Motorsports FanHouse

FanHouse Warmup: Banking 500

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Lowes Motor Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck Series

The Essentials

Race: NASCAR Banking 500

Where: Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
Time: Saturday 7:30 p.m./EST
TV/Radio: ABC, PRN Radio
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mostly cloudy, 40s, 20% rain
Distance: 334 laps (500.1 miles)
Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2008 Winner: Jeff Burton

The Storylines

Carl Edwards may blame last year's loss to Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the Sprint Cup on a crash at Talladega, but a finish in last year's fall race at Lowe's Motor Speedway provided all the points Johnson needed to win his third consecutive title.

Or, rather, the necessary point.

More Coverage: Race Results | Sprint Cup Standings

Edwards suffered electrical issues early in the 2008 event at LMS that saw his No. 99 roll to a stop on the backstretch. The team got his car fixed in the garage, but he was only able to salvage a 33rd-place finish and earned 67 points in the process.

In his career, Edwards has now averaged a 10th-place finish at LMS. Pending that he would have finished at least 10th, Edwards would have earned 134 points, or 70 more than he did in this race a year ago. The final tally at the end of 2009 campaign between him and Johnson for the title?

69 points.

What, then, does this have to do with Saturday night's race? Despite the fact that -- cue former Arizona Cardinals head coach Denny Green -- the media has pretty much crowned Johnson the champ for 2009 (including yours truly) anything can happen. Silly, stupid things that are completely unexpected. Like electrical problems.

And who knows? A point Johnson misses tonight might be all another contender needs when the smoke settles in Homestead.

Jeff Burton, a.k.a the unofficial mayor of NASCAR, will reach a significant milestone in his long career in the sport when the green flag waves Saturday night.

Burton, the 43-year-old from South Boston, Va., will start his 850th race in the Sprint Cup Series during a season that has been quite a struggle for him and his Richard Childress Racing teammates. Burton is 18th in the standings with just six top-10 finishes in 2009, and tonight's race will mark the one year anniversary of his last Cup win.

As Burton reaches both anniversaries tonight, his hopes have improved after noting this week that he's seeing improvement within RCR.

"I think we've made a swing," said Burton. "I don't think we are where we need to be by any means but if you look at it individually, our teams are starting to run better."

Kurt Busch knows that his team has been decent during the Chase, and obviously he's looking to continue a pretty good run tonight at LMS.

"I feel like this is a great opportunity for us to continue our stretch where we've finished, on average the last few races, in 7.5," said Busch.

In years past, his level of "decent" would likely have been good enough to be in heavy, heavy contention for the title. But coming into tonight's race, he's trailing Jimmie Johnson by some 121 points.

"That's a good average finish, but we're getting beat by better numbers," Busch said. "In years past when Dale [Earnhardt] Sr. was winning championships, or Jeff Gordon, the magic number back then was seven as far as your average finish. With this new Chase format, seven will only get you sixth in points and 121 off the lead."

And he's right. At the moment, Jimmie Johnson is averaging a blistering 3.75 finish. That's tough to beat.

FanHouse Warmup: Banking 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NASCAR Arrives at Indy: Notes From Friday's Practice Sessions

Holly Cain — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup

INDIANAPOLIS -- So far, so good.

Two hour-long practice sessions Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway eased the minds of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams concerned with tire wear for Sunday's AllState 400 at the Brickyard.

"It is done, they have created a great tire,'' said four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon, who, following a June tire test, promised fans that Goodyear had fixed the problems that wreaked havoc on last year's race when tire wear forced drivers to pit every 10-15 laps.

More: NASCAR Teams Cautious Concerning Danica

Drivers, reporters and race officials have blamed the backlash from last year's tire debacle for lagging ticket sales for Sunday's race.

"They have backed it up with testing and they have now proven it here,'' Gordon said. "What I think is most crucial is the practice that we had, and I think I could have probably run all day long on one set of tires if I wanted to.''

Throughout the garage, crew chiefs and drivers echoed Gordon's sentiment.

Kyle Busch ran 26 laps in the first session, one of eight cars that turned at least 20 laps. And no one had any issues with tires.

The drivers who participated in Goodyear's final test in June were confident that Goodyear had solved its problem. Gordon even suggested that it wasn't purely a tire-compound issue, but a bad combination of the new car, the track and the tire. Friday's practice erased any remaining doubt with qualifying set for Saturday.

"All of that historical stuff is gone, it was basically an isolated incident,'' said Greg Biffle, who was fastest in the opening practice session. "A big deal was made about it, and it's gone now. We're good.''

Latest NASCAR Images

Mark Martin talks with a crew member following practice for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, July 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT tools Chevrolet, looks at lap times during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: Fans watch practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, smiles in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: Jimmie Johnson (R), driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT tools Chevrolet, stands with crew chief Chad Knaus (L) during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: (L) Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, signs an autograph during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

Getty Images for NASCAR

Kasey Kahne sits in his car during practice for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, July 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: Jimmie Johnson (R), driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, talks with a crew member during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 DeWalt Ford, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Kenseth

Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 24: Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 Haas Automation Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Newman

Getty Images

Close Call: Defending race winner Jimmie Johnson had a rough return to the track. Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet scraped the wall only minutes into the first practice session.

There was no major damage, however and Johnson posted the eighth-quickest speed in the session.

Mending Fences: Johnson said he reached out to Kurt Busch during the off-week to discuss their on-track run-in at Chicago two weeks ago. But Johnson said Busch did not respond to his text message.

The two made contact late in the race, and Busch -- still upset after getting wrecked by Johnson at Sears Point, Calif. in the previous race -- retaliated by hitting Johnson's Chevy. Johnson apologized about the Sears Point accident but insisted last week's contact was purely a racing incident and that his car just got loose.

In a television interview immediately after the Chicago race, Busch questioned Johnson's judgment and ability. But they both said Friday they are ready to move on.

"I'll find him in the garage,'' Busch said. "I felt like Chicago was definitely a heat of the moment type situation where it wasn't that big of a deal. Then to see everybody bombard us after we finished 17th, then I guess it was an issue.

"So we'll work on it, shake hands and laugh about it. I don't think that it's that big of a deal.''

Double Trouble: While the double-file restarts have certainly added a new element of excitement to Sprint Cup racing this summer, not all drivers are big fans of the format, even if they choose not to admit it.

Veteran Jeff Burton criticized the restarts after wrecking in one at Chicago two weeks ago and like many people, expects the tight-quarters at Indianapolis to make double-file restarts even more difficult to pull off.

"I really like the double-file restarts from the fan's perspective,'' Burton said. "Even from a competitor's perspective I"m good with it. It's just that I've been on the wrong end of it for four weeks in a row and we've been in wrecks that other people have caused four weeks in a row right after the double-file restarts.

"I'd love to think there is some magic fix but there's not. Double-file restarts do make the racing better, there's no question about it but they do put us in a little more jeopardy of being in a wreck.''

NASCAR Arrives at Indy: Notes From Friday's Practice Sessions originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The New NASCAR: Change Is OK

Holly Cain — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:23:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

The pre-race buzz is understandably high for the double-file re-starts NASCAR is implementing in the Sprint Cup Series Sunday at Pocono, Pa.

But the real story isn't so much the exciting midseason change in format, but NASCAR's willingness to make a midseason change in format.

Say what you want about stock car's benevolent dictatorship, but in the last few years, the hard-line has been replaced with the open-line. And NASCAR's willingness to adapt -- in the name of more exciting competition -- may be the very thing that keeps it relevant and afloat in these tricky economic times.

The competition for fans' attention and discretionary spending hasn't been this tough in decades. After finally scaling the mountain into being a respected, legitimate big-time professional sport, NASCAR is making every effort to earn its keep there.

Take that, hockey and baseball.

Instituting a new re-start procedure isn't exactly revolutionary thinking, but it is evolutionary thinking -- the ability to evolve as necessary.

That's what NASCAR did when it started the Chase for the Championship in the 2004 season. Series officials cringed as if still unsure of their own progressive instincts and implored the press, "don't call it a playoff" -- but that's what it is and that's what the sport needed.

"The Chase" revitalized a long, tedious 36-week season and provided a fresh championship run that has only helped NASCAR as it goes up against the NFL each Fall.

This week's new re-start rule is a tiny, easy tweak to the system and the direct result of a town hall meeting NASCAR called with Cup owners and drivers last week to discuss the state of the sport and table suggestions for improvements. Like the ideas this meeting generated, the meeting itself is a development in the way NASCAR does things.

"I think that the thing that I'm most impressed with about that meeting is that they were open to ideas and suggestions and thoughts about the car and where they feel like it is at. ... Just the sport in general and the economy and safety and all of those things,'' said four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon.

"I think it's fantastic and I love where they're going with that and I hope we see more of them.''

It's the type of innovative thinking and willingness to make reasonable reaction few would have associated with NASCAR 10-15 years ago.

The veteran drivers joked this week that they are still getting used to it.

"I told someone at Charlotte that there was no way ever that we would do double file restarts in 2009 and I believed that we would do it in the Nationwide and Truck Series and then do it in Cup Series in 2010,'' Jeff Burton said.

"I'm shocked that they made the decision and are doing it this year. I don't normally see them make big procedural changes like this in the middle of the year.

"I'm not saying it is wrong, but it is very surprising.''

That may be because like a lot of us, Burton remembers the late Bill France Jr. holding court every January during preseason testing. He would join the drivers and a small group of reporters gathered in the Daytona International Speedway garage during a lunch break to informally answer their questions.

There wasn't much gray area. France certainly didn't welcome constructive criticism from the press and there weren't open forum sessions for teams. Mostly, he listened to a handful of longtime NASCAR executives and a few top drivers such as Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the back of the NASCAR "hauler."

Change wasn't on top of the agenda then. It was a different time and the sport was still trying to establish itself and earn an identity.

But times are different now and NASCAR, including France's son, Chairman Brian France, who recognizes the need to be current and reactionary with purpose.

"They didn't make double-file restarts because all the drivers said, 'hey make double file restarts,' they made them because all the drivers said, 'yeah, if the fans want to do it, do it.' This is strictly for the fans to make the race more exciting,'' Burton said.

"We should always be willing to look at ourselves and figure out how to do it better. I don't think you will see something this big for a while, but I think you are going to see a lot of little things that impact the way the cars drive.

"There are so many options for people out there to be entertained . ... it has really given NASCAR an opportunity to look at themselves and say, 'how can we do it better and what does that mean, 'doing it better.' ''

It isn't just that NASCAR is asking the questions, but that it is willing to listen to the answers.

The New NASCAR: Change Is OK originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Jeff Burton

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

Warning: Objects in this post may be the only way to successfully live through the NASCAR off-season. For best results, read rearview mirror early and often.

Driver: Jeff Burton
Team: No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
'08 Final Standing: 6th (-349)
Best Race: Bristol & Charlotte (1st)
Worst Race: Bristol (42nd-place)

Season in a box: 2008 was nothing more than the same old song and dance for Jeff Burton. So much, in fact, that I'm ready to start a lobby for a new nickname for Burton that is both bland and consistent. Ideas, anyone?

Burton wrapped up the 2008 season with two wins to bring his career total to very respectable 21 trips to victory lane, and as usual, with a handful of races to go, many in the NASCAR media were high on the "Burton for championship: '08" bandwagon after his win at Lowe's Motor Speedway moved him to just 69 points back of eventual champion Jimmie Johnson.

But just like in 2006 after he won the Chase's second race at Dover, Burton knocked down some consistent runs but was never in a place to actually compete for a championship.

Regardless, one can easily say 2008 was a good year for Burton -- Top-10 in points, still winning, 7 Top-5's, 18 Top-10s, a new multi-year sponsorship -- and that save for being in contention for the championship, he couldn't have done much better.

Through the crystal windshield: I doubt there's really anyone that expects Jeff Burton's new and improved Caterpillar team (the new '09 sponsor after AT&T's grandfather clause with NASCAR ran out) will fare much better or much worse than in 2008.

Let's face it, Burton is one of those drivers that is incredibly easy to be a fan of because he'll pull off a few victories every season, but won't ever really be in contention for a championship at the late stages of the game, removing any sense of championship heartbreak for No. 31 fans.

So, Burton fans, expect Top-10s, Top-5s, a plethora of Top-20 finishes (he had 32 of those in 2008!) and a few wins, but not a whole lot else.

Next up: Clint Bowyer

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Jeff Burton originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LFL: Burton Wins Lowe's, Now 2nd in Chase

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:17:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

FanHouse's Geoffrey Miller is at the track in Concord, N.C. for Saturday night's Bank of America 500 in full fan mode. He's hoping to avoid Kevin Harvick's motor coach driver from his location in the Ford Grandstand, Section I.

Jeff Burton made a valiant effort to catch Kyle Busch at the end of Friday night's Nationwide Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway but came up short.

Saturday night, the rest of the Sprint Cup field was coming up short on a gambling Jeff Burton.

Burton took his second win of the 2008 season Saturday night at LMS in the Bank of America 500 after his crew chief Scott Miller made a risky call to take no tires and gas only on the leader's final pit stop, giving the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet the lead for the final time.

Burton had led prior to the final pit stop, but he was the only car in contention who didn't take tires, seemingly leaving the door open for the final 33 laps to those behind him who took two or four new tires on the last stop. However, the aerodynamics of the car of tomorrow at the 1.5-mile tracks reared its ugly head and all that mattered for Burton was the clean air -- just as it had for each leader all night long.

Aside from picking up his third career win at LMS and first in the fall edition of the Sprint Cup Series race at the track, Burton closed ground on Chase for the Sprint Cup leader Jimmie Johnson, and more importantly, moved into second place in the standings.

Burton led 58 laps Saturday night at LMS, third to Jimmie Johnson (67) and Brian Vickers (64).

Johnson appeared ready to retake command after the final pit stop put him on Burton's bumper at the green flag with two fresh right side tires. The No. 48 pulled alongside Burton's Chevrolet for several laps after the green, but Johnson, who had an extremely loose race car, nearly lost it multiple times and eventually let Burton go.

After the race, Johnson said was "pissed" about the way his car handled after slipping to sixth. Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray all passed Johnson to secure Top-5 finishes, respectively.

LFL: Burton Wins Lowe's, Now 2nd in Chase originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Calling the Chase: 7th - Jeff Burton

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:12:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

The NASCAR season truly kicks in Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup begins. From now through Friday, FanHouse will preview each of the 12-drivers and evaluate their championship chances.

7th - Jeff Burton, RCR Chevrolet

Starting Deficit: 70 points

2008 Stats: 1 win, 4 Top-5's, 12 Top-10's

2008 Regular Season Point Standing: 5th (-494)

2007 Chase Result: 8th

Chase Chances: Jeff Burton once again has had another Jeff Burton-type of year. He doesn't win a whole lot, doesn't make a lot of noise, but at the end of the day and at the end of NASCAR's regular season, Burton is right there with both a solid finish and a solid spot in the Chase. Burton is the first driver in our countdown feature to not start in an 80-point hole, thanks to his win in March at Bristol that netted him 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup bonus points.

The rest of the season, Burton has "nickled and dimed", if you will, the rest of the Sprint Cup Series by being a consistently high finisher that doesn't do it in a flashy manner. In other words, whenever there are points on the line, Burton always puts himself in a position to accept. Burton's safe and consistent driving style though could be the biggest challenge the No. 31 team faces in the 2008 Chase, and therefore won't likely be one of the favorites come the end of the 10-race run.

Prediction: Just In It.

Calling the Chase: 7th - Jeff Burton originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Qualifying Rained Out, NASCAR's Power Not

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:45:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Sprint Cup

Kyle Busch will start on the pole for Sunday's Lifelock 400 at Michigan International Speedway, but he certainly won't be dissing NASCAR's newest car this weekend.

NASCAR held an unusual meeting with drivers and car owners one half hour prior to the morning's first practice Friday to lay down the law on what drivers need to be saying about the Car of Tomorrow project.

That's Racin's David Poole called it a "Come to Jesus"-style meeting.

Many drivers wouldn't even discuss it.

But what we do know is that NASCAR made it clear that its simply tired of hearing the constant negativity about the performance of the car being used for the first time on full time in 2008.

A key message of the meeting apparently was that NASCAR fans are being let down by the constant bashing, and that they shouldn't be subject to that for coming to a spectator event for enjoyment. There must have been enforcement policies laid down because hardly a soul was giving deep info about the get-together.

To me, telling the teams they should handle a problematic situation by putting on the rose-colored glasses doesn't seem like an effective way to solve problems. Doubly, as a NASCAR fan, it shows me that NASCAR truly has reached a point where it cannot make any legitimate changes in the near future to increase the quality of Sprint Cup racing on the new vehicle.

At least I've never heard of censorship helping a cars downforce in a pack of traffic.

The rains came after 11 drivers got on track during the qualifying session, leaving the rulebook to decide where teams would start Sunday's race. That leaves Jeff Burton on the outside pole with Jason Leffler and Tony Raines heading home.

Qualifying Rained Out, NASCAR's Power Not originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Burton Scores Unlikely Food City 500 Win

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Bristol Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing, Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup

If you would have told Jeff Burton with ten laps left during Sunday's Food City 500 the directions to victory lane, he would have probably looked at you like you were crazy.

Burton, though, with a strange set of circumstances ended up needing those directions to Bristol Motor Speedway's victory lane.

With 15 laps to go, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin were shaping up for a three-way battle for the lead when Brian Vickers cut a tire on his No. 83 Toyota and slammed the turn 3 wall, bringing out a caution.

Stewart, Hamlin, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. stayed out as the rest of the lead-lap cars -- including Harvick and Burton -- dove to pit road for fresh tires. On the restart with 5 laps to go, Stewart jumped out to a lead before Hamlin caught him and drove past.

Harvick had restarted 4th and passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. before getting to Stewart's rear bumper. As the two dove into turn one with 3 laps to go, Harvick hit the apron, bobbled, and doorslammed Stewart -- spinning the No. 20 into the wall.

In the mess, Burton drove underneath Harvick just before the caution came out, giving him second spot behind Hamlin for the ensuing green-white-checkered finish.

When the race restarted for the final time, Hamlin got a good restart but off of turn 2, his No. 11 Toyota stumbled for some reason and Burton blew past to lead the final lap and a half in a first for Richard Childress Racing. RCR finished 1-2-3 with Burton, Harvick, and Clint Bowyer crossing the finish line first.

The win was Burton's first of 2008 and his 20th of his career. Additionally, it was Chevrolet's first win of 2008.

Greg Biffle finished fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fifth.

Burton Scores Unlikely Food City 500 Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Carl Edwards Doubles Up in Las Vegas

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

If Aerosmith was in town, they'd be belting out "Same Old Song and Dance" right about now.

Carl Edwards took his second Sprint Cup Series victory in a row Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His win -- the ninth of the Missouri-driver's career -- at the UAW-Dodge 400 put Edwards into the points lead of the Sprint Cup Series for the first time.

Edwards also won last week's Auto Club 500 in California.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton rounded out the Top-5 in the second race of the weekend at LVMS to set new records for cautions.

Saturday's Nationwide Series event had a track record 13 cautions while Sunday's Sprint Cup event won by Edwards had 11 cautions -- one over the track record.

A few of the cautions saw NASCAR's biggest names involved in some of the day's biggest hits.

Tony Stewart got things rolling by cutting his right-front tire in turns 3 & 4 and plastered the SAFER barrier with the right side of his No. 20 Toyota. Kurt Busch suffered the same fate off of turn 4 when his right-front exploded, sending him into the wall.

Both Stewart and Busch walked away quite gingerly but were released from the infield care center.

Jeff Gordon tangled with Matt Kenseth on a restart with four laps to go, shooting the No. 24 across the backstretch and into a safety truck opening -- ripping the radiator and tons of other parts of the car. Calling it the hardest hit he had ever had, Gordon's crash brought out a 17-minute red flag.

Pole sitter Kyle Busch looked very strong through the first half of the race, but faded late to continue the streak of a pole winner never winning the Sprint Cup race at Vegas. He finished 11th.

Stay tuned to NASCAR FanHouse for plenty more coverage of Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400

Carl Edwards Doubles Up in Las Vegas originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Jeff Burton, No. 31 Childress Chevrolet

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 8th-place Jeff Burton.

Driver: Jeff Burton -- South Boston, Virginia
Team: No. 31 Cingular/AT&T Chevrolet
Points: 8th (-491)
2006: 7th in Cup Standings
Key Stats: 1 wins, 9 Top-5s, 18 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes

Jeff Burton's most newsworthy event of the year didn't even come on the race track.

Over the summer, Burton's sponsor AT&T sued NASCAR for the right to change the brand on the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet from Cingular to AT&T. The issue, which originally arose over a grandfather clause in the contract for Sprint/Nextel to become the title sponsor of the Cup Series, was eventually settled after AT&T agreed to depart the sport after 2008 with the allowance of running the AT&T brand on Burton's car until that point.

For a few races though late in the summer, though, Burton's car was painted bright orange with no sponsors -- an indication of some severe problems NASCAR is having with growing the sport by alienating potential sponsors.

On the track, though, Burton scored his lone victory at the track that he scored his first career one -- at Texas Motor Speedway in April. A thrilling duel with former teammate Matt Kenseth sealed the end of the race that interestingly enough with all of Burton's sponsor troubles saw the No. 31 enter victory lane with a special primary sponsor of Prilosec OTC.

Aside from Texas, Burton's 2007 campaign was nothing other than typical Jeff Burton -- consistent.

Burton made the Chase and likely would have fared much higher in the final standings if he would have been able to skip Talladega and Kansas. Burton finished those events 43rd and 36th, respectively.

Finishes of 18th and 12th coupled with six Top-10s -- four straight to finish the season, nonetheless -- showed Burton had a mildly successful playoff run with plenty to build on for 2008.

The sign of Burton's Childress teammates Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick also making the Chase should be good for the whole RCR outfit in 2008.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Jeff Burton, No. 31 Childress Chevrolet originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Jeff Burton Agrees: ESPN on ABC is "Absurd"

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:43:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, NASCAR Gossip, NASCAR Media Watch, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup

I feel bad for Marty Reid, I really do.

Dude got shoved into a segment on ESPN2's NASCAR Now showing ESPN's impressive NASCAR coverage. Or, well, I hope he got shoved into it.

Before I rip the whole segment apart, let me allow Jeff Burton, ESPN's token driver voice for their coverage to do so as he did in the video:

"Well the first word that comes to mind is absurd. The first goal of racing is to be there at the end. This system would award people and reward people for doing things that actually would hamper the way they would finish the race," said Burton.

"So it makes no sense -- you used the worst example in the world at Talladega to expose a problem, when in fact, we don't have this problem at most race tracks. So you have to run toward the front, you have to run hard in order to be competitive at almost every race track with the exception of Talladega. So, in a word, I think it's absurd."

Amen, Jeff.

For me, this whole segment (with a nice after-touch of Judge Judy) shows why ESPN and NASCAR fans haven't exactly gotten along this season.

ESPN has forced Rusty Wallace, Erik Kuselias, Draft Tracker, Brent "insurmountable" Musberger and the Full Throttle scanner bologna down our throats all year long. This bird-brained point system idea is just another reason why ESPN isn't doing NASCAR right. ESPN says that we can't think for ourselves, and then does it for us.

What exactly is it about the current point system that is so wrong? Is there a race beside Talladega that has seen drivers race at the back the whole time?

No. No. And no.

I'm glad Jeff Burton felt that it was his place to step up and say what he wanted. I really wish we could have heard what David Poole of the Charlotte Observer had to say, because I can imagine it would have been similar.

NFLCAR? No way!

And really, let's be honest, who of us have watched the start of the race, and then watched more of the race, and then watched the whole race?

Apparently, the whole ESPN network might be surprised.

Jeff Burton Agrees: ESPN on ABC is "Absurd" originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

DEI-RCR Engines Fail 'Dega Reliability Test

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:20:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. may have lost what was his best remaining chance at a Nextel Cup race victory Sunday after blowing his engine with 52 laps to go in the UAW-Ford 500.

But his teammate Martin Truex Jr. and engine program partner Jeff Burton might have lost so much more.

The Dale Earnhardt Inc.-Richard Childress Racing engine partnership had seven cars on track Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway and only two of them finished under full power. Three of them actually finished.

Burton lost his motor off of turn four on lap 92 and 21 laps later Truex blew his coming into the tri-oval.

Burton knows that he can pretty much stick a fork in his title chances.

"Obviously, this about wraps it up for us for the championship. We will keep fighting," Burton said. "We will go next week and strap our boots on and go fight and see what we can make out of it."

Truex now finds himself 300 points out of first in tenth while Burton sits further back -- in 12th with a 331 point deficit.

Kevin Harvick also started engine trouble late in the event. With 44 laps to go, Harvick was sitting on pit road with the hood up, but his crew could do nothing to fixed what ailed his Chevrolet engine. He would finish on seven cylinders in 20th place, some 202 points behind race-winner and point leader Jeff Gordon.

New DEI'er Aric Almirola also finished with a DNF because of his engine.

Only Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard would finish without a hitch in the engine.

DEI-RCR Engines Fail 'Dega Reliability Test originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Handicapping the Chase: Harvick and Burton

tallglassofmilk — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Chase for the Sprint Cup

10th Seed Jeff Burton (10/1)
Points: 5,010
Bonus: 30
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 7
Tops 10: 12
DNFs: 2

11th Seed Kevin Harvick (12/1)
Points: 5,010
Bonus: 45
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 4
Tops 10: 11
DNFs: 0

Harvick fell to 14th one week early in the season, but other than that both drivers have maintained their position in the top 12 throughout the season. Still, if it weren't for the change in format to allow 12 drivers, Harvick would be sitting this one out.

Despite a dramatic win for Harvick in the season-opener at Daytona, this season has been more dramatic for the sponsors of these Richard Childress Racing drivers than for the drivers themselves. I don't expect either of their Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship runs to be dramatic either. Advantage: Burton.

Handicapping the Rest of the Chase Field
Gordon and Johnson
Stewart and Hamlin
Kenseth and Edwards
The Busch Brothers
Truex and Bowyer

Handicapping the Chase: Harvick and Burton originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 09:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NASCAR Screws Sponsor Out of Series

tallglassofmilk — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Nextel Cup, NASCAR Sponsors, Richard Childress Racing

AT&T: NASCAR is being "unreasonable and vindictive."

NASCAR: "NASCAR fans are not fans of litigation, and AT&T needs to do the right thing and honor the agreements that were made."

TGOM: " ~~Nextel~~ Sprint are hypocrites and NASCAR are greedy sons of bit*hes."

AT&T was once a worthy NASCAR Nextel Cup sponsor--when they were called Cingular. Now their money is no good. Well, their money is still good, but their logos aren't.

NASCAR spokesperson Ramsey Posten said that several paint schemes were approved for RCR this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, including a GoPhone scheme. RCR and AT&T say NASCAR didn't approve any they submitted for the Sharpie 500, including a GoPhone scheme.

I think I gotta believe AT&T on this one--I'm sure if there was actually an approved scheme, they'd be running it.

Instead, the #31 AT&T Chevrolet rolled off the hauler at Bristol Motor Speedway this morning sans any visible sign of the sponsor's logo. Logos have even been removed from the hauler and pit equipment ... team AT&T shirts have been left behind in favor of generic RCR shirts.

No point in beating a dead horse, but I still can't get over Sprint blocking AT&T from rebranding the same way they allowed themselves to. Yes, I'm aware of contracts ... yes I believe obligations should be honored ... yes I believe the judge who says the contracts are "unambiguous."

I also believe NASCAR is doing a huge disservice to the sport, its participants and fans by pushing a major sponsor out of the sport's premiere series. And I certainly can't understand Sprint's irrational fear that a blue and white logo on the hood of one out of 43 cars is going to put them out of business. Then again, as a former disgruntled Sprint customer, I know they need all the help they can get in the area of customer retention.

Ready to hang up on Sprint? How about an AT&T GoPhone?

Previously on Fanhouse
Nextel: The Official Hypocrite of NASCAR
NASCAR Wants $100M from AT&T, Seeks To Kick All Grandfathers to the Curb by 2008
AT&T Fails to Meet Sprint Nextel's Expectations
NASCAR to AT&T: You Are Not Welcome in Nextel Cup
AT&T Turns Up the Heat on the NASCAR Sponsor Wars
Thanks for the Dough, Please Remove Your Logo

NASCAR Screws Sponsor Out of Series originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

FanHouse Power Rankings: Michigan II

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Power Rankings, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch

The Nextel Cup regulars will welcome themselves back to the 2-mile D-shape that is Michigan International Speedway this weekend for the 3M Performance 400. Last year's winner, Matt Kenseth, looks to pick up only his second win of the 2007 campaign at a track that teammate Carl Edwards took the victory at in June.

1. Matt Kenseth - He's due, and Roush Racing just never has an off day at Michigan or California

2. Carl Edwards - Cousin Carl will be good, but he's already in next year's All-Star race -- so he's happy.

3. Tony Stewart - Three-in-a-row is tough to do, but it is summertime and weirder things have happened.
4. Jeff Gordon - Speaking of weirder things, Gordon has some confidence to rebuild this weekend after last week's mishap with 2 to go. Oh, and crew chief Steve Letarte is back.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Think his engine will make it 400 miles? Is Junior starting to count the days?

6. Denny Hamlin - Strong everywhere so you know it'll happen for him at Michigan.

7. Kyle Busch - He's had an exciting week with the Gibbs announcement. Will the stupid comments resume now that he has a place to land?

8. Juan Pablo Montoya - Told the world on ESPN his worst moment so far was wrecking at MIS in June. With the incident behind last week, Montoya should be looking to prove why he's here.

9. Kevin Harvick - Should've won at Fontana, shouldn't have gotten into it with Montoya. But hey, it happens.

10. Jimmie Johnson - How strong will he and Chad Knaus be with their first weekend back at the racetrack together?

Wildcard: Jeff Burton - The ~~AT&T~~ Cingular driver hasn't been too worried about making the Chase, but the accident last week with JPM and Harvick hurt in the points. He needs to step it up, but hasn't as of late.

Longshot: Clint Bowyer - He nearly had the win a year ago at Michigan before his motor blew up very late in the race. It's time for Bowyer to find Nextel Cup victory lane.

FanHouse Power Rankings: Michigan II originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Harvick, Montoya Scuffle at the Glen

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 23:38:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Juan Montoya, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Crashes, NASCAR Fights, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing, Car of Tomorrow

When the heads of NASCAR skated through Saturday's Busch race at Watkins Glen without much incident, their sighs of relief were premature.

Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick scuffled in turn one Sunday with about 20 laps to go after both had their days ended in a four-car incident.

Helmets were grabbed, shoves ensued, and tempers flared -- all over a big misunderstanding on behalf of Kevin Harvick.

Harvick was asked about what he and Montoya discussed by ESPN:

"I was talking about his kicking his ass because that's how I felt about it," said Harvick

On the restart, Montoya ducked low to block Martin Truex Jr. The block worked -- but a little too well.

Truex got into the read end of Montoya, loosening the No. 42 at the end of the straightaway. Montoya never regained full control and half-slid into Harvick on the outside. Harvick made contact with Jamie McMurray and Jeff Burton's No. 31 plowed into the rear end of Montoya.

Harvick then maneuvered his wrecked race car in front of Montoya's wrecked beast and contact ensued.
Could the wreck had been averted had Montoya not blocked? Sure, but Montoya really wasn't to blame and he's said all year that he wasn't just out there to watch the other guys race. And for that, you can't fault him for wanting to show he belongs. Montoya wasn't too happy with Harvick's treatment.

"I don't appreciate it. When it's not my fault, don't come and push me around like I'm not anybody," said Montoya.

For the sake of penalties, it is worth knowing that Harvick instigated the physical activity by grabbing Montoya's helmet first. The two weren't exactly friends after that.

It may be a good thing that NASCAR won't hit any more road course races in 2007 -- that probation box might find itself a little too large.

Harvick, Montoya Scuffle at the Glen originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 23:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NASCAR FanHouse Power Rankings: Indy

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:52:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, NASCAR Power Rankings, Nextel Cup

NASCAR returns to Indianapolis this weekend with the 14th edition of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. ESPN takes the television coverage reigns at 1:00pm/ET on Sunday.

1. Jeff Gordon - He's got four wins at his kinda-hometown track. Five would be a oval track record at the speedway.

2. Tony Stewart - Got the win in Chicago, Indy could be a good chance for the hometown boy to make up ground in the Chase seeding.

3. Jimmie Johnson - Started in top-5 last year, fell back to 39th, and then won. Can't count him out.
4. Jeff Burton - He led 87 laps at Indy in 2006. Maybe he can finish the job?

5. Denny Hamlin - There hasn't been too much noise from the No. 11 since his win at New Hampshire. Flat tracks are his thing and Indy should bode well for that.

6. Matt Kenseth - The Roush driver always does the Matt Kenseth-hang-around-til-the-end at Indy. He hasn't had the season that makes you believe he'll take over at the end.

7. Kevin Harvick - Former Indy winner, he led 18 laps last year en route to a 3rd-place finish.

8. Kasey Kahne - There's gotta be something good from this team soon, right?

Wildcard: Dale Earnhardt Jr. - He's run well at Indy, and he's also run terrible. What kind of impact will the team shakeup this week have on DEI's departing driver?

Longshot: Clint Bowyer - No driver has ever taken their first victory in Nextel Cup at Indy. Bowyer ran well enough to do it last year, and he's more than due.

NASCAR FanHouse Power Rankings: Indy originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

10 Drivers, 7 Races, 5 Spots in the Chase

tallglassofmilk — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:13:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, Hendrick Motorsports, The Word, Kyle Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup

The first three of ten races to the chase are in the books, but the chase picture hasn't become much clearer since the Fanhouse posted its Race to the Chase Power Rankings prior to New Hampshire.

Barring multiple, unpredictable and unforeseeable crash and burn scenarios, the top seven drivers in the points standings are most assuredly guaranteed a spot in the 2007 Chase to the Nextel Cup Championship:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Jeff Burton
5. Carl Edwards
6. Tony Stewart
7. Jimmie Johnson

The five remaining spots will be given away in a game of musical chairs to be played by 10 drivers over the next seven races:

8. Kevin Harvick
9. Kyle Busch
10. Clint Bowyer
11. Martin Truex Jr.
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

13. Ryan Newman
14. Kurt Busch
15. Jamie McMurray
16. Greg Biffle
17. Casey Mears

Fanhouse odds
The Fanhouse doesn't expect too many upsets, so while it's not yet set in stone, what we see in the top 12 now is pretty close to what we're gonna get at the end of seven more weeks.

Kevin Harvick (1:1) - With the exception of his Daytona 500 win, Harvick has had a fairly uneventful season. If he can maintain the status quo, he'll have a spot in the Chase.

Kyle Busch (2:1) - As long as he doesn't do anything crazy, like quit Hendrick in the next seven weeks, Shrub should be a shoe in.

Cilnt Bowyer (3:1) - He doesn't have as much experience at the upcoming tracks as his competitors, but he's sitting on a nice points cushion so if he can continue to bring home top 10 finishes, he'll be racing in his first Chase.

Kurt Busch (4:1) - His performance at the upcoming tracks gives him a high driver rating than both DEI drivers who sit ahead of him in the standings. If he can stay out of trouble and catch a few breaks, he may be the only driver currently on the outside looking in that has a chance to upset and secure a spot in the top 12--at DEI's expense.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. (5:1) - Only Junior's experience gives him a better shot at avoiding the unlucky 13th spot than his teammate. Truex's recent performance, however, trumps Junior's and then some. Look for one of the DEI drivers to make the Chase but not both.

Ryan Newman (6:1) - Only if the Rocketman can match his number of race wins to his poles will he have a shot at climbing his way in.

Greg Biffle (7:1) - Remember when he almost won a championship? Yeah ... me neither. He barely remembers it, too. If he does manage to climb his way in, it will be done quietly.

Jamie McMurray (8:1) - One win isn't gonna do it for him, but if he can upgrade a few more top 10 finishes to top 5s and some others don't fare as well, he's the long shot to bet on.

Casey Mears (9:1) - His only chance would be to benefit from multiple, unpredictable and unforeseeable crash and burn scenarios. Don't bet on it.

Got Predictions?
What are you guys thinking? Will there be surprises or no surprises?

10 Drivers, 7 Races, 5 Spots in the Chase originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NASCAR Drug Testing? Bring It On

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 06:28:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, NASCAR Gossip, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing, The Word

Aaron Fike is a relative unknown in NASCAR circles. The 24-year-old driver has dabbled in ARCA, the Busch Series, was the youngest-ever USAC Silver Crown race winner, and won an IRL Indy Pro Series event.

That doesn't matter, though, to the national media.

Fike was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck series driver -- eighth in points before his heroin arrest -- but nonetheless he was headlined as simply a "NASCAR driver."

Sure, the title is correct, but for folks that skim that headlines, he's automatically grouped in with Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart -- or any other driver or team member that stays clean and doesn't need to be attached to a drug scandal stigma.

And that, as Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick have said this week, is wrong.

Their solution?

Test everybody. From Gordon to the gas man on Ward Burton's No. 4 team. Everyone.
Harvick called NASCAR out, saying "shame" on them.

"We owe it to the sponsors and the fans to 100 percent know this is a clean environment. [Testing everyone] would eliminate a lot of those problems of the younger guys that disrespect the sport and the system," said Harvick.

"Shame on NASCAR for not policing our garage better than what they police it right now," he said. "We're all professional athletes and should be treated like professional athletes in other sports and shame on them for not doing that."

He does have a point. NASCAR right now only tests through a physical at the beginning of a season, and then tests on suspicion on an as-needed basis the rest of the time.

Burton agreed that the safety of this sport is so paramount that each person who drives or works on these cars at the tracks should all be tested regularly.

"There's too much at stake for this sport, too much at stake for the drivers, the racetrack, the crew members on pit road," Burton said.

Of all the changes we campaign for, I say put drug testing at the top of the list. Credibility is something that no sanctioning body can ever have too much of.

NASCAR Drug Testing? Bring It On originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 15 Jul 2007 06:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NASCAR Fanhouse Power Rankings: Chicago

tallglassofmilk — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 04:58:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR Power Rankings, Richard Childress Racing

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. What can I say? I just have a feeling he can Dew it. (That's gonna get old quick, huh?)
2. Kevin Harvick. Hearing that Kyle Busch might be joining RCR just might be the boost Harvick needs to get past him in the standings. He does not want to be third man when Shrub arrives.
3. Tony Stewart. Just remember, if he gets the win, it will be somebody else's fault. Or is that only when he doesn't win?
4. Matt Kenseth. Chicagoland Speedway owes him.

5. Jeff Gordon. Just when I thought he'd stopped whining, he had to go and whine it up.
6. Jimmie Johnson. It's near impossible to come up with something for this guy week in and week out. If only he would do something interesting or say something stupid like, "I don't think it's NASCAR's responsibility to test for abuse of illegal substances," a little more often.
7. Kyle Busch. He can get by without a little help from his friends.

8. Carl Edwards. He's a little overdue for a backflip in front of the close to home crowd.
9. Denny Hamlin. Overcame his 43rd place finish in Daytona by renting a 700' house boat on Lake Norman and enjoying the company every "single" girl in Cornelius, N.C.. Get that boy some Powerade. Stat! With all those phone numbers to fulfill, the newly single playboy is going to have to continuously refuel if he's to have enough energy to go all the way on Sunday.
10. Ryan Newman. His season has gone to the dogs.

NASCAR Fanhouse Power Rankings: Chicago originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jul 2007 04:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Motorsports FanHouse

FanHouse Warmup: Banking 500

NASCAR Arrives at Indy: Notes From Friday's Practice Sessions

Latest NASCAR Images

The New NASCAR: Change Is OK

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Jeff Burton

LFL: Burton Wins Lowe's, Now 2nd in Chase

Calling the Chase: 7th - Jeff Burton

Qualifying Rained Out, NASCAR's Power Not

Burton Scores Unlikely Food City 500 Win

Carl Edwards Doubles Up in Las Vegas

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: Jeff Burton, No. 31 Childress Chevrolet

Jeff Burton Agrees: ESPN on ABC is "Absurd"

DEI-RCR Engines Fail 'Dega Reliability Test

Handicapping the Chase: Harvick and Burton

NASCAR Screws Sponsor Out of Series

FanHouse Power Rankings: Michigan II

Harvick, Montoya Scuffle at the Glen

NASCAR FanHouse Power Rankings: Indy

10 Drivers, 7 Races, 5 Spots in the Chase

NASCAR Drug Testing? Bring It On

NASCAR Fanhouse Power Rankings: Chicago

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Jeff Burton, No. 31 Childress Chevrolet