Nascar Blog

They qualified the first two positions yesterday for the 2010 Daytona 500, and it’s an all Hendricks front row, again. The rest of the qualifying spots will be determined by the twin 125 races this coming week. As far as the times on this qualifying run go, Johnson was 7th and Gordon was 10th, so all of the Hendricks vehicles were running in the top 10. After looking like he was going to do well in the Bus Shootout, things are looking good for Gordon as well in the Daytona 500.

Three weeks ago, at a Fan Fest appearance at Daytona International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke of a renewed spirit of cooperation at the Hendrick Motorsports shop shared by the No. 5 and No. 88 teams.

What Earnhardt termed a “change in culture” spurred by personnel moves within the shop was in full flower Saturday at Daytona.

Daytona 500 quals
Video: Martin races to pole
Video: Junior on front row
Results: Qualifying times
Lineup: Gatorade Duel 1
Lineup: Gatorade Duel 2
Mark Martin, who led the Sprint Cup Series with seven poles last year, added another to his resume, putting his No. 5 Chevy in the top starting spot for the Feb. 14 season-opening Daytona 500. Navigating the 2.5-mile superspeedway in 47.074 seconds (191.188 mph), Martin edged Earnhardt (190.913 mph) for the pole.

Those two drivers, who will start first and second in the 52nd running of NASCAR’s most prestigious race, are the only two who know their positions on the grid for the Valentine’s Day event. The starting order for the rest of the 43-car field won’t be determined until Thursday, with the running of the two Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying races. Source: Nascar.com

Here is how they qualified:
1 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet GoDaddy.com
2 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard
3 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army
4 21 Bill Elliott Ford Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
5 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target
6 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite
7 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s
8 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper
9 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s
10 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont
11 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Crown Royal
12 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1
13 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull
14 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Kroger Floral
15 12 Brad Keselowski Dodge Penske Racing
16 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports
17 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot
18 71 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet TaxSlayer.com
19 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker
20 151 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
21 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Old Spice
22 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine
23 98 Paul Menard Ford Peak / Menards
24 6 David Ragan Ford UPS
25 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford Best Buy
26 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac
27 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express
28 9 Kasey Kahne Ford Budweiser
29 36 Mike Bliss Chevrolet Wave Energy Drink
30 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil
31 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
32 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Monster Energy
33 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
34 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies
35 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull
36 19 Elliott Sadler Ford Stanley
37 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
38 132 Reed Sorenson Toyota Dollar General
39 190 Casey Mears Chevrolet Keyed-Up Motorsports
40 13 Max Papis Toyota GEICO
41 49 David Gilliland Toyota Warner Music Nashville / Larry the Cable Guy
42 34 John Andretti Ford Window World Cares
43 197 Jeff Fuller Toyota FrontRowJoe.com
44 38 Robert Richardson Jr. Ford Mahindra Tractors
45 37 Travis Kvapil Ford Extenze
46 09 Aric Almirola Chevrolet Phoenix Racing
47 46 Terry Cook* Dodge Whitney Motorsports
48 26 Boris Said Ford Window World Cares
49 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports
50 55 Michael McDowell Toyota Prism Motorsports
51 175 Derrike Cope Dodge Asset Protect/Strutmasterspro.com
52 127 Kirk Shelmerdine Toyota Kirk Shelmerdine Racing
53 192 Mike Wallace Dodge K-Automotive Motorsports
54 157 Norm Benning Chevrolet Norm Benning Racing

Update:
Here is how they will start the Daytona 500:
1 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet GoDaddy.com
2 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy/National Guard
3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s
4 9 Kasey Kahne Ford Budweiser
5 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell/Pennzoil
6 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot/Old Spice
7 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s
8 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target
9 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios/Hamburger Helper
10 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite
11 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies
12 19 Elliott Sadler Ford Stanley
13 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker
14 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
15 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford Best Buy
16 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot
17 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army
18 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Kroger Floral
19 6 David Ragan Ford UPS
20 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine
21 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont
22 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull
23 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
24 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Crown Royal
25 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express
26 12 Brad Keselowski Dodge Penske Racing
27 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac
28 36 Mike Bliss Chevrolet Wave Energy Drink
29 55 Michael McDowell Toyota Prism Motorsports
30 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull
31 13 Max Papis Toyota GEICO
32 98 Paul Menard Ford Peak/Menards
33 34 John Andretti Ford Window World Cares
34 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Monster Energy
35 37 Travis Kvapil Ford Extenze
36 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1
37 38 Robert Richardson Jr. Ford Mahindra Tractors
38 26 Boris Said Ford Window World Cares
39 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
40 21 Bill Elliott Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
41 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports
42 71 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet TaxSlayer.com
43 151 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts

Did Not Qualify
44 190 Casey Mears Chevrolet Keyed-Up Motorsports
45 127 Todd Bodine Toyota Kirk Shelmerdine Racing
46 49 David Gilliland Toyota Warner Music Nashville/Larry the Cable Guy
47 46 Terry Cook Dodge Whitney Motorsports
48 175 Derrike Cope Dodge Asset Protect/Strutmasterspro.com
49 09 Aric Almirola Chevrolet Phoenix Racing
50 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports
51 132 Reed Sorenson Toyota Dollar General
52 192 Mike Wallace Dodge K-Automotive Motorsports
53 157 Norm Benning Chevrolet Norm Benning Racing
54 197 Jeff Fuller Toyota FrontRowJoe.com

Here are some videos from the 2010 Daytona 500 qualifying.

I was reading an article on Nascar.com about the some of the drivers opinions on the upcoming changes, and this quote from Jeff Gordon really got my spirits up about the coming season and hopefully a lot better racing.

Jeff Gordon said he was excited about “the biggest restrictor plate since 1989″ because it would give drivers “more power under the hood.” Gordon added that teams also have been told by NASCAR that drivers will have a greater opportunity to police themselves in certain situations in 2010 as well — which he said he welcomes.

“I think sometimes it’s appropriate for them to get involved, but usually the drivers are pretty good at policing themselves,” Gordon said. “I know [owner] Rick [Hendrick] has been part of some occasions when they had to get involved, but I love the idea of, ‘Let’s just go race.’ That’s what this sport was built on, that’s what fans love. That’s what drives this sport and creates advertising and sponsorship opportunities and puts fans in the seats and glued to their TVs at home.

“So I think we’ve got some really cool things in store for 2010. … I think NASCAR is ready to let us put some really great racing out there.” Source: Nascar.com

Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson were talking about the yellow line rule still being in effect, all seem to be glad of that, Dale Jr. said I think if you took the rule away you would figure out real quick why they had it to start with. But Mark Martin had a great idea, repeal the rule for the last lap, and let all hell break loose.

“In a perfect world, no, I wouldn’t have that,” Martin said. “But if we’re really trying to treat the race fans, I’m willing to wreck from Turn 4 to the start-finish line on the last lap — for The Show. I just don’t want to do it the first 10 laps or whenever. I want to get at least that close to the finish before all hell breaks loose.”

That would be a great idea. I’m not saying that they should be allowed to just wreck each other on purpose, but you get people all around jockeying for position and you’re bound to have some wrecks and great action on the last lap. Hell, why not try it out for a couple races, before the chase of course; don’t want to knock anyone out of the championship run, unless it’s Jimmie Johnson.

That is what Nascar has become, No Action Sprint Cup Auto Racing. Has anyone ever watched a more boring race at Talladega? I don’t think so. Now, I’m not just talking about the wrecks, Ryan Newman had a pretty scary flip and wreck, I’m talking about the lack of racing. How long did they race single file tonight? I’m not sure, but I found myself doing other stuff and not just watching the race. They may as well just run 20 laps and call it a race. Nascar is going to make it easy for me to quit watching the race when Jeff Gordon retires, and I’ll be able to go back to watching the NFL like I used to every Sunday.

Oh, and the Chase is pretty much over now, it looked like it was really going to tighten up, until the end when Ryan flipped his car and they red flagged it, cars were running out of gas, Johnson and them topped off first because they were in the back, so they benefitted with all the cars running out of gas, and then the second wreck made sure no one else was going to pass him. Johnson finished 6th, ahead of Martin and Gordon instead of finishing 26th and losing a bunch of points to everyone. They may as well rename this Chase for the Cup to the Chase for the Johnson.

Here is how they finished:
1 22 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Irwin Marathon Saw Blades 195/10 191 Running
2 11 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 175/5 191 Running
3 20 20 Joey Logano Toyota Home Depot 170/5 191 Running
4 8 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M Filtrete 160/0 191 Running
5 18 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 160/5 191 Running
6 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 150/0 191 Running
7 33 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 151/5 191 Running
8 36 09 Brad Keselowski Chevrolet Miccosukee Resort & Gaming 147/5 191 Running
9 26 19 Elliott Sadler Ford Stanley 143/5 191 Running
10 37 171 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet TaxSlayer.com 134/0 191 Running
11 24 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy “Get on the 88″ / National Guard 135/5 191 Running
12 15 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet BB&T 127/0 191 Running
13 12 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 129/5 191 Running
14 10 99 Carl Edwards Ford Subway 126/5 191 Running
15 13 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 123/5 191 Running
16 29 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge Liberty Medical 115/0 191 Running
17 28 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 112/0 191 Running
18 41 36 Robert Richardson Jr. Toyota Mahindra Tractors 109/0 191 Running
19 5 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 111/5 191 Running
20 3 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 108/5 191 Running
21 21 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 105/5 191 Running
22 30 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 102/5 191 Running
23 35 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Window World 99/5 191 Running
24 14 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt 91/0 191 Running
25 19 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 93/5 191 Running
26 16 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 90/5 191 Running
27 38 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull 82/0 190 Accident
28 2 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Pop-Tarts / Carquest 84/5 190 Accident
29 42 113 Max Papis Toyota GEICO 76/0 190 Running
30 6 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 78/5 189 Accident
31 23 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 75/5 189 Accident
32 34 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Jim Beam 72/5 189 Accident
33 25 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Hunt Brothers Pizza 64/0 189 Running
34 17 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Clorox / Kingsford / Little Debbie 66/5 188 Running
35 4 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Old Spice 63/5 183 Accident
36 7 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army 60/5 183 Accident
37 31 96 Erik Darnell Ford Academy Sports + Outdoors 52/0 167 Running
38 9 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express 54/5 137 Engine
39 43 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies 46/0 99 Engine
40 27 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1 43/0 44 Engine
41 40 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 40/0 12 Vibration
42 32 98 Paul Menard Ford Zecol / Menards 37/0 4 Accident
43 39 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 34/0 4 Accident

Here are the standings in the Chase:
1 — Jimmie Johnson 6248 Leader
2 — Mark Martin 6064 -184
3 — Jeff Gordon 6056 -192
4 +1 Juan Montoya 6009 -239
5 -1 Tony Stewart 5969 -279
6 — Kurt Busch 5936 -312
7 +1 Greg Biffle 5908 -340
8 -1 Ryan Newman 5846 -402
9 +2 Kasey Kahne 5834 -414
10 — Carl Edwards 5811 -437
11 -2 Denny Hamlin 5800 -448
12 — Brian Vickers 5697 -551

I started this post a few days ago, so I thought I would go ahead and finish it the day before the second Chase for the Cup race.

This was one of the better races to watch this year, even if my driver didn’t finish the best, I’d always rather see Martin win it if Gordon can’t, if there is one driver who should’ve been a champion by now it’s Mark Martin. If this can’t be Gordon’s year, then let’s hope Mark can keep it up. Juan Montoya was driving like he should be up front all day, I bet if he continues to be this aggressive that he will eventually be put into the wall somewhere.

Here is how they finished:
1 14 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Carquest / Kellogg’s 190/5 300 Running
2 4 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight 175/5 300 Running
3 1 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 175/10 300 Running
4 16 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 165/5 300 Running
5 9 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 155/0 300 Running
6 3 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 155/5 300 Running
7 18 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army 151/5 300 Running
8 35 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools 142/0 300 Running
9 22 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M Scotch Brand 138/0 300 Running
10 17 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper 134/0 300 Running
11 26 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 130/0 300 Running
12 13 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 127/0 300 Running
13 19 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 124/0 300 Running
14 2 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Old Spice 126/5 300 Running
15 10 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet National Guard Yellow Ribbon / DuPont 118/0 300 Running
16 5 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 115/0 300 Running
17 32 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac 117/5 300 Running
18 7 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 109/0 300 Running
19 31 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Rain-X 106/0 300 Running
20 29 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Bush’s Best Baked Beans / Market Basket 108/5 300 Running
21 33 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot 100/0 300 Running
22 8 171 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet TRG Motorsports 102/5 300 Running
23 38 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Carhartt 94/0 300 Running
24 28 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Sylvania 91/0 300 Running
25 34 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Berlin City Auto Group 88/0 299 Running
26 41 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Taco Bell 85/0 299 Running
27 21 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 82/0 298 Running
28 6 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 79/0 298 Running
29 39 09 Aric Almirola Dodge Miccosukee Resort & Gaming 76/0 297 Running
30 37 96 Erik Darnell Ford Northern Tool + Equipment 73/0 297 Running
31 27 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull 70/0 297 Running
32 12 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 67/0 295 Running
33 42 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 64/0 287 Running
34 40 98 Paul Menard Ford Sylvania Dot-it / Menards 61/0 287 Running
35 23 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard 58/0 283 In Pit
36 25 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge McDonald’s McCafe 55/0 263 Running
37 24 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1 52/0 162 Out of Race
38 11 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 49/0 66 Out of Race
39 30 64 Mike Wallace Toyota Gunselman Motorsports 46/0 48 In Pit
40 20 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 43/0 41 In Pit
41 43 36 Michael McDowell Toyota Wave Energy Drink 40/0 36 In Pit
42 15 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 37/0 23 Out of Race
43 36 37 Tony Raines Dodge Long John Silver’s 34/0 8 In Pit

Here are the current point standinds:
1 Mark Martin 5230 Leader
2 Jimmie Johnson 5195 -35
3 Denny Hamlin 5195 -35
4 Juan Montoya 5175 -55
5 Kurt Busch 5165 -65
6 Tony Stewart 5156 -74
7 Ryan Newman 5151 -79
8 Brian Vickers 5140 -90
9 Greg Biffle 5138 -92
10 Jeff Gordon 5128 -102
11 Carl Edwards 5117 -113
12 Kasey Kahne 5069 -161

This is actually the first race I have been able to watch in weeks, I arrived home from the beach in time to catch the last hundred or so laps, and had been listening on the radio for a bunch of the early part of the race. Last I heard on the radio Jeff Gordon was coming like a rocket ship, and when I get in the door, he was a lap down as he and Denny Hamlin had some contact affecting his right rear quarter panel. It’s always something. They finally get the car running good, he jumps up 12 or 15 spots and bam, you’re sliding backwards.

But, that certainly didn’t take away from the end of the race with Kyle Busch and Mark Martin going for the win. They both raced cleanly, either one could’ve caused the other or both to wreck, I hope Kyle Busch remembers that when the positions are reversed.

From what I heard and saw, it was a pretty good race, it will be interesting to see if Kyle can make the Chase for the Cup in the next two weeks. I bet they can.

Here is how they finished:
1 15 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 190/5 500 Running
2 1 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Pop-Tarts / Carquest 180/10 500 Running
3 25 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Clorox / Kingsford / Bush’s Beans 165/0 500 Running
4 2 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 165/5 500 Running
5 41 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Ground 155/0 500 Running
6 9 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army 150/0 500 Running
7 13 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 146/0 500 Running
8 21 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 147/5 500 Running
9 27 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy Sugar Free / National Guard 138/0 500 Running
10 5 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt 134/0 500 Running
11 17 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Irwin Vise-Grip 130/0 500 Running
12 14 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 127/0 500 Running
13 7 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s / USO “Toast to the Troops” 124/0 500 Running
14 23 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 121/0 500 Running
15 3 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull 118/0 500 Running
16 32 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac 115/0 500 Running
17 18 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 112/0 500 Running
18 37 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 109/0 500 Running
19 10 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge Valvoline 106/0 500 Running
20 34 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 103/0 500 Running
21 6 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Hamburger Helper 100/0 500 Running
22 24 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 97/0 500 Running
23 33 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 94/0 499 Running
24 39 98 Paul Menard Ford Peak / Menards 91/0 498 Running
25 11 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 88/0 498 Running
26 42 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools 85/0 498 Running
27 28 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies 82/0 498 Running
28 29 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 79/0 497 Running
29 26 4 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet Alpha Natural Resources 76/0 496 Running
30 40 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Taco Bell 73/0 494 Running
31 36 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 75/5 490 Accident
32 31 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas / The Rogue Joint 67/0 490 Running
33 30 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Old Spice 64/0 489 Running
34 8 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot 61/0 484 Running
35 38 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1 58/0 472 Running
36 20 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com 55/0 461 Running
37 19 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Hunt Brothers Pizza 52/0 452 Running
38 16 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 49/0 438 Accident
39 12 171 David Gilliland Chevrolet TaxSlayer.com 46/0 354 Accident
40 22 08 Terry Labonte Toyota Carter / Simo Racing 43/0 244 Rear End
41 43 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 40/0 48 Wheel Bearing
42 35 37 Tony Raines Dodge Long John Silver’s 37/0 27 Transmission
43 4 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 34/0 8 Accident

Here are the current 12 drivers in the Chase with the top three already clinching spots:
1 — Tony Stewart 3564 Leader
2 +1 Jimmie Johnson 3344 -220
3 -1 Jeff Gordon 3310 -254
4 +1 Denny Hamlin 3141 -423
5 -1 Carl Edwards 3110 -454
6 — Kurt Busch 3103 -461
7 +2 Ryan Newman 2995 -569
8 +2 Greg Biffle 2986 -578
9 -2 Juan Montoya 2975 -589
10 +2 Mark Martin 2971 -593
11 -3 Kasey Kahne 2963 -601
12 -1 Matt Kenseth 2945 -619

Here are videos from the latest race at Michigan International Speedway, the LifeLock 400.

(continue reading…)

Here are the uploaded videos covering the Southern 500 from Darlington.

As Mark was crossing the finish line for the Subway 500 and they said it had been 97 races since he had won, it occurred to me that they hadn’t been talking about him not winning like they had Gordon. So, I was wondering, after how many races do they stop talking about it? I know Mark had a couple part time seasons in cars that he said weren’t good enough to win, but that’s almost three full years without a win from a guy who was a challenge to win the championship 12 years in a row, four times finishing as runner up, three of which I think was to Gordon. (Don’t quote me) So, that’s today’s question, after how many races do they quit talking about you not winning races? I figure you have to have a certain amount of wins or seconds to even be talked about not winning to start with, but Mark surely had that.

I myself got so sick of hearing about how Gordon hadn’t won in so many races, I know he had to be sick of it, and I’m sure that it weighed on his mind more than it would have had he not been hearing it every other question, so, in this aspect, Martin had it made because no one was asking him how long it would be until he won.

Anyway, it was a pretty decent race, Martin was good when he needed to be, and he needed to be good at the end because Tony Stewart wanted this win pretty badly was well. Jeff Gordon had trouble many times during this one and still looked like he was going to be able to pull a decent finish out of it until that last pit stop when they missed a lug nut. Just goes to show you they’ve been good and not lucky so far, or, at least that’s what it means to me.

Ol Hammond came up with an answer on why so many teams have had trouble in the pits this years, Nascar changed the rules on lug nuts, the threads have to be so you can see them now, where before they didn’t have to be, so that means it takes a hair longer to put them on and take them off and they think some mistakes are because of that. Jimmie Johnson said they had trouble with the glue they were using this week as they had several come off when mounting the wheels. They had several problems and still finished fourth. Maybe Mark was lucky this race or the 48 team was just unlucky and good.

Here is how they finished:
1 1 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Carquest / Kellogg’s 195/10 312 Running
2 6 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Old Spice 175/5 312 Running
3 3 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 170/5 312 Running
4 10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 165/5 312 Running
5 13 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 155/0 312 Running
6 12 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Office / March for Babies 150/0 312 Running
7 26 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 146/0 312 Running
8 8 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 147/5 312 Running
9 35 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1 138/0 312 Running
10 11 99 Carl Edwards Ford Subway 134/0 312 Running
11 28 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 130/0 312 Running
12 36 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper 127/0 312 Running
13 21 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 124/0 312 Running
14 29 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Clorox / Kingsford / Bashas’ 121/0 312 Running
15 16 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 118/0 312 Running
16 30 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Haas Automation 120/5 312 Running
17 2 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 112/0 312 Running
18 19 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 109/0 311 Running
19 5 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 111/5 311 Running
20 38 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 103/0 311 Running
21 31 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot 100/0 311 Running
22 14 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 97/0 311 Running
23 7 98 Paul Menard Ford Peak / Menards 94/0 311 Running
24 20 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 91/0 311 Running
25 4 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 88/0 311 Running
26 24 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper 85/0 311 Running
27 17 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt 82/0 311 Running
28 9 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies 79/0 311 Running
29 42 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com 81/5 311 Running
30 33 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 73/0 311 Running
31 15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / Amp Energy 75/5 310 Running
32 40 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools 67/0 310 Running
33 27 171 David Gilliland Chevrolet American Monster 64/0 310 Running
34 18 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull 61/0 310 Running
35 25 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Charter Comm. 58/0 309 Running
36 37 36 Scott Riggs Toyota Tommy Baldwin Racing 55/0 307 Running
37 32 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA 57/5 307 Running
38 41 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Taco Bell 49/0 307 Running
39 23 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Mapei / Menards 46/0 243 Running
40 39 09 Sterling Marlin Dodge Miccosukee Resort & Gaming 43/0 117 Accident
41 22 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 40/0 76 Rear Axle
42 34 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 37/0 59 Brakes
43 43 73 Tony Raines Dodge Quality Concrete 34/0 56 Brakes

And here are the top 12 in points as of Phoenix:
1 — Jeff Gordon 1242 Leader
2 — Jimmie Johnson 1157 -85
3 — Kurt Busch 1144 -98
4 — Tony Stewart 1138 -104
5 — Denny Hamlin 1088 -154
6 — Clint Bowyer 1052 -190
7 — Kyle Busch 1026 -216
8 — Carl Edwards 1023 -219
9 — David Reutimann 992 -250
10 — Kasey Kahne 975 -267
11 — Jeff Burton 953 -289
12 — Matt Kenseth 946 -296

Kyle Busch didn’t lead any of the second duel until the very end, when it really counts, and with the help of Denny Hamlin, who got passed by Mark Martin at the end, he stayed there. Mark looked pretty good today, and Brian Vickers did as well, maybe I should’ve picked him for my 12 chase drivers? Nah, too early to start doubting myself now. Jeremy Mayfield is one of the big stories of the day, racing his way into the Daytona 500 and his team that is comprised of people who were laid off in the off season. Congrats guys. Congrats as well to Scott Riggs and A.J. Allmendinger who also raced their way into the 500.

Here is how they finished:
1 8 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s PE 60 Running
2 1 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Kellogg’s / Carquest PE 60 Running
3 18 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull PE 60 Running
4 3 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target PE 60 Running
5 13 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express PE 60 Running
6 5 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com PE 60 Running
7 6 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard PE 60 Running
8 14 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac PE 60 Running
9 21 41 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota All Sport PE 60 Running
10 19 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Valvoline PE 60 Running
11 12 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper PE 60 Running
12 20 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing PE 60 Running
13 22 171 Mike Wallace Chevrolet TRG Motorsports PE 60 Running
14 17 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar PE 60 Running
15 10 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine PE 60 Running
16 7 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing PE 60 Running
17 16 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley PE 60 Running
18 24 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil PE 60 Running
19 4 28 Travis Kvapil Ford Golden Corral PE 60 Running
20 26 51 Kelly Bires Dodge FABgrills / KrugerFarms.com PE 60 Running
21 15 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge McDonald’s PE 60 Running
22 25 175 Derrike Cope Dodge Blu Frog Energy Drink PE 58 Running
23 28 157 Norm Benning Chevrolet D3 Outdoor PE 55 Running
24 2 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army PE 47 Running
25 9 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull PE 44 In Pit
26 23 73 Mike Garvey Dodge Jani-King PE 27 In Pit
28 11 08 Boris Said Ford U.S. Chrome / Scotts Bonus S Max PE 13 In Pit