Conway has answered Robby Gordon's prayers by bringing much-needed sponsorship to Robby Gordon Motorsports.  RGM just announced today that Conway will be their driver for the balance of the 2010 season.

On the other hand, Conway's new ride is an answer to a prayer for NASCAR, who desperately needs some continuity for its Raybestos Rookie of the Year program.

Conway currently leads the ROTY Standings, with a margin of 154 points over Terry Cook in the Cup Series competition.

"We are excited to have ExtenZe Racing and Kevin Conway join Robby Gordon Motorsports," Robby Gordon said.   "This is an excellent opportunity for everyone involved, and I am excited to have Kevin behind the wheel of the No. 7."

"I hope we will be able to help Kevin bring home the Rookie of the Year Award while expanding our team and his on-track experience."

Robby Gordon's new driver could not agree with his team owner more.

"I am thrilled to finally be able to announce our signing with Robby Gordon Motorsports," Conway said. "The Bristol race a couple weekends ago came together very late and gave everyone just a quick peek at what was possibly to come.

"Now that everything is in place I can't wait to take to the track this weekend in Atlanta in the No. 7 ExtenZe Racing Toyota."

Conway is most certainly looking forward to a change of pace from his runs with Front Row Motorsports.  Although he has had some success with that team, such as a 14th place finish at Daytona over the fourth of July and leading a lap at the Brickyard 400, more often than not, he has been logging laps in the back of the field or even running a few laps down to the leaders.

Prior to stepping up to the Cup Series with Front Row, Conway raced successfully in the ARCA Series. He also ran a limited schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2007, sharing seat time with Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola and Brad Coleman and garnering two top-5 and four top-10 finishes.

Conway's hopes for success have now been rekindled with the move to Robby Gordon Motorsports. The driver's answer to his own prayers has always been his steadfast sponsor ExtenZe, who also has had faith in their driver, moving with him to his new gig at RGM.

"Moving our racing program with Kevin over to Robby Gordon Motorsports was a no brainer really," Robert Wilhovsky, Director of Motorsports Marketing for ExtenZe said.  "Robby has a great organization with very good equipment and a car locked into the top-35 owner's points that will allow us to get Kevin more seat time and help him continue to grow as a driver.

"We look forward to the remainder of the year with RGM," Wilhovsky continued.  "We are glad we get to have him and his organization join Kevin's quest to be crowned the 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year driver.

"I am very thankful for this opportunity Robby has given me and ExtenZe," Conway said.  "I'm looking forward to helping keep the No. 7 in the top-35, gaining more seat time and finishing races while reaching my ultimate goal of claiming the 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year title with RGM."

Conway will take the wheel of the No. 7 ExtenZe Racing Toyota in the upcoming Labor Day weekend's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  This will be Conway's second start for RGM, including his inaugural run at Bristol, and he is most certainly looking to better his run earlier in the season at Atlanta, where he came in 31st.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

Whitt, Red Bull's newest up and comer, is currently racing in the K&N Pro Series East, one of NASCAR's developmental leagues. And he has indeed been making his own Red Bull mark, most recently scoring a runner up finish at Gresham Motorsports Park this past weekend and a top five finish at Lee USA Speedway in the prior East Series race.

With his most recent runner up finish, Whitt has also garnered himself a place in the top five in the championship standings in the K&N Pro Series, currently sitting in the third spot. He is next scheduled to race his No. 84 Red Bull Toyota in the New Hampshire 125 on September 17th at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Whitt definitely was looking forward to racing at Gresham Park Motorsports. In fact, Whitt boldly predicted that his team had a chance for a win there in spite of a rocky test session.

"I think we will be fine at Gresham," Whitt said. "We got a test in there but unfortunately had a tire go down and had a little more work to do. But all in all the test weekend went well and our car was fast."

"Going into this race, everyone here seems to be more excited than going to any other track," Whitt continued prior to the race. "I think we will have a good chance to win it."

Whitt almost fulfilled that prophecy, coming in second behind first-ever race winner Ty Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress.  

"Our car seemed to get better and better and then those reds just kind of killed us," Whitt said of the red flags during the race run.  "It was horrible just sitting there and it was hot but we come home second and we're happy with it and we will take what we got."

Whitt was especially looking forward to getting back into race mode this weekend. The K&N Pro Series East had been idle for the past few weeks since they last raced on July 30th at Lee USA Speedway.

"I've been trying to keep busy at the shop," Whitt said. "It takes forever in between races and I just chomp at the bit to go racing for sure."

"Sometimes I don't get to sleep because I'm so excited to go racing," Whitt continued.  "It sucks that we don't get to go every weekend. You try to keep yourself busy and find some type of fix for how bad you just want to race."

One way that Whitt does manage to keep busy is indulging in his favorite hobby, video games. The young driver's favorite is "Call of Duty". "That's pretty much the only one I play," Whitt said.

The Red Bull racer's only other sports passion is football, especially college football, another past time that now keeps him occupied in between races.

"I like college football more than I like the NFL," Whitt said. "I'm a big fan of the San Diego Chargers, but they don't give you much to cheer about."

The video game and the football fandom may come in handy as the driver awaits his next turn behind the wheel in a few weeks.  However, the hiatus in between races has given the young Red Bull driver a chance to reflect a bit on his season to date.

"We've done pretty good this year," Whitt said. "The whole DNF deal killed us at Iowa in the third race. And New Hampshire killed a little bit of the momentum we had."

But Whitt is now focused solely on race wins, especially since his place in the points standings, third at present, seems to be fairly secure.

"I don't really look at the points right now," Whitt said. "I'm not even worried about the championship. Going into the season, that was our first goal but reaching that right now probably isn't realistic."

"We will keep going for wins and we will do everything we can to collect some wins," Whitt said emphatically. "We want to go to every race and be first in practice and on the pole for qualifying and win the race."

"That's our goal going to each track," Whitt said. "If we can do that then the points will take care of itself."

So, Red Bull Cup aces, Brian Vickers and Scott Speed and future Red Bull racer Kasey Kahne beware. Cole Whitt has announced his Red Bull presence and is joining the fray as he makes his way through the ranks in NASCAR.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

Yet in a most sorrowful way, the public auction of Shelmerdine's race shop, cars, and other equipment may be the foreshadowing of things to come for many of NASCAR's independent race teams.

Shelmerdine's auction, under the supervision of Iron Horse Auction Company, will be held on Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00 AM on the premises of his race shop in Welcome, North Carolina.  Some of the items that will be sold at auction will be three Cup COT cars, a Featherlite car hauler, pit equipment, shop equipment, and vehicle parts, among others.

There is no doubt that Shelmerdine could never have predicted that the end of his independent team and his run as a race car driver would come in a public auction.  The driver and team owner cited the lack of sponsorship, as well as the lack of technological support for independent teams as the primary sources of his financial woes.

Shelmerdine certainly has fallen a long way from his perch high atop the rungs of the NASCAR ladder. In the early 1980s, Shelmerdine had it all, crew chiefing for the "Intimidator," Dale Earnhardt himself.

He was the youngest crew chief ever to win a NASCAR race and the youngest crew chief to win a Cup title.

"Kirk understands every facet of this sport better than anyone else I know," Earnhardt once said of his then crew chief.  "His hard work and dedication are what sets him apart from the rest."

After reaching the pinnacles of NASCAR achievement, Shelmerdine decided to pack it in as Earnhardt's crew chief. He "retired" in 1992 to pursue his real dream—being a NASCAR Cup driver.

Shelmerdine initially ran in the ARCA Series, in which he visited the victory lane three times.  He also ran in all of NASCAR's three divisions, including Cup, Nationwide, and the Truck Series.

Unfortunately, Shelmerdine lagged in the mid to back of the pack in most of the races in which he participated.  He started his own Cup team in 2002, however, that really never took off either and he ended up primarily in the field-filler role.

"It's the toughest thing there is," Shelmerdine said of that time in his career.  "We're proud to be here, even though we're not competitive at this point."

Even with his savings from his heydey with Earnhardt and Richard Childress Racing, Shelmerdine found it challenging as an independent team to make it with little sponsorship funding and even more sparse race purses.

"We know we're doing the impossible," Shelmerdine said of his attempt to run in the Cup Series.  "We may be king of the junk cars but that's something."

"It's hard for others to realize the odds we're up against," Shelmerdine continued.  "But we hold our heads up knowing that we're doing what can't be done."

Yet, in spite of all the blood, sweat, and tears, Shelmerdine has succumbed to those odds.  The crew chief turned driver and race team owner has reached the end of his independent run, culminating in the auction of everything that he has worked so hard to obtain.

Unfortunately, Shelmerdine may also be the poster child of things to come for other independent teams. And there are many that are struggling at the highest level of NASCAR, the Sprint Cup Series.

Probably one of the most visible in this same category is Robby Gordon, principal of Robby Gordon Motorsports.  Gordon's team has struggled mightily, with an average finish of 34th and the omnipresent danger of not making the show.

In addition to those troubles, Gordon has also had financial woes, having to sit out races due to lack of sponsorship.  His team's only saving from public auction grace came recently when Kevin Conway split from Front Row Motorsports, bringing himself and sponsor Extenze, to Gordon's team for the rest of the year.

Will independents like Robby Gordon, or Front Row Motorsports for that matter, go the way of Kirk Shelmerdine?  Only time, sponsorship dollars, and the state of the economy will tell.

But in the meantime, Shelmerdine will no doubt struggle through the most difficult time in his life, watching all that he has worked so hard to accumulate be auctioned off piece by piece.

In spite of it all, Shelmerdine will close this last chapter in his racing life with his head held high.

"I'm extremely proud of what we've built and accomplished here over the years," Shelmerdine said. "But the time has come for a completely new business model."

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

The drama began this season when Brian Vickers, driver of the Red Bull No. 83, was struck by blood clots in his lungs, leg and finger.  Vickers was sidelined out of the car and off the track due to the blood thinners regimen required to treat his condition.

This past weekend in Bristol, Brian Vickers was back at the race track, sharing some startling news. The doctors finally determined the source of his blood clots, a combination of a hole in his heart between his right and left atrium and a rare condition called May-Turner Syndrome.

Vickers decided to tackle both of these issues head on in order to address once and for all the causes for his blood clots.  He had heart surgery on July 12th to repair the hole and also had a stent put in a vein in his leg to address any further clots and prevent the risk of a stroke.

"I would rather die than have a stroke," Vickers said. "I don't want to run the risk of living like a vegetable."

Vickers told the NASCAR media corps at Bristol Motor Speedway that he felt great now, even going for a hike and bike ride shortly after the surgery.  He has been pursuing other interests as well, taking advantage of the time away from the track to discover his other passions, from hanging with friends to playing golf.

If this revelation was not dramatic enough, Vickers confirmed that he has every intention of returning to his Red Bull ride for the 2011 season.  In fact, he intends to be fully off the blood thinner treatment required for the clots and ready to race in the Daytona 500 in February 2011.

"The doctors gave me full clearance for next year," Vickers said.  "I will be back in January.  I'm real excited about that. They feel I'm probably in the best shape of my life."

This is where the plot thickens in the Red Bull drama.  The team has just two race cars, the No. 83 to which Vickers intends to return and the No. 82 currently driven by Scott Speed.

Speed, the second player in the Red Bull drama, is admittedly struggling this season.  While he has practiced and qualified well for the past several races, luck has not been with him and he has not had the finishes to show for it.

Speed's dilemma was evident this weekend at the Bristol Motor Speedway.  He was 9th in the first practice at the short track and he ran 13th in Happy Hour.

Yet Speed could not back up his practice time in qualifying, starting the Irwin Tools Night Race in 23rd. Bad luck bit him again when a tire issue sent him into the wall, again experiencing a miserable finish in the 33rd position.

As a result of his struggles, Speed is currently 27th in the point standings in the Cup Series.  He has never been in contention for the Chase since coming to race at NASCAR's highest level.

Sources say that Speed's future at Red Bull may be in jeopardy due to his poor performance this year. In fact, the speculation is that although Speed has another year on his contract with Red Bull, he may lose his ride as his contract has a clause that he rank higher than 16th in order to continue for the 2011 season with the team.

The third player in the Red Bull drama is unexpectedly Kasey Kahne, currently driving for Richard Petty Motorsports and future driver in 2012 for Hendrick Motorsports.  Kahne's future ride in 2011, however, was up for grabs as the Hendrick stable was full for the upcoming year with its four current drivers, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Rick Hendrick, owner and principal with Hendrick Motorsports, has been searching for a temporary, one year ride for Kahne, who will eventually take Mark Martin's ride in the No. 5 HMS Chevrolet.  Hendrick finally settled on Red Bull Racing, who agreed to take Kahne for next year's season and then release him back to Mr. H. in 2012.

"Red Bull is a top-flight team with a sponsor that is OK with a one-year deal," Hendrick said.  "The sponsorship saying they are going to be with the guy for a year is a plus."

Red Bull Racing general manager Jay Frye said at the time of the Kahne announcement that he would either drive the No. 83 if Vickers was unable to return, replace Speed in the No. 82 car, or that he would consider adding a third car to the team.

"We are very optimistic about his (Brian Vicker's) return," Frye said.  "But there's still a ways to go in this process.  We continue to monitor his situation."

While Frye is monitoring Vicker's progress with his health, he said that he is also monitoring Speed's performance.  Ironically, the only driver in the Red Bull drama that seems to be locked into place is the newcomer Kahne, with uncertainty facing both Vickers and Speed, the two Red Bull regulars.

Vickers continues to express full and utmost confidence in his return to Red Bull Racing in 2011.  He also affirms his commitment and passion for racing at NASCAR's elite level.

"I feel  like I've gained some edge," Vickers said.  "This has given me an opportunity to step back and take a look inwards.  Sometimes you don't find out how much you really love something until you don't have it."

Speed also seems to be rooting for teammate Vickers to return to the Red Bull fold.  "He has gone through a lot," Speed said.  "He has handled everything he was dealt very well."

Vickers, however, seems to be hedging his bets about his other teammate, acknowledging the support of his current teammate Speed, while also affirming his excitement to work with Kahne.  Vickers also stated that he has no idea how the 2011 Red Bull team will all shake out.

"As far as Kasey (Kahne), I'm excited to work with him," Vickers said.  "As far as how all that goes down, I know what you know.  Jay (Frye) told me something was going to happen but he didn't tell me what."

"That's really a question for Red Bull and Jay Frye," Vickers said.  "I have no idea.  But I'm going to be in the 83 and I'm really excited about it."

So, the Red Bull drama and the speculation continues. Only time will tell just who among the three drivers, Vickers, Speed and Kahne, will be behind the wheels of the Red Bull Racing cars in 2011.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

“Bristol is a thrilling place,” Ragan said.  “It keeps the drivers on the edge and the fans on the edge of their seats.”

While his thoughts are on Bristol this weekend, Ragan is also still riding the wave of this past weekend’s successful race in the Irish hills of Michigan.  Ragan finished  11^th, earning him a phone call from team owner Jack Roush, just back at the track and still recovering from his wicked plane crash.

“Michigan is a good track for our team,” Ragan said.  “We’ve had some top-5 and top-10 finishes there the last few years.  So, we’re always going to Michigan with high expectations.”

“You know, to finish 11^th is certainly not what we go there to do,” Ragan continued.  “But to lead a few laps and be in contention for a top-10 finish at the end of the race was all we can ask.” 

“Our car was a little too loose toward the end of the race,” Ragan said.   “We just didn’t make quite the right adjustments to get a top-five out of it.”

Ragan admitted that both he and crew chief Donnie Wingo are continuing to work on their communication, chemistry, and relationship.  This is the first year of the partnership together on the UPS Ford race team.

“We’re still spending time together and learning each other more and more throughout the season,” Ragan said.  “The more time we can spend time at the race track and away from the race track, the more we trust each other and feel comfortable with each other.”

While most drivers focus on their relationships with their crew chiefs, Ragan advises that there is a third element to success, a good relationship and communication with the engineer.

“The third part of that triangle is our team engineer,” Ragan said.  “I think that’s important too.  You need the crew chief, driver and engineer to gel and that’s what’s going to get us to that next level.”

Ragan also admitted that it was great to have team owner Jack Roush back at the track for the Michigan race.  All four of the Roush Fenway race teams performed well in honor of their team owner’s return, with Ragan in 11^th and teammates Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and Matt Kenseth coming in third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

“It was good to have Jack around the race track this weekend,” Ragan said.  “Jack’s a tough old guy but it just shows you what kind of determination he has to be back at the race track.  Everyone’s encouraged when they see their boss man walking around.”

Ragan expects that Roush will continue to be back at the track with his teams, including the race this weekend at Bristol.  Ragan is looking forward to the short track racing under the lights, going into the event with a top ten finish there under his belt, as well as a Nationwide win at Bristol in 2009.

“Bristol has been a good track for us,” Ragan said.  “But Bristol is also a crazy track.  Anything can happen there.”

Crew chief Donnie Wingo agrees with his driver’s analysis of the Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Track position is so important at a place like Bristol,” Wingo said.  “With so many cars on a half-mile surface it can be all too easy to go a lap down or get caught up in a wreck.  We’ve got a fast UPS Ford and we should be good this weekend.”

“We’ll just have to have a little bit of luck on our side,” Ragan said.  He is also aware that the racing will be intense at the short track, especially after watching the Truck Series race on Wednesday evening.

“I watched bits and pieces of it,” Ragan said about the Truck race.  “It looked pretty rough.”

The good news for Ragan coming into the Bristol race weekend is that he does not have axes to grind with other drivers. On the flip side, Ragan also feels that there is no one seeking revenge for any of his past wrongdoings either. 

“I don’t really have a hit list this weekend,” Ragan said with a chuckle.  “And I’m not on anyone’s hit list.  But that may change very quickly once we get there and get going.”

One thing that Ragan is certain of is that there will be lots of action at this upcoming race weekend in Thunder Valley.

“Everything happens very fast there,” Ragan continued.  “I think it’s one of the great places to go and watch a NASCAR race.”

Ragan and his fellow drivers will take to the short track of Bristol Motor Speedway for the Irwin Tools Night Race on Saturday, August 21^st.  The race will be broadcast at 7:30 PM ET on ABC.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

“I don’t think the general public really understands what a crisis our country is in with animal overpopulation and euthanization,” Nicole Biffle said.  “When you give people the numbers they look at you like you’re crazy because they don’t get how bad it really is.”

Because of their passion to save pets, particularly those that are no longer wanted, the Biffles are raising funds to assist these animals in need, as well as those humans who are helping them. 

This race weekend at Bristol, both Greg and Nicole Biffle will be releasing their 2011 NASCAR Pets Calendar, with all of the proceeds going to the Greg Biffle Foundation to improve the well-being of animals.

“We’ve done the calendar since 2005,” Nicole Biffle said.  “It was kind of an idea I had just watching the news and seeing how many things were going on with pets in this area. “

Biffle pitched the calendar idea to her husband, with her initial vision being to have rough copies to sell amongst their fellow racing families to hang in their haulers or motor homes.

“We got lucky enough with the NASCAR Foundation,” Biffle said.  “They hooked us up and we started producing these calendars.”

The Pets Calendar traditionally focuses on NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and their families, including their animals. 

“We tried to do it in casual settings, like at their houses or in their motor homes, like a family portrait,” Biffle said.  “The fans can see what their life is like outside the race track with their kids and their pets.”

For the upcoming year, the 2011 NASCAR Pets Calendar will feature 11 Sprint Cup drivers with their pets, as well as featuring the three Miss Sprint Cups and their favorite animals.

“A couple years ago, we added media,” Biffle said.  “This year we did the three Sprint Cup ladies and their pets.  I’m hoping that will boost sales.  You know, I think all the guys think those Sprint Cup ladies are pretty cute.  If it sells well, maybe we’ll have to do a Sprint Cup girls and pets calendar all on their own.”

Biffle also credits 3M, her husband’s primary sponsor, for helping to take the calendar to the next level. 

“Last year was the first year that 3M helped us do the whole thing,” Biffle said.  “We’re really lucky to have a sponsor that cares about what we’re doing.  It means a lot to us.”

Biffle is also very proud that over 97 percent of the calendar proceeds go to the Foundation and right out to the community.  The Biffles have just one employee at the Foundation, paying her out of their own pocket so that the money can be used for pets in need.

The Foundation makes grants on an annual basis, supporting nonprofits such as no kill shelters or spay and neuter clinics.  They have granted help throughout the country, from Washington State to New York City. 

The Biffles also sit on the national advisory board of the North Shore Animal League, as well as organizing puppy roundups to send to the League for adoption.

 “Primarily we stick with dogs and cats just because there is such an overwhelming need in our country,” Biffle said.  “We go through the applications and see who is in greatest need.”

Biffle’s passion for animals in need stems from her own personal experience, having adopted a dog, Foster, now a nine year old boxer.  The Biffles also have two other dogs, Gracie who is another boxer and Savannah who is a mix of “what, we don’t know.”

“We just fell in love,” Biffle said.  “Our dogs are our kids.  They mean everything to us.”

“That’s why we decided to go the pet avenue,” Biffle said.  “It just breaks your heart.  I get requests every day about animals that are going to be put to sleep.  It’s just kind of makes you sick and breaks our hearts.”

While the Biffles work to help animals, they also focus on spending as much time with their own pets as possible, including taking them to as many races as possible.  In fact, the dogs were all at Pocono where Greg Biffle won, so the driver of the No. 16 3M Roush Fenway Racing Ford has decided that they are perhaps his newest good luck charms.

In addition to the pet calendar fundraising, the Biffles are adding another new twist, a raffle for Greg Biffle’s custom golf cart.  This will be unveiled at Bristol this weekend and will be part of the Food City Race Night festivities.

“A friend of Greg’s owns a hot rod shop in Tucson and he sent Greg this incredible golf cart, custom painted with flames,” Biffle said.  “I’m thinking that should be pretty good because it’s a really neat golf cart to toot around in.  It’s pretty cool.”

The calendar, priced at $13.99 can be purchased at www.gregbifflefoundation.com or at the Bristol race, where Biffle will be autographing copies.  The calendars are also available in some Pet Co stores, particularly in the southeast. 

Raffle tickets for Biffle’s golf cart can be purchased at www.winbifflesgolfcart.com.

For the Biffles, all of this is simply about the animals.  And it truly is a labor of love.

“We’re thankful that we are able to do something to help,” Nicole Biffle said.

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Roderick, fresh off his 18th birthday celebration and in only his third ARCA start, won the Garden State 150 presented by the American Red Cross at New Jersey Motorsports Park.  With the win, Roderick became the11th first-time winner in the ARCA RE/MAX Series this season.

The win, however, did not come easy.  Roderick, who had never seen the New Jersey road course before, had to overcome terrific adversity to even make the show.

“We blew a motor after four laps of practice Saturday,” Roderick said.  “So Lap One (of the race) was like I was blindfolded.  I didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Roderick started his No. 51 Phoenix Racing/Bill Elliott Racing Dodge dead last in the back of the pack as a result of not having his new motor in the car by qualifying.  But by lap six of the 67-lap race, Roderick had made his way to the top 10.

“I had planned to stop as soon as we could to get track position,” Roderick’s crew chief Jim Barfield said.  “But Casey was moving up so fast I had to change my strategy to pit with the leaders almost as soon as the race began.”

In spite of tire wear, Roderick managed to hold his top ten position for most of the race.  With 25 laps to go in the race, the young driver had managed to work his way up to the second spot on the track, right behind Tim George Jr.

As so often happens, cautions bred cautions and the race came down to a nine-lap sprint to the checkered flag.  Roderick and George collided in turn two, sending George off the track while Roderick managed to keep his car pointed in the right direction.

“I was too close to him going into the corner, he braked and then I was in it,” Roderick said of George.  “He had a good race car and did an awesome job to be there in the lead.”

After this contact, Roderick regained the second spot behind Joey Coulter.  Roderick passed Coulter on lap 60 and he pulled away, even after a late race caution.

Roderick’s mentor and car owner Bill Elliott happened to be driving the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Ford in the Sprint Cup race at Michigan at exactly the same time that Roderick was racing in New Jersey.  But he quickly called his young driver after his race was finished to offer congratulations.

“That was pretty incredible,” Elliott said.  “He never had even been there before.  Passing all of those cars on a road course…I’m impressed.”

In victory lane, Elliott’s young driver seemed a bit overwhelmed.  He simply said, “I’m just happy to be here.”

While Roderick was still, no doubt, celebrating his win, teammate Chase Elliott took the track in his Aaron’s Dream Machine at Mobile International Speedway, also scoring a win.  Elliott also secured the points lead in both the Pensacola and Mobile Series that comprise the Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship.

Unlike Roderick, who had to face adversity and start in the rear of the field, young Elliott qualified on the pole position alongside chief nemesis Augie Grill.  Unfortunately, with the roll of the dice, Elliott had to start the race in the seventh position.

The up and comer raced his way through the field and both he and Grill were again quickly battling for the lead.  In fact, the two fought until the white flag lap where they raced side by side to the checkered flag, with Elliott just getting the nose of his car across the finish line ahead of Grill.

Elliott was overcome in victory lane, never expecting to beat one of the best short-track racers on the circuit.

“Thank you, thank you,” he said to his team and crew.  “That was just fun!”

“Both Casey and Chase overcame obstacles and stayed focused,” proud dad and team owner Bill Elliott said.  “They pulled together and made it work, and that is what I call teamwork.  I couldn’t be more proud.”

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Jack Roush, recently released from the Mayo Clinic for treatment after his July 27th plane crash, feels both lucky and a bit unworthy to have survived yet another air mishap.  But most of all, he is grateful to just be back at the race track. 

Roush, who returned to his home race track, Michigan International Speedway, for the weekend of race festivities, took a few moments to reflect on what he had been through and to share his feelings in an impromptu press conference with the media.

“I feel very lucky,” Roush said.  “I’ve had several bites at the apple here.  I’ve been extraordinarily lucky to have been able to survive and I feel in some ways unworthy.”

“I’m not sure I’ve done enough yet for the chances that I’ve had,” Roush continued contemplatively.  “Maybe that’s recognized and they’re just giving me more time.'

Roush talked about the plane crash that he was so lucky to have survived, describing his arrival on his private plane into Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

“I was put in conflict with the flight plan of another airplane close to the ground,” Roush said.  “I was unable to address the conflict and keep the airplane flying.  I ground-looped the airplane.”

For the first time, Roush also revealed the extent of his injuries, the most significant was damage to his left eye, resulting permanent loss of vision.  He also had a damaged left cheek, broken jaw, and a compression fracture in his back.

“I was blessed to have great vision in two eyes and now I’ve got great vision in one,” Roush said.   “I’ve got a back brace for the compression fracture and hardware in my cheek.  I still have packing in my nose and I’m still uncomfortable with the fact I can’t breathe clearly through my nose.”

Roush denied that the loss of eyesight or any of his other injuries would keep him flying again. 

“I think it’s very likely that I’ll be able to fly,” Roush said.  “Wiley Post was a one-eyed pilot and there’s not restriction.  Maybe if you’re an airline pilot you can’t have one eye but there’s not a reason why I can’t fly with one eye.”

Roush was most pleased, however, that his team and organization rallied around him and continued their performance on the track.

“I’m really proud at the way the organization has rallied,” Roush said.  “This was a little test case.  How can you do without Jack?  Well, it’s bigger than me.  It’s bigger than anybody.”

“My point was the momentum for that , the things that were in place, were not impacted by the fact that I had a problem.”

Roush and his Roush Fenway Racing team will now move on to the business at hand, racing in the Irish hills of Michigan.  And there is no doubt that everyone in the NASCAR garage area is ready to welcome to ‘Cat in the Hat’ back to the track.

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In fact, it has often been a struggle for NASCAR's most famous driver to even break into the top 10 during most races, and he will most likely not make the Chase this year, currently sitting 16th in the point standings.  

Yet all that could change this weekend in the Irish Hills of Michigan, where Junior may just get that elusive win at a track that is one of his favorites.  In fact, Michigan International Speedway was the site of Junior's last race win on June 15th, 2008, as well as his first points win for Hendrick Motorsports.

As an even better omen, in the June race this year at Michigan, Earnhardt Jr. started 27th and was in the top 10 within the first 60 laps of the race.  He stayed with the leaders, scoring a top 10 finish in the seventh position, propelling him to three more top 15 finishes in June.

NASCAR's loop data also proves that this weekend's race in the Irish Hills of Michigan may just be the one for Junior to win.  Earnhardt Jr. ranks sixth in the driver ratings at MIS, with a score of 98.6.

In 22 Cup starts at MIS, Earnhardt has his one race win, four top five finishes, eight top 10s, and two poles.  He has led at least one lap in eight of his last 10 outings at Michigan's two-mile oval.

Junior also ranks eighth among drivers for laps run in the top 15 during the last 11 races at Michigan.  He has spent 70.1 percent of all laps in the top 15 and has recorded an average finish of 9.9, the second best among all drivers.

Earnhardt Jr. is also running one of his favorite chassis at Michigan, Chassis No. 88-599. This was the chassis that Junior drove to his two most recent top 10s, in the June race at Michigan and in April at Texas.

"Lance (McGrew, crew chief) and the guys unloaded a great car last time at Michigan," Earnhardt Jr. said.  "We've had some good runs with this car."

"I enjoy going to Michigan. It has a lot of different grooves and we can move around and find places to run on the track."

Junior also has manufacturer motivation when it comes to competing, and hopefully winning, at Michigan International Speedway.

"We like coming here because it's in the backyard of the manufacturers," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Hopefully, we'll get a win for Chevrolet."

Crew Chief McGrew echoes his driver's feelings when it comes to racing in the Irish Hills.

"It's the Big Three's backyard (General Motors, Chrysler and Ford) and you always have a little extra pep in your step because there will be a lot of Chevrolet people there. The race means a lot to that area because of the fact that it's in their backyard."

"Not that it wouldn't mean the same to win anywhere else, but it would be especially sweet to win there. It was the last place Dale has won a race and we'd like to back that up."

And if Earnhardt Jr. needed any more inspiration for the upcoming Michigan race, he may just find it in his red, white, and blue No. 88 race car, promoting the National Guard's "Drive the Guard" program whereby National Guard soldiers can get their commercial driver's license while serving their country.

From the inspiration of the Guard to being at the site of his last race win, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has all of the ingredients for a successful run in the Irish Hills of Michigan. And there is no doubt that Junior Nation is holding their collective breaths that their favorite driver will end up in the MIS victory lane.

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Bell will be running on the “track too tough to tame” with one of NASCAR’s first ever “green” sponsors in the Truck Series.

Liberty Tire Recycling, gracing the hood of the MAKE Motorsports No. 50 Chevy Silverado, is the nation’s largest tire recycling provider.

“MAKE Motorsports is a positive, boots on the ground, grassroots team and Liberty Tire Recycling is about spreading the message of recycling and claiming in a positive, viral way,” Thomas Womble, Vice President of Liberty Tire Recycling said. “Our company donated over 500,000 pounds of recycled rubber to build athletic fields in Iraq.

"We hope to bring that grassroots effort to NASCAR, and we hope to help the overall outside view of the sport merge into one that actually can be green."

"We're a team that is built on family, our word, and our sustainability in the sport of stock car racing," Tracy Lowe, MAKE Motorsports co-owner and one of the only female team owners in NASCAR, said. "As a mom, I like to do whatever I can to help give my children a better planet someday.

"Teaming with Liberty Tire Recycling is perfect—spreading that message of sustainability through our daily working lives in NASCAR.  Who would have thought? I can't wait to see what the true impact will be in the sport."

Mark Beaver, MAKE Motorsports team co-owner, also praises Liberty Tire Racing.

"The guys at Liberty Tire Recycling have grown with quiet strength and domination," Beaver said, "moving from a family company of a few, to now transforming 110 million tires a year into recycled raw materials that change our lives in a sustainable way.

“It's rare that you step on an outdoor rubber surface, mat or other rubber material, without it being from Liberty.  I'm excited to see that GREEN Chevy Silverado get on the track, to help them gain more exposure for that great GREEN message."

While the team owners and new sponsor are ready to race at Darlington, there is no one more excited to get back behind the wheel of a race truck than driver TJ Bell.

“We’re going to Darlington and see if we can tame that girl,” Bell said. “We got Liberty Tire Center on board and it’s pretty unbelievable what they do with tires.”

Bell shared that he visited his sponsor’s plant in Concord, North Carolina, and was amazed to see what the company did with old tires from the land fill and also race tires, using them for coal and other fuel.

“It burns the same way as coal and we’re getting rid of all these tires instead of burying them,” Bell said. “They’re really recycling a bunch of stuff and making it better for everybody.

“It’s a win, win for everybody—the sport, MAKES Motorsports and the biggest gain is for the environment.”

Bell said that the sponsorship with Liberty Tire Recycling was a one race deal, at least for now. He said it was especially important for the company to be at Darlington as that was a major market for them.

“We’re hopefully going to wow them,” Bell said. “We want to keep the truck in one piece and see the checkered flag. And hopefully, if that all works out and everything’s good, they’ll sign on for some more.”

While Bell is looking forward to the upcoming race, he admits that this will be his inaugural run at the “Lady in Black.”

“I haven’t raced there,” Bell said. “I’m going to spend a lot of time on my simulator. There’s been a lot of places that I don’t know why or what, but the first time I walk in, I think that looks fun. Darlington looks like a place that is a lot of fun.

“I’m pretty excited about it to be honest. I know a lot of people are scared of the ‘Darlington stripe’ but I love running right up against the fence. A lot of best finishes have been at race tracks where you run really hard and a lot of people are afraid of them.

“I think that’s the greatest challenge but the best part about it. I just really look forward to getting back to racing. I’m going to go into it with the mindset that I’m going to have a good time because normally when I have the best time, usually a lot of good things come of it.”

Bell will make his "green" debut in the No. 50 Liberty Tire Recycling MAKE Motorsports Chevy race truck at the Darlington Raceway in the Too Tough to Tame 200.

The race will run under the lights on Saturday, August 14 at 7:00 PM ET and will be broadcast on SPEED.

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