Twists and turns mark new NASCAR season
Earnhardt's move to Hendrick team is only one of many changes made on the NASCAR scene leading up to the Daytona 500.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Even die-hard NASCAR fans might need a program to follow who's who in the first few races this year, starting with today's season-opening Daytona 500.
Several prominent drivers changed teams, changed numbers, changed primary sponsors, changed car colors and changed their brand of race car.
There's also a fresh influx of drivers from open-wheel racing who moved to NASCAR, including Indianapolis 500 winners Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti.
NASCAR's premier series itself changed its name to the Sprint Cup Series from the Nextel Cup Series, owing to Sprint's acquisition of Nextel.
The most dramatic change was by NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. He left his late father's namesake team, where he drove the familiar red No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet, to join powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports.
He now drives the No. 88 Hendrick Chevy with two new main sponsors: PepsiCo Inc.'s Mountain Dew Amp Energy drink and the U.S. National Guard. Earnhardt's cars are painted mostly green and white when they carry the Amp sponsorship, mostly blue and white in the National Guard version, with a red "88" in both cases.
And Hendrick's team, which dominated the series last year by winning 18 of the 36 races, is off to a fast start again this season with Earnhardt's help.
Earnhardt, the 2004 winner of the Daytona 500, won the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway a week ago. It was his first win since May 2006. He followed that with a victory Thursday in the first of two 150-mile races that set the field for today's 500, which starts in the afternoon (12:30 p.m. PST) and ends under the lights.
It's probably no coincidence that Earnhardt, 33, is winning again, not only because he's driving Hendrick's top-notch cars, but also because the highly publicized drama surrounding his departure from Dale Earnhardt Inc. last year is behind him. "It's been pretty nice to be able to concentrate on the things that are important," he said. "There is a peace of mind."
He also joined a strong stable of Hendrick teammates who include reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time title winner Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears, a member of the famed Mears racing family of Bakersfield.
Johnson, who won 10 races last year on the way to his second consecutive title, qualified fastest to win the pole position for today's 500, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The El Cajon native also is gunning to be the first driver to win three straight titles since Cale Yarborough did it 30 years ago.
Another change: Budweiser beer didn't move with Earnhardt, instead transferring its sponsorship to the No. 9 Dodge driven by Kasey Kahne of Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
Earnhardt's No. 8 Budweiser Chevy was an American icon, its logo displayed on everything from tavern ceilings to T-shirts. But Kahne said that's changing. "As far as I've seen at a few bars and a few places, it's starting to be more Kasey Kahne Budweiser stuff," he said. "That's definitely a big thing."
DEI then named the U.S. Army as primary sponsor of the No. 8 Chevy, along with two new co-drivers.
Veteran Mark Martin, who missed winning last year's 500 by a few feet to Kevin Harvick, will drive in 24 of the 36 races, including today's 500. Aric Almirola, 23, will drive in the other 12. Martin joined DEI -- along with the Army sponsorship -- last year when DEI acquired Ginn Racing.
Hendrick, meanwhile, made room for Earnhardt by releasing Kyle Busch, a talented, aggressive driver who then signed with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Gibbs' other drivers are two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and 2006 rookie of the year Denny Hamlin, who won the other 150-lap qualifying race Thursday. Busch, 22, took over the No. 18 car at Gibbs formerly driven by J.J. Yeley, who moved to Hall of Fame Racing to drive the No. 96 car.
In the meantime, Gibbs and Hall of Fame switched to Toyota race cars from Chevrolets. Gibbs' decision, in particular, appears to be spawning another notable change: The emergence of Toyota as a major competitor.
Toyota made its debut in the Cup series last year with marginal success and no wins. But with Stewart, Hamlin and Busch now driving the Camry, many observers expect Toyota to finally find Victory Lane in a points-paying race early in the season. Indeed, three of the first six cars in today's 500 lineup are Toyotas, and there are nine Toyotas overall in the 43-car field -- topping the seven Fords on the grid.
The M&M's division of Mars Inc. also left the No. 38 Ford of Riverside's David Gilliland, who drives for Yates Racing, to become the primary sponsor of Busch's Toyota. Also at Yates, former NASCAR truck racer Travis Kvapil replaced the retired Ricky Rudd and now drives the No. 28 Ford.
Back at Hendrick, Mears stepped into Busch's old ride. Mear, who drove the No. 25 National Guard Chevy in 2007 and won his first Cup race at Lowe's (N.C.) Motor Speedway, now drives the No. 5 Kellogg's car. "I feel like we're a lot more prepared to be successful out of the gate," he said. "We got all the parts and pieces we need."
The Toyota team of Michael Waltrip Racing also made some changes.
Veteran Dale Jarrett will drive his No. 44 Camry in the first five races only -- including today -- and then the 1999 series champion will retire after a 21-year Cup career. Jarrett is then scheduled to replace 1989 Cup champion Rusty Wallace in the booth for ESPN's television coverage of NASCAR in the second half of the year.
David Reutimann will drive Waltrip's No. 00 Toyota during that span, then take over the Jarrett car. And 23-year-old Michael McDowell will replace Reutimann in the No. 00.
Waltrip himself qualified second behind Johnson for today's race, and the two-time Daytona 500 winner will start next to him on the front row.
Elsewhere, Hornish -- a three-time IndyCar Series champion -- is now driving the No. 77 Dodge for Penske Racing. Franchitti, who won last year's Indy 500 and is married to actress Ashley Judd, replaced David Stremme in the No. 40 Dodge at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
Gillett Evernham hired Canadian open-wheel racer Patrick Carpentier to replace Scott Riggs in its No. 10 Dodge, although Carpentier failed to qualify for today's 500.
Riggs moved to Haas CNC Racing, where he's driving the No. 66 Chevrolet and teamed with Jeremy Mayfield, driver of the No. 70 Chevy.
This year also marks the first time that NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow will be used in every race, including -- for the first time -- at the 2.5-mile, high-banked Daytona track and next weekend at the two-mile California Speedway.
The rear-winged car, a boxier version of the one it replaced, was designed to improve driver safety, promote closer racing and limit team costs because the same car can be used at many different tracks. It was phased in at 16 of the 36 races last year before becoming mandatory this season.
NASCAR's second-tier circuit also has a new name and sponsor, changing to the Nationwide Series from the Busch Series.
latimes.com
Kurt Busch +2550 😉
Lots of value here since they doubled his odds simply because he is starting from the rear,Busch is one of the best plate drivers with 12 top fives in 28 plate track starts and you should get a great run for your money.
Daytona 500 PostQ
After all of the talk Jimmie Johnson maintains the stronghold atop the PostQ forecast. Johnson, and all the Hendrick cars, had to take on a new engine after problems were found before the Gatorade Duel races. Johnson went to the back of the pack, raced his way to the front, and then took it easy in the Duel race to save his car for Sunday. He is one of the top restrictor plate drivers, has arguably one of the strongest teams behind him, and is coming off back-to-back championships. Johnson simply needs to maintain the pace and he will be among the series best once again. He should start the season off with a bang as we predict he will take the checkers in the 50th running of the Dayton 500.
Is it just me or has Toyota turned the corner in the manufacturers second season? The Car of Today (COT) has virtually leveled the playing field and Toyota has looked strong throughout the offseason testing sessions and Speedweeks with Joe Gibbs Racing as the new flagship team and Tony Stewart leading the way. Stewart’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, won the Gatorade Duel event recording Toyota’s first ever win. Stewart was strong in the race pushing Hamlin to the checkered flag. When it comes to the big race, however, Stewart will do all he can to get to the front first. With high stakes on the line expect Smoke and Toyota to have a big season starting with great run in the season opener.
The one driver that many expect to push Johnson for the championship this season is teammate Jeff Gordon. Gordon had a spectacular 2007 season only to get beat out by Johnson for the title. It was a hard pill to swallow for the past champion and he will be looking to surpass his teammate this season. Gordon has been every bit as strong as Johnson in the testing sessions and Speedweeks. Hendrick Motorsports should in store for a big season and Gordon could be the one leading the way.
Many, including us, feel that Juan Pablo Montoya will have a breakout season in his second year behind the wheel of the #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge. Montoya, however, has struggled in restrictor plate racing in his first year. In four races last season Montoya averaged a 24th place finish with a top finish of 15th place while having a pair of runs outside the top 30. Montoya has not had an especially good time at Daytona placing 19th in this race last season and following it up with a 32nd place finish in the Pepsi 400. While he should have a good year don’t expect much out of Montoya in this race.
The last driver to win at Daytona was Jamie McMurray. He took the checkered flag in the Pepsi 400 for just his second career win. It was also his first with Roush Fenway Racing and the team is looking for more. McMurray, however, has not looked that good during Speedweeks. He wrecked in the Bud Shootout and the Gatorade Duel event and has been among the slowest of the drivers in the practice sessions. Anything can happen at Daytona but it doesn’t look like McMurray will start the 2008 season on the right foot. Avoid the #26 Crown Royal Ford this weekend.
profantasysports.com
Kurt Busch +2550 😉
Lots of value here since they doubled his odds simply because he is starting from the rear,Busch is one of the best plate drivers with 12 top fives in 28 plate track starts and you should get a great run for your money.
:'(
What a beat
Newman comes from behind to win Daytona 500
Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Ryan Newman came from fourth on the final restart to win the 50th running of the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway. The No.12 Alltel Dodge driver took the checkered flag 0.092 seconds ahead of Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch.
The victory was Newman's first "500" win and the 13th of his Sprint Cup career.
"It was all about Kurt Busch, I couldn't have won it without him," said Newman. "It was just being at the right place at the right time."
Two-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson brought the field to the green flag for 200 laps of restrictor-plate racing and the start of the 2008 racing season.
He didn't last there long as Michael Waltrip took the lead on the backstretch and led the first lap. Two laps later Johnson with Denny Hamlin behind him retook the lead. Then it was Hamlin's turn as the field jumbled on every lap. Stewart and Jeff Gordon also led a lap before the race was even 18 laps old.
On lap seven, defending Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick radioed in that he thought his engine was about to "blow up." He dropped to 34th, but continued on without pitting.
While Harvick was deep in the field and Waltrip was dropping with a suspension problem, a couple of cars were flying towards the front. Busch started 24th and was as high as second after 22 laps and NASCAR rookie, but three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr., started 19th and cracked the top- five.
Hamlin was looking strong having led 25 of the first 50 laps.
Lap 35 saw the start of green flag pit stops since the race had gone caution free. Hamlin finally gave up the lead on lap 38. Gordon inherited the top spot after the field had cycled through pit stops, but Busch and Hamlin both got their Toyota-powered machines around the three-time Daytona 500 winner.
Busch and Hamlin continued to play around with each other, experimenting for later in the race. Gordon seemed content to follow the two young racers with Earnhardt Jr. in fourth and Kenseth having jumped up into the top-five.
Meanwhile, Hornish Jr. made an unscheduled stop on lap 58 with an unknown vibration. Racing continued up front with Busch, Hamlin, Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. still mixing it up.
The first caution flag of the day came out on lap 79 for debris.
Through 80 laps, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas had led 70 laps (Busch 30, Hamlin 32, Stewart 8).
Reed Sorenson and Kurt Busch elected to stay out and they were one-two as they went back to green, with Kyle Busch, Gordon and Hamlin completing the top- five.
Kurt and Kyle Busch teamed up to get around Sorenson and Kurt earned the five- point bonus. On the next lap Mark Martin, last year's runner-up, suddenly slowed with a tire problem that left him a lap down to the field.
Kyle Busch is still leading the race at the midway point with only one car out of the race - Joe Nemechek.
On lap 108 Kenseth, with a good push from Greg Biffle charged past Kyle Busch for the lead. One lap later it was Biffle's turn to earn five points, but Kyle Busch quickly returned to the top spot where he had been for most of the race.
Just before the mid-point, Ryan Newman began to move through the field. By lap 100 he was up to second and on lap 120 he took his first lead of the race.
Green flag pit stops began on lap 120 and Kurt Busch was caught speeding. The penalty left him almost a lap down. Brother Kyle Busch returned to the top with Newman, "Junior," Stewart and Bowyer in tow.
Hamlin was not among the top-10 and had left-rear fender damage which was hurting his aerodynamic package. He was one second a lap slower than the leader and in 29th place.
Through 150 laps and Busch was still fighting out all challenges. He had led a total of 81 laps and on the next lap clinched the "most laps led" bonus.
With 46 laps left, Gordon pulled his car into the garage with a control arm bracket. He was out of the race.
"We saw signs of this in testing, we went back to the shop and braced everything as best we could to prevent this from happening," said Gordon. "It's a product of the type of suspension we are running...it wasn't safe for us to be out there."
Biffle beat Kyle Busch off pit road, but the No.18 JGR Toyota didn't wait very long before making a move. Two lap later Busch was the leader.
On lap 160 David Ragan tried to slip in front of Matt Kenseth and the two collided bringing out the caution flag and ending the hopes for both drivers.
While everyone came in, "Junior" stayed out on the track getting the five- point bonus. The crew thought he had enough fuel to get to the finish, but tires was the big question. Dave Blaney also stayed out and was second, Stewart was third. Kyle Busch restarted in 11th place.
After just one lap, Busch was up to sixth and flying.
Thirty-two laps to go and Kasey Kahne with a huge push from Stewart brought them around the outside of "Junior" for the lead. Stewart was showing a lot of horsepower and easily charged past Kahne on the next lap.
Earnhardt Jr. fought back, got to Stewart's bumper, got him loose and retook the lead as the two battled side-by-side. Stewart grabbed it back and the two friends, who always work well at restrictor-plate tracks, were one-two with 25 laps remaining. But looming behind them was Kyle Busch, now in third place.
Twenty-four laps remaining and Johnson was clipped by Hornish Jr. and went spinning through the infield grass coming off turn 2. His chance of winning the "500" - over.
Busch (two tires) and Stewart (four tires) pitted among the leaders and they came out ninth and 11th, respectively. Earnhardt Jr. remained on the track and in the lead. Bowyer and Newman also stayed out and were just behind the leader.
Bowyer and Newman had fresher tires than Earnhardt Jr. and passed him for the lead. But Busch was coming again, he was sixth. Then Bowyer got spun going into turn 1 with help from Juan Pablo Montoya.
The caution flag came out and the race was down to 13 laps.
Newman inherited the lead with Montoya, Jeff Burton, Biffle and Busch lined up behind him. Stewart was sixth.
They got two laps of green flag racing and Busch got up to fourth before Blaney got turned into Mark Martin. Meanwhile, Burton dropped to the bottom of the track and grabbed the lead from Newman, who fell back to third behind Biffle.
Eight laps to go and the green flag dropped to restart the race.
Busch held his position for about half a lap and then ducked to the bottom and into second place behind Burton. Then Mears got knocked into the wall setting up a three-lap shootout for the victory.
It would be Burton, Busch, Stewart and Newman on the restart.
The flag dropped and Busch went to the bottom. Stewart went to the top and no one went with Burton who fell back. Stewart, with Newman on his tail, grabbed the lead with two laps to go.
Stewart then slid to the bottom of the track to pick up teammate Kyle Busch and it left Newman and Kurt Busch with a clear line at the top of the track. Kurt gave Newman a great push and Newman had the lead coming out of turn four. The No.12 Dodge kept it straight and he collected his first Daytona 500 win.
"I was very emotional pushing Ryan to the win," said Kurt Busch, who started 43rd and finished second.
"I thought I ran one of the best races of my life, I just couldn't finish it off,' said Stewart.
Stewart, Kyle Busch and Sorenson complete the top-five. Defending Daytona 500 champion Harvick's engine lasted the entire race and he finished 14th, while series champion Johnson was credited with a 27th-place result.
The next race in the series is scheduled for Sunday, February 24th at the California Speedway.