Daily NASCAR

Three of the fifteen drivers hoping to get a ticket to ride in the 500 as by winning one of four slots in today’s Gatorade Duel: Reed Sorenson, Aric Almirola and Casey Mears.

Race 1 - 2 p.m. EST, Speed Channel

Race 2 - 4 p.m. EST, Speed Channel

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Today’s Gatorade Duel plays a significant role in preparing for the Daytona 500, but it isn’t as fraught with tension as it once was.

Perhaps "they once were" is a better term since there are actually two 150-mile qualifying races to finalize the starting order in Sunday’s 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

"In every one of these races, I’m out there trying to learn something new," said 2004 Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch. "That’s especially true every time the rules are tweaked and we change to a different package."

Among this year’s changes is a carburetor restrictor plate with a 63/64ths-inch opening, thus raising speeds and increasing horsepower.

Thirty-nine of the 43 starters have already been determined: 35 entries are guaranteed spots based on last year’s owner point standings, and four more have clinched with qualifying speeds. The order, not the composition, is what today’s qualifying races are designed to do.

Based on qualifying runs on Feb. 6, Bill Elliott, Scott Speed, Joe Nemechek and Bobby Labonte are assured places in the Daytona 500 field. Regardless of what happens today, Mark Martin will start on the pole and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the outside of the front row.

That leaves only four more spots - two from each race - to be decided among Michael Waltrip, Mike Bliss, Reed Sorenson, Casey Mears, Max Papis, David Gilliland, Jeff Fuller, Aric Almirola, Terry Cook, Dave Blaney, Michael McDowell, Derrike Cope, Kirk Shelmerdine, Mike Wallace and Norm Benning.

Sorenson agreed with the notion that this is "a crossroads season" for him.

"I think it is," he said. "The economy is tough right now, it’s hard to get sponsors and there are not a lot of great Cup seats available for anyone right now."

As for his long-shot bid to make the race, Sorenson added, "The guys working on the car know it’s going to be a challenge."

The first race includes Martin, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle. Among those in the latter race are Earnhardt, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers.

Go to the original story

Steve Kinser, the King of the Outlaws, after a sprint car win in 2005. Kinser, who tried his hand at NASCAR racing at the Sprint Cup level back in 1995, thinks that pairing Danica Patrick with a great team will be cruicial for her success.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Steve Kinser knows a little something about taking a stab at NASCAR. In 1995, the King of the Outlaws, who will drive sprint cars for Tony Stewart this year, made an abortive stab at what was then NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series.

Driving a Buick owned by Kenny Bernstein, Kinser competed in only five races and failed to qualify for two others. His average finish was 35.2. He then went back to dominating the World of Outlaws, never to return.

Asked if he had any advice for Danica Patrick, Kinser said, "It’s like any other type of racing. You have to hang in there, get with the best team you can.

"The team is important, and just have to experience it and learn on your own. It takes time."

* * *

IN FOR NOW–Casey Mears has staved off Sprint Cup extinction for now. He is scheduled to compete in six races for Key-Up Motorsports’ No. 90 Chevrolet. He will have no automatic spot in the field.

"Right now the only thing that’s locked in, there’s a lot of talk about some Nationwide stuff, truck stuff, hit and miss Cup things, but the only thing that is locked in right now for sure is the six-race deal," he said.

* * *

IT’LL BE FINE–Denny Hamlin, who crashed in his very first practice session here, faces the prospect of making it all the way through a grueling season while protecting the left knee he injured two weeks ago.

The anterior cruciate ligament in Hamlin’s left knee is torn and will require surgery at season’s end … which is only nine months away.

"My knee’s been better, for sure," he said, "but my range of motion is almost 100 percent and the discomfort lessens a little bit each day. I expect that by the time I get in the car, while probably a little uncomfortable, it won’t be an issue for me.

"I’m using it as a motivating force."

* * *

NO ASSURANCES–Clint Bowyer was frank in discussing the decline of Richard Childress Racing last year.

"This is definitely a proving year," he said. "We’ve got to prove that we can overcome a bad season and get things turned around. At the end of the year things, in my opinion, were turned around.

"It gave me a good feeling through the off-season."

* * *

DIFFERENT GUY–Jamie McMurray has already learned much about Juan Pablo Montoya since joining Earnhardt Ganassi Racing this year.

"He has a lot different personality than what I expected," said McMurray of Montoya. "What you see on TV is very stern, and you don’t see the very humorous side of him and, I guess, the more personal side of him. When you are around him he actually lets his guard down a little bit, and we have become really good friends

"There are times to laugh and joke around, like in the motor-home lot or maybe in the trailer before practice, but when it comes time to race … he is very serious."
 

Go to the original story

Just two and a half weeks left until Daytona and you know what that means? It was media tour time around Charlotte this week and the sport was buzzing. Through all of that NASCAR led the news with rule changes and the announced promotion of Cup Series Director John Darby. Among the changes, NASCAR made the move to the spoiler official, announced a larger restrictor plate, and instituted crew limits in the Nationwide Series. NASCAR also announced this week that the Truck Series would return to Darlington Raceway. The addition comes after Milwaukee lost its date.  And finally some drivers found homes for the season. Keyed-Up Motorsports announced Casey Mears would drive for them in 2010, while David Gilliand will drive for BAM Racing in Daytona and Front Row for most of the rest of 2010. This is the NASCAR week that was January 17 to 23, 2010.

Lessons learned from Harry Davis

NASCAR to Drivers: “Boys, Have At It.”

Fox responds to Roush’s critical comments

Ganassi nods to workers, says media should too

Not even Kenseth safe from declining economy (submitted by Rebecca Kivak of Skirts and Scuffs)

Vintage Insiders

I’m In A Daytona State of Mind

A Drag Race To The Board Room

**Remember if you have a NASCAR blog or website and would like a recent article you wrote featured in this section email me and you could be part of next week’s NASCAR Week That Was. Please only send stuff you have written.**

Go to the original story

Jeff Gordon waits in the garage area during practice for Ford 400 race at Homestead on Nov. 21. Gordon finished sixth in the race and third in the overall Cup standings. Gordon almost became the first four-peat Cup winner back in the mid-1990s. (Photo: Associated Press)

- Asked for a master plan to derail the Jimmie Johnson juggernaut, Ryan Newman needed only one word: "Dynamite."

- Kasey Kahne remains concerned about the future of Richard Petty Motorsports. He thinks the latest merger, with Yates Racing (which will put him in a Ford, not a Dodge, next year), is moving along too slowly and has too many loose ends. His contract is up next year, and he seems likely to consider other options.

- Denny Hamlin is a man of his word. After the Nationwide race in Phoenix, he said he’d get even with Brad Keselowski at Homestead, and he did. NASCAR officials penalized Hamlin a lap after the incident, which eliminated neither driver from the Ford 300.

- Though changes have made it seem a bit convoluted, Jamie McMurray will rejoin owner Chip Ganassi next year. McMurray, Casey Mears and Reed Sorenson all had career-best point finishes while driving for Ganassi.

- Kyle Busch cited the words of management theorist Dr. Lawrence J. Peter (1919-90) to explain why he frequently refuses to talk after things don’t go his way: "Speak when you are angry, and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret."

- At present, only three drivers (with 40 or more career victories) in NASCAR history have higher winning percentages than Johnson. They are Herb Thomas, David Pearson and Richard Petty.

- It’s really not an honest measure to rank winning percentages before one’s career is over, though. Most drivers tend to win less often as they get older. As an example, in the late 1990s, Jeff Gordon once had the highest winning percentage in history. Entering the final race, Gordon’s percentage had fallen to .141 compared to teammate Johnson’s .162.

- Though the Chase consists of 12 drivers, only the top 10 will be formally honored at the annual Sprint Cup Awards Ceremonies in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 4.

- Hendrick Motorsports has never been so dominant. Johnson, Martin and Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the point standings, and two other Chase participants , Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, relied on considerable assistance from Hendrick.

- Jeff Gordon almost won four straight championships. He won in 1995, ‘97 and ‘98, narrowly losing to, yes, a Hendrick teammate, Terry Labonte, in ‘96.

Go to the original story

Mark Martin checks out statistics in the garage of teammate Jimmie Johnson during practice for today’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Martin is second in points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, 108 points behind Johnson. Johnson won the pole, but Martin starts just two positions behind him. (Photo :Getty Images for NASCAR)

Even though Ford Championship Weekend is a bit of a misnomer, this is still the: Ford 400.

NASCAR’s capital of pastel shades of green, yellow and blue: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.

Not exactly comforting to the also-rans: Jimmie Johnson, who has never won here, is on the pole.

Big guns: Johnson, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth.

Long shots: Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Marcos Ambrose, Scott Speed, Jeff Burton, Casey Mears, David Reutimann, Jamie McMurray and David Ragan.

The hunch here: Johnson.

Just the facts, please

- This is the only track on the schedule where Jeff Gordon has never won.

- Jack Roush-owned Fords have won this race the past five years.

- Johnson’s average finish this season is 11.3. Mark Martin, the runner-up in points, has an average of 13.7. The best average finish belongs to Tony Stewart (10.1).

- Juan Pablo Montoya’s average finish at what is essentially his home track (he lives in Miami) is only 22.0.

- The best Homestead average finish among Chase drivers belongs to Carl Edwards (6.4), who won the Ford 400 last year.

Snappy quotes

"To be honest with you, my goal next year is to be able to match the performance we had this year. Of course, you want more things." - Juan Pablo Montoya.

"This is it. This is our last shot to get a win this season, so we couldn’t come to a better race track." - Carl Edwards.

"I would have to say this is probably as good as it gets." - Rick Hendrick, whose drivers occupy the top three spots in the Sprint Cup standings.

"The only car I’ve driven in the Cup Series has been a Chevy. It’s been a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and a Lowe’s Chevrolet. I’m very, very proud of that stuff." - Jimmie Johnson.

Go to the original story