The craziest things happen at NHIS #1

They call him Cousin Carl for a reason. He's just one of us.

One night before qualifying for the 1st race of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, I nearly ran over Carl Edwards. How would that have played nationally? Some little Mainer kills Cup driver before Chase qualifying. Yeah, that would go over well.

Leaving the media parking lot on Thursday night after Rogelio Lopez became the 1st Mexican driver ever to become a Busch East Series pole winner, we were redirected away from the main entrance at New Hampshire International Speedway. Seems that the Cup haulers were pouring into the infield, and they wanted us to head up the hill, through a parking lot and to an auxilliary entrance for the track.

Turning the corner to the parking lot, I saw a souped-up golf cart come zipping toward me. The driver was wearing a black sweatshirt and jeans, a winter hat pulled down over his ears and a pair of safety glasses with clear lenses. It was Carl Edwards -- disguised just enough so that by the time people recognized him he was long past them.

So there was Cousin Carl, tooling around with some buddies on a golf cart. Just like he was getting ready for some big Late Model show the next day somewhere in the midwest.

It's precisely the reason people should be so excited about a guy like Edwards becoming a Cup star. He's still the same guy he always was.

Just with a little more money.

*****

Saturday's schedule at NHIS is cramped so full, I wonder if any of the races will have enough time to go the schedule distance. A Craftsman Truck Series race, a Whelen Modified Tour 100 and a new addition -- the 75-lap USAC Silver Crown event.

And, there's a forecast calling for 80 percent chance of rain.

Why would NHIS want to add a non-NASCAR-sanctioned event to the busiest day of the weekend? I'm not sure what they get for an 18-car field. Yeah, I said 18 cars. That's how many are on the entry list, with Cup driver J.J. Yeley amon that group.

If it's a great race, who cares? It's a bunch of guys in a series that's got nowhere near the cache it had when the Stewarts, Gordons and Newmans were tearing it up. If it's not, then nobody expected much anyway. Maybe I should reserve judgement until I actually see it, but I'm having a hard time doing that.

*****

First we find out that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports have announced a press conference next Wednesday in Dallas to announce Earnhardt's sponsor for next season. Then we receive late word Thursday night that there's been a late change to the driver availability schedule at NHIS on Friday, and Earnhardt will be in the media center to speak with reporters at 9:45 a.m.

Pepsi-Cola Company? Frito-Lay? Central Maine Newspapers?

We'll keep you posted. This much is certain: Junior's not going to pull a Kyle Busch (see: Gibbs to Toyota) and spill the beans prematurely.

*****

Rogelio Lopez continues to become the shining star of Mexico in the Busch East Series.

Lopez added to his history-making NASCAR Busch East Series season Thursday. The 27-year-old, who became the first Mexican to win a NASCAR regional touring race in July at Nashville became the 1st regional touring driver to win a pole.

"I’ve been learning a lot from these guys, Matt (Kobyluck), Joey (Logano) and Sean (Caisse)," Lopez said. "I’ve been watching how they race, how they practice and how they do time trails. I’ve been learning a lot from them and I appreciate that."

Lopez qualified fifth fastest for June’s event at NHIS, but he was the first to retire from the event with a small oil fire after only 15 laps.