Three-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett races his way into field
February 14, 2008
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Dale Jarrett refused to make any contingency plans if he missed the Daytona 500.
Good thing, too.
Now, he doesn't have to alter his itinerary Sunday.
Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner who is retiring after the first five races this year, finished ninth in the second of two 150-mile qualifiers Thursday to earn a starting spot in the much-hyped 50th running of The Great American Race.
``It is very gratifying personally to know that you have to go out there and you know what you have to do,'' Jarrett said. ``When it comes time to get this done, I enjoy that challenge and feel very good about what we were able to accomplish.''
Jarrett started 14th, dropped near the back of the pack, hooked up with teammate and car owner Michael Waltrip and then started working his way through the field.
``My car was good, especially through the corners,'' Jarrett said. ``But I needed a little extra push to make that extra pass. Michael came back and gave me that whenever I needed it.
``My car was good enough to do what I needed to do. He was kind of an insurance policy. It was nice to have that there, but we were good enough to make it even without that.''
Jarrett moved into the top 10 with 20 laps to go and stayed there the rest of the way.
There was some concern, though, after a late caution flag created a two-lap sprint to the checkered flag.
Jarrett stayed out and raced the final laps on worn tires, banking on being able to hold off John Andretti, Ken Schrader and everyone else chasing him on new tires for one of two 500 spots up for grabs.
He did, earning his 18th consecutive 500 start.
``Really happy to see Dale Jarrett making the race,'' said Andretti, who picked up the other spot. ``What an awesome thing to make the 50th running with him, because he's such a great champion. I was equally excited about him making the race as me.''
Jarrett struggled most of last season, his first with Toyota and Michael Waltrip Racing. He made the first nine races, six thanks to NASCAR's most recent past champion provisional. He ended up running 24 of 36 races and finished outside the top 35 in owner points.
Although he announced his retirement late last year, he signed on to run the first five races in 2008 before moving to the broadcast booth.
Jarrett was counting on using the past champion's provisional to guarantee making races. But Penske Racing decided to move points from 2004 series champion Kurt Busch to teammate Sam Hornish Jr., guaranteeing both would make the races early - Busch because he was the more recent past champion.
The decision put more pressure on Jarrett, especially when Busch didn't earn a spot in the 500 field in the first qualifier. Had Busch raced his way in, Jarrett would have secured a provisional.
Instead, he had to earn this one.
``I know everybody kept talking about getting Dale Jarrett getting in the 50th running, and that certainly is important,'' Jarrett said.
Fantasy Picks 'N' Pans: Daytona 500 Edition
The long, cold, winter that was the NASCAR offseason has finally come to an end…which means it’s time to turn the key on another season of fantasy racing. Whether your team was the cream of the crop or a basement dweller in 2007, the new season gives all fantasy players a renewed hope that they can dominate their leagues, emerging victorious at the end of their Chase for the Championship. But with a new car on the track and new faces in new places, there are a lot of big decisions to be weighed by the minds of fantasy team owners this year.
So, with so many questions, where do you turn for the answers? It’s simple; kick off your season in the right direction by reading this week’s version of Fantasy Picks ‘N’ Pans.
Cami’s Race Rewind:
Kevin Harvick completed the weekend sweep at the Beach with his thrilling victory over Mark Martin in last year’s Daytona 500. The frantic finish was set up when the sixth caution of the day came out on lap 196 after Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Martin Truex, Jr., Ricky Rudd, and Jamie McMurray were caught up in a chain reaction incident. Following a red flag period to clean up the mess, Martin restarted the race out front, with Harvick fading further back in the Top 10. As the field came around to get the checkered flag, Martin still led but Harvick was making a charge; right then, all hell broke loose behind them, as a chain reaction wreck left half the field spinning off turn four. Remarkably, the yellow flag did not come out, and Harvick used an earlier push from Matt Kenseth and teammate Jeff Burton to beat Martin to the finish line by inches. It was Harvick’s first Daytona 500 win, one that paired up nicely with his Busch Series victory in the 300-mile race a day earlier. Burton wound up third when all was said and done, while the unlikely pair of Mike Wallace and David Ragan rounded out the Top 5 following that wreck off the final turn.
While the finish certainly had people talking, another incident earlier in the event garnered just as much attention. Only 50 laps from the finish, perhaps the two strongest cars of the day — Tony Stewart’s No. 20 and Kurt Busch’s No. 2 — made contact while battling for the lead up front. Crashing hard into the turn three wall, the wreck ended the chances either had to capture their first Daytona 500 win.
Mike’s Keys to the Race:
The 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 is the debut of the new Car of Tomorrow (now today) on the famous 2.5-mile tri-oval. Unlike the other restrictor plate race at Talladega, a good handling car at DIS is crucial. Knowing the draft is a plus… but teams that have gotten the best handle on making the new car turn are going to be the ones that have the best chance at running up front.
Top speed is also important on these large superspeedway ovals, and the teams that historically make the most horsepower are also going to be favored. That means you can expect to see the Hendrick teams put on a heck of a show this weekend, with the plate prowess of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon allowing them to flex their muscles. And let’s not forget the recent hot streak that Jimmie Johnson has been on; as it is, Johnson’s begun his bid for three straight titles by winning the pole for the Great American Race. If those teammates can work together on the race track — not apart — they’ll be a tough trio to contend with all race long.
The Toyota camp will also have some people in the mix with Tony Stewart — who has two 400 victories on his mantle — and Michael Waltrip, who obviously has a better handle on things this year. But don’t count out Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth; while ’03 Cup champ Kenseth has never won a plate race, he’s been in the mix at the end of the 500 for several years.
Mike’s Picks:
Crank ‘Em Up:
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is arguably the best restrictor plate driver of this era; and now that he’s in the best equipment in the garage, great things are expected from him in 2008. Junior didn’t disappoint out of the box, claiming a resounding victory in his debut race with the No. 88 Chevy; he led 47 of 70 laps en route to winning the Bud Shootout Saturday night. With Tony Eury, Jr. on the box and Hendrick power under the hood, Earnhardt will most likely be near the front for the majority of the 500, as well.
After sweeping the front row for the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson and Michael Waltrip are sure bets for your fantasy lineup this week.
Jimmie Johnson was on fire over the last third of the 2007 season. In the final 12 races of the year, Johnson won six of them, including four in a row en route to his second straight Cup title. Heading into the new year, the No. 48 team looks to be picking up where he left off; Johnson won the pole for the 500, and probably would have won the Shootout if he had two more laps on Saturday night. Expect to see him near the front most of the day on Sunday — assuming the Hendrick engine woes don’t cost him during the race.
Sit ‘Em Down:
Jamie McMurray won the most recent points race at Daytona; he also finished second in the 400 three years ago and eighth two years ago. Unfortunately for McMurray, though, this is the Daytona 500. For some reason, that extra 100 miles takes a toll on him; in five 500 starts, McMurray has best finish of just 31st. He simply doesn’t seem to have the good luck during Speedweeks, and the Shootout exemplified that again this past weekend, when he bounced it off of the wall in a crash not of his making. The Great American Race has lost its luster with McMurray; don’t put your eggs in the Crown Royal basket this weekend.
Casey Mears is the chic sleeper pick going into the 500 this year. Everyone is excited about Earnhardt being added to the Hendrick stable, and they feel like that is somehow going to translate into success for Mears. Now, the man is a talented driver and will probably someday be a force in a Hendrick machine; but at this point, he has not been consistent enough to rate the kind of attention he has been receiving going into this weekend. Mears did finish second back in 2006 — but his other finishes have been less than stellar in this February spectacle. As such, expect the goody to show up a little later in the season for Mears … not in the 500.
Roll the Dice:
Dave Blaney is driving a Toyota Camry — and that is no longer a bad thing. The TRD people did some great work during the offseason, and appear to have solved the power band issues that the teams were having with their engines last year. With the body styles being identical now, and a power plant that is competitive, look for Blaney to have a very respectable run in the 500. The No. 22 did some amazing things in 2007; and now, they have equipment that matches their effort moving forward.
Cami’s Picks:
Crank ‘Em Up:
Many people doubted Joe Gibbs Racing when they made the switch to Toyota in the offseason. But with how the team is running so far both in Speedweeks and in testing, the joke may be on them. Tony Stewart ran competitively in the Bud Shootout last Saturday before settling for second; in the process, he showed that Camry or Chevy, he can get it done at Daytona. While he hasn’t grabbed the big trophy yet, Stewart is still a consistent contender at the 500; before two disastrous finishes in 2007 due to crashes, he’d landed six straight Top 10s in the event. Can Stewart make that last move up the standings and win? That I can’t tell you for sure… but he will certainly be in position to make a run for it in 2008.
One driver who will be fighting to keep Stewart’s winless streak at Daytona alive and well is six-time Daytona winner Jeff Gordon. Armed with a new, talented teammate who can help him in the draft, Gordon looks to put Daytona 500 trophy number four in the case this year. Coming off two Top 10s at Daytona last year, Gordon also has the benefit of being the only restrictor plate track winner in the Car of Tomorrow — well, at least for a few more days, anyway.
Sit ‘Em Down:
There is one positive thing you can say about Denny Hamlin’s record in Daytona; he has been running at the end of all four of his career starts at the track. But that’s where the good news ends, as the winner of the 2006 Budweiser Shootout has a dismal finishing record in points-paying races here. His best finish (17th) came in the July race of his rookie year, and three other finishes of 28th or worse give him an average finish of 29.5 — one of the worst among active drivers. Strong during Speedweeks, Hamlin may surprise Sunday … but looking at his past finishes, I wouldn’t risk it.
Another driver who has failed to dazzle at Daytona is Martin Truex, Jr., which seems a bit odd considering the dominance DEI has shown at this track in the past. But in five starts, Truex has mustered a best finish of just 13th; that’s not exactly the type of stat that will make you go out of your way to pick a guy for your fantasy team. Saturday night in the Bud Shootout, Truex was caught up in an accident and failed to finish the event; afterwards, he claimed that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time because he kept picking the wrong lane — despite the fact he was running at the back of the pack all night. Perhaps time and experience will fix that; but right now, picking Truex would be a gamble.
Roll the Dice:
Speaking of gambling, one driver you might want to take a risk with this year is Michael Waltrip. After claiming a spot on the front row, you know he will have good track position early on in the race and should avoid any early disasters. In the Shootout, Waltrip proved that he could race with the big boys up front, and showed flashes of the talent that’s led him to three wins at Daytona in his career. Plus, you know that a strong showing here would do wonders to fix any lingering damage and ill effects from last year’s scandalous start to the 2007 season.
frontstretch.com
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: 2008 Gatorade Duel 150s
Race One
The Key Moment Reed Sorenson teamed up with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on the final restart and the duo drove away from the field. Truthfully, as strong at the No. 88 car looked, Earnhardt probably didn’t need help.
In a Nutshell The cars might be OK, and the tires might be OK, but those tires on those cars just don’t seem to be working.
Dramatic Moment When Vickers spun out early in the race while near the head of the pack, it could have set off a field decimating wreck. There was some good heads up driving in the field to avert disaster as Vickers headed for the infield.
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. parks his Chevrolet in Daytona’s Victory Lane for the second time during 2008 Speedweeks.
Remember back when the qualifying races used to be the most exciting events of Speedweeks ….you know back when more than two people from each race transferred to the 500?
Is Earnhardt ever going to lose a race driving for HMS? If he does it will probably be because of a blown engine. What’s going on with those HMS Chevy engines? This team never loses engines. Did Junior bring along key members of the DEI engine shop when he switched teams?
So Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch are back on probation. But NASCAR says that now probation is a lot more serious than it used to be, though they won’t say how. My guess is, in the old days, if a driver on probation did something wrong NASCAR officials were somewhat annoyed, but starting this year, if the same driver screws up they will instead be pissed off to a major degree. But they still won’t do a damn thing about it.
Boy things sure have changed since Saturday night, though the announcers remained the same. On Saturday night during the Bud Shootout there was no side draft with the new cars. By Thursday, everyone was using the side draft to make passes. On Saturday it no longer took the car two laps to get up to speed with the new larger restrictor plates, but it took two laps for the cars to get up to speed again on Thursday. And for the record, how can a one car team have two cars in the Daytona 500?
Maybe Jeff Hammond needs to take a cold shower before working with Krista Voda next time?
Maybe he’ll get the message now. When DW asked the crowd to join him in his annoying “Boogity, boogity, boogity” shtick, the silence was deafening.
Wow, things are getting desperate for the California track at Fontana. San Bernadino County is running ads promoting the poorly attended race. I’ve never seen taxpayer dollars used to promote a race on national TV before.
Does that white cross painted on the track indicate the spot where Dale Earnhardt died in 2001?
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
Elliott Sadler blistered two tires. The second time he threw the carcass of the tire and slapped the wall hard, bending up the car his team planned to race on Sunday.
Bill Elliott and the Wood Brothers are legends at Daytona, but they won’t be racing this year at Daytona.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
Brian Vickers got spun on the second lap, but rallied his way back to a ninth place finish which was good enough to make the Daytona 500.
Kurt Busch had wiring problems (when the wiring ignites, that’s a problem) and finished dead last but he had a previous champions provisional in hand to make the race.
Worth Noting
* The win was Junior’s third victory in a Daytona qualifying race.
* No driver has ever won the Bud Shootout (under any of its names), a qualifying race, and the Daytona 500 in the same year. Bill Elliott was close winning the Busch Clash and the Daytona 500 in 1987, but finished second to Ken Schrader by a foot.
Overall Rating (On a scale of one to six beer cans with one being a stinker and a six pack an instant classic)
We’ll give this one four cans of the best kind of beer, an early afternoon-off of work special. There were no big incidents and some heated battling for the lead.
Race Two
The Key Moment Jeff Gordon pushed Denny Hamlin past Tony Stewart on the final restart to seal the win for the No. 11.
In a Nutshell By the recent standards of Daytona, this was a sedate Thursday afternoon.
Dramatic Moment When Jacques Villenueve had his car get out from under him, he triggered the biggest wreck of the afternoon.
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
Denny Hamlin takes the checkered flag in the second Gatorade Duel, marking the first win for Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series.
Well, apparently it’s not going to take Joe Gibbs Racing too long to figure out these Toyotas. But will their success in a foreign brand further diminish interest in the sport for long time fans?
I don’t know what the deal is with this new oil-dry, but I liked the old stuff better. Clean up was quicker with the old stuff and it didn’t cause a virtual dust-storm during the process. And, come on, Daytona can’t afford their own oil-dry truck? They apparently had to borrow one from Kansas.
Will the tires hold up in Sunday’s race? To date, we haven’t seen 43 cars driven in anger on the track at any one time. The consequences of a tire failure grow more dire the larger the pack.
Looks like the Pace Car is a current edition Corvette. It seems like the restricted Cup cars couldn’t keep up with the soon to be introduced ZR1 model.
Team strategy—Is it the way the game gets played now or another step down the slippery slope of the conversion of Cup racing to Formula One?
I don’t feel that this short track trick of the leader brake-checking the field coming to a restart has any place at Daytona.
Sure sounds like somebody started giving Tony Stewart his meds again after last weekend.
Did anyone check the gas in Michael Waltrip’s car?
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
With David Reutimann seemingly able to make the 500 based on his finishing position, Boris Said was poised to make the big race until John Andretti passed the 00 car on the final lap.
I’m not sure if Carpentier is French for “carpenter”, but that Canadian dude sure did seem to enjoy nailing the wall.
Jamie McMurray’s team is going to be hauling a whole lot of junk back from Daytona.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
After a rough start to Speedweeks, Denny Hamlin’s fortunes are looking up.
Dale Jarrett is lucky he had both teammates in his 150 mile race because he clearly wasn’t going anywhere fast before they both came to his aid.
Worth Noting
*Hamlin has now won a Bud Shootout and a qualifying race at Daytona. Only one more prize awaits him, the big one…uh, not a good term to use when discussing Daytona. He just needs to win the 500.
*The last time the pole sitter won a Daytona 500 was Dale Jarrett in 2000. The last winner of a Bud Shootout to win the Daytona 500 was Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 2004.
Overall Rating (On a scale of one to six beer cans with one being a stinker and a six pack an instant classic)
We’ll give this one three cans of Asahi, the best selling beer in Japan.
Next Up
If you need to ask you really haven’t been paying attention. Tune in around 3:15 on Sunday for the 50th running of the Daytona 500, and the 20th one with those “temporary” restrictor plates that were introduced in 1988.
frontstretch.com
Jeff Haney notes that it’s Earnhardt in the lead, headed toward Daytona
After finishing 32nd in last year’s Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is expected to go off as a 5-1 betting favorite Sunday in stock-car racing’s signature event.
Earnhardt, in a quest to win NASCAR’s season-long points championship, left Dale Earnhardt Inc. to join the Hendrick Motorsports team for this season.
Oddsmakers as well as NASCAR fans figured the team change would help Earnhardt rebound from a winless streak dating to the 2006 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond.
Earnhardt opened at 8-1 to win at Daytona, according to the early line at all Station Casinos properties in the Las Vegas area, before being bet down. He’s a 5-1 second choice to win the 2008 Sprint Cup championship, behind favored Jimmie Johnson and in a virtual dead heat with Jeff Gordon, both Hendrick teammates.
Installed as a 3-1 favorite in last week’s Bud Shootout, Earnhardt took first place, albeit with a strategic assist from Johnson in the race, essentially an exhibition that doesn’t count toward the points standings.
Bettors who project more of an every-man-for-himself mind-set Sunday could take a look at Johnson to win at 6-1, Gordon at 7-1 or Tony Stewart at 6-1.
A prop at Station sports books asks whether any Hendrick driver will win the Daytona 500, with the “No” at minus-270 (risk $2.70 to win $1) and the “Yes” at plus-210 (risk $1 to net $2.10). Yes, bettors have Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt and Casey Mears, a 30-1 long shot, working for them.
Chevrolet, typically the dominant manufacturer in restrictor plate races, is minus-300 to win the Daytona 500, according to Station odds, against Ford, Dodge and Toyota combined. Chevy is also a heavy favorite in Station’s exacta wagering — a wager on the race’s top two finishers. Chevy-Chevy pays off at 8-5, followed by Chevy-Ford at 4-1 and either Chevy-Dodge or Chevy-Toyota at 8-1.
Las Vegas bettors have until the green flag drops Sunday at Daytona to register for the NASCAR “Last Man Standing” elimination contest at the sports books at Fiesta Rancho or Fiesta Henderson. The contest carries a $25 entry fee (buy three, get one free) with a $10,000 guaranteed winner-take-all prize. Each week, 10 head-to-head driver matchups are set, with winning entries advancing until one entrant remains.
lasvegassun.com
Daytona 500 HOT! Sheet
This is the first report of the 2008 season, so let’s greet you with HAPPY NEW YEAR! We also have to say the first several Hot Sheets are tricky to analyze due to the information that it goes by. That being said, it’s safe to go ahead and put Jimmie Johnson near the top of the first list. The fact that he is the two-time defending series champion is reason enough. But so is his start to Speedweeks. He drove through the field during the Shootout and finished 3rd in a backup car and then followed that up with a pole position effort on Sunday. He may finish in the same position this Sunday.
Right by him on the listing this week is Kurt Busch. That’s because of the way he ended last season. In the final 9 events, he led at least 10 laps in six of them. At Atlanta and Texas he came in 8th. Then at Phoenix he ran pretty consistent and ended up 12th. In the final race at Homestead, he came close to winning but settled for runner-up. He’s starting the season on probation, but look for him to run strong.
His teammate, Ryan Newman, had a highly disappointing season overall in 2007, but ended with a little momentum. As you can see on our chart, he had an average finish inside the top 10 over the course of the final three weeks. Included in there were back-to-back 5th place showings at Texas and Phoenix. There are still a lot of adjustments being made thanks to the new car, but once his team makes the right ones, look out.
At the very bottom of the sheet is a name that might surprise a lot of people, but it shouldn’t. That’s because Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had an absolutely forgettable 2007, especially down the stretch. In his last seven races in the #8 car, he managed only two top 20s. In that stretch, he had a 28th average finish, including going home last after crashing out of the event at Phoenix. Well, that’s enough about the past. He has switched teams, numbers, sponsors, and attitudes and it has resulted in a victory already in the Shootout. We don’t expect him to stay at the bottom of our list for very long.
The man taking over the wheel of the aforementioned #8 car, Mark Martin, finds himself right next to Junior on the first chart. That’s in large part due to the fact that he didn’t take part in every event last season. But, in the races he did ride in, the average wasn’t the greatest. He had only two top 15s in his last eight times out. He, too, posted a last place showing when he wrecked out at Atlanta. He and his fans are hoping the 45th time is a charm at Daytona, but we advise you to look for better alternatives.
profantasysports.com
Daytona 500 Odds and Analysis
by Robert Ferringo
Machine mastery, automobile artistry, and death-defying daring - these are the calling cards of The Great American Race.
The 50th running of the Daytona 500 will take place at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 17 at the Daytona International Speedway. This event, known as The Great American Race, is the signature event of NASCAR and is the stage of some of the most memorable moments in the sport. There are currently several online sportsbooks offering 2008 Daytona 500 odds, including our friends over at Bodog.
Finding a winner while betting on NASCAR, or any type of auto racing, is not much different than trying to find a winner in a horseracing field. But instead of being able to nail an exacta or a trifecta with a wheel you're limited to trying to figure out who has the best single chance to pay off with his fancy handling of the wheel. Think of a wager on the Daytona 500 as a futures bet - only the future becomes the present pretty damn quick. As in 188 miles-per-hour quick.
There are certain indicators that can help you find a value play. First, you want to find a driver with a racecar capable of holding up, paying particular attention to the make. Chevy has put a driver in Victory Lane in 15 of 19 races, and Toyota is this year's sleeper manufacturer. Next, you want to find someone who performed well in the Bud Shootout and qualifying. Third, look for someone who's had some success at Daytona in the past. That doesn't just mean wins. Top 10 finishes are good, as is tabbing someone who consistently finishes higher than where he starts. Finally, you have to weight the odds and determine if the factors justify backing a driver who is one of a crowded 43-car field on the Super Sunday of Racing.
Trying to break down Daytona 500 betting and Daytona 500 odds without knowing where the drivers are starting is a bit like trying to predict who's going to win the NCAA Tournament before knowing the seeds. But we're going to give it a shot anyway. In the only Daytona I formally capped - the 2006 race - I managed to tab the winner in my sleepers section. Let's see if we can go 2-for-2:
CHECKERED FLAG (The favorites.)
*Jeff Gordon (9-to-2) - The Golden Boy is a three-time Daytona winner and should be one of the guys battling for the title in the final 10 laps. He is the member of a stacked team and if he is in the lead late in the race he's going to have plenty of help sealing the deal. The odds aren't fantastic, but he's someone to consider because of his past success.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (7-to-2) - Junior was exceptional at restrictor plate racing with DEI. We'll see if it carries over to his time with Hendricks, but if the Budweiser Shootout was any indication I think he's going to be just fine. That being said, this is a trap. These odds aren't even close to being a good value. In the 29 years since there's been a pre-500 race at Daytona - from the Busch Class to the Bud Shootout - there have been only four times that the same driver that won the pre-500 race also won the Daytona 500. It's happened just once in the last 10 years.
Jimmie Johnson (9-to-2) - Johnson seems like a sure thing and is a strong candidate to take the checkered flag. He's won here before and always seems to be hanging around the Top 5. On top of that he took the pole last weekend. But that might be why he's not a great bet: only twice in the last 13 years has the pole sitter held on to win the race.
*Tony Stewart (7-to-1) - Last year Stewart and Kurt Busch crashed one another as part of their growing feud. Now this year we have Stewart allegedly punching Busch out. All this tells me two things: 1) his head isn't 100 percent in the game, and 2) if Busch gets a chance to sabotage Tough Tony he'll take it. Stewart may be due at this track and ran great last weekend, but I'm not sure if this is his time. However, one of my insiders assures me he'll be in the mix.
YELLOW FLAG (The shaky second tier.)
Kyle Busch (9-to-1) - Busch can handle the track. Over the past three years he's started the race eighth, fourth, and 19th. But he can't handle the traffic. Over that same span he's finished 24th, 23rd, and 38th. Not a strong track record, and thus not worth these odds.
Martin Truex Jr. (15-to-1) - Truex is in essentially the same spot as Kyle Busch. He manages to qualify in positions where you think he could be a factor but then he finishes 10 or more spots lower than he started. Truex crashed last weekend and turned in the 40th fastest lap in qualifying. This is probably dead money.
Matt Kenseth (10-to-1) - Roush Racing's golden boy is breaking in a new crew chief and that lack of chemistry is a huge liability heading into the biggest race of the season. And just like his other second-tier boys he's finished lower than he's started the last three 500s. His odds should be closer to 25-to-1. Oh, and he's in a Ford as well. No thanks.
GREEN FLAG (Some sleepers and some decent long shots.)
*Dave Blaney (25-to-1) - Another of the Toyota drivers that could make an impact at a sweet price. Blaney was fifth in qualifying and seventh in the Shootout. He's been low impact over the past two 500s but finished 14th after starting 38th back in 2005. He's a long shot, but one worth a look.
*Michael Waltrip (20-to-1) - On the Bodog board Waltrip falls under the category of "The Field". I'll take it in a heartbeat. He's starting the race in the No. 2 position and has the extra motivation of wanting to vindicate himself. It was here just one year ago that Waltrip was accused of cheating after an illegal fuel additive was found in his car. Waltrip has a pair of Daytona titles on his wall and is behind the wheel of what seems to be a much-improved Toyota automobile.
*Casey Mears (15-to-1) - Mears finished in second place here in 2006, ran well in the Bud Shootout while finishing sixth, and posted the sixth-fastest lap during qualifying. Oh, and he drives a Chevy. These seem like tasty odds for a guy who seems to linger on the track.
*Mark Martin (15-to-1) - It's not that I don't like the driver, it's that I don't like the odds. Martin should be at least 20-to-1 to make for a must play. He always runs well on this track, finishing second, 10th, and sixth in the last three years. He rides a Chevy and was eighth last weekend. However, he turned in just the 18th fastest lap during qualifying.
BLACK FLAG (Low-percentage wagers and sucker bets.)
Jamie McMurray (20-to-1) - If you're looking for a long shot, keep looking past this driver. First, he drives a Ford. Second, he hasn't even finished on the lead lap in his last three 500s. Third, he got in another accident at the Shootout. And fourth, he put up the 25th fastest lap during qualifying. His odds should be doubled.
Kevin Harvick (12-to-1) - The defending champion is a sucker bet. Only three times in the history of the Daytona 500 has a driver won back-to-back titles. All three were all-time greats: Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84), and Sterling Marlin (1994-95). I don't think Harvick has it in him.
Denny Hamlin (12-to-1) - You think this might be the spot for the third-year driver to turn the corner and be a factor. He's had some decent spurts in Florida and was in the Top 10 in both qualifying and the Shootout. But I think the kid still has a lot to learn and can't be taken seriously at such short odds.
Kurt Busch (10-to-1) - The Human Punching Bag is a solid roller. But I don't think he's a threat. He's in the same spot as Stewart: if Busch is making a move late in the game and Tony or one of his boys have a chance to take a swipe they're going to do it. Plus, Busch is in a Dodge (one winner in 30+ years) and bagged the No. 34 lap during qualifying.
* Recommended plays - that is, if you're into this sort of craziness.
docsports.com
Daytona 500: Hendrick vs. Gibbs
Hendrick vs. Gibbs. Jimmie, Jeff and Junior vs. Tony, Denny and Kyle.
Hendrick Motorsports' top two drivers hold a combined six Cup series championships — and the other guy just happens to be NASCAR's most popular driver and a restrictor-plate racing wizard. Joe Gibbs Racing has a two-time champion and two of the series' rising stars.
How big is this Daytona 500 showdown?
"It's going to be the epic battle, and it should be the battle of a lifetime and the century," Gibbs driver Tony Stewart quipped. "There may not be another battle of this proportion for the rest of my life, my career, for the century."
OK, so Stewart was exaggerating. Still, when Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Gibbs driver Denny Hamlin each won a qualifying race Thursday, it set the stage for a heck of a show Sunday.
Oh by the way, Hendrick's overshadowed driver, Casey Mears, is starting ninth. That means six of the top nine spots will be filled by drivers from those two teams. Gibbs driver Kyle Busch will roll off from the 24th position. Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson, the two-time defending Cup series champion, will start from the pole.
It makes either team the obvious favorite to win the 50th running of The Great American Race. But Stewart, who finished second to teammate Hamlin in Thursday's second qualifier, said it wasn't that simple.
"I think you can't just limit to those two teams," Stewart said. "But like I said, if it helps us make a better headline for tomorrow, yeah, it's going to be the battle of a lifetime."
That's certainly the way it looked after all four Hendrick cars and two of the three Gibbs cars overcame engine problems that forced them to swap their motors before Thursday's races. Just the day before, Gibbs had four motors traveling up I-95 as four motors headed down to Daytona, and the two truck drivers honked as they passed each other.
After years of playing second fiddle to Hendrick as the top team for General Motors — Hendrick drivers won 18 of 36 races last season — Gibbs will try to dethrone the powerful team with its new Toyota support. Hamlin drove a Camry to its first win in NASCAR's top series by working with Stewart, then ultimately passed his teammate for the qualifying race victory.
"To give those guys their very first win, and so early into the season, is definitely a proud moment," Hamlin said.
Three-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett, who is retiring next month, raced his way into his final 500 start. He joined John Andretti, Kenny Wallace and Brian Vickers as drivers who made their way into the race through Thursday's qualifiers.
But two-time Daytona 500 winners Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott joined former open-wheel standouts Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Carpentier as drivers who failed to make NASCAR's showcase event.
They'll have to watch from home as the Hendrick and Gibbs teams battle it out, with Earnhardt going off as the favorite. He's 2-for-2 in his Hendrick debut after stealing a win from Stewart in last week's exhibition Budweiser Shootout, then holding on to win the first of Thursday's qualifiers.
Stewart seemed poised to win the second qualifier, but a late race caution set up a two-lap shootout to the finish. During a six-minute red flag he talked strategy with Hamlin, debating how to hold off Gordon, who lurked in third place.
Stewart predicted Gordon would lay off on the re-start and try to chase the Gibbs drivers down.
"That's his normal deal, he won't take off when we do," Stewart said. "Watch your rearview mirror and react accordingly. Do what you gotta do after that, man."
That's exactly what Hamlin did, sticking with Gordon before passing his teammate for the win. It was a big picture victory, and Stewart didn't mind losing out to his teammate.
"Great job, bud," Stewart radioed. "You did right. You did exactly what you needed to do."
Now they'll try to do it again Sunday, where a Hendrick driver — any of the four — could win. The team has shown zero dropoff from 2007 and appears even stronger with Earnhardt now in the mix.
But NASCAR's most popular driver — the 2004 Daytona 500 winner — wasn't ready to declare himself the favorite.
"I feel like we got a shot, you know what I mean?" Earnhardt said. "Nobody is boastful enough, I don't think, personality-wise, to come in here and claim that. I wouldn't expect anybody to do that.
"But I think we got a great shot."
AP News
Earnhardt looks to roar at Daytona 500
The newly-named Sprint Cup series debuts at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday as NASCAR revs up the new season with the Daytona 500.
After winning the Bud Shootout last weekend and taking the first Gatorade Duel race on Thursday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a heavy favorite heading into Sunday’s race. The move to Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 88 car have already paid off big for Junior, who hasn’t won a Cup race since the 2006 season. Earnhardt Jr. has won “the Great American Race” before, in 2004, but he’s coming off a disappointing 32nd-place finish in last year’s big race.
After Earnhardt Jr. the top favorites this weekend are Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Johnson, the defending back-to-back Cup champion, made last weekend an all-Hendrick show after he won the pole. Johnson posted his lone Daytona 500 win back in 2006, but the way he’s driven the last couple of seasons he’ll be considered a favorite in every race this season. Johnson grabbing the pole may not mean much in the end, considering the last pole winner to go on to win the Daytona 500 was Dale Jarrett in 2000.
Gordon is always a top contender at Daytona, with three career wins in the 500 and three more wins in what was once known as the Pepsi 400. Gordon’s last win in the Daytona 500 came back in 2005, but he had to settle for a tenth-place finish last year.
Outside the Hendrick boys the drivers to watch are Tony Stewart, who has been shut out throughout his career in the Daytona 500, and Kevin Harvick, the defending Daytona 500 champ. Last year Stewart led for a number of laps before an accident ended his day very early and left him dead last in 42nd place. Harvick edged out Mark Martin by a nose at the finish line last season, as the rest of the field imploded in a massive crash behind him. That was Harvick’s first win in the Daytona 500 and if he can cross the finish line first again on Sunday, he will be the first back-to-back winner since Sterling Marlin in 1994-1995.
One other contender forced his name into the debate on Thursday in the Gatorade Duel. In the second Duel race Denny Hamlin raced to the front of the pack, becoming the first driver to take a Toyota to victory lane. If Hamlin pushes the Toyota to the front of the pack on Sunday, some more history could be made.
A glance at the drivers racing in Sunday's Daytona 500
February 15, 2008
1. No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson
CREW CHIEF: Chad Knaus
NOTES: Can't seal the deal? Can't win the big one? Yeah, right. To get the new season off and running, the two-time defending series champion has added his second Daytona 500 pole. Johnson and Knaus are setting the standard in the sport right now, and it's up to the rest of the field to catch up.
2. No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
DRIVER: Michael Waltrip
CREW CHIEF: Paul Andrews
NOTES: Waltrip's debut as a full-time Cup car owner was a remarkably rough ride, beginning with a fuel additive violation during speedweeks and ending with him qualifying for only 14 races. Waltrip even crashed his street car last April. With Gibbs joining the Toyota stable, MWR likely will take a back seat in the corporate hierarchy, but the team is off to a rousing start in 2008, with Waltrip taking the outside pole here and both teammates also in the lineup.
3. No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
CREW CHIEF: Tony Eury Jr.
NOTES: After boldly leaving the team his father founded behind, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s no-excuses tour has begun. He joins superstars Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports, where he has access to the best cars, engines, crew members and technical data available in NASCAR. He's 2-for-2 so far, with victories in the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race and his 150-mile qualifying race.
4. No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
CREW CHIEF: Mike Ford
NOTES: Scored one win last season and was second in the points for a huge chunk of the year. Made Chase for the championship, but faltered early and finished 12th in the final standings. Gave Toyota its first Cup win in Thursday's 150-mile qualifying race.
5. No. 41 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DRIVER: Reed Sorenson
CREW CHIEF: Jimmy Elledge
NOTES: Although still winless, Sorenson had the best statistical season of his short career. Won the pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and finished 22nd in the final seasons standings. Just 21, he still has the most Cup experience of all three Ganassi teams and is off to a great start with solid showings in the Budweiser Shootout and his Daytona qualifying race.
6. No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Tony Stewart
CREW CHIEF: Greg Zipadelli
NOTES: Scored three wins in his usual second-half surge, but disappointed during the Chase by failing to challenge Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon for the title. Stewart finished sixth in the final standings. Enters this season with the longest driver-crew chief relationship in Cup series. Looking for his first Daytona 500 win in his 10th try, Stewart had runner-up finishes in the Budweiser Shootout and his qualifying race.
7. No. 12 Dodge, Penske Racing
DRIVER: Ryan Newman
CREW CHIEF: Roy McCauley
NOTES: Won five poles last season but failed to make it to Victory Lane, which he last visited in 2005. Back with crew chief McCauley, who teamed with Newman to win six of nine Nationwide races in 2005.
8. No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Jeff Gordon
CREW CHIEF: Steve Letarte
NOTES: Finished a disappointing second in the title chase to teammate Jimmie Johnson. Had a baby, won six races and built a lead of more than 300 points during the regular season. He was great in the Chase, too. Johnson was just better. A three-time Daytona 500 winner, he's among the favorites Sunday.
9. No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Casey Mears
CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson
NOTES: Got off to a slow start with Hendrick last season, his first with the mighty team, but scored a dramatic first victory at the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day. Moves into team that qualified for the last two Chase for the championships with Kyle Busch as the driver.
10. No. 9 Dodge, Gillett Evernham Motorsports
DRIVER: Kasey Kahne
CREW CHIEF: Kenny Francis (team director)
NOTES: Failed to win a race or make the Chase for the championship after winning six events in 2006 and finishing eighth in the standings. Was 19th last season. Takes over Budweiser sponsorship from Dale Earnhardt Jr. this season, and Kahne should be heavily hyped by the beer company.
11. No. 99 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Carl Edwards
CREW CHIEF: Bob Osbourne
NOTES: In an off year for Roush-Fenway, Edwards and Matt Kenseth still finished in the top 10. Hard to imagine those two spent a lot of time reminiscing about that in the offseason, though, as Edwards' signature moment from 2007 was his controversial run-in with Kenseth at Martinsville. Expect more victory backflips, and perhaps more sparring with teammates, in 2008.
12. No. 8 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.
DRIVER: Mark Martin
CREW CHIEF: Tony Gibson
NOTES: Nearly won the Daytona 500, narrowly losing out to Kevin Harvick in a photo finish. Led points for first month of season but got out of the car for the fifth and sixth races of the season, part of his plan to run a partial schedule. Will run just 26 races this year and share seat time with Aric Almirola.
13. No. 43 Dodge, Petty Enterprises
DRIVER: Bobby Labonte
CREW CHIEF: Jeff Meendering
NOTES: Labonte quietly finished a respectable 18th in the points last season as Petty Enterprises continued its long climb back to competitiveness. The addition of Meendering, Jeff Gordon's former car chief at Hendrick Motorsports, could accelerate that process.
14. No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: David Ragan
CREW CHIEF: Jimmy Fennig
NOTES: Had a quiet rookie season after replacing Mark Martin in Roush's flagship Ford. Scored a career-best finish of third at Richmond in September.
15. No. 42 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DRIVER: Juan Pablo Montoya
CREW CHIEF: Donnie Wingo
NOTES: Former Formula One star and Indianapolis 500 winner had successful first season in NASCAR, winning on road courses in Sonoma, Calif., and Mexico City. Finished second at the Brickyard and won rookie of the year honors while finishing 20th in the points. Ganassi has said this season is ``Chase or bust.''
16. No. 29 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Kevin Harvick
CREW CHIEF: Todd Berrier
NOTES: Nipped Mark Martin at the line to win the Daytona 500, and added another huge payday in May by winning the All-Star race. Although he made the Chase for the championship, he never contended and finished 10th in the final standings.
17. No. 87 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing
DRIVER: Kenny Wallace
CREW CHIEF: Ed Nathman
NOTES: Veteran of 342 starts in NASCAR's top series lost his ride with new team in the middle of last season. Called back for the Daytona 500, Wallace raced his way in with brother Mike Wallace as his spotter and the help of a Hendrick Motorsports engine. Will drive full time in Nationwide Series.
18. No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Greg Biffle
CREW CHIEF: Greg Erwin
NOTES: Biffle's only win last season came at Kansas in September, and he led just 78 laps all year. In the final season of his Roush contract, he has maintained he'd like to stay with the team.
19. No. 77 Dodge, Penske Racing
DRIVER: Sam Hornish Jr.
CREW CHIEF: Chris Carrier
NOTES: Hornish's talent is unquestioned, and his credentials in open-wheel racing are as impressive as his sideburns: he's a three-time IRL IndyCar Series champion and the 2006 winner of the Indianapolis 500. But Hornish's first few attempts at stock car racing were disappointing, and he still must prove he can make the transition.
20. No. 44 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
DRIVER: Dale Jarrett
CREW CHIEF: Bill Pappas
NOTES: Three-time Daytona 500 winner raced his way into the lineup with a ninth-place finish in his qualifying race. It might be his final Daytona 500 as he announced his retirement from full-time competition after a rough 2007 season with Waltrip's new team. Jarrett's future is in the television booth. But he'll run the first five races of the season and the all-star race in May before unlacing his fireproof shoes for good.
21. No. 15 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.
DRIVER: Paul Menard
CREW CHIEF: Doug Randolph
NOTES: Menard struggled to make races until the DEI-Ginn merger, which allowed him to move inside the top 35 in points. He finished the year 34th in the standings, which assures him a spot in the field for at least the first five events.
22. No. 34 Chevrolet, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: John Andretti
CREW CHIEF: Scott Eggleston
NOTES: Member of famous racing family has won in NASCAR, open-wheel and drag racing. Part-time Cup racer in recent years raced his way into the Daytona 500 with new team with 10th-place finish in his qualifier.
23. No. 83 Toyota, Red Bull Racing
DRIVER: Brian Vickers
CREW CHIEF: Kevin Hamlin
NOTES: How rough were things for Toyota last year? Vickers finished 38th in the points last year - and he was a bright spot! Vickers gave Toyota its first top-10 finish at California and later added a top-five at Charlotte. Addition of veteran crew chief Hamlin and new team general manager Jay Frye should help Red Bull's second season. Had to race his way into the Daytona 500 lineup.
24. No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Kyle Busch
CREW CHIEF: Steve Addington
NOTES: Won the first Car of Tomorrow race and made the Chase for the championship. Was in position to make run at title until he was wrecked at Kansas and Talladega to fall out of contention. Now with Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch wants to pick up where he left off with Hendrick Motorsports.
25. No. 1 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.
DRIVER: Martin Truex Jr.
CREW CHIEF: Kevin ``Bono'' Manion
NOTES: Scored first win of his career at Dover last June to start hot streak that pushed him into the Chase. Early troubles in the Chase kept him from contending for the title, and he finished 11th.
26. No. 7 Dodge, Robby Gordon Motorsports
DRIVER: Robby Gordon
CREW CHIEF: Frankie Kerr
NOTES: Formed an alliance with Gillett Evernham Motorsports last week, a move that switches him from Fords to Dodges. The move was necessary after the driver-owner suffered $4.5 million in losses after the Dakar Rally was canceled. Gordon has said he hopes the partnership will strengthen his single-car team.
27. No. 66 Chevrolet, Haas CNC Racing
DRIVER: Scott Riggs
CREW CHIEF: Bootie Barker
NOTES: Riggs didn't live up to his potential during his stint at Evernham Motorsports, bowing out with a 36th-place finish in the points last year. Now he'll try to salvage his career at a lower-tier team whose owner, Gene Haas, recently was sentenced to two years in prison for tax fraud. At least he'll have Hendrick engines.
28. No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Matt Kenseth
CREW CHIEF: Chip Bolin
NOTES: Won two races - the second event and the last one - and made the Chase for the championship. Finished fourth in final standings. Longtime crew chief Robbie Reiser stepped down at the end of the season, but Bolin filled in last year during Reiser's four-week suspension.
29. No. 01 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.
DRIVER: Regan Smith
CREW CHIEF: Doug Richert
NOTES: Shared seat time with Mark Martin last season, running seven races with a best finish of 24th at Talladega. Will run for rookie of the year in the Cup series.
30. No. 28 Ford, Yates Racing
DRIVER: Travis Kvapil
CREW CHIEF: Todd Parrott
NOTES: Ran the full trucks schedule last season, winning four races and finishing sixth in the standings. Had a rough start to his Cup career, lasting just one season with Penske Racing before moving back to the truck series.
31. No. 07 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Clint Bowyer
CREW CHIEF: Gil Martin
NOTES: The surprise of the Chase for the championship last season, he won the opener of the 10-race title hunt to score the first Cup victory of his career. Finished third in final season standings and had 17 top-10 finishes.
32. No. 38 Ford, Yates Racing
DRIVER: David Gilliland
CREW CHIEF: Cully Barraclough
NOTES: Sat on the front row at Daytona last year, but struggled from there with just one top-five finish all season. The Yates organization has been plagued with problems, and owner Robert Yates stepped aside at the end of last season. Doug, his son, now runs it.
33. No. 70 Chevrolet, Haas CNC Racing
DRIVER: Jeremy Mayfield
CREW CHIEF: Dave Skog
NOTES: After an ugly parting of ways with Evernham Motorsports, Mayfield struggled at Bill Davis Racing last season. Now he joins fellow Evernham refugee Scott Riggs. It wasn't so long ago that Mayfield made waves by racing his way into the Chase with a victory at Richmond. Now he'll have to prove his best days aren't behind him.
34. No. 22 Toyota, Bill Davis Racing
DRIVER: Dave Blaney
CREW CHIEF: Tommy Baldwin Jr.
NOTES: Blaney was the only Toyota driver to finish in the top 35 in points last season. He also scored the highest finish of the year for a Camry, third at Talladega in October.
35. No. 19 Dodge, Gillett Evernham Motorsports
DRIVER: Elliott Sadler
CREW CHIEF: Rodney Childers (team director)
NOTES: Scored just two top-10 finishes last season and was 25th in the points. Hoping for improvement under Childers, who moved over from GEM's No. 10 car to run Sadler's team.
36. No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Jeff Burton
CREW CHIEF: Scott Miller
NOTES: Survived a sponsorship flap that saw AT&T and Nextel go to court over the logos on Burton's car. A settlement finally was reached and Burton quietly won one race and made the Chase, where he finished seventh in the final standings.
37. No. 96 Toyota, Hall of Fame Racing
DRIVER: JJ Yeley
CREW CHIEF: Brandon Thomas
NOTES: The 2003 USAC Triple Crown winner and Tony Stewart protege was a disappointment at Joe Gibbs Racing, and slides down to the Gibbs-affiliated Hall of Fame team after Kyle Busch took his seat at JGR.
38. No. 26 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Jamie McMurray
CREW CHIEF: Larry Carter
NOTES: Won for the first time since 2002 when he scored a victory at Daytona in July, edging Kyle Busch in what's tied for the second closest finish in NASCAR history. He had just two other top-five finishes the rest of the season.
39. No. 45 Dodge, Petty Enterprises
DRIVER: Kyle Petty
CREW CHIEF: Bill Wilburn
NOTES: These days, Petty seems to be at his best in the television booth or doing charity work, not behind the wheel. But Petty showed a flash of his remaining competitive fire - and his team's improving grasp of what it takes to run up front in today's NASCAR - with his third-place finish at the Coca-Cola 600 last season.
40. No. 40 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DRIVER: Dario Franchitti
CREW CHIEF: Steven Lane
NOTES: The reigning IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champion is one of four former open-wheelers moving to NASCAR this season. Will lean on teammate Juan Pablo Montoya to ease his transition, and the two teamed together to win the prestigious Rolex 24 sports-car race last month. Car doesn't have full sponsorship heading into the season.
41. No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing
DRIVER: Joe Nemechek
CREW CHIEF: Jay Guy
NOTES: Nemechek found himself out of a ride after the hastily arranged Ginn Racing/Dale Earnhardt Inc. merger last season, but he helped the No. 78 team qualify for nine of the final 12 races of last season. Team will lean on Nemechek's qualifying skill without top-35 starting spot entitlement. Used that skill to make it into Daytona 500 on speed in pole qualifying.
42. No. 00 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
DRIVER: David Reutimann
CREW CHIEF: Bill Pappas
NOTES: Will drive car for first five races, then replace Dale Jarrett in the No. 44. Failed to qualify for 10 of 36 races last season and finished 39th in the points. Highest finish of 2007 was a 13th at Richmond in September. Qualified for Daytona 500 on speed in pole qualifying.
43. No. 2 Dodge, Penske Racing
DRIVER: Kurt Busch
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
NOTES: After Tryson came on board last June, the team got rolling and Busch won two of three races in August. He lost momentum with finishes of 25th and 29th to start the Chase. Finished eighth in the final standings. Gave last year's points to new teammate Sam Hornish Jr. and used former champion's provisional to make Daytona field after an electrical problem cropped up in qualifying race.
Teams still battling tire issues at Daytona
Scenedaily.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Teams are still battling tire issues as they head into the final few days of preparation for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Several drivers, including Patrick Carpentier, Regan Smith, Elliott Sadler, and Brian Vickers, had trouble with the tires in the 150-mile qualifying races Thursday.
A full fuel run at Daytona International Speedway is about 41-44 laps, and the new NASCAR car runs with more weight on the right side. The teams that are having problems have them on the right fronts and the right rears.
“We’ve had issues all along and just haven’t been able to fix them,” said Kevin Hamlin, crew chief for Vickers, who overcame blistering problems with his tires to get into the Daytona 500 field. “I’m going to try a different rear-end again and see if I can make some adjustments on the rear camber and help it some more, but I don’t know.
“It looks like whichever end of the car you’re leaning on, the front or the rear, that’s the tire you have trouble with. You try to where you don’t have to lean on either end and just cruise. I’m happy I’m in; now I’ll take care of the next problem – try to make the car last on tires longer.”
Hamlin chose to have Vickers pit with two green-flag laps remaining just so he wouldn’t blow a tire in the waning laps.
While Hamlin’s Red Bull team has battled problems all week, Sadler’s team hadn’t had much of a problem before Thursday.
“We had a really good car – if we can just keep the right-front tire on it, we’ll be in good shape,” said Sadler team director Rodney Childers. “I’m still a little concerned about them. I suspect if we take a little bit of camber of it, we’ll probably be OK.
“Everything you do might hurt the handling. On the other end, you’ve got to keep tires on it.”
Goodyear’s Greg Stucker said that teams are adjusting to the new car and should be OK by Sunday. Rains on Wednesday cleaned the track and, if it remains dry the rest of the weekend, there will be much more rubber down on the track by Sunday, Stucker said.
“Everybody is still learning the car a little bit and deciding what they needed to do tire-wise,” Stucker said. “It looks like more and
more guys are getting it the more practice they get with time in the race car.”
Stucker said he didn't see a reason why NASCAR would need a competition caution to check tires for the Daytona 500.
Sorenson Fastest in Friday Practice
Reed Sorenson has been among the fastest cars all week at Daytona International Speedway all week, and he kept it up Friday during the penultimate practice round for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Sorenson, the third-year Georgia driver out of the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates stable, wheeled his No. 41 Dodge Charger to a best lap of 190.351 miles per hour, tops in the one-hour session, the only scheduled Sprint Cup practice session today at Daytona International Speedway.
“I haven’t had that much luck with this type of racing,” said Sorenson, who is still looking for his first career Cup victory. “I’ve had a lot more fun this past week, restrictor plate (racing), than I think I ever have.”
Second-fast on the session was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who already this week has driven his Hendrick Motorsports Chevy to victory in the Budweiser Shootout and one of the Gatorade Duel 150 Daytona 500 qualifying races. Earnhardt’s fast lap was 189.825 mph.
Asked if considered himself a favorite on Sunday, Earnhardt said, “I feel like we got a great shot, you know what I mean? Nobody’s boastful enough, I don’t think, personality-wise to come in here and claim that,” he said. “I wouldn’t expect anybody to do that. But I thought we got a great shot. We’ve won some races down here, so we got to be in the group if there’s a group of them.”
Third during Friday’s practice was Earnhardt’s former teammate, Martin Truex Jr., who ran 189.781 mph in his Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet. He was followed by the Haas/CNC-Racing Chevy of Scott Riggs, 189.577 mph, and Kevin Harvick’s Richard Childress Racing Chevy, 189.438 mph.
The second five consisted of pole-winner and two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, then Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Dave Blaney and Carl Edwards.
Sitting out the session were Kenny Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and J.J. Yeley.
The final “Happy Hour” Daytona 500 practice session will be Saturday from 10:35 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. EST.
speedtv.com
Daytona 500: Questions, Questions
by: Brian Gabrielle
So many questions to answer in NASCAR, circa 2008.
Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. instantly become an elite driver on his move to Hendrick Motorsports?
Will the Car of Tomorrow (or should we call it the Car of Today?) make for good racing at Daytona on Sunday, and in races throughout the entire season?
Will Toyota have a better sophomore season than its putrid freshman campaign?
Will Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch ceremonially punch one another before every race?
Will the influx of open-wheel racers, including Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr., Patrick Carpentier and Jacques Villeneuve, sound the death knell for Indy Cars?
Is Jimmie Johnson a robot?
Let's take a look at the best wagers on the board for the 50th running of the Daytona 500.
Last Season: 2007 was a good year. We profited 12.42 units on 54 units wagered, a return of 23%. And if you chose our riskier strategy, wherein you eschew the betting recommendations below and simply put one unit on every pick we offered, you'd have profited 36.46 units on 144 units wagered, a return of 25.3%. That was our third consecutive big-time winning year in NASCAR. Let's see if we can make it four straight in '08.
Take Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+400), 1/6th unit. Junior's winning this race. It's in the cards. Earnhardt Jr. has been the fastest guy in traffic since Speed Weeks started, and having those excellent teammates pushing him doesn't hurt. Little-E eased into a win in Thursday's first qualifying heat, and honestly, nobody in the field had anything for him. He's the favorite for a reason; barring getting caught up in the Big One, Junior wins his third event at the world's most famous stock-car track.
Take Jimmie Johnson (+500), 1/6th unit. The two-time defending series champ went out and qualified on the pole last weekend, but don't get carried away: how these cars run by themselves in qualifying runs has absolutely nothing to do with how they'll do in the draft. Nevertheless, it counts for a little something that if there's a big wreck very early on Sunday, Johnson is likely to stay out of it. J.J. has also posted a top-10 finish in eight of his 12 runs at Daytona International Speedway, and of course, he won the 500 back in 2006. You could just as easily say Jeff Gordon (+500), the third Hendrick car that could make the medal stand, but I like Johnson's late-race gumption a little more.
Take Kurt Busch (+1200), 1/6th unit. Is this one a bit of a flier? It is. Busch hasn't looked impressive in any practices or in his qualifying heat, and there's too much drama surrounding him and Tony Stewart (+500). Plus, I'm not completely convinced that Penske is caught up with everyone else when it comes to the Car of Tomorrow. However, I think those problems (if they exist) are more likely to rear their ugly head when we get to Fontana in two weeks; at Daytona, I expect everyone with a good motor to be able to stay with the pack. Busch hasn't won on a plate track, but he's done just about everything else: he has an incredible six finishes of fourth or better in his 12 tries at this track, and has also posted seven consecutive top-10 finishes at Talladega. It would be an upset, but these odds are pretty long for a guy with those kind of restrictor-plate chops.
spreadexperts.com
Edwards Tops Final Practice
Racingone.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Carl Edwards topped the final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session for the 50th running of the Daytona 500.
Edwards has completed 17 laps in the session with a best speed of 191.034 mph
"The car is pretty good," Edwards said. "The speeds don't really mean too much because it's just luck and where you end up in the pack, but the way the car is handling is really good. We could actually get out there and lead a little bit. It's gonna be a fun race. I'm really excited."
John Andretti (190.937), Kyle Petty (190.634), Robby Gordon (190.375) and Greg Biffle (190.323) rounded out the top five.
"Our car is a lot better than it was all week long," Petty said. "Our guys worked really, really hard. The Evernham Engines are a lot better here than what we had in the 150s."
The session was relatively clean with a few minor incidents.
Clint Bowyer suffered damage to the nose of his No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet when he made contact with the rear of Reed Sorenson's Target Dodge.
Also scraping the wall were Regan Smith in the DEI No. 01 and Scott Riggs in the Haas-CNC No. 66 Chevrolet
Fantasy preview: Daytona 500
February 15, 2008
Quick, snap your fingers four times as fast as possible. Within that one-second time frame, all 43 cars competing in the Daytona 500 can pass the start/finish line.
With the field bunched together so closely, drivers can easily fall 30-plus positions in the span of a lap if things fall right. If this happens near the end of the race with your guy out front, fantasy owners can end up with bitter beer face.
Restrictor-plate racing is undoubtedly NASCAR's biggest wild card. No driver is immune to the monstrous wrecks common because of the tight racing, which means all you can do is hope your drivers survive the day.
Because NASCAR's Super Bowl is a crapshoot, your league's standings after Daytona likely will show some big winners -- and some major losers. If you're one of those with an "L" on your forehead, do not get discouraged about the sizable points disparity. Plenty of racing remains, and you will make it up as the season continues.
But instead of preparing for the worst, let's provide the blueprint that will make you the frontrunner after Daytona. More than likely, you won't go wrong by selecting either member of Hendrick Motorsports' dynamic duo (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, who rank in the top five of Daytona driver rating the past three seasons), but there are plenty others to choose from -- especially when your league has salary-cap or other limited usage considerations.
Enjoy the ride.
TOP TIER
Tony Stewart. Stewart has led 399 laps in the last six Daytona races, nearly three times as many as the second-place Kurt Busch. Considering Toyota's newfound strength (and their emphasis on their restrictor-plate engine), there's no way you bet against Smoke.
Kurt Busch. Busch had a terrific car in last year's Budweiser Shootout, and he also was stout in the Daytona 500 before he wrecked both himself and Stewart out of the race. Some of Busch's test runs have been near the top of the speed charts, so watch out for the Dodge deuce.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior has learned not to overemphasize one race, but he surely will be plenty keyed up for his first race with Hendrick. I'm picturing him running as hard as he did last September at Richmond -- and his motor won't give out this time.
MIDDLE TIER
Clint Bowyer. You probably remember that Kevin Harvick won last year's Daytona 500, but you may have forgotten that Bowyer led 55 laps of last year's Pepsi 400. Richard Childress Racing cars still have strength at restrictor-plate tracks, and Bowyer should ride the momentum he finished with a season ago.
Casey Mears. Mears is working with another new crew chief in Alan Gustafson, but this is Gustafson's fourth year as crew chief of the No. 5 Hendrick Chevy, and this is Mears' second with Hendrick. The typical learning curve for new driver/crew chief combos won't be an issue.
Reed Sorenson. He's looked awfully strong in practice, and many are expecting a breakout season from him. This may be the start of that.
Mark Martin. A perennial top 10 Daytona 500 finisher, Martin was robbed of a win in last year's Great American Race. Dale Earnhardt Inc. isn't as strong at restrictor plate tracks as in years past, but if Martin can nearly win this race in a Ginn Racing car, we give him a good shot to do well in a DEI ride.
BOTTOM TIER
Michael Waltrip. As a two-time Daytona 500 winner, Waltrip knows how to drive in these races, and that experience is critical in crunch time. Toyotas have shown their strength during testing, which means Waltrip and the rest of the Toyotas will be a factor.
David Ragan. Ragan kept his car clean and finished on the lead lap of three of the four restrictor-plate races last year, which should earn him the respect of the veterans this season. Now having earned his merit badge, Ragan should only improve.
David Gilliland. The only places he had success last year were restrictor-plate tracks. His two top-10 finishes came at Daytona and Talladega -- races he also started in the top-two. Pull the plug on him after this race.
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Daytona 500 betting preview and picks
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The Background
The 2008 Daytona 500, the 50th running of the Great American Race, and the entire 2008 NASCAR Sprint season, will be history-making for a number of reasons.
The high-tailed, crouching Car of Tomorrow is now the stock package for all Sprint Cup races.
Toyota, last year's also-ran manufacturer, will be starting on the front row and will be backed up by the Joe Gibbs Racing trio of Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and this year, Kyle Busch, a dream acquisition for JGR who will replace fender-bender J.J. Yeley in the 18 car.
And sadly, some old veterans are reportedly making a last call to Daytona, namely Dale Jarrett and maybe Mark Martin.
The News
A bad batch of rod lifters in the Hendrick engines has been reported by the media this week and, though all Hendrick cars swapped out engines as a precaution, no one is confirming whether or not all is well. Watch for smoke trailing from tailpipes late in the race.
Former champions Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart start the season on probation for some excessive paint swapping during D-500 practice. Yes, practice. In the end, they both spoke to the media about the other's great talent and aggressive driving style and both state "everything is fine."
The Drama
With his headline-of-the-year move to Hendrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race as a teammate to fellow Daytona 500 champions Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
With the prowess displayed by the Hendrick engine builders last year, a resurgence by NASCAR's perennial favourite driver who now drives (in Ray Bourque/Gretzky-esque fashion) the 88, is to be expected. Junior is a restrictor plate master by pedigree and by practice. He handily took the 2008 Budweiser Shootout victory Saturday then pegged any naysayers by winning his Gatorade Duel on Thursday.
Michael Waltrip is back after a season of shame. Jellied rocket fuel being discovered in a manifold at the 2007 event must have been embarrassing for Mike and demoralizing for the crew. But on the heels of the debacle, Waltrip rolled into Daytona with a hot rod that put him on the outside front row.
The Invasion
The rookie class is usually a point of conversation the aficionados reserve until after the casual fans have gone to bed but, this year the collective resumes of the so-called rookies will have people checking twice that they are in the right league. Jacques Villeneuve, Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish and Patrick Carpentier will be among the new-name drivers introduced before the green flag of at least a few events this season. These former big league open-wheelers follow in the footsteps of Juan Pablo Montoya, who made NASCAR rookie history by taking a road course victory at Infineon in 2007 and, overall, making the yellow stripe on the rear bumper of a Cup car a redundant accessory. However, don't look to any of these rookie racers to be the first to finish lap 200 at Daytona. And no, don't look to Juan either, although he did snag a victory at a wee little race called the Rolex 24 at Daytona a few weeks ago, along with teammate Franchitti.
The Picks
Strong runners for the checkers include Hendrick and Gibbs drivers, along with a few stand-out individuals that have a bit of past Daytona success. Always keep in mind that a large part of Daytona's allure and the bittersweet charm of the restrictor plate, the very thing that separates Daytona from the road courses and from tracks like California and Chicago, is that anyone in the field, really, could win. Just ask Derrick Cope.
However, as with any track, there are a few favourites. There are seven drivers with a bead on the win Sunday. In order they are:
1) Junior (7-1). If I was a bookmaker, I would not give odds on Junior at Daytona this year. I am assuming on good faith that the 7-1 odds I did find are to cover the contingency of Junior dropping a cylinder, suffering from someone else's wreck, or perhaps god himself reaching down and pinging the 88 from the track.
After this, I feel they rank like this: 2. Stewart (10-1), 3. Johnson (4-1), 4. Gordon (5-1), 5. Hamlin (25-1), 6. Harvick (15-1), and 7. Martin (18-1). On the outside, if I had a couple extry dollars, I'd throw down for old-school Michael Waltrip (75-1).
If you really wanna go for it, well, go for it with Dale Jarrett. The three-time Daytona 500 (most recently in 2000) champion raced his way to a qualifying position in the show with a ninth-place finish in his Duel heat. He's 150-1. It just ain't right.
See you in California.