After short hiatus, races return to Fernley track

After a three-week layoff, Fernley 95A Speedway is back in action tonight with the season’s 11th points race. IMCA Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, Super Stock 4s, Dwarfs and Pure Stocks will compete starting at 6 p.m. Gates open at 3 p.m. and admission is $12 for adults, $8 for kids 6-12 and seniors 63 and older, and free for kids 5 and under and military with ID.

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Fuel economy seems to be the watchword in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing lately. Last Sunday’s Watkins Glen race was the second straight that was decided on fuel mileage as Kevin Harvick ran out of gas two corners from the checker and Joey Logano drove by him for the win. The Glen may be Logano’s new favorite track, as he also won Saturday’s Xfinity race. Kyle Busch came home second, putting him into the top 30 in points and into the Chase field.

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This week the Sprint Cup and Camping World Trucks are at Michigan, while the Xfinity series holds its second road course race in a row, at Mid-Ohio. The Cup cars will be using the high-drag aero package used at Indianapolis. The package includes a 9-inch rear spoiler with a one inch wickerbill, a rear fascia extension panel, a 2-inch leading edge on the splitter and a 43-inch splitter extension panel. Because the package limited airflow into the cockpit at Indy, causing high cockpit temperatures, NASCAR has added NACA ducts to the right side windows for Michigan to improve airflow and reduce the heat. Michigan and Indy are two different race tracks. Drivers were coming to grips with the package during Friday’s practice. NASCAR left the door open for further minor tweaks if necessary, and used a single-car qualifying procedure on Friday rather than the knockout format.

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With four races to go until the Chase field is set, 10 drivers are locked in: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards. Kyle Busch, despite his amazing four wins, is not locked in, because he could still drop below 30th in points with a couple of bad races. Five drivers are currently in on points, but every new winner would eliminate one of those positions. Jeff Gordon is currently in the top 16, but really needs a win to cement his Chase berth. Gordon has won three times at Michigan, most recently last year, so a victory Sunday is not that much of a reach. Greg Biffle, who’s currently on the outside looking in, has four wins at the track, the most of any active driver, but has not had a stellar season. Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart each have one Michigan victory and both need a win this year to make the Chase. Of the four, Stewart has the best starting position in fifth, while Kahne rolls off 11th. Unfortunately for Biffle and Gordon, they are mired mid-pack, starting in 20th and 21st, respectively.

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And sadly, we bid goodbye to one of the giants in the sport, Elzie Wylie Baker Jr., better known as Buddy Baker. Buddy passed away last Monday from lung cancer. His driving career spanned 33 years, from 1961 until 1994. He ran 700 races in NASCAR’s top division, now known as the Sprint Cup, winning 19 of them including the 1980 Daytona 500. He never won a NASCAR championship, primarily because he raced mostly part time, competing only three times for a full season.

Buddy received many of the sport’s highest accolades, including induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Hall of Legends. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, and has twice been nominated to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Buddy is also well known for his racing commentary on The Nashville Network and CBS, and more recently hosted a racing program on Sirius Satellite Radio. He will be missed.