Local Look: Texas

Event: Samsung/Radio Shack 500

Local papers covering: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News

Texas a different 'cookie-cutter'

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The deal: John Sturbin of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the fact that no driver has won two Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway makes the track stand out from those other "cookie-cutter" 1.5-mile tracks that draw so much criticism from fans and media on the circuit.

Why we care: Nobody has figured out TMS twice, a pattern defending event champion Ryan Newman has chalked up to coincidence. Other new 1.5-mile tracks have had many multiple winners.

For instance, reigning series champion Matt Kenseth and Roush Racing teammate Jeff Burton each have won two of seven races contested on the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which opened in 1998.

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon has won two of three Cup races run at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway, which staged its first series event in 2001.

Similarly, Kevin Harvick has captured two of three Cup events contested at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway since it opened, also in 2001.

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So whose nose is out of joint?

The deal: Terry Blount of the Dallas Morning News says a few grumbling Nextel Cup teams have accused Ray Evernham of cheating. Rival car manufacturers are taking photos to examine the nose construction on Evernham's Dodges.

	Kasey Kahne. Credit; Autostock

Why we care: Evernham has his rivals guessing these days, the same way he did when he helped make Jeff Gordon NASCAR's most successful driver.

After five years of struggling to build his own team and lead Dodge's return to the sport, Evernham has his cars consistently running up front.

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The Rock a big NASCAR fan

The deal: David Martindale of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, has been an auto racing fan since he attended his first NASCAR event about five years ago.

"I was completely blown away," the movie star/wrestler told the paper. "To see how many people there were and the vibe of the place, it was fantastic, it was phenomenal.

	Texas Motor Speedway. Credit: Autostock

"I liken it to the energy I would get in front of a crowd in the middle of a ring. There are 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 people, all very vocal, and that energy is really addictive."

Why we care: The Rock is the grand marshal for Sunday's Samsung/Radio Shack 500. Incidentally, he told the paper he wouldn't mind driving a race car, even if grand marshals aren't exactly allowed to get behind the wheel.

"But that won't stop me from asking," he said. "I would love it if they would let me drive a car."

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Some NASCAR drivers become fast friends

The deal: Terry Blount of the Dallas Morning News says despite the pressure of competition at NASCAR's highest level, some rivals on the tracks do become friends off the track.

"The two drivers have to understand what happens on the track stays on the track," Jeff Gordon, who considers Ricky Craven a good friend, told the paper. "We have a common bond and a common understanding of what we each go through."

Why we care: What drivers go through on the track can have an adverse affect on trying to stay friendly when they climb out of the their cars.

Racing means drivers are going to run into each other. Sometimes tempers flare.

"All of us want to win," Elliott Sadler told the paper. "But when something happens on the track that I don't like, I don't take it back to the motorcoach area with me. You travel with these guys 40 weeks a year. You can't let bad feelings take over your life."

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