From the October, 2006 issue of Stock Car Insider

Matt Kenseth vs. Jimmie Johnson in the Cup championship - SCI October 30th Issue

Next stop on the Nextel Cup Schedule is Texas Motor Speedway

Tony Stewart Smokes Atlanta!

Not often in professional sports does a team coming off a championship year, who didn't lose any key personnel in the off-season fail to make the playoffs the following year. But such has been the luck of the #20 Home Depot team captained by Tony Stewart this season.

Tony Stewart's season has been either feast or famine. In fact, it's been a trademark of Tony's ever since he started racing in NASCAR. One of the most aggressive drivers in NASCAR today has yielded 4 wins, 13 top 5's, and 17 top 10's in 2006. Not bad right? It is when you factor in the 11 finishes outside of the top 20.

Nonetheless, yesterday's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was like Thanksgiving for Tony. Stewart captured the checkered flag along with the 5 bonus points for leading the most laps. And in the end, the always entertaining, yet pudgy, “Smoke" kept fans on edge by climbing the fence in celebration.

Juan Pablo Montoya Update

It's only a matter of time for the rest of the world to discover what the rest of us already know, that NASCAR is second to none when it comes to providing jaw-dropping, heart pounding entertainment! The foreign press was working hard Saturday at the Sam's Town 250 at
Memphis Motorsports Park to send the message. One of the most celebrated sports icons of Europe and South America and former top Formula One driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, got his first real start in a stock car.

The rookie finished 11th and performed well in a field that had a number of Nextel Cup drivers competing. But don't fool yourself into believing that Juan is happy with 11th. "If I'm top 10, it's like a victory," said Juan. "For me, I want to win. As I told you, we have the learning process and everything. But at the end of the day, we're here to win. We're not here to (say), 'Oh, we finished 10th. He was great.'"

Already the Columbian native has brought new fans to NASCAR. Juan was cheered by fellow Columbians sporting Columbian flags during the race at Memphis. This is exactly what NASCAR has been trying to accomplish for a number of years with their "Drive for Diversity" program. For a sport to gain mainstream appeal, it needs to represent all before all will accept it. With Juan Pablo Montoya behind the wheel for the full
2007 Nextel Cup season, expect the list of fans who claim NASCAR the greatest sport in the world to grow by the millions and become more colorful!

Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Recap

The Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway all hinged on the sun. Teams who failed to make the right adjustments when the sun went down disappeared at the end of the race.

Just ask Jimmie Johnson who dialed his car in late in the race to put him out in front. If it had not been for a late race mistake while passing a lap-down car, Tony Stewart would probably have not caught Jimmie.

The other championship drivers faired as follows:

1. (Leader) Only Matt Kenseth's would be disappointed with a 4th place finish. NASCAR's kind of consistency has an average 10th place finish in the Chase for the Championship.

2. (-26 points) Jimmie Johnson had yet another strong 2nd place finish. It seems the #48 team has recaptured the glory they had early in the season.

3. (-65 points) Denny Hamlin's is now among the list of serious championship contenders with an 8th place finish in Atlanta. Can the rookie pull of a miracle and win the Chase in his first full year of racing?

4. (-84 points) Dale Earnhardt Jr took a risky chance by not pitting on the last caution of the day. But the fan favorite held off Matt Kenseth at the line to finish in 3rd, and stay within 100 points of the leader.

5. (-84 points) Jeff Burton, must be happy with his 13th place finish. Burton's day was doomed when he had to pit under green late in the race with a flat tire.

6. (-121 points) Kevin Harvick had a nasty day finishing in a controversial 31st place. Many believe the 2006 Busch Series champion should have forgone the Busch race in Memphis on Saturday in order to get in valuable practice time at Atlanta. The practice could have helped the #29 team further dial in the handling of the car.

7. (-146 points) Jeff Gordon was the class of the field early on in the race. But around lap 170, Jeff's fortune began to turn. Joe Nemecheck pinched Gordon into the wall, and then just a few laps later McMurray got bumped Gordon from behind. The resilient Gordon fought back to finish in 6th place.

8. (-201 points) Mark Martin's has been the victim of a number of sloppy accidents this year. It seems no one on the Nextel Cup circuit respects their elders. Mark was caught up in a late race wreck which left him with a 36th place finish.

9. (-210 points) Kasey Kahnelooked poised to make his move for his 7th victory of the season. That is until lap 248 where Kahne pegged David Stremme in a wreck that pretty much ended the day for Kahne. Kahne finished in 38th.

10. (-249 points) Kyle Busch crashed early and finished in 27th. End of story.