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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">Brett Favre Tried To Help Vikings Recruit LT
(3/15 8:26 PM PT)
The Facts:
Favre hasn't announced his intentions about playing in 2010, but we came across what appears to be a gigantic clue that he'll be back. That clue is this: A source familiar with the Vikings situation told Newsday's Bob Glauber that Favre was heavily involved in the recruitment process late last week for RB LaDainian Tomlinson.
Diehards Line:
According to Glauber, it is believed that Favre spoke to Tomlinson by phone and while recruiting effort ultimately came up short, Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith correctly suggests if Favre is actively trying to recruit players for the Vikings' 2010 roster, that's a pretty big clue that Favre himself plans to be on the Vikings' 2010 roster. ... Not that we should expect an announcement or official confirmation any time soon.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr2')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Marc Bulger Shows Up For Off-Season Workouts
(3/15 8:24 PM PT)
The Facts:
Bulger’s future in St. Louis may be tenuous at best, but he remains under contract with the Rams. As such, he was among the Rams’ players on hand Monday for the start of the team’s off-season conditioning program.
Diehards Line:
Per the Post-Dispatch, the turnout Monday was good. Among the notable absences was running back Steven Jackson, but he was at Rams Park all of last week. ... Getting back to Bulger, all indications are the veteran signal caller will be moving on. But it doesn't look like he's ready to do anything to force management's hand.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr3')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Seahawks Sign WR Ruvell Martin
(3/15 8:21 PM PT)
The Facts:
Martin, who has a background with Seahawks general manager John Schneider from three seasons with the Green Bay Packers from 2006-08, signed a one-year deal with the team.
Diehards Line:
Martin, 27, played eight games for the St. Louis Rams in 2009 and caught six passes for 99 yards, including two for 60 yards against the Seahawks in a 27-17 Seattle win on Nov. 29. The 6-4, 220-pounder has 58 career receptions for 848 yards and six touchdowns in his NFL career. Martin's best season for Green Bay came as a rookie in 2006 when he pulled in 21 passes for 358 yards, including seven catches of 20 or more yards.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr4')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">JaMarcus Russell Absent As Raiders Get To Work
(3/15 1:48 PM PT)
The Facts:
The Raiders kicked off offseason voluntary workouts today at team headquarters. No visible sign of Russell, though.Several players who have been at the facility for weeks said they have not seen the former No. 1 overall draft pick. When asked if he'll show today, one starter laughed and said "That's a horror show." Another starter said "don't hold your breath."
Diehards Line:
Meanwhile, fellow QBs Charlie Frye showed up, saying he signed his original draft pick tender. Bruce Gradkowski has been there all along, rehabbing his knees and preparing to compete for the starting job. ... For what it's worth, Russell did show up for last year's off-season program a week after it started. And it should also be noted that the workouts are voluntary.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr5')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Broncos Release Chris Simms
(3/15 12:47 PM PT)
The Facts:
According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Simms has been released.
Diehards Line:
With Brady Quinn now under contract at a base salary of only $700,000, the Broncos were able to part ways with Simms, who was last season's primary backup. Simms was due to earn a base salary of $2.54 million in 2010. Last year, he earned $1.96 million. The move leaves the Broncos with three QBs under contract: Kyle Orton, Quinn, and Tom Brandstater. ... For what it's worth, ESPN insider Adam Schefter suggests that Brandstater might be the best long-term prospect of the group.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr6')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Ben Roethlisberger Absent For Start Of Workouts
(3/15 10:04 AM PT)
The Facts:
The Steelers started offseason workouts today and there is one notable absence. Roethlisberger is not working out with his teammates and is not at the Steelers' practice facility.
Diehards Line:
Roethlisberger has stayed out of sight since getting accused of sexual assault in Milledgeville, Ga. It's not clear if the decision to stay away is exclusively Roethlisberger's. The QB has met with team officials, who are said to be very disappointed with the situations he finds himself in. It would't be terribly surprising to learn all involved are on board with the absence as part of an effort to avoid distraction.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr7')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Kyle Orton Likely To Remain Denver's Starting QB
(3/14 5:59 PM PT)
The Facts:
With former first-round pick Brady Quinn now shipped from Cleveland to Denver, there's a question as to whether Quinn or Orton will be the starting quarterback for the Broncos. Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the new guy won't supplant the holdover; per Klis, Orton will start.
Diehards Line:
Though Orton's status could change, PFT's Mike Florio points out the decision makes sense, for a couple of reasons. First, Orton is a restricted free agent, tendered at the first-round level. His base salary is $2.62 million, nearly four times greater than Quinn's $700,000 compensation. Then there's the fact that Quinn will unlock $5.9 million in 2011 escalators if he takes 70 percent or more of the snaps on offense this season. By making him the backup, the Broncos are guaranteed to get two seasons out of him at a total payout of a paltry, relatively speaking, $1.4 million.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr8')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Matthew Stafford Ready For Off-Season Work
(3/14 4:50 PM PT)
The Facts:
The Lions begin their off-season conditioning program next week and HC Jim Schwartz said Stafford, who is coming off December knee surgery, should be ready to go. "There's probably some things that he'll take maybe a little slower, but I don't think he'll have a whole lot of restrictions," Schwartz said.
Diehards Line:
The Lions will bring Stafford along slowly and build his workload as he goes along. "He's had some rehab time where he hasn't been able to do as much maybe as other players," Schwartz explained. "But there is nothing he can't do, it's just a matter of getting him back up to speed and back into the shape he needs to be in. ..." With Daunte Culpepper an unrestricted free agent, the arrival of QB Shaun Hill, acquired in a trade with San Francisco, will provide the team with another arm to help keep receivers busy as Stafford works his way up to speed.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr9')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">LaDainian Tomlinson Agrees To Terms With Jets
(3/14 3:18 PM PT)
The Facts:
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it's official: Tomlinson is a Jet. He reached agreement on a two-year contract. Done.
Diehards Line:
Stay tuned on this one. ... It will be very interesting to see how Tomlinson's contract compares with the one Thomas Jones signed in Kansas City (two years, $5 million). It's widely believed Jones, a very popular figure in New York's locker room, gave the Jets an opportunity to match the Chiefs' offer. It's not clear how the arrival of an aging running back on the decline (LT) will go over given the departure of a more popular -- and still very productive veteran -- might go over. ... Meanwhile, it's safe to say Tomlinson will open the season behind second-year man Shonn Greene. ... Again: More to come.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr10')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Browns Trade QB Brady Quinn To Denver
(3/14 2:17 PM PT)
The Facts:
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports is reporting that Quinn was just traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Peyton Hillis and two conditional draft picks.
Diehards Line:
As PFT's Michael David Smith points out, we've known since the Browns acquired QBs Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme that Quinn was available. Now he'll battle Kyle Orton for the starting job in Denver. Orton has to be considered the favorite based on experience in HC Josh McDaniels' scheme. But there are those who believe Quinn was never given a fair shake in Cleveland and he's capable of more than we've seen. Either way, the Broncos' QB competition just became more interesting.
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