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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 29, 2008

SPRINT CUP PREVIEW

RACE NO. 25: CALIFORNIA

A brief NASCAR era ends Sunday with the final Labor Day weekend running of a Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway. The "fall" race at the track formerly known as California Speedway moves into the Chase next year, and Atlanta will take over the holiday weekend slot. Tribune motor sports writer Tony Fabrizio takes a look at what's topical entering the second-to-last regular-season race:

Will Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltrip have dinner together in Southern California?

Probably not. Waltrip crashed in front of Bowyer on Saturday night at Bristol, and Bowyer's reaction to his crew was picked up by ESPN. "Michael Waltrip is the worst driver in NASCAR, period. Could not believe NAPA Auto Parts signed back on with him." Waltrip responded on his satellite radio show this week, saying, "That's hurtful to me. ... You know, my mom doesn't need to hear that. ... I will say there's a chance I could be the worst driver in NASCAR to win two Daytona 500s and the All-Star race."

What's the fallout from the latest run-in between Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards at Bristol?

NASCAR placed both drivers on probation for six races (virtually meaningless) for hitting each other during the cool-down lap. The funniest thing that's happened is Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz offered to host Busch and Edwards in a demolition derby before next Saturday's race. The invitation also was extended to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was taken out by Busch in the spring race at Richmond.

Speaking of Richmond, how close is the 12-driver Chase field to being set?

Technically, only Busch and Edwards have clinched berths. But Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton have all but mathematically locked up spots. Tony Stewart also is in good shape. From seventh place on, though, it gets muddled. Seventh-place Greg Biffle's margin over 13th-place David Ragan is only 141 points. Only 101 points separate 11th-place Denny Hamlin from 14th-place Kasey Kahne. Others in that mix are Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth.

Burton makes his 500th career start this weekend. What's the significance?

Only four other active full-time drivers have reached that mark: Gordon, Waltrip, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin (who returns to full-time status next year). Twenty-eight drivers have made at least 500 starts in NASCAR's top series, led by Richard Petty with 1,185.

Will Joey Logano get his first Sprint Cup win as a rookie next year driving Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 Toyota?

He'll have a chance to win even before that. Hall of Fame Racing, which gets its engines from Gibbs and released driver J.J. Yeley a couple of weeks ago, has lined up Logano for five Cup races during the Chase. The 18-year-old will make his debut Sept. 14 at New Hampshire, and he also will drive the No. 96 car at Kansas, Charlotte, Martinsville and Texas.

Tampa's Aric Almirola, coming off a 13th-place finish at Bristol, will drive Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s No. 8 Chevy for the third time in four weeks. He finished 31st last fall at California, but it was only his third career Cup start.

"Last year was kind of like a blur," Almirola recalled. "So many things were happening so fast. I was just getting acclimated to Cup racing and my association with DEI. The confidence level is definitely a lot higher right now."

Zephyrhills' David Reutimann comes off strong qualifying efforts the last two weeks - seventh at Michigan and second at Bristol - and will try to better his previous Cup finishes of 23rd and 33rd at California.

Reutimann's prospects in Saturday's Nationwide Series are better. He finished fourth on the two-mile oval in February.
Tony Fabrizio
KEEPING UP WITH THE LOCALS
SPRINT CUP PREVIEW

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