Daytona 500 News and Notes

Driver to win the Daytona 500

Jeff Gordon +450
Dale Earnhardt Jr +500
Jimmie Johnson +550
Tony Stewart +850
Kevin Harvick +1100
Kurt Busch +1350
Kyle Busch +1600
Martin Truex Jr +1600
Matt Kenseth +1600
Ryan Newman +2000
Denny Hamlin +2000
Clint Bowyer +2500
Jeff Burton +2500
Mark Martin +2500
Jamie McMurray +2500
Carl Edwards +3000
Casey Mears +3000
Juan Montoya +4000
Greg Biffle +4000
Kasey Kahne +4000
Dario Franchitti +5000
Brian Vickers +7500
Field +2000

TheGreek

Will another cheating scandal overshadow Daytona 500?
February 9, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Cheating was one of the biggest story lines at Daytona International Speedway the last two years.

From Chad Knaus to Michael Waltrip, Jack Roush and Ray Evernham, NASCAR officials proved they were serious about cracking down on anyone caught breaking - some would even say bending - the rules going into the season-opening Daytona 500.

Will it make a difference this time around?

``Any time you have a machine with this many parts and pieces on it, and each and every one of them produces an opportunity to have an advantage over your competition, we're going to push a little harder than we should,'' driver Jeff Burton said. ``We'll still see penalties, but I don't think we'll see as many as we've seen.''

NASCAR officials hope not. They would prefer the focus of the sport's premier event remain on racing - for a change.

The cheating crackdown began in 2006, when Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, Knaus, was thrown out of Daytona and suspended four races after officials found illegal modifications following qualifying.

NASCAR came down even harder on Waltrip, Roush and Evernham last year, docking points, handing down record fines and suspending crew chiefs and a competition director. In all, five teams were caught cheating during preparations for the season-opening 500.

``I never will forget a year ago this Sunday when I woke up and I was so proud of our cars because we had had a pretty decent day in Saturday's practice and we were poised to go try to make our first Daytona 500,'' Waltrip said. ``And then I never will forget getting that phone call saying that we had something in our gas tank. I said, 'There must be a mistake. There must be a reason.'

``Everyday that went by, it would become clear that there was a reason why this happened and we did not deliberately do it. All that was very, very trying. That was a low point.''

NASCAR hopes to avoid another one this year, especially with the 50th running of the Daytona 500.

Pole qualifying begins Sunday. Will penalties follow?

``I think we'll see less of them, but I think we'll see them,'' Burton said. ``I think people are more keen to the way the rules are going to be enforced, to how strict the enforcement of templates are. NASCAR made it really clear to everyone last year that this is how we're going to do things - no ifs, ands or buts.

``It was different than the way we were doing it, but this is how we're going to do it.''

TRIPLE THREAT: Kyle Busch might be the busiest driver at Daytona. He's planning to run all three of the major races next weekend: the Craftsman Truck series race, the Nationwide race and the Daytona 500.

It's the first time Busch has attempted the three-feat.

Why?

``Honestly, I don't know,'' he said. ``I don't have any idea. I'm going to tell myself that I'm pretty stupid after a while here. ... I had plenty of people try to talk me out of it. But it's hard to do when you're young and as stubborn as I am and just want to race.''

Between all the practice sessions, qualifying attempts, driver's meetings, team meetings, media interviews, signing autographs and handling sponsorship obligations, there's little time left for anything else.

``I just love racing,'' said Busch, a 22-year-old with 21 combined wins in the three series. ``That's what it's all about. For me to be as young as I am, I feel like it's my best opportunity to perform at my best and do all the things I want to do. That's pretty much what it's about.''

PRACTICE, PRACTICE: Tony Stewart's dustup with Kurt Busch didn't seem to be a distraction when he returned to the track Saturday.

Stewart, whose Joe Gibbs Racing team is switching from Chevrolet to Toyota this season, was third-fastest in both practice sessions for the Daytona 500.

Stewart and Busch tangled on and off the track Friday in practice for the Budweiser Shootout. NASCAR warned the two to avoid another confrontation.

Both drivers talked about putting the incident behind them and moving forward. Stewart seemed to do so quicker.

Busch struggled to find speed in both sessions.

Two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson was fastest in the first session, and former open-wheel racing standout Patrick Carpentier led the way in the second session.

SPARE TIRES: Carl Long put an interesting twist on the signature decal located above the driver's side window on his No. 08 car. Instead of using his full name like most drivers, he had the phrase ``Long Shot,'' which might not far off considering he was at or near the bottom of the speed chart in both practices. ... Martin Truex Jr. may have had the quote of the day. When asked how to tell when another driver is angry with him, Truex said, ``Hand gestures out the window are a lot more common than people think.'' ... The winner of the exhibition Budweiser Shootout has gone on to win the Daytona 500 five times: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996, 2000) and Jeff Gordon (1997).

Johnson throws down gauntlet with "500" pole win

Homestead, FL (Sports Network) - If you thought two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were resting on their laurels during the off-season today's pole winning lap put a rest to that idea. Johnson captured the pole for next Sunday's 50th running of the Daytona 500 with a best lap of 48.109 seconds (187.075 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Johnson's second at Daytona and 14th of his Sprint Cup career. He won the pole for the 2002 event (finished 15th) and won the "Great American Race" in 2006.

"Today it didn't have a lot to do with the driver...My guys really put the speed in that car and I can't thank them enough," said Johnson.

The last driver to win from the pole was Dale Jarrett in 2000.

Starting on the front row with Johnson will be Michael Waltrip who posted the second-best time of 48.197 seconds.

The remainder of the starting grid will be filled out as follows: Positions 3-39 are determined from two 150-mile events on Thursday afternoon. Those who do not do well in Thursday's qualifying events will be forced to fall back on today's qualifying times to win one of the final four positions in the field.

(Note: Owners who finished in the top-35 in owner points in 2007 are guaranteed a spot in the race.)

The rest of the top-10 times were: Joe Nemechek (48.258), David Reutimann (48.267), Dave Blaney (48.356), Casey Mears (48.373), Travis Kvapil (48.398), Denny Hamlin (48.401), Boris Said (48.415) and Jeff Gordon (48.424).

Despite the many lead changes that usually take place in a restrictor-plate race at Daytona (32 lead changes among 18 drivers in 2006), qualifying well leads to a good finish. Thirty-seven of 49 (75%) Daytona 500 winners have started from a top-10 position, nine from the pole.

No driver has ever won all four Speedweek events - Budweiser Shootout, Daytona 500 pole, Thursday qualifying race and Daytona 500. Three drivers have won three of four - Cale Yarborough (1984), Ken Schrader (1989) and Jarrett (2000). Last year's event winners were: Tony Stewart (Shootout), David Gilliland (pole), Stewart (qualifying race 1), Gordon (qualifying race 2) and Kevin Harvick (Daytona 500).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15th quickest in qualifying) won Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout in a stellar debut for his new Hendrick Motorsports No.88 Chevrolet team.

Thursday's Gatorade Duels at Daytona begin at 2 p.m. and the "Great American Race" is scheduled to drop the green flag next Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Daytona 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Last weeks Bud Shootout really got the blood and adrenaline flowing during the final laps as Dale Earnhardt Jr won the race as a 3/1 favorite. Not just the racing world, but the sports world, was buzzing after the race. Last week was the perfect jump for NASCAR nation to get everyone ready for the Sunday’s 50th running of the Daytona 500.

We also got to see sparks fly with Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch during a practice session and from then on there was a buzz that is likely to carry over through to Sunday. For Stewart and Busch, this could be a perfect rivalry; we have been waiting for some time to see anyone go at it with some tenacity. Two former Cup Champions who don’t like each other much and aren’t afraid to show it? I like it! I like it even better that it appears NASCAR is going to let the personalities not get harnessed so much with harsh penalties. Tempers are part of what helped make the Daytona 500 and NASCAR become such an attraction to American fans.

All the major candidates to win on Sunday participated in the Shootout and all the major storylines of the race surround them.

Hendrick Motorsports showed just how far ahead of everyone else they are in restrictor plate racing by having all four of their drivers finish in the Top 6 during the Shootout. In the last 15 plate races, a Hendrick driver has won nine times. When you now factor in Junior with all his plate race wins, Hendrick can lay claim to drivers having won 16 of the last 27 plate races. The trio of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr has been the most dominant plate drivers over the last seven seasons. It’s not hard to figure out why they are the favorites, led by Junior at 5/1, to win on Sunday.

Only two drivers have multiple restrictor plate wins over the last seven years, other than the Hendrick trio and they both come in with souped up Toyota’s. Tony Stewart is a two time Daytona winner at the July Firecracker 400 and Michael Waltrip is a two time Daytona 500 winner. Last season Toyota came in weak with not much test time at all prior to Daytona and suffered miserably. This season, with the help of Joe Gibbs, they look strong and have the ability to pull an upset over Hendrick. Stewart is listed currently at 6 to 1, but originally opened in late November at 16/1. Odds were so high on Stewart just because of the switch from Chevy to Toyota, which some including yours truly, felt an immediate switch would be too tough to do with a car that showed nothing in 2007. I forgot that Joe Gibbs dominated a Super Bowl with Timmy Smith and Doug Williams, meaning he can get the best out of just about anything.

Because of the Gibbs influence, every Toyota team has benefited from their knowledge. We know teammates Waltrip and Dale Jarrett know how to plate race well, but they haven’t recently had anything capable of keeping up with the top teams. Now it looks like they may. Jarrett’s odds to win opened up at 150/1 and is now down to 55/1 while Waltrip opened at 100/1 and is now at 40/1. Both veteran drivers are legitimate long shot candidates to win and may worth a shot in matchups at plus money against several bigger names.

We don’t want to put too much weight into what we witnessed in the 70 lap Bud Shootout last week. However, some observations are just too obvious to discount. Tony Stewart didn’t have anyone helping out there when he needed help in the draft. He attempted to hang with Junior and run with him as much as possible, but it was apparent that his Toyota wasn’t welcome in the Chevy draft train. When it came near the end, Junior got in line with his new teammates and let them push him to the win, which of course brings up another interesting point.

An exhibition race is not hard to stay in line with in order to get a new teammate some confidence, but when the Daytona 500 is at stake with three laps to go, you have to believe that Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson start racing for their sponsors, and not Hendrick. They may say the politically correct thing coming into the race about happy having Junior part of the team, but the Daytona 500 is the pinnacle, and Gordon and Johnson are top dogs. They won’t lay back for anyone.

History says Junior doesn’t have a great shot at winning this week just because only five times in the 29 year history of the Bud Shootout has the winner has gone on to win in the Daytona 500. Only Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987) Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Jeff Gordon (1997) have done it. The last time Junior won the Shootout in 2003, he dominated. He then went on to dominate a Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying race. He was a 5/2 favorite to win the Daytona 500 but had issues early and finished a lap down in 36th.

On a side note regarding history and linking up two races during speed weeks; Only two drivers since 1996 have won a Gatorade Duel Qualifier and then gone on to win the Daytona 500. dale Earnhardt did it in 1998 and Junior did it in 2004. No driver has ever won all three races during Speed Weeks: The Bud Shootout, a Gatorade Qualifier, and the Daytona 500.

It would be a fantastic story for NASCAR to Junior, its biggest star, wins the race. For whatever it’s worth, NASCAR has already stated that it is in their best interest to have their most recognizable star do well in 2008. It probably wouldn’t hurt business if Junior won NASCAR’s biggest most watched race either. However, the team he’s on presents just too much competition for him, and they will NOT let him win like they did at the Shootout. All the teams use their backup cars for the Shootout while saving their best for the 500. Both Gordon and Johnson went to a third car after a wreck in practice and ran in the Top 4, quite an impressive feat.

The driver we haven’t talked yet about on Team Hendrick is Casey Mears who finished sixth in the Shootout and second two years in the Daytona 500. When Junior came aboard, Mears took over the No. 5 team that Kyle Busch piloted. Mears is nice medium range long shot to win with odds seen as high as 30/1 to win.

We love a good fairy tale story and Junior winning the 50th Daytona 500 definitely would be up there with him winning the very next Daytona race after his father passed. However, it’s hard to look past Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon in this race. They got Junior going in 2008 with support in the Shootout and now it’s time for Junior to lay-up and win future support from them by pushing one of his new teammates to the front. It’s the right thing to do for Junior at this early stage of what could be a pretty entertaining relationship between the three Super-Stars of the sport..

Ideally, what I hope happens in the race from a competitive standpoint is that someone from Ford, Dodge, or maybe even Toyota comes out and beats the Chevy Hendrick dominance. It’s hard to believe a Hendrick driver won’t win unless they are involved in wrecks.

TOP 5 Daytona 500 Finish Prediction:

1) #24 Jeff Gordon (7/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
3) #5 Casey Mears (30/1)
4) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (5/1)
5) #20 Tony Stewart (6/1)

Gatorade Duel Qualifying Races – Thursday, Feb 14th – 2:00 p.m (EDT)

Gatorade 150 Duel Race 1 Finish Prediction:

1) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (8/5)
2) #5 Casey Mears (6/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (9/5)
4) #83 Brian Vickers (13/1)
5) #2 Kurt Busch

Gatorade 150 Duel Race 2 Finish Prediction:

1) #20 Tony Stewart (2/1)
2) #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1)
3) #10 Patrick Carpentier (9/1)
4) #24 Jeff Gordon (9/5)
5) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)

Driver Highlights -- Daytona
VegasInsider.com

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.

Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) 25/1

• One win, six top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 16.9
• Driver Rating of 86.4, 10th-best
• Average Running Position of 15.2, ninth-best
• 25 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
• 1,256 Green Flag Passes, second-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 185.079, ninth-best
• 747 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) 14/1

• Six top fives
• Average finish of 20.6
• Average Running Position of 13.7, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 96.8, third-best
• 23 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most
• 781 Laps in the Top 15 (71.8%), third-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s/Interstate Batteries Toyota) 15/1

• Two top fives
• Average finish of 20.0
• Average Running Position of 14.0, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 89.1, eighth-best
• 761 Laps in the Top 15 (69.9%), fourth-most
• 847 Quality Passes, second-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 7/1

• Six wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 13.9
• Average Running Position of 12.4, third-best
• Driver Rating of 93.1, sixth-best
• 1,122 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 185.108 mph, sixth-best
• 739 Laps in the Top 15 (67.9%), sixth-most
• 728 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) 6/1

• One win, five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 12.0
• Series-best Average Running Position of 9.0
• Driver Rating of 98.1, second-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 185.145, third-best
• Series-high 857 Laps in the Top 15 (78.8%)
• 783 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) 22/1

• One top five, six top 10s
• Average finish of 19.4
• Average Running Position of 15.3, 10th-best
• Driver Rating of 94.1, fifth-best
• 35 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 185.165 mph, second-best
• 733 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), seventh-most
• 828 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) 35/1

• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 20.2
• Average Running Position of 11.5, second-best
• Driver Rating of 96.6, fourth-best
• 24 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
• Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 185.224 mph
• 827 Laps in the Top 15 (76.0%), second-most
• 837 Quality Passes, third-most

Jamie McMurray (No. 26 Crown Royal Ford) 25/1

• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 25.2
• Driver Rating of 91.4, seventh-best
• Average Running Position of 13.6, fifth-best
• 23 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most
• 1,256 Green Flag Passes, tied for second-most
• Series-high 861 Quality Passes

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) 6/1

• Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 18.4
• Average Running Position of 12.9, fourth-best
• Series-high Driver Rating of 109.0
• 32 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• 746 Laps in the Top 15 (68.6%), fifth-most

Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart on 6-race probation following wreck
February 12, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -NASCAR is placing drivers Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart on probation for six races, beginning with Sunday's Daytona 500.

The punishment follows a confrontation between the two former series champions, who wrecked in practice last week and then carried it into the NASCAR officials' trailer.

NASCAR says the probation stems solely from the on-track portion of their clash, when the drivers deliberately used their cars as battering rams.

Daytona 500 PreQ

The season opens with the long awaited Daytona 500 this upcoming weekend. Hendrick Motorsports has gotten plenty of attention this offseason with the addition of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – who promptly went out and won his first race in the #88 Chevrolet taking the checkers in the Bud Shootout. Many in the racing world feel that Junior will compete for the title in his first season at Hendrick. Many of the racing experts are also picking Junior’s teammate Jeff Gordon not only to compete in the Chase for the Championship but to win the title this season. Then there is Casey Mears who moves over to the #5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet with new crew chief Alan Gustafson – who again many feel will improve dramatically in his second season with Hendrick. Where does all of that leave the two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson? Only ranked as the No. 1 driver heading into the Daytona 500. It will take a lot for any driver to post the numbers that Johnson has over the last two seasons and in our book he is the favorite to win a third straight title. While his Hendrick teammates have been getting plenty of notice this is still Johnson’s title to lose. Expect him to put up a tremendous fight to stay on top all season long.

Matt Kenseth does not have a win at either Daytona or Talladega in his career. That does not mean, however, that he is not a solid restrictor plate driver. Kenseth has posted seven top 10s in 16 restrictor plate starts including four in the last seven races. Roush Fenway Racing has gotten much stronger in restrictor plate racing in the last few seasons with teammate Jamie McMurray winning at Daytona (Pepsi 400) last season. Kenseth ended the 2007 season on a hot streak and is looking to continue that trend in the season opener. Look for the #17 DeWalt Ford to be one of the top performing cars this weekend.

In the 2007 Daytona 500 Kevin Harvick only lead one lap – that was the most important one though as it was the last lap. Harvick was virtually a non-factor until late in the race but was in the right position when it came down to it. He edged Mark Martin at the line to record one of the biggest wins of his career. Harvick has eight top 10s in the last 16 restrictor plate races with the lone win at Daytona. He will have plenty to work for this season with teammates Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton finishing ahead of him in the point standings. You can bet that Harvick was not pleased with his performance last season and will be looking to start off quickly again this season.

On the opposite end of the spectrum there are some drivers that you may want to avoid when it comes to restrictor plate racing, especially for the races at Daytona. For instance 2007 championship contender Denny Hamlin has struggled in his two season on the Cup circuit at Daytona averaging a 30th place finish in four starts. Hamlin has just one finish in the top 20 and finished outside the top 25 in both events at Daytona last season. Hamlin won the 2006 Bud Shootout but since then has not had the greatest of times at the track. He might be a driver you want to avoid for this race.

There has been much ado about the qualifying run that Joe Nemechek had when he posted the third fastest time. Nemechek, well-known as ‘Front Row’ Joe, has often qualified well. It is no surprise either that Furniture Row racing ran well as the team needed to qualify on time so in all likelihood used a strong qualifying package to ensure the team had a chance to make the race. On race days, however, Nemechek has struggled on the restrictor plate tracks. He is averaging a 20th place finish in the last 16 restrictor plate races with three straight finishes outside the top 25. There are always some surprises in the Daytona 500 but Nemechek will not be one of them.

profantasysports.com

Daytona 500 Preview

Hendrick Motorsports dominated NASCAR's top series last season, and they'll be looking to start 2008 with a bang by having one of their drivers capture the Daytona 500.

And while Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were Hendrick's top two drivers during 2007, it's starting to look like new teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to make an impact on the Sprint Cup Series this season. Dale Jr. took the checkered flag in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona on Saturday night in his first true run in a Hendrick car.

Not to be outdone, Johnson then raced to the pole on Sunday night, so he'll be in great position to claim his second Daytona 500 crown in three years when the race gets underway this weekend. However, Johnson will be looking to forget his result in the series' top event last season, when an accident had him finish way back in 39th place.

It wasn't only Johnson who had trouble in the Daytona 500 in 2007. Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, and Earnhardt Jr. all got into accidents as well and couldn't finish the race, while Ryan Newman ran into engine trouble. Not running into trouble was Kevin Harvick, who held off Mark Martin by the slimmest of margins to get the win.

Jeff Burton finished third in last year's Daytona 500, with Mike Wallace and David Ragan rounding out the day's Top 5. Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, David Gilliland, Joe Nemechek, and Jeff Gordon also picked up Top-10 results in that race. Clint Bowyer was 18th, Casey Mears was 20th, Carl Edwards was 23rd, Kyle Busch was 24th, Matt Kenseth was 27th, Denny Hamlin was 28th, and Martin Truex Jr. ended up in 29th spot.

For Gordon that was the first of his 30 Top-10 results during the 2007 Nextel Cup (now Sprint Cup) season (which led the series), but he had been looking for his seventh career win at Daytona International Speedway. Gordon won the Daytona 500 in 1997, 1999, and 2005, and he also won the Pepsi 400 on that track in 1995, 1998, and 2004.

McMurray won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona last season, while Stewart won the Pepsi 400 in both 2005 and 2006. Earnhardt Jr. has two Daytona victories on his resume - the '01 Pepsi 400 and the '04 Daytona 500. Johnson won the Daytona 500 in 2006, while Greg Biffle (2003 Pepsi 400) and Jeff Burton (2000 Pepsi 400) have won at Daytona as well.

So who is pegged as the favorite to win the 2008 Daytona 500? Wins in events over the weekend have put Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. at the top of the Vegas oddsmakers' list; they are both listed at 6/1 odds to get the title. Stewart is at 6/1 as well, while Gordon is just behind them at 7/1. Kurt Busch and defending champion Harvick are at 13/1 odds.

Kyle Busch is listed at 15/1 odds to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Other top contenders for the checkered flag include Mears (19/1), Truex Jr. (20/1), Bowyer (22/1), Biffle (22/1), McMurray (22/1), Newman (22/1), Hamlin (23/1), Burton (25/1), Martin (25/1), Edwards (25/1), and Kenseth (25/1). Newcomers Dario Franchitti (75/1), Sam Hornish Jr. (125/1), and Jacques Villeneuve (100/1) are all pegged as longshots to win.

The two Gatorade Duel events will take place on Thursday this week, with the Daytona 500 running on Sunday afternoon. The drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will then travel to California Speedway for the Auto Club 500 on Sunday, February 24. The month of March will feature the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas, the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta, the Food City 500 at Bristol, and finally the Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - Daytona 500
Courtesy NASCAR Media

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2008) - Reigning and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet) will begin his 2008 season where he ended 2007 - at the front of the field.

Last Sunday, Johnson captured the pole for the 50th annual Daytona 500. He's joined on the front row by Michael Waltrip (No. 55 NAPA Toyota), who clinched the outside pole.

That means Sunday's milestone event will begin with a pair of former Daytona 500 champions leading the way. Johnson won the `06 event, while Waltrip is a two-time Daytona 500 champion (`01 and `03).

"I just couldn't be more proud of my crew guys and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for not losing anything over the off-season," Johnson said.

Now, on to Thursday's Gatorade Duel at Daytona - the two 150-mile qualifying races that set the rest of the Daytona 500 field. The top 35 in the previous season's owner point standings are guaranteed starting spots. The top two "non-35" finishers in each Duel make the field, along with - if applicable - the most recent series champion who's "non-35" eligible.

History In The Making: 50th Daytona 500 Leads List Of Storylines

History - homage to the past and anticipation of what might be - is the theme as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams prepare for the 50th Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway.

As NASCAR also celebrates its 60th season, begin at the top: Reigning and two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson pursues his third consecutive title, a feat accomplished by only one other driver, Cale Yarborough from 1976-78.

NASCAR's new car, which incorporates safety innovations, is set for its first fulltime season and its first event at Daytona. It's also expected to offer teams cost savings and to boost competition.

Fresh off last Saturday's victory in the non-points Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, the sport's most popular driver - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Amp Energy-National Guard Chevrolet) - begins his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.

And an unprecedented quartet of former open-wheel stars begin their NASCAR Sprint Cup careers - Dario Franchitti (No. 40 Dodge Journey Dodge, Jacques Villeneuve (No. 27 Bill Davis Racing Toyota) , Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge) and Patrick Carpentier (No. 10 Valvoline Dodge).

It All Adds Up: Gatorade Duel At Daytona Sets Sunday's Stage ...

With Jimmie Johnson and Michael Waltrip starting first and second, respectively, in Sunday's Daytona 500, the rest of the field takes shape on Thursday.

That's when two 150-mile qualifying races, collectively called the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, take place at Daytona International Speedway, beginning at 2 p.m. (ET) and televised by SPEED. The finish of both races helps to determine Sunday's starting lineup.

What's obvious: Johnson starts first with the second Daytona 500 pole of his career (the first came in `02, his rookie season). Waltrip starts second, his first front-row Daytona 500 start.

What's next: Johnson also starts first in Thursday's first qualifying race. Waltrip starts first in the second race.

What it takes: The top 35 drivers in last season's final owner point standings are guaranteed Daytona 500 berths. So are the three fastest "non-35" drivers from last Sunday's Pole Day and 2004 series champion Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), who can use the past series champion's provisional berth. (One of those three-fastest spots has already been claimed by Waltrip.)

Four other berths are awarded to the two highest-finishing "non-35" drivers in each Duel race. Seventeen "non-35" drivers are vying for those four spots.

Past Champions: The past champion's provisional goes to the most recent NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. If Busch races his way into the Daytona 500, it falls to Dale Jarrett (No. 44 UPS Toyota), the 1999 series champion. If Busch and Jarrett succeed, the provisional berth goes to Bill Elliott (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford), the 1988 series champion.

If you're wondering why Busch needs to "race" his way into the 500, here's the reason: Penske Racing transferred Busch's `07 top-35 points to rookie teammate Sam Hornish Jr. because the previous season's top 35 in owner points are guaranteed starting spots through the first five events of the next season.

... While Pole Day Set The Lineups For Thursday's Qualifying Races

Where a driver starts in the season-opening Daytona 500 is the result of a competitive countdown -- a process that begins the previous Sunday, and ends the Thursday prior to the race.

Here, then, a quick primer:

Pole Day: The round of qualifying that takes place on the Sunday prior to the Daytona 500. The fastest car earns the pole. The second-fastest car earns the outside pole; those positions are "locked in" for the Daytona 500;

The Gatorade Duel at Daytona: Two 150-mile qualifying races on the Thursday prior to the Daytona 500 whose results determine its lineup;

The Daytona 500 pole winner starts first in Thursday's first Gatorade Duel; the outside pole winner starts first in the second Gatorade Duel;

Cars must compete in one of the qualifying races to be eligible for the Daytona 500;

Cars that finished in odd-numbered positions in the 2007 car owner standings compete in the first qualifying race;

Cars that finished in even-numbered positions in the `07 car owner standings compete in the second qualifying race;

Cars that weren't in the final `07 car owner standings are alternated between the two qualifying races using an odd-even format.

In The Loop: Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Stewart and Johnson Excel At Daytona

Last Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway may have given hints of what to look for in Sunday's Daytona 500.

First, the new car is likely to give a competitive boost to the historic race. A total of 64 Green Flag Passes for the lead took place Saturday. That blew away last year's total of 29, and far exceeded the 2006 total of 48. More of the same should happen Sunday.

Second, Saturday's prime-time players likely will enjoy similar roles Sunday, according to Daytona pre-race Loop Data suggests.

Last Saturday, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) and Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Dept Chevrolet) were all threats to win. Earnhardt eventually did.

On Sunday, those four should again run up front. Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, those four drivers have excelled at DIS.

Stewart has the best pre-race stats of the bunch. Still looking for his first Daytona 500 victory, Stewart has a series-best Driver Rating of 109.0, an Average Running Position of 12.9 (fourth-best), 32 Fastest Laps Run (third-most) and 746 Laps in the Top 15 (68.6%).

Johnson, the 2006 Daytona 500 winner, has a Driver Rating of 98.1 (second), a series-best Average Running Position of 9.0 and a series-high 857 Laps in the Top 15 (78.8%).

Gordon, with three Daytona 500 wins, has a Driver Rating of 93.1 (sixth), an Average Running Position of 12.4 (third), an average Green Flag Speed of 185.108 mph (sixth) and 739 Fastest Laps Run (sixth).

Earnhardt, the 2004 Daytona 500 champion, has a Driver Rating of 82.8 (13th), an Average Running Position of 16.4 (12th), 28 Fastest Laps Run (fifth) and 644 Laps in the Top 15 (ninth).

Two wild cards who would normally be battling for a short-track win rather than a restrictor- plate one are Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) and Kurt Busch.

Busch has the third-best Driver Rating at 96.8 and Kenseth has a Driver Rating of 94.1.

Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) is another driver to watch. With a fourth-best Driver Rating of 96.6, Newman should contend for his first win since September of 2005.

The Now Car: NASCAR's New Race Car Ready For Fulltime Campaign

A key storyline, NASCAR's new car -- the now-generation race car -- begins its first fulltime season in 2008.

Sunday's 50th Daytona 500 marks both the new car's first event of the new year, and its first event at Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup teams prepared for the new car's fulltime debut by running it in 16 of 36 events in 2007.

Series officials announced in May 2007 that the new car would debut fulltime one year earlier than originally scheduled (2009).

Last season, teams used the new car at all tracks less than 1.5 miles, along with the two road courses (California's Infineon Raceway and New York's Watkins Glen International), and the October event at 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.

This season, they'll race the new car for the first time at Daytona, California Speedway (2 miles), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5 miles), Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.5 miles), Texas Motor Speedway (1.5 miles), Lowe's Motor Speedway (1.5 miles), Pocono Raceway (2.5 miles), Michigan International Speedway (2 miles), Chicagoland Speedway (1.5 miles), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5 miles) and Kansas Speedway (1.5 miles).

The culmination of a seven-year project by NASCAR's Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C., the new car offers important safety improvements, competition initiatives and cost-containment measures for teams.

The R&D Center also certifies all new-car chassis.

Teams tested new cars earlier this year at Daytona, Las Vegas and California as part of the annual preseason test schedule.

History On The Move: NASCAR'S 60th Anniversary

In a season launch filled with anniversary celebrations, note Friday's special significance -- the exact 60th anniversary of NASCAR's first official race.

On Feb. 15, 1948, drivers competed on the beach road course at Daytona, an event won by Red Byron in a Ford.

This Friday, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will open its 2008 season at Daytona International Speedway, followed by the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Saturday, and, of course, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in Sunday's 50th Daytona 500.

A little more than a decade after the sport's official beach debut, competitors christened the then-new Daytona International Speedway with the first Daytona 500 in February 1959. Lee Petty won that event in a photo finish.

Competitors ran eight races in that inaugural season of 1948; Byron won two and also collected two poles, all in six starts.

Of the tracks that hosted the 1948 events, only Martinsville Speedway remains on the series schedule. The shortest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule (at .526-mile), Martinsville -- in Martinsville, Va., -- hosts two events.

Off The Track: Special Events, Entertainment Abound for 50th Daytona 500

Always a magnet for celebrities and high-profile NASCAR fans, Daytona 500 pre-race activities are especially star-studded this year.

Behind the wheel, 1960 Daytona 500 champion Junior Johnson will lead Sunday's 50th Daytona 500 field to the green flag, driving the pace car during warm-up laps.

The 24 living Daytona 500 champions will serve as Grand Marshals, delivering the famous "Gentlemen, start your engines" command en masse Sunday.

Seven-time series champion and seven-time Daytona 500 champion Richard Petty is the honorary starter. He'll wave the green flag to start Sunday's race.

The award-winning country-music duo Brooks & Dunn will headline Sunday's pre-race show. Chubby Checker, Michael McDonald and Kool & The Gang are other musical icons scheduled for performances.

Each will perform one or more of their most memorable songs to commemorate musical eras spanned by the 50th Daytona 500.

They'll be accompanied by nearly 4,000 cast members on the track's tri-oval grass, along the frontstretch.

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the "Thunderbirds" will perform the traditional flyover during Sunday's rendition of the National Anthem.

Prior to Sunday, three-time series champion and 1989 Daytona 500 champion Darrell Waltrip will serve as Grand Marshal for Thursday's two 150-mile qualifying races -- the Gatorade Duel at Daytona.

Raybestos Rookie Lineup ... Six NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will contend for the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year title. They are Patrick Carpentier, Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr., Michael McDowell, Regan Smith and Jacques Villeneuve.

Carpentier, Franchitti, Hornish and Villeneuve all are former open-wheel stars transitioning to stock cars.

Franchitti, the reigning Indy Racing League champion, Hornish and Villeneuve are former Indianapolis 500 champions.

McDowell, 24, will take over the No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota following the season's fifth race, when Michael Waltrip Racing teammate David Reutimann steps out of it to replace the retiring Dale Jarrett in the No. 44 UPS Toyota.

Smith, 25, begins his first fulltime season in Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s No. 01 Principal Financial Group Chevrolet. He ran seven races on a part-time basis last season.

Up Next: The Auto Club 500 at California Speedway

Following Sunday's Daytona 500, NASCAR Sprint Cup teams head for California Speedway and the West Coast version of NASCAR's 2008 Season Launch.

Matt Kenseth is the early favorite for the Auto Club 500 on Sunday, Feb. 25, and for good reason. He'll seek a third consecutive victory in California's February event.

Jeff Gordon is the event's defending pole winner.

California Speedway -- located 50 miles west of Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest media market -- marks its 12th season this year.

A year after disastrous start, Toyota making inroads at Daytona
February 12, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Moments after pole qualifying for the Daytona 500 ended, Toyota official Lee White was asked how he felt about the Japanese automaker's results that day.

``Disappointed,'' replied White, senior vice president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development.

In the wake of Toyota placing three of its NASCAR Sprint Cup Camrys in the top five on last Sunday's speed chart, including Michael Waltrip locking up the outside front row position for Sunday's 50th running of ``The Great American Race,'' that one word speaks volumes.

A year ago, Toyota moved up to what was then known as the Nextel Cup series and took its lumps.

Arriving at Daytona with the middle-of-the-pack Bill Davis Racing team and the brand new Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull operations, little was expected of the new brand. And little was produced.

Only four of eight Toyotas entered made the season-opening race.

Waltrip - after embarrassing Toyota earlier in the week with a cheating scandal involving an illegal fuel additive - was the top Camry qualifier, earning a 15th-place start by racing his way into the big event in one of the 150-mile qualifying races.

Teammate Dale Jarrett, who got into the race on the series champion's provisional, was the top Toyota finisher at 22nd.

None of the Camry quartet was ever a real contender in the 500-mile race.

As the season moved on, progress for the Toyota teams was agonizingly slow. They struggled just to qualify for races.

BDR's Blaney gave the manufacturer its one and only pole last summer at New Hampshire, while the third-place finish by Red Bull's Brian Vickers last fall at Talladega was the best for a Toyota.

A year later, after a lot of hard work and the acquisition of the powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing team as its marquee team, Toyota could be in the hunt for its first Cup victory on the sport's biggest stage.

TRD president Jim Aust tried to put the situation in perspective after the qualifying session and could hardly stop smiling.

``I'm super happy,'' he said. ``This says a lot about where we were last year and where we are this year. You take it one step at a time, but I think we're on a much more level playing field now.''

Aust said there are a number of reasons why Toyota enters the 2008 season as a serious contender rather than an afterthought.

A big one is that the Car of Tomorrow is now the only one Cup teams will be using, after splitting the 2007 season between the old car and the CoT.

``A year ago, we were scrambling because we had the old generation car and the new generation car,'' he explained. ``We couldn't have chosen a tougher year to start this project.

``And we had to build a new engine and that takes time to get it right.''

Another key, of course, is stealing away JGR, owner of three of the last seven Cup titles, with two-time champion Tony Stewart and rising stars Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch as its current drivers.

Stewart finished second behind the Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in last Saturday night's 70-lap exhibition race, the first event of the season. It appeared he could easily have won with a little more drafting help.

``It's the same car that we ran for half the year last year, other than a different engine,'' Stewart said before the race, referring to the CoT. ``If you can feel a difference in that car, then you need to be driving it because I can't feel a difference at all.''

Jeff Button, who drives a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, said he isn't surprised by Toyota's showing thus far.

``All the focus on Toyota has been with adding Gibbs, but I believe the other teams are stronger too,'' Burton said. ``You know Toyota came in and increased the car count, made it tougher for everybody including themselves.

``Every team has had to respond to that and every team has had to be stronger to that. If you look back on it, I'm not sure there was a Toyota team at any point that was really locked into the races (in qualifying), so they had to pretty much earn their way in every week. I think that we will see some of those teams reverse that course this year.''

With Waltrip already on the front row and teammate David Reutimann and Blaney, the fourth and fifth fastest drivers last Sunday, assured of being in the lineup for the 500, everyone has taken notice of Toyota.

Rick Hendrick, owner of the powerful Hendrick Motorsports team that includes Earnhardt, pole-winner and two-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears, is also expecting Toyota to be tough in the 500, as well as serious contenders for the rest of the season.

``These Toyotas are awfully fast,'' Hendrick said.

``I predict this will be one of the best years we have had in NASCAR, with a lot of different winners and a very competitive season.''

‘I Believe Dale Earnhardt Jr. Is The Man to Beat’

With Speedweeks in full swing, the SPEED™ on-air personalities covering Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona (Thurs. 2pm ET on SPEED) share their thoughts on the week’s events and storylines, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick, the COT, Kurt Busch/Tony Stewart and Toyota's improvement. Following are quotes from Steve Byrnes, Jeff Hammond, Larry McReynolds and Krista Voda:

With Dale Jr.’s win in the Bud Shootout and the No. 48 on the pole for the Daytona 500, can anyone stop the Hendrick freight train?

Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst for the Gatorade Duel at Daytona: We anticipated this Hendrick domination -- not just the broadcasters and the fans -- but the competition as well. When we finished up in 2007, everyone, especially the competition, knew if they were to dethrone Hendrick’s domination it was going to take some work. Halfway through Daytona testing last month I said on one of the SPEED broadcasts that if you’re going to be good at Daytona, you will have to beat either Hendrick or Toyota. That came to fruition because in the top 10 in qualifying, there were only two cars that were either not a Toyota or not a Hendrick-affiliated car, including Nemechek’s Chevrolet engine supplied by Hendrick. Like Richard Childress told me at Las Vegas testing, Hendrick can be beat and they will be beat. This type of domination is what we often see in NASCAR. These things go in cycles but I will say Hendrick is a pretty large part of the cycle and it looks like they won’t go away anytime soon.

Jeff Hammond, SPEED analyst for the Gatorade Duel at Daytona: I absolutely think Hendrick can be challenged. We’ve already seen that Michael Waltrip Racing is 100-percent better than they were last year. Joe Gibbs Racing has shown they have come a long way in a short amount of time. Dave Blaney and Bill Davis Racing are another team that has been around for a long time and is as ready as anybody to get to Victory Lane and show the success of Toyota. He kind of led the way last year for Toyota. Tommy Baldwin and everyone there have been to Victory Lane at Daytona before and know how sweet it is. Don’t underestimate that group. Tommy Baldwin learned Saturday in the Shootout that two tires was not the way to go but they may have tried it to see if it was a gamble worth taking.

Steve Byrnes, host of Trackside Live and NASCAR Live on SPEED: If anybody else is going to win the championship, they’re obviously going to have to go through Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson has won two in a row and he said on Trackside the other night that he’s starting with a clean slate and going for three in a row. He also said he realizes that past success doesn’t guarantee 10 wins or current success. The No. 48 team does things a little differently and it pays off. Jeff Gordon had a tremendous season last year and the only thing that kept from winning his fifth championship was his teammate. By winning the Shootout, Dale Earnhardt Jr. showed he’s fast right off the truck. But we shouldn’t overlook Casey Mears who is sort of the forgotten man in all of this. He won last year at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and with Alan Gustafson as his crew chief this year, I think they will surprise us. With all that talent, I don’t see Hendrick slowing down a bit.

Who is your prediction to win the 50th Daytona 500?

McReynolds: Predicting the winner of the Daytona 500 is almost like trying to predict the exact temperature down to the tenth of a degree for the race next week. That’s how great the competition is. But I honestly believe Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the man to beat. He’s with a great team and is in great equipment. He’s obviously got all the elements in place and like I said on a lot of the SPEED broadcasts this week, he is focused and has no distractions. He’s tickled with life and winning the Shootout the other night just boosted his confidence that much more. Dale Jr. understands this place. He’s not worrying about battling with DEI or Teresa or any of the other elements he was dealing with last year. There are a lot of elements that have to line up for anyone to win the race but if you held a gun to my head and asked me to predict the winner, I believe Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the man.

Hammond: I think Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one of the best shots of anyone there. He’s got a very solid team behind him and a little momentum on his side. If he is able to pull off a win in one of the Duel races, I think he will be hard to stop.

Byrnes: Choosing a Daytona 500 winner is somewhat of a wild card right now because based on the Shootout the other night, there was so much apprehension about this new race car. This Car of Tomorrow, which is now the car of everywhere, had never raced at Daytona before. Teams have really gotten used to it, are figuring out how to work on it and drivers are figuring out what they can and can’t do on the track. The reason I say it will be a wild card is because in qualifying Sunday, we had 43 cars separated by eight-tenths of a second. That’s pretty amazing. I still think the Toyotas have gotten a lot better but you’re going to have to beat the 48 or the 24. Having said that, I really like Tony Stewart’s chances to win the 500 for the first time.

Have you seen enough of Dale Jr. with Hendrick on the open tracks to predict how he’ll do the rest of the year?

McReynolds: I was at the Vegas test and Dale Jr. was the best Hendrick car. The thing that impressed me the most, and I think this shows his commitment and his focus, was that in just about every practice session, he ran the most laps of anybody. On the second day of testing at Vegas, he ran about 70 laps with one car. I think he looked awfully good at Vegas. Right now, my inclination for Jr.’s success this season is not just a Talladega or Daytona deal. I think that group will have its act together week in and week out. I’d be surprised if they don’t win three, four or five points races this year.

What are you watching for Thursday in the Gatorade Duel at Daytona on SPEED?

McReynolds: What we’re all down here for, what all the attention, preparation and talk have been about for the past few months, is the 50th annual Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is a big deal. Because it is the 50th, it certainly carries a lot more attention and clout this year. There is no question it would be huge for a driver, team, crew chief or owner to put on his resume that he is champion of the 50th Daytona 500. Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona qualifying races are huge. They are huge every single year. With the new format locking in the top 35 and only two spots per race available, unlike back in the day when we had 14 or 15 spots, it is more drama than we have all year at any track or any qualifying session. There will be some broken hearts because after qualifying and by virtue of the top 35 rule, they are not locked in yet.

Boris Said qualified ninth and he is not locked in yet. We’ve got several other cars in the top 15 to 20 that have fast race cars. Brian Vickers, Patrick Carpentier, and AJ Allmendinger are not locked in. If you miss the Daytona 500, it knocks the wind out of your sails. Our season is 36 races and it’s a long road. Fortunately, in all my years as a crew chief, I never missed the Daytona 500, so I cannot say exactly what it feels like to miss it. I can’t imagine what it would be like after all that preparation and money spent and anticipation and when it’s all said and done Thursday after the Gatorade Duel, to have to load your truck and go home and watch the race on television Sunday. Unfortunately, some teams and probably some good teams will be in that boat.

Byrnes: Typically the Gatorade Duel is the best racing of Speedweeks and now there are only a couple of starting slots left. I can’t imagine how wild it will be for those guys Thursday. It sounds cliché to say it’s going to be wild but there is a huge potential to tear up some race cars. With the format change to lock in the top 35, there are fewer opportunities to make the field. Let’s face it – it pays $250,000 just to start the Daytona 500.

The best part of the Gatorade Duel is the drama of locking in the field for the Daytona 500. There’s so much excitement and emotion – good and bad. There is so much on the line for these teams and the Duel can set the tone for the rest of their season. If you’re one of the under-funded teams, just making the 500 is huge. I remember the emotions of Mike Bliss last year when he didn’t make it in. The emotions are so real and unique and different that day.

Krista Voda, host of the Gatorade Duel at Daytona: The Gatorade Duel is almost a tale of two races. You’ve got the guys out there who are locked in and those who are trying to get in. For those locked in, starting position doesn’t really matter for the Daytona 500 and we saw that last year with Kevin Harvick’s come-from-behind victory. These guys are trying to learn something for Sunday and keep their cars as clean as possible, especially since they want to run those cars Sunday. The real story is the go-or-go-home guys. Only four drivers, two in each Duel, will get the remaining spots so these guys are going for broke. We already heard Boris Said say he’s going for broke or he’s basically bringing the car back in a box. It’s really a tale of races because there are two completely different strategies. I’ll be watching the go-or-go-home drivers because that is where the drama is.

Daytona is the first and biggest race of the year and it’s the 50th Daytona 500. All these guys have put so much time in the off-season into this one race. The fact that some of these guys will literally be watching the 500 from home Sunday is just devastating. For instance, Sterling Marlin, who is a two-time Daytona 500 champion, could be watching the race just like the fans at home. That’s so sad and that’s why there is so much drama on Thursday. There is so much intensity attached to the Gatorade Duel that it’s going to be awesome.

Toyota struggled last year and no one thought they’d remain at the bottom of the ladder forever. Do you think they are beginning to show what they are capable of?

McReynolds: I felt all along that Toyota wouldn’t be down for long and I said that many times last year. Just look at what they tried to do with their entrance into the sport. They came in last year and picked a terrible year to come into the sport. They had to develop two different cars – the old Camry and the Car of Tomorrow Camry. They had to develop a completely different engine package from what they were running in the Truck Series because it was not legal. They had to develop a restrictor plate engine because trucks have never raced restrictor plates and, oh, by the way, they did it with two brand-new race teams and a team that had kind of struggled for a couple or three years. I know those Toyota people and I worked with them in 2004. They are tenacious and they are not going to roll over and say, ‘time is going to make this better.’ Now everyone is going to say, ‘they added Joe Gibbs Racing and that certainly helped.’ There is no question that has helped but I definitely think even if they hadn’t added Gibbs, Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Red Bull Racing were probably on the brink of getting better just because of time from last year. Whether it’s the Hendrick dominance or Toyota, we’re not going to get all the answers here at Daytona because it’s a different animal. We’re going to have to get to Fontana and Vegas and those places. When we get through the next four races when we leave here, we’ll start having an idea of who’s who this year, even though we’ll just be scratching the surface of the schedule.

What did the teams learn about the COT in the Shootout?

McReynolds: I think there was certainly a lot of anticipation with the Car of Tomorrow even though we’ve tested it and raced it at Talladega last fall. Everyone still knew it would be a different animal because Daytona is so different from Talladega, especially now that Talladega has been resurfaced. I was anticipating the Car of Tomorrow this year with a huge question mark. But I’ve got to say what I saw and what I think we all learned in the Shootout is this is a darn good race car. These cars can fall back, pull back and suck up well. There was not a problem running two and three-wide like we’ve normally seen here at Daytona. I think some guys learned there is a very fine line on the setup because you can’t be too aggressive with the right-front tire or you’ll get it in trouble. You can’t get too aggressive with the air pressure or camber. We saw that with Bill Elliott and we’ve seen some hints of it even in practice with JJ Yeley and the No. 96 car. The biggest thing is these teams learned enough about this car and it’s a good race car and I think we’ll see some great racing Thursday in the Gatorade Duel at Daytona.

Hammond: What I picked up on was how critical handling will be. You may have to sacrifice a little bit of speed to keep the tires on this new car and keep it competitive. There were a lot of drivers who were not in the Shootout, Kevin Harvick for instance, who were going to school on how those cars looked. They watched how Tony made a pass, how Dale Jr. made a pass and which line was working best. They also noticed when to go three-wide and when not to. I think the Bud Shootout might have helped answer some questions and give direction better than it has in recent years.

Byrnes: I think running the Shootout was an advantage but the other teams and drivers were watching. We’ve learned it’s much more beneficial to go two-wide now, although I think you’ll see the occasional three-wide racing like we always see. One thing they learned is you can race side-by-side, which is good, but don’t go crazy with it. Another piece of information that came out of the Shootout is the closing rate is much different than the old car. The rate at which they can pull up on another car is much faster now. I think that’s an advantage to the guys who were in the Shootout. There is a concern about the tires down here and the teams have learned they need to be a little more conservative with their setups and not put too much stress on the tires. Dale Jarrett said on Trackside that the cars bounce around side-to-side a lot and the back end of the car wants to be a little loose. I think they’re all getting used to how the car drives more each day.

If you were NASCAR, would you penalize Kurt Busch or Tony Stewart following Saturday night’s incident?

McReynolds: If I were NASCAR, the only thing I would be double-thinking is the beating and banging coming all the way down pit road. As far as what happened on the race track, it was a practice accident. Were all of those guys pushing the envelope too hard for practice? Absolutely. The only thing I question, and I have been an advocate of this for years as a crew chief and now as a broadcaster, is using the race car for retaliation. If I was NASCAR and want to make a statement that I’m going to let these guys show their emotions, since no one got hurt and the cars had substantial damage already, I’d probably go ahead and let it ride. But I’d keep a very close watch on both of them throughout Speedweeks especially.

I’d much rather see that emotion or even retaliation outside the race car. That’s what I said on SPEED’s qualifying broadcast Friday night. If you want to get out and want to confront a driver, scream and yell at him or push him, that’s fine. That emotion and passion is what we’ve got to bring back to the sport. These guys knowing they can show those emotions will help get this sport back in order. If they curse on air or pick up jacks or airguns and go after each other, that’s a different story. We need to keep that line in the sand.

I can almost hear Mike Helton say this ... NASCAR still has to control the sport. Even though we’re trying to let the emotion back in, we still need to control the sport and NASCAR does that. I think the only thing NASCAR is struggling with is that Kurt took a race car and retaliated with it. They are probably thinking they really need to step in and make a statement, ‘hey, show your emotions but leave these 3,400 pound race cars out of the equation.’

NASCAR announced they are putting Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch on probation for six races. Do you think that is the right call?

Hammond: I think that is the right call. Under the circumstances and the way this played out, I think NASCAR is being fair in its assessment and the penalty. Not in recent times have we seen an incident like this go through what a lot of people will say is no punishment at all without some sort of points penalty. I like the way they’re trying to start out. Mike Helton and Brian France are letting these guys feel like they can race each other and show some emotion within reason but they still control the sport and have the final say-so. From what I’ve been told, Kurt hit Tony on the race track and Tony got him back in the NASCAR trailer so everything is even. I think everything is very fair and I hope this is a sign of new times for NASCAR and one that will be rewarded and not over-abused by the competitors themselves.

The Kurt Busch/Tony Stewart incident drew a lot of publicity … do you think that is beneficial for the sport?

Byrnes: We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2008 season. We went in with a lot of apprehension about this new race car but things have gotten off to a bang. NASCAR said they were going to let the drivers show more personality and from what I hear, there was some sort of confrontation in the NASCAR hauler between Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. But I think NASCAR is letting Tony and Kurt settle it the way they need to and that’s a good sign. I personally wouldn’t fine those guys but I don’t condone Kurt using his car for retaliation on pit road. I still think NASCAR will give the guys a bit of a grace period. I am a bit ‘old school’ because I’ve been working in NASCAR for more than 20 years. It is an emotional sport and I think that’s great. The fans want to know these guys care about racing and aren’t just pampered millionaires who get on their jets and fly out. Also, Dale Jr. winning the Shootout was great for the sport and we’re off to a terrific start.

What can the fans expect from SPEED in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona?

Voda: The fans can expect SPEED to deliver all the emotion of the day. There is so much bottled up in these guys and our job as broadcasters is to paint that picture and deliver it to the fans at home. We take that bottled-up emotion, put a bow on it and deliver it right to the living room. Our hope and expectation is to spell out all the drama that is unfolding right in front of us … on the track and in the garage, the guys walking from their motor homes to pit road with their shoulders all tensed up. We’ve got the best in the business from the guys behind the camera to the guys in the truck punching the buttons. If we can deliver that into people’s living rooms Thursday, then we’ve done our job.

PaddockTalk.com

Big names miss the cut for 50th running of the Daytona 500
February 14, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Eddie Wood will be here for Sunday's Daytona 500. His team's race car will be back at the shop.

For only the third time in 50 years, and the first time since 1962, the Wood Brothers No. 21 will not be in the field for NASCAR's biggest race.

``I don't know what that will feel like,'' said Wood, co-owner with brother Len Wood of the pioneer stock car team founded by their father and uncle. ``I'm sure it's going to be bad.''

Now, the team that helped build NASCAR with drivers such as Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, David Pearson, Neil Bonnett, Cale Yarborough and Buddy Baker will miss the 50th running of The Great American Race.

As will current Wood driver Bill Elliott, the 1988 series champion and a two-time Daytona 500 winner, who's running a partial schedule.

He wasn't the only disappointed driver after Thursday's two 150-mile qualifying races determined the 500 lineup.

Two-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin, former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve and NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader all failed to make the race. Schrader's 18th-place finish in the second race ended his string of 23 consecutive Daytona 500 starts.

Under the arcane qualifying procedure, only two drivers from each of two qualifying races advanced into Sunday's lineup. The rest of the 43-car field included last year's top 35 in car owner points, three drivers who made it on speed from last Sunday's time trials and Kurt Busch, who used the past champion's provisional.

``The top-35 thing is just a night and day fight, day in and day out,'' Eddie Wood said. ``You can't let it get the best of you, because it will. It will eat you alive. You have to stand up and continue to do what you're doing because the worst thing you can do is panic.''

He's not ready to do that, instead focusing on rebuilding the once-formidable team that has struggled to compete recently.

Several teams, including a number of recent open-wheel converts to NASCAR, now must regroup before the next stop in California.

AJ Allmendinger, who made the jump from Champ Cars to NASCAR, beat Elliott but also came up just short.

Villeneuve, who's still looking for a sponsor for his Bill Davis Racing entry, lost control and crashed early in the second qualifying race - taking Jamie McMurray, Stanton Barrett and Dario Franchitti, the defending Indianapolis 500 winner, with him.

``That's very annoying,'' Villeneuve said. ``But that's the way racing goes. I got sideways quite a few times, and, one of those times, it was going to catch me out.''

Barrett was eliminated. Open-wheeler Patrick Carpentier seemed on his way to making the 500 before crashing hard after a tire wore out late in the race.

Carpentier, who banged off the wall several times before finally hitting it hard enough to end his day, said he had hoped to nurse the worn right front tire to the finish.

``But I stayed up as close to the wall as I could because I knew that if it did go, I wouldn't hit the wall as hard that way,'' Carpentier said.

There was no softening the blow for Elliott, who finished 16th in the opening race and was never in contention.

Elliott was just too slow, finishing fifth among the drivers trying to race their way into the lineup.

``I don't think there are words to describe it,'' said Elliott, who was trying to run in his 27th Daytona 500. ``I'm just bummed out.''

Kenny Wallace races his way into Daytona 500
February 14, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Kenny Wallace was signing autographs at an appearance in Atlantic City a month ago when he got a call from the team manager of Furniture Row Racing, the same team that kicked him out of the driver's seat in the middle of last season.

Would Wallace like to come back and try to qualify a brand-new car with a Hendrick engine for the Daytona 500?

Wallace didn't need much time to mull it over.

``I said, 'Hell yeah, man,''' Wallace said.

But there was one catch: If Wallace qualified for the race and the team's full-time driver, Joe Nemechek, didn't, Wallace would have to give up his seat for Nemechek. Wallace said that was OK; at the very least, he'd have the chance to rebuild his reputation.

``In my mind, if I make the 500 I will personally get all the credit for it anyway,'' Wallace said.

In the end, it couldn't have worked out much better. Wallace gets the credit, and he gets to race Sunday.

Wallace showed he could hold his own with Hendrick horsepower under his hood, racing his way into the field with his eighth-place finish in the first of two qualifying races Thursday. And Nemechek's speed from Sunday's pole qualifying was fast enough to get him in the show - making the underdog Furniture Row team the feel-good story of Daytona Speedweeks.

The team - which is based in Denver, not Charlotte, because its parent company is based there - hasn't recorded a top-10 finish in 40 races since it began racing at the Cup level in 2005.

``The team being three years old and never making the 500 and all of a sudden we have two cars in the 500,'' Nemechek said. ``It's a really, really special day.''

Wallace drove for the team the past two years. But after 22 races last season, he was told the team was going to let other drivers take his place.

Was he being fired? He wasn't really sure.

``I don't think I was fired,'' Wallace said. ``The phone call went like this: 'Hey, we're going to try other drivers but look, we're going to keep paying you.'''

Seriously?

``Seriously,'' Wallace said.

Actually, Wallace said such oddities are common for startup teams. When things inevitably start to go wrong, the team usually starts to make changes to figure out what's wrong.

The driver is usually the first to go.

``All startup teams usually go through a transition that is brutal to everybody involved,'' Wallace said. ``And so they called me up and said, 'We've just got to really see what's wrong with our team.' When they said we don't want you to drive for a little bit, it made me look good - because everybody that got in the car missed races.''

The team hired Nemechek to be its full-time driver this year, but now Wallace is back, too. That's thanks in part to his brother, Mike, who doesn't have a ride for the 500 and volunteered to work as Kenny's spotter on Thursday.

``He just inspired me the whole time,'' Kenny Wallace said. ``There were so many times when people cut me off, and I thought I was going to hit them. And in the end, he was yelling, 'Just go! Just don't run into anybody!'''

Mike Wallace wanted to help his brother make the race to prove a point: Both brothers deserve a ride at the Cup level.

``He had a shot and had a fast car, and it was like, this is huge,'' Mike Wallace said. ``When he gets paid, he's buying dinner because this pays a lot of money.''

The day wasn't without drama.

Wallace said he nearly spun out early in the race and then began to smell his car's ignition box smoldering, a problem he had in an earlier practice session. He flipped a switch to activate the backup ignition box, and never had another problem.

For now, Wallace is only back in the Cup series for one race. Furniture Row would like to field a second car for Wallace but needs to find a sponsor in a rough economic environment.

Even if that doesn't happen, Wallace still has a ride in the Nationwide series. And he still has the satisfaction of showing what he can do.

``I proved it,'' Wallace said. ``And I'm just shocked right now.''

Reed Sorenson could spoil Hendrick-Gibbs duel in Daytona 500
February 14, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -As Sunday's Daytona 500 shapes up as a showdown between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, Ganassi's Reed Sorenson is flying under the radar.

Emphasis on flying.

Sorenson finished second in the first of two qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, adding to his fifth-place finish in the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race last weekend.

Could Sorenson be a surprise winner Sunday?

``We had a good run in the Shootout, we had another good run today,'' Sorenson said. ``It makes everybody on the team excited about going into the 500.''

The success is a surprise to Sorenson, who isn't exactly a master of restrictor-plate racing but seems to be adapting well to NASCAR's new-spec Car of Tomorrow at Daytona.

``I haven't had that much luck with this type of racing,'' Sorenson said. ``I've had a lot more fun this past week, restrictor plate, than I think I ever have.''

Sorenson said a good finish would be a huge boost to Ganassi's season.

``Everybody is energized, ready to go,'' Sorenson said. ``It's always good to have a good finish here in the 500 to get some momentum gained for the rest of the season. It's always good to run good here. We've done well so far. Just need to do good in the 500 and we'll be good to go.''

SKID MARKS: More teams had tire trouble Thursday, creating concerns about Sunday's race.

Red Bull Racing driver Brian Vickers was surprised the tires were wearing out so quickly.

``I think everybody is pretty concerned about it,'' Vickers said. ``We've got smaller fuel cells this year, and we still can't even make it to a full fuel run. It's going to be a big factor.''

Greg Stucker, Goodyear's director of race tire sales, said the problems are likely the result of higher-than-expected speeds and teams struggling to figure out the right suspension settings for their new cars.

He said the situation should improve throughout the weekend as there's more traffic on the track, laying down more rubber and making the surface less abrasive.

``It'll get better,'' Stucker said.

VICTORY LAP: Racing's famed Petty family announced plans to build a second Victory Junction Gang camp in the Kansas City area. Kyle Petty said he and his wife, Pattie, already have toured potential sites for the camp, a retreat for children with chronic medical conditions.

The first Victory Junction Gang camp - which opened in 2004 as a tribute to their late son, Adam - is located in Level Cross, N.C., and accepts children from all over the country. But some children with serious illnesses can't travel that far.

``We need to take our camp to them,'' Pattie Petty said.

Kyle Petty said that although the first camp was built through donations from members of the NASCAR community and is sustained mainly by donations from NASCAR fans, he doesn't plan to solicit donations from drivers, team owners and sponsors to build the second camp. Instead, Petty said the plan is to raise funds in the Kansas City area.

It's an ambitious plan: Petty hopes to raise between $30 million and $60 million to build the camp, with sustained annual donations of $5 million to $10 million to run it.

RACING STRIPES: NASCAR apparel that isn't adorned with loud colors and gaudy sponsor logos? It's a novel idea, but adidas is about to give it a try.

Adidas will launch Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s signature line of clothing Friday morning, beginning sales at Sports Authority across from the speedway and on the company's Web site, adidas.com.

Earnhardt actually had a hand in designing the line, which features track jackets, T-shirts, hats and jerseys.

MARBLES: Earnhardt's news conference came to a screeching halt when televisions in the media center showed Jacques Villeneuve's hard crash during the second qualifying race Thursday. ``Dang!,'' Earnhardt exclaimed. ... Fox will air a special called ``Road to Daytona'' as a lead-in to its Daytona 500 coverage Sunday. The show features behind-the-scenes access to teams and interviews with Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya. Fox also will debut its ``Gopher Cam,'' a high-definition camera buried in the track surface.