NASCAR Notebook

Alright Kurt Busch, Will It Be The Don Johnson or Hot Rod?

2009-03-09T13:38:00.001-07:00

Isn’t that the latest dance move? No, perhaps a new TV series airing on USA Network?

Neither!

Those are the choices Kurt Busch is deciding on calling his new victory lap. That’s right, The Don Johnson or maybe Hot Rod. I have heard some people say that Busch’s reverse victory lap was cool, or it was lame, or that they wish he’d just smack the wall. What ever you think of his victory lap, you have to admit……it’s different. Whatever it is has to be better than the stupid snow angel thing he did after winning Bristol a few years ago.

I’m assuming The Don Johnson is in reference to something on Miami Vice. I do not have a clue – I never watched Miami Vice. The Hot Rod name is a reference to the former driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, Rusty Wallace. This one I am familiar with. Rusty Wallace almost always referred to his race car as a “hot rod”. So I guess by Kurt Busch naming his victory lap Hot Rod, it will be a tribute to Rusty Wallace.

Personally, I like Hot Rod the best. I am not really a Kurt Busch fan, and I never really pulled for Rusty Wallace, but I think naming the victory lap after Rusty is a cool thing to do.

So, what do you think? The Don Johnson, or Hot Rod?

And The BoneHead Of The Week Award Goes To…….

2009-03-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

JTG Daugherty Racing crewman Jimmy Watts.

During today’s Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the caution waved unexpectedly at lap 67. I would be willing to bet that everyone was thinking a wreck, or a blown tire, or perhaps an expired engine was the culprit of the yellow flag, right?

Wrong! The yellow flag came out because JTG Daugherty crewman, Jimmy Watts, ran out onto the frontstretch grass to retrieve a run away tire. Mr. Watts found himself about 50 yards or so from where race cars were zooming by at over 180 mph! Since the crewman was so close to the race track, NASCAR officials had no choice but to throw the caution to ensure the crewman’s safety.

BoneHead of the Week Award recipient, Jimmy Watts, retrieving run away tire at lap 67.

NASCAR ended up “parking” Jimmy for the remainder of the race. He later had to meet with NASCAR official after the conclusion of the race to discuss his actions and any possible penalties.

I’m not sure how NASCAR may handle this. I can’t recall anything like this happening before. I have seen instances where crew members chase run away tires, but never seen a crewman go that close to the actual track before - especially to the point where NASCAR has to throw the yellow flag.

Here Jimmy Watts gets back to pit road safely after a dumb move.

I believe NASCAR should go light on the guy. I mean what he did was pretty darn stupid, but the guy was just trying to hustle. NASCAR already suspended him for the remainder of the race, and I’m sure gave him a stern talking-to. Plus, without a doubt everyone will rib the heck out of him for awhile about this event.

That right there is probably enough punishment to take. But Jimmy…. next time just let the tire go, dude. It’s just not worth your life!

20,006 – Jeff Gordon’s new number

2009-03-03T03:40:00.001-08:00

No, I’m not saying Jeff Gordon is relinquishing his famous No. 24 for a new car number. I’m referring to how many laps the veteran driver has led in his Sprint Cup career. During all the hoopla over Kyle Busch’s remarkable come from behind win Sunday, Jeff Gordon’s accomplishment seemed to fall by the wayside.

During Sunday’s Shelby 427 Jeff Gordon led 17 laps, passing Rusty Wallace for seventh on the all-time laps led list (say that three times).

Gordon has led a total of 20,006 laps in his career. Let’s think about that number for a minute. The Daytona 500 is 200 laps. So if Gordon led every lap of every Daytona 500 for 100 years, it would equal 20,000 laps. That is staggering!

Another staggering feat is that Gordon has won over 100 million dollars in his career. Wow! I’m sure his wife, Ingrid, likes that stat better than the lap led one.

Although Gordon has hit an impressive milestone, he is still well short of Richard Petty’s mark of 52,194. Gordon is just 3,125 behind the 6th place all-time lap leader, Darrell Waltrip, who has 23,131 laps led.

Congratulations to Jeff Gordon for leading over 20,000 laps in his career.

Top 30 All-Time Lap Leaders In The Sprint Cup Series

1. Richard Petty 52,194
2. Cale Yarborough 31,676
3. Bobby Allison 27,539
4.Dale Earnhardt 25,707
5. David Pearson 25,419
6.Darrell Waltrip 23,131
7. Jeff Gordon 20,006
8. Rusty Wallace 19,972
9. Bobby Isaac 13,229
10. Junior Johnson 12,651
11. Mark Martin 11,562
12. Bill Elliott 11,417
13. Tony Stewart 10,254
14. Buddy Baker 9,748
15. Ned Jarrett 9,468
16. Geoffrey Bodine 8,683
17. Harry Gant 8,445
18. Fred Lorenzen 8,131
19. Jimmie Johnson 7,579
20. Ricky Rudd 7,874
21. Dale Jarrett 7,050
22. Terry Labonte 7,035
23. Tim Flock 6,937
24. Benny Parsons 6,866
25. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 6,384
26. Neil Bonnett 6,382
27.Herb Thomas 6,197
28. Fireball Roberts 5,970
29. Jeff Burton, 5,807
30. Matt Kenseth 5,795
31. Buck Baker 5,662

Drivers in italic are still active drivers.

What Would Earnhardt Think?

2009-03-02T09:02:00.001-08:00

While watching yesterday’s Shelby 427 Sprint Cup event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Fox aired Darrell Waltrip briefly interviewing Jeff Gordon. During this interview, DW asked Jeff Gordon about the talent of Kyle Busch. Gordon answered that he wished he had half the talent that Kyle Busch possessed (that’s a brief summary of what Gordon said, mind you).

During the interview the two of them also talked about when Dale Earnhardt, Sr. gave Jeff Gordon the nickname of “Wonder Boy”. Basically, Earnhardt, Sr. gave Gordon that name early in Gordon’s career because he was so young and so impressive during that time. After a while, the nickname just stuck.

All of this made me think about something – If Dale Earnhardt were still alive today, what would he think about Kyle Busch?

No matter how us race fans feel about Kyle Busch, one thing is obvious – the Las Vegas native can drive the wheels off a race car.

And I bet you Dale Earnhardt would say the same thing.

“Wild Thing” Wins Wild Race At Las Vegas

2009-03-01T18:29:00.001-08:00

Kyle Busch has had plenty of highlights in his short NASCAR career: setting a record as the youngest winner in series history, giving Toyota its first victory and returning Joe Gibbs Racing's flagship car to prominence.

None of it compared to winning at home.

Busch notched the biggest win of his young career Sunday by driving from the back of the field to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his hometown track.

Although there are far more hallowed tracks in NASCAR, this 1.5-mile oval in the desert was where "The Wild Thing" most wanted to win. He proved that with an elaborate victory celebration that ended with him on his knees, kissing the finish line.

"I tell you what, this is pretty cool," Busch said. "I didn't know exactly what it would mean, but coming to the checkered flag, there were knots in my stomach. It's bigger than winning the Daytona 500. I said it wasn't going to be, but it is."

Busch struggled in his first visit to Vegas, wrecking 11 laps into his Cup debut race and finishing 41st.

He bounced back to compete for the wins the next to seasons, but settled for second- and third-place finishes to then-teammate Jimmie Johnson. His best chance might have been last year, when he returned home leading the points for the first time in his career and won the pole. But he struggled with the handling on his JGR Toyota, and wound up 11th.

This year, he wouldn't be denied.

Busch came prepared at the start of the weekend, beating big brother Kurt for the pole to put brothers on the front row for the first time since 2000. But an engine change in his Toyota meant he had to drop to the back of the field at the start of the race, and Busch had to power his way through the field over 285 laps.

In a brief address to the crowd before the start of the race, he promised to get to the front.

"I just said, `Hey, you know what? We're going to the back so get ready for a show. Here it comes,'" he recalled. "Even if I got up to 20th and then backed it in, it was still going to be a show."

Busch took the lead with 57 to go, then lost it during a late round of pit stops. Busch was third on a restart with 22 to go, then chased down Jeff Burton and leader Clint Bowyer to move out front again.

"Say goodnight, Gracie," spotter Jeff Dickerson radioed as Busch moved out to a dominating lead.

But there were two more cautions, and Busch had to hold off the competition over two final restarts for his first victory of the season. It was his first win at Las Vegas in six career Cup Series starts, 13 total spanning NASCAR's top three series.

"We just had to battle back," Busch said. "We didn't have the best car out there, but we had a car we kept on working on. I don't know where I get credited for winning this thing, whether it's from the back or from the pole. Either way, we conquered both of them."

He celebrated with thick burnouts through the grass, then apparently blew his engine again. Enveloped in thick white plumes of smoke, he emerged from the clouds to make his trademark bow to the crowd.

He then collected the checkered flag from NASCAR, and kneeled to kiss the finish line on the track.

"I just had to kiss the ground this place was built on," he said, recalling every phase of construction.

He was met in Victory Lane by his tearful mother, Gaye, and Kurt Busch, who gave him a hearty hug despite his disappointing 23rd-place finish.

"He said, `We watched this place be built and you were the first one to conquer it,'" Busch recalled. "And mom was right there, too. Her face was soaked."

Kurt Busch remains winless at Las Vegas in nine career Cup starts. But forced to stay in Vegas another night because a winter storm had shut down all air traffic back to North Carolina, he was likely headed to the celebratory party on the Strip.

"We're partying it up big," Kyle Busch said. "The plane can't go home tonight, so it's going to be one heck of a party in Las Vegas."

Bowyer finished second and Burton was third, bouncing back from a horrible run last week at California.

David Reutimann, one of the five Toyota drivers who had to change a motor this weekend, finished fourth and was followed by Bobby Labonte and Jeff Gordon, who missed pit road late in the race and blew his tire on the subsequent trip around the track.

Greg Biffle was seventh and Brian Vickers, another Toyota driver with an engine change, was eighth. Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top 10.

Jimmie Johnson, strong all afternoon, wrecked with six laps to go to finish 24th.

Carl Edwards' motor blew with two laps to go while he was running fourth. He finished 17th.

Matt Kenseth, trying to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the first three races of the season, lost his engine six laps into the race and finished last. In all, Roush Fenway Racing lost three of five motors.

2009 Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Final Results

Pos	Driver	Car #	Make	Started	Laps	Led	Points
1	Kyle Busch	18	Toyota	1	285	51	190
2	Clint Bowyer	33	Chevrolet	37	285	9	175
3	Jeff Burton	31	Chevrolet	14	285	61	170
4	David Reutimann	00	Toyota	4	285	0	160
5	Bobby Labonte	96	Ford	17	285	0	155
6	Jeff Gordon	24	Chevrolet	28	285	17	155
7	Greg Biffle	16	Ford	24	285	40	151
8	Brian Vickers	83	Toyota	21	285	0	142
9	Jamie McMurray	26	Ford	38	285	0	138
10	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	88	Chevrolet	31	285	0	134
11	Kasey Kahne	9	Dodge	7	285	1	135
12	Kevin Harvick	29	Chevrolet	9	285	9	132
13	Joey Logano	20	Toyota	20	285	1	129
14	David Gilliland	71	Chevrolet	30	285	0	121
15	Robby Gordon	7	Toyota	32	285	1	123
16	Sam Hornish Jr.	77	Dodge	12	285	0	115
17	Carl Edwards	99	Ford	16	285	2	117
18	David Stremme	12	Dodge	11	284	0	109
19	Regan Smith	78	Chevrolet	18	284	0	106
20	Marcos Ambrose	47	Toyota	5	284	0	103
21	Scott Speed	82	Toyota	42	284	0	100
22	Denny Hamlin	11	Toyota	34	284	0	97
23	Kurt Busch	2	Dodge	2	284	1	99
24	Jimmie Johnson	48	Chevrolet	3	284	92	101
25	Ryan Newman	39	Chevrolet	6	283	0	88
26	Tony Stewart	14	Chevrolet	10	283	0	85
27	Michael Waltrip	55	Toyota	15	283	0	82
28	John Andretti	34	Dodge	29	283	0	79
29	Elliott Sadler	19	Dodge	33	283	0	76
30	Casey Mears	07	Chevrolet	41	282	0	73
31	Juan Pablo Montoya	42	Chevrolet	23	281	0	70
32	Martin Truex Jr.	1	Chevrolet	25	281	0	67
33	AJ Allmendinger	44	Dodge	19	281	0	64
34	Reed Sorenson	43	Dodge	39	278	0	61
35	Paul Menard	98	Ford	36	269	0	58
36	Max Papis	13	Toyota	26	258	0	55
37	Todd Bodine	64	Toyota	43	227	0	52
38	Brad Keselowski	25	Chevrolet	13	221	0	49
39	Aric Almirola	8	Chevrolet	27	143	0	46
40	Mark Martin	5	Chevrolet	8	121	0	43
41	Joe Nemechek	87	Toyota	22	102	0	40
42	David Ragan	6	Ford	35	72	0	37
43	Matt Kenseth	17	Ford	40	6	0	34

Bizarre Happenings IN Sam’s Town 300 Nationwide Series Race

2009-03-01T04:54:00.001-08:00

I must admit that the Sam’s Town 300 Nationwide race yesterday, was one of the strangest I have seen in a while.

Here is Kevin Harvick, Scott Speed, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch leading the way in the beginning of the Sam’s Town 300. All four cars ended up in the garage.

The craziness began on lap nine when Denny Hamlin spun out all by himself. After that it seemed all hell broke loose for the front-runners.

Not long after Hamlin’s spin, Kyle Busch spun out racing Kevin Harvick for the lead. Busch’s spin ended up taking out pole sitter, Scott Speed.

Denny Hamlin spinning out a few laps later.

Not only did we see Sprint Cup drivers spinning out unassisted, but there was also a confuggled mess of pit road mistakes by just about everyone that led or contended for the lead. It almost appeared that leading the race was a hex.

Biffle ran out of gas as the leader, which put Hamlin out front. Then Hamlin was too fast exiting pit road, had to return for a pass-through penalty, and was too fast again.

Kyle Busch spins and collects Scott Speed.

Hamlin’s mistake gave Vickers the lead, but he coughed it up when he left his pit stop with a missing lug nut.

Brendan Gaughan inherited the lead, then he spun trying to enter pit road to give David Ragan the lead. Edwards, who had rallied to third from an earlier punctured tire, was penalized for driving too fast off pit road. But as he tried to argue his penalty, Ragan wrecked on the track to take NASCAR’s attention.

Harvick’s car sits mangled in the garage after an altercation with teammate Jeff Burton.

Justin Allgaier, who had stayed out of trouble to put himself in position to make a late challenge for the lead, then scuffed the wall while running in the top 10.

Finally, when it all got sorted out, Greg Biffle was the leader and eventual winner.

There was so much wrecking and pit mishaps at one time, that the ESPN2 broadcast announcers were having a difficult time keeping up with it all.

If the Nationwide race is any indication of how the Sprint Cup race will be, it might prove to be a very interesting race. It would be good to see after the California boredom last week.

Busch Brothers Earn Front Row At Home Track In Las Vegas

2009-02-27T20:57:00.001-08:00

It was brotherly love, briefly, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch became the first brothers since 2000 to sweep the front row in qualifying for a NASCAR race, but Kyle Busch's blown motor will prevent the Las Vegas drivers from starting next to each other at their home track.

Kyle Busch blew a motor in his Toyota during Friday's practice session, changed the engine, then ran a pole-winning lap of 185.995 mph to knock his big brother off the pole. Kurt Busch ran a lap at 185.707 mph.

But under NASCAR rules, Kyle Busch will have to drop to the back of the field at the start of Sunday's race. Third-place qualifier Jimmie Johnson will slide onto the front row next to Kurt Busch during the warm-up laps.

Kyle Busch wasn't worried about having to drive to the front.

"Unfortunately for myself, I won't be in the cool photo next to my brother at the drop of the green flag," said Kyle Busch, who celebrated the pole-winning run by crashing a Victory Lane wedding ceremony between race fans and stepping in as the best man.

The 1-2 qualifying effort marked the first time brothers have swept the front row since Rusty and Kenny Wallace at Martinsville in 2000. Bobby and Terry Labonte also took the top two starts at the 1998 Daytona 500.

The motor change spoiled what would have undoubtedly been an intense fight to lead the first lap, so Kurt Busch wasn't bothered that Kyle will fall to the back of the field.

"It would have been great to go after it and see who would leave the first lap, but you can't get caught up in all that," Kurt Busch said.

David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose qualified fourth and fifth, but also had to change their motors after their laps and will drop to the back of the field. Brian Vickers, who won the pole last week at California but had to forfeit it because of an engine change, and his teammate Scott Speed also switched motors Friday.

In all, five Toyota teams switched motors Friday.

"I don't have any idea," Busch said of the rash of motor problems. Kyle Busch's motor is built by Joe Gibbs Racing, but the others all came from Toyota's factory in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Ryan Newman qualified sixth and was followed by Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart.

A total of 51 drivers entered the race, meaning 16 drivers were vying for the eight available spots in the field. Among those to make the race AJ Allmendinger— a year after he missed the event for Red Bull Racing and was temporarily pulled from his ride the next week, Brad Keselowski and Regan Smith, last year's rookie of the year.

Missing the field was Jeremy Mayfield and Scott Riggs, who both raced their way into the Daytona 500 three weeks ago, as well as Travis Kvapil, Dave Blaney, Sterling Marlin and Tony Raines.

2009 Shelby 427 Starting Lineup

Start Pos	Car#	Driver	Car	Qual Speed	Qual Time
1	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	185.995	29.033
2	2	Kurt Busch	Dodge	185.707	29.078
3	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	185.688	29.081
4	00	David Reutimann	Toyota	185.624	29.091
5	47	Marcos Ambrose	Toyota	185.459	29.117
6	39	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	185.395	29.127
7	9	Kasey Kahne	Dodge	185.382	29.129
8	5	Mark Martin	Chevrolet	185.312	29.140
9	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	185.280	29.145
10	14	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	185.217	29.155
11	12	David Stremme	Dodge	185.077	29.177
12	77	Sam Hornish Jr.	Dodge	184.989	29.191
13	25	Brad Keselowski	Chevrolet	184.786	29.223
14	31	Jeff Burton	Chevrolet	184.565	29.258
15	55	Michael Waltrip	Toyota	184.540	29.262
16	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	184.496	29.269
17	96	Bobby Labonte	Ford	184.433	29.279
18	78	Regan Smith	Chevrolet	184.433	29.279
19	44	A J Allmendinger	Dodge	184.395	29.285
20	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	184.388	29.286
21	83	Brian Vickers	Toyota	184.168	29.321
22	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	184.162	29.322
23	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Chevrolet	184.118	29.329
24	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	184.005	29.347
25	1	Martin Truex Jr.	Chevy	183.999	29.348
26	13	Max Papis	Toyota	183.974	29.352
27	8	Aric Almirola	Chevrolet	183.936	29.358
28	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	183.799	29.380
29	34	John Andretti	Dodge	183.786	29.382
30	71	David Gilliland	Chevrolet	183.748	29.388
31	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	183.742	29.389
32	7	Robby Gordon	Toyota	183.486	29.430
33	19	Elliott Sadler	Dodge	183.461	29.434
34	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	183.293	29.461
35	6	David Ragan	Ford	183.144	29.485
36	98	Paul Menard	Ford	182.921	29.521
37	33	Clint Bowyer	Chevrolet	182.772	29.545
38	26	Jamie McMurray	Ford	182.574	29.577
39	43	Reed Sorenson	Dodge	182.469	29.594
40	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	182.143	29.647
41	07	Casey Mears	Chevrolet	181.928	29.682
42	82	Scott Speed	Toyota	181.257	29.792
43	64	Todd Bodine	Toyota	183.231	29.471
DNQ	28	Travis Kvapil	Ford	183.181	29.479
DNQ	66	Dave Blaney	Toyota	182.673	29.561
DNQ	73	Mike Garvey	Dodge	182.457	29.596
DNQ	41	Jeremy Mayfield	Toyota	182.389	29.607
DNQ	09	Sterling Marlin	Dodge	181.543	29.745
DNQ	36	Scott Riggs	Toyota	180.820	29.864
DNQ	37	Tony Raines	Dodge	180.331	29.945
DNQ	51	Dexter Bean	Dodge	174.154	31.007

6 Quick Questions Heading Into The Shelby 427 At Las Vegas

2009-02-26T19:23:00.001-08:00

1. Will Matt Kenseth make it a three-peat this weekend at Las Vegas? It is extremely difficult to win two races in a row, but it is much more difficult to win three. With Kenseth’s history at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, plus some momentum on his side, he is probably the odds-on favorite to pull into Victory Lane this weekend.

2. Can Jimmie Johnson rebound from his sluggish start to the 2009 season? After recording a 31st place finish at Daytona and a 9th place finish at California, Jimmie Johnson sits 19th in the points standings. Remember, Johnson had a rough start to the 2008 season, and finished with a Sprint Cup trophy. I expect Jimmie Johnson to catapult into the top 12 in points after a solid top-5 finish in the Shelby 427 Sunday.

3. Will Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s bad luck end at Las Vegas? Junior has had a mix of terrible luck and poor decisions so far in the 2009 campaign. The much-talked about pit errors and tangle with Brian Vickers at Daytona, and the engine problems last week at California has left NASCAR’s most popular driver 35th in points. Now here comes even more bad news – Junior is notorious for struggling at the intermediate tracks like Las Vegas. If Junior and crew chief, Tony Eury, don’t get it together this weekend, Junior Nation won’t have much to cheer about come time for the Chase.

4. Will Mother Nature have a three-peat? The Daytona 500 was shortened due to rain, and the Auto Club 500 was delayed several times for sprinkling rain. Sure, Las Vegas is in the middle of a desert, but hey…you never know!

5. Will the extra 27 miles added to this event effect race strategy? I am almost sure the extra 27 miles will play a role in fuel mileage. Plus, the longer race will most likely create one more pit stop than normal. And when it comes to pit stops the advantage surely goes to Matt Kenseth and The Killer Bees. That has been the best pit crew bar none thus far in 2009.

6. Can Mark Martin get his second Sprint Cup win at Las Vegas this weekend? You better believe he can! Mark Martin has ran well at Vegas since the first Cup race in 1998, winning that event. Martin has posted 1 win, 5 top-5’s, and 9 top-10s in 11 starts at LVMS. Now that he is driving Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolets, Martin will be a favorite to contend for the win.

Race 3: Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fan Guide

2009-02-25T17:58:00.001-08:00

Race fans, we are entering the third race of the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. This week’s event will be the Shelby 427, held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Let’s dive into some fun tidbits about this event and venue.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway History

Just a few miles north of The Strip, Las Vegas Motor Speedway sits like a diamond in the desert. One of the most complete racing complexes in the world, its 1,600 acres include road courses, a three-eighths mile oval, a dirt track and a state-of-the-art drag racing facility.

At its heart, however, is the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, home of a 400-mile race on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, as well as Busch and Truck Series events.

Construction of the $200 million complex began in 1995.

Nearly 2,000 tons of concrete were originally used to build more than 100,000 seats. Shortly after Speedway Motorsports Inc. bought the track in 1998, it announced plans to add 22,000 seats in the Dale Earnhardt Tower overlooking the frontstretch.

The first NASCAR race held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a Truck Series event in 1996. The Busch Series held a race there in 1997, and a year later the Cup series made its first visit with Mark Martin picking up the victory in 1998.

Construction of the Richard Petty Terrace in Turn 1 was completed in 2006, allowing fans a shot at 14,000 additional tickets and pushing the track's seating capacity to nearly 150,000.

Additionally, the track saw several major changes in 2006, as the entire surface as reconfigured with progressive banking installed, as well as fan-friendly features in the infield and moving pit road closer to the straightaway. Beginning in 2007, officials made grandstand seating during NASCAR weekend smoke-free.

Mark Martin won the first Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1998

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Facts

Configuration

Location

7000 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas, NV 89115

Completed

1996

Shape

D-shaped Tri Oval

Distance

1.5 miles

Banking

Turns: 20 degrees; Frontstretch: 9 degrees; Backstretch: 9 degrees

Frontstretch Length

2,275 feet

Backstretch Length

1,572 feet

Track Records

Qualifying Record

Kasey Kahne – 184.856 mph (29.212 seconds); Set March 9, 2007

Race Record

Mark Martin – 146.554 mph; Set March 1, 1998

Aerial view of Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Previous Winners (1999-2008)

Year	Driver	Car	Avg. Speed
1999	Jeff Burton	Ford	137.537
2000	Jeff Burton	Ford	119.982
2001	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	135.546
2002	Sterling Marlin	Dodge	136.754
2003	Matt Kenseth	Ford	132.934
2004	Matt Kenseth	Ford	128.790
2005	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	121.038
2006	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	133.358
2007	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	128.183
2008	Carl Edwards	Ford	127.729

Most Wins

Jimmie Johnson

Most Top 5s

Mark Martin; Jeff Gordon

Most Top 10s

Mark Martin

Most Starts

Jeff Burton; Mark Martin; Jeff Gordon; Bobby Labonte

Most Poles

Kasey Kahne; Bobby Labonte

Most Laps Led

438

Matt Kenseth

Avg. Start

7.3

TV Broadcast Schedule For 2009 Las Vegas Speedway Events

Camping World Truck Series

No events this week

Nationwide Series

Friday, February 27, 2009

Practice – 1:30 PM EST

Final Practice – 4:30 PM EST

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Qualifying – Noon EST

Race – Sam’s Town 300 - 4:00 PM EST

Sprint Cup Series

Friday, February 27, 2009

Practice – 3:00 PM EST

Qualifying – 6:30 PM EST

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Practice – 1:30 PM EST

Final Practice – 2:30 PM EST

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Race – Shelby 427 - 3:30 PM EST

Surprises And Disappointments From The Auto Club 500

2009-02-24T17:00:00.001-08:00

There were quite a bit of surprises and disappointments during the 2009 Auto Club 500. Here is a list of what I thought were the biggest surprises and disappointments from last Sunday’s race.

Surprise

Matt Kenseth winning the first two races of the year was a big surprise to me. I know Roush Fenway has been dominate at this event the last several years, but for Kenseth to pull off that win surprised and impressed me. If you would have told me that Kenseth was going to win the race with 30 laps to go, I would have fell out laughing.

Disappointment

As Matt Kenseth was starting a new streak of his own, Kevin Harvick ended one. Harvick’s DNF Sunday night was his first in 81 races. A streak that was only three races shy of the all-time races without a DNF streak.

Surprise

Jimmie Johnson fading off towards the end was definitely a surprise. Usually, the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team is at its best when it comes to the waning laps of a race – not this week. Johnson was running in dominating form during the early and middles stages of the race. When it got down to the last 30 to 40 laps, he began struggling and finished an uncharacteristic ninth.

Disappointment

The only real racing was on pit road. It is a shame that out of 250 laps on the track, the most excitement was the race off pit road. No wonder the Auto Club Speedway has a hard time selling tickets.

Surprise

Tony Stewart finished eight in both races thus far, and is fourth in points – tied with Kurt Busch with 294 points. We all know Stewart is a great race car driver, but to be doing so well with his new team was a surprise to me. I figured some new team struggles would hamper Stewart in the beginning of the season.

Disappointment

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. being 35th in points is a huge disappointment. I am not a Junior fan, but I expected him to be doing much better than this out of the gate. His bad driving hurt him in Daytona, and now his bad luck at Fontana has put him in a big hole to climb out of. It might be a long season for Junior Nation if his fortunes do not reverse soon…. real soon.

Surprise

Seeing Michael Waltrip and Juan Pablo Montoya in the top-10 in points. Waltrip and Montoya have started the 2009 season with strong finishes the first two races. Waltrip has finishes of seventh at Daytona and 15th at Fontana. Montoya has finishes of 14th at Daytona and 11th at Fontana. If these two can keep this up, they could be be contenders for a Chase spot. I doubt it really, but you never know in this sport. As for Waltrip, nothing motivates quite like the threat of firing yourself, huh?

Disappointment

I have been disappointed in how Joey Logano has run so far in 2009. I know the 18-year old is a rookie and has never ran at these tracks, but he has struggled badly. Maybe I am expecting too much from him too early. Logano is currently 38th in owner points. So if he doesn’t get a move on by Martinsville, he will have to qualify to get in the race. That could become a nightmare for the No. 20 Home Depot team.

I am looking forward to seeing what kind of surprises and disappointments we find at Las Vegas this Sunday.

Can We Talk Fox Into Burying Digger?

2009-02-23T16:45:00.001-08:00

When Fox first introduced their new in-track camera called the GopherCam, I really liked it. The new angle was fresh and interesting – plus the camera showed some very neat angles of the race action.

Every time the network switched to the GopherCam, they showed an animation of a gopher in the lower left hand corner popping up out of his hole, then making a couple goofy faces and finally jumping back in his hole after being startled by the cars whooshing by at break-neck speeds.

Next Fox had a contest to come up with a name for the gopher character. The name chosen by the fans and Fox was Digger.

It was all very cute and amusing for a little while.

After last weekend’s race at California, I can honestly say I have had enough of the Digger stuff. It was bad enough that the viewers see this Digger animation 30 times a race, but now Fox has to show a 2-minute cartoon episode during each pre-race show. Digger is featured in the lower left corner whenever the network returns to the race after a commercial break.

Come on Fox! Enough with the Digger stuff. I feel that you have gotten a bit carried away with this and you really need to tone it down. It was amusing the first 100 times, but now it’s getting annoying …. fast.

Kenseth Makes It 2-for-2 With California Win

2009-02-22T21:09:00.001-08:00

Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth made it two victories in a row Sunday, holding off a late challenge from Jeff Gordon to win the Auto Club 500.

Kenseth took the lead from Gordon in the pits with 38 laps to go in the 250-lap race and stayed ahead of the runner-up in the battle of former Cup champions, pulling away over the last 20 laps.

It is the first time a Cup driver has won the first two races of the season since Gordon did it in 1997 on the way to the second of his four championships.

"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."

Kenseth and Gordon were much faster than the rest of the field at the end, both of them pulling away from the pack. But Gordon, like Kenseth winless last year, was unable to get to Kenseth's rear bumper and get a real run on the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford.

"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."

It was Kenseth's third victory on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval and the fifth consecutive February victory for team co-owner Jack Roush.

Kyle Busch, who made NASCAR history by winning both the Truck and Nationwide races on Saturday, came up short of the weekend sweep.

"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 was a contender throughout the race, but fell to 12th after being penalized for running over his own air hose on a pit stop on Lap 209. He charged all the way to fourth, but was still upset by his mistake.

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

Kurt Busch finished fifth, followed by Denny Hamlin, defending race winner Carl Edwards, two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and three-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who led 74 laps but faded in the late-going.

2009 Auto Club 500 Final Results

Pos Driver Lap Speed Time Behind Led

1. Matt Kenseth 250 168.828 42.65 0.000 84

No. 17 Carhartt Ford

2. Jeff Gordon 250 169.133 42.57 1.464 64

No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet

3. Kyle Busch 250 169.276 42.53 6.980 0

No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota

4. Greg Biffle 250 170.665 42.19 9.132 16

No. 16 3M Ford

5. Kurt Busch 250 167.993 42.86 11.328 2

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

6. Denny Hamlin 250 168.575 42.71 12.008 0

No. 11 Fed Ex Freight Toyota

7. Carl Edwards 250 167.973 42.86 13.657 1

No. 99 AFLAC Ford

8. Tony Stewart 250 168.646 42.69 16.610 3

No. 14 Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet

9. Jimmie Johnson 250 169.133 42.57 17.380 74

No. 48 Kobalt Tools / Lowe's Chevrolet

10. Brian Vickers 250 168.417 42.75 21.325 0

No. 83 Red Bull Toyota

11. Juan Montoya 250 168.330 42.77 24.315 1

No. 42 Target Chevrolet

12. Kasey Kahne 250 168.130 42.82 29.316 0

No. 9 Budweiser Dodge

13. David Stremme 250 167.695 42.94 31.174 3

No. 12 Penske Championship Racing Dodge

14. David Reutimann 250 168.044 42.85 32.755 0

No. 00 Aaron's Toyota

15. Michael Waltrip 250 167.950 42.87 35.995 0

No. 55 NAPA Toyota

16. Jamie McMurray 250 166.366 43.28 39.015 0

No. 26 Crown Royal Ford

17. David Ragan 249 167.738 42.92 1 0

No. 6 UPS Ford

18. Travis Kvapil 249 168.177 42.81 1 0

No. 28 Farmers Insurance Ford

19. Clint Bowyer 249 168.753 42.67 1 0

No. 33 Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet

20. Bobby Labonte 249 168.224 42.80 1 0

No. 96 ASK.com Ford

21. Reed Sorenson 249 166.871 43.15 1 0

No. 43 Charter Communications Dodge

22. Marcos Ambrose 249 165.320 43.55 1 0

No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota

23. Sam Hornish Jr. 249 166.474 43.25 1 0

No. 77 AAA Insurance Dodge

24. Casey Mears 249 168.248 42.79 1 0

No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet

25. Elliott Sadler 249 166.779 43.17 1 0

No. 19 Best Buy Dodge

26. Joey Logano 249 167.275 43.04 1 0

No. 20 Home Depot Toyota

27. Martin Truex Jr. 249 165.746 43.44 1 0

No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet

28. Ryan Newman 248 168.319 42.78 2 0

No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet

29. A.J. Allmendinger 248 166.933 43.13 2 0

No. 44 Charter Communications Dodge

30. Robby Gordon 248 167.602 42.96 2 0

No. 7 Jim Beam Toyota

31. John Andretti 248 166.289 43.30 2 1

No. 34 Window World Chevrolet

32. Jeff Burton 247 164.873 43.67 3 0

No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet

33. David Gilliland 246 164.967 43.64 4 0

No. 71 Unsponsored Chevrolet

34. Jeremy Mayfield 245 162.785 44.23 5 0

No. 41 All Sport Energy Drink Toyota

35. Aric Almirola 242 80.339 89.62 8 0

No. 8 Guitar Hero Chevrolet

36. Scott Riggs 240 164.911 43.66 10 0

No. 36 Red Bank Toyota

37. Paul Menard 221 162.719 44.25 29 0

No. 98 Menards Ford

38. Kevin Harvick 207 168.118 42.83 43 0

No. 29 Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet

39. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 205 116.298 61.91 45 0

No. 88 AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet

40. Mark Martin 179 99.357 72.47 71 1

No. 5 CARQUEST / Kellogg's Chevrolet

41. Scott Speed 172 63.852 112.76 78 0

No. 82 Red Bull Toyota

42. Dave Blaney 50 107.339 67.08 200 0

No. 66 Unsponsored Toyota

43. Joe Nemechek 37 126.214 57.05 214 0

No. 87 Unsponsored Toyota

Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 135.839 mph.

Time of Race: 3 hours, 40 minutes, 51 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 1.463 seconds.

Caution Flags: Five for 43 laps.

Lead Changes: 19 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders: J.Johnson 1-43; J.Andretti 44; Ku.Busch 45-46; J.Johnson 47-77; J.Gordon 78-85; G.Biffle 86; C.Edwards 87; J.Gordon 88-127; G.Biffle 128-142; J.Gordon 143; J.Montoya 144; M.Kenseth 145-170; J.Gordon 171; T.Stewart 172-174; M.Martin 175; M.Kenseth 176-195; J.Gordon 196-209; D.Stremme 210-212; M.Kenseth 213-250.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): M.Kenseth, 3 times for 84 laps; J.Johnson, 2 times for 74 laps; J.Gordon, 5 times for 64 laps; G.Biffle, 2 times for 16 laps; T.Stewart, 1 time for 3 laps; D.Stremme, 1 time for 3 laps; Ku.Busch, 1 time for 2 laps; C.Edwards, 1 time for 1 lap; J.Montoya, 1 time for 1 lap; J.Andretti, 1 time for 1 lap; M.Martin, 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 12 in Points: 1. M.Kenseth, 385. 2. J.Gordon, 304. 3. Ku.Busch, 294. 4. T.Stewart, 294. 5. G.Biffle, 268. 6. C.Bowyer, 266. 7. M.Waltrip, 264. 8. D.Ragan, 262. 9. C.Edwards, 260. 10. J.Montoya, 256. 11. E.Sadler, 248. 12. D.Reutimann, 248.

Will Anyone Stop ‘Wild Thing’ In Today’s Auto Club 500?

2009-02-22T08:22:00.001-08:00

What ‘Wild Thing’, Kyle Busch, has done thus far during this weekend’s events at Auto Club Speedway is very impressive. Busch not only won both the San Bernardino County 200 in the Camping World Truck Series, and the Stater Bros. 300 in the Nationwide Series, he dominated those races.

Kyle Busch led a combined 238 laps out of a possible 250 laps. Now, I don’t know about you, but that is pure domination. He also made NASCAR history by winning two events in one day.

I know Busch is not a very popular driver with most fans. I have heard Busch referred to as a “young punk” among other superlatives that I won’t disclose here. Whatever you call Kyle Busch, a true race fan has to admit one thing – the man can drive a race car.

What Busch has been able to accomplish in his young career would not be possible without the teams he drives for. The Billy Ballew Motorsports truck team is one of the best teams in the truck series. Of course, the Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide team is one of the best in that series, winning the owner points championship in 2008.

So after Kyle Busch’s phenomenal Saturday at Auto Club Speedway one question remains – Will he match that performance on Sunday?

California natives Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are favorites to win the Auto Club 500, but I don’t know if anyone should count out Kyle Busch after Saturday’s events.

If Kyle Busch does win Sunday’s race in Fontana, California, it will mark the first time in NASCAR history that a driver has won all three events in one weekend.

Kyle Busch Makes History With Stater Bros. 300 Win

2009-02-22T04:49:00.001-08:00

Hours after winning a Camping World Truck Series race in a runaway, Kyle Busch staged a repeat performance in Saturday night's Stater Bros. 300 Nationwide Series event at Auto Club Speedway.

"It's awesome," Busch said after climbing out of his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. "This is just a blast. It's pretty special to beat guys like Carl [Edwards] and Kevin [Harvick]. To win here twice in one day is even more special."

In claiming the 22nd Nationwide Series victory of his career, Busch became the first driver ever to win two races in any of NASCAR's top three series on the same day. Busch had come close once before, finishing second to Jamie McMurray by .005 seconds in a July 2007 Cup race at Daytona after winning a rain-delayed Nationwide race earlier in the day.

On Sunday, he'll try for another record -- a weekend sweep of NASCAR's top three series at the same race track.

About the only suspense came on a restart on Lap 135, after Edwards beat Busch off pit road following the final stops for both cars. Busch dived to the inside of Edwards' Ford, and Harvick made it three-wide through the corner before Busch regained the lead through Turns 3 and 4.

From that point, Busch pulled away and crossed the finish line 1.011 seconds ahead of Harvick and almost the same margin he had in beating Todd Bodine in the Truck race.

Joey Logano, Busch's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, finished third, followed by pole-sitter Edwards and his Roush Fenway Racing teammate, David Ragan.

Jeff Burton, David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, series rookie Brendan Gaughan and Steve Wallace completed the top 10.

"It was a blast," Busch said. "We were just glad to put on a great show. It got a little nerve-wracking there on that last restart but that's what the fans come to see."

Harvick tried to seize the opportunity but couldn't force his way past Busch and Edwards.

"I was able to sneak by Kyle and Carl when they got together there [on the restart] -- at least that's what it looked like from my perspective. I just couldn't quite complete the pass there."

Busch, who led 143 of the 150 laps, obliterated the field during the first green-flag run, streaking to an advantage of more than 8 seconds before pitting from the lead on Lap 40. After the cycle of green-flag stops, Busch led Harvick by as much as 11.486 seconds before Michael McDowell's fiery crash in Turn 2 caused the first caution of the race on Lap 52.

By then, 14 of the 43 cars that had started the race were on the lead lap.

"Definitely, the best car won -- that's for sure," said Edwards, who fell back after battling Busch and Harvick on the final restart. "That was amazing. Kyle was just in a league of his own [Saturday night], so it was tough to be able to hang with him for most of the night."

The victory came in the first race back for crew chief Jason Ratcliff, suspended along with fellow crew chief Dave Rogers for the final 10 races of last season and Daytona after the Gibbs team was caught trying to manipulate the results of an engine dynomometer test at Michigan.

"I've been dreaming about this," Ratcliff said. "It's a heck of a way to come back."

2009 Stater Bros. 300 Final Results

Results Saturday from the Stater Bros. 300 race for NASCAR's Nationwide Series at Auto Club Speedway, listing starting position in parentheses, driver, car, reason out if not running at the finish, laps completed, driver rating, points and money won:

1. (2) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 150 laps, 150 rating, 195 pts, $76,820.

2. (9) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 150, 117.4, 170, $60,525.

3. (7) Joey Logano, Toyota, 150, 107, 165, $56,893.

4. (1) Carl Edwards, Ford, 150, 120.9, 165, $44,150.

5. (8) David Ragan, Ford, 150, 106.6, 155, $34,375.

6. (6) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 150, 115.8, 150, $31,325.

7. (29) David Reutimann, Toyota, 150, 96.1, 146, $28,275.

8. (12) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 150, 105, 142, $26,825.

9. (11) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 150, 90.7, 138, $35,903.

10. (15) Steve Wallace, Chevrolet, 150, 87.6, 134, $35,493.

11. (18) Jason Leffler, Toyota, 150, 86.9, 130, $32,393.

12. (23) Scott Lagasse Jr., Toyota, 150, 83.7, 127, $32,143.

13. (4) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, 150, 95.1, 124, $32,943.

14. (17) Justin Allgaier, Dodge, 150, 88.4, 121, $31,808.

15. (10) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 150, 80.7, 118, $26,055.

16. (42) Michael Annett, Toyota, 149, 65.8, 115, $31,563.

17. (19) Jason Keller, Ford, 149, 74.5, 112, $31,353.

18. (36) David Green, Toyota, 149, 67.1, 109, $31,518.

19. (27) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, 149, 68.9, 106, $31,108.

20. (24) Ken Butler, Chevrolet, 149, 68.4, 103, $31,498.

21. (30) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, 149, 61.6, 100, $31,238.

22. (14) John Wes Townley, Ford, 148, 64, 97, $30,753.

23. (20) Brandon Whitt, Ford, 147, 65.3, 94, $31,068.

24. (25) D.J. Kennington, Dodge, 147, 53.7, 91, $30,508.

25. (26) Kertus Davis, Chevrolet, 146, 49, 88, $24,055.

26. (32) Kenny Hendrick, Dodge, 146, 45.1, 85, $30,263.

27. (13) Brad Keselowski, Chevrolet, 145, 78.8, 87, $30,128.

28. (43) Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 145, 38.4, 79, $23,540.

29. (31) Brian Keselowski, Dodge, 145, 44.8, 76, $23,390.

30. (38) Eric McClure, Ford, 145, 37, 73, $30,048.

31. (37) Kenny Wallace, Chevrolet, 143, 48.4, 70, $29,638.

32. (40) Scott Gaylord, Chevrolet, 143, 37.6, 67, $29,528.

33. (33) Danny O'Quinn Jr., Chevrolet, 134, 42.7, 64, $22,950.

34. (5) Greg Biffle, Ford, accident, 127, 90.7, 61, $23,190.

35. (28) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, rear end, 61, 55.5, 58, $22,730.

36. (3) Michael McDowell, Toyota, accident, 50, 63.1, 55, $29,838.

37. (16) Terry Cook, Chevrolet, ignition, 15, 41.7, 52, $28,973.

38. (35) J.C. Stout, Chevrolet, overheating, 13, 36.7, 49, $22,395.

39. (39) Johnny Chapman, Chevrolet, ignition, 10, 34.5, 46, $28,808.

40. (22) Casey Atwood, Chevrolet, rear end, 5, 34.6, 43, $22,305.

41. (41) Justin Ashburn, Chevrolet, ignition, 5, 28.9, 40, $28,713.

42. (21) Dennis Setzer, Dodge, vibration, 3, 32.4, 37, $22,165.

43. (34) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, vibration, 3, 30.8, 34, $22,127.

***

Race statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 137.178 mph.

Time of Race: 2 hours, 11 minutes, 13 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 1.11 seconds.

Caution Flags: 4 for 23 laps.

Lead Changes: 6 among 3 drivers.

Lap Leaders: K.Busch 1-39; C.Edwards 40; Bra.Keselowski 41-42; K.Busch 43-130; C.Edwards 131-134; K.Busch 135-150.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): K.Busch, 3 times for 143 laps; C.Edwards, 2 times for 5 laps; Bra.Keselowski, 1 time for 2 laps.

Top 10 in Points: 1. K.Busch, 360; 2. C.Edwards, 340; 3. K.Harvick, 305; 4. D.Ragan, 297; 5. B.Vickers, 297; 6. D.Reutimann, 273; 7. J.Logano, 268; 8. B.Gaughan, 256; 9. J.Keller, 255; 10. G.Biffle, 221.

Busch Dominates Camping World Truck Series Race At Fontana

2009-02-21T14:55:00.001-08:00

Kyle Busch didn’t need any last-lap heroics this time. The NASCAR star simply stayed out front in Saturday’s truck race.

Busch led 95 of 100 laps in capturing his second straight win on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval. It was his 10th series victory.

Last week at Daytona, Busch failed to make late-race passes pay off at the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide races, but there was nothing to be disappointed about Saturday.

“It was just flawless,” Busch said of his Toyota truck. “This one’s for Doug George. It’s his first win as crew chief. It’s a lot of these guys first win, as a matter of fact.”

Busch, scheduled to race again later Saturday in the Nationwide race, finished second to Todd Bodine in the Daytona truck race after trying unsuccessfully to bump his way past the leader on the final lap. He tried the same move on Tony Stewart in the Nationwide event, and wound up fourth after Stewart fended off the move and broke Busch’s momentum.

But the 23-year-old Busch, who had 21 overall victories last year—three in trucks, 10 in Nationwide and eight in Cup—was just too strong at the Southern California track.

Bodine stayed with him for a while, but eventually slipped out of contention, finishing more than 9 seconds—more than the distance of the front straightaway—behind.

“It’s a little disappointing to have a Tundra that’s that good and finish second,” Bodine said. “That tells you how good Kyle was.

“As the tires got hot and slick, he just was able to get through the corners a little better, and that was probably the difference,” added Bodine, who had won two straight races, including last year’s finale at Homestead.

The former series champion, driving for Germain Racing, is going race-to-race without sponsorship.

“I guess we’ll be going to Atlanta (for the next race),” he said. “Hopefully, somebody’s out there watching, paying attention. A first and a second so far, that’s pretty good.”

Chad McCumbee finished second, followed by David Starr, T.J. Bell, Ron Hornaday Jr., Matt Crafton and former bike racing star Ricky Carmichael, the top finishing rookie.

Defending series champion Johnny Benson was never in contention and finished 12th.

2009 San Bernardino County 200 Final Results

Finish	Start	Truck #	Driver	Make	Lap	Points
1	1	51	Kyle Busch	Toyota	100	195
2	7	30	Todd Bodine	Toyota	100	170
3	12	07	Chad McCumbee	Chevrolet	100	170
4	19	24	David Starr	Toyota	100	160
5	21	11	T J Bell	Toyota	100	155
6	4	33	Ron Hornaday	Chevrolet	100	150
7	8	88	Matt Crafton	Chevrolet	100	146
8	3	4	Ricky Carmichael	Chevrolet	100	142
9	20	17	Timothy Peters	Toyota	100	138
10	10	9	Max Papis	Toyota	100	134
11	5	5	Mike Skinner	Toyota	100	130
12	2	1	Johnny Benson	Toyota	100	127
13	16	10	James Buescher	Ford	100	124
14	9	14	Rick Crawford	Ford	99	121
15	17	60	Stacy Compton	Toyota	99	118
16	25	15	Shane Sieg	Toyota	99	115
17	18	13	Johnny Sauter	Chevrolet	99	112
18	14	40	Mike Bliss	Chevrolet	99	109
19	23	90	Gabi Dicarlo	Toyota	99	106
20	6	6	Colin Braun	Ford	99	108
21	31	61	Brett Thompson	Dodge	98	100
22	22	7	J R Fitzpatrick	Chevrolet	98	97
23	24	32	Chase Austin	Chevrolet	97	94
24	11	81	Tayler Malsam	Toyota	97	91
25	15	25	Terry Cook	Toyota	91	88
26	27	48	Dennis Setzer	Chevrolet	40	85
27	29	23	Jason White	Dodge	34	82
28	36	57	Norm Benning	Chevrolet	31	79
29	13	16	Brian Scott	Toyota	26	76
30	32	21	Marc Mitchell	Dodge	20	73
31	33	08	Butch Miller	Chevrolet	13	70
32	35	47	Brandon Knupp	Chevrolet	10	67
33	28	06	Johnny Chapman	Toyota	9	64
34	34	22	Wayne Edwards	Dodge	6	61
35	26	77	J C Stout	Toyota	4	58
36	30	44	Lance Hooper	Chevrolet	2	55

Average Speed: 145.821 MPH
Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 22 Mins, 23 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 9.023 Seconds

Lead Changes: 4 among 3 drivers Cautions: 2 for 8 laps
Attendance: 10,000

Edwards Wins Pole For The Stater Bros. 300

2009-02-21T12:26:00.001-08:00

Carl Edwards doesn't have crew chief Drew Blickensderfer to help with his Nationwide Series ride anymore, but new crew chief Dan Stillman doesn't seem to be exactly hurting the team.

Stillman and Edwards earned their first pole together on Saturday morning at Auto Club Speedway, claiming the top spot for the Stater Bros. 300 tonight in Southern California.

When Blickensderfer became Matt Kenseth's Sprint Cup crew chief (and now a Daytona 500 champion), Stillman stepped in to try and help continue Edwards' winning ways in the second-tier series.

Edwards' lap of 179.695 mph was enough to put his Roush Fenway Racing Ford ahead of Kyle Busch (178.860) and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing car.

Both drivers are running the full schedule this season.

"It was a great lap, and we've got 150 more of them," Edwards said. "It's going to be a good points race all season."

JTG Racing's Michael McDowell, a rookie in the series, qualified a surprise third. He was followed by Phoenix Racing's Mike Bliss and Roush Fenway's Greg Biffle.

Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing), Joey Logano (Gibbs), David Ragan (Roush Fenway), Kevin Harvick (Kevin Harvick Inc.) and Michael Waltrip (Michael Waltrip Racing) rounded out the top 10.

Rookie Michael Annett (Germain Racing) wrecked during his qualifying lap and will have to use a backup car for the race.

Scott Wimmer (Key Motorsports) was the biggest name to fail to qualify for the race, but three others also went home: Johnny Borneman III (Trail Motorsport), Mike Harmon (Mike Harmon Racing) and Andy Ponstein (Stott Classic Racing).

The Stater Bros. 300 is scheduled to begin tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST.

2009 Stater Bros. 300 Starting Lineup

Pos	Driver	Car #	Make	Qual. Speed
1	Carl Edwards	60	Ford	179.695
2	Kyle Busch	18	Toyota	178.860
3	Michael McDowell	47	Toyota	178.116
4	Mike Bliss	1	Chevrolet	177.918
5	Greg Biffle	16	Ford	177.475
6	Jeff Burton	24	Chevrolet	177.296
7	Joey Logano	20	Toyota	177.122
8	David Ragan	6	Ford	177.000
9	Kevin Harvick	33	Chevrolet	176.609
10	Michael Waltrip	99	Toyota	176.427
11	Brendan Gaughan	62	Chevrolet	176.393
12	Brian Vickers	32	Toyota	176.380
13	Brad Keselowski	88	Chevrolet	176.035
14	John Wes Townley	09	Ford	175.975
15	Steve Wallace	66	Chevrolet	175.708
16	Terry Cook	91	Chevrolet	175.374
17	Justin Allgaier	12	Dodge	175.144
18	Jason Leffler	38	Toyota	174.931
19	Jason Keller	27	Ford	174.834
20	Brandon Whitt	61	Ford	174.359
21	Dennis Setzer	196	Dodge	174.102
22	Casey Atwood	85	Chevrolet	174.073
23	Scott Lagasse Jr.	11	Toyota	174.060
24	Ken Butler III	23	Chevrolet	173.934
25	DJ Kennington	81	Dodge	173.930
26	Kertus Davis	49	Chevrolet	173.896
27	Morgan Shepherd	89	Chevrolet	173.800
28	Joe Nemecheck	87	Chevrolet	173.737
29	David Reutimann	10	Toyota	173.682
30	Tony Raines	234	Chevrolet	173.410
31	Brian Keselowski	26	Dodge	172.911
32	Kenny Hendrick	171	Dodge	172.852
33	Danny O’Quinn Jr	01	Chevrolet	172.699
34	Derrike Cope	20	Chevrolet	172.463
35	JC Stout	0	Chevrolet	172.191
36	David Green	07	Toyota	172.092
37	Kenny Wallace	28	Chevrolet	171.270
38	Eric McClure	24	Ford	170.685
39	Johnny Chapman	90	Chevrolet	169.763
40	Scott Gaylord	52	Chevrolet	169.727
41	Justin Ashburn	05	Chevrolet	151.385
42	Michael Annett	15	Toyota	-
43	Stanton Barrett	31	Chevrolet	171.990
44	Scott Wimmer	40	Chevrolet	DNQ
45	John Borneman III	22	Ford	DNQ
46	Mike Harmon	84	Chevrolet	DNQ
47	Andy Ponstein	102	Chevrolet	DNQ

Vickers Bounces Back To Win Pole For Auto Club 500

2009-02-20T18:36:00.001-08:00

It might not erase the memories of the Daytona 500, but it didn't exactly hurt, either.

Brian Vickers put his Red Bull Racing car on the pole Friday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California in advance of Sunday's Auto Club 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race, helping to at least turn the page on his Daytona 500 wreck with Dale Earnhardt Jr. last week.

"Obviously, the best way to move on from a situation or a controversy is to give them something else to talk about," he said. "We've given them that this week."

Vickers recorded a lap of 183.439 mph while the sun still burned down on the 2-mile track, then watched as no one else could match his efforts as the temperature cooled. The pole position is the sixth of his Cup career.

"It always feels good to be on the pole. ... Probably more important than that is the pit selection -- that's what you're fighting for, in my mind, on Sunday," Vickers said.

Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson (183.164) came closest to knocking Vickers from the top spot, but settled for starting on the outside of the front row.

"The only thing I can think of is Brian and I went to In-N-Out Burger last night," Johnson said. "I had a double-double and he had a single. With that extra patty, five-hundredths of a second killed me."

Jamie McMurray (Roush Fenway Racing), Kurt Busch (Penske Racing) and Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway) rounded out the top five.

Sixth through 10th were Jeff Gordon (Hendrick), David Reutimann (Michael Waltrip Racing), Richard Petty Motorsports’ AJ Allmendinger, rookie Scott Speed (Red Bull) and Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing).

With 48 cars on the entry list, the go-or-go-home situation had some intrigue.

Allmendinger easily qualified his way into the field, with Tony Stewart (Stewart Haas Racing) close behind to assure he wouldn’t have to make use of his past champion’s provisional.

Also making the race were Dave Blaney (Prism Motorsports), David Gilliland (TRG Motorsports), Scott Riggs (Tommy Baldwin Racing), Travis Kvapil (Yates Racing), Jeremy Mayfield (Mayfield Motorsports) and Joe Nemechek (Nemco Motorsports).

Five cars failed to qualify: Todd Bodine (Gunselman Motorsports), Tony Raines (Front Row Motorsports), David Starr (Black Jack Racing), Mike Garvey (H&S Motorsports) and Sterling Marlin (Phoenix Racing).

Michael Waltrip Racing's Michael Waltrip changed an engine following qualifying and will start Sunday's race from the rear of the field.

2009 Auto Club 500 Starting Lineup

Pos	Driver	Car #	Make	Qual. Speed
1	Brian Vickers	83	Toyota	183.439
2	Jimmie Johnson	48	Chevrolet	183.164
3	Jamie McMurray	26	Ford	182.653
4	Kurt Busch	2	Dodge	182.556
5	Greg Biffle	16	Ford	182.302
6	Jeff Gordon	24	Chevrolet	182.209
7	David Reutimann	00	Toyota	182.089
8	AJ Allmendinger	44	Dodge	182.048
9	Scott Speed	82	Toyota	181.965
10	Kyle Busch	18	Toyota	181.919
11	Tony Stewart	14	Chevrolet	181.901
12	Robby Gordon	7	Toyota	181.777
13	David Ragan	6	Ford	181.726
14	Marcos Ambrose	47	Toyota	181.653
15	Juan Pablo Montoya	42	Chevrolet	181.616
16	Bobby Labonte	96	Ford	181.461
17	Reed Sorenson	43	Dodge	181.429
18	Mark Martin	5	Chevrolet	181.264
19	Kevin Harvick	29	Chevrolet	181.210
20	Elliott Sadler	19	Dodge	181.173
21	Clint Bowyer	33	Chevrolet	181.137
22	Kasey Kahne	9	Dodge	181.132
23	Denny Hamlin	11	Toyota	180.836
24	Matt Kenseth	17	Ford	180.818
25	Carl Edwards	99	Ford	180.773
26	Sam Hornish Jr.	77	Dodge	180.746
27	Paul Menard	98	Ford	180.610
28	Ryan Newman	39	Chevrolet	180.397
29	Casey Mears	07	Chevrolet	180.374
30	Dave Blaney	66	Toyota	180.320
31	Aric Almirola	8	Chevrolet	180.248
32	David Gilliland	171	Chevrolet	180.234
33	Martin Truex Jr.	1	Chevrolet	180.176
34	Joey Logano	20	Toyota	180.059
35	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	88	Chevrolet	179.991
36	Scott Riggs	36	Toyota	179.721
37	Travis Kvapil	28	Ford	179.632
38	David Stremme	12	Dodge	179.390
39	Jeremy Mayfield	41	Toyota	179.301
40	John Andretti	34	Dodge	179.287
41	Jeff Burton	31	Chevrolet	179.109
42	Michael Waltrip	55	Toyota
43	Joe Nemechek	187	Toyota	177.997
44	Todd Bodine	64	Toyota	DNQ
45	Tony Raines	37	Dodge	DNQ
46	David Starr	51	Dodge	DNQ
47	Mike Garvey	73	Dodge	DNQ
48	Sterling Marlin	09	Chevrolet	DNQ

“Rowdy” Nabs Truck Pole At Fontana

2009-02-20T18:03:00.001-08:00

Billy Ballew Motorsports’ Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag for Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series San Bernardino County 200 at Auto Club Speedway.

Busch, who led Friday’s qualifying session with lap of 174.161 mph, will be joined by Red Horse Racing’s Johnny Benson (172.683) on the front row.

“That’s an awesome run,” said Busch, the defending race winner. “We’ll take that and get into the race tomorrow and hopefully have another strong run.”

Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Ricky Carmichael (172.010), KHI’s Ron Hornaday and Randy Moss Motorsports’ Mike Skinner rounded out the top five.

Starting spots six through 10 belong to Roush Fenway Racing’s Colin Braun, Germain Racing’s Todd Bodine, ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton, Circle Bar Racing’s Rick Crawford and Germain’s Max Papis.

Lafferty Motorsports’ Mike Harmon was the only one of 37 trucks that failed to qualify and will miss the race.

Coverage of the race begins shortly after 3 p.m. EST Saturday on Fox.

San Bernardino County 250 Starting Lineup

Pos	Truck#	Driver	Make	Time	Speed
1	51	Kyle Busch	Toyota	41.341	174.161
2	1	Johnny Benson	Toyota	41.695	172.683
3	4	Ricky Carmichael	Chevrolet	41.858	172.010
4	33	Ron Hornaday	Chevrolet	41.920	171.756
5	5	Mike Skinner	Toyota	41.945	171.653
6	6	Colin Braun	Ford	42.075	171.123
7	30	Todd Bodine	Toyota	42.159	170.782
8	88	Matt Crafton	Chevrolet	42.195	170.636
9	14	Rick Crawford	Ford	42.207	170.588
10	9	Max Papis	Toyota	42.228	170.503
11	81	Tayler Malsam	Toyota	42.280	170.293
12	07	Chad McCumbee	Chevrolet	42.294	170.237
13	16	Brian Scott	Toyota	42.301	170.209
14	40	Mike Bliss	Chevrolet	42.480	169.492
15	25	Terry Cook	Toyota	42.483	169.480
16	10	James Buescher	Ford	42.499	169.416
17	60	Stacy Compton	Toyota	42.533	169.280
18	13	Johnny Sauter	Chevrolet	42.699	168.622
19	24	David Starr	Toyota	42.750	168.421
20	17	Timothy Peters	Toyota	42.751	168.417
21	11	T J Bell	Toyota	42.752	168.413
22	7	J R Fitzpatrick	Chevrolet	42.768	168.350
23	90	Gabi Dicarlo	Toyota	42.815	168.165
24	32	Chase Austin	Chevrolet	43.030	167.325
25	15	Shane Sieg	Toyota	43.260	166.436
26	77	J C Stout	Toyota	43.832	164.264
27	48	Dennis Setzer	Chevrolet	44.017	163.573
28	06	Johnny Chapman	Toyota	44.048	163.458
29	23	Jason White	Dodge	44.108	163.236
30	44	Lance Hooper	Chevrolet	44.382	162.228
31	61	Brett Thompson	Dodge	44.569	161.547
32	21	Marc Mitchell	Dodge	44.787	160.761
33	08	Butch Miller	Chevrolet	44.817	160.653
34	22	Wayne Edwards	Dodge	44.817	160.653
35	47	Brandon Knupp	Chevrolet	45.144	159.490
36	57	Norm Benning	Chevrolet	45.885	156.914

Did Not Qualify

#189 Mike Harmon

5 Questions For The Auto Club 500

2009-02-19T15:14:00.001-08:00

It is a good time to reflect on a couple of the still-stirring storylines from last weekend’s Daytona 500 and from last year’s Auto Club 500. I have compiled what I think will be the most intriguing questions coming into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ second race of 2009. It should be very interesting to see how these questions (and more) play out this weekend.

1. After the Earnhardt Jr./Vickers debacle at Daytona, will the two drivers mend the fence, or will the situation escalade?

I truly believe that what happened between Earnhardt, Jr. and Vickers last week will be an isolated incident. I’m sure the drivers will enter the California garage with the attitude of, “what happened last week, was last week”. I can not see Junior nor Vickers taking any more chances of damaging their seasons because of what happened at one race. Will they go fishing together this Spring? Perhaps not, but they will be cordial on the race track.

2. Will Goodyear still experience the tire troubles that have plagued them since the introduction of the COT?

Possibly. Goodyear has not been able to really get a handle on the tire issues with the COT. The COT is wider and heavier on the right side, which promotes more tire wear on the right side tires.

Stu Grant, general manager of Global Race Tires of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., hopes to find a resolution to the COT tire issues.

I don’t think we’ll see the melee that we saw at Indianapolis last year, by far. There will still be a fair amount of tire wear issues at Auto Club Speedway this week. One thing that will help the Goodyear tires this weekend, is that all three series will be running the exact same tire. Running the same tire will help to build rubber on the track which will improve tire wear.

3. Will a driver from a team other than Roush Fenway or Hendrick be sitting in Victory Lane at the end of the day?

Roush Fenway Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have dominated this event. They have combined to win the last seven races here, with Roush Fenway winning the last four. It would be a darn good bet to see a car from one of those two teams in Victory Lane come Sunday. I know who I’m picking on my fantasy team.

4. How empty will the grandstands be for the Auto Club 500?

Unfortunately, Auto Club Speedway has received a poor reputation in recent years for empty seats during the races. Last year, Auto Club Speedway’s estimated attendance was 105,000 for both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races. That is not very good for a track that seats 92,000 and is in one of the largest markets in America. California has been one of the hardest hit states during the souring economy, stating a 9.2% unemployment rate. Don’t be surprised to see a few more empty seats this weekend.

5. Will The Simpsons decide the length of the race if it should rain?

There has been quite a bit of hoopla this week over NASCAR’s decision to call the Daytona 500 after the rain came. Some have even speculated that Fox wanted the race called so that a re-start would not interfere with The Simpsons, and other shows that were coming on during prime time. My belief is that if it begins to rain in California during the race, NASCAR will decide what ever is best for NASCAR, Fox, the teams and fans (notice I put fans last).

As I previously stated, it will be interesting how these topics play out this weekend and possibly the remainder of the season.

Race 2: The 2009 Auto Club Speedway Fan Guide

2009-02-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to The 2009 Auto Club Speedway Fan Guide for the second week of the NASCAR 2009 season. This will be a brief guide covering many items pertaining to Auto Club Speedway.

Auto Club Speedway History

Auto Club Speedway of Southern California has a history that you might expect a track just 50 miles from Hollywood to have.

The speedway, formerly known as California Speedway, sits on a 568-acre site that once hosted the first steel mill located west of the Rocky Mountains, Kaiser Steel Mill. The mill produced the steel that helped build the Liberty ships used by the Allies to win World War II.

Kaiser Steel went out of business in 1983. Following that, the site fell into such disrepair that it was used in the movie The Terminator to portray a post-Apocalyptic world where men and machines battled each other for supremacy and survival.

Penske Motorsports Inc. purchased the land and completed the track in 1997. The first race held on the track was a Winston West Series race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997. Later that day, Mark Martin won an International Race of Champions event at the new facility. Jeff Gordon won the track's first Cup race the following day.

Auto Club Speedway has also hosted races in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series, as well as events in the IndyCar Series and what is now the Champ Car World Series on its oval and road racing and motorcycle events on its road courses.

In 1999, Penske Motorsports Inc. merged with International Speedway Corporation, bringing California Speedway into the ISC family of tracks. Beginning in 2004, California Speedway's 2-mile oval became the host of two Cup Series races each year, adding a Labor Day weekend event to its roster of activities.

The track was renamed in February 2008.

Jeff Gordon won the first Cup race at California in 1997

Auto Club Speedway

Configuration

Location

9300 Cherry Ave., Fontana, CA 92335

Completed

1997

Shape

D-shaped oval

Distance

2 miles

Banking

Turns: 14 degrees; Frontstretch: 11 degrees; Backstretch: 3 degrees

Frontstretch

3,100 feet

Backstretch

2,500 feet

Seating

92,000

Track Records

Qualifying Record

Kyle Busch – 188.245 mph (38.248 seconds); Set February 25, 2005

Race Record

Jeff Gordon (155.012 mph); Set June 22, 1997

Aerial view of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California

Previous Winners (1999-2008)

Year	Driver	Car	Avg. Speed
1999	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	150.276
2000	Jeremy Mayfield	Ford	149.378
2001	Rusty Wallace	Ford	143.118
2002	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	150.088
2003	Kurt Busch	Ford	140.111
2004	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	137.268
2005	Greg Biffle	Ford	139.697
2006	Matt Kenseth	Ford	147.852
2007	Matt Kenseth	Ford	138.451
2008	Carl Edwards	Ford	132.704

Most Wins

Jeff Gordon; Jimmie Johnson

Most Top 5s

Jeff Gordon

Most Top 10s

Matt Kenseth

Most Starts

Jeff Gordon; Jeff Burton; Bobby Labonte

Most Poles

Kurt Busch

Most Laps Led

527

Jeff Gordon

Avg. Start

8.1

Kasey Kahne

Avg. Finish

5.9

Jimmie Johnson

TV Broadcast Schedule For Auto Club Speedway Events

Camping World Truck Series

Thursday, February 19, 2009

No TV Coverage Practice – 3:30 PM (EST)

No TV Coverage Final Practice – 6:00 PM (EST)

Friday, February 20, 2009

Qualifying – 4:30 PM (EST)

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Race – San Bernardino County 250 – 3:00 PM (EST)

Nationwide Series

Friday, February 20, 2009

Practice – 12:30 PM (EST)

Final Practice – 8:30 PM (EST)

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Qualifying – 12:30 PM (EST)

Race – Stater Bros. 300 – 7:00 PM (EST)

Sprint Cup Series

Friday, February 20, 2009

Practice – 3:00 PM (EST)

Qualifying – 6:30 PM (EST)

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Final Practice – 5:00 PM (EST)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Race – Auto Club 500 – 5:00 PM (EST)

8 Years Later: Still Missing The Intimidator

2009-02-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

It is still hard to believe. Eight years today Dale Earnhardt, Sr. passed away on the last lap of the Daytona 500. February 18, 2001 is arguably the darkest day in NASCAR history. That is the day that NASCAR lost its biggest hero.

I remember that day very well. I watched the Daytona 500 and was very glad to see Michael Waltrip get his first win. I saw that Dale Earnhardt was involved in the last lap wreck, but really didn’t think much of it. Just figured everything was okay like it normally is.

Later that evening, I turned on the computer to check the final results of the race. I went to MSN’s website and saw a headline under the Sports section that read, “NASCAR legend dies”. Well, when I first saw that I thought that it was odd that a legend died the same day as the 500. I figured it was someone from the 1950’s, 1960’s, or 1970’s era that had passed away quietly in their home.

I clicked the link, read the article about 20 times, and still could not believe what I was reading. I called 5 people right off the bat. Maybe I was not reading it right - my eyes were playing tricks on me. I turned on the TV. The news of his death was on every channel. I just could not fathom what had happened.

I will admit, I was never a Dale Earnhardt fan, by any means. I was perhaps one of his biggest detractors as a matter of fact. I grew up pulling for Richard Petty, then later Bill Elliott. So you know by me saying Bill Elliott, I was a rabid Dale-hater from the late-1980’s to the mid-1990’s. Elliott and Earnhardt had quite the rivalry during that time. It was the classic Ford versus Chevrolet battle, it was The Intimidator versus Awesome Bill From Dawsonville. For me, it was what made the sport fun during that time. And boy, do I miss it.

The funny thing about Dale Earnhardt is I never really noticed him until 1986. By then he had already won a Winston Cup Championship - and was on his way to another one that year - but I had never heard of him. I guess being a kid and pulling for The King and Elliott, I had never really noticed Earnhardt before.

7-time Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt.

1986 was my first year visiting then-Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. The race went along that day with Earnhardt and Waltrip pretty much duking it out the whole race. Then when the race got into the waning laps, Earnhardt spun Waltrip, tearing both cars all to pieces. I remember looking over at my uncle sitting beside me and asking, “Who the heck IS that??” My uncle just simply replied, “Some young little punk that needs an ass whoopin”. He was a huge Waltrip fan at the time.

Two years later at the fall Richmond race, we noticed Earnhardt again. Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway had been reconfigured from a half-mile track to a modern three-quarter mile facility, and renamed Richmond International Raceway. It featured a new layout with new grandstands, new pit road, and concrete walls.

Dale Earnhardt during his early years in the Winston Cup Series.

About half-way through the race, a caution come out. Back then drivers still raced off pit road. We were sitting in turn one, just where the cars come off pit road – very good seats for seeing the pit action. Two cars came rolling off pit road side by side. Then out of nowhere comes this black No. 3 car. He comes flying out and splits the two cars coming out of pit road, grabbing the lead.

No. Taking the lead.

Everyone in the stands stood up. My uncle jumped up and asked, “Who was that?”, “How did he do that?”, “That guy is crazy!” That was the day my uncle became a Dale Earnhardt fan, and the day I began to boo him.

One thing is for certain, NASCAR just isn’t the same without him. I spent almost two decades booing Earnhardt, and have spent the last eight years missing the hell out of him. I never knew how much I enjoyed watching that man drive a race car until he was no longer there.

He made the sport intriguing and exciting - you never knew what he was going to do next. Earnhardt definitely kept you glued to the seat in the final laps if he was in contention. I would have never admitted it while he was alive, but he was NASCAR.

From his tangles with Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte and others, to finally winning the Daytona 500 in 1998. He personified stock car racing.

The time he flipped several times during the 1997 Daytona 500 demolishing his car, then while sitting in the ambulance, he realized the car still had all the wheels. He got back in the car and drove it back to the garage. He eventually re-entered the race, finishing 31st. The famous pass in the grass versus Bill Elliott.

I could type all day about the great memories of Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

Dale Earnhardt sitting in his wrecked Chevrolet after flipping several times during the 1997 Daytona 500.

I dearly miss the sight of that black No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet circling the track. I will always hold my memories of Dale Earnhardt very close. Today I am proud to call Dale Earnhardt one of my heroes.

Long Live The Intimidator!

Surprises And Disappointments From The Daytona 500

2009-02-17T18:28:00.001-08:00

I know I said that I wasn’t going to blog on the Daytona 500 again. Well…. um… I lied. I just wanted to go through some of the surprises and disappointments of last Sunday's race.

Surprise

Richard Petty Motorsports had a fantastic race! I’m sure the rain stoppage helped them, but still it was a darn good showing. A.J. Allmendinger finished third, Elliott Sadler fifth, and Reed Sorenson ninth. At lap 143, all three drivers were in the top 5. Elliott Sadler had a shot to win before the precipitation.

Disappointment

Kasey Kahne being the one RPM car that had a bad finish. I mean who would have thunk it? Kasey Kahne is generally thought of as the strongest driver of the four, but having a tangle with Aric Almirola at lap 146 hurt Kasey’s chances.

Surprise

Matt Kenseth passing Elliott Sadler just in the nick of time before the last yellow flag. You talk about close - Kenseth made it by seconds.

Disappointment

The rain starting to get very heavy after the above mentioned caution flag. I am positive that Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing is very pleased with the rain, but for the fans, it stunk.

Surprise

Seeing Brian Vickers throw a block like he did against Dale, Jr. I don’t know about you, but that really shocked me.

Disappointment

Yes, here it comes…..again. Junior’s lack of judgment during the episode. I know he was frustrated, but he still needs to mature. Not to mention his overly-talked-about pit errors that should not happen to a driver in his 10th Daytona 500. To be honest, I was more disappointed in his post-race ranting, raving and blame-gaming than I was the accident.

Surprise

After Tony Stewart won the Nationwide race on Saturday, I didn’t hear any more complaints about Goodyear. Hmmmm.

Disappointment

In Tony Stewart’s defense, I am very disappointed that Goodyear is still having tire issues. Albeit, not like the Brickyard last year, we still had a very good amount of tire problems through Speed Weeks. The only driver that I can recall that suffered a blown tire was Travis Kvapil at lap 55. The tires were still blistering very badly on most of the cars. I’m sure the testing ban did not help Goodyear prepare, but tire issues are as commonplace now as the COT.

Perhaps this is my last Daytona 500 post for 2009. Well..probably not…but it sounded good.

Should They Have Started The Daytona 500 Sooner?

2009-02-16T16:34:00.001-08:00

I have one last comment on the 51st Annual Daytona 500, then I’ll be ready to move on to California.

I really think that if NASCAR and everyone else in America, knew the rain was eventually coming, why not start the race sooner? I know the folks out west love the later start times and all, but if weather is on its way, let’s get on with it.

I know Keith Urban has many adoring fans, but I could have done without his little concert and all the other pageantry. What is up with all the “rock” concerts before the race anyway? If I want to see Keith Urban, or Taylor Swift, or Kidd Rock, I’ll buy tickets and see their shows. I don’t want to tune into Fox’s broadcast of a race to see a music show.

Why not skip the two hour pre-race crap, where they talk about the same things over and over. Sure, getting some of the inside-the-garage tidbits is nice, but if I had to pick between that and getting a full 500 miles - I’ll pick the 500 miles every time.

Thanks to NASCAR and Fox I got to see a great cartoon of Digger, and a great music extravaganza by Keith Urban.

And only 152 laps of what I really wanted to see.

Brain Fart – Thy Name Is Junior

2009-02-16T05:53:00.001-08:00

Most everyone that is a civilian in Junior Nation witnessed a display of remarkable stupidity from their driver during the 51st Annual Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. looked more like Joey Logano should look, and not a driver that has 18 Cup trophies on the mantle. Not to mention a driver that is widely considered one of the best at restrictor plate racing.

This isn’t the first time Junior has had pit troubles costing him a shot at a good finish. Missing his pit box, running over the air line, countless speeding infractions when entering or exiting pit road, you name it he has done it. Sure, there isn’t a driver out there that has not had pit problems at some time. What makes the difference with Junior is that usually the mistakes come when he has a very stout machine that could win the race.

Let’s recap how Junior’s 2009 Daytona 500 went yesterday. Earnhardt, Jr. missed his pit stall around lap 60, because he said he couldn’t find his pit sign. The sign was the same color as many of the other signs. He was forced to take a full lap around the track and pit again. This cost him a good amount of track position.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. being held for a one-lap penalty on lap 120, during the 2009 Daytona 500

Then on a later pit stop, he stopped his right-front tire barely on the white line of his pit box and incurred a one-lap penalty. Because of the penalty, Junior had to line up on the inside of the lead-lap cars, just behind Brian Vickers.

After the restart, Vickers and Junior were racing to be the first of the one-lap down cars, when they tangled. This caused a nine-car catastrophe that took out many front-running cars. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Robby Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Scott Speed and Carl Edwards were also involved in the wreck.

He can blame the awful day on other drivers, his spotter, the pit sign color, the pit crew, the crew chief, whatever. What it comes down to is one little, bitty five-lettered word: FOCUS.

I don’t know if Junior is thinking about the Redskins during a race or what it is, but one thing is certain - if the most popular driver in NASCAR doesn’t learn to focus on the little things during a race, he will never hoist the Sprint Cup trophy over his head.

It is hard enough to recover from one pit mistake in a race (especially when it has the possibility of being shortened due to weather), but almost impossible to recover from two. If both mistakes happen early in a race, then there’s a chance to recoup because of the Lucky Dog rule. In order to do it, the driver has to run a flawless race the rest of the day. It has been done before.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s race after the two mistakes was anything but flawless. He constantly went three-wide when it wasn’t necessary, cut drivers off and become very aggressive during the Brian Vickers incident. You know you have screwed up when you have Jeff Burton waiting on you at the end of the race to discuss what occurred.

Now, my take on the Junior/Vickers incident. After looking at the video of what happened, at least 20 times, I believe both drivers were at fault. Junior did have a very good run on Vickers going into the turn. Yes, both drivers were fighting to get their lap back, but they both should have used the good ‘ole “give and take” method.

Junior must be smarter if he wants to see Victory Lane in 2009

With the run Junior had, Vickers should have just stayed his line and let him go by. On the other hand, once Vickers put up the block, Junior should have backed down and saved it for the next lap. In other words, both drivers should have given a little. I guarantee their finishes would have been much better.

I see only one real thing keeping the Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 team from winning races and/or championships. Junior must learn to focus on the little things as well as the big picture. He has to focus on his pit stops, he must race smarter and he can not let emotions dictate what he does on the track.

Kenseth Wins Rain-Shortened Daytona 500

2009-02-15T18:15:00.001-08:00

The rain was coming, and Matt Kenseth knew it was time to get going.

It was the Daytona 500, a race where drivers wait until the very end to make their big move for NASCAR's biggest prize.

Only this time, nobody knew when the end would be.

Matt Kenseth Celebrates His 2009 Daytona 500 Win

The rain that had threatened Sunday's season-opening race all day finally rolled in moments after Kenseth slid past Elliott Sadler for the lead. Then the former NASCAR champion was forced to sit out a 20-minute delay before claiming victory after 152 of 200 laps. It was just the fourth rain-shortened 500 in the race's 51-year history, and first since Michael Waltrip's 2003 victory.

"It's going to be really wet out here, because I'm crying like a baby," the usually cool Kenseth said as he choked back tears.

Coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, Kenseth's 2009 start seemed to be headed in the wrong direction, too. He wrecked his primary car, had to go to a backup and started at the back Sunday.

Had rain not been forecast, he might still have been running at the back of the field with 54 laps to go, because that's where veterans usually wait out the dicey Daytona racing before making a late charge.

But the weather radar showed the rain was coming, and crew chiefs up and down pit road urged their drivers to go for it.

Kenseth sliced his way through the field, then used a huge push from Kevin Harvick to take the lead from Sadler. A caution came out moments later for a spin by Aric Almirola, and the sky opened up about the same time.

After two laps under caution, NASCAR stopped the race and brought the drivers to pit road. Most climbed from their cars to await NASCAR's decision.

Kenseth did not, choosing instead to sit silently inside his Ford away from his nervous supporters. He began to cry when NASCAR gave him the victory, his first in the Daytona 500 and first since the 2007 season finale.

It was also the first Daytona 500 win for team owner Jack Roush.

"I tell you what, after last year, winning a race means a lot to me," Kenseth said. "I've had a lot of great opportunities in my life -- from my family getting me in racing and really ... all the sponsors that we have that have stuck by us and made this happen in an up-and-down economy.

"Man, I don't know. Winning the Daytona 500 is definitely a dream moment. It's just an unbelievable feeling."

Harvick, who used a push from Kenseth to win the 500 in 2007, finished second and said Kenseth would be a popular winner among his competitors.

"I think Matt's obviously a pretty stand-up person and a great race car driver," Harvick said. "I think he's one of those guys that he can win seven or eight races in a year and never receive any credit. He's a really good race car driver. He's a champion, Daytona 500 champion."

A.J. Allmendinger, who had to race his way into the field in one of Thursday's qualifiers, finished third.

Richard Petty And Team Were Very Pleased With A.J. Allmendinger’s Third Place Finish In The Daytona 500

Clint Bowyer was fourth, and Sadler was fifth, devastated he lost the lead moments before the rain stopped the race. He led 24 laps and was out front during an earlier caution, hoping the sky would open up at that moment to give him the win.

"That's just my luck," he radioed his crew. "It's raining on the radar and not on the track. Welcome to the team."

Sadler nearly lost his job in December, when team management decided to replace him with Allmendinger. He filed an injunction to stop the move, and the team changed its mind after merging with Petty Enterprises in early January.

A chance to win the 500 would have been sweet redemption for Sadler, who instead was left wondering what he did wrong.

"If I would have made a better and smarter move, I'd be in Victory Lane right now," he said. "I put my heart and soul to come in here to Daytona, Speedweeks, try to compete at the top of my game, 'cause I knew I had a lot of eyes on me to run good.

"It would have been cool to finish like that, but just wasn't meant to be. Very hard to swallow. Very emotional."

David Ragan was sixth and was followed by Michael Waltrip, Tony Stewart, Reed Sorenson and Kurt Busch.

Pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. was 11th. Defending race winner Ryan Newman was 36th. Joey Logano, who at 18 was the youngest starter in race history, finished 43rd.

The racing picked up much earlier than usual, as most everyone knew it was really a race against the rain.

So it was no surprise when Dale Earnhardt Jr., frustrated by two pit-road mistakes that had dropped him a lap down, aggressively raced Brian Vickers for position on a restart just past the halfway mark.

Vickers blocked an attempted pass by pushing Earnhardt down below the yellow out-of-bounds line. When Earnhardt re-entered the racing surface, he clipped the left-rear corner of Vickers' car to trigger a nine-car accident.

"My goal is to keep Junior behind me," Vickers said. "I went to block him. I beat him to the yellow line and then he just turned us. To wreck somebody intentionally like that in front of the entire field is really kind of dangerous. That's my problem with it."

The accident knocked out Kyle Busch, who had led a race-high 88 laps and figured he was in position for the win.

Kyle Busch’s Wrecked Toyota During The 51st Annual Daytona 500

"Some guys having some bad days and not doing their best out there, just made their bad day our bad day," Busch said. "It's just a shame. It's just unfortunate that two guys got together that were a lap down that were fighting over nothing."

2009 Daytona 500 Results

Pos	Driver	Car #	Make	St.	Laps	Led	Points
1	Matt Kenseth		Ford	39	152	7	190
2	Kevin Harvick		Chevrolet	32	152	0	170
3	AJ Allmendinger		Dodge	20	152	0	165
4	Clint Bowyer		Chevrolet	22	152	0	160
5	Elliott Sadler		Dodge	30	152	24	160
6	David Ragan		Ford	33	152	0	150
7	Michael Waltrip		Toyota	27	152	0	146
8	Tony Stewart		Chevrolet	5	152	15	147
9	Reed Sorenson		Dodge	34	152	0	138
10	Kurt Busch		Dodge	13	152	0	134
11	Martin Truex Jr.		Chevrolet	1	152	1	135
12	David Reutimann		Toyota	28	152	0	127
13	Jeff Gordon		Chevrolet	3	152	14	129
14	Juan Pablo Montoya		Chevrolet	8	152	0	121
15	Casey Mears		Chevrolet	25	152	0	118
16	Mark Martin		Chevrolet	2	152	1	120
17	Marcos Ambrose		Toyota	23	152	0	112
18	Carl Edwards		Ford	16	152	0	109
19	John Andretti		Chevrolet	37	152	0	106
20	Greg Biffle		Ford	35	152	0	103
21	Regan Smith		Chevrolet	42	152	0	100
22	Bobby Labonte		Ford	12	152	1	102
23	Bill Elliott		Ford	40	152	0	94
24	Terry Labonte		Toyota	43	152	0	91
25	Scott Riggs		Toyota	17	152	0	88
26	Denny Hamlin		Toyota	10	152	0	85
27	Dale Earnhardt Jr.		Chevrolet	14	152	1	87
28	Jeff Burton		Chevrolet	26	152	0	79
29	Kasey Kahne		Dodge	15	152	0	76
30	Aric Almirola		Chevrolet	11	152	0	73
31	Jimmie Johnson		Chevrolet	7	152	0	70
32	Sam Hornish Jr.		Dodge	29	151	0	67
33	David Stremme		Dodge	24	151	0	64
34	Robby Gordon		Toyota	31	151	0	61
35	Scott Speed		Toyota	38	151	0	58
36	Ryan Newman		Chevrolet	36	150	0	55
37	Jamie McMurray		Ford	21	139	0	52
38	Paul Menard		Ford	19	138	0	49
39	Brian Vickers		Toyota	6	134	0	46
40	Jeremy Mayfield		Toyota	18	126	0	43
41	Kyle Busch		Toyota	4	123	88	50
42	Travis Kvapil		Ford	41	90	0	37
43	Joey Logano		Toyota	9	79	0	34

Race statistics

Time of Race: 2 hours, 51 minutes, 40 seconds.

Average Speed: 132.816 mph.

Margin of Victory: Under caution.

Caution Flags: 8 for 35 laps.

Lead Changes: 9 among 9 drivers.

Lap Leaders: M.Truex Jr. 1; M.Martin 2; Ky.Busch 3-52; D.Earnhardt Jr. 53; T.Stewart 54-68; J.Gordon 69-82; Ky.Busch 83-120; B.Labonte 121; E.Sadler 122-145; M.Kenseth 146-152.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): Ky.Busch, 2 times for 88 laps; E.Sadler, 1 time for 24 laps; T.Stewart, 1 time for 15 laps; J.Gordon, 1 time for 14 laps; M.Kenseth, 1 time for 7 laps; M.Truex Jr., 1 time for 1 lap; M.Martin, 1 time for 1 lap; B.Labonte, 1 time for 1 lap; D.Earnhardt Jr., 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 12 in Points: 1. M.Kenseth, 190. 2. K.Harvick, 170. 3. A.Allmendinger, 165. 4. C.Bowyer, 160. 5. E.Sadler, 160. 6. D.Ragan, 150. 7. T.Stewart, 147. 8. M.Waltrip, 146. 9. R.Sorenson, 138. 10. M.Truex Jr., 135. 11. Ku.Busch, 134. 12. J.Gordon, 129.