Raceday | Texas 500

DAVID POOLE, dpoole@charlotteobserver.com

Saturday, Apr. 14, 2007

SAMSUNG 500
Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Weather: Sunny, high around 70
TV: Coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. on Fox, WCCB (Ch. 18)
Radio: Performance Racing Network, WSOC-FM (103.7)
Race distance: 334 laps
Track length: 1.5 miles

PRACTICE UPDATE
Carl Edwards was fastest in Saturday’s final practice and third fastest in the first, while Tony Stewart led the first session and was also fifth in the final session. Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin were also in the top 10 in both sessions. But Saturday’s weather, cloudy and cold with strong winds, was much different from the sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s expected for today.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH
•  Track position can be big at Texas. Even though a second groove might be raceable here, the fastest way around is still the bottom and the “aero push” factor does make it a challenge to pass.
•  With qualifying rained out, the teams that have been running well all season will start up front today. Will they run off and hide from those starting further back in the field?
•  Teams are back in their “old” cars after running the cars of tomorrow in the past two events. The last time these cars raced, it was at Atlanta on a track very similar to this. That was the day Juan Pablo Montoya turned in an impressive run and finished fifth. Could Montoya be a “surprise” again today?

OBSERVER PICKS
David Poole
Tony Stewart – Makes it two in a row at Texas with his first 2007 victory.
Jim Utter
Jeff Gordon – His winless streak at Texas is broken.

ELEVATORS

UP: Kenseth’s qualifying
Friday’s rain worked out OK for Matt Kenseth. He starts fourth today after averaging a 27.3 starting position in the first six races.

DOWN: Busch brothers
Kurt Busch crashed his primary car Friday and went to a backup, then his younger brother, Kyle, did the same thing Saturday.

DOWN: A fair shake
NASCAR should try to fit qualifying in on Saturday when possible rather than send eight teams home without giving them a chance to make the show.

UP: Coffee, hot chocolate concessions
After a stormy Friday afternoon with scary weather all around the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Saturday was cloudy with a c-c-c-c-cold wind.

Briefly
•  Texas Motor Speedway has signed a four-year deal with O’Reilly Auto Parts to keep that company as the sponsor of both of its annual Busch Series races.
•  Pins for NASCAR Day go on sale Monday at all 1,900 Home Depot story in the United States. The pins are $5 and proceeds benefit NASCAR-related charities.

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