Jeff Gordon Seeking Fourth New Hampshire Victory and a Spot in the "Chase for
the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup"

NEWS AND NOTES

Jeff Gordon on a Roll ... After missing out on the Chase in 2005, Jeff Gordon
(No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) has made it clear he wants back in. He's won two
races in the past three weeks and the four-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion
has one of the best records at New Hampshire: his three victories there are
second only to Jeff Burton's four. Both of these veteran drivers are riding
high after finishing 1-2 at Chicagoland and combined, they've won nearly a
third of the 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races run at New Hampshire. Gordon leads
all drivers in two statistical categories at New Hampshire: he's led 1,069
laps and has nine top-five finishes there. He's also won three Budweiser
Poles, tying him with Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) for that New
Hampshire record. Gordon also has the best Average Running Position as
recorded in NASCAR's Loop Data statistics, with an average position of 10.620
in the first 18 races. This means Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet has been, on
average, running just outside the 10th position during each race.

"In The Loop" -- Strong Early Runs Bode Well for Top 10 ...
NASCAR's new Loop
Data statistics -- derived from electronic scoring loops imbedded around race
tracks -- provide a wide variety of information that can demonstrate exactly
how, when, and where a driver won the race. In the season-to-date statistics,
one key statistic also shows a common trait among the current top 10 drivers
in the Race to the Chase. A "run" is the period of racing between
pit stops.
Exact distances vary, but teams use this period to assess the performance of
their cars and decide if any adjustments are needed on their next stop.

The Fastest Drivers Early in a Run Loop Data category ranks each driver
during the first 25 percent of laps after a pit stop. Some drivers set up
their cars to run faster in this period, on new tires and full of fuel, while
others get faster later, as the run goes on. Different drivers may prefer
different strategies, but the top 10 all have one thing in common: their cars
are fastest early in a run, just after they've pitted. The top 10 drivers are
all ranked in the top 13 of this Loop Data category. Translation? If you're
racing for the championship, it's better to be fast early.

The Battle for 10th ... With eight races remaining in the Race to the Chase,
several drivers are fighting for a position in the top 10, or to get within
400 points of the leader, which would qualify them to compete for the series
championship over the final 10 races. Jeff Gordon took over the 10th position
with his victory at Chicagoland and trails points leader Jimmie Johnson (No.
48 Lowe's Chevrolet) by 432 points. Greg Biffle (No. 16 National Guard/Subway
Ford) is ranked 11th and trails Gordon by 47 points. Based on recent results,
Biffle's chances to gain on Gordon look good. He finished both New Hampshire
races in the top five last season.

First-Timers and Repeat Chasers ... In addition to Burton and Harvick, Kasey
Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) and Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg's
Chevrolet) are in the top 10 and seeking their first chances to compete in
the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Four of the current top 10 positions,
meanwhile, are occupied by drivers who have competed in both previous
editions of the Chase in 2004 and 2005. If Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth (No.
17 DEWALT Power Tools Ford), Mark Martin (No. 6 AAA Ford) and Tony Stewart
(No. 20 The Home Depot Chevrolet) remain in the top 10 for the next eight
weeks, they will qualify for the Chase for a third consecutive year.

Role Reversal: Modified Star Christopher Enters NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Field; Stewart and Edwards to Race Modifieds ... Connecticut's Ted
Christopher (No. 61 Peak Performance Dodge), a star on the NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour and one of the best-known short track racers in the nation,
will attempt to qualify for his sixth career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race this
weekend at New Hampshire. Christopher has swept the last four Whelen Modified
Tour races at NHIS and also has won five NASCAR Grand National Division,
Busch East Series events there. While Christopher tries his hand at NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup racing, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
will in turn challenge Christopher on his home turf -- both are scheduled to
compete in the Whelen Modified Tour race on Saturday afternoon at New
Hampshire.

Pit Crew Spotlight: New England a Hotbed for Crew Chiefs ... New Hampshire
International Speedway is a home visit for many NASCAR NEXTEL Cup crew
members. Crew chief Frank Stoddard, of North Haverhill, N.H., led Jeff Burton
to three of his four NHIS victories when they were together at Roush Racing.
While Stoddard's current team won't be at NHIS this weekend, several others
will race close to home this week. Some of the notable names from New England
are crew chiefs Paul Andrews (No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge) of Bangor,
Maine, Kevin "Bono" Manion (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) of Boylston,
Mass., Richard "Slugger" Labbe (No. 88 UPS Ford) of Saco, Maine, Steve
Letarte (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) of Portland, Maine, Gary Putnam (No. 32
Tide/Downy Chevrolet) of Hartford, Conn. and reigning NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
champion crew chief Greg Zipadelli (No. 20 The Home Depot Chevrolet) of
Berlin, Conn.

Some Boston-area natives working as NASCAR NEXTEL Cup pit crew members are
Jim Mazza, of Upton, Mass., who works as a chassis setup and catch can man
for the No. 4 Aero Exhaust Chevrolet; and D.J. Richardson, of Leominster,
Mass., who is a front tire changer on the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet.

Setting the Field: Top 35 in 2006 Owner Points "Locked In" ... Each week,
teams ranked in the top 35 of the current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car owner point
standings are guaranteed starting positions, creating a "bubble"
between the
top 35 and those teams outside of 35th, trying to reach that position. There
are no overall changes to the top 35 in the owner points this week -- the
same 35 teams are still locked-in to the field. A few teams have given
themselves a little breathing room by moving up a few positions, while a few
others find themselves sliding downwards. Bill Davis' No. 22 Caterpillar
Dodge team improved three positions in the car owner standings, thanks to
Dave Blaney's 17th-place finish at Chicagoland. The No. 21 Little Debbie Ford
team of Glen Wood, however, dropped to 34th in the standings.

Chevrolet Maintains Manufacturers' Lead ... Jeff Gordon's Chicagoland victory
was another feather in Chevrolet's cap, as the manufacturer picked up its
10th victory of the season. As a result, Chevrolet added to its lead in the
manufacturers' championship standings. While Chevrolet, which won the 2005
manufacturers' title, continues its stronghold on the standings, the series'
other two brands fight a close battle for second place. Dodge is ranked
second in the standings with 107 points while Ford is very close behind with
103 points.

Raybestos Rookie Update ... Reed Sorenson (No. 41 Target Dodge) was the
top-finishing rookie at Chicagoland, marking the fourth time this season he's
been the best finisher of the rookie class. Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx
Express Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer remain 1-2 in the Raybestos Rookie of the
Year standings. This year's rookie drivers have made their presence known, in
the winner's circle and on the track. According to NASCAR's new Loop Data
statistics, they've also passed more often than their peers have been able to
pass them. In the category of Consecutive Passes Without Being Passed,
rookies Denny Hamlin, J.J. Yeley (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet) and
David Stremme (No. 40 Coors Light Dodge) are ranked 1-2-3.

Where In The World Is Ken Schrader? ... If it has gas, four tires and faces a
green flag, Ken Schrader (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford) will drive it. The
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series' oldest -- and arguably the busiest -- competitor
just can't resist racing, driving in a variety of series each season, despite
the inherent demands of NASCAR's top series.

The chart below illustrates Schrader's schedule thus far. Prior to competing
in Sunday's LENOX Industrial Tools 300, Schrader is keeping up his hectic
short track schedule. Schrader is scheduled to race in Farmington, Mo. on
Wednesday before departing for New England, where he'll race in short track
events in Barre, Vt. on Thursday night and also in Wiscasset, Maine on
Friday. No word on whether he'll join Stewart and Edwards in Saturday
afternoon's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event...

Schrader's 2006 race totals to date
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series -- 18
NASCAR Busch Series -- 6
Budweiser Shootout -- 1
Copper World -- 2
Short track (dirt, late-model, etc.) -- 30
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