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NASCAR Natalie
Turn 4 Transitions
by Natalie Anthony
2/12/2008
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
July 27, 2008 (Sunday) - 2:20 pm (ET) - ESPN
Age ain't nothing but a number
The huge difference between Mark Martin and the number of other older drivers in the NASCAR series is that Mark Martin has remained competitive since the day he drove the #6 car for Roush Fenway Racing. It doesn't take a statistician to show you the numbers straight up. Just watch a single race that Mark is competing in and you will see a 50 year old driver (January 9, 2009) that is racing up front with drivers that are a half his age. Not only is Mark wise with age, but he is intelligent enough to know that a full-time ride with Hendrick Motorsports for the 2009 season may be his last chance to go for the NASCAR Sprint Championship Cup. Almost everybody in the NASCAR world would agree that Mark Martin deserves it more than any other driver out there.
Front Line Finishers
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing - Toyota
Point Standings: 1st
The only time Kyle Busch does not run well in a car is if someone else is driving. If you have taken notice, a lot of the boo's that has been following Kyle each and every race has slowly changed to cheers. Now all you hear is just a bunch of yelling. Take another bow Kyle, you are winning races and winning over fans. Kyle has raced at IMS three times in his very short career and has 3 Top 10's.
Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 6th
Dude, win a race already. I think Jeff needs to stop being the poster child of perfect manners in racing and shake things up a bit. Other drivers are pushing him out of the way to take his spot and he needs to push back. Jeff has success at almost every track on the NASCAR circuit, but can't seem to find victory lane this season. Jeff finished 3rd last year at the Brickyard and holds 4 wins for his fourteen starts. Hopefully Jeff will find his nerve this Sunday and get a chance to embrace the bricks at Indianapolis.
Kevin Harvick
Richard Childress Racing - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 9th
Believe it or not, the Brickyard is shaping out to be a track that Kevin is really good at. Kevin has a mere 7 starts with 5 Top 10's and a win in 2003. Kevin may not win the Cup this season, but he is going to look good trying with repeated Top 10's.
Tony Stewart
Joe Gibbs Racing - Toyota
Point Standings: 10th
I think Tony's transition to Stewart CNC Racing was the smoothest this year. There wasn't too much hype that preceded the merger and now it just speculation on what Tony's new team can produce next year. I said it last week and I will say it again, late season wins are typical for Smoke, so Tony get the Home Depot car up front this weekend and keep it there. Tony is the race winner from last year.
Last Lap Challengers
Clint Bowyer
Richard Childress Racing - Chevrolet
Point Standings: 13th
Clint really did head out this season with really strong finishes, but it seem like the hectic schedule of the NASCAR circuit both Sprint and Nationwide may be tiring him a bit. Clint finished 4th in 2006 at IMS, but 13th the following year out of just two starts. If he can muster up the energy, he may just be able to get a Top 10.
Juan Pablo Montoya
Chip Ganassi Racing - Dodge
Point Standings: 20th
It might be a really big stretch giving Juan the chance to run well at the brickyard again because of his 2nd place finish last year, but crazier things have happened there. Pick Juan for your fantasy roster as a last resort if you are left with nobody else.
Bottom 35 Feeders
Martin Truex Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated - Chevrolet
Standings: 17th
Martin and crew begged for a second chance to reverse the decision of his latest penalty and the appeal was denied. Denial will be something Martin will have to get used to this week. Last year at the brickyard, Martin almost cracked the Top 10 with a 12th place finish, but with three starts and an average finish of 24th, don't look for a repeat.
Elliott Sadler
Gillett Evernham Motorsports - Dodge
Point Standings: 23rd
The Gillett Evernham teams have been making some strides to become more competitive in the Sprint series lately, but Elliott has not been reaping all the rewards. Elliott has tried to find success at IMS, but out of nine tries and only a pole, a Top 5 and a Top 10, he is looking at an 11% chance of getting back up front.
Track Stats
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis, IN) - IMS
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
(Sister Flat Tracks - Pocono, Las Vegas, Phoenix, & New Hampshire)
Allstate 400
(July 29, 2007)
Top 10 Results
1. Tony Stewart
2. Juan Pablo Montoya
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Kyle Busch
5. Reed Sorenson
6. Mark Martin
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Jeff Burton
9. Dave Blaney
10.Matt Kenseth
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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