Yahoo! Qualification Story – Las Vegas

One hometown hero won the pole for the Shelby American, but another is much more likely to win the race. Find out which is which in this week's Yahoo! qualification story (.pdf).

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Ku Busch wins pole at hometown LVMS

Cool temperatures helped Kurt Busch and a myriad of other drivers break the old track record. When the dust finally settled, he raised the mark to 188.719 mph.

Our View Until the final cars went out on track, however, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed unassailable with his speed of 188.173. He was the second driver to take time and settled into fourth on the grid. By comparison, the first driver was Jimmie Johnson and he eventually qualified 20th.

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Montoya fastest in Vegas practice 1

Juan Montoya posted the fastest single lap in the first practice session that is usually devoted to qualification setups. His top speed of 186.168 mph was set early in the session.

Our View Montoya has been solid on the unrestricted, intermediate speedways during the last two years, but last week's struggle at Auto Club Speedway and last year's trouble at Vegas make him a risky proposition.

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Some chassis choices for Vegas

@DustinLong has identified some of the cars that will be used this week:

Among RCR, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton will have new cars this weekend; Clint Bowyer using same car he drove at Indy (21st) & Kansas (18th) last yearr.

Kurt Busch using same car @ Vegas that he won with at Texas last year and should have won with at Homestead.

Denny Hamlin will use this weekend @ Vegas has won in both its starts, winning at both Pocono and Martinsville last year.

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Yahoo! Las Vegas Preview

This week is the first of back-to-back "cookie-cutter" races. Who will get off on the right foot? Our best guesses can be found in this week's Yahoo! Preview (.pdf).

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Johnson wins fifth Auto Club race

He won in his first start at this track in 2002 and now Jimmie Johnson has five Auto Club Speedway victories after holding off a furious charge by Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.

Our View That is his sixth top-three finish on this track in his last seven starts. During that span, he has an average finish of 2.57, which makes him as much of a must-have as you will find.

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N'Wide: Logano dominates, Busch wins Stater Bros. 300

Joey Logano dominated the race but he was roughed up by Greg Biffle on the final restart. Kyle Busch exacted revenge, however, and passed Biffle in the run to the checkers.

Our View The best car doesn't always win and today, they finished fifth after getting knocked around by Biffle and Brad Keselowski—who must have thought Denny Hamlin was in the No. 20 this week.

Keselowski dumped Logano only a few yards from the finish line.

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Johnson wins Auto Club Happy Hour

After posting the single fastest lap in the first Saturday practice session at Auto Club Speedway, Jimmie Johnson logged the quickest average speed in Happy Hour at 177.507 mph during 39 laps.

Our View Johnson has been as close to perfect in the last three years at Auto Club as is possible. He remains a must-have.

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Martin fastest in Auto Club Happy Hour

Mark Martin backed up his second fastest lap and second quickest time in the first practice session of Saturday with the fastest single lap (181.726 mph) and the fifth quickest average speed in Happy Hour.

Our View Martin was hit-and-miss on the two-mile tracks last year, but it appears this is going to be a great weekend for the veteran.

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Montoya wins Auto Club practice 2

Juan Montoya posted the quickest average speed during the Saturday morning session with a 178.917 during 12 laps.

Our View His fastest lap of 180.429 wasn't bad either; that placed him sixth on the speed chart and the No. 42 could be one of the best values in the game.

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Johnson posts fastest lap in Auto Club practice 2

Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest single lap of practice in the first Saturday session, with a speed of 182.537 mph.

Our View His average speed during 25 laps was third best at 178.253 mph, which gives him one of the best balances of speed and sustainability.

Both drivers ahead of him on the average speed chart posted fewer laps.

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N'Wide: Patrick's learning curve continues

Danica Patrick will race on Saturday afternoon, but not because of the time she laid down in qualification. She'll roll of the grid 36th, but was actually slower than two of the "go-or-go-home" drivers (Morgan Shepherd and Danny O'Quinn) who failed to make the show.

Our View She was tentative on her qualification lap in part because she knew that with top-30 owners' points, she would be guaranteed a starting position. She'll improve during the race, but a top-20 is probably the outside mark fantasy owners should expect.

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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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