Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Daytona 500
Matt McLaughlin · Monday February 18, 2008
The Key Moment: Kurt Busch stuck to Ryan Newman’s rear bumper on the final lap as the Dodge boys repelled the Toyota invasion.
In a Nutshell: Tony Stewart might have landed a cheap shot on Kurt Busch in the trailer, but Busch got the last laugh, pushing Newman to a win over the clearly faster car of Stewart.
Dramatic Moment: You sort of knew those last ten laps were going to get ugly… and they were all of that.
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
All week, it seemed that the battle was between the Joe Gibbs Toyotas and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in his new ride at Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt took the Shootout and his 150, while the Gibbs drivers took the other 150 and the Busch … er, Nationwide race. The media, myself included, thought one team or the other was sure to take the big prize. Well, I guess that’s why they run races on the track — and not in the newspapers or on the Internet. Congrats to Newman, Busch, and the whole Penske organization on the “surprise” win.
For anyone who might have forgotten, tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. And in case you’ve forgotten, it wasn’t Bill Simpson or Sterling Marlin that killed him. These SAFER barriers and HANS devices have worked out pretty well, despite NASCAR’s original contention they were unworkable and the cure was worse than the disease. I’m glad they were adopted — even if it was a decade too late to spare many innocent lives.
Based on the last two years here, maybe this race should be shortened to the Daytona 25… since it seems few drivers actually start racing for the win until the final ten laps, anyway.
So, why wasn’t the field decimating “Big One” a part of this year’s Daytona 500? To give credit where credit is due, when these new cars with the big wings on the back get out of shape — ugly as they are — they are a lot easier to gather back up than the old cars.
What in blazes happened to the left rear quarter panel of Denny Hamlin’s car? You’d think with seventy cameras, FOX might have had some video evidence to show the incident.
Editor’s Note : After the race, Hamlin admitted he got the damage through pit road contact with the No. 43 car of Bobby Labonte.
The “gopher camera,” huh? If I recall, the last time such a device was used, it wound up through the radiator of a Craftsman Truck competitor named Kevin Harvick, who’d been leading the race that night.
I mean, damn, Tony Stewart can be one sarcastic SOB in his post-race interviews when things don’t go his way. FOX and Krista Voda made sure his comments were brief, and didn’t include any sponsor plugs.
Has NASCAR given Toyota the keys to the candy store in order to avenge their humiliation last year? Dyno tests after the 150s indicate the Joe Gibbs Toyotas had fifteen more horsepower than Hendrick Chevrolet engines, the previous horsepower benchmark.
With the open wheel wars apparently over — and the IRL the winner — can Tony George and Company make open wheel racing a legitimate contender to the NASCAR juggernaut once again? My guess is no. Too much damage has been done during the insane feud between the two open wheel organizations, and too many bankable stars have already left the open wheel ranks to run stock cars.
As Chris Myers noted, “There’s plenty of good seats left” for next week’s California race. Gee, I wonder why?
Isn’t an hour and forty minutes a little excessive for a pre-race show? No. It’s very excessive. Say the prayer, sing the Anthem, fire ‘em up, and drop the green.
NASCAR proved they weren’t afraid to throw a caution for debris nobody else could see when the field got too strung out.
A record number of lead changes, huh? Has anyone else noted during races with long green flag periods where teams have to pit under green, there might be six or seven lead changes as the pit sequence cycles through — but it’s not like there’s any actual passing for the lead. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
Wow, Jacques Villeneuve didn’t get much of a chance to establish himself as a Cup driver, did he? Shortly after he crashed out of the second qualifying race and missed the Daytona 500, owner Bill Davis announced Mike Skinner will replace Villeneuve starting at Fontana next week. Jolly Jacques only chance of getting the seat back now is if he can bring a sponsor to the team.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was a prohibitive prerace favorite after his wins in the Shootout and his 150. But questionable pit strategy (haven’t I heard this tune before?) and the loss of his key wingmen, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (who got turned), cost him a shot at a victory.
Jeff Gordon seemed to have the strongest Chevy, but he bent a control arm late in the race and was forced to the garage. Who knew that driving a race car with the front end coil-bound over a bumpy track at high speed for 500 miles might damage suspension components?
Matt Kenseth usually lays back and waits for the end of the race to make his run towards the front; he was doing so again when the out of control car of his teammate David Ragan put him hard into the wall. Judging by the post-wreck radio transmissions, Kenseth wasn’t too pleased with the incident.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
Kurt Busch had an eventful Speedweeks and an eventful Sunday. He started shotgun on the field, got run into the grass, penalized for speeding exiting the pits, and missed his pit box. He had to charge through the field several times; but in the end, he managed an unselfish second.
Kyle Busch wasn’t happy after the 500, but he had a great Speedweeks, finishing second in the Truck Series and the Nationwide race and fourth in the Daytona 500 after leading the most laps on Sunday.
Elliott Sadler had a tough Speedweeks with several trips into the wall, and he slapped the SAFER barrier again during the race — but he came away with a sixth place finish when all was said and done.
Bobby Labonte fights through tight traffic early in the race at Daytona; the 2000 Cup champion would run in and around the Top 10 all day long for Petty Enterprises, eventually coming up with the team’s best finish in the 500 in years.
With all the talk about the history of the Daytona 500 this week, it sure was nice to see Bobby Labonte in the King’s number 43 car finish eleventh.
With all the preseason hype directed towards his foreign-born, former open wheel star teammates, it was Reed Sorenson who had the best finish of any of the Ganassi Dodges by a wide margin, finishing 5th.
P.J. Jones was fortunate to walk away unscathed from a fiery wreck in Friday Night’s Truck Series race. That was just plain frightening to watch… and I’m guessing the view from inside the truck was even more intense.
Worth Noting
* Ryan Newman had not won a race since Loudon in the Fall of 2005 (81 races). If you’re going to break out of a slump, the Daytona 500 is a nice place to do so; besides, it pays good.
* Kurt Busch finished second in last year’s season finale at Homestead, and again in this year’s season opener.
* Reed Sorenson enjoyed his best finish (5th) since Atlanta last fall.
* Elliott Sadler scored his best finish (6th) since last year’s Daytona 500.
* Robby Gordon (8th) scored his first Top 10 finish since Watkins Glen last year.
* Sam Hornish’s fifteenth place finish was the best by a rookie on Sunday.
* The Top 10 finishers drove six Dodges, two Toyotas, a Chevy (Earnhardt – 9th), and a Ford (Greg Biffle – 10th). It’s been a long time since Chevy suffered this sort of indignity at Daytona.
* Despite all his success with Rusty Wallace, Newman, and Busch, Roger Penske had never won a points-paying plate race — much less a Daytona 500 — before Sunday.
* No driver who finished in the Top 5 in the 2007 Daytona 500 repeated the feat in 2008; in fact, only Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne (7th) scored Top 10 finishes in both races.
* Despite fears of major engine problems for all the teams, only Kenny Wallace is listed as falling out of the 500 with an engine failure — and even he drove to the garage area. (By the way, Wallace’s race winnings are listed at over a quarter of a million dollars for finishing last; did I mention that the Daytona 500 pays well?)
What’s the Points?
Oddly enough, the points pretty closely resemble the finishing order of the race.
There is one slight difference; because he led some laps, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is listed in eighth in the standings, one position ahead of Robby Gordon — even though their finishes were the direct opposite of that on Sunday.
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 cars of Miller Lite. There was a last lap pass for the lead, a Toyota didn’t win, and nobody got hurt. That counts for a lot.
Next Up: It’s off to the left coast to see if any fans show up for next week’s “race” at Fontana.
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Nationwide Breakdown : Camping World 300
by Bryan Davis Keith
In A Nutshell The season is new. The series’ title sponsor is new. Many of the rules are new. The results, however, were not. The NASCAR Nationwide Series remained “Cup Light” in its opening race, with Tony Stewart taking the checkered flag as one of nine Sprint Cup regulars to finish in the Top 10 in Saturday’s Camping World 300.
Stewart, the first pole-sitter to win the race in over two decades, showcased Toyota’s newfound horsepower convincingly, proving absolutely impossible to pass over the last third of the race. Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr. and Brian Vickers all mounted furious charges, but no one had enough steam to pass Stewart’s No. 20. “This Toyota was unreal,” said an ecstatic Stewart in victory lane after leading 46 of 120 laps.
Stewart’s victory did not come without challenges. Kyle Busch delivered a 1-2 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing with his No. 18. Though Busch’s car actually appeared to handle better than Stewart’s on the long run, Busch was never able to get enough drafting help to make the pass. Neither was Earnhardt, Jr., who had to settle for a quiet third place finish in his Nationwide debut with Hendrick Motorsports.
Martin Truex, Jr. had the most competitive Chevrolet all day and ran with Stewart and Busch throughout the race. His chances at victory were foiled during a lengthy final pit stop that saw him overshoot his pit box and have tire problems on the right front. He settled for 11th.
Bryan Clauson was the highest finishing Nationwide regular, scoring an impressive 6th place finish in his Daytona debut.
Who Should Have Won Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota was just as stout under the hood as Stewart’s, and Busch led more laps (47) than any other driver in the field. Unlike Stewart’s No. 20, Busch’s car maintained its handling throughout a full tire run. Busch was the only driver able to consistently challenge Stewart for position, but the inability of Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to align behind him late denied him a shot at the win. Busch himself said it best, “It’s just a shame to come in second with such a great race car.”
Worth Noting
A rookie driver out of the Chip Ganassi stable made a lot of noise at Daytona today, and it wasn’t Dario Franchitti. Bryan Clauson, making only the sixth Nationwide start of his career and first at Daytona, held his own through an intense final run and scored a sixth place finish. Clauson was the highest finishing Raybestos rookie candidate and the only Top 10 finisher not driving full-time in Sprint Cup. Between Clauson, and Sorenson on the Cup side, Ganassi’s plate program is proving up to par…which is not helping Franchitti as he continues to struggle through Speedweeks (he finished a distant 20th today).
Full-time Cup drivers led 119 of the 120 laps run on Saturday. Kirk Shelmerdine was the only other driver to lead a lap, meaning that Nationwide Series regulars failed to lead a single lap in their season debut.
Brad Coleman finished one lap down in 26th place in his debut with Baker-Curb Motorsports in the No. 27 Ford. Wonder how he felt seeing the No. 18 he drove last year running up front all day long?
Steve Grissom returned to abuse the past champion’s provisional again, netting nearly $43 grand for his 3 laps run and 43rd place finish.
Better Luck Next Time
Clint Bowyer: Bowyer’s quest for the Nationwide Series title got off to a rocky start at Daytona. Bowyer got loose exiting Turn 2 and scrubbed the wall hard on Lap 98. He finished a lap down in 25th.
Marcos Ambrose: After scraping the wall, Ambrose cut a tire and was forced to make an unscheduled stop. Ambrose later brought out the caution on Lap 78 when damaged sheet metal flew off his car. He later blew another tire and called it quits, parking for the day and finishing 39th.
Rusty Wallace, Inc.: David Stremme couldn’t buy a break this weekend. After having transmission problems during qualifying Friday, Stremme stormed from the back of the field and made up over twenty positions in the first dozen or so laps, all to have his engine let go on lap 17. He ended up 42nd. Steven Wallace ran a clean race all day, showing marked improvement from his crash-filled rookie campaign. Nevertheless, his day ended in a crash when Brad Keselowski spun his No. 66 in Turn 4 on Lap 111, collecting Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and others. Wallace ended up with a wrecked car and a bitterly disappointing 37th place finish.
“Nationwhacker” Watch
17 Cup drivers started the Camping World 300 (18 if you count soon-to-be Cup driver Michael McDowell)
17 of the year’s 43 starting spots have gone to Cup drivers.
9 Cup drivers finished in the Top 10 of the Camping World 300.
1 of 1 races run have been won by Cup drivers.
9 of the Top 10 in Nationwide Series points are Cup drivers.
Quoteable:
“It was a good run for us in the Interstate Batteries Toyota. It’s just a shame to come in second with such a great race car. I had a good time out there and it was definitely a lot of fun to have a car that was driving that well.” Kyle Busch
“I just kept telling ‘em if we can get some help or get wedged in between some good cars we can do some business. And luckily there at the end I was able to get hooked up with the 17. I don’t know who was behind me but they were pushing the crap out of me and I was trying to do the same. It was a lot of fun.” Bryan Clauson
It’s been a bad day. It’s not the way you want to start the season. We scrubbed the wall just a little bit, and then cut a tire about seven or eight laps later. We came in and fixed it and went back out, and then we lost the sheet metal. We did everything but crash again, came in and fixed that. Then we cut another tire. In the end, we called it day.” Marcos Ambrose
Up Next
It’s off to the west coast and California Speedway for the Stater Brothers 300 next Saturday night. Coverage starts at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN2.
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Tracking the Trucks : Chevy Silverado 250
Beth Lunkenheimer
In a Nutshell: Todd Bodine took the checkered flag ahead of Kyle Busch to win the Craftsman Truck Series’ season opener at Daytona International Speedway Friday night. Bodine held off a late-race charge by Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson and crossed the finish line just 0.077 seconds ahead of Busch in the Chevy Silverado 250 to score his first win at the superspeedway. David Starr and Rick Crawford rounded out the Top 5.
Who Should Have Won: Erik Darnell. Darnell led 45 laps and looked like a threat to win the race until he developed a right side vibration and attempted to come onto pit road with 13 laps remaining. The driver of the No. 99 Northern Tool & Equipment Ford was hit from behind by rookie Justin Marks and ended up 21st after being unable to continue the race.
Questions You Should Be Asking After the Race:
1. Who really was to blame in the lap 19 accident?
Kyle Busch came down on the track and hit Mike Skinner. The accident brought out the red flag for nearly 20 minutes, took three trucks out of the race and damaged several others. Busch spun but managed not to hit anything or anyone else. P.J Jones’ truck erupted in flames, and Brendan Gaughan and Chad Chaffin were knocked out of the race.
A visibly upset Gaughan said, “Kyle will race tomorrow. He doesn’t care about this. This is his fun time.” Matt Crafton, who was able to continue and finished 40 laps down said, “They were way too stupid out there.” Busch never really accepted blame but did offer his apologies. “I apologize if I was to blame for that.”
Busch was clearly at fault when he turned down into Skinner. A move like that has little business on the track period, but there was no reason for the driver of the No. 51 NOS Energy Drink Toyotas to be driving that hard early in the race. Mike Skinner said, “Awfully early in the race to be making moves like that all over the track.”
In the end, pointing fingers won’t reverse what happened on the track, but placing blame on someone just might make the drivers involved feel a little better.
2. What can we expect from this year’s rookie class?
The 2008 race for Rookie of the Year will be highly contested with seven drivers hoping to score the top honors. Two of those drivers finished in the Top 10 Friday Night. Justin Marks started the last four races of the 2007 season in preparation for 2008 and scored his best finish, eighth, in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 26-year old driver matched that at Daytona with Rookie of the Year contender Brian Scott hot on his trail. The two are just a small portion of the talent this year’s rookie class has to offer.
Andy Lally, a three-time Rolex Grand Am Champion made the move to NASCAR late during the 2007 season and managed to finish in 11th. Donny Lia will make his first start in a second team for TRG Motorsports behind the wheel of the No. 71 Chevy starting with next week’s race at California Speedway. Philip McGilton finished 12th with Marc Mitchell close behind in 13, and Colin Braun finished 31st after being involved in a lap 24 crash.
With five rookie contenders finishing in the Top 15 Friday night, this year’s group aims to please. It’s too early to judge how these rookies will fare on the shorter tracks, but so far they look like they won’t disappoint.
3. What was it like for Bodine to win at Daytona International Speedway?
Prior to his win Friday night at Daytona, Todd Bodine had never won at the 2.5 mile track in his career. In his 34 starts across the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series, the driver of the No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota had two runner-up finishes; he finished second to Randy LaJoie in the Nationwide Series in 1997 and again to Mark Martin in the Craftman Truck Series in 2006. An overjoyed Bodine said it better than anyone else ever could.
“You can accomplish a lot in racing. You can go places. You travel the country. You see the country. You do things. There’s nothing like being in Victory Lane at Daytona. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a Cup car or a Nationwide car or a Truck Series or a go kart. You’re standing in Victory Lane at Daytona. That’s the Super Bowl, man. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Truck Rookie Report
2008 Rookie of the Year Candidates:
Colin Braun (No. 6)
Andy Lally (No. 7)
Donny Lia (No. 71) ( starting at California next week )
Justin Marks (No. 9)
Marc Mitchell (No. 15)
Philip McGilton (No. 22)
Brian Scott (No. 16)
No. of Rookies in the Race: 6
No. of Rookies to Finish in the Top 10: 2; Justin Marks finished 8th; Brian Scott finished 9th
Rookie Of The Race: Justin Marks
Points Shuffle:
Todd Bodine currently sits atop the points standings with Kyle Busch 25 points behind in second. Johnny Benson, David Starr and Rick Crawford round out the Top 5. Stacy Compton sits in sixth and leads seventh place Chad McCumbee by just four points. Rookies Justin Marks and Brian Scott sit in eighth and ninth respectively with Dennis Setzer rounding out the Top 10.
Quotable:
“This is my 20th year coming to this speedway. I came here three years as a crew member, 17 years as a driver. Finished second and third, crashed hard, burned a couple times. Finally!” Todd Bodine
“I let Todd get out too far on us. Trying to get a run through the last part of the corner I had to breathe it on the exit again. Wasn’t quite able to get the run that I wanted down the last straight chute. We were able to come home second.” Kyle Busch
“It was a good all around effort. Just a little bummed out there about what happened with the 99. I was just hooked up underneath him. If he was waving, I didn’t see him. I tried the best I could to stay off of him. So sorry about that.” Justin Marks
Up Next:
The Craftsman Truck Series heads to the west coast for the San Bernardino County 200 at California Speedway. Defending race winner Mike Skinner hopes to make up some ground lost this week at Daytona. Race coverage begins at 3:00 pm EST on SPEED, and the race can also be heard on your local MRN affiliate.
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