Michigan International Speedway

August 16-17, 2008

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Mark Martin, No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet, finished sixth:

"That was just an awesome effort by this Army team. We had a great car today and the team really did a great job on pit road. Tony (Gibson, crew chief) made a great call to take four tires there at the end and the car really liked fresh tires today. It's such an honor to represent the courageous men and women of the U.S. Army."

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, finished eighth:

"Our Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was good from the time we unloaded. I just want to thank all my guys for putting this thing together and having a good day on a track that has been historically not so good for us. It has been a great few months and we are looking forward to keeping it going. The eighth-place finish at Michigan was definitely what we needed. A couple of guys on the bubble had some bad luck which helped us move up in the points. We will just keep at it and hopefully prevent those bad days."

Jeff Burton, No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet, finished 11th:

"We didn't run our best but it was definitely a step in the right direction. We typically don't run well here but the AT&T Racing team certainly did their homework, and I'm real proud of the effort we all put in today."

Martin Truex, Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Cub Cadet Chevrolet, finished 16th:

"We struggled at times this weekend. We've had some strong runs here in the past, and we were hoping for a good finish here today. We just were not able to find any front grip with the car and if you don't get the setup right with this car here at Michigan, you can be in for a long day. The guys never gave up and we tried a bunch of different stuff, but the car just never seemed to respond like we thought it would. We'll put this one behind us and look for a strong effort next weekend at Bristol."

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, finished 20th:

"We were on pace to have a good day with the Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, but I made a mistake and got into the wall and the car just wasn't the same after that. We were fortunate that some of the guys we're racing for points with had some trouble. Bristol is a really good race track for us, so I'm excited to get back there next weekend and try and race for the win. We're not out of this thing yet. We're going to work hard every lap and do everything in our power to make sure we get back inside the Chase over these next three races."

Ryan Newman, No. 12 Alltel Dodge, finished 21st:

"We changed everything on the car that we could today to try and get our Alltel Dodge to drive better. It's not the greatest finish, but a pretty good rebound after we started dead last. We'll take this finish and head to Bristol."

Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge, finished 22nd:

"I don't know what to say about today. We finished respectable today but it was a struggle. We just didn't make the right adjustments from Happy Hour yesterday to the beginning of the race. We'll keep working at it. The Mobil 1 Dodge ran well. We probably had a top-15 car but didn't get a top-15 finish."

Paul Menard, No. 15 Moen/Menards Chevrolet, finished 24th.

Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, finished 36th:

"What we had for the setup here today was quite different from what we ran here back in June. We used a completely different baseline with the components and all. We ran pretty much top-10 for the first-half of the race when we started making adjustments that made our Miller Lite Dodge loose in, tight in the center and loose off, which has been pretty much the norm for this car.

"We just got behind when we took out spring rubbers and bled the shocks (producing a 19.654-second pit stop). We lost 10 spots or so, falling from top-20 to at least 10 spots further back. We got back there in four-wide traffic on a restart and cut down the left rear tire. We had to pit twice under green-flag racing and that just put a fitting end to our day."

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Kelly Bires, No. 47 Clorox Ford, finished ninth:

"I'm real happy. There's no secret I love the big ovals. That's where I'm comfortable; that's where we've been the strongest. We came here looking to run in the top 10 all day, and we did that. It was a flawless day for this Clorox team. We can all look forward to more days like this - and even better finishes."

Clint Bowyer, No. 2 Camping World/RV Sales Chevrolet, finished 10th:

"It's too bad because the Camping World Chevy was certainly a top-five car. I'm not sure what happened with the 99 (Reutimann) but I felt like I give him plenty of room and he still pushed up into the wall. We just ended up as a casualty. We still managed to hang on for a top 10 but that's a tough pill to swallow when you have a top-five car."

Marcos Ambrose, No. 59 Kingsford Hickory Charcoal Ford, finished 12th:

"We just couldn't get track position when we needed it. That's all. It was a track position race. When you got behind somebody, it washed out the front end. It was real difficult to pass, especially when you were in a pack of traffic. We made up as much ground on the track as possible, and we made up even more on pit road. So overall, it was a successful day. The way the race played out, a 12th-place finish is the most we could have expected."

Bobby Hamilton Jr., No. 25 Eckrich Ford, finished 18th.

Cale Gale, No. 33 Camping World/RVs.com Chevrolet, finished 19th.

Scott Wimmer, No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet, finished 22nd:

"We were actually running pretty well and then, all of a sudden, the Holiday Inn Chevy got real loose and we picked up a pretty bad vibration. Pat and the crew did a great job trying to figure out if something broke on the right-front (suspension) but it all seemed to be okay. We'll have to get it back to the shop to find out what happened. The guys did a great job all weekend working on the car so I hate that we weren't able to get a good finish."

Steve Wallace, No. 66 Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches Chevrolet, finished 38th.

Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards sit first and second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings and the two went head-to-head in the closing laps of the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was Edwards that beat the points leader off pit road after a critical round of pit stops on lap 181 of 200 that proved the winning move.

"On that restart -- Kyle's very good on restarts -- I knew he was going to hang back and get a run up on my bumper," Edwards said. "I wasn't going to let him do that.

Edwards then held off Busch during a two-lap shootout after a late caution for Denny Hamlin's blown engine.

"The key was my crew (Sunday)," Edwards continued. "We're winning races, we're gearing up for the Chase, and we're feeling stronger than ever. We're here to win a championship. That's what we're here for. The key is keeping Kyle from getting those bonus points."

David Ragan, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five. Mark Martin steered his US Army Chevy to a solid sixth-place run, his eighth top-10 showing in only 18 Cup starts this season.

Brian Vickers finished seventh, while Kevin Harvick battled a loose condition all afternoon en route to an eighth-place showing. Harvick started 38th, but his Richard Childress Racing Chevy worked its way through the field for the top-10 run.

Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray completed the top 10.

Harvick's RCR teammate, Jeff Burton, also worked his way through the field after starting 28th. He finished a solid 11th and sits fifth in the championship points standings.

Martin Truex Jr., who announced last week that he will remain at DEI through the 2009 season after much speculation, finished 16th. Clint Bowyer was 20th, the victim of a loose racecar as well.

Ryan Newman avoided disaster on lap 85 when he was touched by Paul Menard and then caught Dave Blaney's machine. Blaney was turned into the wall and nearly flipped, but remained grounded and walked away from the scary incident. Newman finished 21st, while Sam Hornish Jr., who dusted the wall on the race's third lap, came in 22nd. Menard was 24th at day's end.

Kurt Busch ran in the top 10 through much of the event but cut a tire and spun on lap 170. No caution flag was thrown and Busch lost three laps because of the spin and subsequent pit stop. He finished a disappointing 36th after running well until the spin.

Marcos Ambrose, making his fourth start of the 2008 Sprint Cup schedule, lost the engine in his Wood Brothers Ford on lap 19 and finished 43rd.

Snap-on Nextel Cup Drivers - how they placed:
Mark Martin (6th, led 0 laps) Kevin Harvick (8th, led 0 laps) Jeff Burton (11th, led 1 laps) Martin Truex Jr. (16th, led 0 laps) Clint Bowyer (20th, led 0 laps) Ryan Newman (21st, led 0 laps) Sam Hornish Jr. (22nd, led 0 laps) Paul Menard (24th, led 0 laps) Kurt Busch (36th, led 0 laps) Marcos Ambrose (43rd, led 0 laps)

Kelly Bires:
Aug., 16, 2008 | Brooklyn, Mich. -- Kelly Bires qualified 12th for the Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway and drove a clean race en route to a ninth-place finish. It was Bires' third top-10 showing of the season. "I'm really happy. We started the race just a tough tight, but we made the right adjustments and didn't touch the car the rest of the day," Bires said. "We were a little bit free at the start of a run and just a tick tight at the end. We needed probably another 10 laps at the end and we probably could have picked up two or three spots, but it was a good day. Everyone did a great job on pit road and the car ran good. It was a flawless day for us. We got stuck behind a couple of lapped cars that really hurt us a couple of times on those restarts and made us lose positions. You've got to draft out there, so it was real tough. If you weren't in the right line, two or three cars could go by you and you wouldn't even know it."

Clint Bowyer:
Aug., 16, 2008 | Brooklyn, Mich. -- Nationwide Series points leader, Clint Bowyer, held serve once again. Bowyer notched his 20th top 10 in 25 starts this season with a 10th-place finish at Michigan in the Carfax 250. Bowyer holds a 113-point advantage over Carl Edwards in the NNS championship battle.

Marcos Ambrose:
Aug., 16, 2008 | Brooklyn, Mich. -- Marcos Ambrose followed his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series win at Montreal with a smooth 12th-place run in the Carfax 250. Ambrose cited track position -- or lack thereof -- as a reason he couldn't get his JTG/Daugherty Racing Ford into the top five. "We just didn't get track position when we needed it and that's all," Ambrose said. "It was just a track position race. We didn't have enough top speed and we probably had a bit too much downforce in it, and we just couldn't pass when we needed to and couldn't get track position, but it was a pretty good day and a good day for our points." Ambrose sits 10th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Bobby Hamilton Jr.:
Aug., 16, 2008 | Brooklyn, Mich. -- Bobby Hamilton Jr. drove his Ed Rensi-owned Ford to a hard-fought 18th-place finish after a first lap dust-up. Although Hamilton's car was not seriously hurt, he was nipped in the right front fender when a spin broke out in front of him, necessitating a quick repair job by his crew. "I'm really happy that Carl (Edwards) won the race for Ford right here in Michigan, and I'm happy with the way we bounced back after what happened on lap one," Hamilton said. "The team could have easily quit because we got a lot of damage from that, but we hung in there and even though we lost a lap, we got it back and finished 18th. We'll take that and move on to Bristol." Hamilton is 15th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Cale Gale:
Aug., 16, 2008 | Brooklyn, Mich. -- Cale Gale notched his career-best qualifying run in Michigan, where he lined up second at the start of the races. That on the heels of a third-place qualifying run in his last start at O'Reilly Raceway Park. The race itself was not as much of a success, as Gale battled handling problems throughout the event but notched a top-20 run, crossing the finish line 19th.

Scott Wimmer:
Aug., 16, 2008 | Brooklyn, Mich. -- After qualifying his Richard Childress Racing Chevy 13th, Scott Wimmer was never able to gain the track position needed to make a run for a top-five finish. Wimmer dropped a lap down and finished 22nd, which is only his second finish outside of the top 20 in 16 Nationwide starts this season.

Steve Wallace:
Aug., 16, 2008 | Brooklyn, Mich. -- After a disappointing 27th-place qualifying run, Steve Wallace was spun on the first lap as the field raced onto Michigan's long back straightaway. He hit the inside wall and was forced to the garage for lengthy repairs. Wallace finished 38th and sits 13th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

With two races left before the Countdown to the Championship, the pressure and drama had been building for the NHRA teams. Who would make the cut-off and challenge for the championship? Who would come up short and end up on the outside looking in? And who would rally to make it in at the last moment like Snap-on's Doug Herbert did a year ago, winning in the final event to sneak into the top 10? With these questions in mind, the NHRA teams headed to Pennsylvania. And at the end of the day, two Snap-on drivers were set for an epic showdown, but at the end of the day, it was Jeg Coughlin of the Pro Stock class that stood victorious for Snap-on.

Jeg Coughlin:
Aug., 17, 2008 | Reading, Pa. -- Snap-on driver Jeg Coughlin was knocked out of last week's event early, but he has not been in any trouble in the championship standings. Coughlin ran a 6.652, 207.72 mph pass to slot in 11th this week. Couglin and V. Gaines hooked up in the first round for perhaps the best race of the round, if not the weekend. Coughlin leaped off the line two-thousandths of a second before Gaines to take the slight lead. This proved to be the difference in this side-by-side dogfight to the far end as the two ran the exact time to the line. With Coughlin's starting line advantage and faster pass in speed, the Snap-on ride moved onto Round 2. The second round was a little easier for Coughlin's Snap-on team to handle. Coughlin was able to take a significant lead off the line and never looked back, dashing Jim Yates' attempt to knock Coughlin off. The other semifinal face-off was between Coughlin and Kurt Johnson. This one was over before it started. Coughlin took the win in stunning fashion as Johnson red-lighted, leaving four-thousandths of a second too soon. This set up a final round showdown between Coughlin and his teammate, Dave Connolly. Coughlin took advantage of a rare mistake by his teammate Connolly to take the win. Connolly moved off the line too early, drawing the red-light disqualification and sending Coughlin to victory lane with a free pass. "We've been flirting with a win for a while now and it feels wonderful to get it done," said Coughlin. "The main thing is we want to carry momentum into Indy and then the playoffs and there's no better way to build up momentum than to go out there and turn the win light on. We want to win our fifth championship this year and the closer we are to the No. 1 spot when the playoffs start, the better it will be. We moved up to third today and we could mathematically get as high as second in Indy, so that's what we'll try to do."

Dave Connolly:
Aug., 17, 2008 | Reading, Pa. -- A very fast and deep field of Pro Stock cars showed up this weekend, providing a challenge for Dave Connolly. Connolly, last week's runner up, needed to have another strong week to avoid being bumped from the top 10. The Snap-on driver started the weekend off solidly by locking into the field with a 6.650-second pass at 207.88 mph. This effort placed Connolly seventh. Connolly and the "Professor" Warren Johnson squared off in the first round. Connolly took Johnson to school. Connolly was out of the gate first and never looked back, advancing to the second round easily. The second round provided all the smiles that Connolly and his Snap-on team needed. After missing the first five races of the season due to lack of sponsorship, Connolly began in a deep hole. However, his Snap-on team gave him cars that performed well enough to get him back into championship contention despite being so far behind. This happened again on Sunday when Connolly cut a great light, taking a big advantage off the line over Greg Anderson and never looked back to take the hole-shot win. The win also locked Connolly into the Countdown despite missing four races early on in the season. Connolly and Allen Johnson dueled for the right to fight for the win in the semis. Connolly beat Johnson off the line and then outran Johnson to the far end to advance to his third straight final round appearance. The third time wasn't a charm for Connolly. Connolly made his third straight appearance in the final round, but didn't come away with the trophy. The Snap-on veteran let the clutch out too early and left the line just before the tree released the cars for the race. As a result, Connolly forfeited the win without the race ever getting underway. Despite the disappointing ending, Connolly climbed two spots in the championship standings to sixth.

Steve Johnson:
Aug., 17, 2008 | Reading, Pa. -- Steve Johnson and his Snap-on bike were looking for a good run this weekend, and they started the weekend out well. Johnson powered his way to the fifth spot with a strong 6.955-second pass at 192.63 mph. This effort was a career best for Johnson. His run on Saturday was a building block for Sunday as Johnson met Junior Pippin in the first round. Pippin left the line way too early, drawing the red-light disqualification and sending Johnson into the second round with a free pass. The second round was more of the same for Johnson. This time around it was Eddie Krawiec that red-lighted. Krawiec left the line two-thousandths of a second too early to send Johnson into the second round. Johnson cut a great light and ran a solid, clean pass to get data for his semifinal appearance. Johnson's weekend would end in frustration, however, against Matt Smith. Johnson stormed off the line, leaving Smith behind, but Smith rallied back just past half-track. Then, around the 700-foot mark, Smith made the pass, sending Johnson home early despite a tremendous effort to get to the final round.

Doug Herbert:
Aug., 17, 2008 | Reading, Pa. -- It was a year ago that Doug Herbert won in Pennsylvania to storm into the Countdown to the Championship in stunning fashion. This year, Herbert will not need dramatic heroics to secure a spot in the Countdown, but a win would be nice for Herbert and his Snap-on team. Herbert began his weekend laying down several stout qualifying efforts, the best being a 3.884-second pass at 309.13 mph. This effort locked Herbert into the third spot for eliminations on Sunday. Unfortunately, this tremendous start to the weekend went away in a hurry. Herbert drew David Grubnic in the first round, and the two appeared to be locked in a great battle. Herbert was off the line first, but the tires didn't hook up to the track. As a result, the engine revved too high with the RPMs spiking, blowing out cylinders and effectively ending Herbert's weekend in disappointing fashion.

Cruz Pedregon:
Aug., 17, 2008 | Reading, Pa. -- Snap-on Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon took to the track and turned heads with an impressive run Saturday. During the hottest, slickest conditions of the qualifying session Pedregon and his Snap-on hot rod stormed down the track in 4.109 seconds at 299.00 mph. The run allowed Pedregon to claim the top qualifying spot heading into eliminations as the fastest man in town. With the top seed, Pedregon was forced to face off against fellow Snap-on driver Gary Densham in the first round. The two Snap-on guys left the box together, almost simultaneously, but from there it was all Pedregon. Pedregon was able to inch away little by little to take the win. Del Worsham provided a challenge for Pedregon in Round 2. Worsham edged Pedregon off the line, but from there Pedregon proved to be too much. Pedregon thundered by and took the win. Pedregon and Jack Beckman squared off in the semifinals with Beckman getting the best of the match-up. Pedregon was out of the blocks first, but it didn't matter as Beckman was too strong.

Tony Pedregon:
Aug., 17, 2008 | Reading, Pa. -- Tony Pedregon wasn't able to have his Snap-on Funny Car tuned up as much as his brother and teammate Cruz, but Pedregon still secured a spot in the top-half of the ladder. Pedregon steered his ride down the track in 4.144 seconds at 298.60 mph. This effort claimed the seventh spot overall. Pedregon had a difficult first round draw against Jim Head. Pedregon and Head were off and racing together with Pedregon holding a slight advantage. This proved to be the difference as Pedregon held Head off to take the win and advance into the second round. Pedregon faced off against Frank Hawley in the second round. This one belonged to Pedregon at the tree as he left first. From there it was all Hawley as he powered by Pedregon to end the Snap-on team's weekend.

Gary Densham:
Aug., 17, 2008 | Reading, Pa. -- Gary Densham squeaked his way into the field with a solid qualifying effort. Densham and his Snap-on machine traveled the 1,000 feet in 4.229 seconds at 287.41 mph to take the final and 16th spot. With Snap-on having the top spot and the last spot in the field, it made for an all Snap-on race in the first round. This one was between Densham and Cruz Pedregon. The two left the line together and ran side-by-side for a while. However, Pedregon out-muscled Densham to the far end, slowly pulling away to end Densham's weekend in Round 1. On the bright side, Densham clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship, a feat that eluded him a year ago. Congratulations go out to Doug Herbert, Tony Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon, Gary Densham, Dave Connolly, and Jeg Coughlin for clinching spots in the Countdown to the Championship with one event left. All eyes will remain on Steve Johnson at Indianapolis, the next stop on the NHRA schedule to see if every Snap-on backed team can qualify for the championship in 2008. Qualifying for the U.S. Nationals, the NHRA's biggest event of the season, can be seen on ESPN2 at 12:30 a.m. EDT and 5 p.m. EDT on Sat., Aug. 30. Eliminations can also be seen on ESPN2 on Sun., Aug. 31. The first showing can be seen at 12 p.m. EDT and 7 p.m. EDT.

Michigan International Speedway

August 16-17, 2008

With the road courses behind them, both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series drivers return to what must seem like a much more normal routine for them. Both series will run in companion events on the fast and wide Michigan International Speedway. The Sprint Cup Series takes center stage on Sunday for the 3M Performance 400 on the two-mile D-shaped oval, while the Nationwide Series starts the show on Saturday with the Carfax 250.

Most drivers will tell you that they like Michigan because it's large and roomy, with grooves drivers can use all the way from the apron to the wall. It allows a driver to move around, pass, and find the best part of the track to suit his car.

"Typically, on a big track like Michigan or Atlanta, where you can move around and carry a lot of speed, we usually run well," said Clint Bowyer. "I like tracks like Michigan where you can mix it up and pass on the top or the bottom and try different things but for some reason we haven't been able to find the right balance or the right level of grip to run well."

Bowyer hasn't had the results he would have liked at this track in the past but he's looking to change that this week. Whether or not his teammates can help remains to be seen. MIS is the site of AT&T driver Jeff Burton's first start under the RCR umbrella. Burton's first Cup Series start for the Welcome, N.C.-based operation was Aug. 22, 2004 when he drove the No. 30 Chevy to a 12th-place showing. Since then, he has also not posted the results he would like but Burton, like Bowyer, isn't about to give up on the track.

"We haven't run well at Michigan as we would have liked to but we have put a lot of effort into finding a way to be better there," Burton explained. "There's something about that track that we don't understand and I'm obviously part of that equation. What I'm looking for in a car and what the car actually does is very hard to achieve. We're approaching Michigan with an open mind and a different thought process on how to get it done. Michigan has been our biggest challenge, as far as two-mile tracks are concerned, so we're going to put a lot of effort into studying past races and, hopefully, turn our bad luck at Michigan around."

Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, considers Michigan International Speedway to be his home track, as he hails from nearby Defiance, Ohio. In his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the two-mile D-shaped oval in June 2008, Hornish ran inside the top-five for much of the race, even passing then-leader Jimmie Johnson for the top spot at one point, which he held for two laps.

"I'm looking forward to returning to Michigan International Speedway because I consider it to be my home track," said Hornish. "I have a lot of laps there between the IndyCar Series and NASCAR and we had a strong run in the Cup Series race there in June. We should've gotten a much better finish than 22nd place in that race.

"Hopefully, we will get a top-10 finish this weekend as we have made a lot of improvements to the Mobil 1 Dodge since the last race," Hornish continued. "We have improved the handling of the car on long runs and I think that will benefit us on Sunday."

The NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers will warm up the track for the Cup Series on Saturday with the Carfax 250 companion event. Despite competing in just 15 of 24 NASCAR Nationwide Series events this season, Snap-on driver Scott Wimmer sits 18th in the drivers' points. Nine of his 13 races have resulted in top-10 finishes, including one victory (Nashville) and three top-five finishes. He'll have some work ahead to keep those numbers up this weekend as Wimmer has not run at Michigan in two years.

"I've been fortunate that I have been to Michigan in both the Cup and Nationwide Series cars but Michigan's winters can really change the track," Wimmer explained. "I'm looking forward to getting back there. I've had some good runs in the past and some not so great runs. I'm going there with an RCR car and a great team with Holiday Inn Racing so I'm looking to have a good run. It's going to take a few runs to get used to the track and figure out what it takes to go fast there."

Fellow Snap-on driver Marcos Ambrose carved his place in stock car history last week with a victory on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y. The celebration lasted into the night, but with the challenge of 125 miles ahead of him on the two-mile track in Michigan, Ambrose's attention is focused solely on the future.

"We came to America two and-a-half years ago to win in NASCAR," Ambrose said. "We finally achieved that. But that was last week. The win is something I'll never forget, but the only thing on my mind is this week's race. It's real important we try to keep our momentum.

"I've gone down this road before and races come and go. You've got to try and stay level. You don't want to get too high when the going's good, and you don't want to get too low when the going's bad."

Kelly Bires said the victory by teammate Marcos Ambrose last Saturday in the STP Ford at Watkins Glen, N.Y., has a far-reaching effect at JTG Daugherty Racing as the team prepared for Saturday's Carfax 250 at the Michigan International Speedway. Bires' No. 47 team said it plans to feed off the momentum generated by Ambrose's victory on the two-mile oval in the Irish Hills.

"There definitely was a lot of momentum at JTG Daugherty Racing this week," Bires said. "Everyone was on cloud nine. It won't change the way we approach this Saturday's race. The two-mile tracks have been our strong suit all year. We're going there with a game plan to run in the top 10 all day and put ourselves in position at the end.

"Now that Marcos has a win, everyone on this Clorox team is eager to get a win, too. Now that we have the momentum, it's important that we keep it as an organization."

Watkins Glen International

Nashville Superspeedway

August 9-10, 2008

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet, finished fifth:

"We've struggled some lately, so this couldn't have come at a better time for us. Mike (Greci) and the guys gave me a great car today. We really didn't have to make any changes to it all day."

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, finished sixth:

"This was another solid run for the Shell-Pennzoil team. It was a great points day for us but just as important, it continues to show how strong our team is.

"We started out pretty good at the beginning of the race but we made a change on the final pit stop that just didn't work. We were still able to maintain our position and finish sixth. I am just happy that we are getting better week-in and week-out and seem to be gaining momentum for the Chase."

Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, finished 10th:

"It was a big relief to finally have a race that was pretty much problem-free. We were about a 10th-place car. We could have been 15th or we could have been fifth. It was a great race for us, considering what this team has gone through during the last few weeks.

"We hardly made any adjustments. We had to make sure we had enough fuel after last week (when the team ran out of fuel twice). I'm happy for this team to get a top-10 finish. That was a good day for us right now."

Jeff Burton, No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet, finished 17th:

"The AT&T Impala SS was pretty good. We stuck to our pit strategy and, unfortunately, had trouble with the rear tires during our last pit stop and lost track position. All in all, it was a decent day. I can't complain. The AT&T Racing team constantly works hard and I have faith that we'll return to top-10 form."

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 DIRECTV Chevrolet, finished 23rd.

Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kodak Dodge, finished 26th:

"You have good days and bad days. And today just wasn't our day when all was said and done."

Paul Menard, No. 15 Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet, finished 28th.

Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge, finished 32nd:

We need to work on making positive changes to Mobil 1 Dodge. We just couldn't seem to make the car better today. I know part of that has to do with me telling the team what I want and need in the car. We'll keep working on it so we get to the point where we move forward."

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Marcos Ambrose, No. 59 STP Ford, winner:

"Just a huge relief. It feels like a big relief off my shoulders, I'm sure it is for everybody in this room, standing next to us, because we've committed a lot to it. I've come along way, I've dragged my family halfway around the world, away from my dad and mom, and everybody who needs me back in Australia, and today it just feels like it's worthwhile. It feels like I've conquered a huge mountain, and it's just a great day.

Kevin Harvick, No. 33 Camping World/RVs.com Chevrolet, finished fourth:

"We had a good Camping World Chevrolet. The guys worked hard all day, but we just came up a little short at the end. I appreciate RCR letting the No. 29 get a little extra practice for Sunday's Cup race by pitting our car and Shane Wilson for calling a good race."

Jeff Burton, No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet, finished 14th:

"Pat (Smith, crew chief) had the winning strategy but the cautions didn't play in our favor. We ran out of fuel there at the end but I would have rather had a winning strategy than a conservative strategy. I'm really proud of the Holiday Inn Racing team. They were able to bounce back from all the incidents we had."

Bobby Hamilton Jr., No. 25 Curly's Ford, finished 16th:

"I enjoyed racing today and am happy with our finish. We needed to leave here with a top 15-20 finish. I had some road course rust to shake off and losing a practice to rain on Friday didn't help, but my guys gave me a great car and now we can get back to racing on ovals next week."

Kelly Bires, No. 47 Clorox Ford, finished 17th:

"This is all so different to what I'm used to doing. It was a challenge, for sure, but I got a little better with every lap. Our goal was to keep the nose clean, stay on course and finish on the lead lap. We did that. We came close to a top 15 finish, too.

"It was a good day for our Clorox team and we can take a lot of momentum from this day to Michigan next week. Most of all, I'm really happy for my teammate, Marcos. He is the consummate teammate and he deserved that win. Everyone over on that STP team should be proud."

Clint Bowyer, No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet, finished 23rd:

"That was a very frustrating run for us because Dan (Deeringhoff, crew chief) had a good race strategy that gave us the track position we needed. What's even more frustrating is that this is the second time (Edwards) has taken us out. It is what it is at this point but it's something I'll file away for the future."

Steve Wallace, No. 66 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevrolet, finished 28th.

NASCAR Truck Series

Jack Sprague, No. 2 Camping World/RVs.com Chevrolet, finished fourth. "Finally getting a top-five finish for the No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet feels great. We had a shot at this one tonight. Had there been 15-20 more laps in this race we would be sitting in victory lane. I'm just glad to finally get a good finish for this team.

"We roll off the truck fast every week. Ernie (Cope, crew chief) and the guys do a great job. I want to thank Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) for giving us the opportunity to build great trucks and believing in this team. We are going to get us a win, once we get all the pieces to fit together just right."

Ron Hornaday, No. 33 VFW Chevrolet, finished fifth:

"At the start of the race I thought we were pretty darn good. We got up from 14th all the way into the top five. I couldn't even tell Rick Ren (crew chief) what to do with it. One lap it would be tight and then the next lap it would be loose.

"Rick made an awesome call, staying out on tires. That's what this VFW crew is all about. When you're down and come out with a top five, we'll take that. We were a 20th-place truck and finished fifth. That says a lot for our team."

For NASCAR newcomer Marcos Ambrose, the Watkins Glen race weekend will be one that is circled on his calendar for years to come. Ambrose, the 31-year-old Australian in his second season in NASCAR's touring series, won Saturday's Nationwide Series Zippo 200 -- his first career NASCAR victory -- and finished third in Sunday's Sprint Cup Centurion Boats at The Glen.

Ambrose is the full-time pilot in JTG/Daugherty Racing's No. 59 Ford in the Nationwide Series where he currently sits 10th in points. In his third career Cup start, Ambrose manned the legendary Wood Brothers' No. 21 Ford and drove it to his best career finish in NASCAR's premier series -- and the Woods' best finish since Ricky Rudd's runner-up finish at Infineon in 2005. Ambrose will jump to the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2009 under the JTG/Daugherty Racing banner.

The only two that proved better than Ambrose in Sunday's event were Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. Busch held off a late challenge from Stewart and Ambrose after a 40-minute red flag to capture his eighth victory of the season, sweeping the road course events in the process.

Former Formula One and Indy 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya finished fourth while Snap-on's Martin Truex Jr. held off hard-charging Kevin Harvick for fifth. Harvick held on for sixth while Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and another Snap-on pilot, Kurt Busch, rounded out the top 10.

A ferocious multi-car accident with eight laps remaining halted the action for just over 40 minutes. The problem started when rookie Michael McDowell tangled with David Gilliland as the field came off of Turn 11, next to the pit road entrance. Gilliland nosed into an outside tire barrier and bounced back into oncoming traffic and was drilled by Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek. Sam Hornish Jr., with nowhere to go, spun and broadsided a barrel barrier that sat at the end of the pit road wall. Although heavily damaged, Hornish was able to continue after the red flag period. Others involved included Dave Blaney, Max Papis, Reed Sorenson and Michael Waltrip. Labonte was taken to a local hospital for further observation, but all others walked away uninjured.

The accident occurred on the first green flag lap after a caution brought out by Ryan Newman's spin. Newman was running third when he pushed the car too hard entering Turn 1 and looped his Penske Racing Dodge. The engine of the machine died and Newman sat, driver-side exposed, in the middle of the turn as the field zipped past, many narrowly avoiding his No. 12 car. After the spin, Newman dropped back to 37th and was plagued by ignition problems from that point on and finished 26th.

Road-racing ace Ron Fellows, just one week removed from capturing the Nationwide Series win at the Montreal road course, piloted the No. 01 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevy to a solid 13th-place finish. Fellows notched a fourth-place run in this same race last season.

Jeff Burton, who sits fifth in the Sprint Cup Series point standings, battled an ill-handling car for the majority of the afternoon and was relegated to a 17th-place finish. His Richard Childress Racing teammate, Clint Bowyer, found the going tough as well on his way to a 23rd-place result.

DEI's Paul Menard limped to a 28th-place run while first-year teammate Aric Almirola, in only his second Cup road course start, was credited with a 35th-place showing.

Sam Hornish Jr., after becoming involved in the multi-car accident with eight laps to go, brought his mangled Dodge home 32nd.

Snap-on Nextel Cup Drivers - how they placed:
Marcos Ambrose (3rd, led 0 laps) Martin Truex Jr. (5th, led 0 laps) Kevin Harvick (6th, led 0 laps) Kurt Busch (10th, led 0 laps) Ron Fellows (13th, led 0 laps) Jeff Burton (17th, led 0 laps) Clint Bowyer (23rd, led 0 laps) Ryan Newman (26th, led 0 laps) Paul Menard (28th, led 0 laps) Sam Hornish Jr. (32nd, led 0 laps) Aric Almirola (35th, led 0 laps)

Marcos Ambrose:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- Marcos Ambrose, the 31-year-old driver from Launceston, Tasmania, Australia -- and the first driver to race in one of NASCAR's three touring series -- won his first career Nationwide event with a win in the Zippo 200 from Watkins Glen International. "Just a huge relief," Ambrose said of the long-awaited victory. "It feels like a big relief off my shoulders. I'm sure it is for everybody in this room, standing next to us, because we've committed a lot to it. I've come along way, I've dragged my family halfway around the world, away from my dad and mom, and everybody who needs me back in Australia, and today it just feels like it's worthwhile. It feels like I've conquered a huge mountain, and it's just a great day. "Tad (Geschickter, owner/spotter), I could tell he was at the end of his rope because he told me there was one to go when there were four laps to go, so I really had, like, four one-laps-to-go," Ambrose said of his final few laps while leading. "I was hoping and praying that the gear box was going to hold together, the motor was going to hold together, the tire really wasn't flat, that a caution wasn't going to come out, and I saw guys starting to run out of fuel, and I had three corners to go before I got the white flag, and I just knew that I had to try and compose myself and treat it like any other lap. And it's very hard not to. You start to tense up. "It was probably my worst lap of the race, the last one, just because I was so anxious to get it done. You know, I've been in this position before -- maybe not this height of competition and competitiveness that it is in North America, so I just kind of relied on my previous experience, and brought it home. But, it is a blur, no doubt, that last lap. It's not nice. You just want to get it over and done with." Ambrose has been close to his first win on a number of occasions -- most notably last weekend in Montreal, where he dominated the event but fell victim to a late-race speeding penalty. He earned the win in his 59th start. The victory moves him up to 10th in the Nationwide Series championship battle.

Kevin Harvick:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- Oftentimes a road race comes down to fuel strategy -- who has figured the right equation on how far the car can go to make it till the end of the race. In Saturday's Zippo 200, Kevin Harvick and his self-owned Nationwide Series team hit the nail on the head. After starting sixth, Harvick took advantage of others' inability to make it the distance and had just enough fuel to get him to the checkered flag with a solid fourth-place run. The 2001 and 2006 Nationwide Series champion now has seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes in only 15 NNS starts this season.

Jeff Burton:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- Jeff Burton had arguably the best car in Saturday's Zippo 200 from Watkins Glen International. The Richard Childress Racing veteran started 13th on the day but assumed the lead and led a race-high 25 laps. While dueling for the lead with Jimmie Johnson, both Cup-regulars ran out of fuel with four laps to go, handing the lead and then the win to Snap-on's Marcos Ambrose. Despite the late-race fuel issue, Burton stormed back for a 14th-place finish, his sixth top-15 run in eight Nationwide races this season.

Bobby Hamilton Jr.:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- A 16th-place run for Bobby Hamilton Jr. at Watkins Glen has to feel like a win for the Nashville, Tenn., native. Not known for his love of NASCAR's road events, nor his acumen on them, Hamilton, who started 31st, played the fuel mileage game to the tune of a 16th-place finish in Saturday's Zippo 200. Hamilton and his Team Rensi operation find themselves an encouraging 15th in the Nationwide Series point standings through 24 of 35 events.

Kelly Bires:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- Nationwide Series rookie Kelly Bires qualified his No. 47 JTG/Daugherty Racing Ford 21st for Saturday's Zippo 200 from Watkins Glen International. Although the Mauston, Wisc., native did not have a race-winning car, as he fought the nuances of a tough 11-turn, 2.45-mile road course, he was able to deliver a steady 17th-place finish. Bires has 15 top-20 finishes in his first full season on the circuit and sits an impressive 14th in the point standings.

Clint Bowyer:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- Nationwide Series points leader Clint Bowyer had a frustrating afternoon at Watkins Glen International. The Emporia, Kan., native failed to deliver a top-10 run for only the fifth time all season, registering a 23rd-place effort in the Zippo 200. Bowyer continues his stranglehold atop the Nationwide Series point standings, though. The RCR driver holds a commanding 128-point advantage over second-place Brad Keselowski through 24 of 35 events.

Steve Wallace:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- Steve Wallace was looking for his third straight road course top 10 at Watkins Glen in Saturday's Zippo 200. Unfortunately, the fuel bug bit the second-generation racer at the end of the event. Wallace ran out of gas while trying to stretch his mileage and lost a bundle of spots in the final running order, winding up a disappointing 28th on the day. Despite the frustrating turn of events for Wallace, he continues to sit 12th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Sam Hornish Jr.:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Watkins Glen International, N.Y. -- Sam Hornish Jr. qualified his Penske Racing Dodge eighth for Saturday's Zippo 200 from Watkins Glen International but was forced to the rear of the field after spinning the car in the final practice and having to change tires before the start of the event. In doing so, Hornish was penalized for making an unapproved modification prior to the start of an impound race. However, the Defiance, Ohio, native made a strong run to the front when the green flag fell and sat comfortably within the top 10 when he was spun on lap 40. The No. 86 machine of Antonio Perez then slammed into Hornish's No. 12 Dodge, and he was forced to retire the damaged racecar. "This was definitely a disappointing end to a great race for the Penske Truck Rental team," Hornish said. "We were forced a bit to use pit strategy after moving to the rear of the field for changing the tires after impound and it was working out just right. We were just about to make our final pit of the race and got caught in some slower traffic when we were spun and then hit. "It's unfortunate because the car was really good. This Penske Truck Rental team deserved a better finish today, but we will keep our heads up and get ready for our next Nationwide Series race."

Jack Sprague:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Lebanon, Tenn. -- Jack Sprague qualified a strong seventh for the Toyota Tundra 200 at the Nashville Superspeedway and, along with fellow Kevin Harvick, Inc. teammate Ron Hornday, quickly jumped into the top five for the majority of the night. The defining moment, however, came with 37 laps to go, when a caution flew and the leaders hit pit road. Sprague emerged 12th and worked his Chevy Silverado back into the top five over the ensuing laps to notch a fourth-place finish. "It feels great," Sprague said of his fourth top-five run of the season. "Like I said all along the trucks are fast, we have fast trucks but it seems like something always happens. I just want to thank Camping World, Chevrolet, Snap-on Tools, American Commercial Lines, RV's.com, Georgia Boots... all our sponsors. "It's been an up-and-down type season so far, but we're always fast," the three-time Truck champ continued. "You can build on that. When we get it all clicked together we're going to win a lot of races and I just want to thank everybody at KHI for building us great trucks and Kevin and DeLana for having faith in me and this team. This is a good race team. We just got to get all synced and in order and all be going the same direction. We're very, very close. "We had a shot at it tonight. That's all you can ask for. I had a great truck last night (in practice); I had a great truck tonight -- just had to pass a little too many trucks there at the end. I wish I would have like 15 or 20 more laps but we didn't. We very easily could have won this race tonight. We had a shot at it like I said and that's all we can ask for. Just circumstances we weren't there at the end. We still had a great run, great top five, and I just want to thank everybody that supports us." Sprague led one lap on the evening and sits eighth in the NASCAR Truck Series point standings.

Ron Hornaday Jr.:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Lebanon, Tenn. -- Ron Hornaday continues to battle furiously for the lead in the NASCAR Trucks Series point standings. Currently second, the defending series champion finished fifth in the Toyota Tundra 200 at the Nashville Superspeedway. Points leader Johnny Benson won the event and holds a slim 45-point lead over the veteran Hornaday. Hornaday assumed the lead of Saturday evening's event after a fuel-only pit stop under caution with 37 laps to go. Tires proved to be the difference, though, and without fresh rubber Hornaday was shuffled back to fifth in the race's closing laps. "Our fastest lap yesterday in practice was with 16 laps on the tires, and we figured if we kept the truck freed up we were going to be really good," Hornaday explained of the late-race fuel-only strategy. "I just couldn't get the balance. When I caught them guys I really pushed real bad but other than that I'll take a top five. You can't complain about that. We could've been worse. We were a 20th-place truck and came out fifth. That says a lot for our team."

Keven Wood:
Aug., 9, 2008 | Lebanon, Tenn. -- Keven Wood qualified a strong ninth for the Toyota Tundra 200 at the Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday night. Making only his sixth career NASCAR Truck Series start, Wood had a strong Ford F-150 until Terry Cook got loose and spun on lap 30. Cook caught Wood's machine in the process and turned the No. 21. The damage to the truck was too severe to continue and Wood was forced to retire, ending the night 29th. "I don't know what happened," a frustrated Wood said afterward. "I need to see a replay to see what happened. All I know was that I told 'two-wide on the bottom' so I gave the bottom guy some room and the next thing I know, I felt a hit in the back end and I spun around. Then I saw about three more trucks wrecking. I don't know who got in the back of us or what it was. Something caused us to go around and we were just out there making laps. "I'm proud of my guys on this Air Force Ford F-150 team. They did a great job getting the truck ready for me this weekend."

The Snap-on teams and returned to the grind after taking last week off in an attempt to win it all at Brainerd. Tony Pedregon and Dave Connolly both made final round appearances, but only Pedregon ended the day in victory lane for Snap-on; the win was also Pedregon's first at Brainerd.

Tony Pedregon:
Aug., 10, 2008 | Brainerd, Minn. -- Team Force put up a bubble around the top spots in qualifying, creating problems for Snap-on driver Tony Pedregon. Pedregon however, was not deterred. The veteran posted a 4.178-second pass at 292.20 mph to lock himself into the sixth spot heading into eliminations. Pedregon and Jim Head dueled in Round 1 on Sunday, but it was Pedregon who came out the victor. Pedregon tagged Head on the tree and drove away for the convincing win to move into Round 2. Pedregon drew Melanie Troxel in the second round and this race was similar to the first round for Pedregon. Pedregon was out of the gate first and moved away from Troxel from start to finish to advance to the semifinals. Pedregon and John Force hooked up in the semis. This was a chance for Pedregon and his Snap-on team to avenge his brother and teammate, Cruz's loss in the previous round. Pedregon did just that. Pedregon edged Force at the line and the two dueled down the track, trading the lead on multiple occasions. Pedregon snapped up the lead about 100 feet before the line as Force lost a blower belt, if not more belts, and Pedregon advanced to the finals. The final showdown of the day for the Funny Car class was between Snap-on's Pedregon and Jack Beckman. This race would have been a good one to witness, but it was all over in an instant. Beckman tripped the light too early and red-lighted handing the victory over to Pedregon long before the 1,000-foot trip down the track. "I have never won in Brainerd and this is a big achievement," said Pedregon. "There is never a bad time for a win, but this was really important because we're trying to get back in that No. 2 spot in the Countdown. Everyone is a big challenge, but the toughest one is still (John) Force. I know he says he's old and he's tired but I ain't buying it; he's still as tough as ever. Beckman is tough too, but sometimes you can force people to make mistakes when your car is running well and our car is running well right now."

Gary Densham:
Aug., 10, 2008 | Brainerd, Minn. -- Gary Densham and his Snap-on team found a little horsepower during the off-week, and that propelled Densham toward the top half of the qualifying ladder. Densham notched a solid 4.209, 284.81 mph pass to claim the ninth spot. Jack Beckman took it to Densham off the line, but Densham thundered back using all his newfound horsepower to draw even with Beckman early in the run. However, the further the run went, the more Densham's Snap-on machine faded away and that opened up the deficit, sending Jack Beckman to Round 2.

Cruz Pedregon:
Aug., 10, 2008 | Brainerd, Minn. -- Cruz Pedregon ended his qualifying sessions a little lower on the chart than he would have liked, but in the end, it was a solid effort for the Snap-on crew. Pedregon turned in a 4.226-second pass at 284.81 mph to lock himself into the 10th position. Pedregon and Jerry Toliver locked horns in the first round on Sunday, but the race was all but over early. Pedregon left first and drove away as Toliver lost traction and shut it down early. The second round was overshadowed by the heated rivalry between John Force and Pedregon. Pedregon was the only Funny Car driver to claim a championship in the 1990s, upending Force in the mid 90s. Since then, the two veterans hadn't gotten along well on the track and this was another one for the ages. Force nailed the timing and left the line first, taking a commanding lead and then outmuscled Pedregon at the far end when it counted. Pedregon rallied and made it a great race nearly to the line, but that's when his car gave up just a bit, sending Force to the semis and Pedregon's Snap-on team home.

Dave Connolly:
Aug., 10, 2008 | Brainerd, Minn. -- Dave Connolly seemingly hit a road block in qualifying this weekend. There were a whole bunch of Johnsons toward the top of the chart with great efforts, leaving Connolly to sit in the middle of the chart. The Snap-on team managed to post a 6.708-second pass at 205.35 mph to lock in eighth. Connolly looked like a determined man in the first round, leaving the line first and laying down a clean, strong pass while Richie Stevens had all kinds of trouble at the line. Stevens surrendered almost immediately giving Connolly an easy path to the second round. Connolly had his work cut out for him in the second round. Connolly drew Greg Anderson. These two usually put on a great show when they go at it, but fortunately for Connolly, this one wasn't worth the price of admission. Connolly jumped off the line first, taking a huge advantage and pulled away for the convincing hole shot win. Connolly and Allen Johnson met in the semis and this one was a battle from the get-go. Neither driver wanted to stage and battled to see who would go into the box first. Connolly did eventually stage first and that provided the spark. Connolly exploded out of the box first and took the hole shot win with his fastest pass of the weekend to move into the finals. Connolly and Kurt Johnson faced off in the finals for the win. Both competitors cut great lights with Johnson taking the slight edge off the line. From there though, it was all Johnson. Despite Connolly's best efforts, Johnson was able to pull away to take the win, leaving Connolly as the runner-up.

Jeg Coughlin:
Aug., 10, 2008 | Brainerd, Minn. -- It wasn't business as usual for Jeg Coughlin in the qualifying sessions this weekend. Coughlin and his team had to work hard to find a setup to let his Snap-on ride make it down the track under full power. When they finally managed to do so, it was tuned down enough to place Coughlin in the bottom half of the ladder. Coughlin logged a 6.714, 205.35 mph pass to take the 11th spot. Coughlin would have had a dogfight on his hands in the first round had Justin Humphreys not red-lighted. In the end, the two ran nearly identical time and speeds, but Humphreys drew the disqualification, sending Coughlin and his Snap-on team into the second round. The win also clinched the Countdown to the Championship spot for Coughlin. Coughlin had V. Gaines as his second round opponent, but the outcome was the same as it was in the first round. Gaines tried to leave early and left too early. This gave Coughlin the free pass into the semis on another red-light disqualification. For the first time on Sunday Coughlin actually had to race. Unfortunately, Kurt Johnson had a stout effort. Johnson beat Coughlin off the line and then outmuscled Coughlin to the win light to send Coughlin home. "We gave them a good run today. We got the Brainerd Zoo train rolling, and rode her 'til the semifinals. That's not a bad day at the office. We have a good car; I believe we were third best in both of the first two sessions," said Coughlin. "Kurt had a great racecar today and he drove extremely well. I had to get up on the wheel to race him, but he still put us down. Today was his day."

Doug Herbert:
Aug., 10, 2008 | Brainerd, Minn. -- Doug Herbert entered the weekend with his momentum slowing a bit after a few stout runs in the previous week. Herbert and his Snap-on team pounded the pavement and turned heads coming out of the gate in qualifying after using the off-week to rejuvenate their efforts. "Dougzilla" posted a 3.901-second pass at 306.60 mph to claim the fifth spot overall heading into Sunday. Unfortunately for Herbert and his Snap-on hot rod, mechanical failures snatched victory from their grasp with the finish line in sight. Doug Kalitta beat Herbert off the line, but Herbert rallied past Kalitta early and held the lead most of the way down the track. Cylinders began to drop at the far end, less than a couple of hundred feet from victory, sending Herbert home early.

Steve Johnson:
Aug., 10, 2008 | Brainerd, Minn. -- Steve Johnson and his Snap-on Motorcycle team returned to action this week in Minnesota with some power. Johnson posted a solid effort, only to be bumped back to mid-pack. Johnson's 7.046, 188.52 mph pass was strong enough for the eighth spot overall. Unfortunately, Johnson ran into Craig Treble in the first round. Treble was out of the gate first and it was all over as he overpowered Johnson to the line at the far end. Johnson put up the best fight possible, cutting his strongest pass of the weekend, but it wasn't enough. Up next on the NHRA schedule is the Toyo Tires Nationals from Reading, Pa. The Snap-on teams can be seen in action Saturday at 6 p.m. EDT on ESPN2 for qualifying. Eliminations can be seen Sunday night at 10 p.m. EDT on ESPN2 as well. Then there will be an off-week before the biggest race of the year, the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

After claiming 10th place with a July 27 victory at Sonoma, Calif., Connolly now must defend his position, beginning this weekend with the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd, Minn., and ensuing visits to Reading, Pa.(Aug. 15-17), and Indianapolis (Aug.29-Sept. 1).

Connolly's second win in his first 10 starts in 2008 propelled him from 11th to 10th and provided a 52-point cushion (682-630) over Warren Johnson.

"That doesn't lock us in the top 10, so we still have our work cut out for us," said Connolly. "A lot depends on how well we do at the next three races. I would rather be the one being chased than having to catch up."

He and the Cagnazzi Racing Charter Communications/LifeLock Chevy Cobalt team know a lot about catching up. Starting five races behind everyone else, Connolly charged up the ladder in 10 outings. His first victory came at Bristol, Tenn., and he has advanced to four finals.

"We've had a lot of success at Brainerd," said Connolly, who won his first Pro Stock title there in 2004 and won again in 2006. "I'm glad that is one of the stops in our last three races (before the beginning of the six-race title series). We've always run good there and have had a lot of luck there.

"We'd like to get another good weekend under our belt and hopefully make another final. That would give us a little more breathing room. It would be awesome for us if we could put the car in the Brainerd winner's circle again."

The team hasn't lost its focus, either. Now that they've made the top 10, they want more.

"We are in the top 10, but that's definitely not where we want to stop," Connolly said. "Looking at the points, if we could really do well, we could possibly move up to seventh. That's a lot of work, but we are trying to go as many rounds as we can to stay in the top 10. If we move up, that's great. We just want to go into the final (playoff) stage as high in points as we can get."

Teammate Ron Krisher is ninth (728). Ahead of him are Greg Stanfield (8th, 729), V Gaines (7th, 779) and Mike Edwards (6th, 782).

"We are making good runs again," Connolly said. "We were No. 1 qualifier at Seattle and had a great race car until we had mechanical problems. We had another good car at Sonoma.

"As far as the driver's confidence with what the car is doing, it's back to what we had last year (when he won five consecutive races -- Reading, Indianapolis, Memphis, Dallas and Richmond, Va.), but it still takes good runs and a lot of luck on Sunday because everybody is running good this year. It's not just another team or two, but it's six or seven cars -- if not more -- that are running well.

"It puts the driver under a little more pressure and makes him perform well if he's going to win. In the two wins I've had this year, it took two holeshots to win the races. This is probably the closest racing we've had in Pro Stock since I started my career."

Pocono Raceway

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

August 2-3, 2008

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, finished fourth.

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, finished sixth:

"It was kind of weird. Track position with this car is everything. We had a flat right-rear tire at the beginning and I didn't qualify very good so that didn't help anything. We started in the back but once we got toward the front, it was easier to get going.

"We picked up a second and you feel like Superman in the car. The Jack Daniel's Chevy was good. We have to work on our qualifying program and still have some work to do on our big track program. You have to take these good finishes when you can."

Mark Martin, No. 8 Steak-Umm Burgers Chevrolet, finished eighth:

"We had a rocket ship out there today. Guys were just waving me by, because they knew they didn't have anything for this Steak-Umm Chevrolet. The car would really take off on new tires and it just wouldn't look back.

"We had a little problem in the pits. But these guys have been the best on pit road all season, and we are not going to concentrate on what we didn't do today. I'd rather concentrate on what we did do, and that's battle back. We never gave up, hung in there and got a solid finish."

Ryan Newman, No. 12 Avis Dodge, finished 14th.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet, finished 15th:

"I'm proud of the job all of the guys did, but we still have room for improvement. We need to keep learning and getting better. We're just a little behind the other guys at this point. Not having practice on Saturday killed us.

"If we would've had those two practices, we could've tried some of the things we were talking about and we would've been much better. The engine was strong but we struggled with the handling and we probably could have fixed those problems on Saturday."

Bill Elliott, No. 21 Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies Ford, finished 20th.

Jeff Burton, No. 31 AT&T Team USA Chevrolet, finished 21st:

"We had a top-five car. Unfortunately, we had a tire violation on our last pit stop and had to serve a pass-through penalty. The AT&T pit crew has had great stops all year so we'll learn from this and move on. The AT&T Team USA Impala SS was loose all day but we learned a lot and leaving Pocono with a 21st-place finish isn't bad considering what happened."

Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge, finished 26th:

"I'm real happy with the Mobil 1 Dodge and all the guys that work on it. The car was good and we had a top-15 car if not better than that. I'm real happy with the progress that we've made since we were here last time. It seems like things are kind of starting to come together for us. We need to keep this consistency up of having top-15 cars and then we're going to start finishing there a lot more often."

Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, finished 38th:

"Running out of fuel twice just killed us. The car was typical loose in, tight in the center and loose off for most of the race. When the rains came, the track cooled down and the car was the best it was all day long when we went back to green. But when the track got rubbered up again, the car just turned to junk."

Paul Menard, No. 15 Energizer/Menards Chevrolet, finished 42nd:

"It's just been a tough couple of weeks," Menard said. "You'll have those in racing but when you do, the most important thing to do is rebound."

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Marcos Ambrose, No. 59 STP Ford, finished third:

"I'm bitterly disappointed. I feel like we really dominated today's race. I made an error down pit lane, I just couldn't see the pit exit and we sped. I went down and had a look at it and it's still hard to see. I'm just really disappointed, I feel like the race was ours today and I tripped over myself. I'm real sorry for my team and STP and JTG Daugherty Racing for, I let them down, I guess. It's a shame."

Clint Bowyer, No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet, finished ninth:

"Well, now I can say I drove a race in the rain. It was actually kind of neat for a while until the rain and the spray off the cars made it so you couldn't see a thing. We were still carrying quite a bit of speed on the front straight and something big could've happened if NASCAR didn't call it when they did. The BB&T team did everything they could for me so we'll take another top 10."

Steve Wallace, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Chevrolet, finished 10th.

Scott Wimmer, No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet, finished 11th:

"Man that was fun. Racing in the rain was definitely a learning experience. It was getting difficult to see there at the end and NASCAR made the right call to end the race. I would have liked to have seen what we could have done because the Holiday Inn Chevy was great there at the end. Hopefully, Jeff (Burton) will go get them next week at the Glen."

Kelly Bires, No. 47 Clorox Ford, finished 24th:

"It was out of control out there. I don't know if the tire was so old or not, but it was just way too out of control for what we're trying to do. We made the right adjustments to where we could at least run competitively. I wheel-hopped it one time and got off the track which lost us about seven spots.

"And then no one knew what their pit road speed needed to be because of the difference in the tires, so we got nailed there on pit road, exiting. We couldn't see anything so we had to stop because we couldn't see out of the windshield. Just safety reasons, then they threw the caution and we lost quite a bit of spots there at the end. We were going to have a good day, I thought. I couldn't see."

A mid-race rain delay and a series of long green flag runs equated into a fuel mileage battle that no one could stretch to the checkered flag. Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne had a stranglehold on the field, but without the benefit of a caution flag, neither could save enough fuel to win the Sunoco Red Cross 500 at Pocono Raceway.

Instead, Carl Edwards was handed the lead when Martin -- who led for a race-high 55 laps -- pitted for fuel and two tires with 11 laps to go. Martin rejoined the race after the splash of gas and finished a disappointing eighth after being the dominant car throughout the course of the event.

Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson ran second and third while Kevin Harvick and David Ragan round out the top five. Clint Bowyer, Kahne, Martin, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon finished sixth through 10th.

Harvick had an especially impressive recovery from a lap 1 spin when Joe Nemechek got into Pocono's infamous tunnel turn too hard and turned Harvick. The 29 team never gave up, though, and raced its way back to a strong fourth-place showing. Harvick's teammate, Clint Bowyer, flew under the radar to come home sixth. Bowyer took advantage of how the fuel situation played out to notch his 10th top 10 of the season.

Ryan Newman overcame a run-in with the frontstretch wall to finish 14th while Martin Truex, Jr. was 15th.

Jeff Burton had a good run go bad when he was penalized on pit road during his final stop. A tire got away from the team, and Burton was forced to serve a pass-through penalty because of the infraction. He was credited with a 21st-place finish.

Sam Hornish Jr. slipped to 26th in the running order after having to pit late for fuel. His Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch finished 35th after leading with 40 laps to go. Busch ran out of fuel while in the lead and had to coast onto pit road, losing valuable positions in the process.

Paul Menard finished 42nd after being involved in an accident with 63 laps to go.

Snap-on Nextel Cup Drivers - how they placed:
Kevin Harvick (4th, led 0 laps) Clint Bowyer (6th, led 0 laps) Mark Martin (8th, led 55 laps) Ryan Newman (14th, led 0 laps) Martin Truex Jr. (15th, led 0 laps) Bill Elliott (20th, led 1 laps) Jeff Burton (21st, led 0 laps) Sam Hornish Jr. (26th, led 0 laps) Kurt Busch (35th, led 5 laps) Paul Menard (42nd, led 0 laps)

Marcos Ambrose:
Aug., 2, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec. -- Marcos Ambrose led a race-high 27 (of 48) laps in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal but got burned by a pit road speeding penalty late and finished third. "We had a great day going, I just sped down pit lane," Ambrose said. "Actually, I took off too early. I couldn't see the end of pit lane. I just couldn't see it. The line on the racetrack, I couldn't see it. I couldn't see the cone. I waited until I got past (Scott) Pruett and counted to three and took off and I must have just jumped the line by 20 or 30 feet. "I'm bitterly disappointed that I let everybody down with that," he continued. "I feel robbed about it, to be honest with you. I feel like we just dominated today. We controlled the race from the front. It's just a real shame for STP and JTG Daugherty Racing. We've got great things on the horizon, but I just feel a little jinxed. I feel like I need to win a race. I've come here twice, dominated and came up short both times. So, I'm gonna have to have a few beers or something to reconcile myself tonight and hopefully, I'll wake up tomorrow with a hangover and feel a little better. Right now, I feel very disappointed and hopefully, that goes away." Ambrose, a road racing ace from Australia, indeed did dominate the event, running away with the race despite a steady rain that fell throughout the event. NASCAR mandated rain tires, windshield wipers and a rear brake light for the competitors. Ambrose now has top-three finishes on both road courses, at Mexico City and Montreal, in 2008 in the Nationwide Series.

Ron Hornaday:
Aug., 2, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec. -- Ron Hornaday made his second Nationwide Series start of the 2008 season for team owner Kevin Harvick. Hornaday used pit strategy and veteran know-how to work his way to fourth in the final running order of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal. Hornaday qualified 12th for the race and was mired in traffic until late pit stops, when the four-time Nationwide Series winner was vaulted into the top five.

Clint Bowyer:
Aug., 2, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec. -- Clint Bowyer continued his string of consistency in the Nationwide Series, scoring his 19th top 10 in 23 starts. Late-race pit stops worked in Bowyer's favor, allowing him to move up from around 20th, where he had been for a large part of the afternoon, into the top 10. Not known for his road racing affinity, Bowyer has recorded top 10s at both Nationwide Series courses this season. Bowyer also continues to lead the Nationwide Series point standings, where he enjoys a 168-point lead over Carl Edwards.

Steve Wallace:
Aug., 2, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec. -- Steve Wallace appears to be following in his father's footsteps. Rusty Wallace was an acclaimed road racer, and Steve is proving to be no slouch himself. Wallace qualified a strong eighth in Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and wheeled his Chevy to a 10th-place run. Wallace also finished 10th on Mexico City's road course earlier in the season. Wallace has five top-10 runs in 2008 and sits 13th in the Nationwide Series standings.

Scott Wimmer:
Aug., 2, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec. -- Scott Wimmer qualified 17th in his 15th start of the 2008 Nationwide Series for team owner Richard Childress. Wimmer drove his No. 29 Chevy to a smooth 11th-place finish in Montreal, capitalizing on late-race fuel strategy to pick up his 13th top-12 run of the year.

Kelly Bires:
Aug., 2, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec. -- Kelly Bires is not a fan of racing in the rain. Bires and his No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing team qualified 26th but could never make steady headway during the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal. Trouble seeing out of the windshield and a pit road speeding violation prevented Bires from notching a better result. "It was out of control out there," Bires said. "I don't know if the tire was so old or not, but it was just way too out of control for what we're trying to do (race in the rain). We made the right adjustments to where we could at least run competitively. I wheel-hopped it one time and got off the track which lost us about seven spots. And then no one knew what their pit road speed needed to be because of the difference in the tires, so we got nailed there on pit road, exiting. We couldn't see anything so we had to stop because we couldn't see out of the windshield. Just safety reasons, then they threw the caution and we lost quite a bit of spots there at the end. "We were going to have a good day, I thought. I couldn't see. It was a safety thing, we had to pit under green and they threw the caution a lap later and it just bit us. All in all, the Clorox Fusion is in one piece after this, the first time racing in the rain. It was interesting." Bires sits an impressive 14th in the Nationwide Series standings in his first full season on the circuit.

Pocono is often marked by long green flag runs, a stark contrast to the series of heat races that was the result of a series of competition cautions to address tire issues at Indy. The NASCAR Nationwide Series is also in action this weekend with a trip north of the border to Montreal for the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

This will be Sam Hornish's second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. In the June race at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, Hornish finished the 500-mile race in 41st place, a statistic he hopes to better this time around.

"I'm looking forward to returning to Pocono Raceway and improving on our performance in the June race," said Hornish. "This season we have faced challenges at tracks with flat surfaces and we know this is an area where we can improve our program."

"Last weekend at Indy we had a good run on a flat surface, finishing just outside of the top 20," Hornish explains, hoping the momentum gained on the flat track carries to Pocono. "Even though the race was unusual with cautions every 10 laps or so, I felt we had a good car and were capable of a much better finish under regular circumstances. Our run at Indy will hopefully build our confidence as we return to Pocono Raceway."

Hornish shouldn't worry too much. Even veterans find Pocono to be a challenge. Snap-on driver Jeff Burton has yet to post a win at the track but he likes his chances this time around.

"Pocono is a place where I always feel like we run well at but we certainly have never run well enough to win," Burton said. "There was a couple of times early in my career I thought we had a good chance and then I broke parts real late in the race. This is a challenging race track."

"I thought we ran real well at Pocono (in June). We struggled a little bit during the first part of the race and got the car going in the second half," Burton recalled. "We were really good in practice. I think we learned a lot in the test. I'm really encouraged about returning to Pocono. I think we have a really good chance."

RCR teammate and fellow Snap-on driver Kevin Harvick fell to 13th in the NSCS point standings with his 37th-place finish last weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, setting a new agenda for this team heading to Pocono. The 32-year-old driver trails 12th place and RCR teammate Clint Bowyer by two points, six points behind Matt Kenseth in 11th, 39 markers behind Tony Stewart in 10th and 324 points out of the top five. He needs some good finishes if he hopes to make the Chase in a month.

"It doesn't really matter; you just race as hard as you can every week," said Harvick. "We have had some really good cars since Sonoma but haven't been able to capitalize every weekend. We have had some bad weeks that have been out of our control. I am very confident in my team and I think we will do everything we can do to make the Chase."

This weekend's Nationwide Series stop at Circuit Gilles Villenueve will be the first time Bowyer will see the 15-turn, 2.710-mile road course. Because he will spend Friday in Pocono tending to his Sprint Cup Series obligations, Bowyer's first laps on the track will be when the field takes the green flag Saturday afternoon.

"It's going to be a tough challenge. The first laps I'll ever turn on the track will be when we take the green flag so it's definitely nerve-wracking going into that situation," confided Bowyer. "It's just something we're going to have to tiptoe into. Hopefully, I'll get to run around there in the pace car and at least get familiar with which way the corners are going to go and beat 'em to the straightaway."

Marcos Ambrose returns to 2.71-mile, 14-turn road course for the NAPA 200 as one of the favorites in the No. 59 STP Fuel and Oil Additives Ford for JTG Racing. A year ago, Ambrose led the race until he was knocked off course by another driver coming to the white flag lap. He also finished second earlier this year on the road course in Mexico City.

"It's no secret I'm very comfortable on road courses," Ambrose said. "I really like the challenges of every racetrack, but racing on a road course comes natural to me. It's second nature. When we go to Montreal, we go with an aggressive attitude because it's a place where we know we can win."

Marcos Ambrose will be making his 58th career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this Saturday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and yet he's still considered a road course ringer. With a pair of Ford V8 Supercar Series championships in Australia, he may never shake that label. While his career now is dedicated to all the tracks featured on the Nationwide and Cup series, he always will have a passion for making left and right turns.

Connolly unleashed his best driving performance of the year in the FRAM Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway, putting a rousing finish to his 19th career victory and second of 2008. He defeated Jeg Coughlin by nine-thousandths of a second in a titular showdown featuring two Cagnazzi Racing teammates.

Connolly's winning margin in the Charter Communications/LifeLock Chevy Cobalt came from a .012-second reaction time and a 6.628-second run at 207.69-mph quarter-mile run. It was just enough to get the win light over Coughlin's .022, 6.627 at 207.25.

"What a day for Cagnazzi Racing," Connolly said. "It was a tight race. Both cars are so evenly matched. Everybody involved with our on-track performance did a great job.

"Jeg is the one I looked up to when I was a kid and wasn't racing Pro Stock. He's won championships and having him as a teammate is definitely a win-win situation. Getting to run him in the final and win on a hole-shot is extra special to me. It's good for bragging rights for the Cagnazzi group but it's a great situation for all the guys back at the shop. Todd Beavis built both cars and Stevie Johns and Joe Hornek built all the motors. I don't think they really care who won.

"We've been playing catch-up all season and now they have to catch us. It's our job to hold them off and keep beating them down as they get close to us."

Connolly moved from 11th into 10th place and now leads Warren Johnson by 52 points (682-to-630) with three races to go before the beginning of the Countdown to 1 in September.

After not getting the car down the track in either Friday qualifying run, Connolly said he was concerned, but they were erased with two good Saturday runs that put him ninth.

"I had my doubts but the team stood up and got ready for the challenge. I knew it would be a good day of racing today," he said.

And he proved to be an excellent prognosticator.

He began the day with his best time of the weekend, 6.618 at 208.75 to beat Vinnie Deceglie's 6.652 and then came from behind to nip Mike Edwards, 6.621 to 6.637. Johnny Gray lost to Connolly in the semifinals, 6.652 to 6.736, and set the stage for the excellent finale.

"Some days you just get that feeling you are going to win," Connolly said. "Tomorrow is (team owner Victor Cagnazzi's wife) Brita's birthday and she bought a bottle of champagne. I told her after the first round to go ahead and get that thing on ice because we are going to need it."

Connolly missed the first five races due to sponsor issues and was 200 points behind the final Countdown to 10 qualifying position when the team made its first race. Connolly went to the finals in his second event and made the winner's circle at Bristol in his third time out. He added another runner-up at Englishtown, N.J., last month but had been struggling Sunday.

"Since we've come back, I haven't really driven that well until today. I finally got up on the wheel and concentrated. As always, the car was excellent and we were running within thousandths of the guy in the other lane," he concluded.

The team resumes competition with back-to-back races at Brainerd, Minn. (Aug. 7-9) and Reading, Pa. (Aug. 14-16). The last Countdown to 10 race is the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Aug. 29-Sept. 1.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

O'Reilly Raceway Park

July 25-27, 2008

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Jeff Burton, No. 31 Prilosec OTC Chevrolet, finished ninth: "We struggled really hard in practice. Early in the race, we were really good. The slower the pace, the better we were. I think the sun kind of going behind the clouds and the pace picking up there at the end wasn't what we needed. Our car just doesn't have speed."

Mark Martin, No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet, finished 11th: "It was frustrating. It wasn't bad, because they started to throw the cautions soon enough. At the beginning, it wasn't soon enough. But at the end, they started throwing it sooner. And of course we got caught twice, but after they got the hang of it and saw that it was going to take 10 lap runs only, it was OK."

Ryan Newman, No. 12 Alltel Dodge, finished 13th: "It was a ridiculous race. There was no racing involved other than the mandatory cautions, which was ridiculous."

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, finished 19th.

Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge, finished 21st, on how dirty he was upon exiting his car: "Dirtiest on asphalt, I'm sure of that. Can't even wipe you're eyes off because you have all of this black stuff all over you. It is what it is. First time with an IndyCar, I didn't even finish, so it's a lot better than that. I think we had a little bit better car than where we finished. We'll improve on it and it will be better next year."

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Cub Cadet Chevrolet, finished 24th: "We had the same issues most of the other guys had," Truex said. "The right side tires would wear out after about 10 laps. There were times out there when you're just hanging on, hoping your right-rear tire wouldn't blow. It's frustrating when you can only go 10 laps and have to start worrying about the tires."

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, finished 37th: "Our Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was going to be really good today. My guys did a great job getting me back out on the race track after the accident. They have done a great job the last couple of months. I want to thank the fans for supporting us and the other cars and staying out here today to watch despite the situation we had out there. We are going to go to Pocono and try and get the best finish we can and get ourselves back in the top 12 in points."

Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, finished 40th: "We were already in the conservation mode heading to the competition yellow. I saw he (Kevin Harvick) had a good run on me so I moved on up the track in the corner trying to give him some room. It just snapped loose on me and when I tried to correct it, I got into his rear quarter-panel. I hate that it happened. It was my fault. I hate it for our Miller Lite Dodge and I really am sorry I ruined his day, too."

Paul Menard, No. 15 Johns Manville/Menards Chevrolet, finished 41st: "I was really happy with race runs. We didn't qualify all that well, but the car had a lot of side force, so I expected good things to happen in the race. It's just one of those racing deals, though, wrong place, wrong time. We usually run well at Pocono so at least we can head there next week and start to rebuild some momentum we had going earlier in the year."

Bill Elliott, No. 21 Motorcraft Ford, DNQ: "We just fought everything. It's just a bad deal with the way we ended up. I don't know. I think these guys have got a lot of good ideas, but until you go test and figure some of this stuff out, it's just hard to unload. We lost 30 minutes of practice yesterday and sometimes you're better off not to know - just go."

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Scott Wimmer, No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet, finished fourth: "We got way behind on the first run but the guys fixed her up. The Holiday Inn Chevrolet was really good at the end and we were coming through the field really quick. We just didn't have the track position but it was a really good run. We had a rough time at Gateway last week so it was nice to get back on track and come home fourth. We move on to Montreal and will hopefully have a strong showing."

Cale Gale, No. 33 Camping World/RVs.com Chevrolet, finished sixth: "We qualified the best that I've ever qualified and finished the best that I've ever finished. The car got a little bit tight at the end, but our Camping World Chevy was pretty good. We raced hard all night and got a sixth-place, almost a top-five finish. We'll take it and go to Michigan and work on it a little bit more. Hopefully we might be able to get us a top five or maybe a win before my last three races of the year. The confidence from this week will definitely carry over to Michigan, Bristol and Memphis."

Steve Wallace, No. 66 Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches Chevrolet, finished 10th: "This was a good, solid run for our team. I'm happy about getting another top 10, but at the same time, we had a better car than where we finished tonight. We had a problem on our first pit stop that got us behind, but we worked hard on our car throughout the race and we were able to make up some ground.

"Track position was so critical tonight. The lapped cars were absolutely terrible; it was definitely the worst we've had in a long time as far as that, so it just made track position all that more valuable. All in all though, I definitely can't complain about a top 10, so we'll take it and head to Canada next weekend."

Marcos Ambrose, No. 59 Kingsford/MatchLight Ford, finished 12th: "I'm pretty pleased with our finish tonight. We just quite didn't have the car there at the very end, but we got ourselves in a good position. I can't complain. I hadn't practiced the car at all. We had a pretty good piece and I had a fun night."

Bobby Hamilton Jr., No. 25 Eckrich Ford, finished 14th.

Clint Bowyer, No. 2 Camping World/RV Rental Chevrolet, finished 18th.

Kelly Bires, No. 47 Clorox Ford, finished 36th: "Jason Leffler got into me in the left front. He didn't give me enough room on the straightaway and knocked the left front fender into the left front tire and we had a tire rub and it finally blew going into three.

"I was just disappointed. This was the second time he used me up instead of passing me clean. He used me up. It's hard racing out there. You can't pass and the lapped cars got in the way. There's just no room to do anything. We had a pretty good Clorox Ford Fusion. We were hoping to get a top-10 finish tonight. This was not what we were looking for."

NASCAR Truck Series

Ron Hornaday Jr., No. 33 VFW Chevrolet, finished second:

"We had a really good truck Friday night. The VFW Chevrolet Silverado didn't fall off, Johnny Benson just got better. It's just frustrating; we really wanted to win this one for VFW. But I am very proud of these guys on the No. 33 VFW Chevrolet team. They did an awesome job and worked hard all day on this truck. It's a shame though; this team really needs another win."

Jack Sprague, No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevrolet, finished 17th: "We had struggled with this truck all weekend. We fought a really loose race truck in practice, but Ernie and the guys worked hard and we finally hit on a set-up that worked. We had a good qualifying effort and it gave us great track position.

"Unfortunately, we had a little issue on pit road and got mired back in traffic. Once you lose track position at a place like ORP it's really tough to get it back. My truck started going to the tight side at the end. We were going to have a solid 10th-place finish but we were caught up when Todd (Bodine) and Matt (Crafton) got together there in (turn) two. We just seem to have a monkey on our back right now. Hopefully, this No. 2 ACL team can find some luck here soon."

On an afternoon when tires remained a confounding question throughout the day, the one thing that stayed constant was the strength of Jimmie Johnson's Lowe's Chevrolet. Johnson won the pole for the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard and led a race-high 71 laps en route to a victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his second career Indy win.

Tire wear was the topic of the weekend, as the diamond-ground track was not holding rubber that typically provides added grip to a track's surface. With NASCAR-mandated competition yellows thrown every 12-15 laps, the pace was slowed to a series of heat races more akin to a short-track Saturday night than one of the most prestigious races on the NASCAR schedule at the world's most famous speedway.

A rash of blown tires early led to NASCAR's decision to continue with the competition yellows for the duration of the event. The sanctioning body originally planned to throw two yellows within the first 25 laps. Those competition yellows played into the strategy of the race, as they were thrown with 39, 23 and 10 laps to go, forcing teams to decide whether to take two tires or four - two for track position, four for better handling.

With 10 to go, Denny Hamlin led the field onto pit road with Elliott Sadler, Johnson, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards and A.J. Allmendinger close behind. Every team took two tires, and Johnson led Edwards, Sadler and Jamie McMurray off pit road. It was then apparent that the race would come down to Johnson and Edwards, and Johnson was able to hold off the contender for the final seven laps to notch his second win of the season.

Hamlin, Sadler and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five. McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Allmendinger finished sixth-10th. Burton led 10 laps on the day and remains third in the Sprint Cup point standings with only six races remaining until the start of NASCAR's Chase for the Championship.

Mark Martin, who sat on the front row at the beginning of the day, finished 11th after pit strategy did not go his way. Ryan Newman ran amongst the top 10 for most of the day but slipped to 12th in the final running order. He sits 44 points out of 12th place in the championship standings - very much still a factor to make the playoffs.

Clint Bowyer finished 19th after two horrible days of practice. Bowyer qualified his No. 07 Chevy 40th but raced his way to 15th by lap 45. However, handling issues crept in and Bowyer was not able to make further headway. Bowyer advanced one spot in the standings to 12th, just inside NASCAR's cutoff of Chase participants.

Sam Hornish Jr. battled through an up-and-down day that witnessed his No. 77 Dodge go down a lap twice due to tire issues only to battle back each time to record a lead lap, 21st-place run.

Directly behind Hornish was Marcos Ambrose, who made his maiden Cup Series voyage in the JTG Racing Ford. He finished a workman-like 22nd, on the lead lap.

Martin Truex Jr. led three laps on the day and appeared to be a contender through the race's middle stages - leading as late as lap 86 - until handling problems de-railed his efforts. He finished 24th.

Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Paul Menard had early troubles that hindered their efforts. Busch slid the car through Turn 2 on lap 14 and collected Harvick's machine in the process. Each were forced behind the wall for lengthy repairs. Harvick finished 37th, while Busch was credited with a 40th-place showing.

Menard finished 41st after getting caught up in Michael Waltrip's spin on lap 4. Waltrip's car broke loose out of Turn 2 and Menard had nowhere to go, slamming into Waltrip's front end.

Snap-on Nextel Cup Drivers - how they placed:
Jeff Burton (9th, led 10 laps) Mark Martin (11th, led 0 laps) Ryan Newman (13th, led 0 laps) Clint Bowyer (19th, led 0 laps) Sam Hornish Jr. (21st, led 0 laps) Marcos Ambrose (22nd, led 0 laps) Martin Truex Jr. (24th, led 3 laps) Kevin Harvick (37th, led 0 laps) Kurt Busch (40th, led 0 laps) Paul Menard (41st, led 0 laps)

Scott Wimmer:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Scott Wimmer made his 14th start in the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevy in Saturday night's Kroger 200 from O'Reilly Raceway Park. Starting ninth, Wimmer was a top-10 car throughout the event and managed a stout fourth-place run. Wimmer now has three top-five finishes this season, with a win coming earlier this year in Nashville.

Cale Gale:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Cale Gale recorded his career-best finish after crossing the stripe in the sixth position at O'Reilly Raceway Park in the No. 33 KHI Camping World Chevy. Gale started the race from the third starting spot and stayed in the top 10 throughout most of the race. Gale's previous best came earlier this season at Nashville Superspeedway, when he finished eighth. In 10 Nationwide Series starts this year, Gale has six top-20 finishes.

Steve Wallace:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Steve Wallace enjoyed a great run in Saturday night's Kroger 200 from O'Reilly Raceway Park. The second-generation driver qualified his Rusty Wallace, Inc. Chevy 14th and was a competitive force in the top 10 throughout the night before lodging a 10th-place finish. Wallace now has four top-10 showings in 2008 and sits 13th in the championship point standings.

Marcos Ambrose:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Marcos Ambrose continued his promising 2008 campaign in the Nationwide Series. The Australia native qualified a disappointing 37th after sprinting from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he qualified 24th for the Brickyard 400. However, Ambrose methodically charged through the field once the green flag fell on the Kroger 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park and managed a 12th-place finish. "I'm pretty pleased with our finish tonight," Ambrose said. "We just quite didn't have the car there at the very end, but we got ourselves in a good position. I can't complain. I hadn't practiced the car at all. We had a pretty good piece and I had a fun night." Ambrose and his JTG Racing team now have nine top-15 finishes on the season and have finished 15th in each of the last three races.

Bobby Hamilton Jr.:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Bobby Hamilton Jr. had a solid weekend at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Hamilton, in his Ed Rensi-owned Ford, qualified a season-best sixth and ran amongst the lead pack all evening before finishing 14th. Hamilton has eight top-15 runs in the 2008 Nationwide Series and sits 14th in the point standings.

Clint Bowyer:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Nationwide Series points leader Clint Bowyer had his most frustrating race of the 2008 season. Bowyer qualified his Richard Childress Racing Chevy 10th but battled handling problems throughout the event. Bowyer managed to hang on for a lead lap, 18th-place finish. It was only Bowyer's fourth finish outside of the top 10 on the season. He still holds a commanding 173-point lead over Brad Keselowski in the championship standings.

Kelly Bires:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Kelly Bires had a strong car for the Kroger 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. After qualifying his JTG Racing Ford eighth, Bires was caught up in an accident just shy of halfway. Jason Leffler came up on Bires while the two ran in the top 10 and crumpled his fender, creating a tire rub. A few short laps later, the fender punctured the tire and Bires slid into the wall. "Jason Leffler got into me in the left front," a disappointed Bires explained. "He didn't give me enough room on the straightaway and knocked the left front fender into the left front tire and we had a tire rub and it finally blew going into three. "I was just disappointed. This was the second time he used me up instead of passing me clean. He used me up. It's hard racing out there. You can't pass and the lapped cars got in the way. There's just no room to do anything. We had a pretty good Clorox Ford Fusion. We were hoping to get a top-10 finish tonight. This was not what we were looking for."

Ron Hornaday Jr.:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Ron Hornaday dominated the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park, leading 153 of 200 laps, however, he lost the lead to Johnny Benson on lap 161 and was never able to regain it. Hornaday finished second. Benson stalked Hornaday throughout the event and, once he got by, held the lead through a rash of late-race cautions. "I didn't have a huge lead, (I) was just lucky Johnny (Benson) started eighth and we were fourth and we got up there pretty early," Hornaday said of his night. "We had a good truck. Johnny Benson, we overlapped each other's time and when the yellow came out there it just put us closer and I was driving harder and just got it tight in the center and he could roll the center just a little better. I'm very proud of these guys in the VFW Chevrolet. They did an awesome job. We went from coil bind back to conventional back to coil bind. These guys never say die and the truck is in one piece and we'll take it to the next race. "Our second set of tires were scuffs and they didn't roll as good as our first set of tires," he continued. "Rick Carelli, my spotter, said Johnny could run the top or the bottom. On that restart, he was smart enough to go to the top and got us. I could have raced him dirty, but Johnny doesn't race me dirty, and both our trucks rolled in the garage clean and we'll race like that at all the other short tracks. It is a shame though, this team really needs another win."

Jack Sprague:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Jack Sprague had a solid top-10 run going in the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park until he was involved in a late-race accident. While running sixth on lap 178, Sprague was collected in a multi-truck accident. The incident dropped him to 17th, where he ultimately finished. "We were really, really loose early, but Ernie (Cope, crew chief) and the guys kept working on it and gained on it," Sprague said. "Our ACL Chevrolet was coming to me. Unfortunately, we lost a couple spots on pit road on our only pit stop and then we got caught up in a wreck late running sixth, I think. "The No. 60 truck (Terry Cook) and I tried to follow him because the No. 30 (Todd Bodine) was spinning in front of us but there was nothing we could do, I just got caught up. Just a string of bad luck, I don't know how, but hopefully we can get this monkey off our back soon."

Keven Wood:
July, 26, 2008 | Indianapolis, Ind. -- Keven Wood made his fifth career Truck Series start in Friday evening's Power Stroke Diesel 200. Wood, driving his family-owned Wood Brothers Ford F-150, qualified 26th and battled handling conditions en route to a 24th-place showing. "We didn't have a great night, but I'll take it as a learning experience and character building, lots of character building," Wood said afterward. "There was a lot of stuff going on during the restarts because I was just getting beat around," he continued. "I don't know if it's so much if I learned anything, it's just having a truck that works. We got it to where we were actually decent there at the end. We finally got it freed up enough. We had an idea going into it that we were going to be tight, but it was just so tight that I couldn't do anything with it. Then we got it freed up enough to where I could get on the gas hard and we were already three laps down by then.We just pulled to the back and let the guys run hard. "I give my guys credit. They worked really hard getting our Barnhill Group Ford F-150 where it needed to be. I'm looking forward to Nashville. It will be my first speedway. I've got some laps there, so it's one of the few tracks that I actually have laps on. I'm looking forward to going there."

The third and final stop in the three-week West Coast swing for the NHRA brought the Snap-on brigade to wine country and Sonoma. For Snap-on Pro Stock driver Dave Connolly, there was plenty of toasting to go around as he earned a big win by defeating teammate Jeg Coughlin. Connolly, Coughlin and Gary Densham carried the banner out west for Snap-on.

Dave Connolly:
July, 27, 2008 | Sonoma, Calif. -- Dave Connolly looked to continue his assault on the NHRA field, but qualifying didn't quite work out for him and his Snap-on team. The setup didn't quite hook the hot rod up, and Connolly managed a speed of just 6.647, 207.53 mph to qualify ninth. Connolly met youngster Vinnie Deceglie in the first round for the first time. Connolly grabbed the lead on a decent light as the youngster was a little slow and that was enough. Connolly drove away and into the second round behind a strong performance under the hood. Mike Edwards gave Connolly a fit in the second round. Edwards left the line first, cutting a great light, but Connolly fired back using all the ponies under the hood. In the end, Connolly nipped Edwards at the line to move into the semis. Connolly's run and assault on the top 10 in the championship standings continued there. Connolly nailed Johnny Gray on the line and that was all she wrote. Connolly drove off into the sunset to set up an epic showdown with Snap-on teammate Jeg Coughlin. Connolly was out of the gate first and out-dueled Coughlin down the track to take the win. However, it was the starting line advantage that was the difference, as Connolly was far enough out in front to withstand a Coughlin charge. As a result of the win, Connolly moved into the top 10 in the championship standings, making him a championship contender. "We are breathing easier," said Connolly after the win. "We had a new motor and new tune-up and I was finally able to go through all of the gears all weekend."

Jeg Coughlin:
July, 27, 2008 | Sonoma, Calif. -- Jeg Coughlin stuck his Snap-on Pro Stock machine into the field in the sixth spot with a solid qualifying effort. Coughlin handed in a 6.36, 207.53 mph run. Coughlin and Ron Krisher hooked up in the first round with Coughlin looking for revenge after being handed a tough loss the previous outing by Krisher. Unfortunately, Coughlin never got the opportunity as Krisher broke on the line and never made the pass. In a great race, Coughlin and Jason Line finished side-by-side in a run that was too close to call. Coughlin cut the light close and was out of the gate first. Line reeled Coughlin in down the track, but Coughlin nosed Line out for the win. Coughlin took out Line's teammate in the semifinals. He got the starting line advantage over Greg Anderson as Anderson spun the tires at the line. That advantage was all Coughlin needed as he drove into the final round against teammate Dave Connolly in the battle of bragging rights for Snap-on. The battle between Snap-on teammates was a classic duel, but not to the line. The duel was on the starting line and Coughlin got the short end of the stick. Connolly got off the line first and that ended it, sending Coughlin home as the runner-up. "I'm pumped up to run like that," Coughlin said. "This is as fired up as I can remember being in several weeks. We've got our racecar back."

Doug Herbert:
July, 27, 2008 | Sonoma, Calif. -- Doug Herbert and his Snap-on Tools Top Fuel Dragster blasted down the Sonoma track to qualify solidly in the top half of the ladder. Herbert's best run locked him into the fourth spot. The pass was an impressive 3.839, 309.91 mph. Unfortunately, Herbert's white hot steak ended in the first round on Sunday. Herbert drew Cory McClenathan and the two appeared to be set for a duel. Herbert, however, tripped the light a split second too early and red-lighted, drawing the automatic disqualification.

Tony Pedregon:
July, 27, 2008 | Sonoma, Calif. -- Tony Pedregon and his Snap-on team found a great setup for qualifying. Pedregon managed to log a 4.101-second pass at 299.80 mph. This stout effort was quick enough for second overall heading into Sunday. Pedregon had his hands full with Bob Tasca III in the first round in Sonoma. Tasca cut a good light, leaving first and tried to get far enough out front to improve his record to 3-0 against Pedregon. However, Pedregon outmatched Tasca on this day. Pedregon rallied and thundered by to move into the second round. There, Pedregon made it look easy when he piloted his Snap-on Funny Car down the center of the groove in a commanding win over Jerry Toliver. Pedregon left the line first in this one and never looked back. Pedregon drew Robert Hight in the semifinals. This showdown had the exact same look as the second round race between the other Pedregon and Hight. In what was nearly a replay, Pedregon stormed off the line first but lost traction at mid-track and had to lift. This led Hight to come from behind and flash by to take the win.

Cruz Pedregon:
July, 27, 2008 | Sonoma, Calif. -- Cruz Pedregon qualified third in Sonoma. The "Cruzer" ran a 4.110-second pass at 300.53 mph. In the first round, Pedregon squared off with Mike Neff. Something happened to Neff's machine on the burnout, and he had a very late reaction time. This left Pedregon to make a clean, solid pass for the easy win, and he advanced to the second round. Pedregon had a tough test in the form of Robert Hight. Pedregon got off to a great start, taking a significant lead off the line, but it wasn't enough. Hight powered back and muscled by Pedregon as the Snap-on Funny Car suffered mechanical problems past 600 feet, ending Pedregon's bid for the win.

Gary Densham:
July, 27, 2008 | Sonoma, Calif. -- Gary Densham also had a good qualifying effort in his Snap-on hot rod. Densham traveled the 1,000 feet in 4.205, 287.41 mph. This run was good enough for 13th. Densham and Ron Capps had perhaps the most intriguing dog fight of the first round. Densham left first, taking the lead beyond the 100-foot mark. Capps fought back and claimed the lead about 400 feet down the track, but then both rides lost traction and hazed the tires, forcing the two competitors to pedal. Densham was able to get hooked up faster and stronger than Capps, and that propelled him into the second round. The second round was the same as the first for Densham and his Snap-on-backed machine. Densham was beaten off the line by Jack Beckman but Densham rallied back. Beyond half-track Beckman hazed the tires hard, losing traction and having to lift, while Densham continued under full power to cruise into the semifinals in style. Densham would continue his stout run from there. This time Tim Wilkerson went down to the Snap-on hot rod. Densham fired off the line first and never looked back. He took it to Wilkerson and moved into the finals with a hole shot win. Robert Hight continued his strong run in Sonoma as he eliminated the third and final Snap-on Funny Car in the finals. Densham edged Hight on the tree, taking an early advantage, but Hight had too much horsepower and pulled away to take the win, silencing Densham's weekend just a few tenths of a second shy of an event win.

Steve Johnson:
July, 27, 2008 | Sonoma, Calif. -- Steve Johnson had a ton of momentum coming into Sonoma. However, Johnson mustered only a 7.111, 190.40 mph which placed him 12th in the field. The momentum from the strong runs of late came crashing down on Johnson in the first round in Sonoma. Johnson had his work cut out for him with Angelle Sampey in the opposite lane. With that in mind, Johnson tried to leave quick and left a little too early, sending the Snap-on bike over the line and drawing the red-light disqualification. Up next for the NHRA is Brainerd. The Snap-on teams will stop in Minnesota in two weeks. Qualifying can be seen as always on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Eliminations can be seen Sunday, Aug. 10, at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.

Up until last July, Paul Menard had been waiting in great anticipation for the chance to round the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a racecar. Now, after turning in a solid top-20 finish in last year's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Menard returns for his second start at the historical track.

"My first race at the Brickyard was last year and that was honestly a dream come true," Menard said. "I grew up around the Indy cars racing there and it was always a goal of mine to race there at some point in my career. With that accomplished, I'm going to try and just take it all in this year and battle for a strong finish."

Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, prepares to return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the first time since moving from the IndyCar Series to NASCAR. This will be Hornish's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, however he is no stranger to the 2.5-mile oval -- he has a total of seven IndyCar Series starts at Indy. In that series, he has one win and one pole at the famed speedway. A three-time IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 2006 Indianapolis 500, Hornish is the IndyCar Series' all-time leader in wins (19) and laps led (3,428).

"I'm sure my return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be somewhat emotional although I don't know what to expect," said Hornish. "I've been to the track as both a fan and a driver and I can't remember a time that I didn't go to Indy.

"I love racing at Indianapolis and I am honored to become one of a handful of drivers that have competed in both the Indy car and NASCAR events at Indy," Hornish continued. "Flat tracks have not been our strong suit this season and Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a flat track. However, I can't think of a better place to turn that around than at Indy."

Sam Hornish has a win there in a different series but Snap-on driver Kevin Harvick already has one NASCAR win to his credit at the Brickyard, where he scored both the pole and the win in 2003.

"Winning at Indy ranks right up there with winning the Daytona 500. I grew up an open wheel fan and a huge fan of Rick Mears and always wanted to race in the Indy 500," explained Harvick. "Winning at Indianapolis was pretty special and every time we go there it's just the history and the mystique of the whole race track that I enjoy. You've got the old grandstand and covers, just everything about Indy is just neat for everybody."

Sprint Cup Series regular Clint Bowyer opted out of his weekend off last week to run in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Bowyer is in the midst of a championship run in that series where every point counts. Bowyer finished eighth last week at Gateway International Raceway and recorded his 11th consecutive top-10 finish and 18th overall in 21 races this season. Despite the top-10 effort, the 29-year-old driver lost 13 points to second-place Brad Keselowski after the sophomore driver finished fourth. Bowyer is currently 170 points ahead of Keselowski in the race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. Perhaps the most important thing is that Bowyer is enjoying his time in the Nationwide Series.

"There's so much going on in the Sprint Cup Series garage that you almost forget everybody is there for a race. It feels different at ORP. It feels good," Bowyer said. "The fans are close. The racing is second to none and it's a place where I think we can win. What's not to look forward to? The whole weekend in Indy is so big and ORP has such a big fan following that it's always a lot of fun to get away from the big race track and go over there. It's definitely fun to go over there and watch all the races."

Bowyer will need to keep his eye on some of the Nationwide Series regulars. O'Reilly Raceway Park is a short track and drivers are always willing to mix it up and trade some paint when it's Saturday night short track racing. Kelly Bires is one of those drivers looking forward to the action.

"I don't think you can be too aggressive at short tracks," Bires said. "You have to get every possible position you can using every bit of the track to your advantage. You can go out there and wreck everybody trying to pass, but the level of patience is very, very small on these small tracks.

"If you're pushing people around, somebody else will be pushing you around. That's the nature of short-track racing."

Bires comes into Saturday night's race ranked 14th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings. He's trying to make a second-half push to finish in the Top 10. To get there, he knows he must be successful on short tracks.

"I grew up on short tracks, so my comfort level is at its highest here," he said. "A little beating and banging is all right. Everyone expects that."

The NASCAR Truck Series will also visit ORP for a Friday night show. Ron Hornaday has picked up two victories at ORP in his NASCAR Truck Series career; the first in 1997 and again last year. Coincidently, both wins have come when Hornaday started the race from the second position. In 1997, he took the lead with two laps to go and held on for his first ORP win. Last year, Hornaday notched his second ORP victory after he led 90 laps. Although starting from the pole position would be a great feat, Hornaday knows starting second would not be that bad either. He has finished third or better in each start at ORP with the KHI team.

"I really like racing at ORP. It's such a great feeling to win there with all the history behind ORP and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I've been fortunate enough to have two wins at ORP," said Hornaday. "Last year, after the rain delay, we had the best truck out there and were able to get the win and I feel we'll be a force to be reckoned with again this year."

Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner all share the most wins at ORP with two each. Sprague's two wins came in 1998 and 2001 with an average margin of victory of 1.63 seconds.

"ORP is your traditional short track. It has narrow corners and it is really hard to pass," Sprague explained. "Qualifying will be very crucial come Friday. However, you just have to watch everyone around you and be as alert as possible. Fuel mileage may also play a factor like it did in Martinsville earlier this season."

ORP is also the site of an interesting incident that has become known as the "White Glove Incident" between former rivals and current teammates Jack Sprague and Ron Hornaday that has had an influence on Sprague's uniform ever since.

"When I first came to KHI a lot of the guys who had been around racing gave me a hard time about it," laughed Sprague. "The 'white gloves' came out of a race at ORP back in 1998, when Hornaday and I were racing for the win. It was the first race I had ever worn white racing gloves.

"Hornaday and I were racing really hard and we touched. Hornaday ended up in the wall and I went on to win the race. The debate was if I had intentionally gotten into him. I really didn't but the in-car camera showed my glowing white gloves and me jerking on the wheel. A lot of folks say that I turned right; I still maintain that I got really loose and was turning right and left trying not to get into Hornaday. Needless to say I have never worn white gloves again."

"The Sonoma race has become a bit of a yearly family retreat for us," Coughlin said from the heart of the Napa Valley. "For the past 10 years we've come here directly from the Seattle race for some golf and swimming and general lounging around. My son, lil' Jeggie, is on summer vacation so he's able to join us, and we really have some fun."

Although Coughlin is doing his best to do nothing for a few days, he admits his mind is never far away from the upcoming Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals at picturesque Infineon Raceway.

"Make no mistake, we're here to win," said Coughlin, who claimed glory at Infineon in 2003, the last time he entered the race as the defending series champion. "This is an exciting race for a number of reasons. First, it's a Bruton Smith-owned facility so it's first-rate. Second, the weather can produce absolutely exceptional racing conditions.

"As much as I like a smooth golf swing or a dip in the pool, nothing compares to a perfect run down the quarter mile. It's quite a feeling. Hopefully, I have it eight times this weekend."

Coughlin is solidly in the chase for one of the 10 playoff spots up for grabs in the six-race Countdown to One, which begins in September at the inaugural Carolina NHRA Nationals in Charlotte. He's currently fourth in the rankings, 182 points off the lead. Coughlin led the points on two separate o