Fantasy Report: Pennsylvania 500

Pocono Raceway is a relatively flat, 2.5-mile triangular track in the scenic Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania. This is the second race there this year. The spring race saw Kasey Kahne cruise into Victory Lane. Does he have what it takes to make it 2 wins this year? This blogger says no, but it's often brutally obvious that the unexpected can be expected.

Our picks:

Brandon’s picks:
Jimmie Johnson✔, Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin✔, Kasey Kahne✔, Martin Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., AJ Allmendinger✔ and David Reutimann.

Erik’s picks:
Denny Hamlin✔, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin✔, Dale Earnhardt Jr.✔, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Scott Riggs✔ and Brian Vickers.

Hints: There have been 21 pole winners in the last 25 races here so look for drivers up front to have a good run. Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne (two each) are the only repeat pole winners there since 1995 and you can bet that these three will be the ones to watch. I would also add that Jimmie Johnson's team is really strong right now and I'm going to put him in unless Hamlin looks better in practice and qualifying. For some reason I'm reluctant to put Gordon in this week — just call it a gut feeling. Also, don't ever count Rousch Fenway out ... they're typically top teams at any track with Pocono being no different.

Be smart: Since the season is more than halfway over it's a good time to put some real thought into your picks. Since I'm almost 200 points out of first place I can't afford to gamble like I have the past few weeks. My angle, at least for the next handful of races, is to put in drivers that have proven themselves to be great at a certain track as well as ones that are having positive seasons. My reluctance to put Gordon in is a gamble of sorts since he's the highest-rated driver for this track, but then again he finished 14th at Pocono earlier this year. Johnson has a pretty good history at Pocono, as does Hamlin. Hamlin is more consistant at finishing well than Johnson here, but the #48 is really starting to get hot.

Fantasy Report: Allstate 400 at The Brickyard

The Brickyard is home to victories from Indy drivers such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi. A storied history of open wheels that always makes any racing on this track exciting to watch. This week the track will take a different look as it hosts its annual NASCAR race. Look for some intense racing as the "Chase for the Cup" draws nearer.

Erik’s picks:
Jeff Gordon✔, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin✔, Juan Pablo Montoya✔, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Scott Riggs✔ and Brian Vickers.

Brandon’s picks:
Kevin Harvick✔, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin✔, Juan Pablo Montoya✔, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers✔ and Paul Menard.

Fantasy hint: When you think of Indy from a NASCAR point of view two drivers seem to come to mind: Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. They have six combined wins since 1994. Don’t look at current standings because these two always seem to make their way to the front at Indy.

Tony Stewart says there are "a lot of drivers" in the running to join Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Statement Regarding the Passing of Steve Peterson

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR Technical Director Steve Peterson, 58, was found deceased today at his home from what appears to be natural causes. Steve began his NASCAR career in January, 1995 and led many of NASCAR's safety initiatives including development and installation of SAFER Barriers, management and approval of head and neck restraints and improved seat belts, and coordination of the safety features in NASCAR's new car.

"Steve's accomplishments to increase driver safety will continue to be a benefit to every NASCAR driver that gets behind the wheel for generations to come," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Steve's family and friends; he will certainly be missed throughout the NASCAR community."

NASCAR President, Mike Helton said, "Steve was a tireless worker and passionate about all aspects of safety including the car, the track and the driver. Steve was our R&D effort long before there was a formal one. His accomplishments were recognized in motorsports worldwide."

Steve worked closely with many recognized national and international motorsports organizations and was the recipient of the 2006 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Motorsports Achievement Award. SAE presents this award to the individual that has shown outstanding leadership or contribution to motorsports over an extended period of time.

In 1982 Steve served as a crew chief for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Mark Martin and had experience as a race team engineer and design engineer. He was an avid go-karter and lifetime member of the World Karting Association. Steve could often be found running laps at local go-kart tracks. A graduate of Western Michigan University, Peterson had more than 25 years of experience in the automotive engineering industry. He lived in Concord, N.C.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Press Release: Grand-Am’s Top-Tier Sports Car Series Returns to Barber Motorsports Park

BIRMINGHAM — The Grand-Am Road Racing Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 returns to Barber Motorsports Park for the 6th annual Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant July 18-20, 2008. The weekend will feature Grand-Am’s Rolex Series and KONI Challenge Series, as well as the Ford Mustang Challenge Series and the BF Goodrich Skip Barber National Series.

Also included in the weekend’s event schedule is the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series. Making its debut at Barber Motorsports Park, this endurance motorcycle series includes three distinct motorcycle classes and will feature timed qualifying on Saturday and a 500K race on Sunday. This weekend’s competition features the fourth of seven rounds for the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series.

Movie and television actor Patrick Dempsey, star of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, will return to Barber Motorsports Park to compete against Grand-Am's best Rolex Series racers throughout the weekend. This is Dempsey’s sixth start in the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 that he co-drives with Joe Foster.

“With six different series including four and two-wheel racers, this event should prove to be the most action-packed weekend in the history of Barber Motorsports Park,” said Clark Virden, Marketing Director of Zoom Motorsports. “The overall support for this event has been outstanding over the past six years. Grand-Am has continually been a great partner with the Park, and we’re thrilled to have both Porsche and Bradley Arant return as title and presenting sponsors.”

Scott Pruett and Alex Gurney will also be competing at the event. Both were involved in the closest finish in Rolex Series history when Pruett sling-shot Gurney on the final lap at Daytona to win by .08 seconds. Gurney is the defending winner of the Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant, returning with Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Pontiac Riley.

Ticket prices range from $20 to $45 and are available on www.barbermotorsports.com or by calling 1-800-240-2300. Kids ages 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. Additional attractions include the expanded Fan Zone featuring both a variety of industry vendors and a Chick-fil-A Kid Zone on Saturday, as well as the return of the Car Corral.

The Porsche 250 for the Rolex Sports Car Series race begins at 2 p.m. (CST) and will be televised live on SPEED.

UPDATE: Obama Won't Sponsor Car At NASCAR Race After All

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It was originally reported by Sports Illustrated that the Obama camp was close to finalizing the deal but obviously it fell through.

Richard Petty reflects on 50 years of NASCAR history

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Fantasy Report: LifeLock.com 400

Did you get a chance to see the Daytona race? If so you may have noticed great examples of 2008 trends: Kyle Busch dominating and coming from behind, fishtails that would have been wrecks in previous years and large packs of cars. I can't see how any of these trends would end before the next race, the LifeLock.com 400 at the 1.5-mile tri-oval that is Chicagoland Speedway. This weekend is another chance to pull out your good drivers because the better teams really shine here.

Brandon's picks:

Tony Stewart✔, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr.✔, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin✔, David Ragan, Brian Vickers✔ and Patrick Carpentier.

Erik's picks:

Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards✔, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne✔, Kyle Busch✔, Jamie McMurray, Scott Riggs✔ and Brian Vickers.

Hints: A quick review of previous results will bring your attention to two names: Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart. While both drivers are having only decent seasons you should pick one of the two for your roster. Jeff Gordon is also another A driver with a good record here. He has a pole, a win and 4 top 5's out of 6 races in Chicago (just overlook his only DNF here).

Others to watch out for would be Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has a win at Chicago and has been up at the front all year, and Jimmie Johnson who has a pole here and 2 top 5 finishes. Keep an eye on David Ragan to continue his remarkable season but I'm reluctant to say he'll be in the top 5 this week. I'll only consider putting him in if he qualifies as well as he did at Daytona. One more thing: don't think that Carl Edwards was overly satisfied with his 2nd place finish at Daytona. Although he hasn't been terribly great at Chicagoland in the past you can bet he'll be gunning for victory lane this week.

Vote In The Hands Of The Fans For Most Popular Driver Awards

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Over the years, NASCAR fans have found numerous ways to show support for their favorite driver at every level of the sport, from their neighborhood short track to the monster superspeedways. Not the least of which is going to the track and cheering them on race day.

Now, there's another opportunity: an online ballot box.

Beginning Monday, July 7, fans can visit www.nascar.com and vote for their favorite driver for Most Popular Driver of the Year Award for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

In addition, www.nascarhometracks.com will host the balloting for each of NASCAR's regional touring series — the NASCAR Camping World Series East and West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Mexico Series, and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio.

Fans may vote once per day and are encouraged to vote throughout the season. Balloting ends Sept. 27 for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series; Sept. 28 for NASCAR Camping World Series East; Oct. 4 for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour; Oct. 18 for NASCAR Camping World Series West; Oct. 19 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour; Oct. 26 for the NASCAR Mexico Series; and Oct. 31 for both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Results of the balloting will be announced at each of the respective series banquets at the end of the season.

Fantasy Report: Coke Zero 400

It's Fourth of July weekend and that means racing at Daytona. The Sprint Cup Series returns to NASCAR's most famous track for the second time this season. February's race showcased an exciting win by Ryan Newman. This weekend's race under the lights could exhibit some exciting fireworks. Onto our picks:

Erik's picks:

Tony Stewart✔, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.✔, Kyle Busch✔, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Brian Vickers✔ and Michael Waltrip.

Brandon's picks:

Tony Stewart✔, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.✔, Ryan Newman✔, Kasey Kahne, David Ragan, Brian Vickers✔ and Joe Nemechek.

Fantasy Hint: Like any superspeedway one mistake and your driver could be sitting in the garage. Try to select drivers who have consistent top qualifying positions at Daytona. If there is a wreck your driver might be able to avoid getting knocked out.

Head's Up: Dario Franchitti's team has been shut down by Ganassi Racing and will not be racing, at least with that company, for the rest of the year. He will not be racing in the Coke Zero 400 even though as of Wednesday evening his name was still on the Yahoo! Fantasy NASCAR roster. The Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway will be the third impound race of 2008, there are five impound races in 2008, both Talladega and Richmond races as well as this race. Look for the go-or-go-homers to be toward the front ... but at a marked disadvantage once the race starts until pit stops.

Going For It: Let it be noted that I am currently in second place in our fantasy standings. I figure not being to far out of first this would be a good chance to go for the top spot. With that said I am going to use Dale Earnhardt Jr. (excellent on superspeedways) and Kyle Busch (hottest driver this season). Good luck!

Quick Coke Zero 400 Race Facts

Practice: Thurs. 4 p.m. — Speed TV
Final Practice: Thurs. 6:30 p.m. — Speed TV
Qualifying: Fri. 4 p.m. — Speed TV
Race: Sat. 6:30 p.m. — TNT

Active drivers with most wins: Jeff Gordon (6), Michael Waltrip (3), Tony Stewart & Dale Earnhardt Jr (2)

NASCAR Drivers Nominated In Three Categories, For ESPY Awards

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There are five NASCAR-related nominations for this year's 16th annual ESPY Awards. Kyle Busch, this season's hottest driver, is involved in three of the five.

An interesting aside: One of those nominations resulted from Busch losing a race.

At last summer's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, Jamie McMurray edged Busch for the victory by a margin of only .005-seconds, the second-closest margin since NASCAR instituted electronic scoring in 1993. That spectacular under-the-lights ending has been nominated in the "Best Finish" category.

Busch also is nominated in the "Best Breakthrough Athlete" category and, not surprisingly, in the "Best Driver" category.

Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and NASCAR rookie Dario Franchitti (who was essentially dropped by Ganassi today) also are nominated for Best Driver. Franchitti's nomination was based primarily on his splendid 2007 season in open-wheel racing, when he won the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship.

The "2008 ESPYs co-presented by HUMMER and Under Armour" will be held July 16 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. This marks the first time for the show at the Nokia Theatre, following a six-year run at the Kodak Theatre. The show — hosted annually by ESPN — will be televised on Sunday, July 20 at 9 p.m. (ET) on ESPN and ESPN HD, hosted by Justin Timberlake.

All awards are determined by an online fan vote (link can be found at bottom).

In the Best Finish category, the McMurray-Busch finish is up against the following competition:

* Western Kentucky's first round NCAA basketball tournament win over Drake, on a last-second 3-pointer;
* The San Antonio Spurs beating the Phoenix Suns in two overtimes, on a basket with 1.8 seconds left;
* The Pittsburgh Penquins� three-overtime NHL victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

In the Best Breakthrough Athlete category, Busch — the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point leader — is joined by:

* Minnesota Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson;
* Davidson College basketball standout Stephen Curry;
* Ana Ivanovic, currently the No.1-ranked women's tennis player in the world.

And in the Best Driver category, Busch, Johnson and Franchitti are joined by:

* Lewis Hamilton of Formula One;
* 2008 Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon;
* Four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher.

Fans can vote online for their favorites in all ESPY categories by going here.