May 1, 2006
- Graphics Company Sells: Motorsports Designs Holding, Inc. of High Point, North Carolina, which supplies more than 60% of NASCAR teams with their racing graphics, has been acquired by an affiliate of Vomela Specialty Company of St. Paul, Minnesota.(PR)(5-1-2006)
- COT to the Wind Tunnel: NASCAR plans to take its car of tomorrow [COT] to a wind tunnel this week and test different nose pieces.(Roanoke Times)(5-1-2006)
- Time chooses Brian France as influential: Brian France, chairman and chief executive officer of NASCAR — has a new title to his name today courtesy of TIME Magazine. France, 43, is one of the world’s 100 most influential people, according to an edition of the magazine that hits newsstands today. He was selected in the “Builders and Titans” category, one of five that also include heroes and pioneers; leaders and revolutionaries; scientists and thinkers and artists and entertainers. This is the third year TIME has published such a list, with other famous people invited to write profiles of those who are selected as the most influential people in the world. Darrell Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR driving champion and race analyst for Fox Sports, wrote about France.(Daytona Beach News Journal and see the story at TIME.com)(5-1-2006)
- Johnson wins at Talladega: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the rain-delayed Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, leading the final lap, drafting by #25-Brian Vickers on the last lap, bring #20-Tony Stewart with him. The win is Johnson’s 3rd of 2006 and 21st of his career plus his 2nd straight restrictor plate race win. Stewart finished 2nd, followed by Vickers, #31-Jeff Burton and #26-Jamie McMurray. #24-Gordon was leading with 2 laps to go and got shuffled back and finished 15th. Pole sitter, #38-Elliott Sadler finished 16th. Johnson retakes the points lead and wins the $60,000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Leader Bonus for leading the points and winning the race. #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost an engine on lap 151 and finished 31st. There were 8 cautions for 34 laps and 22 leaders with 56 lead changes. The stands at Talladega were pretty full even after the race was postponed a day due to rain on Sunday.
Race Results on my Talladega Race Results/Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Talladega page.
Race Rundown: see my Talladega Race Info/Rundown Page for my race rundown page, laps led, top 10, race notes, lucky dogs and more.(5-1-2006) - Talladega Race Notes:
• Jimmie Johnson won the 2006 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, scoring his 21st NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory in his 156th career start. Johnson’s last victory came at Las Vegas in March, six races ago.
• Johnson also won the $60,000 NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus for winning the race and leading the points. This is the second time this season that Johnson has won the bonus claiming all $90,000 in the first nine races.
• Twenty of Johnson’s 21 victories have come on a superspeedway.
• This is Johnson’s second victory in a restrictor plate race. His first came in this year’s Daytona 500.
• Johnson has scored three victories in nine races in 2006, the most of all drivers.
• Johnson became the 34th different race winner in 74 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Talladega.
• Johnson scored his seventh top-10 finish in nine races this season, the most among all drivers.
• Johnson climbed from second to first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. After nine races in 2005, he also ranked first in the point standings.
• Johnson led only two times for three laps including the final lap in the Aaron’s 499.
• This is team owner Rick Hendrick’s 143rd NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory. Hendrick has scored seven NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Talladega, second only to Richard Childress who has nine.
• Hendrick Motorsports has won at least one race each season 1986-2006, 21 consecutive years.
Notebook Items
• Jeff Gordon led the most laps for the first time in 2006. Gordon led 62 laps in today’s race. The last time Gordon led the most laps in a race occurred one year ago in this race when he led 139 of the 194 lap race.
• Tony Stewart (second) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 15 races at Talladega Superspeedway. Stewart has finished second in six races at Talladega including the last three, but has yet to score a Talladega NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory. He scored his sixth top-10 finish of the season, all top-fives and climbed from fifth to third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago Stewart ranked sixth after nine races.
• Brian Vickers (third) scored his second top-10 finish in five races at Talladega Superspeedway and climbed from 19th to 14th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. It is his third top 10 finish this season.
• Jeff Burton (fourth) scored his 10th top-10 finish in 25 races at Talladega and his second-best best finish here. He finished third here in October 2001. It was his fifth top-10 finish in 2006. He climbed from 13th to 12th in the point standings. One year ago he ranked 18th after nine races.
• Jamie McMurray (fifth) scored his third top-10 finish in eight races at Talladega. It was his third top-10 finish in 2006. He climbed from 20th to 17th in the point standings. One year ago he ranked 10th after nine races
• J.J. Yeley finished 11th Talladega and was the highest finishing Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contender.
• At least one Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contenders has scored a top-15 finish in every race this season.
• Raybestos Rookie contenders Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex who were ranked in the top-15 in points coming into this race both were involved in the lap-9 accident and dropped to 18th and 20th respectively.
• Mark Martin (35th) ended a streak of 12 straight top-15 finishes since Atlanta last October.
• Joe Nemechek (27th) ended a 40-race streak of running at the finish that began at Bristol last April, which was the longest current streak.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(5-1-2006) - Rumblings – Talladega: We had an early melee (a 13 car job on Lap 10), green flag pit stop mishaps (missing lugs…..catch can making laps), 56 lead changes and 22 different leaders. That can only mean one thing…..we’re at Talladega Superspeedway. Jimmie Johnson survived a wild 9-lap shootout to the finish today (one day late) to take the Aaron’s 499 over Tony Stewart. The lead only changed hands 5 times in that last green flag run….but don’t think it calmed down any. It was your typical wild plate race with four and five wide most of the day (and these guys just haven’t figured out that don’t work too often).
JJ’s win was his third of the season (he’s taken both plate events) and the 21st of his NEXTEL Cup career (he’s now tied for 27th on the all-time win list with Benny Parsons, Jack Smith, and Bobby Labonte). Win #143 for Hendrick Motorsports was worth $326,061 from the over $5.9M in posted awards.
Brian Vickers (3rd) had his best finish since he was 3rd at California last September.
Jeff Burton (4th) had his best finish since he was runner-up at Bristol last August.
Jamie McMurray (5th) had his best finish since he was runner-up at Daytona last July.
Robby Gordon (10th) had his best finish since he was 8th at Phoenix last November. Robby’s Top-10 gives us 30 drivers at that mark this season…. last year we had 43 of ’em.
Jeremy Mayfield (13th) had his best finish since he was 10th at Homestead last November.
Jeff Green (14th) had his best finish since he was 11th at Lowe’s last May.
Travis Kvapil (19th) had his best finish since he was 10th at Phoenix last November.
Chad Chaffin (30th) had his career-best finish today. His previous best was 36th at Martinsville last month.
STREAKIN….Tony Stewart has 5 Top-5’s in the last 6 races.
Matt Kenseth has 4 Top-10’s in the last 5 races.
This Week’s Elevator….UP: Operator of the week (for the second time this season) was Jeff Burton (+36), followed by Brian Vickers (+30), Jeff Green (+25), Scott Riggs (+23), Jeremy Mayfield (+23), and Scott Wimmer (+22). DOWN: The Big Dropper (for the third time this season….and that tells you how his year has gone) was Greg Biffle (-31), followed by Sterling Marlin (-28 ), Mark Martin (-25), Clint Bowyer (-25), and Joe Nemechek (-21). It was a typical Talladega day in the “Shaft” as well.
We had five drivers lead a lap today for the first time this season (with 22 different leaders today that was real unexpected, huh?). Robby Gordon led for the first time since he led one lap at New Hampshire last September, Jeremy Mayfield led for the first time since he led one lap at Lowe’s last October, Casey Mears led for the first time since he led twice for 75 laps at Homestead last November, Scott Wimmer led for the first time since he led once for 15 circuits at Phoenix last November, and Joe Nemechek led for the first time since he led once for two laps at Homestead last November. That gives us 38 different leaders this season….last year we had 51 different drivers to lead a lap.
Jimmie Johnson regains the points lead as the “Stayin’ Alive” line moves all the way up to 12th! They can talk all they want about the close points race, but last year at this time we had 18 drivers still above the mark of insignificance…. Three drivers moved forward four spots today (Brian Vickers, J. J. Yeley, and Scott Riggs) while Clint Bowyer & Kenny Schrader both fell six spots.(Stock Car Fans)(5-1-2006) - Busch Series to Race in Canada?: UPDATE: With a second race in Mexico City behind the NASCAR Busch Series, the teams can expect to cross the border again next year – possibly two different borders. Canada remains on the NASCAR radar as the next international venue for the circuit, possibly as early at next year.(NASCAR Scene)(3-16-2006)
UPDATE: A small contingent of NASCAR officials planned to travel to Montreal this week to scout the city for a possible Busch Series race there next season. NASCAR expanded into Mexico last year, and Canadian officials have been trying to get on the schedule. Spokesman Jim Hunter said series officials will tour several different venues, and any expansion would be strictly for the lower-tier Busch Series.(Alabama Live)(5-1-2006) - Roush to field third truck with Jourdain, Jr., Ragan: Roush Racing has announced that Mexico City native Michel Jourdain, Jr. will drive the #50 Roush Racing Ford F-150 in the Truck Series for nine events in 2006. Jourdain will drive Roush Racing’s third entry when David Ragan fills in for Mark Martin in the #6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford. Both Jourdain and Ragan will be entered in selected events in the #50 truck, beginning with the May 19 event at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, with Ragan at the wheel. Jourdain will have his first opportunity in the truck on May 27 at Mansfield. (roushracing.com)(5-1-2006)
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