| Upcoming Events in the World of NASCARWe
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| | half the races. If Gordon wants to
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| NASCAR fans are patriots at heart. And
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| | qualify for NASCAR's Nextel Cup Chase for
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| there's no better way to celebrate the
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| | the Championship, he'll need to maintain
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| birth of our nation than at the most
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| | his average at Daytona and finish with
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| beloved track in all of NASCAR, Daytona
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| | another top 10.Who's Not?The dates have
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| International Speedway. The beaches of
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| | changed, but the faces have not in this
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| Daytona were already a destination for
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| | week's Who's Not section. Suffering from
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| motor sports enthusiasts before Bill
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| | mechanical failures late in the race,
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| France Sr decided to host the first
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| | Tony Stewart gave up position after
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| NASCAR event there in 1947. Twelve years
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| | position to finish 28th in yesterday's
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| later, the track that we all know and
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| | Dodge/Save Mart 300. The 28th place
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| love, Daytona International Speedway
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| | finished booted Tony further down in the
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| opened and hosted its first event drawing
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| | points to 7th place only 23 points in
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| 41,000 people.Next week, the NASCAR
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| | front of Jeff Gordon and 70 points in
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| Nextel Cup teams head to Daytona to
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| | front of 10th place driver Kevin
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| perform their craft in front of a crowd
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| | Harvick.There can't be anything more
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| of 175,000+. Expect the Hendrick boys to
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| | frustrating for a driver than running in
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| dominate. Of all current drivers with 4
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| | the top 5 for much of the day to end up
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| or more career starts at Daytona, Jimmie
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| | with a mechanical failure that seals your
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| Johnson (average finish of 6th) and Jeff
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| | fate in the race. While yesterday's 28th
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| Gordon (average finish of 13th) both lead
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| | place finish wasn't Tony's fault, it
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| the pack.Also expect the following
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| | can't help to boost the driver's nor the
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| drivers to do well next week:Other
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| | team's confidence. Let's face it, the
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| drivers to note:Dale Earnhardt Jr -
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| | Home Depot team has been on a backwards
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| Average Finish 14th Kevin Harvick -
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| | slide since the All-Star break. In 4 of
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| Average Finish 16th Dale Jarrett -
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| | the last 5 races, the #20 team has
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| Average Finish 16thNext Week's
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| | finished 25th or worst. That's hardly
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| Schedule:Nextel Cup: @ Daytona
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| | satisfactory for a team coming off of a
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| International Speedway (all times in EST)
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| | 2005 championship season.However, Tony
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| 6/29/06 - 2:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Pepsi
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| | didn't earn the nicknames "Smoke" or
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| 400 Practice 6/30/06 - 04:35pm NASCAR
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| | "Tiger" for lying down and giving up. He
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| Nextel Cup Pepsi 400 Qualifying 7/01/06 -
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| | is still in the top 10 (barely), and has
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| 07:55pm NASCAR Nextel Pepsi 400Busch
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| | plenty of time to get back on track
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| Series: @ Daytona International Speedway
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| | before the Chase for the Championship.
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| (all times EST) 6/29/06 - 05:10pm NASCAR
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| | All teams go through a dry-spell in any
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| Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 presented by
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| | season. I'm sure Tony prefers having his
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| PepsiCo Practice 6/30/06 - 01:05pm NASCAR
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| | dry-spell now while he still has time to
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| Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 presented by
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| | recover.Last Week's HeadlinesI know what
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| PepsiCo Qualifying 6/30/06 - 08:00pm
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| | you're thinking, why is NASCAR at a road
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| NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250
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| | course? Because road courses do not offer
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| presented by PepsiCoCraftsman Truck
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| | up the same passing lanes as an oval
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| Series: @ Kansas Speedway (all times in
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| | track, some NASCAR fans are bored by road
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| Central) 6/30/06 - 12:30pm NASCAR
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| | course racing. What these fans fail to
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| Craftsman Truck Series O'REILLY AUTO
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| | recognize is that road course races help
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| PARTS 250 Practice 6/30/06 - 05:00pm
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| | vindicate NASCAR drivers to the rest of
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| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O'REILLY
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| | the racing world.I find it interesting to
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| AUTO PARTS 250 Qualifying 7/01/06 -
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| | see how the gun-slinging road course
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| 02:15pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
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| | mercenaries like Boris Said stack up to
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| O'REILLY AUTO PARTS 250Who's Hot?We've
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| | the NASCAR Nextel Cup regulars like Jeff
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| been ragging on Jeff Gordon hard of late.
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| | and Robby Gordon. Make no doubt about it,
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| Of course, he's probably been ragging on
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| | the gunslingers come to Infineon Raceway
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| himself too. After a lackluster start to
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| | hungry! Many see the typical NASCAR
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| the 2006 season that had him 11th in
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| | driver as a lame duck maneuvering blindly
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| points, Gordon finally has tasted victory
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| | through the twists and turns of the
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| lane for the first time in yesterday's
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| | course waiting to be overtaken by an
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| Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.
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| | aggressive Boris Said with a "nothing to
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| Gordon's win yesterday is his 9th career
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| | loose" attitude.Despite the expert talent
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| win at a road course making him the most
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| | of the hired help, it always seems the
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| decorated road course driver in NASCAR's
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| | top NASCAR regulars always prevail.
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| history.After starting 11th, Gordon was
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| | Yesterday's Dodge/Save mart 350 was no
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| able to rocket himself through the field
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| | exception. The last portion of the race
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| and take over the top position in just 50
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| | was completely dominated by NASCAR
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| laps. The entire #24 DuPont team was
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| | drivers Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, and
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| solid throughout the entire race. Jeff
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| | Tony Stewart. While Boris Said flirted
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| never missed a mark, never spun out,
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| | with the top 5, he and the other road
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| restarted perfectly after every caution
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| | course veterans never challenged for the
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| while his team posted some of the fastest
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| | lead.Other notable finishers were Carl
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| times of the day on pit road. This kind
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| | Edwards (6th) and Greg Biffle (4th). Each
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| of a performance is reminiscent of Gordon
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| | needed solid finishes to make a run at
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| during his previous championship
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| | the top 10 in points. Biffle currently
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| seasons.The big question is can Gordon
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| | sits in 9th place and Edwards is 73
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| and his team maintain this championship
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| | points out of 10th.Terry Labonte posted a
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| form as they head into the remaining 10
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| | team best 3rd place finish for Hall of
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| races before the Chase for the
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| | Fame Racing. By using clever pit
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| Championship? Next week, NASCAR heads to
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| | strategy, Terry worked his way to the
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| Daytona for the Pepsi 400 where Jeff
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| | front. He held the top position for 16
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| Gordon has been dominate. In 28 races at
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| | laps before succumbing to race winner
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| Daytona, Jeff has 6 wins, 11 top 5
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| | Jeff Gordon. Labonte was passed late in
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| finishes, and 16 top 10 finishes. For the
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| | the race by Ryan Newman, but managed to
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| math challenged, that means on average
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| | hold onto the 3rd place before crossing
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| Gordon finishes in the top 10 in over
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| | the start finish/line for the final time.
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