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NASCAR Natalie
by Natalie Anthony
10/17/2007
Pocono 500
June 8, 2008 (Sunday) - 2:15 pm (ET) - TNT
Most Likely…
In High School there is a gamut of theoretical awards that every senior wishes to win or avoid for their participation in their education. In NASCAR, it is the same, but the fans pick the winners or the losers.
Most likely to star in a toothpaste commercial: Patrick Carpentier
Most likely to get a date just with a look: Kasey Kahne
Most considerate and respectful: Carl Edwards
Most likely to be hated: Kyle Busch
Most likely to toy with the law: Tony Stewart
Most likely to whine about everything: Jeff Gordon
Most likely to be overshadowed by their parent: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Congratulations to Tony Stewart for winning the 4th annual Prelude to the Dream Race at Eldora Speedway and for donating $1,000,000 to the Victory Junction Game Camp.
Front Line Finishers
Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 6th
Finally, a race this season that Jeff most likely could win. Jeff will be defending his win from last June and trying to finish better than 4th like he did in the August race. Jeff has a lot of "wow" factor at Pocono. Jeff is almost guaranteed to finish in the Top 10 based on his 10th place average finish.
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing - Toyota
Point Standings: 9th
Denny is definitely a driver that will most likely win on Sunday. Denny's record at PR speaks for itself. Denny has 4 Top 10's and 2 wins out of 4 starts. Denny didn't come home with a win last season, but he did get 6th and 3rd place finishes out of the summer and fall races.
Tony Stewart
Joe Gibbs Racing - Toyota
Point Standings: 11th
What a way to end the week. Tony wins his own charity event and will most likely give chase for the checkered flag at the end of the race on Sunday. Tony boasts an amazing 13 Top 10's out of 18 starts. What did he do for the other 5 races? Well for two of those races he suffered from an accident and an engine problem. That leaves 3 races out of 18 where Tony's worst finish was 27th. Not too bad Smoke.
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 24th
Mark did not perform as well as I thought he would last weekend at Dover, but he will most likely not repeat that performance this weekend. Mark finished last season at PR with 2 Top 10 finishes and generally is a driver whom will be in the Top 10 at the end of these 500 lap races in Pennsylvania.
Last Lap Challengers
Clint Bowyer
Richard Childress Racing - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 8th
If Clint keeps driving at Pocono like he did last season, he will most likely improve his average finish from a desolate 20th spot to perhaps 15th. Clint squeezed into the Top 10 last season for the two races at PR.
Casey Mears
Hendrick Motorsports - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 25th
Pocono is probably the only track this season that you are going to see Casey driving up front. Don't expect Casey to take the lead at any point of the race but he will most likely end the race in the Top 15 or better. Casey finished 4th and 10th in the summer and fall races last season.
Bottom 35 Feeders
David Ragan
Roush Fenway - Ford
Point Standings: 13th
Rumor has it that Roush Fenway will be shortening the list of drivers by the end of 2009, but it will most likely not be David. Jack Roush has a lot of faith in David's driving ability, but Pocono is not a track where his driver will back up that assurance of skill. David's best finish out of two starts is 26th.
Robby Gordon
Robby Gordon Motorsports - Dodge
Point Standings: 29th
Robby showed that he has a variety of talent by finishing 2nd to Tony Stewart tonight at Smoke's charity event at Eldora Speedway. However, Robby will most likely not be show casing any aptitude at Pocono by ending his day early in the garage. Robby has 13 starts at PR with only 2 Top 10's.
Track Stats
Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, PA) - PR
Pocono 500
(Sister Flat Tracks - Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Phoenix, & New Hampshire
Pocono 500
(June 10, 2007)
Top 10 Results
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Ryan Newman
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Casey Mears
5. Tony Stewart
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Mark Martin
8. Kyle Busch
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Clint Bowyer
Pennsylvania 500
(August 5, 2007)
Top 10 Results
1. Kurt Busch
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Jimmie Johnson
6. Tony Stewart
7. Ryan Newman
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Mark Martin
10. Casey Mears
Reader Board
"Is Dario Franchitti going to return to the Sprint Series this weekend or should we look for him at a race down the road?"
Leslie - Canada
As a matter of fact, Dario Franchitti is on the entry list for the race this Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Dario is 42nd in owner points, so he will have to qualify on time to race in the Pocono 500 this weekend.
-NASCAR Natalie
Post questions & comments to:
NASCARNATALIEANTHONY@yahoo.com
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr1')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Ben Roethlisberger Won't Request Further Reduction
(9/3 12:41 AM PT)
The Facts:
Roethlisberger and team president Art Rooney II will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell Friday morning in New York, but they will not be politicking to have his suspension reduced beyond two games, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has learned.
Diehards Line:
Reports have suggested that Rooney is accompanying Roethlisberger to the meeting to have his suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy reduced from six games to three games. But that is not the case. "That door is not open," a source who is familiar with the meeting told Post-Gazette Gerry Dulac. ... This news comes after a number of observers suggested that such a request might not go over well with Goodell -- the sole arbiter of Roethlisberger's fate.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr2')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Report: Michael Bush Could Miss Up To Six Weeks
(9/2 8:00 PM PT)
The Facts:
Based on what information is available regarding the fractured thumb of RB Michael Bush, Tribune staffer Jerry McDonald reports it’s highly unlikely Bush will be ready to play in the opener and could miss up to a quarter of the season or more.
Diehards Line:
HC Tom Cable confirmed the thumbe was fractured and said on Monday “he’ll need a procedure on it, and whether that keeps him out or not remains to be seen.” Cable has since declined to discuss the injury and wouldn’t confirm the surgery had taken place. McDonald, however, consulted with an othepedic surgeon familiar with the procedure who suggested a 4-to-6 week recovery period. If Bush were to be out four weeks from the time of surgery, he would be available to practice for the in the days preceding the Houston Texans game on Oct. 3 in Week 4. Six weeks would mean Bush could be ready to face the 49ers on On Oct. 6 in Week 6. ... Stay tuned. We'll continue to watch for more on this one.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr3')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Report: Big Ben To Request 3-Game Suspension
(9/1 3:55 PM PT)
The Facts:
In their meeting scheduled for Friday, Roethlisberger's representatives plan to ask commissioner Roger Goodell to reduce the six-game suspension by at least three games, bringing along team president Arthur J. Rooney II to the New York meeting to support the QB's case.
Diehards Line:
Goodell has made it clear he would consider reducing the length of the suspension if Roethlisberger complied with a number of league imposed conditions, including a comprehensive behavioral evaluation, and stayed clear of any other off field problems. As ESPN's Sal Paolantonio notes, most observers believe Goodell has had in his mind all along to reduce the suspension by two games to four. But Roethlisberger's attorney, David Cornwell, is expected to ask for a greater reduction in the suspension. ... Stay tuned. Some reduction seems all but certain. It'll be interesting to see how Roethlisberger's request is met by the commissioner.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr4')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Redskins Place Malcolm Kelly On IR
(8/31 11:54 AM PT)
The Facts:
HC Mike Shanahan said the team will place injury-plagued WR Malcolm Kelly on injured reserve Tuesday, ending the third-year player's season because of a recurring hamstring problem.
Diehards Line:
Kelly, who practiced just three times during training camp and the preseason, suffered a setback during Monday's workout, his first since July 30. Further evaluation showed that he would likely miss six weeks, Shanahan said. The Redskins could have released Kelly Tuesday, reaching an injury settlement. By putting him on injured reserve, they retain his rights for the future. Shanahan, though, made it clear that Kelly is guaranteed nothing with the Redskins -- even after his hamstring heals.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr5')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Buccaneers Release Derrick Ward
(8/31 11:03 AM PT)
The Facts:
The Buccaneers have cut Ward and WR Terrence Nunn. HC Raheem Morris announced the roster moves after Tuesday's practice.
Diehards Line:
Morris said that Ward, who signed to a lucrative, four-year, $17 million deal in 2009, didn't fit the long-term plan for the Buccaneers. Second-year pro Kareem Huggins, a 2009 undrafted free agent out of Hofstra, beat out Ward for the backup spot to starter Carnell "Cadillac" Williams. In three presesaon games Huggins has run for 97 yards on 19 carries (5.1 average) with two receptions for 16 yards. Huggins brings more speed and big-play ability to the Buccaneers backup running back position.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr6')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Owen Daniels Officially Off The PUP List
(8/30 8:14 PM PT)
The Facts:
The Texans announced Monday that Daniels has passed a physical and has been removed from the active/Physically Unable to Perform list.
Diehards Line:
This allows Daniels to resume practicing with the team less than two weeks before the regular-season opener against Indianapolis. While that's good news, we'll remind you that HC Gary Kubiak said on Sunday the best-case scenario for Daniels, coming off a torn ACL, is probably that he plays 15-20 snaps against the Colts in Week 1. Those who are able might want to watch his progress this week before investing on draft day.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr7')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Michael Bush To Have Surgery; Could Play Week 1
(8/29 7:10 PM PT)
The Facts:
Bush will undergo surgery on his broken left thumb Monday and could be back in time for the season opener.Bush broke the thumb when he was hit on the hand by a helmet on his final carry Saturday night against San Francisco.
Diehards Line:
HC Tom Cable said Sunday there was a "good chance" Bush would be ready to play Sept. 12 in Tennessee and that he would likely not need a cast on the finger. ... Bush led the team with 589 yards rushing last season and was expected to do even more this season now that Justin Fargas has been released. Bush and Darren McFadden will share the bulk of the running load this season, although both have now been hampered by injuries in the preseason.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr8')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Jason Campbell's Wrist Injury Of More Concern Than Shoulder
(8/29 7:09 PM PT)
The Facts:
Campbell's stinger that knocked him out of the exhibition loss to the 49ers does not appear to be serious, HC Tom Cable said. But Campbell hurt his right wrist on the previous series in the game, which is more of an immediate concern. He underwent an MRI on Sunday and will be evaluated again later this week.
Diehards Line:
"Usually I recover pretty fast," Campbell said after the game. "Right now there's no timetable. The thing is just to improve and continue to keep getting better. We don't know the timetable or anything, but at the same time, I haven't really missed any time before. ..." Campbell led Oakland to a touchdown on the opening drive for the second straight week, completing all four of his passes for 67 yards. But the Raiders did not get another first down with Campbell in the game.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr9')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Ben Roethlisberger To Meet With Goodell Next Week
(8/29 5:45 PM PT)
The Facts:
According to FOXSports insider Jay Glazer, Roethlisberger will meet with commissioner Roger Goodell following next Thursday's pre-season game. Goodell will make a final determination on Roethlisberger's suspension, which currently stands at six games. It could be reduced to four.
Diehards Line:
The report indicates that Goodell will inform Roethlisberger and the Steelers of his decision in advance of the regular-season opener. There have been indications -- including comments by Goodell suggesting that Roethlisberger has gone above and beyond in his efforts to meet the requirements necessary -- the suspension will indeed be reduced. ... Stay tuned. We'll be obviously be watching for the official announcement.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr10')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Rams Place Donnie Avery On IR
(8/29 5:44 PM PT)
The Facts:
The Rams announced that Avery, who suffered a torn ACL in last Thursday's win over the Patriots, has been placed on the injured reserve list.
Diehards Line:
The move, which officially ends Avery's season, comes as no real surprise. HC Steve Spagnuolo made no secret of the fact it was a season-ending injury on Friday. The only real question remains unanswered, however: Who replaces Avery as the starter opposite Laurent Robinson? Danny Amendola and Mardy Gilyard were the first candidates mentioned by the coach, who also suggested Keenan Burton as a possibility. Others on the roster included Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander, Dominique Curry, Jordan Kent and Brandon McRae.
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