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The vacation is over!

Written by Rich Hemstreet · July 23, 2008

Most of us may have a summer vacation any time up through Labor Day. The kids in Michigan aren’t allowed to start school until after Labor Day, because our lawmakers decided it hurt our tourist trade too much if they started school earlier. But with 17 straight race weekends to go the NASCAR Sprint Cup Teams are all out of vacation time. Things will get really tricky if there are any race-day rain outs… compressing the following week’s schedule.

The busiest driver is going to be Tony Stewart, as I’m sure his mind is already very consumed with making the new Stewart Haas Team competitive as soon as possible, preferably no later than Speedweeks 2009.

The Brickyard Allstate 400 is one of the most prestigious races on the schedule, primarily due to the track that it takes place at… the famous Indy Brickyard. Years ago NASCAR used to race in Ontario California at Ontario Motor Speedway. It was supposed to be a near duplicate of Indianapolis.   But in 1980 the facility was sold and eventually became a Hilton Hotel.

While the Ontario track never really became a super star… the Brickyard has been a NASCAR success ever since the first 400 miler took place in 1994.  Other than the Daytona 500, perhaps there is a no more coveted individual crown than the Brickyard. And since there’s only one race a year at the Brickyard for the NASCAR teams, this weekend should see an all-out effort by NASCAR’s elite teams.

This two and a half mile oval will probably put a strain on everybody. The track can be tough on powerplants, and it will certainly prove to be tough on tempers… even after the week off most of these drivers just are still going to be strung pretty tight. Between the drivers fighting to get in the Chase, the drivers trying to get into the top 35 in points, and the drivers trying to win the Allstate 400. Not to mention the drivers hoping to impress a new owner for 2009, there should be plenty of fireworks in the upcoming races, starting at the Brickyard 400.

It’s just a shot in the dark, but I think one of the three following drivers will be the 2008 Brickyard winner. The first is Carl Edwards,  the second is Greg Biffle and the third is Junior. Who do you want to go on record as choosing to win?

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