A trip to the Monster Mile

It's time for NASCAR to visit the Monster, the Monster Mile that is. This week all three of NASCAR's top series make the trip to Dover International Speedway, a 1 mile concrete paradise for race fans. So who's gonna come out on top this week? I don't know, but I certainly have a few guesses.

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 DEWALT Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)
Last Week: 7th place finish in the Coca-Cola 600
Career at Dover: 15.3 Avg. Finish, 1 win, 5 top 5's, 10 top 10's
Why he could win: A lot of people remember Matt Kenseth's first win in the Sprint Cup Series, the 2000 Coca-Cola 600. Many fail to remember, however, that the following week Matt Kenseth finished second at Dover. Lets not forget he dominated the fall race here until having various issues, so don't be surprised to see him running up front.

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Office Depot Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)
Last Week: 9th place finish in the Coca-Cola 600
Career at Dover: 9.1 Avg. Finish, 1 win, 3 top 5's, 4 top 10's
Why he could win: Edwards has been the king of concrete in the last several years. At the three concrete tracks on the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series (Dover, Bristol and Nashville) Edwards has 7 wins. You can't argue with success.

Mark Martin, No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)
Last Week: 15th place finish in the Coca-Cola 600
Career at Dover: 12.7 Avg. Finish, 4 wins, 20 top 5's, 27 top 10's
Why he could win: Look at those numbers, do I really need any more reason to pick Martin? I mean come on, 2o top 5's and 27 top 10's at one track? That's dominance, no matter what language you use.

This week's underdog is a driver with a little bit of success at Dover and he is desperately in need of a good run (like so many drivers are).

Joe Nemechek, No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet (Furniture Row Racing)
Last Week: Failed to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600
Career at Dover: 23.8 Avg. Finish, 1 top 5, 5 top 10's
Why he could win: Winning is out of the question for Joe and the boys at Furniture Row Racing, but a solid top 15 or top 20? Sure, why not. At Dover anything is possible.

Coca-Cola 600 thoughts and observations

Quick, someone take Kasey Kahne to Las Vegas, pronto! He needs to cash in on this luck now while he has it! Kahne took advantage of Tony Stewart's bad luck Sunday to win his second Coca-Cola 600. It was Kahne's first win in a points race since the fall race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2006. Rounding out the top 5 were Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Thoughts and observations

I think NASCAR needs to make a movie about the last 12 months in Kasey's career, maybe call it "How Kasey Got His Groove Back." Ok, in all seriousness, it looks like Kasey Kahne and his Gillett Evernham crew finally got things sorted out after a year's worth of struggles. Its great to see teams turn it around like that after a tough year, makes for a great story.

Kahne's win makes him the sixth driver to ever win the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 in back-to-back weeks. The previous five? Darrell Waltrip, Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. How's that for history boys?

Greg Biffle must be feeling like he just had a case of Deja Vu. Last week he was bested by Kahne in the All-Star Race and this week Kahne outdid him again to take home the Coca-Cola 600 trophy. Biffle is bound to get a win sooner or later as long as he continues to run like this.

Ok, I think Tony Stewart has had enough with the ice age style meltdowns late in races. He loses the Daytona 500 on a last lap pass by the Penske teammates, then he cuts down a tire with less then five laps to go at the Coca-Cola 600 while leading. Don't worry Tony, the Brickyard 400 will be here very soon.

Speaking of cut tires, what was the deal with that Sunday? It seemed like being in the lead was the last place you wanted to be. Men who led a bunch of laps, including Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart all cut down tires after (some while leading the race.) All of these men could have used a win, but it just wasn't to be. Guess it wasn't good to be the alpha dogs at Lowe's Motor Speedway this week.

Speaking of Earnhardt Jr., how about him soldiering home to a 5th place finish with a car that looked like it had battled 300 men rather then 43 race cars and the safer barrier.

This David Ragan kid just keeps looking more and more like the real thing. Is he really going to make the chase? Who knows, maybe this really is no country for old men.

How about David Reutimann and the No. 44 UPS team? They hung out in the back half of the top 10 a good chunk of the race and managed to come home 10th. Not bad for a team who struggled to stay in the top 35 in owner points during the entire 2007 season. Go Reuti go!!!!!!

After that series of bad races Matt Kenseth looks like he might finally be on the right track. Top 10's at both Darlington and LMS have Kenseth up to 16th in the points. The Chronicles of Kenseth continue...

It looks like Sam Hornish Jr. might finally have this Sprint Cup thing figured out. He raced his way into the All-Star Race (where he finished 7th with a crashed car) then managed to finish 13th this week in the Coca-Cola 600. I guess you could say he was "The Rookie" at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson looked like he was well on his way to another victory at Lowe's Motor Speedway, that is, until his motor came apart. It's ok, just wait, superman will return in the fall when the Sprint Cup boys come back to Lowe's Motor Speedway.

In our weekly top 35 watch nothing has changed, but things did get a little tighter. Another bad finish from Michael Waltrip has him only three points ahead of rookie Sam Hornish Jr. Regan Smith and Dave Blaney are only an additional 8 points ahead of Waltrip with Michael McDowell up only 12 additional points. It might be worth placing bets at the Casino Royale on who will be in and who will be out after next weeks race at Dover.

Family on Memorial Day

When celebrating Memorial Day, family always seems to come to the forefront in my mind. Lucky for me my cousin Becka, who lives in Pennsylvania, was coming through the area and stopped by to say hello to the family. Apparently Becka came down south with two of her friends, one of which is preparing to get married very soon, and decided they'd stop by on the way home for a day. I didn't get to hang out with Becka much, but I did get to say hello and hold a conversation with her this morning before she hit the road for Pennsylvania.

I'm glad Becka stopped by, it was a nice surprise and it reminded me just how cool a family I really have. My parents are great, i've got two great brothers who I wouldn't trade for anything, and i've got a host of relatives like Becka who are better then anyone could ask for.

If you have anyone who is a veteran in your family, like my late grandfather who was a World War II veteran, honor them tomorrow and hold your head up high. It's men like them who allows us to live the way we do today and its men like those in Iraq and Afghanistan who will allow our children to live free for a long, long time to come.

The longest race in NASCAR

This week the boys in the Sprint Cup Series strap into their cars for the longest race in NASCAR, the Coca-Cola 600.  In order to win this race, you have to a have a lot of factors fall into place, a good car, a strong motor, and a lot of luck.  So who do I think will have all of those factors this weekend?  Well lets take a look shall we?

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe 's Chevrolet (Hendrick Motorsports)

Last Week: 4th place finish in Sprint All-Star Race

Career at LMS: 6.8 Avg. Finish, 5 wins, 8 top 5's, 11 top 10's

Why he could win: Johnson is the supreme ruler of Lowe's Motor Speedway.  Ask anyone and they'd agree.  Betting against Johnson here was like betting against Dale Earnhardt in the Gatorade 125's, sure you could, but why mess up a sure thing?

Greg Biffle, No. 16 DISH Network Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)

Last Week: 2nd place finish in the Sprint All-Star Race

Career at LMS: 21.0 Avg. Finish, 1 top 5, 3 top 10's

Why he could win: Biffle looked to have the best car late in the going last week at the All-Star Race but the new tires killed his car.  I'll bet money Biffle and company learned from that mistake and may try to use it to their advantage this weekend.

Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge (Gillet Evernham Motorsports)

Last Week: Won the Sprint All-Star Race

Career at LMS: 15.8 Avg. Finish, 2 wins, 2 top 5's, 3 top 10's

Why he could win: I was going to pick Kasey as the underdog, but that was before he shocked everyone and won the Sprint All-Star Race last weekend.  Now Kasey has the momentum and the confidence to go out and picked up another Coca-Cola 600 win.

In terms of underdogs, this guy had a car that could have won last years Coca-Cola 600.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him up front again this year.

Brian Vickers, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota (Red Bull Racing)

Last Week: 4th place finish in Sprint Showdown, failed to qualify for Sprint All-Star Race

Career at LMS: 22.9 Avg. Finish, 1 top 5, 2 top 10's

Why he could win: If there has been any one style of track that Red Bull Racing seems to run well at, its the intermediate tracks like Lowe's Motor Speedway.  Last year at this race Vickers was strong and led a lot of laps before fading.  Maybe this year he will have a little bit better luck.

All-Star thoughts and observations

Being popular sometimes pays off, just ask Kasey Kahne. Kahne won the fan vote and then won the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway Saturday night. He beat Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart to the line to claim his first All-Star Race victory.

Thoughts and observations

Kahne admitted that during the Sprint Showdown his No. 9 Budweiser Dodge was, for lack of a better term, junk. It didn't deserve to be in the All-Star Race. But the fans didn't agree. Good thing for Kahne and crew. I wonder how the No. 9 team is going to pay back all those fans who voted for Kahne and company. Maybe they will buy the country a round, I bet that would do it.

What a great day for AJ Allmendinger. Earlier this season their was talk that he was going to loose his ride in the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota. Fast forward to the Sprint Showdown and Allmendigner is standing in victory lane with the trophy. It wasn't exactly a huge victory in the grand scheme of things, but Allmendinger said it felt like he had won the Daytona 500.

Speaking of great days, Sam Hornish Jr. might have finally figured out this stock car thing. Not only did he race his way into the Sprint All-Star Race by finishing second to Allmendinger in the Sprint Showdown, but he came back from two laps down and a meeting with the wall to finish 7th in the All-Star Race. To put that into perspective, here are some of the All-Stars he beat to finish their: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Impressive, no?

Outside of the great story that was Kahne winning the All-Star Race, the race itself was pretty lackluster. No cautions for accidents during the All-Star Race and only two cars failed to finish (both Joe Gibbs Racing cars, which had engine issues). There were a few close calls, like Sam Hornish Jr. brushing the wall, but outside of that, the Sprint Showdown was more interesting then the main event. Another format change may be on its way for the All-Star race, as much as I hate to admit it.

Speaking of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota's, it came out today that they were testing their own engines this weekend during the All-Star Race. The result? All three drivers broke their motors, though Stewart broke his in practice. Apparently the JGR engine builders need to work on their rocker arms (the culprit in all three motors).

Elliott Sadler's response to wrecking out of the Sprint Showdown was a bit of a surprise from the Virginia native. He obviously wasn't happy with Allmendinger, even if he didn't actually know his name. I think maybe Sadler needs to look back to Darlington before he decides to say anything about anyone wrecking him.

All-Star Race leftover photos

Here are a few leftover photos from Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Hope you all enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Greg Biffle describes to Matt Kenseth events that took place during the Sprint All-Star Race at the post-race press conference in the media center at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Matt Kenseth answers a question in the Media Center at Lowe's Motor Speedway after the Sprint All-Star Race.

This sign was hanging outside the garage area on Saturday afternoon.

A shot of the ESPN NASCAR hauler.

The No. 49 Marathon Oil Dodge driven by Chad McCumbee gets pushed to the inspection line on Saturday.

Jeff Green, left, and Carl Long walk to their cars after driver introductions for the Sprint Showdown.

Carl Long, driver of the No. 46 Dodge, waits for the Sprint Showdown to start.

Pre-race photos from Sprint All-Star Race

I tried to take more photos from the pre-race but my camera just isn't made for night photos folks.  Hopefully these will do.  Enjoy!

The crew of former Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte waits to be introduced.  

Ryan Newman, far left, leads his crew during driver introductions.

A member of the U.S. Armed Service leads the No. 1 team of Martin Truex Jr. during driver introductions.

Sprint All-Star Race polesitter Kyle Busch stops to sign an autograph after being introduced.

Fireworks go off at the end of driver introductions.

Post Race photos from Sprint Showdown

The Sprint Showdown trophy.

AJ Allmendinger, right, being interviewed after winning the Sprint Showdown and earning himself a spot in the Sprint All-Star Race.

AJ Allmendinger celebrates with the Sprint Showdown trophy.

Sam Hornish Jr. in the Media Center after placing second in the Sprint Showdown and earning a spot in the Sprint All-Star Race.

AJ Allmendinger in the Media Center after winning the Sprint Showdown.

Photos from Sprint Showdown Driver Intros

The crew of the No. 01 high fives one another before the start of the Sprint Showdown.

David Ragan's crew gets hyped up for the Sprint Showdown.

The cars already qualified for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race sit idle as they await their chance to take the track.

The car of Sam Hornish Jr. sitting on pit road before the start of the Sprint Showdown.

Driver of the No. 21 Air Force Ford, 1988 Winston Cup Champion Bill Elliott.

Team owner Chip Ganassi talking with his injured driver Dario Franchitti.

David Reutimann plays with his daughter before the start of the Sprint Showdown.

Reed Sorenson, driver of the No. 41 Target Dodge.

Patrick Carpentier shows off a smile.

David Ragan talking with a member of the media on the way to his car.

J.J. Yeley walks with his family.

Sprint Showdown Pole Sitter Elliott Sadler.

Driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, Brian Vickers.

Coverage of NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

I'm LIVE at Lowe's Motor Speedway today, and boy have I had a heck of a day. Woke up bright and early at 7 a.m. and I wasn't really happy about it. My dad was in the living room on the computer when I came upstairs. He simply stated "Good Morning" to which I responded "What's so good about it?" in a grumpy tone. He laughed and said "Your covering the All-Star race, that's what." He was sure right.

Today, i've seen all sorts of people and had the chance to get lost in the garage area and on pit road. I've done interviews, taken pictures and just generally had a huge grin on my face all day. Here are a few photos from my day at the track so far:

Above, car owner Chip Ganassi (Nos. 40, 41, 42) gives an interview to a member of the media in the media center early in the afternoon.  

My pit pass to get into the garage and pits!

The crew of Reed Sorenson's No. 41 Target Dodge pushes it to the inspection line before the Sprint Showdown.

Crew members work on the car of Kevin Harvick before the All-Star race.

The crew of the No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota driven by Dave Blaney prepares the car for the Sprint Showdown.

The All-Stars of NASCAR

NASCAR is back home in North Carolina this week for the annual Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The All-Star race is one of my favorite events all year, only second to the Daytona 500. Its totally different from anything else the drivers do all year long, so its always a fresh change by the time May rolls around. Here are my picks to win this year's All-Star race.


Carl Edwards, No. 99 Office Depot Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)
Last Week: 2nd place finish in the Dodge Challenger 500
Career at LMS: 7.3 Avg. Finish, 3 top 5's, 5 top 10's
Why he could win: Carl didn't even get to race in last year's All-Star race. He tried to race his way into the race by competing in the Sprint Showdown, but he got nipped by Martin Truex Jr. and Johnny Sauter. This year, on the other hand, he is back to his old self, winning races on the cookie-cutter tracks like its nothing. If recent history is any indication, expect Carl to be one of the fastest once the green flag drops.

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet (Hendrick Motorsports)
Last Week: 13th place finish in the Dodge Challenger 500
Career at LMS: 6.8 Avg. Finish, 5 wins, 8 top 5's, 11 top 10's
Why he could win: Johnson is the king of Lowe's Motor Speedway, period. Johnson won the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Coca-Cola 600's along with the 2004 and 2005 fall races at the track. Oh yeah, he won this race in 2003 and 2006.

Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M's Toyota (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Last Week: Won the Dodge Challenger 500
Career at LMS: 25.9 Avg. Finish, 1 top 5, 2 top 10's
Why he could win: Come on, he is the hottest man in NASCAR. Why would he NOT win?


Rather then picking an underdog this week, i'm going to attempt to pick the driver who is going to win the Sprint Showdown, the qualifying race before the All-Star race. The winner and second place finisher automaticly advance to the big dance. Lots of drivers like Kasey Kahne, David Reutimann, Robby Gordon, Travis Kvapil, Brian Vickers and Michael Waltrip will be trying to race their way in via the Showdown, but I don't think any of them will win. So who do I think will?

David Ragan, No. 6 AAA Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)
Last Week: 5th place finish in the Dodge Challenger 500
Career at LMS: 38.5 Avg. Finish, no top 5's or top 10's
Why he could win: I don't know about winning the All-Star race, but winning the Showdown? That could very easily happen if he is able to drive his car like he did at Talladega and Darlington. Of course, we will just have to wait and see.


Don't forget folks, i'll be at the race looking for stories all day Saturday, so if you see me don't hesitate to come over and say hello!