Nascar 2011

[TheMaster]

For NASCAR followers, the 2011 season is only a month away now from kicking off! Every year is a year of changes in the sport, and this season will have its share of them for sure. Beginning in this season, drivers in the three national touring leagues will have to mark down what one series they will try to win the championship in and be eligible for those points. Drivers will still be allowed to race in all three series, but they can only try for one title. Looks like this is the end of Sprint Cup contenders winning the Nationwide title, now for the Nationwide championship, people will have to start placing money on drivers like Justin Allgaier, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., or Steve Wallace, or others. The past five seasons, a full-time Cup driver won the Nationwide championship: Kevin Harvick in 2006, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski just last year.

And then there were the regular silly season changes. For one, a major crew chief change in the Hendrick Motorsports stable. Steve Letarte moves from being Jeff Gordon's crew chief to the 88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt's chief, Lance McGrew, will go to Mark Martin and the 5 team, and Alan Gustafson, who was the chief for Martin, will be the new chief for the 24 of Jeff Gordon. Chad Knaus is staying put as crew chief for reigning champion Jimmie Johnson. Richard Petty Motorsports has downsized to two cars, the 19 of Elliott Sadler and the 43 of AJ Allmendinger. Kasey Kahne will be in the 4 Red Bull Toyota. Kurt Busch moves to the 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge. Brad Keselowski moves into the 2 Miller Lite Dodge, and Kevin Harvick picks up Budweiser sponsorship on his 29 Chevy. Those are just some of the changes.

The season will begin, as always, with Daytona Speed Weeks, starting with the 33rd Budweiser Shootout! 30 drivers will take part, including defending race winner Kevin Harvick. Following the Shootout, the Gatorade Duel races on Thursday, and then the three series will begin the championship season, leading up to the 53rd Daytona 500. Fellow fans, feel more than free to post your thoughts on everything, which races you look forward to, what you make of the silly season changes, anything. For non-fans, please contribute too if u want.

[TheMaster]

Correction. Elliott Sadler will not be back in the 19 car. The 19 itself won't be back either for that matter. Instead, Marcos Ambrose is taking over the 9 that was vacated by Kasey Kahne.

[Dan2]

I like the idea of changing the qualifying order on a rain-out. Practice times will now determine starting order. Of course, if the whole shebang is a washout then owner points determine your starting spot.

[TheMaster]

I agree, I think it is better to have practice speeds determine the starting grid if time trials are rained out. At least then the grid would be determined based on the driver performance during the current weekend.

NASCAR also announced that drivers who are running full time for a series championship are the only ones to receive points in that series. In the Nationwide Series, if Sprint Cup drivers finish 1-2-3 in a race but a Nationwide title contender finishes fourth, no points for winning the race would be awarded, but 4th place will get points for 4th. I think that is simpler, but my thought coming into the season was to give first place points to the first title contender that finished.

[FUS1ON]

I like the idea of changing the qualifying order on a rain-out. Practice times will now determine starting order. Of course, if the whole shebang is a washout then owner points determine your starting spot.

Same here, the 48 team has gotten too much help winning Championships just because he happened to be leading points and it rained out qualifying giving them P1 on pit road.

[TheMaster]

The new point system is a simpler one than the previous one. 1 point for leading during the race, 1 more point for leading the most laps, 3 points for winning the race. Those are all the bonus points possible, so a maximum of five bonus points.

43 points for finishing first, and they decrease by one right down to 1 point for 43rd place. I like that idea, simple, straightforward.

[TheMaster]

The 33rd Budweiser Shootout at Daytona is a week away now! This year, 30 drivers from the Sprint Cup Series are entered in that race. Among them, the defending race winner Kevin Harvick, who is looking for his third straight. The field includes past Shootout champions, past series champions, past Cup race at Daytona winners, 2010 Chasers, 2010 polesitters, and past Rookies of the Year. The race will be 75 laps long and divided into two segments. The race is Saturday the 12th and will be covered by NASCAR on Fox.

[TheMaster]

The red and black flags waved moments ago, ending the first Budweiser Shootout practice at Daytona tonight. Hendrick Motorsports ends the session 1-2-3 on the leaderboard, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. setting the fastest lap speed, 199.862 mph. Mark Martin was second quickest, Jimmie Johnson third, Clint Bowyer fourth, and Kyle Busch fifth.

Final practice just concluded a few minutes ago. Joey Logano was the fastest this time with a top speed of 203.087. Joe Gibbs Racing was 1-2 in this session with Kyle Busch second quickest. Michael Waltrip third, Bobby Labonte fourth, and Greg Biffle fifth. Qualifying will be up next tonight, but they're doing a draw for the Shootout instead of the regular time trials.

EDIT: Just one more edit to this post. Pole drawing wrapped up. Defending race winner Kevin Harvick will be starting 18th, and will try to be the first NASCAR driver to win three straight Bud Shootouts. But the pole position goes to two-time Shootout champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tony Stewart, three time Shootout champ, will start next to Earnhardt on the front row.

[TheMaster]

Let's talk about the Budweiser Shootout, which just wrapped up, because it had action, drama, and controversy.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart led the field to the green flag. The first 25-lap segment went relatively tame, no yellow flag incidents. That did not stay the same during the final 50-lap segment. Several laps after restarting, a multi-car crash took out a few drivers including Juan Pablo Montoya, Regan Smith, Carl Edwards, Dale Jr., and Joey Logano. A few laps after the restart, a two-car crash occurred between Mark Martin and Kyle Busch. The third caution came out when Michael Waltrip spun after contact from Tony Stewart.

28 lead changes, a new record in the Shootout. Ryan Newman was dominant in the closing stages. On the final lap, Newman, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and Jamie McMurray were all in the same pack. Hamlin made his move to the inside of Newman, but went completely below the double yellow line before arriving at the checkered flag. Though he crossed the line first, NASCAR in the end declared Kurt Busch the winner, deeming Hamlin's move an illegal one and crediting him with 12th place, last car on the lead lap. Kurt's win is his first restrictor plate victory, as well as the first win for Dodge in the Shootout.

[TheMaster]

The field is starting to get set for the 53rd Daytona 500. Time trial qualifying was held earlier today to determine the front row, which this year will be held by Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Dale Earnhardt Jr. grabbed the pole with a lap speed over 186 mph, and Jeff Gordon also lines up on the front row next to him. The Gatorade Duel this Thursday will determine the rest of the starting grid. There will also be a moment of silence held during the race on Sunday on lap three to pay tribute to the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.

[FUS1ON]

I didn't know you were posting in here or I would have posted, that RSS feed covers it up. :/

I didn't care for the Shootout aka The Trailer Race last night, that sucked but NASCAR racing is like sex, none of it is bad, it's just that some of it is better than others. I'll be glad for them to get to Phoenix were the REAL racing begins.

[TheMaster]

Phoenix does provide some interesting racing at times. I love Daytona, though I wonder what the racing will be like come Sunday, whether it will be just like the Shootout was or different. Michigan still has some real hot action there, but unfortunately I'm not going to MIS this year. A friend from my church has been encouraging me to go to Bristol.

[Dan2]

Did i read somewhere they're going to turn Phoenix into another cookie cutter track? That would suck.

[TheMaster]

I agree Dan. Phoenix is just fine the way it is, and I think turning it into a cookie cutter track would take away a lot of the excitement.

[FUS1ON]

I heard they plan to use progressive banking though so that ought to help, It sure helped at Homestead. They won't be happy until they take all the character or uniqueness out of the tracks ... The dogleg @ Phoenix, the rough surface @ Darlington, the backstretch dips @ Daytona, etc .... having to deal with those things force the better drivers/teams to come to the top. :mad:

[TheMaster]

The Gatorade Duel is just minutes away from getting underway at Daytona. These twin races will set the field for Sunday's Daytona 500. Yesterday, a multi-car crash in practice destroyed the pole-winning car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Other drivers involved included Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin. Junior will have to start at the back of the field in a backup car today and on Sunday, however he keeps his status as Coors Lite Pole Award winner, and still has 10 poles in his career stats. In each race, two drivers in the "go or go home" category will be able to race their way into the 500. Both Duel races will cover 60 laps, or 150 miles, for a combined total of 300 miles. And we'll see if NASCAR's efforts to slow the cars down end up helping or hurting the racing.

EDIT: Kurt Busch has won race #1 in the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge for Penske Racing. No driver has ever won the Budweiser Shootout, the Duel, and the Daytona 500 all in the same season. Busch has a shot at doing just that, if he wins on Sunday. Waiting now for race #2 to get underway. Jeff Gordon will lead the field down in that race. Kyle Busch, Trevor Bayne, Brad Keselowski are among some of the other drivers in that race.

Jeff Burton wins the second Duel race by 0.005 seconds ahead of his teammate Clint Bowyer, as a last-lap crash occurs coming to the checkered flag that takes Trevor Bayne out. Brain Keselowski joins his brother Brad in the Daytona 500.

[TheMaster]

The Daytona 500 is in progress, but I must make this post because already some big name drivers have already had trouble. Lap five, Kyle Busch spun into the grass and sustained some front end damage after Michael Waltrip got into the back of him. Not long later, Kevin Harvick's engine blew out ending his chances at a second 500 victory. But only a few moments ago the big one came out after Waltrip and David Reutimann had contact. 15 cars total were involved, including rookie driver Brian Keselowski, and three of the Hendrick drivers, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin. Johnson has re-entered the race. Former series champion Terry Labonte is the current leader.

[TheMaster]

Trevor Bayne has won the Daytona 500 in the #21 Motorcraft Ford for Wood Brothers Racing!! Bayne, a rookie in the Sprint Cup Series, made his second career start today, and his first in the 500. He now beats Jeff Gordon's old record as the youngest driver to win the Great American Race, having turned 20 yesterday. His win now makes Bayne eligible for the All-Star Race at Charlotte later in the year.

In the other races held, Michael Waltrip took the win in the Camping World Truck Series, and Clay Rogers leads the standings there. And in yesterday's Nationwide Series race, Tony Stewart one the race for the fourth time in a row, and Landon Cassill is the points leader.

EDIT: Trevor Bayne received no points during the race today. The points lead is held by Carl Edwards.

[TheMaster]

The Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway is under the red flag following a 13 car crash. Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Regan Smith are among the drivers involved. Kurt Busch is leading.

[TheMaster]

Jeff Gordon has won the Subway Fresh Fit 500! It is his first victory in 66 races, and his 83rd in Cup competition. He beat Kyle Busch, who won the Truck and Nationwide races, to the line in the final stages.

[TheMaster]

I think the Nationwide Series race yesterday, the Sam's Town 300 from Las Vegas, deserves some mention. Mark Martin took the win yesterday driving for Turner Motorsports. He holds the record for most NNS wins, now at 49. He almost did not get it. Brad Keselowski was leading on the final lap, the reigning series champion, but he cut down a tire and went into the wall, limping his car to a third place finish. That accident reminded me so much of the 1990 Daytona 500 when Dale Earnhardt lost a tire on the final lap as he was leading, surrendering the lead and the win to Derrike Cope. Justin Allgaier, Martin's teammate in the race, finished second. And Danica Patrick, driving for JR Motorsports, finished fourth, setting a new record for the best finish of any woman in the history of NASCAR.

The Sprint Cup race from said track will take place later this afternoon with Matt Kenseth starting on pole.

[TheMaster]

Following yesterday's race, Reed Sorenson remains the Nationwide Series points leader. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is now second, Jason Leffler third, Danica Patrick fourth, and Justin Allgaier fifth.

In today's Kobalt Tools 400 Sprint Cup race, a shuffle in the point standings. After losing his engine and ending up with a 38th place DNF, Kyle Busch goes from the points lead all the way down to 14th in the standings, out of any Chase contending spots. Tony Stewart was the dominant driver today, leading the most laps, but the win went to Carl Edwards. Stewart is tied for the points lead now with Kurt Busch; Stewart gets the advantage because his top finish this season is higher than Busch's, that is the tie breaker for the moment. And the new Chase format is being put to the test now. Jeff Gordon, after crashing out of the race, is out of the top 12 in the standings, but he would be in the Chase if it began today, because of his win at Phoenix. Gordon is 19th right now, and would be one of the wild card Chase entries. Mark Martin would be the other one, he dropped down to 11th in the standings. The last of the top ten in the points is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He gained seven spots after finishing 8th today. So everyone running 1st through 10th in the points, plus Martin in 11th and Gordon in 19th, would be the 12 Chasers, but the Chase is still 23 races away, and that's plenty of time for the points to shuffle again.

[FUS1ON]

/hikes leg to wiz on Shrub .... Carl 'might' would be out there with a good margin in the points lead if not for Shrub wreaking him last week .... my boy looked today, they made the proper call and took home the W. :D

[TheMaster]

I'll tell you, Kyle just did not have the homecoming he desired. He crashed out of the Nationwide race yesterday when that move to the inside backfired, and now this. Congratulations to Carl though. He may not be my driver, but I like him and he deserved a little redemption.

[TheMaster]

Kasey Kahne won the Too Tough to Tame 200 from Darlington tonight in the Camping World Truck Series. Kahne dominated the event in the 18 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Ron Hornaday finished second and moved up to 6th in the overall points. Finishing third was Todd Bodine, and he is now 8th in the points. In finishing fourth, Matt Crafton increased his lead in the points to a margin of 7. Rookie driver Cole Whitt started on pole and finished 8th, and is the new 2nd place driver in the points.

[TheMaster]

Carl Edwards is on pole for the Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. This is the second pole for Edwards this season in Sprint Cup competition in four races. Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle will also start on the front row. Edwards was damn fast all day today, topping the charts in the first two Nationwide Series practice and first Cup practice.

[TheMaster]

Kyle Busch has done it again. Today he took victory in the Jeff Byrd 500, his fifth straight NASCAR win at Bristol Motor Speedway. With the win he moves up to 6th in the overall point standings. This is the second time straight he swept the Bristol weekend.

Older brother, and former Cup champion, Kurt Busch has taken the championship lead. Also moving up and currently in a Chase spot is Carl Edwards, now 2nd. Ryan Newman and Paul Menard are both up one spot to 4th and 5th respectively. Jimmie Johnson gained five spots and is in 7th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is up one to 9th. The two wild card spots in the Chase are currently held by Mark Martin (11th) and Jeff Gordon (19th).

[TheMaster]

Juan Pablo Montoya has grabbed the pole for the NSCS race at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, the Auto Club 400. The #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin will also be starting on the front row.

[TheMaster]

Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag today in the Auto Club 400. With the win he moves up to 9th in the points. Carl Edwards is once again the points leader. The NNS race yesterday saw Kyle Busch take the win and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. take over the points lead.

[TheMaster]

Jamie McMurray took the pole position today for tomorrow's NSCS event at the Paperclip, Martinsville. McMurray has had something of a rough start to 2011, sitting 28th in the points currently, but perhaps he can turn that around with a good run tomorrow. Dennis Setzer withdrew from the race after he crashed his #92 car during practice yesterday, and the team did not have a back up.

[TheMaster]

Kevin Harvick has just made it two in a row! The Richard Childress Racing driver took the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway just a few minutes ago. Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the race and finished second. The leader of the most laps, Kyle Busch, finished third. Don't yet know how the standings will shape out, but Johnny Sauter won the Truck race yesterday after starting that race on pole. He is the new points leader in the Truck Series.

EDIT: I do know the unofficial Cup standings now. Kyle Busch has reassumed the championship lead. But because of his two wins already, Harvick would be the points leader if the Chase began today. It won't begin for another 20 races though. Busch moved up three spots from 4th coming in. Jimmie Johnson is up two spots to 3rd in the standings. Kevin Harvick is up four to 5th. Juan Pablo Montoya gained a spot, up to 7th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is up four spots to 8th. Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon are also up to 9th, 10th, and 12th respectively.

[TheMaster]

David Ragan qualified on pole for today's race at Texas Motor Speedway. It is his first career Sprint Cup Series pole, and maybe he can also get his first career Cup win today, but we shall find out. The Roush Fords are often strong at Texas. Ragan's teammate Carl Edwards will start next to him on the front row.

[TheMaster]

Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag in the Samsung Mobile 500 just a few minutes ago. Kenseth's win completes the weekend sweep for Roush Fenway Racing. Carl Edwards won the Nationwide Series race last night, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. continues to lead the championship standings in that series. Kenseth is the 6th drifferent driver to win a Sprint Cup race this season, in seven races.

[Dan2]

Did Carl Edwards really throw his mother under the bus? Ouch! Thanksgiving at Mama Edwards' has now been cancelled.:P

[TheMaster]

Well maybe it is canceled lol. But it sounds like Carl and and mother are already putting it behind them. Found this article here.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Carl-Edwards-apologizes-for-questioning-moms-cooking-at-Texas-041511

[TheMaster]

Jimmie Johnson is the winner of the Aaron's 499 at Talladega. Johnson started second after Hendrick Motorsports secured all the top four starting spots. Jeff Gordon started on pole, Mark Martin third, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fourth. All of them also finished in the top ten. Gordon third, Earnhardt fourth, and Martin eighth. Carl Edwards remains the points leader, but Johnson is up to second and Earnhardt third.

Kyle Busch won the Aaron's 312 yesterday in another wild race at 'Dega. Jason Leffler has taken over the championship lead.

[TheMaster]

Juan Pablo Montoya and Regan Smith share the front row for today's race from Richmond. Good to see the Cup Series back in action after the holiday break. Green flag will wave around 7:45.

[TheMaster]

I forgot to update. Kyle Busch got the win in the 400 miler on Saturday night, denying his teammate Denny Hamlin a weekend sweep. This was Busch's second win of the NSCS season, tying him now with Kevin Harvick for most wins so far.

[TheMaster]

Kasey Kahne took the pole position for tomorrow's Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington. Though idk if weather will be factor tomorrow or not.

[TheMaster]

Regan Smith picked up his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory today, conquering the Lady in Black in the #78 Chevrolet. The top five in the points after today are Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kevin Harvick. Smith's win stops Kyle Busch from sweeping the weekend, he won the Nationwide Series race last night. I have yet to check and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Justin Allgaier is still leading the points in that series.

[Dan2]

Congrats to Regan Smith!! I thought Edwards had him there at the end but he hung in to take the checkered.
Allgaier leads Sadler by 5 points in the Nationwide Series.

[TheMaster]

Thanks Dan, I was pretty sure Allgaier still had the advantage. Absolutely congratulations to Regan. It's always fun to watch someone break through and finally get their first win.

[TheMaster]

Rain today has canceled time trials for both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. Carl Edwards will start today's NNS race on the pole position, while Jimmie Johnson will lineup first for tomorrow's 400 miler. Kyle Busch, the winner of last night's Truck Series race, may be lined up seventh for the Cup race, but he will have to start tomorrow from the back of the field due to an engine change during practice yesterday.

[TheMaster]

I normally do not talk about the NCWTS or NNS races until the end of the race weekend, but I must bring up today's Nationwide race while it is still fresh in my mind because it was wild at the Monster Mile.

The race was at first delayed because of the rain but they were able to get it going. Past the halfway mark the rain came down again and the red flag came out. Josh Wise, driving the #7 gambled and stayed out, and almost won the race, if only NASCAR had called the race at that time. But the race was instead restarted, and it came down to two green-white-checker finishes. Coming back to the white flag, Joey Logano and Carl Edwards, running first and second, were fighting hard until Logano got loose, slammed the outside wall, then came down and caused a big wreck involving a number of other drivers. Clint Bowyer got lifted and almost barrel rolled, but the inside wall stopped that from happening. Other drivers involved included Steve Wallace, Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch. Busch was sixth in the running order before being involved in that wreck, he finished second with a heavily damaged car. Busch was looking for NNS win number 48 today to tie Mark Martin's record, but that did not happen. All three of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars crashed during this race, and Brian Scott DNFed.

One of the crew members for Clint Bowyer was injured in the leg by a flying piece of debris in that incident, and I just pray that he only got a few scratches because he was bleeding. At least all the drivers were okay.

[TheMaster]

Hmmm... can't seem to edit my post, but I forgot to add that Carl Edwards took the win. He did not do his signature backflip nor did he enter the grandstands with the fans because he was at first concerned about his competitors, whether they were alright.

[TheMaster]

Matt Kenseth is today's winner at Dover. Kenseth took two tires and was able to hold on for the victory. Mark Martin stayed out during the last cycle of stops, and finished second. Marcos Ambros finished third, and Kyle Busch was fourth. No change in the top five in the point standings, which are Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kevin Harvick. The All Star Race is next weekend!

[TheMaster]

Kyle Busch earned the pole for the All-Star Race this weekend. Busch will be looking not just for his first win in the race, but his second finish. The top two finishers in the 40-lap Showdown will join the 18 drivers who qualified today, as will the winner of the fan vote.

[TheMaster]

David Ragan just took the checkered flag in the Sprint Showdown. Brad Keselowski finished second, and both of those drivers transfer to the All-Star Race. For Ragan, this is his first win in a Sprint Cup sanctioned race, even though this was not for points, it wasn't even a main event, but it's a win. The winner of the fan vote will be announced in the All-Star driver introductions. Now nothing is guaranteed but I'm pretty sure that the fan vote winner will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. They showed a map in the pre-race show detailing how the fans were voting across the nation, and Earnhardt had more votes than any other driver in all but one state, Joey Logano's home state Connecticut, and Logano was leading there. Driver intros will begin momentarily.

[TheMaster]

Saw a Tweet at NASCAR.com just now. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the winner of the fan vote and will be in the All-Star Race for the 12th time in 12 Sprint Cup seasons.

[TheMaster]

Carl Edwards has prevailed. The 2007 Nationwide Series champion took the checkered flag ahead of Kyle Busch to win the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Edwards takes home a total of over $1.2 million. In celebrating, he decided to step outside his personal box and do some victory donuts in the grass. What he did not anticipate however was the front of his car hitting a manhole, completely destroying the front of the car and almost sending the car flipping. Whoops! Edwards did still do the backflip and went to join the fans in the grandstands as the speakers played the theme to the old television series Flipper, perhaps referring to what the #99 almost did. The commentators said it best, this year it was checkers AND wreckers for the winner. Congratulations to Carl on the big win tonight.

Kyle Busch won last night's Truck race at Charlotte, making it three in a row in that series for him. Tomorrow is the Nationwide Series race from Iowa Speedway, where practice and qualifying were both rained out. Drew Herring in the #20 and Michael McDowell in the #18 will lead the field to the green.

[TheMaster]

Well big time congrats to Ricky Stenhouse on his victory last weekend in the Nationwide Series. Not only was it his first career win in NASCAR, but it was also the first win this season of a NNS regular. They took full advantage of the absence of Cup drivers such as Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, even though Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski were still running.

But now there have been a couple penalties. Kyle Busch was pulled over by local police in North Carolina after he was clocked at 128 mph in a 45 zone. State law requires Busch to appear in court for a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. Busch is on NASCAR probation, though idk how this incident will impact it, if at all. Ron Hornaday Jr. has been docked 25 NCWTS points for an unapproved rear end gear ratio. This penalty drops the four time Truck champion from third to fifth in the standings.

[TheMaster]

Brad Keselowski took the pole position for Sunday's Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, the longest race in NASCAR. A.J. Allmendinger also qualified on the front row. Race is set for around 6:00 PM on Sunday.

[TheMaster]

Recapping all the big races this weekend, Matt Kenseth took the victory in the Top Gear 300 NNS race at Charlotte on Saturday in his first Nationwide start of the season. Kenseth was filling in for Trevor Bayne in the #16. Elliott Sadler remains the points leader, even though it's by one marker.

In the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco, polesitter Sebastian Vettel held on to score his fifth win in six starts during the course of this season. The race had two full-course caution periods, one of them in the final ten laps led to a red flag after Vitaly Petrov was injured in a crash with another competitor. Last I knew, he was okay but was complaining of pain in his legs, but it doesn't sound like he has any serious injuries.

Today's Indianapolis 500 went to Dan Wheldon in a thriller. Wheldon won the 2005 running and now he wins celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first such race. He took the checkers after the race's leader, rookie J.R. Hildenbrand crashed in the final turn of the last lap. And in the Coca Cola 600 NSCS race at Charlotte that just concluded, Kevin Harvick took the victory, his third of the year.

[TheMaster]

The STP 400 from Kansas Speedway has ended. Kurt Busch started on the pole position for Roger Penske Racing, but his teammate Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag today. This is Keselowski's second career Sprint Cup victory, and his first NASCAR win of the season period. Dale Earnhardt Jr. rallied back after spinning out earlier in the race to finish second. Clint Bowyer won the Truck race yesterday and finished 18th a lap down today. As for the polesitter, Kurt finished 9th. Justin Allgaier got the win in last night's Nationwide Series race from Chicagoland Speedway.

And Kyle Busch, who finished sixth in the Truck race then was roughed up by Richard Childress, finished 12th.

[TheMaster]

Kurt Busch grabbed his second straight Sprint Cup pole and will lead them to the green tomorrow for the Pocono 500. Mike Skinner had a hard crash into the inside wall during time trials and did not make the field for the race. Busch's teammate Brad Keselowski, who won last weekend at Kansas, starts 20th.

Now last night's Truck race was certainly interesting. James Buescher led them to the start. There were no Cup drivers in the field this time, so it was the time for the Truck title contenders to pounce, and did they! Johnny Sauter had arguably the best truck all night, leading the most laps. He led them down to the final restart in a GWC finish, but got the black flag from NASCAR after he switched lanes before the start/finish line. Sauter did not answer the summons from NASCAR (even though he had only one lap to do so) and instead of being credited with the win for crossing the line first, got 22nd place, last truck on the lead lap. The win instead went to Ron Hornaday, his first of the season. Hornaday is now eight points out of the lead, which Sauter still has.

Several other drivers did not fare so well. Todd Bodine, Travis Kvapil, Austin Dillon were all involves in crashes during the course of the night. Bodine is not in the top ten in points right now.

[TheMaster]

Checkered flag. Jeff Gordon has won the Pocono 500, his second win of the 2011 season. Also finishing in the top five today were Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick. Engine problems hit the points leader Carl Edwards early so this race will have a major impact in the point standings.

[TheMaster]

The Heluva Good 400 at Michigan is over. This is the first time since 2006 that I wasn't down there but I still followed it.

The Nationwide race at Michigan first though. Paul Menard started on pole, but then Carl Edwards got the win after finishing second in the past three races. Ricky Stenhouse finished second and retakes the points lead. Kurt Busch was on pole for today's race, his third straight pole, but Denny Hamlin got the win. This was Hamlin's second straight win in the race and his first of the season. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch finished third after finishing third yesterday also.

Carl Edwards holds his points lead. Kevin Harvick jumps up to second. Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds third place in the points despite a rough day today. Kyle Busch moves up fourth, and Jimmie Johnson slips down to fifth in the standings after an early spin. The road course of Infineon Raceway next weekend.

[TheMaster]

Sorry I haven't updated this yet. Saturday's Nationwide race at Road America was certainly one people will be talking about for a long time to come. Michael McDowell started on the pole in the 18 Toyota and led the most laps, no less than 29 of the 50 scheduled. But, the race came down to three attempts at a green-white-checker finish, and the race eventually ended under caution. As that final caution came out, the seventh of the race, Reed Sorenson slowed down for it, but Ron Fellows in the 7 Chevrolet was still on the throttle and passed him. Justin Allgaier was the leader when they got that yellow flag and it looked like he would win. Unfortunately for him, though, he ran out of fuel about halfway to the checkered flag. NASCAR initially declared Fellows the winner because they thought Sorenson was not maintaining caution speeds. However, they reviewed that moment and ruled Sorenson the winner after deciding that Fellows made an illegal pass after the yellow flew. Sorenson is the Nationwide points leader.

Then in yesterday's Toyota SaveMart 350 at Infineon, Joey Logano brought them to the green flag. But the checkered flag went to Kurt Busch, grabbing his first points-paying win of the season. Carl Edwards continues to hold the championship lead, and ten races to go until the Chase field is set.

[FUS1ON]

My fav driver, Carl Edwards re-ups with RFR ..... I don't have to burn my Edwards swag now :D

[TheMaster]

Been a long time since this thread was updated. Shogun, I think you should be very proud of how your driver is doing. Three races to go in the Chase, and Carl Edwards is looking strong for the championship. It should be a great weekend at Texas coming up.

[TheMaster]

Kyle Busch will not run today's Nationwide race or tomorrow's Sprint Cup event. NASCAR has suspended him for the rest of the weekend for his conduct in last night's Truck race.

[TheMaster]

I want to be the first one on here to congratulate both Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards on a great race today. Stewart was the winner and Edwards finished second. Cousin Carl is still three points ahead of Stewart in the points. I think this race is going to define the whole battle for the championship between those two drivers.

The biggest gainers in the Chase standings following this race are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, who moved up two positions to now 7th and 8th respectively. Kyle Busch did not start the race because he was parked for the weekend by NASCAR, and Michael McDowell drove his car today to a 33rd place finish. Busch is 11th in the points now, and is mathematically eliminated from this year's championship, as is Denny Hamlin (10th) and Ryan Newman (12th). Oh by the way, Stewart is now tied with Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick for the most wins this season, each of them has four.

[TheMaster]

Kasey Kahne has won the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix tonight. The battle for the Sprint Cup is now officially between points leader Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.

[TheMaster]

Congratulations to Johnny Sauter! The Camping World Truck Series race has just ended. The rain came out and NASCAR called the race 15 laps short of the scheduled distance. Sauter won the race after leading the most laps, but big congratulations to the season champion, third-generation driver Austin Dillon! This is the tenth NASCAR national title for the #3. Dillon also joins Dale Earnhardt Jr. on a short list as the only two third-generation national champions in NASCAR history. It was looking iffy in the late stages of the race, but Austin held on to finish tenth and clinch the title. The season may be ending under the red flag, but it's been a great season in the Truck Series.

[TheMaster]

Carl Edwards will start the Ford 400 tomorrow from the pole position and hopes to seal up his first Sprint Cup championship. Tony Stewart will start 15th.

In the meantime, the Nationwide Series season concluded tonight. Reigning series champion Brad Keselowski started on pole and was able to win the race. Edwards finished third and in the process, locked up the owners title for Jack Roush. The night, however, belongs to Ricky Stenhouse Jr., last year's Rookie of the Year. Stenhouse clinched the series championship early after seven cars retired from competition. Stenhouse finished second tonight.

[TheMaster]

And it's SMOKE! Both Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart gave it their best performance tonight. Edwards led the most laps, but it was Stewart at the end. He won the Ford 400 tonight and in doing so clinched his third Sprint Cup Series championship! Stewart is the first driver/owner to win the series title since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. The margin of victory was zero. They ended the season tied, so Stewart won the tiebreaker by virtue of having more wins this year than Edwards. In fact, Stewart won the most races of any of the drivers this season. Final standings:

1) Tony Stewart
2) Carl Edwards
3) Kevin Harvick
4) Matt Kenseth
5) Brad Keselowski
6) Jimmie Johnson
7) Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8) Jeff Gordon
9) Denny Hamlin
10) Ryan Newman
11) Kurt Busch
12) Kyle Busch