This Week in Auto Racing October 5 - October 7

Autoracing Betting Lines

10/02/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While Formula One may crown a rookie champion this weekend, most eyes will be watching Talladega for two reasons - to see who wins and to see the "Big One."

NASCAR

Nextel Cup

UAW-Ford 500 - Talladega Superspeedway - Talladega, AL

After a couple of wild days at Dover and Kansas, it is hard to believe that NASCAR could top it, but then one only has to look at the schedule and see where they are headed - Talladega. Talladega is the "home" of the "Big One." The multi-car accident that consumes a dozen or more cars and can end title hopes in a cruel instant.

One slip on the 2.66-mile, high-banked Talladega Superspeedway can ruin a driver's day as well as eight months worth of hard work and effort by his team. The race cars run so close to each other that anything can and usually does happen at Talladega.

For example, on the fourth lap of the spring 2003 race, 27 cars were involved in an accident, including eventual winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. That fall, Michael Waltrip took the victory, but the race is mostly remembered for Elliott Sadler's wild end-over-end "ride" down the backstretch.

Then mix in the fact that NASCAR will use the Car of Tomorrow at Talladega for the first time. Though some cars tested the COT at the Alabama track, the first time 43 cars roar down the front straight will be full of unknowns.

"Our major concern is what these cars are going to draft like in a 43-car pack. We drafted in 10-, 12-car, very small packs (at the test), and we don't know what's going to happen when we get 43 of them," said Clint Bowyer's crew chief Gil Martin. "With that being said, we also don't know the speeds we're going to run. We've got some concerns, too, that NASCAR may change the wicker, the plate size, and everything we learned in testing."

And speaking of unknowns, there is the possibility that Formula One and Indy 500 champion Jacques Villeneuve will qualifying for the race and make his Nextel Cup debut. The Canadian earned his approval from officials to race after participating in the recent COT test.

That would not be good for the other drivers. Talladega is not the place to make a debut, at least not this race with so many unknowns and so much at stake.

"I like Jacques and I'm a big fan of his, but I think that's not the right decision to make. I didn't think it was the right decision last year with David Gilliland. Nothing against their talent or anything else. I just look at that race, in the Chase...I'm very, very surprised that that was approved for the first Cup race," said Gordon.

Gordon's teammate Kyle Busch was even more surprised.

"He's doing what? Holy cow, that's not good," Busch said. "You've got to start somewhere, but the Cup Series at Talladega definitely isn't the place to start."

Busch is one of nine drivers who have fallen off the pace and are more than 100 points behind leader and defending series champion Jimmie Johnson. Johnson finished third at Kansas to grab a six-point lead over teammate Gordon and 14 points over Bowyer. The trio might have a stranglehold on the championship except that they have to first survive this Sunday in Talladega.

"During the test, we had 20-car packs and it got pretty dicey at times," said Gordon. "When you put 43 cars out there battling for the lead and the win, its going to be crazy."

If the top-three drivers falter, Tony Stewart, fourth overall 117 points back, is waiting to take advantage. Stewart and crew chief Greg Zipadelli thought they had a rain-shortened win at Kansas, but NASCAR restarted the race after the second rain stoppage. Eventually he had a left-front tire failure and finished a disappointing 39th.

Stewart has never won at Talladega, but owns 10 top-10s in 17 starts. Of the 12 "Chase" drivers, only Johnson and Gordon have won in Talladega. Johnson only once, but Gordon has five career wins.

Barring the "Big One" it looks like a good day for Hendrick Motorsports.

Craftsman

Mountain Dew 250 - Talladega Superspeedway - Talladega, AL

Try as he may, Travis Kvapil can't quite make the Craftsman Truck Series championship a three-horse race.

The driver of the No.6 Roush Racing Ford has won four of the last 10 events, but still finds himself 181 points behind points leader Mike Skinner. After a slow start that yielded just one top-10 in the first six events, Kvapil turned it up a notch and has collected 11 top-10s since the end of May.

Two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Kvapil won the pole and then beat off every challenge en route to a 0.718-second win over Johnny Benson. Both Skinner (13th) and Ron Hornaday Jr. (22nd) had rare off days and Kvapil clawed closer to the two leaders.

But with just six races left, Kvapil is running out of time.

Skinner holds a three point lead on Hornaday Jr. and also leads the series in driver rating (118.7), winnings ($597,095), laps led (961), poles (9) and top- fives (14). Hornaday Jr. is tied with Skinner and Kvapil for most wins (4) and leads in top-10s (17).

If things go as they have all season with both drivers competing for the win each week, it should be one or the other winning the title.

On the other hand, the series is in Talladega for the Mountain Dew 250 and when NASCAR comes to the 2.66-mile superspeedway anything can and usually does happen.

The drivers could be running three-wide at the finish or as in 2006 there could be a multiple-truck incident in Turn 3 of the final lap allowing Mark Martin to win under caution.

"I like Talladega; it is a track where you have to be on your toes at all times," said Skinner, who finished second in 2006. "The key to this race is just try and stay out of trouble."

It should be a fun race to watch.

FORMULA ONE

Chinese Grand Prix - Shanghai International Circuit - Shanghai, China

It's down to two races and essentially two drivers for this year's drivers championship. They are teammates, who don't get along and barely speak to each other - rookie Lewis Hamilton and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.

"I'd much rather it were Fernando at Ferrari and me at McLaren," said Hamilton before Sunday's race at the Fuji Speedway.

But at least he sometimes talks to Alonso. The same can't be said for Alonso and team boss Ron Dennis. They don't talk and haven't since the qualifying debacle in Hungary. It was there that Alonso threatened to reveal evidence about "spygate."

Though Alonso apologized, it ultimately led to McLaren being thrown out of this year's constructors' championship and fined $100 million for having confidential Ferrari technical information in their possession.

Alonso's contract still has two more years to run, but there is increasing pressure for McLaren and Alonso to part ways. Alonso certainly won't have any problems finding another quality ride. Rumors have Ferrari interested in his services and his former boss, Renault owner Flavio Briatore, has already stated that he would be "pleased" to have Alonso back.

But back to this year's penultimate race.

Hamilton won last week's race in Japan, his fourth victory this season, to build a commanding 12-point lead over Alonso. Should he leave the Shanghai International Circuit with an 11-point margin, he will dethrone Alonso and clinch the title.

"I don't think anyone predicted this, everyone knew he (Hamilton) was good but he has really stunned everyone," said Damon Hill, the last British driver to win the World Championship.

"Lewis has had a really good season, consistently winning races, always up there fighting, no mistakes," said fellow driver Heikki Kovalainen. "I think he deserves the championship."

Mathematically, still in the chase is Kimi Raikkonen - 17 points back. However, he would have to collect the maximum 20 points in the final two events and basically have both McLaren drivers fail to score.

"Obviously, we have just a little hope for the championship," said the Finn on his official website. "But it is better to have a slight hope than no hope at all."

In April 2003 a group of experts came to a marshland outside Shanghai determined to build an Formula One race track. Eighteen months later they had completed the circuit, designed by Hermann Tilke, who also designed the Fuji Speedway.

Alonso won the inaugural race in 2005. In last year's race Michael Schumacher won for the 91st and final time of his illustrious career. He beat Alonso by 3.1 seconds around the wet Shanghai circuit.

Schumacher is gone, but the excitement of a championship on the line still remains.