Nascar Blog

The rainout of qualifying has put Jeff Gordon on the pole in Martinsville, his eighth there I believe, and one he could have had there if they qualified normally as this is one of his best tracks. This assures him of having the pest pit stall and gives him a little bit of an advantage as far as being the first out of the pits, which leads me to predict that Gordon will break the winless streak this weekend. (I know, big surprise.)

Here is how they will start:
1 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont
2 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite
3 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet BB&T
4 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s
5 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac
6 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser
7 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot
8 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight
9 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s
10 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt
11 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine
12 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil
13 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
14 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull
15 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target
16 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Charter Comm.
17 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools
18 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
19 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / Amp Energy
20 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker
21 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA
22 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing
23 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com
24 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Little Debbie / Kingsford / Clorox
25 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s
26 6 David Ragan Ford UPS
27 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army
28 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Irwin Industrial Tools
29 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge Charter Comm.
30 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Robby Gordon Motorsports
31 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Kellogg’s / Carquest
32 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1
33 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Taco Bell
34 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot
35 171 David Gilliland Chevrolet Capital Window
36 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull
37 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet Guitar Hero
38 98 Paul Menard Ford Energizer / Menards
39 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports
40 36 Scott Riggs Toyota Array Lighting / Nexxus Lighting
41 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports
42 41 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota All Sport
43 64 Todd Bodine Toyota Gunselman Motorsports

Did Not Qualify
44 09 Sterling Marlin Dodge Miccosukee Resort & Gaming
45 37 Tony Raines Chevrolet Long John Silver’s
46 146 Dennis Setzer Dodge Romeo Guest Construction
47 175 Derrike Cope Dodge FW1 Top Secret Wax / Blu Frog Energy / Flip n Bags

Here are some of the uploaded videos featuring the racing action in the first race in Atlanta this year.

Here are videos from the races in Vegas this year, including the Sam’s Town 300, and the Sheby 427.

And whether you like him or not, this was some pretty good driving from Jamie McMurray.

Love him or Hate him, Kyle Busch can drive a racecar and he knows it, just ask him. He His spotter said on the radio “Say G’night Gracie” as he passed Clint Bowyer in yesterday’s Shelby 427 in Las Vegas, and he reminded me of my 15 year old, who gladly dogs everyone he plays against on his Xbox360. I’m not a fan of Kyle, I’m a Jeff Gordon fan, but I know what his fans are probably going through from everyone else who likes a different driver. I still hear the wonder boy comments about Gordon and much worse, it doesn’t matter that he is married to one of the hottest women on the planet or that he could out drive about anyone, I still hear it. But that kid can drive that racecar, and his career is kind of following Gordon’s, he is being talked about in IRL or Formula 1 circles, much like Gordon and he is a dominant driver, like Gordon can be. (In case you hadn’t noticed, Gordon is #1 in the points).

In an interview with Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip asked Jeff about Kyle Busch and the comparison’s and he said as much. He said I wish I had the talent Kyle Busch has. I’m sure he was being modest, he won his first championship earlier, in his third full season, Kyle has yet to win one, and Gordon has 81 wins, 6th on the all time list, of which he should finish at least third, and Kyle only has 13 wins in Sprint Cup. But this isn’t about Gordon, Kyle Busch won this race and probably should’ve won at least one more this year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him crank out 8 more this year, but, right now, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gordon do it either. I would be extremely happy though.

Oh, I almost forgot he was the first person to win at Las Vegas from the pole; he also had to start from the back and won the race from 43rd position. That should be some sort of record listed somewhere, if not, they should start a new category.

Here is how they finished:
1 1 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 190/5 285 Running 461,273
2 37 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper 175/5 285 Running 244,575
3 14 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 170/5 285 Running 247,281
4 4 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 160/0 285 Running 194,923
5 17 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com 155/0 285 Running 174,554
6 28 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 155/5 285 Running 167,626
7 24 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 151/5 285 Running 145,250
8 21 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 142/0 285 Running 143,923
9 38 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Irwin Industrial Tools 138/0 285 Running 121,450
10 31 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / Amp Energy 134/0 285 Running 125,375
11 7 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 135/5 285 Running 145,923
12 9 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 132/5 285 Running 143,728
13 20 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot 129/5 285 Running 151,076
14 30 171 David Gilliland Chevrolet Capital Window 121/0 285 Running 100,225
15 32 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Jim Beam 123/5 285 Running 123,235
16 12 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1 115/0 285 Running 121,235
17 16 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac 117/5 285 Running 146,331
18 11 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 109/0 284 Running 132,665
19 18 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies 106/0 284 Running 95,125
20 5 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Kingsford / Clorox / Little Debbie 103/0 284 Running 116,048
21 42 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull 100/0 284 Running 111,198
22 34 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Office 97/0 284 Running 110,125
23 2 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 99/5 284 Running 102,525
24 3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools 101/10 284 Running 145,201
25 6 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Haas Automation 88/0 283 Running 120,529
26 10 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot 85/0 283 Running 100,173
27 15 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA 82/0 283 Running 98,300
28 29 34 John Andretti Chevrolet WindowWorld.com 79/0 283 Running 97,200
29 33 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley 76/0 283 Running 96,900
30 41 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 73/0 282 Running 104,125
31 23 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Energizer 70/0 281 Running 122,998
32 25 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 67/0 281 Running 122,715
33 19 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Harrah’s 64/0 281 Running 85,975
34 39 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge Valvoline 61/0 278 Running 122,176
35 36 98 Paul Menard Ford Johns Manville / Menards 58/0 269 Accident 115,006
36 26 113 Max Papis Toyota GEICO 55/0 258 Running 85,400
37 43 64 Todd Bodine Toyota Curtis Steel / Core Construction 52/0 227 Engine 84,175
38 13 25 Brad Keselowski Chevrolet GoDaddy.com 49/0 221 Running 83,975
39 27 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet TomTom 46/0 143 Accident 91,775
40 8 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Pop-Tarts / Carquest 43/0 121 Engine 91,525
41 22 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 40/0 102 Transmission 83,300
42 35 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 37/0 72 Engine 91,155
43 40 17 Matt Kenseth Ford USG Sheetrock 34/0 6 Engine 129,669

Here are the top 12 points drivers as of now:
1. Jeff Gordon 459 Leader
2. Clint Bowyer 441 -18
3. Matt Kenseth 419 -40
4. Greg Biffle 419 -40
5. David Reutimann 408 -51
6. Kyle Busch 405 -54
7. Kurt Busch 393 -66
8. Tony Stewart 379 -80
9. Carl Edwards 377 -82
10. Bobby Labonte 360 -99
11. Kevin Harvick 351 -108
12. Michael Waltrip 346 -113

Matt Kenseth did something I believe has only happened three other times, he has won the first two races of the season, first winning the rain shortened Daytona 500 and tonight winning the Auto Club 500 in California. Not sure of the total number, but Matt’s pit crew helped him gain at least 10 or 12 positions on pit road, keeping him in front or near the front the final half of the race, and putting him out in front when it counted the most. Jeff Gordon said they made an adjustment on the final stop that hurt them a little, keeping him from being able to pass Kenseth when he was on his bumper during that final run.

“It’s such a great team,” Kenseth said. “I just thank these guys [on the crew]. They gave me a great stop and got me in clean air and that’s just a huge difference.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Gordon said. “This is a new team and they showed it tonight. We’ve still got a little bit of work to do. I’m so excited on one side because we ran so well and we started out the season so great, but I’m still mad on the other side because I felt like we had what it took to win tonight.” Source: Kenseth keeps Gordon at bay for victory at Fontana

Kyle Busch had already made history by winning the Nationwide Series race and the Camping World series truck race in the same day, and was hoping to sweep all the Nascar events this weekend, and while he ran well, he didn’t have enough for Kenseth or Gordon in the end. But, if anyone can do it, Kyle Busch can.

“It’s never been done before, so you know it’s a challenge,” Busch said after finishing third. “The last one’s always the hard one to get. It’s on Sunday and it’s the biggest show. Maybe one day.”

Greg Biffle had the best quote of the night after the race, on the previous stop he had slid past his mark and ended up on the tire changers hose and had to back up, costing them 9 positions in the pits.

“They should fire me,” said Biffle, one of four Kenseth teammates. “You just can’t make mistakes like that.”

You are a hell of a racecar drive Greg; I don’t think you’ll have to worry about being fired. I think tonight’s race was a good start to the rest of the season, especially after the rained out Daytona 500, let’s hope the racing, lead changes and competition remains the same for the rest of the season.

Here is how they finished:
1 24 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Carhartt 195/10 250 Running
2 6 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 175/5 250 Running
3 10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Interstate Batteries 165/0 250 Running
4 5 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 165/5 250 Running
5 4 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 160/5 250 Running
6 23 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight 150/0 250 Running
7 25 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac 151/5 250 Running
8 11 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot 147/5 250 Running
9 2 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools 143/5 250 Running
10 1 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 134/0 250 Running
11 15 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 135/5 250 Running
12 22 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 127/0 250 Running
13 38 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 129/5 250 Running
14 7 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 121/0 250 Running
15 42 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA 118/0 250 Running
16 3 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 115/0 250 Running
17 13 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 112/0 250 Running
18 37 28 Travis Kvapil Ford Farmers Insurance 109/0 250 Running
19 21 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper 106/0 248 Running
20 16 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com 103/0 248 Running
21 14 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Little Debbie / Kingsford / Clorox 100/0 248 Running
22 17 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge Charter Comm. 97/0 248 Running
23 26 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Auto Club 94/0 248 Running
24 29 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 91/0 248 Running
25 20 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Best Buy 88/0 248 Running
26 34 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot 85/0 248 Running
27 33 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 82/0 248 Running
28 28 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Haas Automation 79/0 248 Running
29 8 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Charter Comm. 76/0 247 Running
30 12 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Jim Beam 73/0 247 Running
31 40 34 John Andretti Chevrolet WindowWorld.com 75/5 247 Running
32 41 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 67/0 247 Running
33 32 171 David Gilliland Chevrolet TRG Motorsports 64/0 246 Running
34 39 41 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota All Sport 61/0 245 Running
35 31 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet Guitar Hero 58/0 242 In Pit
36 36 36 Scott Riggs Toyota Red Bank Outfitters 55/0 240 Running
37 27 98 Paul Menard Ford Quaker State / Menards 52/0 221 Running
38 19 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 49/0 207 Running
39 35 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard 46/0 205 Out of Race
40 18 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Carquest / Kellogg’s 48/5 179 Out of Race
41 9 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull 40/0 172 Out of Race
42 30 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 37/0 50 In Pit
43 43 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 34/0 36 In Pit

Here are the current top 12 drivers by points:
1. — Matt Kenseth 385 Leader
2. +10 Jeff Gordon 304 -81
3. +8 Kurt Busch 294 -91
4. +3 Tony Stewart 294 -91
5. +15 Greg Biffle 268 -117
6. -2 Clint Bowyer 266 -119
7. +1 Michael Waltrip 264 -121
8. -2 David Ragan 262 -123
9. +9 Carl Edwards 260 -125
10. +4 Juan Montoya 256 -129
11. -6 Elliott Sadler 248 -137
12. +1 David Reutimann 248 -137

Of course there will be at least four of these drivers who won’t be in the chase for the cup, but I’ve been wrong before.

The first Gatorade Duel race is over and Jeff Gordon is back in victory lane again, even though it’s not a points race, it sure does put a good start to the 2009 Sprint Cup season. It looked like Tony Stewart might be able to beat him, but, in the end, his help wasn’t close enough to give him a push around Gordon. Speaking of Stewart, they looked pretty good working together, I was wondering when that would end, I figured the last five laps would be a good start to ending the cooperation and that’s about when Tony first passed Jeff, I believe it was with four laps to go.

Joey Logano looked pretty good for an 18 year old punk behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car, pushing Jeff Gordon around Tony for the last pass for the lead. We’ll see how he does in the 500 and the rest of the season soon enough.

Here is how they finished the first duel:
1 5 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont PE 60 Running
2 6 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Old Spice PE 60 Running
3 3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s PE 60 Running
4 10 20 Joey Logano * Toyota The Home Depot PE 60 Running
5 4 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet Guitar Hero PE 60 Running
6 22 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite PE 60 Running
7 19 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser PE 60 Running
8 15 36 Scott Riggs Toyota Tommy Baldwin Racing PE 60 Running
9 7 98 Paul Menard Ford Quaker State / Menards PE 60 Running
10 12 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal PE 60 Running
11 9 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports PE 60 Running
12 18 09 Brad Keselowski Chevrolet Miccosukee Resort & Gaming PE 60 Running
13 14 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Little Debbie PE 60 Running
14 21 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s PE 60 Running
15 16 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA PE 60 Running
16 23 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1 PE 60 Running
17 28 146 Carl Long Dodge Romeo Guest Construction PE 60 Running
18 25 37 Tony Raines Dodge Long John Silver’s PE 60 Running
19 26 66 Terry Labonte Toyota Window World PE 60 Running
20 24 127 Kirk Shelmerdine Toyota Kirk Shelmerdine Racing PE 60 Running
21 1 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker PE 60 Running
22 20 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Jim Beam PE 60 In Pit
23 13 6 David Ragan Ford UPS PE 60 Running
24 8 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M PE 58 In Pit
25 17 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Window World PE 53 In Pit
26 11 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt PE 52 In Pit
27 2 21 Bill Elliott Ford Motorcraft PE 25 In Pit
28 27 123 Mike Skinner Chevrolet Mahindra Tractors PE 23 Running

The caution fest is over; Kevin Harvick gets the win about a half a lap early in the 2009 Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout.

This was a pretty good start to the 2009 season, as always, more crashes makes for a more interesting race, unless your driver is one that gets put out. One of the best things about the new car is that it can take so much damage and still run at the front of the field, I doubt we will see many races with new looking cars in winner’s circle.

How about Jeff Gordon? Driving around two big crashes and pushing eventual winner Kevin Harvick to the front of the field. It looked like he was going to do something until Johnson got loose beside him, causing Gordon to slow up, and then he was pushed to the middle and almost to the back of the field. He finished fourth, but he looked good enough tonight for me to feel good about picking him to win the 500 next week. I think we’ll get more of the same during the twin 125’s this week.

Here is how they finished:

1 27 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil
2 15 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal
3 6 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot
4 28 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont
5 18 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Valvoline
6 14 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser
7 11 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac
8 12 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite
9 25 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt
10 10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s
11 1 98 Paul Menard Ford Quaker State / Menards
12 7 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull
13 5 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express
14 21 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s
15 24 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s
16 20 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing
17 26 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
18 9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / Amp Energy
19 8 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com
20 22 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine
21 2 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley
22 17 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA
23 3 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge McDonald’s
24 23 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
25 4 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull
26 16 6 David Ragan Ford UPS
27 13 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Jim Beam
28 19 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot

Hendrick Motorsports continues it’s dominance at Martinsville Speedway with Gordon claiming his 7th pole there, 65th all time. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have won 8 of the last 10 races at Martinsville, winning 4 each, while Jimmie has won the last three there, I think it’s Gordon’s turn to put his name on the trophy, as he has 7 total wins athe the short track. In fact, check out his overall stats, tops for this track:
Driver Starts Wins Top-5 Top-10

Jeff Gordon 30 7 18 24

Gordon toured the .526-mile short track in 19.666 seconds (96.288 mph) to claim the pole for Sunday’s Goody’s Cool Orange 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race. It was the 65th career pole for Gordon, who has won seven times at Martinsville, twice from the pole.

Denny Hamlin (95.757 mph) qualified second, followed by rookie Aric Almirola (95.733 mph), David Ragan (95.569 mph) and Jamie McMurray (95.492 mph). Almirola will make his second Cup start of the year Sunday, and McMurray had to make the race on speed, having dropped out of the top 35 in owner points.

Kasey Kahne, Ken Schrader, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson will start from positions six through 10. Johnson has won the last three races at Martinsville, and Johnson and Gordon together have won eight of the last 10 (four each). Source: Gordon wins his seventh career pole at Martinsville

Kyle Petty barely missed the race when he and Dario Franchitti ran the same time and Dario is ahead of Kyle in owner’s points.

Denny Hamlin has been running great there as well, but has been coming up short behind Jimmie and Jeff at the finish line. “”I’m usually the guy that runs right behind them,” said Hamlin, who finished third behind the Hendrick teammates last spring. “I think we’re maybe more prepared for those guys this year. Typically, when we come here, we know we can run top-three, and those two cars are the ones you have to beat.”

I think it will be a great race, as the short tracks always make for some great racing. My predictions for the top five:

1. Jeff Gordon (of course)
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr
4. Kyle Busch
5. Jimmie Johnson

Here is how they qualified:

1 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 96.288 19.666 Leader
2 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight 95.757 19.775 -0.109
3 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet U.S. Army 95.733 19.780 -0.114
4 6 David Ragan Ford AAA Insurance 95.569 19.814 -0.148
5 26 Jamie McMurray Ford IRWIN Industrial Tools 95.492 19.830 -0.164
6 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 95.487 19.831 -0.165
7 49 Ken Schrader Toyota Microsoft Small Business 95.463 19.836 -0.170
8 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 95.347 19.860 -0.194
9 20 Tony Stewart Toyota The Home Depot 95.271 19.876 -0.210
10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 95.213 19.888 -0.222
11 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 95.208 19.889 -0.223
12 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet BB&T 95.208 19.889 -0.223
13 12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 95.079 19.916 -0.250
14 28 Travis Kvapil Ford Yates Racing 95.060 19.920 -0.254
15 44 David Reutimann Toyota UPS 95.036 19.925 -0.259
16 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS 95.032 19.926 -0.260
17 21 Bill Elliott Ford Little Debbie 94.951 19.943 -0.277
18 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 94.874 19.959 -0.293
19 16 Greg Biffle Ford Jackson Hewitt 94.870 19.960 -0.294
20 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 94.832 19.968 -0.302
21 38 David Gilliland Ford FreeCreditReport.com 94.832 19.968 -0.302
22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet AMP Energy / National Guard 94.770 19.981 -0.315
23 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota DLP HDTV 94.713 19.993 -0.327
24 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility 94.637 20.009 -0.343
25 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge McDonald’s 94.637 20.009 -0.343
26 77 Sam Hornish Jr.* Dodge Mobil 1 94.637 20.009 -0.343
27 99 Carl Edwards Ford Claritin 94.600 20.017 -0.351
28 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT 94.595 20.018 -0.352
29 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Wrigley’s Big Red 94.595 20.018 -0.352
30 84 Mike Skinner Toyota Red Bull 94.562 20.025 -0.359
31 70 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet Haas Automation 94.543 20.029 -0.363
32 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Betty Crocker 94.538 20.030 -0.364
33 01 Regan Smith* Chevrolet DEI / Principal Financial Group 94.486 20.041 -0.375
34 00 Michael McDowell Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 94.406 20.058 -0.392
35 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet Pittsburgh Paints / Menards 94.369 20.066 -0.400
36 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet State Water Heaters 94.312 20.078 -0.412
37 10 Patrick Carpentier* Dodge Charter Comm. 94.298 20.081 -0.415
38 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 94.139 20.115 -0.449
39 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet Kellogg’s / CARQUEST 93.966 20.152 -0.486
40 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 93.664 20.217 -0.551
41 7 Robby Gordon+ Dodge Charter Comm. 93.641 20.222 -0.556
42 1 Martin Truex Jr.+ Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 93.627 20.225 -0.559
43 40 Dario Franchitti* Dodge Kennametal 94.078 20.128 -0.462

Did Not Qualify
44 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil 94.078 20.128 -0.462
45 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Front Row Motorsports 93.507 20.251 -0.585
46 08 Tony Raines Dodge rhino’s energy drink 93.460 20.261 -0.595
47 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row/ DenverMattress.com 93.230 20.311 -0.645

Talk about a strong start for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and an even stronger start for Hendrick Motorsports, Dale wins the shootout and then wins the first Gatorade Duel race today, and Jimmie Johnson has the pole for the Daytona 500. I wonder if all those people who said they would not root for Dale Jr. because he went to Hendrick Motorsports are regretting that decision now? Probably not, I bet they are already back on the bandwagon.

Denny Hamlin wins the first race for Toyota; you just knew it would be a Gibbs car, I mean, what has Waltrip and his bunch done with a year under their belts? I especially liked his little comment about Jeff Gordon hanging back on the restart, but it was fine for him to go to the back and block and weave in front of his teammates competitors to help them get in the 500. I bet Michael gets on your nerves when he’s drunk.

With a push from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin won the second Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race for Sunday’s Daytona 500 in a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the event four laps beyond its posted distance. The victory for Toyota was the second for a foreign manufacturer in NASCAR’s top series. Jaguar driver Al Keller won a road-course race in Linden, N.J., in 1954.

In the first Duel 150, Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Ryan Newman for the lead on Lap 51 of 60 and held on for the win — his second in two races for Hendrick Motorsports.

But the story of Thursday was the success of three veteran drivers — Dale Jarrett, Kenny Wallace and John Andretti — who persevered to make the field. Source: Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin win qualifying races at Daytona

A total of ten cars changed engines before the duel races, including all four Hendrick cars, so I was not too excited about Gordon’s chances, but only Dave Blaney had engine trouble during the races. This will be the first time the Daytona 500 has been run without a car from the Wood Bros.

I did not know you could do this though:

“It’s too early to diagnose the problem,” said Busch, who gave up the owner points on his No. 2 Dodge to guarantee rookie teammate Sam Hornish Jr. starting spots in the first five races of 2008.

I wonder why you don’t hear about it happening more often on teams with the really good drivers who make every race on speed, but it is only for the first five races.

Gatorade Duel 1 Unofficial Results
Gatorade Duel 2 Unofficial Results

Here’s how they will start for the Daytona 500:

1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 187.075 48.109 Leader
2 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS 186.734 48.197 -0.088
3 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet AMP Energy / National Guard - - -
4 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express - - -
5 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target - - -
6 20 Tony Stewart Toyota The Home Depot - - -
7 12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL - - -
8 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont - - -
9 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet Kellogg’s / CARQUEST - - -
10 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser - - -
11 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot - - -
12 8 Mark Martin Chevrolet U.S. Army - - -
13 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Betty Crocker - - -
14 6 David Ragan Ford AAA - - -
15 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Texaco / Havoline - - -
16 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil - - -
17 187 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Furniture Row
/ DenverMattress.com - - -
18 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M - - -
19 77 Sam Hornish Jr.* Dodge Mobil 1 - - -
20 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS - - -
21 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet PEAK / Menards - - -
22 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Makoto - - -
23 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull - - -
24 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s - - -
25 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker - - -
26 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Jim Beam - - -
27 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet State Water Heaters - - -
28 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT - - -
29 01 Regan Smith* Chevrolet Principal Financial Group - - -
30 28 Travis Kvapil Ford K&N Filters - - -
31 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s - - -
32 38 David Gilliland Ford FreeCreditReport.com - - -
33 70 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon - - -
34 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar - - -
35 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Best Buy - - -
36 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility - - -
37 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota DLP HDTV - - -
38 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal Cask No. 16 - - -
39 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo - - -
40 40 Dario Franchitti* Dodge Dodge Journey - - -
41 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing - - -
42 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine - - -
43 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite Champion’s Provisional

Did Not Qualify
44 84 A.J. Allmendinger Toyota Red Bull - - -
45 21 Bill Elliott Ford Little Debbie - - -
46 49 Ken Schrader Dodge HealthLife.com - - -
47 160 Boris Said Ford 7-Eleven Slurpee / No Fear - - -
48 10 Patrick Carpentier* Dodge Valvoline - - -
49 137 Eric McClure Chevrolet Hefty - - -
50 109 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Miccosukee Resort & Gaming - - -
51 27 Jacques Villeneuve* Toyota Bill Davis Racing - - -
52 150 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet NOS Energy Drink / SKI / SBM - - -
53 08 Carl Long Dodge MILLSTAR Tools / Rhino’s Energy Drink

Here are some of the latest published Jeff Gordon Videos.