No sleep 'til Daytona

Some off-season musings as I try to figure out what to do until Speedweeks arrives in mid-February.
The Deserving Winner

Kevin  Harvick  led  nearly more than 600 laps than
the next  driver during the  2015 season.

Sure there were some drawbacks about the new Chase format and sure there were a few guys in there who really didn't have a chance to win the whole thing. But in the end, at least this time, the most dominant driver throughout the entire season did win the title in Kevin Harvck. When looking at the list of lap leaders for the season, Harvick led 2,137 laps for the 36 points races, 597 more than the next driver, Brad Keselowski. And lets not forget that Harvick tied for the second most wins on the season, just behind Keselowski's six. With a little luck, Harvick could have well won eight or nine races. The point is, he consistently had the fastest car throughout the season, and appropriately he won the title. So it all worked out . . . this time.
The Irony Factor
The champion, however, could have very easily been Ryan Newman, who finished second to Harvick at Homestead and second in the Chase. The irony would have been that in a season where there was more emphasis on winning then ever before, a winless driver could have won the title. Now, it's hard not to like Ryan Newman, don't get me wrong, but if say, Harvick had finished third, just behind Newman at Homestead to give No. 31 the title, a driver who led just 41 laps throughout the whole season would be the champion. And while a good portion of fans could not have helped but be happy for Newman, he was not close to being a dominant driver not only for the season, but for any race. That would have had a lot of NASCAR fans waving a red flag on the new Chase format. Some still are waving that red flag, and when change comes, that will always be the case. But the last race did have drama by design, and that's not all bad.
That No. 46 thing

Jeff Gordon nearly drove the No. 46 car, but luckily it didn't happen.

Former Jeff Gordon crew chief Ray Evernham revealed on twitter this past week that Jeff Gordon nearly drove the No. 46 car, but Hendrick Motorsports could not get the number approved because of licensing stipulation with the NASCAR movie Days of Thunder. The left the team to settle for the now famous No. 24. And when it comes to sports overall, it was a bit of poetic justice that one of NASCAR's all-time greats ended up with what is an all-time great number. Some of the other famous athletes to wear No. 24 are Willlie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr in baseball, Future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant in the NBA and current NFL star running back Marshawn Lynch. It was just a nice anecdote by Evernham and not a reason to cause panic. It's funny how things don't work out as planned every now and then, but sometimes it's for the best.
Will Gas Prices Matter?
One of the reasons that was heard in recent years for the general attendance drop was that gas prices made it more difficult for fans to make long drives to get to races. So, now, with gas prices hitting nearly five-year lows, it will be interesting to see if at least some fans return to the stands due to the money they are not spending on gas. Maybe that, combined with the special ticket offers that many tracks offer and the stands that some tracks are removing, will help make the stands at least look a little more full at some places in 2015.
Will no testing narrow gap?
We know for sure that Sprint Cup teams not being able to test at tracks this year will save teams money. According to Michael Waltrip, it will save his team well over $1 million, so no matter how big a team is, that's not pocket change. The big question though is will the no testing rule close the gap between the big budget and smaller teams. Unfortunately, that answer is still probably no. The issue is that the big teams are still the ones that can afford to put their cars in wind tunnels to check the aerodynamics. They are also the ones that can afford to run their engines in the shop longer to see how long they will last or find where a weak part may develop. Let's face it, the big money teams will spend whatever they need to get an advantage, no matter what the rules package is. Maybe it will help the smaller teams a little, by taking away one piece of the puzzle that bigger teams had. But it will still be an uphill battle for the little guys.
Osborne back on the box

Bob Osborne will be an experienced voice for  Ricky Stenhouse  Jr.

In all of the shuffling at Roush-Femway, it was good to hear that Bob Osborne will be back atop the pit box as a crew chief for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Osborne came within one point of being a championship crew chief for Carl Edwards in 2011. He understands what it takes to win and also what it takes to be good for the long haul. And  let's face it, Stenhouse's results were disappointing in 2014. He had just one top five finish and just four other top 10 finishes in his 35 races. And he finished 27th in points and led zero  laps this season. That's a regression from his  rookie season when he was 19th in points. So maybe Osborne can bring along Stenhouse, who needs to prove  he can be competitive on a consistent basis this year. And,yes, Osborne is first-class person, too, and that never hurts. This team's goal should be to win a race in 2015.
No sleep 'til Daytona
Friday makes it 43 days until the Daytona 500. It seems like forever right now in the midst of the snow and extreme cold in much of the country. But it will be here before you know it. And that's the best news of the day.

Doctor, lawyer, crew chief ... and picks

Part of being successful in NASCAR takes a little bit of brain surgery (the psychological type), a bit of lawyer-like persuasion and then simply having the guts to make the right call at the right time.
All of those things came into play when Tony Stewart's crew chief, Steve Addington, made the call to keep his leading car out as the rain drops began to fall Sunday afternoon in California. There were a couple of scenarios that could have played out. If the sun had come out and dried the track in time to go back green, Stewart would have lost the lead and that precious clean air these cars seem to need. But Addington pointed out in a post-race interview, that about six or seven other cars also didn't pit, so Stewart would have likely come out in sixth or seventh place anyway, keeping the eventual winner in contention for the lead. Also, Addington had a full view of the weather radar and liked the odds of the rain continuing. Those were easy selling points to Stewart.
Meanwhile, Stewart's champion crew chief last year, Darian Grubb, made the call for the then second-place Denny Hamlin to come into the pits. He came back out in 11th, so the move cost him nine points. Not the end of the world, but you never know when those nine points will come in handy. Grubb's a proven champion, so we know he can rebound from a mistake. He just may have to do a little more brain surgery and lawyer-like persuading the next time a key race call comes up.
As for now, Addington gets an upper hand with two wins in five races for Stewart. If the team continues to do well, that will allow them to do some experimenting later in the season before the Chase, which could put Stewart in position to make another title run.

Here are this week's picks for the 1 p.m. Sunday race at Martinsville to be shown on FOX and yes, Stewart and Hamlin are among them.

Tony Stewart - He's got three wins at Martinsville and nine top five finishes. And he's won seven of the last 15 Sprint Cup races, so have to go with him here.
Denny Hamlin - He's got four wins and nine tops fives and an average finish of 6.5. We may see these two battling for the lead again this week.
Jimmie Johnson - Six wins and 14 tops fives. The No. 48 might not need its share of good luck this week.
Kevin Harvick - He won here last fall and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him contend again.
Brian Vickers - Yes, a bit of long shot here, but he was great on the short-track concrete of Bristol, leading 125 laps and finishing fifth. He's back in the No. 55 car which has been a solid ride this season, no matter who is driving.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes, I've just got a gut feeling that this could be Junior's week. The fact that he hasn't won in 134 races (for those of you snoring at home) kept me from pulling the trigger on the No. 88 this time.

ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP
Here's a review of last week's picks at California and how they finished.
Kyle Busch - 2nd. He led 80 laps and most likely would have contended for the win if the race had not been rain-shortened.
Matt Kenseth - 16th. A respectable showing and he's sitting there sixth in the points standings here in the early going.
Kevin Harvick - 4th. He was strong all day, even doing some pushing at times. Also a likely contender to win it if not for the rain.
Tony Stewart - 1st. There we go. Five races and finally a winner for me. He had a strong car that was improving throughout. He also had the best strategy in the end.
Jimmie Johnson - 10th. There's no official Rain Dance Award listed after race results, but the No. 48 team was probably doing just that once they realized they had an oil leak and the rain drops started falling. Johnson kept the car running until the red flag. It was a points saving-rain for five-timer, who probably would not have been able to continue.

Here's a look at my stats after five races and 25 picks.

1 win
7 top fives
4 top 10s

Grade for this week: A minus. I had three of the top four and four of the top 10. Also, I mentioned that Jeff Gordon was a possible pick that I didn't make because while his cars have been strong, he's been a bit snakebit. He was running in the top 10 Sunday when after pitting the fuel can got stuck in the car. It cost him a drive-through penalty and about 20 places in the final results.

One Last Thing: After five races this season there have been 1,410 possible laps for a driver to complete. Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth are the only drivers to all of the laps this season. They also represent five of the top six in the points standings. However, out of that group, only Kenseth has won this season.
Until next time

Stewart's strategy a winning one (with video)

Tony Stewart's post-race comments after Monday's win




Round one in the NASCAR Sprint Cup 10-race Chase for the Championship is over and Tony Stewart was the big winner Monday afternoon in many ways.
Of course, Stewart was the winner on the track, earning his first victory of the 2011 season and continuing his streak of winning one race in each of his 13 seasons in NASCAR's top circuit. That's a pretty impressive feat by Stewart, especially since he is in his third season as a team owner. Stewart doesn't stand for mediocrity from himself or those he employs. So, really, it's not a surprise to see him find success. He's also owned several other teams in USAC midgets and sprints, World of Outlaw sprints and in modified dirt cars. So, he did know a little something about being a team owner before taking the big step into NASCAR team ownership.
Stewart also took a big step Monday in the points standings, jumping from ninth to second. He went from 102 points behind the leaders before the Chase, to just 12 before Chicagoland as the points were reset. Now he sits just seven points behind series leader Kevin Harvick.
While the big issue in the final few laps Monday was fuel mileage strategy, Stewart and Harvick, who finished second, had enough to get to the end, Stewart's statement before the Chase started was probably one of the smartest things he said, basically stating he feels his team is not a contender to win the title.
Some may see that as a bit negative, but it was truly the right thing to say. That's because Stewart has put his team in the underdog role. The 'we have nothing to lose' mentality is a great way to motivate a team and yet keep them relaxed in pressure situations. Even after the win, Stewart downplayed his team's chance to win the title. He wants his team to keep the attitude that they are the 'chasers,' not the 'chasees.' It also puts the pressure and focus on Stewart, not on crew Darian Grubb, or the rest of his crew.
It was a great move by Stewart. He may have some more in store for the next nine races.

Welcome to the quiet before the storm hits ... and picks

I had to take this blog post title right of the lyrics from the TobyMac song Ignition, which is of course, where I got the idea for the name for this blog. And yes, this really is the quiet before the storm hits the East Coast.
There's a storm, or maybe even storms, of another type that could be brewing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol tonight. Let's hope we have power long enough to at least watch the race, which starts at 7 p.m.
Some questions:
Will we see a Keselowski-Kyle Busch push and shove battle on the track?
Will we see a Kurt Busch-Jimmie Johnson push and shove battle on the track?
Will we see an upset driver who gets crashed out of the race throw a helmet at a fellow competitor?
Isn't it about time Tony Stewart's frustrations boil over at somebody, since he's got to be frustrated about not winning a race yet this year?
Is this the night Dale Earnhardt Jr. breaks his over three-year winless streak?
The answers:
Yes, no, yes, yes, no.
OK, on with the picks
Kyle Busch - He's on a roll right now.
Ryan Newman - He's on the pole and that's important at the concrete half-mile of Bristol.
Kurt Busch - He'd love to bump Johnson out of the way for a win here.
Carl Edwards - A Roush car is due for a win.
Kevin Harvick - No better track for the neighborhood bully
Until next time

Harvick takes truck race

The NASCAR Trucks race at Pocono had to be finished Sunday and thanks to some fuel saving abilities, Kevin Harvick came out the winner. According to Harvick's crew chief James Cook, they had enough fuel to make it through the scheduled 50 laps, but not enough in case of a green-white-checkered finish, NASCAR's version of overtime. But Cook said Harvick conserved enough fuel to earn the win.
It was Harvick's 10th victory in 110 races Truck Series races, putting him in a tie for 12th place with Bobby Hamilton for all-time series wins.
ARCA cars are going now, after a long yellow for a spectacular crash where Buster Graham's No. 59 car jumped the infield fence in turn 1, a lucky break for him, as he seemed destined to take a big hit, and something rarely seen in this type of racing.

Brickyard can breed champions; picks too

Drivers who win the Brickyard 400 often go on to bigger and better things, like Sprint Cup titles. Of the 17 races at Indy, the winner has gone on to win the title eight times.
You've got Jimmie Johnson with three (2006, 2008 and 2009), Jeff Gordon with two (1998 and 2001) and Dale Jarrett (1998), Bobby Labonte (2000) and Tony Stewart (2005) each with one.
So, pay attention to Sunday's winner. If he makes the Chase, it could be a sign of better things to come.

After a week off (and a winning pick with Ryan Newman), we're back with picks for Indy.
1) Tony Stewart - He's won twice here and really needs a win to help his Chase chances.
2) Jeff Gordon - Will he become the first five-time winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? It's quite possible.
3) Juan Pablo Montoya - Could be the first guy to win the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400, so have to pick him here.
4) Jimmie Johnson - A three-time winner at Indy, could join teammate Gordon with a fourth.
5) Kevin Harvick - He's got one win here and is one of three drivers (Stewart and Gordon are the other two) to average a top 10 finish at Indy.
Until next time

Chasing the Chase

There are nine races remaining in the Chase for the Championship to see who will be the 12 contenders for the Sprint Cup Championship for the final 10 races of the season. The last two spots go to the drivers with the most wins who are in the top 20 in points.

Here's a quick breakdown of who's sitting comfortable or who's squirming in their chair when it comes to getting one of those final 12 spots.

COUNT THEM IN
Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle and Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson.
They each have at least one win this season. Barring multiple disasters for each of these guys in the final nine races, they are going to make it. Even though Johnson is sixth, he is 30 points ahead of teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who does not have a win. Which brings us to ...

THE PROBABLY OK CORRAL
Dale Earnhardt Jr. He hasn't had a win forever (that's 94 races and counting for those of you snoring at home). But still at seventh in the standings, he's got a 36-point lead over 10th place Ryan Newman. So, whether Junior gets that elusive win or not, he's probably going to make it.
Denny Hamlin. Yes, he's 11th in points, but he's got one win and as the Sprint Cup heads to Kentucky for the first time, the next driver in the top 20 in points with one win David Ragan at 62 points back. Of course, that could all change if a winless driver in 2011 picks up a victory. Hamlin is gaining momentum and he's generally been great at Pocono, which is Aug. 7 on the pre-Chase schedule. Let's just say he's probably in.

NAIL BITERS
Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart sit in 9th, 10th and 12th place. But the big deal here is that none of them have a win this season.
Stewart is particularly strong on the two road courses and restrictor plate courses. But he didn't win at either of those places that last two weeks. Stewart is only four points behind teammate and employee Newman, so he could still make it in without a win. But a victory would bring him a lot of security.
Newman and Bowyer have been consistent this season, but like Stewart, they each badly need a victory for some insurance.
That brings us to David Ragan. If the Chase was to start this weekend, he would be in because of his Daytona victory and his 17th place in the point standings.
Next there is the Brad Keselowski factor. He's got a win, but is not in the top 20. However, he sits just 11 points out of 20th, so he still has a chance.

JUST WIN BABY
These guys are in the top 20 points heading to Kentucky, but realistically, the only way they can make it will be through the wild-card.
They are Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Paul Menard, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano, who's 20th in points. Also, Marcos Ambrose is 21st in points and with one road race remaining, you can bet that Ambrose, Montoya and even Stewart, are focused on winning there.

So nine races to go, and a lot of Chasing remaining.

Feel Like A Number with Dale Jr. video

Any sports has its numbers and NASCAR is no different.
Here's a look at some interesting ones as the Sprint Cup heads into Michigan on Father's Day.

0 - The number of days Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick have left on probation for their fighting actions earlier this season. Could we be in store for more this weekend?
2 - Number of wins Jeff Gordon has this season. If he finishes inside the top 10 in the season points, he'll get 10 points per win toward the Chase for the Championship. If he needs those wins to earn one of the two wild-card spots he won't get those bonus points.
8 - Number of drivers whose families have grown by adding children since last year's Father Day's race. The most recent was Casey Mears, whose wife Trish had Hayden James on May 24.
10 - That's the number of points Junior is out of first place in the Sprint Cup standings this week. He's sits in third place behind Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson who is six points out.
11 - The number of Sprint Cup victories at Michigan for Jack Roush-owned cars. It would certainly not be a surprise to see one of them there again after Sunday's race.
30 - The minimum number of bonus points Jimmie Johnson has earned in his current run of five straight titles.
107 - That's right, it's the number of races since Dale Earnhardt Jr's last victory. That happened to come at Michigan on June 15, 2008. Yes it did actually happen. Here's the video to prove it.


And yes, this blog's title is honor of one of Michigan's best, Bob Seeger.

The Fight Stuff with video

NASCAR has a history of drivers and crews taking out their anger on each other. They all want to win. They've been out in the 90-degree weather for a few hours, so when they feel they are bumped intentionally, it sometimes turns into a physical altercation.
Now there's great irony in this, in that when you're driving to or from work, and somebody cuts you off without using a turn signal, there's probably at least a small part of you that would like to give him or her a bump into a guardrail. But we know that would just lead to more problems ... police, insurance, car repairs we can't afford, etc. So, we mumble a few choice words then move on. However, NASCAR guys, the ones who make their living working on and driving cars, well, when they get mad they can go seek immediate revenge. We want to do that, but can't, so maybe that's why we enjoy it when they do.
It was surprising to hear that car owner Richard Childress actually punch Kyle Busch after last week's truck race. Busch isn't afraid to show his emotion, sometimes to his detriment. But Childress, age 65, is a team owner. He tried to take things into his own hands by punching Busch, only to get fined $150,000. That's what happens when you take the low road ... the fine gets lowered on you.
Strictly for entertainment purposes, here's some NASCAR fight highlights, including a few featuring Childress driver Kevin Harvick, from over the years. The last one might not be what you're expecting, but is well worth watching.

Heart, Courage and Brains

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas this week as this will be the first season for the track to have two Sprint Cup races. So, for some that's good news, other not so good news. This week's winner just may be the driver who has the best combination of heart, courage and brains. If you're not sure what this is in reference too, cut and paste this video link into your web browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky7DMCHQJZY

So, here's a look at this week's predictions:
1. Carl Edwards - You have to pick at least one Roush driver these days. The Roushers have been very good lately.
2. Clint Bowyer - He's the only Kansas native in the field and does have a top five and two top 10s in five starts at this track.
3. Matt Kenseth - He continues to prove that qualifying doesn't really matter. He might start 30-something, but it would be no surprise to see him in the top five at the end.
4. Tony Stewart - He's got two wins here, even though one was a fuel gamble on the year he wasn't in the Chase. He needs a win to help his cause for this year's Chase as he's ninth in points and has yet to visit Victory Lane.
5. Greg Biffle - He's also got two wins, and yes, he's the third Roush guy on this list, but could be first guy to cross the line.

And finally, here's a look at my picks from last week and how they fared
1. Jimmie Johnson, finished 28th - where was that Charlotte dominance?
2. Jeff Gordon, finished 20th, a tough day for Hendrick guys
3. Kevin Harvick, First place, Hey, we got a winner in town
4. Carl Edwards, finished 16h, Led 61 laps, but got caught in last lap craziness
5. Kyle Busch, 32nd, led 55 laps, only to have night foiled by a spin and an accident.

Here's a look at the Indy 500 and NASCAR finishes Sunday. And yes, couldn't help but notice all of the mess that was happening on the final lap at Charlotte, and no yellow was thrown. Was that because Junior was leading? I don't know one way or another. Just saying.

Gas, crashes and clowns

The Best Day of the Year for auto racing fans turned out to have plenty of action in the final laps.
We'll work our way from the latest to the earliest race of the day.
At Charlotte, after nearly 600 miles and almost 400 laps, it looked like Dale Earnhardt Jr. would earn (pun intended, sort of) his first win in nearly three years. Only to run out of gas and watch Kevin Harvick drive by for the win. Now, some will feel sorry for Junior, since it's been so long since he has won, 94 races to be exact. But really, there's no reason to feel bad for Junior. He's got all the money most people would ever want. He's on the best team in motorsports. Win or lose, he'll have all he needs the rest of his life, assuming he doesn't spend it away foolishly.

If there's somebody to feel bad for it's JR Hildebrand, the rookie who should've won the Indy 500. He had used patience and strategy to put himself in position to win at Indy. And he did have it won, until coming out of the final turn, when he made a pure driver's mistake and got too high and hit the wall. Now, you may ask, why should we feel bad for a guy whose own mistake cost him the race? Well, with the cruel history of Indy, it may well have been his best chance to win the famous race. Marco Andretti was a young driver who couldn't hang on in the final lap, only to lose to Sam Hornish in 2006. An Andretti still hasn't won at Indy since Mario did in 1969. Hildebrand handled the post-race interviews with maturity and class, and he deserves credit for that. And as a racer, he's got to think there will be other days for him at Indy. Because if he doesn't, then why keep going? Hildebrand may well go on and become a top star in Indy racing, including winning the 500. But there are no guarantees, and he knows it.

And in Monaco, the Formula One circus continues, especially with the clowns who make the rules. Whenever there is a red flag, it has long been the rule that no work is allowed to be done on cars. That's been true in NASCAR, IndyCar, and about every form of racing there is. But, of course, Sunday that wasn't true in Formula One. The race was shaping up to be a three-way battle for the win, between leader Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso in second and Jensen Button in third. The scenario had Button with new tires, Alonso with tires with some wear on them, and Vettel, desperate for new tires. So when the red flag waved due to an accident that left pieces of cars across the track, Formula One ruled that cars could undergo minor repairs and ... tire changes. So, it resulted in Vettel's fifth win of the year. Good for him, yet another bad decision by F1.

The Best Day of the Year

The lovers of the NFL have their Super Bowl, those passionate about baseball have Opening Day, the NBA has ... well, I'm not sure, maybe a Game 7 here and there. But most sports have their best day of the year type of moment.
For those of us who love auto racing, that day would be the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It starts out with Formula One racing at Monaco at 8 a.m. on Speed. Then you've got the Indy guys going with the Indy 500 at noon on ABC. And the day wraps up with the Coca-Cola 600, the year's longest race at 6 p.m. on Fox. There should be about a 2-3 hour break between each race, so you'll be allowed to move on occasion.
I don't normally watch the F1 Clowns because it's usually a follow the leader type of race. Whoever gets to the first corner first often wins. But Monaco is the exception the rule here. It's a scenic setting and this is one F1 race worth watching.
For Indy, this has the potential to be one of the most competitive 500s in years. The gap between the pole speed and the 33rd and final spot was less than 3 mph. Everyone wants to see Danica Patrick win, and she could. It would be quite ironic if it were to happen because it would give IndyCar a great shot in the arm publicity wise, but she may well end up racing full-time in NASCAR as early as 2012. I would love to see the Boy Scouts of America car, driven by Alex Lloyd win this year. However, I've got a feeling the best name in sports, Will Power, will be drinking the milk in Victory Lane.
On to the final event of the day. It looks to be a long and hot night in Charlotte. The trick here is who can adjust best when the daylight disappears and the track cools off.
Well, here's my top five for this week:
1. Jimmie Johnson, can't not pick him at Charlotte
2. Jeff Gordon, has knack for winning there, too
3. Kevin Harvick, he's good at hanging around at the end then winning these long ones
4. Carl Edwards, he's in great physical condition which helps in long, hot races
5. Kyle Busch, he won't have to worry about speed limit here, after getting caught going 128 mph in a 45 mph zone in a special Lexus.
Keep it safe until next time

Harvick and Busch have mutual hate and picks, too

So the guys are at Dover this week, so here's a look at some Friday stuff before we get to the picks. Here are some comments from Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch at Friday's news conference at Dover.
Harvick when asked if he getting along with Busch would be an ideal situation:
"That probably won't ever happen."
Busch when asked why he and Harvick don't get along.|
Busch: "As far as us getting along, I'm not sure that we ever really did. I think he (Kevin Harvick) tried and that's why at Homestead I kind of talked about the two faces of Kevin Harvick. I still believe that's out there. He'll talk to you to your face like your best friends, but then behind closed doors at home or whatever, he has the utmost disrespectful thoughts or whatever else. That's all -- I don't care. I'm going on with my own business."
OK, so at least we know where they stand.
There will be no Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne in Saturday's Nationwide race at Dover as he is still recovering from weeks-long illness that prompted a short stay at the Mayo Clinic.
Sunday has been declared Jimmie Johnson day in Delaware. The five-time champion has six Dover victories. A seventh win would tie him with Richard Petty for the most wins at Dover.
So that brings the question, just who might win at Dover in Sunday's Sprint Cup race

1) Jimmie Johnson - They named the day after him, have to pick him.
2) Tony Stewart - Has had good enough car to win three or four races. His first win of 2011 will come soon.
3) Carl Edwards - He's pretty much stayed out of trouble this season. If he keeps his cool, maybe he'll be the one to challenge Johnson.
4) Kevin Harvick - You can hear the boos in Victory Lane now.
5) Kyle Busch - See comment for Harvick.