NASCAR Goes To Mexico

For the fourth consecutive year, the NASCAR Nationwide Series is racing in Mexico City, at the famed Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course. Sunday’s Corona Mexico 200 Presented by Banamex features a variety of compelling storylines:

• Stars Coming Out: The NASCAR Nationwide Series may not have an all-star event like the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, but the Corona Mexico 200 has the makings of one. Open-wheel stars like Adrian Fernandez, Michel Jourdain Jr., Scott Pruett, Boris Said, Patrick Carpentier, Sam Hornish Jr. and Max Papis dot the roster as do series regulars with solid road-course backgrounds like Marcos Ambrose, Brad Coleman and Colin Braun. Defending series champion Carl Edwards is entered as is defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr.

• Kyle Busch will run in Mexico City for the first time since 2006 when he finished seventh – and sparked a controversy. On Lap 52, hometown favorite Michel Jourdain Jr. was leading but contact from Busch sent Jourdain spinning and ended his chance for a win. Both are entered in this event and Busch comes in as the hottest driver in the series after two straight wins.

• Although Scott Pruett doesn’t have his foil as Jourdain does with Busch, he’s still determined to make amends for last year’s result. Pruett, who won the pole for the 2007 event and was leading with 10 laps to go, was bumped aside by sateammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who went on to win the race. Pruett finished fifth.

• Mexico is shaping up to be a father-son outing for the Barretts. Stanton Barrett and his 64-year-old father Stan are entered in the event. Stan Barrett was the first man to exceed the speed of sound in a ground vehicle, reaching 739.666 mph in 1979. He started 19 races in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition from 1980-90 with two top-10 finishes. His son has over 150 NNS career starts and has competed in two previous races in Mexico City. Both are accomplished stuntmen and are credited in some of Hollywood’s top action movies.

• Drivers from six countries are represented on the Corona Mexico 200 entry list – U.S., Mexico, Canada, Italy, Venezuela and Australia. Five Mexican drivers are entered led by Adrian Fernandez, Michel Jourdain Jr. and 2006 NASCAR Camping World Series East Rookie of the Year Ruben Pardo; he was also the first Mexican-born driver to win a race in that series when he did so that same season.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Parity Personified: 5 Races, 5 Different Winners

After eight races in this NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, six different drivers have won races, a clear indication of competitive balance. It gets better, however. In the last five races, there have been five different winners: Kyle Busch (Atlanta); Jeff Burton (Bristol); Denny Hamlin (Martinsville); Carl Edwards (Texas); Jimmie Johnson (Phoenix). Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman is this season’s other winner.

Off-Week Prefaces Crucial 12-Week Stretch

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule takes a break this week, but you can rest assured the series’ teams won’t. When racing resumes next week at Talladega Superspeedway, it will be the start of a crucial 12-week stretch of competition that will include two restrictor-plate races (Talladega and Daytona), the season’s longest event, the Coca-Cola 600 (Lowe’s Motor Speedway); the season’s first road-course race (Infineon Raceway); and another round of short-track action (Richmond).

The 12-week stretch concludes with the July 12 night race at Chicagoland Speedway. That will be followed by the season’s last off-week and then, a visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt Inching Closer To Points Lead

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is up to third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings – his highest position in the points since after the 34th race (Texas) of the 2006 season.

This, despite the fact that he has yet to win a race this season, his first as part of the Hendrick Motorsports organization.

Now comes Talladega on April 27, a track where Earnhardt has posted five of his 17 career victories in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition.

Gordon’s Plight: Not As Bad As It Seems

Jeff Gordon is struggling but all things, after all, are relative. Gordon may be winless this season but he’s still 13th in points, only eight behind 12th-place Ryan Newman.

And, like Earnhardt, Gordon excels at Talladega. He swept last season’s two races there and has six victories overall at the 2.66-mile track – second all-time behind Dale Earnhardt’s record of 10.

Off the Schneid; Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Get Inevitable Breakthrough

It had to happen – and it did.

Jimmie Johnson specifically – and Hendrick Motorsports overall – got their first win of 2008 this past Saturday night at Phoenix. And so, somewhat suddenly, the two-time defending series champion is up to fourth in the points, 101 behind leader Jeff Burton.

Talladega bodes well for Johnson. He won the spring race there two seasons ago.

Learning Curve: David Ragan Running Better All The Time

David Ragan, amid his second full-time season for Roush Fenway Racing – where he replaced the legendary Mark Martin in the No. 6 Ford – is continuing his climb in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. Coming out of Phoenix, he’s up to 18th in the series standings.

Ragan was the runner-up last season for Raybestos Rookie of Year honors, behind Juan Pablo Montoya. All of this is a far cry from his two-race debut late in the 2006 season, when he was criticized by several fellow competitors, for his relative lack of experience.

Now, he increasingly looks like a contender to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup; he is only 81 points out of 12th place.

Bubble Report: Four Teams Within 40 Points Of Last Guaranteed Starting Spot

Each week, the top 35 teams in car owner points are guaranteed starting spots. This week, the precious 35th and final guarantee goes to the No. 01 Chevrolet entry of Dale Earnhardt Inc., with Regan Smith the driver.

Below that sanctity, only 40 points separate the No. 01 from teams in positions 36-39. In 36th, the No. 96 Toyota with J.J. Yeley driving is three points out of 35th. In 37th, the No. 22 Toyota with Dave Blaney driving is eight points out of 35th. In 38th, the No. 70 Chevrolet with Johnny Sauter driving is 12 points out. And in 39th, the No. 40 Dodge with last year’s Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti driving is 40 points out.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

With a four-week schedule break to study lessons learned on four different configurations of race tracks, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams prepare for the April 26 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway – the series’ 13th appearance there.

A look ahead to some storylines surrounding that event; • Expect the unexpected at Kansas Speedway where there have been three first-time winners and four winners under the age of 25 in seven events at the 1.5-mile track. Erik Darnell, 25, is the defending race winner. With a third of the expected entry under age 30, who might be next?

• Mastering 1.5-mile tracks (which comprise more than a third of the schedule) is one key to winning a championship. Todd Bodine is best on the “intermediates” with eight victories including one at Kansas in 2005 and two in his 2006 championship season.

• Jennifer Jo Cobb bids to become the 10th female competitor to start a series race when she drives a Dodge owned by 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. Cobb is the third female to compete this season, the most since 2005.