Clint Bowyer must have seen the clouds part and the sun shine through after crossing the finish line of the Subway Jalapeno 250 held at the Daytona International Speedway on Friday night. The win was his first victory of 2009 on the Nationwide Series and the seventh of his career and it couldn’t have come at a better time for him and Richard Childress Racing, which also claimed its first win of 2009 on the Nationwide Series. The boost in confidence and wins must be a welcome feeling for Richard Childress Racing and all the people that work with them, after recent events which included their cutting back due to the reorganization of General Motors.

Clint Bowyer wins first Nationwide Series race of 2009

The final result of the race had been in doubt for most of the race, with several accidents that eventually resulted in the race going two laps beyond the scheduled 250. Bowyer became the winner after a six car wreck resulted in the race being stopped under caution, which made a winner of the 2008 Nationwide Series champion.

Kyle Busch was able to stay close to the front and made a final push that allowed him to finish second and increase his lead in the Nationwide Series standings to 172 points over Carl Edwards, who finished in third place. Busch’s team mate, Joey Logano, had a pretty good race, he was able to stay out of the trouble that occurred on the track and finished fourth. Kasey Kahne made a late push at fourth, but wasn’t able to over take Joey Logano, and had to settle for fifth. Brad Keselowski had another good showing, adding needed points to his total, with a sixth place finish. Brian Vickers showed up for this race, and while he was able to run pretty fast, only managed seventh. Justin Allgaier was a surprise top-ten finisher, but it’s nice to see him making progress, with an eighth place finish. David Ragan had another good showing, and it looked like he might finish better, than the ninth place he finished in. Kevin Harvick started out good, and looked like he might challenge for the win, but eventually lost ground and had to settle for tenth place.

“Image: Zuma Press”

NASCAR fans and professionals both have been waiting for the anticipated arrival of the new rulebook for the Nationwide Series, which was expected in June, but has been delayed due to facts that haven’t been made public. This rulebook will define the new car for the Nationwide Series, but is still apparently under review, as they finalize all the fine details. The future of the Nationwide Series is on the line, as this rulebook will lay the ground for all the future races in the Nationwide Series, so they need to make sure they get it right.

NASCAR is working on a new rulebook and car for the Nationwide Series

It’s expected that NASCAR won’t release the new rulebook until they have had time to meet with the owners and teams. There are probably several options they need to run past the owners and teams and want to make sure they have their input. The worsening economy could be having an effect on the final look of the rulebook, and the delays with the rulebook and the introduction of the new car, which had originally been scheduled for August 2010, but was recently delayed by NASCAR, until 2011.

Industry and media sources indicate that it’s most likely that a partial roll out of the new car will be introduced sometime next year at Talladega and Daytona and road courses Watkins Glen and Montreal, but things could always change again.

Like the rulebook, however, the introduction of the Nationwide car hasn’t been finalized, so change could be in the rule of the day as far as the dates and final look of the car is concerned. We do know that Ford and Dodge have both decided to run versions of their Mustang and Challenger muscle cars as their Nationwide entries. Chevrolet still resists running their muscle car, the Camaro, and will instead run the Impala SS, the same car it runs in the Cup series. They have been resisting pressure by NASCAR of late to use their Camaro muscle car in the Nationwide Series, but have continued to state that they will not be using the Camaro anytime soon in the Nationwide Series.

Drivers in NASCAR often finish one race and then jump in a plane and head off to another NASCAR competition at another track. They burn their candle on both ends, trying to race and win as much as possible, and are often very successful at this kind of endeavour.

Carl Edwards wins the Northern Tool.com 250

This is just the scenario that allowed Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards to drive to victory Saturday night in the Nationwide Series Northern Tool.com 250 held at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin. Edwards had earlier in the day competed and practiced with his Cup Series car at Infineon Raceway but was able to fight off fatigue and the field to eventually grab the lead from Joe Gibb’s Racing’s Kyle Busch with a pass on Lap 205 to take the win.

Kyle Busch started the race strong, and was able to stay in front for the majority of the race, but wasn’t able to hold the fast-running Edwards off, and gave the lead up with just fifty laps remaining. It looked like the field might get a chance to catch up to Edwards after the second of two cautions during the last 50 laps of the race. But he was able to stay in front of his chasers, and eventually pulled away near the end to easily take the flag in his first Nationwide win of the 2009 season, just ahead of Busch.

Edwards was seen to be extremely energized by the win and stated that “It’s really cool to get that first win. Hopefully, it kicks off the rest of his season like it did last year.”

Edward’s comment is referring to his win at the Milwaukee Mile in 2008, which kicked off a truly impressive second half run for Edwards, with him winning seven times in the last 19 races of the year. The question now is, can he achieve this again or better it?

Brad Keselowski finished third in the Northern Tool.com 250, Erik Darnell took fourth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fifth, while Steve Wallace took sixth. Mike Bliss finished seventh, Stephen Leicht eighth, Ron Hornaday took ninth, and the top ten was rounded out by Jason Leffler.

Image: Zuma Press

Kyle Busch just wants to race and win, and he did it again on Saturday night in the Federated Auto Parts 300 held at the Nashville Superspeedway. The fourth time in a row appeared to be the charm as he once again was in the lead for the most laps in the race, only this race starting from the pole position on the grid. This time Lady Luck didn’t show up to ruin his final run to the line and he was able to stay out in front for the final 24 laps. Busch’s ninth NASCAR win of the season and fourth in the Nationwide Series, he also has two Camping World Trucks wins and three Sprint Cup victories this season.

Kyle Busch grabs fourth Nationwide win of season

The beginning of the race saw Busch running in front for the first 67 laps with Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski on his bumper. The mid-part of the race was the exciting part of the race as several accidents resulted in several green flag pit stops but the three were still running in the same race order after the race started again on lap 104. Busch stopped for a final time during a green flag stop with 35 laps to go, his crew serviced his Toyota race car in a reserved 14.3 seconds, and after getting under way again was back in front by lap 202. In the end Busch lead four times for a total of 173 laps around the 1.33 mile Nashville Superspeedway and only trailed during his pit stops.

Brad Keselowski finished the race in second, only 0.891 seconds off Busch’s time, and Carl Edwards managed to hang on for third, but still lost ground to Busch in the overall and now trails Busch by 65 points. Mike bliss was able to keep his Chevrolet in one piece until he reached the line and finished fourth, while Jason Leffler seemed to have a problematic Toyota but was able to overcome his problems and finish fifth. Stephen Leicht had a good showing this time and his car ran pretty fast and he finished sixth, while Steve Wallace had a slow start but managed to avoid several close calls to finish seventh. Michael McDowell finished eighth in his Toyota, Erik Darnell took ninth, and Brad Coleman rounded out the top ten in the Federated Auto Parts 300.

The entertainment continued after the race also, as Busch tried to do his best rock and roll impression by breaking the Gibson Les Paul Guitar that was presented to him after the win. He explained later that he wanted to break it up to give a piece to every one on the team, so they could all feel a part of the win. He wasn’t really successful in his attempts, but we’re sure once he gets the trophy back to the shop, he’ll do a better job.

Image: Zuma Press

NASCAR drivers remind me of chariot drivers of past times, harnessing the power of wild beasts to power their chariots, as NASCAR drivers control the natural power of a gasoline and oxygen explosion to power their metal steeds.

Kyle Busch beat Carl Edwards to the line again

The yearly competition to see which steed and driver combination is the fastest over a series of races which we call the Nationwide Series championship seems to be a two man race so far this season. Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards have both maneuvered back and forth into the over all championship at times like they were conducting their own personal two-man race.

While it’s certainly too early to hand either of them the trophy, Friday night at the Richmond International Raceway Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards continued their two-man race for the Nationwide Series championship.

Friday night in a five lap race to the line after the 10^th caution of the night, Busch managed to beat Edwards to the finish line by .584 seconds to take the Lipton Tea 250 and increase his points lead in the Nationwide Series by 82 points over his nemesis, Carl Edwards.

The win was Busch’s third of the year in the Nationwide Series, his third at Richmond International Raceway, 24^th victory in the illustrious Nationwide Series, and certainly one of many more to come for a racer who has shown outstanding driving skill and a love for the sport.

The difference in the race seemed to be the difference in the way each driver, car and team handled the restarts, and Busch, his team, and especially his car were just faster off the line. On this day Carl Edwards was just in the unfortunate position of having the second fastest car, but he still managed a pretty good points total and managed to keep Busch from extending his lead with skillful driving and car management.

The field was a few seconds behind the leaders, with Matt Kenseth taking third place, followed by Brad Keselowski in fourth, Kevin Harvick managed fifth, and Joey Logano out-raced Mark Martin for sixth. Rookie driver Michael McDowell had a good showing in eighth place, just ahead of Jason Keller who finished ninth, and Jason Leffler rounded out the top ten places.

The tenth caution of the night turned out to tell the difference, as Kenny Wallace’s unfortunate spin on Lap 243 resulted in a restart and a final race to the line, which Kyle Busch won.

Image: Newscom

Joey Logano finally got the first victory of the year he’s been dreaming of for awhile as he moved by teammate Kyle Busch with only nine laps left go to the finish line as millions of fans looked on around the world and then fought off all challengers to take the trophy and title in the Pepsi 300 Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway at Nashville.

The Nationwide Series Pepsi 300

The win is also the first Nationwide Series victory for the JGR No.20 team and first for crew chief Dave Rogers, since he was suspended last year.

For Joey Logano this is only the second victory of his budding career, he drove to victory for the first time one year ago on the Kentucky Speedway, and was running pretty good last year in the Pepsi 300 Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, before lady-luck turned against him, and he was involved in another cars crash. Logano showed great style and emotion during the win and held his trophy triumphantly above his head with the brightest of smiles before putting it in its case after the race, a Sam-Bass Les Paul Guitar which is a unique trophy awarded to the winner of the Pepsi 300 Nationwide Series race.

The Pepsi 300 turned out to be mainly a battle between Gibbs teammates as Busch and Logano jockeyed back and forth through out the race, leading a total of 172 of 225 of the races laps, which says a lot for the cars, drivers and mechanics of Gibbs racing. Joey Logano and Busch certainly had the most consistent and fastest cars on the track, but Logano’s car ran faster on the short runs, which was a major advantage, while Busch’s car ran a little better on the long runs.

The second place finish allowed Busch to move to within 23 points of the Points Leader on the Nationwide Series, Carl Edwards, who just kept his car between the lines and never really challenged for the lead. The Pepsi 300 was also a good race for Brad Keselowski who was able to keep his car together and be consistent enough to finish third, Kelly Bires finished ahead of Carl Edwards (the current points leader on the Nationwide Series) for fourth. The final six places on the final grid were taken by Jason Leffler, David Ragan, Mike Bliss, Steve Wallace, and Scott Lagasse Jr.

Image: Newscom

The start flag will drop on another event in the Nationwide Series, the Nashville 300, at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee this Saturday, the first Nationwide Series event for Ricky Stenhouse Jr, a talented driver who showed promise last year. Stenhouse will be driving the No. 16 car for the popular and well respected owner, Jack Roush, who last sat in Victory Lane at Las Vegas with Greg Biffle. Roush currently sits fifth in owner’s points and will be vying for his 100^th win in the Nationwide Series at Nashville; Stenhouse is a talented driver who could help get him closer, so the combination makes sense for both. Stenouse is scheduled to make six other starts this season, at Kentucky, Milwaukee, Gateway, Iowa, and Memphis, and a second start at Nashville, so you’ll get a chance to check out his driving style a few times.

Nationwide Series at Nashville on Saturday

There will be three Roush Fenway Race cars on the track on Saturday, as Stenhouse will be racing beside Carl Edwards and David Ragan. Edwards will be trying for his fourth victory at Nashville and is the current series points leader, while David Ragan currently sits third in the points standings and is putting heat on his teammate to pick up the pace.

Other drivers to watch at Nashville on Saturday are No. 40 Scott Wimmer, besides being the defending champion he has finished in the top ten in eight of his nine races at the track. No. 60 Carl Edwards is always a threat to win at Nashville, with six top five finishes in seven races, including three victories; he’s probably the one to beat. My dark horse is No. 88 Brad Keselowski, who finished fourth and second last year at Nashville, and ran a pretty respectable third last week at Texas, so he seems to be running good.

It will be fun to watch the battles on the track and see who comes out on top Saturday in Nashville, so we’ll see you after the race, and we’ll compare notes.

Image: Newscom

The fourth try was the charm for Kevin Harvick Saturday in the Nationside Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway as after three wins driving for KHI in 2002, 2003, and 2008, he was finally able to carry the checkered flag around the track. Harvick ran hard and fast for 44 laps in a Chevrolet built by the race team he and his wife built from the ground up to win his first Nationwide Series race, Tony Stewart won twice driving for Harvick and Bobby Labonte once.
Kevin saw his chance appear when Kyle Busch was given a penalty on the final lap, taking him essentially out of the race, and then Harvick seized the moment to drive to his first Nationwide Series win in the Scotts Turf Builder 300. Carl Edward’s Ford finished second and Clint Bowyer’s Chevrolet ran third, but neither could catch Harvick, as despite problems with an overheating alternator that made his cockpit like a sauna he was able to take the checkered flag.

The fourth try was the charm for Kevin Harvick

Busch lead for 157 laps before his team lost control of a tire in the pit lane, which cost him the race essentially, and helps the current points leader Edwards keep ahead of the pack in the points standings. Currently, Edwards still has a 114 point lead in the standings on Harvick, who is probably a lot more confident, and 124 point lead on Busch in the race to the series championship.
The Nationwide Series points race is starting to heat up and hopefully Harvick can turn up the dial a little and keep the pressure on Edwards, and make this a championship for the record books.

Image: Newscom.com

Marcos Ambrose took the lead with just three laps to go in Saturday’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen to secure his first career Nationwide Series victory in 59 starts. He received the lead by virtue of Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson running out of fuel in the closing laps in an episode of bitter-sweet redemption after all the tough luck he’s suffered in NASCAR road course racing in 2008. He came close, but eventually took a back seat to Kyle Busch in Mexico City … mechanical issues ended his day in Sonoma when he made his Sprint Cup debut … and, a pit road speeding penalty robbed him in Montreal. But, none of that mattered on Saturday when Ambrose finally stood in a NASCAR victory lane for the first time in his life.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I literally could not believe it. I was just praying the car was gonna hold together and I wasn’t gonna get a late caution. But, we got the job done. I feel really good about it, and it’s just a big lift for our team and it feels like everything’s worth it today.”

Marcos didn’t have much time for celebration, though, because the following day served an even much taller task for the Australian native. He was to return once again to Watkins Glen and step behind the wheel of the Wood Brothers Racing no. 21 Ford to make his third Cup Series start, but after qualifying was washed out on Friday, Ambrose would have to start all the way in the back of the field in 43rd at a track where no driver had ever come from deeper than a 16th starting position to win.

Ambrose quickly made people forget that the team he was driving for on Sunday was a team on the verge of obscurity as he climbed his way into the top-15 by the halfway point. Then, with one of the fastest cars on the track, he dashed up inside the top-5 and was sitting in 3rd after Ryan Newman spun with just 13 laps to go. Even with two restarts to try and get it done, though, Ambrose was never able to get around the 2nd place car of Tony Stewart to try and press Kyle Busch for the lead, but if you ask Marcos, he’ll take his top-five Cup finish anyday of the week.

“It’s a big, bad world out here in NASCAR world, and I’m just pleased that I’m able to have a weekend like this to remember,” said Ambrose. “When it’s all said and done, I’ll be able to go home back to Tasmania and tell them how good I was at Watkins Glen on one year.”

It was certainly a well deserved weekend for Ambrose and his team(s). Ambrose has 5 more races remaining on his schedule driving the no. 21 Wood Bros. car before he competes full-time in the Cup Series next year with JTG Dougherty Racing.

Everything seemed to be going perfectly for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the no. 88 team on Sunday as Earnhardt was in search of his first Cup victory at Watkins Glen International, and his first win at the track since winning the 1999 Nationwide Series race there. He started the day with the outside pole position after rain canceled out qualifying on Friday, and then he went onto lead 28 of the first 29 laps in the race.

Earnhardt gave up the lead during the first round of green flag stops after being one of the last cars to make their stop. Running several laps on the older tires while the rest of the field came in for some fresh rubber immediately proved to work against the team as he came out of the pits in 6th place, so one can’t help but wonder why they would choose to replay this strategy later in the race.

Junior once again found himself with the lead on lap 58 after the rest of the leaders came in to make their final stops of the day. His lead opened up to more than 25 seconds over second place as he became the only driver in the field that had yet to come down pit road, but he was giving more than a second per lap. Aside from the time that they were losing on the track, it became quite evident that a caution anytime before Earnhardt made his stop would flat out ruin his day, so it’s a bit peculiar as to why crew chief, Tony Eury Jr, would elect to keep his driver out on the track.

On lap 64, the worst did in fact happen. NASCAR was forced to waive the yellow for loose gravel that Travis Kvapil had kicked up onto the track, and as if it weren’t bad enough that Earnhardt had to surrender the lead to pit, he was one of only a small handful of cars that made that loenely drive down pit road with about 25 laps to go. He restarted back in 37th and was able to climb his way back up to 22nd by the end of the race, but Earnhardt fans everywhere now can’t help but wonder what might have been … and, what was Tony Eury Jr. thinking? To make matters worse, this also isn’t the first time that Junior fans have felt that Tony Eury Jr. may have cost Dale a shot at victory.

The disappointing finish also dropped Earnhardt from 2nd to 4th in the points standings, getting passed by Carl Edwards and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jimmie Johnson. Junior Nation has had plenty to cheer about this season, though, as his first season with Hendrick has been far and away better than his final season with DEI in 2007 as he snapped his winless streak with a win earlier in the year at Michigan and he’s been up inside the top-5 in points for most of the year.