The Race Report

Stewart and Kenseth Take Duel Titles

2012-02-23T19:18:00.004-06:00

By Sam Atwell

Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil Chevrolet

Tony Stewart was able to cruise to his victory in the first Gatorade Duel and Matt Kenseth made his move on teammate Greg Biffle on the last lap to pick up the win in the second, rather uneventful, Gatorade Duel #2.

Tony Stewart took the checkered flag under caution after a last lap crash involving Danica Patrick, a Stewart-Haas Racing teammate. Patrick's number five GoDaddy.com Chevrolet was sent sliding into the backstretch inside wall after contact from Aric Almriola in the 43 Ford.

"We just had a great racecar. We had a great racecar since we got here, especially when I messed up the car for the Shootout, all three teams dug in together and got us a car put back together that almost won the Shootout the other night was a testimony to how hard this organization has worked." Stewart said.

When asked about Danica's crash Tony said "I didn't see how it started. I saw in the mirror on the last lap, saw her car making a hard left there. Didn't know what's the start of that was."

Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

"I thought she did a pretty good job. I think I'll get a better shot to understand exactly how her race went when I get to see a replay of the race. The little bit I could see, I though she did a good job. There wasn't any doubt in my mind she would do that." Stewart added.

Patrick will go to a backup car for the Daytona 500.

Matt Kenseth was able to get by Roush-Fenway Racing teammate, Greg Biffle, on the last lap when Biffle moved to block Kenseth and Kenseth, with a big push from Jimmie Johnson, dove to the inside of Biffle to take the lead and the victory.

Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford

"Well we were going so much faster that we were going to go by him regardless. I think that was his only hope, is to try and get up the track, try to line my front bumper up where I had to push him. The problem was, I was going too fast. Even if I wanted to slow down, which I didn't want to on the last lap, I couldn't have." Kenseth said.

With the win Stewart will start third and Kenseth fourth in the Daytona 500.

Six drivers, Michael Waltrip, Kenny Wallace, Robert Richardson, Jr., JJ Yeley, Mike Wallace and Bill Elliott did not qualify for the Daytona 500.

Gatorade Duel #2 Results

2012-02-23T17:48:00.002-06:00

Matt Kenseth made his move late, but it was good to pick up the win in the 2nd Gatorade Duel of the day in Daytona. Second was Regan Smith, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler and Greg Biffle was fifth.

Check out to see where your favorite finished in the Gatorade Duel 2

Pos	Num	Driver	Sponsor/Make	Laps
1	17	Matt Kenseth	Best Buy Ford	60
2	78	Regan Smith	CSX Play It Safe Chevy	60
3	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevy	60
4	33	Elliott Sadler	General Mills/Kroger Chevy	60
5	16	Greg Biffle	3M Ford	60
6	20	Joey Logano	Home Depot Toyota	60
7	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Brown Toyota	60
8	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive To End Hunger Chevy	60
9	39	Ryan Newman	U.S. Army/Quicken Loans Chevy	60
10	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevy	60
11	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Toyota	60
12	36	Dave Blaney	Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet	60
13	56	Martin Truex, Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota	60
14	51	Kurt Busch	Hendrickcars.com	59
15	15	Clint Bowyer	5-Hour Energy Toyota	59
16	47	Bobby Labonte	Kroger Toyota	59
17	87	Joe Nemechek	AM-FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota	59
18	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford	59
19	23	Robert Richardson	North Texas Pipe Toyota	58
20	97	Bill Elliott	AM-FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota	58
21	09	Kenny Wallace	America Ethanol Toyota	57
22	26	Tony Raines	Front Row Motorsports Ford	9
23	93	David Reutimann	Burger King Toyota	6
24	49	JJ Yeley	America Isreal Racing	4

Gatorade Duel #1 Results

2012-02-23T17:38:00.002-06:00

Tony Stewart took the checker flag under caution to pick up the win in the first Gatorade Duel of the day in Daytona. Stewart was followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton and polesitter Carl Edwards was fifth.

Take a look and see where your favorite driver finished today>

Pos	Num	Driver	Sponsor/Make	Laps
1	14	Tony Stweart	Office Depot/Mobil Chevy	60
2	88	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Diet Mtn Dew/National Guard Chevy	60
3	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford	60
4	31	Jeff Burton	Caterpillar Chevy	60
5	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal Ford	60
6	98	Michale McDowell	KLOVE/Curb Records Ford	60
7	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Chevy	60
8	22	A.J. Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge	60
9	7	Robby Gordon	MAPEI/Menards/Speed Energy Dodge	60
10	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy	60
11	6	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	Ford EcoBoost Ford	60
12	21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Lube Ford	60
13	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge	60
14	34	David Ragen	Scorpion Truck Bedliners Ford	60
15	43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford	60
16	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy.com Chevy	59
17	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota	59
18	40	Michalel Waltrip	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota	51
19	30	David Stremme	Inception Motorsports Toyota	27
20	37	Mike Wallace	Poynt.com Ford	23
21	32	Terry Labonte	C&J Energy Ford	12
22	38	David Gilliland	MHP/Power Pak Pudding Ford	8
23	42	Juan Montoya	Target Chevrolet	8
24	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Peak Chevy	8
25	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King Toyota	3

Gatorade Duel Race Lineups

2012-02-22T19:12:00.000-06:00

The Gatorade Duel 150's are set to roll off the starting line at 2 PM eastern time tomorrow. Look for a little calmer action on Thursday as the drivers attempt to lock in a starting position for Sunday's Daytona 500.

Here are the lineups for the Gatorade Duel 150's

Duel 1

Pos	Num	Driver	Sponsor	Make
1	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal	Ford
2	88	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Diet Mtn Dew/National Guard	Chevy
3	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley	Ford
4	6	Ricky Stenhouse	Ford EcoBoost	Ford
5	21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire	Ford
6	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot/Mobil 1	Chevy
7	43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes	Ford
8	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Peak	Chevy
9	34	David Ragan	Scorpion Truck Bedliners	Ford
10	22	A.J. Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil	Dodge
11	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite	Dodge
12	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser	Chevy
13	31	Jeff Burton	CAT	Chevy
14	42	Juan Montoya	Target	Chevy
15	30	David Stremme	Inception Motorsports	Toyota
16	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats	Chevy
17	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy.com	Chevy
18	32	Terry Labonte	C&J Energy	Ford
19	40	Michael Waltrip	Aaron's Dream Machine	Toyota
20	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express	Toyota
21	98	Michael McDowell	KLOVE/Curb Records	Ford
22	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King	Toyota
23	38	David Gilliland	MHP/Power Pak Pudding	Ford
24	37	Mike Wallace	Poynt.com	Ford
25	7	Robby Gordon	MAPEI/Menards/Speed Energy	Dodge

Duel 2

Pos	Num	Driver	Sponsor	Make
1	16	Greg Biffle	3M	Ford
2	13	Casey Mears	GEICO	Ford
3	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive To End Hunger	Chevy
4	56	Martin Truex, Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts	Toyota
5	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's	Toyota
6	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's	Chevy
7	17	Matt Kenseth	Best Buy	Ford
8	39	Ryan Newman	U.S. Army/Quicken Loans	Chevy
9	20	Joey Logano	Home Depot	Toyota
10	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance	Chevy
11	26	Tony Raines	Front Row Motorsports	Chevy
12	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Brown	Toyota
13	09	Kenny Wallace	American Ethanol	Toyota
14	36	Dave Blaney	Ollies Bargain Outlet	Chevy
15	51	Kurt Busch	Hendrickcars.com	Chevy
16	33	Elliott Sadler	General Mills/Kroger	Chevy
17	87	Joe Nemechek	AM FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves	Toyota
18	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row Racing	Chevy
19	47	Bobby Labonte	Kroger	Toyota
20	97	Bill Elliott	AM FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves	Toyota
21	93	David Reutimann	Burger King	Toyota
22	23	Robert Richardson	North Texas Pipe	Toyota
23	49	J.J. Yeley	America Isreal Racing	Toyota
24	15	Clint Bowyer	5-Hour Energy	Toyota

It's Over, Kyle Busch Hangs on To Win

2012-02-18T23:36:00.000-06:00

By Sam Atwell

Kyle Busch was the survivor of the 2012 Budweiser shootout and avoided three near disasters to pick up his first career win in the Budweiser Shootout. Busch came from ninth place on the green, white, checker finish to push Tony Stewart to the lead with 2 to go and Busch moved to the outside of Stewart coming out of turn four to nip Tony at the line by 0.013 of a second. The win was also the first victory for Toyota in the Budweiser Shootout.

It didn't take long to have the first big crash of the 2012 season. The first melee occurred on lap four when David Ragan and Paul Meneard got into one another and Michael Waltrip, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Juan Montoya were all caught up in the wreck. Menard, Ragan and Waltrip had to retire for the night.

On lap 56 Marcos Ambrose turned Joey Logano and the wreck collected Ambrose, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Martin Truex, Jr. The only driver that was able to continue was Ambrose.

The third and final crash happened when Jeff Gordon got into the left rear of Kyle Busch and turned him, who was able to save it, but Gordon drifted up into the path of Kurt Busch with Jamie McMurray and Jimmie Johnson slamming into Gordon who ended up on his top after barrel rolling.down the track.

Only 10 cars finished on the lead lap, with only 13 cars able to cross the finish line.

Practice Crash Takes Out Five Teams

2012-02-17T19:54:00.001-06:00

By Sam Atwell

Shootout Practice Crash

Practice for the Budweiser Shootout ended for four drivers after a four car crash takes out the primary cars for Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon. Driver Tony Stewart was also involved in the crash, but his team is repairing his car instead of going to a backup car.

The incident happened when Kurt Busch had to adjust for a slower moving car and Tony Stewart made contact with Kurt and Kurt spun in front of Kyle Busch and Allmendinger and Keslowski were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jeff Gordon was also caught up in the wreck and will also go to a backup car for the shootout.

Rain shortened the second and final practice so these five drivers will be going into the shootout with no laps in the backup cars. Matt Kenseth turned the fastest lap of the day at nearly 202 mph.

48 Team Fails Inspection

2012-02-17T18:09:00.000-06:00

By Sam Atwell

The car that Jimmie Johnson was set to drive in the 2012 Daytona 500 did not pass inspection today at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR confiscated the "C" posts from the Lowes Chevy.

"The 48 car had a body modification on it that was outside of what our tolerances are, what the original surface definitions for the body were," said Sprint Cup Series director John Darby. "There were some obvious modifications that the template inspectors picked upon and did some additional inspections with some gauges and stuff and found that they were just too far out of tolerance to fix."

This isn't the first time that Chad Knaus and the 48 team have failed a pre-race inspection. Back in June of 2007 Knaus and Steve Letarte were both fine $100,000 and suspended for six races for pushing the envelope just a little too far. Knaus also was suspended for four races in 2006 after there were some issues with the 48 car.

According to Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President for Competition, any penalties against the team or Knaus will not be announced until after the Daytona 500.

Johnson's Lowe's Chevrolet that he is going to drive in the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night passed inspection earlier today.

Driver Thoughts About Daytona

2012-02-17T17:29:00.000-06:00

Tony Stewart on the importance of the Daytona 500

Trevor Bayne on being the defending Daytona 500 Champ

Danica Patrick on Racing at Daytona

Brad Keselowski talks about Daytona

Kurt Busch on racing at Daytona

Jimmie Johnson talking about Daytona

It's About to Get Busy in Daytona

2012-02-15T19:04:00.000-06:00

By Sam Atwell

Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout will kick off the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season. When you normally think of "preseason" sports contests you think of rookies playing, evaluation of players, veterans on the sidelines, but not in NASCAR. The sport's top drivers will be competing for nothing but the pride of the win.

This year's field is comprised of drivers finishing in the top 25 of the final Sprint Cup Standings in 2011, active past winners of the Dayona 500, Coke Zero 400 and the Shootout. Tony Stewart leads all drivers in this year's shootout with 3 wins. Other shootout winners in the field for this season include Jeff Gordon (2), Kevin Harvick (2), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (2), Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch.

The Wait is Over

2012-02-15T18:43:00.002-06:00

By Sam Atwell

The off-season is about to be officially over with media day kicking off all the action of Speedweeks in Daytona. More than 50 drivers will meet with members of the print, radio and television media on Thursday outside of Daytona International Speedway. As the drivers are meeting with the media outside the haulers will enter the speedway at 9:30 am (est), and that is pretty much all the action on Thursday.

The real action begins on Friday at 5 pm est when the cars take to the track for the first time in 2012 with Budweiser Shootout Practice, and final practice for the Budweiser Shootout from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. All of the drivers will draw for starting positions in the shootout Friday night at 8 PM, the drawing will be broadcast on Speed Channel.

Points Swap Guarantees Start for Danica

2012-01-31T17:02:00.000-06:00

Stewart & Patrick at Daytona Testing

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Jan. 31, 2012) – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has entered into a collaborative partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) where TBR will field the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala for all 10 of Danica Patrick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2012.

The alliance guarantees a starting spot for Patrick in her Sprint Cup debut – the 54th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

TBR’s No. 36 car, which finished the 2011 season 33rd in points, becomes the No. 10 for 2012. For the 26 races where Patrick is not scheduled to drive, David Reutimann will pilot the No. 10 car. TBR has sponsorship inventory available for these 26 races.

“Tommy Baldwin Racing has proven to be a very strong organization and it’s a good fit with Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Matt Borland, vice president of competition, SHR. “It’s a Chevrolet team led by a racer who knows every inch of a racecar. That kind of technical expertise, along with a company mindset that is similar to ours, provides the ideal environment for Danica to learn and succeed.”

TBR was formed in 2009 and has matured from a single-car team to one that in 2012 will field two Sprint Cup entries and a NASCAR Nationwide Series entry. TBR is owned by Tommy Baldwin, who as a crew chief secured five victories, including the 2002 Daytona 500 with driver Ward Burton.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve established at Tommy Baldwin Racing, and the opportunity to partner with Stewart-Haas Racing and aid in the development of Danica Patrick is a testament to all the hard work we’ve put in over the years,” Baldwin said. “Danica will have a great teammate in Dave Blaney, who has been instrumental in getting our race team to where it is today. And with David Reutimann driving the No. 10 car in the races where Danica is not, the team will remain in a strong and competitive position throughout the year.”

The agreement means TBR will also work with GoDaddy.com, the world’s largest Web hosting provider and Patrick’s longtime sponsor.

“Go Daddy is a first-rate sponsor,” Baldwin added. “Look how they’ve supported Danica over the last six years. Go Daddy is a sponsor that knows how to get things done right.”

Baldwin will maintain a hands-on presence with the No. 10 car and will work closely with Greg Zipadelli, who serves as SHR’s director of competition. Baldwin and Zipadelli have similar backgrounds, as both grew up in the Northeast – Baldwin in Bellport, N.Y., and Zipadelli in Berlin, Conn. – and made a name for themselves as successful crew chiefs within the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour before rising up the ranks as crew chiefs in the elite Sprint Cup Series.

“Working with Tommy will be like old times,” Zipadelli said. “We both grew up together and competed against each other in Modifieds and we did the same thing when we got to Sprint Cup. To finally be able to work with each other and help Danica Patrick make a successful transition from Indy cars to stock cars is a challenge we’re both looking forward to.

“Partnering with Tommy and his team provides Danica with the foundation she needs to succeed. With a guaranteed starting spot, we can go into each weekend and simply learn. It’s all about getting her comfortable in the car, and with the variety of tracks she’s running, seat time will be incredibly valuable. A guaranteed spot in the race ensures that she’ll have the opportunity to make as many laps as possible.”

Patrick’s 10-race Sprint Cup schedule is as follows:

· Feb. 26: Daytona 500
· May 12: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
· May 27: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
· Aug. 25: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
· Sept. 2: Atlanta Motor Speedway
· Sept. 16: Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.
· Sept. 30: Dover (Del.) International Speedway
· Nov. 4: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
· Nov. 11: Phoenix International Raceway

One more race is still to be determined, with the plan being to assess Patrick’s development as the season progresses and then choose the remaining venue based on need and competitive reasoning.

“Our goal with Danica’s schedule is to try and maximize her 10 races so that she’s as prepared as she can possibly be for a full-time Sprint Cup schedule in 2013,” said Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest machine tool builder in the western world. “There are short tracks, intermediate 1.5-mile ovals, and some unique tracks like Darlington and Phoenix. The point is to expose her to as many challenges as possible so that she’ll know what to expect in 2013.”

Joe Gibbs Racing Shop Fire

2012-01-31T16:52:00.001-06:00

Kyle Busch

Denny Hamlin

Huntersville, NC -- Preparations for the Daytona 500 were interrupted at Joe Gibbs Racing when a piece of equipment in the machine shop caught fire. Crews from the Huntersville Fire Department were called and made quick work putting out the fire. According to a statement from Joe Gibbs Racing, a few of the employees were treated at the scene for issues related to smoke inhalation. All of the employees were able to return to work within the hour. No information yet on what caused the fire or damage estimate is available.

Joey Logano

2012-01-26T16:06:00.001-06:00

A news release from Pocono Raceway:

Dr. Joseph Mattioli

Long Pond, PA -- Dr. Joseph Mattioli, Pocono Raceway Founder and Chairman of the Board, passed away today at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center, surrounded by his loving family, following a lengthy illness. He was 86. "Doc" as he was known to friends and associates, was one of the most respected and admired men in automobile racing. He founded Pocono Raceway in the early 1960’s and has been at the helm of Pocono ever since. Under his leadership, the track grew in stature and has hosted 68 very successful NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Events. His passion and drive helped Pocono Raceway succeed when other tracks fell by the wayside. Pocono Raceway is the only remaining family owned and run track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. He was always concerned that race fans and race car drivers and their families were treated with the upmost respect and constantly upgraded procedures and Raceway facilities to meet that goal.

He kept his fingers on the pulse of stock car racing and read everything printed concerning the sport. He was in the office daily, until last fall, and oversaw all aspects of the Pocono Raceway operations. At age 83, Dr. Mattioli spearheaded an ambitious solar energy project. He built a three megawatt photovoltaic solar energy system on 25 acres at Pocono Raceway. It is the world’s largest solar-powered sports facility, making Pocono Raceway a leader in the renewable energy and environmental fields.

Dr. Mattioli was also well respected in the community. In 2009, he received the Philanthropic Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for his generous and continuous contributions to local civic organizations, hospitals, schools and charities. He served on the board of directors of numerous organizations and was dedicated to improving the quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

He served in the Pacific during World War Two as a Navy medic. Using the G.I. bill, he enrolled in the dentistry program at Temple University (where he met his soon to be wife, Rose.) Upon graduation, he developed his dental practice into a very lucrative business by working 12 to 14 hour days, six and sometimes seven days a week. He then began investing in and developing properties in Philadelphia and Northeastern Pennsylvania where he became involved in the start up of Pocono Raceway.

Dr. Mattioli is survived by his wife of 63 years, Dr. Rose, daughters Louie and Michele and son Joseph Mattioli III, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His passing leaves a void in the NASCAR community and especially to his family and extended "Pocono Raceway" family.

Service Arrangements for Dr. Joseph Mattioli are incomplete at this time.

Daytona 500 Rules Packaged Released

2012-01-23T14:13:00.000-06:00

By Sam Atwell

When the teams left the Daytona International Speedway most teams were happy with the results they saw on the track. They just didn't know what changes NASCAR would make to the rules for the Daytona 500. On Friday NASCAR released the updated rules package to be used for this year's race in Daytona.
The rules package includes:

The same restrictor plate that teams used on the final day of testing (29/32nds of an inch)
The rear bumper (bigger) is moved two inches closer to the ground
The front grille opening of 50"
Radiator pressure release valve set at 25 psi

The most surprising change is the new rule regarding the bumper. The new larger bumper is going to discourage the two-car drafting we have seen in the last few races at Daytona and Talladega by limiting the amount of air into the front grille that helps keep the engines cool.
Teams now have the task of preparing cars with the new information as we move closer to the official start of the 2012 racing season.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2012

2012-01-20T10:59:00.000-06:00

The 2012 class of Hall of Fame inductees will be set in place tonight at ceremonies at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC. This class includes two championship drivers, a championship crew chief, a record setting modified driver and a legendary owner. Let's take a brief look at the class of 2012.

Cale Yarborough - Born William Caleb Yarborough was the first driver to win three consecutive Cup series championships from 1976 through 1978. In 1976 he won nine races, nine more in ‘77 and 10 races in ‘78. He won the Daytona 500 four times and finished his career with 83 wins.

Darrell Waltrip - Waltrip is a three-time Cup series champion picking up his titles in 1981, 1982 and 1985. He won the Daytona 500 in 1989. Waltrip finished his career with 84 wins, 59 poles.

Dale Inman - Inman enters the Hall of Fame as crew chief for Hall of Fame member Richard Petty. Inman was crew chief for Petty for all seven of his championships, recorded an eighth championship in 1984. Inman finished his career with a record 193 wins.

Richie Evans - Evans made his mark in Modified racing by winning nine NASCAR Modified titles in 13 years. From 1978 to 1985 Evans ruled the modified tour by winning eight championships in a row. Evans was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in1998.

Glen Wood - Wood was the founding member and driver for Wood Brothers racing. During his driving career Glen Wood picked up four wins. He is best known as owner of the 21 team, along with his brothers, and has competed in NASCAR’s top series since 1950 picking up 98 victories, including the 2011 Daytona 500 with driver Trevor Bayne.

Daytona Test Is Over

2012-01-14T18:09:00.000-06:00

The Daytona test is over. What did we learn from the three-day test at the speedway? One of the things we learned is that it is great to have cars back at the track. Even though the NASCAR off-season is one of the shortest in sports, I still missed racing action. I have my NASCAR fix and it should do until next month.

One of the other things we learned is that Sprint Cup cars in a large pack flying around a super speedway is a good thing. It is good for the drivers and it was good for the fans. Fans didn't care for the two-car tango that had become the norm at the two restrictor plate tracks. The two-car tandems did create the fastest speeds of the week at over 205 mph, but NASCAR is trying to discourage the two-car tandem racing.

We also saw NASCAR flirting with and be kind of comfortable with the over 200 mph speeds. It even surprised some of the drivers that they were allowed to run nearly 207 mph at points during the testing. Even though NASCAR seemed comfortable they still made changes to the aero package to lower the top speeds. NASCAR officials were more comfortable with speeds near 200 mph and that may be their target for Speedweeks 2012.

There will be lots of data evaluation by the teams and NASCAR and teams will be waiting on the final word from NASCAR on what the rules will be for the Daytona 500 this year. The upcoming weeks will be full of adjustments, refinements, corrections and lots of man hours as teams prepare for the beginning of the Sprint Cup season.

Daytona Testing Video

2012-01-14T17:12:00.000-06:00

Video from today's testing session Daytona International Speedway

Changes For Today's Testing Session

2012-01-14T09:04:00.000-06:00

By Sam Atwell

After Friday's testing session, where speeds reached 206 mph, NASCAR has issued some rule changes for today's sessions.

Changes implemented included the closing of the bottom of the radiator opening; reducing radiator pressures approximately four pounds and a return to the restrictor plate used in Thursday's test session.

"We're going to continue to work on aero packages and plate sizes and all types of things from now until the the day we sign back in here at Daytona." said Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton.

Today is the last day for testing at Daytona.

NASCAR Considers Changes For Daytona

2012-01-13T19:20:00.000-06:00

By Sam Atwell

NASCAR has feared speeds over 200 mph at Daytona and Talladega, this afternoon speeds reached 206 mph during drafting practice at day two of preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway.

Kurt Busch posted the fastest lap in a two-car tandem with Regan Smith at 206.05 mph. Teams also ran in the long, familiar, large packs with Kyle Busch turning the fastest lap at 205.81 mph. The drivers were happy with the 200 mph speeds and some even shocked that the 200 mph barrier had been breached, and accepted by NASCAR.

Jeff Gordon

"It's embedded in our minds we can't go out there over 200 mph in race condition," said
four-time Sprint Cup Champion, Jeff Gordon. "Somehow it's become accepted and I think that's a good thing. It's very comfortable. It's extremely comfortable."

After all the data is in from this week's testing there very well could be more rule changes before the 2012 Daytona 500. NASCAR will evaluate and make decisions on the final rule package in the next few weeks.
Teams have one more day of testing at Daytona and then make the trek back to the race shop to digest, analyze and put all the information they gathered this week to use for the biggest race of the NASCAR season, the Daytona 500.

Mark Martin

2012-01-13T17:29:00.000-06:00

Mark Martin talking about racing at Michael Waltrip Racing

Dale Earnhardt Junior

2012-01-13T17:22:00.000-06:00

Dale Earnhardt Junior talking about how important Daytona is and how much work the teams do for Daytona 500

Daytona Testing Friday Afternoon Session

2012-01-13T16:28:00.000-06:00

Drivers still hitting speeds over 200 mph. NASCAR has called a meeting at 5:30 EST with crew chiefs to discuss today's practice sessions.

Pos	No	Name	Make	BestTime	BestSpeed
1	56	Martin Truex Jr	Toyota	43.962	204.722
2	15	Clint Bowyer	Toyota	43.962	204.722
3	9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford	44.304	203.142
4	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	44.304	203.142
5	55	Mark Martin	Toyota	44.610	201.748
6	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevy	44.692	201.378
7	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Chevy	44.693	201.374
8	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevy	45.907	196.049
9	51	Kurt Busch	Chevy	45.915	196.014
10	22	AJ Allmendinger	Dodge	45.961	195.818
11	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevy	46.057	195.410
12	14	Tony Stewart	Chevy	46.063	195.385
13	10	Danica Patrick	Chevy	46.070	195.355
14	27	Paul Menard	Chevy	46.072	195.346
15	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	46.091	195.266
16	31	Jeff Burton	Chevy	46.129	195.105
17	39	Ryan Newman	Chevy	46.134	195.084
18	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	46.135	195.080
19	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Chevy	46.155	194.995
20	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	46.184	194.873
21	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	Ford	46.192	194.839
22	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevy	46.193	194.835
23	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevy	46.204	194.788
24	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	46.209	194.767
25	78	Regan Smith	Chevy	46.232	194.670
26	21	Trevor Bayne	Ford	46.292	194.418
27	2	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	46.364	194.116
28	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	46.559	193.303
29	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	46.703	192.707
30	13	Casey Mears	Ford	46.752	192.505
31	36	Dave Blaney	Chevy	46.923	191.804
32	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	47.983	187.566

Daytona Testing Friday Morning Session

2012-01-13T15:24:00.000-06:00

The top seven teams in the morning session eclipsed the 200 mph mark during drafting practice. Testing continues this afternoon.

Pos	No	Name	Make	BestTime	BestSpeed
1	56	Martin Truex Jr	Toyota	43.962	204.722
2	15	Clint Bowyer	Toyota	43.962	204.722
3	9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford	44.304	203.142
4	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	44.304	203.142
5	55	Mark Martin	Toyota	44.610	201.748
6	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevy	44.692	201.378
7	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Chevy	44.693	201.374
8	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevy	45.907	196.049
9	51	Kurt Busch	Chevy	45.915	196.014
10	22	AJ Allmendinger	Dodge	45.961	195.818
11	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevy	46.057	195.410
12	14	Tony Stewart	Chevy	46.063	195.385
13	10	Danica Patrick	Chevy	46.070	195.355
14	27	Paul Menard	Chevy	46.072	195.346
15	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	46.091	195.266
16	31	Jeff Burton	Chevy	46.129	195.105
17	39	Ryan Newman	Chevy	46.134	195.084
18	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	46.135	195.080
19	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Chevy	46.155	194.995
20	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	46.184	194.873
21	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	Ford	46.192	194.839
22	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevy	46.193	194.835
23	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevy	46.204	194.788
24	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	46.209	194.767
25	78	Regan Smith	Chevy	46.232	194.670
26	21	Trevor Bayne	Ford	46.292	194.418
27	2	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	46.364	194.116
28	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	46.559	193.303
29	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	46.703	192.707
30	13	Casey Mears	Ford	46.752	192.505
31	36	Dave Blaney	Chevy	46.923	191.804
32	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	47.983	187.566

Daytona Testing Speeds

2012-01-13T11:32:00.000-06:00

The afternoon session was led by Kyle Busch. Check and see where your favorite driver finished on Thursday afternoon.

Pos	No	Name	Make	Best Time	Best Speed
1	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	44.466	202.402
2	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	44.469	202.388
3	2	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	44.505	202.224
4	22	AJ Allmendinger	Dodge	44.506	202.220
5	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Chevy	44.794	200.920
6	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevy	44.795	200.915
7	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	44.965	200.156
8	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevy	45.047	199.791
9	55	Mark Martin	Toyota	45.782	196.584
10	15	Clint Bowyer	Toyota	45.782	196.584
11	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	Ford	46.164	194.957
12	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevy	46.482	193.623
13	27	Paul Menard	Chevy	46.726	192.612
14	51	Kurt Busch	Chevy	46.835	192.164
15	14	Tony Stewart	Chevy	46.887	191.951
16	10	Danica Patrick	Chevy	46.893	191.926
17	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	46.941	191.730
18	31	Jeff Burton	Chevy	46.945	191.714
19	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Chevy	46.969	191.616
20	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	46.997	191.502
21	9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford	47.007	191.461
22	39	Ryan Newman	Chevy	47.010	191.449
23	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevy	47.052	191.278
24	21	Trevor Bayne	Ford	47.061	191.241
25	56	Martin Truex Jr	Toyota	47.095	191.103
26	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevy	47.102	191.075
27	78	Regan Smith	Chevy	47.266	190.412
28	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	47.285	190.335
29	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	47.296	190.291
30	36	Dave Blaney	Chevy	47.453	189.661
31	13	Casey Mears	Ford	47.671	188.794
32	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	48.038	187.352

New Rules Greet Drivers At Daytona

2012-01-12T18:46:00.001-06:00

Well the off-season is over and 2012 season has begun with testing at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for 2012 Speedweeks and the 54th Daytona 500.

"This is an opportunity we are providing to the competitors to implement and test the new Daytona rules package for 2012," said Robin Pemberton, Vice President of Competition for NASCAR. "It's a chance for them to get comfortable with the colling package, the smaller spoiler and to practice drafting for next month's Daytona 500.

The new rules package includes

Smaller radiators (maximum of 2 gallon capacity)
Smaller Overflow tank (maximum capacity of 1/2 gallon)
Radiator inlet is moved up closer into the front center bumper area
Rate reduction in the springs (softer springs)
Smaller rear spoiler
Base line restirctor plate of 29/32 inch.(1/64 inch larger than plate size for the 2011 Daytona 500)

Testing will continue tomorrow and Saturday giving the team crew chiefs, engineers and engine builders a chance to work with the new rules.