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Greg
Biffle: After a furious
late-race shootout with
Roush Fenway Racing
teammates Carl Edwards
and Matt Kenseth, Biffle
won for the
second-straight race and
has his guns blazing in
search of the Sprint Cup
title.
"It only took me 26
races to prove it," says
Biffle, "but I'm finally
able to live up to what
I've been saying all
year: 'Nobody beats the
Biff,' nobody beats the
Biff.' I can really get
used to spending time in
victory lane. Sure, the
wins are nice, but it's
even sweeter cozying up
to Miss Sprint Cup and
hearing her tell me that
'I'm the greatest.' I
bet she says that to all
the guys. That's
perfectly okay with me,
as long as her
definition of 'all the
guys' does not include
Tony Stewart."
Carl Edwards: Edwards
may have lost any chance
to win Sunday at Dover
when crew chief Bob
Osborne called for two
tires instead of four
during a late pit stop.
Edwards was unable to
hold off Greg Biffle and
Matt Kenseth, who each
took four tires, down
the stretch and finished
third. Still, Edwards
took sole possession of
the point standing, and
now leads Biffle and
Jimmie Johnson by ten
points.
"I can't fault
Osborne for his
decision," says Edwards.
"He was only doing what
he thought best for this
team. It failed, but at
least it didn't cost us
100 points, like the
last time he had some
brilliant idea. But
we're in first, and if
you would have asked me
two weeks ago where I
wanted to be after two
Chase races, I would
have said 'in first.'
And to be 210 points
ahead of Kyle Busch
makes it all that much
sweeter."
Jimmie Johnson:
Johnson finished fifth
at Dover, unable to
challenge the Roush
Fenway juggernaut that
swept the top three, but
his second top-5 finish
of the Chase kept him
well within the hunt for
his third consecutive
Cup title. Johnson is
tied with Greg Biffle,
ten points behind points
leader Carl Edwards.
"It looks like it may
be me against the Roush
Fenway empire," says
Johnson. "Those guys
were strong all day,
fittingly on the day
when Fenway rival the
New York Yankees played
their last game in
Yankee Stadium. With
several 1.5 mile tracks
upcoming on the
schedule, the Roush cars
should continue to do
well. And that could be
their downfall. I hear
Jack Roush couldn't
quite decide in which
pit stall he should be
present when the winner
took the checkers. You
know he wanted to be in
Edwards' stall, but that
didn't quite work out.
The point is, with
Biffle's success, Jack's
allegiences are split in
two, and with Kenseth
running up front, he
could be pulled in three
directions. Luckily, I’m
Hendrick Motorsports
only hope, so I can
expect Rick Hendrick’s
full attention. That is,
when he’s not talking
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. down
from a ledge.”
Jeff Burton: Burton
finished ninth at Dover
and moved up one place
in the points to fourth,
where he is 82 behind
leader Carl Edwards.
Burton overcame a
mediocre qualifying
effort of 21st, then had
to return to the pits to
correct some loose lug
nuts, but otherwise
turned in a solid
effort.
"Given a better
qualifying effort and no
pit errors," says
Burton, "I'm still not
sure we could have
challenged for the win.
I don't think the #31
AT&T Chevy was good
enough to win, but then
again, has it ever
been?”
Kevin Harvick:
Harvick recorded his
eighth consecutive
top-10 finish, the
longest current streak
among all drivers, with
a sixth in the Camping
World RV 400. Harvick
leapt five places in the
standings, from tenth to
fifth, and is 101 out of
first.
"That was some mighty
fine racing there at the
end," says Harvick. "I
just wish I could have
been a part of it. With
NASCAR's new testing
policy, in which there
is no list of banned
substances, we might as
well get used to the
fact that there will be
more 'passing' on the
track than 'passing' of
drug tests. No list of
banned substances? How
the heck will guys like
Aaron Fike know which
drugs they are forbidden
to drive a Craftsman
truck under the
influence of? It's
ridiculous. Do you mean
to tell me the ‘King,’
Richard Petty, might
have to think twice
before inhaling a packet
of BC Powder through a
straw?”
Matt Kenseth: Kenseth
led a race-high 136
laps, but succumbed to
the charge of Roush
Fenway teammate Greg
Biffle, who passed
Kenseth for the lead on
lap 392. Kenseth
finished second,
rebounding from a 40th
last week in New
Hampshire that left him
last in the Chase
standings. Kenseth is
now tenth, 167 out of
first.
"After registering
such as dismal finish in
New Hampshire,” says
Kenseth, “I knew Dover
was a ‘do or die’
situation for me. A good
finish was imperative. I
really felt like I was
running for my life
there at the end, and
with Carl Edwards
chasing me, I got such
an uneasy feeling a déjà
vu that I think it made
me go faster.”
Jeff Gordon: Gordon
started on the pole for
Sunday’s Camping World
RV 400 at Dover and led
the first 30 laps, but
was never a threat to
win thereafter. Once
again, handling issues
victimized the #24
DuPont Chevrolet, and
despite racing in the
top 10 for most of the
day, Gordon was fated to
remain winless this
year. He is now eighth
in the point standings,
118 behind Carl Edwards.
"We're not ready to
throw in the towel just
yet," says Gordon. "But
we do have in laundered
and folded nicely, just
in case. You may have
heard that the #24 team
will have a new paint
scheme in 2009. I’m
excited about that. I’m
hoping that the #24
DuPont car will look
drastically different
from its current
incarnation. That way,
maybe Steve Letarte
won’t recognize it and
will leave it alone.”
Clint Bowyer: Bowyer
finished eighth at
Dover, joining Richard
Childress Racing
teammates Kevin Harvick
and Jeff Burton in the
top 10. Bowyer is sixth
in the points, 106 out
of first, and RCR
drivers occupy 4-6 in
the standings.
"Testosterone. A new
drug policy. Banned
substances," says
Bowyer. "Who says NASCAR
drivers aren’t
legitimate athletes? If
drivers want something
to put a little hair on
their chests, then the
simplest, and only
legal, remedy, is
multiple shots of Jack
Daniels. I'm fairly
certain Jack is not on
NASCAR's ‘nonexistent
list of banned
substances.’ Or is that
a ‘list of nonexistent
banned substances.’ I’m
sure I’m not the only
one confused.”
Tony Stewart: Stewart
was the lone bright spot
for Joe Gibbs Racing,
bringing an 11th while
teammates Denny Hamlin
and Kyle Busch finished
38th and 43rd
respectively. Stewart is
now 113 points out of
first in seventh place.
“Experience matters,”
says Stewart. “Whether
it’s driving in the
Chase or sweet-talking
an apprehensive 22-year
old groupie into your
hauler, it always helps
to have done it before.
I’ve done both lots,
with mixed results, and
often with someone
getting slapped.”
Kyle Busch/Dale
Earnhardt, Jr.: Busch’s
blown engine left him
last at Dover and last
in the Chase field, and
all but ended his hopes
for the Sprint Cup
title. Busch is 210
points out of first, and
now has eight races to
think about the tragic
end to such a promising
season. Earnhardt blew a
tire on lap 141, spun
and hit the wall. He
finished 24th, three
laps down, and is ninth
in the point standings,
129 out of first.
“It’a always tough
racing here anyway,”
says Earnhardt, “even
without mechanical
failures. ‘Miles The
Monster’ takes no
prisoners, nor does the
track’s secondary
mascot, ‘Ben Dover,’
which perfectly
describes what Kyle and
I were relegated to
doing. When your tire or
engines goes, you’ve got
no choice but to bend
over and take it.”
You can
contact Jeffrey at
jeffrey_boswell@yahoo.com
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