Backstretch Motorsports

Edwards outduels Busch for win, bonus points

BROOKLYN, MICH. — It was Old West style showdown stuff — Kyle “Rowdy” Busch vs. Carl “Mr. Clean” Edwards.

On the final restart, there were two laps for all the gold after 400 miles of lead-swapping between NASCAR’s hard-charging gunslingers.

Edwards, in this one, gunned Busch down, blowing him away in a two-lap dash at the end. The No. 99 driver earned 10 more bonus points, cutting the gap between him and the No. 18 team to forty points heading into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

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Infractions Discovered in Michigan NNS Post Race Inspection; JGR No.s 20 and 18 Involved

Infractions were discovered by Nationwide Series inspectors following Saturday’s Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway, according to Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition for NASCAR . The cars involved were the No. 18 Toyota that was driven to a seventh-place finish by Joey Logano, and the No. 20 Toyota that was driven to a third-place finish by Tony Stewart.

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BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 16, 2008)—If there’s such a thing as home cooking at a NASCAR race track, Michigan International Speedway served as Jack Roush’s kitchen for Saturday’s Carfax 250.

In a race that ended under caution because of Danny Efland’s wreck on the white-flag lap, polesitter Carl Edwards gave Roush Fenway Racing its first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at the two-mile track since 1998. It was Ford’s first Michigan win in the series since Ryan Newman took the checkered flag in 2001.

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BROOKLYN, Mich. (Aug. 15, 2008) — Brian Vickers charged to the front in practice speeds Friday and then maintained that speed to win the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 3M Performance 400 presented by Bondo at Michigan International Speedway.

Vickers, driving the No. 83 car, knocked two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson off the pole by a wide margin. Vickers posted a speed of 188.536 miles per hour to blow past Johnson’s 187.028 mph. Elliott Sadler and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will occupy the second row with Jeff Gordon and Patrick Carpentier comprising row three.

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“Michigan is a flat two-mile oval, and track position is huge there. It could turn into a fuel-mileage race at any time so you really have to be on your toes and be aware of what could happen.” — Tony Eury Jr., crew chief No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, most recent winner at MIS in June.

The Michigan International Speedway is a key player in NASCAR racing. Firstly, it’s in the backyard of the “Big Three”, Chevy, Dodge and Ford and traditionally a source of bragging rights for the Motor City brands with the win there.

Toyota has certainly made huge strides in knocking on the winning door at MIS.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 11, 2008) – The final four events in the Race to the Chase are packed with subplots.
• There’s Kyle Busch’s attempt at 13 wins in a season. Since the schedule was reduced in size in 1972, 13 wins in a season has been the standard. Richard Petty won 13 in 1975 and Jeff Gordon did it in 1998. Busch has a solid shot a matching – and surpassing – that number. Busch nabbed victory No. 8 last weekend at Watkins Glen, becoming the 18th driver with eight wins in the first 22 races – 13 of the previous 17 went on to win the series championship.

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BROOKLYN, Mich. — Much to the delight of a screaming partisan crowd, Dale Earnhardt Jr. coasted across the finish line after a nerve-wracking restart to win the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was the highly-popular Earnhardt’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup points victory in 76 races.

And this one had everyone biting their nails and cracking their knuckles in suspense because Junior ran low on fuel.

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Craftsman Truck Series finish was the closest in MIS track history among all series

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 14, 2008) — Popular local driver Johnny Benson, from nearby Grand Rapids, has one consolation. At lease he can say he was a close second today in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Cool City Customs 200 at Michigan International Speedway.

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