NASCAR: Roush racing owns Michigan
by Mark Rothstein
It?s funny how well sports and the end of the world seem to go together.
The biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (commonly referred to as War, Famine, Pestilence and Death, although there is some dispute to that interpretation) have been cribbed repeatedly in sports culture. The backfield of Notre Dame?s 1924 football team was immortalized as the Four Horsemen; LeBron James? close-knit group of friends goes by the same moniker, and who could forget pro wrestling?s venerable heel stable, led by the unparalleled Ric Flair.
Get ready for NASCAR?s own version of the apocalypse. There are four men looming over Michigan International Speedway this week, and they ride for Roush Racing. Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards have all enjoyed considerable success at Michigan. They took four of the top five spots last year at what was then called the Batman Begins 400; this year?s event at Michigan is dubbed the 3M Performance 400, and Roush Racing?s fearsome foursome is back to lay waste to the Nextel Cup landscape.
Greg Biffle is the defending champion and the early favorite for Sunday?s race. Biffle has raced six times at Michigan, winning twice and finishing in the Top 10 on four occasions. He seems to have the recipe for taming the looping tri-oval superspeedway, with its relatively low banks (18 degrees) and inviting straightaways; Biffle placed sixth on a similar track last week at Pocono, although that track has much tighter hairpin turns.
Mark Martin has the most success at Michigan of any of Roush Racing?s big four, taking the checkered flag four times, most recently in 1998. Then again, Martin has been racing since 1981 and has 40 appearances at Michigan under his belt, placing in the Top 5 an impressive 15 times. Martin is enjoying a consistent 2006 campaign, sitting in third place in the drivers standings, but he?s done so without the benefit of a victory ? Martin is actually way down in 20th place on the earnings list at $1.9 million.
Matt Kenseth is one spot ahead of Martin in the drivers standings, with wins at the Auto Club 500 and the Neighborhood Excellence 400. Kenseth won at Michigan in 2002 to claim his only title in 13 appearances, although he also has nine Top 10 finishes since making his NASCAR debut in 1998. The 2003 Winston Cup champion can overtake Jimmie Johnson in the points with a similar result this week ? Johnson is 48 points clear of Kenseth at the moment.
Carl Edwards is the only one of the four Roushkateers who has yet to cross the finish line at Michigan in first place. Then again, Edwards has only raced there three times, placing in the Top 5 in both of last year?s events. This could be his breakthrough performance. Edwards has shaken off a slow start and a change in crew chief to post Top 8 results in five of his last eight races and will have relatively short odds for Sunday?s race.
If these Four Horsemen had a mascot, it would be Jamie McMurray. He wasn?t part of Roush Racing last year, and the way he?s performing in 2006, you can be forgiven if you didn?t realize he?s their new fifth member. McMurray has just one Top 10 finish in six appearances at Michigan (a fourth for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2004), and he faces long odds this week as well.
For NASCAR odds click here>>> .
by Mark Rothstein
It?s funny how well sports and the end of the world seem to go together.
The biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (commonly referred to as War, Famine, Pestilence and Death, although there is some dispute to that interpretation) have been cribbed repeatedly in sports culture. The backfield of Notre Dame?s 1924 football team was immortalized as the Four Horsemen; LeBron James? close-knit group of friends goes by the same moniker, and who could forget pro wrestling?s venerable heel stable, led by the unparalleled Ric Flair.
Get ready for NASCAR?s own version of the apocalypse. There are four men looming over Michigan International Speedway this week, and they ride for Roush Racing. Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards have all enjoyed considerable success at Michigan. They took four of the top five spots last year at what was then called the Batman Begins 400; this year?s event at Michigan is dubbed the 3M Performance 400, and Roush Racing?s fearsome foursome is back to lay waste to the Nextel Cup landscape.
Greg Biffle is the defending champion and the early favorite for Sunday?s race. Biffle has raced six times at Michigan, winning twice and finishing in the Top 10 on four occasions. He seems to have the recipe for taming the looping tri-oval superspeedway, with its relatively low banks (18 degrees) and inviting straightaways; Biffle placed sixth on a similar track last week at Pocono, although that track has much tighter hairpin turns.
Mark Martin has the most success at Michigan of any of Roush Racing?s big four, taking the checkered flag four times, most recently in 1998. Then again, Martin has been racing since 1981 and has 40 appearances at Michigan under his belt, placing in the Top 5 an impressive 15 times. Martin is enjoying a consistent 2006 campaign, sitting in third place in the drivers standings, but he?s done so without the benefit of a victory ? Martin is actually way down in 20th place on the earnings list at $1.9 million.
Matt Kenseth is one spot ahead of Martin in the drivers standings, with wins at the Auto Club 500 and the Neighborhood Excellence 400. Kenseth won at Michigan in 2002 to claim his only title in 13 appearances, although he also has nine Top 10 finishes since making his NASCAR debut in 1998. The 2003 Winston Cup champion can overtake Jimmie Johnson in the points with a similar result this week ? Johnson is 48 points clear of Kenseth at the moment.
Carl Edwards is the only one of the four Roushkateers who has yet to cross the finish line at Michigan in first place. Then again, Edwards has only raced there three times, placing in the Top 5 in both of last year?s events. This could be his breakthrough performance. Edwards has shaken off a slow start and a change in crew chief to post Top 8 results in five of his last eight races and will have relatively short odds for Sunday?s race.
If these Four Horsemen had a mascot, it would be Jamie McMurray. He wasn?t part of Roush Racing last year, and the way he?s performing in 2006, you can be forgiven if you didn?t realize he?s their new fifth member. McMurray has just one Top 10 finish in six appearances at Michigan (a fourth for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2004), and he faces long odds this week as well.
For NASCAR odds click here>>> .
