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NASCAR Natalie
Turn 4 Transitions
by Natalie Anthony
LifeLock 400
June 15, 2008 (Sunday) - 2:15 pm (ET) - TNT
Happy Father's Day!
It seems as though only a few drivers are earning their keep this season. Out of the 14 races NASCAR Sprint Cup has hosted this season, three different drivers have won a total of nine of them. With the current momentum of all three, I don't foresee too much of a change the rest of the season. There may be the addition of a driver or two that will win a couple races this season, but the Top three race winners will probably remain the same; Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and the newest entry Kasey Kahne.
Front Line Finishers
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Hendrick Motorsports - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 3rd
Dale may not be winning any races this season, but his consistency is sure paying off. He is ranked 3rd in the points standings. That has to say something about his performance. Dale may have a chance this Father's day to pay tribute to the Father of NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Sr. Dale Jr's record at MIS shows that he is starting to understand his way around the 2 mile track. Junior placed 5th in the June and 12th in the August races.
Carl Edwards
Roush Fenway Racing Motorsports - Ford
Point Standings: 4th
Oh Carl. Oh how you come so close to winning and than are sadly denied. Carl is the past winner for the June race at Michigan with a follow performance of 7th in the August race. Fear not my flipping friend, for you may grasp that checkered flag yet again this Sunday night.
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing - Toyota
Point Standings: 5th
Denny may not have had the performance that he is known for at Pocono, but this weekend at Michigan will give him the opportunity to make up some lost ground from last Sunday. Denny's past history proves that he can bank on a Top 10 finish at MIS. Denny hasn't won at this scenic track his last four starts, but coming in 5th at the June race puts him much closer to finalizing a win.
Tony Stewart
Joe Gibbs Racing - Toyota
Point Standings: 12th
Tony is considered a late bloomer for winning races in a NASCAR Sprint season, but if he waits any longer, he will not be in contention for the chase for the cup in September if he doesn't man up. Tony could possibly maintain his points position if he sticks with his recent finishes at MIS. Tony has a whopping 12 Top 10 finishes out of 18 starts at the D-shaped track. Not going around in circles this Sunday.
Last Lap Challengers
Martin Truex Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 16th
Martin, quite frankly, should be ranked in the section above, but I generally stick to a Top 4 format. So, you can consider him the runner up because of his minimal experience at MIS (4 races). Martin did finish 2nd both races last season. Maybe Martin can put the #1 car in the number one spot this time out. If not, see you in August for a re-do.
Casey Mears
Hendrick Motorsports - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 26th
Haven't seen a lot of the Hendrick boys up front this season, but Casey may be one of the underdogs who will be celebrating a little bit more than his teammates on Sunday. Casey has had almost back to back Top 10 finishes for the 2007 season. He came in 4th for the summer race and 11th for the fall race. If you average the two races out, he actually did have Top 10 finishes.
Bottom 35 Feeders
Juan Pablo Montoya
Chip Ganassi Racing - Dodge
Point Standings: 20th
Wow is Juan on fire this season. But you know I don't mean as far as his driving ability. Last weekend at Pocono, marks the 2nd time this season that Juan has had to quickly remove himself from the #42 car because for some strange reason it had caught on fire. This race is another one where he will go up in smoke. Juan showed his rookie strips last season by wrecking in one race and finishing 23rd in the other.
Elliott Sadler
Gillett Evernham Motorsports - Dodge
Point Standings: 28th
Too bad Elliott is not sharing in the winning success of teammate Kasey Kahne. Elliott's running at Michigan is not his best. His best finish in the last three years was 8th and that really was three years ago. I am not saying any of the other Gillett Evernham drivers are going to do great things this weekend, but Elliott is the one who will finish the worst.
Track Stats
Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, MI) - MIS
LifeLock 400
(Sister Tracks - Lowe's, California, Texas, Kansas
Dover, Chicagoland, Homestead-Miami, Darlington, & Atlanta)
Michigan 400
(June 17, 2007)
Top 10 Results
1. Carl Edwards
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Tony Stewart
4. Casey Mears
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
6. Kyle Busch
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Jamie McMurray
9. Jeff Gordon
10. Michael Waltrip
3M Performance 400
(August 21, 2007)
Top 10 Results
1. Kurt Busch
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Dave Blaney
7. Carl Edwards
8. Brian Vickers
9. Bobby Labonte
10. Tony Stewart
Reader Board
"Is Jamie McMurray going to get the boot next season?"
Adrian - Washington DC
Well, as you know, Roush Fenway Racing does have to lighten their load of drivers by one by the end of the 2009 NASCAR season. At this point in the season and without foreseeing the performance of the five teams next year, it is hard to determine who will go. Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle and possibly Matt Kenseth are drivers that will be hanging around for awhile. As for the rest of the bunch, your guess is as good as mine about who will be homeless next season.
-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">Jermicheal Finley Says No Progress On Contract Yet
(2/3 11:45 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing story. ... Finley is a free agent this offseason and there hasn't been any movement on a new contract. "Hey, it's the NFL," Finley said Friday. "With business right now, I don't even know what's going on. ...You just have to play that (waiting) game. It's the Green Bay way. "I don't know anything. I'll just hope for the best."
Diehards Line:
As Journal Sentinel staffer Tyler Dunne notes, if Finley does receive the franchise tag from the Packers, it's expected that he will seek to be classified as a wide receiver. An arbitrator would make that final call. The franchise tag number for wideouts will likely be around $9 million. This season, Finley had 55 catches for 767 yards and eight touchdowns.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr2')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Report: Chiefs Going With Daboll As OC
(2/3 10:00 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on the previous item. ... ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Chiefs hired former Dolphins assistant Brian Daboll as their offensive coordinator.
Diehards Line:
Daboll, most recently Miami's offensive coordinator, has a history with general manager Scott Pioli and he was selected over QBs coach Jim Zorn and former Raiders OC Al Saunders.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr3')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Report: Bills, Rian Lindell Agree To New Contract
(2/3 9:32 PM PT)
The Facts:
According to a league source, the Bills and Lindell have agreed on a contract that will keep him in Buffalo. Lindell was set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13, but the two sides have hammered out an agreement.
Diehards Line:
Lindell has spent nine seasons as the kicker for Buffalo since arriving from the Seattle Seahawks. From 2003 to 2010, Lindell didn't miss a single game for Buffalo. It wasn't until this past season that he missed eight regular season games due to a shoulder injury. In his career in Buffalo, Lindell has connected on 204 field goals out of 246 attempts, a field goal percentage of nearly 83-percent. He's also missed only one extra point, that coming on a block against the Chicago Bears at the Rogers Centre in Toronto in 2010.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr4')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Super Bowl XLVI Injury Report; Final Edition
(2/3 4:25 PM PT)
The Facts:
Friday's final Super Bowl XLVI Injury/Status Report is now available for your review.
Diehards Line:
Under NFL rules, teams are only required to list if a player practiced or not until Friday. Then they must reveal the player's status for the game (out, doubtful, questionable, or probable). That information can now be accessed HERE.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr5')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Ryan: Sanchez, Holmes Have Talked; Hope To Meet Soon
(2/3 2:02 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes have talked by phone in an attempt to repair their relationship, and they're planning to meet soon for a kind of quarterback-wide receiver retreat. HC Rex Ryan told ESPN.com Friday that Sanchez and Holmes have discussed the possibility of taking an entire weekend to hash out their differences -- a couple's getaway, NFL style. "I'm not sure if they're going to or not, but that's something they mentioned," Ryan said. "I'm not sure where it would be or anything like that. I know they had mentioned that to me."
Diehards Line:
Ryan said he has spoken individually to Sanchez and Holmes, whose year-long rift became public at the end of the season. Asked if he planted the seed for the get-together, Ryan smiled and said, "I'm not going to take credit for that." Owner Woody Johnson revealed Thursday that he's planning to have dinner next week with Sanchez, and the team also has to make a final decision on Holmes' contract. If they wanted to cut him, they'd have to do it by Wednesday, according to a clause in the five-year, $45 contract he signed last summer. If he's still on the roster by Wednesday, his guaranteed money increases from $7.75 million to $15 million. Ryan, reiterating the team's public stance on Holmes, said there's no chance of him being released. "That's not going to happen," he said. ... We'll see.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr6')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Bradshaw, Nicks Listed As Probable For Super Bowl XLVI
(2/3 2:01 PM PT)
The Facts:
Ahmad Bradshaw didn't participate in practice Friday, the final session before Sunday's Super Bowl. Defensive back Tyler Sash and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee) were limited. All three players are listed as probable, along with wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), cornerback Corey Webster (hamstring) and linebacker Jacquian Williams (foot).
Diehards Line:
The absences came after HC Tom Coughlin had presented a rosy picture of his team's health while addressing the media Friday morning. "Everyone wants to be a part of it at this point in time," Coughlin had said. "No one wants to be someone who is not able to participate or be a part of this wonderful experience. We’ve had everyone on the practice field, and hopefully, thank God, it will be that way Sunday. ..." As NFL.com's Albert Bree notes, Bradshaw had participated in Wednesday's practice on a limited basis and was a full participant Thursday. It has not been unusual for Bradshaw to play in a game after missing a day or two of practice since he broke a bone in his foot during the regular season.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr7')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Irsay Releases (Another) Statement On Peyton Manning
(2/3 1:57 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing story. ... Colts owner Jim Irsay released a statement on Friday. “Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay and the entire Colts family remain close and unified as we continue to work through all the options that relate to his future with the Colts,” the statement reads. “The present focus is on the Super Bowl and the great game that awaits.”
Diehards Line:
At the risk of sounding cyncial and mean-spirited, the words in the release don't match the actions either side have taken this week. The two sides appear to be using the enormous world-wide stage that comes with the Super Bowl being hosted in Indianapolis to gain some kind of media or public relations advantage in what appears to be the process of separating after a lengthy and mutually-beneficial relationship. And every time they say it's not so, it becomes even clearer that it is. ... We'll further suggest we'd expected more from both sides.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr8')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Gronkowski, Welker Listed As Questionable For Super Bowl XLVI
(2/3 1:13 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing story. ... TE Rob Gronkowski is listed as questionable on the team's final injury report. Gronkowski participated in Friday's hour-long walk-through. He practiced for the second straight day after being limited in practice on Thursday. The Patriots listed 10 other players as questionable, including safety Patrick Chung (knee), left guard Logan Mankins (knee), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee) and wide receiver Wes Welker (knee).
Diehards Line:
All 11 players were listed as taking part in a limited portion of Friday's practice and Boston Herald staffer Ian Rapoport advised his readers that Gronkowski is likely to play, as will likely all of the questionable. "This is kind of like Saturday for us," said HC Bill Belichick. "We've had a little bit of extra time this week (to practice). I think we're ready to go. We've worked hard this week Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in practice, and we had good practices back (in Foxboro) last week. We went through some mental-review things out there (Friday). ..." Stay tuned. We'll be posting the full injury report for Sunday's game once it's released by the league office.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr9')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Matt Forte Says Intent Of Franchise Tag Will Determine His Approach
(2/3 12:36 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing story. ... Matt Forte said he would be fine with the Chicago Bears using the franchise tag on him as long as it leads to a long-term deal and is not simply a tactic to keep him off the free-agent market for another season. "It depends on the motive of (the franchise tag)," Forte said Thursday. "If they are doing the franchise tag just to get more time in order to negotiate a long-term deal then I would be OK with it. But if it's just to hold me another year and just 'Let's throw some money at him right now to keep him quiet,' that's not going to solve anything."
Diehards Line:
Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips said on Tuesday that the team has no intention of letting Forte become a free agent. Forte, who made his first Pro Bowl in the final year of his rookie contract, hopes that means an amenable resolution to a contract issue that has gone on since the lockout ended in July. Forte turned down a contract offer from the Bears before the season with $13 million to $14 million in guaranteed money, ESPN.com reported. Now with Phil Emery taking over for Jerry Angelo as Bears GM, Forte is hopeful an agreement can be reached. He said his agent has already spoken with Emery and expects to have more conversations in the next few days. Forte missed the final four games of the regular season after suffering a sprained right medial collateral ligament during the Bears' home loss to Kansas City on Dec. 4. He finished the season with 1,487 yards from scrimmage and returned to play in Sunday's Pro Bowl.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr10')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Chiefs Considering Daboll For OC Opening
(2/3 12:29 PM PT)
The Facts:
The Kansas City Chiefs are talking to Brian Daboll about their vacant offensive-coordinator position, according to a league source.
Diehards Line:
As previously noted, the Chiefs have also looked at Jim Zorn as an in-house candidate and have spoken to former Raiders coordinator Al Saunders, who has worked previously in Kansas City. Daboll, most recently Miami's offensive coordinator, has a history with general manager Scott Pioli and several executives expect him to be a top candidate for the job.
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