Lowes Day One Live Blog
May 25
5:00PM
Slip Sliding away in practice
Yeley and Stewart both spun…Yeley’s car was damaged, Stewart spun out of harms way.
Greg Biffle led the first practice session on the Cup side (181.861) followed by Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch. Jeremy Mayfield was a surprising 4th followed by Kevin Harvick in 5th.
3:00 Mark Martin led the final Busch series practice with a speed of 178.412.he was followed by Johnny Sauter, Jeff Burton and Casey Mears.
The first Cup practice is just getting underway.
1:45
Knaus isn't going anywhere says Rick Hendrick
(CONCORD NC- 26 May) -When the contract for Jimmie Johnson and his sponsor Lowes was extended until 2010 last week, one loose end had yet to be tied.
Rick Hendrick talks to the media Thursday at Lowes Motor Speedway.(CSD/Greg Engle)
|
Chad Knaus, crew chief for Johnson is currently under contract to the team until 2007 and when his name wasn’t among those who were re-signed last week, speculation began that perhaps Knaus would soon be headed for the door.
Knaus has been under the microscope after he was caught cheating and forced to sit out for four races at the start of the year and the rumors began to fly that perhaps Knaus would be forced out or would leave to start his own team as his mentor Ray Evernham did several years ago.
There’s no problem with the Knaus contract according to team owner Rick Hendrick.
“I don’t know how that all got out on the street that we weren’t re-upping Chad,” Hendrick said Thursday at Lowes, as teams get ready for the Coca-Cola 600. “Usually with crew chiefs a year in advance is enough, so we’re happy with Chad and I think Chad is happy. He plays a big part not just in the 48 team, but in our whole organization.
We look for Chad to be with us for a long time. We’ve already talked about this week trying to going ahead and finish up the contract and go ahead and put that to bed.”
12:15 -I’m running behind today, we were at the dirt track until 2:30 AM this morning. The racing was great more on that later.
Busch practice is wrapping up, Scott Wimmer crashed in the first laps of Busch practice while Jimmie Johnson crashed later, both drivers were okay although both teams look like they’ll need to go to backups. Officials from Johnson's Busch team confirm a back-up for him.
Swindell takes the win at the Dirt track
(CONCORD NC- 25 May) -Kevin Swindell, the 17-year-old son of sprint car racing legend Sammy Swindell, followed in his father's tire tracks Wednesday night as the Germantown, Tenn., youngster recorded his first career World of Outlaws Sprint Series victory in the Eckerd Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"This is a dream come true for me," said the exuberant Swindell in victory lane. "This is amazing. I just told myself to breath those last five laps.”
Swindell started from the pole in the sprint car finale and was never seriously challenged during the 25-lap run.
"We've been waiting a while to get one of these," said Swindell, who banked $10,000 for his evening's work. "I had an absolutely incredible car tonight."
Swindell's victory came in his first start at The Dirt Track @
Lowe's Motor Speedway and his father also won the first time he visited the
four-tenths-mile clay oval for the track's inaugural event on May 25, 2000.
Chad Kemenah chased Swindell throughout the race, but had to settle for second with Brooke Tatnell third under the checkered flag. Tim Shaffer, subbing from the injured Terry McCarl in the No. 24 sprinter, moved up from he ninth starting spot to finish fourth.
Series point leader Donny Schatz had the most adventurous evening.
The Fargo, N.D., resident spun in his heat race and had moved back to a transfer spot, but was penalized by series officials for jumping a restart.
That put Schatz in the 12-lap B feature, which he won, in wire-to-wire fashion to earn a spot in the finale where he charged from the 11th starting
spot to fifth.
The red flag was unfurled twice during the feature. The first came on the opening lap when veteran Jac Haudenschild and Becca Anderson tangled in Turn 2, sending Haudenschild's car tumbling.
The race was stopped again on lap 19 when Jason Martin flipped on the frontstretch. No one was injured in either incident.
Justin Henderson led the 51-car World of Outlaws Sprint Series field
in group qualifying with a lap of 12.461 seconds, 115.561 mph, around the
four-tenths-mile clay oval.
The eight-lap sprint car heat races were won by Jason Johnson, Jason
Solwold, Kemenah and Swindell while Greg Wilson topped the 10-lap C main.
Late model veteran Dennis "Rambo" Franklin was the class of the field in the 25-lap finale for the Goodyear Fastrak Challenge Series. The
Gaffney, S.C., driver was chased across the stripe by Buddy Smith and
Jonathan Davenport.
The eight-lap heat races for the Goodyear Fastrak Challenge late models were won by Rob McLaughlin, Timbo Mangum, Franklin and Smith while
Matthew Daniels and Chris Carlson topped the last chance races for the
fendered machines.
Can Kahne?
(CONCORD NC- 25 May) -The big question on the minds of all the competitors as they begin to set up shop at Lowes Motor Speedway this week is who can de-throne Jimmie Johnson.
Kasey Kahne talks to the media Thursday at Lowes Motor Speedway.(CSD/Greg Engle)
|
Johnson won last weeks All-Star Challenge and has won the last three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s. He’ll try to make history Sunday as he attempts to win the same event at least four consecutive times for just the 10th time in NASCAR history.
One of the drivers to focus on is Evernham Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne. Kahne is in the midst of a breakout season; He’s won two races and three poles in points races so far this season. He also sat on the pole for last week’s non-points All-Star event. If anyone knows what it will take to beat Johnson, Kahne’s name certainly stands out.
“Jimmie is definitely the guy to beat here, there’s no question,” Kahne said Thursday prior to practice and qualifying at Lowes Motor Speedway, “He may not be there until 20 laps to go but he’ll be there at the end of the 600. I mean that’s just the way it is.”
But doesn’t Kahne get frustrated at the dominance of Johnson?
“You don’t really get frustrated,” Kahne said “…you get frustrated if you feel you had a car to beat him on numerous different times and you just don’t make it as far as he did. That’s when you get frustrated and that’s where I’m at now.
Jimmie has great cars,” Kahne added. “He knows this track as good as anybody and he’s there at the end of the race and he’s winning these races he just gets it done every time we come here.”
Kahne thinks the key for Johnson’s dominance here may come down to one single factor.
“You need a good car to go fast, but Jimmie Johnson understands this racetrack,” said Kahne. “The track is smoother, but it still drives the same you still do the same things to get your car where you want it and he’s the one telling them where he wants his racecar. If he says ‘keep going here’ then you’re going to keep going here and he knows where he wants for the end of the race and that’s what wins the race is the communication.”
Kasey has a simple plan of attack on Sunday as he tries to replace Johnson on the throne here at Lowes.
“I think we’ll have just as good a car, “Kahne said. “We just have to do all the right things and be there at the end of the race.”
Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at:
greg@cupscene.com
Pictures:
BACK TO FRONT PAGE<
|
Front Page
