Auto Racing Weekend TV Schedule: 10/24-26/2008 | NASCAR – IndyCar
NASCAR nation rolls into Atlanta this weekend as the Chase for the Sprint Cup really heats up. Jimmie Johnson leads by 149 points with just four races to go. However, in the modern era at least, no driver has ever eclipsed that wide of a margin to become the champion.
If Jimmie Johnson plays it nice and tight and focuses on top tens for the duration of the 2008 season, he will be the second back-to-back-to-back champion in NASCAR history. Qualifying is Friday evening and the race is Sunday at 1pm on ABC.
Here are the standings going into the weekend:
| RANK | +/- | DRIVER | POINTS | BEHIND | STARTS | POLES | WINS | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | WINNINGS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Jimmie Johnson | 6073 | Leader | 32 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 20 | 6,550,440 |
| 2 | +1 | Greg Biffle | 5924 | -149 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 4,449,390 |
| 3 | -1 | Jeff Burton | 5921 | -152 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 5,018,220 |
| 4 | – | Carl Edwards | 5875 | -198 | 32 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 23 | 6,710,870 |
| 5 | – | Clint Bowyer | 5831 | -242 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 3,962,640 |
| 6 | – | Kevin Harvick | 5817 | -256 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 4,857,210 |
| 7 | +1 | Jeff Gordon | 5798 | -275 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 5,100,600 |
| 8 | -1 | Tony Stewart | 5735 | -338 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 5,740,340 |
| 9 | +1 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 5694 | -379 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 4,217,970 |
| 10 | +1 | Matt Kenseth | 5665 | -408 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 4,921,980 |
| 11 | +1 | Denny Hamlin | 5653 | -420 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 4,889,750 |
| 12 | -3 | Kyle Busch | 5628 | -445 | 32 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 18 | 6,135,120 |
INDYCAR DOWN UNDER!
The IndyCar Series is back on track this weekend. It has to be one of the most bizzare situations caused from the merger of CART and the ICS at the start of this season. The Australian race was originally a CART event, and when the two series merged earlier this year, the ICS was left with a contract that was quite expensive to break. So down under they go…
The IndyCar series ended its season officially weeks ago at Chicago. That race was won by Helio Castroneves by just inches, and the championship went to Scott Dixon. Dixon, who also won the Indy 500 in 2008, had one of the most dominating IndyCar series runs in recent memory. It was a great season for the Target Chip Ganassi racing driver.
So, if the season is over…why are they racing? And what are they racing for?
For competition sake only. Why should you watch? There is no championship on the line, but an IndyCar win is still a win…so watch out for younger drivers to flex their muscles and try to make passes that they normally wouldn’t attempt. It could be a very expensive race for some teams.
Why else? Dan Wheldon, Vitor Meira and Dario Franchitti are in the race this weekend. Wheldon and Meira are on new teams, Dario (2007 Indy 500 and ICS Champion) is back from his stint in NASCAR. Franchitti took Wheldons seat when Dan went to Panther. Vitor was kicked out of Panther and picked up by Foyt. This race is the first time they will competitively run with their new team colors.
Why else? Helio Castroneves was allowed by a Federal Court to attend the event to race this weekend. HCN has a lot to prove to his team owner and his fans. When the outcome of his court case will be known is anyones guess, but I assure you that Helio wants to win this thing. In fact, he wants to win everything. (See Dancing with the Stars in 2007)
Here is the Fast Five from Practice Session 2 on Friday:
Will Power
Helio Castroneves
Dario Franchitti
Oriol Servia
Graham Rahal
The race is broadcast on ESPN Classic Saturday night at 10:30pm EDT. Tune in!
Check back on Monday for our weekend recap, and our forward look into the conclusion of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Tags: atlanta motor speedway, Helio Castroneves, IndyCar, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
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