#49 Serta/Road Loans Dodge
Team: BAM Racing
Points: 40th
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 11
Races Finished: 9
Best Start: 18th (Dover)
Best Finish: 21st (Daytona 500)




Driver: Brent Sherman
Points: 42nd
Best Start: 29th (Daytona 500)
Best Finish: 21st (Daytona 500)



Driver: Jimmy Spencer
Points: 57th
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Mike Wallace
Points: 47th
Best Start: 43rd (Richmond)
Best Finish: 35th (Richmond)



Driver: Kevin Lepage
Points: 41st
Best Start: 18th (Dover)
Best Finish: 31st (Pocono)



Driver: Chris Cook
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A

<No picture available>

After Ken Schrader left, sponsorship from Schwan's also left which left BAM Racing, one of the good stories of the past few years of a single car team climbing the ladder to success, a bit crippled.  They opted to pick up Brent Sherman, who brought along Serta and Hickory Farms sponsorship.  Due to his rather...err...unimpressive showings in Busch the previous year, which was a HUGE disappointment, many people pegged him as a laugher of an entry this season and as the weakest rookie of the season by far.  Well just as most pay drivers go, Sherman's results were very bad.  He had that nice 21st finish to start off the season but was lost after that.  He also had that laughably miserable race at Bristol where he spun 5 times.  Once they lost automatic entry, Sherman wasnt fast enough to make any field of any kind except when he barely squeaked in at Phoenix which had a weak entry list.   So the team got fed up and dumped him and his money and its been a driver-for-hire situation since.  Jimmy Spencer was picked up for a race where he failed.  Mike Wallace for a field too, where he was mediocre.  Kevin Lepage has generally been the go-to guy, and while his results are also unspectacular, his qualifying is better than Sherman's.  One thing is clear.  Either Ken Schrader was a marvel of a driver for BAM or they have lost a ton of speed in the last year.

Mid Term Grade: D- (This team is now a backmarker.  All they built up in 3 years with Schrader is gone.  Its back to the days they had Andy Hillenburg and Shawna Robinson)

-----------------------------------------------

#50 Unsponsored Dodge
Team: Arnold Development
Points: 64th
Races Attempted: 1
Races Made: 0
Races Finished: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Larry Foyt
Points: N/A



Arnold Development had hoped their sponsor from last year, Allied Steel would give them full year sponsorship.  It looked like it would happen too but as they neared the Daytona 500, Allied Steel opted to jump on as an associate with a bigger team.  Arnold Development wasnt in great position anyway, let alone one that would them require a rebound.  They picked up Cup refugee and general bust, Larry Foyt for their driver for the Daytona 500 with no sponsor anywhere on the car.  After they failed making the field by a longshot the team went into hiding.  It wasnt too long before they announced disbanding.  And so the 3 year experience in NASCAR was over for Arnold, who had a mildly successful couple of seasons thanks to PJ Jones and Todd Bodine in 2004 and Jimmy Spencer in 2005.  The bad news was that they would never get a top 20 in the series despite some decent races.  And they end their existance just how they started with Billy Bigley Jr in 2003.  Not making a single field in the season and looking rather miserable trying.

Mid Term Grade: F (It all just sort of fell apart there)

--------------------------------------------

#51 Marathon Oil Chevrolet
Team: Competitive Edge Motorsports
Points: 49th
Races Attempted: 10
Races Made: 4
Races Finished: 1
Best Start: 23rd (Texas)
Best Finish: 38th (Twice)



Driver: Mike Garvey
Points: 52nd



They originally wanted to make the full season charge this season but unlike Arnold, it wasnt so much a sponsorship issue.  It had more to do with the huge entry lists that started off the season, plus they didnt have all their cars available or good enough to be competitive on a level they would want to showcase or even attempt with.  So they scaled back to a part time season for yet another year.  Last year this team looked very promising with Stuart Kirby.  I was sad to see them release Kirby.  Garvey is a good driver though.  Hes older but hes had a great reputation for qualifying and racing clean.  Now this season has been pretty disappointing.  Theyve DNQed more than theyve made races.  But its important to note that other teams probably got better while they didnt improve nearly as much in the offseason and they are certainly an underdog team with these massive fields, it becomes very easy to DNQ.  When they make races they run with the rest of the privateer teams, right in the rear.  Finishing percentage though I believe is the biggest disappointment.  Last year they seemed on their way to being able to finish half or more of the races they ran.  It just hasnt been the case this year.  That 23rd qualifying position at Texas was nice though.  Next year they hope to go full time, but theyve said that before and didnt, so Ill just wait and see what happens first.

Mid Term Grade: D (Theyre still worthy of making the field, but they have fallen a bit backward from last season)

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More to come!

---

If at first you dont succeed, dont try skydiving
Both diapers and politicians need to be changed--and usually for the same reasons

#44 Hendrick: Ah the evil chicken car. I hope Terry Labonte has a good last half to his final season.
#45 Petty: I like that livery. Seems like they've continued their form from 2005, though perhaps with Bobby Labonte's pace they'll start getting faster themselves.
#48 Hendrick: Bah, I could do better
#49 BAM: This team really has slipped from 2005. Maybe it's due to the fact they've lost their driver and main sponsor, that'll hurt any team, so I would have expected some drop off but now they've been booted out of the top 35 in the points they probably won't regain it.
#51 Competitive Edge: They haven't quite lived up to their name so far this year. They've only made 40% of races and that isn't quite good enough. They need to find more qualifying pace just to help them make it into these bigger fields.

F1: McLaren have released Juan Pablo Montoya from his contract effective immediately. I'm not too sure how much this was a joint decision but it's probably for the best for Montoya. Now the Columbian can focus entirely on getting prepared for 2007. McLaren will replaced Montoya with Pedro de la Rosa for the rest of the season.

BTCCWCMSBR:
4. Jason Plato
Team: Northern South
Entry Name: SEAT Sport UK
Car: SEAT Leon
Best 2006 Result: 1st (2 wins)
Poles: 1
Fastest Laps: 3
Races Entered: 12
Races Finished: 9
Drivers’ Championship Standing: 3rd with 86 points

Thruxton was a bit of a disaster for Plato, scoring nil points in the first two races and dropping a total of 30 points to Matt Neal over the course of the day. It really dented Plato’s title hopes and he’ll probably need Neal to have a similarly bad weekend at some point. Ignoring Thruxton, Plato has been doing what we would expect of him. He’s claimed two race wins and some other podiums but he needs now to have a bit more consistency and bag more top 5 finishes even when things are going badly for him. He still has a good shot at the title.
Grade: A- (Needs to put Thruxton behind him and hope Neal slips up)

1. Matt Neal
Team: Team Dynamics
Entry Name: Team Halfords
Car: Honda Integra Type-R
Best 2006 Result: 1st (4 wins)
Poles: 1
Fastest Laps: 1
Races Entered: 12
Races Finished: 11
Drivers’ Championship Standing: 1st with 131 points
Independents’ Cup Standing: 1st with 137 points

Look at the man’s finishing record. He’s retired once and he would have got a podium had he finished that race at Brands Hatch, his two other worst results have been an 8th and a 4th, otherwise Neal has claimed 9 podium finishes so far this year. This is why he’s leading the points, how on Earth do you stop a man who constantly scores big points? Turkington and Plato need Neal to have one really bad race weekend to cut the 43 points lead back down to something more manageable. It may also be Neal’s last season in the BTCC for a while with him looking at moving on to the WTCC. I can’t blame him, he’s conquered the national championship now he needs to prove himself against the big boys in the world series. But for now he needs to focus on becoming the first man in almost 20 years to retain the BTCC Drivers’ title.
Grade: A (Great start to the year with consistent pace and wins, needs to keep this up in the next half of the season)

---

Scratchit: But he's a cripple!
Blackadder: He's not a cripple, Mrs Scratchit. Occasionally saying "Phew! My leg hurts!" when he remembers to wouldn't fool Baldrick!

Re: JPM--I know he wanted to complete the F-1 season, but youre right, this is probably better for him.  I bet Ganassi is preparing a Busch ride for him as we speak.  Ganassi says that he'll want to get JPM in a Cup race this season but thats 3 or 4 steps down the road.

Re: Plato--Well he needs Neal and Turks to have bad weekends, but over the course of the year, provided he only has 1 Thruxton weekend all year, he'll probably get by Turks anyway at Turks' best.  Hes not out of the title chase yet but Neal's consistancy will be a tower to climb.

Re: Neal--Fantastic finishing percentage and if you look at last year too, its incredible.   The Integra is finally allowing him to shine the brightest of his career.  Id be sad to see him go to the WTCC which just isnt as exciting as BTCC

----------------------------

NASCAR news:  There are now rumors about Danica Patrick moving over to NASCAR which would bring even more fans over to NASCAR.  Roush and Childress have shown interest.   Danica's manager (her father) has been caught talking to NASCAR and some team owners which have allowed this rumor to errupt.  Patrick wont be returning to her current team, Rahal-Letterman, at the end of the season anyway so all bets are on right now.

-----------------------------

#52 Pro30.com Dodge
Team: AD Motorsports
Points: 61st
Races Attempted: 3
Races Made: 0
Races Finished: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Larry Gunselman
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Steve Portenga
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Donnie Neuenburger
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



This was Ware Racing Enterprises but they merged with a failing Busch team to create AD Motorsports.  New name same results.  Last year they attempted 8 races with about 3 different drivers and failed miserably just about every time out.  Their season came to an abrupt end when Derrike Cope totalled their best car while trying to qualify for Pocono.  They started this season with the same driver they tried to get into the Daytona 500 with last year--Larry Gunselman.  The fact is, Gunselman isnt the fastest driver and this isnt the fastest car so they were extraordinary longshots to make the Daytona 500 field and without the Twin 150s yielding any big accidents, their chances of making the field were zippo.  They tried to make the Phoenix race with Western series driver Steve Portenga and were the slowest ones there.  They appeared at Dover with Donnie Neuenburger and also failed.  Not sure when or if we'll see them return.  Im pretty sure we'll see them again though.  Theyre now 0-11 in making fields.

Mid Term Grade: F (Not even close right now)

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#55 NAPA/Domino's Dodge
Team: Bill Davis Racing
Points: 38th
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 17
Races Finished: 14
Best Start: 19th (Daytona: Summer)
Best Finish: 18th (Daytona 500)



Driver: Michael Waltrip
Points: 35th



After getting canned from DEI, Waltrip took NAPA and Domino's sponsorship with him to the 2nd Bill Davis Racing team.  And after the #77 Penske Racing South team folded, Michael Waltrip managed to convince them to give him their points through probably promises and money, so this gave them automatic entry for the first 5 races.  I didnt mind too much because I expected this team to be so much better than it has been.  Their first 4 results were mixed when he got an 18th and 20th but sandwiched between them was a 35th and a 36th.  The bad news is that those would be the only top 20s Waltrip would amass this first half of the season.  The good news?  Uhhh....Michael is still a good spokesman for his sponsors.  There isnt much good news to be had with this team.  Once they got through the first 5 races, automatic entry faded for Waltrip and he ended up DNQing at Charlotte, the team's lone DNQ.  Waltrip managed to buy the McGlynn seat away from Cope so he ran the race anyway.  Since the 20th at Atlanta, 14 races ago, hes only had 3 top 25 finishes, however 2 of them came within the last 4 races so things may or may not be turning around.  If they arent turning around then hes looking at the back of the field for a while longer then.  Waltrip buys this team at the end of the year and will have it be part of his team's stable as it switches to Toyota.

Mid Term Grade: D- (Pretty miserable and forgettable)

------------------------------------------------------

#59 Year One Chevrolet
Team: Andy Belmont Racing
Points: 66th
Races Attempted: 1
Races Made: 0
Races Finished: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Andy Belmont
Points: N/A



Not much to be said here.  Andy Belmont is a LONG time ARCA veteran and he once ran Cup way back in the day too.  He almost always attempts the Daytona 500 because the reward is worth it, but he never makes it in.  They brought in a newer car than usual and it showed because he was no longer the slowest, he was about the 3rd slowest.  Thats an improvement.  But as expected after the Speedweeks at Daytona, Belmont went right back to ARCA and this Cup team hasnt been heard from since.  Theyll probably be back next year at Daytona for the Daytona 500 time trials once again but I wouldnt put a dime on them attempting another race this season

Mid Term Grade: U (1 and done for 2006 I think)

--------------------

More to come!

---

If at first you dont succeed, dont try skydiving
Both diapers and politicians need to be changed--and usually for the same reasons

#60 SOBE/Dollar General Ford
Team: NO FEAR Racing (In Association with Roush Racing)
Points: 45th
Races Attempted: 2
Races Made: 2
Races Finished: 2
Best Start: Pole (Daytona: Summer)
Best Finish: 4th (Daytona: Summer)



Driver: Boris Said III
Points: 44th



Boris would have loved to have come back with MB2 and the 36 team for another season, however he said he wanted to run the full schedule and since MB2 was only offering road courses, Said decided to leave.  And in the end it was probably the right decision because forming his own team has turned out to be a huge success.  He formed a team with the Simo brothers, crew chief Frank Stoddart, and sponsor of safety equipment NO FEAR in association with Roush Racing.   Thats a mouthful, but the product on the field is really good.  They debuted at Said's trademark track, Sears Point and the race went a little rocky due to incidents but still was able to claim a top 10.  The following week at Daytona would be their crown jewel of the season, albeit 2 races old.  Said achieved pole, his first on an oval, and would race mid pack most of the way.  Hed gamble on pit strategy and would hold his own versus very fast leaders.  He would eventually claim 4th, his 2nd best finish.  They want to race another 4-7 races this season so wait to see them back in action.  Theyll want to go full time next year.

Mid Term Grade: A- (2 very good results in 2 races)

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#61 Various Sponsors Dodge/Chevrolet
Team: Peak Performance/Front Row Motorsports
Points: 41st
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 10
Races Finished: 8
Best Start: 23rd (Twice)
Best Finish: 25th (Daytona 500)




Driver: Kevin Lepage
Points: 41st
Best Start: 23rd (Twice)
Best Finish: 25th (Daytona 500)



Driver: Chad Chaffin
Points: 45th
Best Start: 37th (Pocono)
Best Finish: 33rd (Pocono)



Driver: Brian Simo
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Chad Blount
Points: 63rd
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Peak Performance's 2005 was a huge disappointment until they got Kevin Lepage and Mike Garvey to drive for them.  Their season was suddenly turned around into a best of the rest scenario.  They happily brought Kevin Lepage back but they realized they were still having financial issues.  Kevin Lepage didnt disappoint getting into the Daytona 500, in fact he made the first 5 races on merit until DNQing at Martinsville and later Phoenix.  It was at about this time that Peak Performance opted to sell out to/align with Front Row Motorsports.   Lepage remained the driver until he got offered the ride at BAM Racing.  Chad Chaffin would come over and take over the seat in Lepage's absence.  Chaffin would make only 2 of the 6 races he attempted with the #61.  However hed get offered a full time truck ride, which the team didnt want him to turn down, so they have put Chad Blount behind the wheel for the races that conflict with the truck schedule.  As far as their finishes, Theyve finished most of their races but theyre backmarkers through and through with only 2 top 30s (25th and 28th).   I admire the effort, but the recent DNQs are killing them.  They were on a nice pace until then

Mid Term Grade: D (Theyre starting to let it all fall apart)

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#66 Best Buy Chevrolet
Team: Haas Automation
Points: 26th
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 18
Races Finished: 17
Best Start: 4th (Texas)
Best Finish: 12th (Charlotte)



Driver: Jeff Green
Points: 26th



Its good to be consistant...so they say.  Jeff Green sure has been consistant in his career.  Consistantly average in every way.  Haas Automation let Mike Bliss go at the end of the 2005 season and picked up Jeff Green who decided to leave Petty Enterprises.  Mike Bliss had flashes of brilliance with Haas but had lots of forgotten and bad races.  Jeff Green has none of any of that.  Hes mid pack almost all the time, which in the end is an improvement over Mike Bliss, whose inconsistancies cost them a few positions in the points.  Jeff Green had 1 impressive race this season when he was dominant in the first 1/3 of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.  He faded as day turned into night and finished 12th, one of his 3 top 15 finishes and 8 top 20s of the season.  Finishing percentage is great though, and the fact he hasnt had very many bad races (Only 4 finishes outside the top 30), he has landed himself nearly in the money paying positions when I thought it'd be a big drop off season for Haas.  The bad news is the car owner could be in some big trouble with tax fraud in the government, it hasnt gone to trial, so innocent until proven guilty.  Whatever the verdict is, they say the team will still be kept in action and wouldnt be effected in any way.

Mid Term Grade: C (The 3 certain things in life seem to be death, taxes and Jeff Green running mid field)
-------------------

More to come!

----------------------

The entry list is up for New Hampshire, here it is:

47 cars

Car	Driver	Hometown	Make	Sponsor	Owner
1	Martin Truex Jr.*	Mayetta, NJ	Chevrolet	Bass Pro Shops/Tracker	Teresa Earnhardt
01	Joe Nemechek	Lakeland, FL	Chevrolet	U.S. Army	Nelson Bowers
2	Kurt Busch	Las Vegas, NV	Dodge	Miller Lite	Roger Penske
4	Scott Wimmer	Wausau, WI	Chevrolet	AERO Exhaust	Larry McClure
5	Kyle Busch	Las Vegas, NV	Chevrolet	Kellogg's	Rick Hendrick
6	Mark Martin	Batesville, AR	Ford	AAA	Jack Roush
7	Robby Gordon	Orange, CA	Chevrolet	Menards/MAPEI	Robby Gordon
07	Clint Bowyer*	Emporia, KS	Chevrolet	Sylvania	Richard Childress
8	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Kannapolis, NC	Chevrolet	Budweiser	Teresa Earnhardt
9	Kasey Kahne	Enumclaw, WA	Dodge	Dodge Dealers/UAW	Ray Evernham
10	Scott Riggs	Bahama, NC	Dodge	Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper	James Rocco
11	Denny Hamlin*	Chesterfield, VA	Chevrolet	FedEx Express	J D Gibbs
12	Ryan Newman	South Bend, IN	Dodge	ALLTEL	Roger Penske
14	Sterling Marlin	Columbia, TN	Chevrolet	Waste Management	Nelson Bowers, II
16	Greg Biffle	Vancouver, WA	Ford	Subway/National Guard	Geoff Smith
17	Matt Kenseth	Cambridge, WI	Ford	DEWALT	Mark Martin
18	J.J. Yeley*	Phoenix, AZ	Chevrolet	Interstate Batteries	Joe Gibbs
19	Jeremy Mayfield	Owensboro, KY	Dodge	Dodge Dealers/UAW	Ray Evernham
20	Tony Stewart	Rushville, IN	Chevrolet	The Home Depot	Joe Gibbs
21	Ken Schrader	Fenton, MO	Ford	Little Debbie	Glen Wood
22	Dave Blaney	Hartford, OH	Dodge	Caterpillar	Bill Davis
24	Jeff Gordon	Pittsboro, IN	Chevrolet	DuPont	Rick Hendrick
25	Brian Vickers	Thomasville, NC	Chevrolet	GMAC	Mary Hendrick
26	Jamie McMurray	Joplin, MO	Ford	LENOX Industrial Tools	Georgetta Roush
29	Kevin Harvick	Bakersfield, CA	Chevrolet	GM Goodwrench	Richard Childress
31	Jeff Burton	South Boston, VA	Chevrolet	Cingular Wireless	Richard Childress
32	Travis Kvapil	Janesville, WI	Chevrolet	Tide-Downy	Calvin Wells, III
34	Joey McCarthy	Randolph, NJ	Chevrolet	Front Row Motorsports	Brad Jenkins
38	Elliott Sadler	Emporia, VA	Ford	M&M's	Robert Yates
40	David Stremme*	South Bend, IN	Dodge	Coors Light	Felix Sabates
41	Reed Sorenson*	Peachtree City, GA	Dodge	Target	Chip Ganassi
42	Casey Mears	Bakersfield, CA	Dodge	Texaco/Havoline	Floyd Ganassi
43	Bobby Labonte	Corpus Christi, TX	Dodge	Cheerios/Betty Crocker	Richard L Petty
45	Kyle Petty	Randleman, NC	Dodge	Petty Enterprises	Kyle Petty
48	Jimmie Johnson	El Cajon, CA	Chevrolet	Lowe's	Jeff Gordon
49	Kevin Lepage	Shelburne, VT	Dodge	State Water Heaters	Elizabeth Morgenthau
55	Michael Waltrip	Owensboro, KY	Dodge	NAPA Auto Parts	Douglas Bawel
61	Ted Christopher	Plainville, CT	Dodge	Peak Performance	Jeff Stec
66	Jeff Green	Owensboro, KY	Chevrolet	Best Buy	Gene Haas
74	Derrike Cope	Spanaway, WA	Dodge	Royal Administration	Raynard McGlynn
88	Dale Jarrett	Hickory, NC	Ford	UPS	Robert Yates
89	Morgan Shepherd	Conover, NC	Dodge	Victory In Jesus	Cindy Shepherd
95	Stanton Barrett	Bishop, CA	Chevrolet	TheRaceSpace.com	Stanton Barrett
96	Tony Raines	La Porte, IN	Chevrolet	DLP HDTV	Bill Saunders
99	Carl Edwards	Columbia, MO	Ford	Office Depot	Jack Roush
00	Bill Elliott	Dawsonville, GA	Chevrolet	Burger King	Michael Waltrip
78	Kenny Wallace	St. Louis, MO	Chevrolet	Furniture Row Racing	Barney Visser

Rebirth of a team!  Of course I had reported Morgan Shepherd had sold his team to the Mullet brothers, but that didnt mean he was done with racing.  He apparently signed on new partners, so essentially this is a brand new team...only it isnt.  Itll be a different set of chassis, but same driver, same sponsors, same general look.  Shepherd said he didnt want to quit and that guys past the age of 50 can still do lots of things.  One thing he never wants to do is give up. 

Otherwise, we see the usual suspects aside from the 2 Busch North guys, Ted Christopher and Joey McCarthy in Front Row cars because they have experience here and have had success here even in Cup cars.

---

If at first you dont succeed, dont try skydiving
Both diapers and politicians need to be changed--and usually for the same reasons

#70 Haas Automation Chevrolet
Team: Haas Automation
Points: 68th
Races Attempted: 1
Races Made: 1
Races Finished: 1
Best Start: 14th (Charlotte)
Best Finish: 24th (Charlotte)



Driver: Johnny Sauter
Points: 65th



This is the 2nd of the Haas Automation teams, running part time with Johnny Sauter.  Theyve previously been in an incarnation of the #60 that was once driven by David Green and Jason Leffler.  This was probably the best show the 2nd car of Haas has ever put on at Charlotte.  They ran right up front with Jeff Green through the first 1/3 of the race before fading under nightfall.  He would eventually spin and cut down a tire which took out any chance of a top 20.  They should be back for Indianapolis and a few other events the 2nd half.

Mid Term Grade: U (Only 1 race but it was a decent showing)

---------------------------------------------------------

#72 Dutch Quality Stone Dodge
Team: CJM Racing
Points: 58th
Races Attempted: 4
Races Made: 1
Races Finished: 1
Best Start: 31st (Sears Point)
Best Finish: 32nd (Sears Point)




Driver: Kertus Davis
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Brent Sherman
Points: 42nd
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: David Gilliland
Points: 58th
Best Start: 31st (Sears Point)
Best Finish: 32nd (Sears Point)



With the sudden star ability of David Gilliland, it wouldnt surprise me if this team became a trivia point as to what team David Gilliland started his Cup career with.  This was Morgan Shepherd's team and the Mullet Brothers helped run the team with Morgan.  But when Shepherd wanted a few changes he opted to sell his share of the team over to the Mullet brothers and thus CJM Racing was born.  They opted to debut at Charlotte with young driver Kertus Davis who had impressed some owners by doing a lot with a little in the Busch series.  Their first attempt at Charlotte went badly when they were by far the slowest car.  And then when they came to attempt Pocono with Brent Sherman, it was just as bad a result.  After David Gilliland's absolutely shocking Busch victory, they were quick to sign him for one of his home races, Sears Point.  Gilliland continued to shock everyone and get this team who under the Shepherd and Mullet ownership combined for 10 DNQs and 0 races made.  And just like that he was in the field a solid 31st.  After finishing the race 1 lap down in 32nd Gilliland had owners all over the garage knocking at his door for possible 2007 rides.  It really was a great effort by Gilliland, but it also was proof that given the right driver, CJM was good enough to make the field and finish the race.  Unfortunetly it'll be the first and last race Gilliland will make with this team in 2006.  The team picked Davis back up for Daytona and promptly DNQed.  They plan to be at more races this season but Im not sure which ones.

Mid Term Grade:  D (Gilliland saves them from the F and then some)


-----------------------------------------

#74 Royal Administration Dodge
Team: McGlynn Racing
Points: 48th
Races Attempted: 13
Races Made: 6
Races Finished: 1
Best Start: 33rd (Darlington)
Best Finish: 37th (Dover)



Driver: Derrike Cope
Points: 52nd
Best Start: 33rd (Darlington)
Best Finish: 37th (Dover)



Driver: Michael Waltrip
Points: 35th
Best Start: 43rd (Charlotte)
Best Finish: 41st (Charlotte)



This is McGlynn Racing with some new sponsors after switching drivers from Carl Long to Derrike Cope for sponsorship and experience reasons.  At first this looked like a complete disaster of a team and a move.  Carl Long was at least making fields, but Derrike Cope in the early going wasnt making a single race with the team hoping to run the full season.  They came close in the Twin 150s showing some surprising drafting speed despite the team never attempting a restrictor plate race before.  It must have been Cope's experience shining on the track he once won at.  Sadly it wasnt enough to make the field and the team went into a major slump of DNQs, DNQing the first 5 races of the season.  The team opted to stop running full time and run more focused on certain events, and man, did it pay off big time.  The team looked faster and more prepared for the races.  They would successfully make 6 of the 8 races they would attempt after going back to part time.  One of those races, Charlotte, they even bumped Michael Waltrip out of the field, forcing Waltrip to buy the seat away from Cope to get points for the event.  While the team seems like more of a threat to make races now, they still seem to be DNFing quite a bit.  The finishing percentage is pretty rotten.  3 of the 6 races theyve run, they didnt last 15 laps.  The fact that they lasted the entire way at Dover suggests that they do have the potential longevity to make it to the checkers, which is good progress for such a small team, but Id still like to see more races where they can go triple digit laps rather than a piddly 11 or 12 laps.

Mid Term Grade: C- (Its been an improvement, and especially since going back to part time, they have become a threat to make fields)

---------------------

More to come!

---

If at first you dont succeed, dont try skydiving
Both diapers and politicians need to be changed--and usually for the same reasons

--------------------------------

#78 Furniture Row Chevrolet
Team: Furniture Row Racing
Points: 42nd
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 8
Races Finished: 7
Best Start: 31st (Phoenix)
Best Finish: 25th (Twice)



Driver: Kenny Wallace
Points: 42nd
Best Start: 31st (Phoenix)
Best Finish: 25th (Twice)



Driver: Jimmy Spencer
Points: 57th
Best Start: 34th (Pocono)
Best Finish: 32nd (Pocono)



Driver: Travis Kvapil
Points: 37th
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Due to a sponsor push, Furniture Row Racing, owned by Furniture Row, a western chain of furniture stores, was forced to make a jump from Busch to Cup after only half a season of experience under their belts.  To make things worse, this team is located in Colorado, which isnt exactly the realm that teams choose to compete in.  It creates heavy costs for transportation and exchange with other teams.  Hmmm I also remember an F-1 team being forced to jump into a top series much faster than they wanted.  Now Im not going to compare this team to Lola, but it seems like such decisions are always bad ones.  They were doing just fine in Busch, and actually surprising people making 90% of the races they attempted.  Now that theyve made the jump, they are making less than 50% of the races and looking to be among the slowest running in all fields they are in.  That said, they have experienced drivers and reliable equipment.  Kenny Wallace and Jimmy Spencer who have loads of Cup experience have both said they like this team a lot because of the amount of effort they put forth in a single racing weekend.  The results havent really shown it, but they finish races and they have a pair of top 25s and 3 top 30s to show for it.  If they had a bit more money, a bit more time, and relocated they could turn out to be a marginal top 35/top 30 team, but theyre stubborn.  They want to stay in Colorado, and power to them, its just going to be a huge climb for them.

Mid Term Grade: D (Its an ok start for their existance.  It doesnt look dire but it doesnt look great)

-------------------------------------

#80 RoadLoans Ford
Team: Hover Motorsports
Points: 67th
Races Attempted: 1
Races Made: 0
Races Finished: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Carl Long
Points: N/A



Hover Motorsports is a team that I have great respect for.  Theyve run on practically nothing for over a decade in the sport.  But these last 2 years have probably been their biggest struggle.  They attempted only 2 races last season and failed to make them both.  This year they appeared at Daytona like they always do with Carl Long and, fortunetely, sponsors too.  The attempt was well back of everyone else and they landed themselves a DNQ which they always do at Daytona.  The team has gone back into hiding due to the huge entry lists.  This team tends to come out of hiding when entry lists have shrunk to 45 or less on a consistant basis.  They know the cost of making an attempt and their chances on making a field.  I just admire them for existing for so long and working so hard on nothing.

Mid Term Grade: U (Just one attempt.  I doubt we'll see much of them this season again.  So probably will be seeing them next at the 2007 Daytona 500)

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#88 UPS Ford
Team: Robert Yates Racing
Points: 24th
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 18
Races Finished: 16
Best Start: 4th (Talladega)
Best Finish: 9th (Atlanta)



Driver: Dale Jarrett
Points: 24th



After 12.5 years with Yates Racing, Jarrett has announced this will be his last year with the now suddenly floundering team which gave him his only championship in 1999.  Now people think him going to the unproven Michael Waltrip Racing from Yates is a mistake, but honestly, looking at this season, its time for a change.  Jarrett is getting up there in years now and a major change could be a breath of fresh air, even if the team he is going to is currently doing poorly.  It shouldnt be struggling as much when Toyota will give it tons of cash.  As far as this season goes, people thought this may be a return to strength year for Yates, instead Jarrett is deeper in the points than we could imagine after back to back 15th place finishes in the points.  Its just as bad as his 2003 season which was a disaster.  The year only has yielded 2 top 10 finishes, both coming in the first 4 races of the season.  He hasnt gotten a finish better than 20th in his last 9 races, which is just a terrible percentage for a team that was once considered to be among the 4 power teams of NASCAR, at one point feared more than Roush.  And they really have no excuse.  Theyve got the money, sponsors, talent, personel, and even an engine package alliance with Roush.  Everything there should read top 10 team all over it, and yet...24th?

Mid Term Grade: D (Very disappointing.  At this rate they shouldnt be in the top 25)

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More to come!

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If at first you dont succeed, dont try skydiving
Both diapers and politicians need to be changed--and usually for the same reasons

#89 Dutch Quality Stone Dodge
Team: Victory in Jesus
Points: 53rd
Races Attempted: 8
Races Made: 0
Races Finished: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Morgan Shepherd
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Kertus Davis
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Morgan Shepherd has been in the sport for over 30 years now as a Cup driver.  He just doesnt want to give up and he wants to race for many reasons.  I feel hes riding more on hope and dreams than anything else.  He certainly isnt riding on cash and a great car.  He originally announced hed be attempting the full season, but after 6 straight DNQs, the team quickly went on hiatus.  After another DNQ at Talladega, it appeared that changes were going to be in the works with the team.  Kertus Davis attempted the next race at Richmond and still DNQed.  But this was the first sign of a team split up.  Shepherd sold his team and its cars to his partners, the Mullet Brothers, creating CJM Racing.  I thought that would be the end of Shepherd in Cup, but lo and behold, he signs on new partners so this team will be back in a new incarnation starting this weekend at New Hampshire.

Mid Term Grade: F (Theyve been pretty rotten, worse than years past, so thats probably why changes were made)
-------------------------------------

#92 Mokato Chevrolet
Team: Front Row Motorsports
Points: 54th
Races Attempted: 9
Races Made: 1
Races Finished: 0
Best Start: 43rd (Martinsville)
Best Finish: 42nd (Martinsville)



Driver: Chad Chaffin
Points: 45th
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Randy LaJoie
Points: N/A
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A



Driver: Chad Blount
Points: 63rd
Best Start: 43rd (Martinsville)
Best Finish: 42nd (Martinsville)



Alright, you need a compass to follow the direction this team has gone in.  It started out the season with Chad Chaffin and the #1 Front Row Motorsports entry.  They had an excellent showing in the Twin 150s until a tire let go and ended Chaffin's chances on making the 500.  The next week is where it got confusing.  The were forced to withdraw from California due to mechanical problems before qualifying.  Now the team wanted to have Chaffin have the best chance on making fields, so they switched him over to their second car which had more attempts with it, the #34 entry.  This entry became their second car in line so their backup drivers became the drivers, Randy LaJoie and later Chad Blount who gave this team in this number its only start of the season at Martinsville, which didnt go well.  Once the team merged with Peak Performance, this team in its #92 entity forged with the #61 team and this entity disappeared.

Mid Term Grade: F (1 start that went as badly as it did does not warrent a good grade)
------------------------------------------

#95 Yippee.net/Hair of Dog/TheRaceSpace.com Chevrolet
Team: Stanton Barrett Motorsports
Points: 44th
Races Attempted: 15
Races Made: 5
Races Finished: 2
Best Start: 30th (California)
Best Finish: 33rd (Phoenix)




Driver: Stanton Barrett
Points: 48th



Now I think this car has some of the coolest paint schemes, fitting since stuntman Stanton Barrett is one of the cooler people in the garage (He plays a very good Hollywood Stuntman away from the track).  Barrett's passion is racing, though, and when he isnt signed for a team, he runs his own team so that he can race.  It happened in the Busch series and now its active in the Cup series.  He had some mild success at it in Busch, in Cup its been a bit more of a challenge.  He was attempting every race this season and he seemed to make about 50% of the races.  He made 3 of the first 6 races and 4 of the first 8 with decent results for such a private entry.  Of those first 4 races he had finished 2 of them and had 1 top 35 to show for it.  But I think the full schedule was taking its toll on the team and they started DNQing left and right.  Theyve DNQed 6 of their last 7 attempts and in that stretch theyve pulled back into only a part time team.

Mid Term Grade: D (The 2 finishes are good but the season is starting to slip into the abyss for them)

----------------------

Only a couple more to go for this season's mid terms!

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If at first you dont succeed, dont try skydiving
Both diapers and politicians need to be changed--and usually for the same reasons

#96 Texas Instruments/Circuit City Chevrolet
Team: Hall of Fame Racing
Points: 27th
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 18
Races Finished: 17
Best Start: 12th (Martinsville)
Best Finish: 3rd (Sears Point)



Driver: Terry Labonte
Points: 40th
Best Start: 35th (Las Vegas)
Best Finish: 3rd (Sears Point)



Driver: Tony Raines
Points: 38th
Best Start: 12th (Martinsville)
Best Finish: 16th (Pocono)



The well rumored team that seemed almost like a phantom team at one point finally got everything put together for the 2006 season and onwards with big time sponsorship, a big time deal with Gibbs to supply chassis and a pair of good drivers to put and keep them in the top 35 in points.  Lots of money was put forth to put this team in motion and the bottom line is, its still just a 1 car effort with no experience as a team and thus an underdog of 1 form or another.  Terry Labonte's first 5 races with the team supplied very poor qualifying results but manageable finishes, with 4 top 30s and 3 top 25s and a top 20.  That was more than enough to solidify themselves in the top 35 in points.  Raines took over and qualifying performances as a whole got lots better, meanwhile the race results were....ok.  Not much to get excited about but only 1 DNF from engine failure at Charlotte is certainly a great percentage from the team in getting track time to work out the bugs and easing up on the time it takes to repair cars, since theyve yet to total a car.   In fact I can only think of a couple spins theyve gotten involved in and thats it.  Which is great, and expected.  Terry Labonte has never wrecked that much in his career nor has Raines.   Raines has only seen 2 results so far worse than 30th, though he has yet to score a top 15 finish.  Most finishes are around 17th through 24th for them.  Of course their highlight of the season came at Sears Point when they claimed their first ever top 15, top 10, top 5, and top 3 all in one fell swoop.  Pit strategy and driver control helped them score a 3rd in a shocker at Sears Point.  Theyd love to see more results like that but right now they are just consistantly running races without issue.  

Mid Term Grade: C (Id love to see some better results the 2nd half, and they say theyre really looking forward to it, so good luck to them)

---------------------------------------------

#99 Office Depot Ford
Team: Roush Racing
Points: 14th
Races Attempted: 18
Races Made: 18
Races Finished: 15
Best Start: 3rd (Twice)
Best Finish: 2nd (Michigan)



Driver: Carl Edwards
Points: 14th



After a breakout sophomore season, Carl Edwards (And just about everyone else) was looking at Crazy Carl to get a championship-like season featuring several wins and subsequent backflips along the way.  The first half of the season we've seen Edwards instead struggle to find a consistantcy that would put him in the realm of making the chase.  In fact hes on the outside looking in at this point which is a major disappointment.  Even more disappointing is that he hasnt even won a race in 2006, something fans have been waiting a good while to see him do this season.  The closest he came was at Michigan, where Kahne already dominated the field anyway and so Edwards had little to no chance to win that race.   After the first 7 races had multiple peaks and valleys, it looked like his 2006 was on a more consistant pace but more recently his races have gone back to mixed results, so no form of consistancy is being produced right now.

Mid Term Grade: C (They can still make the chase but its been a very average season for Edwards)


---------------------------

That concludes this season's mid term reports.  I hope you enjoyed them. 

---

If at first you dont succeed, dont try skydiving
Both diapers and politicians need to be changed--and usually for the same reasons

#55 Bill Davis: Been a disappointing season so far for Michael Waltrip. He and the team probably should be doing better than what they are. Showing a slight up turn in form of late might bode well for the rest of the season.
#60 No Fear: I suspect the team name describes Boris Said well. Very good pole and 4th place at Daytona, the team can be really pleased with that and will hope they can repeat that effort in the other races they plan to do.
#61 Peak / Front Row: A drop off in form is worrying for any team. They'll need to find that extra pace to start making most fields again.
#66 Haas: Now I have to say, at the end of last season when Haas signed Jeff Green I thought they were making a mistake as it showed no ambition on the team's part to try and improve themselves. Green would provide with midfield anominity. It looks like that's pretty much what they have got this year. Their finishing record is good and they are consistent and don't look like dropping backwards through the field but then they don't look like moving forwards.
#72 CJM: David Gilliland done a very good job at Sears Point, both in qualifying and in the race, he should be back next season with a better team.
#74 McGlynn: Clearly the switch from full-time to part-time has helped the team a lot, now they have to try and make the car last an entire race distance more often.
#78 Furniture Row: Being in Colorado clearly doesn't help the team, it's like an F1 team basing itself outside of Europe, sure they can do it but it just makes things that much harder for them. At least they are making a few fields and have got decent reliability.
#88 Yates: The old saying, "A change can be as good as a holiday" springs to mind when thinking of Dale Jarrett. Moving to Michael Waltrip Racing could re-invigorate Jarrett just like Bobby Labonte going to Petty gave both driver and team a shot in the arm. But that's 2007, in 2006 the team and driver are struggling and they really don't have a reason for it.
#89 Jesus: I could make a joke about the team needing divine intervention to make the field but I'll hold fire to see how their semi-new entry goes this weekend.
#95 Barrett: I do like that fire paintwork, very good. They're not bad when they make the field but that's become rarer for the team as the season has progressed. Probably just the season taking its toll on the team. Hopefully they'll bounce back.
#96 Hall of Fame: Not a bad debut season so far for the team. They've been consistent and have never looked in danger of being forced outside the top 35. That Sears Point result will almost certainly be the peak of their season.
#99 Roush: Edwards has definintely been struggling this year. Have to reminds ourselves he's only in his second full year in the Cup, so he's still pretty new at this. With the inconsistent form he's found himself outside the Chase, however if he can find his form again he can still slip in their.

Very good reviews this year, Tybs.

F1 French Grand Prix Practice 1:
1. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber 01:16.794
2. Anthony Davidson Britain Honda 01:17.133
3. Jenson Button Britain Honda 01:18.160
4. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota 01:18.752
5. Adrian Sutil Germany Midland-Toyota 01:18.777
6. Neel Jani Switzerland Toro Rosso-Cosworth 01:18.962*
7. Alexander Wurz Austria Williams-Cosworth 01:19.055
8. Jacques Villeneuve Canada BMW Sauber 01:19.063
9. Robert Doornbos Holland Red Bull-Ferrari 01:19.311
10. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Cosworth 01:19.401
11. Christijan Albers Holland Midland-Toyota 01:19.465
12. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota 01:19.806

Practice 2:
1. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber 01:16.902
2. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault 01:17.498
3. Anthony Davidson Britain Honda 01:17.750
4. Alexander Wurz Austria Williams-Cosworth 01:17.859
5. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault 01:17.916
6. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari 01:17.938
7. Adrian Sutil Germany Midland-Toyota 01:18.049
8. Robert Doornbos Holland Red Bull-Ferrari 01:18.175
9. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota 01:18.274
10. Neel Jani Switzerland Toro Rosso-Cosworth 01:18.639
11. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota 01:18.721
12. Jenson Button Britain Honda 01:19.005
13. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari 01:19.013
14. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber 01:19.108
15. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 01:19.140
16. Christijan Albers Holland Midland-Toyota 01:19.183
17. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Honda 01:19.259
18. Mark Webber Australia Williams-Cosworth 01:19.413
19. Vitantonio Liuzzi Italy Toro Rosso-Cosworth 01:19.589
20. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Cosworth 01:19.692
21. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Midland-Toyota 01:19.701
22. Pedro de la Rosa Spain McLaren-Mercedes 01:19.809
23. Takuma Sato Japan Aguri-Honda 01:19.996
24. Scott Speed USA Toro Rosso-Cosworth 01:20.003
25. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Ferrari 01:20.135
26. Jacques Villeneuve Canada BMW Sauber 01:20.154
27. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull-Ferrari 01:20.409
28. Franck Montagny France Aguri-Honda 01:21.132
29. Sakon Yamamoto Japan Aguri-Honda 01:21.969

Vkm's Picks:
1. Fernando Alonso
2. Giancarlo Fisichella
3. Michael Schumacher

---

Scratchit: But he's a cripple!
Blackadder: He's not a cripple, Mrs Scratchit. Occasionally saying "Phew! My leg hurts!" when he remembers to wouldn't fool Baldrick!

F1 Qualifying:
Sad thing is that the duel between Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher at the start of the last session today will probably have contained more action than the entire race tomorrow. Alonso and Schumacher started side by side in the pits. Alonso got the drop on Schumacher as the pitlane light turned to green and he led through Estoril. However Schumacher caught the Renault's slipstream and dived up the inside at the Adelaide hairpin to re-take the reigning World Champion. Alonso then waited behind Schumacher for a few laps before making his move. Alonso came from a long way back and braked super late into the hairpin and went by Schumacher. However the Renault ran wide on the exit leaving a gap for Schumacher to go back to the inside for the following chicane. Alonso however was having none of it, he had the racing line and swept in front of Schumacher. Good stuff and I'll be very surprised if I see anything like it in the race tomorrow (barring the first lap). Mixed results for the Brits with Coulthard going a good 9th place and Button capping a woeful performance by Honda in 18th. Pedro de la Rosa replacing NASCAR bound Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren came a creditable 8th.

Grid Positions:
1. Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2. Felipe Massa Ferrari
3. Fernando Alonso Renault
4. Jarno Trulli Toyota
5. Ralf Schumacher Toyota
6. Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes
7. Giancarlo Fisichella Renault
8. Pedro de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes
9. David Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari
10. Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth
11. Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber
12. Christian Klien Red Bull-Ferrari
13. Rubens Barrichello Honda
14. Scott Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth
15. Christijan Albers Midland-Toyota
16. Vitantonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth
17. Jacques Villeneuve BMW Sauber
18. Jenson Button Honda
19. Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (engine penalty)
20. Tiago Monteiro Midland-Toyota
21. Franck Montagny Aguri-Honda
22. Takuma Sato Aguri-Honda

BTCC Croft:
Entry Changes:
14. James Thompson SEAT Sport UK SEAT Leon (IN: Replacing Darren Turner)