NASCAR Preview For Kansas Speedway

Coming off that disappointing finish at Charlotte last week, Dale Earnhardt, Junior and his fans can be optimistic because this season is beginning to look pretty similar to his 2008 season which happens to be the last season he made the Chase. Just take a look at the numbers.

• He has six top 10’s this season and that's already more than the five he had in 2009. He had a total of eight last year.
• In all of his races this year he’s finished an average of 11th, just behind points leader Carl Edwards who’s finished an average of eighth.
• And this one which might be the biggest one – he’s completed more laps than anyone in the series this season.
• He stands fourth in points this year. He ran out of gas on the final lap last Sunday at Charlotte to extend his winless streak to 104 races.

So it’s off to Kansas Speedway this week. This will be the 11th Sprint Cup race at Kansas since it opened in 2001. There have been seven different winners in the first 10 races there. Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle each have won twice. Biffle won last year.  Jimmie Johnson has had the pole for 3 of the races.

Richard Petty will give the start engines command this Sunday and Jake Owen will give the fans a pre-race concert.  You might hear a few "Yee Haw's" in the crowd and I'm sure most of the drivers will be looking for more than an "Eight Second Ride".   

The number 20 Home Depot car will be carrying a special decal this weekend honoring the Joplin, Missouri store that was not only destroyed by last week’s tornado, but one of its employees was also killed. The pit crew will also wear the decal for Sunday’s race and the three races following it.

Home Depot has donated over $1-million to the area is disaster relief and has pledged to rebuild the store. Right now that store is working out of a temporary shelter and selling lumber and supplies right out of the parking lot.