(Pictured: Milka Duno, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick)

Dateline: Indianpolis Motor Speedway

The Women:

Once again there will be three women starting the Indianapolis 500. In this edition of our Indy 500 preview we will take a look at those women as well as their starting positions and my opinions on there chances of winning the Indianapolis 500.

Pos. 21

Sarah Fisher

Car # 67
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.082/2:42.1022

Sarah Fisher is back for her 8th Indianapolis 500, and her second as team owner. She carries a solid sponsorship program this year as Dollar General has signed on for a series of races in the 2009 season. One of my standout memories of Sarah Fisher unfortunately came from the 2000 race when she collided with the other woman racer (Lyn St. James) taking them both out on lap 74. It was probably the worst case scenario for both drivers, as their were jokes all along the front straight after the accident. But this year she is back and ready to compete. Her qualifying speed of 222.082 puts her just 1/2 a second behind the pace for the Pole sitter, Helio Castroneves. If things go right for her, and her pit crew is able to adequately and quickly service her car and get her back out to the speedway, I would look to see Sarah with a solid top 15 finish.

Pos. 10

Danica Patrick

Car # 7
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.882/2:41.5205

Darling Danica gears up for her 6th Indy 500. Her previous best finish was 4th in 2005, where she became the first woman to ever lead the Indianapolis 500. She also became the first woman to win a major league open wheel racing event in 2008 where she won at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. Back again with the Andretti Green team and with rumors abound of a jump to NASCAR at seasons end, I expect to see Danica finish in the top 5. She has done well here, and when she controls her outcome she has an average finishing position of 6. Last year due to contact and the infamous pit lane stroll down to Ryan Briscoes pit stall after some contact, she finished 22nd. If there were ever to be a woman to win the Indianapolis 500, I think it could be Danica. So if you’re looking for a longshot, look no further than the #7 car sponsored by Boost Mobile.

Indy 500 coverage continues right here as we take a look at the other notables in this years race. Stay tuned to MidwestSportsFans.com for up to date Indy 500 coverage.

(Pictured: The starting lineup in 1911, the first and only time there has been a rookie only starting field.)

Dateline: Indianapolis, Indiana

The Rookies:

In the first of a four part look into the field for the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 we will take a look at the drivers who are making their Indy debut this coming Sunday. In later editions we will look at the past winners, the women in the 500, and finally a look at the other notables in this years race.

Pos. 33

Pos. 31

Nelson Philippe

Car # 00
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 220.754/2:43.0778

Nelson Philippe is a French driver who also got his start in go karts. Racing go karts from 1998-2002 gave him enough seat time and experience to move up to the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 2003. He finished the season with one podium and four top five finishes. In 2004, Philippe became the youngest to ever drive a Champ Car when he was signed to the Rocketsports team at age 17. With experience in the Champ Car series he has experience on ovals and road courses and now finds himself in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Pos. 27

Mike Conway

Car # 24
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 221.417/2:42.5889

Mike Conway comes to the Indy 500 from the GP2 series. This English driver also got his start in karting around 8 years of age. With experience in UK Formula Ford he moved up to the Formula Renault UK championship in 2003. In 2004 he was the Formula Renault UK Champion and moved up to the British F3 championship in 2005. In 2006, he won that Championship and had been in GP2 until this season when he made the jump to the IndyCar Series. One thing of note, Mike Conway has yet to run an oval race this season without ending up in the wall during the race. He will be one to watch our for from a fan perspective…and one to stay away from if you’re a driver.

Pos. 23

Robert Doornbos

Car # 06T
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 221.692/2:42.3877

This Dutch driver started racing in 1999 in the Formula Ford 1800 Benelux series. He started as a semi-professional tennis player in the Netherlands when he was invited to attend a Formula 1 Grand Prix. There he met former Formula 1 champion and Indy 500 champion Jacques Villeneuve and he recommended that Robert try a Formula Ford, as he was too old to start karting. Obviously “Bobby D” took to the type of racing as he moved from Formula Ford to Formula 1 in just 6 seasons. He spent 205 and 2006 in the Formula 1 championship and moved to Champ Car in 2007. In 2008 he raced in the Superleague Formula as well as representing the Netherlands in the A1GP. He makes the move to IndyCars and the famed Newman Haas Lanigan racing team.

Pos. 12

Raphael Matos

Car # 2
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 223.429/2:41.1252

“Rapha” got his start in karting in his native Brazil. He came to the States in 2002 and competed in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge championship which he won in 2003. He went to the Star Mazda series for 2004 and 2005. He again found himself a Champion in 2005 and made the transition to the Champ Car Atlantic Series in 2006 and 2007. He won the Championship in 2007 and moved to the Firestone Indy Lights Championship in 2008. He was once again successful in the new series and was the Champion for 2008. In 2009, he comes to the IndyCar series with the Luczo Dragon team which is owned by Jay Penske. Jay is the youngest son of Team Penske owner, Roger Penske. If there is a rookie who has a legitimate shot at winning this installment of the 500, I would put a big checkmark next to Rapha on your race day program.

Check back for the next installment in our four part series on this years field. Next, we will take a look at the previous winners of the 500 who are in the 2009 edition and look at their histories and chances for once again drinking the milk in victory lane.

The Winners:

Here, we continue our look into the starting field of the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500. In this edition we look at the four previous winners who will be fighting for another shot at immortality on the Borg Warner Trophy (pictured above) and a nice cool drink of milk in victory lane. The Indianapolis 500 is at 1pm this Sunday, May 24th. It’s on ABC and the pre-race starts at Noon Eastern, with the scheduled start of 1pm.

Pos. 5

Scott Dixon

Car # 9
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 223.867/2:40.8098

The 2008 Indy 500 winner and IndyCar series champion will find himself in a familiar place come race day. Rolling off from the 5th spot in the grid, this New Zealander will be a contender on race day and should definitely be one to watch. Scott Dixon has NEVER raced in a series where hasn’t wont the championship. When the pressure is on, this guy is the one you want behind the wheel. Starting from the middle of Row 2 he should have a clear view of Turn 1 on Lap 1. Barring any first turn disasters, keep your eye on the #9 Target entry piloted by Scott Dixon. He will more than likely be among the leaders all day.

——————–

Pos. 3

Dario Franchitti

Car # 10
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 224.010/2:40.7068

Dario Franchitti comes to his 6th Indy 500, back from his single season running in NASCAR. His previous 500 starts have been with the Andretti Green organization, but it didn’t take the former Champion long to get comfortable to his new seat. He rolls off the grid on Sunday from the front row on the outside in P3. When he won the race in 2007, it was called by rain and was less than the 500 miles. Would he have been there at the end of those 500 miles? We will never know. Will he be there at the end of this years 500 miles? I don’t think so. Look for a strong start from the former champion but a pit issue or contact to keep him from taking his second 500 crown. Why? Because, Ashley Judd annoys me to death and I don’t want to see her talking on the monitors anymore than we have to.

——————–

Pos. 1

Helio Castroneves

Car # 3
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 224.864/2:40.0967

The past six months have been absolute hell for the two-time Indy 500 winner. He spent months agonizing over a squabble with the IRS regarding a tax issue. It was resolved with a not guilty verdict, and he now finds himself back where he belongs. Helio won the 500 in 2001 and 2002 and has been in the top 5 for 5 of his 8 previous starts. He has been among the quickest all month long and was certainly the fastest on Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With the drama behind him of the courtroom, and no one in front of him as he starts this years 500, look for a strong showing from the two time winner. How strong? Look for a three time champion come Sunday afternoon. Helio Castroneves is my pick for the 2009 race. Helio, go get ‘em!

——————–

Stay tuned to MidwestSportsFans.com as we continue our in depth look into the starting field for the 93rd Indianapolis 500. Next we will take a look at the women in the 500. Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher, and Milka Duno will be carrying the banner for female motor sports fans everywhere come race day. Check back soon for what to watch for from the three women who are the female faces of the 500.

Editor’s Note: Before jump into the latest updates from EJ on the 2009 Indianapolis 500, here is all of the need-to-know information for race day:

• Indy 500 Date: Sunday, May 24th
• Indy 500 TV Schedule: TV coverage begins at 12:00 ET on ABC
• Indy 500 Start Time: The race starts at 1:00 ET
• Miller Lite Carb Day: May 22nd, beginning at 8:00 AM | Click Here for Carb Day Tickets
• StubHub Tickets: Indy 500 Tickets
• RazorGator Tickets: $15 off on purchases of $100 or more with code take15off

Dateline: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The starting field for the 93rd Indianapolis 500 is full after a dramatic bump day yesterday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During the last 5 minutes of qualifications there were two successful qualification runs and left out three very qualified drivers. Buddy Lazier, Stanton Barrett and Alex Tagliani were the three left out of the show as the final gun sounded ending qualifications and therefore sealing the field for the race. Or, so it seemed.

Late on Sunday night, Conquest Racing announced that they were going to pull Bruno Junqueira from the qualified machine for Conquest, and insert Alex Tagliani into the entry. Though there was much controversy from fans regarding this move, it all comes down to a few things.

Eric Bachelart, the team owner, is the one who will look like the bad guy after it’s all said and done. He is the one who poorly played his hand yesterday, he is the one who had to tell Bruno that he was out, and he was the one who kept his second machine out of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Tagliani’s machine appeared to be quick enough to make the show solidly, and therefore the Conquest group would have two cars in the show. However, and for whatever reason, they didn’t put Tags into the qualifying line early enough to give him a chance to requalify with some of their new found speed. As the gun sounded, the primary driver for the team found himself out of the Indy 500. What does primary driver mean? Pure and simply: Money. Alex Tagliani’s machine was full of sponsorship for the King Tut exhibition that is now travelling the country. For the team to have a driver in the show that didn’t have a lot of sponsorship money behind him just did not make sense. They had to have their primary car, with their primary driver, and the primary funding in the show. To that end, the decision was made to replace Bruno with Alex.

Do I agree with the decision? Not really…I feel very bad for Bruno who signed with the team on Saturday morning, put it in the show with limited practice time, and on Monday morning finds himself without a ride in the largest single day sporting event in the world. That has to be a helluva hangover for a driver to nurse.

Regardless of my feelings on the issue, I am glad that Alex Tagliani is in the Indianapolis 500. He has a great racing history in the CART series and is a classy guy who is polite to fans. I was fortunate enough to see him on Pole Day at the track, and he stopped to pose with my kids for a picture. I love the guys who know why they are there. Sure, its the money and prestige of winning the Indy 500, but without 400 thousand of my closest friends on race day…there is no race, no prestige, and no money. Give ‘em hell Tags!

(picture above, Tags on Pole Day)

MidwestSportsFans.com will have a lot more on the Indy 500 as the week continues.

Click here to receive $15 off on Indy 500 ticket purchases
of $100 or more with code take15off

Here is the STARTING FIELD!!! The changes that happened late last night haven’t yet been updated on the speedway’s website. When they are updated…I will update the post here. [Editor's Note: EJ has recently posted the updates. Follow the link to view the final 2009 Indy 500 starting field.] The changes will result in Bruno being pulled. Tagliani will start 33rd, and Milka, Nelson, and Ryan will move up one spot.

Row 1
Pos. 1 Helio Castroneves Car # 3 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.864/2:40.0967	Pos. 2 Ryan Briscoe Car # 6 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.083/2:40.6546	Pos. 3 Dario Franchitti Car # 10 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.010/2:40.7068
Row 2
Pos. 4 Graham Rahal Car # 02 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.954/2:40.7470	Pos. 5 Scott Dixon Car # 9 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.867/2:40.8098	Pos. 6 Tony Kanaan Car # 11T D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.612/2:40.9934
Row 3
Pos. 7 Mario Moraes Car # 5 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.331/2:41.1958	Pos. 8 Marco Andretti Car # 26 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.114/2:41.3522	Pos. 9 Will Power Car # 12 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.028/2:41.4146
Row 4
Pos. 10 Danica Patrick Car # 7 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.882/2:41.5205	Pos. 11 Alex Lloyd Car # 99 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.622/2:41.7093	Pos. 12 Raphael Matos Car # 2 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.429/2:41.1252
Row 5
Pos. 13 Paul Tracy Car # 15 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.111/2:41.3545	Pos. 14 Vitor Meira Car # 14 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.054/2:41.3958	Pos. 15 Justin Wilson Car # 18 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.903/2:41.5051
Row 6
Pos. 16 Hideki Mutoh Car # 27 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.805/2:41.5764	Pos. 17 Ed Carpenter Car # 20 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.780/2:41.5942	Pos. 18 Dan Wheldon Car # 4 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.777/2:41.5969
Row 7
Pos. 19 AJ Foyt IV Car # 41 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.586/2:41.7355	Pos. 20 Scott Sharp Car # 16 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.162/2:42.0441	Pos. 21 Sarah Fisher Car # 67 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.082/2:42.1022
Row 8
Pos. 22 Davey Hamilton Car # 44 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.956/2:42.1942	Pos. 23 Robert Doornbos Car # 06T D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.692/2:42.3877	Pos. 24 Townsend Bell Car # 8 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.195/2:42.7524
Row 9
Pos. 25 Oriol Servia Car # 17 D/H/F Speed/Time: 220.984/2:42.9079	Pos. 26 Tomas Scheckter Car # 19 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.496/2:42.5308	Pos. 27 Mike Conway Car # 24 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.417/2:42.5889
Row 10
Pos. 28 John Andretti Car # 43 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.316/2:42.6635	Pos. 29 EJ Viso Car # 13 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.164/2:42.7753	Pos. 30 Bruno Junqueira Car # 36 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.115/2:42.8114
Row 11
Pos. 31 Milka Duno Car # 23 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.106/2:42.8180	Pos. 32 Nelson Philippe Car # 00 D/H/F Speed/Time: 220.754/2:43.0778	Pos. 33 Ryan Hunter-Reay Car # 21T D/H/F Speed/Time: 220.597/2:43.1934

Again, more to come from MidwestSportsFans.com throughout the week. Stay tuned.

Also, you can follow me here on Twitter for updates throughout the week and on race day from the track!

The 2007 Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion is back where he belongs. After his one year hiatus to the world of slow cars and four fenders, or as it also known NASCAR, Dario Franchitti made his presence felt. Dario took the #10 Target Chip Ganassi entry to the front for his first win under the TCG banner. Dario ran a great race and used some solid pit strategy to work his way to the front, and held on for a relatively easy win Sunday. Using an off-sequence pit stop, and saving fuel all along the way, he was able to be where he needed to be in the final laps. When he was given the green light to run full rich he pulled out nearly a 4 second lead over Will Power and the rest of the IndyCar field.

After Dario and Will; Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon, Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Raphael Matos, Robert Doornbos and Alex Tagliani rounded out the top ten.

The IndyCar Series has now completed two races for the 2009 season and as of right now here is your top five in points:

Dario Franchitti – 84

Will Power – 69

Ryan Briscoe – 67

Tony Kanaan – 65

Ryan Hunter-Reay – 59

Helio Back in the Saddle:

Helio Castroneves, fresh out of his acquittal on 6 counts of tax evasion, was in the racecar this weekend in the #3 Team Penske machine. He finished 7th in Long Beach and looked very happy to be back on the track. Given the stressful situations he has faced the past 6 weeks or so, I would look for him to look like the Helio of old this weekend. I will not be surprised with a top three finish as the IndyCar series heads for Kansas this coming weekend. The Kansas race will be the first oval of the 2009 season, and the last race before the month long pause that is the Indianapolis 500 during the month of May.

Out of Power:

Will Power, who was a formidable fill-in for Helio while he was out facing his legal issues, will get an undeserved rest this week. Will Power currently sits 2nd in the championship, but his position is likely to slip this weekend. The #12 machine is being parked until Indy. Verizon, who sponsored the #12 at Long Beach, will be back with Team Penske and supporting Will Power during the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at the Brickyard come May. The reason for Power being parked is strictly financial. Will has proven his weight so far this year and I expect him to be a player at Indianapolis. He will be driving for sponsorship for the rest of the season.

The Indy 500 Entry List released:

40 entries of drivers and machines have been released for the Indianapolis 500 to be ran on May 24th, 2009. As of this post, there are 28 drivers named and many more to be named in the coming weeks as teams try to gain enough sponsorship to fill the field. Some notable entries this year are the return of Davey Hamilton, John Andretti, Sarah Fisher and Paul Tracy.

Paul Tracy hasn’t raced in the Indianapolis 500 since 2002 when he lost a controversial call regarding the timing of a yellow flag and rode behind Helio Castroneves to finish 2nd. Paul Tracy ran a one off race last year for Vision Racing and finished 4th at Edmonton. Look for Paul Tracy to make waves all month long. There is no doubt he wants to be back in a racecar, and for much longer than just the month of May.

There are 4 previous winners as well as 4 rookies on the books so far. We’ll keep an eye on those numbers as the TBA on the entry list turn into actual drivers. The car count looks great and there should be no rumors about the Indy 500 NOT having it’s traditional 33 cars. Remember boys and girls, the Indianapolis 500 is still the worlds largest one day sporting event.

Keep an eye herefor continuing updates on IndyCar news, and look back here at Midwest Sports Fans for our Kansas preview later this week.

Dateline: Indianapolis, IN.

“The King”, as most NASCAR fans know him by, Richard Petty, will make history at the 2009 Indianapolis 500. For the first time in his storied career, Petty will make his first step into the IndyCar series. Even though the team owner is a rookie to “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, his driver is not. John Andretti will pilot the # 43 machine with the familiar Petty number and colors in the May classic. John Andretti has raced in 9 Indy 500’s with his best finish (5th) coming in 1991.

John Andretti and Richard Petty know each other pretty well, John drove for The King from 1998 to 2003 in the NASCAR Cup circuit.

As an avid IndyCar fan I have to wonder if this truly a turning of the tide. Is the popularity of NASCAR decreasing so much that IndyCars are once again where it’s at? Regardless of the reason, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has to be pleased with an announcement that can only help ticket sales. One other though to ponder here… Petty’s the first NASCAR owner to declare an entry into this years “500″, but will he be the last? I hope not.

RACE RECAP:

The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg concluded with a familiar name and team on top. Ryan Briscoe drove the Team Penske #6 machine to victory circle. It’s back to back wins for Briscoe dating back to the season finale in 2008. The momentum carried through the off-season showed that Ryan is going to be a force to be reckoned with. For a driver who was on the hot seat last year, I think Penske has to be comfortable with where things are in 2009.

Ryan Hunter-Reay had a second place finish for Vision Racing. Vision racing is co-owned by Tony George (the ICS founder) and TV star Patrick Dempsey. Reay has been with the vision team for less than two weeks, so the team has to be very impressed with his ability to date. I wouldn’t have expected to ever say this…but, I can see Vision Racing with a Ryan Hunter-Reay victory coming this season. I predict at Mid-Ohio, but it may come sooner.

One other note about yesterdays race: Dario Franchitti showed he is back where he belongs. Racing with Target Chip Ganassi he drove home a 4th place finish. He had left the series for a one year debacle in NASCAR, but we’re glad to have him back in the fast cars. Clearly, he will do well in 2009.

Here are the top 5 in yesterdays Grand Prix:

Ryan Briscoe

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Justin Wilson

Dario Franchitti

Tony Kanaan

The next race in the IndyCar Series is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19th at 3:30PM Eastern. Available on VERSUS.

TWITTER: follow me for IndyCar updates and other stuff @ejwassonmsf

There are a couple things we do know. Martin Truex, Jr. and Mark Martin, former teammates last year at Dale Earnhardt, Inc, qualified 1-2 and will lead the field to the green flag Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla

After that, there are a lot of questions to be answered. Here are a couple things to keep an eye on leading up to the big race:

Can Tony Stewart win his first Daytona 500 as an owner/driver?

Richard Petty was the last driver to take a car he owned to Victory Lane in Daytona. He did it for Petty Enterprises in 1981. Successful owner/drivers are becoming rare each season, but Stewart is trying to make his mark with the new Stewart-Haas Racing venture. Stewart has won virtually every race there is to win at Daytona, other than the 500-miler in February. He was strong in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout and his team has all the pieces in place for a strong start — engines and chassis from powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, not to mention “Smoke” himself behind the wheel, eager to prove the doubters wrong. Don’t be surprised to see Stewart’s No. 14 in the lead pack down the stretch on Sunday.

What is up with the sluggish Dodges?

The fastest Dodge driver in last weekend’s qualifying was Reed Sorenson, driving for Richard Petty Motorsports (the new collaboration between George Gillett’s team and the Pettys). Sorenson’s 28^th place effort in time trials was the best Dodge had to muster on pole day. Penske drivers David Stremme, Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish, Jr. were 41^st, 42^nd and 44^th, respectively. But all we have to do is look at last year’s race to learn not to count out the Dodge gang. Ryan Newman won the Daytona 500, teammate Busch was pushing him and Sorenson was also near the front on the white flag lap as a train of Dodges shot past the powerful Toyotas. The draft is a great equalizer and although the Dodge camp has thinned a little bit, a new engine could help keep them competitive this week.

Can Martin finally win the big race that has eluded him?

Martin, age 50, is back racing full-time in the Sprint Cup Series for the first time since 2006 and he’s doing so in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He has his best starting spot ever for the Daytona 500 and claims he’s in the best equipment he’s ever had with HMS. With the exception of Carl Edwards, you would be hard-pressed to find a better conditioned driver than Martin. He’s hungry, having finished a couple feet short to Kevin Harvick in 2007. Martin’s stiffest competition may come from his three fellow HMS drivers — Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and three-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, but this could be his best shot at winning Daytona.

Can any of the new ‘independent’ teams keep up at Daytona?

Likely not. This offseason saw contractions, mergers, alliances and teams just closing their doors. Subsequently, that allowed some individuals to buy cars and equipment at liquidation prices and they have cobbled together enough funds to take a shot at making the Daytona 500. But the likes of Joe Nemechek and Jeremy Mayfield — a couple owner/drivers who put together last-minute deals — Scott Riggs (in a Tommy Baldwin-owned and wrenched car with no sponsorship decals on the car) and others face tall odds of competing with the big boys. Simply put, the chasm between the haves (Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs and Childress teams) and the have nots has gotten even bigger.

While Sherman, the former Civil War general, buckled the South with the “March to the Sea” in 1864 by leaving the Confederates in his wake, Johnson is laying waste to the competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as he draws a bead on a record-tying third straight series title this week in South Florida.

Sherman’s March to the Sea stopped in Savannah after tearing through Atlanta. And even though Johnson was a runner-up two weeks ago at Atlanta, he and his Hendrick Motorsports team aren’t stopping until the checkered flag falls at Homestead, Fla., located outside of Miami and South Beach.

Johnson holds a sizable 141-point advantage over Carl Edwards heading into Sunday’s season finale thanks to his seventh win of the campaign – third in the Chase for the Championship – at Phoenix last week. The 33-year-old Johnson needs only a 36th place finish to secure the championship.

Doing so would place Johnson in the record books alongside Cale Yarborough, who won three straight titles from 1976-78. Ironically, Johnson lists Yarborough as his idol while growing up. When Yarborough was driving a Hardees-sponsored car, Johnson couldn’t wait to visit the fast-food restaurant as a youth because he thought Yarborough and the car would be there.

Johnson was disappointed when he learned that the series great and his machine didn’t actually reside at the burger joint. Undaunted, Jimmie Johnson has gone on to fashion a career that might rival some of the best NASCAR has seen before all is said and done.

Johnson notched career win No. 40 in career start No. 254 at Phoenix, giving him a winning percentage of 15.8% that is best among active drivers. He is already ranked 13th in all-time victories and a third series title would make him the eighth driver ever to cop at least three, joining the likes of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Lee Petty and Yarborough.

The El Cajon, Calif. native is approaching legend status as we speak.

But only Johnson and Yarborough could lay claim to the honor of taking three straight. Johnson’s titles have come in a different format, one in which the points are virtually “reset” for the season’s final 10 races. You could say that Johnson’s feat is more remarkable in that regard, while some can see it as easy for a team to “sandbag” during the first 26 races.

One thing is for sure. Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the rest of the No. 48 have shown that they can rise to the challenge down the stretch. No one has put up better numbers during the Chase for the Cup, which came into play in 2004.

Jimmie Johnson has amassed 14 wins in 49 Chase starts, good for a ridiculous winning percentage of 28.6%. In addition to his two titles, Johnson also has finished second twice (2004 and ‘05).

Barring a total collapse, the curtain will close on yet another season with Jimmie Johnson holding the hardware and collecting the big check and the rest of the drivers raising the white flag.

And thankfully for the competition, NASCAR doesn’t race in Key West.

I am now offering a reward of $1,000.00 for the first person to get a picture of Jimmie Johnson in full Native American get-up doing the rain dance. Go Nuts.

Here is the top ten for the Pep Boys Auto 500 that is scheduled for 1:00pm Sunday on ABC.

Row 1

Jimmie Johnson

Greg Biffle

Row 2

Jeff Burton

Carl Edwards

Row 3

Clint Bowyer

Kervin Harvick

Row 4

Jeff Gordon

Tony Stewart

Row 5

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Matt Kenseth

And now, in other continents:

IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon is NOT on the pole for this weekend’s ICS race at Surfer’s Paradise. He is however, on the front row. The pole winner is none other than the Australian, Will Power. Besides having the coolest name in racing, he actually knows how to drive a racecar and proved it by finishing the road course with an average speed of 105.977 mph.

Here is the top ten for the Nikon Indy 300 at Surfers Paradise in Australia. The race, broadcast tonight on ESPN Classic at 10:30pm.

Row 1

Will Power

Scott Dixon

Row 2

Ryan Briscoe

Dario Franchitti

Row 3

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Helio Castroneves

Row 4

Alex Tagliani

Tony Kanaan

Row 5

Justin Wilson

E.J. Viso

Stay tuned for our post race resets and commentary right here at Midwest Sports Fans.

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:

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.

A dynasty takes a normal man, say the driver of the number 48 Lowe’s machine, and at first turns him into a Champion. Then the next year, the pressure is really on. Can this guy do it all over again? Is there anything left in the tank, or will the pinnacle of his chosen sport be enough of a reward to make him rethink doing it all over again? Yet, the #48 with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel did in fact have enough left. In 2007, he won the Cup just like he did the year before.

And now, for the third year in a row, Jimmie Johnson stands on the verge of cementing his greatness at the top of his sport. Cale Yarborough won the Cup in 1976, 77, and 78. To date, Cale is the only driver to ever have three consecutive Cup championships. That small part of NASCAR history may get a bit more crowded this year.

It’s been exactly 30 years since NASCAR fans have had this rare opportunity to watch a dynasty happen right before their eyes. Arguably, Petty (7), Earnhardt (7), and Gordon (4) have their place in history for the grasp they held on the sport. Yet this year, the 33 year old from California is set to permanently mark his spot in history.

In Martinsville on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson was given the pole by rain, the first pit stall by points, and the win by the same disciplined driving that has gotten him on the brink of back-to-back-to-back NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. He led over 339 of the 500 laps, and not even the green-white-checkered finish was enough to make it close. Jimmie Johnson simply had too much power.

And this is precisely why I have sort of, kind of, maybe, perhaps changed my mind about dynasty drivers. Let’s just say that Jimmie Johnson, golden boy of NASCAR, wins three Cups in a row. With each victory he racks up, there are legions of NASCAR fans getting bored with the #48 car winning every damn race. And sooner or later, the same people who jeered Jeff Gordon, those same fans who hated #3, the same fans that wished Petty would just shave that ’stache and retire, will be turning on you too Jimmie. Ride the golden boy parachute as long as you can…they’re coming for you.

As with all sports dynastys…at first they are nice and shiny..but soon they rust and the world wants something new. As with politics, the incumbent will get beat eventually.

As Dwight Schrute said in an episode of The Office, “One day, we all will fall.”

Stay tuned later in the week for my preview of the next stop on the NASCAR calendar in Atlanta! Exclusively on www.midwestsportsfans.com

[tags]jimmie johnson, nascar, auto racing[/tags]

PLUS

EQUALS

Therefore….

For the second time in as many weeks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars will line up from points this weekend at Martinsville. The oval track, which is just over a half mile in length, has one of the tightest pit lanes on the circuit. Jimmie Johnson, current leader in the NASCAR standings, will get the first pit stall for the TUMS QuikPak 500.

On a short track with a tight pitlane, it’s a driver’s dream to be able to fire out of his pit stall without worry of what’s happening ahead of him. With the Chase at its halfway point and just 69 points separating Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton, this couldn’t come at a better time for the back to back Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

It is the 9th time this year that qualifying has been washed out for the “Cup” cars.

Here is the top five for 1pm Green Flag on Sunday. TV : ABC

[tags]nascar, auto racing, martinsville, jimmie johnson, jeff burton[/tags]

What a weekend it was for Carl Edwards. On Thursday between practice sessions he got ahold of Kevin Harvick for comments regarding the week ago crash at Talladega and a comment referring to Carl as a “pansy”. As seen in the AP photo, the “pansy” title seems quite fitting. It’s probably good thing Kevin doesn’t have longer hair, as it appears Mr. Edwards would have pulled it.

Going into the weekend, Carl Edwards sat in 2nd place in the Chase. At the end of the weekend, he was in 4th place in the NASCAR season standings. First place Jimmie Johnson continues to lead the Chase standings but a big move was made by Jeff Burton going from 4th to 2nd over the weekend with the win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Saturday night. Burton sits now just 69 points behind Johnson, who was won the past 2 Cup championships. Burton, whose rookie year was 15 years ago, sits right where he needs to be to challenge for the Championship. In my opinion the only thing that will keep him from claiming the Cup will be the driver currently in P1.

Jimmie Johnson, back to back Cup Champion, has to be feeling pretty confident heading to Martinsville this week. JJ has won there 3 out of the last 5 races and knows his way around the ‘Ville. I expect to see Jimmie finish the race in the top five, holding on closely to the lead. A trend I imagine to continue through the end of the season. Though I do not like dynasty drivers in any form of motor sport (Michael Schumacher comes to mind), you simply have to respect the way JJ goes about his business.

Stay tuned later in the week for my NASCAR update as we head into the weekend.

ALONSO WINS BACK TO BACK GRAND PRIX:

Formula 1 fans know one thing about Grand Prix viewing: Don’t miss the start. This weekend’s race at Japan was certainly no exception. Kimi Raikkonen shot from the standing start with a clear look into turn one. Lewis Hamilton, suspecting the Ferrari may “check out” if he had gotten to the corner first, used an extremely aggressive move to try to reclaim the lead at the first corner. It didn’t work. Both drivers were pushed off of the racing surface and were passed by several cars before entering back onto the track.

Formula 1 rarely has much action in the form of passing after the first turn, outside of pit lane. But in Japan, this wasn’t the case. As Hamilton made his way back up the field he encountered Massa in turn ten, and the two got tangled in turn 11. As it turned out, LH was given a penalty for the Turn one incident with Raikkonen, and Massa was given a penalty for the Hamilton incident.

Escaping all of this chaos and running away with a 6 second victory was Fernando Alonso. The two time World Champion driver was a bit shocked by the experience. “I cannot believe it right now, but back-to-back wins is a very nice feeling and the team did a great job to improve the car,” Alonso said. “We are now just behind Ferrari and McLaren and this is completely amazing.”

The completely amazing comment is the one that gives us outside of the circus the feelings he had going into the 2008 season with struggling Renault. He had won two back to back Championships with the French manufacturer only to leave them for supposed greener pastures. As he found out, and with the insurgence of Lewis Hamilton, the world champion found himself the #2 driver for the McLaren team. It was that lack of acknowledgement as greatest driver ever, that drove him back “home”. The difference was the vast improvement in drivers from the top flight teams, as well as the virtual un-ending budget that Ferrari and McLaren runs with compared to Renault. In most forms of auto racing going fast is directly tied to spending fast…but nowhere on Earth is it as pronounced as it is in Formula 1.

Lewis Hamilton leads Felip Massa by just 5 points going into the final 2 Grand Prix of the season. With just China and Brazil left, it is still anyones championship. Though F1 is known for a race every other week, F1 fans are treated to a shortened dry spell as the Chinese Grand Prix is this weekend.

Stay tuned later in the week for more on F1’s Chinese Grand Prix.

As always, thanks for visiting midwestsportsfans.com and make sure to enter to win tickets from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam in Cleveland, Ohio.

[tags]auto racing, formula one, nascar, carl edwards, jimmie johnson, jeff burton[/tags]

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:

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!

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

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.