Skip to main content

Earnhardt, Keselowski among favorites at Michigan

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. snapped a long losing streak when he won at Michigan International Speedway two years ago.

How much have times changed? A victory this week would give NASCAR’s most popular driver a winning streak.

Earnhardt has already reached Victory Lane twice this year, including last weekend at Pocono.

Now third in the Sprint Cup standings, Earnhardt has three second-place finishes in 2014 to go with his two wins — and the question is no longer whether he can win, but how often.

“Definitely that’s new,” Earnhardt said. “That’s the new conversation topic for us, but I just want to win the next one. We have so much fun winning and going to Victory Lane and last week was so much fun (with) the feeling that you have inside and that you have for several hours after that. It’s like the best feeling ever. And I want to do it again. I want to do it now, this weekend.”

Earnhardt paired his first career win at Pocono with his Daytona 500 championship for his first multi-win season since 2004. He’s won twice at Michigan, including the 2012 victory that was his first in a Cup race anywhere since he also won at MIS four years earlier.

Earnhardt’s success this year has come to some degree at the expense of Brad Keselowski, who got his break when Earnhardt hired him to drive for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

Although their developing rivalry does not involve any real bad blood, Earnhardt and Keselowski have found themselves going head to head a decent amount lately.

When Earnhardt won at Daytona, Keselowski was third, and Keselowski was second to Earnhardt last weekend at Pocono. Keselowski did win at Las Vegas early in the season — with Earnhardt finishing second.

Although Keselowski is from Michigan, he’s never won a Cup race at MIS, finishing as high as second. A win by Keselowski would extend Ford’s winning streak to four Cup races at this track. Joey Logano took last year’s August event, and Greg Biffle took the two before that.

Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports have won the past four Cup races this year, with Jimmie Johnson winning twice and points leader Jeff Gordon also earning a victory in that span. And that doesn’t even count Jamie McMurray’s win for Chevy in the Sprint All-Star race last month.

Keselowski will try to end that run, while giving team owner Roger Penske another victory in Michigan after Logano prevailed last year. Keselowski is fifth in the Cup standings and Logano is ninth.

“I think it’s really good for Roger,” Keselowski said. “We rely on him so much to make our team go … whether that’s motivation, sponsorship, funding, decision making, leadership — across the board — and to see him be excited to have two cars that are legitimate front runners week in and week out, I think that really energizes him to play a strong role on the NASCAR side.”

Here are five more things to watch in Sunday’s race at MIS:

ROUSH’S OUTLOOK: Owner Jack Roush wouldn’t provide any update on what his driver lineup will look like in 2015, but Roush Fenway Racing is hoping to add to its record 13 Cup victories at Michigan. Roush’s only Cup win this year came when Carl Edwards took the checkered flag at Bristol. His best hope at MIS may be Biffle, who has four victories there — and Edwards leads all active drivers in the Cup series with an average finishing position at Michigan of 8.316.

TRYING AGAIN: Johnson is 0 for 24 at Michigan, although he came close to ending that drought in 2012 before his engine faltered with only six laps remaining. He finished second at MIS in August 2011.

RECORD SPEED: Ever since the Michigan track was repaved before the 2012 season, speeds have soared, and Kevin Harvick won the pole Friday at 204.557 mph, the fastest qualifying speed since Bill Elliott set the record of 212.809 mph at Talladega Superspeedway in April 1987. Johnson had the fastest speed in the first of two practice sessions Saturday at 202.054 mph. Kyle Larson topped the field at the final practice session at 198.424.

AT THE TOP: Gordon has finished in the top 15 in every race but one this year, and he brings the points lead to Michigan, where he’s won twice, although not since 2001.

CONSISTENCY: Matt Kenseth is second in the standings despite not finishing higher than third in any race. He has 10 top-10 finishes. Kenseth has 18 top-10 finishes in 29 starts at Michigan, with two victories.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote