Daytona 500 Qualifying - Feb. 8th

It's the Martin & Martin show.

Martin Truex Jr won the pole for the Daytona 500. Mark Martin qualified 2nd.

56 drivers attempted to qualify for the Great American Race. The top 35 drivers are guaranteed a starting position based on 2008 owner points. The 4 fastest drivers outside the top 35 are locked in:
Bill Elliott, Travis Kvapil, Tony Stewart & Terry Labonte (past series champion provisional).

Daytona 500 pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. (right)
and outside pole sitter Mark Martin (left)
celebrate their front row starting positions.
(Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

What we know:
Martin Truex Jr and Mark Martin will start from the front row for the Daytona 500 while the rest of the starting positions will be determined by the finishing positions from The Gatorade Duel races. The three fastest drivers outside the top 35 that do not race their way in by their finish in the Duels will make the field by reverting back to their qualifying times.

The duel races are scheduled for this Thursday beginning at 2 (SPEED CHANNEL)

2009 Budweiser Shootout - Feb. 7th

Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL

78 laps (195 Miles)

Polesitter: Paul Menard
Winner: Kevin Harvick

Harvick celebrates with his team in Victory Lane

(Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Kevin Harvick wins the '09 Budweiser Shootout! Harvick only led 1 lap, but it was the 1 that mattered the most. With a push from Hamlin on the restart to the green, white, checkered finish, Harvick went from 4th to 1st to pass Jamie McMurray for the lead. Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer wrecked behind him bringing out the final caution of the night that froze the field and ended the race.

Harvick started 23rd and spent much of the race in the back trying to avoid the wrecks and at one point, even lost the draft. This is Harvick's 1st Budweiser Shootout win in 5 races.

Jamie McMurray finished 2nd. Tony Stewart finished 3rd in his debut as owner-driver. Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger round out the top 5.

Polesitter Paul Menard wrecked during final practice for the shootout. His team was able to get

There were a record number of lead changes, cautions and drivers starting the event.

Count 23 lead changes among 14 drivers. Dale Jr lead the most laps with 24. He was involved in a late race accident and finished 18th.

There 8 cautions for 23 laps. 6 cautions was the previous record.

28 drivers started the race but only 13 completed all 78 laps.


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


"I don't think the old car would have stood up. We hit the wall pretty good there in the beginning of the race. It tore the left front fender off, split it at the seam there, with 25 laps to go. We were able to get that fixed. This car, you know, it's tough. I think we hit the wall a couple times. I hit the 16 as he wrecked. It was an eventful night. We never gave up, though." - Kevin Harvick, post race inspection

(Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

New for '09 - Saturday Night Special @ Bristol

This headline should make you turn your head:

"Legendary Racers Waltrip, Pearson, Johnson, Gant Among drivers competing in Saturday Night Special at Bristol Motor Speedway March 21"


And it's true. We'll get to see those legendary drivers back on the track and at Bristol! It's a 50-lap charity event pairing the drivers mentioned above with "celebrity partners" and competing in late model stock cars. The winning team will have a $25,000 donation given to the charity of their choice.

The first Saturday Night Special will be held on Saturday, March 21st at Bristol Motor Speedway.

You'll find more details and pictures at: http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/news/speedway_news_releases/543508.html

Bud Shootout Starting Line-up

The Budweiser Shoot Out - Saturday, February 7th
Daytona International Speedway at 8pm on FOX

The starting line-up was determined from a random draw at the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday night.

1. Paul Menard
   
2. Elliott Sadler
   
3. Reed Sorenson (Thursday was his 23rd birthday)
   
4. Scott Speed
   
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Tony Stewart
   
7. Brian Vickers
   
8. Bobby Labonte
   
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
   
10. Kyle Busch
    
11. Carl Edwards
    
12. Kurt Busch
    
13. Robby Gordon
    
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Jamie McMurray
    
16. David Ragan
    
17. Michael Waltrip
    
18. A.J. Allmendinger
    
19. Joey Logano
    
20. David Stremme
    
21. Jimmie Johnson
    
22. David Reutimann
    
23. Jeff Burton
    
24. Casey Mears
    
25. Matt Kenseth
    
26. Greg Biffle
    
27. Kevin Harvick
    
28. Jeff Gordon

The name remains the same, but the format has changed this year. The top 6 drivers from each of the 4 manufacturers based on owner points make it into the race plus each manufacturer gets a "wild card" which can either be a past Champion or another car based on owners points. The race distance will increase from 70 laps to 75 laps with two segments of 25 and 50 laps. Both green and yellow flag laps will count. Between segments, there will be a 10 minute pit stop in which teams will be permitted to work on cars and will be allowed to perform functions they would normally do during a regular pit stop.

One of the first blogs I posted here was about the Bud Shootout Changes for this year.
http://sherivegas.blogspot.com/2009/01/changes-for-09-budweiser-shootout.html

Menard was among the last drivers to make his selection. This will be his first appearance in the annual season opener. Jeff Gordon will roll off the starting grid last.

Daytona 500 - Pace Car

Did you catch this one? The 2010 Chevy Camaro is the Official Pace Car of this year's Daytona 500?

This isn't meant to be an advertisement for Chevy, but I'm not about to hesitate to show our American automakers some love.

This photo is from camaro5.com

Changes for '09 - Drug Testing

Just released:

All NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series drivers have passed the preseason substance abuse test.

NASCAR sent out memos in December regarding the preseason substance abuse test for all crew members, spotters and race-day support personnel, including engineers, engine tuners, shock specialists, chassis specialists and tire specialists.

Policy states NASCAR can test at any time with reasonable suspicion, but this preseason substance abuse test is new this year as well as random testing at the track almost every race weekend. The tests will reportedly focus on the use of narcotics, beta blockers and steroids. Any driver that fails a test will be made public, but not those by crew members. Three failed tests will result in a lifetime ban from NASCAR.

"I might be opening up a can of worms when I say this, but why would you announce you're going to have a drug-testing time?" "I mean the whole idea of announcing it kind of takes away from the people that know how to cheat the system. Obviously, I know there's probably going to be some follow-ups with certain people ... but it just seems to me that you're only eliminating the really, really naïve people in the first testing or in the first screening like this." - Ryan Newman at the Lowe's Motor Speedway Media Tour

Race Weekend - 1/23

NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown - Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, CA
Saturday night, Matt Kobyluck became the first two time winner of the Toyota All-Star Showdown. He also won in 2006. It was a wild finish with Joey Logano sliding into Peyton Sellers for the lead in turn 4 of the last lap. Kobyluck crossed the finish just a hair after Logano. However, Logano was penalized for rough driving and finished 40th.

Rolex 24 - Daytona International Speedway
Sunday, David Donohue won the Rolex 24 with the team of Buddy Rice, Antonio Garcia and Darren Law. Donohue started from the pole. The margin of victory (.167 seconds) will go down as the closest finish in the 24 hour race's 47 year history at Daytona International Speedway. Donohue passed Juan Pablo Montoya with just 41 minutes from the finish. There was also a record 25 full course cautions.