Friday, August 4, 2006
Welcome to the 13th annual Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is the 21st race of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
Notes, quotes, trivia, historical information and other items will appear on these pages through Sunday, Aug. 6. Our Media Center staff, headed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Public Relations Director Ron Green and Media Center Manager Bill York, is here to assist you and answer your questions during this event.
***
TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
| 8 a.m. | Indianapolis Motor Speedway public gates open |
| 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | Chevy Day at the Brickyard activities, Pagoda Plaza, Museum Lot |
| 1:30-2:30 p.m. | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice |
| 3:30-4:30 p.m. | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice |
***
Timing and scoring monitors are located throughout the Media Center with up-to-the-minute times and speeds.
***
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard information is available on the World Wide Web this week on the official Indianapolis Motor Speedway site, http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, and the official NASCAR site, http://www.nascar.com. Included in the information will be practice summaries and performance histories, qualifying results, Daily Trackside Reports, driver quotes, race lineups and results.
***
Brian Tyler led the last 62 laps to win the J.D. Byrider 100 USAC Silver Crown Series presented by K&N Engineering race Thursday night at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series standout Carl Edwards finished second.
***
NEXTEL Cup Series star Carl Edwards is pulling "triple duty" this weekend, competing in three races in the Indianapolis area.
Edwards finished second Thursday night in the J.D. Byrider 100 USAC Silver Crown Series presented by K&N Engineering race at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis and also is scheduled to drive in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Busch Series race Saturday night at ORP and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday.
***
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will provide transcripts of today's press conference featuring NASCAR Busch Series drivers attempting to qualify for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and of the NEXTEL Wake-Up Call press conference with four-time Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon.
The Busch Series drivers' press conference starts at 10:30 a.m. in the Economaki Press Conference Room. The NEXTEL Wake-Up Call with Gordon starts at noon on the fourth floor of the Media Center.
***
NEXTEL Cup Series rookie Reed Sorenson was fastest among drivers participating in testing July 10 and 12 at IMS, with a top lap of 181.892 mph in the No. 41 Target Dodge.
2004 NEXTEL Cup Series champion Kurt Busch was second at 181.025 in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge.
Selected Allstate 400 at the Brickyard statistical notes:
•The first and only time in the modern era of NASCAR that three brothers led at least one lap in the same race occurred in the inaugural race at the Brickyard in 1994, when Geoff Bodine, Brett Bodine and Todd Bodine each led.
•There have been eight different race winners in 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Indianapolis. There have been nine different pole winners in the 12 races.
•Nine drivers have raced in the Indianapolis 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard during their careers: John Andretti, Geoff Brabham, A.J. Foyt, Larry Foyt, Robby Gordon, Jason Leffler, Scott Pruett, Tony Stewart and Danny Sullivan. Andretti (1994), Gordon (1997, 2002, 2003) and Stewart (1999 and 2001) are the only drivers to compete in both in the same year.
J.J. Yeley this year is attempting to become the 10th driver to race in the Indianapolis 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Yeley finished ninth in the 1998 Indianapolis 500.
•The third-place starting position is the only position to produce more than one race winner at Indianapolis: Jeff Gordon (1994 and '98) and Bobby Labonte (2000).
•Eleven drivers have competed in all 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Indianapolis. Of the 11, only Joe Nemechek has yet to post a top-10 finish, his best being a 17th in 2004. The other 10 drivers are Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace and Michael Waltrip. Wallace is the only one not entered in 2006, with the list dropping to 10.
•The furthest back a race winner has started at Indianapolis was 27th by Jeff Gordon in 2001.
•Dale Jarrett is expected to make his 400th consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at Indianapolis.
•Indiana native Ryan Newman has posted five straight top-10 starts at Indianapolis, the longest current streak.
•Former USAC star Kasey Kahne has posted two top-five finishes in two starts at Indianapolis.
•Jeff Gordon, raised in nearby Pittsboro, Ind., has led the most Allstate 400 at the Brickyard laps with 433.
•Jeff Gordon has posted five straight top-10 finishes at Indianapolis, the longest current streak.
•Bill Elliott has completed all but one of the 1,921 laps of Allstate 400 at the Brickyard competition to date at Indy. Second is Joe Nemechek at 1,896, and next comes Jeff Burton at 1,885. •Jeff Gordon will seek to become the first NASCAR driver to win more than $5 million in Allstate 400 at the Brickyard competition. He has earned $4,911,998 to date. •Jeff Gordon has led nine of 12 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard races, most of any driver. •The most times running at the finish of all 12 races is 12 by Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott and Michael Waltrip. •The closest separation between fastest and slowest qualifiers at the Brickyard is .746 of a second between Brett Bodine and Hut Stricklin in 2000. Bodine'car qualified with the fastest lap the previous day at 181.072 but started 25th.
Actor Chris Noth will serve as the grand marshal of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
Noth will participate in pre-race activities, including the waving of the green flag to signal the start of the race.
Noth is perhaps best known from his roles as Detective Mike Logan on NBC's long-running crime dramas "Law & Order" and "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and Mr. Big from the hit HBO series "Sex & the City," for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.
NEXTEL Cup Series points leader Jimmie Johnson and his wife, Chandra, announced this morning in the Economaki Press Conference Room a commitment by The Jimmie Johnson Foundation to raise $600,000 to build "Victory Lanes," a four-lane bowling alley at Kyle and Pattie Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C.
In support of its NEXTEL Cup Series driver, Lowe's, through its Charitable and Educational Foundation, announced it would fund half of the project with a $300,000 donation.
Fans also may donate to the cause by visiting www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org. A limited edition "Victory Lanes" commemorative coin is available with a donation of $48 or more. The first 100 donors will have their coins autographed by Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson also unveiled a special paint scheme on the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet featuring the "Victory Lanes" coin and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation logo. He will drive that car in the Busch Series race Sept. 2 at California Speedway.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: "I think everyone talks about getting support from their sponsors. This is proof of just how much my sponsor believes in what Chandra and I are trying to build with our foundation. We have been working on these plans for quite some time with Pattie and Kyle, and we can't wait to see the first campers visit 'Victory Lanes.'"
***
Nine drivers are making their first attempt to qualify for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard: Clint Bowyer, Chad Chaffin, Denny Hamlin, Stephen Leicht, Paul Menard, Johnny Sauter, Reed Sorenson, David Stremme and J.J. Yeley.
***
TRACK MILESTONES:
∙Qualifying record: 186.293 mph, Casey Mears, 2004
∙Fastest lap, July 2006 testing: 181.892, Reed Sorenson, July 12
***
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP FIRST PRACTICE:
At 1:30 p.m., the beginning of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice, the ambient temperature was 82 degrees with a relative humidity of 45 percent and north winds at 7 mph. The track temperature was 124 degrees, according to team tire specialists with temperature gauges. Skies were sunny.
1:30 p.m. – GREEN. #48 Johnson first on track, followed by #26 McMurray, #25 Vickers.
1:45 p.m. – #21 Schrader fastest at 178.880 mph.
1:55 p.m. – Defending race winner #20 Stewart on track for first time.
2 p.m. – Top five drivers -- #07 Bowyer (179.279), #21 Schrader (178.880), #7 R. Gordon (178.465), #8 Earnhardt (178.419), #29 Harvick (178.137) – each have turned just one lap.
2:02 p.m – RED. #60 Said brushes wall, continues. Debris on track.
2:09 p.m. – GREEN.
2:12 p.m. – #21 Schrader fastest at 180.321. #7 R. Gordon second at 180.029.
2:34 p.m. – RED. End of session.
***
Top Five Drivers, First Practice:
| 1. | #21 Ken Schrader | 180.321 mph |
| 2. | #7 Robby Gordon | 180.029 |
| 3. | #07 Clint Bowyer | 179.279 |
| 4. | #11 Denny Hamlin | 178.806 |
| 5. | #42 Casey Mears | 178.628 |
IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series veteran Thiago Medeiros visited Gasoline Alley today. Medeiros finished seventh in the J.D. Byrider 100 USAC Silver Crown Series presented by K&N Engineering race Thursday night at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
THIAGO MEDEIROS: "I came here early this morning, and I was doing some pace car rides for Chevy. It was a great thing for myself. I was taking people around the track. We never say anything about having some more seat time. It was a blast being back at the (Indianapolis Motor Speedway). The Speedway is a very unique place. It was great having feedback from the crowd and the people we were taking around (the track) and how it feels to go through those turns and feel the Gs." (About whether he will be at the track this weekend): "I think I am becoming a Hoosier very slowly. I don't know if I will be pulling for Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon yet. I met those two guys. I think they are very nice. I have been living in Indiana for three years. If you guys accept me as a Hoosier, I will become one. It is hard to say (who I am rooting for). I like it here a lot.(Indiana) has nice entertainment, nice bars and nice people who welcome me a lot."
***
Two-time Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner Dale Jarrett met with the media today.
DALE JARRETT: (About activities in Indianapolis): "We had the opportunity to go to Indianapolis Colts training camp this morning and watch them go through their morning session and meet Coach Dungy after practice was over. Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark stopped by, and we had a conversation with them. So, it was a pretty fun day. The Colts look pretty good. Peyton Manning is just incredible. You wonder how they ever lose. He was talking about how difficult their schedule is and how difficult it's going to be to start their season playing his little brother. It'd be nice to see the Colts and the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl in Miami. I grew up a Colts' fan. At that time they were in Baltimore, but I've stayed a Colts fan over the years. I think Coach Dungy's a fan of the sport (NASCAR), and Dallas Clark came over and he seemed to know quite a bit about the sport. It's just one of the other perks that we get with being a part of this sport."
(About his chances of winning this weekend): "I'd like to stand here and be real positive, but we need to get back to running respectably. We haven't done that at all. We've had a lot of changes here, and to think that you're just all of a sudden because you come to place that you've won there -- I've been at those places too and we didn't run very good at those -- Pocono and Michigan. So we've got a lot of work to do. It's still exciting to come here. Just the opportunity to race here is exciting enough in itself. I still believe in my heart, even with what I just told you, you still want to believe you can get in the race car and I can make a little bit of a difference here and I can have a chance. Just racing here, regardless of how bad the season's been to this point, being able to come here is still quite a thrill."
(About starting the tradition of kissing the bricks): "Definitely spur of the moment. Todd Parrott came up with the idea, to be quite honest. I'd like to take credit, but it didn't even enter my mind. We were in Victory Lane, and Todd said, 'Come on, let's go,' and I didn't know where we were going, but he was leading me to the start/finish line to kiss the bricks. Something we got started and a great tradition now, it looks like. It's cool. It's kind of a NASCAR spin on how much we appreciate the opportunity to race here – for the victors to be able to go to the start/finish line and have their little ceremony right there. It's kind of fun to know that we were a part of getting that started."
***
2003 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner Kevin Harvick met with the media today.
KEVIN HARVICK: (About returning to Indy): "I'm really excited. Any time you come to Indy, it's just a lot of fun. The fact that you're just being at Indy, with the history and everything of the racetrack and we've been fortunate enough to win here and that was the most exciting moment for a race in my career, so it's a lot of fun to come back, and I enjoy racing here."
(Is it different to return here as a winner?): "I think that it puts you in a pretty elite group of people and winners at the racetrack. It makes you feel good about yourself when you roll in the racetrack and know that you've made it happen here before."
***
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points leader Jimmie Johnson met with the media today after the announcement about his Jimmie Johnson Foundation's intentions to build "Victory Lanes" bowling alley for the Victory Junction Gang Camp.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: (Do you learn a lot from Jeff Gordon about good setups here?): "I've definitely had to experiment and try new things here to be successful. We've tried things on road courses that the 24 has used, and with Jeff's experience and knowledge of road course racing, and it's made it really fast. We proved that at Sonoma. When I go to the Glen, I'm going to use the identical setup so I know that if I'm off the pace, it's just me. And here, yeah, he has a ton of experience, and we did come with very similar setups, and as practice sessions develop, I'm going to be at his car trying to understand what he's looking for, what is his setup and then carry that on to Sunday's race."
(Is this the best place for Gordon to tie Dale Earnhardt's career victory total?): "I guess so. Thinking of it that way, how you brought up that questions, I was just thinking how cool it would be for him to tie Earnhardt here, personally, what he would be experiencing. I mean, you can't control the fans, if the fans like you in that state or in the area of the country. It's just something you have to deal with. I think that if it's an 8 fan or a 20 fan, everyone respects what Jeff's done when he ties Earnhardt. I think, regardless what happens, you have to respect what he's done.
(If it comes down to the two of you, will you have any will you have any qualms at all about taking that type of moment away from him?): "No, he's won here enough. He's got four here; he shouldn't be selfish."
***
Kelly Rowland, a member of the chart-topping, Grammy-winning musical group Destiny's Child, will sing the national anthem before the start of the 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Aug. 6 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Rowland, a native of Atlanta, burst into stardom in the late 1990s with Destiny's Child, one of the top-selling female musical groups in history. Her first solo album, "Simply Deep," sold more than 2 million copies after its release in 2002. She is recording her next solo album, "My Story … Kelly Rowland," which is due for release in early 2007.
Besides her musical career, Rowland has branched out into acting. She starred in the blockbuster film, "Freddie Vs. Jason" in 2003 and was featured in the comedy "The Seat Filler" in 2004. She also recently appeared in three episodes of the popular UPN TV series, "Girlfriends."
***
NASCAR fans can provide the gift of life by participating in the NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive on Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The drive will take place from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (ET) in the East Museum Lot in the infield of the Speedway, adjacent to the Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Since the Drive is located inside the facility, participants must pay for gate admission, which is $15.
***
2005 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard runner-up Kasey Kahne met with the media today.
KASEY KAHNE: (How geared up are you and your team for the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis?): "As geared up as at any track. To me, this is the track I want to win at, in the worst way. I know my team does, too. They really enjoy racing here. Ray (Evernham) has won here before with Jeff (Gordon) and with Bill Elliott as an owner. It's definitely a big weekend for us."
(What does it take to be successful here with your experience?): "I have some notes that I've written down both years on why we were fast, or why we weren't fast at times throughout the race. I think the biggest thing is being able to get through all the corners. But you have to sacrifice some of the corners to get through some of the other ones. Making the car go loose in some spots, to go faster in a couple of the other corners is what you have to do. To do that and just stay in the race. We've had some good races here and think we have a good shot at running up front."
(Do you look back at last year's experience as a good experience or a frustrating experience?): "It was a good experience. It was definitely disappointing that we didn't win. I wanted to win pretty badly. I think we had an as good of a car as Tony (Stewart). We just didn't get it done. But that was a big race for Tony, too. He did win that day. Hopefully this year it will be ours. It's a tough race to win and a very, very cool place to be at all weekend long."
(How tough is it to work traffic here?): "It just depends how your car is handling. If your car is handling good, you can work traffic pretty well. You just have to time your passes, that you do them in the right spot. If you don't do them in the right spot, you are going to get passed by the car behind you, as he will have a run on you. It's pretty critical to do your passes, doing everything at the right time. But if you have a good car, and hopefully our Dodge Charger is a good car, then you can definitely get it done."
(Coming back how do you fell about running here again?): "I just fell like we are going to have another shot, if we do things right today and tomorrow and have just a flawless race on Sunday. You just can't make mistakes as a driver or the crew. You just have got to pit on pit road perfectly. If we do all of that, we may still have a shot at winning here. This track fits the #9 car, fits our team, and hopefully we will put ourselves in position to win. We had a great test here two or three weeks ago and feel confident."
(Where does this race and this place fall in your personal prestige scale, considering the time you've lived in the area?): "It's at the top, for sure. The Daytona 500 is the biggest NASCAR race if you look at purse and you look at the history of Daytona and stock car racing. Indianapolis, to me, is the biggest race that I want to win right now. The track is excellent, the history of the Indy 500 whether it's an IndyCar or a stock car, it doesn't matter right now. I would love to win at Indy."
(Benny Parsons was heard saying that you run the most unique line around this place than any other driver. Can you comment on that?): "For some reason, this track suits my driving style. I feel that looking at telemetry and data when we test here, it is definitely different that what teammates are running. I don't know why that is, but I work on getting the car to roll in certain areas and be on the throttle in other spots some that sometimes you are not."
(Benny Parsons also talked about how you pass people on the outside here, where normally that does not happen very often. What do you think?) "Yeah, I don't want to really do that too often here. You are taking too big of a chance to get squished into the wall. It could happen in spots during the race at certain times. But it makes for good drama for the fans and makes it fun for me. I love it. I would much rather pass on the outside than the inside. You just really have to think about the walls and where you are at. Because people do not realize that you are there."
***
A new, specially outfitted Corvette Z06 will serve as Official Pace Car of the 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Chevrolet cars have paced the prestigious NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at each of the 12 previous events, but the Corvette has never before been the Chevy brand chosen to lead the field to the green flag at the historic 2.5-mile IMS oval.
The Corvette Z06 also served as the Official Pace Car of the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race in the month of May.
While all Corvettes are considered high-performance machines, the Corvette Z06 stands out as the fastest vehicle ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors. The Corvette Z06 is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 198 mph. With a dry-sump lubrication system, the Z06's engine is equipped to handle the highest cornering forces when traveling around Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 9-degree banked turns.
***
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway again will join forces with the America Supports You program during the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard by selling commemorative dog tags and T-shirts, with proceeds benefiting Homes for Our Troops.
The Speedway first became affiliated with the America Supports You program in May 2005 during the 89th Indianapolis 500.
The dog tag, adorned with the official America Supports You logo, will be sold for $5 and the T-shirt will sell for $10 in a booth located in the Pagoda Plaza. Sales will take place from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (ET) Friday, Aug. 4 and Saturday, Aug. 5, and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6. These items also will be sold Saturday at a booth in the Hall of Fame Museum Lot . Information about America Supports You and Homes for Our Troops will be available at the booth.
America Supports You is a nationwide program launched in November 2004 by the Department of Defense to recognize the support for our military men and women and to communicate that support to our Armed Forces members, both at home and overseas.
Homes for our Troops, founded in 2004, is a non-profit organization that is committed to helping members of the military who have given selflessly to their country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries.
***
IndyCar Series rookie Jeff Simmons visited Gasoline Alley today.
JEFF SIMMONS: "We had a weekend off, and I live here in Indy, so I just thought I'd come out and check it out today. That's about it, really. I'm driving for Bobby (Rahal) and hopefully that will continue for next year. I have a few friends over here. I've always been in the open-wheel camp, I guess, but I have a few friends over here, so I just wanted to come out and say hi to them. I've never seen the Cup cars go around here at Indy. The only thing I've ever seen go around here at Indy is the IndyCars, so I just wanted to come out and check it out."
***
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SECOND PRACTICE:
At 3:30 p.m., the beginning of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice, the ambient temperature was 84 degrees with a relative humidity of 37 percent and northeast winds at 13 mph. Skies were sunny.
∙Fastest lap, first practice: 180.321, #21 Ken Schrader
3:30 p.m. – GREEN. #10 Riggs first on track.
3:37 p.m. -- #2 K. Busch fastest at 182.039 mph.
3:50 p.m. -- #9 Kahne second fastest at 181.995.
4:22 p.m. – RED. #41 Sorenson does quarter-spin to the left in Turn 1, backing car into SAFER Barrier and completes full spin in short chute between Turns 1 and 2 after impact. Car coasts to inside apron of track near entrance of Turn 2. Sorenson climbs from car without assistance. Heavy damage to rear of car.
Medical update from NASCAR: #41 Reed Sorenson was evaluated and released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center.
4:30 p.m. – GREEN.
4:35 p.m. – RED. End of session.
***
The track temperature was 139 degrees at 3:45 p.m., according to team tire specialists with temperature gauges.
***
Top Five Drivers, Second Practice:
| 1. | #2 Kurt Busch | 182.039 mph |
| 2. | #9 Kasey Kahne | 181.995 |
| 3. | #7 Robby Gordon | 181.181 |
| 4. | #10 Scott Riggs | 181.097 |
| 5. | #21 Ken Schrader | 180.908 |
***
The top five speeds of the day all were posted in the second session. Ken Schrader and Robby Gordon were thee only drivers in the top five in both sessions.
Schrader recorded speeds of 180.321 (first) and 180.908 (fifth) in the first and second sessions, respectively. Gordon was at 180.029 (second) and 181.181 (third) in the first and second sessions, respectively.
***
Dean Kessel, director of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series marketing for Sprint Nextel, will make a presentation at 11:20 a.m. Sunday to Mark Martin commemorating Martin's 600th consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start, which came in June at Dover, Del. The presentation will take place at the Nextel Experience behind the Hall of Fame Museum. Martin also will participate in a question-and-answer session with fans.
***
IndyCar Series veteran Sarah Fisher visited Gasoline Alley today. Fisher will return to the series at the Meijer Indy 300 presented by Coca-Cola and Secret on Aug. 13 at Kentucky Speedway.
SARAH FISHER: "Just walking around and hanging out. It's the Brickyard." (Looking forward to driving again next weekend in an IndyCar?) "Yes. Next weekend at Kentucky is my first race back in the IRL. We'll see how it goes. We just want to get the name back out there. Refresh a little bit and get some laps in. Just try get back to where we left off." (What kind of rides have you had since your last run in an IndyCar?): "I've run in the West series but just haven't done any open wheel. So everyone in open wheel has been focused on what they're doing. But that's cool. I've run all sorts of things since then." (Have you had a chance to test in an IndyCar yet this year?): "No, Kentucky will be my first time back in an IndyCar."
***
Dale Earnhardt Jr. met with the media today.
DALE EARNHARDT JR.: (You've been kind of snake bit here before, so what's your mindset going into today?): "We tested really good so I'm pretty pumped up about our opportunity. Track's pretty easy to drive, just hard to pass on it. Tony (Eury) Jr. wanted to get right into qualifying trim so we can get the best pit stall (that) we can get."
(Is Indianapolis the best place for Jeff Gordon to tie your dad's (Dale Earnhardt) 76-career wins mark, given the reception he might get at Talladega or a few other tracks?): "I guess, I suppose. It's inevitable that he'll go on and surpass maybe another driver or two. He's a really successful race car driver, one of the best the sport has seen. I don't know how many more races Daddy would've won had he been around, but obviously in time, had he raced four more years, Jeff would have passed him."
(Is race big enough for you guys that you want to go all-out, and maybe not worry as much about the Chase as much?): "We go balls-out every week to get them wins. This place doesn't really draw more out of me than any other track. I think it does for Tony (Stewart) and Jeff (Gordon) and Ryan (Newman), because of their ties to the place. It's the second-biggest race next to the Daytona 500. It's one of them that you want to have on your resume when you're done. The only thing different that I feel (about the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard) when I'm standing before I get in my car on Sunday is how big of a spectacle it is. Aside from the '500,' comparing it to Bristol, and Charlotte's and Atlanta's, the other bigger races of the season, it's such a big spectacle, and it's a lot of pressure. You're just really happy when you're able to strap down in that car and forget about what's going on outside that car."
***
Jeff Gordon could become just the second five-time winner of a major race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a victory Sunday in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
Michael Schumacher became the first five-time winner when he captured the United States Grand Prix on July 2. Schumacher has won the USGP in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Gordon is tied with four-time Indianapolis 500 winners A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears on the IMS win list. Gordon won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004. Foyt won the Indy 500 in 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977; Unser won the "500" in 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987. Mears won the "500" in 1979, 1984, 1988 and 1991.
***
Petty Enterprises announced today General Mills will continue its primary sponsorship of the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
General Mills and its Cheerios/Betty Crocker brands will continue to grace the side of the famous No. 43 driven by 2000 NEXTEL Cup champion and 2000 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner Bobby Labonte. General Mills started its relationship with the Petty team in 2000.
An update on the No. 41 Target Dodge of Reed Sorenson, who crashed heavily during the second practice for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Aug. 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sorenson was unhurt.
JIMMY ELLEDGE (Crew chief, No. 41 Target Dodge): (The car that Reed Sorenson crashed today, was that the car that ran fastest in testing here?): "Yes, that was the car ran the fastest lap out here in testing. It was also the car that we ran out here last year with Casey (Mears). But this car here (Reed's backup car) we hadn't tested here yet. This is not the backup car we brought here to the test. We actually brought a new (backup) car for the tests, just to try something different. It didn't seem to be any better. This backup car is just another one of my intermediate cars. It's really, really close to each other." (What kind of setup changes do you have to do?): "Well, basically we are taking everything from the wrecked car and putting in this backup car. Just to make sure everything is exactly right. So we put the same stuff on the car. It looks like we are changing a lot of things. But we really didn't have to change a lot of things. We took the spindles, because the brakes and the rotors and everything had been bedded and matched up to one another. Since we need to qualify first thing in the morning, we just took the whole assembly. The upper control arms, slugs, everything in one unit to put on here. Just to make sure that we can duplicate the setup as close as we can. It shouldn't be any problem because these cars, all of our intermediate cars, are taken the same number of rounds in each corner, the A-frames, the shims and everything are all the same. So I feel confident about that. We've run this car earlier this year, had a top-10 finish at Atlanta with it and finished 11th at the Southern 500 with it. So it's a good car." (You had the guys pull the motor out of the wrecked primary car?): "No, we put another motor in it. Just because it might have happened is it (the engine) may have spun backward. You know when the guys spin out; the motors are not made to go the wrong direction. Just out of safety we put a spare motor in it. It's the first backup, the No. 1 backup motor that was on our truck. That's why we swapped it. It's better than the one that was in the car."
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE:
| 7 a.m. | Public gates open |
| 10:10 a.m. | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying (two laps, all positions) |
| 1:30-2:30 p.m. | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice |
| 3:30-4:30 p.m. | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series final practice |
Related Stories
| Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Talkback | Post Comment |
|
|
|