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Game open for Daytona... |
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Qualifying for this weekends race at Daytona was rained out on Friday, and the field was set according to NASCAR rules, using mostly owner points. This of course placed points leader Tony Stewart on the pole, with Jeff Gordon on the outside. The Cup teams did manage to get in 2 rounds of practice though. In the first round David Ragan posted the fastest lap speed at 190.714 mph, with Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano & Brian Vickers rounding out the top five. In the second and final session David Reutimann had the fastest lap at 192.135 mph, with Casey Mears, Kevin Harvick, Brian Vickers, & Juan Pablo Montoya completing the top five. All practice speeds and the starting grid have been posted.
Daytona International Speedway is preparing to host one of the biggest tripleheader weekends of the season.
In the NSCS Garage:
David Reutimann (Zephrhills) - No. 00 driver In the NNS Garage:
Paul Flury (Hollywood) - No. 29 engineer NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Race to the Chase -- Race 2
And, On The Subject Of The Top 12 ... Montoya retained 12th this week by the slimmest of margins - one point over 13th-place Kasey Kahne.
Big-Time Shootout at The Top of The Standings NEVER have the top four in NASCAR Sprint Cup points been former champions this late in the season.
Kyle Busch Tackling Unique Tripleheader First up, he'll race Friday night in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he is the points leader. Then he'll co-drive with Scott Speed in Saturday afternoon's Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series event. After a brief "cooling-off" period, he'll jump back into a stock car for the Coke Zero 400 Saturday night.
NASCAR Hall Of Fame Nominees TBA This Week; The elite 25 names were determined by a 21-person Nominating Committee that consists of officials from both NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, plus owners/operators of major speedways and historic short tracks. The list represents many who helped build the sport, including drivers, owners and promoters. NASCAR will release the names of a handful of nominees with daily blogs on NASCAR.COM leading into Thursday (http://community.nascar.com/crews/NASCAR_Says). The remainder of the 25 finalists will be announced on SPEED Thursday night. The show will countdown all 25 nominees with background and footage of each of them. Immediately following the SPEED show, NASCAR.COM will go live with a gallery of all 25 nominees and will open registration for the fan vote.
Petty Celebrating 25th Anniversary Of Epic 200th Victory This year, the calendar has fallen in favor of history; Saturday night is the 4th - meaning it's also the 25th anniversary of Richard Petty's 200th victory. Petty got that epic win - his last in NASCAR - on July 4, 1984 with then-President Ronald Reagan in attendance. Petty returned to Victory Lane as an owner two weeks ago at Infineon Raceway, when Richard Petty Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne was the race winner. Petty discussed Kahne's victory and his 1984 win last week in a NASCAR CAM video teleconference. A transcript and video of that interview session can be accessed on NASCARmedia.com. Emphasis On Winning: Bonus Points Coveted By Chase Contenders The 12 drivers who end up making the chase field will have their point totals reset to 5,000. Then, they'll get 10 bonus points for each race victory they had prior to the Chase. Which means that drivers are racing to win, not just finish respectably. Currently, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin have three race victories which means if they make the Chase, they will start with 5,030 points apiece - and either be at the top of the standings or close to it. NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Double-File Restarts: Shootout Style Come To NNS The format - where the first- and second-place cars line up side-by-side as the green flag is displayed on each restart with the leader having the option on his position, and cars in odd-numbered positions start on the outside, cars in even-numbered positions start on the inside - has been utilized for the last four races, all different tracks, in NASCAR Sprint Cup. That allowed NASCAR to gauge the various configurations before instituting the format in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Series Hits Halfway Mark At Daytona
Last Chance For Restrictor Plate Specialists Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 1998-99 series champion, leads the pack so to speak. One of the preeminent restrictor-plate racers, he has two wins in this event. Kerry Earnhardt is back at Daytona for the first time since last year when he finished 17th in this race. Mike Wallace won in a wild finish in 2004; Joe Nemechek, the 1992 series champion, won in 2002 and also leads all drivers with five poles at DIS. Some would now argue Brad Keselowski falls into the "specialist" category thanks to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup win at Talladega in April. Additionally, Michael Waltrip, the two-time Daytona 500 winner, is also entered. Waltrip has three NASCAR Nationwide poles at Daytona. NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Hornaday Jr. Is Perfection
Starr Continues Successful Season Over the last six races, Starr has managed his climb up the points by finishing outside the top 10 only once (11th at Michigan). He matched his season best finish of third at Memphis.
Mike Skinner To Participate At Goodwood Held since 1993, the Festival celebrates historic cars from all forms of racing. The three-day event features a 1.16-mile hill-climbing competition for all classes and types of race cars and motorcycles, plus a 2.5-kilometer course for historic rally cars. This year's festival runs from July 3-5. GRAND AM ROLEX SERIES
Pruett, Rojas Defend Daytona Victory, Championship Lead Pruett and Rojas won six races and the Daytona Prototype championship last year in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley. This year they are coming off back-to-back victories at Watkins Glen International and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Their victory in the recent EMCO Gears Classic gave the team sole possession of the lead in the Daytona Prototype championship, with a three-way scramble for the runner-up position. Gurney and Jon Fogarty are second, 11 points behind (175-164). SunTrust Racing's Max Angelelli and Brian Frisselle are one point behind the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing duo, with Penske Racing drivers Romain Dumas and Timo Berhard another point back.
Busch, Speed to Race in Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona The duo will make their Grand-Am Rolex Series debut piloting the No.02 Waste Management Lexus Riley. The Ganassi team is the defending winner of the Brumos Porsche 250, with Scott Pruett executing a last-lap pass in the trioval to beat Alex Gurney to the checkered flag last July.
Will Time Change Affect Brumos Porsche 250? The Brumos Porsche 250 dates back to 1967-1985, when it began at the stroke of midnight on July 4. It was followed by a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race later in the morning, then known as the Firecracker 400. It's been an evening race during the July 4 weekend since Grand-Am resurrected the event in 2000. This year, the race switches to a 2 p.m. start, followed by an 8 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Coke Zero 400.
Daytona Prototypes Have Enjoyed Thrilling Races in Brumos Porsche 250 The roles were reversed between the two teams in 2007. Jon Fogarty, Gurney's co-driver in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley, was penalized early in the race for avoidable contact with Memo Rojas - Pruett's co-driver in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley. Admittedly driving with anger, Fogarty and Gurney charged back from 16th to take the victory. The 2006 finish was a nail-biter, with Colin Braun becoming the youngest Daytona Prototype winner after co-driver Jorg Bergmeister stretched his fuel mileage and nursed home the Krohn Racing entry - running out of fuel on the cool-down lap. SunTrust Racing scored a dramatic victory in 2004 in a late-race shootout between Max Angelelli, Ganassi's Max Papis and Crawford's Andy Wallace. Angelelli and co-driver Wayne Taylor came up short the following year, losing in 2005 to Crawford's Butch Leitzinger and Elliott Forbes-Robinson.
Tremblay, Ham Seek to Make Rolex Series History In addition to winning the Acxiom GT class in Brumos Porsche 250 from 2006-08, SpeedSource also won the GT class in the 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
GT Championship Also Tight at Midway Point
Dempsey Scores Another Career Best Finish
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LOUDON, N.H. -- Sometimes, the sun shines even though it's raining. Ask young Joey Logano. A late-race rainstorm stopped the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 after 273 of the scheduled 301 laps, giving Logano his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. The 19-year-old rookie, who turned 19 on May 24, was probably the only happy driver when NASCAR announced the race official, but veterans of the sport would quickly tell the youngster to enjoy his win because "there's no telling how long it might be before he wins another one." Crew chief Greg Zipadelli, Logano's mentor and crew chief on the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, a veteran of this sport's tremendous emotional peaks and valleys, probably told his rosy-cheeked driver, "You take em any way you can get 'em, kid." Even though Logano never challenged any of the race leaders, he raced his way back into contention after a blown tire and an untimely pit stop put him a lap down. He eventually was the "Lucky Dog," which put him back on the lead lap and in position to gamble on fuel mileage as reports of impending rain rolled through the pit area like tumbleweeds. Actually, Logano's car was the last in a group of cars who rolled the dice on fuel. Ryan Newman was the leader with some 50 laps to go but had to pit. Bobby Labonte had a turn out front before his thirsty Ask.com Ford asked for fuel. Logano's victory makes him the youngest driver ever to win a Sprint Cup race. That in itself came as no surprise to fans at this one-mile oval a couple hours from Boston. This track is Logano's "home" track since he grew up not too far from here in Middletown, Conn. He has been pegged as the "next" Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson with his past success in other NASCAR series. He won the championship in the developmental Camping World East Series in 2007 and moved to the Nationwide Series last year, where he has won three times. He has struggled at times this season but has also shown signs of tremendous potential. Sunday's win was a windfall of luck, which follows the wind and the rain from time to time. Jeff Gordon was second after running up front all afternoon, and Kurt Busch was next. They were followed by David Reutimann, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne. Casey Mears was 11th and Juan Pablo Montoya was 12th, just ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Mark Martin. An overcast New England sky cast an ominous shadow over the 43-car starting field for Sunday's race. The crowd of over 100,000 had the same thoughts as the drivers... would the New England weather allow the race to be run? As the field took the green flag, they were racing against another green, the rainy green of weather radar that lurked off the coast as a potential threat. Gordon jumped out front early for the lead and then the older Busch Brother, Kurt, took the top spot. Greg Biffle passed Gordon for second, and Johnson was fourth. They were followed by Newman, Carl Edwards, Stewart, Montoya, the younger Busch brother, Kyle, and Reutimann. Patrick Carpentier hit the retaining wall in turn two at lap 15 to bring out the first caution of the afternoon. Busch maintained the lead on the restart at lap 19. Two laps later, Jamie McMurray lost control between turns two and three and slammed the outside retaining wall. Gordon was ahead on the restart at lap 25 this time around. They made just three laps this time before AJ Allmendinger spun in turn three. It was the third caution period in just a few laps, but the laps that were run were dandies. Under NASCAR's new double-file, shootout-style restart procedure, Gordon, Busch, Biffle, Montoya and others were two-abreast around the track. Gordon still led when the race resumed at lap 31, but Busch quickly went back out front. NASCAR added a competition caution at lap 47 to allow the teams to check tire wear. A hard rain Saturday night washed away the rubber put down during several preliminary races. On the restart at lap 50, Johnson took the lead for the first time with teammate Gordon next and young Busch third, then brother Kurt, Martin, Biffle, Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth. Another caution slowed the field when Michael Waltrip was turned by Scott Speed at lap 59. Johnson led on the restart at lap 64. He moved ahead of teammate Gordon by about one second, but at this point in the race, he certainly appeared to be the dominant car. Another caution fell at the halfway point of the race, 151 laps completed of the 301 to be run, and a few drops of rain showed up on windshields. Johnson had led to this point, but both Gordon and Kurt Busch took two tires to beat Johnson back on the track while he took four tires. The race started again on lap 157 with Gordon in front. He was followed by Busch, Johnson, Stewart, Earnhardt, Kyle Busch, Truex, Edwards, Martin and Reutimann.
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Top 12 - And Beyond
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2009) - Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on July 4. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)
1 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
2 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
3 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
4 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
5 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
6 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
7 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
8 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
9 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
10 - Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
11 - Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
12 - Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
13 - Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge) 2009 Rundown Daytona International Speedway Outlook: Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight Chase Contenders The Top 12 ... And Beyond Following Race 17 of 36
Rank Season
Last Driver
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Tony Stewart 2,524 1 0 1 104.1
2. Jeff Gordon 2,455 1 0 2 103.9
3. Jimmie Johnson 2,355 2 0 3 108.5
4. Kurt Busch 2,254 1 0 4 101.3
5. Carl Edwards 2,157 0 0 5 94.1
6. Denny Hamlin 2,132 0 0 7 95.5
7. Ryan Newman 2,127 0 1 6 82.5
8. Kyle Busch 2,108 3 1 9 102.8
9. Greg Biffle 2,106 0 0 8 92.3
10. Matt Kenseth 2,054 2 1 10 84.7
11. Mark Martin 2,052 3 3 11 95.3
12. Juan Pablo Montoya 2,049 0 1 12 84.9
ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. Kasey Kahne 2,048 34. Robby Gordon 1,366
14. David Reutimann 2,037 35. Scott Speed 1,148
15. Clint Bowyer 1,955 36. John Andretti 1,114
16. Jeff Burton 1,941 37. David Gilliland 984
17. Brian Vickers 1,852 38. Regan Smith 816
18. Marcos Ambrose 1,798 39. Joe Nemechek 638
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr 1,764 40. Brad Keselowski 629
20. Casey Mears 1,747 41. Dave Blaney 588
21. Joey Logano 1,741 42. Max Papis 502
22. Jamie McMurray 1,733 43. Bill Elliott 461
23. Elliott Sadler 1,660 44. Aric Almirola 451
24. Martin Truex Jr. 1,642 45. Scott Riggs 448
25. Sam Hornish Jr. 1,638 46. Travis Kvapil 292
26. Reed Sorenson 1,604 47. Jeremy Mayfield 288
27. Kevin Harvick 1,598 48. Tony Raines 279
28. Bobby Labonte 1,579 49. Sterling Marlin 209
29. AJ Allmendinger 1,534 50. Mike Bliss 200
30. David Ragan 1,496 51. Patrick Carpentier 198
31. David Stremme 1,441 52. Todd Bodine 123
32. Michael Waltrip 1,429 53. Terry Labonte 91
33. Paul Menard 1,410 54. Boris Said 91
Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season.
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