Drivers who will attempt to compete in Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events at different tracks on the same weekends next month are lining up drivers to practice and possibly qualify their cars for them. Over the next three weeks, the Cup series will be at Pocono while the Nationwide Series is at Nashville; at Michigan while Nationwide is at Kentucky; and at Infineon while Nationwide is at Road America in Wisconsin. Three drivers are expected to try to run every race in both series Roush Fenway Racing’s #60-Carl Edwards, Richard Petty Motorsports’ #98-Paul Menard and Penske Racing’s #22-Brad Keselowski. They possibly could do most of the practice sessions on Friday at Nashville and Kentucky depending on their qualifying draws at Pocono and Michigan. They should be able to make it for Nationwide qualifying on those weekends. At Road America, the Cup drivers will be able to practice there Thursday as the race weekend is extended a day because it is a new venue for the Nationwide Series. They then will spend all of Friday at Infineon (missing Nationwide practice) and all of Saturday at Road America (missing Cup practice). Keselowski, the series points leader, likely will have Penske development driver Parker Kligerman on standby over the next three weeks while Edwards will use Roush Fenway development driver Erik Darnell. Menard, who drives for Roush Fenway in the Nationwide Series, will have several other drivers in his car for practice and qualifying. Colin Braun, who started the year as the full-time Nationwide driver in the #16 Roush Fenway car, will practice for Menard at Nashville while Brian Ickler, who is now splitting time with Braun in the #16 car, will sub for Menard at Kentucky. Michel Jourdain Jr. will practice the car at Road America.(Scene Daily)(5-29-2010)
