NASCAR NNCS (DAYTONA) - SERIES NOTES

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Needs Big Race Carl Edwards’ Win Brings More Bonus Points Ricky Rudd Hits Milestone Start Jimmie Johnson Returns Home Around Town: Plenty Of Action Away From The Track

After Kurt Busch’s (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) win at Michigan last week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) knew he would have to answer with a strong finish at Bristol to stay in contention for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

He did just that – finishing fifth on the challenging 0.533-mile track.

Unfortunately for Earnhardt Jr., Busch finished right behind him, in sixth, to maintain a lead of 158 points with two races remaining in the Race to the Chase.

“Everybody wants to talk about the points and what we plan to do to make the Chase,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We’re going to do what we’ve been doing all year – go out and try to win the race. It’s all we can do.”

That task is easier said than done for the No. 8 team at California. Earnhardt Jr. has a Driver Rating of 68.5 at the track – 23rd best. He finished 40th there in February after engine problems.

That’s not to say Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t have a chance.

“If I were 158 points ahead of 13th, I’d still be having trouble sleeping at night,” said Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford). “It’s not done until it’s done.”

Edwards’ Win Moves Him Up To Fourth Seed

Carl Edwards called his win at Bristol “the biggest win of (his) career.” The night Bristol race is one of the marquee events on the schedule and one of the most sought-after victories.

More important for Edwards this season, the win earned him 10 more bonus points when the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts, and moved him into the fourth seed. Edwards and Kurt Busch are tied with two wins each, but Edwards gets the edge based on his fourth-place finish at Daytona in July.

Eleven of the 12 drivers currently eligible for the Chase have won at least one race this year. For each win during the first 26 races of the year, drivers accumulate 10 bonus points.

Ricky Rudd To Start 900th Career Race

Ricky Rudd (No. 88 Snicker’s Ford) will hit a major milestone this weekend when he becomes the second driver to start 900 races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Rudd – the series’ active starts leader – sits behind only Richard Petty (1,185) on the all-time list.

“This is a record that just kind of sneaks up on you,” Rudd said. “I started out as one of the youngest guys in this sport and now I’m one of the oldest guys out there still racing. It’s a real honor to be able to have this kind of longevity with a long and fruitful career.”

Rudd is considered the “Iron Man” of NASCAR having competed in 788 straight races, a series record. He took the year off in 2006 only to return this season to compete for Robert Yates Racing. Rudd recently announced that he will retire after this season.

“When I took the 2006 season off, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Rudd said. “But now I know that after this season I’ll be able to spend time with my family and have the opportunity to do whatever it is that I want to do next in my life. I’m kind of excited about the adventure ahead.”

In his 899 starts, Rudd has 23 wins (26th all-time) and 29 poles. He also has 194 top-five and 374 top-10 finishes. He was runner-up to Dale Earnhardt for the 1991 championship.

In The Loop: Stars Shine At California

The statistics fit the scene perfectly: there are two races to go before the “playoffs” and bubbles soon will burst. The best usually step up at this juncture.

And the stats say they do.

Over the past five races at California Speedway, NASCAR’s top drivers have all enjoyed tremendous success. Five past champions – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford), Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet), Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) – are in the top 12 of pre-race California Driver Rating.

And nine of the top-12 drivers in pre-race Driver Rating currently sit in the top 12 of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points standings.

With only two races left to lock up a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, the stakes are raised – and clearly the top drivers bring their “A-game.”

Kenseth, who clinched a spot in this year’s Chase last weekend at Bristol, leads the pack at California. With two wins there in the past three races, Kenseth has earned the top mark in Driver Rating (116.4), Average Running Position (6.8), Laps Led (244) over the past five California races. He has also notched 86 Fastest Laps Run (third-most) and 1,120 Laps in the Top 15 (second-most).

The magic number this week is 196 – any driver that far ahead of 13th place will lock up a spot in the Chase.

With a strong performance Sunday night, defending series champion Jimmie Johnson will do just that. Considering his past stats at California, the feat seems likely. Johnson has a Driver Rating of 106.5 (second-best), an Average Running Position of 8.4 (second-best), 59 Fastest Laps Run (eighth-best) and a series-high 1,140 Laps in the Top 15.

Kyle Busch (No. 5 Carquest Chevrolet) also seems destined for his second consecutive Chase appearance. Busch, currently 303 points ahead of 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr., has a California Driver Rating of 103.7 (third-best) and an Average Running Position of 10.7 (fifth-best). He became the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race with his win at California in 2005 (20 years, 4 months, 2 days).

Busy Week In Southern California For Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra will have their hands full in Southern California long before they make it to California Speedway.

The two will be hosting events in Jimmie’s hometown of El Cajon, to benefit the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

The week kicks off when Jimmie makes his first return to his alma mater – Granite Hills High School – since his graduation. He will make a donation to the school and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tuesday night, the couple will host a charity dinner before the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Inaugural Golf Tournament Presented by Lowe’s on Wednesday.

More than 200 golfers are scheduled to participate in the sold-out tournament including Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Cheerios Dodge), Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota), Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Wrigley’s Big Red Dodge) and Kyle Petty (No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge).

All proceeds from the week will help build a San Diego Habitat for Humanity house in El Cajon.

“It’s hard to put into words how much this week will mean to Chandra and me,” Johnson said. “San Diego is the place where I grew up and I feel a lot of my success comes from the values I learned and support I’ve had from the people there.”

Locked In: Blaney Holds Slim Lead Over Elliott

2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Owner Points – After 18 Races

Pos. Points Team Owner Driver

30th 2,021 No. 38 Ford Robert Yates David Gilliland 31st 2,011 No. 66 Chevrolet Joe Custer Jeff Green 32nd 1,974 No. 88 Ford Robert Yates Ricky Rudd 33rd 1,842 No. 70 Chevrolet Joe Custer Johnny Sauter 34th 1,836 No. 45 Dodge Kyle Petty Kyle Petty

35th 1,815 No. 22 Toyota Bill Davis Dave Blaney

36th 1,778 No. 21 Ford Glen Wood Bill Elliott 37th 1,669 No. 10 Dodge James Rocco Scott Riggs 38th 1,547 No. 13 Chevrolet Jay Frye Joe Nemechek 39th 1,473 No. 83 Toyota Dietrich Mateschitz Brian Vickers 40th 1,368 No. 00 Toyota Cal Wells David Reutimann

Keys To Victory

California Speedway is a grueling 2-mile track that takes a toll on engines. The track offers a lot of the same characteristics as Michigan, but this race has an additional 100 miles.

• Engines – Engine tuners may need to be a bit on the conservative side this weekend. The track has a history of engine troubles.

• Pit Strategy – Crew chiefs must be aware of track position and fuel mileage. The race can be won or lost by a crew chief’s decision of when to pit and what adjustments to make.

• Closers – Teams must put themselves in position to make a move in the closing stages of the race.

ABC Ready For NASCAR

ESPN will have live coverage of Sunday’s Sharp AQUOS 500 from California Speedway before turning the broadcasting reins over to sister network ABC for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

ABC will broadcast all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, marking the first time that all Chase races will be televised by a single network.

NASCAR on ESPN: By the Numbers 20 Miles of cable needed each week 52 NASCAR races televised all year 60-75 HD cameras used in a race 80 Microphones used each race 200 ESPN personnel at each track

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 statistical preview featuring NASCAR’s Manager of Statistics, Writing and Production, Mike Forde.

Brett Bodine joins us Wednesdays for a look at the upcoming venue, providing insight and analysis. This Thursday we will feature a profile of NASCAR Scene reporter Jeff Gluck.

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

Around Town: Stevie Wonder Named Honorary Official; California Natives Pace Field

Stevie Wonder To Serve As Grand Marshal Stevie Wonder will sing a new tune this Sunday at California Speedway. The 25-time Grammy Award winner is the Grand Marshal for the Sharp AQUOS 500 and will give the “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” command.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have a talent the likes of Stevie Wonder serving as our Grand Marshal,” said California Speedway President Gillian Zucker. “Stevie is one of the most influential icons in the world of music who literally has millions of fans across the globe.”

Seven California Natives Enter Race Seven drivers hailing from the “Golden State” are expected to participate in Sunday’s Sharp AQUOS 500. All seven are full-time competitors in the series – the most from any state. Virginia and North Carolina are tied for second-most with five.

The seven drivers are AJ Allmendinger (No. 84 Red Bull Toyota), David Gilliland (No. 38 M&M’s Ford), Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon (No. 7 Jim Beam Ford), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Pennzoil Platinum Chevrolet), Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears (No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet).

Bowyer, Truex Highlight TMS Fanfest Texas Motor Speedway will host its inaugural FanFest! on Tuesday with drivers Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) and Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet). The two drivers, who both are currently in position to make the Chase, will conduct a fan forum and sign autographs.

The event will be held from 5-10 p.m. CT in the TMS infield. In addition to meeting the drivers, fans will have the opportunity to take a spin around the track in one of several ride-along programs.

Kasey Kahne Holds Sprint Car Challenge Kasey Kahne (No. 9 UAW/Dodge Dealers Dodge) will be joined by Tony Stewart for the second annual Kasey Kahne Foundation Sprint Car Challenge Wednesday night.

The duo will be competing in winged 360 at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash.

The Kasey Kahne Foundation was created to raise and donate funds to charitable organizations that care for disadvantaged youths and chronically ill children and their families.

Raines To Wear No. 66 Hat When Jeff Green (No. 66 Best Buy Chevrolet) passed Tony Raines (No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet) on the last lap Saturday night, there was more at stake than three points.

The two had made a friendly wager before the race, with the losing driver having to wear the winners’ hat during the upcoming race weekend at California Speedway.

“We just wanted to do something different (by making the bet),” Green said. “It’s kind of funny that we finished one right in front of the other, and that my team won the bet with a pass on the last lap.”

Hamlin To Visit Children’s Hospital Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Chevrolet) will make a visit to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles on Thursday. As part of the visit, FedEx will donate $25,000 to the hospital. Hamlin also will receive a special helmet designed by Childrens Hospital Los Angeles patient Angelica Ramirez.

Hamlin will wear the helmet for all on-track activity this weekend. It is the seventh of 11 helmets specially designed by children’s hospital patients. All 11 race-worn helmets will be displayed and auctioned to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

On Deck: Richmond Marks Chase Cutoff

The Race to the Chase concludes next Saturday with the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Following the race, the top-12 drivers will be seeded based on their wins for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Kevin Harvick won last year’s race, Denny Hamlin was the pole sitter.

At least one driver outside of Chase contention has raced his way into the Chase at Richmond in each of its three years. In addition, the winner of all three Richmond races leading into the Chase has been a Chase participant.

The Race: Sharp AQUOS 500 The Place: California Speedway The Date: Sunday, Sept. 2 The Time: 8 p.m. (ET) TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. (ET) The Track: 2-mile oval The Distance: 500 miles, 250 laps The Purse: $6,097,134 2006 Winner: Kasey Kahne 2006 Pole: Kurt Busch Series Standings Pos. Driver Pts. 1 Gordon 3,582 2 Stewart 3,233 3 Hamlin 3,229 4 Kenseth 3,163 5 Edwards 3,160 6 Johnson 3,059 7 J. Burton 3,054 8 Kyle Busch 3,024 9 Bowyer 2,944 10 Harvick 2,888 11 Truex Jr. 2,887 12 Kurt Busch 2,879 Pre-Race Schedule (local/PT time): Friday—Practice, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Qualifying—3:10 p.m., Saturday—Practice, 4-4:45 p.m. and 5:10-6:10 p.m.