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 t