Coke Zero 400 News and Notes

Coke Zero 400 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Coming into this season, only three car makes other than Chevy had won a restrictor plate race in all the NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons since 2001. That’s a span of four races a season for seven races totaling 28 opportunities for Ford and Dodge to take their best shot and toppling the king of the plate races.

There was a thought that things may change when the Car of Tomorrow came into existence because the aerodynamics of the car were so different. It was thought to be more probable that all the other teams would gain ground just by the new body design of the car and take away some of the edge that SuperPower teams like Hendrick Motorsports had over the rest of the series. In the final plate race of 2007, they ran the COT to give themselves all a little experience in working with the new car on the fastest track in the series. The results for that race at Talladega were no different than they were in the spring Talladega race, Jeff Gordon first, and Jimmie Johnson second.

Most people came into the 2008 season with the notion that Chevy and Hendrick were just far superior than the rest in plate races. To make matters appear worse, the biggest free-agent signing in NASCAR history brought one of the best plate race drivers to Hendrick Motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was now a teammate with Gordon and Johnson and together they have combined to win 16 plate races for Chevy since 2000.

Sure enough, Junior showed his skills and equipment during Daytona Speedweeks in February, racing his way to victories in the Bud Shootout and one of the Gatorade qualifying races. Junior’s Daytona 500 odds in Las Vegas were dropping to as low as 2/1 in some books because it just looked so easy and apparent that he would continue his dominance for both Hendrick and Chevy. Everyone wanted a ticket on Junior. The Junior Nation wanted to celebrate victory with Junior in his first race.

When the Daytona 500 finally finished, there were no Chevy’s in victory lane. In fact, there was only one Chevy that finished in the top 12. The final result had two Penske Dodges finish 1-2 with two Gibbs Toyota’s finishing 3rd and 4th. Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart had dominated all day, only to have a late charge by Ryan Newman supported by Kurt Busch ruin their dream of winning the Daytona 500.

When Talladega came around, talk was still about the Chevy’s dominance over the last eight years, but the fresh topic was how fast Joe Gibbs had his Toyota’s at Daytona Speedweeks. Could they do it again? Yes, they could! Kyle Busch led the last four laps to win with Denny Hamlin finishing 3rd. Tony Stewart led the most laps during the race but was involved in an accident that ruined his day.

So, as we head into Saturday Night’s plate race at Daytona, is there any reason to think Joe Gibbs won’t dominate again? Weird things happen in plate races, especially a 400 miler like this one. Last season saw Jamie McMurray get the win in this race. McMurray winning a race? I don’t know what is weirder than that.

Junior ran well in both his plate races this season, but wasn’t even in any of the Gibbs cars class. Just banking on what we know and have seen thus far, it makes it tough to go against any of the Gibbs drivers. Had the Daytona 500 been a 400 mile race, Kyle Busch wins. Stewart has not only had a fast car this year in plate races, but has been stellar in the July Daytona race winning in 2005 and 2006. Let’s go with Tony to get his first win of the season and join his Gibbs teammates who already have won.

TOP 5 Finish prediction

1) #20 Tony Stewart (8/1)
2) #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1)
3) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (8/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (5/1)
5) #07 Clint Bowyer (18/1)

Driver Highlights - Daytona
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The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 at Daytona International Speedway

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Daytona International Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last six races at Daytona. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) 18/1

# Three top 10s
# Average finish of 13.0
# Average Running Position of 15.6, 12th-best
# Driver Rating of 88.0, ninth-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 184.864 mph, 10th-fastest

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) 18/1

# Seven top fives
# Average finish of 19.3
# Average Running Position of 15.1, ninth-best
# Driver Rating of 93.0, fifth-best
# 26 Fastest Laps Run, tied for 12th-most
# 847 (65.8%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-most
# 768 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 11th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota) 5/1

# Three top fives
# Average finish of 17.7
# Average Running Position of 12.6, fourth-best
# Driver Rating of 95.3, fourth-best
# 25 Fastest Laps Run, tied for 14th-most
# 948 (73.6%) Laps in the Top 15, third-most
# 981 Quality Passes, second-most

Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) 22/1

# One win, six top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 16.8
# Average Running Position of 15.6, 11th-best
# Driver Rating of 85.2, 11th-best
# 28 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
# 1,442 Green Flag Passes, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 184.902 mph, eighth-fastest
# 724 (56.2%) Laps in the Top 15, ninth-most
# 829 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) 7/1

# Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.9
# Average Running Position of 14.8, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 87.5, 10th-best
# 40 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# 840 (65.2%) Laps in the Top 15, eighth-most
# 851 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 8/1

# Six wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 14.7
# Average Running Position of 12.7, fifth-best
# Driver Rating of 91.9, seventh-best
# 1,240 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 184.921 mph, seventh-fastest
# 866 (67.2%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
# 818 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) 8/1

# One win, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.2
# Series-high Average Running Position of 9.8
# Driver Rating of 95.5, third-best
# 1,194 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 184.995 mph, fourth-fastest
# Series-high 985 (76.5%) Laps in the Top 15
# 910 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) 20/1

# One top five, six top 10s
# Average finish of 20.4; Finished 36th in February
# Average Running Position of 15.1, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 92.4, sixth-best
# 39 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 184.981 mph, fifth-fastest
# 876 (68.0%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
# 943 Quality Passes, third-most

Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) 18/1

# One win, two top fives, three top 10s
# Average finish of 18.7
# Average Running Position of 11.3, second-best
# Driver Rating of 98.6, second-best
# 30 Fastest Laps Run, tied for seventh-most
# 1,342 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.055 mph, second-fastest
# 971 (75.4%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
# Series-high 988 Quality Passes

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) 8/1

# Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 17.6
# Average Running Position of 12.4, third-best
# Series-best Driver Rating of 108.1
# 37 Fastest Laps Run, tied for fourth-most
# 906 (70.3%) Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most

Odds and Ends - Daytona
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Daytona International Speedway

History

# Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was on November 25, 1957.
# The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.
# The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona was held on Feb. 13, 1982.
# Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.
# Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been held under lights ever since.
# The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona was held on Feb. 18, 2000.

Notebook

# There have been 122 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at the Daytona International Speedway since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 50 have been 500 miles, 45 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races (one in 1959; two from 1960-1971).
# Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole.
# Bob Welborn won the first race, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.
# Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.
# Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, in 1963.
# 50 drivers have posted poles; 19 have more than one.
# Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 13 poles.
# Bill Elliott leads all active drivers with five poles.
# 52 drivers have won; 24 have won more than once.
# Richard Petty leads all drivers in victories at Daytona with 10.
# Jeff Gordon has six victories at Daytona, more than any other active driver.
# The Wood Brothers have won 14 races at Daytona, more than any other organization.
# 15 full-length races at Daytona have been won from the pole. Thirteen have been won from the second starting position, for a total of 28 race winners from the front row.
# A driver has swept both races at Daytona only four times, most recently by Bobby Allison in 1982.
# Bill Elliott won the 1988 summer race from 38th, the deepest in the field that a Daytona race winner has started.
# Tony Stewart has led 531 laps in 19 races at Daytona, more than any other active driver. He is 10th all-time in laps led there. Jeff Gordon is 12th all-time in Daytona laps led with 511 – but Gordon has competed in 12 more races there than Stewart.

NASCAR in Florida

# There have been 157 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Florida:
# All-time, 150 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.
# There have been nine race winners from Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:

Daytona International Speedway Data

Race #: 18 of 36 (7-5-08)
Track Size: 2.5 miles
Race Length: 400 miles (160 laps)
Banking/Corners: 31 degrees
Banking/Straights: 3 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

Driver Rating at Daytona:

Tony Stewart 108.1
Ryan Newman 98.6
Jimmie Johnson 95.5
Kyle Busch 95.3
Kurt Busch 93.0
Matt Kenseth 92.4
Jeff Gordon 91.9
Sam Hornish Jr.* 90.1
Clint Bowyer 88.0
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 87.5

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (7 total) at Daytona. * -- Hornish has run one race at Daytona.

Qualifying/Race Data

2007 pole winner: None (inclement weather)
2007 race winner: Jamie McMurray, 138.983 mph, 7-7-07)
Track qualifying record: Bill Elliott (210.364 mph, 42.783 secs., 2-9-87)
Track race record: Bobby Allison (173.473 mph, 7-4-80)

Estimated Pit Window: 36-38 laps depending on fuel mileage.

Ganassi shuts down sponsor-less Franchitti team

Co-owner Chip Ganassi has shut down Dario Franchitti's race team because of a lack of sponsorship.

The 2007 Indy 500 winner and IRL Series champion has struggled in his first NASCAR season driving Ganassi's No. 40 Dodge.

Longtime sponsor Coors Light left at the end of last season, and Ganassi was unable to secure funding for Franchitti.

Franchitti ranks 41st in the points standings.

"If I keep going I run the risk of dragging the other two teams down. I don't want to do that," Ganassi told the Associated Press. "There's no money. It makes no sense to be running this out of my pocket. I had to put a stop to it."

Ganassi's other two Sprint Cups teams are driven by Juan Pablo Montoya, in his second NASCAR season, and Reed Sorenson, who's in the final year of his contract.

The entire No. 40 team was shut down, but crew chief Steven Lane was not among those laid off.

Ganassi said Franchitti was disappointed but understood. And Ganassi said he was hopeful Franchitti would drive their Nationwide Series car until the Sprint Cup program was restructured.

Franchitti has missed several races this season, including five for a broken ankle, and he failed to qualify at Fort Worth and Sonoma. In just 10 events this season, Franchitti's best result came March 30 at Martinsville, Va., where he finished 22nd.

Coke Zero 400 PreQ

Matt Kenseth had his six race streak of a top 10 finish come to an end last weekend in Loudon, NH but is still among the hottest drivers in the series. Kenseth managed to finish in the 18th position which was solid considering the rain jumbled the final standings. Kenseth now ranks as the No. 1 driver heading into the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Raceway. He has not the greatest of times at Daytona running poorly in the 500 mile event but does have some success in the 400 mile race. He has three straight top 10 finishes in the summer race at Daytona and is looking for his first ever win on a restrictor plate track. Kenseth may not get to victory lane this Saturday night but he will contend for a top 5 finish.

The win at New Hampshire last weekend could have been the medicine that Kurt Busch needed to make a run for spot in the Chase for the Championship. Busch did catch a lucky break when the rains came while he was running out front although he did not have the best of cars. He is looking to build on that success at Daytona where he has been stellar in the last two trips recording a 3rd and 2nd place finish. It has been either feast or famine with the #2 Miller Lite Dodge on the restrictor plat tracks over the last few years. He is averaging a solid 14th place finish in the last 18 races with 12 top 10s. In the other six events he has finished outside the top 30 five times. Busch needs to keep the momentum going and has a good chance to do so this weekend.

Elliott Sadler has been running very well over the last three races. He has a pair of top 10s surrounded by a 19th place finish at Infineon – which he was running in the top 5 before a flat tire forced him to fall with two laps remaining. Sadler has also been running well at Daytona over the last two seasons recording three 6th place finishes. With his recent display of power Sadler has proven that he is worthy of fantasy consideration on a weekly basis. It would be a wise move to grab Sadler while he is hot and before other fantasy players catch on. Look for the #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge to be among the top drivers once again.

Denny Hamlin bounced back after a couple of bad days last weekend at New Hampshire posting just his second top 10 in the last six races. Hamlin needed the solid finish with Daytona looming on the schedule – a track where he has had very little success. In five career starts at the track he has failed to finish in the top 15 with an average finish of 27th place. He is averaging a 21st place finish in his career on the restrictor plate tracks with a pair of top 5 finishes – both coming at Talladega. It is doubtful that Hamlin will run that well on Saturday night. We would avoid the #11 FedEx Toyota for this race.

We were high on Martin Truex Jr. for the race in Loudon and he performed well posting just his fifth top 10 of the season. Truex now heads into Daytona 14th in the point standings but could fall further back as he has not run very well at the track. In six career starts he has zero top 10s with an average finish of 24th place. Much like Hamlin, Truex has a pair of top 10s on the restrictor plate tracks with both coming at Talladega. He is averaging a 25th place finish in 13 career restrictor plate starts and will more than likely struggle again this weekend. We would recommend avoiding the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet as well for the Coke Zero 400.

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Coke Zero 400 Preview

Kurt Busch got a weather-assisted win in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire over the weekend, as he was at the front of the pack when the race was called due to rain in lap 284. That marked Kurt Busch's first victory of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, and it was only the third time all year he'd ended up with a Top-10 result.

Michael Waltrip and J.J. Yeley finished second and third on an unusual leaderboard at New Hampshire, while Martin Truex Jr. and Elliott Sadler rounded out the day's Top 5. Reed Sorenson, Casey Mears, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, and Bobby Labonte made up the rest of the Top 10, and Jeff Gordon finished behind that group in 11th spot.

Jeff Burton ended up in 12th place on the weekend, with Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, and Matt Kenseth immediately following him. Greg Biffle was 21st, Clint Bowyer was 22nd, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 24th, and Kasey Kahne finished 30th. Standings leader Kyle Busch ended up back in 25th spot.

That means Kyle Busch's lead in the points race is down to 64 on Burton heading into the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona this weekend. Earnhardt Jr., Edwards, Johnson, and Gordon remain unchanged in third through sixth place in the standings this week, while Hamlin moved up one spot into seventh place with his Top-10 showing on the weekend.

Biffle, Stewart, Kahne, Bowyer, and Harvick make up the rest of the current Top 12. Kenseth held down 12th place last week, but he dropped into 13th (15 points behind Harvick) with his showing at New Hampshire. Truex Jr. moved up three spots into 14th.

Kurt Busch turned in a solid performance in the Daytona 500 earlier this season (he finished in second place behind Newman), and he'll be looking for another good run on that track this weekend. Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Sorenson rounded out the Top 5 in the season opener, followed by Sadler, Kahne, Robby Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., and Biffle.

Gordon has had the most success at Daytona in the past - he's won six Cup events there in his career (1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2005). Waltrip has three career wins on that track (2001, 2002, and 2003), while Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart have won there twice each. Newman, Harvick, Johnson, Biffle, and Burton each have a single Daytona win on their resumes, while Jamie McMurray is this week's defending champ.

Kyle Busch is Vegas' choice as the favorite this weekend, as he's pegged at just 9/2 odds to visit victory lane. Stewart is next at 5/1, with Hamlin and Earnhardt Jr. at 7/1, and both Gordon and Johnson at 8/1. Bowyer and Harvick are both sitting at 15/1 odds, while Edwards, Biffle, Newman, Kahne, and Kurt Busch are a bit farther behind at 18/1.

Kenseth begins the next tier of contenders at 20/1, with Burton at 22/1, and Mark Martin at 30/1. McMurray, Truex Jr., Sorenson, Vickers, David Ragan, and Juan Montoya are listed at 35/1, with Casey Mears at 40/1, and Waltrip a longshot at 55/1 to get the victory.

Kyle Busch is still the 5/2 Vegas favorite to win the Sprint Cup this season, with Earnhardt Jr. at 3/1, Edwards at 7/2, and Johnson at 5/1. Hamlin is then at 7/1 odds to take the title, followed by Gordon at 10/1, and each of Stewart, Burton, and Biffle at 12/1. Both Bowyer and Kahne are currently sitting back at 15/1 odds to claim the Cup.

After competing at Daytona the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will move on to Chicagoland Speedway for the LifeLock.com 400 on July 12. The series will then complete its July schedule on the 27th with the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in Indianapolis.

RacingOne Power Rankings
RacingOne.com

Season-to-Date Driver Ratings

Kyle Busch remains on top of the RacingOne power rankings but two-time Coke Zero 400 winner Tony Stewart is hoping to make a charge on his teammate in the summer months. RacingOne's rankings are based on a combination of season-to-date loop data, season standings and staff selections by Jeff Wackerlin and Rachael West.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch lost some of his footing on the Cup Series points lead after Loudon, but still sits atop the rankings. Juan Pablo Montoya helped him to a 25th-place finish after aggressively getting into him onto the track. Busch may be able to spring back from the finish with a top-10 at Daytona. In three of his last four starts at Daytona, Busch has posted three top five finishes - including two runner-up finishes in the last two summer races.

Last Week's Rank: First

2. Tony Stewart: Bad luck plagued Stewart for the second race in a row. He was on his was to a great finish in New Hampshire, after leading a race high 132 laps, but the rain hampered his efforts. But historically, things begin to turnaround for Stewart in July. He'll try to break his 31-race winless streak at Daytona, where he's won the July race twice. He finished third in the COT's debut at the track in February's Daytona 500.

Last Week's Rank: Eighth

3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson continued on his season's turnaround with a ninth-place finish Sunday in New Hampshire. He was running in the top-10 for much of the race and had it not been for the rain could've contested for the win. He'll look to turnaround his recent finishes at Daytona this weekend where he holds the series-high Average Running Position of 9.8. Johnson won the 2006 Daytona 500 and up to that point hadn't finished outside the top 18 in nine starts. But since then, he's only posted one top-10 finish and has an average finish of 27.0 in his last four starts.

Last Week's Rank: Seventh

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. saw a promising day at Loudon spoiled by a multi-car accident on lap 273 before the rain even set in. He led 29 laps but after being caught up in the accident was relegated to 24th. Even with the disappointing finish, he was able to maintain the third spot in the standings. Junior is making his second start at Daytona this weekend with Hendrick Motorsports. He finished ninth in this year's Daytona 500 and has won at the track twice. His average finish is 13.9 in 17 starts there.

Last Week's Rank: Fourth

5. Jeff Gordon: Gordon was one of the strong contenders in Sunday's race at Loudon and when the rain started falling was holding on to the 11th-place spot in the running order. He kept his sixth-place spot in the standings and gained a spot in the rankings. It's been 22 races since Gordon's last Cup Series victory. At Daytona, he's won six times and finished in the top five 11 times in 31 starts. He started on the pole in last year's July race and finished fifth.

Last Week's Rank: Sixth

6. Jeff Burton: Burton posted yet another finish in the top 15 this season with a 12th-place finish at Loudon. He gained 39 points on leader Kyle Busch to be within 64 points heading into Daytona. Burton is a former Coke Zero 400 winner, taking the victory in 2000 driving for Jack Roush. In the seven starts he's made with Richard Childress at Daytona, Burton has posted four finishes in the top 15 and has an average finish of 17.0.

Last Week's Rank: Fifth

7. Carl Edwards: Edwards struggled with an ill-handling race car in New Hampshire and due to a gas pit stop prior to the rain falling posted a 17th-place finish. The result didn't hurt him too bad in the standings but it knocked him down in the rankings. He may slip even further after Daytona. In seven starts there, Edwards has only posted one top-10 finish - fourth last July. His average finish at Daytona is 24.7.

Last Week's Rank: Third

8. Matt Kenseth: As quickly as he entered the top 12 in the points, Kenseth just as quickly fell out again. Kenseth was running 11th when he was forced to pit for fuel just 13 laps from the red flag. He only managed to finish 18th then. Kenseth's last few races at Daytona have been cold in the winter and hot in the summer. His last four Daytona 500 starts have resulted in finishes of 15th or worse, while his last three Coke Zero 400 finishes have been in the top 10.

Last Week's Rank: Second

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin moved up in the rankings after he was the only driver to complete more than 280 laps in the top 15 at New Hampshire. His eighth-place finish was his fourth top 10 in five starts at NHMS. This weekend Hamlin will look to score his first top 10 at Daytona when he makes his sixth career start.

Last Week's Rank: 13th

10. Brian Vickers: Vickers fell one spot in the rankings with his 16th-place finish at New Hampshire. Like many of the other races this season, the result was a complete turnaround from last season when he failed to qualify the No. 83 Toyota. This weekend Vickers will make his third start at Daytona with Team Red Bull. His best finish came in this season's Daytona 500 when he took the checkered flag in 12th.

Last Week's Rank: Ninth

11. Kurt Busch: With the help of some great strategy and Mother Nature, Busch was able to return to the rankings for the fifth time this season after winning at New Hampshire. Based on three of his previous four starts at Daytona, odds are you will find Busch back in front again this weekend.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

12. Casey Mears: After receiveing the news that he would not be returning to Hendrick Motorsports in 2009, Mears went out and led 53 laps at New Hampshire en route to his fourth top-10 of the season. In 22 restrictor-plate starts, Mears has earned one top-five finish and six top-10s. His career-best finish, of second, came in the 2006 Daytona 500.

Last Week's Rank: 15th

13. Kevin Harvick: Harvick showed some signs of life for the first time in the last seven races by leading 54 laps at New Hampshire. His 14th-place finish over the weekend put him back in the rankings for the 15th time this season. This weekend Harvick will be searching for his first win in the July Daytona race and sixth overall top 10 at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

14. Greg Biffle: Biffle fell to 14th in the rankings after posting his worst finish (21st) in the last six races. The outcome might have been better for Biffle at New Hampshire where the team gambled on strategy after battling an ill-handling car during the race. Things were looking good up until a caution on Lap 270 where he fell a lap down. Had the caution come just one lap earlier, Biffle would have probably been looking at a top five. This weekend Biffle will look to get back on track at Daytona where he is the 2003 race winner of the July race.

Last Week's Rank: 11th

15. Michael Waltrip: Waltrip's making his first appearance in the rankings after capturing his first top five since climbing behind the wheel of the No. 55 back in 2006. If there's a track on the circuit that could keep Waltrip in the rankings, it would be Daytona, where he's scored three wins and 12 top-10 finishes.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

Coke Zero 400 Driver Ratings

Tony Stewart probably got out of New Hampshire as quick as possible last weekend. He heads south for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He leads NASCAR’s driver ratings, mainly on the staggering amount of laps he’s led there. Over the past seven races at Daytona, he has led 415 laps. That means he has led nearly a third of all laps run there in the past three years. Stewart still has not solidified a spot in the Chase, but this would be a great weekend for him to start.

Ryan Newman won the Daytona 500 earlier this season, so he must be trilled to be heading back to Florida. Newman has the most amount of quality passes at Daytona over the past seven races, and has be inside the top 15 in 75.4% of the laps ran over that same span. Newman has put that win in the past and wants to move forward. "The Daytona win was huge for us," Newman said. "It still carries momentum with our team, but it's in the past. We don't have the horsepower other teams have, and we're paying for it. "And we don't have the reliability to go along with it. Our engine program is at an all-time low, I guess you could say." Usually engines are pretty important in NASCAR. Hopefully the can get things straightened out this weekend.

Even though Elliott Sadler isn’t terribly high on NASCAR’s driver ratings, he does have the best average finish of any driver over the last three years at Daytona. He’s average finish of 12.4 is very impressive in restrictor plate racing. He is a dark horse driver to keep your eye on this weekend. Sadler is 25th in the Sprint Cup standings with no real shot at qualifying for the Chase.

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Notebook: Truex Car Impounded
RacingOne.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR impounded Martin Truex Jr's No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet during the first Sprint Cup Series practice for the Coke Zero 400 Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said Truex's primary car failed to meet roof template specs, and NASCAR confiscated it, forcing the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops team to pull out its backup car for the remainder of the weekend.

The final practice session for the Cup Series was rained out, meaning Truex never had the opportunity to get on track.

Franchitti Ponders Future

Dario Franchitti was consipicuous with his absence from Daytona International Speedway Thursday. Earlier this week, team owner Chip Ganassi announced that he was shutting down the No. 40 Dodge team due to lack of sponsorship.

Franchitti isn't sure of his future plans, but told the Associated Press this week that he hoped to stay in NASCAR.

"This is not a decision Chip made lightly, and it shows how bad the economy is," Franchitti said. "I know for certain Chip struggled with that. I'll sit down with Chip next week and decide where we're going forward with this."

Franchitti, who left the IndyCar Series after winning the championship in 2007 to make the move to NASCAR, said he would perhaps consider driving the No. 40 Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

Not on Speaking Terms

When asked Thursday if he had spoken with Juan Pablo Montoya this week, Kyle Busch answered with a resounding, "No. Did not."

Montoya's No. 42 Texaco-Havoline Dodge ran into the back fender of Busch's No. 18 M&M's Toyota during a caution in the latter portion of last Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In the process, Montoya wrecked himself.

Busch went on to say that the matter was "over with." NASCAR assessed Montoya a two-lap penalty at New Hampshire, but did not fine him this week for his actions.

Martin to No. 5?

While no official announcement has been made, tongues were wagging Thursday at Daytona International Speedway about Mark Martin's supposed move to Hendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet full time in 2009.

Some drivers don't blame Martin for wanting to come back and drive in the Sprint Cup Series full time, especially with an organization like Hendrick Motorsports.

"I think it has a lot to do with how competitive Mark has been this year," Denny Hamlin said. "He's had a couple of shots to win races, and I think that kind of fuels him. So, I understand where he's coming from there."

Kyle Busch agrees.

"When you're away from it, I guess it just eats at you a little bit and you want to get back to it," Busch said. "Mark finished fifth or sixth a few weeks ago at Pocono, or something like that, but the guy's still really good. I think he'll be fine."

Hendrick Motorsports is expected to make an announcement on its driver for 2009 on Friday at Daytona International Speedway. It was announced last week that Casey Mears wouldn't return as the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet.

Harvick Not "Happy"

The fact that he's in 12th place in the Sprint Cup Series standings with nine races remaining before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup doesn't sit well with Kevin Harvick.

Harvick enters this weekend's Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola a mere 15 points ahead of 13th-place Matt Kenseth and only 71 points ahead of 14th-place Martin Truex Jr. Harvick hasn't won a race in 2008.

"Some of the things that we've done are self-induced," the driver of the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet said. "We're in the failing part of the report card at this point."

Bowyer an RCR Man

Despite the fact that he's a hot commodity around the NASCAR circles these days, Clint Bowyer never had any doubt in his mind that he would re-sign with Richard Childress Racing during recent contract negotiations.

"Richard took a chance on me when no one else would, and you've got to show some loyalty there," the driver of the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet said. "I did have some other people call me and offer me rides, but we've had a lot of success with Richard. He's responsible for the great livelihood that I enjoy right now."

Stewart Paint Scheme

Tony Stewart's on-track reputation precedes him, so it's unlikely that he'll be able to sneak up on anyone during race. That may be especially true in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan, where his No. 20 Old Spice Toyota will sport a most unusual paint scheme.

The car will be covered in a kaleidoscope of colors, and a bunny on the hood, reflecting a paint scheme designed by 14-year-old Emily Marsala, a former Give Kids The World Wish Child in 2004. Give Kids The World, a charitable organization based in Orlando, Fla., will partner with Old Spice, Joe Gibbs Racing and the Tony Stewart Foundation for the Michigan race.

"This is a car that a lot of people wouldn't expect me to drive, so it might give me a competitive advantage," Stewart said. "It will certainly give me some good camoflage during the race. No one will know that it's me getting ready to pass them."

Practice Speeds

Kurt Busch, who posted the fastest speed in the first Sprint Cup Series practice Thursday at 189.633 mph, hit the wall during the first practice session and damaged the right side of his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, forcing the team to go to a backup car.

Clint Bowyer, who leads the Nationwide Series standings by 182 points over David Reutimann, posted the top speed in the weekend's first practice Thursday, 184.691 mph. David Stremme was second, followed by Jason Leffler, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards.

Coke Zero 400 HOT! Sheet

Making an appearance near the top of our sheet this week is Michael Waltrip. Last year, he was fighting tooth and nail just to make races. Right now, he is safely positioned inside the top 35. It seems to have made him more comfortable on the track, especially in the last three races. At Michigan, he led a lap and improved 15 spots from start to finish. On the road course, he improved 10 positions. Then last week at New Hampshire he gambled and it paid off in the rain with a runner-up finish. Daytona is one of his favorite tracks, so he’s a safe add this week.

It was recently announced that Casey Mears will not be the pilot of the #5 car next season for Hendrick Motorsports. But in the last two races, he is putting on quite an audition for any potential suitor out there. At Sonoma, he weaved his way up to 5th, which was a season high. Last week, he was scored in the top spot for 53 laps before settling for 7th. Look for him to keep trying to impress future employers with another good outing.

Among the Toyota camp doing well lately has been Brian Vickers. The #83 car has an average finish inside the top 10 over the course of the last five races. Included in there are back-to-back top 5s at Pocono (2nd) and Michigan (4th). He also led several laps in both of those. At Infineon he placed 14th, and when the rains came at New Hampshire, he was 16th. He had a solid 12th place run in the Daytona 500 and is poised to repeat that performance.

Near the bottom of the list this week is a man who joins a list of drivers who have signed contract extensions recently. Clint Bowyer (Richard Childress Racing) joins the likes of Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle of Roush Fenway Racing in re-signing with their current team. They’re hoping it will jump start him back on the right track because he is clinging on to the 11th spot in the standings. His average finish in his last six races is about 25th. We’re not saying bench him, but he gets our “buyer beware” label this week.

At the very bottom of the chart this week is Dario Franchitti. He is one of three drivers (Jeremy Mayfield, David Stremme) that have been behind the wheel of the #40, and none of them could do enough to gain enough attention for a regular sponsor. That has forced the Ganassi organization to cease operations on the team immediately. His final stats on the season include 10 races, with only one finish inside the top 30, so you can see why they had to quit for now.

profantasysports

Fantasy preview: Daytona
Roger Kuznia

In my Sporting News Fantasy Stock Car Challenge league, I've been in trade conservation mode for the past month, which means my franchise value has largely stagnated at $57 million. However, it's surprisingly been to my benefit, as I've risen to sixth place in my league and am just 77 points shy of being a top-five team.

But I'm far from done building my franchise value, because the best chance for success comes from the ability to field star drivers in all six roster spots. In basic leagues, that's going to be difficult, but not impossible, to achieve by the end of the season. Currently, I'm only able to afford four drivers worth $10 million or more.

My conservation strategy now is a way of staving off losses later. Knowing that Terry Labonte's last race in the No. 45 is this weekend (and he's on my roster), I need to trade him out of my lineup or watch my franchise value fall like the Roman Empire. And because Labonte comes so cheaply in relation to the other drivers in my lineup, I may need to burn two trades to get drivers that either will contribute handsomely to my team's value or not kill it altogether.

Building trade totals for the end of the season is important because it can allow you to differentiate your drivers from those you are chasing, or if you happen to be leading, you can copy the drivers your opponents are using so they can't gain ground.

I'm going to be in the middle ground. I believe I've done well in balancing my priorities, and I'll just have to continue taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Currently, my driver lineup is different enough from those around me that they can't do anything about it. That's important.

TOP TIER

Any Gibbs driver. Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin combined to lead 134 of the 200 laps of this year's Daytona 500, with Busch leading the way with the most laps led (86). Teams can and will play the fuel mileage game with this race (Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle most recently come to mind), but there's no denying that horsepower is really what's needed most, and the Gibbs teams sure have it. Stewart has won this race twice, and Hamlin has won here in the Budweiser Shootout. They are the teams to beat.

Any Hendrick driver -- even Casey Mears. HMS has been usurped by Gibbs at plate tracks, but their teams still work together at these tracks better than any organization in NASCAR. And now that Mears doesn't have to worry about his future with Hendrick anymore, maybe he just relaxes and posts a good finish. He was as high as third with under 10 laps to go in this year's Daytona 500 before contact with Tony Stewart caused him to finish 35th.

Kurt Busch. He was applauded for pushing Ryan Newman to the victory in the Daytona 500, but for my money, he's the better plate racer of the two. Busch always picks his way to the front in these races. You'll see it again on Saturday night. He'll be in high spirits after having won at New Hampshire.

Clint Bowyer. Remember when he was leading the 500 for a fleeting moment with 17 laps left when contact from Juan Montoya caused him to wreck and ultimately finish 24th? He also led 55 laps of the 2007 Pepsi 400. This track suits him well.

MIDDLE TIER

Juan Pablo Montoya. He was surprisingly strong in the 500 then finished second at Talladega. It hasn't taken Montoya long to get the hang of this type of racing, even if he's been known to ruffle a number of competitors' feathers -- most recently Kyle Busch. He just gets it done, and he's the only Ganassi driver who can do just that.

David Ragan. In six plate races, Ragan has two top-five finishes -- one at Daytona and one at Talladega. His awesome finish at Talladega (fourth) came in April. No doubt he's glad to get back to some tracks where he's more comfortable.

BOTTOM TIER

David Gilliland. He's won poles at both Daytona and Talladega, and has top-10 finishes at each track, too. Somehow, these Yates teams still have what it takes to compete and do well at plate tracks.

Travis Kvapil. The most impressive stat about Kvapil this season is 0 -- as in his number of DNFs. Kvapil just takes whatever his car gives him, and that's why you see him in the top 20 in points. He finished sixth at Talladega in April, so he's worth a look.

sportingnews.com

Driver Handicaps: Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday's Coke Zero 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 160-lap event.

Who's HOT at Daytona
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with six wins, with three coming in the Coke Zero 400.
• Tony Stewart led a combined 237 laps en route to consecutive Coke Zero 400 victories in 2005 and 2006.
• Jimmie Johnson has the best average finish (13.2) among drivers with six or more starts.
• 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman leads all drivers with 988 quality passes in the last seven races.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished ninth or better in seven of his last 10 starts.
• Kurt Busch has finished third or better in three of his last four starts.

Keep an Eye on at Daytona
• Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin combined to lead 118 laps in the 2008 Daytona 500.
• Roush Fenway Racing's only three Daytona victories have come in the Coke Zero 400.
• Clint Bowyer will be driving the same car that was leading with 17 laps to go in the Daytona 500 until he was spun out by another competitor. His teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton each have won at Daytona.
• Mark Martin leads all drivers with 36 top 10s on superspeedway restrictor-plate tracks.
• Kasey Kahne was second fastest in practice with a lap of 189.143 mph.
• Brian Vickers has one restrictor-plate win and finished 12th in his first Daytona start driving a Toyota for Team Red Bull.

Free Coke On the Line
Participating Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Jamie McMurray, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer, David Ragan and Terry Labonte will have extra motivation to win this weekend's Coke Zero 400. If one of the drivers pulls into victory lane, people across the United States will win a free 20-once Coke Zero.

Track Performers
Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in wins (12) and laps led (1,313) on restrictor-plate tracks. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is second with seven wins and has the best average finish of 14.5 in 35 appearances (including NHIS in 2000). Sterling Marlin, who is entered in the No. 09 Chevrolet this weekend, is third in wins among active drivers. Marlin is also the active pole winner on plate tracks with seven. In 2006, Jimmie Johnson became the eighth driver to win back-to-back restrictor-plate races, with his wins in the Daytona 500 and Aaron's 499.

Daytona Rookie Report
Sam Hornish Jr. was the top finishing rookie in the Daytona 500 this year, with a 15th-place finish. Only two other rookies started the race - Dario Franchitti and Regan Smith - who finished 33rd and 37th, respectively. Smith posted the best result of the rookie class at the other superspeedway restrictor plate race at Talladega in April with a 21st-place finish. Michael McDowell and Patrick Carpentier (if he qualifies) will be making their track debuts at Daytona. McDowell finished 26th at Talladega this season and Carpentier finshed 31st. Dario Franchitti won't be racing at Daytona after it was announced this week that Ganassi Racing was shutting down his team. Rookie Standings

Qualifying Tidbits
Jimmie Johnson and Michael Waltrip swept the front row in qualifying for this year's Daytona 500. For Johnson it was his second career pole at Daytona International Speedway. In 2007, David Gilliland won the pole for the 500 and qualifying for the 400 was rained out for the first time. Jeff Burton won the pole for the 2006 Daytona 500 after turning the fastest Sprint Cup qualifying lap at Daytona in six years. Boris Said is the last driver to win the pole for the 400-mile race. Sterling Marlin won the last pole for Dodge in 2001. Dale Jarrett was the last driver to sweep both poles at Daytona, accomplishing the feat in 2000. Forty-two races at Daytona have been won from a front-row starting position.

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Tony Stewart
Pete Pistone: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Rachael West: Kyle Busch
Kym Opalenik: Jimmie Johnson

Top 20 Driver Notes - Based on Current Standings

1. Kyle Busch: Busch is coming off two top fives at Daytona International Speedway, including his second-place finish in this event last year when he was edged at the line by Jamie McMurray. Busch's runner-up finish was his second consecutive in the Coke Zero 400. In this year's Daytona 500, Busch led the most laps (86) en route to a fourth-place finish.

2. Jeff Burton: Burton's lone win in 29 career starts at Daytona International Speedway came in this event in 2000 with Roush Fenway Racing. In his seven starts at DIS with Richard Childress Racing, Burton has only finished in the top 10 once, a third-place finish in the 2007 Daytona 500. He also won the 2006 Daytona 500 pole with the team. His best finish with RCR in the Coke Zero 400 came in 2005 when he took the checkered flag in 11th. This weekend Burton will return in the same car (chassis No. 226) that finished 13th at Daytona and 12th at Talladega this season.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. will be making his 18th start at Daytona International Speedway, where he has two wins and 10 top 10s and an average finish of 13.8. His first Daytona victory came in the 2001 Coke Zero 400 after leading a career-best 116 laps at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Saturday's race will be Dale Jr's 35th superspeedway restrictor-plate race. His plate resume consists of 947 laps led, 20 top 10s and seven wins. This weekend will mark Earnhardt Jr's third plate race with Hendrick Motorsports. Earlier this season, he finished ninth and 10th, respectively at Daytona and Talladega with HMS. The No. 88 team will be racing the same car (chassis No. 478) that won the Budweiser Shootout.

4. Carl Edwards: Last year in the Coke Zero 400, Edwards scored his only top 10 in seven starts at Daytona International Speedway after taking the checkered flag in the fourth position. His best performance at the speedway came in the Craftsman Truck Series when he won the 2004 event. This weekend Edwards will debut a brand new chassis (RK-593).

5. Jimmie Johnson: Since winning the Daytona 500 in 2006, Johnson has posted an average finish of 27.0 at Daytona International Speedway. His 10th-place finish in last year's Coke Zero 400 was his eighth top 10 in 13 starts. His best finish in the 400 came in 2006 when he came home second to his teammate Jeff Gordon. Johnson's 13.2 average finish tops all drivers that have entered more than five events at Daytona. This weekend's primary chassis (No. 482) is the same car that finished 13th at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon is seeking his fourth win in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He led a career high 72 laps at Daytona in his first 400 win. He followed up his last Coke Zero 400 win in 2004 with his third Daytona 500 win the next season. Overall, in 31 Daytona races, Gordon has six wins (most among active drivers), 17 top 10s and has held the lead in 23 races for 511 laps. His fourth and last DNF at Daytona came in this year's Daytona 500. Since 1998, his 16.4 finishing average is best among all drivers that have started every race in that span.

7. Denny Hamlin: Since winning the Budweiser Shootout in 2006, Hamlin has yet to post a top-15 finish in five career points paying races at Daytona International Speedway. Hamlin appeared to be on his way to his first top 10 in this year's Daytona 500 when he led 32 laps, but contact on pit road damaged the aerodynamics on the car relegating him to a 17th-place finish. Hamlin, however, started that weekend by posting another non-points win in the Gatorade Duel. This weekend Hamlin will debut a new chassis (No. 200) in the Coke Zero 400.

8. Greg Biffle: Biffle captured his first Sprint Cup win in the 2003 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. His other two top 10s in 11 starts have come in the last two races with respective finishes of sixth and 10th. On Thursday the team will unload the same car (chassis No. Rk-583) that finished 18th at Talladega.

9. Tony Stewart: Stewart's bid to join David Pearson as the only drivers to win three consecutive Coke Zero 400s came up short last season after he was involved in an accident with his teammate Denny Hamlin. His 38th-place finish in that event put a cap on a terrible season at Daytona after placing 43rd in the 500 when he took himself out. He bounced back this season by putting himself in contention to win the Daytona 500, but wound up third after getting shuffled out of the draft from first on the last lap. This weekend he will return in that same car (chassis No. 153) in the Coke Zero 400.

10. Kasey Kahne: Kahne is coming off three consecutive top 10s at Daytona International Speedway. His pair of seventh-place finishes in the 2007 and 2008 Daytona 500s are his best in nine career starts at the track. Prior to Kahne's string of top 10s, he posted an average finish of 23.3 in his first six starts.

11. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has captured three top-10 finishes in five career starts at Daytona International Speedway. In this year's Daytona 500, Bowyer was leading with 17 laps to go when he was spun out by another competitor. As a result, Bowyer was left with a 24th-place finish. This weekend Bowyer will be racing that same car (chassis No. 233), which also finished ninth at Talladega Superspeedway in April. Bowyer's only other finish outside the top 10 at Daytona came in the 2007 Daytona 500 when he slid across the finish line on his roof in 18th place.

12. Kevin Harvick: After finishing fourth on two occasions, Harvick finally broke through with that elusive first Daytona victory in the 2007 Daytona 500. The win marked his fifth top 10 in 14 career starts. Harvick led a personal best at Daytona, 54 laps, in the 2003 Coke Zero 400, equaling his best finish, of ninth, in the 400-mile race. This weekend Harvick will be back in the same car (chassis No. 219) that finished 14th in this year's Daytona 500.

13. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth's last of six top top-10 finishes at Daytona International Speedway came in the last three Coke Zero 400s. In the last three Daytona 500s, Kenseth has had a top-10 car, but accidents not of his doing in each took him out of contention. His 36th-place finish in this year's Daytona 500 raised his overall finishing average to 20.4. This weekend Kenseth will be racing the same car (chassis RK-582) that finished 41st after an early race accident.

14. Martin Truex Jr: Daytona International Speedway hasn't been kind to Truex Jr. in the Sprint Cup Series where he has yet to score a top 10 in six starts. Truex will look to carry over his momentum from New Hampshire, where he captured his second top five of the season, to Daytona in hopes of getting that first top 10.

15. Ryan Newman: Newman heads back to Daytona International Speedway after capturing his first win in 26 restrictor-plate starts, taking the checkered flag in this year's Daytona 500. The win was his third top 10 in 13 starts at Daytona. Newman's best finish in the 400-mile race was an 11th in 2006. With his 500-winning car in the Daytona 500 Experience, Newman will be racing the same car (chassis PRS-524) that led five laps and finished eighth at Talladega Superspeedway. Newman does have two other wins at DIS, one each in the ARCA and IROC series.

16. Brian Vickers: Vickers made his first start at Daytona International Speedway with Team Red Bull in this event last year where he finished 29th. This year he finished 12th and fifth, respectively, in the two restrictor-plate races at Daytona and Talladega. Vickers' first six starts at DIS came with Hendrick Motorsports. He finished in the top 10 twice.

17. David Ragan: Ragan posted a fifth-place finish in his first start at Daytona International Speedway in the 2007 Daytona 500. He finished 12th in the 400-mile event, and then was having a good run in this year's 500 until the car bottomed out and he lost it. This weekend Ragan will be racing the same car (chassis No. 589) that finished fourth at Talladega Superspeedway.

18. Kurt Busch: Busch's best finish with Penske Racing at Daytona International Speedway came in this year's Daytona 500 when he took the checkered flag in second. It was his third top-three finish in the last four races at DIS. He probably could have made it four in-a-row, but Busch was caught up in an accident with Tony Stewart after leading 95 laps in the 2007 Daytona 500. Busch's first 10 starts at DIS came with Roush Fenway Racing. His best finish in that span was a pair of seconds in the 2003 and 2005 Daytona 500. This weekend Busch will return in the same car (chassis PSC-522) that raced at DIS in Feburary.

19. Travis Kvapil: Kvapil finished 30th in his first start with Yates Racing in this year's Daytona 500. The finish pushed his overall average in five starts to 25.8. Kvapil will look to capture his first top 10 at DIS when he climbs back into the same car (chassis No. 719) that finished sixth at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

20. Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya will be making his fourth start at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. The two-time Rolex 24 at Daytona winner is looking for his first top-10 finish on the 2.5-mile superspeedway. His best finish at Daytona was 19th during his rookie Daytona 500 in 2007. This weekend Montoya will pilot the same car (chassis No. 750) that finished 32nd in this year's 500 after late race contact.

Racingone.com

Coke Zero 400 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard

Sprint Cup takes on Daytona Speedway for the second time this season as NASCAR starts their engines at 8:15 p.m. and races under the lights this Saturday night for the Coke Zero 400.

It will be hard to get more exciting than last year's race when Jamie MacMurray won by .005 seconds against Kyle Busch. This was the second closest finish since 1993 when NASCAR started using the electronic gadgets to time and score races and racecars.

Dayton's 2.5-mile tri-oval is one of the storied tracks in NASCAR's history. Restrictor plate racing has also been very good to Chevrolet. Gamblers who are interested in tracking trends should be aware that a Chevrolet has won at this track 11 of the last 15 years.

Who will win the Coke Zero 400?

Last year Kyle Busch left Hendrick Motorsports for Joe Gibbs Racing, which has proven to be the best off-season move since the Celtics traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnet. This year the younger Busch has dominated the circuit under his new team. Two weeks ago he won on the road in Sonoma but finished New Hampshire 25th. But a Busch still won the race. This time it was older brother Kurt, who looked like he won the lottery after the race was called due to rain. This week it looks more like we've seen in the past as Busch will be eager to take the checkered flag once again.

Pick! Kyle Busch, (5/1)

Coke Zero 400 Solid Gold Picks

Sportsbook.com has listed many matchups on the Coke Zero 400 this weekend. Last weekend we were solidly behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr as the 1.05 dog against Tony Stewart. A play based on the bad-luck dogging Stewart this year. Once again the No. 20 car snatched defeat from the jaws of victory (but even that didn't help us in our matchup). Stewart led the race for 132 laps and made a pit on a caution late in the race. He took two tires while eight other cars stayed on the track. Stewart was 14th on restart but the race was ended by NASCAR 17 laps early due to rain and virtually gave the win to Kurt Busch (who would have had to pit due to a broken rear shock that was clearly visible when the cars were frozen before the race was called. This was unfortunate for me on many levels as this left Stewart 13th and Junior 24th, which gave me a one unit loss. This brings my record Over-the-Wall to 10-11 with -2.20 units on the season after 17 of 36 Sprint Cup races have been completed.

Long Odds Value Pick

Last year's victory over Kyle Busch ended MacMurray's 166-race winless streak. The driver of the No. 26 Crown Royal Ford has not won since. And actually he hasn't even come close to winning since the Goody's Cool Orange 500 when he finished in eighth place. Over the years, though, he has had a modicum of success before winning last year's Pepsi 400. In 2005 he came in second at the Pepsi 400 and he also finished in eighth place in this race in 2006. In 11 starts at Daytona he has recorded one win, two top-five and three top-10s. While his eight DNFs at Daytona are under-whelming, after Ryan Newman won the spring race one thing is certain this weekend's Fourth of July weekend is wide open so why not go for the repeat?

Pick! Jamie MacMurray, 40/1

Square Tire Pick

Kurt Busch (-1.40) vs. Clint Bowyer (+1.10)

Sure, now that Kurt Busch has won his first race this year and Tony Stewart has no wins in 2008 that makes the older Busch a huge favorite in the matchup against the pilot of the 07 Jack Daniels car. And there is a reason for this as Busch runs well at Daytona. Before last weekend the only other time he has recorded a top-five finish was when he finished runner-up to Ryan Newman at the Daytona 500. He even managed to lead the race for nine laps. Between races, though, he has only led two other races; for one lap at the Dodge Challenger 500 where he finished 12th and for 64 laps at the Coca-Cola 600 where he led for 64 laps but ultimately finished the race in 16th place after starting in eighth. In the long run we're going to play the momentum game and pick the better restrictor plate driver and the driver that has a better finishing position at Daytona.

Pick! Kurt Busch, No.2, (-1.40)

Coke Zero 500 Odds

AJ Allmendinger 100/1
Bobby LaBonte 60/1
Boris Said 150/1
Brian Vickers 35/1
Carl Edwards 30/1
Casey Mears 50/1
Clint Bowyer 25/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6/1
Dario Franchitti 150/1
Dave Blaney 100/1
David Gilliland 60/1
David Ragan 40/1
David Reutimann 100/1
Denny Hamlin 8/1
Elliott Sadler 40/1
Greg Biffle 40/1
J.J. Yeley 100/1
Jamie McMurray 40/1
Jeff Burton 25/1
Jeff Gordon 7/1
Jimmie Johnson 8/1
Joe Nemechek 100/1
Johnny Sauter 150/1
Jon Wood 150/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 50/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Kevin Harvick 20/1
Kurt Busch 15/1
Kyle Busch 5/1
Mark Martin 28/1
Martin Truex Jr. 35/1
Matt Kenseth 25/1
Michael McDowell 150/1
Michael Waltrip 50/1
Patrick Carpentier 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Reed Sorenson 100/1
Regan Smith 100/1
Robby Gordon 100/1
Ryan Newman 20/1
Sam Hornish Jr. 100/1
Scott Riggs 100/1
Sterling Marlin 150/1
Terry Labonte 100/1
Tony Stewart 6/1
Travis Kvapil 100/1

*Odds courtesy of Bodog.

Docsports.com

Martin joins Hendrick, replacing Mears next year

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Mark Martin is returning to NASCAR full time, agreeing to drive for powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports in a final effort to win a championship that has eluded him for 24 years.

Martin and team owner Rick Hendrick announced the deal pairing the 48-year-old driver with one of NASCAR's top teams, Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

Martin will race a full schedule next season, replacing Casey Mears in the No. 5 Chevrolet. Hendrick is parting ways with Mears after this season.