From the May, 2006 issue of Stock Car Insider

Stock Car Insider - May 8th Issue

Upcoming Events in the World of NASCAR

After an action packed week (race at Talladega on Monday, practice at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday, then head to Richmond International Raceway on Thursday for an action packed weekend), I'm sure the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams would love a little rest and relaxation. However, NASCAR is one of the most competitive sports out there, and with that comes a demanding schedule.

This coming Saturday, the teams will race under the lights at the track known as the "Lady in Black", Darlington Raceway. For those of you who have had the privelege of watching a race at Darlington understand exactly how this track earned its nickname. Through the course of the race, the pristine snow white wall that borders the track morphs into a black widow. Drivers are forced to lean on the wall through the turns as the gritty Darlington asphalt shreads the tires and robs them of any grip.

Of the current drivers, the best performer at Darlington is Kasey Kahne. His average finish in 3 starts there is 7th.

Other drivers to note:

Jimmie Johnson
Carl Edwards
Jamie McMurray
Jeff Burton

Next Week's Schedule:
(all times CST)

Nextel Cup: @ Darlington Raceway
5/12/06 - 12:05pm Dodge Charger 500 Practice
5/12/06 - 05:05pm Dodge Charger 500 Qualifying
5/13/06 - 06:55pm Dodge Charger 500

Busch Series: @ Darlington Raceway
5/12/06 - 08:30am Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Practice
5/12/06 - 03:40pm Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Qualifying
5/12/06 - 08:30pm Diamond Hill Plywood 200

Craftsman Truck Series - Off Until May 19th at Lowe's Motor Speedway

Who's Hot?

With out a doubt, this week's Who's Hot has to goto Dale Earnhardt Jr. After a dismal finish at Talladega in the Aarons' 499 (due to mechanical problems), the team rebounded for a strong win at Richmond. This win was Jr's 17th in the Nextel Cup circuit, and moved him up to a 6th place standing in the Nextel Cup Points Championship.

This year's rebound from a disappointing 2005 season can be directly attributed to the return of Tony Eury Jr as crew chief. The relationship Tony and Jr share is almost that of an uncle/nephew. While other crew chiefs coddle their drivers, Tony is not afraid to tell his driver what he thinks. Take this open and honest relationship between driver and crew cheif coupled with the fact that Dale Earnhardt Inc is producing better engines and cars this season, and it's easy to see why Dale Earnhardt Jr will be in the hunt for the championship in 2006!

Who's Not?

Has anyone seen Jeremy Mayfield this year? I believe I last saw his name down towards the bottom of the Nextel Cup Points Standings in the 34th position. What a turnaround from last year when Mayfield was in the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship! Mayfield’s position may be in jeopardy if he doesn’t start producing results! Evernham Motorsports is too high quality of a team to settle for one of their drivers being in the 34th position. The meat of the 2006 schedule is fast upon us and if Jeremy can string together some solid finishes and build momentum, he may turn his season around and finish towards the top 15 in points where he belongs.

Last Week's Headlines

On a night when the top drivers in the points standings were quiet, the fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr roared. Dale Jr overtook the dominant driver of the night, Kevin Harvick, on a late round of pit stops, and held on to lead despite a charging Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.

Both Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kevin Harvick are coming on strong in the 2006 season after mediocre runs in the 2005 season. With strong performances in Richmond, both drivers jumped two spots in the Nextel Cup Points standings. Kevin currently sites in 5th place, and Dale Earnhardt Jr sits in 6th.

The series leader, Jimmie Johnson, had a quiet night. After starting 5th, Johnson fell to the back of the pack quickly. However, through the course of the race, Jimmie rallied for a 12th place finish. Johnson is currently in 1st place with a 55 point lead over Tony Stewart.

Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon both had dismal evenings finishing 39th and 40th. Both drivers suffered mechanical setbacks that were too much to overcome. Matt Kenseth's car suffered damage to his oil pan after running over of a piece of debris early in the race. And Jeff Gordon had a sudden loss of power, most likely due to a broken distributer cap, that required an enormous amount of time to fix.

Other points of interest:
Rookie Denny Hamlin had a strong 2nd place finish in his home state. The Crown Royal 400 was the first race of the 2006 season that Tony Stewart has not led a lap.