NASCAR NNCS (BROOKYLN) - SERIES NOTES

• 12th-Place ‘Bubble’ Drama Building As Chase Approaches

• Earnhardt Combative, Confident Regarding His Chase Chances

• On The Line: 13th-place Newman Guest On Teleconference

• Kyle Busch Says ‘Comfort Level’ Led To JGR Deal

• On The Air: ESPN Debuts ‘NASCAR In Primetime

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) is in 12th place in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, coming into Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

It’s a good place to be – but by no means secure.

Trailing Busch are two other drivers within immediate – meaning, one race – striking distance of 12th: 13th-place Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) and 14th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet). Newman is 96 points behind Busch; Earnhardt is 100 back.

Beyond those two are several drivers who could be considered longshots but nonetheless have four precious weeks remaining to make up ground and perhaps qualify for the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup which begins Sept. 16 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) is 15th, 212 behind Busch; Casey Mears (No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet) is 16th, 298 behind; Jamie McMurray (No. 26 IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford) is 17th, 316 back.

Michigan is a great track for this battle to begin. Busch has an MIS win to his credit while Newman and Biffle have two apiece. Biffle has an outstanding MIS Driver Rating of 109.9, second only to the series-best 114.2 of Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford).

Race To The Chase, Round 7: ‘Playoff’ Berths Beckon

With a ninth-place finish at Watkins Glen International this past Sunday, Jeff Gordon clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup – the earliest a driver has locked up a spot since the Chase’s 2004 inception.

At Michigan International Speedway, a few other drivers may follow Gordon’s lead. Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Kinko’s Chevrolet), Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) and Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) all will have legitimate shots at clinching Chase berths.

The “magic number” is 586. If a driver is 586 points ahead of the 13th-place driver after Sunday’s race, he clinches a spot.

Currently, Hamlin is 604 points ahead of 13th-place Newman. Kenseth is 519 in front of Newman and Stewart is 506 ahead

Of the three potential clinchers, Kenseth could be the “most likely” based on past success at Michigan: 10 top-10 finishes in 16 starts including two victories, an average finish of 10.1 and a solid Michigan-specific Driver Rating of 101.4, third-best in the series. (Driver Rating is compiled from an amalgam of electronic-scoring Loop Data gathered since the start of the 2005 season.)

Seeding Situation: Drivers Vie For Bonus Points

The battle for Chase “seedings” continues to intensify.

After 22 races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season, 13 different drivers have won races and earned potential bonus points to bolster their effort in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Starting this season, make no mistake: “Emphasis On Winning” is the new catchphrase but it’s also much more than that. Race victories are indeed more important than ever. Here’s why:

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. Of the 13 race winners thus far this year, nine are in the series standings’ top 12. The only driver outside the top 12 is Jamie McMurray, who won the Pepsi 400 last month at Daytona International Speedway. McMurray is 17th in points, coming into Michigan.

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) and Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), first and seventh in the standings this week, currently stand to benefit the most from the bonus points. Each has four wins and potentially 40 bonus points, 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. The increased emphasis on race victories is not lost on drivers. Here’s what some are saying about the importance of accruing bonus points.

• Jeff Gordon: “Every point is crucial during the final 10 races, so any bonus points you get before the Chase begins is a huge benefit. And it’s all about the bonus points for us right now, so we can be risky. We can afford to lose some points by taking bigger risks and possibly getting those bonus points. With wins comes momentum.”

• Tony Stewart: “The big thing is to just get as many wins as you can get before the Chase starts to get those bonus points. Whether you're first or 12th doesn't matter. It's how many races you can win in the meantime."

On The Line: Newman Talks About Chase Chances On Weekly Teleconference

Ryan Newman is “slightly south” of the Chase “bubble” heading into the 3M Performance 400, 96 points behind 12th-place Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) – his teammate at Penske Racing South. Tuesday, on the weekly NASCAR Teleconference, Newman talked about the outlook for his team going into this week’s events, and the chance of moving up in the standings.

Q: Ryan, you have had some really good success at Michigan in the past, two victories there, seems like a good week to be going back to that track. How do you feel about your chances of making a move up the standings this week?

Newman: I think we have got a good opportunity. This past weekend in itself was a good opportunity we didn’t per say capitalize on it, but we made some small gains. So I look forward to Michigan. It is a fun race track, as far as a driver goes, you can do some really good racing there. Like you said we have been in Victory Lane before; so we are still looking for our first win of the season but our first win of the last two seasons. So we have got some work ahead of us. I think that we will have the capabilities now, it is just a matter of getting the job done.

Q: With you and Kurt battling for that final Chase spot, how does that change the dynamic of the teamwork? Is it fair to say teammates don’t mean that much when there is so much on the line between you guys?

Newman: Well, my best answer for you there is we’re not competing against each other. We have two teams going for the last two spots in the Chase, and that is how we look at it. Obviously, we are 96 points out of 12th but Kurt isn’t too far behind. Eleventh and 10th is close to us too. So with four races to go, there still is plenty of opportunity for both of us to get into the Chase.

For a complete transcript of this week’s NASCAR Teleconference – and transcripts of previous teleconferences from this season – go to NASCARMedia.com.

Take Ownership: No. 21 Has Crucial 35th Spot In Owners Points

At Bill Elliott’s invitation, Boris Said was a stand-in for Elliott this past Sunday at Watkins Glen International in the No. 21 Little Debbie Ford owned by Glen Wood – and the road-course ace responded with a 14th-place finish that boosted the team into 35th in owner points. That gives the team a guaranteed berth for the 3M Performance 400. Such top-35 status was the goal earlier this season when Wood tabbed Elliott to take over the No. 21, knowing that if Elliott didn’t qualify the car on time, he would have six “past champion” provisionals to rely on, to get the Ford into the field. (Teams outside the top 35 in owner points must rely on qualifying times to make the race.)

Prior to Watkins Glen, Elliott posted a string of solid runs that inched the No. 21 closer to the top 35 “bubble.”

Said provided the breakthrough.

“I still can’t believe the gesture from Bill to allow me to drive,” Said commented afterward.

“I hope he and the rest of the guys think it all worked out OK. They’re such a great group of guys and I was really honored to be able to run a race in the famed 21 car. I can’t say enough about it – it was a thrill.”

Added Elliott: “I’ve received a lot of attention for turning the wheel over last weekend, but I certainly believe it was the right thing to do. It got us back in the top 35.”

2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Owner Points – After 22 Races

Pos. Points Team Owner Driver

30th 1,869 No. 38 Ford Robert Yates David Gilliland 31st 1,861 No. 88 Ford Robert Yates Ricky Rudd 32nd 1,832 No. 66 Chevrolet Joe Custer Jeff Green 33rd 1,729 No. 45 Dodge Kyle Petty Kyle Petty 34th 1,729 No. 70 Chevrolet Joe Custer Johnny Sauter

35th 1,632 No. 21 Ford Glen Wood Bill Elliott

36th 1,595 No. 22 Toyota Bill Davis Dave Blaney 37th 1,547 No. 13 Chevrolet Jay Frye Joe Nemechek 38th 1,505 No. 10 Dodge James Rocco Scott Riggs 39th 1,301 No. 83 Toyota Dietrich Mateschitz Brian Vickers 40th 1,243 No. 00 Toyota Cal Wells David Reutimann

Keys to Victory

Michigan International Speedway is fast and wide, allowing for the multiple-groove racing that drivers love.

MIS gives drivers many options, enabling them to run on the bottom of the 2-mile oval or on the top – or in between. No matter which way around is chosen, there are some constants to consider – and respect – at Michigan.

* Using the draft is paramount, as MIS is one of the fastest tracks in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

* Fuel mileage always comes into play because there are a lot of green flag pit stops. Crew chiefs have to be on their games, managing the fuel mileage numbers.

* Pit crews must handle the pressure of those green-flag stops. Make a mistake during a pit stop under yellow and you might lose a few positions. Making a mistake at Michigan during a green-flag stop can cost you a half a lap sometimes.

In The Loop: Earnhardt, Johnson, Roush Fenway Have The Numbers at MIS

If Chevrolet hopes to end its Michigan International Speedway 12-race winless drought, the burden may fall on a driver battling to get back into the top 12 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Over the last five races, only Jimmie Johnson has been more successful than Earnhardt at MIS among Chevy drivers.

Earnhardt has a Michigan Driver Rating of 99.0 (sixth-best), an Average Running Position of 11.2 (fourth-best), 49 Fastest Laps Run (seventh-best), 648 Laps in the Top 15 (fifth-best) and 229 Quality Passes – passes of cars in the top 15 under green – which is third-most. With four races remaining before the field is set for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Earnhardt sits 100 points behind 12th-place Kurt Busch in the series standings. He has three consecutive top-10 finishes at Michigan.

Johnson could halt the Chevy drought as well – and stop a winless drought of his own in the process. Johnson has not won a race since May 6 at Richmond, a span of 12 races. But Johnson has excelled at the 2-mile Michigan layout. Over the past five races, Johnson has a Driver Rating of 100.6 (fourth-best), an Average Running Position of 11.2 (third-best), 64 Fastest Laps Run (third-most), 732 Laps in the Top 15 (third-most).

Recently, drivers in the Roush Fenway Racing stable have grabbed the Michigan hardware. Carl Edwards snapped a winless drought of 52-races in June with a win at MIS, and Matt Kenseth returns as the defending champion of this race.

Edwards, with an average finish of 6.8 at MIS, leads all drivers in Driver Rating (114.2), Average Running Position (7.6), Fastest Laps Run (76), Laps in the Top 15 (806) and Quality Passes (274).

Kenseth, who had an early exit in June because of an accident, has an MIS Driver Rating of 101.4 (third-best).

NNCS, Etc. …

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still Eyeing Chase

As this week’s Loop Data report indicates (see page 3), the 100-point gap between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the top 12 could be trimmed this weekend.

Earnhardt offered some stern words this week to compliment the hard numbers. The collective message is clear: He’s going nowhere, in the Race to the Chase slugfest.

“I'm sure some people are gonna write us off for the Chase after our problems at Watkins Glen,” said Earnhardt, who finished 42nd at the Glen because of engine problems.

“But, I think it's foolish to do so because we're a great team and we're gonna do everything we can to scratch and claw and fight for wins and every position on every lap.

“We have four races coming up at four tracks where we've been very, very good lately. No one has been better or more consistent at Michigan than we have the last few years. We're taking our favorite car – chassis No. 39 – that we've been using there and it just seems to really get up and go at Michigan.”

In 16 starts at Michigan, Earnhardt has five top-10 finishes including a career-best third last summer. Also, in the summer races of 2000 and 2002 at MIS, he captured the Bud Pole.

There’s more to boost Earnhardt’s confidence. In the last three MIS events, he has the best average finish (4.6) of any driver – finishing third and sixth in 2006 then finishing fifth at MIS two months ago. In the same period, only one other driver, Jeff Gordon, has three top-10 finishes at Michigan. Earnhardt has led in the last four Michigan races.

Kyle Busch To JGR

Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) is headed to Joe Gibbs Racing next year, it was announced Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation about where Busch might land after leaving Hendrick Motorsports.

Here’s how Busch explained the move:

“After talking with a lot of different teams and visiting their shops, Joe Gibbs Racing is where I want to be … the moment I saw the shop and began talking with Joe and J.D. Gibbs, there was a level of comfort that made me feel like this is where I belong. I want to win races and championships, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s three-car/one-team philosophy gives me the best opportunity to do that.”

Atlanta Test Added

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams will test at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Oct. 29-30 (Monday and Tuesday). The two-day test will be with the Car of Tomorrow only. Teams will test from 9 a.m.-Noon and 1-5 p.m. both days.

Media availability with selected drivers will be scheduled on both days. The test fills in for the previously scheduled May 14-15 test at Dover International Speedway that was cancelled when the race at Darlington was moved back a day due to inclement weather.

The next scheduled NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series test is Sept. 10-11 at Talladega.

On Deck: Night Spectacle Set At Bristol

In Round 8 of the “Race to the Chase,” Matt Kenseth will try to win the Sharpie 500 for the third consecutive time next Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway’s .533-oval.

Select company awaits, if Kenseth can pull it off. Only two drivers have won the event three straight years: Cale Yarborough (1976-78) and Darrell Waltrip (1981-83), who also are three-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champions.

ESPN will have live coverage of the 3M Performance 400 from Michigan International Speedway beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program.

In addition this week, the new ABC News five-part series NASCAR in Primetime premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. The series takes a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation, logistics, drama and competition of NASCAR. The unscripted ABC News documentary series chronicles NASCAR on and off the track to explain the sport’s emergence as a cultural phenomenon.

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge) will appear Wednesday morning on ABC’s Good Morning America – the show runs 7-9 a.m. ET – to promote NASCAR in Primetime.

Etc. … Contemporary blues musician Jimmie Vaughan will perform a guitar rendition of the national anthem prior to the 3M Performance 400. Vaughan’s a good fit; the former Fabulous Thunderbirds member is also a noted designer of classic and custom cars, with his work featured in publications such as Rod & Custom, Rodder's Journal, and Custom Rodder. His first restoration was a 1951 Chevrolet Fleetwood. … schemes in celebration of the classic car's milestone. … Ricky Rudd (No. 88 Snickers Ford) is slated to make his 60th MIS start on Sunday, extending his all-time series lead in that category. Rudd has completed 10,408 laps at MIS, also an all-time best. … Bill Elliott also has two all-time Michigan records, for top-10 finishes (29) and lead-lap finishes (30), sharing the latter mark with Mark Martin (No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet). … David Stremme (No. 40 CGRFS Dodge) will return to his hometown of South Bend, Ind. on Tues., Aug. 21 for “David Stremme Day” as proclaimed by South Bend Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. Stremme will take part in a fan-friendly event at the Century Center in downtown South Bend from 5-9 p.m. The event will also raise funds for “Coaches Vs. Cancer,” headed locally by Notre Dame Basketball coach Mike Brey, as well as St. Jude’s Children's Hospital.

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 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.

Additionally this week, NASCAR will have a media profile podcast on Thursday with Angelique Chengelis, longtime Detroit News motorsports writer who this year also joined ESPN’s coverage team.

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: 3M Performance 400 The Place: Michigan International Speedway The Date: Sunday, August 19 The Time: 2 p.m. (ET) TV: ESPN, 1 p.m. (ET) The Track: 2-mile oval The Distance: 400 miles/200 laps The Purse: $5,138,579 2006 Winner: Matt Kenseth 2006 Pole: Jeff Burton Series Standings Pos Driver Points 1 Gordon 3,384 2 Hamlin 3,040 3 Kenseth 2,952 4 Stewart 2,939 5 Edwards 2,824 6 Burton 2,806 7 Johnson 2,789 8 Kyle Busch 2,757 9 Bowyer 2,667 10 Harvick 2,655 11 Truex Jr. 2,587 12 Kurt Busch 2,529 Pre-Race Schedule (local/ET time): Friday—Practice, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Qualifying, 3:10 p.m.; Saturday—Practice, 10-10:50 a.m. and 1:50-2:50 p.m.