FanHouse Clint Bowyer

Being the boss and racetrack owner may give him a leg up, but it was Tony Stewart's talented right foot that once again proved to be the difference in Wednesday's Gillette Young Guns' Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

For the third time in the Prelude's five-year history, Stewart won on his home turf in front of a standing room only crowd of more than 23,000, as well as a national pay-per-view audience.

Stewart's other Prelude wins came in 2006 and last year.

Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer took a moment this week to chat with FanHouse. Here's what the Kansas native told us about good meals, gettin' back home, next Wednesday's Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream (live on HBO pay-per-view) and Elvis:

1) What's the one race, across any division or any type of race cars, that you've always wanted to win?

Clint Bowyer: It'd definitely have to be Daytona. The Daytona 500 has always meant so much to our sport and to me personally. Kansas Speedway would certainly be a close second -- just because I have all my family and friends there.

Where: Daytona Int'l Speedway
Time: Saturday 8:00pm/EDT
TV/Radio: TNT, MRN Radio
Twitter: Updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 74 degrees, Partly Cloudy
Distance: 160 laps (400 miles)
Pole Winner: Tony Stewart
2008 Winner: Kyle Busch

It's that time of year again. Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway officially kicks off the "Race to the Chase," the 10-race stretch for a shot at the championship.

While there have been several surprises in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year, one of the biggest shocks as we close in on the Chase for the Sprint Cup is the absence of a clear-cut favorite for the championship. Last year's dominant teams at this time of the season were the 99 and 18, and the 24 and 48 in 2007, but we really don't have one in 2009, which bodes well for the sport.

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.

Where: Richmond Int'l Raceway
Time: Saturday 7:30 p.m./EDT
TV/Radio: FOX Sports, MRN Radio
Twitter: Live updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 60 degrees, 60% chance of rain
Distance: 400 laps (300 miles)
Pole Winner: Brian Vickers
2008 Winner: Clint Bowyer

Who in the world is Russ Friedman? After winning a promotion though Crown Royal, Saturday night's presenting sponsor, Friedman earned himself naming rights to the event in a program that's been going for a few years now.

Friedman, as it turns out, is a veteran of the war in Iraq and has received -- count 'em -- two purple hearts during his service.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - Jimmie Johnson nudged Denny Hamlin aside in the third and fourth turns with 15 laps to go and gave team owner Rick Hendrick a perfect place to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his first victory in NASCAR's premier series: Victory Lane.

Twenty-five years later, Hendrick Motorsports is still on top at Martinsville Speedway after driver Jimmie Johnson bumped his way past Denny Hamlin to secure the win in Sunday's Goody's Cool Orange 500.

During one of only four off-weeks all season, it's a good time to breathe and check out the early-season statistics. It's way to early to come to any conclusions, but it's been an interesting few weeks of haves and have-nots.

Here's a look at who's getting the thumbs-up or thumbs-down as we prepare for one of the best shows NASCAR has to offer -- 500 laps at the half-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway next Sunday afternoon.