Saturday, August 5, 2006
TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
| 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 |
***
Rick Crawford won the Power Stroke Diesel 200 presented by Ford and International NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
Three drivers who are entered in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard competed in this race, with Mike Skinner finishing 18th, Bobby Hamilton Jr. 31st and Chad Chaffin 32nd.
***
An update from Friday evening on the No. 41 Target Dodge of Reed Sorenson, who crashed heavily during the second practice Friday afternoon for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard 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."
***
TRACK MILESTONES:
∙Qualifying record: 186.293 mph, Casey Mears, 2004
∙Fastest lap, July 2006 testing: 181.892, Reed Sorenson, July 12
∙Fastest lap, Friday practice: 182.039, #2 Kurt Busch
At 10:10 a.m., the beginning of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup qualifying, the ambient temperature was 79 degrees with a relative humidity of 57 percent and east winds at 8 mph. Skies were sunny.
***
POLE QUALIFYING CHRONOLOGY:
(Best of two laps)
| Time | |||||
| Of Day | Car | Driver | Time | Speed | Rank |
| 10:10 a.m. | 15 | Paul Menard | 50.499 | 178.221 | 1 |
| 10:13 a.m. | 31 | Jeff Burton | 49.240 | 182.778 | 1 |
#31 Burton takes pole on his only qualifying lap.
| 10:16 a.m. | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | 49.859 | 180.509 | 2 |
| 10:19 a.m. | 66 | Jeff Green | 50.272 | 179.026 | 3 |
| 10:21 a.m. | 96 | Tony Raines | 49.714 | 181.036 | 2 |
| 10:24 a.m. | 88 | Dale Jarrett | 50.368 | 178.685 | 5 |
| 10:27 a.m. | 07 | Clint Bowyer | 49.242 | 182.771 | 2 |
| 10:30 a.m. | 22 | Dave Blaney | 50.856 | 176.970 | 8 |
| 10:33 a.m. | 18 | J.J. Yeley | 49.404 | 182.171 | 3 |
| 10:35 a.m. | 16 | Greg Biffle | 49.433 | 182.065 | 4 |
| 10:38 a.m. | 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | 49.982 | 180.065 | 7 |
| 10:40 a.m. | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | 49.386 | 182.238 | 3 |
| 10:43 a.m. | 99 | Carl Edwards | 49.982 | 180.065 | 8 |
| 10:45 a.m. | 20 | Tony Stewart | 50.305 | 178.909 | 11 |
| 10:47 a.m. | 45 | Kyle Petty | 50.555 | 178.024 | 14 |
At 10:50 a.m., the ambient temperature was 81 degrees with a relative humidity of 51 percent and southeast winds at 12 mph. Skies were sunny.
| 10:50 a.m. | 21 | Ken Schrader | 49.576 | 181.539 | 6 |
| 10:53 a.m. | 60 | Boris Said | 50.412 | 178.529 | 14 |
| 10:55 a.m. | 4 | Scott Wimmer | 50.355 | 178.731 | 13 |
| 10:57 a.m. | 38 | Elliott Sadler | 50.215 | 179.229 | 11 |
| 11 a.m. | 26 | Jamie McMurray | 49.882 | 180.426 | 9 |
| 11:02 a.m. | 41 | Reed Sorenson | 50.765 | 177.288 | 20 |
| 11:04 a.m. | 29 | Kevin Harvick | 49.523 | 181.734 | 6 |
| 11:07 a.m. | 17 | Matt Kenseth | 49.965 | 180.126 | 11 |
| 11:09 a.m. | 01 | Joe Nemechek | 49.969 | 180.112 | 12 |
| 11:12 a.m. | 2 | Kurt Busch | 49.247 | 182.752 | 3 |
| 11:14 a.m. | 43 | Bobby Labonte | 50.435 | 178.448 | 22 |
| 11:16 a.m. | 10 | Scott Riggs | 49.703 | 181.076 | 9 |
| 11:19 a.m. | 14 | Sterling Marlin | 50.323 | 178.845 | 20 |
| 11:22 a.m. | 55 | Michael Waltrip | 50.536 | 178.091 | 26 |
| 11:24 a.m. | 6 | Mark Martin | 49.935 | 180.234 | 13 |
| 11:27 a.m. | 34 | Chad Chaffin | 50.177 | 179.365 | 18 |
| 11:30 a.m. | 25 | Brian Vickers | 50.297 | 178.973 | 21 |
| 11:32 a.m. | 12 | Ryan Newman | 49.471 | 181.925 | 7 |
| 11:35 a.m. | 90 | Stephen Leicht | 50.863 | 176.946 | 34 |
| 11:38 a.m. | 04 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | 50.903 | 176.807 | 35 |
| 11:40 a.m. | 61 | Derrike Cope | 51.565 | 174.537 | 36 |
| 11:43 a.m. | 40 | David Stremme | 50.150 | 179.462 | 19 |
| 11:46 a.m. | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 50.301 | 178.923 | 24 |
| 11:49 a.m. | 70 | Johnny Sauter | 50.676 | 177.599 | 34 |
| 11:51 a.m. | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 49.741 | 180.937 | 12 |
| 11:53 a.m. | 24 | Jeff Gordon | 49.860 | 180.505 | 14 |
| 11:56 a.m. | 00 | Bill Elliott | 50.207 | 179.258 | 23 |
| 11:58 a.m. | 37 | Mike Skinner | 49.865 | 180.487 | 15 |
| 12:01 p.m. | 78 | Kenny Wallace | 50.223 | 179.201 | 26 |
| 12:04 p.m. | 7 | Robby Gordon | 49.484 | 181.877 | 8 |
| 12:06 p.m. | 32 | Travis Kvapil | 50.380 | 178.642 | 35 |
| 12:09 p.m. | 42 | Casey Mears | 50.463 | 178.348 | 38 |
| 12:12 p.m. | 49 | Kevin Lepage | 50.818 | 177.103 | 44 |
| 12:14 p.m. | 5 | Kyle Busch | 50.414 | 178.522 | 37 |
| 12:16 p.m. | 9 | Kasey Kahne | 49.331 | 182.441 | 4 |
All 50 drivers who made a qualifying attempt turned just one qualifying lap.
***
Hall of Fame Racing co-owner Troy Aikman will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this afternoon in Canton, Ohio. Fellow team owner Roger Staubach was inducted into the Hall in 1985.
The team, which fields the No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet driven by Tony Raines, receives engines, cars and technical assistance from Joe Gibbs Racing, owned by 1996 Hall inductee Gibbs.
TROY AIKMAN: "Obviously, this is a very exciting weekend for myself and the other Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees. It's a special honor, and one that means a great deal to me. We'll still have an eye on the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, though. Roger and I will be getting updates all afternoon on Sunday. It's one of the biggest races of the season, and if we weren't in Canton, we would be in Indy cheering on Tony and the DLP team. Getting inducted into the Hall of Fame and having a good run for the DLP 96 car would make for a great weekend."
***
ALLSTATE 400 AT THE BRICKYARD POST-QUALIFYING NOTES:
∙Jeff Burton's pole was his best start at the Brickyard in 13 tries. His best previous start was 16th in 1999. It is his fourth front-row start of the 2006 season and third pole. His other No. 1 starting spots came at Daytona (500) and Chicagoland. In his last four races, he has started on the pole at Chicagoland, second at Loudon and sixth at Pocono before taking the pole here.
∙Clint Bowyer's second starting spot is his first on the front row for a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event. His best previous start was third at Darlington. He also is the first first-time Brickyard starter (other than those in the inaugural in 1994) to start on the front row. The previous best start by a first-timer was third by Casey Atwood in 2001.
∙Kurt Busch's third-place start is his best in six Allstate 400s at the Brickyard. His best previous starting spot was sixth in '03.
∙Kasey Kahne's fourth-place starting spot is his second in a row in that position at Indy.
∙Jimmie Johnson's fifth-place start is his best ever at Indy. His previous best was ninth in both '03 and '04.
∙J.J. Yeley's sixth-place start is his fourth in the top six this season. His best is second at Texas.
∙Ryan Newman has started in the top 10 at the Brickyard in his five previous races here. He starts eighth for this year's edition of the Brickyard.
∙Scott Riggs qualified 12th, his best start in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. His best previous was 35th in 2005.
∙Dale Jarrett's 35trh-place start is his worst ever at the Brickyard. Two-time winner Jarrett's worst previous start was 34th in 2003.
∙The number of drivers who have qualified for all the Brickyard events since the race began in 1994 shrunk from 11 to eight today. Those who will start their 13th straight race are Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin and Joe Nemechek. The three who are missing their first Allstate 400 at the Brickyard are Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip. Only Waltrip was entered.
∙NASCAR NEXTEL Cup track record holder Casey Mears has been up and down in starts at the Brickyard. In four starts, he has started 28th, first (with a track record of 186.293 mph), 40th and 39th.
∙Tony Raines' starting position of 13th is his best at the Brickyard. His previous best was 33rd in 2003.
∙Greg Biffle's start of seventh is his best at the Brickyard. His previous best was 16th in 2003.
∙J.J. Yeley (sixth) and Clint Bowyer (second) represent the two first-time starters in the top 10 of this race since David Green (ninth) and Mike Skinner (sixth) in 1997.
∙Those entered for the 13th running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard who missed the starting lineup, and their number of previous starts at Indy: Paul Menard (0), Michael Waltrip (12), Johnny Sauter (0), Kevin Lepage (3), Stephen Leicht (0), Bobby Hamilton Jr. (1) and Derrike Cope (7).
***
Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing and head coach of the Washington Redskins, made a statement today about the induction of the late Reggie White into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Gibbs and White collaborated on the Joe Gibbs Racing diversity program, which traces its roots back to May 2003. JGR and White formed the diversity program to create a grassroots stock car team that would identify and assist minorities with the desire and talent to make a career in motorsports.
Aric Almirola, 22, an original driver with the Joe Gibbs Racing diversity program, is now running full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series while also competing in a handful of NASCAR Busch Series races. Marc Davis, 16, is the team's current driver in the diversity program, and has won six races so far this year in the Limited Late Model division at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
JOE GIBBS: "It's great to see Reggie being honored for his tremendous work ethic and success on the football field. He is well deserving of this honor and I am really happy that Sara, Jeremy and Jacolia will be part of the induction this weekend. They are a tremendous family and great people. Reggie excelled as a husband and father, and he honored the Lord with his life. It was a true pleasure to collaborate with him on the Joe Gibbs Racing diversity program. I know all the employees of Joe Gibbs Racing were looking forward to a long relationship with Reggie through this program. That said, we have continued to put 100 percent behind the program in Reggie's honor. Aric Almirola spent two years in the diversity program and is now racing full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series while driving in a limited number of NASCAR Busch Series races. Our current driver, Marc Davis, has won several races at Hickory this season, and Chris Bristol had a lot of success in the program, as well. I think Reggie would be very, very proud of the program and the people representing it."
***
TRACK MILESTONES:
∙Qualifying record: 186.293 mph, Casey Mears, 2004
∙Fastest lap, July 2006 testing: 181.892, Reed Sorenson, July 12
∙Fastest lap, Friday practice: 182.039, #2 Kurt Busch
∙Pole lap, today: 182.778, #31 Jeff Burton
***
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP PRACTICE:
At 1:30 p.m., the beginning of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice, the ambient temperature was 81 degrees with a relative humidity of 38 percent and southwest winds at 3 mph. Skies were sunny.
1:30 p.m. – GREEN. #20 Stewart first on track, followed by #48 Johnson, #17 Kenseth.
1:33 p.m. – RED. Debris on track.
1:37 p.m. – GREEN.
1:53 p.m. -- #9 Kahne fastest at 175.915, followed by #07 Bowyer at 175.822, #29 Harvick at 175.661.
2:11 p.m. – RED. #2 Kurt Busch hits SAFER Barrier entering Turn 1. Glides along SAFER Barrier through Turn 1 and then slides across track in short chute between Turns 1 and 2, stopping on inside edge of track near entrance of Turn 2. Busch climbs from car without assistance. Moderate damage to right side of car. Front right wheel bent out 45 degrees due to impact. Busch was fourth-fastest in session at 175.589 mph before crash.
2:17 p.m. – GREEN.
Medical update from NASCAR: #2 Kurt Busch was evaluated and released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center.
KURT BUSCH: "We just blew a left front tire, so we'll just pull out our backup and give it our best effort. At least we still have a little bit of practice time to get back out there and shake the car down for tomorrow. Everything is OK. It seemed like I had plenty of time to brace myself, so we'll bounce back from this. We'll be OK."
2:30 p.m. – RED. End of session. #9 Kahne fastest at 175.915.
***
Top Five Drivers, First Practice:
| 1. | #9 Kasey Kahne | 175.915 mph |
| 2. | #07 Clint Bowyer | 175.822 |
| 3. | #29 Kevin Harvick | 175.661 |
| 4. | #2 Kurt Busch | 175.589 |
| 5. | #31 Jeff Burton | 175.319 |
***
#2 Kurt Busch will start from the rear of the 43-car starting field in a backup car after his primary #2 Miller Lite Dodge was damaged too severely to repair in a crash during the first practice.
KURT BUSCH: "We were on a seven-lap run with scuffed tires and just blew a left-front tire. Obviously, it was unexpected. The team has already pulled out the backup and gone to work. It's not our best foot forward because that was a great car, almost a pole-sitting car. We'll have a good backup and give it our best effort." (Can you win with a backup?): "We certainly think we can. You put so much emphasis into one car to make it better. Obviously, one is an A car and one is a B. I work for Penske, and they build great cars. We tested the backup here, and it shook down OK. We should be all right. We'll get some laps on it in Happy Hour and see where we stack up."
***
Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer are the first teammates to start on the front row of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Both drive a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
It's only the second time that drivers from the same manufacturer have started on the front row in this race. In 2000, Ricky Rudd and Darrell Waltrip qualified first and second, respectively, in Fords.
***
Actor Chris Noth took a few high-speed laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a Richard Petty Driving Experience stock car with NBC analyst Wally Dallenbach behind the wheel between the first and second practice today. The segment was filmed for use in the NBC broadcast of the race Sunday.
Noth, the grand marshal of the event, 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. He recently starred and executive-produced the TNT Original film"Bad Apple," as well as starring as Roman general Pompey in the TNT epic miniseries"Caesar."
He also enjoyed a successful Broadway run of the revival of Gore Vidal's "The Best Man." On the silver screen, Noth has been seen in such films as "Cast Away," "Double Whammy" and "Glass House."
CHRIS NOTH: "Oh, my brain is a little rattled. You know, we couldn't hear each other in the car. That little tiny engine was a little loud. This is the first time I've done anything like this since I was 14 and took my mom's GTO out to hit the roads, and it was awesome. I didn't really understand what the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard was, but I'm going to be here every year now. I give myself two years before my team here puts me in a car. I'm going to start off small on the countryside and work my way up. How come you got no Pontiacs racing in this thing? I'm going to bring them back in about three years. GTO, that's what I want my car to be. This is a whole part of the country that I really dig. You know, being an East coaster, what do we have on the East coast? Down south, obviously they've got Daytona, but you know what, the heart of it is right here. With the original bricks and everything, it's going to be a hell of an exciting thing."
***
TRACK MILESTONES:
∙Pole lap, today: 182.778, #31 Jeff Burton
∙Fastest lap, first practice today: 175.915, #9 Kasey Kahne
∙Fastest lap, Friday practice: 182.039, #2 Kurt Busch
∙Fastest lap, July 2006 testing: 181.892, Reed Sorenson, July 12
∙Qualifying record: 186.293 mph, Casey Mears, 2004
***
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP PRACTICE:
At 3:30 p.m., the beginning of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice, the ambient temperature was 86 degrees with a relative humidity of 35 percent and east winds at 20 mph. Skies were sunny.
3:30 p.m. – GREEN.
3:41 p.m. -- #07 Bowyer pulls slowly into exit of pit lane and parks car near Formula One garages. Team reports flat left-front tire. Crew changes tire near F1 garage, rolls car to Gasoline Alley for further inspection.
3:47 p.m. -- #31 Burton fastest at 175.200, followed by #17 Kenseth at 174.314, #99 Edwards at 174.250.
4:30 p.m. – RED. End of session. #31 Burton fastest at 175.200.
***
Top Five Drivers, Second Practice:
| 1. | #31 Jeff Burton | 175.200 mph |
| 2. | #17 Matt Kenseth | 174.341 |
| 3. | #99 Carl Edwards | 174.250 |
| 4. | #07 Clint Bowyer | 173.940 |
| 5. | #21 Ken Schrader | 173.859 |
***
#31 Jeff Burton and #07 Clint Bowyer were the only two drivers among the top five in both post-qualifying practice sessions today. They will start first and second, respectively, in the race Sunday.
Burton led the second practice at 175.200 and was fifth fastest in the first session at 175.319. His Richard Childress Racing teammate Bowyer was fourth in the second practice at 173.940 and second in the first practice ate 175.822.
***
The track temperature was 137 degrees at 3:25 p.m., five minutes before the start of the final practice session, according to team tire specialists with temperature gauges.
***
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk visited the Speedway today. Luyendyk, who won the "500" in 1990 and 1997, turned the fastest official lap in IMS history, 237.498, during qualifying for the 1996 Indianapolis 500.
ARIE LUYENDYK: "I was here to do some business. I had some meetings with the IndyCar folks. I'm going back home this afternoon. I went out on the straightaway and watched the cars go into Turn 1, and they looked good, they looked fast. I've seen them practice here before, but I've never seen a race here. I did the IROC race here in '98. I've been to a couple of NASCAR races but not this one yet."
***
SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE:
| 7 a.m. | Public Gates Open |
| 9-9:45 a.m. | Live Music by Virgin Millionaires, Coca-Cola Stage |
| 10-10:45 a.m. | Live Music by J-Henry, Allstate Stage |
| 10:30-11:15 a.m. | Live Music by Virgin Millionaires, Coca-Cola Stage |
| 11-11:45 a.m. | Live Music by Jack Ingram, Allstate Stage |
| Noon-1 p.m. | Live Music by Lorrie Morgan, Allstate Stage |
| 1 p.m. | Pre-Race Ceremonies Begin |
| 2 p.m. | Driver Introductions |
| 2:30 p.m. | Start of Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps, 400 miles) |
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