This weekend, NASCAR will be putting Right Sides Only on in "that same old place, sweet home, Chicago." Nationwide series on Friday night, and Sprint Cup on Saturday night.

A Jack Roush car has never won a Cup event at Chicagoland Speedway. Along with Indy, these are the only two tracks that he hasn't won a race at. I knew I liked these two tracks for some reason.

His current Cup lineup, featuring David Ragan, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Matt Kenseth have made 26 starts here, and have 8 top-10 finishes to show for themselves. Kenseth has four of those eight top-10s himself.

In the month since Dale Earnhardt Jr got his new crew chief, he's really turned his season around.....not for the better! No top-10s. And, while, pre-switch, he once was on the fringe of making the Chase, now even his Nation of die-hards are clamming up about the chances of Jr chasing anything.

AJ Allmendinger will be cooking Hunt Bros Pizza in the #44 Saturday night. Chicago style? Will Bobby Labonte have the remote to go along with DLP on his #96? Matt Kenseth will be skimming along with USG Sheetrock finishing his #17 Ford.

The #34 of John Andretti and #37 of Tony Raines will feature Long John Silvers, Baja Fish Tacos this weekend as part of a promotion to give the fish tacos away on Tuesday, July, 14. Ahh, fish tacos.....

NASCAR called Jeremy Mayfield on Monday at 1:18 and gave him a lab to report to within two hours to give a drug screen sample. Mayfield 'got lost', finally called NASCAR and was told of another lab to go to. He, instead went to his own lab and gave a sample. NASCAR reps showed up at his home that night, and after another hour of delays, got a sample. What a tangled web we weave...

CNBC has a special report concerning the economic state of NASCAR. "Inside Track: The Business of NASCAR" airs Thursday, July, 9 at 9pm, 10pm, and 1am. It reairs on July, 12 and 13. I doubt this will be too warm and fuzzy. Tune in to, hopefully, see Brian France get hammered like a co-ed at a keg stand party.

The #47 Toyota in the NNS series has run out of sponsorship while sitting in 11th place in the point standings. Michael McDowwel is out, and Kelly Bires will be starting and parking it in Chicago.

On the other hand, 18 year old, Trevor Bayne, driver of the MWR #99 in NNS, has had his schedule increased from 8 to 12 races, including Friday night at Chicago.

Kyle Busch has finished in the top two in the last five NNS races.

Congrats to Theresa Earnhardt for finally getting rid of the last reminder of Dale Sr's legacy at DEI when Martin Truex Jr moved on. Truex will be in the NAPA #56 next year for MWR.

The 400 miler at Daytona on Saturday night certainly provided an exciting finish as Kyle Busch caused the 'big one' and took three hellacious hits in less than five seconds. All in all the race was a good one to watch mainly because the caution would come out every time the drivers needed to stop for tires. Tires looked to be a major factor, as cars with the right setups didn't have tire problems while those who missed the setup were hanging on for dear life, or suffering blowouts.

Back to Kyle Busch, once again Saturday night he proved that he still has a lot to learn about plate racing. Yes, he has won at Daytona and Talladega, but in both of those races last year he didn't have to pass anyone or block anyone on the last lap. That's where he falls short.

At Daytona last year a caution came out during the green, white, checkered just as it looked like Carl Edwards would pass him for the win. Edwards was denied the win because of the yellow flag. At Talladega last year Busch also won during a G,W,C finish. Having to only hold of Juan Montoya....not exactly a plate race master himself.

For the last three years, if he's not leading, Busch has made very poor decisions at the superspeedway tracks. His finishes have suffered as a result of those poor choices.

Two years ago, at the July Daytona race Busch let Jamie McMurray outdrive him to the checkered flag. Think about that one, Jamie MCMurray OUTDROVE anyone let alone Kyle Busch. Three years ago, in the Daytona 500, while Matt Kenseth and McMurray were causing the 'big one' on the last lap coming off of turn four. Kyle turned left and lost it while in the inside lane. The wreck was just starting in the outside lane. He could have held his line and finished in the top five easily.

This year it seemed that the McMurray finish was on his mind, as Busch wanted no parts of a side-by-side drag race with Tony Stewart to the finish line. Turns out that his chances would have been much better doing that than coming down into Stewart's car and causing the 'big one'.

The problem is that Busch has so much talent that he thinks his talent will override that restrictor plate....wrong! The draft and aerodynamics mean more than talent at the plate tracks, re: McMurray.

Talent doesn't always win out at Daytona. Three time champions, the Labonte brothers never won at Daytona. Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt each took 20 years to win the Daytona 500. Mark Martin has never won at Daytona. While Mike Waltrip has two 500 victories, wth!

Busch has a hot setup at the plate tracks....for now. That won't last forever. He needs to study up, and learn more about the drafting techniques involved in a shootout than trying to rely solely on his talent.

The NASCAR boys are bringing their toys to the beach this week. Back to the scene of the year's first rainout finish. Yeah, Matt Kenseth's rain shortened Daytona 500 victory is nearly forgotten, as David Reutimann's and Joey Logano's wet wins will soon be also.

Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 should be a great one. Don't know about having a Zero in the name of a sporting event though. The July race was called the Firecracker 400 for decades. Now, that's a name. Firecracker! Put Firecracker 400 on a trophy and even Kyle Busch would cherish it.

Twenty-five years ago Richard Petty won his 200th (and last) Cup race in the Firecracker 400. Forty-five years ago AJ Foyt won his first (not his last though) Cup race in the Firecracker 400. Two years ago Jamie 'Cupcake' McMuray won his second (and last) Cup race in the Coke Zero 400.

Jeremy Mayfield found a judge to give him a temporary injunction allowing his return to NASCAR. The judge basically scolded NASCAR's half-assed drug testing program. NASCAR did present signed statements from some drivers including Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon stating that they wouldn't feel safe competing against someone who had failed NASCAR's drug test. Wonder if NASCAR will be paying for JJ and Jeff's lawyers when Mayfield cleans up, ala Marcia Grant?

Some good news from TNT, Bill Weber has been replaced as lead announcer for their remaining race telecasts. Ralph Sheheen will take over. Seems Billy boy didn't play well with others in N.H. last week.

TNT will also be broadcasting Saturday night's race in a widescreen letterbox format. Also, no national commercials will be shown during the race. Instead on screen graphics and messages will be scrolled during live action.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has two wins at Daytona and 11 top-10s in 19 starts. Jr will be sneaking up on everyone in a special hand painted U.S. Army camouflage car this week. Martin Truex Jr has made eight starts here and has yet to garner a top-10 finish. Must be those tricky restarts.

Mark Martin has never won at Daytona, in 48 starts. Tony Stewart has two wins and 11 top-10s in 21 starts. Kyle Busch has one win and four top-5s in 9 starts here.

Mike Wallace has five top-10s in 18 starts. Wallace will be driving the #64 with Fred's Discount Stores on board. Gander Mountain is sponsoring Tony Raines in the NNS and Cup races at Daytona this weekend.

Happy Indepence Day everyone! Freedom isn't free!

Here are a few NASCAR rumors, updates, and facts leading up to this weekends races in the Dirty South, ATL.

First,  a shout out to Kasey Kahne. He is the only Cup driver this year who has a top ten in each of the three races so far. How many of you thought he would be the one to do that? Unless the word Kahne is in your screen name, quit lying.

On the other hand, Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears are the only two Cup drivers with two DNFs in the first three races this year.

Robby Gordon won his appeal, while NASCAR came down hard on Carl 'Flipper' Edwards. Evidently, The #99 team thought, "we ain't repeatin', unless we're cheatin'." Read all about the penalties on everyone else's blogs.

Zaxby's Restaurants will be on the #28 Yates Ford, piloted by Travis Kvapil, this week in Atlanta.

Kyle Busch says he will decide after Saturday's race if he will run the entire Nationwide schedule this year. As of now he doesn't plan on making the Mexico City race. After such a good start this season he's pondering a championship run for Toyota.

In Truck Series developments, Roush-Fenway has announced the scheduled drivers in the #09 Ford for the rest of the year. Kvapil to run 10 races. Bobby East is in for 7 races, and 18 year old John Wes Townley is scheduled for 6.

NASCAR teams are still looking everywhere for new talent. Ken Schrader Racing has signed Ricky Carmichael---multi time motocross world champ---to drive the full 13 race Camping World East series. Carmichael drove a few late model races for now defunct Ginn Racing last year. Fellow moto champ, James Bubba Stewart was in the garage area during Speed Weeks in Daytona this year.

Finally, a shout out to my boy, countryjag.....hurry back bro.