NASCAR NNCS (DAYTONA) - Cup Series News & Notes

• Victory At Indy Bodes Well For Title Contenders

• Gordon In Quest Of Indianapolis History

• Former Open-Wheelers After Brickyard Win, In Stock Cars

• Together Again: 400 Starts ESPN/ABC Portion Of TV Schedule

• On The Line: Indiana Native Stremme Teleconference Guest

History Indicates Indy Win Could Be Springboard To Championship

How fitting, that one of NASCAR’s premier events has developed into a preview of sorts, for the season-ending championship celebration at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard has been held 13 times; six times, the race winner went on to win the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship.

And there’s more to indicate that if you don’t win at Indy, you want to at least be close – if you’re serious about winning the series crown. Only once has the eventual series champion finished outside the top 10 at Indy. That was Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet), who finished a still-respectable 12th in 2002 when he won the title for the first time. In 2005, he became the fifth Indy winner to win the series title.

Road To Title Paved With Bricks

The following drivers won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, then went on to capture the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship.

2006: Jimmie Johnson 2005: Tony Stewart 2001: Jeff Gordon 2000: Bobby Labonte 1999: Dale Jarrett 1998: Jeff Gordon

Race To The Chase, Round 4: Watch Out For Kenseth

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) has never won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but a look at the stat sheet makes that fact look somewhat puzzling.

Lack of victories aside, Kenseth, the super-consistent 2003 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, has quickly become accustomed to the legendary oval in his relatively short career.

Kenseth has seven Indy starts, with four top-five results and an average finish of 13.7. He also has a series-high Driver Rating (derived from an amalgam of NASCAR’s electronic Loop Data) of 114.0.

Loop Data gathering dates back to the start of 2005, so it’s not surprising that 2005 Indy winner Tony Stewart would have the second-best Indy Driver Rating of 109.2.

As for series point leader and four-time series champion Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet), the four-time winner of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard has a deceiving Driver Rating of 80.8, a figure that doesn’t involve his four years (1994, ’98, 2001, ’04) of victory. A more-telling stat in Gordon’s case would be his average Indy finish of 9.3, or perhaps his total of 10 top-10 finishes in the 13 years NASCAR has raced at IMS.

13 Drivers Have Potential Seeding Bonuses

After 19 races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season, 13 different drivers have won races – meaning, 13 different drivers have earned potential bonus points for “seedings” when the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup begins.

Starting this season, race victories are more important than ever. The 12 drivers qualifying for the Chase will have their point totals “reset” to 5,000. They then will have bonus points – 10 for each victory during the 26 races preceding the Chase – applied. Tony Stewart became the latest driver to earn potential victory bonus points via his win two weeks at Chicagoland Speedway.

Of the 13 race winners thus far this year, 10 are in the series standings’ top 12, coming into Indianapolis. Atop the potential bonus point situation: Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet). They each have four wins and potentially 40 bonus points apiece, which would make them the top two seeds to start the Chase with 5,040 points apiece. Seeding ties are broken by the comparison of drivers’ best finishes beyond victories.

Two drivers currently in the standings’ top 12 are winless this year – 10th-place Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet) and 12th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet).

Indy Presents Another Sort of ‘Drive For 5’ For Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon’s quest for a fifth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship would obviously be boosted considerably on Sunday, if he were to win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard for a fifth time.

But Gordon’s legacy would also receive an immediate upgrade.

Only one other driver has won five times at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Formula One great Michael Schumacher, who won the U.S. Grand Prix in 2000 and again from ’03-06.

Gordon’s four victories ties him with three legendary four-time Indianapolis 500 champions: A.J. Foyt (1961, ’64, ’67, ’77); Al Unser (1970-71, ’78, '87); and Rick Mears (1979, ’84, ’88, ’91).

Excellence At Indy Driver Car Type Wins Michael Schumacher F1 5 Jeff Gordon NASCAR 4 A.J. Foyt IndyCar 4 Al Unser Sr. IndyCar 4 Rick Mears IndyCar 4

Open-Wheel Exodus Accented By 400

Jeff Gordon is the most visible member of an increasingly large group of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers who formerly raced in the open-wheel ranks. That group also includes former IndyCar Series champion Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge), Robby Gordon (No. 7 Jim Beam Ford), Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge), AJ Allmendinger (No. 84 Red Bull Toyota) and former Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge).

“Jeff Gordon was probably the biggest influence [in this trend]” said Stewart. “He had a lot of success in USAC – won a lot of races. He wasn’t just handed an opportunity in NASCAR. He earned his way. When he got the opportunity to go to NASCAR, he opened up a lot of opportunities for drivers like myself. … When Jeff had his success [in NASCAR], it boosted everybody’s spirits and helped show everyone in USAC that it was a reality: If they had the same kind of results that Jeff had, then it could happen to them too.”

On The Line: David Stremme

South Bend, Ind. native David Stremme (No. 40 Target Dodge) was the guest on Tuesday’s NASCAR Teleconference. And of course, he eagerly looks forward to racing at Indy.

“Probably the neatest thing for me was last year during the driver introductions and we were riding around in the vehicles, I got to see a lot of people that I raced with growing up or people that watched me growing up; it was pretty emotional,” Stremme said. “It is definitely a place that I look forward to every year. I even make sure my team knows I put a lot of emphasis on this race because it is close to home and again because of the history that is at Indianapolis.

For a complete transcript of this week’s NASCAR Teleconference – and also to access previous teleconference transcripts – go to NASCARMedia.com.

Locked In: Sauter Continues Strong-Hold On Final Starting Spot

Joe Custer’s No. 70 Radioactive Energy Chevrolet, driven by Johnny Sauter, comes into Indianapolis occupying the 35th and final guaranteed starting spot via the car owner point standings – a spot that looks fairly secure for at least a couple of week. That’s because the No. 70 team has a hefty 225-point lead on the 36th-place team – the No. 21 Little Debbie Ford owned by Glen Wood and driven by former Allstate 400 at the Brickyard champion (2002) Bill Elliott.

Teams outside the top 35 in owner points must rely on qualifying times to make the race.

2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Owner Points – After 19 Races

Position Points Team Owner Driver

30th 1,600 No. 14 Chevrolet Bobby Ginn Sterling Marlin 31st 1,597 No. 88 Ford Robert Yates Ricky Rudd 32nd 1,584 No. 66 Chevrolet Joe Custer Jeff Green 33rd 1,567 No. 45 Dodge Kyle Petty Kyle Petty 34th 1,547 No. 13 Chevrolet Jay Frye Joe Nemechek

35th 1,528 No. 70 Chevrolet Joe Custer Johnny Sauter

36th 1,303 No. 21 Ford Glen Wood Bill Elliott 37th 1,296 No. 22 Toyota Bill Davis Dave Blaney 38th 1,236 No. 10 Dodge James Rocco Scott Riggs 39th 1,209 No. 15 Chevrolet Teresa Earnhardt Paul Menard 40th 1,085 No. 83 Toyota Dietrich Mateschitz Brian Vickers

In The Loop: Roush Fenway Looks For Indianapolis Breakthrough

Roush Fenway Racing has failed to visit Victory Lane at only two current tracks on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series calendar: Chicagoland Speedway and this weekend’s track, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The drought may come to an end Sunday afternoon. A number of Roush Fenway drivers have performed well in recent years at IMS.

Matt Kenseth has finished in the top five in four of his last five races at Indy, and has two runner-up finishes in that span. Over the past two years, Kenseth has been the most consistent but has yet to grab the elusive win.

At IMS, Kenseth has a pre-race Driver Rating of 114.0 (best of any driver), an Average Running Position of 5.8 (best of any driver) and 316 Laps in the Top 15 (best of any driver). Kenseth, coming off a second-place finish at Chicagoland where he also had the top pre-race Driver Rating, is third in the series standings. Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford), another Roush Fenway Racing driver, jumped to fifth in the standings with a third-place finish at Chicagoland. He’s another driver to watch at Indy. In two races at the Brickyard, he has an Average Finish of 10.5, a Driver Rating of 88.8, an Average Running Position of 15.7 and 25 Fastest Laps Run – which is fourth-best. Edwards improved on his first Indy experience, finishing ninth last year – he finished 12th in his first trip to IMS in 2005. Last year, Edwards scored an impressive Driver Rating of 107.9.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Dish Network Ford) could also surprise with a strong performance. Though still looking for his first win of 2007, Biffle has strong numbers at Indy. He has a Driver Rating of 88.4 (13th-best among those competing Sunday), an Average Running Position of 11.5 (ninth-best), 109 Green Flag Passes (fourth-most) and 246 Laps in the Top 15 (sixth-most).

Keys to Victory

Indianapolis Motor Speedway – both historic and unique, with a 2.5-mile relatively flat oval. It’s a tough puzzle to solve for any machine, perhaps more so for stock cars. Here are some pieces of that puzzle to consider:

* Good pit strategy is critical. It's difficult to pass and track position is of utmost importance. Making up ground during the race can oftentimes be a challenge.

* Setting the car up with the right aerodynamic package. As mentioned, passing doesn't come easily at this race track. The driver needs to have his car running at the optimum at the right place and at the right time on the track in order to have a chance to make the pass.

* Fuel mileage is a key, as is a chassis setup that works well throughout the race. Drivers need a setup that works well when the car is topped off with fuel and when it's running near empty.

NNCS, Etc. …

Montoya Returns to Indy Juan Pablo Montoya returns this week to the site of his 2000 Indianapolis 500 win. He’ll become the first Indy 500 champion to race in NASCAR’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard since A.J. Foyt and Danny Sullivan raced in the inaugural 400 in 1994. Montoya, along with team owner Chip Ganassi, will hold a press conference Friday at 10:30 a.m. on the fourth floor of the IMS Media Center…With a 15th place finish at Chicagoland two weeks ago, Montoya increased his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. With 196 points, he is now 14 points ahead of second-place David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Insurance Ford).

Petty Joins Exclusive List After missing the past three races while in the TNT broadcast booth, Kyle Petty (No. 45 Marathon Dodge) finally makes his 800th career start this weekend. Petty, who was replaced by Chad McCumbee and John Andretti during his layoff, joins only five other drivers in the 800-start club – including his father, Richard, who leads the list with 1,185 starts. Oddly enough, three drivers with 800-plus starts will be in Sunday’s race: Petty, Ricky Rudd (No. 88 Snickers Ford) and Terry Labonte (No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota).

Indy Event Was Part Of France’s Vision For NASCAR’s Growth … The legacy of the late Bill France, who died last month at the age of 74, is multi-faceted. Descriptions of that legacy inevitably focus on the vision he had for NASCAR’s growth, a vision that was in many ways a modern-day extension of that of his father, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.

Bill Jr.’s vision included a concept once thought to be the ultimate longshot: A NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

That vision clarified in 1994, when France’s concept became reality with the running of the inaugural Brickyard 400.

NASCAR’s arrival at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was prefaced by what could be called a “trial balloon” in the form of NASCAR Busch Series racing at nearby O’Reilly Raceway Park, starting in 1982. That event resulted largely from the efforts of Bob Daniels, then the general manager at ORP. In 1995, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series started racing at ORP as well.

Collectively, those two events and the 400 represent a stunning tripleheader this week.

“Bob Daniels brought NASCAR to Indy for the first time and what he did opened the door to what would become one of the biggest weeks in American motorsports each year,” Bill France said in an interview several years ago.

With the door opened, France and IMS President Tony George peered inside. They saw nothing but potential.

And now, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard represents potential realized.

On Deck: Return To Pocono … Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Kinko’s Chevrolet) will be the defending race champion next week (Sunday, Aug, 5) when the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Pocono Raceway for the Pennsylvania 500, Round 5 of the ‘Race to the Chase.’

The Race to the Chase ends Sept. 8 at Richmond International Raceway.

Etc. Ken Schrader started eight races this season in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford before Bill Elliott replaced him for the Coca-Cola 600. This weekend, Schrader returns, this time in the No. 49 Paralyzed Veterans of America Dodge for BAM Racing. Schrader last drove the No. 49 Dodge in 2005. … Race car driver, journalist and author Denise McCluggage will be honored with the Mildred Marcum Pioneer Award at the annual Women in the Winner's Circle Luncheon at IMS on Thursday. McCluggage was the first woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame… James Denton, who plays Mike Delfino in ABC’s hit show “Desperate Housewives,” will be the Grand Marshal and Honorary Starter for Sunday’s race. Sgt. Byron Bartosh, a trumpet player from the Indiana National Guard, will perform the National Anthem. … ESPN returns to the forefront of NASCAR coverage this weekend when it reappears on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series broadcast schedule. Televising NASCAR’s premier series for the first time since 2000, ESPN launches a 17-week span of flag-to-flag coverage by ESPN and ABC of seven ‘Race to the Chase’ and 10 ‘Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup’ events. The Chase races, as well as the crucial Richmond contest prior to the Chase, will all air on ABC, marking the first time that all Chase events have appeared on the same network.

Washington Times’ Dave Fay Loses Battle With Cancer … Washington Times sportswriter/editor Dave Fay was a hockey man first and foremost, but he took to covering NASCAR well in recent years, quickly making friends and building sources – trademarks of the consummate beat reporter. As a result, his coverage of NASCAR was just like his hockey stuff: Crisp, concise and creative – and a gift to readers of the Times.

Fay passed away last week at the age of 67 following a long bout with cancer. In November, Fay will be inducted posthumously into the Hockey Hall of Fame, a spin-off of his being recently awarded the Elmer Ferguson Award, the biggest honor in hockey journalism.

Donations in his memory can be made to the following charities:

•Hockey Fights Cancer PO Box 5037 New York, NY 10185-5037 •Hockey's All-Star Kids Foundation National Hockey League 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020

Every week NASCAR produces Podcasts available through NASCARmedia.com and iTunes. Mondays feature a race recap from the previous event and includes driver interviews post-race audio. Tuesdays offer a preview of the next race with a statistical analysis featuring NASCAR’s Manager of Statistics, Writing and Production, Mike Forde.

NASCAR’s Director of Cost Research Brett Bodine joins us each Wednesday for a look at the upcoming event, providing insight and analysis.

On Thursday of this week, NASCAR will feature a crew-member profile of Alan Gustafson, crew chief for the No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet driven by Kyle Busch.

Additionally, on Friday NASCAR will have a media profile podcast with veteran motorsports journalist Steve Ballard of the Indianapolis Star.

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: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard The Place: Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Date: Sunday, July 29 The Time: 2 p.m. (ET) TV: ESPN, 1 p.m. (ET) The Track: 2.5-mile oval The Distance: 400 miles; 160 laps The Purse: $9,533,587 2006 Winner: Jimmie Johnson 2006 Pole: Jeff Burton Series Standings Pos. Driver Points 1 Gordon 2,911 2 Hamlin 2,608 3 Kenseth 2,565 4 Burton 2,491 5 Edwards 2,473 6 Stewart 2,429 7 Johnson 2,423 8 Harvick 2,337 9 Kyle Busch 2,314 10 Bowyer 2,281 11 Truex Jr. 2,208 12 Earnhardt 2,151 Pre-Race Schedule (local/ET time): Friday—Practice, 1:30-2:30 p.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m.; Saturday—Qualifying, 10:10 a.m. Practice, 1:30-2:30 p.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m.