FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ FH NASCAR Grades: Midseason Report http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/03/fh-nascar-grades-midseason-report/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/03/fh-nascar-grades-midseason-report/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/03/fh-nascar-grades-midseason-report/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona will mark the official midway point of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Naturally, it's a great time to review what we've seen so far from the Cup boys, their teams, the series and the tracks. First, we'll start with the not-so-hot performers:

Motorsports FanHouse Grade: F

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - It's been easy to see why the season for driver No. 88 has earned a failing grade. He's been slowly -- very slowly -- improving of late, but still has no chance for the Chase in 2009 and has one track left with a great chance to win at -- Daytona.

 

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]]> Coke Zero 400Dale Earnhardt JrDaytonaSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-07-03T06:47:00 00:00 Bill Weber Out, Ralph Sheheen In for TNT http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/02/bill-weber-out-ralph-sheheen-in-for-tnt/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/02/bill-weber-out-ralph-sheheen-in-for-tnt/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/02/bill-weber-out-ralph-sheheen-in-for-tnt/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Bill Weber NASCAR TNTAfter what the Charlotte Observer is calling a "loud confrontation" at a Manchester, N.H., hotel prior to last Sunday's Lenox 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, TNT play-by-play announcer Bill Weber won't be returning to the booth in 2009.

The network announced the move Wednesday, and also confirmed that Ralph Sheheen will continue in the replacement role for the final two TNT races this weekend in Daytona Beach and next at Chicagoland.

Sheheen did a bang-up job in his first coverage of a Sprint Cup race on Sunday, but the bigger question surrounds what exactly Weber did to force himself out of the booth for what will ultimately be half of TNT's NASCAR coverage.

 

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]]> Bill WeberCoke Zero 400DaytonaNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwaySprint CupTNT Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-07-02T00:18:00 00:00 Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Lenox 301 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/29/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-lenox-301/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/29/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-lenox-301/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/29/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-lenox-301/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Joey Logano NASCAR New Hampshire Sprint CupMopping up from a wet finish, here's this week's teenage wasteland edition of Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes. They're Logano-rific!

No. No. No. Rain Tires. No.

Because this is the third time in 2009 that a Sprint Cup race has been halted by rain [congrats, Lincoln Log-ano!], the thoughts of "Why can't NASCAR use rain tires?" are creeping back again.

Well, you want the answer? It's way too simple: the racing would plain suck.

 

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]]> Joe Gibbs RacingJoey LoganoNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwaySprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-29T22:22:00 00:00 FanHouse Warmup: Lenox Tools 301 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/28/fanhouse-warmup-lenox-tools-301/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/28/fanhouse-warmup-lenox-tools-301/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/28/fanhouse-warmup-lenox-tools-301/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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The Essentials
Race: Lenox Industrial Tools 301
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Time: Sunday 2:00pm/EDT
TV/Radio: TNT, PRN Radio
Twitter: Updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 67 degrees, 80% chance of rain
Distance: 301 laps (318.46 miles)
Pole Winner: Tony Stewart
2008 Winner: Kurt Busch


The Storylines

You may have heard or seen some reports this morning connecting Danica Patrick to NASCAR in a very big way, that also heavily impacts the sport's most popular driver. But here's one word of advice: don't read into it quite yet.

 

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]]> Bill WeberDale Earnhardt Jr.Danica PatrickFanHouse WarmupGreg BiffleKurt BuschNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwayTony Stewart Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-28T12:47:00 00:00 After Crash, Vickers Slams Teammate http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/after-crash-vickers-slams-teammate/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/after-crash-vickers-slams-teammate/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/after-crash-vickers-slams-teammate/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Get in the groove for today's race with FanHouse Warmup.

Brian Vickers New Hampshire Motor Speedway Red BullVeteran Brian Vickers couldn't have been less of a Red Bull Racing team player during Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, while his teammate Scott Speed handled a dicey situation beautifully.

The two Sprint Cup Series teammates tangled while battling Mike Bliss for fourth on the last lap, sending Vickers into the wall. On the cool-down lap, Vickers bumped Speed numerous times in retaliation.

What Vickers said, though, likely will have some lasting repercussions on the team.

 

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]]> Brian VickersMike BlissNationwide SeriesNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwayRed Bull RacingScott SpeedSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-27T17:24:00 00:00 Humpy and IndyCar? It Could Happen http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/humpy-and-indycar-it-could-happen/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/humpy-and-indycar-it-could-happen/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/humpy-and-indycar-it-could-happen/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Humpy Wheeler Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tony GeorgeThe rumor that wouldn't stop after the shuffling of Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George's job duties finally has some teeth.

Humpy Wheeler -- the longtime and now ex-President and General Manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway -- told the Indianapols Star this week that he and his company are in talks with IndyCar officials about promoting the American open-wheel series.

Humpy's name first entered the IndyCar fold after he attended the Indianapolis 500 instead of the 50th-running of the Coca-Cola 600 in May.

 

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]]> Coca-Cola 600Humpy WheelerIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndyCarLowes Motor Speedway Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-27T15:44:00 00:00 Mosley Gone as Formula 1 Avoids Split http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/mosley-gone-as-formula-1-avoids-split/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/mosley-gone-as-formula-1-avoids-split/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/mosley-gone-as-formula-1-avoids-split/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Max Mosley Formula 1 Step Down Grand Prix FOTA F1You get the feeling this is kind of what the renegade Formula 1 teams wanted all along.

Wednesday, F1 and FOTA [Formula One Teams Association] announced that plans from last week for the international racing series to split in 2010 had been halted after a deal between the two was struck.

Terms of the deal -- while not completely released -- include plans for Max Mosley, the righthand man for F1 chief Bernie Eccelstone, to take a backseat and leave the sport entirely at the end of his term in October, in addition to plans to scrap the class-creating plans for financial cutbacks.

 

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]]> Bernie EccelstoneFormula 1Max Mosley Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-24T22:55:00 00:00 Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Infineon http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-infineon/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-infineon/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-infineon/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Notes & Quotes comes flying at you this week from the sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico. I hope you'll pardon my tardniness.

Infineon Win a Baby Step for Kasey Kahne at RPM

If you got a chance to read Holly Cain's piece on Kasey Kahne this week, you saw how excited the Washington driver was to be finally finding good equipment at Richard Petty Motorsports. According to Kahne, everything from bodies to engines are coming together at the right time for the team.

That's good news for Kahne fans, but it's even better for the folks running the show at RPM.

 

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]]> Brian VickersInfineon RacewayKasey KahneKyle BuschRichard Petty MotorsportsSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-24T15:59:00 00:00 FanHouse Warmup: Toyota SaveMart 350 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/fanhouse-warmup-toyota-savemart-350/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/fanhouse-warmup-toyota-savemart-350/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/21/fanhouse-warmup-toyota-savemart-350/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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The Essentials
Paul Menard NASCAR Infineon Raceway Sprint CupRace: Toyota SaveMart 350k
Where: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
Time: Sunday 5:00pm/EDT
TV/Radio: TNT, MRN Radio
Twitter: At-track updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 78 degrees, Mostly Sunny
Distance: 110 laps (218.9 miles)
Pole Winner: Brian Vickers
2008 Winner: Kyle Busch

The Storylines

NASCAR's annual trip to wine country is a highlight of the Sprint Cup season because its one of two trips the series takes to a track that turns right. And as FH's Holly Cain argued earlier in the week, they 'oughta be doing this more.

 

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]]> FanHouse WarmupInfineon RacewaySprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-21T09:03:00 00:00 Saturday Practice Wild at Infineon http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/20/saturday-practice-wild-at-infineon/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/20/saturday-practice-wild-at-infineon/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/20/saturday-practice-wild-at-infineon/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Perhaps, you could say, Saturday's practice sessions had more twists and turns than the 10-turn road course they happened on.

An favorite, an underdog and a three-time champion were all involved in incidents that should have a good bit of effect on Sunday's 110-lapper at Infineon Raceway, and a rookie even got punted in the support race to accentuate a wild day.

All in a day's work, one would suppose.

 

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]]> David GillilandInfineon RacewayJimmie JohnsonJohn AndrettiMarcos AmbroseSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-20T21:12:00 00:00 Montoya Talking Big Picture at Infineon http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/20/montoya-talking-big-picture-at-infineon/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/20/montoya-talking-big-picture-at-infineon/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/20/montoya-talking-big-picture-at-infineon/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Juan Pablo Montoya Infineon Raceway NASCAR Sprint CupJuan Pablo Montoya made a scary analysis about the condition of his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing's team cars Friday at Infineon Raceway.

It was scary for the rest of the field, of course, because the Colombian is returning to the twisty road course in Northern California where he saw his first career Sprint Cup Series win two years ago with a race car that he thinks is better prepared.

"I think our cars have come a long way -- even when we won here, our cars are a little more competitive now," said Montoya on Friday afternoon prior to qualifying.

 

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]]> Earnhardt-Ganassi RacingInfineon RacewayJuan Pablo MontoyaSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-20T06:31:00 00:00 This Time, Formula 1 Split May Be Real http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/this-time-f1-split-may-be-real/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/this-time-f1-split-may-be-real/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/this-time-f1-split-may-be-real/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Formula One Split Eccelstone Mosley F1 Red BullIt's been nearly 14 years now since a major auto racing division decided to split and implode itself.

Naturally, that just means it's time for another series -- this time it's Formula One -- to set itself back 20, 30 or maybe 60 years.

Reading, however, the summary released Thursday night by the Formula 1 Teams Association, one could probably argue that FOTA is trying to avoid such a relapse thanks to new rules for the 2010 championship that F1 czars Bernie Eccelstone and Max Mosley have presented.

 

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]]> Bernie EccelstoneFormula OneFOTAMax Mosley Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-19T06:34:00 00:00 Sprint Cup N's & Q's: LifeLock 400 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/16/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-lifelock-400/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/16/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-lifelock-400/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/16/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-lifelock-400/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Somewhat coherent Notes & Quotes to wrap up NASCAR's first trip to Michigan in 2009:

What will NASCAR learn from Pardo's brutal crash and tragic death?

The death of NASCAR Mexico driver and champion Carlos Pardo in a horrific crash during the final laps of a race on Sunday is certainly tragic. However, the fact that his car was able to make such violent contact with the end of a temporary wall is just as shocking.

Let's hope NASCAR makes sure such an angle of impact can never happen again.

 

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]]> Casey MearsClint BowyerJeff BurtonKevin HarvickLifeLock 400Mark MartinMichael WaltripMichigan International SpeedwayRichard Childress RacingSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-16T01:02:00 00:00 Drivers Mixed on Michigan Fuel Finish http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/drivers-mixed-on-mis-fuel-finish/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/drivers-mixed-on-mis-fuel-finish/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/drivers-mixed-on-mis-fuel-finish/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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The wide racing surface with multiple grooves at Michigan International Speedway often leads to a clean, green race and Sunday's LifeLock 400 was no different with fuel mileage spelling the final name of the game.

Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson both eliminated themselves by driving too hard and burning too much fuel in the final laps, and Mark Martin wisely conserved just enough fuel to dramatically win the race after running out of gas himself in the final corner.

And despite the back-to-back fuel mileage finishes in the Sprint Cup Series, the finish of Sunday's race certainly added a little bit of spice to an otherwise vanilla day.
LifeLock 400: Mark Martin Surprised by Victory | Final Results

 

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]]> Denny HamlinJeff GordonJimmie JohnsonLifeLock 400Michigan International SpeedwaySprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-14T20:41:00 00:00 FanHouse Warmup: LifeLock 400 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/fanhouse-warmup-lifelock-400/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/fanhouse-warmup-lifelock-400/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/14/fanhouse-warmup-lifelock-400/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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The Essentials
Race: LifeLock 400
Where: Michigan Int'l Speedway
Time: Sunday 2:00pm/EDT
TV/Radio: TNT, MRN Radio
Twitter: At-track updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 75 degrees, Partly Sunny
Distance: 200 laps (400 miles)
Pole Winner: Brian Vickers
2008 Winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The Storylines

It's now been a full year since NASCAR's most popular driver was in victory lane and a Dale Earnhardt Jr. win on Sunday would be a nice-sized upset -- though we can't really expect it.

 

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]]> Brian Vickersdale earnhardt jr. Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-14T09:00:00 00:00 Vickers Riding High, Eyes Red Bull Win http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/vickers-riding-high-eyes-red-bull-win/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/vickers-riding-high-eyes-red-bull-win/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/vickers-riding-high-eyes-red-bull-win/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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It's been a good week to be Brian Vickers.

First, he completed what was likely the first-ever live-action pit stop in New York City's Times Square (gotta love the Red Bull marketing ideas; video here) and then ESPN reported that he had signed a multi-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing.

Friday, he won the pole for the LifeLock 400 and figures to be a huge favorite come Sunday's race.

 

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]]> Brian VickersLifeLock 400Michigan International SpeedwayRed Bull RacingSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-12T20:11:00 00:00 Busch, Earnhardt Jr. Spar Again at MIS http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/busch-earnhardt-jr-spar-again-at-mis/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/busch-earnhardt-jr-spar-again-at-mis/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/busch-earnhardt-jr-spar-again-at-mis/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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A year removed from Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s last victory and a week removed from Kyle Busch's controversial guitar smash, the latter couldn't help but sway the conversation back to the driver who has become his primary off-track target.

And this time, Busch not only went after the commander of the No. 88 ship, but Earnhardt Jr.'s army of fans, too.

"I got no issues with Junior; it's his fans that are crazy," said Busch.
More Coverage: Vickers Wins Pole, Eyes Red Bull Win

 

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]]> Dale Earnhardt Jr.Kyle BuschLifeLock 400Michigan International SpeedwaySprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-12T19:07:00 00:00 Kyle Busch: Good or Bad for NASCAR? http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/10/kyle-busch-good-or-bad-for-nascar/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/10/kyle-busch-good-or-bad-for-nascar/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/10/kyle-busch-good-or-bad-for-nascar/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Saturday night at Nashville Superspeedway, Kyle Busch handled the coveted guitar trophy in a manner that about 99.931 percent of the world would never think to do.

Yet, when we're thinking about the most dominant driver in the sport in terms of race wins over the past year and a half, a little more thought could have almost anticipated seeing Busch doing exactly what he did in smashing that custom-painted Gibson Les Paul into the victory lane concrete.

Whether or not you found the "celebration" to be a complete slap in the face to numerous people or just another much-heralded "Kyle being Kyle" moment, there remains a stirring question: Is this 24-year-old polarizer making NASCAR into a sport that is better or worse?

 

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]]> Joe Gibbs RacingKyle BuschNashville SuperspeedwayNationwide SeriesSprint Cup Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-10T10:24:00 00:00 Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pocono 500 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/09/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pocono-500/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/09/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pocono-500/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/09/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pocono-500/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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Consider the Pocono edition of 'Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes' to be a friend of custom-painted Gibson guitars.

Artist "stunned" about smash

As you could have guessed would happen, motorsports artist Sam Bass backtracked on his post-Kyle Busch trophy guitar smash comments at Nashville Superspeedway in an interview with Scene Daily.

Bass designed the paint job on the Gibson Les Paul guitar, only to see Busch whack it against the concrete numerous times in what amounts to a poor way to honor his team members.

 

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]]> David ReutimannKyle BuschMarcos AmbroseMatt KensethNashville SuperspeedwayPocono 500Pocono RacewaySprint CupTony Stewart Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-09T00:27:00 00:00 FanHouse Warmup: Pocono 500 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/07/fanhouse-warmup-pocono-500/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/07/fanhouse-warmup-pocono-500/ http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/07/fanhouse-warmup-pocono-500/#comments Geoffrey Millerby Geoffrey Miller

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The Essentials
Race: Pocono 500
Where: Pocono Raceway
Time: Sunday 5:45 p.m./EDT
TV/Radio: FOX Sports, PRN Radio
Twitter: In-race updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 75 degrees, Partly Sunny
Distance: 200 laps (500 miles)
Pole Winner: Tony Stewart
2008 Winner: Kasey Kahne

The Storylines

Kyle Busch played his own version of Guitar Hero Saturday night at Nashville Superspeedway in Nationwide Series victory lane, and needless to say, his antics left a lot of people shaking their heads.

 

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]]> Kasey KahneKyle BuschPocono 500Pocono RacewayTony Stewart Geoffrey Miller geoffrey-miller 2009-06-07T11:15:00 00:00