NASCAR Cup Series

When Ryan Newman first came on to the NASCAR scene in 2002, we all saw Newman as a shining light in the sport. Newman was a kid who had the potential to be a champion in the sport.

In 16 starts at the 2.5-mile track, Edwards has two wins, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. He has an average start of 19.0 and an average finish of 13.2.

Heading into the Pocono 500 in 2011, No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. got word that his lead engineer, Chad Johnston was becoming his crew chief.

Busch, who joined Furniture Row Racing near the end of the 2012 season, has helped lift the Denver-based single car team to a new level in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. His driver rating at recent races is not only one of the best, but more importantly the former NASCAR champion has put himself in contention for a victory multiple times, including the past two Cup races in Charlotte, N.C. and Dover, Del.

Biffle has 20 Sprint Cup career starts at Pocono. In 2010 he earned his only victory at the “tricky triangle,” while his other stats include two top-five and four top-10 finishes.

Jimmie Johnson: Johnson was black-flagged for jumping the final restart at Dover, a mistake that most likely cost him his third win this season. After serving a drive-through penalty, Johnson finished 17th, one lap down.

“This is a weekend that to me helps define what our program is about and what our organization’s about.”

Pit crews go through all sorts of training and recently Speedway Media was invited to see how the Stewart- Haas NASCAR over the wall teams train for their pit stops. They use what’s called a VertiMax system (www.vertimax.com) which they describe as “an innovative training system that allows pit crew members to simultaneously strengthen arm swing velocity and leg drive for maximum explosive speed, which is crucial when every millisecond counts.”

With the temperatures soaring and the ‘monster’ on the prowl, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 44th annual FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

The small snippet on the scanner conversation between Jimmie Johnson, who had just blown a sure win by jumping the start in Sunday’s Fed Ex 400, spotter Earl Barban, and crew chief Chad Knaus. I thought I heard the quote, but having it replayed today on SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio channel proved I did hear that. My only question is who is “they” and why do they not want Johnson to win?