Viewer's Guide: Phoenix

Here's some bad news for all the drivers going after Tony Stewart in the Chase for the Nextel Cup:

Stewart knows Phoenix International Raceway very well.

	Inside the Numbers Tony Stewart at Phoenix Year Start Finish 1999 11 1 2000 37 14 2001 22 5 2002 16 8 2003 6 18 2004 6 8 2005 6 33 Averages 14.9 12.4

Almost seven years before Stewart pulled into Phoenix International Raceway's Victory Lane for his second career Cup series win, he was wheeling a USAC Silver Crown car around the one-mile oval. It was February of 1993 and Stewart was 21 years old, an up-and-coming race car driver in the open-wheel ranks, making his first start at the Copper World Classic in the season's Silver Crown opener.

Fast forward 12 years and now Stewart returns to PIR with a chance to inch closer to his second Cup championship. Stewart enters the week 38 points in front of second-place Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the Cup.

"With the last couple of weeks the way they've been, we've been able to stay pretty consistent in our point margin. With only two weeks to go it probably makes it a little easier on us to just worry about doing what we've been doing. That's all we've been doing all year anyway. We haven't really been concerned with anybody else. We've just focused on what we need to do and it's working."

The fact that Sunday's race is at PIR is just a bonus.

"It's a place where I feel comfortable," Stewart said. "I know every inch of that race track. I've driven six different types of cars there, and between all those cars I've run at least five different lines.

"I feel like I know it better than most of the other folks who've just run stock cars there."

Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer are scheduled for a live edition of Trackside from Phoenix at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday. If you're heading to Phoenix this weekend, the Stage Truck will be located outside the Turn 1 grandstand.

The ratings news was encouraging for NBC last weekend at Texas.

According to the network, last weekend's race at Texas earned a 5.1 national rating/10 share, a four percent increase from the comparable race last year (4.9/10 in Phoenix).

With only two races left in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the eight playoff races are averaging a 4.5 rating on NBC & TNT, up 5 percent from 2004 (4.3) and up 10 percent for the comparable eight races in 2003 (4.1). Season to date, NASCAR on NBC and TNT is rating a 4.7, up 8 percent from 2004 (4.4).

	Sam Flood
	E-MAIL •   Send Mark your take for "The Rant" or your question for "Ask The Producer"

In this week's "Ask the Producer" question, several users want to know how it is decided which announcers will work qualifying each week, since some weeks there is a combination of FOX and NBC/TNT announcers on some broadcasts.

Sam Flood, who produces NASCAR broadcasts on NBC, TNT and SPEED, says the reasoning in simple.

"We just find out from SPEED what their needs are," Flood said. "Sometimes they need some of our (NBC/TNT) talent and sometimes they don't. We just work together and figure it out."

Each week, we'll choose a fan's question to ask a NASCAR on NBC/TNT producer. Send your puzzler by e-mail using the link to the right.

In this week's version of "The Rant," Dennis D. Ackroyd of Parts Unknown has a question:

"For the life of me, I can not understand why someone like Ricky Craven, who has won a number of times in the last few years and with a one-car team, would not be considered for a Cup ride ahead of some of these drivers who have not done anything at all in their time in Cup."

Now on to this weekend's schedule.

Nextel Cup Series: Checker Auto Parts 500

Track: Phoenix International Raceway

• 1-mile oval
• 11-degree banking in Turns 1 and 2
• 9-degree banking in Turns 3 and 4
• Length of frontstretch: 1,179 feet
• Length of backstretch: 1,551 feet

Race length: 312 laps/312 miles

TV schedule (All times ET)

• NASCAR Live: 5:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Final practice, 6 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Trackside: 7:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Bud Pole Qualifying: 1 p.m. Sat., SPEED
• NASCAR Performance: 6:30 p.m. Sat., SPEED
• NASCAR This Morning: 11 a.m. Sun., SPEED
• Pre-race: 3 p.m. Sun., NBC
• Race: 3:40 p.m. Sun., NBC

2004 FlashbackDale Earnhardt Jr. celebrates his sixth win of the year Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr. got his sixth victory of the season.

The most recent checkered flag went to Carl Edwards, who passed Mark Martin with less than two laps remaining and held on for his second consecutive win and fourth of the year last Sunday at Texas.

Keep an eye on Martin. He has eight top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 18 races at Phoenix, more than any other driver. Martin also has one win and five second-place finishes. He finished 16th there in April.

Busch Series: Arizona 200

Track: Phoenix International Raceway

• 1-mile oval
• 11-degree banking in Turns 1 and 2
• 9-degree banking in Turns 3 and 4
• Length of frontstretch: 1,179 feet
• Length of backstretch: 1,551 feet

Race length: 200 laps/200 miles

TV schedule (All times ET)

• Busch Pole Qualifying: 11 a.m. Sat., SPEED
• Race: 3:40 p.m. Sat., TNT

2004 FlashbackJamie McMurray celebrates his Bashas' 200 victory Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, Jamie McMurray hounded Kyle Busch all afternoon, finally stole the lead after a late re-start and held on to win the Bashas' Supermarkets 200.

The most recent checkered flag went to Kevin Harvick, who capitalized on a poor decision by Ryan Newman and bad luck by Kasey Kahne to win the O'Reilly Challenge last week at Texas.

Keep an eye on Martin Truex Jr. He can clinch his second consecutive Busch championship Saturday at Phoenix if he gains 106 or more points over second-place Clint Bowyer, thereby leading by 190 points or more heading to the last race of 2005. The maximum points that a driver can gain in a race is 156. Also, Truex will win the title if he gains 72 or more points on Bowyer at Phoenix and starts at Homestead-Miami.

Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado 150

Track: Phoenix International Raceway

• 1-mile oval
• 11-degree banking in Turns 1 and 2
• 9-degree banking in Turns 3 and 4
• Length of frontstretch: 1,179 feet
• Length of backstretch: 1,551 feet

Race length: 150 laps/150 miles

TV schedule (All times ET)

• Race: 8 p.m. Fri., SPEED

2004 FlashbackDavid Starr's victory comes by only .297 seconds Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, David Starr held off Jack Sprague in the final laps to claim his second win of the season.

The most recent checkered flag went to Todd Bodine, who slipped under Mike Skinner with 23 laps to go and then held the lead after a final restart Friday night to win the Silverado 350 at Texas Motor Speedway for the second year in a row.

Keep an eye on Jack Sprague. No Craftsman Truck Series driver has a better record at Phoenix International Raceway than Sprague, who's finished outside the top five only once since 1995. Sprague's nine top five finishes include eight of either first or second. He has completed every lap of all 11 races he's started -- 1,857 of 1,857.

The Domino's Viewer's Guide appears each Thursday during race weeks.