Tick-Tock: Bowyer’s Countdown Clock Running On Edwards, Keselowski
Coming off the last open week of the season, driver standings leader Clint Bowyer is 196 points ahead of Carl Edwards and 286 in front of third-place Brad Keselowski (No. 88 U.S. NAVY Chevrolet).
As if time to catch Bowyer isn’t short enough, Edwards and Keselowski have to overcome history and Bowyer’s success at the remaining tracks on the schedule.
He owns wins at three of the last four stops – two in NASCAR Nationwide competition (Memphis, 2005; Phoenix, 2007) and his only career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory (Texas, 2006).
Bowyer also has experienced the pressure of a close championship chase. He challenged Martin Truex Jr. for the series title in 2005, the last time the standings lead was under 200 points with four races left.
Catching Bowyer isn’t out of the question but it would set a new precedent if accomplished.
The largest deficit overcome to claim the driver’s championship with four races to go is 127 points by Rob Moroso in 1989. He was fifth in the standings at that stage before overtaking Tommy Ellis.
Keselowski is going for a “Tennessee Trifecta” at Memphis. His two wins this year came at Nashville Superspeedway (June) and Bristol Motor Speedway (August).
Bowyer does have wins at all three Tennessee tracks in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.
Last Stand-Alone Of Season For Double-Duty Drivers
The race at Memphis represents the last of nine stand-alone events for the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year.
Six drivers will pull double duty this weekend, traveling between Memphis and Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Clint Bowyer; Carl Edwards, David Ragan (No. 6 Discount Tire Ford) and defending race winner David Reutimann, who run full-time in both series, will be joined by NASCAR Nationwide-only regulars Marcos Ambrose (No. 59 Kingsford Tailgate at Home Ford), who won his first career pole last year at Memphis, and Joey Logano in Atlanta.
Substitute drivers on hand to practice and qualify the cars at Memphis due to probable schedule conflicts at both tracks are Stephen Leicht for Bowyer; Bobby East for Edwards; Auggie Vidovich for Ragan; Josh Wise for Reutimann and veteran Robert Pressley for Ambrose.
Logano’s substitute drivers had yet to be announced by the team as of Tuesday.
2008 Manufacturer’s Championship Standings
Toyota 226
Chevrolet 185
Ford 166
Dodge 105
Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with six wins at Memphis. Toyota, behind David Reutimann, won last year.
Advantage Cassill: Clauson’s Absence Presents Big Opportunity In Rookie Race
Two weeks ago at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Landon Cassill (No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet) was on the outside looking in.
As the Raybestos Rookie standings leader, he wasn’t entered in that race but his closest challenger, Bryan Clauson, was. Clauson took advantage and claimed the lead by two points over Cassill.
However the tables are turned this weekend. Cassill will compete at Memphis while Clauson will not. Kevin Hamlin will be in the No. 40 Fastenal Dodge as Clauson attempts to make his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at Atlanta .
Cassill and Clauson, both 19 and close friends to boot, will compete in two of the season’s four final races. They may provide the closest battle for the rookie title since 2006 when Danny O’Quinn Jr. (No. 35 Team Rensi Motorsports Ford) bettered John Andretti by one point.
Raybestos Rookie Of The Year Standings
Rank Driver Points 1 Bryan Clauson 177 2 Landon Cassill 175 3 Dario Franchitti 159 4 Cale Gale 137 5 Brian Keselowski 92
Results following the Dollar General 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Director’s Take: Things Can Get “All Shook Up” In Memphis
The last stand-alone race of the season might well be called the “last stand.”
Memphis produces closed-quarters racing, and that could be a formula that doesn’t bode well for drivers in the running for the championship.
“This is one of those old-school NASCAR tracks,” said Joe Balash, the NASCAR Nationwide Series director.
“You’ve got to stay up on the wheel for every lap. Cars are going to run nose-to-tail, side-by-side. Everybody’s going to be digging for every inch of track position they can get.
“It has the potential for affecting our driver and owner points races based upon not getting caught up in any of the events that may happen during the race.
“This is truly where we’re going to have a mix of our young guns versus our series veterans.”
That scenario looms large, especially as the six double-duty drivers will most likely have to race their way to the front after starting in the back of the field.
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