January 2008 Archives

The familiar No. 8 for Dale Earnhardt Inc. has a new paint scheme and new drivers. Mark Martin and Aric Almirola will share driving duties and the U.S. Army is the new sponsor, replacing the Budweiser red that used to adorn the car when Dale Earnhardt Jr. used to drive it.

Kevin Harvick wants to stop using the term Car of Tomorrow and start calling his race cars Impalas. NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow will be used in every Sprint Cup Seres race this year, inlcuding the Feb. 24 race at California Speedway for the first time.

Carl Edwards told reporters at California Speedway that he likes his race tracks rough. "NASCAR should implement a rule that makes it completely illegal to resurface the race tracks ever," he said.

Jeff Gordon was the only driver to turn a lap in under 40 seconds during the afternoon test session Thursday at California Speedway.
After 15 drivers in the morning session had laps under 40 seconds around the 2-mile oval, led by Denny Hamlin, Gordon was the lone driver to post that kind of lap in the afternoon.
Gordon said a number of the teams are finally getting comfortable with the new cars and making them a lot faster than he anticipated.

"The more time we, the teams, have spent with it, the better they get it to drive. The less it feels like a bigger, boxier car," said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "I am impressed with what the teams have been able to do with it, which is kind of what NASCAR was shooting for. They had hoped that as the teams got more experience with the car, we would just continue to make it drive better and we have. We hope that correlates to better racing and more passing and all of those things."
But like a number of drivers, Gordon said the new car, otherwise known as the Car of Tomorrow, is siginificanrly slower than the old Cup cars. One of the reasons NASCAR changed the Cup car was to improve its safety. One of the drawbacks to those safety improvements has been a reduction in the speed of the cars.
"It has certainly slowed the cars down," Gordon said. "In Vegas, we looked at the telemetry from last year and we were 13 miles an hour slower in the middle of the corner with this car versus the old car. That was sort of the objective that they were searching for and safety and all those things. It is hard to say, but I am optimistic, I think the racing is going to be really good, but we won't know until we get back here for the race."

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin had the fastest lap in the morning test session for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams at California Speedway. It was another fast day for Toyota, which has posted top speeds during the two previous preseason test sessions at Daytona Internationals Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Joe Gibbs Racing switched engine manufacturers over the winter, from Chevrolets to Toyotas, and has been surprisingly fast in testing.
“I think the guys at Gibbs are going to run really well,” said Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. “The talent is spectacular. The drivers, they’re as good as anyone in the garage. For that reason, I think they’re going to be tough.”

Tony Stewart and Hamlin made the Chase last year driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Busch, a newcomer to the team, made the Chase last year driving for Hendrick Motorsports, which also used Chevrolet power.
Toyota made its debut in Cup last year and didn’t win a race or have a driver in the Chase. But Toyota drivers, and not just the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, have been fast in testing and look strong so far.
“I don’t believe that Toyota has shown any real weakness or anything,” Edwards said. “They’re going to be really tough competitors. I’m hoping it will make it that much more fun to beat them with my Ford. I hope they don’t run away with anything. But I think they’re going to be tough.”

Valencia’s Bryan Herta posted the fastest lap in the American Le Mans Series LMP2 class during the three-day test at Sebring International Raceway in Florida earlier this week
Herta, a driver for Andretti Green Racing, will be teamed with Christian Fittipaldi in the American Le Mans Series this year. Fittipaldi, a veteran open-wheel racer from the CART and the Champ Car World Series, is the nephew of Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi.
The American Le Mans Series season opens March 15 with the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Herta, teamed with Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti, won the 12 Hours of Sebring race last year.
“I think we have potential with this new car,” said Herta, a Hart High of Newhall graduate. “We had an uneven test this week as we had some trouble with the car at times. We will go back to the shop and do our homework.”
This will be Herta’s second season with Andretti Green Racing American Le Mans Series team. He drove in the Indy Racing League for Andretti Green for three years prior to moving to the American Le Mans Series.
“Bryan has been driving this car for a year and he knows in less than a lap what to change on the car,” Fittipaldi said. “It is still a learning process with me. But I’m ready for the Sebring race.”
Andretti Green will be one of four teams using Acura-powered cars in the LMP2 division. Lowe’s Fernandez Racing, Highcroft Racing and the newly formed de Ferran Motorsports will also race Acuras.
Even though Herta had the fastest lap during the test, he said the team had some difficulty finding any consistency at Sebring.
“This place changes a ridiculous amount from one session to the next,” Herta said. “And that makes it difficult to get a reading. Our issues this week were continuity and running consistently throughout the day. It was tough to get readings with our XM Acura when we had a few things to fix. But that is what testing is all about — getting the problems worked out. We’ll come back next month for another test and work on more items with the new car. Then it will be time to race.”

Pacific Coast Motorsports, an Oxnard-based race team, will add Frankie Muniz and Carl Skerlong to its newly formed Champ Car Atlantic Series team.
Muniz, best known for his role on "Malcolm in the Middlle," is in his third year of racing in the Atlantic Series and his first with Pacific Coast Motorsports.
“Joining PCM is a huge step forward for me in my racing career,” said the 22-year-old Muniz, who will be driving the team's No. 29 entry. “In the three tests I have already completed, I have learned so much and really developed my skills as a racing driver."
Pacific Coast Motorsports has a two-car entry in the Champ Car World Series with Alex Figge and David Martinez as drivers. The team won the 2004 Atlantic Series championship, but redirected its focus on the Champ Car World Series the following year.
"Tim Lewis, my race engineer has a championship winning record behind him and we have gelled really well," Muniz said. "I just can’t wait for the season to start in April at the Long Beach Grand Prix and I am thrilled to represent a professional racing team like Pacific Coast Motorsports.”
The Atlantic Series begins at the Long Beach Grand Prix April 18-20.
Skerlong, a 19-year-old from Mukiteo, Wash., will be in the No. 28 entry for Pacific Motorsports in the Atlantic Series. He had two podium finishes and finished in the top 10 in the Atlantic Series standings last year.
“I am so excited about this opportunity," Skerlong siad. "I have one goal this year, and that is to win the Atlantic series title and the $2 million prize in the No. 28 King Taco car.”

For what it’s worth, Toyota has looked uncharacteristically fast in preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway this month.
The drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing — Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch — have been particularly fast. Hamlin and Busch had the top two cars in the test sessions at Las Vegas on Monday.
Stewart wasn’t too far behind.
Even Dave Blaney, who drives a Toyota for Bill Davis Racing, and A.J. Allmendinger, one of the Toyota drivers for Red Bull Racing, posted impressive times at Daytona.
Preseason testing continues today and Friday at California Speedway, the first time NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow will be on the Fontana track.
Joe Gibbs Racing made the daring, some might say foolhardy, move from Chevrolet to Toyota engines in the offseason. Stewart and Hamlin made the Chase, the 10-race playoff to determine the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, last year with Chevrolet engines. Busch, who moved from Hendrick Motorsports to Joe Gibbs Racing in the offseason, made the Chase last year, too.
No Toyota driver qualified for the Chase. Only one Toyota team finished in the top 35 in the crucial owners standings. The top 35 teams in the owners standings earn automatic starting spots in Cup races.
While it’s hard to get too excited about testing times and speeds, Hamlin and Busch said they liked the results so far.
“Yeah, I mean, we definitely didn’t think going into this year that we were going to have growing pains by switching manufacturers,” said Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. “Had we had the old car where we really don’t know the aero advantages, yeah, we definitely would have been a little bit more concerned.”
The change appears to be going smoothly at Joe Gibbs Racing. Other Toyota teams have shown significant signs of improvement, too.
Hamlin said the changes have not been that drastic.
“But we know we’ve got basically the same body as what we had last year,” Hamlin said. “All we’re dealing with is different horsepower. Really there’s going to be no transition for us, going hopefully to be as competitive if not more competitive. The way it’s looking, we’re going to be more competitive than what we were last year.”
That would be an impressive jump for Toyota.
“It's been pretty cool to come out here — as well as the Atlanta and Daytona test — and be fast at all of them,” said Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. “Hopefully we will be able to go to California and do the same thing. We knew the manufacturer wasn’t going to be a hold back, that’s why we made the swap.”
What’s scary is that the teams from Joe Gibbs Racing haven’t showed their full hands yet.
“This is still TRD’s (Toyota Racing Development) motor package in this car — it isn’t a Gibbs motor package,” Busch said, “so I can only presume that we will come back here with more.”

All drivers’ eyes in the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series are on Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals, the season opener in Pomona on Feb. 7.
But their hearts are with NHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Herbert.
Herbert’s two sons died in a car crash Saturday in North Carolina. Herbert was at Firebird Raceway near Phoenix testing when he heard the news of his sons’ deaths. He left the drag strip to be with his family.
“Everybody’s numb to it,” said Jack Beckman, an NHRA Funny Car driver from North Hills. “People I’ve talked to, especially the ones that are parents, this is one of those deals where it’s not going to get better in two weeks, two months, two years.”
Herbert, who finished a career-best sixth in the NHRA Top Fuel standings last year, said in a statement that the loss he and his family is feeling is “unimaginable.”
Jon Herbert, 17, and his brother James, 12, were killed when the Mazda their were driving collided head on with another car. According to newspaper and Web site reports, the other car was a Hummer.
The boys died instantly, according to a release from the team spokeswoman.
Herbert said in a prepared statement that Jon loved music and cars. James loved to skateboard and ride dirt bikes.
“Our boys would not like everyone to be upset and cry right now, so please smile when you think of them,” Herbert said in the statement. “Thank you for keeping Jon, James, Jessie and our entire family in your prayers as we work through this time of sorrow.”
The Herberts have a daughter, Jessica.
In lieu of flowers, Herbert asked that donations be made to the Speedway Children’s Charities in Jon and James Herbert’s name.

Hersheys is offering four collector edition chocolate bars with images of Dale Earnhardt and inviting fans to visit its Web site to make a donation to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.
It's all part of an effort to raise money for the Dale Earnhardt Foundation and create an online mosaic to be unveiled on Dale Earnhardt Day, April 29, in Mooresville, N.C.
Race fans can go to hersheys.com/dale and post their name, message and picture for others to view. The pictures will become part of a large fan photo mosaic designed to look like Earnhardt that will be displayed throughout the year. Hersheys will let fans know where their photos are in the mosaic.
Fans can also collect and redeem candy wrappers for prizes through the Web site.The collector bars are available in four varieties. Two are traditional milk chocolate, one is chocolate with almonds and the one is the Kit Kat bar. The collector bars will be available through May.

After Hendrick Motorsports all but destroyed the Cup competition last year, it left many wondering who can rise to challenge them.
Kyle Busch says Joe Gibbs Racing can.
Busch, who drove for Hendrick Motorsports last year and was part of the juggernaut that won 18 of the 36 Cup races, is at Joe Gibbs Racing and will be racing the No. 18 Toyota for the team in 2008.
No Toyota driver won a race last and none of them qualified for the Chase. But Busch said Joe Gibbs Racing, even with Toyota, will be good enough to challenge Hendrick for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series supremacy.

Las Vegas native Kyle Busch was third-fastest on Tuesday morning after turning the fastest lap of Monday afternoon's test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during NASCAR testing.
Todd Warshaw / Getty Images for NASCAR

"I think we all kind of pictured this last year when all the announcements were made of where everybody was going," Busch said. "But it's probably going to be the Joe Gibbs versus Hendrick Motorsports arena here."
No one has a better perspective of how both teams operate. Busch said while he thinks Gibbs and Hendrick will be at the top of the Cup heirachy, other teams will be competitive too.
"But there's still great race teams out there, like Evernham, Childress, Roush, those guys," Busch said. "They're going to be right there, too. They're going to be fast. They're going to be wanting to take the spotlight away from us, too."
One big difference Busch has noticed at Joe Gibbs Racing is how well the team's three crews work together. At Hendrick, there was a definite divide. The No. 5 and No. 25 cars were in one building, while the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon and No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson were in another.
At Joe Gibbs Racing, all three drivers -- Busch, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin -- are working in the same place. Plus, Toyota is a wild card. No one really knows what to expect out of them.
"I think the biggest thing that Joe Gibbs has on our side is the Toyota factor," Busch said. "Everybody is worried about Toyota, how well Toyota is going to do. Everybody knows how well Hendrick Motorsports has done and will probably still do this year with Jeff, Jimmie, even Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) and Casey (Mears). We'll see how all that plays out. All I can do is go out there, worry about myself, worry about my No. 18 M&M Toyota team, and try to kick some butt."

Tony Stewart dropped on the speed charts, from second and third on Monday to fifth and 14th on Tuesday, during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
But the Toyota cars for Joe Gibbs Racing were actually about a second faster on the track. That's all good news to Stewart, whose team switched from Chevrolet engines to Toyotas in the offseason.
"We were joking because we were looking at the sheet yesterday and today at the same time we are all a second faster," said Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. "I think it shows how important this test is as far as getting stuff to where you can go from square one to getting it where it’s at.”
This was the first time the drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing were able to test their new cars on a mile-and-a-half track. They have tested at Talladega and Daytona, the two restrictor-plate tracks on the Cup schedule.
"This week is a huge week for everybody to get a base of what they have to do to their cars to get them comfortable and then we can all figure out how to make them go fast from there," Stewart said.

Sam Hornish Jr., a three-time Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 2006 Indianapolis 500, is making his debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year.
He has spent most of his professional racing career in open-wheel race cars. This will be his first full season in a stock car, joining Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman at Penske Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Roger Penske also owns a two-car team in the Indy Racing League.
But Hornish told reporters at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where all the Cup teams were testing Monday, that the Indianapolis 500 was the reason he became interested in auto racing. And given the opportunity, he would race in the Indy 500 in May, despite a grueling NASCAR schedule.

Sam Hornish Jr., a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver for Penske Racing, says he's not ruling out entering the Indianapolis 500.
Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

"If it was up to me, I would," Hornish said. "It really depends how things are going over here. I think Roger and I have talked about it a couple of times. There's obviously nothing set."
Few NASCAR Cup drivers have even attempted to race the Indy 500. The schedule these days hardly allows for it. The Coca-Cola 600, one of the biggest races in NASCAR, is run the same day as the Indianapolis 500. The start times for both races are too close for any driver to attempt both races.
But Hornish, who will be a rookie in Cup this year, will have to maintain a position in the top 35 in the owners standings to ensure a starting spot in every Cup race. If he struggles in Cup, another Indy 500 start might be in his future.
"I think if we're to a point where we feel confident with how we're doing over here, it's not going to hurt us, that we would try it," Hornish said. "But I would say it's still way more not going to happen than could happen. So we'll just see how the first couple months of this season play out. Hopefully, if I don't get to race there this year, maybe next year."

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams are in Las Vegas testing and preparing for the upcoming season. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Sam Hornish Jr. and Denny Hamlin met with reporters during the test session Monday at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Some of the questions directed at Dale Earnhardt Jr. were about the Daytona 500.
Earnhardt Jr. has one Daytona 500 victory to his credit. His father, Dale Earnhardt, won the Daytona 500 only once in his career. And it came late in his career, after repeated near misses and hard luck.
Earnhardt Jr. said racing for as long as his father did without winning the Daytona 500 was one thing that frightened him.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew cheif Tony Eury Jr. prepare for testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

"It scared me to death that I would be racing for 20 years still trying to get the win," Earnhardt Jr. said. "How many times will you have the opportunity, be in good cars, to be able to do it? I always worried that I would lose all the Daytona 500s in the cars that I should have won it in. That's kind of how it went for him."
Earnhardt Jr. won his only Daytona 500 driving a car for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team his late father founded. Earnhardt won his only Daytona 500 while driving for Richard Childress Racing. The one race that Earnhardt Jr. remembers being particularly difficult to watch was the 1990 Daytona 500, when Earnhardt cut a tire on the last lap while leading.
"The 1990 Daytona 500, when he cut that tire on the backstretch, that was one of the hardest things to understand," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I was a sophomore in high school, old enough to really kind of understand what was going on around me. I just couldn't believe that – I know there's worse things that can happen to you, and there's people that deal with worse, people that have it hard.
"But, dang, man, I wanted that race so bad. That was such a rough way to go. I didn't know what kind of person he was going to be when he got home, whether my daddy was going to be different the rest of his life."
Apparently, the elder Earnhardt took it well. Well enough as can be expected. It made an impression on Earnhardt Jr. and taught him how to deal with adversity.
"You know, he dealt with it," Earnhardt Jr. said. "That made me admire him more. You know, that made me hopefully a better person just experiencing that and being that close to him and watching him go through it. When I deal with those type of things, when you deal with losses, when things don't go your way, maybe I'm better off having witnessed him do it."
Earnhardt Jr. still has a hard time believing he already has one Daytona 500 victory and he's glad he doesn't have to endure the struggles his father did with that race.
"But, yeah, I mean, I went into my first Daytona 500 with a pretty decent car," Earnhardt Jr. said. "After that we just kept getting better. I think I've had cars that should have won that race about every time I've been in it. That would have been frustrating. That's what I was scared of, that I would look back over 20 years without the trophy saying, 'Dang, I had 18, 15 opportunities, 15 cars that could have won it, and I didn't get it done.' That would be hard to live with.
"But, I tell you, I didn't think I was gonna win it. I damn sure didn't think I was going to win it in my fifth try. That's crazy."

New rules, new sponsor and a new season weren't going to slow Jack Beckman down. Rain, on the other hand, did.
Beckman, along with a number of NHRA drivers, were at Firebird Raceway near Phoenix to test in preparation for the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series season opener at Pomona Feb. 7-10.
Beckman, a driver from North Hills, was 12th fastest in the rain-shortened test session over the weekend. He made only three passes Saturday and Sunday's sessions were cancelled.

"We've got an all-new crew, new paint scheme, and we're running the chassis we ran the midpart of last season, so basically everything is changed," said Beckman, an NHRA Funny Car driver for Don Schumacher Racing.
Ron Capps, another NHRA Funny Car driver for Don Schumacher Racing, was the fastest during the test at Firebird. Testing continues Monday and will end Wednesday, weather permitting.
"The reason we're staying in Phoenix for six days is just for the purpose of getting everything working well together," Beckman said. "NHRA has upped the nitromethane percentage, they upped the minimum weight, so, fortunately, we're not the only ones who have to adjust. Every team has to contend with the rules changes."
Capps was the only driver to post a lap in the 4.7-second range and have a lap over 320 mph. His best lap was 322.34 mph.
"Our DSR teammate Ron Capps definitely laid down the run of the day (Saturday) in Funny Car, so we know there's hope," Beckman said. "But right now we're dealing with a really finicky race track that hasn't given up many good E.T.s. In addition to that, the teams are chasing these new combos around."
Beckman's best lap was a lackluster 9.316 seconds and 76.26 mph.
"It's frustrating, though, not to unload the car, set low E.T. and then kind of just sit back with your arms crossed," Beckman said. "But everybody is having trouble getting down the race track. It's clearly not that we're off on the tune-up, it's just that all these new variables need to be attended to before we can get down the race track. And I think this track is going to be totally different when we come here next month for the national event.
"Once the rain clears, we've got Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to get after it. And not only will the car be getting faster, but all the guys on the team once they've worked together for a while will be getting faster. We're not where we need to be, but we've got the time to get there."
Here's a look at the times and speeds from Firebird:

1. 28 Ron Capps, Carlsbad CA, '07 Charger 4.785 322.34 322.34
2. 388 Jim Head, Columbus OH, '07 Solara 4.841 313.95 313.95
3. 347 Tim Wilkerson, Springfield IL, '07 Impala 4.969 249.67 249.67
4. 750 Del Worsham, Chino Hills CA, '07 Impala 5.216 216.62 216.62
5. 33 Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon IN, '08 Charger R/T 5.228 216.31 216.31
6. 1 Tony Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '07 Impala 5.329 204.35 204.35
7. 319 Scott Kalitta, Ypsilanti MI, '07 Solara 5.432 195.11 195.11
8. ROCKS Jerry Toliver, Temecula CA, '08 Charger R/T 5.512 163.65 163.65
9. 3 Gary Scelzi, Fresno CA, '07 Charger 7.584 114.07 114.07
10. 999 Melanie Troxel, Indianapolis IN, '08 Charger 8.646 84.44 84.44
11. TASCA Bob Tasca III, Cranston RI, Mustang 8.976 93.01 93.01
12. 5 Jack Beckman, North Hills CA, '07 Charger 9.316 76.26 76.26
13. 782 Gary Densham, Bellflower CA, '07 Impala 9.521 97.12 97.12
14. 71 Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '07 Impala 11.016 80.81 80.81
15. 999 Melanie Troxel, Indianapolis IN, '08 Charger 11.580 73.08 76.21

The Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley driven by Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas won the Rolex 24 at Daytona, giving Ganassi his third straight win in the 24-hour endurace race.
Jimmie Johnson, driving the No. 99 Lowe’s/GAINSCO Pontiac Riley with co-drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser, finished second. Kurt Busch, in the No. 9 Penske-Taylor Racing Pontiac Riley with drivers Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, was third.
Ganassi's team won the race with a three-lap lead. It was the first time in the history of the race that a team has won the overall portion of the Rolex 24 three straight years.
Montoya and Franchitti will be racing for Ganassi's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team in 2008.
“It’s was pretty hard until the last stint,” said Montoya, who was the Cup rookie of the year in 2007. “We were pretty close with the 6 car. They had a problem and after that it was more of bringing the car home.”
The No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley was leading the race, but in the 21st hour, it was knocked out of the race with suspension problems. The No. 6 car had to pit to make repairs. Montoya was driving the Ganassi car when it took the lead and held it for the final three hours of the race.
“It’s been a helluva year,” Franchitti said. “These guys, the preparation they put into this car is the reason why we’re here. We just tried to stay out of trouble and here we are -- bloody brilliant.”
Franchitti, the winner of last year's Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League IndyCar Series championship while driving for Andretti Green Racing, will be making his Cup debut with Ganassi in next month's Daytona 500.
Pruett, a road-course specialist in Cup races in recent years, won his third career Rolex 24.
“This is over the top to come here and win this thing overall, now back-to-back and three in a row for Chip,” said Pruett, who was behind the wheel for the checkered flag. “Wow, this is unbelievable.”
One other driver of note: actor Patrick Dempsey, making his first start in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, finished 39th overall. He was on a team with drivers Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster, Romeo Kapudija and Scott Maxwell.
"We had a lot of bad luck but the team has really rallied to keep the car out there,” Dempsey said. “We wanted to finish this race. We had a great time and I can’t wait to do it again.”

Tony Schumacher, a five-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, tested a stock car for Bill McAnally Racing last week, but he said he has no intention of switching to NASCAR.
Schumacher is coming off his fourth straight NHRA Top Fuel championship and his first under the new Countdown format. He went from turning some test laps for McAnally's team, which has won a number of championships in the NASCAR Grand National Division West Series, to testing at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix in preparation for next month's NHRA season opener in Pomona.
“I spent a day at a small oval track out near Sacramento with Bill McAnally Racing,” said Schumacher. “I had a blast. I ran about 150 laps in one of their late model cars and really got a good feel for that kind of racing.”
Schumacher's interest in stock cars has developed from a stint racing in the Richard Petty Driving Experience and in talking with NASCAR driver Mark Martin. Martin and Schumacher share the U.S. Army as sponsors on their race cars. Martin drove the No. 01 car for Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. that was backed by the U.S. Army last year.
“Everyone kept telling me to try it, so I hooked up with Bill McAnally,” Schumacher said. "I really appreciate those guys giving me the opportunity. Like I said, I had loads of fun.
"At one point, they put me out on track with another one of their drivers and we got to bang around a little bit and run side-by-side. Of course, I know that it would be a lot different with a full field of cars around me. All in all, I’m happy I got this chance. Now, it’s time to return to the world I know.”
A couple of drag racers have tested the open-wheel ranks recently. Cruz Pedregon and Gary Scelzi were entered in the Chili Bowl in Tusla, Okla,, a race for USAC Midgets, earlier this month.
But Schumacher's test was nothing more than an attempt to satisfy his curiousity.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Schumacher said. “I love driving the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster and look forward to challenging for a fifth straight title this year."

Two young sons of NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert died in a car crash this morning in Lake Norman, N.C.
Herbert was at Firebird International Raceway testing near Phoenix when the fatal crash happened. His sons were driving a Mazda3 when, according to reports by other newspapers and web site, it hit a Hummer head on. Herbert's sons, Jon, 17, and James, 12, were killed instantly, according to a statement released by the team.
The statement also said that Doug Herbert was devestated by the news and has headed home to North Carolina to be with his family.
Condolences can be sent to Raymer Funeral Home, 16901 Old Statesville Road, Huntersville, N.C. 28078. In lieu of flowers, Herbert asks that people make a donation to the Speedway Children's Charities in Jon and James Herbert's name.
Doug Herbert was at Firebird International Raceway preparing for the NHRA season opener at Pomona Feb. 7-10.
He said he was optimistic about starting the new season and looking forward to the preseason test.
“I can’t begin to explain how pumped we are,” Herbert said Thursday in a release. “The team has worked incredibly hard to get everything ready. They built a brand new race car over the winter and now we are ready to race.”
Herbert finished sixth in last year's NHRA Top Fuel standings, his best career finish in the Top Fuel division.
“Our season ended up being pretty good, but we are hungry for more,” said Herbert.
According to a release from the team, details about a memorial service for his sons were forthcoming.

Rip Michels, the winningest driver in Irwindale Speedway history, is expanding his team to include driver development and leasing program.
The team has two NASCAR Super Late Model cars and one Stockcar Racing League car that will race at Irwindale Speedway and the new track in Bakersfield in 2008.
The team is looking for drivers for these cars.
“I have been approached almost every year to do a program like this,” said Michels, who won the Super Late Model championship at Irwindale Speedway last year. “I have thought about it, but always declined because I wanted to use only the best equipment and people, and we now have that. We can provide a driver an opportunity to be competitive right out of the gate, not just ride around and get laps without being competitive. I didn’t want my name on it unless I knew we could provide the very best service.”
Michels said he is looking for very specific drivers for his program. He wants drivers with experience and some financial backing.
“This program is not just for anybody, we only want drivers with competition racing experience, and they have to be a minimum of 16 years of age. My team and I will approve those drivers who we believe have the talent, speed, but most importantly the heart and desire to want to win races. Make no mistake, top of the line racecars are not cheap, and neither is our program. Our program is for funded drivers that want to elevate their careers to the next level, and victory lane is the only way to get noticed.”
Those drivers who are interested in submitting their resumes can send them to Michael Medlin, Team Manager, at Mrnascar30@yahoo.com. Your resume will be reviewed, and if approved, you will be contacted.

ZZ Top will perform before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at California Speedway on Feb. 24, the track announced.
The concert is free to all those in attendance for the Cup race, the second of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. Fans who have pit passes for the race can watch the concert from the track.
“From a performance by rock legends ZZ Top to the Southern California debut of the Car of Tomorrow, the 2008 Auto Club 500 is quickly shaping up to be our best race ever,” said Zucker. “Fans are going to be in for one incredible weekend.”
Billy F. Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, the three members of ZZ Top, put the band together in 1969 and were inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the focus of a new television series on ESPN2 which debuts Feb. 8.
"Shifting Gears," a five-part series, follows Earnhardt Jr.'s move from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
"We were working on a new DVD about my life and the guys kept getting more and more footage, so they decided to put a whole TV show together to document the biggest career decision I've ever made," Earnhardt Jr. said. "The past year of my life has been a roller coaster, and it's pretty cool that we're giving everyone an inside look at how everything came together."
Three of the five episodes of "Shifting Gears" will be on ESPN2 in the nine days prior to the Daytona 500, including following ESPN2's live coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying on Feb. 15 and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 at Daytona on Feb. 16. The final two episodes will be on ESPN in prime time the week of the July 27 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, ESPN's first live NASCAR Sprint Cup event of the season.
"Dale Jr.'s move to Hendrick Motorsports is obviously one of the most intriguing storylines heading into the 2008 NASCAR season," said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president, content. "This new series will not only help NASCAR fans gear up for the new season, but also will present a side of Dale Jr. that fans have never seen before."
Previews and additional video from the show will be made available on ESPN.com Video and DaleJr.com starting next week and the full episodes will be made available shortly after they air on ESPN2 on ESPN MobileTV and ESPN.com Video.

"Shifting Gears" schedule:
Friday, Feb. 8
4-5 p.m.
ESPN2

Friday, Feb. 15
3:30-5 p.m.
ESPN2

Saturday, Feb. 16
1:30-3 p.m.
ESPN2

Thursday, July 24
4-5 p.m.
ESPN

Friday, July 25
4-5 p.m.
ESPN

For an engine manufacturer that only had one car in last year's Chase, Dodge set some lofty goals during the NASCAR media tour on Tuesday.
Mike Accavitti, director -- Dodge Brand and SRT Global Marketing, said he expects Dodge teams to win races, qualify for the Chase and contend for the championship.
“We remain firmly committed to those objectives,” Accavitti said. “We’ve taken strides toward those goals. Our progress slowed somewhat in 2007, but we’re confident we have a very talented group of teams capable of producing wins, top fives and top 10s. We expect Dodge to be well represented in the Chase in 2008 and be a serious contender for the championship.”
That would be some kind of turnaround.
Kurt Busch was the only Dodge driver to qualify for the Chase last year. And he needed to rally just before the Chase started to climb into Chase contention.
Busch is back with Penske Racing, which will have three cars in the Sprint Cup Series. Dodge will have five teams and 12 cars at the Cup level. Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing, Petty Enterprises and BAM Racing are the other four Dodge teams.
After Everhman Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne led all Cup drivers with six wins in 2006, Dodge fell off dramaitically. No driver from the newly formed Gillett Evernham Motorsports team won a race last year. The Dodge teams experimented with setups and switched from using Charger and Avenger bodies.
Accavitti said he would like to see all the Dodge teams stick with the Charger.
“Dodge has a racing heritage that spans many different nameplates and models, and the Charger is the cornerstone of that heritage,” Accavitti said. “When NASCAR originally announced the phase-in plan for the Car of Tomorrow, it made sense for Dodge to race the Charger and Avenger. When the decision was made to race only one car in 2008, we talked with our partners, the more than 2,500 Dodge Dealers across the country, and they expressed overwhelming support for Dodge to continue its motorsports heritage with the Charger nameplate. NASCAR rules permit Dodge to use either nameplate in 2008.”
It would seem Dodge has a ways to go to get back in Chase and championship contention. Then again, qualifying more than one Dodge driver in the Chase would be viewed by some as a tremendous success.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, was asked about the changes in qualifying for all three of the national touring divisions: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck during the media tour at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in North Carolina.
NASCAR announced on Monday that it was changing the qualifying procedure slightly for the 2008 season.
The cars and truck that do not have automatic starting spots in races will qualify last. Pemberton said this would give teams that might run into problems or crash during practice a chance to make repairs and qualify without being under a tight time constraint.
"It was under a lot of debate from all of us, from the garage area, when you talk to the series directors, what makes the most sense to them and how they operate the garage area," Pemberton said. "One of the key factors that comes into play is the five-minute clock, which everybody has seen come into play occasionally throughout the year."
In the Sprint Cup Series, the top 35 teams in the owners standings earn automatic starting spots in races. The most recent Cup champion can earn a provisional starting spot if the driver does not qualify on speed. There are 43 cars that start a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, leaving seven spots for cars that are not in the top 35 and not driven by a past champion.
"The thing that could happen that we didn't want to have happen is if we had 12 cars that had to qualify on speed, and the car had to be excused through unforeseen circumstances, engine problem, a wreck or something in practice, that car very well could have been placed on the truck and missed its opportunity to qualify when we got to the 13th or 14th place in the qualifying order if they were to go early," Pemberton said. "So we didn't think that was fair, to think there was another 30, 35 cars yet to qualify and one team already missed its opportunity."
With the addition of Toyota teams, there have been more than 43 cars attempting to qualify for Cup races. Last years was Toyota's first year in Cup racing and the Toyota teams struggled to qualify for races and maintain positions in the top 35 in the owners standings.
But Pemberton did not mention Toyota's qualifying woes in making the decision to change the qualifying format. He said NASCAR was trying to find a way for every Cup team not guaranteed a starting spot in a race to have a fair chance to qualify.
"That probably was the single biggest factor that weighed in on making that the best for all of the competitors," Pemberton said.

Mike Helton, the president of NASCAR, was asked during the media tour at the Research & Development Center in North Carolina, about raising the minimum age of Sprint Cup Series drivers from 18 to 21. He said discussions about raising the age limit continue internally within NASCAR.
"Age has always been something we talked about," Helton said. "A few years ago we opened up the series, the Camping World Series, to 16. That helped us."
It seems NASCAR teams are eager to hire young drivers to race in their developmental programs. Two drivers that come to mind are Joey Logano, who Irwindale Speedway fans got a chance to watch in the Toyota All-Star Showdown last year, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was in the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway. Logano is a teenage driving prospect for Joe Gibbs Racing and Stenhouse is racing in the ARCA ReMax Series for Roush Fenway Racing. Both are presumably years away from Sprint Cup Series competition.
"But we're continuing to look at the new drivers that are coming along and we're also looking at how they mature and how they can handle the pressures of racing in our top division," Helton said.
NASCAR is not close to making a decision about raising the minimum age requirements for the Sprint Cup Series, but it is something that is continually discussed.
"It's not something that's been decided on, but it's just one of a lot of things that we talk about all the time," Helton said. "That's just something that's out there right now that people are eating it up."

Diversity, alternative fuels and TV ratings were some of the topics NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France discussed with members of the media at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C., on Monday.
“I think 2008 promises to be a tremendous year and there are some great stories developing,” said France. “Our sport is strong and we are determined to make it stronger and maintain the intense commitment of our fan base.
“We are proud of our growth. And we will continue to grow and evolve, while always being mindful of our past.”
France touted NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program, which encourages women and minority drivers and crew members to become involved in NASCAR.
He also said NASCAR is working on developing alternative fuels for its stock cars to make them more environmentally friendly, The American Le Mans Series recently announced an effort to use an ethanol blend fuel in its cars.
TV ratings for NASCAR races have been down in the past couple of years. But France pointed out that NASCAR is regularly the No. 2 most watched sport on television, behind only the NFL. France said TV ratings are still strong for NASCAR and that the sport is working on making those numbers grow.
There were no major announcements, unlike in recent years when NASCAR announced the implementation of the Chase, the 10-race playoff to determine the Cup champion.
Other announcements made by France included: money collected from fines will go to the NASCAR Foundation rather than the season-ending points fund and a slight change in qualifying procedures.

It took three years for NASCAR to tweak the Chase. The NHRA did it after one year.
Last year the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series introduced the Countdown, a playoff to determine champions in its four national divisions: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
It consisted of the top eight drivers and two round of eliminations.
This year, the playoffs will consist of the top 10 drivers in each division for one, six-round playoff.
There are some other tweaks as well, like awarding the leader in each division 10 bonus points before the Countdown begins.
The Countdown begins with the race after the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Sept. 1.
“It’s going to bring a lot more drama and excitement to the U.S. Nationals with the regular season ending there,” said three-time and defending NHRA Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top 10 drivers will have their points reset in 10-point increments, from 2,070 for first place to 1,980 for 10th, but the first place driver will actually begin
the playoffs with 2,090 after tacking on the 20-point bonus.
The NHRA begins Feb. 7 with the Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals in Pomona.
“The Countdown has moved from a good idea to a well-fine-tuned machine,” said five-time Top Fuel champ Tony Schumacher.

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that NASCAR is considering raising the age limit from 18 to 21 for drivers who want to race in the top three national touring divisions: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series.
The move is being considered because NASCAR officials reportedly believe some drivers are being pushed through the developmental ranks too quickly. In the history of NASCAR, only two drivers younger than 21 have won races in the top division. Kyle Busch won his first Cup races when he was 20. Donald Thomas won a NASCAR race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta in 1952 when he as 20.
One driver who would like to see drivers enter the Cup series with a little more experience and seasoning is Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Dodge for Penske Racing. He graduated from Purdue University with a degree in engineering before seriously pursuing an auto racing career and he wishes teams in NASCAR would show a little more patience with young drivers.
"People aren’t wanting to wait for kids to be out of college to hire them to be a race car driver," Newman told members of the media during testing at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday. "I wish that weren’t the case. I wish that was some kind of stipulation."
Newman said he would like to see more drivers go to college and earn a degree before entering the ranks of NASCAR. Pursuing an education should be more important than pursuing a career driving stock cars in NASCAR.
“I just wanted to say, just for the benefit of NASCAR and the affect that we have on kids and people that are in high school, instead of saying, I want to go to NASCAR, I want them to say, I want to get an education then go to NASCAR," Newman said. "I think that would be nice.”

Penske Racing is expanding, adding a third car to its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. Sam Hornish Jr., Indianapolis 500 winner, IRL champion, is making the move from open wheels to stock cars and will be racing the No. 77 Dodge for Roger Penske's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. He is one of a number of open-wheel veterans who have decided to switch to NASCAR in 2008.
One of Hornish's teammates at Penske Racing is Ryan Newman, who got his start in open-wheel cars before it was en vogue to race with fenders.
He was asked during testing at Daytona International Speedway about all the open-wheel drivers coming into NASCAR this year.

Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I wish we could redefine the word rookie when it comes to NASCAR because they aren’t anymore," said Newman, driver of the No. 12 Dodge for Penske Racing. "These guys that are coming in are rookies in NASCAR but they’re far from rookies. Because they’re open wheel drivers, to me it makes no difference. I was an open wheel driver when I came in, I just wasn’t an Indy Car driver. The bottom line is they’re drivers, they’re competitors. Whether they’re male or female, open wheel drivers or late model drivers from the local short track. If they’re deserving to be here (they) will learn and we'll see."
In addition to Hornish, Dario Franchitti, last year's Indy 500 and IRL champion, is driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Jacques Villeneuve, a champion Formula One driver, is racing for Bill Davis and Patrick Carpentier, a veteran of the Champ Car World Series, is driving for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Juan Pablo Montoya, a Formula One and Indy 500 winner, made his debut in NASCAR last year.
"In the car owners and sponsors eyes they feel that they are (ready)," Newman said. "You go out there and I wouldn’t say you’re scared to be with them but they have to learn as far as drafting, passing, racing and things like that. I have a teammate that’s one. Part of my job is to help him out. Part of his job, I told him, is to help me win at Indy. We’ll see how things go.”
Franchitti and Hornish were among the top 10 drivers in testing Wednesday.
Here's a look at the speeds and times from Wednesday's test session:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wednesday testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 47.591, 189.111
2. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 47.665, 188.818
3. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 47.689, 188.723
4. 01A, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 47.703, 188.667
5. 12B, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 47.724, 188.584
6. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 47.836, 188.143
7. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 47.845, 188.107
8. 20B, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 47.857, 188.060
9. 55M, Michael Waltrip, Toyota 47.877, 187.982
10. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 47.888, 187.939
11. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 47.909, 187.856
12. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 47.910, 187.852
13. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 47.912, 187.844
14. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 47.919, 187.817
15. 34B, Derrike Cope Dodge, 47.925, 187.793
16. 44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 47.958, 187.664
17. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 48.002, 187.492
18. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 48.007, 187.473
19. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr,. Chevrolet, 48.014, 187.445
20. 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 48.019, 187.426
21. 21B, Bill Elliott Ford, 48.042, 187.336
22. 10B, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 48.052, 187.297
23. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 48.065, 187.246
24. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.082, 187.180
25. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 48.101, 187.106
26. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 48.141, 186.951
27. 26B, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 48.147, 186.928
28. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.179, 186.803
29. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 48.429, 185.839
30. 49B, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 48.456, 185.736
31. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.493, 185.594
32. 08A, Carl Long, Dodge, 48.611, 185.143
33. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.636, 185.048
34. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.679, 184.885
35. 83A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.780, 184.502
36. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 48.780, 184.502
37. 10C, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 48.872, 184.155
38. 34A, Derrike Cope Dodge, 48.928, 183.944
39. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 48.979, 183.752
40. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 48.991, 183.707
41. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 48.992, 183.703
42. 49A, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.090, 183.337
43. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.225, 182.834
44. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.231, 182.812
45. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.347, 182.382
46. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.421, 182.109
47. 66C, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.467, 181.939
48.31 Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.474, 181.914
49 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.642, 181.298
50. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 49.732, 180.970
51. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.788, 180.766
52. 57A, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 50.171, 179.386

In a time when sponsorship dollars are hard to come by, Jack Beckman's NHRA Funny Car team landed a big one.
Valvoline will back Beckman's Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing in 2008. Mail Terminal Services, the primary sponsor on Beckman's car last year, will remain with the team as an associate sponsor.
"I tell you what I think is so cool," said Beckman, who finished fifth in the 2007 Funny Car class after winning two national events, "is that I'm able to race for companies I personally and overwhelmingly support. With MTS what we've been able to do for the troops with the Mail from Home program is outstanding and we still get thanks and emails from them."
The Mail Terminal Service program allows fans and competitors to send cards to U.S. troops stationed overseas. Last year, more than 90,000 postcards were distributed to war-zone troops through the Mail Terminal Service program.
In addition to being the primary sponsor on Beckman's car, Valvoline will be an associate sponsor on all the Schumacher teams in NHRA. Mail Terminal Services will have a similar deal with the Don Schumacher Racing teams.
"And I've been a Valvoline guy since my dad used Valvoline products when I was a kid," said Beckman, a driver from North Hills. "I have used Valvoline in my Sportsman car. In fact, when I go out and bracket race now, I'm still a Valvoline guy. So, to be able to promote something that I've been a longtime customer of and believe strongly in is awesome."
Beckman has been with Don Schumacher Racing for a little more than a year. This will be his second full season in the NHRA Funny Car division.
"I think I'm more excited now that I've got one full year under my belt," Beckman said. "I've been to every race track with the exception of the 24th race, which will be new for everybody. And I feel like out of the gate this year everybody will know that the Valvoline/MTS car is contending for the championship."
The NHRA released a 24-race schedule with an open date on Sept. 11-14, after the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. The season opens Feb. 7 with the Carquest Auto Part Winternationals in Pomona.
"We are proud to expand our relationship with Valvoline this season to include a primary sponsorship of the Dodge Charger that Jack will race," team owner Schumacher said. "All the DSR crew chiefs regard Valvoline products very highly and we use them in every one of our vehicles.
"Having Mail Terminal Services return as a major associate sponsor is also exciting for everyone at DSR. We expect an even more successful season for Jack than he had last year. We predict the Mail from Home program originated by Rodger and Karen Comstock will reach more fans and racers wishing to support our troops overseas as MTS and DSR continue to develop the program."

Tony Eury Jr. said that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will win four races with his new team at Hendrick Motorsports. Eury Jr. told the Associated Press that four wins would be simple.
Earnhardt Jr. wasn't about to be so bold as to predict an exact number of wins.

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

"I just like running up front every week," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I like going to the racetrack and being in the ‑‑ being toward the top of the chart, at least on the left side of the page in practices and whatnot."
Earnhardt Jr. did not win a race in 2007 and did not qualify for the Chase. Hendrick Motorsports, his new team, won 18 races last year. Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, led all Cup drivers with 10 wins last year. Even though Earnhardt Jr. did not win a race last year, he said it was still one of his better seasons.
"And in the race I like to run up front," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We did that a lot last year, and when I look at ‑‑ when I take a look at all my seasons, I was better last year at showing up and being there every weekend. We weren't there every weekend, but I had a better car the majority of the season than I had had in seasons past."
Earnhardt Jr. said he doesn't want to worry about winning races. He would rather focus on having a car and team that is always in position to win races. The rest takes care of itself.
"That's really all I wanted out of driving race cars," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I want to be up front and be toward the front and challenging, and when I show up to the racetrack I want people to expect me to run well, not just at particular tracks everywhere. It was good to go and to do that at some tracks last year that I typically hadn't been able to do that at."
Being with Hendrick will only increase his chances of winning more races.
"I was hoping that with some of the extra ability that Hendrick has in winning championships and races on a regular basis that that could even improve my finishing," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I don't want to sit here and guess how many races we'll win. We'll win some races, and I expect to win soon. I'm a good driver with a good team, and if we don't make mistakes on a Sunday we should have great finishes and win some races."

Dario Franchitti, one of the open-wheel stars who is making his debut in NASCAR this year, said he was ready to retire from open-wheel racing. About midway through last year's Indy Racing League season, after winning the Indianapolis 500 and on his way to winning his first IRL championship, Franchitti was ready to move on.

Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

“It wasn’t one thing. It was a combination of factors," said Franchitti, driver of the No. 40 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing. "I was ready to retire from open wheel racing. I always ask myself the question: ‘Do I want to do this?’ About half way through the IRL season I asked myself that question. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this in ’08."
Franchitti was among the top-10 fastest drivers in testing at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday. Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving a Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, was tops in the morning session. Ryan Newman, in a Dodge for Penske Racing, was fastest in the afternoon session.
Franchitti was Ganassi's only driver in the test session this week. Ganassi has a three-car Cup team with Juan Pablo Montoya, another open-wheel star making the transition to NASCAR, and Reed Sorenson as drivers. They tested last week at Daytona.
“I was very interested in coming over to the NASCAR side," said Franchitti, who raced for Andretti Green Racing in the IRL and American Le Mans Series last year. "Chip and I talked about me doing it. He called me in August about this idea, to come drive for (him) next year. It was just good timing. “
Franchitti has a full plate of racing head of him in 2008. In addition to racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he plans on entering some Nationwide Series events and the Grand-Am Sports Car Rolex Series race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, for Ganassi's team.
"I’m going to drive some Nationwide races too, in the Fastenal car," Franchitti said. "Quite a few of those I think. It is going to be interesting to see how the new regulations work with the COT (Car of Tomorrow) and the Nationwide car. I’m [also] doing the Rolex 24.”

Here's a look at the times and speeds from Daytona on Tuesday.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Morning testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.434, 185.820
2. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.555, 185.357
3. 83A, Brian Vickers Toyota, 48.744, 184.638
4. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.754, 184.600
5. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 48.758, 184.585
6. 55M, Michael Waltrip Toyota, 48.823, 184.339
7. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.843, 184.264
8. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.854, 184.222
9. .44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.866, 184.177
10. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.893, 184.075
11. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.919, 183.978
12. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 49.018, 183.606
13. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 49.099, 183.303
14. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 49.123, 183.214
15. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 49.138, 183.158
16. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.140, 183.150
17. 20B, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 49.142, 183.143
18. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 49.160, 183.076
19. 10C, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 49.194, 182.949
20. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.196, 182.942
21. 38A, David Gilliland, Ford, 49.249, 182.745
22. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.253, 182.730
23. 34A, Eric McClure, Dodge, 49.340, 182.408
24. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.355, 182.352
25. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.367, 182.308
26. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.373, 182.286
27. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 49.374, 182.282
28. 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.403, 182.175
29. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.408, 182.157
30. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 49.409, 182.153
31. 12B, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.419, 182.116
32. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.423, 182.101
33. 21B, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.428, 182.083
34. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.430, 182.076
35. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.469, 181.932
36. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.472, 181.921
37. 66C, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.486, 181.870
38. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.541, 181.668
39. 31, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.546, 181.649
40. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.577, 181.536
41. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.580, 181.525
42. 26B, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.596, 181.466
43. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.627, 181.353
44. 49A, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.661, 181.229
45. 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.702, 181.079
46. 09B, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 49.758, 180.875
47. 01A, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 50.013, 179.953
48. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 50.013 179.953
49. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 50.053, 179.809
50. 49B, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 50.069, 179.752
51. 08A, Carl Long, Dodge, 50.410, 178.536
52. 57A, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 51.400, 175.097

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Afternoon testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 12B, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 47.869, 188.013
2. 01A, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 47.968, 187.625
3. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 47.976, 187.594
4. 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 47.992, 187.531
5. 40A, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.038, 187.352
6. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 48.043, 187.332
7. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.046, 187.320
8. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 48.093, 187.137
9. 83A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.099, 187.114
10. 88A, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.109, 187.075
11. 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 48.136, 186.970
12. 10B, Patrick Carpentie,r Dodge, 48.170, 186.838
13. 44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.227, 186.617
14. 55M, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.248, 186.536
15. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 48.253, 186.517
16. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 48.255, 186.509
17. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 48.275, 186.432
18. 21B, Bill Elliott, Ford, 48.288, 186.382
19. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 48.337, 186.193
20. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 48.345, 186.162
21. 34A, Eric McClure, Dodge, 48.434, 185.820
22. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.442, 185.789
23. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.523, 185.479
24. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.601, 185.181
25. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.606, 185.162
26. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.724, 184.714
27. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.757, 184.589
28. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.780, 184.502
29. 10C, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 48.856, 184.215
30. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.858, 184.207
31. 38A, David Gilliland, Ford, 48.925, 183.955
32. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 48.952, 183.854
33. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 48.969, 183.790
34. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.055, 183.468
35. 20B, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 49.062, 183.441
36. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.092, 183.329
37. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.111, 183.258
38. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.120, 183.225
39. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.122, 183.217
40. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.150, 183.113
41. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 49.186, 182.979
42. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.233, 182.804
43. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.242, 182.771
44. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.345, 182.389
45. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.396, 182.201
46. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 49.471, 181.925
47. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge 49.473, 181.917
48. 31, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.514, 181.767
49. 26B, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.541, 181.668
50. 49A, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.576, 181.539
51. 09B, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 49.797, 180.734
52. 49B, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.954 180.166
53. 08A, Carl Long, Dodge, 50.192, 179.311
54. 57A, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 50.466, 178.338

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he was nervous being around his new team during testing at Daytona International Speedway. One of the things he said that he is concerned about is whether the crew members on his team with Hendrick Motorsports like him and the kind of driver he is.
That seems a little hard to believe considering he is the perennial most popular driver in NASCAR, as voted by the fans.

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

"But I don't know the guys that well, so I'm just nervous in getting to know them and hoping that they like me and like the kind of driver I am and they're happy that they have me as their driver," said Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "That's what you want from the guys working on your cars is for them to be glad you're there and that you're the one that's driving it."
If having to wonder if his crew likes him is Earnhardt Jr.'s biggest worry, he should have no problem concentrating on racing this year. Unlike last year, when the drama surrounding his move from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to Hendrick Motorsports was bigger news than the actual races, there should fewer distractions despite driving for a new team.
"Yeah, it's been pretty nice to be able to concentrate on the things that are important right now and testing and working and getting to know the guys," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's definitely ‑‑ there's a little bit less pressure in certain areas and more pressure in other areas. I didn't have to worry about job security when I was over at my other job, but I've got to worry about that now."
He probably doesn't have to worry too much about job security though. Even though he didn't win a race last year, he was still a fan favorite. And it is unlikely he will have another winless season with Hendrick Motorsports, which won 18 Cup races last year.
"I think if I do what I've been doing, I should be fine," Earnhardt Jr. said. "But with being the son of the guy who built the place, you can get away with a few more things than most guys could."
His new owner, Rick Hendrick, treats his drivers well. Then again, with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson winning races and championships on a regular basis, it's hard to complain.
"You know, I've got a really good owner that makes me feel comfortable, and so that eases a lot of other pressures, talking to him and hearing from him and listening to his thoughts on what we're doing," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It takes away some pressure from that side of it.
"So it's kind of neat. It's really fun to be going through this for me, and I'm enjoying those parts, and even the difficult things or the challenging parts are fun because of the atmosphere and because of the attitude that everybody there has. Everybody at Hendrick is really pumped up and giving me a good vote of confidence going into the test and going into the season, so it really makes it exciting to face all the challenges we're going to face."

Tony Stewart turned his first laps in his new Toyota-powered car for Joe Gibbs Racing at Daytona International Speedway this week. He said seeing a number of Toyota drivers at the top of the speed charts the past two days was a good sign. At least he assumed it was a good sign.

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

"You just don’t know what everybody else is doing so you don’t know if everybody else is showing their hand," said Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. "It makes you feel good when you make a big change like what our organization has gone through this winter and to come to the first test of the first race of the year and see so many Toyotas on top of the chart like that it’s obviously a big plus for us.”
Not only is Stewart driving a Toyota for the first time, he is driving NASCAR's new stock car at Daytona for the first time. Stewart said the car drives like an IROC car at Daytona.
"These cars don’t have near the down force that our cars last year had," Stewart said. "With the limited amount of shock travel in the front you’re hitting bump rubbers where last year we weren’t allowed to have bump rubbers. It doesn’t float around the race track like it used to -- it’s a lot harsher of a ride.”
Stewart was asked by reporters at Daytona if he feels any more pressure because of the Toyota engines and the new car. Stewart said the pressure is the same as it's always been.
"It’s a situation where you know there are so many good quality teams out there that you have to have the right pieces and the right equipment every week," Stewart said. "I feel like we have the right pieces in place and now I just have to go out there and do my job.”

The second group of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers began three days of tests at Daytona International Speedway on Monday.

As he prepares to run the first five races of the season, Dale Jarrett was fastest in Monday morning's Preseason Thunder testing session at Daytona International Speedway.
Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett led the way in a Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing in the morning session. Toyota drivers were once again among the fastest with Dave Blaney and Brian Vickers joining Jarrett with top times and speeds in the afternoon session.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. also had a fast car, second best in both tests.

Jeff Burton visited his brother Ward over Christmas. Ward Burton won the 2002 Daytona 500 for Bill Davis Racing. Jeff Burton has yet to win a Daytona 500.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, has yet to win a Daytona 500. But his brother, Ward Burton, won the Daytona 500 in 2002 driving for Bill Davis Racing. Ward Burton is no longer racing at the Cup level, but Jeff Burton said his brother leaves a subtle reminder about his racing days.
“Over Christmas I went to Ward’s house and his Daytona 500 trophy was in his house there," Burton said. "You know, I don’t know what it was about it, but I saw that trophy and it was like it was the first I had ever seen it. My son was down there, he’s 7, and I said, ‘You know what that is?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s the Daytona 500 trophy.’ It was pretty special seeing that trophy."
Bill Davis Racing is one of the Toyota teams now. Blaney is racing the team's No. 22 car and had some good runs in the first day of testing.
“Ward is obviously not in a position to have a ride right now," Jeff Burton said. "Having that trophy sitting there, that’s the biggest race you can possibly win in our sport. That’s something that no one can ever take away from him and that’s something that he’ll always cherish on his family will. That’s a special thing."
Burton's teammate, Kevin Harvick, won last year's Daytona 500. All three of the Richard Childress Racing drivers qualified for the Chase last year. But Jeff Burton said he winning the Daytona 500 would be special.
“Any win is a big win, but if you look at a trophy like that and have that sitting in your house, that’s a different kind of win," Jeff Burton said. "It’s one of those that lasts forever and it has so much meaning, the importance of it. The 50th running only enlightens and enhances that. It would be really special.”

Here's a look at the times from Monday's test sessions:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Morning testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.652, 184.987
2. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.742, 184.646
3. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.832, 184.305
4. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.854, 184.222
5. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 48.968, 183.793
6. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 49.035, 183.542
7. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 49.039, 183.527
8. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 49.099, 183.303
9. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 49.100, 183.299
10. 83A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 49.116, 183.240
11. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 49.123, 183.214
12. 88A, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet, 49.154, 183.098
13. 55M, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 49.164, 183.061
14. 38A, David Gilliland, Ford, 49.186, 182.979
15. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 49.200, 182.927
16. 40A, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 49.224, 182.838
17. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 49.226, 182.830
18. 20B, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 49.239, 182.782
19. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 49.332, 182.437
20. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.394, 182.208
21. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.399, 182.190
22. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.411, 182.146
23. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.463, 181.954
24. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.476, 181.906
25. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.482, 181.884
26. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 49.486, 181.870
27. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.491, 181.851
28. 34A, Eric McClure, Dodge, 49.493, 181.844
29. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 49.499, 181.822
30. 21B, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.557, 181.609
31. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.559, 181.602
32. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.561, 181.594
33. 66C, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.587, 181.499
34. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.591, 181.485
35. 26B, Jaime McMurray, Ford, 49.607, 181.426
36. 10B, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 49.618, 181.386
37. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.650, 181.269
38. 12B, Ryan Newman Dodge, 49.670, 181.196
39. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.689, 181.127
40. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.708, 181.057
41. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.762, 180.861
42 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.794, 180.745
43. 31, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.796, 180.737
44. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.814, 180.672
45. 01A, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 49.817, 180.661
46. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.849, 180.545
47. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 49.923, 180.278
48. 49A, John Andretti, Dodge, 49.930, 180.252
49. 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.995, 180.018
50. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 50.313, 178.880

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Afternoon testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.532, 185.445
2. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.537, 185.426
3. 83A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.568, 185.307
4. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.572, 185.292
5. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.589, 185.227
6. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 48.624, 185.094
7. 55M, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.637, 185.044
8. 44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.676, 184.896
9. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.701, 184.801
10. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.718, 184.737
11. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.766, 184.555
12. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.879, 184.128
13. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.898, 184.057
14. 38A, David Gilliland, Ford ,48.957, 183.835
15. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.027, 183.572
16. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.071, 183.408
17. 40A, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 49.074, 183.397
18. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 49.100, 183.299
19. 88A, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 49.102, 183.292
20. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.127, 183.199
21. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 49.144, 183.135
22. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 49.162, 183.068
23. 10C, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 49.212, 182.882
24. 34A, Eric McClure, Dodge, 49.228, 182.823
25. 21B, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.234, 182.801
26. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.241, 182.775
27. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.262, 182.697
28. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.268, 182.674
29. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.276, 182.645
30. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.301, 182.552
31. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 49.302, 182.548
32. 12B, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.331, 182.441
33. 26B, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.356, 182.349
34. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.395, 182.205
35. 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.424, 182.098
36. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.444, 182.024
37. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.453, 181.991
38. 66C, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.455, 181.984
39. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.467, 181.939
40. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.489, 181.859
41. 10B, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 49.492, 181.848
42. 31, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.506, 181.796
43. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.526, 181.723
44. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge , 49.619, 181.382
45. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 49.696, 181.101
46. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.701, 181.083
47. 49A, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.740, 180.941
48. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 49.941, 180.213
49. 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 50.003, 179.989
50. 49B, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 50.168, 179.397
51. 09B, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 50.183, 179.344
52. 08A, Carl Long, Dodge, 50.764, 177.291
53. 57A, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 50.889, 176.856

United States Auto Club Sprints, Midgets, Ford Focus Midgets and the Bandit VRA Grand Slam Challenge for Sprint cars are scheduled to race at Ventura Raceway in 2008.
The Seaside Park dirt track's season opens March 8 with VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs. It ends Nov. 15 with VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs.
"We’ll have age groups ranging from little kids to senior citizens in race cars this season,” said Ventura Raceway promoter Jim Naylor. “We’ll have some of the best sprint car drivers in the country here and we’ll have nearly every other kind of car that races on dirt. We’ll even have motorcycles.”
The track will host the final event of the Bandit-VRA Grand Slam Challenge for sprint cars, which pits drivers from three other tracks against each other, on Aug. 23.
The USAC Sprints, Midgets and Ford Focus Midgets will race at the track 14 times and the CRA Sprint Car Series will race three times at Ventura Raceway.
During the Ventura County Fair, the track will host two demolition derbies, July 30 and 31.
For more information on the track, go to www.venturaraceway.com.

Here is a look at the Ventura Raceway schedule:
2008 Schedule

February
2 Junior Midget and Mini Dwarf Awards and open practice
9 2007 VRA Awards Banquet
23 Open practice (Mini Dwarfs and Junior Midgets 10 a.m.-1 p.m. only

March
1 Open practice (No kids classes)
8 VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
15 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Sport Compacts, USAC Ford Focus Midgets and USAC Junior Focus Midgets
22 VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
29 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, USAC Junior Focus Midgets and California Lightning Sprints

April
5 VRA Sprints, USAC Midgets, USAC Ford Focus Midgets, USAC Junior Focus Midgets, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
12 VRA Sprints at King’s Speedway (Bandit-VRA Grand Slam No. 1)
19 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Sport Compacts and USAC Junior Focus Midgets
26 VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, USAC Junior Focus Midgets, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs

May
3 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
10 VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, USAC Junior Focus Midgets, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
17 Senior Sprints, Sport Compacts, USAC Midgets, USAC Ford Focus Midgets and USAC Junior Focus Midgets
24 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarf
31 USAC/CRA Sprints, Senior Sprints and Junior Midgets

June
7 VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
14 VRA Sprints, USAC Midgets, USAC Ford Focus Midgets, and USAC Junior Focus Midgets
21 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Senior Dwarfs, IMCA Modifieds, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
28 Flat Track Motorcycles
28 VRA Sprints at Bakersfield Speedway (Bandit-VRA Grand Slam No. 2)

July
5 OFF WEEKEND
12 VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, USAC Ford Focus Midgets, USAC Junior Focus Midgets, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
19 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Sport Compacts, and USAC Junior Focus Midgets
26 VRA Sprints at Santa Maria Speedway (Bandit-VRA Grand Slam No. 3)
30 Wednesday: Demolition Derby, Dwarf Cars, Sport Compacts, NMRA TQ Midgets, Jr. Midgets & Mini Dwarfs
31 Thursday: Demolition Derby, IMCA Modifieds, USAC Ford Focus Midgets and USAC Junior Focus Midgets

August
2 OFF WEEKEND
9 VRA Dwarf Cars at Santa Maria Speedway
16 OFF WEEKEND
23 Bandit-VRA Grand Slam Final, Dwarf Cars, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
30 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Sport Compacts, and USAC Junior Focus Midgets

September
6 USAC/CRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Junior Midgets - 18th Annual Wagsdash 2008
13 VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
20 Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, USAC Midgets, USAC Junior Focus Midgets, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
27 Flat Track Motorcycles

October
4 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Pro Dwarf Cars, USAC Ford Focus Midgets, USAC Junior Focus Midgets, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
11 VRA Dwarf Cars at Santa Maria Speedway
18 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
25 USAC/CRA Sprints, Pro Dwarf Cars, USAC Junior Focus Midgets and Junior Midgets

November
1 OFF WEEKEND
8 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, USAC Junior Focus Midgets and Mini Dwarfs
15 VRA Sprints, Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Sport Compacts, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarfs

Kevin Harvick said his wife still gets chills watching him win last year's Daytona 500. Harvick took his first test laps Monday at Daytona International Speedway in defense of his Daytona 500 title.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

There was a time when Kevin Harvick thought the Brickyard 400 would be the biggest win a NASCAR driver could achieve.
Not anymore. Not since winning the Daytona 500 last year.
Harvick told members of the media during testing at Daytona International Speedway that he walked into his wife's office the other day and she was watching the end of last year's Daytona 500. Harvick narrowly beat Mark Martin in a last lap drag race, one of the more dramatic finishes at Daytona in recent years.
Harvick said watching the last few laps of that race still gives his wife chills.
"We've been fortunate enough to win a few of the big races," said Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "I always thought I wanted to win the Brickyard, but I was wrong."
After winning the Daytona 500, Harvick said he fully understands why it's such a big deal to any NASCAR driver or team.
"Everywhere you go, that's all anybody wants to talk about is winning the Daytona 500," Harvick said. "That's why this is such a big deal for all the race teams and all the sponsors. This one race can carry you for a long time. That's what everybody works all winter for and comes down to try to win. It's definitely something that you never forget."

No. 88 crew chief Tony Eury Jr. talks with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as they begin their first season together at Hendrick Motorsports. Driver Kevin Harvick said NASCAR TV ratings will get better whether or not Earnhardt Jr. is a success at Hendrick Motorsports.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

Kevin Harvick, winner of last year's Daytona 500, was asked during testing at Daytona International Speedway on Monday if Dale Earnhardt Jr. racing for Hendrick Motorsports will give NASCAR a boost in TV ratings and popularity.
TV ratings for Cup races have been down the past couple of years and attendance at tracks, especially California Speedway, has been slipping.
At first, Harvick, who addressed members of the media at Daytona between test sessions, was hestitant to answer.
"I don't think it's going to hurt anything," said Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "I don't think you can add as much drama as they had last year. That got a lot of different headlines from a lot of different angles."
Earnhardt Jr. decided to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team his late father founded and owned, to race for Hendrick Motorsports. It was a drawn-out, public tug-of-war for control of the team between Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. After months of debate, Earnhardt Jr. left the team to join Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears at Hendrick and DEI eventually merged with Ginn Racing to create a four-car team.
Harvick added that he anticipates NASCAR's popularity will rise again whether or not Earnhardt Jr. does well at Hendrick Motorsports.
"I don't think it's just our sport that's in a position to be worried about TV ratings or sponsorship and things like that," Harvick said. "I think the whole country is in a kind of state of limbo right now. As we get into these elections, get them over with, I think everything will come back whether Junior does good or not."

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers and teams completed their third day of testing at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Justin Marks, driving a Toyota for Germain Racing, was the top driver in only session of the day. He was followed by Ron Hornaday Jr., the 2007 Truck Series champion and driver for Kevin Harvick Inc., and Chad McCumbee, driving a Chevrolet for MRD Motorsports.
Erin Crocker will drive the No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports for the first two races of the Truck Series schedule, at Daytona and California Speedway.
David Dollar, owner of the team, made the announcement Saturday at Daytona.
"To drive for David and his team is a tremendous opportunity for me," said Crocker, who has raced in the World of Outlaws series, ARCA ReMax Series and what is now the Nationwide Series. "Morgan-Dollar has
proven consistently through the years they field exceptional trucks and are contenders for wins and championships every time they unload at a track."
Morgan-Dollar Motorspors has fielded entries in the Truck Series since 1997 and has won 13 races.
"With three days of testing at Daytona, we will have the ability to develop a good level of communication," Crocker said. "That is so critical to be successful in the NCTS because it is so competitive. This gives us the ability to hit the ground running when we get here for Speedweeks."

Here's a look at the times and speeds from Sunday:

1. 9B, Justin Marks, Toyota, 48.457 185.732
2. 33A, Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet 48.540, 185.414
3. 8A, Chad McCumbee, Chevrolet, 48.563, 185.326
4. 60A, Terry Cook Toyota, 48.606, 185.162
5. 30A, Todd Bodine Toyota, 48.608, 185.155
6. 59A, Ted Musgrave, Toyota, 48.704, 184.790
7. 5A, Mike Skinner, Toyota, 48.742, 184.646
8. 21A, Jon Wood Ford, 48.749, 184.619
9. 22A, Phillip McGilton, Toyota, 48.802, 184.419
10. 88A, Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 48.892, 184.079
11. 13A, Shelby Howard, Chevrolet, 48.931, 183.932
12. 2A, Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 48.958, 183.831
13. 29A, Scott Lynch, Dodge, 49.231, 182.812
14. 7A, Andy Lally, Chevrolet, 49.251, 182.737
15. 18A, Dennis Setzer, Dodge, 49.277, 182.641
16. 20A, Scott Lagasse, Jr., Ford, 49.377, 182.271
17. 99A, Erik Darnell, Ford, 49.380, 182.260
18. 2B, Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 49.585, 181.507
19. 11B, David Starr, Toyota, 49.730, 180.977
20. 46B, Erin Crocker, Chevrolet, 49.799, 180.727
21. 4A, Stacy Compton, Dodge, 49.914, 180.310
22. 23B, Johnny Benson, Toyota, 49.992, 180.029
23. 14B, Rick Crawford, Ford, 51.232, 175.671
24. 53, Justin Hobgood, Chevrolet, 51.745, 173.930
25. 10B, Brendan Gaughan, Ford, 52.005, 173.060

A lot can be said about a NASCAR fan by the driver he follows.
Tony Stewart fans have a rebellious streak.
Jeff Gordon fans are sympathizers of the discriminated.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans are either women or extremely secure men.
In the case of Glad Wycznewski, a character in "Hooked Up," a NASCAR murder mystery written by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Joe Nemechek is his driver of choice.
It's a funny choice, given the fact that Nemechek doesn't even race in the book, which is set during a race weekend at Dover International Speedway.
Glad, a retired cop from Chicago who marries a Southern Belle who loves NASCAR as much as he does, has an appreciation for the underdog. Nemechek is the epitome of NASCAR underdog -- talented enough to win about a race a year, but never funded well enough to win any more.
Glad definitely scored the biggest win of his life when he married Ruby, who is repeatedly described as endowed, tempting, seductive and determined. Nemechek didn't have very many wins over his career, which makes every one all the more memorable, kind of like the day Ruby married Glad.
Glad and Nemechek have a lot of things in common, including a tendency to turn a harmless coincidence into a disaster. Glad and Nemechek both possess a wealth of talent and lack the resources to use much of it.
As for Ruby, she follows Jimmie Johnson, which seems to be the safe choice for any married woman. But she also had some sort of relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr., which makes Glad a little uneasy and vulnerable.
Whenever he sees or thinks about Ruby and Junior together, Glad shows an uncharacteristic sign of hesitation. And that's one of the problems with the story. The characters are extremely flat, stereotypical and predictable. But it's about what's expected from a book that starts out like a rendition of "The Three Little Bears" and ends with an account of the NASCAR race that reads like a version of "The Hare and the Tortoise."
Still, a murder at Dover on a race weekend makes for compelling reading, complete with casinos, guns, twin brothers, $10 million and a extremely finicky cat.
One of the best parts of the book is Glad and Ruby's Track Log at the end of the book. If anyone is planning on going to a race at Dover, it is a must read, complete with a track history, nearby restaurants, traffic conditions and a description of Miles the Monster, a comic book character rooted in the race track.
"Hooked Up" is published by Midnight Ink and is the second in a series. The first, "Swapping Paint," is also published by Midnight Ink.
Both can be found at midnightinkbooks.com or ordered at Amazon.com.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers Colin Braun and Joey Clanton were involved in a multicar crash with Kyle Busch during testing at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.
Braun and Clanton had to leave Daytona early and head back to their shops in North Carolina to make repairs to their trucks.
Neither driver was happy with the way things transpired.
“It’s a veteran out there taking advantage of a rookie," Braun said about Busch.
Clanton didn't exactly point fingers, but it was clear he wasn't happy either.
“Right up until then everything was going great, right to plan," Clanton said. "We were working away at the things we wanted to get done and I was getting a lot of experience drafting. It’s unfortunate it had to end short like that.”
Erik Darnell, a driver for Roush Fenway Racing, had the fast truck in the morning session. Braun, his teammate, actually had the second fastest lap of the session before he wrecked with Busch.
Brendan Gaughan was the fastest in the draft during the afternoon session.
Here's a look at the times:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Friday morning testing speeds from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series testing in preparation for the ninth annual Chevy Silverado 250:

1. 99A, Erik Darnell, Ford, 50.727 177.420
2. 6A, Colin Braun, Ford, 50.908, 176.790
3. 09A, Joey Clanton, Ford, 50.989, 176.509
4. 7A, Andy Lally, Chevrolet, 50.989, 176.509
5. 18A, Stacy Compton, Dodge, 50.990, 176.505
6. 4A, Stacy Compton, Dodge, 51.076, 176.208
7. 29A, Scott Lynch, Dodge, 51.178, 175.857
8. 33B, Ron Hornaday, Chevrolet, 51.343, 175.292
9. 13A, Shelby Howard, Chevrolet, 51.353, 175.258
10. 5A, Mike Skinner, Toyota, 51.381, 175.162
11. 88A, Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 51.427, 175.005
12. 22A, Phillip McGilton, Toyota, 51.440, 174.961
13. 14A, Rick Crawford, Ford, 51.479, 174.829
14. 21A, Jon Wood, Ford, 51.570, 174.520
15. 5B, Mike Skinner, Toyota, 51.589, 174.456
16. 23B, Johnny Benson, Toyota, 51.621, 174.348
17. 08A, Jason White, Dodge, 51.623, 174.341
18. 07A, Shane Sieg, Chevrolet, 51.653, 174.240
19. 46B, Erin Crocker, Chevrolet, 51.682, 174.142
20. 2B, Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 51.708, 174.054
21. 8A, Chad McCumbee, Chevrolet, 51.809, 173.715
22. 16A, Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 51.884, 173.464
23. 33A, Ron Hornaday, Chevrolet, 51.943, 173.267
24. 2A, Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 52.000, 173.077
25. 19A, Derrike Cope, Ford, 52.022, 173.004
26. 14B, Rick Crawford, Ford, 52.097, 172.755
27. 59A, Ted Musgrave, Toyota, 52.109, 172.715
28. 10A, Brendan Gaughan, Ford, 52.129, 172.649
29. 11A, David Starr, Toyota, 52.176, 172.493
30. 20B, Scott Lagasse, Jr., Ford, 52.221, 172.344
31. 51B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 52.243, 172.272
32. 20A, Scott Lagasse, Jr., Ford, 52.302, 172.078
33. 28A, Wayne Edwards, Chevrolet, 52.328, 171.992
34. 51A, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 54.649, 164.687

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Friday afternoon testing speeds from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series testing in preparation for the ninth annual Chevy Silverado 250:

1. 10A, Brendan Gaughan, Ford, 48.744, 184.638 mph
2. 7A, Andy Lally, Chevrolet, 48.753, 184.604
3. 09A, Joey Clanton, Ford, 48.804, 184.411
4. 11A, David Starr, Toyota, 48.809, 184.392
5. 30A, Todd Bodine, Toyota, 48.910, 184.011
6. 21A, Jon Wood, Ford, 48.946, 183.876
7. 51B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 49.093, 183.826
8. 19A, Derrike Cope, Ford, 49.105, 183.281
9. 99A, Erik Darnell, Ford, 49.118, 183.232
10. 59A, Ted Musgrave, Toyota, 49.272, 182.660
11. 5A, Mike Skinner, Toyota, 49.288, 182.600
12. 6A, Colin Braun, Ford, 49.385, 182.242
13. 10B, Brendan Gaughan, Ford, 49.484, 181.877
14. 88A, Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 49.557, 181.609
15. 13A, Shelby Howard, Chevrolet, 49.565, 181.580
16. 5B, Mike Skinner, Toyota, 49.568, 181.569
17. 14A, Rick Crawford, Ford, 49.748, 180.912
18. 23B, Johnny Benson, Toyota, 49.770, 180.832
19. 07A, Shane Sieg, Chevrolet, 49.777, 180.806
20. 18A, Stacy Compton, Dodge, 49.785, 180.777
21. 29A, Scott Lynch, Dodge, 49.942, 180.209
22. 28A, Wayne Edwards, Chevyrolet, 50.003, 179.989
23. 4A, Stacy Compton, Dodge, 50.012, 179.957
24. 9A, Justin Marks, Toyota, 50.321, 178.852
25. 08A, Jason White, Dodge, 50.577, 177.946
26. 08A, Jason White, Dodge, 50.951, 176.640
27. 60B, Terry Cook, Toyota, 51.076, 176.208
28. 46A, Erin Crocker, Chevrolet, 51.197, 175.792
29. 22A, Phillip McGilton, Toyota, 51.275, 175.524
30. 8A, Chad McCumbee, Chevrolet, 51.284, 175.493
31. 33A, Ron Hornaday, Chevrolet, 51.321, 175.033
32. 60A, Terry Cook, Toyota, 51.419, 175.033
33. 2A, Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 51.500, 174.757
34. 20B, Scott Lagassee Jr., Ford, 51.621, 174.348
35. 16A, Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 51.649, 174.253
36. 14B, Rick Crawford, Ford, 51.652, 174.243
37. 51B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 51.695, 174.098
38. 46B, Erin Crocker, Chevrolet, 51.771, 173.842
39. 53, Justin Hobgood, Chevrolet, 53.016, 169.760

Morgan-McClure Motorsports announced that it has "essentially" pulled out of competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after 25 years in NASCAR's top division.
The one-car Virginia-based operation, which was supposed to enter the No. 4 Chevrolet in the Daytona 500, will not field a team in 2008 unless it can find funding or sponsorship for the team. With Larry McClure as owner of the team, he won three Daytona 500s, twice with driver Sterling Marlin and once with Ernie Irvan. McClure's last Daytona 500 win came in 1995 with Marlin.
The following is the release distributed by the team:

Morgan-McClure Motorsports President Tim Morgan announced today that operations will be scaled back until a sponsor or investor is found. Many employees were laid off but the organization still remains ready to head to Daytona if a sponsor signs up in time. Tim Morgan, President of Morgan-McClure Motorsports announced today at 3 p.m. (EST) that, “We are basically closing the doors on 25 years of NASCAR racing if we don’t find a sponsor. We have been searching for sponsorship for months and decided that if nothing materialized, we would have to cancel testing and release most of our employees.” Morgan continues, “We will continue our marketing efforts and still try to put something together but we cannot continue the way we are today.” Larry McClure, Team Manager said, “We will continue to search for sponsorship and if something becomes available, we have the cars ready to go to Daytona. This is a very hard day for me. I’ve had a lot of fun racing and it’s just hard to believe it might come to this. I would like to say thanks to all our fans who have remained loyal through all these years and to thank everyone who has ever supported us in any way, whether it be through this race team or our dealerships. We are still the best bargain in NASCAR if we could just find the right sponsor.” Morgan-McClure Motorsports was a force to be reckoned with in the 90s when they won three coveted Daytona 500s, two of them back-to-back. MMM completes 25 years of history that includes 14 wins, 63 top-fives, 146 top-10s and 13 poles.

David Gilliland, the Yates Racing driver from Riverside who used to race at Irwindale Speedway, will have a number of changes awaiting him when he tests at Daytona International Speedway next week.
The biggest change will be in crew chief. Charles "Cully" Barraclough is Gilliland's new crew chief on the team's No. 38 Ford. It's a reunion of sorts. Barraclough and Gilliland were together when they won the NASCAR Busch Series (now the Nationwide Series) race at Kentucky Speedway in 2006. The win vaulted Gilliland into prominence and helped him land the ride he has at Yates Racing.
But Gilliland has struggled in his time with Yates, a little over a year. He's had some decent qualifying runs, including winning the pole for last year's Daytona 500, but the race results have been far from stellar.
Still, Gilliland said he was really excited about testing at Daytona.
“Our Yates Racing team has been working extremely hard to get our cars ready to test this month and I’m very proud of all the guys," Gilliland said. "I had such an amazing experience last year at Daytona during Speedweeks that I’m really looking forward to jumping in my No. 38 Ford Fusion on Monday morning.”
Barraclough was the crew chief for the team's No. 88 car with Ricky Rudd as driver for the end of the 2008 season. Rudd retired. The No. 88 went to Dale Earnhardt Jr. And Barraclough moved over to Gilliland's car.
“I’m thrilled to be reunited with Cully Barraclough for this year,” Gilliland said. “Cully was on my team when I won my Nationwide Series race in Kentucky back in 2006. He and I have a lot of history and it’s really exciting to be reunited with him this season knowing that he’s my crew chief.”
Yates is still a two-car operation. Travis Kvapil is the team's other driver in the No. 28 Ford and participated in the test sessions at Daytona on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Kvapil was strong the first two days of testing at Daytona, among the top 10 fastest drivers. But he slipped into the bottom 10 on Wednesday.
“We had a great test with Travis Kvapil and the No. 28 Ford Fusion earlier this week,” said owner Doug Yates. “We were able to learn a lot of things that we hope to carry into this next week when David goes down to test. The advantage of a multi-car team is that you can transfer information to both cars and that’s what we plan to do. We’re really looking forward to bringing Cully and David down this week to Daytona. David had the opportunity to sit on the pole here last year for the Daytona 500 and he’s just very good at these superspeedways. I can’t wait to get down to Daytona with the No. 38 team this week and see what happens.”

Kyle Busch was the top driver in both test sessions at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

It's only testing, but Toyota has to be happy with the past three days at Daytona International Speedway.
Kyle Busch, driving his new Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was the fastest driver in both sessions Wednesday at Daytona.
Jimmie Johnson was the fastest driver in the first two days of testing. J.J. Yeley posted the fastest time in Tuesday's afternoon session, the first time drivers were allowed to draft.
While the times and speeds might have been surprising for some, Busch said he expected his cars to be fast.
"The team that I'm with, the 18 team, has struggled a little bit the past couple years," Busch said. "You know, so far at the Atlanta test, we pretty much won that thing. Then we went to Lakeland and we were really good down there. We had J.J. Yeley and the 96 was there with us. We were I think -- I don't know what exactly the times were, but we were significantly faster than he was. And then here in Daytona, everything's went well here, too. Our single-car runs have been getting better. We seem to be pretty fast there."
A.J. Allmendinger, driving a Toyota for Red Bull Racing, was also among the top drivers testing Wednesday. Johnson's car was still in the top five during the morning session.
"Jimmie Johnson was the fastest one for the past two days," Busch said. "Yesterday, mid afternoon, we actually got to within half a 10th of him, so we were proud of that effort. I'm excited about the way all the guys are working, really digging in deep, making changes really fast in order to get out there and just get more track time."

Kyle Busch (18) and Juan Pablo Montoya (42) practice drafting during Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway.
Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

Here's a look at the times from Wednesday's session:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Wednesday morning testing speeds from the first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 47.927, 187.786
2. 84B, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 48.032, 187.375
3. 16A, Greg Biffle, Ford, 48.075, 187.207
4. 2B, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 48.075, 187.207
5. 48B, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.090, 187.149
6. 24B, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 48.101, 187.106
7. 41B, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 48.116, 187.048
8. 8A, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 48.150, 186.916
9. 8B, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 48.206, 186.699
10. 07A, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 48.225, 186.625
11. 1B, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 48.269, 186.455
12. 99A, Carl Edwards, Ford, 48.271, 186.447
13. 27A, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.295, 186.355
14. 70A, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 48.299, 186.339
15. 18B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 48.309, 186.301
16. 00B, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.329, 186.224
17. 42A, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 48.348, 186.150
18. 41A, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 48.373, 186.054
19. 17B, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 48.374, 186.050
20. 17A, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 48.378, 186.035
21. 00A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.590 185.223
22. 5B, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.809, 184.392
23. 2A, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 48.811, 184.385
24. 84A, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 48.856, 184.215
25. 27B, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.951, 183.857
26. 19B, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 48.974, 183.771
27. 78A, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 48.975, 183.767
28. 45A, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 49.022, 183.591
29. 24A, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.040, 183.524
30. 96B, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 49.058, 183.456
31. 7A, Robby Gordon, Ford, 49.068, 183.419
32. 19A, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 49.147, 183.124
33. 1A, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 49.178, 183.009
34. 98A, Jason Keller, Dodge, 49.331, 182.441
35. 28B, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 49.361, 182.330
36. 33, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chevrolet, 49.450, 182.002
37. 42B, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 49.475, 181.910
38. 07B, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.518, 181.752
39. 70B, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.762, 180.861
40. 28A, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 49.889, 180.400
41. 7B, Robby Gordon, Ford, 50.354, 178.735

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Wednesday afternoon testing speeds from the first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 18B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 47.662, 188.830
2. 17B, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 47.747, 188.494
3. 41B, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 47.894, 187.915
4. 24B, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 47.914, 187.837
5. 1B, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 47.922, 187.805
6. 84B, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 47.922, 187.805
7. 5B, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.040, 187.344
8. 8A, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 48.049, 187.309
9. 99A, Carl Edwards, Ford, 48.089, 187.153
10. 16B, Greg Biffle, Ford, 48.104, 187.095
11. 2A, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 48.104, 187.095
12. 42B, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 48.107, 187.083
13. 00B, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.111, 187.067
14. 28A, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 48.118, 187.040
15. 48B, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.121, 187.029
16. 42A, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 48.122, 187.025
17. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 48.129, 186.997
18. 07B, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 48.157, 186.889
19. 2B, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 48.163, 186.865
20. 28B, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 48.210, 186.683
21. 19A, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 48.384, 186.012
22. 41A, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 48.413, 185.900
23. 70A, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 48.462, 185.713
24. 16A, Greg Biffle, Ford, 48.474, 185.667
25. 27A, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.482, 185.636
26. 45A, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 48.516, 185.506
27. 00A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.544, 185.399
28. 84A, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 48.598, 185.193
29. 27B, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.789, 184.468
30. 78A, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 48.945, 183.880
31. 96B, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 48.998, 183.681
32. 98A, Jason Keller, Dodge, 49.241, 182.775
33. 33, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chevrolet, 49.304, 182.541
34. 17A, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.621, 181.375
35. 07A, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.654, 181.254
36. 70B, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.851, 180.538

No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Alan Gustafson and his new driver, Casey Mears, discuss setup in the garage during the first day of Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

With the departure of Kyle Busch to Joe Gibbs Racing, Casey Mears inherits the No. 5 Chevrolet team, which has qualified for the Chase the past two years, at Hendrick Motorsports.
For a driver who has won one race in those two years, qualifying for the Chase might be a hefty order. But expectations will be high for Mears, especially at Hendrick Motorsports, a team that has won the past two Cup championships and has six between drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
"I've always felt like I need to win, you know, I mean, from the time I started in racing," Mears said to the media during testing at Daytona International Speedway. "I've never raced and been satisfied with being mediocre at best. I think ever since I came to this level, you know, with the first team I was with, now being at Hendrick Motorsports, anything that I ran before I came to this level, we won races and did well. It's been frustrating the first few years I've had in this sport."
Hendrick Motorsports won half the Cup races last year, with Johnson leading the way with 10. Gordon had six with Mears and Busch each winning one. Mears won the Coca-Cola 600 last year. But he was the only driver from Hendrick who didn't qualify for the Chase.
"But now I really feel like being with Hendrick Motorsports, got a win under my belt last year, obviously I think going into this year, like we've said, I feel like we're a lot more prepared to be successful out of the gate," Mears said. "The fact that they've had the success in the 5 team the last couple years doesn't make me nervous, it kind of makes my excited. I get really excited at the opportunity, the fact that these guys have been there, done it, the experience is there."
Mears said his team "can definitely make the Chase this year." He even went so far as to say his team can contend for the championship. Every driver in the Chase has a legitimate shot at the Cup once the 10-race playoff starts. But making the Chase will be the challenge for Mears.
"Obviously our goals are high this year," Mears said. "We want to make the Chase. I feel like we definitely need to make the Chase, and then we'll go from there."

Kyle Busch is used to success. The young driver, the newest member of Joe Gibbs Racing, won his share of races and became a Chase qualifier in his brief time with Hendrick Motorsports.
But repeating that kind of success might be a bit of a challenge at Joe Gibbs Racing.
No doubt the team has a history of winning races and championships, from Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte to Denny Hamlin. But the team made the switch to Toyota engines in the off-season and things didn't go so well for Toyota in 2007.
Toyota teams struggled to qualify for races. Few were among the top-35 in the owners standings, and thus able to earn automatic starting spots in races. Only one finished the year in the top 35.
Busch said he isn't worried about the performance of Toyota teams, especially his at Joe Gibbs Racing.
"I mean, I'm not necessarily going to say that it's the team or myself. I'm confident enough in the Toyota, because we're talking about Toyota here, that they're going to make it to Victory Lane," said Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. "I feel like the Gibbs organization, and everybody said it, is ultimately going to be the telltale story of how good Toyota's going to be."
Toyota made its debut in Cup last year with three teams: Red Bull Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Bill Davis Racing. In three days of testing at Daytona International Speedway, Toyotas have been surprisingly fast. Busch was among the top 10 fastest drivers in the first two days of testing. Jacques Villeneuve, from Bill Davis Racing, and J.J. Yeley, from Hall of Fame Racing, were among the top drivers in Tuesday's sessions.
"You still have Red Bull, who has been a strong effort," Busch said. "Obviously they came down here prepared and ready to go. They've been pretty fast, as well as Bill Davis, the 27 with Villeneuve, has been good. There's going to be a couple more down here next week. Be curious to see how the rest of them do. It's not a stretch at all to say that Toyota's going to be in Victory Lane, no."

After getting his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win and making the Chase for the Sprint Cup last year, Clint Bowyer sets his sights on a Daytona 500 victory.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

Clint Bowyer was last year's surprise of the Chase. The only driver to qualify for the Chase without a win, Bowyer vaulted into championship contention by winning the race at New Hampshire International Speedway, the first race of the Chase.
He didn't win again, but he never completely dropped out of contention either.
He became a fan-favorite during the Chase, and even earned the accolades of track owner Humpy Wheeler at one point.
Wheeler said Bowyer is the type of driver NASCAR needs to attract its core audience again.
“Obviously, somebody who is as successful as he is and who has been around as long as he has, says something, it’s comforting and gratifying. But I’m just a kid from Kansas who is getting paid to do what he loves to do," said Bowyer, driver of the No. 07 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "I love racing. I’d race every day of the week if I could – probably more on dirt than asphalt. But given the opportunity, I’m not going to turn it down."
Bowyer might be one of the most down-to-earth drivers in Cup. What is for certain, he is one of the few Cup drivers who does not own a tie. He apparently needed to buy a tie and a suit for the NASCAR awards banquet last year.
"My PR guy told me I had to go get a suit for the banquet and all the media stuff in New York," Bowyer said. "So I went and got a suit and I think I wore the tie one time and I had to have him come tie it.”
Richard Childress Racing, which also has Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton as drivers, was the only team to have all of its drivers qualify for the Chase. Bowyer finished highest in the standings among the three. The team will only get stronger this year after joining forces with Dale Earnhardt Inc. on their engine program.
"There are a lot of changes going on, especially with the engine department," Bowyer said. "And I really feel good about the changes Richard has made. I think that’s only going to be a positive in the future. It’s going to take a little time, but it’s going to be a good thing for not only our shop, but for DEI also. I’m excited about the future of the engine shop and about our future."

Jeff Gordon (24), Juan Pablo Montoya (42) and Kurt Busch (2) draft during the second day of Preseason Thunder NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing at Daytona International Speedway.
Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

Jimmie Johnson was again the fastest driver in the second day of testing at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR's Preseason Thunder.
Surprisingly, a pair of Toyota drivers turned some fast laps at the track as well. Jacques Villeneuve, the new driver for Bill Davis Racing, had the second fastest lap in the morning session. J.J. Yeley, the newly named driver of the No. 96 Toyota for Hall of Fame Racing and a satellite team of Joe Gibbs Racing, was the fastest driver in the afternoon session, the first time the drivers were allowed to race in the draft.
Lee White, the senior vice president of Toyota Racing Development, made some bold statements about how the Toyota drivers and teams will perform during next month's NASCAR races at Daytona.
“I’m optimistic that we have a shot to compete for the pole, win one or both of the 150s and have a couple of guys contend to win the race," White said. "That’s why we’re here -- to contend, to compete and have a shot. We’ll see how it turns out."
For what it's worth, Yeley turned in the fastest lap of the day when he was on the track with the likes of Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer, all drivers who made the Chase last year. About half the Cup teams were testing at Daytona, the teams that held odd-numbered places in the owners standings as of July 17, 2007. Teams in the even-numbered spots, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s, as of July 17 will test next week at Daytona.
"There’s some really strong competition," White said. "There are good teams here. It’s going to be fun. I can’t wait until next week when Dale Jr. runs in the Hendrick stuff because those guys have been really strong yesterday and today.”
Here's a look at the test times:

Tuesday morning testing speeds from the first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 48A, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.711, 184.763
2. 27B, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.792, 184.456
3. 28B, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 48.875, 184.143
4. 5B, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.899, 184.053
5. 84B, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 48.900, 184.049
6. 96B, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 48.951, 183.857
7. 24A, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 48.964, 183.809
8. 18B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 48.973, 183.775
9. 5A, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 49.020, 183.599
10. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 49.056, 183.464
11. 00A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 49.129, 183.191
12. 1A, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 49.142, 183.143
13. 84A, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 49.146, 183.128
14. 00B, David Reutimann, Toyota, 49.167, 183.050
15. 96A, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 49.242, 182.771
16. 17B, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.265, 182.685
17. 24B, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.296, 182.571
18. 16B, Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.316, 182.497
19. 16A, Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.321, 182.478
20. 78A, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 49.331, 182.441
21. 98A, Jason Keller, Dodge, 49.337, 182.419
22. 8A, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 49.344, 182.393
23. 7A, Robby Gordon, Ford, 49.344, 182.393
24. 45A, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 49.362, 182.326
25. 07A, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.362, 182.326
26. 41A, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 49.380, 182.260
27. 42B, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 49.393, 182.212
28. 27A, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 49.410, 182.149
29. 19A, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 49.420, 182.113
30. 42A, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 49.446, 182.017
31. 28A, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 49.449, 182.006
32. 2A, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.478, 181.899
33. 70A, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.499, 181.822
34. 2B, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.511, 181.778
35. 99A, Carl Edwards, Ford 49.524, 181.730
36. 7B, Robby Gordon, Ford 49.545, 181.653
37. 19B, Elliott Sadler, Dodge 49.552, 181.627
38. 33, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chevrolet, 49.576, 181.539
39. 17A, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.609, 181.419
40. 41B, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 49.643, 181.294
41. 48B, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 49.702, 181.079
42. 07B, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.758, 180.875
43. 70B, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.795, 180.741
44. 1B, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 49.840, 180.578
45. 8B, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 49.942, 180.209

Tuesday afternoon testing speeds from the first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 96A, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 48.036, 187.359
2. 2B, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 48.047, 187.317
3. 18B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 48.090, 187.149
4. 78B, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 48.093, 187.137
5. 17A, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 48.094, 187.134
6. 41A, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 48.095, 187.130
7. 00B, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.121, 187.029
8. 1A, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 48.129, 186.997
9. 48B, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.157, 186.889
10. 7B, Robby Gordon, Ford, 48.181, 186.796
11. 1B, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 48.217, 186.656
12. 24B, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 48.240, 186.567
13. 8B, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 48.240, 186.567
14. 16A, Greg Biffle, Ford, 48.315, 186.278
15. 42A, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 48.321, 186.254
16. 8A, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 48.330, 186.220
17. 19A, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 48.332, 186.212
18. 5A, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.368, 186.073
19. 99B, Carl Edwards, Ford, 48.446, 185.774
20. 70A, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 48.474, 185.667
21. 27A, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.686, 184.858
22. 28A, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 48.734, 184.676
23. 48A, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.780, 184.502
24. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 48.794, 184.449
25. 27B, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.809, 184.392
26. 28B, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 48.810, 184.388
27. 96B, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 48.928, 183.944
28. 00A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.961, 183.820
29. 5B, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.990, 183.711
30. 45B, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 49.050, 183.486
31. 84A, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 49.128, 183.195
32. 7A, Robby Gordon, Ford, 49.128, 183.195
33. 84B, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 49.132, 183.180
34. 17B, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.190, 182.964
35. 16B, Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.240, 182.778
36. 99A, Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.250, 182.741
37. 98A, Jason Keller, Dodge, 49.250, 182.741
38. 78A, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 49.261, 182.700
39. 41B, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 49.308, 182.526
40. 07A, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.317, 182.493
41. 42B, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 49.358, 182.341
42. 45A, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 49.446, 182.017
43. 33, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chevrolet, 49.515, 181.763
44. 07B, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.586, 181.503
45. 2A, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.616, 181.393
46. 70B, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.683, 181.148

J.D. Gibbs has been the president of Joe Gibbs Racing since 1997 and has been running the three-car NASCAR Cup team since his father, Joe Gibbs, went back to coaching the Washington Redskins in 2004.
But Joe Gibbs has always been the owner of the team and looks like he will be returning in some capacity in the family NASCAR operation now that he has retired from NFL coaching again.
“Obviously, it’ll be great to have him back here on a regular basis," J.D. Gibbs said. "It’s a biased opinion because he’s my dad, but there’s so much that he brings to the table. He has such a gift for leading a team. He’s been coaching for 40 years and a leader of this race team since we formed it in 1992. Having him back will be a huge encouragement to our 430 families and a benefit to all of our corporate partners."
Joe Gibbs will be one of the advisers for Dan Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, and will have some involvement with the race team.
"I know my dad loves the Redskins and thinks the world of Dan Snyder," J.D. Gibbs said. "As a huge Redskins fan myself, I’m thrilled he will remain in partnership with Dan as a consultant, helping the Redskins wherever he can in the years to come."
What role Joe Gibbs will specifically have with the NASCAR team has yet to be revealed. J.D. Gibbs apparently will not relinquish his title as president and looks like he will be handling the day-to-day operations of the team.
“As far as my role with the team goes – nothing changes, just like nothing really changed when he went back to the Redskins in 2004," J.D. Gibbs said. "I guess it’s a good thing I never moved into his office. We’re all working really hard to win races and championships, just like we always have.”
Joe Gibbs Racing has three cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. They are driven by Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. All three drivers made the Chase last year in the Cup series, but Busch was a driver for Hendrick Motorsports last year.

Former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve is one of three drivers from the open-wheel ranks making the move to NASCAR in 2008.
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Jacques Villeneuve is one of three open-wheel stars making the switch to NASCAR this year. Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr., Indy Racing League drivers last year, are the other two.
Villeneuve will be driving the No. 27 Toyota for Bill Davis Racing in 2008. He was among those testing at Daytona during NASCAR's Preseason Thunder. It was his first time at Daytona in a stock car. But it was not his first time racing a restrictor-plate stock car. Villeneuve was in the fall race at Talladega Superspeedway last year, his first in a Cup car.
Villeneuve said he was enjoying his time in the car during the test at Daytona.
"There’s more driving here than there was in Talladega," Villeneuve said. "You really have to get the setup right to get a good lap. Drafting is going to be interesting I think. I think racing at Talladega will be helpful. Slightly different, but it’s going to be beneficial because they are the two most similar tracks. It will be beneficial mostly because the other guys know I can do it now, and they won’t be worried with me in the middle of the pack.”
Villeneuve said he hasn't had a chance to talk with the other Cup drivers during the first two days of the test session at Daytona. But he has been able to work closely with his new crew chief, Slugger Labbe.
“Whenever you go testing, you get to the track early, leave late, go for food and go to sleep," Villeneuve said. "When you come testing, there’s no time to mingle or chat, so unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to talk to some of the other guys. Me and Slugger, have been making progress throughout the two days, which means we’re communicating properly – both with him and the guys on the team.”

Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth said during Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway every team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is chasing Hendrick Motorsports.
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There was a time when Roush Fenway Racing rivaled Hendrick Motorsports. They were by far the best two teams in NASCAR.
Not anymore. Hendrick Motorsports dominated the 2007 season. It won the Chase, with Jimmie Johnson, won the first Car of Tomorrow race, with Kyle Busch, won half the Cup races. Johnson led all drivers with 10 wins and it was apparent Hendrick Motorsports were the first to figure out the Car of Tomorrow.
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, said every team at the Cup level has to find a way to do things better than Hendrick Motorsports.
"You got to try to make your cars better," said Kenseth, one of two drivers from Roush who qualified for the Chase last year. "You got to try to call races better. You got to try to do all that. The whole thing. You got to work on the whole thing from driving the car to setting it up to pitting it to everything. You just got to try to, you know, dot all your Is and cross all your Ts, do everything the best you can to beat them guys. Right now they're the guys you're looking at the top that you're trying to knock off."
But having to use the Car of Tomorrow in every race in 2008 is going to present a problem for team trying to narrow the gap. The Roush teams were able to win a few Car of Tomorrow races by the end of last year, but clearly Hendrick teams had an edge in those races.
"So we're just trying to get everybody kind of more on the same page than maybe what we did before because there is less things we can do to it to customize it to your own driving style and that type of thing," Kenseth said.

Like it or not, Mark Martin is the face of Dale Earnhardt Inc., now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has moved on to Hednrick Motorsports.
Even though Martin Truex Jr. was the only driver from DEI to make the Chase last year, Martin, a part-time driver on the team, is the biggerst star at the newly formed four-car operation.
DEI will actually have five drivers for its four cars, with Aric Almirola sharing driving duties with Martin in the No. 8 Chevrolet for the team, the car Earnhardt Jr. used to drive.
Martin came within inches of winning his first Daytona 500 last year and was the early leader in the Cup standings for the first few weeks of the season, but was adamant about only running a partial schedule.
During NASCAR's Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway, Martin talked with the media about life at DEI now that Earnhardt Jr. is gone and working with the young drivers on the team.
“It’s more than just status quo. I think there is tremendous potential at DEI for the growth to be very productive," Martin said. "The merger last year was something that was hard to get your arms around. They had two cars shooting for the Chase and then they had one car in the Chase and it was a very delicate situation."
The three-car DEI operation merged with Ginn Racing, the team Martin started the season with, midway through the 2007 season. Truex, Earnhardt Jr. and Paul Menard were with DEI and Martin shared the No. 01 car with Regan Smith in Cup races.
Truex qualified for the Chase. Earnhardt Jr. narrowly missed the Chase and did not win a race last year.
"We didn’t want to do anything that would hamper Dale Junior’s shot at making the Chase. And once it started, you didn’t want to do anything but give Martin their best shot at winning the championship," Martin said. "So they weren’t able to really completely merge the thing until afterwards. Some of the work was being done, but a lot of it had to wait until the end of the season. Now that everyone is in one building, it’s really going to bear fruit."
Martin said he was encouraged by how cooperative the teams have been since merging. It's at a level he did not see previously at DEI.
"And I will say that everyone is going to work together like never before at DEI," Martin said. "Not even the No. 1 and the No. 8 have worked as closely together as they’re going to be able to do moving forward. Now having four great cars with really good people, they’ve always had a good staff there, but now they have a really good staff under the same roof, working together for one common goal. And that is to be a powerhouse in NASCAR. And I don’t think that happens overnight. But I certainly think that it is coming and that they’re on track to do that."
One thing Martin is looking forward to is working with the young drivers on the team.
"Everything is full speed ahead. The attitude is fantastic," Martin said. "I can’t tell you what it’s like to go to the race track and be around such enthusiastic people. To be a small part of DEI and work with Martin, who is an incredible talent, and to work with Paul Menard, who has yet to show everyone what he really can do. And everybody knows how I felt about Regan (Smith) and Aric. So it’s just a terrific opportunity for me to work with some of the best up-and-coming talent in NASCAR."
And one thing Martin finds hard to believe is that he is racing for the team the late Dale Earnhardt started.
"It touches my heart. It goes all the way back to 1981 when I started racing with Dale Earnhardt," Martin said. "I raced against that No. 8 Busch car that Dale and Teresa owned back in the mid-80s and I had some spirited battles. It’s hard for me to believe that all that through the eighties and nineties; and now for me to work there and to be a part of that is incredibly important to me because I’m old enough to recognize what history really means. I don’t think you can really understand that when you’re a kid. So, for me, it’s incredibly special.”

Kyle Busch turned his first laps with his new team at Joe Gibbs Racing on Monday at Daytona International Speedway.
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Kyle Busch had one of the fastest cars in the two testing sessions, his first with his new team Joe Gibbs Racing, at Daytona International Speedway on Monday. He was in the top 10 in both sessions and had the fourth fastest lap in the morning session.
“Everything went well," said Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. "I’m really proud of the way the Joe Gibbs Racing team and Toyota stepped up prepared and ready to go. The cars have been driving well and have had some speed, which is nice. It’s hard to come down here and try to find something. I think we’re pretty good."
His old teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears from Hendrick Motorsports, had the fastest cars of the two test sessions. Busch was the only driver from Joe Gibbs Racing on the track. His teammates Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin will test next week at Daytona.
"We’re not as fast as some of the guys, but we’re decent and where we need to be," Busch said. "The biggest thing will be to get the car to handle well in the draft.”
One of the things Busch noticed about his new car is that it handles much differently than he anticipated.
“It does move around a lot more," Busch said. "We had a really smooth setup in the beginning, but found some speed by getting it to roughen up a bit. It’s weird because with the old car, you were faster the smoother you were. This car’s a bit different, but the key will be getting it to run fast for two laps and handle well for 500 miles.”

Greg Biffle remembers getting his first NASCAR Winston Cup win at Daytona International Speedway. He also remembers racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series when NASCAR opened its 50th anniversary season at Daytona.
“This place holds a special place in my heart, getting my first-ever win which was then the Winston Cup Series," said Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, during Monday's test session at Daytona. "To get my first win here was pretty neat. I remember starting in the Craftsman Truck Series, my first year was the 50th anniversary of NASCAR, so to have an opportunity to win the 50th running of the Daytona 500 is a thrill.”
His first times on the track were not that fast. He was 16th fastest in the morning session, 28th in the afternoon. Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears, drivers from Hendrick Motorsports, topped the test sessions. Surprisingly, Jacques Villeneuve and A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota drivers, were near the top of the speed charts in both sessions as well.
Here's a look at the times from Monday's test session:

Monday morning testing speeds from the first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 48A, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.706, 184.782
2. 5B, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.761, 184.574
3. 5A, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 49.027, 183.572
4. 27B, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 49.092, 183.329
5. 84B, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 49.101, 183.296
6. 84A, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 49.167, 183.050
7. 24A, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.169, 183.042
8. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 49.199, 182.931
9. 18B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 49.200, 182.927
10. 96A, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 49.260, 182.704
11. 00A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 49.319, 182.485
12. 96B, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 49.340, 182.408
13. 42A, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 49.400, 182.186
14. 28A, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 49.404, 182.171
15. 27A, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 49.418, 182.120
16. 78A, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 49.432, 182.068
17. 16B, Greg Biffle, Ford 49.453, 181.991
18. 00B, David Reutimann, Toyota, 49.481, 181.888
19. 16A, Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.502, 181.811
20. 2B, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.519, 181.748
21. 17A, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.541, 181.668
22. 19A, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 49.553, 181.624
23. 99A, Carl Edwards, Ford 49.555, 181.616
24. 42B, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge 49.558, 181.605
25. 41A, Reed Sorenson, Dodge 49.575, 181.543
26. 45A, Kyle Petty, Dodge 49.593, 181.477
27. 07A, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.596, 181.466
28. 98A, Jason Keller, Dodge, 49.607, 181.426
29. 99B, Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.632, 181.335
30. 41B, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 49.636, 181.320
31. 17B, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.660, 181.232
32. 1A, Aric Almirola, Chevrolet, 49.734, 180.963
33. 7A, Robby Gordon, Ford, 49.748, 180.912
34. 33, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chevrolet, 49.821, 180.647
35. 7B, Robby Gordon, Ford 49.880, 180.433
36. 2A, Kurt Busch, Dodge 49.884, 180.419
37. 8A, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 49.906, 180.339
38. 1B, Aric Almirola, Chevrolet, 49.993, 180.025
39. 07B, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.997, 180.011
40. 70A, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 50.064, 179.770
41. 8B, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 50.171, 179.386
42. 70B, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 50.405, 178.554

Monday afternoon testing speeds from the first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:
1. 48A, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.735, 184.672
2. 5B, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.852, 184.230
3. 5A, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.891, 184.083
4. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 48.896, 184.064
5. 84B, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 48.918, 183.981
6. 27B, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.973, 183.775
7. 24A, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.010, 183.636
8. 28B, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 49.025, 183.580
9. 00A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 49.043, 183.512
10. 18B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 49.052, 183.479
11. 1A, Aric Almirola, Chevrolet 49.082, 183.367
12. 84A, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 49.122, 183.217
13. 96A, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 49.233, 182.804
14. 42B, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 49.250, 182.741
15. 00B, David Reutimann, Toyota, 49.256, 182.719
16. 70A, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.287, 182.604
17. 19A, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 49.292, 182.585
18. 8A, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 49.353, 182.360
19. 78A, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 49.369, 182.301
20. 27A, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 49.369, 182.301
21. 98A, Jason Keller, Dodge, 49.375, 182.278
22. 17B, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.377, 182.271
23. 96B, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 49.383, 182.249
24. 28A, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 49.386, 182.238
25. 07A, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet 49.402, 182.179
26. 99A, Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.403, 182.175
27. 2B, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.408, 182.157
28. 16B, Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.461, 181.962
29. 42A, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 49.511, 181.778
30. 45A, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 49.526, 181.723
31. 41B, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 49.537, 181.682
32. 33, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chevrolet, 49.551, 181.631
33. 17A, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.564, 181.583
34. 16A, Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.567, 181.572
35. 99B, Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.567, 181.572
36. 78B, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 49.626, 181.357
37. 41A, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 49.656, 181.247
38. 7B, Robby Gordon, Ford, 49.658, 181.240
39. 07B, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.692, 181.116
40. 7A, Robby Gordon, Ford, 49.770, 180.832
41. 2A, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.773, 180.821
42. 48B, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 49.797, 180.734
43. 8B, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 49.878, 180.440
44. 1B, Aric Almirola, Chevrolet, 49.885, 180.415
45. 70B, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.916, 180.303

Jimmie Johnson, winner of two straight NASCAR Cup championships, wants to join Cale Yarborough as the only driver to win three Cups in a row and has his sights on reaching Jeff Gordon's mark of four Cup titles.
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No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing crew chief Brandon Thomas meets with his new driver J.J. Yeley in the garage at Daytona International Speedway.
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Toyota drivers J.J. Yeley, pictured at left, and A.J. Allmendinger were among those testing at Daytona International Speedway. For Allmendinger, it was his second year with the Red Bull Racing Team.
Yeley is in his first year with Hall of Fame Racing, a satellite team of Joe Gibbs Racing. He was in the No. 18 car for Gibbs last year, but was moved to the No. 96 car for Hall of Fame Racing, in part to make room for Kyle Busch, who is the new driver of the No. 18 car.
Two of the big three for Joe Gibbs Racing were not part of the test. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin will have their first test sessions on Jan. 14. Busch was part of the test Monday, one of five Toyotas on the track.
Yeley didn't offer too many details about his test, but said it was good for his team.
“We’re pretty happy with how things went," Yeley said. "We were playing with some things during the first session, but so far, I’m real impressed with the Toyota engine and the car here at Daytona.”
Allmendinger said he was encouraged by his first test. It was quite a difference from last year's first tests in the Toyotas.
“We weren’t bad this morning," said Allmendinger, driver of the No. 84 Toyota for Red Bull Racing. "Our guys did a lot of work to get the bodies right in the off-season and Toyota has stepped up their game. It’s a combination of everything. We’re only three hours in to a long process, but last year at this time, I don’t think we were ahead of anyone after the first session. We’ve definitely had a better start and that gives us something to build on.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr., left, and Casey Mears, teammates for Hendrick Motorsports, talk during testing at Daytona International Speedway.
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Testing for the 2008 NASCAR Spint Cup Series began at Daytona International Speedway on Monday. About half the Cup teams were there, the ones who held odd-numbered places in the owners standings as of July 17, 2007.
Three of the Hendrick Motorsports teams, the ones for Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears, were at the track. The newest member of the team, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was not among those drivers testing. But it didn't keep him from visiting the track to meet his new teammates and offer some support.
It made an impression on Gordon, the four-time Cup champion and runner-up in the Cup standings last year.
"I was surprised," said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "Most drivers, if they're not here testing, they don't want to be here. I was surprised and I think it says a lot."
Monday was the first day teams could test at Daytona as part of NASCAR's Preseason Thunder, which will include stops at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and California Speedway before returning to Daytona for the Daytona 500.
Earnhardt Jr. left Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team his late father founded and started, at the end of the 2007 season to join Hendrick. He will be driving the No. 88 car for the team, but won't get a chance to test with his new car and team until Jan. 14.
"It's smart on his part," Gordon said. "I'm really proud of him for doing that because he's going to be here without his teammates next week."
One of the reasons Gordon said he was impressed by Earnhardt Jr. was because it shows how committed he is to have a successful start and run with Hendrick Motorsports.
"As a teammate, you have to welcome them in, have to support them and that's certainly been the case with Junior," Gordon said. "But he's got to make that extra effort as well to get to know us as teammates as well as his own team. That's going to take time."
Tony Eury Jr, Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief who also moved over to Hendrick from DEI, was at the track on Monday too. Gordon said that was equally important to see Eury Jr. getting better acqauinted with the other teams and crew chiefs.
"It helps a lot that Tony Eury Jr. is there as well," Gordon said, "because that bridges the gap at the shop with the guys there. That really allows things to come together a lot faster."

The Daytona 500 is more than a month away, but testing for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season begins Monday with a collection of drivers including Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears.
Johnson won last year's Cup championship, his second in a row. Gordon was the runner-up. Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards, all Chase drivers from a year ago, will also be testing at Daytona.
This is the first test session for Cup teams since the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow, which was used in select races last year, will be used in every race in 2008. Every Cup team will be testing in the Car of Tomorrow at Daytona.
“We’re feeling pretty good about it,” said Chad Knaus, crew chief for and the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. “We’ve got a couple of good cars we’re bringing. It’s going to be fun to have this car at Daytona and we’re looking forward to getting back to the track.”
Teams that held odd-numbered positions in the owners standings on July 17, 2007, will be the first to test, beginning Monday and ending Wednesday. Teams that had even-numbered spots in the standings as of July 17 will test Jan. 14 at Daytona and conclude their runs Jan. 16 as part of NASCAR's Preseason Thunder.
The teams and drivers will test at California Speedway as part of Preseason Thunder Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 and Las Vegas Motor Speedway before the season starts Feb. 17 with the Daytona 500.
“A lot of people think when they wave the green flag at Homestead, we all leave and go to the beach,” Knaus said. “That’s not what happens. We’ve been in here working five and six days a week and haven’t really taken that much time off. Contrary to what people think, we really have been working hard, but our guys are now looking forward to going to the race track.”
The other drivers who will be testing first are:
David Reutimann, Robby Gordon, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Jacques Villeneuve, Travis Kvapil, Scott Wimmer, Reed Sorenson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Petty, Jeremy Mayfield, Joe Nemechek, AJ Allmendinger, J.J. Yeley and Jason Keller.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who raced at Irwindale Speedway during the Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thanksgiving, is the latest driver to enter the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Okla.
Stenhouse will drive a car for Keith Kunz Motorsports in the 22nd annual Chili Bowl, which starts Tuesday and culminates Jan. 12 at the Tulsa Expo Center.
Stenhouse, who raced for Tony Stewart Racing last year in a number of USAC events, will be racing against his old boss in the Chili Bowl. Stewart is one of a number of NASCAR and NHRA drivers who have entered the Chili Bowl.
Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley, Gary Scelzi and Cruz Pedregon are among the drivers from NASCAR and the NHRA entered in the Chili Bowl.
"The best drivers are there." Stenhouse said. "A lot of great drivers have won the Chili Bowl and to be included in that select group would be cool. I'm really looking forward to racing against my former boss, Tony, along with all the other champions, race winners and top drivers. When you have that many top drivers competing for just 24 spots, fans are going to see some of the best racing around."
Stenhouse, who finished 13th in the A main of the Chili Bowl last year, will be in the Esslinger-powered No. 97 car for Kunz.
"We ran decent there last year," said Stenhouse from his home in Olive Branch, Miss. "Keith Kunz has given me a fast racecar this year with lots of horsepower under the hood so I'm excited. To run this race is really special. I think it truly is the 'Superbowl' of racing. It's the one place that drivers from all Sprint and Midget Series along with drivers from NASCAR and sometimes drag racing come together for some good old fashioned dirt racing."
Stenhouse will be driving for Roush Fenway Racing in the ARCA ReMax Series in 2008. His first race for Roush is at Daytona International Speedway next month.

Starting Monday, ESPN Classic will air six of what it considers the best Daytona 500s, or like most sporting events that earn ESPN's classic status, the best Daytona 500s on video.
The list is still pretty good. It starts with the 1976 Daytona 500, in which David Pearson sluggishly beats Richard Petty. It ends with last year's Daytona 500, a drag race finish between Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin.
ESPN Classic will broadcast a race every Monday at 11 a.m. PST. On Feb. 16, the Saturday night before the 2008 Daytona 500, ESPN Classic will televise the top five races chosen on ESPN.com. Fans and viewers can log on to ESPN.com to vote for their favorite race.
Here's a look at the six races:

1976: The Push - On the last lap, David Pearson and Richard Petty wreck together while running first and second, both are the only cars on the lead lap. Pearson gets his car moving first and goes on to win the 500 at a snail's pace. Petty finishes second, a lap down, after he is penalized for having his car pushed across the finish line.

1979: The Fight - The first live, flag-to-flag live televised Daytona 500, drawing a huge audience as it is shown on a day when much of the Northeast was paralyzed by a snowstorm. Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough wreck late in the race while leading, propelling Richard Petty to victory. Donnie's brother Bobby and Yarborough fight in the infield. The race helped accelerate NASCAR to a national phenomenon.

1990: The Blow Out - Dale Earnhardt is all but the 500 winner when he blows out a tire in turn 3 of the last lap, leading to an unlikely Daytona 500 victory for Derrike Cope. Cope cruised by Earnhardt to win the 500, his first career NASCAR win, and one of only two in his career, the other coming later that season.

1998: Finally - Dale Earnhardt Finally Wins - After years of heartbreak and bad luck, Dale Earnhardt finally wins the biggest race on the NASCAR schedule. Every crew member for all 43 teams lines up along pit road to congratulate Earnhardt.

1999: The Pass - Jeff Gordon pulls a risky pass by Rusty Wallace with 11 laps to go, almost driving through the grass and getting into the back of the lapped and crash-damaged car of Ricky Rudd. Wallace gives him room, possibly preventing a wreck and Gordon holds off defending-champion Dale Earnhardt for the win.

2007: The Photo Finish - After the two best cars driven by Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart crashed early in the race, the race continues to take more twists. Cars are shuffled and reshuffled, culminating in a last lap "big one," which took out many contenders, including Kyle Busch and a sliding, flaming Clint Bowyer. Mark Martin, a part-time driver who was a NASCAR star but never won a championship or a Daytona 500, is nosed out by Kevin Harvick by inches at the finish line. Closest 500 finish with electronic scoring.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be pulling double duty at Daytona with his new team, Hendrick Motorsports.
Earnhardt Jr. will race the team's No. 5 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway, the season opener for the series.
The car is being prepared jointly by Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports, the team owned by Earnhardt Jr. Landon Cassill will drive the No. 5 car for 19 Nationwide Series in 2008. Earnhardt Jr. will race in two, Daytona and the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The car is sponsored by the Army National Guard for those 21 races.
"We are extremely proud to have the Army National Guard as such a prominent partner with us, not only in support of the No. 5 Nationwide cars in 2008, but also as a co-primary for Dale in the Sprint Cup Series," said Kelley Elledge, vice president and general manager of JR Motorsports. "They have an unquestionable commitment to this program, and the enthusiasm they exude with both the JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports teams is extremely gratifying."
JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports combined NASCAR oerations following the conclusion of the 2007 season. The No. 5 Chevrolets will be fielded full-time under the JR Motorsports banner in 2008.
Cassill, 18, will make his first start for the team at the Nationwide Series race at California Speedway Feb. 23. He will be a candidate for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide Series.
"I know Dale and Landon will represent the men and women of the National Guard well as drivers of the No. 5 Chevrolet, and we look forward to an exciting 2008 season for JR Motorsports," Elledge said.