Vettel Takes Pole, Moves Closer to Title

Wong Maye-E/Associated PressThe street circuit in Singapore on Friday, the scene of the qualifying session for the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday.

SINGAPORE — It is a good thing that the images on local television of the Formula One track and cars and the Singapore skyline at night were beautiful. Because the qualifying session of the Singapore Grand Prix was not.

Sebastian Vettel, as he has done throughout the season, completely dominated the session to capture the 11th pole position of his career.

“We’ve got a long race ahead of us tomorrow and that is where we score points, not in qualifying,”? Vettel said. “We just try to focus on the moment.”

But so clear was his domination that Lewis Hamilton, who had set the fastest time in the first practice session in his McLaren Mercedes on Friday, did not even bother to go out and try for a better time at the end of the session — in order to save a set of tires for the race.

The only man to come close to challenging Vettel was his teammate, Mark Webber, who finished second, 0.4 seconds behind. Jenson Button in the other McLaren was third at half a second back, while Hamilton was fourth. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa finished fifth and sixth in their Ferraris.

Vettel could win the drivers’ title in tomorrow’s race if he finishes in the top three, in the following manner:

If he wins the race and …

- Alonso finishes fourth or lower.
- Button and Webber finish third or lower.

If he finishes second and …

- Alonso finishes eighth or lower.
- Button and Webber finish fifth or lower.
- Hamilton does not win.

If he finishes third and …

- Alonso finishes ninth or lower.
- Button and Webber finish seventh or lower.
- Hamilton finishes third or lower.

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Vettel Wins Singapore Race, Needs 1 Point for Title

SINGAPORE — To win the 2011 drivers’ title at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, Sebastian Vettel, the leader of the Formula One series, had several scenarios available. But whatever happened, he had to finish on the podium, in the top three spots.

That feat would not be difficult, given that he had ended first or second in all but one of the 13 previous races this season, when he finished fourth. In the end, just as he had done eight times before this year, Vettel, the reigning world champion, won the race, easily.

“A good day at the office, the car was amazing,” Vettel said. “I was surprised myself that I could pull away that much. A nice smooth race in the front. The speed was phenomenal that the car had.”

It was Vettel’s 19th career victory, and his first in Singapore.

But the win was not enough to take his second consecutive driving title and become the youngest double world champion in the history of the series. Finishing second for McLaren Mercedes was Jenson Button, who is the last of four surviving challengers.

Still, Vettel has 124 points more than Button, with five races left and 25 points awarded for a victory. Vettel leads the series with 309 points to 185 for Button.

He needs only one point to take the title, and that, of course, will be merely a formality for the German driver, 24.

“I was the best we could have done today,” Button said. “I feel I got everything I could out of the car. It’s a fun place to drive and your adrenaline is pumping through your veins all the time.”

The race for the driving title is finished for Vettel’s teammate at Red Bull, Mark Webber, who came in third, and for Fernando Alonso, of Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton, of McLaren Mercedes, who finished fourth and fifth.

Throughout the race, these five drivers were the focus of the action of an otherwise calm stroll through the streets of this business hub in Asia.

“It is not the easiest track for me,” Webber added. “We all got what we deserved today.”

The Singapore race is the series’ only night race – starting at 8 p.m. – although the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starts late afternoon and finishes in the evening. But the Singapore race takes place on a street circuit on which it is difficult to overtake: It is bumpy, dusty, relatively narrow, and run under spotlights.

For the first half, therefore, there was little action as Vettel got off to a clean start, and Webber dropped back as he tried to defend his position against Hamilton, who also dropped down the pack as a result.

Hamilton climbed back in sensational manner, passing Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg in their Mercedes on Laps 4 and 5. But he was then involved in an incident trying to pass Felipe Massa in a Ferrari on Lap 12 and the two collided. Hamilton stopped to change the front wing of his car and he was later penalized with a drive-through the pits and he dropped into the middle of the pack. He then made a superb charge through the pack again.

Button ran second throughout, while Alonso and Webber passed each other for third and fourth.

It was not until Lap 30, at the halfway point of the 61-lap race, that there was any real potential for a shakeup at the top. Shortly after setting the fastest lap of the race, Schumacher tried to pass Sergio Perez in a Sauber for in eighth position. The German ran into the rear wheel of the Sauber, went slightly airborne, and ran into the wall.

The race was neutralized as Schumacher’s car and the debris were removed.

Vettel, Button, Alonso, Webber, Hamilton and practically all the other cars in the race made a pit stop during that period and Vettel’s lead of more than 20 seconds was reduced to nothing.

The safety car returned to the pits and the race started again after Lap 33. It had not affected the order at the top as Vettel led, Button was second, Alonso third and Webber fourth. Hamilton was ninth.

After the first lap of the resumed race, Vettel led Button by 8.9 seconds, while Webber was third after he passed Alonso.

“I was a bit lucky to have some backmarkers, and I pulled away quite easily,” Vettel said.

By the next lap Vettel, who had again set the fastest lap of the race, and led Button by 10.0 seconds. There was no competition, and no race. The only thing standing between him and victory would be a small failure of judgment, or a broken down car.

Neither would happen and he held the lead to the end, crossing the line 1.7 seconds ahead of Button.

“I really love the track, I love the challenge,” said Vettel of the Singapore race. “For the championship, it looks like we have another chance at the next race.”

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George Diaz: NASCAR wants to squash love-bug racing

NASCAR has heard the cries of racing fans who hate tandem — or love-bug — racing.

The official memo was released last week: Squash all love bugs. There will be no Talladega Tandems.

NASCAR is moving to a larger restrictor plate for next month's race at Talladega Super Speedway. Although it will provide an additional 7 to 10 horsepower and speeds will likely be pushed over 200 mph, the changes won't allow the cars to stay packed together in groups of two because the cars will overheat very quickly under the new setup.

"After the last few superspeedway races, we've heard many drivers express their desire to open up the size of the restrictor plate some, and we thought the time was right to do that," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president, competition. "We anticipate these revisions in the rules package for Talladega will help continue to provide competitive and exciting racing for the fans."

Give NASCAR credit for not being obstinate and listening to drivers and fans who grew tired of seeing these love bugs spinning in circles for hours. The beauty of NASCAR is that unlike the stick-and-ball sports, it can change rules on the fly during the season.

The higher speeds and the traditional pack of cars may make things a tad more dangerous, but the flip side is that tandem-racing didn't allow the driver doing the "pushing" to see anything because he was too close to the lead car. Both drivers had to rely on the spotter for the lead car. That sounds fairly crazy to me.

Throw in another dicey element — the occasional swapping of the cars — and the cluster of the big pack doesn't seem nearly as dangerous.

"I know that a lot of people don't like us running nose to tail like that, but it's far more dangerous doing more swaps," Jeff Gordon said last week, addressing the changes. " It causes far more chances to have crashes when you're swapping especially at the end of that race where you are in the middle of a pack and all of a sudden two cars just swap. "

Not everybody will be happy of course, but love-bug racing goes off the cliff in terms of NASCAR tradition. I had mixed feelings about it because it was so unusual to the usual bump and grind, but there are plenty of drivers and fans who considered it an abomination.

Isn't that right, Mr. Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

"I don't really like the two-car stuff," Earnhardt said last April, before finishing second at Talladega while pushing teammate Jimmie Johnson. "I'm hoping this kind of racing goes away fast, so we don't have to talk about this no more. This is a bunch of crap."

And to further discourage the tandem racing, NASCAR's technical bulletin also noted that the "the addition of lubricants to the rear bumper cover will not be permitted."

Ointments such as grease, to ointment to cooking spray have been used to keep the second car from spinning out the lead car in the two-car drafts.

Seems like NASCAR is intent on cooking up all sorts of ways to kill the love bugs.

Stewart on a streak

Tony continues to be terrific as the top drivers scramble for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

It's been an incredible run for Tony Stewart, who has risen from the ranks of a competitive afterthought to the Man to Beat in the Chase of the Championship.

Two victories in two weeks has much to do with that.

"It's huge," Stewart said after winning at Loudon, N.H., on Sunday after Clint Bowyer ran out of gas on the final lap. " When you talk about momentum, that racecar doesn't know anything about momentum. It knows what you put in it, it knows how we drive it. It doesn't know stats, it doesn't know anything other than just what's put in it.

"Momentum deals with people. It's not just these first two races of the Chase, it was the two weeks leading before it, too. We haven't finished outside the top seven now in the last four weeks. That's huge for us."

No question that Stewart is living large these days, and could possibly be heading to his third Cup title and first since 2005.

Schedule announcement on Wednesday: Look for NASCAR to announce its 2012 schedule Wednesday on nascar.com. A NASCAR official said there would be "some tweaks" to the new schedule.

Kenseth's wife injured: Katie Kenseth, the wife of driver Matt Kenseth, suffered a broken scapula and bumps and bruises Monday night after crashing at Charlotte Motor Speedway during a practice session for a charity race next month. She was carried away in a stretcher after crashing into a pit stop wall in a driving school bandolero vehicle. Katie Kenseth was among wives and girlfriends of NASCAR drivers practicing for the inaugural Better Half Dash on Oct. 15. "That didn't turn out so well. Katie and I are home, she has a broken scapula and some bumps and bruises. Thanks for all the well wishes," Matt Kenseth tweeted later in the evening.

Red Bull facing layoffs: More bad news for NASCAR in terms of corporate sponsorships: Red Bull Racing expects to lay off 152 employees as it shuts down its operations in December. Red Bull — an Austrian-based energy drink company — both owns and sponsors the teams for Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers.

Kahne has an easy out, since he will replace Mark Martin at Hendrick Motorsports. Vickers is uncertain where he will end up next season.

gdiaz@tribune.com Read George Diaz's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego

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'Smoke' in the air as Tony Stewart rises to contend

Well, hello there, Tony Stewart.

Where have you been?

The dynamics of the Chase for the Championship certainly got shuffled in a hurry last weekend in Chicago, where one of the favorites, Jeff Gordon ran out of gas, and Stewart, one of the guys who latched onto one of the last spots in the 12-driver field, bolted into championship-contending form.

Stewart is now second in points behind Kevin Harvick, most certainly a boost to the NASCAR marketing plan.

Not bad for a guy who was only one of two Chase drivers without a victory heading into the Chase For The Sprint Cup.

Stewart is also one of the best guys on pit road when it comes to the media. He can also be an ornery snot, depending on his mood, the nature of the question, and whether or not he thinks the reporter is a moron. Either or, it always makes for entertaining stuff.

And in this day and age, sports is all about marketing and entertainment. Stewart — aka "Smoke" — is as good as it gets, even when he puts on his Grumpy Pants persona.

Asked about his championship prospects after winning the race, Stewart said:

"One day doesn't change the whole season."

True, there's still a lot of racin' left before everybody gathers in Homestead in late November to decide the 2011 Cup Series champ. But Stewart is most definitely in the mix, ending a 32-race losing streak and most importantly, coming up with three consecutive top-10 finishes.

"Counting Tony Stewart out? That's pretty funny he counts himself out," Harvick said.

That's typical Stewart, who grumbled before the race, "We've got to have a revelation to get through the next 10 weeks."

Well, that seems to be happening right now.

On the flip side, Gordon — one of the favorites to win another championship —stumbled out of the gate. He ran out of game and finished 24th, dropping him from third to 11th in the title chase.

"It's not going to be handed to us because we've been kicking butt the last five races coming into the Chase," Gordon said before racing in Chicago. "It doesn't matter what we did then. It matters the next 10."

That proved to be very true in Chicago. The good news is that there is always another week.

Next stop is New Hampshire. And here is Gordon's resume there: Gordon is a three-time winner and has finished outside the top 15 only once since 2003.

But for Stewart fans, the hope is that there will be Smoke in the air again.

Bowyer has decisions to make

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Tony Stewart grabs 1st win of season in opening race of Chase for the Sprint Cup championship

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — Tony Stewart took himself out of title contention before the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

A topsy-turvy season led the two-time NASCAR champion to cross his name off the list of drivers he believes are legitimate title contenders, and nothing he did on track at Chicagoland Speedway changed his mind.

That includes winning.

Stewart picked up his first win of the season Monday — a day after rain washed out the opening round of the 10-race Chase — by flawlessly conserving fuel to the finish. The victory, his 40th career win in the Cup Series, tied him with Mark Martin for 16th on the all-time wins list.

More importantly, it vaulted him from ninth in the standings to second, and he trails leader Kevin Harvick by a mere seven points.

So, Smoke, you sure you aren't in the mix for a third NASCAR championship?

"One day doesn't change the whole season," he said.

Stewart, who likely benefited the most from the rain out because he was plagued with a migraine headache all day Sunday, seemed subdued in his victory celebration. He's had, by his own admission, "a rough year," and it was just last month when he said the No. 14 team didn't even deserve a spot in the Chase.

But his Stewart-Haas Racing team has turned it up a notch, evidenced by three-straight top-10 finishes and, on Monday, the end of a 32-race losing streak. Round 2 of the Chase shifts to New Hampshire, where Ryan Newman led a 1-2 finish for SHR in July.

So Stewart may not like his title chances, but this recent upswing has crew chief Darian Grubb believing the team is in the mix.

"That's Tony's mind-set," Grubb said. "We all work too hard to ever come to feeling that way."

His rivals tend to agree with Grubb.

"If you believed him when he said (that) ... you've never raced Tony Stewart," said Steve Letarte, crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. "He's a master of deflection. He seems to always be there."

"Counting Tony Stewart out? That's pretty funny that he counts himself out," added Harvick.

But there are likely some drivers wondering if Chicago didn't crush their title chances.

While Stewart was able to stretch his gas to the finish — ironic, since he ran out of gas while leading with one lap to go in last year's Chase opener at New Hampshire — at least five Chase drivers ran their tanks dry in the closing laps.

Five-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, points leader Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon were among the drivers who ran out of gas on the last lap, and all plummeted in the final finishing order.

Harvick, who started the race tied with Busch for the points lead, held on for second after his crew chief told him to run wide open and not worry about fuel.

"When he turned me loose, I probably should have just listened to him, I was really gun shy," said Harvick, who called the closing laps "nerve-racking."

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Interesting Encounters on the Way to the Singapore Grand Prix

SINGAPORE – Traveling to the so-called “flyaway races” in Formula One can be a big adventure on its own. Most of the Formula One paddock travels by air to the races around Europe, but traveling to the far-flung races, like this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, can be far more interesting.

The flights are so long and the target dates for arrival and departure are so tight that the F1 travelers always meet up with each other on the flights, in the airports and in the hotels. A lot of F1 people came here via Dubai, as the Emirates flights were cheap and good.

I met with several Formula One journalists, and sat up all night from midnight to 7 AM, in the Dubai airport talking with a colleague. My second flight stopped briefly in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and there a man boarded and sat in a seat next to me who turned out to be a very interesting theater producer and director, although he referred to himself more as a packager of shows –? no doubt out of modesty. His name is Toby Gough, and he put together one of the shows that will happen this weekend at the race in Singapore as a sideshow to the race.

There is a strong package of performers at the Singapore GP this weekend, in fact, in the many stages set up around the track. Among these performers are Shakira, Linkin Park, Rick Astley, Shaggy and Boy George –? who must be “grandfather George” by now. Gough has created a show called Bollywood Express that will perform on Friday and Saturday. It is a 45-minute song-and-dance show of Hindi music, showing at the Esplanade Outdoor Theater.

Gough had produced a successful show elsewhere called “Merchants of Bollywood,” so this was a natural extension. The way he explained it to me, he packages shows for various venues around the world. Although he is British, his family has been in India for 300 years. Definitely a little modest, Gough did not tell me half of his show business exploits, but they are impressive, as this Gough bio on this “Bollywood Express” Web site link outlines.

“During the Bosnian War, he entered Sarajevo a sewage tunnel to co-direct an Opera with the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra,” it says. “He created an African version of Julius Caesar, which toured through East and Central Africa, directed Kylie Minogue in Shakespeare’s The Tempest on a beach in Barbados but now its Bollywood, past and present that fires his fertile imagination.”

I had intended to catch up on the sleep I did not get in Dubai, but with the talk with Gough, I only managed a little cat nap at the end. It turned out that we had a common friend in Paris as well, whom we have both known for some 30 years.

Waking this morning in Singapore and walking along Clarke Quay towards the metro station that would take me to the circuit, I suddenly encountered the final travels of the Lotus Renault GP team. They were making the last leg of their journey from their factory in Enstone, England on an old fashioned looking ferry boat through Singapore itself. They were dressed in team uniform and taking the little ferry from just outside their hotel to the paddock of the race at the Marina Bay circuit.

Thinking about how I might be able to pick up another interesting story and bum a ride at the same time, I asked the team member who was handing out little ferry tickets to the team if they had an extra one for a journalist. But the guy didn’t. So I took the long way to the track. I might check out that ferry system tomorrow, however, and see if it is open to the general public. Somehow I think it was a Lotus Renault GP express.

I did managed to pick up a little bit of video footage of the team boarding the boat, however.

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Notes from a Friday in the Singapore Paddock

SINGAPORE – The heat was low on Thursday in Singapore, but today it feels like the traditional oven mixed with a humidity strong enough to steam a bowl of noodles. But that has not prevented the paddock in Singapore from brimming over with guests, announcements, media and other moments worth noting.

Just before the beginning of the first practice session, Jean Alesi, the former Formula One driver and winner of the Canadian Grand Prix of 1995, announced that he was going to race in the Indianapolis 500 next year. Alesi is 47 years old, was in Formula One for 12 years, and had a spectacular career despite only one victory — 32 podiums speak louder than that single race win. But Alesi happened to have driven at Ferrari at a bad time, in the early 90s, just before it became the winning machine it did for nearly a decade.

Alesi made his announcement in the hospitality area of the Lotus Renault GP team, as his involvement in the Indianapolis 500 will be linked to the use of a Lotus engine, although he has not yet announced which team he will drive for. Looking fresh, and in good condition, Alesi, a? Frenchman with Sicilian roots, said that he was going to drive out of pure passion. He has raced here and there since leaving Formula One after the 2001 season, notably racing in the German touring car series, called DTM, and in a NASCAR-like series in the middle east, and last year at the Le Mans 24 Hour race in the GT category.

Brad Spurgeon for The New York TimesAdrian Sutil wears a Good Art Hollywood bracelet during a meeting with the media at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Adrian Sutil, a driver at the Force India team, was talking about his Medion Computer sponsor deepening its involvement in the series, and during his meeting with the media I noticed on his wrist a kind of strange-looking bracelet. Formula One, despite its past of sex scandals, cheating scandals, and politics, likes to portray a very clean and athletic sort of image. The bracelet, however, was composed of rather deadly looking skulls. I wondered if Adrian had a private life of Gothic parties and the black arts, so as I left I asked him about the bracelet.

“That’s another one of my sponsors,” he said, before telling me it was a Good Art Hollywood bracelet. Good Art Hollywood also provides jewelry to such people as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jon Bon Jovi. So I guess it is not so out of character after all, just another of those jet setting bling bling F1 sideshows.

That reminded me of one of the paddock people I know, a kind of “superfan,” named Moko. Moko is part of the Chrome Hearts family, which is a company that provides similar jewelry to people like Cher and Lenny Kravitz. Moko is one of the superfans that I have written about in one of my stories as a preview to the Singapore Grand Prix.

It is a big report this time, with six articles total. I wrote five, and Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, who is lives in Singapore, wrote the sixth, all about the F1 corporate hospitality.

My main feature is about driver fitness; the Q&A is with Jenson Button’s physiotherapist, Mike Collier; the team portrait is about Lotus Renault GP; and the Paddock Postcard, as usual, is this time about the current race location of Singapore.

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The Schumacher Debate Considered

Since the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on Sunday, Michael Schumacher has been at the center of a debate about his driving tactics. As I wrote in my final race report, I thought the Schumacher/Lewis Hamilton battle made the race worth watching.

Since then, an uproar has come from many quarters: Mark Webber, a driver for the Red Bull team, has criticized Schumacher, as has Hamilton’s McLaren Mercedes team (the team director, Martin Whitmarsh, called Schumacher’s driving “pretty harsh”), and some Formula One journalists have questioned his tactics. The director of the Mercedes car company that owns Schumacher’s Mercedes team has, not surprisingly, defended him.

Although I agree that Schumacher’s driving tactics throughout his career have been questionable at times — trying to run Jacques Villeneuve off the road in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, in 1997; parking his Ferrari in the last corner during a qualifying race at Monaco a few years ago — this race in Monza was clearly an example of fabulous racing on the limit. That is, in fact, how Schumacher himself defined it.

Yes, there were moments in Monza that seemed questionable. But he did not go too far. In fact, with a series that is almost certain to be won four or five races from the end — Sebastian Vettel can take the title in? the next race, in Singapore next week — all we will be left with is the need for good racing. Let’s have more of this. Let’s not see drivers penalized every time they try to hold position or pass another driver.

Formula One has been fighting for years to make it easier for the cars to overtake one another. This year it is working. Let’s not see great on-track battles outlawed because they might be a little dangerous, gutsy and exciting.

In fact, I agree with Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler, which owns Mercedes, who said at the Frankfurt Auto Show: “It was a thrilling battle over 20 laps; it was pure racing. I was so excited that I almost wanted to climb inside the TV! It was absolutely of the highest class.”

Interestingly, no one has talked much about the fact that Hamilton’s McLaren is powered with a Mercedes engine, and that Schumacher was driving the Mercedes team car. Perhaps that is why the case went no further than a bit of public debate.

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Clint Bowyer in discussions with Michael Waltrip Racing for 2012

JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

3:31 p.m. CDT, September 16, 2011

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — Michael Waltrip Racing is in active discussions with free agent Clint Bowyer.

Both Bowyer and team co-owner Michael Waltrip said Friday at Chicagoland Speedway that they are talking about a deal. Waltrip says the discussions are "very productive."

Bowyer is in the final year of his contract with Richard Childress Racing, and talks on an extension deteriorated over the last month.

Bowyer now is talking to other teams and says MWR would be "a good home."

It's not clear if Bowyer would be added to the MWR driver lineup to create a new third team, or if he would replace David Reutimann in the No. 00 Toyota.

Reutimann has another year left on his contract.

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NASCAR: Review of radio chatter finds 'nothing conclusive' to indicate Menard spun on purpose

By Associated Press

4:58 p.m. CDT, September 17, 2011

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — NASCAR has found no evidence that Paul Menard intentionally spun to cause the final caution at Richmond.

NASCAR president Mike Helton said Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway that he reviewed radio transmissions between Menard and his Richard Childress Racing team from last week's race and found "nothing conclusive" to indicate Menard spun on purpose.

Helton shrugged when asked about it, saying NASCAR couldn't prove anything "short of (someone) admitting it. And wouldn't that be nice?"

The issue has swirled since Jeff Gordon said the timing of the caution was "a little fishy."

Gordon was leading Kevin Harvick when Menard spun with 16 laps to go. The drivers pitted during the ensuing caution, and Harvick was first out of the pits to take the lead.

He pulled away on the restart four laps later and won the race, a victory that made him the co-points leader with Kyle Busch headed into Sunday's opening race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Gordon trails Busch and Harvick in the standings by three points.

For his part, Menard was relieved to put the episode behind him and get back to racing.

"It's behind me," Menard said. "If they had something, I'd love to see it because I don't know what we would have done. I'm glad it's behind us, and we're moving forward."

His first step toward moving forward was qualifying second Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. It's one of the few bright spots for Menard since his bid to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship went South in early August.

"Since Pocono, we've been kind of on a downward slide so this definitely feels good," said Menard. "We've been scratching our heads a little bit."

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George Diaz: Jeff Gordon man to beat in NASCAR Cup chase

The Hendrick Motorsports empire will celebrate its sixth-consecutive Sprint Cup title in November.

One person will be conspicuously absent:

Jimmie Johnson.

The five-time champion will finally be dethroned, not by any of his archrivals named Busch or anybody else. His good friend and teammate Jeff Gordon is going to bring him down.

And so it is written.

In his own words, Gordon is "rejuvenated" after three regular-season victories this season, including a thrilling run at Atlanta Motor Speedway in which he held off a furious charge from Johnson in the last 10 laps.

"He may not have had the dominance in recent years that we've seen before, but it's still Jeff Gordon," Johnson said after the race.

Gordon hasn't won a Cup title in a decade, but he has a bunch of karma going for him this season, starting with a fresh and successful relationship with new crew chief Alan Gustafson. They've clicked, and they will make the NASCAR Nation take notice as the 10-race sprint to the finish begins in Chicago this weekend.

"I've been trying to step it up for 10 years," Gordon said jokingly after the victory in Atlanta. "….Yeah, we had a strong season last year. But because we didn't win, it just kind of took the wind out of our sails. We were like, gosh, we're good, but we're not great.

" And right now we're great. That's what we have to try to maintain when The Chase starts. We're going to be tested on that for sure because the competitors will all step up, and we have to step up as well.

" So that's the real difference there, is that it's the fact that we have won. We've proven that we can win. I think you have to win to be able to win the championship and you also have to send a message to your competitors that they know you can win."

Gordon is seeded third for the Chase, three points behind Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. Beyond the three victories, he has 14 Top 10 finishes in 26 races.

That's the epitome of consistency in a sport where a lousy pit stop or an accidental bump can ruin your day.

Gordon has re-cast himself these days. He is no longer the guy who showed up in the NASCAR garage with a silly peach-fuzz mustache 20 years ago. He no longer has Ray Evernham as his trusted sidekick on pit road. He is no longer the archenemy to rival Dale Earnhardt Sr. NASCAR's icon is dearly departed, but Gordon rambles on with renewed purpose.

At 40, Gordon has 85 victories in 642 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, placing him third place on the all-time wins list. He is a four-time Cup Champion as well.

He has another championship to win.

Mr. Rejuvenation will get it done.

Busch a bit testy

Love 'em or hate 'em, the Busch brothers are always in the mix when it comes to contentious relationships in the NASCAR Nation. Kurt Busch had to be restrained by team members along pit road in Richmond after an incident with NASCAR.com reporter Joe Menzer.

Menzer asked Busch — who had some issues with Jimmie Johnson at the Richmond night race — "Kurt, can either you or Jimmie win the Chase?" Busch cut him off and then said: "How did I see you were going to come with that? We're good." After Busch turned away and started walking down pit road, Menzer called out that the question was legitimate. Busch then turned around and began yelling expletives at Menzer before he was restrained.

In the post-race news conference, Busch challenged another reporter who asked Johnson to respond to Busch insisting that he was in Johnson's head. "I didn't say that tonight," Busch said, later tearing up a transcript that said just that.

Busch earlier had some issues with the NASCAR media because of reports that his marriage with Eva Busch was in trouble. But most of those stories only surfaced after Busch was photographed with a woman named Patricia Driscoll, who kissed him and hugged him in victory lane at Infineon Raceway earlier this year.

Danica on hold: Danica Patrick and her sponsor, Go Daddy, are waiting until NASCAR releases its Cup schedule to determine the number of races she will run on a part-time schedule. "Go Daddy's input is important and they'll play a part, but they're also respectful enough to understand that I'm the driver and the team owners are drivers, too, and they're not NASCAR professionals necessarily" Patrick said. "Taking the advice of those around me who have been in the sport for a long time, they realize that's the smart thing to do, too, and they don't stand in the way." Patrick will race for team owner Tony Stewart.

Danica take two: John Force, a 17-time NHRA Funny Car team champion and one of the most celebrated names in drag racing, knows a thing or two about generating publicity. The guy is a energetic, non-stop rambling quote machine. Although Patrick isn't quite so engaging, she will no doubt cause a royal rumble in the NASCAR garage as well.

"She's going to make 'em all crazy," Force said while on a recent promotional stop in Central Florida. "The good old boys never wanted any females. And I love the females because all my daughters, Courtney, Ashley, they all drive. And I don't know Danica. People are always asking me that because I keep plugging her.

"First, it's an exciting story, the change. And it's going to help NASCAR."

Force, 62, has won 15 championships as a driver and two as an owner. He would have been a hoot in NASCAR, but as Force once said of a possible NASCAR clone: "Ain't got anybody that stupid they can find."

gdiaz@tribune.com Read George Diaz's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego

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Vettel Cruises to Victory, and Nearly Almost a Second World Title

MONZA, Italy — Sebastian Vettel drove to an easy victory in his Red Bull at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, winning his eighth race of the season and extending his grip on the championship lead. With six races left in the series, he is in an unassailable position.

Vettel, a German, started in the pole position and was challenged only briefly when Fernando Alonso drove his Ferrari past the Red Bull by the first corner on the first lap, bringing the Italian fans to their feet. But it was not to last: the Ferrari was no match for the Red Bull.

It was Vettel’s 18th career victory. His first win, in 2008, was also at Monza, but in a Toro Rosso car.

“The circuit means a lot to me and has been very special,” he said. Referring to his first victory here, he added, “When I crossed the line I remembered every bit of it.”

Alonso finished in third. Jenson Button, in a McLaren Mercedes, was second.

But most of the excitement — aside from an accident at the first corner that took out five cars — was a battle between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher for fourth.

For Schumacher, who has won the world title seven times and returned in 2010 from three years in retirement, it was one of the? most impressive races of his comeback. He and Hamilton raced wheel to wheel for half of the 53-lap race before Hamilton finally passed Schumacher and held on to fourth after 27 laps.

Schumacher finished fifth.

On the last lap, Hamilton went after Alonso, but he failed to pass him, and they crossed the line half a second apart, allowing the Italian fans to celebrate a Ferrari on the podium.

Nine cars failed to finish the race.

Bruno Senna, the nephew of the triple world champion Ayrton Senna, who died in a racing accident in 1994, finished in ninth position, scoring his first points in the series in his second race this year for the Lotus Renault team. Senna had entered the series with the HRT team last year.

In order to win the title, Vettel needs only to finish in the top three at the next race in Singapore in two weeks.

“It has been an incredible year so far, and last year to this year we made an incredible step,” Vettel said. “I love racing; we enjoy racing as a team together every weekend. Unpacking the car, you can see the passion.”

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With Vettel on Pole, the First Female Racer Reflects

Brad Spurgeon for The New York TimesMaria Teresa de Filippis, the first female Formula One driver, with her husband, Theo Huschek, in the McLaren Mercedes hospitality center at the track in Monza, Italy.

Sebastian Vettel, in his Red Bull, earned his 10th pole position this year, and was half a second faster than Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren Mercedes.

In addition to the qualifying times, several other interesting stories came out of the paddock in Monza, Italy, on Saturday.

Every country in which Formula One has a race attracts a certain number of local residents who are not seen at other races. Phil Hill would often come all the way from the United States to visit the race at Monza, where he won the world title – as I mention in today’s F1 preview. Monza also tends to attract Luca di Montezemolo, the Ferrari president who occasionally visits other races.

But today sitting in the McLaren Mercedes hospitality unit with her husband was a very rare and unusual former Formula One driver, named Maria Teresa de Filippis. She was born in 1926, and she raced in Formula One and other series in the 1950s. Who said Danica Patrick or Katherine Legge were doing something new for women? In fact, de Filippis was the first of five women who would eventually race in Formula One. She took part in five events.

I spoke to de Filippis for a few minutes, with her husband, Theo Huschek, serving as translator. In fact, the problem was not really language – we could have spoken French – the problem was her hearing, and all the background sounds of music and voices and car engines.

De Filippis comes from a wealthy Italian family, and she and her brothers were given cars as soon as they could drive. She also loved horses and rode very well. One brother told her that she rode a horse like a car and should be racing a car. So she tried a hill climb, and immediately came in second – out of some 60 or so contestants. She tried another race a while after, and won it.

That was the beginning. She would eventually move on to Formula One, and she once took part in a qualifying session in which Bernie Ecclestone was also participating. Her first race was the Monaco Grand Prix, which she entered in a Maserati, but she failed to qualify. A month later she took part in the Belgian Grand Prix and finished 10th.

What does she think of today’s Formula One? Theo confided that she does not understand why it is called a “drivers’” world championship, given all the electronics in the cars. But then again, he said with a chuckle, she has trouble coming to grips with the electronics of a cellphone.

She said that she thought probably no women would really be up to racing in Formula One today, if for no other reason than they would not likely want to have necks twice the size of a normal one in order to cope with the car’s G-forces. Aesthetically speaking, it would be a problem, she said.

De Filippis, by the way, is a vice president of the Grand Prix Drivers Club, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.

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Mets banned from wearing caps honoring NY police, firemen

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets' plan to wear caps?on Sunday honoring New York firemen, policemen and other first responders to the 9-11 attacks was rejected by Major League Baseball.

Mets player rep?Josh Thole said the idea to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9-11 was nixed by the commissioner's office because it violates baseball's uniform regulations.

Thole said he and his teammates were thinking about wearing those caps during the game.

Several minutes later he returned and said the caps were a "no-go" because he was told the league was adamant.

Joe Torre, MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, told The Associated Press the decision was made to keep policy consistent throughout baseball and that "certainly, it's not a lack of respect."

"Certainly it's not a lack of respect," Torre said. "We just felt all the major leagues are honoring the same way with the American flag on the uniform and the cap. This is a unanimity thing."

Torre also said there was recent precedence for the policy. The Washington Nationals wanted to wear caps honoring the Navy SEALs that were killed in Afghanistan in early August and the team was allowed to wear them pregame.

MLB issued a league-wide memo, saying teams must wear their everyday caps with a small flag on the side.

The Mets released a statement saying: "MLB set a league-wide policy as it related to caps and uniforms for September 11 and we followed the guidelines."

The Mets wore the caps in 2001 and were fined, but the Mets' brass did not want a similar problem.

"If we got a vote in, I think we'd want to wear the hats," David Wright said, "but at the end of the day Major League Baseball makes that call, and we're going to respect that."

Instead, the Mets wore their black caps with blue brims and a blue-and-orange interlocking "NY" when they took the field to face the Cubs.

Wright, though, was seen in the dugout early in the game wearing a first responder hat.

The Cubs said they wouldn't be bothered by the commemorative?caps.

"Fine with me," reliever Sean Marshall said. "I think it's?a good idea."

Manager Mike Quade said he didn't want to weigh in on the controversy.

"I just know that I have an unbelievable amount of respect for everybody that was involved in that," he said. "I don't care if you're a Met, a Yankee, a New Yorker, an Illinoisan. It doesn't matter. I do know that bagpipes have a much more special place in my heart than prior to (9-11)."

The Mets held 24-minute ceremony of remembrance under dimmed stadium lights before their game. Fans held electronic candles as bagpipers and drummers stood on the infield and first responders lined the basepaths. Each of the Mets and Cubs escorted a member of "Tuesday's Children," a charity for families impacted affected by the attacks, onto the field and they stood with the uniformed emergency-service workers.

Marc Anthony sang the national anthem, as he did on Sept. 21, 2001. Mike Piazza, who hit an uplifting homer in the eighth inning to help the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves that night, caught a ceremonial first pitch from John Franco, a teammate on the 2001 squad.

psullivan@tribune.com

Tribune News Services contributed

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Monza: A Weekend of Anniversaries, Good and Bad

MONZA, Italy – It feel likes a typical, warm, sunny Thursday of the Italian Grand Prix weekend here in Monza. But as I think about the themes of the weekend, one thing comes through predominantly: The number of anniversaries, good and bad. They are coming in from all sides.

Obviously the biggest anniversary of the weekend in the world is the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City. But that in itself draws to mind the same weekend here in Monza 10 years ago. It was a horrendously black weekend in the racing community.

Luca Bruno/Associated PressFernando Alonso, the Ferrari driver, seen on the television monitors in the media center at Monza during the Thursday afternoon press conference.

First, the attack on the World Trade Center happened on the Tuesday before the race. Most of the F1 people flew out to Monza on the Wednesday or Thursday. I recall feeling a little wary of taking a flight, as most people were. But when I did take the flight, I found the airplane from Paris to Milan almost empty, which had its advantages.

But arriving in the paddock the feeling was horrendous. The Ferraris would paint the noses of their cars black, and Michael Schumacher was so badly affected that he had a horrible race. But the worst of the weekend for the racing community came with the news that Alex Zanardi had had an accident in Champ Cars and lost both of his legs. We feared the worst, but he pulled through. It was very dark, however, with that along with the twin towers assault.

I was reminded during the press conference on Thursday that it is also the 150th anniversary of the Republic of Italy this year, and Monza being Ferrari’s home race, that anniversary is also in the air.

But the biggest Monza anniversary has to be that of the tragic and extraordinary weekend of the Italian Grand Prix that took place? on Sept. 10th, 1961. It was during that race 50 years ago that Wolfgang von Trips, the German driver who was leading the championship in a Ferrari, had a terrible accident and lost his life. Eleven spectators also were killed on the spot, and others died later. Phil Hill went on to win the race and become the first and only American-born world champion.

Hill died August 28, 2008, and as it turned out I spoke to his son Derek, at Spa on that same day two weeks ago. But I will talk more about some of these things in my race previews that will be online on Friday and in print on Saturday.

Oh, there also is a 27th birthday for Vitaly Petrov, and a 75th race celebration for Sebastian Vettel. As one of my upcoming articles also will show, it is also the 50th Italian Grand Prix for the doyen of Formula One photographers, Rainer Schlegelmilch.

That’s a lot of anniversaries.

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Rain is a pain for NASCAR schedule

ATLANTA — So what does one do on a rainy night in Georgia?

"Go home" seems to be a good answer. Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon, among others, pulled their Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous card and flew back home on their private jets Sunday night after the AdvoCare 500 was postponed until Tuesday morning because of heavy rains in the area.

They will be back at Atlanta Motor Speedway to race, starting at 11 a.m., though that green-flag drop will come with a cautionary warning: More rain is expected in the area on Tuesday.

A very likely scenario is that NASCAR officials will be able parcel out a few laps here and there until everyone gets to the halfway point, which means the race becomes official and everybody can finally leave this place.

It's not the best solution but the best NASCAR is going to be able to do under trying circumstances. A number of the top drivers and NASCAR officials are set to meet with President Obama Wednesday to honor the finalists who qualified for the 2010 Chase for the Championship.

And there is the matter of preparing for the final race before the qualifying grid is set for the 2011 Chase schedule — this weekend's race in Richmond.

NASCAR really had few options other than rescheduling for Tuesday (rain fell in Atlanta most of Monday) and hoping for the best.

Moving the start time up to Sunday morning or afternoon would been impossible because of TV commitments to ESPN, which has the rights to the race and will air the event live on Tuesday. And there is the consideration of fans — close to 100,000 — who weren't planning on getting to the track early in the day.

As is, there will be loads of empty seats on Tuesday, as fans will need to get back home after the Labor Day weekend.

All in all, it will be a patchwork effort to get in enough laps to make the race official. And it will be quite the wild scramble for drivers and teams as a night race now becomes a day race and adjustments in car setups will have to be made. Tuesday's pit road strategy may come down to a crazy guessing game and loads of luck if the race isn't completed.

You can blame Mother Nature, NASCAR, ESPN, or all three.

In any case, it stinks for guys who are on the bubble and trying to qualify for the Chase for the Championship. Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle, among a few others, will hope things are settled without outside interference.

gdiaz@tribune.com Read George Diaz's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego

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'Rejuvenated' Jeff Gordon in NASCAR groove after Atlanta win

HAMPTON, GA—

. A little less than a year ago in Las Vegas, Jeff Gordon was answering questions about approaching a 10-year-drought as a NASCAR champion.

These days, he is peppered with questions about how he has re-emerged as a force on the Sprint Cup circuit.

Gordon never went away, of course. But like most everybody else, he's been regulated as a competitive spectator in the long-running Jimmie Johnson championship extravaganza stretching five years.

But his buddy Johnson is definitely feeling the squeeze.

Gordon, now 40 and "rejuvenated," is the hottest driver in NASCAR not named Keselowski .

Gordon held off a furious charge from Johnson to win the rain-delayed AdvoCare 500 Tuesday afternoon, marking Gordon's third win of the season and his 85th career victory, only behind Richard Petty (200 victories) and David Pearson (105).

"Right now the rejuvenation is going to the race track and driving cars as loose as I'm driving," Gordon said. "The last couple of weeks we've sent a great message to all our competitors about how strong this team is, how good our race cars are."

The last 10 laps were definitely loose and wild, as Johnson made continuous charges at Gordon only to fall back because Johnson had grater issues slipping and sliding.

"I just didn't have enough to get by him," Johnson said. "I just didn't have enough rear grip to get there and stay there."

The jousting between the Hendrick Motorsports teammates allowed fans a few moments of excitement, much of which was lost in the steady drizzle of boredom and anticipation in a race that was originally scheduled for Sunday night.

NASCAR officials decided to wait until 11 a.m. Tuesday to start, as remnants from Tropical Storm Lee pushed through the Atlanta area. It was only the second time since 1978 that NASCAR raced on Tuesday.

Although there were two cautions for rain and heavy mist, the drivers were able to complete the last 71 laps under green, allowing for a more indelible memory than the sight of umbrellas and windbreakers.

"I'm glad we got the race in in its entirety," said Carl Edwards, who finished fifth.

As everyone heads to Richmond, Va., — with a brief pit stop for some drivers at the White House on Wednesday — the Hendrick team is giving the rest of the contenders something to think about, and it's not good.

Johnson has surged back into the points lead, and Gordon has been the most dominant guy on the track over the last two months.

They will be a formidable pair, which could grow into a threesome if Dale Earnhardt Jr. hangs on and qualifies.

"We're just having a terrible year," Johnson said, sarcastically. "Our viewpoint is just the reality inside our race team, and very little outside discussion or talk…. The reality inside the 48 shop at Hendrick Motorsports is that we know a very good chance at winning a championship."

Johnson and Gordon are among nine drivers who have clinched a berth in the Chase for the Championship — including Brad Keselowski, who has clinched at least a wild card — heading into the regular season-finale at Richmond.

One driver no longer in contention is Clint Bowyer, who tangled with Juan Pablo Montoya earlier in the race and finished 36th.

"You can't race against a jackass," Bowyer said. "He dive-bombs the re-starts and bullies his way up…unfortunately I was a victim this week. We're racing for a spot in the Chase, and he's fighting for nothing. I'm tired of it."

gdiaz@tribune.com Read George Diaz's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego

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Was NASCAR visit a Presidential ploy by Obama?

]

Is running a country similar to running three-wide at Daytona?

That’s what President Obama said, when he made a joke about the demands of both jobs when a handful of NASCAR’s top drivers visited the White House on Wednesday.

“NASCAR is a sport where anything that can go wrong will go wrong at some point during the season,” Obama said. “Similar to being President.”

PS to the Prez: If so, we’re about to spin out and need a fresh set of tires, sir.

The ceremony honored NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and other top drivers, allowing the President to take a brief respite from the economic turmoil this country is facing, and give his speech writers plenty of fodder.

“I’m not allowed to drive much these days,” he said. “Basically just my golf cart at Camp David — which is called Golf Cart One.”

The visit generated controversy because Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick declined, citing scheduling conflicts. The scheduling demands became further complicated matters after the AdvoCare 500, won by Jeff Gordon, was postponed for two days.

As I noted in an earlier column, “they may have well as burned the American flag and plucked the feathers off an eagle. Some critics are questioning their priorities and their patriotism, as if they are part of the lunatic fringe who claim that Obama is a Manchurian Candidate with a phony birth certificate.

As with all things political in this country, no one can have a legitimate conversation without it turning into a food right among both extremes.”

Some of the responses I received no doubt believe the Manchurian Candidate conspiracy theory, and went on to rip the President because he was trying to rope in the NASCAR crowd to rope in a few ropes.

Wow, a President inviting athletes over to the White House for an innocuous photo-op.

Well, that’s never happened before!

A food fight it is. Pathetic.

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Hot Times in Monza as Vettel and Hamilton Battle

September 9, 2011, 4:19 pm

By BRAD SPURGEON

Luca Bruno/Associated PressSebastian Vettel entering the pits during the second free practice in Monza, Italy, on Friday.? Vettel set the fastest lap time of the session in his Red Bull car.

MONZA, Italy? — There is a microclimate here in Monza, it seems, as the weather feels as if we’re still in the midst of a summer heat wave. But things don’t change at the front of the grid all that much. Again, the? battle lines at the Italian Grand Prix appear to be drawn between Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren Mercedes. Vettel was fastest in the afternoon practice session on Sunday; Hamilton was fastest in the morning.

The Red Bull team again said the Monza racetrack was not an ideal match, but most fans and the other teams know better than to listen to that. On the other hand, the Mercedes engine stood out here on Friday. The Mercedes and Force India teams did quite well, with Michael Schumacher driving his Mercedes to third fastest in the afternoon. It is, after all, a circuit where raw power is of the essence.

I’ve written a few articles about Formula One for a special report. The lead one asks whether Formula One is still the biggest racing show on earth, with comments from Eric Clapton at the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago. There’s a profile of the Williams team, and an? interview with a Formula One photographer, Rainer Schlegelmilch, who is covering his 50th Italian Grand Prix. Another article looks at Monza and a bit at Milan.

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George Diaz: Great finish washes away weather issues at Atlanta

HAMPTON, GA—

Shortly after the 200th lap in Tuesday's Advocare 500, a heavy mist started falling on Atlanta Motor Speedway, forcing officials to call for a caution. After pit stops by the usual suspects, it was time to meet the new drivers atop the leaderboard:

J.J. Yeley and Landon Cassill.

No disrespect to those guys, but they aren't exactly title contenders in the Chase for the Championship.

Imagine the howls if a deluge had come, and those guys had been declared the top two finishers.

Such are the possibilities when bad weather converges with a sport predicated on a dry surface to keep cars from slipping and sliding all over the place, coupled with the demands of a big TV contract that leaves little room for flexibility.

Fortunately for NASCAR, the weather held up and teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson battled hard in the final 10 laps to turn it into a fantastic finish.

There was a nice historical twist, too, as Gordon snagged his 85^th victory to move past Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for third among NASCAR's all-time win list. He now only trails Richard Petty and David Pearson.

"I'm just blown away this year," said Gordon, who won for the third time this season and is fifth in the points standings. "I feel rejuvenated."

NASCAR's response: "Whew."

The race could have easily turned into a big, wet intermittent joke and a logistical nightmare for everyone involved.

This race was supposed to go off on Sunday, until the remnants from Tropical Storm Lee pushed through the Atlanta area.

I'm not sure what NASCAR could have done, besides trying to wiggle an earlier start date on Sunday, moving up from the original 7:30 p.m. slot. ESPN obviously sets scheduling commitments way ahead of time, not to mention the squeeze it would put on about 100,000 fans to get to the track hours earlier than expected.

So perhaps it's best to file it under the "Is what it is" category.

"I'm glad we got the race in in its entirety," Chase qualifier Carl Edwards said.

Amen brother!

The good news for the title contenders is that everybody got through OK, with the exception of Clint Bowyer (bump and grind with Juan Pablo Montoya) and David Ragan (hit the wall).

NASCAR's favorite son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is in ninth place and hanging onto a Chase spot, two points ahead of Tony Stewart (who would also qualify if the cutoff was established today).

And Jimmie Johnson has once again surged into the points lead, giving everyone the nicest villain on the planet to root against, as he bids for his sixth consecutive title.

I suppose everyone should be fortunate that NASCAR can finally kook forward to other things. Richmond will be a blessing unless a monsoon comes.

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Volusia woman wins NASCAR small-business 'title'

A Volusia County maker of beds for pets has won the title "Official Small Business of NASCAR" for a year, thanks to driver Tony Stewart's third-place finish in this week's rain-delayed AdvoCare 500 in Atlanta.

Kacie Howard, owner of HuckleBerry Pets in Daytona Beach, was one of two small-business finalists in a sweepstakes organized by Office Depot. She was paired with Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala, while the other finalist, the owner of an industrial polishing-and-plating business near Chicago, was paired with driver Greg Biffle in his No. 16 3M Ford.

"What an incredible experience," Howard said of Stewart and the race. "He went from 11th to third in about two laps and gave it his all — it was amazing."

Biffle finished 12th.

Jeff Gordon won the race.

Had Stewart won the race, Howard would have also won $1 million.

As it was, she received VIP treatment in Atlanta for the race, a $10,000 business makeover from Office Depot, and the right to use the Official Small Business of NASCAR title for a year. Howard designed a pet bed that looks like a racecar seat to celebrate being a finalist.

The race, originally scheduled for Sunday, was pushed to Tuesday by remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, which pushed through the Southeastern U.S. with heavy winds and rain.

lflorea@tribune.com or 407-420-6063

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NASCAR Atlanta race postponed until Tuesday

ATLANTA_ Intermittent rains on Sunday forced NASCAR officials to postpone the AdvoCare 500 until 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Continuous bad weather is expected today, forcing NASCAR officials to wait until Tuesday before running a 500-mile race that is the next-to-last event before the field is set for the Chase for the Championship.

"All the things that create a dangerous situation with weather, we have respect for that," NASCAR President Mike Helton said. "This is one of those deals, nobody wins. But it happens from time to time."

NASCAR officials put dryers on the track Sunday night after the first patch of rain came through Atlanta Motor Speedway, but a second rainstorm wiped out any chance of trying to start the race late Sunday.

Track officials said that existing tickets and credentials will be honored when the gates open at 8:30 a.m. The Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office will open at 9 a.m. today for fans still wishing to purchase tickets for the rescheduled race.

The race will be broadcast byESPN.

Stewart on the bubble: Tony Stewart is in an unfamiliar position: Having to scramble for a spot in the Chase for the Championship.

Stewart, a two-time Cup champion and perennial contender, is clinging to the last guaranteed slot in the 12-driver field by 21 points over Brad Keselowski.

Stewart is winless this season, but was returning to the track where he is the defending champion. Stewart has finished in the top 10 in 14 of his 24 starts at Atlanta. He is scheduled to start from the 20th position Tuesday.

"We're still 21 points to the good of where we need to be so we are in the spot we need to be in we just need to maintain it," Stewart said. "So, obviously if we had a win this weekend we wouldn't have to worry about it next week so it would be a luxury to win the race this week but it's not a necessity.

"It could work against us too. It may not work out after Richmond but at least going into this weekend we are where we need to be. Everybody keeps saying last ditch and we have to make something happen, we don't have to make anything happen we're in the spot we're supposed to be in and need to be in to be in the Chase so we just have to not have a disaster happen. We just need two solid weeks."

Daytona dash for cash: Kacie Howard will be pulling for Stewart Tuesday afternoon, with very good reason.

Stewart will be racing to win a $1 million prize for Howard, who owns and operates HuckleBerry pets in Daytona Beach. She was one of two small-business owners linked to an Office Depot promotional event. Howard's business already received a $10,000 makeover as a finalist, but there was another $1 million to be had with a Stewart victory.

JJ looks forward to seeing Obama: Please don't rope defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson into the President Obama-NASCAR controversy. He is ready to go to the White House on Wednesday. "I've seen a lot of opinions of late, especially through social media," he said. "So, it is obviously a huge honor to go up. I look forward to D.C. and going through what we do there."

gdiaz@tribune.com Read George Diaz's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego

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Brad Keselowski fabulous charge etched in pain

ATLANTA — It feels good to be king.

Brad Keselowski may not fit the part, frankly. He's been accused at times of being a super-villain, a dork, a reckless punk who should be parked.

And you can also say this about him:

He's the best driver on the NASCAR circuit right now. Look it up.

Keselowski has won two of the last four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as the green flag drops in Atlanta tonight for the start of the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

There was some cause for concern for Keselowski and his Penske Racing crew after engine issues during practice on Friday. Although debris punched a hole in the oil pan of his No. 2 Dodge, Keselowski came back a day later to qualify 14^th early Saturday night. Kasey Kahne won the pole, followed by Clint Bowyer.

The starting position certainly won't drop Keselowski from the short list of viable contenders to win tonight.

There's only one more race left before the 12-driver field is set for the NASCAR playoff run, and Keselowski will be among that group. Even if he doesn't make it to the Top 10 level, he is assured of a wild card spot because of his three victories this season.

"He's just riding the wave right now," rival Clint Bowyer said.

"It's just clicked," teammate Kurt Busch said. "It's been great to watch."

The odd thing about Keselowski's consistency is that it's etched in pain. He fractured his ankle after crashing while testing at Road Atlanta on Aug. 3. Keselowski was airlifted to a hospital and treated for his injuries. He then tweeted photos of his injuries — warning fans that these are not for the "squeamish."

Five days later, there was a more enjoyable image for all to see: Keselowski at Victory Lane, celebrating a win at Pocono Raceway despite the pain. That victory set up his incredible run. He has two wins, a second and third in the last four races.

"When you run through a time when you don't have fast race cars it certainly feels good to get in good equipment and get going," Keselowski said. "It's certainly an honor. I wish I could pinpoint what exactly it is. I really think it's the team coming together and clicking as one. I'm proud to be a part of that."

He's also in position tonight to win $3 million dollars split among himself, a fan and a charity of choice as one of the drivers eligible for the Sprint Summer Showdown.

Can it get any better?

"It always does work in cycles," Keselowski cautioned. "You try your best to capitalize when you're on top of the cycle and you try your best to minimize the time you're at the bottom of the cycle. When you have success you can kind of learn what it takes to repeat it and hopefully minimize the bad part of it."

Some rivals (and teammates) say there is more to it than a cosmic cycle. Keselowski has stopped double-dipping in Nationwide races, allowing him to focus on the Cup circuit every weekend. Either way, Keselowski has proven he can run with anybody, regardless of ankle issues.

"When you're in the sweet spot," Jimmie Johnson said, "life is good."

gdiaz@tribune.com Read George Diaz's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego

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