Change at the 18? Insiders say that a crew chief change on the No. 18 Joe
Gibbs Chevy of Bobby Labonte is imminent. Current crew chief, Michael
"Fatback" McSwain was involved in an altercation with a crew member at
Pocono.
Rumor mill has Jimmy Makkar returning as crew chief.
Fed Ex This: Jamie McMurray's name continues to pop up as a possible driver
for the Fed Ex Joe Gibbs No. 11 Chevy in 2005. McMurray has no contractual
obligation to the No. 42 Ganassi Dodge after the end of this season.
Biffle rumors continue: Rumors persist that Greg Biffle is looking to exit
his contract with Roush Racing and the No. 16 Ford at the close of this
year. The lead candidate to pick up Biffle is the No. 1 Dale Earnhardt
Incorporated Chevy.
Changes at Ganassi? Insiders speculate that Andy Graves may be departing
from his role as GM of Ganassi Racing.
Bad luck for Stewart: Tony Stewart wrecked his primary car during initial
practice. Team 20 will have to roll out their back-up car for qualifying.
Big Orange: A loose giant balloon shaped as a Tropicana orange got loose
from its tethers and blew down the race track during Busch series
qualifying. Men in a truck had to chase it down and pop it. The incident
halted time trials and an ensuing rain storm further ended qualifying laps
after 18 cars had taken times.
Green flag finishes: An announcement is expected this weekend ensuring that
all NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races end under green flag conditions.
