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NASCAR Natalie
Turn 4 Transitions
Natalie Anthony
9/26/2006
Banquet 400
There’s no place like home…there’s no place like home…there’s no place like Kansas Speedway
Unfortunately for NASCAR fans, the Nextel Cup series schedule only visits the home of Kansas Speedway once a season and that’s during the last 10 races of the chase. Sadly, for some rookie drivers, they have never experienced the Banquet 400. Our local boy Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) will be making his debut this weekend for the Nextel Cup series race. Sunday will mark the 6th time the Cup series has made the trip to emerald infields of Kansas City.
The Checkered Four
(Current point standings)
Scarecrow - Jeff Gordon (2nd) Hendrick Motorsports – Chevrolet – If he only had a brain. Ok, maybe he has just a little one. Jeff did manage to intelligently win the inaugural race at Kansas back in 2001 and again in 2002. He has the most Top 5’s (3) and Top 10’s (4) out of all competitors at this track. Clearly it’s a smart gamble to pick Jeff as a repeat winner, again.
Tin Man - Tony Stewart (11th) Joe Gibbs Racing - Chevrolet – If he only had a heart. Tony may say he is cautious of the chase drivers during a race, but what happened at Dover? Tony didn’t show Kasey Kahne any love. Could Tony secretly be targeting all the chase contender’s one by one because he barely missed the chase and has a hole where his heart should be? Well, he doesn’t have to worry about Kyle Busch, he took himself out. That’s 2 down and 8 to go. Tony hasn’t won at Kansas yet, but his average finish is about the 8th spot.
Cowardly Lion - Ryan Newman (17th) Penske Racing South – Dodge – If he only had the nerve. Did Ryan loose some of his NASCAR spirit? Last season, every driver who was on the pole during qualifying (before Ryan took his laps) felt ill and usually for good reason. He had 8 poles last season, 9 the year before and a career record 11 the year before that. This season he has 2. He has never taken the pole at Kansas, but he did manage a win and a remarkable 3 Top 5’s and Top 10’s out of 5 starts. He still has time to rocket back.
Wizard of Oz - Mark Martin (6th) Roush Racing – Ford – “I am the great and powerful Mark.” Mark is great at consistency. He hasn’t won a race all season and is in the chase. Since the chase began, he has consistently been in the 6th place in points. I’m going to throw it out there; can we bet on maybe a powerful 6th place finish at Kansas? Mark won here before and had a Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s out of 5 starts.
Toto’s (Underdogs)
(Current point standings)
Jamie McMurray (18th) Roush Racing – Ford – Jamie seems to pull it together at tracks towards the end of the season. He finished in the Top 10 his first 2 races at Kansas and 18th his last time there. It wouldn’t be too far fetched to pick him to finish in the Top 15 and put him another spot up in the point standings. Since the start of the chase, Jamie has gained a spot in the points each race.
Brian Vickers (19th) Hendricks Motorsports – Chevrolet – Brian almost dug out a Top 10 last season at Kansas. This will be his 3rd start here and with a Top 15 average, you can put a little bit of money on him keeping up with the trend and finishing around the same place. Brian’s one of those non-rookie, fairly new to the Nextel series drivers that makes you think twice about them come race day.
Most likely to be a flying monkey (lap down)
(Current point standings)
Scott Riggs (22nd) Evernham Motorsports – Dodge – Normally Scott would be sitting happily in my Underdog section, but have you seen him race at Kansas? He has raced there 2 times and his best finished was 26th. Even with him running good at similar tracks, he usually can’t seal the deal without wrecking into something and that is usually because he lost control of his car.
Denny Hamlin (4th) Joe Gibbs Racing – Chevrolet – With only one start at Kansas, Denny qualified in 7th, but finished 32nd. Denny is an awesome rookie and he needs to spend some more races running laps at Kansas. Video games or no video games, there will be no going to victory lane no matter how many times he clicks his heels.
Track Stats
Kansas Speedway (Kansas City, KS)
Banquet 400
October 1, 2006 (Sunday) – 1:30 pm - NBC
(Sister Tracks – Atlanta, California, Homestead-Miami, Lowe’s
Dover, Chicagoland, Michigan, Darlington, & Texas)
(Tracks in bold represent tracks in the Chase for the Nextel Cup)
Banquet 400
(October 9, 2005)
Top 10 Results
1. Mark Martin
2. Greg Biffle
3. Carl Edwards
4. Tony Stewart
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Rusty Wallace
8. Casey Mears
9. Ricky Rudd
10. Jeff Gordon
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Our latest Cheat Sheets updated constantly through September.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr1')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Steven Jackson Setting Modest Goals, Looking For More
(5/12 12:21 AM PT)
The Facts:
Last June, Jackson announced he was shooting for 2,500 total yards from scrimmage. He wound up with about half that, rushing for 1,002 yards and adding 271 receiving yards in 12 games. He missed four games with injuries, and the Rams tumbled to 3-13 and last place in the NFC West. "My goal right now until (training camp in) July is to (learn) this offense, so I can play fast," Jackson said. "When I'm playing fast, I know what I'm doing."
Diehards Line:
Assuming he -- and his offensive line -- avoid the injuries that caused so many problems last year, Jackson, heading into the final year of his rookie contract, figures he can rebuild his stats and enhance his bargaining power at the same time. A monster season would push Jackson, 24, even further up the potential-earnings chart, and he's counting on putting up big numbers. "Well, we all know what happens in a contract year: you ball out," he said with a laugh. "So, I expect to."
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr2')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Michael Turner Among Falcons On The Mend
(5/11 12:24 PM PT)
The Facts:
Several veteran players recovering from injuries took part in the Falcons' first mandatory mini-camp on Saturday. Turner (shoulder) participated in most drills after being medically withheld from a voluntary mini-camp in April.
Diehards Line:
Turner had surgery on the shoulder earlier this year and is expected to be fully recovered before training camp. ... Meanwhile, QB D.J. Shockley and WR Brian Finneran, both trying to make comebacks from season-ending knee injuries, went through the majority of the dual practice sessions. For Finneran, who wore a heavy brace on his right knee, just going through a non-contact practice is a huge step. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in consecutive years during practice. He last played in 2005.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr3')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">GM Disappointed, But Not Ready To Bail On Cedric Benson
(5/11 12:22 PM PT)
The Facts:
GM Jerry Angelo expressed disappointment that Benson put himself in a situation last weekend that resulted in his arrest near Austin Texas, but Angelo said the team isn't rushing to judgment in the case and that he expects Benson to be at training camp competing for the starting job in July. "The thing that I am most disappointed in is the fact that he put himself in a position to be the victim," Angelo said.
Diehards Line:
Coming off arguably the worst of his three disappointing seasons with the Bears, Benson was expected to face an uphill battle for playing time against second-round pick Matt Forte even before the legal problems. Benson is still in the process of rehabbing the latest injury, but he hopes to be 100 percent healthy by the start of camp July 23.As reported in this week's Fantasy Notebook, there has been speculation that the Bears might release Benson, but Angelo dashed those rumors. "There's no plans to cut him," the Bears' GM said.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr4')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Saints' Interest In Jeremy Shockey Ongoing
(5/11 11:16 AM PT)
The Facts:
The talk of the Saints' interest in acquiring Shockey is seemingly never-ending. When asked about whether or not improving depth at tight end is a priority in the offseason, HC Sean Payton said, "If the right player was available and we felt like he could come in an compete with the guys we currently have on our roster, than we'd be interested in doing that."
Diehards Line:
In light of Payton's comment, it might be worth noting a Newark Star Ledger report this morning in which Giants OC Kevin Gilbride's said he's not sure if Shockey will play another down for the Giants or if he'll be traded. "It's so nebulous right now. I just have no idea what's going to happen," Gilbride said. Gilbride said he has spoken to Shockey recently, but wouldn't say what the TE's feelings were. The coach also suggested the team's improvement with Shockey on the sidelines late last season had more to do with Steve Smith's presence than Shockey's absence.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr5')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Torry Holt Unsure About Long-Term Future With Rams
(5/11 11:15 AM PT)
The Facts:
On Saturday, in his first comments to St. Louis reporters since the end of the 2007 season, it was clear that Holt is taking a realistic view about his future with the Rams. "I have this year and next year, and hopefully I can finish those years out," Holt said. "Then, I'll see where I'm at. I'll see where I'm at physically. I'll see where I'm at emotionally, financially."
Diehards Line:
Holt went on to explain: "Then, if they would like to do something here, I'll consider it. If not, then I'll have the option to go and explore and give my services somewhere else." Holt raised eyebrows three weeks ago when he talked about reuniting with his brother Terrence -- a safety for the Panthers -- when the final two years of his contract were up. To a degree, it was clear Holt was joking, particularly the remark about "resigning" from the Rams. But he admitted Saturday that if he moves on, Carolina will definitely be the first choice. Still, Holt fully plans to play out the remaining two seasons on his current contract.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr6')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Darren McFadden Showing Off Speed, Versatility
(5/11 12:20 AM PT)
The Facts:
McFadden practiced in his No. 20 jersey, showing speed and burst in both rushing attempts and pass routes. "It's so easy for him to run really fast," HC Lane Kiffin said. "He's running by people and it doesn't look like it's really hard to do. Reggie (Bush) was that way. They don't even have to go to the next level until they really need it."
Diehards Line:
As Chronicle staffer David White pointed out, contact isn't allowed in off-season workouts, so plays were whistled dead when tackles seemed imminent -- not that many defenders on hand looked capable of doing so in an open field. Meanwhile, Oakland Tribune beat man Jerry McDonald notes that McFadden caught a number of passes in Saturday's workouts -- both out of the backfield and while split out wide. He even lined up at QB taking shotgun snaps less than 24 hours after Kiffin cautioned about throwing too much at the rookie too soon.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr7')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Matt Ryan Starting At Bottom Of Depth Chart
(5/10 4:31 PM PT)
The Facts:
The Falcons just finished the first of five mini-camp practices and Ryan made his debut -- as the third-team quarterback. This veteran coaching staff is going to make him earn his stripes. So, for now, he worked behind Chris Redman and Joey Harrington and rotated with D.J. Shockley.
Diehards Line:
The Falcons have yet to tip their hand when it comes to the approach they'll take with Ryan. He could start, or the coaching staff could make him earn his way up the depth chart. But as the AJC notes, the offense is new and Redman, Harrington and D.J. Shockley don't have a big head start on the rookie. That could emerge as a determining factor in the staff's strategy.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr8')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Mario Manningham Slowed By Injured Hip Flexor
(5/10 2:57 PM PT)
The Facts:
Manningham and QB Andre' Woodson were sidelined by injuries Saturday during the New York Giants' mini-camp for rookies and free agents. A third-round draft pick from Michigan, Manningham suffered a hip flexor on his left side running a pull-up pattern early in the morning workout. Woodson pulled a quad muscle in his left leg.
Diehards Line:
Manningham said the injury happened because he did not run his pattern right. "It ain't nothing bad or serious," Manningham said. "If it was serious I would not be walking. ..." HC Tom Coughlin said Manningham, the third-round pick from Michigan, "showed some flashes" before the injury.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr9')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Chris Perry Ready To Contribute
(5/10 9:16 AM PT)
The Facts:
HC Marvin Lewis said Sunday that Perry will be available Tuesday when the team begins voluntary on-field work. Perry was placed on season-ending injured reserve in 2007 after sustaining a serious ankle injury Nov. 26, 2006.
Diehards Line:
According to Enquirer staffer Mark Curnutte, the reason the Bengals didn't take a running back in last month's NFL Draft wasn't because they wanted to sign Shaun Alexander, who had been released by Seattle. The reason is that Perry appears to be healthy and ready to play this year. ... The Bengals want Perry to return to the role he occupied in 2005, when he played in 14 games with two starts and had 51 receptions and a 4.6-yard rushing average as Rudi Johnson's backup. To do so, of course, Perry would have to avoid the kind of injuries that have limited him just 9one full season in four years as a pro.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr10')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Kyle Boller Running With First Team; Flacco Impresses
(5/10 1:15 AM PT)
The Facts:
Boller got most of the work with the first team but looked shaky during team drills. He threw two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown by the defense.
Diehards Line:
According to ESPN.com's James Walker, rookie Joe Flacco shared secondary reps with Troy Smith and didn't disappoint. The rookie first-round pick showed off his arm strength with several nice deep balls, including one that connected with receiver Mark Clayton for a touchdown. He also threw crisp slants and check downs to running backs. ... All indications are Boller will be the opening day starter but don't be surprised if the new staff pushes Flacco into the lineup as quickly as possible.
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