Seven years ago.. we lost Dale Earnhardt.
(www.Jayski.com)
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T H E * S T O C K * C A R * G A Z E T T E
by http://MotorSportsNews.Net
Do you know for sure?
http://motorsportsnews.net/you-can-know-for-sure
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Hasco Collectibles
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2008 J. Montoya Havoline Charger, Dale Jr. Hist. 2004 BOD D500 Win MC,
2008 Bobby Labonte Cheerios 1/24 Dodge,
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2008 Dale Jr. All-Star Test Car, Nationwide #5 Go-Daddy, Delphi, And N. Guard MC’s,
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2008 Daytona 500 50th Anniv. DVD, Hendricks Drivers 50th D500 1/64th 4 Car Set,
2008 Rel. D. Earnhardt Sr. 1998 D500 Win Timeless COT Impala And Historical MC,
2008 J. Gordon Dupont 1/64, B. Labonte Cheerios 1/64, J. Johnson Lowes 1/64,
2008 Mark Martin Army Impala, Nationwide #5 Delphi And Go Daddy MC’s,
2008 Denny Hamlin Fed-Ex And Tony Stewart Home Depot Toyota Camrys,
2008 Rel. 1997 J. Gordon, 2001 M. Waltrip, 1964/1981 R. Petty D500 Win Historical,
2008 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Impala, Kasey Kahne Budweiser Dodge Charger,
2008 K. Harvick Shell And Reeses Impalas, J. Gordon Pepsi And Nicorette Impalas,
2008 Landon Cassil N. Guard MC, D. Franchitti Fastenal Dodge, D. Jarrett UPS Truck,
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Hasco Collectibles
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E d i t o r ‘ s * N o t e s
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Congrats to Penske Racing on a 1-2 finish at the Daytona 500, and especially to Ryan Newman for the win.
Seven years ago…we lost Dale Earnhardt.
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Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
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Where Has NASCAR Gone?
by: Daniel Schmittou
I hate to admit that I am one of the growing number of fans who wonder what happened to the Nascar we knew and loved.
MORE: http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/1087
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Track Trash – Daytuna 500 in ‘08
by: Racing Maniac
What stood out? The gentlemen became scoundrels.
MORE: http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/1088
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N A S C A R * S P R I N T * C U P * S E R I E S
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Newman to be on Letterman Monday night
Ryan Newman, winner of the 50th running of the Daytona 500, will be a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman on Monday night, February 18. The show airs at 11:30 pm – 12:30 am ET/PT on CBS. Please check local listings for your time zone.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/autoracingsport/~3/236766165/
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Courtesy of www.Catchfence.com
Ryan Newman, With Teammate Kurt Busch Pushing, Give Penske Racing Their First Daytona 500 Victory & 1, 2 Finish; Dodge Takes 6 Of The Top-10 Finishing Positions – http://www.catchfence.com/Speeds/08DAY500Results.html
Ford NSCS Teams Post-Daytona 500 Race Recaps – http://www.catchfence.com/press/021708.html
Toyota NSCS Teams Post-Daytona 500 Race Recaps – http://www.catchfence.com/press/021708b.html
Dodge NSCS Teams Post-Daytona 500 Race Recaps – http://www.catchfence.com/press/021708c.html
Chevy NSCS Teams Post-Daytona 500 Race Recaps – http://www.catchfence.com/press/021708d.html
Newman outraces Stewart with help from Busch to win Daytona 500: Another thriller, another heartbreak at the Daytona 500. For the second straight year, The Great American Race came down to the last lap. This time the drama rewarded Ryan Newman, who hadn’t won in 81 races over more than two years, and team owner Roger Penske, long the king at Indianapolis but never a winner at Daytona. Newman waited while the big stars fell back one by one. Then, with only Tony Stewart ahead of him, Newman got a “push from heaven” from teammate Kurt Busch to take the lead on the final lap. …Penske, the most successful owner in open-wheel history with 14 wins in the prestigious Indianapolis 500, now has a victory in NASCAR’s showcase event. It only took him 23 years to get it. …Stewart couldn’t hook up with Kyle Busch fast enough, and the two Penske cars steamrolled past him on the top. Newman pulled away for his first win since New Hampshire in September 2005, while Stewart had to settle for third.
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Courtesy of Insider Racing News
http://www.insiderracingnews.com
Newman Earns Extra Million
Teammates Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch gave Dodge its first ever 1-2 sweep in NASCAR’s premier event, the Daytona 500, winning the 50th running of the “Great American Race” Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. The Dodge Charger domination didn’t stop there. Six of the first eight positions were filled by Dodge drivers. Reed Sorenson finished fourth, Elliott Sadler fifth, Kasey Kahne sixth and Robby Gordon seventh. Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli met with Dodge team owners earlier Sunday and announced there would be a $1 million bonus for a Dodge victory. During a meeting with several members of the motorsports press later in the day, he predicted a Dodge victory. Newman and Busch put together the winning charge on the final lap. The teammates were second and third as the field took the white flag. They drafted their way to the front down the backstretch and stayed glued together through the final two turns and down to the tri-oval for the 1-2 finish.
Dodge Gets Big Boost
Dodge executive Mike Acavitti loved the fact that a Dodge car won the Daytona 500. And he was even more giddy over the fact that Dodge finished first, second, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth in a race expected to be dominated by Chevrolets and Toyotas. “This was a marketer’s dream tonight,” said Accavitti, the director of Dodge Motorsports marketing. “It was not just one Dodge crossing the finish line and then the next one was in 15th place. It was Dodge-Dodge, somebody else-somebody else, Dodge-Dodge-Dodge.” Penske Racing drivers Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch took the top two spots, while Chip Ganassi Racing’s Reed Sorenson was fifth, Gillett Evernham Motorsports’ teammates Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne were sixth and seventh and Robby Gordon Motorsports’ Robby Gordon was eighth Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
Busch Wins Lap Leader Award
Kyle Busch led eight times for 86 laps to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Busch scored a fourth-place finish, his 19th top-five on a superspeedway and 31st in 115 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. He has scored two top-five finishes in his last two Sprint Cup starts at Daytona. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Busch, Denny Hamlin (32) and Tony Stewart (16) combined to lead 134 of the 200 laps in Sunday’s race.
Newman Back In Victory Lane, Wins Daytona 500
Busch Pushes Newman To Win * CIA Stock Photo
It had been 82 races, since 2005, that Ryan Newman had visited Victory Lane in the Sprint Cup Series. On Sunday evening at Daytona International Speedway, with help from a teammate, Newman picked up his 13th win in 225 career races. It got pretty wild on the final restart with three laps to go. Newman restarted in fourth spot and was edging his way to the front where Jeff Burton was leading the way. It didn’t appear that Newman had enough to make a pass for the lead until Kurt Busch put the nose of his Penske Dodge to the rear bumper of Newman’s Dodge. It propelled them both to the front where they finished first and second. It was the first restrictor plate race victory for Penske Racing in 125 tries.
Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch had intentions of working together in the Daytona 500 and it all sounded good, but the execution lacked a bit as both drivers wanted to lead and both had a strong desire to win. Busch was bobbing and weaving all over the track but in the end, he finished fourth behind Tony Stewart. Driving a smart race, Reed Sorenson brought his Ganassi Racing Dodge home in the the fifth spot. Rounding out the top ten were Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Robby Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle. Six of the top ten finishers were Dodges. The Nextel Cup Series moves to the California Speedway next Sunday, February 24th, 2008, for the Auto Club 500. The race is scheduled to start at 4:00 PM Eastern Time and will be covered by Fox, starting at 3:30 PM.
Villeneuve Out For Now
Jacques Villeneuve’s career in the Sprint Cup Series is on hold. The 1995 Indianapolis 500 (winner) will be replaced next week at California, likely by Mike Skinner, unless a sponsor can be found for the Bill Davis Racing car over the next 24 hours. Mike Brown, the general manager at BDR, said there are no other plans to use Villeneuve until a sponsor is found. “It’s a race-to-race thing,” Brown said. “We thought we had one sponsor, down to having the uniform with the logo on it. We just never got the deal closed. It’s unfortunate for everyone.” Brown said the decision to go with a driver such as Skinner was based totally on experience. “By missing Daytona and putting ourselves in position of having to qualify to make the race we need somebody with Skinner’s ability,” he said. “Mike has run so well in the Truck Series out there.”
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Courtesy of Jayski
http://www.jayski.com
Some Daytona 500 Notes: early in the race #29-Harvick thought his engine was going, but as of lap 52 and a pit stop, Harvick is running better and in the top 25. #78-Nemechek lost 13 laps when a lugnut went thru the oil cooler, losing the oil, the team made repairs and as of lap 58, he is back on the track. #77-Hornish had a vibration, came in for an unscheduled pitstop on lap 58, losing a lap. #7-Gordon has Valvoline decals on the quarter panels, looks like helping out GEM sponsors, since Gordon is affiliated with GEM now and the #10 didn’t make the race. As of lap 64, Nemechek is back in the garage, engine may be shot. #34-Andretti short pitted earlier then the other regular scheduled stops, about 15 laps early and went down a lap on lap 63. On lap 67, #19-Sadler scraped the wall hard after cutting a right tire down, came in to pit for new tires and lost a lap. Nemechek came back on the track and is 28 laps down after 95 laps. #34-Andretti’s car was pushed behind the wall around lap 136 with a broken shock. #78-Wallace headed to the garage on lap 142. #01-Smith was off track a few laps and came back out, 6 laps down. On lap 154, #24-Gordon came back to pit road, the crew went under the hood and found a broken shock plate, took it to the garage. Gordon came back out 11 laps down, Andretti is back out, 16 laps down.
Lucky Dogs:
Caution 1: #26-McMurray
Caution 2: #83-Vickers
Caution 3: #8-Martin
Caution 4: #66-Riggs
Caution 5: #38-David Gilliland
Caution 6-7: none, ten laps or less left
Some stats: 32 cars finished on the lead lap at Daytona on Sunday, the most ever for a 500 mile oval race in Sprint Cup [the old record was the 2006 Daytona 500 at 31, there were 35 at Indy in 2005, 37 at Michigan in a rained shortened race [June 2006] and 34 for a road cource [2005]. All since the Lucky Dog came about in 2003.(2-18-2008)
Former NBA Player seeking Cup team ownership: Former NBA star and current talk show host John Salley is in the preliminary stages of seeking ownership in the Sprint Cup Series. Salley, at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday for the “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” said he’s had discussions with at least one Cup team owner about becoming a financial partner. “I want to be a team owner,” Salley said. “I want to be in this. I would help out with the money end and stand out front with a hat on.” Salley was so impressed with his experience at the Daytona 500 that he would choose it over the NBA All-Star Game that also was scheduled Sunday. “I am so far away from the All-Star Game it’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’ve dunked on people. I’ve done it all. This is the best s— I’ve seen in my life.” Salley was particularly impressed with the amount of corporate sponsorship in the sport. When introduced to Ryan Pemberton, the crew chief for #00-David Reutimann, he couldn’t help but notice all the sponsors on his shirt. “That’s a lot of pimping here,” Salley said. Salley, who stands out in the garage as a 6-foot-11 black man, said he’s not looking to be a part of NASCAR’s diversity program. “This has nothing to do with diversity,” he said. “Diversity is not something I want out of it. I’ve heard all the jokes about how black guys don’t do NASCAR. That’s amazing somebody would say that.”(ESPN.com)(2-18-2008)
GM Sticking with NASCAR: Despite reporting a record $38.7 billion loss in 2007, General Motors said it had no plans to eliminate its support of NASCAR. General Motors has dominated the series in recent years, with Chevrolet drivers having won the last three championships. �Obviously, the last racing we would drop in the racing that we�re in would be NASCAR right now, cause it�s still go the best return for us,� said John Middlebrook, the vice president for global sales and marketing for General Motors.)New York Times)(2-18-2008)
Kyle Busch doing well in all three series: #18-Kyle Busch (fourth) is the second driver to be in the top 10 in points in all three of NASCAR�s national series at the same time (Mike Wallace, 2003). Busch finished second in both the Craftsman Truck Series and Nationwide Series races.(NASCAR Statistics)(2-18-2008)
Bubba In The Garage? Could James “Bubba” Stewart leave motocross to pursue a career in NASCAR? “I’m trying to convince him four wheels are better than two,” said Max Seigel, the president of global operations at Dale Earnhardt Inc. Stewart was Siegel’s guest on Sunday at Daytona, the first Cup event he has attended. The 22-year-old phenom said Siegel has “hinted around with it a lot” about putting him in a developmental program. “Yeah, I’d like to try it,” he said. “Once I came down saw all the people, all the merchandise, that definitely interests me.” Stewart reminded that there were five times as many people at the 500 [185,000] as there are at a motocross event.(ESPN.com)(2-18-2008)
Fatback looking for a gig..TV?: Former Sprint Cup crew chief Michael �Fatback� McSwain was in the garage at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, looking for work, but not the kind he used to do when he was atop the pit box for drivers like Bobby Labonte and Ricky Rudd. McSwain, a devoutly religious man and the father of two young children, decided last year that he wanted to get off the crew chief treadmill and the savage grind of 38 races per year and day after day of testing. To that end, he�s become something of a jack-of-all-trades, doing some media work � he�s looking for more � auctioning memorabilia on eBay and other odds and ends. �I�m doing a little bit of everything, anything I can do to generate income,� said McSwain. �I�m in the process of building a tire store and front-end alignment shop in Dallas, N.C. I�ve been doing a little bit of TV stuff, some one-off shows, some fill-in work. � Anything I can do to generate enough income to stay home with my family.� McSwain was optimistic about the next phase of his life. �It�s a big, old world, there�s a lot of opportunities out there,� he said. �I started in this business at the bottom, so I�ll start my next venture at the bottom.�(SPEED)(2-17-2008)
NASCAR tested about 10 different Sprint Cup engines following last Thursday�s Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying races. According to several officials from NASCAR, the manufacturers who race in the Sprint Cup Series and race teams, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, all parties involved are satisfied that the engines from Toyota, General Motors, Dodge and Ford are competitive with each other in terms of horsepower. Most of the engines tested varied by less than 10 horsepower, multiple sources told SPEEDTV.com, with all but two of the engines within 7-8 horsepower of each other. And none of the four brands tested had a consistent advantage over the others. Media reports on Saturday that Toyotas had a 30-horsepower advantage over the Chevrolets were, to say the least, erroneous. Had that actually been the case, Chevrolet teams would have been raising a ruckus with NASCAR and complaining bitterly to the media about being at a competitive disadvantage. Nothing of the sort has happened.(SPEED)(2-17-2008)
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Courtesy of Gazette subscriber Kent D. – thanks!
Dale Earnhardt and his lucky Daytona 500-winning penny
http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/11012.html
Scotland on Sunday
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Express-deliverance.3786088.jp
(note from Kent …How Dario’s home country looks at NASCAR. More than a little “looking down their nose at us” bias in this article. It does, however, provide some insight as to how we (NASCAR Fans) are viewed in that part of the world. I found the article interesting, if at times annoying….)
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Courtesy of Scene Daily
http://www.scenedaily.com
McSwain considering new roles in NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Michael Fatback McSwain returned to the race track for the first time in about five months Sunday as he seeks to get back into the sport after parting ways with the Wood Brothers NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team before the end of the 2007 season.
http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/McSwain_considering_new_roles_in_NASCAR.html
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Unofficial Race Results
Race 1 of 36 – 2/17/2008
Daytona 500, Daytona Int’l Speedway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/CupSeries/Race.asp?Race=1
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Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts
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1 7 12 Ryan Newman Dodge 190
2 43 2 Kurt Busch Dodge 175
3 6 20 Tony Stewart Toyota 170
4 24 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 170
5 5 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge 160
6 35 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge 150
7 10 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge 151
8 26 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 142
9 3 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 143
10 18 16 Greg Biffle Ford 139
11 13 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge 130
12 23 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 127
13 36 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 129
14 16 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 121
15 19 77 Sam Hornish Jr. * Dodge 118
16 20 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota 115
17 4 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 117
18 42 0 David Reutimann Toyota 109
19 11 99 Carl Edwards Ford 106
20 25 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet 103
21 27 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 100
22 21 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet 97
23 33 70 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet 94
24 31 7 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 96
25 37 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota 88
26 38 26 Jamie McMurray Ford 85
27 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 87
28 32 38 David Gilliland Ford 79
29 2 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota 81
30 30 28 Travis Kvapil Ford 73
31 12 8 Mark Martin Chevrolet 70
32 15 42 Juan Montoya Dodge 67
33 40 40 Dario Franchitti* Dodge 64
34 39 45 Kyle Petty Dodge 61
35 28 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 63
36 29 1 Regan Smith * Chevrolet 55
37 9 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet 52
38 34 22 Dave Blaney Toyota 54
39 8 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 51
40 22 34 John Andretti Chevrolet 43
41 41 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 40
42 14 6 David Ragan Ford 37
43 17 187 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 34
Unofficial Standings
After race 1 of 36
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/CupSeries/Standings.asp
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Pos. Driver Pts Bnd St. Pol. Wins Top5 Top10
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1 Ryan Newman 190 1 0 1 1 1
2 Kurt Busch 175 -15 1 0 0 1 1
3 Tony Stewart 170 -20 1 0 0 1 1
4 Kyle Busch 170 -20 1 0 0 1 1
5 Reed Sorenson 160 -30 1 0 0 1 1
6 Kasey Kahne 151 -39 1 0 0 0 1
7 Elliott Sadler 150 -40 1 0 0 0 1
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 143 -47 1 0 0 0 1
9 Robby Gordon 142 -48 1 0 0 0 1
10 Greg Biffle 139 -51 1 0 0 0 1
11 Bobby Labonte 130 -60 1 0 0 0 0
12 Jeff Burton 129 -61 1 0 0 0 0
13 Brian Vickers 127 -63 1 0 0 0 0
14 Kevin Harvick 121 -69 1 0 0 0 0
15 Sam Hornish Jr.* 118 -72 1 0 0 0 0
16 Denny Hamlin 117 -73 1 0 0 0 0
17 Dale Jarrett 115 -75 1 0 0 0 0
18 David Reutimann 109 -81 1 0 0 0 0
19 Carl Edwards 106 -84 1 0 0 0 0
20 Martin Truex Jr. 103 -87 1 0 0 0 0
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Courtesy of That’s Racin’
http://www.thatsracin.com
Newman gets late push, passes for the win
Stewart can’t hold off Penske Dodges on Daytona 500′s final lap
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Ryan Newman knew what was happening. “I got that tingly feeling. “You only get that at certain times.”
http://www.thatsracin.com/247/story/11102.html
Dale Earnhardt and his lucky Daytona 500-winning penny
The story of a girl’s gift and a tough NASCAR champion’s compassion
From the time she could first sit in front of a television, Wessa Miller was a Dale Earnhardt fan. She got that from her daddy.
http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/11012.html
Junior gets little help from his Hendrick friends
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – By the time Dale Earnhardt Jr. got into position to try and pull out a win in Sunday’s Daytona 500, he found himself all alone.
http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/11107.html
Stewart comes within a half-lap of victory
http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/11155.html
Tom Sorensen | Did NASCAR’s Master Plan somehow go awry?
http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/11154.html
NASCAR’s ‘living legends’ give the starting order
http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/11100.html
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P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
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Dodge Finishes 1-2 In 50th Daytona 500;
Newman Wins With Teammate Busch Right Behind
Dodge Awards $1 Million Bonus To Penske Racing
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008) – Teammates Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch gave Dodge its first ever 1-2 sweep in NASCAR’s premier event, the Daytona 500, winning the 50th running of the “Great American Race” Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
The Dodge Charger domination didn’t stop there. Six of the first eight positions were filled by Dodge drivers. Reed Sorenson finished fourth, Elliott Sadler fifth, Kasey Kahne sixth and Robby Gordon seventh.
Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli met with Dodge team owners earlier Sunday and announced there would be a $1 million bonus for a Dodge victory. During a meeting with several members of the motorsports press later in the day, he predicted a Dodge victory.
Newman and Busch put together the winning charge on the final lap. The teammates were second and third as the field took the white flag. They drafted their way to the front down the backstretch and stayed glued together through the final two turns and down to the tri-oval for the 1-2 finish.
It was Newman’s first Daytona 500 victory and snapped an 81-race winless streak. He led four times for eight laps in the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, but the most important was the final circuit. The win was also the first Daytona 500 victory for car owner Roger Penske, the most successful owner in open wheel history with 14 Indianapolis 500 victories.
“I’ve been here almost 30 years trying to get in victory lane,” said Penske. “To achieve this with the competition, with Ryan and Roy and the whole team, it’s just unbelievable. We’ve worked hard. We’ve come close. I think it was a pure team effort. Ryan drove a masterful race, as he has done many times and come up short. But today was special for us.”
It was the first Daytona 500 win by a Dodge driver since Ward Burton visited victory lane in 2002.
Newman collected $1,506,045 for the win plus the $1 million bonus from Dodge.
“Kurt was the push from heaven that made it all happen,” Newman said. “Without a doubt, he could have easily gone three-wide and split us through the center and made one heck of a mess there. But he chose to be a teammate, and that was the most honorable thing that he could do.
“I don’t have the words to explain how I feel. This is awesome. It’s probably one of the most awesome things that has happened to me. Just to be a part of the 50th running of the Daytona 500; 15 years ago I was sitting in the grandstands in the Seagraves Tower as a spectator. It’s awesome to make the change.”
Busch started 43rd in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger, but managed to work his way to the front and lead nine laps. It was his third runner-up finish in the Daytona 500. He has seven top-five finishes in 15 races at Daytona.
“To give my teammate a shot and to push him to victory makes me feel like we won this thing as well, right along with him,” said Busch. “You have to have teammates when you are restrictor plate racing. You have to work together whether you are on the track or off the track. Penske Racing deserves this. It’s our first ever restrictor plate win and we came through with a one-two finish.”
Newman’s Dodge Charger will be inducted into the Daytona 500 Experience Monday where it will remain on display for one year. Following the induction ceremonies, Newman departs for New York for a media tour and then on to Las Angeles on Tuesday afternoon for more appearances.
“This is an awesome victory,” said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing. “The win is super important. Ryan and the No. 12 team did an excellent job. Penske Racing was on top of their game today. It was a great showing by all the Dodge teams; to get six out of the top eight is just a phenomenal showing for Dodge. It shows the depth of our program and we couldn’t be more excited for the 2008 season.”
Sorenson and Kahne ran in the top 10 throughout the race while Gordon and Sadler made their move to the front in the latter stages of the 200-lap event. There were 42 lead changes among 16 drivers.
“We had a good car,” said Kahne. “I think we were in the top 10 all day long. I was really happy with the Budweiser Dodge. The team did a good job with the pit stops and the car was great. A Dodge won, so that’s pretty awesome for Dodge and all of us.”
For Sorenson, driver of the No. 41 Target Dodge Charger from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, it was his third top-10 finish in the Daytona 500.
“Everybody on the team has done a great job since we got here and I think that says a lot about what we can do this year,” said Sorenson.
Gordon said he played it safe in his Dodge Charger until the final 100 miles.
“My car was good,” he said. “I was just surviving and trying not to put myself in position to tear my car up until the last 40 laps. My hat is off to all the guys at GEM (Gillett Evernham Motorsports) and congratulations to Dodge.”
Bobby Labonte finished 11th and Sam Hornish Jr. was 15th, best among the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contenders.
“I’m about as happy as I can be with the 15th-place finish,” said Hornish. “ We came in with a goal that if we were in the top-20, we would be happy with that. Not only were we able to do that, we were able to see one of our teammates win. That was great.”
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N A S C A R * N A T I O N W I D E * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of Jayski
http://www.jayski.com
Stewart Wins Nationwide Series Race at Daytona: #20-Tony Stewart led 46 laps on the day to get his 3rd Nationwide Series career win (all of them at Daytona). He’s the first driver to ever win a season opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona from the pole. The win was Toyota’s 3rd in the Series. Stewart’s teammate, #18-Kyle Busch finished second. The rest of the top 10: #5-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., #10-Brian Vickers, #17-Matt Kenseth, #41-Bryan Clauson, #16-Greg Biffle, #32-Denny Hamlin, #6-David Ragan, and #60-Carl Edwards. There were just 4 cautions for 12 laps and 8 leaders with 16 lead changes.
NASCAR Race Number 1
Unofficial Race Results for the Camping World 300 Presented By Chevy
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL – 2.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 120 Laps – 300 Miles – Purse: $2,640,772
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
1 1 20 Tony Stewart Armor All Toyota 120 190 5 $109,720 Running 3 46
2 5 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 120 180 10 $81,025 Running 5 47
3 19 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Chevy 120 165 $69,950 Running
4 11 10 Brian Vickers ABF Toyota 120 165 5 $74,112 Running 2 2
5 14 17 Matt Kenseth Kraft/Ritz Ford 120 155 $58,900 Running
6 6 41 Bryan Clauson # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 120 150 $62,162 Running
7 25 16 Greg Biffle citifinancial Ford 120 146 $52,050 Running
8 8 32 Denny Hamlin Hass Avocados from Mexico Toyota 120 147 5 $50,475 Running 1 1
9 28 6 David Ragan Discount Tire Ford 120 143 5 $49,625 Running 1 2
10 26 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford 120 134 $50,700 Running
11 10 8 Martin Truex Jr. Freightliner Chevy 120 135 5 $47,175 Running 3 20
12 31 47 Kelly Bires Clorox Ford 120 127 $54,037 Running
13 40 1 Johnny Sauter Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 120 124 $53,462 Running
14 18 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 120 121 $52,762 Running
15 7 21 Bobby Labonte Realtree Chevy 120 118 $46,475 Running
16 13 88 Brad Keselowski NAVY Chevy 120 115 $52,162 Running
17 34 22 Mike Bliss Supercuts Dodge 120 112 $51,912 Running
18 29 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 120 109 $51,787 Running
19 3 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 120 106 $51,812 Running
20 4 40 Dario Franchitti # Fastenal Dodge 120 103 $54,637 Running
21 9 33 Kevin Harvick Camping World Chevy 120 100 $44,675 Running
22 38 25 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Smithfield Ford 120 97 $51,287 Running
23 39 77 Cale Gale # Rheem Chevy 120 94 $51,512 Running
24 22 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Toyota 120 91 $50,987 Running
25 2 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 119 88 $44,550 Running
26 27 27 Brad Coleman Cottonelle/Kroger Ford 119 85 $50,737 Running
27 21 00 Michael McDowell RIMCO Toyota 119 82 $43,900 Running
28 35 37 Brad Baker Envirox Ford 119 79 $43,825 Running
29 23 95 Willie Allen USALabs.com Dodge 119 76 $44,025 Running
30 32 28 Kirk Shelmerdine Lilly Trucking Chevy 119 78 5 $50,787 Running 1 1
31 37 4 Robert Richardson Jr. JVC Chevy 118 70 $50,187 Running
32 24 01 Kertus Davis Lori Morgan, LLC Chevy 118 67 $50,124 Running
33 16 81 D.J. Kennington STP Tools Dodge 117 64 $50,062 Running
34 36 24 Eric McClure Hefty Brand Chevy 117 61 $50,012 Running
35 15 9 Kasey Kahne Ragu Dodge 111 63 5 $43,125 Accident 1 1
36 20 11 Jason Keller Allstate Materials Chevy 110 55 $49,787 Accident
37 30 66 Steve Wallace Atreus Homes & Communities 110 52 $49,722 Accident
38 17 30 Stanton Barrett NOS Energy Drink/Interush Chevy 108 49 $49,662 Accident
39 33 59 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford Hickory Charcoal Ford 103 46 $49,612 Accident
40 42 14 David Gilliland Music City Illinois Ford 53 43 $42,825 Accident
41 12 70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 53 40 $49,512 Accident
42 41 64 David Stremme Atreus Homes & Communities 17 37 $42,725 Engine
43 43 90 Steve Grissom Chevy 3 34 $42,651 Electrical
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C R A F T S M A N * T R U C K * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of Jayski
http://www.jayski.com
Bodine wins at Daytona: #30-Todd Bodine held of a last lap charge by Johnny Benson & Kyle Busch to win the Chevy Silverado 250 at Daytona. It was Bodine’s first win at Daytona. Rounding out the top ten were #51-Kyle Busch, #23-Johnny Benson, #11-David Starr, #14-Rick Crawford, #4-Stacy Compton, #8-Chad McCumbee, #9-Justin Marks, #16-Brian Scott, #18-Dennis Setzer. The first rookie [8th] #9-Justin Marks. The “big-one” occurred early on at lap 18 collecting seven trucks; with #5-Mike Skinner, #21-Jon Wood & #10-Brendan Gaughan among those extensively damaged. On the restart, another incident involving five more trucks before one lap was completed. Defending champion #33- Ron Hornaday also had troubles sending him to the garage around lap 45. Pole-sitter #99-Erik Darnell, after leading much of the race, had problems following the final pit stop, and while trying to get to pit road the #9 of Justin Marks got into the back of Darnell, ending the evening for Darnell. There were 5 lead changes among five drivers and 5 caution flags for 21 laps.
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C O L U M N S / C O M M E N T A R I E S
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Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RF/021608.html
This Week In NASCAR: 50th Daytona 500 Like No Other Race
by Ron Felix
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/KR/021708.html
Camping In The Infield At Daytona
by Kim Roberson
Thoughts on the Eve of the Daytona 500: The way that the starting lineup is constructed for the Daytona 500 is a nightmare that is part of a tradition started long ago. It resembles the heat races that qualify short track drivers for the main event. http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/08/021708Fleshman.asp
From 1st to Victory Lane: Tony Stewart with big help from Kyle Busch takes home his third win for the Nationwide Series at Daytona International Speedway in the Camping World 300. http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/08/021608Finnegan_Nationwide.asp
Bodine holds off Busch and wins at Daytona: Todd Bodine held off charges from Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson on the final lap to win Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series Chevy Silverado 250 at Daytona International Speedway. http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/08/021608Pamela.asp
Random Lugnuts: Michael Waltrip at The Daytona 500: Ever since Dale Earnhardt put him in a NAPA sponsored car in 2001, Michael Waltrip has had an interesting run of races, to say the least… http://www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/articles/1843.php
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RF/021808.html
After 82 Races, Newman Back In Victory Lane
by Ron Felix
Best Ads O’ the Day!
by Carol Einarsson
The Daytona 500 is oft referred to as the Super Bowl of NASCAR, and in the spirit of the biggest race of the year also come the biggest commercials of the year.
http://www.racejournalonline.com/index.cfm?Pagename=column&id=424
NASCAR TV Wall-To-Wall At Daytona
http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/02/nascar-tv-wall-to-wall-at-daytona.html
In-Progress At Daytona: 50th Daytona 500 On Fox Sports
http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/02/in-progress-at-daytona-50th-daytona-500.html
In-Progress At Daytona: “NASCAR RaceDay” On SPEED
http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/02/in-progress-at-daytona-nascar-raceday.html
“Shifting Gears” Continues To Upstage The NASCAR TV Partners
http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/02/shifting-gears-continues-to-upstage.html
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T V * L I S T I N G S
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Mon Feb 18
12:30 am ESPN Original Movies: “3″ ESPN2
12:00 am NASCAR Victory Lane The Daytona 500 SPEED
1:00 am Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain SPEED
2:00 am The SPEED Report SPEED
2:30 am ESPN Original Movies: “3″ ESPN2
4:00 am NASCAR Victory Lane The Daytona 500 SPEED
8:00 am NASCAR Victory Lane The Daytona 500 SPEED
9:00 am Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain SPEED
12:00 pm NCTS Setup Daytona SPEED
12:30 pm Craftsman Truck Series Daytona SPEED
6:00 pm NASCAR Now ESPN2
8:00 pm This Week in NASCAR Steve Byrnes, host SPEED
Tues Feb 19
12:00 am This Week in NASCAR Steve Byrnes, host SPEED
1:00 am NASCAR Now ESPN2
8:00 am This Week in NASCAR Steve Byrnes, host SPEED
6:00 pm NASCAR Now ESPN2
DISC-HDT = Discovery HD Theatre
ESPN-CL = ESPN Classic, US
HDNet = High Definition Network available on DirecTV (Channel 79) and DISH, etc.
Outdoor = Outdoor Channel (US)
VS = Versus (formerly known as OLN, Outdoor Life Network)
Always CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
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The Stock Car Gazette
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