N'Wide: Logano on Auto Club pole

Joey Logano was the second driver to hit the track in qualification for the Stater Bros. 300, and despite slick track conditions, he logged the fastest time and will lead the field to green in a few hours.

Our View The track may have been slick, but Logano benefited from cool conditions so the net effect was positive. He should have a car capable of staying in the top five all day.

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Yahoo! Qualification Story – Auto Club

Jamie McMurray carried his substantial momentum from the Daytona 500, but will it be enough to recommend him at Auto Club Speedway? And who is the driver most likely to star in a Hollywood horror story?

Find out in this week's Yahoo! qualification story (.pdf).

IRL: Sato coming to IndyCar

Former F1 driver Takuma Sato will race for KV Racing Technologies as a teammate to Hideki Mutoh, according to ESPN.com.

Our View It's kind of nice to see an open wheel guy stay with open wheel after the sudden influx of F1 drivers into NASCAR. Expect Sato to run better on road courses than ovals as he starts his learning curve in this type of racing.

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Martin wins Auto Club practice 1

Mark Martin set the pace early in the first practice session at Auto Club Speedway with a speed of 182.924 mph and he maintained his top spot until the end of Friday's 1.5-hour practice.

Our View This practice is typically used to work on qualification setups and while Martin was fast nearly everywhere, he struggled a bit at Auto Club with an 18th-place time trial run in this race and a ninth in the fall. As one of only three drivers to break the 182 mph mark, he should better that this week.

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Yahoo! Auto Club Preview

As unpredictable as Daytona International Speedway can be, Auto Club Speedway is much easier to predict. Here are the best bets to dominate this week's lineup (.pdf).

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Nationwide Inspection cleared

According to @bobpockrass: Inspection for the #NASCAR Nationwide Series is complete and there were no issues.

Smoke 'em: Stewart wins Daytona Nationwide race

Tony Stewart survived a wild Drive4COPD.com 300 to beat the field to the checkers and win in dominant fashion.

Our View "Survived" is the operative word as a 10-car crash erupted immediately behind him in the final quarter of the race. Stewart's odds for the Daytona 500 are improved after this run.

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Allmendinger to change engine

A.J. Allmendinger will change engines before for the start of the Daytona 500, according to a tweet from @DustinLong.

Our View The engine was spewing a lot of steam during practice, so this is likely a precaution. Teams are allowed one engine change during the 500 weekend, but this should be his second and will force him to the back of the pack. That shouldn't really matter on a restrictor-plate superspeedway track, however.

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Lucas Oil Chili Bowl on SPEED Moved to February 14

TULSA, Okla. (February 13, 2010) – Reset that DVR, as the 24th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals broadcast scheduled for Saturday night, February 13, on SPEED has been reset to Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. EST due to the rain-induced shuffling of this week’s Daytona Speedweeks events.

So, cuddle up with that special Valentine or just get the whole gang together to catch the highlights of the 24th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals and Saturday’s stellar 50-lap Rockstar championship feature event, an event already being touted as ranking among the most spectacular in event history.

A total of 256 competitors from throughout the nation and beyond converged upon the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway for the January 12-16 event that culminated with Saturday night’s 50-lap Rockstar Energy Drink championship feature event.
That championship finale, along with other highlights throughout the week, will be included in the February 14 airing on SPEED.

Bowyer quickest in Daytona 500 Happy Hour

Teammate Jeff Burton may have been the fastest driver in Happy Hour practice for the Daytona 500, but Clint Bowyer had the distinction of being the quickest in terms of average speeds with a 191.050 during 11 laps.

Our View His times were skewed somewhat by the relative few laps he ran, but that speed is confirmed by Kevin Harvick, who was second quick with a 191.003 during 16 laps.

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Burton fastest in Daytona 500 Happy Hour

Jeff Burton posted the fastest single lap of Happy Hour practice for the Daytona 500 with a speed of 195.194 mph.

Our View His biggest concern was about comfort, however, and he logged 60 laps of practice, which was the most among all drivers. That was only good enough for 19th on the average speed chart.

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All Clear from Gatorade 150s

According to @dustinlong: Post-race inspection for qualifying races is done. No issues. #NASCAR

Yahoo! Qualification Story – Daytona

With the unique format for setting the lineup for the Daytona 500, it takes a while to get the field set, but barring any unforeseen accidents in Friday's practice that will cause drivers to roll out a backup, everyone should be set for Sunday.

Here is this week's Yahoo! qualification story.

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Bliss, Speed race into Daytona 500 and lock in Waltrip

Mike Bliss and Scott Speed were the two highest finishing drivers from outside the top 35 in points and they transfer into the Daytona 500. Since Speed will not need to fall back on his time, that also locks in Michael Waltrip—who had the fifth fastest time in qualification.

Our View Speed and Waltrip should be considered solid dark horses for the 500.

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Kahne wins second Duel in Daytona

In a mirror image of the first Duel in Daytona, Kasey Kahne beat Tony Stewart to the line by inches.

Our View The combined margin of victory of the two races was less than a tenth of a second. It just doesn't get any closer than that.

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McDowell, Papis transfer

Michael McDowell and Max Papis were the two highest finishing drivers from those outside the top 35 in points, which means they will race in the Daytona 500.

Our View McDowell finished 14th and Papis finished 15th, but all that matters is they have qualified for NASCAR's Super Bowl.

Most impressively, Papis held onto a transfer position by staying out on old tires. That could make him one of this season's favorite dark horses.

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Johnson wins first Duel in Daytona

Jimmie Johnson spent most of his Gatorade 150 Duel in Daytona back in the pack, but with the checkers in sight, he stayed out on old tires and beat Kevin Harvick to the line by fractions of an inch.

Our View Johnson needs to hang on for 500 miles on Sunday, however, and he is not one of the best restrictor-plate superspeedway racers. Start him at your own risk.

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NASCAR.com Daytona Preview

Daytona 500 Preview: One week after the NFL played their Superbowl to end the season, NASCAR starts the year with its biggest race.

Who's hot and who's not at Daytona: Here are my picks for NASCAR.com of favorites, dark horses and some long shot underdogs.

Ambrose wins 150s Practice 2

Marcos Ambrose posted the fastest single lap of the second practice session for the Gatorade 150s at 193.403 mph. He also posted the quickest average speed of 190.339 during a brief stint of six laps.

Our View Ambrose has been one of our top dark horses all week based on some strong restrictor-plate superspeedway runs last year. Watch him closely in the qualification race.

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Bliss crashes and takes out contenders in 150s Practice 2

At the 15 minute mark of the second practice for the Gatorade 150s, Mike Bliss spun by himself at the exit of turn four and collected Joey Logano. In the aftermath, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin also sustained some damage.

Our View Bliss and Logano will certainly have to go to backups. Johnson—who ran into the back of Hamlin in the stack up—will probably be able to make repairs. Hamlin's damage is also minimal.

Kyle Busch was nearly involved, but he made a masterful move around Logano and Bliss.

Update: Apparently the damage was greater than we thought: Johnson will have to go to a backup.

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Harvick quickest in 150s Practice 1

Matt Kenseth may have been the fastest in practice, but NASCAR races are won over the long haul. Kevin Harvick posted the quickest average speed of 190.038 during 18 laps.

Our View After winning the Bud Shootout, Harvick has to be on a lot of fantasy owners' radar screens and he's proving that is a wise choice.

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Kenseth fastest in 150s Practice 1

Matt Kenseth posted the fastest single lap of practice in the first session for the Gatorade 150 qualifiers with a speed of 194.254 mph.

Our View That speed was set early in the session in one of the fastest drafts of the day. He's not exactly known as the Pied Piper of Daytona, however, so look for him to tuck into the draft on Thursday.

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Bowyer triggers three-car incident

At the one hour mark of the first practice session for the Gatorade 150s, Clint Bowyer apparently cut a tire and slammed the wall. In the slowdown, he collected David Reutimann and a late entering Derrike Cope.

Our View All three drivers sustained significant damage, but there is no word yet on who will roll out a backup car. Bowyer and Reutimann are locked into the Daytona 500, but this could effectively end Cope's chances of making the show.

Update: Bowyer will have to roll out a backup car.
Update: Reutimann will also roll out a backup car.

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Ky Busch scrapes wall in 150s Practice 1

With most of practice in the books, there were no major incidents, but Kyle Busch came the closest. He scrapped the wall in the first practice session for the Gatorade 150 Duels and did light damage.

Our View Busch found the limit, which should make him fast. At the time, he had the second fastest time in the draft with a speed of 194.221 mph.

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Harvick wins Budweiser Shootout

Kevin Harvick won back-to-back Budweiser Shootouts after leading Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray when the final caution waved.

Our View The race ended with a green-white-checkered finish and you just knew that it was going to get hairy. However, no one expected Jeff Gordon to trigger a wreck when he bump-drafted Greg Biffle into a spin in the corner.

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Patrick impressive in stock car debut

Danica Patrick wanted to get experience by running the ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway, and she accomplished that goal with flying colors. She was credited with sixth-place in a photo finish with Ricky Carmichael at the line.

Our View Patrick had to avoid wrecks along the way and was even knocked into the infield by Nelson Piquet Jr. at one point, so she experienced nearly everything that she would face in a Nationwide Series race.

The final decision on whether she will run the Nationwide race next Saturday will come on Monday, but according to a tweet by @NASCAR_NNS, she has already been approved by NASCAR.

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Martin, Earnhardt qualify on front row for Daytona 500

Hendrick Motorsports came loaded for bear this week; teammates Mark Martin (191.188 mph) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (190.913) became the only two drivers who locked in their position for the Daytona 500.

Our View Rick Hendrick is dedicated to making Earnhardt as competitive as Martin this year and this is an early indication that will be the case.

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Yahoo! Daytona Preview

#NASCAR #Daytona500 The Daytona 500 is the most prestigious races on the circuit, but it pays the same amount of points as every other event. Unfortunately—it's a crap shoot, but here are our best guesses and who will "pass" and who will "fail." Check out our picks in this week's Yahoo! Preview (.pdf).

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Bud Shootout Lineup

Not that it matters much on a restrictor-plate superspeedway, but here is the starting lineup for Saturday's Bud Shootout (determined by a blind draw):

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brian Vickers
4. Ryan Newman
5. Greg Biffle
6. Mark Martin +
7. Jeff Burton
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Jamie McMurray
10. John Andretti
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
12. Bobby Labonte
13. Tony Stewart
14. Ken Schrader
15. Michael Waltrip
16. Jimmie Johnson
17. Kyle Busch
18. Derrike Cope
19. Kasey Kahne
20 Juan Montoya
21. Joey Logano
22. Kurt Busch +
23. Jeff Gordon
24. Denny Hamlin +

+ will drop to the back with an unpracticed backup car.

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Schrader notably fast in Bud Shootout practice 2

Ken Schrader has not been in a car for a while, but he showed there is no rust on him. He posted the second fastest lap in the second drafting practice with a speed of 191.371. He's driving Scott Speed's No. 82 since he was eligible and Speed was not.

Our View Anything can happen on the restrictor-plate superspeedways, so if you need a dark horse for the Shootout, Schrader's experience makes him very attractive.

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Kahne fastest in Bud Shootout practice 2

Kasey Kahne logged only two laps, but he made the most of them. With a speed of 191.673 mph, he led the field.

Our View The best news with this speed is that he apparently did not hurt his car when he banged into the back of Ken Schrader while that driver slowed during an early caution.

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Add Harvick to backup list

Add Kevin Harvick's name to the list of drivers going to backup cars. Clint Bowyer sustained enough damage in his No. 29 to send it to the garage and not return.

Our View Richard Childress seemed positive about the car swap according to a Tweet from @DeLanaHarvick and with so many other drivers in the same boat, his chances are as good as anyone's.

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Logano is lucky and good

Six drivers sustained damage in a late-practice crash and they garnered the headlines. Emerging from the smoke, however, Joey Logano showed a lot of poise and missed two spinning cars in front of his No. 20 Toyota.

Our View Logano could very easily have made an overly aggressive correction and spun himself or collected one of the other cars in the initial incident. Logano did sustain minor damage, but it could have been much worse.

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Another practice, another wreck: this time for Ku Busch

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Seconds into the second practice session, Juan Montoya hooked Kurt Busch and sent the No. 2 into the frontstretch wall. Busch will be the fifth driver forced into a backup.

Our View Kasey Kahne also sustained some nose damage, but he should not have to go to his backup.

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Four drivers to backup Shootout cars, six wreck

Four drivers involved in a six-car accident in the final minutes of the first practice session for the Budweiser Shootout will be forced to roll out a backup. They are Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle and Jamie McMurray. Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer (in Kevin Harvick's car) suffered minor damage but are not expected to go to their backups.

Our View The accident happened when Hamlin clipped the back of Martin's car and turned him sideways in front of the field. Both drivers accepted partial blame and there are no hard feelings as fallout.

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Burton fastest in Shootout practice 1

Jeff Burton posted the fastest single lap in the draft with a speed of 193.303 mph, but most importantly, he pitted one lap before a multi-car crash hampered six drivers' hopes.

Our View Fast speed is essentially meaningless at Daytona, but one would rather be at the top of the list than at the bottom.

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Steve Francis Ready To Go Racing With His Own Team Again In 2010

ASHLAND, KY – Jan. 27, 2010 – Steve Francis is ready to go racing like he used to in 2010.

After spending the last two years as a hired-gun driver, the veteran dirt Late Model star from Ashland, Ky., is back this season in his familiar position as an owner-operator. The return of the well-known Steve Francis Racing No. 15 comes during the ‘Super Bowl of Racing VI’ scheduled Jan. 28-30 at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga.

“I’ve been my own boss for most of my career so I’m excited to be back on my own,” said Francis, whose primary focus in 2010 will be chasing the World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship that he won in 2007 when he last fielded his own team. “I’m sure there’s gonna be a little bit of an adjustment period, but I’m confident we’ll make this work because I have great equipment and a great group of sponsors and supporters.”

Buoyed by the continuation of his primary sponsorship deal with Valvoline for the 11th consecutive season, Francis, 42, has reassembled a formidable operation in the short time since his successful two-year association with Maryland car owner Dale Beitler ended in November. A flurry of activity in the Francis shop has him headed south to kick off ’10 with two Rocket Chassis cars powered by Custom Racing Engines – the same combination that carried Francis to his only WoO LMS title.

Francis has enlisted some close friends to help him in 2010, led by longtime speed shop and team owner Tim Logan and Logan’s son, Lee. The elder Logan plans to travel the circuit as Francis’s crew chief this season as well as provide his own pair of Russell Baker-powered Rocket cars for Francis’s use in selected non-WoO LMS events, while Lee Logan, who served as Francis’s crew chief in 2007, returns to the SFR fold on a part-time basis to handle work in the shop while Francis is on the road. Francis has also hired Derik Reese as a fulltime mechanic to further bolster his effort.

With Francis’s new S&S hauler and trailer not ready for pick up in Nebraska until after his season-opening southern excursion, he will make the trip using a rig borrowed from sponsor Harbaugh Amusement. The car he plans to pull out of the Harbaugh trailer for duty at Golden Isles will be a machine that Francis prepared for NASCAR star Ryan Newman to drive in a handful of 2009 events and has since reconstituted with his own trademark No. 15. Francis will also bring along a new Rocket – a mount sporting his new-for-2010 lettering and color scheme by JFR Graphics – but he’s uncertain when he will debut the car in competition.

The meet at Golden Isles is just the start of a busy month-long stretch for Francis. After departing Georgia he’ll enjoy a few days off in Florida before visiting Ocala (Fla.) Speedway for a test session on Feb. 3. Then he’ll head to East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., to run the final three nights (Feb. 4-6) of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Winternationals behind the wheel of a Blount Motorsports Rocket car alongside the team’s lead driver, Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn., before spending a week (Feb. 8-13) at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., for the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

Francis will drive his own equipment in Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals, which includes DIRTcar UMP Late Model events on Feb. 8, 9, 10 and 12 and the season-opening World of Outlaws Late Model Series programs on Feb. 11 and 13. He won the second WoO LMS A-Main during last year’s DIRTcar Nationals.

Francis’s schedule won’t slow down once he leaves the Sunshine State. He’ll have to ready his new hauler and then, on Feb. 27, he will marry Amanda Ferrell in Bardstown, Ky. After a honeymoon trip he’ll return to the shop to prepare for the remainder of the 2010 WoO LMS, a grueling national tour on which he’s one of just two drivers to start all 237 A-Mains contested since 2004.

Fans can stay up-to-date on all the latest Steve Francis news and information by visiting his completely redesigned Web site at www.stevefrancisracing.com.

From Steve Francis Press Release

Logano Captures Second NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown Victory

IRWINDALE, Calif. (Jan. 30, 2010) – Joey Logano got his second NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown trophy and Sergio Pena nearly made a historic debut on the national stage.

Logano, 19, held off the 16-year-old Pena and two-time race winner Matt Kobyluck for the victory in the 225-lap race Saturday before a sold-out crowd at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

It was Pena's first career race in NASCAR's top developmental series and it came in the non-points, postseason event, which has earned the moniker the "Daytona 500 of short-track racing."

Logano made his mark by winning as a 17-year-old rookie in the 2007 edition; Pena, who only has one year of Late Model racing on his resume, nearly out-did that.

Logano and Pena waged a race-long battle for the lead from drop of the green. For most of the race it was the Pena in heated pursuit of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Pena was able to grab the lead on several occasions. Logano, however, got the best of two late-race restarts to pull away for the victory.

Kobyluck got by Pena briefly on Lap 218, and by the time Pena got back to second four laps later he didn't have enough time to track Logano back down.

It's been a whirlwind weekend for the Winchester, Va., native.

Pena, driving for Revolution Racing and Drive For Diversity, beat out three teammates Thursday in a race-off for a chance to qualify for the Showdown. He easily did that, earning the pole in Friday's qualifying.

The win was a vindication – of sorts – for Logano, who crossed the line first in last year’s NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, but was penalized to last place for aggressive driving on the last lap.

Logano led three times for a race-high 171 laps while Pena led three times for 54 laps.

Following Logano, Pena and Kobyluck across the line was Matt DiBenedetto and Andrew Myers. Eric Holmes, David Mayhew, Eddie MacDonald, Paulie Harraka and Steve Park rounded out the top 10.

Reigning NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champion Jason Bowles finished 11th while K&N Pro Series East 2009 titlist Ryan Truex was relegated to 26th after a late-race accident.



NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN-NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN

Unofficial Results

Saturday

At Toyota Speedway at Irwindale

Irwindale, CA

Lap length: 0.5 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (2) Joey Logano, Middletown, Conn., Toyota, 225 laps, 54.253 mph, $31,000.

2. (1) Sergio Pena, Winchester, Va., Chevrolet, 225, $23,000.

3. (14) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet, 225, $22,550.

4. (11) Matt DiBenedetto, Grass Valley, Calif., Toyota, 225, $20,000.

5. (13) Andrew Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Toyota, 225, $13,000.

6. (4) Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif., Toyota, 225, $11,550.

7. (24) David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $10,000.

8. (17) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass., Chevrolet, 225, $14,500.

9. (16) Paulie Harraka, Wayne, N.J., Toyota, 225, $9,850.

10. (23) Steve Park, East Northport, N.Y., Chevrolet, 225, $13,750.

11. (10) Jason Bowles, Ontario, Calif., Ford, 225, $8,500.

12. (22) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $8,250.

13. (6) Jeff Barkshire, Auburn, Wash., Dodge, 225, $6,500.

14. (36) Nick Joanides, Woodland Hills, Calif., Ford, 225, $10,250.

15. (26) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Chevrolet, 225, $12,000.

16. (3) Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif., Ford, 225, $6,800.

17. (30) Jason Patison, Corona, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $11,700.

18. (39) Troy Ermish, Fremont, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $6,600.

19. (38) Kyle Kelley, Huntington Beach, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $7,550.

20. (40) Justin Philpott, Tracy, Calif., Toyota, 225, $6,500.

21. (20) Brennan Newberry, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $5,400.

22. (29) Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $6,300.

23. (35) Michael Self, Park City, Utah, Chevrolet, 214, accident, $6,250.

24. (37) Candace Muzny, Oklahoma City, Okla., Chevrolet, 208, suspension, $6,200.

25. (34) Daryl Harr, Edmonton AB, Chevrolet, 207, $6,150.

26. (9) Ryan Truex, Mayetta, N.J., Toyota, 205, accident, $11,100.

27. (19) Jamie Dick, Albuquerque, N.M., Chevrolet, 204, accident, $6,100.

28. (8) Josh Combs, Sacramento, Calif., Ford, 200, $5,100.

29. (27) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H., Chevrolet, 195, rear end, $11,100.

30. (28) Moses Smith, Tempe, Ariz., Toyota, 186, accident, $6,100.

31. (33) Jonathon Gomez, Twin Falls, Idaho, Chevrolet, 185, accident, $6,100.

32. (12) Auggie Vidovich, Lakeside, Calif., Chevrolet, 177, accident, $5,000.

33. (31) Derek Ramstrom, W Boylston, Mass., Chevrolet, 144, accident, $11,000.

34. (18) Brett Thompson, Jerome, Idaho, Chevrolet, 144, accident, $6,000.

35. (21) Blake Koch, West Palm Beach, Fla., Chevrolet, 144, accident, $6,000.

36. (15) Brian Johnson, Jr., Machensey Park, Ill., Chevrolet, 144, oil leak, $5,000.

37. (5) Sean Caisse, Pelham, N.H., Chevrolet, 128, drive shaft, $5,000.

38. (7) David Gilliland, Riverside, Calif., Toyota, 99, electrical, $5,000.

39. (25) George Brunnhoelzl, III, W Babylon, N.Y., Chevrolet, 93, accident, $11,000.

40. (32) Johnathan Hale, Rio Linda, Calif., Chevrolet, 39, rear end, $6,000.

Race Statistics

Time of Race: 2 hours 4 minutes 25 seconds

Margin of Victory: .584 seconds

Fastest Qualifier: S.Pena (97.879 mph, 18.39 seconds)

Caution Flags: 15 for 72 laps.

Lead Changes: 5 among 2 drivers.

Lap Leaders: S. Pena 1; J. Logano 2-105; S. Pena 106-133; J. Logano 134-177; S. Pena

From NASCAR PR

Nationwide: Patrick schedule announced

JR Motorsports has announced Danica Patrick's 12-race Nationwide schedule. She has not yet been approved to run at Daytona in that series but could still be entered if she performs well in the ARCA Daytona event. Her first scheduled race will be at Auto Club Speedway on 2/20/2010 followed immediately by the event at Las Vegas the following week. Then she will take a break to concentrate on her IndyCar responsibilities and return to stock car competition at New Hampshire in June.

The remainder of her schedule includes Chicagoland, Michigan, Dover, the fall Auto Club race, Charlotte, Gateway, Texas, Phoenix (her hometown) and Homestead.

Our View The majority of these events are held on unrestricted, intermediate speedways, which gives her a chance to focus on the skill set requited to go fast on that track type.

Patrick's transition to the heavy stockers will be a challenging one, but with JR Motorsports equipment at her disposal, she could be a better value than many anticipate.

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F1: USF1 announces first driver in lineup

Argentine Jose Marie Lopez has been named as the first driver in the USF1 lineup for 2010, according to ESPN.com.

Our View Eventually, the team wants to hire American drivers and give them an opportunity to race, but until then they are creating opportunities nonetheless: Lopez has logged 6,000 test miles with Renault.

Lopez will become the 24th Argentine in Formula 1and the first since Gaston Mazzacane ran in April 2001.

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F1: Schumacher ready for return

Michael Schumacher feels "great emotion" while preparing for his return to Formula 1, according to ESPN.com. He will return in a Mercedes in 2010 to end a three-year retirement.

Our View Don't expect Schumacher to have any rust after three years, however; he will be one of the strongest drivers in F1 fantasy racing.

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Trucks: Piquet to warm-up in South America and South Africa

Nelson Piquet Jr. will get a little stock car experience in the next few days before heading to the United States to debut in the Craftsman Truck Series, according to ESPN.com.

Our View Piquet will run at Brazil's Interlagos in a 1,000 endurance race and then head to South Africa to compete in the American Speed Association's Transcontinental Series Free State 500 on the paved Phakisa Freeway Circuit oval. Several top short track racers will be in attendance, so he will have some strong competition.

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IRL: George shuts down team

Tony George continues to distance himself from the league he created and that recently ousted him as its president. According to ESPN.com, he is shutting down his IRL race team, Vision Racing.

Our View In a league that has never had stunning car counts to begin with, it is unfortunate to lose any team. Last year, however, George's driver Ed Carpenter was hardly a fixture on anyone's race league.

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Several NASCAR drivers highlight Rolex 24 entry list

Six active NASCAR drivers will add some stock car spice to this weekend's Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona DP roster. Max Papis will be in Chip Ganassi's No. 01 car, DEI teammates Juan Montoya and Jamie McMurray will also team up in the Ganassi No. 02, A.J. Allmendinger will run the No. 6 Michael Shanks entry, Paul Menard is in the No. 90 Porsche Coyote and Jimmie Johnson will team with Alex Gurney and Jimmy Vasser in Wayne Taylor's No. 99.

Our View While this has no direct correlation to NASCAR races at Daytona or even on the road courses—since the Daytona Prototypes are distinct from the stock cars—track time is always helpful.

Complete Daytona Prototype entry list
Complete Grand Touring entry list

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Montoya, McMurray test at Walt Disney World

Juan Montoya and Jamie McMurray tested at Walt Disney World Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to NASCAR.com. No times were released.

Our View This gives these two drivers a chance to work on their chemistry and determine if they like the same things in cars. Whether that is the case, simply testing should make them better teammates.

They will also get a chance to race together in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

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