EVERYONE'S CHASING ROUSH.Byline: TIM TIM Timothy TIM Technical Interchange Meeting TIM Transient Intermodulation Distortion TIM Time Is Money TIM The Invisible Man (movie) TIM Telecom Italia Mobile (Italian cellular provider) HADDOCK Motor Sports FONTANA - This is how good things are going for Roush Racing. Four of the five Roush Racing drivers had the top-four starting spots for Sunday's Sony HD 500 at California Speedway The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, similar to that of "sister track" Michigan International Speedway. It is located approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill. . Carl Edwards Carl Michael Edwards, II (born August 15, 1979) is a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Busch Series driver for Roush Fenway Racing. In the NEXTEL Cup Series, Edwards drives the No.99 Ford Fusion that is primarily sponsored by Office Depot, NASCAR's Official Office Products Partner. , Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #2 Miller Lite Dodge in Nextel Cup Series and part time in Busch Series driving the #12 Penske Truck Rental Dodge. , Mark Martin and Greg Biffle Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969 in Vancouver, Washington) is a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver. He now lives in Mooresville, North Carolina. He has also left a lasting impression as the "Most electrifying Craftsman Truck Series driver of the late 90s". took turns leading the race in the opening laps and collected the all-important five bonus points for doing so. During the second caution period of the race, the team's fifth driver, Matt Kenseth Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10 1972) is a stock car racing driver for the Roush Fenway Racing team in NASCAR's Nextel Cup series. Kenseth was raised in Cambridge, Wisconsin. - who started 23rd - took his turn leading the race when the rest of the field pitted for fuel and tires. What luck. But then again, good fortune has been following Roush Racing for the better part of three years now. Kenseth needed the bonus points more than any of his Roush Racing counterparts. He started the race 11th in points, one spot out of the top 10 and the Chase for the Championship, which starts in two weeks at New Hampshire International Speedway New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058 mile (1703 m) oval track which has hosted NASCAR racing since the 1990s. It is commonly referred to by its location, Loudon. . Kenseth leaves California Speedway ninth in points and with a coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. Chase spot with one race to go. `It's absolutely phenomenal what the 17 (Kenseth) bunch has been able to do over the past eight races,'' said Martin, driver of the No. 6 Ford Taurus for Roush Racing. ``They've really turned their season around.'' Jack Roush was asked if he was nervous about going to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway next week, the final race before the NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship begins. With five drivers in the Chase, the most of any team owner in NASCAR, Roush has little reason to be nervous. ``I've been racing 40 years. I've been to the 24 Hours of Daytona 10 times and fought it all day and night,'' Roush said. ``We won two (Cup) championships now after I created a scenario for myself that I shouldn't have been able to see the first one. I don't think I'll be nervous or uncertain of what I need to do.'' After chasing a NASCAR Cup championship for decades, Roush has built the blueprint for how to run a race team. In most cases, a multi-car team owner invests most of his resources into one driver and uses the other ones to experiment. Roush bucked that philosophy. He built five teams in the same garage, and each has a legitimate shot to win the championship. Roush Racing is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of becoming a dynasty on par with the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Yankees  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. , or the Lakers. Roush has won the past two Cup championships and looks like he will add another. Biffle, Busch, Kenseth and Edwards have all proved they can win races, sometimes in bunches, and dominate a field at any given track. Roush Racing drivers have won 10 of the first 25 races of the year. Why would Roush have a reason to be nervous? ``I just need to keep my head and try to calm my guys, let them take care of their business,'' Roush said. ``They're good enough to do what they need to do. If I don't screw it up by giving them a part that breaks and they don't misstep out of their anxiety and lack of experience to these kind of circumstances, then we'll be fine.'' They are more than fine. Roush Racing is dominating. It's possible that the top-five spots in the final Chase standings could be Roush Racing cars. No other NASCAR team can boast of that prospect. Not even by a longshot. Roger Penske, Ray Evernham, Joe Gibbs, Chip Ganassi and Rick Hendrick each have one shot to win the Chase for the Cup. Owners Robert Yates, Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt, heavyweights in NASCAR circles, have 11th place in their sights. Roush is focused on first through fifth and a chance to rule NASCAR for some time. ``I hope my guys are all in the top 10, but I expect that there will be a Cinderella story for somebody that's 12th or 13th that's going to make it and somebody that's eighth or ninth or 10th that won't,'' Roush said. ``Their hearts will be broken and a great time will be had by few.'' Most likely, the few who work and race for Roush Racing. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Jack Roush, left, saw four of five starting spots in Sunday's race occupied by his drivers, including Carl Edwards, right. Streeter Lecko/Getty Images |
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