pandr
03-06-2011, 03:32 AM
Raceday: 'Cookie cutters' add up
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Saturday, Mar. 05, 2011
Race preview: Notes, numbers and more
Putting a little more in play while waiting for Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Three things to watch
1. The Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt, are back in town and are ranked first and second in the Sprint Cup standings. Can one of them work some hometown magic?
2. Carl Edwards might have wrecked last week in Phoenix, but he was fast.
He’s fast this weekend, too. Edwards appears well on his way to championship contender status if he can just stay out of trouble on the track.
3. Take a good look at who runs well Sunday. Tracks like this one (1.5 miles in length) are the most common in the Cup series, so you’ll likely get a good indication of who will be strong this season.
Observations
Ticket sales going well
Sunday’s Cup race could draw a near-capacity crowd. It would make it three full houses in a row this season.
Tracks have made changes, eliminating seating altogether in some cases. But it’s a positive sign when the available seats are being sold.
A big test will be in two weeks at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, which struggled with ticket sales last spring.
Still the one?
An interesting dynamic came to light this week.
Jimmie Johnson has won five championships in a row, but his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, seems to have commanded more attention from the mainstream media over the last several days.
Gordon last won a title – his fourth – in 2001. And he ended a nearly two-year winless streak last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.
Wrecks wreak havoc on rankings
The season’s first two races have included several big wrecks – particularly uncommon at Phoenix – taking out several likely contenders and greatly altering the race dynamics.
It’s hard to tell what some of these drivers are capable of when they aren’t around at the finish.
Just the facts
Kobalt Tools 400
Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas.
Track type: 1.5-mile paved, banked quad-oval.
Race distance: 267 laps or 400.5 miles.
When: Green flag is 3:16 p.m.
Weather: Sunny with high in the low 70s.
TV: Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. on Fox.
Radio: Performance Racing Network.
Picks
JIM UTTER
Yes, the Fords are fast. But the Busch brothers own this town. (Well, sort of.)
Winner: Kyle Busch.
BOB HENRY
Some of those Blue Oval cars sure look fast. The ones Jack Roush keeps in-house should last, too.
Winner: Greg Biffle.
Read more: hxxp://www.thatsracin.com/2011/03/05/58056/raceday-cookie-cutters-add-up.html#ixzz1Fmp24N5A
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Saturday, Mar. 05, 2011
Race preview: Notes, numbers and more
Putting a little more in play while waiting for Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Three things to watch
1. The Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt, are back in town and are ranked first and second in the Sprint Cup standings. Can one of them work some hometown magic?
2. Carl Edwards might have wrecked last week in Phoenix, but he was fast.
He’s fast this weekend, too. Edwards appears well on his way to championship contender status if he can just stay out of trouble on the track.
3. Take a good look at who runs well Sunday. Tracks like this one (1.5 miles in length) are the most common in the Cup series, so you’ll likely get a good indication of who will be strong this season.
Observations
Ticket sales going well
Sunday’s Cup race could draw a near-capacity crowd. It would make it three full houses in a row this season.
Tracks have made changes, eliminating seating altogether in some cases. But it’s a positive sign when the available seats are being sold.
A big test will be in two weeks at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, which struggled with ticket sales last spring.
Still the one?
An interesting dynamic came to light this week.
Jimmie Johnson has won five championships in a row, but his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, seems to have commanded more attention from the mainstream media over the last several days.
Gordon last won a title – his fourth – in 2001. And he ended a nearly two-year winless streak last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.
Wrecks wreak havoc on rankings
The season’s first two races have included several big wrecks – particularly uncommon at Phoenix – taking out several likely contenders and greatly altering the race dynamics.
It’s hard to tell what some of these drivers are capable of when they aren’t around at the finish.
Just the facts
Kobalt Tools 400
Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas.
Track type: 1.5-mile paved, banked quad-oval.
Race distance: 267 laps or 400.5 miles.
When: Green flag is 3:16 p.m.
Weather: Sunny with high in the low 70s.
TV: Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. on Fox.
Radio: Performance Racing Network.
Picks
JIM UTTER
Yes, the Fords are fast. But the Busch brothers own this town. (Well, sort of.)
Winner: Kyle Busch.
BOB HENRY
Some of those Blue Oval cars sure look fast. The ones Jack Roush keeps in-house should last, too.
Winner: Greg Biffle.
Read more: hxxp://www.thatsracin.com/2011/03/05/58056/raceday-cookie-cutters-add-up.html#ixzz1Fmp24N5A