This Week in Auto Racing February 12 - February 15
Posted: Wed Feb 11 3:50 PM
By Chris Symeon, Motorsports Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The dawn of a new season for NASCAR has arrived, as the 51st running of the Daytona 500 will commence four exciting days of racing at "The World Center of Racing" this week.
NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series
Daytona 500 - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL
The season-opening race in the Sprint Cup Series is also NASCAR's biggest event of the year - the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" - the Daytona 500.
Touted as "The Great American Race," the annual event at Daytona International Speedway has provided some of the sport's greatest moments of the last 50 years.
Here are but a few:
-When Lee Petty captured the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959, he did so by only two feet over Johnny Beauchamp. Petty wasn't declared the winner until 61 hours after the checkered flag flew, when Bill France, Sr. reviewed a newsreel of the finish and found conclusive evidence that Petty had indeed finished first.
-In 1976, David Pearson and Richard Petty battled in the Daytona 500. When the two crashed a couple hundred yards from the finish line, Pearson won by hobbling to the checkered flag. Three years later, Petty avoided an accident between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison on the final lap to win the race. Allison and Yarborough entertained the crowd at Daytona with their post-race fight in the infield.
-Dale Earnhardt led 155 of 200 laps in the 1990 Daytona 500, only to lose the race when he blew a tire on a piece of debris with a mile to go. Derrike Cope pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the sport by winning the event.
-At age 47 and in his 21st attempt, Earnhardt finally achieved his most elusive career goal by winning the 1998 Daytona 500. The seven-time Cup champion beat a pack of pursuers to the finish line after grabbing the lead on the final pit stop with less than 30 laps remaining.
-Two years ago, Kevin Harvick nipped Mark Martin at the line by .02 seconds - the closest Daytona 500 finish since NASCAR started using electronic scoring and timing in 1993. Behind Harvick and Martin, a pack of cars got together, with Clint Bowyer's Chevrolet sliding across the finish line on its roof. Martin, a fan favorite who ran a part-time schedule in 2007, was running his first race outside of a Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
Will another major memory be added to the above list in the 2009 event?
During the offseason, Sprint Cup teams have worked feverishly to prepare for this year's richest and most prestigious race, despite the lack of a pre- season in January. With many recent team mergers and acquisitions as part of the fabric of a weak economy crippling the sport, it's been a guessing game as to who has what for this week's Speedweeks events at Daytona.
The Daytona 500 is the first of four restrictor-plate races on the schedule in 2009. The July race at Daytona and the April and November events at Talladega Superspeedway are the other such events on this year's slate.
One thing is for sure, mighty Hendrick Motorsports will once again be the top of the class, as the "dream team" has added Martin to its driver lineup, replacing Casey Mears in the No.5 Chevrolet. Martin, 50, secured the outside pole for the Daytona 500 by posting the second-quickest lap in qualifying last Sunday.
"It's an amazing feeling," Martin said. "I feel so grateful to (team owner) Rick Hendrick because that's where it all starts. What an incredible person that he is for giving me this opportunity. (Crew chief) Alan Gustafson and this entire team because everybody works hard in this business...They put me in a really fast race car and it's all about them."
Martin has yet to win the Daytona 500 in 24 starts.
Jimmie Johnson begins his campaign for a record fourth-straight Sprint Cup championship this year. Johnson won the Daytona 500 in 2006, but has finished 27th and 39th in the last two season-opening races.
"I kind of went through a deal where I made a bunch of mistakes, then I was in a sweet spot for a while and won a couple of plate races, and now I can't finish in the top-10, and I don't know why," Johnson said. "It's just such a different animal than what we do. Here, handling is much more important than Talladega."
Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon and NASCAR fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr. from Hendrick are among the favorites to win the Daytona 500. Gordon leads all active drivers with three Daytona 500 victories, as he took it in 1997, 1999 and 2005. Earnhardt, Jr. scored the victory in 2004.
Gordon has been winless in the last 41 races, with his most recent victory coming in October 2007 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The recently-merged Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team has been impressive in Speedweeks so far, with driver Martin Truex, Jr. winning the pole for the Daytona 500.
"The last few years, with the way we've qualified down here, I probably never thought there would be a chance," Truex said. "But we came down here in 2004, the first time I ever came into this race track to race, and sat on the pole with (crew chief) "Bono" (Manion) in the Busch car, and I thought that was the coolest thing I'd ever done. To be back here a few years later and sit on the pole for the Cup race, has just been amazing."
Truex's teammates, Juan Pablo Montoya and Aric Almirola, also had strong qualifying runs, placing fourth and seventh, respectively.
Roush Fenway Racing rebounded in 2008, particularly with Carl Edwards, as he finished the season with a series-high nine victories and ended up 69 points behind champion Johnson. Edwards will make his ninth Cup start at Daytona, where he has an average finish of 21.9.
"Going into Daytona, I try to think of this season coming up as an extension of last season because we finished so strong," Edwards said. "You know there's no more fun place to go than Daytona for the Daytona 500, especially on a clean slate where everyone's tied for the lead in points."
Team owner Jack Roush has yet to win a Daytona 500, but the 66-year-old is hopeful one of his "Roushketeers" - David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray or Edwards - can finally bring home the Harley J. Earl Trophy to NASCAR's only five-car stable this year.
Joe Gibbs Racing also had a banner year in 2008, with driver Kyle Busch dominating the "regular season" with his eight wins. Busch, in his first race driving a Toyota for Gibbs, led the most laps in last year's Daytona 500 with 86, but ended up finishing fourth.
Joey Logano takes over the seat of the No.20 Toyota for Gibbs, replacing Tony Stewart, who has moved on to drive and co-own the No.14 Chevrolet for Stewart- Haas Racing. Logano, 18, is expected to become the youngest driver ever to start the Daytona 500.
Ryan Newman, who joined Stewart's new team to take the wheel of the No.39 Chevrolet, won last year's Daytona 500. Newman came from fourth to first with the help of his then-Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch in the final two laps to capture his first victory at Daytona.
"People have asked me how long did it take to sink in and it didn't," Newman said. "It happened as soon as I crossed the start/finish line. I knew what I had achieved as a person. I knew the effort that it took by all the people around me throughout my racing career to help me get to that point."
The excitement begins Thursday with the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, the twin 150-mile qualifying races, and the Daytona 500 is set for Sunday.
Nationwide Series
Camping World 300 - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL
The Nationwide Series kicks off its 2009 season on Valentine's Day with the Camping World 300 at Daytona. While Sprint Cup regulars have dominated Nationwide competition in previous years, a particularly strong group of veterans in NASCAR's second-tier series could change the tide, beginning with the season-opener.
Clint Bowyer won the 2008 Nationwide championship, but the Richard Childress Racing driver has limited his schedule in the series this year. He will share driving duties with Jeff Burton and Stephen Leicht in the No.29 Chevrolet, as the RCR team competes for the owner's title this year. Bowyer will drive the car at Daytona.
"Racing at Daytona is fun, and I love plate racing," Bowyer said. "I've gotten close so many times in the Nationwide car, but I just haven't been able to get it done. I don't have a superspeedway win, but I feel like I've gotten better."
Bowyer scored just one victory during his championship campaign last year, with his sole win coming in March at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards are the only Sprint Cup regulars running a full- time Nationwide schedule in '09.
Last year, Busch tied Sam Ard's 1983 record for most wins in a season with 10, despite running in 30 of 35 races. He's expected be among the title contenders.
After ending his Nationwide season on a high note in 2008, much like he did in Sprint Cup, Edwards should be in the championship hunt. Edwards, who captured the series title in 2007, won three of the last four races, but finished 21 points behind Bowyer last year.
Brad Keselowski will also be a perennial threat for the title, as Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s protege begins his second full season of competition in the series. He finished an impressive third in points last year, the highest finishing position for a Nationwide-only driver.
Keselowski will also attempt to qualify for a handful of Sprint Cup races this year, beginning with the Daytona 500.
"I feel like there is a huge advantage for me being able to compete in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series races, especially at restrictor plate tracks," Keselowski said. "It's so valuable to have that extra seat time, especially with pre-season testing being cancelled this season."
Keselowski celebrates his 25th birthday on Thursday.
Mike Bliss, Jason Keller and Jason Leffler could all be a factor in the title run as well.
The Nationwide circuit will see its share of newcomers this season, including former Truck Series standout Brendan Gaughan, who will drive the No.62 Chevrolet and team with Steve Wallace at Rusty Wallace Racing.
Justin Allgaier, the 2008 ARCA/REMAX Series champion, will be another top rookie contender this season, driving the No.12 Dodge for Penske Racing. Allgaier is no stranger to Daytona, as the 22-year-old has competed in two races there with a second-place finish in last year's ARCA race.
"Daytona is a place where I have raced before in an ARCA car," Allgaier said. "You have to be patient and survive until the final third of the race and then start to make your move. The cars really bounce around a lot down there so you have to have a setup that is fast, but also gives your car the ability to handle."
Tony Stewart is the defending champion of the Camping World 300. Stewart captured the lead with four laps remaining and held it for his third Nationwide victory at Daytona.
Camping World Truck Series
NextEra Energy Resources 250 - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach
During the winter break, NASCAR's Truck Series underwent dramatic changes, with not only the series title sponsor switching from Craftsman to Camping World, but also new engine and crew member rules in place that will help teams significantly reduce their costs.
The current economic crisis has taken a toll on Truck Series teams, with several of them ceasing operations due to lack of sponsorship.
The offseason also saw its share of drivers move from one organization to another, particularly reigning series champion Johnny Benson, who left the now-defunct Bill Davis Racing team and came on board with Red Horse Racing to drive the No.1 Toyota.
"As things get rolling, we're excited to start the season," Benson said. "It's tough to win races (and) tough to win a championship. It'll be difficult to win another championship."
Benson won the 2008 title by just seven points over Ron Hornaday, Jr., making it one of the closest championship battles in the series.
After four years with BDR, Mike Skinner remains in the No.5, but now drives for Randy Moss Motorsports in a Toyota. Skinner won the series' inaugural title in 1995 and ranks third in all-time wins with 25.
Hornaday is a three-time series champion (1996, 1998, 2007) and leads the circuit with 39 career victories. However, the No.33 Kevin Harvick Inc. driver has yet to break through with a win at Daytona.
"I love the build-up to Daytona," Hornaday said. "I think the anticipation of getting ready all off-season, putting the sponsors in place, building the trucks and rolling into a track with so much history is the best part."
Todd Bodine won last year's season-opener at Daytona. Bodine, the driver of the No.30 Toyota for Germain Racing, also scored the victory at Talladega, becoming the first driver in the series to win both superspeedway events in a season. Should he win this week, it would be the 2006 series champion's fourth superspeedway victory in a row.
"As a team, we do all the technical things right, but we still have to have luck," Bodine said. "If we do it right like we've been doing, and we're lucky enough, then we can continue to win at tracks like Daytona and Talladega."
Bodine won at Talladega for the first time in 2007.
The battle for this year's championship is likely to be contested among Benson, Skinner, Hornaday and Bodine.
Friday night's NextEra Energy Resources 250 marks the 10th time the Truck Series has competed at Daytona. There have been nine different winners in as many races.
