Weekend Auto Racing Report: NASCAR / Formula 1 | October 10-12

EJWasson — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:00:34 +0000

The weekend is here and for auto racing fans around the world there is plenty of excitement as we head into the final weeks of all the major racing series schedules. With Winter around the corner racing fans had better soak up the sights and sounds of the remaining events before the sport goes into hibernation for a few months.

This weekend the eyes of NASCAR fans are focused on Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Qualifying was rained out on Thursday so the lineup has been set based off of owners points. The top ten for the Bank of America 500 is as follows:

1.	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet
2.	Carl Edwards	Ford
3.	Greg Biffle	Ford
4.	Jeff Burton	Chevrolet
5.	Clint Bowyer	Chevrolet
6.	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet
7.	Tony Stewart	Toyota
8.	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet
9.	Matt Kenseth	Ford
10.	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet

For tonight’s race ( 7pm EDT/ ABC ) the forecast calls for a high of 74 degrees with a 20% chance of rain.

The World will be watching the closely contested Formula 1 World Championship as the circus heads to Fuji Speedway in Japan. After Timo Glock and Fernando Alonso dominated the practice sessions the qualifying sessions showed once again what a game of cat and mouse Formula 1 has always been.

The Japanese Grand Prix is shown in the United States on Speed TV and begins at Midnight tonight! So if you’re a die hard F1 fan like myself…buy some Red Bull and stay up, it will be a heckuva show! For those unable to make it through the night, there will be a replay tomorrow afternoon on Speed. Check local listings for the time.

Here is your top ten for tonights (tomorrows) race in JAPAN!

Pos	No	Driver	Team
1	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes
2	1	Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen	Ferrari
3	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes
4	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault
5	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari
6	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber
7	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota
8	12	Timo Glock	Toyota
9	15	Sebastian Vettel	STR-Ferrari
10	14	Sebastien Bourdais	STR-Ferrari

The IndyCar Series is off until 10/26 when the IndyCars take on Surfers Paradise in Australia.

NASCAR : Chase for the Sprint Cup Standings Update | Oct 9 2008

EJWasson — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:24:05 +0000

The NASCAR nation sets its sights on Lowe’s Motor Speedway this Saturday night as the Chase for the Cup rages on. With just six races left in the 2008 schedule it is still wide open. With 4 drivers separated by 100 points, and all 12 drivers in the chase separated by less than 400 points, it truly is anybody’s cup. A NASCAR Sprint Cup win is worth 185 points, add on the 5 points for leading a lap and another 5 points for leading the most laps and conceivably the race winner will walk away with 195 points for the win.

Certainly, the bottom of those guys in the Chase standings need some help from the drivers who are ahead of them. If 12th placed Denny Hamlin wins at Lowe’s and 1st placed Jimmie Johnson comes in 2nd, the difference would be too big to be made up in six races. So, the Chase is wide open, but from 6th placed on down, they would need some help from the top 5 to get it done.

Here is the TOP 5 in the chase heading into Saturday nights race at Lowe’s.

1) Jimmie Johnson

2) Carl Edwards (-72)

3) Greg Biffle (-77)

4) Jeff Burton (-99)

5) Clint Bowyer (-152)

As a writer and a sports fan, my heart lies with the open wheel guys (and girls), but I realize the need for NASCAR information for our readers. So at least once a week I will provide you with an update on the Chase, as well as any perspective I may have. Also, I would like to hear from you in regards to other sorts of Auto Racing content you would find interesting. Please email me using the link below to let me know your needs. Thanks for reading MidwestSportsFans.com.

Midwest Sports Fans » Lowe’s Motor Speedway

Weekend Auto Racing Report: NASCAR / Formula 1 | October 10-12

NASCAR : Chase for the Sprint Cup Standings Update | Oct 9 2008