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Radio Shack 500 - Same Day Coverage
SUNDAY FINAL - Old Rubber Leads to Victory In Texas
SUNDAY NOTEBOOK - The aero challenges, More Goodyear news and George W. calls...
"The Evernham power was great, and the pit stop was good enough to get us out front," Kahne said. "I knew i had to hold on for the team, and it ended up working for us. We came so close to winning at Texas a couple of years ago, and I won the Busch race last year. We've got the momentum on our side right now. Everybody is doing a great job. Things can change. I've been on the other side of it a lot, too. I hope we can keep this momentum going. We knew this Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger team had the potential to do what we're doing. Now we've just got to keep on doing it." Did he really say that? - Ryan Newman was upset after crashing his No. 12, Altell Dodge. He made contact with Sterling Marlin and the accident ended his day.. "Something happened in front of us. I saw Casey Mears get sideways, but I am sure Sterling Marlin's hair piece just got in his eyes and he couldn't see what was going on." Newman held nothing back when blaming Marlin for the accident. "Sterling just dumped us, and it was unfortunate," Newman said. "We were minding our own business running around the back therre and trying to stay on the lead lap. We didn't have a car that was good in dirty air, and i'm pretty sure he deliberately dumped us. I don't know why. I don't have any idea why. "I wouldn't say it's real rough, but you've got a few attitudes out there. We haven't run good most of the year. We were trying to stay in the lead lap, and we were doing that and doing just that, and trying to put ourselves in position to get back track position at the end, but Sterling ended our day."
"He didn't want to give and take," Biffle said. "If he doesn't want to give and take, I won't either. I had the opportunity to do that to him too, but I didn't. We had a really good car and we wanted to race with Kasey (Kahne), but we will have to wait until Phoenix." As for Busch, he said after the race,"I don't know what he was doing. I was a lapped car trying to get out of the way. He had trouble passing the 21, and he checked up and down the straightaway. I tried not to get into him. I had nowhere to go. He had a fast racecar. He caught me from like 20 cars lengths back in like a lap., so I don't know why he couldn't pass the 21. I was trying to get out of the way." Will the Easter Bunny visit? - The week off for Easter might be a good thing for the Busch brothers. At least two drivers, Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer feel they have scores to settle after separate incidents in the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
"The fan quit in the car about half way through the race and I didn't have any fresh air coming into my helmet so that is the reason I am so tired," Stewart said. "Awesome race for us. It was so much fun racing Kasey (Kahne), I am glad he won. My congratulations to him, Ray Evernham, and their guys. We had nothing for them there at the end. We put on a set of tires there trying to be a little bit tighter there at the end to run harder and ended up being freer. Couldn't stay with him and couldn't hold off Matt (Kenseth) either."
The gun will be sent back to Italy where the likeness of Kahne and his car will be engraved on it and returned to the driver. In winning the event, Kahne also pocketed $530,164 sending his total on the season to just over $1.64 million after only 7 races. Being Cautious – Goodyear Update: Goodyear's Rick Campbell showed caution when asked how speeds for the NEXTEL All-Star race and the Coca Cola 600 would compare with last year's numbers.
Cornering the lead - (See above photos) Standing just outside the fourth turn it was easy to pick out the fastest cars right from the start. Every car clearly had the front nose glued to the racetrack through the fourth turn, but it was those cars with the nose stuck to the track exiting the corner slipping backwards. Early leader Mark Martin's nose clearly jumped three to four inches off the track as he exited the corner as he pulled away from the pack, while the nose of Jeff Gordon's DuPont Chevrolet, which was glued to the racing surface, remained mired in 13th. Blowed it up real good - As if being two laps down 250 laps into the race wasn't enough bad fortunes for Kyle Petty, driver of the No. 45 Schwan's Home Service Dodge Charger, the blinding smoke trailing his wounded race car sealed the deal. "We had engine trouble and i think it was the same thing that happened last week, too," Petty said. "It's something in the valve train. We all sat down and discussed it, and don't think any of us thought it would be an issue at a place like this. We started off too tight today, and then we got good. We got our lap back, and I think we were going to be really good." Had a mind of its own - It's not certain whether Sterlin Marlin will ever compare his No. 14, CENTRIX Auto Finance Chevrolet to the demonic car Stephen King authored a book about named "Christine', but he will quickly say the car was anything but routine. "The car was just unpredictable," Marlin said. "We made a lot of adjustments in the pits, but we'd go from being loose to tight and then back to loose. We never found the right combination." First one out – Brian Vickers was the first casualty in Sunday’s Samsung/Radio Shack 500. His No. 25, GMAC Monte Carlo SS was sidelined with an engine failure. “It wasn’t an engine blowing up by its own measure,” Vickers said. “The oil pump broke. We do know that. We don’t know how it broke. . A rock could have got in there and broke it. It doesn’t happen often but it does happen. But it came off and the motor seized up obviously without any oil. It is unfortunate for our GMAC Chevy team. We had a good car. We had a bad qualifying but it was great on long runs. It is just our luck, this year.”
Bush made a notation as to the value of the Speedway Children’s Charities. Samsung/RadioShack 500 will be another great one.”
Coaching Advice - Hall of Fame Racing owner's Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman spent their career as players gaining advice from coaches. Today, they were on the other side of the fence. Tony Raines, driver of the No. 96, DLP HDTV Chevrolet, was the player today. "They just told me to be careful, take care of the equipment, work hard every lap and we'll get better as the season goes on" Raines said. "You can't give up. You know, early in the race we were really struggling, but we kept digging, kept working on the car and a top 25 was really our bottom line. We're right on the edge there, but we've got better days coming." "(Roger and Troy) told me not to worry about the pressure of performing here in Texas, but I put pressure on myself. You know, I wanted to run good here in front of the DLP folks and Roger and Troy. It started off as a struggle, but we worked really hard and as a team, we got the car better. The driver didn't make too many mistakes - we just struggled in practice more than we should have. We're learning each week -- this is my second race -- the rest of these guys already have six or seven races, so we've got a little catching up to do, but we'll do that."
“I haven’t noticed much of a difference,” Edwards said. “Maybe there’ a little more front downforce or just more balance to the front because we’re pretty loose, but I think it’s gonna race really well. We unloaded in race trim and went about the same speed as we qualified, so I feel pretty good about it.” To the back you go – Matt Kenseth, Scott Wimmer and Derrick Cope were all relegated to the rear of the field for the start. Kenseth changed an engine while Wimmer and Cope switched out transmissions.
“When we started out the first time, I think we had 40 guys on bikes,” Labonte said. “We went to Galveston and back down to Corpus. This year we are going from Corpus to Austin and back through the hill country outside of San Antonio and then back to Corpus. In the five years, we have gifted the Ronald McDonald House over $300,000, they get all their operational money from donations so it is a pretty big event for those guys. I have fun doing it. Labonte says the unfortunate thing is that his team has had to limit participation because the demand to be a part of the program far exceeds the available spots available. “When you have over 100 to 120 motorcycles going from point A to point B, you have to manage it. It has been a huge success and it benefits a lot of families in the South Texas area, not necessarily people who live in Corpus, but people who live in the surrounding areas who have a child in need of medical care at the hospital in Corpus. This provides them with a place to stay and be with other families who are maybe going through the same thing and get support. It is a really neat situation, it takes a lot of volunteer work. We are glad we are able to help them out on the financial side a little bit. They have big expenses every year. They have three or four events they do every year to raise money, this is the one we try to help with and raise the awareness and the biggest thing, to raise some money for them.” The event came forward at the suggestion of Kim Labonte (Terry’s wife) and his friend Randy Hicks. Labonte says that he has formed many valuable friendships and the event attracts participation from not only those in town but others from San Antonio, Houston and all of South Texas. “One of the rides, I think it was the first one, I was signing autographs at one of the stops and this little boy comes up to me, he wasn't very big. I asked what was his name and he told me, then he looked up at me and said that he had stayed at the Ronald McDonald House, I didn't know what to say. I know he didn't have fun, I noticed a scar on him. I know he had open-heart surgery. His parents were there and they donated $500. It is a cool deal for me to be involved in and to be able to see what good it does."
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - Driving at TMS still a hair pulling experience, A pup named Dale, Jr. and Aikman's a rookie again...
Specifically, the illegal manifold violated rule 20-5.9G, which states external modifications are not permitted unless specifically approved by the Series Director. Darby did clearly not approve the modifications to the confiscated manifold. Detailed photos of the intake can be accessed here. Back to the drawing board - Goodyear now reports going back to the drawing board following the first tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway. One week later, Goodyear returned with 75 tires using three different compounds in search of the best combination to use for the Coca Cola 600.
Amber Alert and NASCAR – The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Wireless foundation along with RadioShack kicked off a sign-up drive for the Wireless AMBER Alert Initiative. This drive also marks the 10th anniversary of Amber Hagerman’s abduction in Arlington, Texas. The goal is to have the 200 million wireless subscribers to sign up for the AMBER alert and help with the search for abducted children who are at high risk. Sign-up stations were at the Samsung/RadioShack Midway booth and the Disney Radio booth. It’s a Hairy issue – Some drivers say racing at Texas Motor Speedway is hairy. In this case, a hairy track and water just don’t mix. “Oh it’s hairy, but it’s not as hairy,” Jeff Gordon said with a laugh. “If there is water coming up through the race track, it’s hairy. That was an issue we had the first year, but they fixed all that. I like racing here. It’s a very challenging race track. It’s one of the most difficult tracks to drive and to get your car working well at and obviously to win, because I haven’t figured that one out yet.” Gordon said things are improving. “Turn 2 and Turn 4. The transitions are just a little too abrupt and the wall comes at you,” Gordon said. “It’s not as bad as it used to be in Turn 4, but Turn 2 is pretty extreme. They was you come off the corner, you’ve got nice banking, but then it really flattens off. I think they wanted flat straightaways, and they probably should have kept a little more banking in the straightaways. When you’re by yourself, it just makes your car want to drift to the wall. So it really makes it difficult to get side-by-side. But as the groove has widened out in the middle of the corner, it’s allowed us to get a run on guys who may pass us.” Headed Home - Brent Sherman, Kenny Wallace, Chad Chaffin and Stanton Barrett did not make the field for the race on Sunday. He was just a Pup – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won at TMS in 2000 during an event that featured a track-record 29 lead changes. Most of the drivers were complaining, but the second-generation Earnhardt didn't say a word. Maybe he was just wet behind the ears at the time. "Yes, just too young to know better,” Earnhardt said. “I have always raced good here. It is the sort of configuration I enjoy. It has always had a nice kind of grip which makes it easier for rookie drivers to come in and get comfortable but the setup is still hard to find. I think when you win somewhere, you always carry that confidence in to that track no matter what happens. You have that data so you don't have excuses.” Just a driving machine – If you need help finding a driving machine, just ask Kyle Busch where to find one. He will look no further than his teammate Mark Martin for a shining example. "At each race track when I'm around Mark Martin, I mean he is a driving machine. He is unbelievable. It was at Las Vegas, I think, when I was following him around there at the beginning of the race a little bit and he would turn that thing sideways and doing everything that all the young guys were doing and keeping up with the best of us. He was beating me on two tires when I had four. That guy knows how to drive a race car and he's plenty good at doing it and he'll definitely show you how." Softer Bumpers? – Jeff Gordon wouldn’t mind having them on his No. 24, Dupont Chevrolet but isn’t sure of their value. "I hope so,” Gordon said. “Of course, it's not going to do anything for the last lap. On the last lap, guys are going to say hey I don't need water in the engine anymore. I don't care if it overheats. It might just help out the first three-quarters of the race and maybe make guys think a little bit more about things. It's not going to change the way I race much. "I've gotten into situations where I've bumped some guys harder than I wanted to, but for the most part I try to just barely push a guy or stay off of him and just let the air push the cars. So it's going to be a big adjustment for some guys. I hope we see less bump-drafting because we just really need to get away from it. I'm excited that NASCAR is going something. I was hoping for something like that a while ago. I'm curious to see how they're going to govern that. There's a lot going on behind that front bumper that's easy to hide for the teams with all the ducting and things for the radiator and the oil coolers and everything else. I don't know how they're going to know what one guy has in there and what another guy doesn't." Welcome to the NFL Rookie – Former NFL quarterback turned NASCAR team owner Troy Aikman still expected to field questions about his professional football past for much of his first year as a team owner. A funny thing happened on the way to the race track – he got asked the NASCAR questions. "I didn't anticipate that prior to getting into the sport,” Aikman said. “It has been a learning curve, there is no question about that. I said before that I followed the sport for a number of years, but I would say that I probably followed it passively. Then once we decided we were going to be owners of a car, I then started to take more of an interest as far as what I needed to know. “Once we got the sponsorship, then that level of commitment was obviously accelerated. I have learned a lot here over the last couple of months. What I try to do, which is what I try to do in some other ventures that I am involved in, is to go into it and not think that I have all the answers. There is no reason for me to think that I have all the answers. I talk to as many people as I can and I am fortunate that most people are at least willing to talk to me and tell me what it is that I don't know. "When I visit with various people like Rick Hendrick or Joe Gibbs, with Tony Stewart and various people, although those conversations many times are very brief, I am able to gain a little insight about different things. Then you go back and find out how your own team is handling certain things. It is an ever-evolving process. I am sure that Jack Roush and the other owners that have been in this a long time would probably tell you that they are continuing to gather information as well to get better. But they do have a little more information that what we have got. "That is what makes it fun for us, what makes it challenging. That is what is exciting for me. I learn things everyday in the football world and that is my life. To get into something different where I am such an infant in the process is exciting and every day talking with Felipe, Tony Raines, Terry Labonte, has helped me learn more about the sport. The more you learn about these cars, the more fascinating it becomes and the more appreciation you have for the people who are involved, especially the drivers, and what they do while they are in those cars." FRIDAY QUALIFYING - Kahne scores the pole for Dodge
Rookie J.J. Yeley will start on the outside pole, while veteran drivers Mark "It was a great lap," Kahne said after exiting his car on pit road. "We had The last time Kahne sat on the pole, four weeks ago at Atlanta, he went on Yeley nearly missed his opportunity to make a qualifying attempt as the team As for Martin a third place qualifying effort was everything he could get "No, I'd kill myself," Martin responded. "You could give me another chance Five drivers failed to qualify for the event including Brent Sherman, Chad FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - A tougher tire, smaller tank and Richard Petty memories highlight qualifying...
"It was a greap lap," Kahne said. "We had a great draw. It's always good to draw late with the sun going down a little bit. I think we've got a good shot to win on Sunday, as good as anyone else." For Kahne, the draw was the easy part. The waiting...that was another story. "It's tough to wait," Kahne said. "You want to get out there but at the same time you know the sun is dropping and the track is cooling off a little bit. It's not too tough when you know the track temperature is going down." IROC and Stewart Rolls - Tony Stewart picked up his first victory at Texas Motor Speedway beating Ryan Newman to the line in the second of four races that make-up the IROC series. Stewart started last, moved the to the front by halfway, and then took the lead with less than ten laps to go to end his drought at TMS. Stewart took a breather at the flagstand before answering the calls from the fans to climb the fence. "This stuff scares me," Stewart said, after breaking a u-joint while doing a celebratory burn-out. Steve Kinser took his second consecutive tumble in an IROC event, this one the result of contact with Max Pappis. The third round of IROC competition will be at Daytona in July.
Hurry Up And Wait - The NASCAR inspection line slowed to a snail's pace prior to qualifying for the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 on Friday afternoon. The No. 41 Target Dodge had problems with the rear camber on the right side, the No. 12 problems with the right front camber and several cars in between had to make adjustments for roof and quarterpanel height issues. At the time qualifying started the inspection line contained nearly half the field.
"STP is the longest sponsor deal," Petty said. "We're working on getting them back on the car." Petty smiles when he thinks that STP's $43 donation to the Victory Junction Gang Camp for every lap the car completes at Talledega and Richmond. Petty said, "Every dollar counts. This brings back a lot of memories in the 43. It would really be great to win a few races. I made most of my name with STP. I see the team is going back in that direction and it would be neat to do that with STP." Driver Bobby Labonte remembers the 43 days. "When I was 5 I had stickers all over my quarter midgets," Labonte said. "I thought that's all there was. I thought STP stood for super tonic Petty. To see the famous 43 with the red and blue colors would be really great."
“With Dallas signing a controversial player to replace another one, could you see yourself hiring a very controversial but very talented driver for your team?” the reporter asked. Aikman didn’t answer immediately. "That is a great question,” Aikman said. “It is somewhat difficult for me to answer because I don't know the drivers as well as I know the football players. I will tell you this, my philosophy is that I would much rather have a less talented player, but someone who is a team guy, who worked hard, who knew what team was all about, I was fortunate enough to play with those guys and that is one of the big reasons we were able to win three world championships during the 12 years that I played. I don't think talented players alone win anything for you, especially selfish, talented players. Some of the drivers I know that are somewhat controversial, as someone new to the sport, it seems to me and I don't want to speak out of turn, I kind of like it. I kind of like the intensity, I like the aggressiveness of these guys. Just who is Troy Aikman a fan of? Tony Stewart. Royal Sprint - Two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart is giving back to the sport in a royal manner. As owner of Eldora Speedway, Stewart has inked a deal with Crown Royal to sponsor the Kings Royal, a premier sprint car event. Crown Royal will provide a $1,000 bonus to those drivers making the "A" main provided they were pre-registered for the event. More Bounce to the Ounce - NASCAR's Jim Hunter reiterated that the sanctioning body will be going with a 14-gallon tank on the Nextel Cup cars for the upcoming event in Charlotte. Hunter said it was decision made on safety. "In the past there were problems with the racing surface," Hunter said. "But, the track has been resurfaced and is much smoother than it used to be. A smoother racing surface makes for more speed." A smaller tank creates more pit stops. Hunter estimates instead of 70 lap runs, the cars will pit at 40. In those stops, it is anticipated the cars will take on new tires more often lessening the risk of tire failure.
Nemechek was disappointed in the turn of events. "I think we're going to be just fine," Nemechek said. "It's unfortunate. I didn't make the line there, but i still don't know what happened. It got loose off of Turn 2, but before that it was getting up to speed like it was supposed to do. This was the car we ran at Atlanta and there was nothing wrong with it. We'll put a good motor in it and we'll be ready to roll. I think we can get a Top 10 starting spot." Making News or reporting It - NASCAR has made it known their dislike of the reported NBC Dateline experiment of placing identifiable Muslim individuals at the event last week in Martinsville. The idea was to see how the race fans would interact with the Muslims. Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage had this to say about the incident, “We’ll sell anyone a ticket any time. We hope everyone comes out to the race.” Bruton Smith pointed out that he has business dealings with many from the United Arab Emirates. “I question the mentality of their [their decision],” Smith said. “They are creating news. I thought they were supposed to be reporting it?”
Mario cooked lunch on Friday. “In addition to seeing this magnificent track and how it runs, I came to cook lunch. This is definitely the greatest speedway in the world.” What did the star of the Food Network’s “Molto Mario” cook up? Pork Chops prepared overnight with a little bit of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, barbequed and then glazed with cherry barbeque sauce. We love Tots - Building on a successful 2005 campaign, Dale Jarrett and the UPS Stores have partnered with the Marine Reserves Toys for Tots program again in 2006. Last year Dale drove a special Tots for Tots paint scheme at the November Texas race.
“The No. 48 Lowe’s team has done some great family-themed paint schemes in the past few years,” said Johnson. “This Shamu scheme is no different. All kids love Shamu. I know I did growing up in San Diego. Now, I’ll be able to bring Shamu to the beaches of Daytona and hopefully introduce him to victory lane.” Lowe’s is the official Home Improvement Store of all the Busch Entertainment Corp. (BEC) theme parks, including SeaWorld. The paint scheme is part of SeaWorld’s introduction of its all new Shamu show, called “Believe” at each of the SeaWorld parks this year. In addition to the Shamu paint scheme, a lucky race fan will have the opportunity to see the new show and watch as Jimmy Johnson races the Shamu No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. Fans can log onto www.lowesracing.com, sign up for a free Team Lowe’s Racing fan club membership, then race the specially designed No. 48 Chevrolet online. The fan with the fastest time will win a trip to Orlando to visit SeaWorld and Discovery Cove as well as the opportunity to watch Jimmie race. The contest will run from April 7 to May 12. Mid-Atlantic Connection - What do Red Bull Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing have in common? Both have former Mid-Atlantic Weekly Racing Series Champions working for them. Curtis Markham (Chesterfield, Va.) and Elton Sawyer (Chesapeake, Va.) were regional champions in the Late Model Stock division and both raced at Southside Speedway in Richmond and Langley Speedway in Hampton. Markham, working for Gibbs, brought the talents of current rookie Denny Who will be the NEXTEL Red Bulls? - When Red Bull Racing debuts their two Toyota teams at Daytona in February of 2007, rumor has it the organization is looking to pair a rookie with a veteran, taking an approached used by Evernham Motorsports with Dodge. Veterans on the Red Bull list are said to be Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett. No word on a rookie, but it could easily be an accomplished veteran from another of the Motorsports arenas. Strike or a ball? - As part of a promotion for Cingular Wireless, crew chief Scott Miller threw out the first pitch at Ameriquest Field for the Texas Rangers game Thursday, April 7 vs. the Detroit Tigers. Not a place for the rookies - Only once in 10 races at Texas has a rookie driver won the race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his first career NEXTEL Cup Series win by 5.920 seconds over Jeff Burton in 2000. Earnhardt Jr. led six times for 106 laps, more than any other driver.
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The history of the day indicated Kahne might be in trouble on the final
(4-9-2006) - Kahne is able again - Kasey Kahne put a Texas-sized lead over Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart over the final 18 laps of the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway to collect his second win of the 2006 season on the day before his 26th birthday.
Better than the track action - Nicole Lunders, girlfriend of driver Greg Biffle, walked down to the pit stall of the No. 20 Dodge to have a few words with Eva Bryant, girlfriend of driver Kurt Busch, after the two drivers came together on the racetrack.
Putting into Perspective - Just last week the NHRA POWERade drags were down the interstate in Houston, the Top Fuel winner took home the first place purse of $40,000 for the victory. NASCAR Nextel Cup Samsung/Radio Shack 500 top qualifier Kasey Kahne was awarded a special over/under shotgun, an Italian hand-crafted Beretta for winning the pole. The gun is valued at $65,000. 
Call from the Commander in Chief – The “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” command came from none other than United States President George W. Bush. The U.S. Commander in Chief had more to say than that.
Good soldiers never quit - After a slow start due to a tight-handling racecar, Joe Nemechek was unable to mount a charge as he followed Jeff Gordon to the checkered flag to finish 23rd in Sunday's Nextel Cup race. 
Not Much of a Difference – Carl Edwards has made the transition from the Taurus to the new Fusion a smooth one.
Riding for a Cause – Five years ago Terry Labonte organized a motorcycle ride to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Corpus Christi. It has grown beyond all expectations, including his.
(4-8-2006) - Getting Ahead? - Fines and suspensions clearly are not enough to stop teams from trying anything to make a race. Evidence of that statement sat on the stainless steel bench inside the NASCAR transporter on Saturday morning.
Practice Makes Perfect – Mark Martin was the quickest driver in the final practice for Sunday’s Radio Shack 500. The driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford topped the list with a speed of 185.669. Elliott Sadler (184.995) and Dale Jarrett (184.811) rounded out the top three runners.
(4-7-2006) - Taking advantage of a late draw, Kasey Kahne, driving the No. 9 Dodge Charger, posted the fastest lap during qualifying to capture the pole for Sunday's Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap 28.374 seconds (190.315 mph).
Kahne is Able - Dodge Dealers/UAW driver Kasey Kahne, drive the No. 9 Dodge to the pole with a top speed of 190.315 miles per hour. This marked his eighth career Bud Pole in 79 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races.
Tough Rubber - Goodyear has settled on a tougher, more durable tire to be used at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Coca Cola 600. The new tire reduces grip, slowing lap times over the first test held one week prior. Dale Jarrett put 80 laps on a set of the new tires during the second test. Kevin Harvick also found the new tires to his liking but limited his runs to 40 laps.
King of the Retro - Richard Petty and STP created a bond for decades that lasted the longest of any in NASCAR. Today, the combination announced a return together with a retro paint scheme. 
Aikman Plays Tough – It has to come sooner or later considering NASCAR is in town and the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is now a team owner. 
Call in the reserves - Joe Nemechek, driver of the U.S. Army, No. 01 Chevrolet, made contact with the wall during the first practice session. He will revert to his back-up car for Friday's qualifying. 
Cooking up the vittles - Renowned master chef Mario Batali is on hand to promote his new book, Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style: The Essential Cookbook for NASCAR fans. His book provides different recipes and gives tips for successful tailgating including basic equipment, packing, grilling and troubleshooting. 
Whale of a Deal – Lowe’s and SeaWorld will team up with Jimmie Johnson to feature a Shamu paint scheme when the Daytona 500 champion returns to the superspeedway on July 1.© CircleTrackPlus, EZine Media, Inc. 2006
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