Local Look: Indianapolis

Events: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Kroger 200, Power Stroke Diesel 200

Local papers contributing: Elmira Star-Gazette, Indianapolis Star, Independent Tribune

	Inside the Numbers Roush Racing at Watkins Glen Category Stat Starts 51 Wins 3 Top-5s 16 Top-10s 26 Poles 3 Avg. Start 16.2 Avg. Finish 13.9

Edwards struggles in Watkins Glen test

The deal: Ron Levanduski of the Elmira Star-Gazette says Carl Edwards learned about the Watkins Glen International track the hard way during NASCAR testing Monday.

Edwards, a rising star, with little road racing experience, said he had no problem getting up to a competitive speed in his first-ever laps around the 2.45-mile Glen layout.

But he slammed his No. 60 Busch Series car into the Inner Loop tire barriers during the early afternoon session. While the damage was extensive on the right side of his car, Edwards was not hurt.

Why we care: Edwards has been tearing up the oval tracks this year while competing in his first full seasons in the Nextel Cup and Busch Series.

The Columbia, Mo. native was one of several drivers fighting for a chance to compete in NASCAR's final Chase for the Nextel Cup who tested in preparation for the Aug. 14 Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen.

Gordon's first drive for five happens at Indy

The deal: Steve Ballard of the Indianapolis Star says the stakes are different this year for Jeff Gordon as he returns to the track he worshiped as a youth and has conquered as an adult.

Instead of just wanting to win next Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as he did last year for the fourth time, Gordon, a former Pittsboro, Ind., resident desperately needs to win.

2004 Brickyard 400Look back as Gordon wins his fourth Brickyard 400 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Why we care: Gordon's season is rapidly slipping away, and a poor finish in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard could all but end any chance he has of contending for a fifth NASCAR season championship. He is a career-low 15th in the Nextel Cup standings, 114 points behind 10th-place driver Dale Jarrett.

Beyond resuscitating Gordon's season, next Sunday's race provides his first opportunity to become Indy's man for all seasons.

On a 2.5-mile oval that since 1911 has challenged the world's best drivers, no one has mastered it five times. Gordon has that opportunity.

Simulator racing series fueling NASCAR dreams

The deal: Josh McCann of the Independent Tribune says Jason Fourman is screaming down the backstretch at Lowe's Motor Speedway, hurtling along at 190-plus mph under bright blue skies.

The billboards whiz by in a blur. The grandstands are gone in a blink, and the back end of his ride slides perilously out from under him as he carves a tight line around the turns.

The full sensory experience of stock car racing is all right there in front of him, so tantalizingly close he can feel it - except Fourman is actually racing on a simulator.

Why we care: When his race is over a short seven minutes from now, Fourman will exit the car and leave his dreams of NASCAR glory behind. Soon, however, this 27-year-old life-long race fan may just get his shot at the real deal.

The American Racer, a nascent racing reality TV show nurtured in a modest office suite just across the street from the actual speedway, aims to give the average American a chance to see if they can cut it in stock car racing's pressure cooker.

Hamilton has heavy week of racing ahead

The deal: Ed Atlas of the City Paper in Nashville says Bobby Hamilton is never happier than when he is up to his elbows in axle grease. So he'll be immersed in mirth this week with races covering three different disciplines and three different venues.

Bobby Hamilton

Why we care: Hamilton will lead his team into Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday night for the Power Stroke Diesel 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. On Saturday he'll attempt to make the field for Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. If he's successful, Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will mark his first Nextel Cup start since 2002.

But before basking in the spotlight, he'll return to grassroots racing tonight at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. The dirt track just south of St. Louis will present its third annual "Night of Stars" hosted by veritable track-rat Kenny Schrader. This year Schrader has enlisted the help of some of his NASCAR pals including Hamilton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Casey Mears, Dave Blaney and Jimmy Spencer.