Race Day | Observations, picks and more

Sunday, Jun. 28, 2009

A bit more to ponder while waiting for the race to start on Sunday:

Three things to watch

1. Much like double-file restarts, starting Sunday's race based primarily on owner's points puts all of the drivers fighting to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup up front, racing each other from the start. That should provide some dramatic opening laps.

2. Greg Biffle is the most recent winner at New Hampshire as he opened the 2008 Chase with a victory here. Still without a win this season, his team has been the most consistent at Roush Fenway Racing and should be a contender.

3. Series points leader Tony Stewart has been on fire, but he will start Sunday's race in a backup car after wrecking his primary car during practice on Friday. He drove a backup car to victory at Pocono. Can he do it again?

Observations

Richard Petty didn't mince words Saturday. When asked what changes could be made to the car in Sprint Cup, the seven-time champion said, “I'd do nothing with it. There's nothing wrong with the race cars.”

I don't totally disagree with him, but I do think there could be some tweaks in some areas. But I know there will be a lot of drivers and crew chiefs in the series who will beg to differ - many of whom claim some aspects of the new car hurt competitiveness.

Rookie Joey Logano seems to be becoming more and more competitive, not just on race day where it's noticed the most, but also in practice sessions through the weekend. He has been fairly consistent in qualifying from the start of the season.

Reed Sorenson was the only Richard Petty Motorsports driver who didn't finish in the top 10 at Sonoma, Calif., last weekend but looks like he is in position to make up for it. He was in top five of both of Saturday's practice sessions.

Just the facts

Lenox Tools 301

Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

Track type: 1.058-mile paved oval.

Race distance: 301 laps or 318.46 miles.

When: Green flag is 2:16 p.m.

Weather: High in the upper 60s and chance of thunderstorms.

TV: Coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. on TNT.

Radio: Performance Racing Network

Picks

JIM UTTER

He's shown he's capable of winning, more so than his Roush Fenway Racing teammates lately, and is New Hampshire's most recent race winner. He's ready for a repeat.

Winner: Greg Biffle.

BOB HENRY

Here's another capable guy, but he's been criticized recently for runs that were kind of ordinary and making uncharacteristic mistakes on race days. Yes, he's human, but he's also a three-time champion. Time to remind everyone why.

Winner: Jimmie Johnson.

Notes

JTG/Daugherty cuts back

Unless additional sponsorship is found, JTG/Daugherty Racing will be not field a full-time entry in the Nationwide Series beyond next weekend’s race at Daytona, team owner Tad Geschickter said Saturday.

"We had money to run half the races and we had to make a choice whether to spread those races out or front-load them and hope to get enough money to run the second half," he said.

So far, the money needed to keep driver Michael McDowell running full time effort has not been found. McDowell is currently 11th in the series standings.

Geschickter said he the Nationwide team will compete occasionally in the second half of the season, in events with Cup driver Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen and Montreal.

In September, JTG/Daugherty Racing will have to finalize its Cup plans for next season. Right now, the No. 47 Toyota is run out of Michael Waltrip Racing. Ambrose 18th in points with that program.

However, that was a one-year arrangement. JTG/Daugherty will either have to re-up with MWR or make a new deal for the 2010 season and beyond.

"I think the Michael Waltrip Racing scenario for a single-car owner starting its first year in Cup is absolutely the right solution," Geschickter said.

Multiple sources told The Observer and ThatsRacin.com on Saturday that Stewart-Hass Racing is among the possibilities for an alliance with JTG/Daugherty, should it move from MWR.

New Ford engine set for August debut, Yates says

Doug Yates, owner of Yates Racing and builder of Ford's engines in NASCAR competition, hopes to have the new FR9 engine ready for Sprint Cup competition by late August.

The question then: Who would run it?

With the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup beginning in mid-September, some teams in the title hunt would be concerned about using a new engine.

"I'm under the understanding we probably won't have it full time this year," driver Matt Kenseth said Friday. "I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter to me.

"I have a ton of confidence in Doug Yates and the engine guys, and whatever they think is best, I'm good with that."

Right now there are three Ford drivers, including Kenseth, in the top 12 in the series standings, the cutoff to make the Chase field.

The two drivers with the Yates organization, Paul Menard and Bobby Labonte, are 33rd and 28th in points, respectively, and would likely use the new engine when it becomes available.

NASCAR bounces 3 photogs, cites autograph requests

NASCAR ejected three photographers from New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday after officials said they requested autographs from stock car racing's currently most popular driver.

All three had their credentials pulled after the second Sprint Cup practice, officials said, and were affiliated with The Associated Press. The photographers, two men and a woman, had credentials and wore brightly colored photo vests that are required of all shooters at NASCAR events.

They approached Dale Earnhardt Jr., asking for autographs, officials said. NASCAR did not release their names.

Disclaimer