ThatsRacin.com: Daytona International Speedway

Joyous roar greets jolly green giant

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:12 EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- There's that sound. It spills from the grandstands and the infield at Daytona Motor Speedway, fills the air above the track. For a few seconds it's louder than the engines. Maybe you heard it where you were.

The best way to describe the sound is hopeful. It implies that, at least for a few seconds, all was right with the world.

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. is good, all is right for NASCAR and its fans. And Earnhardt Jr. has been exceptional in Daytona this week. He won the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday. He took the lead in the first of Thursday's Gatorade Duels, triggering the outrageous roar from fans, and stayed, winning.

If there's an athlete such as Earnhardt Jr. in any other sport, I'm not aware of him. He's like Tiger Woods in that people who care little about golf care deeply about him. But Tiger dominates. Earnhardt Jr. has never finished better than third in the Cup championship. He has won only two Cup races since 2005 and was shut out last season.

After the first Duel on Thursday, several drivers walked to the garage. Four or five fans but never more than 10 chased after most of the drivers. Where was the important driver? Here he comes, the front end of his 25-deep entourage showing up before he does. It of course is -- Kenny Wallace, the Sprint Cup Series' most popular part-time driver.

We know why fans love Wallace. He's hilarious and outgoing and a TV star. But why is Earnhardt Jr. such a big deal?

"Mystique," Wallace says. "He's like James Dean."

Dean died young. So did Dale Earnhardt. So did John Kennedy.

Earnhardt Jr. "has always reminded me of JFK Jr.," Wallace said. "He has the family history. He's also a helluva driver.

"But I go back to, he's very mystique. He doesn't let you see everything."

Earnhardt Jr. has shown enough this week, his first driving for Rick Hendrick. Told that he's been walking around Florida with a smile, Earnhardt Jr. says, "Well, I think everybody knows if you go into something with a poor attitude you typically have poor results or you have a miserable time anyways.

"That ain't saying that I go to all these tracks with a smile on my face. But I do enjoy being in Daytona. I have enjoyed this relationship. Up to this point, it's been great, more than we ever could have dreamed of as far as the success we're having. I'm proud. I'm just happy that we're able to have this and am thankful for it."

Here's something for which fans ought to be thankful.

Earnhardt switched this season from red to green. He drives a car the color of an evergreen and wears a driver's suit the color of a fairway.

Green is not a color you associate with speed. Even Jeff Green didn't drive a green race car. But Daytona this week looks like a testament to John Deere. Perhaps the track has become environmentally aware. Is racing ready for the Sierra Club 500?

More likely it will do anything to be like Junior.

So why should fans be thankful?

They should be thankful he didn't choose pink.

Driver departures mean changes for NASCAR and the fans

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:07 EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Goodbye Dale Jarrett. Hello Juan Pablo Montoya.

NASCAR’s old guard is fast disappearing, making way for a cadre of hot, young driving stars.

Bill Elliott and Mark Martin are only racing part time these days. Dale Jarrett plans to retire after the first five races, and Sterling Marlin might be forced to find a rocking chair if he can’t find a full-time ride. Longtime fan favorite Darrell Waltrip retired after the 2000 season, and Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte and Ricky Rudd have since followed.

So, where does that leave the millions of fans who rooted for those drivers, joined their fans clubs and bought their souvenirs?

“I talk to a lot of fans, and they say, ‘You were the guy I pulled for. I don’t like some of the new stuff going on, and I just don’t watch no more,”’ said Wallace, who remains part of the sport as a team owner in the Nationwide Series and a commentator for ESPN/ABC broadcasts. “That’s disappointing to hear, but it’s just the truth.”

Two-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson is still here, along with teammate and three-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, new Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. and two-time champion Tony Stewart – by far the most popular drivers still in the sport full time.

And there’s an influx of new drivers, including open-wheel stars Montoya, Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr., as well as youngsters like 22-year-old Kyle Busch, 22-year-old Reed Sorenson, 24-year-old Brian Vickers and 27-year-olds Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin.

But with TV ratings down and empty seats at a number of tracks, it seems the sport is missing some of that old star quality.

“The only person that has ever inherited any fans is Dale Jr.,” said Waltrip, now a color commentator on Fox’s NASCAR telecasts.

“Every other person has to earn their fans. You have to earn your fan base. It takes time, but we’ve been through these transitions year after year after year, time after time.”

Junior Johnson, one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, agreed a driver change nearly always forces a change in fans.

“Let’s just say Jeff Gordon retires at the end this year,” Johnson said Wednesday. “Well, his fans might pick somebody else, but the guy that replaces him will bring his fans with him. That’s always been the way it worked.”

Sterling Marlin fan Ben Naggatt of Atlanta was watching practice Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway and knows he’ll soon need to choose a new rooting interest.

“It comes with the sport, I guess,” Naggatt said. “You can’t race forever. The rules in NASCAR are constantly changing and drivers need to adjust to that, and the I think the fans need to do the same thing.”

But loyalties run deep.

Asked whom he will cheer after Marlin retires, Naggatt held up a can of beer from Marlin’s former sponsor and said, “I’ll always be a Coors Lite fan.”

Bobbie Taylor of Allentown, Pa., said she became a Kevin Harvick fan after Dale Earnhardt was killed.

“He was driving the old man’s car,” she said of the Richard Childress Racing driver. “He’s had his troubles, but I’m a Richard Childress fan, so I kind of stick with him.”

Waltrip said it’s just a natural progression.

“When (David) Pearson and (Richard) Petty and Bobby (Allison) and all of them retired, they said, ‘Well, there goes the sport. Who’s going to take their place?”’ Waltrip said. “Here I came, here Dale came, here Bill came, Rusty, Terry, and we carried the sport right on down the road.

“And here we are at one of those transitions again, where those young kids are going to have to come in. They’re going to have to respect the sport, the people in it, and they’re going to have to gain the respect of the fans.

"When they do, we’ll be back rolling again.”

| Lots of shots from Daytona

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:09 EST

| How they start in the qualifiers

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:56 EST

150-mile qualifying races

Gatorade Duel 1

Pos.	No.	Driver	Car	Speed
1	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevy	187.075
2	78	Joe Nemechek	Chevy	186.498
3	5	Casey Mears	Chevy	186.054
4	60	Boris Said	Ford	185.893
5	88	D. Earnhardt Jr.	Chevy	185.479
6	83	Brian Vickers	Toyota	185.475
7	84	A. Allmendinger	Toyota	185.422
8	66	Scott Riggs	Chevy	185.193
9	12	Ryan Newman	Dodge	185.143
10	1	Regan Smith	Chevy	184.964
11	87	Kenny Wallace	Chevy	184.953
12	70	J. Mayfield	Chevy	184.612
13	2	Kurt Busch	Dodge	184.54
14	19	Elliott Sadler	Dodge	184.521
15	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	184.487
16	15	Paul Menard	Chevy	184.415
17	1	Martin Truex Jr.	Chevy	184.29
18	41	Reed Sorenson	Dodge	184.264
19	42	Juan Montoya	Dodge	184.241
20	77	Sam Hornish Jr.	Dodge	184.226
21	7	Clint Bowyer	Chevy	184.106
22	21	Bill Elliott	Ford	184.09
23	43	Bobby Labonte	Dodge	183.857
24	45	Kyle Petty	Dodge	183.374
25	9	Sterling Marlin	Chevy	183.326
26	96	J.J. Yeley	Toyota	182.994
27	8	Carl Long	Dodge	180.796

Gatorade Duel 2

Pos.	No.	Driver	Car	Speed
1	55	Michael Waltrip	Toyota	186.734
2	0	D. Reutimann	Toyota	186.463
3	22	Dave Blaney	Toyota	186.12
4	28	Travis Kvapil	Ford	185.958
5	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	185.947
6	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevy	185.858
7	10	P. Carpentier	Dodge	185.766
8	20	Tony Stewart	Toyota	185.651
9	6	David Ragan	Ford	185.594
10	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	185.517
11	27	J. Villeneuve	Toyota	185.452
12	8	Mark Martin	Chevy	185.429
13	38	David Gilliland	Ford	185.41
14	44	Dale Jarrett	Toyota	185.345
15	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	185.071
16	26	J. McMurray	Ford	185.01
17	7	Robby Gordon	Dodge	184.85
18	9	Kasey Kahne	Dodge	184.828
19	37	Eric McClure	Chevy	184.828
20	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	184.809
21	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevy	184.589
22	49	Ken Schrader	Dodge	184.483
23	40	Dario Franchitti	Dodge	184.351
24	31	Jeff Burton	Chevy	183.884
25	34	John Andretti	Chevy	183.673
26	50	Stanton Barrett	Chevy	182.823

| On Valentine’s Day, NASCAR is known for flowers - and Chocolate

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:03 EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – If you want to bring your Valentine somewhere special on Thursday, bring her to Daytona International Speedway. I spend every Valentine’s Day here, and I promise there’s not a more romantic destination in the world.

Valentine’s Day is important because it gives guys an opportunity to express feelings for which they can’t always find the words. The right gift says what we can’t.

Chocolate is one of those gifts. Many women I’ve known crave chocolate. To me, chocolate suggests that we care. Plus, it’s cheap.

At the race track, you can find chocolate bars, chocolate cars and Chocolate Myers.

Chocolate became the most famous gasman in NASCAR history when he worked for Dale Earnhardt.

Chocolate engages in a different kind of gas now – he is the co-host of Sirius Radio’s “Tradin’ Paint.” He’s been in Daytona all week. Nice guy. If you see him, say hello.

I’ve known women who don’t like chocolate, but I have never known a woman who does not like flowers.

The Dale Earnhardt Jr. gift basket includes flowers. But that’s not all. You also get an item that all but screams romance – the foam thing you put your beer in to keep it cold.

NASCAR is known for flowers, as anybody who has followed the careers of Brian Rose and Bill Flowers can attest.

Rose competed in 38 Truck Series events and Flowers ran one Cup race in 1989. You can find flowers in Victory Lane but, unfortunately, you can’t find Flowers. His engine blew with two laps to go.

A candlelight dinner is romantic. Three miles from the track is The Candlelight motel. Pets are accepted.

If you want to buy something that will last, how about a diamond? But wait. Do you think we’ll find any diamonds at the track this week? Let’s take a look.

Hey, there’s Elliott Sadler, who once drove for Diamond Ridge Motorsports. There’s Kasey Kahne, who endorses a Legend Series diamond bezel watch. See that shiny thing over there? It’s only a diamond-plated Zippo lighter with a NASCAR logo.

A diamond is always appreciated. But if you’re really ready to declare your undying love, how about a ring?

Friends, Daytona has more rings than New England coach Bill Belichick.

If you want to drop to one knee at the race track today, among the rings you can offer are: a Kurt Busch replica championship ring; a Jeff Gordon key ring; a compression ring; an oil ring; a piston ring; a NASCAR belly ring; and a “Gentlemen Start Your Engines” ringtone.

More than anything, Valentine’s Day is about love. But love doesn’t just happen. It has to be created, encouraged, nurtured and sustained. The right mood helps. Here’s how you set it.

As you approach the 480-acre track Thursday, slip “Bipolar and Proud,” among Cledus T. Judd’s best work, into the CD player.

Skip to, “I love NASCAR.”

“We got owners, favorite drivers,” Cledus sings. “Boy that Tony Stewart’s a whiner.”

Another thing many women like is poetry.

Jarrett and Marlin among those in danger of missing Daytona 500

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:12 EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tucked away in the back corner of the garage, far from the overwhelming attention surrounding NASCAR’s biggest stars, a world-class group of drivers went overlooked in their quest to make the Daytona 500.

It was a surreal scene: A former NASCAR champion, a two-time Daytona 500 winner and a Formula One star.

Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin and Jacques Villeneuve were fighting to make the 500 field. None were guaranteed a spot in the season-opening race, and all must race their way into the 500 field in one of Thursday’s two qualifying races.

Only four spots are available. And for all of them, it could be their last chance for the Daytona 500. Jarrett will retire next month, Marlin is running a partial schedule and Villeneuve needs sponsorship to run a full season.

“I haven’t really allowed myself to think in the direction,” Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner and former series champion, said Wednesday.

“We need to stay in a positive frame of mind in that we are going to be able to race our way in. It would be disappointing to say the very least, because this is going to be my last opportunity at Daytona. So I want to be involved in it.”

Only the two fastest drivers in last week’s time trials – two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson and two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip – are locked into Sunday’s race. Another 34 positions are decided by the top 35 in points from last season.

Four more drivers – two from each of the twin races on Thursday – race their way in. The final three spots go to the fastest drivers on speed who are not otherwise qualified and possibly a past champion.

It’s a system that irritates Marlin, a two-time Daytona 500 winner who now finds himself on the verge of missing the biggest race of the year. Like Jarrett, Marlin did not finish in the top 35 in points last season.

Marlin said the system is unfair, pointing to former open-wheel drivers Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr., who will race Sunday in their first Daytona 500s after inheriting top 35 points from last season.

“You’ve got a bunch of guys who got into cars that are locked into the top 35 in points and have never even started a Daytona 500,” Marlin said. “That’s how the rules are, and we knew that coming down there, I just think there’s a better way to do it.”

Marlin said he’d prefer a system that locked in the fastest 40 cars, with the final three spots reserved as provisionals.

“Give away the other three. I don’t care to who, a past champion, somebody who had trouble qualifying, the guy who is eighth in points, whoever,” Marlin said. “Cause the way they do it now is just aggravating, and a lot of big names are going to go home tomorrow.”

Marlin is fighting an uphill battle.

He was 45th out of 47 cars on the speed chart following Wednesday’s final practice, and needed an outstanding race Thursday to make the cut.

“It will be aggravating to miss the race,” Marlin said. “We knew in testing we had a problem with the car, thought we had it fixed, then got down here and found out we didn’t. All we can do is fix the car the best we can, hold it wide open for 150 miles and hope we’re OK.”

Villeneuve, meanwhile, had everything go wrong Wednesday. Battling a bout of laryngitis, the former F1 world champion scraped the wall during the first practice and missed considerable track time while his team assessed the damage.

Driving an unsponsored car, Villeneuve was hoping a strong showing at Daytona would land him the money he needs to run the entire season. Now he’s in danger of missing the 500, a setback that could cripple this move to NASCAR.

Drivers already lock in for the Daytona 500

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:28 EST

Based on last season’s car owner points, the following drivers are assured a starting spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500. Before the rule was adopted in 2005, the only drivers locked in the field before the qualifying races were the front-row qualifiers.

Jimmie Johnson

Jeff Gordon

Clint Bowyer

Matt Kenseth

Casey Mears

Tony Stewart

Sam Hornish Jr. (points from Kurt Busch last season)

Jeff Burton

Carl Edwards

Kevin Harvick

Martin Truex Jr.

Denny Hamlin

Ryan Newman

Greg Biffle

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (points from Mears)

Mark Martin (points from Earnhardt Jr.)

Regan Smith (points from Martin)

Jamie McMurray

Bobby Labonte

Kasey Kahne

Juan Pablo Montoya

Kyle Busch (points from J.J. Yeley)

Reed Sorenson

David Ragan

J.J. Yeley (points from Tony Raines)

Dario Franchitti (points from David Stremme)

Elliott Sadler

Robby Gordon

Paul Menard

Travis Kvapil (points from Ricky Rudd)

Scott Riggs (points from Jeff Green)

David Gilliland

Jeremy Mayfield (points from Johnny Sauter)

Dave Blaney

Kyle Petty

Top 35 rule controversial, but it gets the results officials want

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:20 EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Little rattles the NASCAR fan base more these days than talk of the Top 35 rule.

Most fans who write on Internet message boards, send e-mails or call radio and TV shows are quick to voice their dislike of the rule and are ready to provide their solution.

The rule, established in 2005, however, is viewed as a success by NASCAR.

Simply put, the rule guarantees the top-35 teams in car owner points a spot in the 43-car field of Sprint Cup Series races. For the first five races of each season, the previous year's owner points are used.

The change has had its most visible impact for the season-opening Daytona 500. Before 2005, the field for the 500 - other than the front row, based on qualifying - wasn't known until the completion of qualifying races on the Thursday before the 500.

For most of the field, Thursday's Gatorade Duel 150-mile races simply determine starting position.

"As with any rule we put in place, you have challenges, but you look at this year and a guy like Doug Yates starting two teams. One of the reasons he can do that is because of the Top 35 rule," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's vice president of racing operations.

"It's a little more challenging for people outside the top 35, but we think for drivers and team owners that have been around the sport and made the effort year in and year out, so far it's had the effect we've wanted."

O'Donnell said the rule is evaluated each year to make sure it keeps the sport as competitive as possible. This season NASCAR decided that for every race except the 500, all teams not among the top 35 would qualify at the beginning of weekly time trials to make conditions fair.

NASCAR officials were concerned a number of full-time teams were getting knocked out of races by some running partial schedules. They wanted a system to reward those who ran every week.

In the past two years, however, the number of full-time teams in NASCAR's biggest series has increased dramatically. Locking in the top 35 is even forcing some full-time teams to miss races.

"The sponsors are hard to come by in this sport and they are hard to keep," said Cup driver Kevin Harvick, who also owns Nationwide and Trucks series teams.

The rule also has brought owners additional value. Teams are buying, selling and trading car numbers (teams) to acquire owner points that will assure them a spot in the field.

Last season, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ginn Racing merged, which allowed DEI to give Top 35 points to its No. 15 team and field four cars each week.

When Penske Racing elected to field former Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. full time in Cup this season, the organization switched its owner points from Kurt Busch's team to Hornish¡¦s No. 77 so Hornish would not miss the first five races.

Hornish welcomed the change.

"When you have the Super Bowl of the year as the first thing out, it really gives you a good feeling knowing that you're going to start it," he said.

| Ryan Newman, Michael Waltrip lead the way in Wednesday's late session

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:56 EST

NASCAR Sprint Cup speeds from Wednesday’s final practice at Daytona International Speedway:

Pos	Car	Driver	Team	Time	Speed	Lap #	# Laps	-Fastest	-Next
1	12	Ryan Newman	alltel Dodge	47.427	189.765	5	40	---.---	---.---
2	*55	Michael Waltrip	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota	47.479	189.557	3	18	-0.052	-0.052
3	22	Dave Blaney	Caterpillar Toyota	47.630	188.957	13	29	-0.203	-0.151
4	*21	Bill Elliott	Little Debbie Ford	47.640	188.917	24	26	-0.213	-0.010
5	9	Kasey Kahne	Budweiser Dodge	47.660	188.838	17	23	-0.233	-0.020
6	*00	David Reutimann	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota	47.683	188.747	21	37	-0.256	-0.023
7	*83	Brian Vickers	Red Bull Toyota	47.698	188.687	8	24	-0.271	-0.015
8	*10	Patrick Carpentier #	Valvoline Dodge	47.714	188.624	6	31	-0.287	-0.016
9	*44	Dale Jarrett	UPS Toyota	47.718	188.608	11	23	-0.291	-0.004
10	*50	Stanton Barrett	NOS Energy Drink / Ski Motorsports	47.719	188.604	2	14	-0.292	-0.001
11	41	Reed Sorenson	Target Dodge	47.720	188.600	20	42	-0.293	-0.001
12	*87	Kenny Wallace	Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet	47.728	188.569	16	29	-0.301	-0.008
13	*60	Boris Said	7-Eleven Food Stores / Slurpee Ford	47.739	188.525	16	37	-0.312	-0.011
14	8	Mark Martin	U.S. ARMY Chevrolet	47.753	188.470	6	26	-0.326	-0.014
15	16	Greg Biffle	3M Ford	47.758	188.450	6	34	-0.331	-0.005
16	77	Sam Hornish, Jr. #	Mobil 1 Dodge	47.765	188.422	14	38	-0.338	-0.007
17	99	Carl Edwards	Office Depot Ford	47.767	188.415	4	16	-0.340	-0.002
18	6	David Ragan	AAA Ford	47.771	188.399	9	22	-0.344	-0.004
19	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota	47.797	188.296	2	32	-0.370	-0.026
20	1	Martin Truex, Jr.	Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet	47.842	188.119	7	41	-0.415	-0.045
21	7	Robby Gordon	Jim Beam Dodge	47.853	188.076	11	15	-0.426	-0.011
22	40	Dario Franchitti #	Dodge Journey Dodge	47.861	188.045	6	30	-0.434	-0.008
23	29	Kevin Harvick	Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet	47.865	188.029	9	29	-0.438	-0.004
24	20	Tony Stewart	Home Depot Toyota	47.866	188.025	18	39	-0.439	-0.001
25	07	Clint Bowyer	Jack Daniel's Chevrolet	47.875	187.990	2	9	-0.448	-0.009
26	*27	Jacques Villeneuve #	Bill Davis Racing Toyota	47.902	187.884	9	31	-0.475	-0.027
27	*2	Kurt Busch	Miller Lite Dodge	47.905	187.872	15	47	-0.478	-0.003
28	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Toyota	47.909	187.856	6	7	-0.482	-0.004
29	31	Jeff Burton	AT&T Mobility Chevrolet	47.931	187.770	40	40	-0.504	-0.022
30	*34	John Andretti	Makoto Chevrolet	47.941	187.731	4	19	-0.514	-0.010
31	43	Bobby Labonte	Cheerios / Betty Crocker Dodge	47.962	187.649	14	27	-0.535	-0.021
32	88	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet	47.979	187.582	6	9	-0.552	-0.017
33	15	Paul Menard	Menards / Peak Chevrolet	47.980	187.578	23	27	-0.553	-0.001
34	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Texaco / Havoline Dodge	47.986	187.555	24	37	-0.559	-0.006
35	01	Regan Smith #	The Principal Financial Group Chevrolet	47.987	187.551	9	24	-0.560	-0.001
36	*49	Ken Schrader	HealthLife.com Dodge	48.010	187.461	2	2	-0.583	-0.023
37	70	Jeremy Mayfield	Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon /Haas	48.020	187.422	9	17	-0.593	-0.010
38	28	Travis Kvapil	K&N Filters Ford	48.049	187.309	13	22	-0.622	-0.029
39	17	Matt Kenseth	DeWalt Ford	48.050	187.305	8	26	-0.623	-0.001
40	45	Kyle Petty	Wells Fargo Dodge	48.065	187.246	16	28	-0.638	-0.015
41	38	David Gilliland	freecreditreport.com Ford	48.091	187.145	11	20	-0.664	-0.026
42	*84	AJ Allmendinger	Red Bull Toyota	48.153	186.904	17	38	-0.726	-0.062
43	26	Jamie McMurray	Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Ford	48.225	186.625	15	23	-0.798	-0.072
44	*78	Joe Nemechek	Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet	48.281	186.409	5	6	-0.854	-0.056
45	*09	Sterling Marlin	Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet	48.434	185.820	18	28	-1.007	-0.153
46	*08	Carl Long	Millstar / Rhino's Energy Drink Dodge	49.245	182.760	8	14	-1.818	-0.811
47	*37	Eric McClure	Hefty Chevrolet	50.754	177.326	5	6	-3.327	-1.509
*Required to qualify on time

All 4 Hendrick cars swap engines

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:03 EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – All four Hendrick Motorsports teams changed engines in their Chevrolets following Wednesday’s Sprint Cup practice sessions at Daytona International Speedway.

Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have to start from the rear of the field in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel qualifying races. So will Scott Riggs, whose team at Haas CNC Racing also uses Hendrick-built engines.

Four other cars using Hendrick engines – those of Jeremy Mayfield, Joe Nemechek, Kenny Wallace and Sterling Marlin – had not decided to change engines as of late Wednesday afternoon.

Teams are allowed a change after the Duel, so Wednesday’s developments won’t impact what happens in Sunday’s 500-mile race.

The Hendrick teams’ problems involved lifters, parts between the push rods and valve springs, inside the engines. Several Toyota teams also suffered problems, apparently related to lifters as well. At least four drivers – Tony Stewart, AJ Allmendinger, Dale Jarrett and J.J. Yeley – will have to go to the rear of their Duels Thursday as well.

“We did not have any of them that truly broke,” said Jeff Andrews, the head engine builder at Hendrick Motorsports.

“We don't have anything apart yet, we just have assumptions based on some early signs we saw in some checks following that early practice.”

Andrews said he believes the problem stems from a bad batch of parts.

“This is the exact same package that we came down here and tested with,” he said. “The same package we raced in the Bud Shootout. We took engines back after the Shootout and they look really good.”

Wood Brothers’ streak in peril

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:50 EST

Unless Bill Elliott races his way into the Daytona 500 on Thursday, or unless Kurt Busch and Dale Jarrett race in and allow Elliott to get a former champion’s provisional, the Wood Brothers will miss the Daytona for the first time since 1962.

“It is what it is,” said team co-owner Eddie Wood of the No. 21 Ford team that is outside the top 35 entering 2008.

“Let’s say there are 10 things you can do to make a difference over and above a guy that’s in the top 35. If you do all 10 of them and all 10 of them work, that’s great. But sometimes they’ll bite you and that’s pretty much what happened to us.

“It’s a stick of dynamite with a fuse on each end and both of them are lit, and you’re the one standing there holding it.”

NASCAR veteran Jason Keller good to go for 10 races

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:48 EST

Veteran Jason Keller, the Busch Series - now Nationwide Series - leader in starts, will run at least the first 10 races of the season with CJM Racing. If additional sponsorship is found, Keller could run the whole season with the team.

"On the one hand we are happy to be at Daytona knowing we are secure for at least the first 10 races, but then again it’s also difficult knowing we might only be around for 10 races," said Keller.

"The team is coming into this season with a positive attitude and we hope to make some impressive runs and draw some attention to ourselves."

Keller ran 15 races with CJM last season with a season's best sixth-place finish at the June race at Nashville.

| Robby Gordon-Gillett Evernham connection passes NASCAR muster

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:46 EST

Short takes from the midweek Daytona notebook:

• Although NASCAR officials are still investigating all aspects of the new relationship between Robby Gordon and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, NASCAR vice president of racing operations Steve O'Donnell said Wednesday it does not appear Gordon will be considered a fourth Cup team for Gillette-Evernham Motorsports. That would mean GEM could add a fourth Cup program to its organization if it desires.

• Ray Evernham has joined ESPN’s NASCAR team as an analyst. He will appear on “NASCAR Now,” will be in the booth for Nationwide Series races from Mexico City and Loudon, N.H., and will join prerace shows at selected races.

• Brian Vickers spent his final off day of Speedweeks completing his first solo skydiving jump in Orlando.

• Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin have been added to this year’s Gillette Young Guns team, joining Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman. The drivers will be featured with pro wrestler John Cena in a commercial during Sunday’s Daytona 500 telecast.

| Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth fastest at midday Wednesday

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:11 EST

NASCAR Sprint Cup speeds from Wednesday’s practice at Daytona International speedway as teams prepare for Thursday’s qualifying races:

Pos	Car	Driver	Team	Time	Speed	Lap #	# Laps	-Fastest	-Next
1	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Toyota	47.238	190.525	9	26	---.---	---.---
2	17	Matt Kenseth	DeWalt Ford	47.259	190.440	18	22	-0.021	-0.021
3	66	Scott Riggs	State Water Heaters Chevrolet	47.281	190.351	18	29	-0.043	-0.022
4	99	Carl Edwards	Office Depot Ford	47.291	190.311	15	21	-0.053	-0.010
5	20	Tony Stewart	Home Depot Toyota	47.294	190.299	11	20	-0.056	-0.003
6	43	Bobby Labonte	Cheerios / Betty Crocker Dodge	47.364	190.018	3	24	-0.126	-0.070
7	*78	Joe Nemechek	Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet	47.411	189.829	3	15	-0.173	-0.047
8	15	Paul Menard	Menards / Peak Chevrolet	47.462	189.625	6	33	-0.224	-0.051
9	22	Dave Blaney	Caterpillar Toyota	47.488	189.522	25	25	-0.250	-0.026
10	8	Mark Martin	U.S. ARMY Chevrolet	47.537	189.326	5	27	-0.299	-0.049
11	70	Jeremy Mayfield	Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon /Haas	47.560	189.235	3	25	-0.322	-0.023
12	*87	Kenny Wallace	Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet	47.560	189.235	3	17	-0.322	-0.000
13	1	Martin Truex, Jr.	Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet	47.564	189.219	3	26	-0.326	-0.004
14	31	Jeff Burton	AT&T Mobility Chevrolet	47.577	189.167	6	31	-0.339	-0.013
15	7	Robby Gordon	Jim Beam Dodge	47.600	189.076	18	21	-0.362	-0.023
16	07	Clint Bowyer	Jack Daniel's Chevrolet	47.603	189.064	4	29	-0.365	-0.003
17	29	Kevin Harvick	Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet	47.607	189.048	2	28	-0.369	-0.004
18	41	Reed Sorenson	Target Dodge	47.619	189.000	6	29	-0.381	-0.012
19	24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont Chevrolet	47.626	188.972	6	21	-0.388	-0.007
20	*60	Boris Said	7-Eleven Food Stores / Slurpee Ford	47.632	188.949	22	26	-0.394	-0.006
21	96	J.J. Yeley	DLP HDTV Toyota	47.639	188.921	2	11	-0.401	-0.007
22	9	Kasey Kahne	Budweiser Dodge	47.647	188.889	12	28	-0.409	-0.008
23	*10	Patrick Carpentier #	Valvoline Dodge	47.676	188.774	7	33	-0.438	-0.029
24	*55	Michael Waltrip	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota	47.689	188.723	12	12	-0.451	-0.013
25	*50	Stanton Barrett	NOS Energy Drink / Ski Motorsports	47.716	188.616	12	25	-0.478	-0.027
26	6	David Ragan	AAA Ford	47.717	188.612	18	22	-0.479	-0.001
27	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet	47.724	188.584	12	30	-0.486	-0.007
28	*84	AJ Allmendinger	Red Bull Toyota	47.736	188.537	4	23	-0.498	-0.012
29	*09	Sterling Marlin	Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet	47.760	188.442	26	27	-0.522	-0.024
30	*2	Kurt Busch	Miller Lite Dodge	47.790	188.324	2	19	-0.552	-0.030
31	28	Travis Kvapil	K&N Filters Ford	47.805	188.265	22	24	-0.567	-0.015
32	26	Jamie McMurray	Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Ford	47.827	188.178	3	27	-0.589	-0.022
33	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota	47.830	188.166	3	23	-0.592	-0.003
34	77	Sam Hornish, Jr. #	Mobil 1 Dodge	47.867	188.021	19	26	-0.629	-0.037
35	12	Ryan Newman	alltel Dodge	47.879	187.974	4	23	-0.641	-0.012
36	19	Elliott Sadler	Best Buy Dodge	47.896	187.907	4	19	-0.658	-0.017
37	*21	Bill Elliott	Little Debbie Ford	47.899	187.895	4	21	-0.661	-0.003
38	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Texaco / Havoline Dodge	47.911	187.848	16	17	-0.673	-0.012
39	38	David Gilliland	freecreditreport.com Ford	47.920	187.813	8	20	-0.682	-0.009
40	16	Greg Biffle	3M Ford	47.921	187.809	4	20	-0.683	-0.001
41	*83	Brian Vickers	Red Bull Toyota	47.945	187.715	22	26	-0.707	-0.024
42	45	Kyle Petty	Wells Fargo Dodge	47.958	187.664	6	24	-0.720	-0.013
43	88	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet	48.004	187.484	5	21	-0.766	-0.046
44	5	Casey Mears	Kellogg's / CARQUEST Chevrolet	48.004	187.484	7	15	-0.766	-0.000
45	*00	David Reutimann	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota	48.005	187.480	10	11	-0.767	-0.001
46	40	Dario Franchitti #	Dodge Journey Dodge	48.035	187.363	11	26	-0.797	-0.030
47	*27	Jacques Villeneuve #	Bill Davis Racing Toyota	48.132	186.986	9	15	-0.894	-0.097
48	*08	Carl Long	Millstar / Rhino's Energy Drink Dodge	48.188	186.768	4	12	-0.950	-0.056
49	*49	Ken Schrader	HealthLife.com Dodge	48.209	186.687	11	13	-0.971	-0.021
50	*44	Dale Jarrett	UPS Toyota	48.245	186.548	5	13	-1.007	-0.036
51	01	Regan Smith #	The Principal Financial Group Chevrolet	48.266	186.467	18	18	-1.028	-0.021
52	*34	John Andretti	Makoto Chevrolet	48.417	185.885	16	19	-1.179	-0.151
*Required to qualify on time
Pos	Car	Driver	Team	Time	Speed	Lap #	# Laps	-Fastest	-Next
53	*37	Eric McClure	Hefty Chevrolet	49.150	183.113	4	8	-1.912	-0.733
*Required to qualify on time

Leffler, Toyota team aim high

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:15 EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jason Leffler doesn’t want to be the best with an explanation. He just wants to be the best.

Leffler, who finished a career-best third and gave Toyota its first win in the Busch Series last season, has been touted as a driver who can contend with such Cup Series veterans as reigning series champion Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer, who are also competing in what is now the Nationwide Series.

But Leffler, who begins his third full season with Braun Racing, isn’t interested in just competing with the Cup drivers and their teams, he’s more interested in beating them.

“We concentrate on winning races and running up front. We don’t play into being the top Nationwide-only team. We feel like we can beat all the Cup teams,” said Leffler.

“We operate at 100 percent and we can be competitive week-in and week-out.”

Leffler’s finish last season was his best in any of NASCAR’s top three series since his debut in 1999. Not coincidentally, it was also the first time Leffler had driven full, consecutive seasons with the same team.

He ended the 2007 season with a win at O’Reilly Raceway Park, two poles, seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 35 races. That bodes well as the 2008 season gets under way with Saturday’s Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway (1 p.m., ESPN2).

Yet Braun Racing isn’t taking any chances. Along with experience and continuity with his team, Leffler has added a new crew chief, veteran Stewart Cooper, this season.

“I can already see the improvements in the team. Stewart has been around the garage for a long time. He’s done a really, really good job during the winter to get everything organized and on the right track for the new season,” said Leffler, who consistently ran among the fastest laps at preseason testing at Daytona, Las Vegas and California.

“So far, it’s all going good. To contend for the championship, we just need to find some consistency, and I think having Stewart Cooper on board is really going to help that.”

In addition, Braun has added additional sponsorship and plans to field one or two additional cars throughout the season in select races with Cup drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing and Brian Vickers from Team Red Bull.

“I want to thank Joe Gibbs Racing and Red Bull Racing for allowing us to include their drivers this season,” said team owner Todd Braun. “We’re excited about the possibilities it will bring.”

Braun Racing will also see some more friendly faces in the series as four teams will campaign six full-time Toyota teams this season, doubling the manufacturer's car count over 2007.

“Getting Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing together is a win-win for everybody. It’s certainly good for Toyota, and certainly good for JGR,” Leffler said.

“Any information that trickles down through Toyota Racing Development will help everybody. It will also help from a morale standpoint.”

While Leffler has found stability both on and off the track – he and wife, Alison, welcomed son Charlie in August – he still remains hopeful he’ll get another chance to prove his ability at the Cup level.

“I’ve had my shot at Cup a couple of times and haven’t run competitively. I’ve come back to the Nationwide Series and Truck Series and run competitively and, hopefully, I’ll get another shot,” said Leffler.

“Whatever series you are in you want to move to the top. I feel like my career won’t be complete unless I win a Cup race.”