NASCAR NNCS (DAYTONA) - Earnhardt: Nothing New On Contract

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a guest Tuesday on the weekly NASCAR teleconference, but had nothing new to announce regarding his contract negotiations with Dale Earnhardt Inc.

“I’m pretty excited that things are going to be fine, and work out with our negotiations,” he said.

Also from Earnhardt:

• “When we won four in a row at Talladega [from 2001-03] we just had the dominant car.”

• “I liked seeing Jeff Gordon win [at Phoenix]. When he honored my father [by waving the No. 3 flag] it was really cool.”

• “I can beat anybody at Talladega, you kidding? Give me a decent car, I can take it and run up front.”

A full transcript of the teleconference is available at NASACRMedia.com.

Last-Lap ‘Dega Drama – Expect It

The last three Talladega Superspeedway races have been decided by last-lap passes.

• In October 2005, Dale Jarrett passed Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman on the final lap of a green-white-checkered finish, just before a caution came out.

• In the spring of 2006, Jimmie Johnson passed Brian Vickers in Turn 4 of Lap 188.

• Last October, Vickers scooted by Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as those two wrecked.

Also, three of the last five races at ‘Dega have had miniscule margins of victory:

• .120-second, spring/2006; • .183-second, spring/2005; • .117-second, fall/2004.

Chase ‘Seeding’ Watch, Week 9: Gordon On The Bonus Board

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) got his first victory of the season this past Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway. More importantly – given the increased emphasis on winning that’s now inherent in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series – he earned a potential 10-point bonus, awarded if he qualifies for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Starting this season, Chase qualifiers get 10 bonus points for each victory during the 26-race span leading up to the Chase, which consists of the last 10 races.

Drivers qualifying for the Chase have their point totals “reset” to 5,000, whereupon bonus points are added, in effect creating a “seeding” to start the Chase.

Example: Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), who has three victories thus far this season, would start the Chase with 5,030 points.

Gordon – who tied Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the all-time win list (76) with the PIR win – would start the Chase tied for second place at 5,010 with this season’s three other race winners – Jeff Burton (No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet), Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet).

Double Puzzle: Winless This Season, Stewart Also Winless At Talladega

Tony Stewart (No 20 The Home Depot Chevrolet), remarkably, has yet to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race this season.

Even more remarkable: The two-time series champion, arguably the most talented, versatile race car driver in the world, has never won at Talladega Superspeedway.

There are some coincidental statistics to note. Stewart has two runner-up finishes this season. At Talladega, he has finished second six times, which yields this dubious distinction: Stewart is tied with Bobby Allison (at Martinsville Speedway) and Mark Martin (at Pocono Raceway) for the most runner-up finishes without a victory at a track currently involved in the series.

Stewart comes into Talladega seventh in the series point standings, and he has to feel good about his chances of moving up – and breaking both of his winless streaks.

In 16 Talladega races he has 10 top-10 runs and an average finish of 11.938. He has led laps in 10 races, for a total of 138 laps. His Driver Rating at Talladega (based on the previous two seasons’ compilation worth of Loop Data) is 96.3 – fifth-best in the series.

And don’t forget this footnote: He finished second in last year’s Aaron’s 499.

NNCS, Etc.

• Vickers Returns to Scene Of Controversial First Win; • Haas CNC Coming Off Milestone Race • Montoya Returns to Site of Stock Car Debut • Harvick a ‘Sleeper” at Aaron’s 499?

Brian Vickers’ (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota) first win last October was huge for reasons beyond the obvious career milestone element. It came at one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks, Talladega Superspeedway. And it came at the expense of two of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ biggest names – eventual series champion Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet).

On the last lap at the 2.66-mile tri-oval, a Vickers mistake caused the three-car accident that ruined the day for Johnson and Earnhardt – and for Vickers, too, in some ways. His first win in NASCAR’s premier series was overshadowed by wrecking two drivers involved in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. …

Haas CNC Racing is coming off a historic week for the organization. At Phoenix, Jeff Green (No. 66 Best Buy Chevrolet) and Johnny Sauter (No. 70 Yellow Transportation Chevrolet) finished sixth and ninth, respectively – the first time Haas CNC has ever had two top-10 finishes in the same event.

“Having both cars in the top 10 is a great momentum boost for us,” Green said. “We’ve got equipment equal to anybody in the garage with Hendrick motors and chassis, and our guys work their tails off, so it feels good to give our teams the finishes they deserve.

“Hendrick Motorsports has really helped us with [engines for] the Car of Tomorrow, so we have to thank them for everything they do. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if NASCAR made every race a COT race.” …

Former Indianapolis 500 champion and Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge) is returning this week to the track where he made his stock car debut. Last October at Talladega, Montoya climbed into an ARCA RE/MAX Series car, qualified second and finished third. Amid his first full-time season in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Montoya comes in this week 16th in points, clearly in contention to make the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

“I think it’s going to be fun to go back there, being my first proper stock car race was there,” Montoya said. “It should be pretty cool, should be a little different.

“I was surprised at the [33 degree] banking. For an open-wheel guy, 22 degrees or 23 degrees like California or Michigan is like really high banking. [Talladega] is like ‘Wow’ and now … 20-degree banking is not much.” … Tony Stewart isn’t the only driver who has come close at Talladega recently without winning. In an eight-race span from 2003-06 Kevin Harvick had six top-10 finishes, including two runner-up efforts.

Talladega: Size Up Your Rivals, Focus On The Finish

Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 will be the last race at Talladega Superspeedway not using the Car of Tomorrow. The “COT” roll-out schedule has the new car coming to Talladega’s second race this year on Oct. 7.

Here are some keys to negotiating the 2.66-mile track – the largest in NASCAR – that apply no matter what configuration of car is out there.

• Know how to maneuver your car successfully through traffic. Positioning yourself for a strong finish is a key.

• A flawless final pit stop is critical. It’s next to impossible to make up a lot of ground if you have a poor pit stop down the stretch.

• Gather as much information as you can about your competition as the race unfolds.

• Know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and be able to draw upon that history during the course of the race.

• Find out who you can race with as the afternoon unfolds. It’s very difficult to win there without getting some drafting assistance from others. It’s important that the driver gather as much information about his competition during the race and be able to rely on that towards the finish. Knowing who you can draft with and who to avoid is ultra-important.

Locked In: Hendrick’s No. 25 Chevrolet is No. 35 In Points This Week; Jarrett Feeling Pressure

Casey Mears (No. 25 National Guard/ GMAC Chevrolet) occupies the “bubble” spot this week, holding the 35th and final “locked-in” starting spot for the Aaron’s 499.

Weekly in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, the top 35 teams in car owner points are guaranteed starting spots for that week’s event. Outside the top 35? That means you have to get into a race based solely on your qualifying speed.

By no means should Mears feel secure, however. Only 103 points separates his team from the 40th-place team of driver Paul Menard/owner Teresa Earnhardt (No. 15 Menard’s Chevrolet).

And actually, the precarious nature of the locked-in bubble also is evidenced the other way; 46 points separate Mears from the 30th-place team of driver David Gilliland/owner Robert Yates (No. 38 M&Ms Ford).

And then there’s the pressure being felt by Dale Jarrett (No. 44 UPS Toyota), whose team is 37th in points. Jarrett has already used five of his allotted six “past champion” provisionals. He needs a strong run Sunday to work his way into the top 35, to avoid having to qualify on time.

2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Owner Points – After 8 Races

Position Points Team Owner Driver

30th 658 No. 38 Ford Robert Yates David Gilliland 31st 648 No. 14 Chevrolet Bobby Ginn Sterling Marlin 32nd 647 No. 88 Ford Robert Yates Ricky Rudd 33rd 626 No. 9 Dodge Ray Evernham Kasey Kahne 34th 615 No. 45 Dodge Kyle Petty Kyle Petty

35th 612 No. 25 Chevrolet Mary Hendrick Casey Mears

36th 575 No. 21 Ford Glen Wood Ken Schrader/Jon Wood 37th 548 No. 44 Toyota Michael Waltrip Dale Jarrett 38th 526 No. 10 Dodge James Rocco Scott Riggs 39th 523 No. 22 Toyota Bill Davis Dave Blaney 40th 515 No. 15 Chevrolet Teresa Earnhardt Paul Menard

In The Loop: Something For Everyone At Talladega

In 15 of the last 16 trips to Talladega, a Chevrolet has visited Victory Lane. But over the last two years, drivers in Fords and Dodges have found success – even though Chevys have won three out of four Talladega races.

In fact, in most cases their stats are better than those of Chevrolet.

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) leads the charge in that regard. Kenseth, a Roush Fenway Racing Ford driver, owns the top pre-race Driver Rating at 105.8. Kenseth is one spot ahead of teammate Jamie McMurray’s (No. 26 Sharp Vikuiti 3M Ford) 100.6.

They are the only two eclipsing the 100-point barrier.

The same holds true in Average Running Position. Kenseth has an Average Running Position of 7.968, making him the only driver who averages runs in the top 10 at Talladega. McMurray again falls into second place in the category with an Average Running Position of 10.298. Dodge driver Kurt Busch is third with a 10.486, and is also fourth in Driver Rating with a 96.6.

In arguably the two most telling statistics, Fords and a Dodge own six of the top-seven spots at Talladega. Next step, clearly, is a win.

They already have consistency, as their Laps in the Top 15 can attest. Again, Kenseth, McMurray and Busch are 1-2-3. Kenseth has 650 Laps in the Top 15 at Talladega, followed by McMurray (610) and Busch (603).

Busch also has good standing in the passes categories. His total of 1,587 is third-most of any driver at Talladega and his 1,264 Quality Passes – passes of cars in the top 15 while under green – is more than any other driver.

This doesn’t mean Chevrolet drivers struggle at Talladega – by no means is that the case.

Four-time Talladega winner Jeff Gordon has the third-best pre-race Driver Rating at 97.1 and has showed brilliance in the past. In his victory in the spring of 2005, Gordon earned a Driver Rating of 135.5, the best rating registered in the last four Talladega races. In that race, Gordon had a stunning 2.155 Average Running Position, also the best of any driver in a Talladega race over the last four races.

Then there’s Tony Stewart, who has tremendous stats at ‘Dega but zero wins. He has the fifth-best Driver Rating (96.3), the fifth-best Average Running Position (12.912) and the sixth-fastest Speed in Traffic.

Menard Top Rookie at Phoenix; Chevrolet Maintains Manufacturers Lead

In a tough night for rookies, Paul Menard finished 25th at Phoenix, earning him Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the first time this season. Menard retained his third-place position in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year points.

Also, Chevrolet’s seventh victory of the year, via Jeff Gordon’s first-ever win at Phoenix, boosted its lead in the Manufacturers Championship standings to 20 points over Ford.

Rookie Pts Juan Pablo Montoya 90 David Ragan 85 Paul Menard 54 David Reutimann 47 AJ Allmendinger 23 Brandon Whitt 2

Off-Track …

Ward Burton (No. 4 State Water Heaters Chevrolet) of South Boston, Va., visited the Virginia Tech campus on Monday. Burton, his wife Tabitha and his 14-year-old son Jeb visited the university’s alumni department, had lunch with the engineering department and viewed several sites memorializing victims of the April 16 shootings on the campus. The Burtons were accompanied by Tom Inge, the executive director of the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, and his wife Carole.

“My son wants to attend Virginia Tech,” Burton said. “We wanted to go to the campus and show our support, with us being from Virginia and living in Virginia. Virginia Tech has such an influence everywhere in the state.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do.” …

This weekend at Talladega, all cars will again display the Virginia Tech logo on the “B post” adjacent to the driver’s side window net, in remembrance of the shooting victims. The logos will also be displayed next week at Richmond International Raceway. … Comedian Jeff Foxworthy is the Grand Marshal for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499. Country music star Joe Nichols is slated to sing the national anthem. … The International Motorsports Hall of Fame, located at Talladega Superspeedway, will hold its 17th annual induction ceremony Thursday night. For the first time, a former NASCAR Busch Series champion will be inducted – two-time titlist Jack Ingram. Other inductees: Speedway Motorsports Incorporated Chairman/CEO Bruton Smith; NASCAR great Ray Hendrick, who is being inducted posthumously; former NHRA Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson; former motorcycle great Wayne Rainey; and longtime NASCAR car owner Junie Donlavey. … For media attending this weekend’s races, Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) will be the “NEXTEL Wake-Up Call” interview guest Friday at 11:30 a.m. in the Talladega Superspeedway infield media center.

NASCAR Podcasts

Every week NASCAR produces Podcasts available through NASCARmedia.com and iTunes.

• Mondays feature a race recap from the previous event and includes driver interview post-race audio.

• Tuesdays we look ahead to the next race with a preview featuring NASCAR’s Manager of Statistics, Writing and Production, Mike Forde.

• NASCAR Director of Cost Research Brett Bodine joins us Wednesdays for a look at the upcoming venue, providing insight and analysis.

• In addition, this Thursday we will feature a media profile Podcast of Mike Bolton of the Birmingham News for an insider’s view of the week-to-week NASCAR beat. Bolton has attended all but three races at Talladega Superspeedway, in the track’s history.

• Friday will feature Harold Holly, crew chief on the No. 66 Best Buy Chevrolet driven by Jeff Green. Holly, a Pell City, Ala. native, is an avid fisherman and competes in the NSBA Series and the NFA Series during the off-season and has caught numerous trophy fish including a seven and a half foot hammerhead shark.

To subscribe to the official NASCAR Podcast login to NASCARmedia.com and click on the Podcast link on the right side of the page.

The Race: Aaron’s 499 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Sunday, April 29 The Time: 2 p.m. (ET) TV: FOX, 1:30 p.m. (ET) The Track: 2.66-mile tri-oval The Distance: 500 miles; 188 laps The Purse: $6,022,630 2006 Winner: Jimmie Johnson 2006 Pole: Elliott Sadler Series Standings Pos. Driver Pts. 1 J. Gordon 1,326 2 J. Burton 1,252 3 Kenseth 1,166 4 Johnson 1,115 5 Hamlin 1,084 6 Kyle Busch 1,002 7 Stewart 994 8 Edwards 967 9 Bowyer 963 10 Martin 921 11 Harvick 902 12 McMurray 899 Pre-Race On-Track Schedule (local/CT time): Friday—Practice, 1:30-2:30 p.m. and 3:05-3:55 p.m. Saturday—Qualifying, 10:15 a.m.