What Would Earnhardt Think?

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

 

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

Busch Brothers Earn Front Row At Home Track In Las Vegas

 

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

Surprises And Disappointments From The Auto Club 500

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.

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

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.

2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Season Preview

 

In July 2007, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. needed a driver for his JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet. His selection of a lanky, 23-year-old Michigan native with 20 career starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and a best finish of 25th raised eyebrows among many in the garage area.

But his choice of Brad Keselowski wasn’t just a sleeper pick. It was a decision that may well deliver a championship less that two years later.

Since his first race in the No. 88 at Chicagoland in 2007 (where he finished 14th) Keselowski has matured in his racing career at a phenomenal pace. Last year, his first full-time season in the series, he delivered on the promise Earnhardt saw with his first two wins, his first pole, 11 top fives and 20 top-10 finishes. Keselowski was also voted the series’ Most Popular Driver.

Brad Keselowski Will Pilot The No. 88 Navy Chevrolet Again In 2009

More importantly, Keselowski surged to second place in the championship standings by mid-summer. He held that spot for nine weeks before getting caught up in the incredible late-season surge of Carl Edwards, whose comeback effort against 2008 driver champion Clint Bowyer relegated Keselowski to third place in the final standings.

Although there won’t be a repeat driver champion in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year, there most certainly will be a repeat of the great late-season battle waged between Edwards and Bowyer.

And a seasoned Keselowski plans to be in that mix.

Bowyer won the 2008 championship over Edwards by 21 points, the fourth-closest margin in series history. Bowyer won’t be running enough races this season to defend his crown. But if Edwards, the 2007 champion, is able to muster even a fraction of the incredible comeback karma he surrounded himself with last year, he should be a favorite to become the seventh two-time champion in the series.

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion Clint Bowyer

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has also recently become known for its spilt championships among drivers and owners. Over the last two seasons – and three times overall – there have been split titles. Edwards and his No. 60 Ford team (along with new crew chief Dan Stillman, as Drew Blickensderfer was promoted to Matt Kenseth’s Sprint Cup team) Keselowski and the No. 88 crew and other contenders will have their hands full in 2009 as that streak could very well run to three consecutive shared championships.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota won the owner crown last year, upending the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet from its 2007 championship perch. The No. 20 will be back to defend the title, with Joey Logano sharing time with Denny Hamlin and Brad Coleman. Logano will pull double-duty in 2009, although his full-time focus will be as a rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

But the No. 20 car will have to do battle with the team’s second car, the No. 18 Toyota and driver Kyle Busch. The No. 20 won nine races last year, the No. 18 won 10. All Busch did was win 10 races in three different cars, leading the way with eight in the No. 18. He finished sixth in the series standings despite competing in only 30 races. His 10 victories tied the record set in 1983 by two-time series champion Sam Ard.

The No. 29 is back to contend, led once again by Jeff Burton, who is fourth in career series wins (27) and was the co-driver of the 2008 owner champion car. He’ll work with at least one teammate to challenge no fewer than six other full-time teams featuring multiple drivers that should make the 2009 owner championship as exciting as the driver title chase.

Normally, a driver of Edwards’ talent and results – a driver title and top-three championship finishes in each of his four seasons in the series – would instantly make him the man to beat, especially considering Bowyer’s move to a partial schedule. But the strength of the competitors in the series, from double-duty drivers like himself and Busch series-only regulars like Keselowski and a new group of young up-and-comers, doesn’t give Edwards much of an opportunity to rest.

On the contrary, the 2009 season may be the most competitive since 2003, when six drivers were within 89 points of first place going into the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway before Brian Vickers claimed the title by just 14 points over veteran David Green. And by the way, that also was the first season in series history that the driver and owner titles were shared.

In addition to Edwards, Keselowski and Busch, two other drivers who ranked in the final top 10 last year are back to make a run at the title. Mike Bliss, who finished fourth, and Jason Leffler who was ninth, will be factors again.

If such an award existed, Bliss would have been the leading candidate for series comeback driver of the year last season. He started the year with Fitz Motorsports and then moved to Phoenix Racing, where he continued to post solid results. He hasn’t won since registering his lone series win in 2004 but felt like he was close toward the end of last season.

Leffler is back for his third full season with Braun Racing in the No. 38 Toyota. He’s finished in the top 10 the last two years, but in 2008 was shut out in the win and/or pole column for the first time in three seasons. He ended last year on a high note, finishing fourth at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which tied his season-best result. Braun also will field a second team with former series champion Vickers teaming with Burney Lamar in the No. 32 Toyota.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Regular Jason Leffler

Jason Keller with Baker Curb Racing, Kenny Wallace with Jay Robinson Racing, Eric McClure and Bobby Hamilton, Jr. with Rensi Hamilton Racing, and two-time series champion Kevin Harvick with his own KHI team are other key returnees.

Steve Wallace has progressed from young gun to young series veteran, entering his third full year with Rusty Wallace Racing in the No. 66 Chevrolet. He finished a career-best 14th in the standings in 2008 and posted his first two career top-five finishes, which could prepare him for his first true top-10 assault. He’ll have a new teammate in Brendan Gaughan, who is making the jump after a six-year career in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to man the No. 62 Chevrolet. Gaughan will be a  leading candidate for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.

Erik Darnell also has made the climb up the NASCAR ladder. He spent the last three seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he finished a career-best fourth last year with a win and two poles. He’ll get the majority of the rides this year in a timeshare with David Ragan in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. The 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Ragan used his double-duty time wisely over the past two seasons and should be a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender this year.

The series has long been known as a developmental opportunity, and full-time newcomers in 2009 include a pair of 22-year-olds, Justin Allgaier moves from a successful ARCA career to Penske Racing, while Michael Annett is ticketed for his first full-time opportunity with Germain Racing. John Wes Townley, another ARCA alum who turned 19 on New Year’s Eve, announced a full-time schedule with RAB Racing.

Iowa Speedway Will Debut On The NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule On August 1st

The series’ 35-race schedule includes its debut at the .875-mile Iowa Speedway on August 1st, one of nine stand-alone events this year. There are 20 combination weekends with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, six of those featuring each of the three national series and a repeat of the unique doubleheader with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Auto Club Speedway on February 22nd.

 

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series  Top Ten Driver Point Standings

Driver	Points	Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10
1. Clint Bowyer	5,132	35	1	14	29
2. Carl Edwards	5,111	35	7	19	22
3. Brad Keselowski	4,794	35	2	11	20
4. David Ragan	4,525	35	0	7	21
5. Mike Bliss	4,518	35	0	3	15
6. Kyle Busch	4,461	30	10	18	20
7. David Reutimann	4,388	35	0	8	15
8. Mike Wallace	4,128	35	0	1	8
9. Jason Leffler	4,086	35	0	3	13
10. Marcos Ambrose	3,991	35	1	3	6

 

NASCAR Nationwide Series Points Champions (1999-2008)

Year	Driver	Points
1999	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4,647
2000	Jeff Green	5,005
2001	Kevin Harvick	4,813
2002	Greg Biffle	4,919
2003	Brian Vickers	4,637
2004	Martin Truex Jr	5,173
2005	Martin Truex Jr	4,937
2006	Kevin Harvick	5,648
2007	Carl Edwards	4,805
2008	Clint Bowyer	5,132

 

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver

Brad Keselowski

 

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Award

Carl Edwards

 

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year

Landon Cassill

 

2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule

Date	Event	Track	Time EST	TV	Previous Winner
2/14	Camping World 300	Daytona International Speedway	1:00 PM		Tony Stewart
2/21	Stater Bros. 300	Auto Club Speedway	7:00 PM		Tony Stewart
2/28	Sam’s Town 300	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	4:00 PM		Mark Martin
3/21	Scott Turf Builder 300	Bristol Motor Speedway	2:00 PM		Clint Bowyer
4/4	O’Reilly 300	Texas Motor Speedway	2:30 PM		Kyle Busch
4/11	Pepsi 300	Nashville Superspeedway	3:00 PM		Scott Wimmer
4/17	Bashas’ Super Markets  200	Phoenix International Raceway	9:00 PM		Kyle Busch
4/25	Aaron’s 312	Talladega Superspeedway	2:30 PM		Tony Stewart
5/1	Lipton Tea 250	Richmond International Raceway	7:00 PM		Denny Hamlin
5/8	Diamond Hill Plywood 200	Darlington Raceway	7:00 PM		Tony Stewart
5/23	CarQuest Auto Parts 300	Lowe’s Motor Speedway	7:00 PM		Kyle Busch
5/30	Heluva Good! 200	Dover International Speedway	2:00 PM		Denny Hamlin
6/6	Federated Auto Parts 300	Nashville Superspeedway	7:00 PM		Brad Keselowski
6/13	Meijer 300	Kentucky Speedway	8:00 PM		Joey Logano
6/20	Camping World RV Rental 250	The Milwaukee Mile	7:30 PM		Carl Edwards
6/27	Camping World 200	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	2:30 PM		Tony Stewart
7/3	Winn Dixie 250	Daytona International Speedway	7:30 PM		Denny Hamlin
7/10	Dollar General 300	Chicagoland Speedway	7:30 PM		Kyle Busch
7/18	MO-ILL Dodge Dealers 250	Gateway International Raceway	9:00 PM		Carl Edwards
7/25	Kroger 200	O’Reilly Raceway Park	7:30 PM		Kyle Busch
8/1	Iowa 250	Iowa Speedway	4:00 PM
8/8	Zippo 200 At The Glen	Watkins Glen International	2:30 PM		Marcos Ambrose
8/15	Michigan 250	Michigan International Speedway	3:00 PM		Carl Edwards
8/21	Food City 250	Bristol Motor Speedway	7:30 PM		Brad Keselowski
8/30	NAPA Auto Parts 200	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	2:00 PM		Ron Fellows
9/5	Degree V12 300	Atlanta Motor Speedway	6:30 PM		Matt Kenseth
9/11	Richmond 250	Richmond International Raceway	7:00 PM		Carl Edwards
9/26	Dover 200	Dover International Speedway	3:00 PM		Kyle Busch
10/3	Kansas Lottery 300	Kansas Speedway	3:00 PM		Denny Hamlin
10/10	Camping World 300	Auto Club Speedway	4:00 PM		Kyle Busch
10/16	Dollar General 300	Lowe’s Motor Speedway	7:30 PM		Kyle Busch
10/24	Memphis 250	Memphis Motorsports Park	3:00 PM		Carl Edwards
11/7	O’Reilly Challenge	Texas Motor Speedway	Noon		Kyle Busch
11/14	Arizona 200	Phoenix International Raceway	4:00 PM		Carl Edwards
11/21	Ford 300	Homestead-Miami Speedway	4:00 PM		Carl Edwards

 

2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Daytona Broadcast Schedule

Practice

                            Wednesday, February 11, 2009

                      3:00 PM EST (No TV Coverage)

Practice

Thursday, February 12, 2009

9:30 AM EST

                    Qualifying

Friday, February 13, 2009

3:00 PM EST

                    Race

Saturday, February 14, 2009

1:00 PM EST

 

My Prediction For The 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion

As I have mentioned above, the 2009 NASXAR Nationwide Series season will be full of excitement. There will many twists and turns in the driver points and owner points battle. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jason Leffler and Brad Keselowski will all have great runs this season.

Expect to see Keselowski and Carl Edwards to be duking it out in the final races for the NASCAR Nationwide crown this season. I believe the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion will be……

A Guitar Won’t Be The Only Trophy Brad Keselowski Hoists Up In 2009

Brad Keselowski. That is my pick to win the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship. Keselowski will bring JR Motorsports their first-ever title and make owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. very happy!