Local Look: Michigan

Events: GFS Marketplace 400, Cabela's 250

Local papers covering: Detroit Free Press, Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Jeremy Mayfield

Kahne, Mayfield will keep it clean at MIS

The deal: Mike Brundenell of the Detroit Free Press says short of swearing on a stack of Bibles, Dodge teammates Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne have made a promise to each other and Evernham Motorsports, for which they drive: They WON'T, no matter what, endanger or take each other out in a race as the countdown to the business end of the season approaches.

Why we care: Mayfield and Kahne have a good chance of making it to NASCAR's Chase for the Championship, in which only the top 10 drivers in the standings will be eligible to compete for the Nextel Cup crown in the final 10 races. With four races left until the Chase begins, Mayfield is 10th in points and Kahne, a rookie, is 11th, just 24 in arrears of the vastly more experienced Mayfield.

For more news about Evernham Motorsports, click here.

No. 2 looking out for No. 1

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The deal: Jeff Bleiler of the Jackson Citizen Patriot says Rusty Wallace wants it to be known that he's a running back and not a fullback.

So if teammate Ryan Newman reclaims his top-10 spot in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series standings, he shouldn't expect Wallace to provide blocking for him in his hunt for the championship.

Why we care: Wallace is 18th in the standings, well behind Jeremy Mayfield, who currently holds the 10th spot. Newman lost his grip on that same 10th spot after last week's race at Watkins Glen.

Rusty Wallace

"You'll see people probably letting their teammates by, but you're not going to see any blocking," Wallace said. "If you try to block, you're going to get your butt knocked off the racetrack. There's no blocking going to happen in this deal.

"There'll be a lot of hoodoo going on, like letting your teammate go and racing another guy harder, but as far as blocking, that won't work."

For more NASCAR news on Wallace click here.

Roush paves way for Edwards' rise

Carl Edwards

The deal: Mike Brudendell of the Detroit Free Press says Nextel Cup's newest driver, Carl Edwards, knows he's living large after running around on fairground dirt tracks in Missouri just a few years ago.

Edwards, 25, replaced Jeff Burton last week and will make his first Cup appearance when he starts in the GFS Marketplace 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

Why we care: Edwards will drive the remaining 14 races on the Nextel Cup schedule and finish the truck season in his No. 99 Superchips Ford F-150. It's a task Edwards thinks he can handle.

"I'm going to try to take the Cup car to victory lane," Edwards told the paper. "But I'm going to be realistic.

"I want to make a concerted effort to finish laps. The last thing I want to do is get in the way of anyone who may be racing for a championship. Of course, if we are in a position at the end of the race to win, we'll go for it."

For more NASCAR news on Edwards, click here.

Texas Terry hopes for Michigan relief

Terry Labonte

The deal: Jeff Bleiler of the Jackson Citizen-Patriot says Terry Labonte enjoyed very little about his last visit to the Irish Hills. Labonte, driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet, started 31st and wound up in an accident with P.J. Jones on the last lap that helped seal Ryan Newman's victory over a hard-charging Kasey Kahne.

Labonte, the oldest driver in the Hendrick camp who is in his 26th full season of Nextel Cup competition, is hoping to turn things around Sunday.

Why we care: A good showing in the race could help jump-start one final push for a spot in the top 10 in the points standings and a spot in the Chase for the Championship.

For more NASCAR news on Labonte, click here.