Hollywood Hotel: California schemin'
Jeff Hammond
FOX Sports, Updated 4 hours ago STORY TOOLS:
It looks like a very exciting Labor Day weekend of racing, and that's what I love about this time of the year. You can look at all the records and try to second-guess or predict what you're going to see, but some teams will unexpectedly find a little spark right now.
While Penske Racing South has carried the banner for Dodge recently, Kasey Kahne's momentum from winning a pole, leading the most laps and finishing second at Bristol may carry over this week. We've seen glimpses of strong runs from teams from time to time this season, and it may continue this week.
Who to Watch
Kasey Kahne: Desperately seeking a win, it could be a great weekend for Gillett Evernham Motorsports because they've got nothing to lose.
Carl Edwards: Roush Fenway Racing has to be excited because they're one of the teams that looked really sporty at Michigan, a similar track to California. Edwards won the June race in Brooklyn, and he is coming off a big win at Bristol. His teammate Matt Kenseth won at California in January.
Tony Stewart: Locked into the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Stewart can say, "Hey Zippy, let's roll the dice. Don't take any tires. Let's stay out." They can take a risk to get 10 bonus points for winning the race.
Jeff Gordon: Like Stewart, Gordon can gamble, and with a 349-point lead, it won't hurt him in the overall standings.
Wild-card: Drivers who aren't in Chase contention will come out of the woodwork and try to steal some thunder. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if a first-time winner or a winner that we aren't expecting goes to Victory Lane.
What to Watch
Gambling on pit strategy: Teams that are either locked into the Chase or locked into the top 35 in points can gamble on fuel and tires. Instead of taking four, they can take two. They can get into a fuel window and stay out, possibly messing up other teams that being conservative.
Changing conditions affect setup: We've had glimpses of racing from daylight to darkness in the Coca-Cola 600 and at Michigan. Two weeks ago, the weather was ever-changing between hot and sunny the first day. The next thing you knew, rains came in, and the racetrack changed a lot. It was cloudy early morning vs. late afternoon. The teams that did well in these two races have the knowledge and experience to be a factor this weekend.
Race to the Chase is over: I really felt like Dale Earnhardt Jr. needed to see some daylight after Bristol. He ran well, but Kurt Busch and crew chief Pat Tryson did a really good job of holding things in check. Losing three points is virtually nothing. With two races to go, Busch has a one-race lead over Dale Jr. I don't look for anything to change in the top 12. If you want to coin an old phrase this dirty dozen is here to stay.
Different agendas: Sunday night's race will boil down to who is focusing on winning this race vs. who is focusing on trying to get some more information to make their cars better for the Chase. There's going to be a certain amount of experimentation among the top 12 teams over the next couple of weeks, heading into the Chase. The rest of the teams have the luxury — especially if they're solidly in the top 35 — of throwing caution to the wind in the old car races and experimenting with the new Car of Tomorrow chassis. They're not thinking about 2007; they're already thinking about 2008.
Jeff Hammond
FOX Sports, Updated 4 hours ago STORY TOOLS:
It looks like a very exciting Labor Day weekend of racing, and that's what I love about this time of the year. You can look at all the records and try to second-guess or predict what you're going to see, but some teams will unexpectedly find a little spark right now.
While Penske Racing South has carried the banner for Dodge recently, Kasey Kahne's momentum from winning a pole, leading the most laps and finishing second at Bristol may carry over this week. We've seen glimpses of strong runs from teams from time to time this season, and it may continue this week.
Who to Watch
Kasey Kahne: Desperately seeking a win, it could be a great weekend for Gillett Evernham Motorsports because they've got nothing to lose.
Carl Edwards: Roush Fenway Racing has to be excited because they're one of the teams that looked really sporty at Michigan, a similar track to California. Edwards won the June race in Brooklyn, and he is coming off a big win at Bristol. His teammate Matt Kenseth won at California in January.
Tony Stewart: Locked into the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Stewart can say, "Hey Zippy, let's roll the dice. Don't take any tires. Let's stay out." They can take a risk to get 10 bonus points for winning the race.
Jeff Gordon: Like Stewart, Gordon can gamble, and with a 349-point lead, it won't hurt him in the overall standings.
Wild-card: Drivers who aren't in Chase contention will come out of the woodwork and try to steal some thunder. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if a first-time winner or a winner that we aren't expecting goes to Victory Lane.
What to Watch
Gambling on pit strategy: Teams that are either locked into the Chase or locked into the top 35 in points can gamble on fuel and tires. Instead of taking four, they can take two. They can get into a fuel window and stay out, possibly messing up other teams that being conservative.
Changing conditions affect setup: We've had glimpses of racing from daylight to darkness in the Coca-Cola 600 and at Michigan. Two weeks ago, the weather was ever-changing between hot and sunny the first day. The next thing you knew, rains came in, and the racetrack changed a lot. It was cloudy early morning vs. late afternoon. The teams that did well in these two races have the knowledge and experience to be a factor this weekend.
Race to the Chase is over: I really felt like Dale Earnhardt Jr. needed to see some daylight after Bristol. He ran well, but Kurt Busch and crew chief Pat Tryson did a really good job of holding things in check. Losing three points is virtually nothing. With two races to go, Busch has a one-race lead over Dale Jr. I don't look for anything to change in the top 12. If you want to coin an old phrase this dirty dozen is here to stay.
Different agendas: Sunday night's race will boil down to who is focusing on winning this race vs. who is focusing on trying to get some more information to make their cars better for the Chase. There's going to be a certain amount of experimentation among the top 12 teams over the next couple of weeks, heading into the Chase. The rest of the teams have the luxury — especially if they're solidly in the top 35 — of throwing caution to the wind in the old car races and experimenting with the new Car of Tomorrow chassis. They're not thinking about 2007; they're already thinking about 2008.