NASCAR Fantasy: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not
January 27, 2009
You can almost smell the fumes and feel the rubber from 43 cars whizzing by you at the Daytona International Speedway.
That’s right, NASCAR fans—it’s time to get out your notes and do your calculations — it’s Fantasy Racing time!
Last year, Jimmie Johnson went on to win his third consecutive championship in the Sprint Cup Series, however, it was “Cousin Carl” Edwards who took home the most Fantasy points.
As the season approaches, here is a look at which drivers were wildly inconsistent last year, which ones might break though, whom you need on your roster, and whom to stay away from.
High-Risk Drivers
Several drivers on the NASCAR circuit are consistent at one thing—being inconsistent week in and week out.
1. Kasey Kahne — Go ahead and call him the most inconsistent driver when it comes to Fantasy points in 
NASCAR. During the 2008 season, Kahne managed 17 top-10 finishes.
The problem—after eight of those races, he finished outside the top-15, with finishes of 28th, 17th, 22nd, 31st, 33rd, 15th, 14th, 19th, and 33rd.
That’s 47 percent of the time that he follows up a top-10 with a 15th or worse showing 47 percent of the time.
After a top-five finish, it’s even worse. Kahne had seven finishes inside the top-five last year, and after three of them, he finished lower than 31st.
For the entire season, Kahne averaged a 16th place finish—the same average held for all of the 2006 campaign. In 2007, Kahne posted an average of 22nd position.
Jury’s Decision: Kahne is simply not a good pick-up for a Fantasy team. He gets good points with a couple of top-fives and top-10s, but he follows it up with a bunch of bad finishes and will drive an owner crazy.
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 17th.
2. Jeff Gordon — I’m sorry Gordon fans, but here is another driver who will aggravate owners this season.
Looking back at last season, Gordon had 20 top-10 finishes. However, 12 times he followed that up with a finish lower than 11th—that’s 60 percent of the time.
After a top-10 showing, Gordon had finishes of 39th, 35th, 11th, 43rd, 15th, 14th, 11th, 29th, 15th, 14th, 38th, and 41st.
So as you can see, while six of them were 11th through 15th, six of them were also 29th or higher.
To start the season, Gordon had finishes of 3rd, 39th, 3rd, 35th, 5th, 11th, 2nd, and 43rd.
In the last three seasons, Gordon has averaged a finish of 14th twice (’08 and ‘06) and 8th once (’07).
Jury’s Decision: He may be an inconsistent driver, but he still puts up big numbers in the Fantasy points, so he may be a driver worth keeping around. He may give an owner some headaches throughout the season, but chances are, he will make up for it sometime during the year. Besides, Gordon is due a great season in ‘09.
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 5th.
3. Kyle Busch — It may be a surprise to have Busch on the list of inconsistent drivers, but anyone who watched 
his collapse in the 2008 Chase knows why he is here.
Busch was a huge pick-up for any owner early in the season. With 17 top-10 finishes in the first 26 races (65 percent), it seemed like he would coast any owner to a Fantasy League championship.
After those 17 races, he finished outside the top-10 seven times, or 41 percent of the time.
He did, however, give an owner eight wins and brought home a lot of points. Things were looking good for Busch owners, until the Chase started.
A 34th, 43rd, and 28th-place finish to start the 10-race playoff killed most owners’ chances of winning the championship.
Jury’s Decision: Busch will still be a popular pick in drafts for the upcoming season and will likely bring owners a lot of points. However, an owner may also be pulling his/her hair out come September when Busch enters the Chase and falters again.
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 3rd.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. — June Bug—probably the most popular draftee on any Fantasy roster.
Earnhardt is another racer who can drive an owner crazy. In 2008, he started the season with wins in the Budweiser Shootout and his Duel Race. Over the course of the first 19 races (Shootout and Duels included), Earnhardt managed 14 top-10 finishes.
Things were looking good and fans were pleased to have him on their rosters.
During that stretch, he only had five finishes outside the top-10. However, the second half of the season is where Earnhardt owners lost their points—and any shot at a championship.
Optimism was high at the start of almost every race last year—and then, just like a light bulb—the switch would turn dark and Earnhardt would begin to fade farther back in the field and owners had to watch their points drop like a rock.
In the second half of the season, Earnhardt managed just six top-10 finishes. Following those six races, he finished outside the top-10 five times.
Jury’s Decision: As tough as it is to resist the urge, only pick up Earnhardt during the early part of the season. He typically fares well during the first half, and struggles during the second half.
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 7th.
5. Martin Truex Jr. — Truex Jr. catapulted to stardom when he took home back-to-back championships 
back in 2004 and 2005 in what was then the Busch Series.
Since his arrival at the Cup level, he hasn’t fared so well.
Truex is another one of the popular draftees for a Fantasy roster. He draws a lot of fans, but is he worth the pick?
Looking back at 2008, Truex had 11 top-10 finishes.
Here is the shocking news: Following 10 of those races, he finished no better than 14th.
No back-to-back top-10s is a scary statistic when you are thinking about drafting a driver for your Fantasy roster. Most of those finishes, however, were not bad: 15th, 37th, 14th, 17th, 17th, 24th, 16th, 20th, 15th, and 43rd.
So statistically, Truex averaged a 22nd-place showing the week after a top-10.
For the season, he averaged an 18th-place finish, down two spots from his 2007 stats, but up from a 21st-place average in 2006.
Jury’s Decision: Sorry, Truex fans, this is one driver you may want to stay away from. Sure, he might get you a couple of top-10s, and his finishes afterwards aren’t horrible, but 100 percent of the time he finishes outside the top-10 the week after? That’s too risky.
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 18th.
Breakout Inconsistent Driver: Of the above five drivers, the one who could break out this season has got to be Gordon. Going winless in 2008 was a shot to his pride, and I feel this team will come out with a vengeance to not only win a race, but win multiple races.
It’s amazing that this team comes out of the same stable as Johnson, yet struggles on so many of tracks that Johnson excels at.
High-Reward Drivers: While 41 of the 43 drivers could really be classified as “high-risk,” there are two in particular that I think almost everyone would agree are “high-reward” drivers—in other words, they will finish most races in the top-15 and give an owner plenty of points throughout the season.
1. Carl Edwards — “Cousin Carl,” as he’s known by many. An owner would be crazy to pass up the opportunity 
to put ol’ Flipper on their roster.
Let’s face it, Edwards is the pre-season favorite to win the ‘09 championship and reigning top-ranked Fantasy driver from ‘08.
Last season, Edwards put together 29 top-10 finishes. Out of those 29 races, he only finished outside the top-10 the next week seven times—a measly 24 percent of the time. That in itself is an impressive number.
His streak of top-10 during the year included: two in a row (once), three in a row (twice), five in a row (once), six in a row (once), and eight in a row (once).
If that doesn’t get a drafter’s attention, I don’t know what would.
Edwards averaged a ninth-place finish in 2008, up from a 13th-place average in 2007 and 15th in 2006.
Notice the trend?
Jury’s Decision: You, as an owner of a Fantasy team, would be crazy not to try and get “Cousin Carl” on your team. He collected the most fantasy points in ‘08, and is expected to do the same in ‘09.
Instead of calling him “Cousin Carl,” maybe his nickname should be “Consistent Carl.”
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 1st
2. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson may have nudged Edwards aside en route to his third straight championship, 
but the champ still lagged just a bit behind Edwards in the average finishes.
In 2008, Johnson had 22 top-10 finishes. However, he finished outside the top-10 in the next race nine times.
He also had strings of top-10s such as: three in a row (twice), four in a row (once), and seven in a row (once).
Heading into 2009, Johnson may not be the “favorite” to win the championship, but he certainly doesn’t like the idea of being the underdog either.
And let’s face it, the field doesn’t need Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus to have any additional motivation to win a fourth championship in a row.
Johnson averaged a finish of 11th in 2008, one spot below his average in ‘07, and two places worse than his ninth-place average in ‘06.
Again, notice the trend?
Things could go sour for Johnson in ‘09 with a 12th-place showing.
Jury’s Decision: Johnson will still be a favorite draftee for any owner, and rightfully so. He has proven over the last three years that the No. 48 team can get it done when it matters most, and ‘09 should be no different. Johnson will be a great pick up for any Fantasy roster.
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 2nd
Dark Horse Driver: One driver to look out for this season could be David Ragan. Sure, the kid is just entering 
his third season in the Cup Series, but he showed vast improvement in 2008 and could be even better in 2009.
Last season, Ragan managed 16 top-10 finishes. Following those races, he finished 11th or higher eight times.
While that number may be alarming to some potential owners, Ragan is poised to have a great season in ‘09.
It’s the last year that Roush-Fenway is allowed to have five teams, and someone has got to go—thus creating the greatest rivalry between all five teams.
If you want a driver that many may not have, but could still land you some serious points, pick up Ragan in your draft.
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 9th.
Stay Away From Driver: On the flip side, one driver enters into ‘09 season with the nickname “Sliced Bread.” 
Unfortunately, owners should stay away from Joey Logano in his rookie season.
It may be enticing to go with a kid who everyone has declared to be the next great star in NASCAR—he may be, but not in ‘09.
Logano had mediocre showings in his few Cup starts last year.
Before you say it, I know, he was in the No. 96 car and will have some growing pains this year.
Logano may be a good pick up next season, but for ‘09, stay away!
Fantasy Points Prediction for ‘09: 32nd.
So there you go. Let’s go racin’!
B-Blog
(Editor’s Note: Finishes from the Budweiser Shootout and Duel Races were included in the top-fives and top-10s.)
NASCAR Rejects Local TV Blackout
January 23, 2009
NASCAR has rejected the idea of Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith to follow the National Football League’s lead to blackout events on local television when tracks are not sold out.
“That’s exatly what should happen,” Smith said. “It worked for the NFL, so you have a forerunner there who has done it successfully.” (ThatsRacin.com) Read more
Jimmie Johnson: Surprised He’s Not Favorite For Four-Peat
January 22, 2009
Jimmie Johnson may be sporting a new, rougher look this season, but one thing is still the same: He expects to win the Sprint Cup Championship.
Johnson has dominated the Cup Series the past three seasons. Say what you want about the No. 48 Lowe’s team, but when it counts (and by that I obviously mean the Chase), this team gets it done.
Last season it appeared Johnson and Crew Chief Chad Knaus appeared that they had fallen behind the curve a little. Drivers such as Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch were tearing the series up with wins, while Johnson was slowly fading out of the spot light.
Then came the 2008 Chase, and everything changed. In the 10-race playoff, Johnson won three times and averaged a finish of 5.7.
Edwards, on the other hand, won three of the last four races and averaged a finish of 8th. The downfall for him came at Charlotte and Talladega where he finished 33rd and 29th, respectively.
With the season now less than a month away, everyone is making their predictions on who will take home the ‘09 championship. Many, appear to be favored towards Edwards, whose late season surge nearlyde-throned the (then) two-time defending champ.
Johnson, however is a bit surprised that people still aren’t giving him the credit he and the No. 48 team deserve.
“I heard that at [last weekend's NASCAR Preseason Thunder] at Daytona that they ranked him as the favorite to win and I’m like, ‘Uh, really?’” Johnson said during Wednesday’s activities on the Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “’I just won three of these things. I can’t believe I wouldn’t be.’” (SceneDaily.com)
Johnson knows that Edwards will be a threat to win the championship, but he also knows how dominant his team has been when the Chase rolls around.
“There’s a lot of racing between now and then,” the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet said. “At the start of the season last year it was easy to forget about us and I think at the end of last year it was easy to forget about the 18 car [of Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch] and we know he’s going to be strong. So I guess my point to that is racing’s a weird deal and it can change in a short period of time. I would expect the 99 [of Edwards] to be one of the favorites but you never know what’s going to happen to a team - runs or slumps. I truthfully see a lot of good cars next year. I saw the 16 [of Roush Fenway’s Greg Biffle] and the 17 [ of Roush Fenway’s Matt Kenseth] showing some strength…
“So I think on paper you can go through the top five and rank them for the first quarter of the season and think those would be the favorites but there’s some other guys that are going to be right there nipping on our heels.” (SceneDaily.com)
Only time will tell this season who will be crowned the new (or old) champion of 2009, but Johnson does feel a bit slighted that he and the No. 48 team aren’t the early favorites.
“It got my attention when I heard it,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Really?’ But I guess I’m used to that in a lot of ways. You know, I’ll just go out and let my actions on the track speak for themselves.” (SceneDaily.com)
Johnson had a point, his actions on the track (and particularly in the Chase) do speak for themselves, and the past three years they have said loud and clearly: Sprint Cup Champion.
B-Blog
Top-10 Drivers with a New Team in 2009
January 21, 2009
As a NASCAR fan for the past six seasons, I must admit one thing: I will need a program for the upcoming season to remember who is driving what car, sponsored by which company, and for which team.
With all the changes in the offseason, I decided to take a look at each team that will feature a new driver and rank how well I think they will do in 2009.
By my count there are 10 drivers who will kick off the season in a new ride. Here is a look at how I think each team will fare in ‘09:
10. Regan Smith — Smith comes from the now barely functioning Dale Earnhardt Inc. (now Earnhardt-Ganassi) to an even more defunct team, Furniture Row Racing. I may catch some heat from Smith fans (I’m sure there are some out there?) for listing his as the driver least likely to succeed with his new team, but lets get realistic here.
Sure, Smith technically won the race at Talladega last year, but he was in a DEI car. DEI cars always perform well at restrictor plate tracks, and he didn’t do so well anywhere else.
In 41 career Cup races, he has a goose egg in both top-fives and top-10 finishes, and averages a finish of 29th. He now moves on to a team that has had it’s share of struggles as well, so I don’t see Smith having an above-average season.
9. David Stremme —Stremme enters 2009 in the defending Daytona 500’s team after a one-year hiatus from the Cup level. Another non-surprise here as we all figured Stremme’s Cup career was over after he was released by Ganassi Racing in 2007.
After a season in the Nationwide Series, however, Stremme has clawed his way back to the sport’s premiere league.
However, he got his ride in a team that has struggled recently, and a manufacture that appears to be on its way out of the sport.
In 75 career Cup starts, Stremme has managed only three top-10 finishes and zero top-fives. Entering 2009, Stremme has a possibility to contend for a few top-10s and maybe even a top-five here and there.
But bottom line, Stremme doesn’t appear to have the talent to compete with the big boys every week, and may only have this season to prove it, before Penske looks elsewhere.
8. Reed Sorenson — Sorenson joins the newly created Richard Petty Motorsports from the newly created Eanhardt-Ganassi team. He brings with him a potential to be a great driver, as he has shown in the Nationwide Series, and at times in the Cup Series.
Sorenson loses my vote here because of the team he transferred to. Like I said above, until Dodge proves they can hang with the other three manufactures, their teams will always be below them. You almost wonder if Sorenson hasn’t gotten the results because of his talent, or the team that he drove for.
Unfortunately, I think Sorenson would have been better at Earnhardt-Ganassi now that the team has decided to run Chevys.
In his 109 career Cup starts, Sorenson has managed 13 top-10 finishes and five top-fives, with an average finish of 27th.
OK, so he should do decent at RPM, but decent for that team is a 20th place showing in the points. Sorenson won’t be above the top-20 in 2009, and therefore falls at No. 8 on my list.
7. AJ Allmendinger — Allmendinger joins RPM from a team that surprisingly booted him out the door to make room for a new driver, Team Red Bull. The move was a bit of a surprise because Allmendinger had actually began performing well near the end of the season.
Notice a trend in these ranking though? All the Dodges are at the bottom of the list. Allmendinger moves from a Toyota team that provided unreal amounts of funding to get the results they wanted, to the sport’s most struggling manufacture.
RPM simply does not have the equipment to compete with the other teams on a consistent basis.
Allmendinger may have a decent year, but he first has to get through the first couple races to see if he will even be running full-time or not.
In 44 career Cup starts, Allmendinger has captured only two top-10 finishes and an average finishing spot of 28th.
If the team can manage to pull out a full-time sponsor for this car, he should finish ahead of teammate Sorenson, but not many others.
6. Casey Mears — Mears was formerly known as the, “Other Hendrick Driver,” and unfortunately will now be referred to as the, “Other Childress Driver.” A bit harsh? Might be, but it’s the truth. Mears simply doesn’t have the same talent that the other drivers at HMS had, nor is he on the same level as the other RCR drivers.
He should finish above the guys on this list, and possibly inside the top-20 in points, but is that really a successful campaign?
Mears’ family has a rich tradition in IRL, but for some reason he has parked himself in NASCAR. He has proven at times that he can run near the top-10, but never seems to have the finishes his teammates produce.
In 216 career Cup starts, Mears has one victory (albeit a fuel mileage win), 42 top-10 finishes and 12 top-fives, with an average finish of 22nd.
So how could he be more successful moving from the sports most dominant team to a sub-par one? I’m not saying he’ll be extremely successful, just that he should fare better than the four above. I’d say he finishes top-20 in points, but nowhere near the Chase cut-off.
5. Ryan Newman — Newman enters unknown waters in 2009 as he joins friend Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing. He is the defending Daytona 500 champ and left a team where he received the nickname of “Rocket Man” for all his poles won.
The bad news: 43 poles in his career, but only 13 wins. So obviously he can get the car up there during qualifying, but doesn’t do so well holding those positions once the rest of the field join him on the track.
In 260 career Cup starts, Newman has 13 wins, 106 top-10 finishes, 63 top-fives and an average finish of 20th. But that is his past 260 races, we are interested in the next 36.
Newman will have a good year in his new ride. Things may be rocky at first for these teams as they adjust to new people, but with Hendrick equipment, they will have the speed needed to run up front. Not to mention he has owner and teammate, Stewart next to him to help with adjustments and such.
Newman has the potential to be a top-15 car in 2009, the interesting thing will be whether or not he lives up to that potential.
4. Paul Menard — Menard is another DEI orphan, and brings his family sponsorship to the No. 98 Yates Ford. With that sponsorship, he was also given the points to the No. 28, and a guaranteed spot in the first five races of 2009.
So who’s out there thinking, “Why in the world is Menard No. 4 on this list?” (Settle down you six Menard fans!)
I really feel that Menard has the ability to be a top-15 driver, and with Roush equipment, he may be the driver to bring Yates back to Victory Lane. If not, the man next in the count down could be the one.
Menard has 75 career Cup starts. In those starts, he’s managed just two top-10 finishes and one top-five, with an average finishing spot of 26. I feel, however, that Yates is a much better fit for this young driver and that with the man below as his teammate, he will only improve as a driver.
A top-15 finish in the points is not out of the question for Menard and this team.
3. Bobby Labonte — Labonte leaves behind a struggling Dodge team (now known as Richard Petty Motorsports) to join a struggling Ford team. He does so, however, actually running under the Hall of Fame Racing banner.
Labonte is a past champion, he knows his way around these tracks and could be contending for a Chase birth in 2009. I know that sounds a bit crazy, but it’s really not. The cars that Labonte are driving are—more or less—the same ones that Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle are visiting Victory Lane with week in and week out.
Labonte brings this team exactly what it needs: A past champion with experience and know-how to get the job done. He has 546 career Cup starts, 21 wins, 113 top-fives and 197 top-10 finishes. I really think this team has done an amazing job bringing in someone of Labonte’s caliber and will do nothing but get better from here on out.
2. Mark Martin — Martin is yet another former DEI driver entering 2009 with a different team. (That’s three on this list by the way!) He also begins 2009 doing something he said he wasn’t going to do: running a full season.
It’s no surprise that Martin is near the top of this list. He joins the sports most powerful stable in HMS, and with his experience will have no problem adjusting and competing immediately for top-10 finishes each weekend.
Mark it down, Martin will make the 2009 Chase. Will he win? Probably not, but he will make it.
Martin has been in the sport for 26 years! He has 722 career Cup starts and 35 wins. He has finished in the top-five 243 times (that’s 34 percent for those of you who dislike math) and in the top-10 396 times (an amazing 55 percent of the time!)
Martin will hit the pavement in 2009 at full steam and will compete in his first full season since 2006. He proved his capability in barely there DEI cars, and now has all the equipment he needs to qualify and finish well.
1. Tony Stewart — Stewart takes over as owner of his own team, from Gibbs Racing. Some people might think I’m crazy for listing Smoke as the No. 1 driver on this list, but I have no doubt that he will get the job done (and done well) in 2009.
Will he win a championship? No, but he will make the Chase. A bold prediction, I know, but Stewart has everything it takes to be a top NASCAR driver: he is a past champion, which guarantees him a spot in at least six races, he has the experience and now he has HMS equipment.
Stewart has 356 career Cup starts. In those starts he has 33 wins (that’s nine percent of the time he takes the green flag), 129 top-fives (36 percent), and 207 top-10 finishes (58 percent).
Granted, all those starts and finishes were in a Gibbs car, but I have no doubt that Smoke will continue his success at his own team, and therefore I have listed him as my top driver in a new team for 2009.
B-Blog
GEM Website: AJ Allmendinger To Drive the No. 44
January 19, 2009
Oh how the carousel turns in the world of NASCAR Silly Season.
It’s now being reported that Gillett Evernham Petty Enterprises (or whatever it’s called these days?) will in fact field four teams in 2009.
I know, it’s went back and forth, but on GEM’s Web site, it has AJ Allmendinger listed as the driver of the No. 44.
Yes, you read that right, not the No. 10… the No. 44!
The No.. 44 was used last season by Michael Waltrip Racing, but driver DavidReutimann has since switched to the No. 00 Aarons’ sponsored car.
The site doesn’t list any sponsors and/or a crew chief, or any information about if it will run full-time, part-time or no-time, it just has a little info about Allmendinger.
This team has been the center of the headlines this year when it first was announcedthat driver of the No. 19 Dodge Elliot Sadler, had been booted to make room forAllmendinger.
After it looked like a legal battle could be brewing, Sadler was told he would remain in the No. 19 Charger.
Not sure where this No. 44 thing will go, but it appears GEM isn’t ready to give out information, as no announcements have been made.
Has a sponsor been found? We don’t know yet. That may very well be what determines how many races the team enters.
If the team uses the No. 10 points (which I’m sure it will), then this team is guaranteed a spot in the first five races, as well as a spot in the Budweiser Shootout.
B-Blog
No practice rule a problem for young drivers.
January 17, 2009
NASCAR sought to save Sprint Gup teams money by outlawing practice at not only their tracks, but also at any similar tracks as well. This looked like a great idea, but then NASCAR had to let young drivers earn their right to compete at Daytona during the ARCA Daytona practice. Some young drivers, such as Gibb’s Joey Logano are alreay locked into starting spots, by virtue of the seat they will fill. But without the Cup practice at Daytona Logano will be hard pressed to get enough seat time to hope for a good finish in the 500.
Hopefully NASCAR will give all the teams more access to the track during Speed Weeks. This would help offset the deficit of seat time the youngsters will have. Likewise, with all the new teams and manufacturer alliances several teams will be hurting if they don’t get track time. Particularly the new Stewart/Haas team will have a tough time being competitive. And Bobby Labonte, in the new #96 Hall of Fame/Yates Ford may also miss the field.
Still, the 500 will have a lot of fresh looks and shouldn’t have a problem filling the 43 car field. One name that will probably missing from the starting line-up for the 500 is Petty. The #43 is no longer going to be entered by Petty Eterprises and Kyle Petty’s only ride at Daytona this year appears to be in a Rolex 24 Hour ride. The famed Woods Brothers #21 may also miss the show this year, depending on if they can locate a former champion to get them a provisional start.
NASCAR: Revision To Budweiser Shootout Next Month
January 16, 2009
NASCAR announced this morning that they will allow each manufacture to have a “wild-card” for the 2009 Budweiser Shootout, increasing the size of the field from 24 to 28.
The event is scheduled to take place Feb. 7, and originally was set to include the top-six drivers from each manufacture.
Eligibility for the spot include:
• Any owner outside of the top six in year end 2008 owners’ points whose driver is a past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion that attempted to qualify for all of the 2008 events (only one position will be filled per manufacturer and will be based on the most recent past champion per manufacturer).
• If an owner/manufacturer does not have a past champion driver, the next highest eligible owner outside the top six in year end 2008 owners’ points from each manufacturer will be eligible to compete in the event.
The race will be 75 laps (with a 25-lap segment, followed by a 50-lap segment.)
Between the two segments, there will be a 10-minute pit stop, at which time teams will pit and may elect to change tires, add fuel and make normal chassis adjustments. Crews will be permitted to work on cars and will be allowed to perform functions they would do on a normal pit stop in a regular NASCAR Spring Cup event. All work must be performed on pit road or in the garage. Changing of springs, shock absorbers or rear-ends will not be permitted.
As always, starting positions will be determined by a blind draw during the annual Budweiser Shootout Draw Party on Feb. 5, on SPEED Network.
According to the press release, the cars eligible for the wild-card spot include: Chevrolet (Tony Stewart, No. 70), Dodge (AJ Allmendinger, No. 10), Ford (David Gilliland/Paul Menard No. 38) and Toyota (Unknown Driver, No. 22).
B-Blog
David Gilliland: Out at Yates?
January 15, 2009
Ever heard the saying “three’s a crowd?” Well it appears that four is actually a crowd at Yates Racing, and David Gilliland may be the one outside looking in.
According to SceneDaily.com, Gilliland feels like he is being pushed aside, now that Hall of Fame Racing has joined the Yates stable with past-champion Bobby Labontebehind the wheel of the No. 96.
It was first rumored that newcomer, Paul Menard, would receive the owner points from the No. 28, driven by Travis Kvapil, since Menard brought a full-time sponsor.
Now, it appears that Kvapil will take over Gilliland’s ride, and sponsored car.
In the announcement earlier this week, Yates said they would only be fielding three cars in 2009. With Menard guaranteed a sponsor, he is in, as is Labonte, but that leaves only one spot left.
Kvapil finished ahead of Gilliland in the points last season.
“I just heard of the thing today, from the Internet, so that’s what I assume,” Gilliland said Wednesday afternoon. “I haven’t actually had a sit-down with them, but I’m still under contract with them through 2009. So we’re just going to have to work through it, and hopefully, we can get something else going.” (SceneDaily.com)
If, indeed Gilliland is the odd man out, it leaves very little options for the driver to find a ride full-time in 2009.
Daytona is just weeks away, and Gilliland said he was disappointed to hear the news.
“It’s just kind of a bummer that it’s this late in the [off-season], you know?” he told SceneDaily’s Jeff Gluck. “We’ll just have to see what we can come up with and see what we can try and do.”
Gilliland became a star in June 2006, when he won a Nationwide Race at Kentucky in an under-funded car. He became the first non-Cup driver to win that year.
He was quickly picked-up by Yates Racing, and took over the No. 38 for the final 15 races of 2006.
In 2007, he finished 28th in points, with two top-10 finishes and one top-five. Last year, he had similar numbers with a 27th place finish in the points, and two top-10 finishes and one top-five.
Gilliland appeared to be safe, because he was driving the car with more sponsorship, but Kvapil out performed him in a mostly unsponsored car last season.
It should be interesting to see how all this plays out with just weeks until the cars hit the track at Daytona. One of the few remaining spots open at NASCAR’s premiere level is the No. 41 at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.
Rumors have been swirling over there as well. The team only has two fully-sponsored cars in the No. 1 of Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 41, which has Target on board.
Many have said that Juan Pablo Montoya could be taking over the No. 41, since his No. 42 is only partially sponsored. Aric Almirola is also on board in the No. 8, but it has not been announced which sponsor (if any) the car will have in 2009.
B-Blog
Ryan Newman Prepares for Stewart-Haas Debut
January 14, 2009
The NASCAR season is quickly approaching and several drivers will be hitting the track next month in a new ride. One of those drivers—Ryan Newman— took part in a teleconference Jan. 13.
Several reporters, including yours truly, participated and had a chance to talk with Newman about the upcoming season in his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet.
Rolling into Speedweeks, Newman is the defending Daytona 500 Champ, he first spoke about how it felt to come to Daytona with that crown.
“Well, I wish the year hadn’t passed already almost because it was pretty cool,” Newman said. “I’m ready to defend it, but I’m not sure I want to give up the title, because I’ve got a one in 43 chance of doing that. It was a great win last year, for myself, for Penske Racing. All the things that happened to us that night, just a dream come true, and I really look forward to coming back and defending my title with a different team, with the Stewart-Haas team and U.S. Army Chevrolet and Tony Stewart, just trying to put on another show for the fans.”
The off-season was different for Newman as he was busy getting acquainted with a new team and getting things prepared for the up coming season. He spoke a little about the transition.
Newman said Tony Gibson, Stewart, Darian Grubb, Bobby Hutchins and everyone else is just working hard to put together the family tree.
“They’ve done a great job in my opinion so far,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to testing. Just look forward to getting some of the first experiences underneath our belt.”
The team had planned to test Jan. 14 in New Smyrna, Florida.
While Newman said he knows the testing schedule is a bit different this year, the team just wants to make sure they have everything shined up for the Daytona 500.
The next question thrown Newman’s way regarded him passing Stewart (now his owner and boss) on the final lap of the 2008 Daytona 500. If the situation was the same next month, what would he do?
“Well, if we had to do the same thing last year and replay it, I would anticipate Tony pulling up in front of my line and dI would push Tony ahead, knowing that I would be his teammate,” he said. “Either way, Tony knows I’m a racer and I know he’s a racer, and we’ll race until the end, but we’ll not sacrifice each other’s performance to do that. That’s the most important thing.”
Starting off with a new team is always tough, but Newman is confident he will perform well in the No. 39 this season.
“I am confident coming out of the box that we’ll be a contender at the Daytona 500,” he told reporters. “I feel that there’s going to be some things that we’ll have to learn, but I think as a group, with our team, with the U.S. Army Chevrolet, that the people that we have with Tony Gibson and his group that came over from BEI and all the other people that were there from Haas racing that we’ll be competitive. I feel with Hendrick components, myself and Darian Grubb and Tony Gibson, that there’s no reason that we’re not.”
Newman added that both teams’ goals are to make the Chase in 2009. Once the teams focus (and make) the Chase, they can then determine how much of a contender they are the for championship.
As for his new-found relationship with Stewart as his boss, Newman said Stewart has welcomed him into his family.
“And when I say family, I don’t mean Stewart Haas Racing,” he continued. “He invited my wife Krissie and I up to his place. They did the charity hunt with Johnny Morriss from Bass Pro Shops and Bill Jordan from Realtree Outdoors and gave a little girl who is ill an opportunity to shoot a deer, and she did, and it put a smile on her face. Just a situation like that, to do something good with my owner and other people is something I didn’t really expect, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
The team has tested once at Rockingham Speedway, Newman said in preparation for the upcoming season, but that was a one day test to kind of get to know each other on the radio, he said.
Newman expects the testing at New Smyrna to be the last before the season kicks off.
When asked how his communication was with Stewart, Newman said that had yet to be determined.
“Honestly, that’s what we’re going to work on tomorrow when we go to New Smyrna,” he said. “He’s going to be there and we’ll have the 14 and 39 cars there. For me, it’s important to understand what his balance feels like, and vice versa; for Darian Grubb and Tony Gibson to work together; to understand when Tony says the car is loose that it’s drivable or undrivable, for me and vice versa.”
Those, Newman said, are things that the team will work on during the testing.
As for his new crew chief, Newman said he got to know Gibson a lot during the end parts of last season.
“He’s very much like Tony and I and enjoys the outdoors, fishing and hunting, and that’s nice so you can connect outside of the racetrack,” he said. “But his experience, his personality, his understanding of the way Hendrick Motorsports works and respect for the things that we do at Stewart-Haas Racing in conjunction with Hendrick Motorsports, I really look foward to working with him and the team and trying to succeed and accomplish our goals.”
Newman also hits the track next month with a new sponsor in the U.S. Army.
Recently, he took a trip to Fort Bragg with some members of his team.
“That was really a treat,” he said. “It was a lot of fun, shot some guns, did some simulation things. They fired a few bombs off, shotguns inside of a 20 by 20 room with rubber walls, and I was in on part of that.”
Newman continued to say the coolest thing he got to do was be in the vertical wind tunnel, which is a way to simulate skydiving.
“To be a driver for the U.S. Army Chevrolet is an honor for me,” he said. “To see some of their technology and safety and some of the things that they do to prepare their team and their organization just as we do was pretty neat.”
Entering the Daytona 500 and trying to defend that title in a different car, crew and everything else, Newman talked a little about what it would be like with all the changes.
“I think the strange moment will be going to the Daytona 500 Experience and being part of that and pulling the old car out. That will be, I guess, the cutting of the umbilical cord of sorts,” he said. “Again, I really look forward to competing next year… this year, with Stewart-Haas Racing in the U.S. Army Chevrolet. I really look forward to creating our own successes.”
For the upcoming season, it appears Newman will get the points from the No. 66 car, which is guaranteed a spot in the first five races from last year’s owner points.
Newman said from what he understands, the No. 66 will become the No. 39 in points (his car), while the No. 70 team (outside the top-35) will become the No. 14 team.
Stewart, however, will be the most recent past champion and will be guaranteed a spot in six races, should he not qualify.
When asked if having the guaranteed spot was a relief, Newman said definitely.
“Believe me, it weighed on my mind. But again, that’s part of racing. I would be putting myself into that position and Tony Stewart will be putting himself in that position potentially.”
When asked about his gold Daytona 500 trophy from last year, Newman said it was sitting on his desk next to his computer at his home.
“It’s a special piece for me,” he said. “Obviously, it’s one of a kind, and it was kind of interesting when I got the trophy at first; I thought, man, that’s a pretty cool trophy. They were like, ‘yea, it’s gold.’ I figured every one of them was gold. The 50th running was pretty neat.”
Newman continued to say the trophy was unique and to see the old car on top of it was, “pretty neat, as well.”
As the only college graduate racing in NASCAR’s premiere series, reporter’s asked Newman if his degree in mechanical engineerings (from Purdue by the way) impacted his career.
“Well, for me, it’s just taken me to another level to understand the race car, the physics part of it, the gravities and the way all the things work with the race care mechanically,” he said. “That makes a difference to me personally. I’m not saying it makes me smarter than everybody else, but it’s made me a smarter person to the point that I tell anybody if you have the opportunity to go to college or to a university to et a further education, do it.”
He added that what a person majors in doesn’t ultimately make them a smart guy, but that the well roundedness that comes with a further education that makes them a better person and a smarter person in order to make more money and be happier in the future.
“For me, my actual title is vehicle structure engineering,” he said. “It’s a mechanical backbone, but it gave me the opportunity to be flexible in school, and then I obviously have that diploma and that education to fall back on for the rest of my career.”
While Newman is excited about having U.S. Army on the car, it will not be featured on every race this season. When asked about the sponsorship issue, Newman said people at the company are working hard to find additional sponsors for the remaining races.
“But in the meantime, hopefully we can come out of the box strong,” he said. “My focus is Daytona, Daytona 500, and in the end, they pay me to drive the race car, and that’s my ultimate responsibility. But I do stay aware of sponsorship and things that I may be obligated to later in the year.”
When asked if he was worried about the sponsorship issue, Newman said he wouldn’t say he’s not worried at all.
“I just know it’s something that the people at SHR are focusing on, and rightfully so. It’s a trying time in our economy and we’re trying to do things that we can to be as successful as we can. Having correct sponsorship that will align and work correctly with Office Depot, Old Spice and th
e U.S. Army is important, as well as making our performance and trying to make our team’s dreams com true.”
When asked about his test at Rockingham, Newman said it was still a great place to test.
“It’s a great racetrack,” he said. “I really, really enjoyed the driving around there. It was a lot of fun, really more so racing than driving. The tires fell of so fast that as you test it as a driver it’s kind of frustrating, but when you’re racing it’s kind of like being at the local go kart track when they throw the water or powder down; it’s kind of slick.”
When asked how he felt about there being no Preseason Thunder, Newman said it was three days that “could have, and should have been off.”
“I never thought we needed to test. Sure, it’s nice… the one thing that I wish we could test for is for the fans, because there are several fans that show up at Daytona and come to the racetrack and enjoy the atmosphere and the testing. For instance, some fans might not be able to afford to come for the Daytona 500 or the speed weeks or anything else, or any other race for that matter; they might just want to come to testing. I wish we could service the fans in that way, but in the end, with the economy the way it is, I don’t feel like we need to test as a team or NASCAR needs to test as an association. It’s all good with me. We just get a couple more days off, that they find something else for us to do.”
Newman would have participated in the Budweiser Shootout Feb. 7, but David Stremme will race in his place.
B-Blog
Nationwide Stars Say: Cut the Cup
January 12, 2009
OK, so I know this is like beating a dead horse. Everyone has their reasons for why the Nationwide Series should allow the Cup starts to race every weekend, while others have their reasons for why they shouldn’t be allowed.
Here are a few of my opinions (if anyone cares) on the matter at hand.
1. Cup stars fill the seats: We all know that this is not true. How many Nationwide races have we seen sold out in recent years?
Right…not many! While the Cup guys may bring in more people, they also may keep some away.
How about those guys who want to see competitive racing with some of the future stars of the sport? You can’t see them at a Nationwide race anymore with the likes ofClint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin leading the way. What happened to the good ol’ days when we saw the future stars making a name for themselves?
I used to (note the “used” there) watch when it was still the Busch Series and some of the most exciting races I remember seeing where Martin Truex Jr. battling Bowyer and Busch for his back-to-back Championships in 2004-05.
Remember, that was when the little guys actually had a chance to win some races.
Now, I have no reason to watch the Nationwide race, because without ever turning it on, I can tell you a Cup driver will more than likely win the race.
Take a look at 2008 results:
• Cup drivers won 29 of the 36 races
• Of the six races won, Brad Keselowski won twice (Nashville and Bristol), Scott Wimmer won once (Nashville), Joey Logano won once (Kentucky), Ron Fellows won once (Montreal) and Marcos Ambrose won once (Watkins Glen).
• Average number of Cup guys in those six races: 7 (10 in Bristol and 12 at Watkins Glen threw the average higher, by the way)
• Average number of Cup guys in the other 29 races: 11
2. It’s simply not fair: What other sport allows its professional athletes to come back and play in the college ranks. Don’t think that’s a good example?
The Nationwide Series is supposed to be the level where young-guns get their chance to shine (sounds kind of like college football or basketball or any sport to me). The past three seasons now, the championship has been won by a Cup driver. That would be like allowing Peyton Manning to go back to Tennessee for a couple of games (or the whole season) to win a National Championship.
But, in reality, the Volunteers have to move on with their fresh talent and win the games without Manning, as should the Nationwide teams have to do without the Cup stars.
I have no problems with the Cup teams having Nationwide teams. While it does give them a bit of an advantage, they have earned that by being in the sport for years and working their way up, but at least give the little guys some almost-level playing field.
3. The series has become a practice session: Here is a reason that actually puts Cup-level competition at a disadvantage. If Edwards and Bowyer are racing in every Nationwide race the night before they race the same track in a Cup car, that’s extra time on the track that others don’t get.
I know, before I start getting the comments, the cars are nowhere near as similar as they used to and very little is actually learned from them running the extra races.
I also know that Jimmie Johnson beat out all the Nationwide drivers, who supposedly got extra practice time.
But here’s my point: If they are going to limit the amount of practice time and have now cut testing, they should limit the time Cup drivers can spend on the track in other cars as well.
4. Fans want an interesting Championship run: We all want to see those championships that aren’t decided until the final weeks of the season. Many fans may think that having Cup drivers in the seats of Nationwide cars do such a thing, but let us look at the recent championships won.
• 2008: Bowyer beats out Edwards by 21 points to win the championship. So this one may have been a close one and down to the wire, but third place Keselowski, he was 338 back.
• 2007: Edwards blows away the competition and finishes the season 618 points ahead of second place David Reutimann. This was pitiful, he had it locked up with what, four or five races to go?
• 2006: Kevin Harvick dominates the entire season and finishes 824 points ahead of Edwards. Nobody had a chance from the mid-point of the season on and nobody wanted to watch it either.
• 2005: Truex beat out Bowyer (the year before he moved to Cup) by 68 points. Possibly one of the best seasons of racing I can remember.
So with the exception of last year, the past three championships have been bore-fests.
Last year looked like it was going to be a run-away by Bowyer, before Edwards hit a hot streak and nearly caught him.
5. Let the little guys gain some fans: It’s hard for up and coming stars, like Keselowski to gain any fans when they don’t get to run up front much of the season. Fans want drivers who are consistently running in the top five and winning races (unless you are Dale Earnhardt Jr., he could finish 43rd every race and Junior Nation would still continue to grow).
Guys like Keselowski, Mike Bliss, Jason Leffler and even ol’ David Stremme, never get a chance to gain fans because they are constantly over-shadowed by the Cup guys in their territory.
These are the future stars of the sport (well maybe not those in particular, but the drivers from the Nationwide Series), and if nobody knows who they are when they get to Cup, who’s going to care?
My solution: It’s a simple solution to fix, in my opinion. NASCAR wants Cup drivers in the races, that’s fine, but at least limit their attempts and/or don’t let them run for championships.
Let Keselowski and Bliss battle it out on the track with Mike Wallace and Leffler—that would be exciting. If Cup guys are going to be allowed in the races, why not say they can’t compete in more than five or 10 races? That seems fair enough to me.
That would keep some sponsors happy, having the big names in there a couple times a year, but it would also give the younger guys some television time and a chance to show the sponsors what they can do.
The Nationwide Series has become a preview of what Sunday will be like, and nobody wants to watch the same thing two days in a row.
B-Blog
This article also appears on my sports blog: Sports101
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