• HOME
• 
• AUTO LISTINGS
• 
• FINANCE
• 
• NEWS
• 
• DIRECTORY
• 
• REVIEWS
• 
• FORUM
• 
• BLOG
• 

Motorsport News: Russ Bonds Weekly Report

The chase is On!

Welcome to the playoffs - that is if you are a Nextel Cup fan. Saturday night was basically, elimination night, to see who has a shot at the title, and to see who is racing for pride. Some of the names in the top ten are a little bit of a surprise, but those that didnt make the chase for the 2005 Nextel Cup, and the head table in New York for the Nextel Cup banquet are even more of a surprise.

For starters, those who are in are; Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Rusty Wallace, Jimmy Johnson, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.

Notables not making the chase in 2005 are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Junior has been nowhere most of the year, so to call it a surprise that he didnt

Those who are in the chase are Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Rusty Wallace, Jimmy Johnson, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin (shown), Jeremy Mayfield, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman. (Photo: Autostock)

make the grade is a bit of a stretch, but Gordon, who has had a good year, not making it is probably the biggest surprise of the year. He, like most teams in this era of huge dollars, can go hot and cold at a moments notice, and Gordon picked a bad time to go cold.

All the top 10 have a similar set of problems to overcome, now that they have completed the first hurdle - making the chase in the first place. Firstly, in order to stand a chance you have to perform consistently over the 10 race

Most predict the winner will come from the top five going in, and I think my choice might well be Rusty Wallace. (Photo: Autostock)

haul to the championship. One bad outing, like Jimmy Johnson had last year, and four wins in the final ten wont help.

Probably the most telling fact of this years standings is that five of the 10 come from Roush Racing (Stewart, Biffle, Busch, Edwards and Kenseth).

While on the surface that may see like a blessing, after five of the ten races if all five drivers are in the hunt it could get ugly between teammates. "All of the teams are running good," Greg Biffle said after teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards completed Roushs five-man entry into the 10-race playoff. "But the 20 car is still better than all of us."

Right now that appears to be true. Tony

Kimi R?ikk?nen has been let down - at least three times when leading - by his mount, and that has spelled problems for him in the championship hunt. (Photo: Paul Pedicelli, www.russbondagency.com)

Stewart has had most peoples number at times during the year, and so has Biffle. Busch, proved his worth in the chase last year, to become the now defending champion.

Most predict the winner will come from the top five going in, and I think my choice might well be Rusty Wallace. Even though I am by no stretch a member of the Rusty Wallace fan club, he has hung around in the top 10 all year and now more than ever that could well payoff in a championship, and that in his final year of Nextel Cup competition - well know in 10 weeks. All Wallace needs is a little dissension in the Roush camp, and he and the others will be ready to pounce. Raikkonen Still on the Outside Looking In - F1 Report

If you said McLaren-Mercedes

Championship leader, Renaults Fernando Alonso, continues to amass points in each round. (Photo: Paul Pedicelli, www.russbondagency.com)

driver Kimi Räikkönen has the fastest car in Formula 1, youd be hard pressed for anyone to make a case against it. In fact, Raikkonen proved it again with another convincing win in the Belgium Grand Prix. So, why you ask, is he not leading the World Championship?

Räikkönen has been let down - at least three times when leading - by his mount, and that has spelled problems for him in the championship hunt. Championship leader, Renaults Fernando Alonso, continues to amass points in each round, and with his 111 to 86 point lead, and only 30 more points up for grabs in the final three rounds, the championship will probably be decided in Interlagos, Brazil in two weeks time.

While Raikkonen has done all he can to make up ground, his teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya has done little to help his cause. Twice, in the last couple of races, Montoya has basically given points to Alonso - instead of Raikkonen - when he has either crashed,

Patrick Carpentier, of Joliette, Que., finished ninth to register his 10th top-10 effort of the 2005 IRL season. (Photo: autostock)

or gone off the track with a few laps remaining.

On the podium at Spa this weekend, Raikkonen didnt seem that jovial with his win, as he knew the man standing beside him - Alonso - should have been one step lower, and thus helping his championship cause. This was a fact he pointed out in the post race conference, when he stated the obvious, but clearly pointed a finger at his teammate. "If they [Renault] keep finishing behind us, it is not possible to catch him anymore," Raikkonen said.

On a Canadian note, Saubers Jacques Villeneuve had his best result in some time when he finished sixth in Belgium. "Overall, this was a great result that brought me a lot of satisfaction, especially on this challenging track," said Villeneuve.

Page:  1

AUTOMOBILE REVIEWS BY MAKE

Acura  Audi   Bentley   BMW   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Daewoo   Dodge   Eagle   Ferrari   Ford   Geo   GMC   Honda   Hummer   Hyundai   Infiniti   Isuzu   Jaguar   Jeep   Kia   Lamborghini   Lexus   Lincoln   Lotus   Maserati   Mazda   Mercedes-Benz   Mercury   MINI   Mitsubishi   Nissan   Oldsmobile   Plymouth   Pontiac   Porsche   Saab   Saturn   Scion   Subaru   Suzuki   Toyota   Volkswagen   Volvo