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NASCAR Natalie
Turn 4 Transitions
by Natalie Anthony
2/20/2008
Toyota/Save Mart 350
June 22, 2008 (Sunday) - 3:30 pm (ET) - TNT
Road Course Specialists - "Ringers"
By definition, road course ringers are invited to a road course race by NASCAR teams to either replace an inexperienced Sprint Cup regular, or to boost the point standings of a Sprint driver that is not particularly keeping up his side of the driver's contract. These replacement drivers can be classified however it is deemed necessary, but road course warriors put their expertise into every turn of every lap and make sure that these few special races are so much more fun.
Some of the selected road course drivers that will be gracing us with their genius this Sunday.
Brandon Ash
Ron Fellows
Terry Labonte
Max Papis
Scott Pruett
Boris Said
Brian Simo
Front Line Finishers
Jeff Burton
Richard Childress Racing - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 2nd
This silent wonder will quite possibly be taking over the point standings after this weekend. In the last two seasons, Jeff has finished 7th and 3rd.
Greg Biffle
Roush Fenway Racing - Ford
Point Standings: 8th
Greg's definitely the Roush driver that has taken centered stage for the Ford team. Yeah, we know Carl Edwards is higher in the point standings, but he should be. Greg is the team member at Roush that has really cranked things up this season. Greg surprisingly runs really well on this particular road course. Two Top 5's in the past two seasons.
Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 9th
You hear a lot of talk about how Hendrick Motorsports is not performing as well as they have in the past few seasons, but if you take a look, you will find that teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff are all contenders for the chase this season. They may not be winning a lot of races, but they sure have been consistent as a whole. Jeff has a great chance to put the #24 in victory lane this Sunday. Jeff has a total of five wins at Infineon and came in 7th last season. Jeff's last win was only in 2006.
Ryan Newman
Penske Racing - Dodge
Point Standings: 17th
It is very sad to see the change of events that has taken place for Ryan since his win at Daytona. Ryan is five spots out of the chase, but with his success at IR, he might just be able to pull one more spot out for the chase if he follows up his 2 Top 5's and 4 Top 10's out of his six total starts.
Last Lap Challengers
Clint Bowyer
Richard Childress Racing - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 12th
Clint is a driver that has discovered he can run consistently well at certain tracks and believe it or not, they are not cookie cutter tracks. Clint's experience at California is very minimal (two starts), but a Top 5 and a Top 10 is pretty impressive for a newbie.
Juan Pablo Montoya
Chip Ganassi Racing - Dodge
Point Standings: 22nd
Juan is the defending race winner for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, but with the animals he will be forced to race this weekend, Juan may not be winning this race a second time his second time out.
Bottom 35 Feeders
Kasey Kahne
Gillett Evernham Motorsports - Dodge
Point Standings: 7th
No matter now much momentum and no matter how much I really would like for Kasey to do well at Infineon this weekend, it is just not going to happen. Kasey will be facing his 5th try at IR and will probably not be breaking out of the Top 35.
Matt Kenseth
Roush Fenway Racing Motorsports - Ford
Point Standings: 14th
I thought Kasey Kahne had poor performance at Infineon, but Matt's record gives new meaning to not knowing how to drive left and right and left and right. Eight times out and not even a Top 10.
Track Stats
Infineon Raceway (Sonoma, CA) - IR
Toyota/Save Mart 350
(Sister Road Courses - Watkins Glen)
Toyota/Save Mart 350
(June 24, 2007)
Top 10 Results
1. Juan Pablo Montoya
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Jeff Burton
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Greg Biffle
6. Tony Stewart
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Kyle Busch
9. Boris Said
10. Denny Hamlin
Reader Board
"Is Kyle Busch serious about bailing out of the Nationwide Series?"
Emily - Wisconsin
Unfortunately, I think that is exactly what Kyle Busch is doing. I don't know if Joe Gibbs wants to make sure that new team member Joey Logano gets all the attention in the Nationwide Series or because Kyle is just angered at the fact that he isn't in first place in the Nationwide Series. Lucky for us, he is still participating in the Craftsman Truck Series and the Sprint Cup Series.
-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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