 of 14 (85.71%)
• Dale Jarrett -12 of 14 (85.71%)
• Rusty Wallace -12 of 14 (85.71%)
• Jeremy Mayfield -12 of 14 (85.71%)

Note also that analysis was not available for the drivers who have not competed in this race previously. We will revisit and updat the projections as required after the qualifying run.

NASCAR Food City 500 Schedule and Entry List

The qualifying runs for Sunday's Nextel Cup race from Bristol Motor Speedway will be held on Friday starting at 5:40 PM Eastern. Qualifying will be shown on the Speed channel. Pre-race starts at 12:30 Eastern with the race beginning at 1:00 Eastern. Both are going to be televised on Fox.

The Entries for Sundays race are:

1. Bobby Hamilton Jr.
2. Bobby Labonte
3. Brian Vickers
4. Carl Edwards
5. Carl Long
6. Casey Mears
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Dale Jarrett
9. Dave Blaney
10. Elliott Sadler
11. Greg Biffle
12. Hermie Sadler
13. Jamie McMurray
14. Jason Leffler
15. Jeff Burton
16. Jeff Gordon
17. Jeff Green
18. Jeremy Mayfield
19. Jimmie Johnson
20. Jimmy Spencer
21. Joe Nemechek
22. John Andretti
23. Kasey Kahne
24. Ken Schrader
25. Kevin Harvick
26. Kevin Lepage
27. Kirk Shelmerdine
28. Kurt Busch
29. Kyle Busch
30. Kyle Petty
31. Mark Martin
32. Matt Kenseth
33. Michael Waltrip
34. Mike Bliss
35. Mike Garvey
36. Mike Wallace
37. Morgan Shepherd
38. Randy LaJoie
39. Ricky Rudd
40. Robby Gordon
41. Rusty Wallace
42. Ryan Newman
43. Scott Wimmer
44. Shane Hmiel
45. Stanton Barrett
46. Sterling Marlin
47. Terry Labonte
48. Tony Stewart
49. Travis Kvapil

NASCAR Nextel Cup Food City 500

Now that we have suffered through our second off week in the past four, the Nextel Cup moves on to Tennessee and the Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bristol falls in to the Short Track classification. it is 0.53 miles with 36 degree turns and 16 degree straightaways. Both the front and back straightaways are 650 feet long.

A good starting position has been critical at Bristol as poll sitter has won 20 of the 88 NASCAR races held here (that's an amazing 22.7%). Jeff Gordon was the last to do this in the second Bristol race in 2002. All in all, the top 6 starting positions have produced over 70% of the winners (62 of 88).

Kurt Busch has the most recent success at Bristol winning four of the last six races held there. Jr. won the most recent race.

On Short Tracks in general your top five drivers based on average finishing position over the past three years are:

• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Jeff Gordon
• Kurt Busch
• Jimmie Johnson
• Tony Stewart

Easter Wishes

The staff of StatLeader want to extend our wishes to all of you for a Happy Easter.

Doc has been on Easter Break (he's too old for it to be called Spring Break any more) but will be back with his regular unconventional style on Monday.

Since there is no NASCAR Nextel Cup tomorrow, we'll be taking the rest of the weekend off as well.

Again, Happy Easter and we'll see you Monday.

Golden Corral 500 Report Card

As we continue to refine our computer models, we slowly improve our forecasting skills. Such was the case this week as identified 4 of the top seven. (Edwards finished 1st / predicted 7th, Johnson 2nd / 3rd, Martin 4th / 5th, and Kahne 5th / 1st). Note that one of our models did predict Carl Edwards to win but we junked that one because of lack of previous track history.

We also nailed pole sitter Ryan Newman's 14th place finish. The remaining results were somewhat mixed. Perhaps hurting our numbers a little was the fact that three more of our top 10 ( Labonte 2nd, Jeff Gordon 4th, and Hamilton Jr. 9th) never made it more than 266 laps.

As we have said before, such is the danger of trying to predict such an unpredictable sport. With an off week next weekend, we'll have a little more time to hopefully make things better.

For those of you who have asked where the Crew Chief's predictions were this week, she has asked me to extend her apologies as she has been tied up with a special activity and simply didn't have the opportunity to perform her usual detailed analysis. She has, however, promised to be back for the next race.

NASCAR Nextel Cup Colden Corral 500 Projected Results

Here are the StatLeader computer's projected finishing order for the NASCAR Golden Corral 500. Remember, this does not take into account accidents or mechanical failure.

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Bobby Labonte
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Mark Martin
6. Tony Stewart
7. Carl Edwards
8. Jamie McMurray
9. Bobby Hamilton Jr.
   
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11. Greg Biffle
12. Matt Kenseth
13. Dale Jarrett
14. Ryan Newman
15. Joe Nemechek
16. Kurt Busch
17. Brian Vickers
18. Rusty Wallace
19. Jeff Burton
20. Bill Elliott
21. Jeremy Mayfield
22. Sterling Marlin
23. Dave Blaney
24. Elliott Sadler
25. Kevin Harvick
    

Jamie McMurray, Dave Blaney, Kevin Harvick, and Mike Wallace have the lowest completion percent of the participating drivers, not finishing 35% to 40% of the races they have run at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Ryan Newman, Robbie Gordon with more than 5 races at Atlanta to finish all their starts. Ricky Rudd and Dale Jarrett come in a close third having finished 13 of their last 14 there.

Starting Order for Tomorrow's Nextel Cup Race

Here is the starting order for the NASCAR Golden Corral 500 from the Atlanta Motor Speedway:

1. Ryan Newman
2. Bobby Hamilton Jr.
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Carl Edwards
5. Kasey Kahne
6. Greg Biffle
7. Joe Nemechek
8. Brian Vickers
9. Tony Stewart
10. Jason Leffler
11. Elliott Sadler
12. Mark Martin
13. Jamie McMurray
14. Jeremy Mayfield
15. Casey Mears
16. Mike Bliss
17. Scott Riggs
18. Bill Elliott
19. Bobby Labonte
20. Shane Hmiel
21. Travis Kvapil
22. Jimmy Spencer
23. Matt Kenseth
24. Kurt Busch
25. Jeff Gordon
26. Robby Gordon
27. Dave Blaney
28. Ken Schrader
29. Kevin Lepage
30. Mike Wallace
31. Ricky Rudd
32. Rusty Wallace
33. Scott Wimmer
34. Dale Jarrett
35. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
36. Kevin Harvick
37. Michael Waltrip
38. Jeff Burton
39. Sterling Marlin
40. Jeff Green
41. Kyle Petty
42. Kyle Busch
43. Mike Garvey

NASCAR Golden Corral 500 Entry List

Here are the 50 entrants for this weeks Nextel Cup Race at Atlanta:

• Bill Elliott
• Bobby Hamilton Jr.
• Bobby Labonte
• Brian Vickers
• Carl Edwards
• Carl Long
• Casey Mears
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Dale Jarrett
• Dave Blaney
• Elliott Sadler
• Greg Biffle
• Hermie Sadler
• Jamie McMurray
• Jason Leffler
• Jeff Burton
• Jeff Gordon
• Jeff Green
• Jeremy Mayfield
• Jimmie Johnson
• Jimmy Spencer
• Joe Nemechek
• John Andretti
• Kasey Kahne
• Ken Schrader
• Kevin Harvick
• Kevin Lepage
• Kirk Shelmerdine
• Kurt Busch
• Kyle Busch*
• Kyle Petty
• Mark Martin
• Matt Kenseth
• Michael Waltrip
• Mike Bliss
• Mike Garvey
• Mike Wallace
• Morgan Shepherd
• Randy LaJoie
• Ricky Rudd
• Robby Gordon
• Rusty Wallace
• Ryan Newman
• Scott Riggs
• Scott Wimmer
• Shane Hmiel
• Stanton Barrett*
• Sterling Marlin
• Tony Stewart
• Travis Kvapil*

NASCAR Golden Corral 500 Early Stats

This week the Nextel Cup travels to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Golden Corral 500. As with the past two races, Atlanta is considered an Intermediate Track. Again the top five drivers on the Intermediate Tracks over the past 3 years are Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, and Mark Martin. Johnson's position at the top of this list certainly wasn't hurt by his victory in Las Vegas last week.

Since the Atlanta Motor Speedway opened in 1990, there have been 29 Nextel / Winston Cup races. Bobby Labonte leads all drivers with 6 victories during that period, Jeff Gordon comes in second with 4. Of the 29 races, 17 have been won by top ten starters, 7 from starting positions 11-20, 2 from 21-30, and one each from positions 35, 37, and 39 respectively.

The Qualifying record belongs to Geoff Bodine who hit 197.478 mph in 1997. The Race record (500.5 miles) since the track reconfiguration in 1997 is owend by Bobby Labonte at 159.904 mph also set in 1997. Prior to the reconfiguration, the Race record (500.5 miles) belongs to Dale Earnhardt at 163.633 mph set in 1995.

Stay tuned for more information as the week progresses.

Mister 2's Misadventures in Vegas

First, let me apologize to StatLeader.com and devoted readers.

As some of you might be aware, I was sent to cover the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 in Las Vegas for StatLeader.com. Well, we got started a little late - not getting out of town until we caught the Friday night redeye from LAX.

When we arrived in Vegas, we went straight to the hotel to get a good night's sleep before the Busch race on Saturday. Well, you know those dirty hotels - to get to your room they make you walk right through the casino! The Venetian was no different!

So, I figured what the heck! It's late anyway, I just won't go to bed, and then I'll be sure to get to the race early! So we did a little gambling. What harm could it be?

$700.00 lost later, I knew my luck would change - but probably at a different casino.

So we took a taxi to the Stardust, because somebody told me they dealt single hand blackjack from the hand. I was ready! The good news is that I did much better at the Stardust - I only lost another $500.00! Of course the bad thing is I only brought 1,000 with me - so I was already into the ATM! Did mention that the $1,000 I had with me was my travel advance from StatLeader.com?

By now, it was time to get started toward Saturday's race, but I had to try and get that money back! Not only did I not have the money to pay for the room - I didn't even have enough money to buy a Kevin Harvick T-shirt now!

Depressed, I wandered Las Vegas Blvd. a broken man. Then I remembered...

ATM's let you get money from Savings Accounts too!

Well, to make a long story short:

• I didn't see a race all weekend
• I lost all my money AND my StatLeader.com advance
• Doc Bitters won't talk to me

Next time they race in Vegas we're gonna send the Crew Chief!

Oh, by the way... has anybody seen my wife?

Our Las Vegas Report Card - Getting Better, Getting Better

Both the StatLeader computer and the Crew Chief had a pretty decent day today. The results:

The Chief managed to pick 5 of the top 10 (Johnson, Busch, Gordon, Kenseth and Stewart) while 3 more of her top 10 (Martin, Kahne, and Earnhard Jr.) never made it more than 243 laps. The remaing 2, Burton and Sadler finished 17th and 29th respectively.

As for our poor overworked computer, it got 4 of the top 10 and 14 of the top 21. Six more (Martin, Marlin, Kahne, Labonte, and Jr.) didn't go the distance. None of our projected top 20 that completed the race finished lower than 21st (Michael Waltrip who was projected at 19th)

All in all, not too bad of a day, but still lots of room for improvement. We'll give the Chief a B+ while Rocket Man and his computer will weigh in at a B-.

NASCAR Las Vegas Nextel Cup Projections

Here are the StatLeader projected top 20 finishers for the Nextel Cup UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 race in Las Vegas. (Note that the Crew Chief's Projections are posted a little farther down the page):

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Mark Martin
3. Jeff Burton
4. Tony Stewart
5. Dale Jarrett
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Rusty Wallace
8. Casey Mears
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Bobby Labonte
11. Sterling Marlin
12. Jeremy Mayfield
13. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
14. Kurt Busch
15. Jeff Gordon
16. Kevin Harvick
17. Greg Biffle
    
18. Ryan Newman
19. Michael Waltrip
20. Jamie McMurray

There is no trending evident as far as drivers who have not finished the race All drivers who have participated in at least three races have finished 2/3 or more.

As for those that have finished every race entered (3 minimum) the list includes:

• Bobby Labonte (7 of 7)
• Sterling Marlin (7 of 7)
• Ken Schrader (7 of 7)
• Matt Kenseth (5 of 5)
• Kyle Petty (5 of 5)
• Robbie Gordon (5 of 5)

Using Our Projections + What We Are Doing

The StatLeader computer projections for tomorrows UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 will be posted shortly. However, before providing them we wanted to note the following:

Fantasy Auto Racing is differs from most other fantasy sports in that there is no positional requirement on your team. You simply try to pick the best 6, 10, 12 , or however many drivers are specified by your league. Some games try to inject the positional aspect by including categories (Category A, Category B, etc.) and requiring that you pick so many from each one to fill out your roster, but ultimately, you are still looking for as many top 10, 15, or 20 as possible.

The lists we provide is the computers estimate of who has the best chance of winning the race given no accidents or mechanical problems. From this list you can pick the top however many drivers you need for your league. Suppose you have to pick 6 drivers. Now, in reality, it really doesn't matter the order your picks finish in as long as they finish in the top 6 (unless there is some type of bonus system for picking the winner).

We have noted before that NASCAR is one of the most (if not the most) difficult sports to predict. Our initial season is a learning experience for us as well. We are continually upgrading our historical database, modifying our calculation routines, and developing new analyses methods to improve the accuracy of our forecasts. As the season progresses, we will be adding in more of our analysis numbers (consistency factors, confidence factors, and so on) to provide you with even more data on which to base your choices. Hopefully we will continue to improve so we can bring you the best Nextel Cup predictions available.

Crew Chief's Projected Top Ten Las Vegas Finishers

Here are the Crew Chief's projected top ten finishers in Sundays Nextel Cup UAW DaimlerChrysler 400:

1. Kurt Busch
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Jeff Burton
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Mark Martin
7. Tony Stewart
8. Dale Earnhard Jr.
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Elliott Sadler

The StatLeader computer generated top 20 will be posted tomorrow.

NASCAR Nextel Cup Projected Qualifying Order

Here are our computer generated projections for the top 20 qualifying positions for this weeks UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Brian Vickers
3. Kurt Busch
4. Jamie McMurray
5. Greg Biffle
6. Bobby Labonte
7. Michael Waltrip
8. Ryan Newman
9. Jeff Gordon
10. Tony Stewart
11. Mark Martin
12. Jeremy Mayfield
13. Scott Riggs
    
14. Casey Mears
15. Jimmie Johnson
16. Dale Jarrett
17. Kyle Busch
18. Matt Kenseth
19. Joe Nemechek
20. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 Entries

Here is your entry list for Sundays race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

32 - Bobby Hamilton Jr. - Chevrolet
18 - Bobby Labonte - Chevrolet
25 - Brian Vickers - Chevrolet
99 - Carl Edwards - Ford
00 - Carl Long - Chevrolet
41 - Casey Mears - Dodge
8 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Chevrolet
88 - Dale Jarrett - Ford
07 - Dave Blaney - Chevrolet
38 - Elliott Sadler - Ford
73 - Eric McClure - Chevrolet
16 - Greg Biffle - Ford
66 - Hermie Sadler - Ford
42 - Jamie McMurray - Dodge
11 - Jason Leffler - Chevrolet
31 - Jeff Burton - Chevrolet
24 - Jeff Gordon - Chevrolet
43 - Jeff Green - Dodge
19 - Jeremy Mayfield - Dodge
48 - Jimmie Johnson - Chevrolet
01 - Joe Nemechek - Chevrolet
14 - John Andretti - Ford
09 - Johnny Sauter - Dodge
9 - Kasey Kahne - Dodge
49 - Ken Schrader - Dodge
29 - Kevin Harvick - Chevrolet
37 - Kevin Lepage - Dodge
27 - Kirk Shelmerdine - Ford
97 - Kurt Busch - Ford
5 - Kyle Busch - Chevrolet
45 - Kyle Petty - Dodge
6 - Mark Martin - Ford
17 - Matt Kenseth - Ford
15 - Michael Waltrip - Chevrolet
0 - Mike Bliss - Chevrolet
4 - Mike Wallace - Chevrolet
89 - Morgan Shepherd - Dodge
34 - Randy LaJoie - Chevrolet
21 - Ricky Rudd - Ford
7 - Robby Gordon - Chevrolet
2 - Rusty Wallace - Dodge
12 - Ryan Newman - Dodge
10 - Scott Riggs - Chevrolet
22 - Scott Wimmer - Dodge
79 - Stan Boyd - Chevrolet
92 - Stanton Barrett - Chevrolet
40 - Sterling Marlin - Dodge
20 - Tony Stewart - Chevrolet
77 - Travis Kvapil - Dodge

Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing Alert

Note that because of the Friday qualifying for the UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 those of you who participate in a Yahoo fantasy NASCAR league must have your rosters finalized by 5:00 Eastern (2:00 Pacific) time.

Man we're glad that's over.

There is not much worse than an off week, especially only three weeks into the season. Sure the Busch race in Mexico City was a good substitute, but there is nothing like the Nextel Cup. So, now it's back to work as we get ready for the UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 this weekend (Dang that sounds good).

"Speaking of the Busch Series..."

• 16 of the Nextel Drivers will also be participating in the Busch race in Las Vegas. The list includes: Greg Biffle, Dave Blaney, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Joe Nemechek, Scott Riggs, Elliott Sadler, and Michael Waltrip.

"Hamilton Heading towards Hanging it up"

• Bobby Hamilton has indicated that he will retire after the 2006 season to concentrate on preparing his team for entry into the Nextel Cup series. Said Hamilton "...someday I want to field a Cup car for Little Bobby (Bobby Hamilton Jr.).

"Just when we though we had this whole thing figured out"

• After all the fanfare surrounding the new qualifying rules put in to effect for the Auto Club 500, we will just as quickly forget about them this week. Not only will qualifying be Friday, but there will be two practice runs on Saturday. Additionally, the cars will not be impounded this week. Fear not, however, the new rules will be back for the following two races (Atlanta, and Bristol) before bouncing in and out of effect for several weeks. Nothing like complicating an already confusing situation.

Sites, Fights, and Heights

"Sights...or...Mark hits the mark"

• Mark Martin's official "Salute to You Tour" website is now up and active at www.markmartinsalute.com . Clicking on this link will take you to the sign in page. If you are not already registered with Roush Racing there is a link that will allow you to do so. The site features news, recaps, photos, merchandise, and a great looking Mark Martin wallpaper. You can also register by going directly to Roush Racing's web site at...what else... http://www.roushracing.com/ .

"Fights...or... Just because it works for hockey doesn't mean..."

• An altercation broke out at the Telcel Motorola 200 this weekend between Robby Gordon and Carl Edward's Crew Chief Brad Parrott. Prior to the race, words were exchanged between Gordon and Parrott. As Gordon turned away, Parrott allegedly threw a knee to Gordon's groin. Gordon responded by grabbing Parrott by the neck and was about to throw a punch when everything was broken up. Frankly, after a low blow like that by Parrott, we think Robbie should have had at least one free penalty kick.

"Heights...or...Whoever says this is just a regional sport don't know their behind from a sippy hole"

• The already impressive overnight ratings increase in the Auto Club 500 over previous years got even more impressive with the release of the final ratings. What was originally reported to be a 12.7% increase over last year's second Nextel Cup race turned out to be a 19/7 increase. Impressive? No, Extremely Impressive. The rating also represents an 11.3% increase over last year in the major markets.

NASCAR Mexico City News

"Well maybe if you had just given him one"

• GM officials are angry with driver Boris Said. Said who has a deal with Chevrolet on the Nextel Cup Series will be driving one of the two Yellow Transport Dodges owned by James Finch in today's Busch race in Mexico City. "I was trying to be politically correct. But I didn't have a ride. But this is a good car and a good team, and I've known [Crew Chief] Marc Reno."Said commented. "Jay Frye, my team manager, was mad. I really tried to get a Chevrolet ride, called and called and called. But they didn't help me. For some reason they've never really wanted to help me."

Telcel Motorola 200 Starting Lineup

1. Jorge Goeters
2. Robby Gordon
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Ron Fellows
5. Boris Said
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Paul Menard
8. Carlos Contreras
9. Carl Edwards
10. Elliott Sadler
11. David Green
12. Tyler Walker
13. Clint Bowyer
14. Jamie McMurray
15. Jason Keller
16. Chris Cook
17. Tim Fedewa
18. Michel Jourdain Jr.
19. Reed Sorenson
20. Ashton Lewis
21. Ron Hornaday
22. Brent Sherman
23. J.J. Yeley
24. Stacy Compton
25. Scott Gaylord
26. Shane Hmiel
27. Jon Wood
28. Stanton Barrett
29. Johnny Sauter
30. Ryan Hemphill
31. Rusty Wallace
32. Randy LaJoie
33. Jose Luis Ramirez Magana
34. Denny Hamlin
35. Kenny Wallace
36. David Stremme
37. Ruben Garcia Novoa
38. Justin Labonte
39. Mara Reyes
40. Adrian Fernandez
41. Shawna Robinson
42. Rafael Martinez
43. Eric Jones

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Schedule

The schedule for the UAW-DC 400 has been released. Unlike last week's Auto Club 500, qualifying will not be held on Saturday. Rather, the qualifying runs will start Friday night at 6:10 PM Eastern (3:10 PM local). The qualifying will be televised on the Speed Channel (DIRECTV 607). The full UAW-DC 400 Nextel Cup schedule is as follows.

Friday March 11:

• Qualifying Draw 1:20 PM Eastern (10:20 AM Local)
• Practice: 2:20 - 4:15 PM Eastern (11:20 AM - 1:15 PM Local)
• Qualifying Runs: 6:10 PM Eastern (3:10 PM Local)

Saturday March 12:

• Practice 12:30 - 1:15 PM (9:30 - 10:15 AM Local)
• Happy Hour (Televised on FX [DIRECTV 248]): 2:10 - 2:55 PM Eastern (1:10 - 11:55 Local)

Sunday March 13:

• Pre-Race (FOX) 2:00 PM Eastern (11:00 AM Local)
• The Race (Fox) 3:00 PM Eastern (Noon Local)

We will keep you posted on the pre-race activities as we learn them.

Off-Week Blues

Just two weeks into the new Nextel Cup Series, we racing fans have been hit with the worst possible thing, an off week. News is slow, and the best we have to look forward to this weekend is the Busch Series race in Mexico City. Hopefully, we can help fill some of the void that exists with a little information on next week's UAW DaimlerChrysler 400.

Run at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 2005 UAW DC 400 is the 8th race in the series. It has also been known as the Las Vegas 400 ('98 and '99) and the CarsDirect.com 400 (2000).

In the 2004 race Matt Kenseth came from 25th place to edge out Pole winner Kasey Kahne by just over 3.4 seconds. Winning the race from fairly far back in the starting field is not uncommon at Las Vegas. In fact, of the seven races to date, the only winner to start in the top 10 was Mark Martin back in the first race in 1998. In 1999 and 2000, Jeff Burton won after starting 19th and 11th respectively. In 2001 Jeff Gordon started 24th as did Sterling Marlin in 2002. In Kenseth's 1st victory in 2003 he started in 17th position.

The fastest average speed in the seven previous races was 146.554 mph in 1998 while the slowest was 119.982 back in 2000. The largest victory margin was in 2003 as Matt Kenseth defeated Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 9.104 seconds. The smallest was in 1998 when Mark Martin beat Ward Burton by only 1.074 seconds.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is considered and Intermediate Track (as opposed to Restrictor-Plate, Short, Flat or Road races). It will present an interesting challenge with the 1/2 inch reduction in the rear spoiler height this year. In the last three years, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne have had the best overall intermediate track records.

NASCAR News

"I guess they stayed home to watch it"

• FOX's ratings for the Auto Club 500 were 12.7 percent higher than last year's second race of the season and a whopping 28.6 percent higher than last year's Auto Club 500. Way to go!. This hopefully atones for the disappointing attendance by my fellow Californians at the track. How embarrassing that in the supposed sports crazy region called Southern California (USC, UCLA, Dodgers, Lakers, ect.) that we couldn't come close to filling the Speedway. Come-on Las Vegas, show us how it's done.

"Oh, you wanted the approved hinged air modifications"

• Shane Hmiel's Busch Series crew chief Todd Lohse has been fined $10,000 and suspended for four races. The penalty is for unapproved hinged air modifications found on Hmiel's car during an inspection last week. Lohse will be allowed to participate in the Mexico City race this weekend.
  

"He will not be alone, He will never be alone" (Jor-El, Superman 1)

• Todd Lohse was not only crew chief fined this week. Others include Billy Poindexter (Kevin Lepage) $5,000 for an unapproved deck lid and $1,000 for an unapproved fire suppression agent, David Hyder (Ken Schrader) $5,000 for unapproved final drive gear ratio, and Tim Weiss (Eric McClure) $10,000 for actions detrimental to stock car racing and unapproved third gear transmission ratio.

"Where's the Lone Ranger when you really need him?"

• The Busch race cars are being shipped from Loredo, Texas to Mexico City in five convoys with 10 haulers per convoy. Each hauler will have a security guard in the cab.

"If this is Vegas there must be odds"

• Kasey Kahne is the early favorite in the UAW D/C 400 next weekend. The top 16 on the list are as follows:
• Kasey Kahne 7-1
• Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman 8-1
• Jeff Gordon 9-1
  
• Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr, at 10-1
• Matt Kenseth 12-1
• Rusty Wallace 15-1
• Jeremy Mayfield 16-1
• Greg Biffle, Bobby Labonte, and Jamie McMurray 18-1
• Kevin Harvick 20-1
• Sterling Marlin and Jeff Burton 25-1