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Daytona 500 Preview

Feb 18, 2007 - 11:18 AM

February 18, 2007
Daytona International Speedway 
Daytona Beach, Florida 
Race 1 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit

TV: FOX, 2 p.m. EST

Laps: 200 
Track length: 2 1/2 miles 
Race length: 500 miles

Qualifying record: Bill Elliott, Ford, 210.364 mph, 1987 
Race record: Buddy Baker, Oldsmobile, 177.602 mph, 1980


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Greg Biffle
Team: Roush Racing
Car: No. 16 Ford Fusion
2006 Earnings: $4,602,716

Hopes to bounce back from a disappointing 2006 season in which
he recorded just two victories and eight top-five finishes en
route to 13th place in the standings; captured checkered flags
at Darlington and at the season-finale at Homestead-Miami;
series runner-up in 2005 struggled to 31st place in this event
last season; captured the pole here in 2004 and finished 12th,
his best career finish in this race.

Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $5,008,882

One of the circuit's most consistent drivers finished seventh in
last season's standings, his best finish since a third place
with Roush Racing in 2000; jumpstarted his outstanding campaign
by capturing the pole in this race last season, one of his four
poles in 2006; recorded 20 top-10 finishes last season, the
third-highest total in the series; was a runner-up to Dale
Jarrett in this event in 2000, his best career running of this
race.

Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing South
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2006 Earnings: $5,026,137

Struggled through inconsistency and bad luck last season, his
first at Penske Racing South; collected a series-leading six
poles but managed just seven top-five finishes and 12 top-10s;
finished 38th in this event last season but registered three
top-five finishes in the previous four years; won the Nextel
Chase for the Championship in 2004 but was released from his
contract at Roush Racing after the following season, when he
finished 10th in the standings but was suspended for the final
two races after an incident with the Phoenix police.

Kyle Busch
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 5 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $4,821,093

Looks to build off a sensational sophomore season in which he
qualified for the Chase and finished 10th in the standings;
sputtered down the stretch, placing outside the top 10 in seven
of the 10 Chase races; struggled to 23rd place in this event
last season but was runner-up to Tony Stewart in the Pepsi 400
at this track last July.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Car: No. 8 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $5,466,104

Will have to overcome recent distractions stemming from his
ongoing contract negotiations with DEI; bounced back nicely from
a poor 2005 campaign by qualifying for the Chase last season
and finishing fifth in the standings; ran eighth in this race
last season and took the checkered flag in 2004, three years
after his legendary father lost his life during the 43rd running
of the event on February 18, 2001; traditionally has fared well
on superspeedways, collecting seven wins, 13 top-five finishes
and 17 top-10s in 28 career starts.

Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2006 Earnings: $4,578,926

Another Roush driver looking for redemption in 2007; placed
third in the standings in 2005 but managed just 12th place last
season, failing to record a victory despite recording 10
top-five finishes and 20 top-10s; placed last in the 43-car
field here last year after crashing in lap 79.

David Gilliland
Team: Robert Yates Racing
Car: No. 38 Ford Fusion
2006 Earnings: $1,521,450

Became the fourth driver to win the Daytona 500 pole in his first 
attempt, joining Loy Allen in 1994, Mike Skinner in 1997 and
Jimmie Johnson in 2002; finished second to Tony Stewart in the
Bud Shootout on Saturday night; his teammate Ricky Rudd joins
him on the pole in Daytona; made 15 starts last season in
the Cup Series after replacing Elliott Sadler as the driver of
Robert Yates Racing's No. 38; his best finishes were 15th in
both the UAW-Ford 500 and the Bass Pro Shops 500; started on
the pole in the UAW-Ford 500.

Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $4,389,222

Enjoyed a breakthrough rookie campaign in 2006, recording two
wins, eight top-five finishes and 20 top-10s en route to third
place in the standings and the Raybestos Rookie of the Year
award; was terrific down the stretch in the postseason, placing
inside the top 10 in each of the last five races; won the
Budweiser Shootout, a non-points 75 lap race here last season;
struggled in this race, however, placing 30th.

Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $6,201,578

Was one of the top drivers on the circuit last season,
collecting five checkered flags, 15 top-five finishes and 20
top-10s en route to placing fourth in the standings, his highest
career finish; placed 14th in this event last season; also won
the Busch Series championship last season.

Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $5,975,873

Four-time series champion bounced back from an awful 2005
campaign by qualifying for the Chase last season; finished sixth
in the standings, capturing two checkered flags, 14 top-five
finishes and 18 top-10s; three-time Daytona 500 champion
finished 26th in this event last season; won this race from the
pole in 2000 in the first defense of his 1999 series
championship; since that victory here, has taken a total of just
11 checkered flags in 249 races.

Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $8,909,143

Ended years of ongoing futility by capturing his first career
championship last season, capturing five victories, 13 top-five
finishes and a series-leading 24 top-10s; kicked off his
groundbreaking campaign by winning the checkered flag here, his
first career victory in this race; also won the Allstate 400 at
the Brickyard to become the first driver in series history to
capture checkered flags at Daytona and Indianapolis in the same
season; has registered four consecutive top-five finishes in
this race.

Kasey Kahne
Team: Evernham Motorsports
Car: No. 9 Dodge Charger
2006 Earnings: $6,204,222

Qualified for the Chase for the first time in his three-year
career last season, capturing a series-leading six poles and six
checkered flags; struggled with consistency and equipment at
times, however, placing outside the top 20 a total of 14 times;
finished 11th in this race last season, his best finish in this
event.

Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2006 Earnings: $6,608,919

Finished second in the standings last season, just 56 points
behind Johnson; owned an early lead in the postseason before
faltering down the stretch; collected four checkered flags, a
series-leading 15 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s; placed 15th
in this race last season and has two top-10 finishes in seven
career starts in this event; won the series championship in 2003
despite capturing only one checkerd flag, prompting NASCAR to
change to its current Chase format.

Ricky Rudd
Team: Robert Yates Racing
Car: No. 88 Ford Fusion
2006 Earnings: N/A

Starts on the front row along with teammate David Gilliland; 
took off last year because he was "burned out" from a career that 
started when he was 18; signed with Robert Yates Racing in
December; the 50-year-old will start on the pole for 
Thursday's first Gatorade Duel 150; finished 11th in his last
start at Daytona in 2005; won the Daytona 500 in 1983.

Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $7,285,281

Barely missed qualifying for the Chase but was outstanding in
the final 10 races and would have won the title under NASCAR's
new postseason format, which includes the top 12 drivers in the
standings after 26 regular-season races; collected five
checkered flags, 15 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s last
season; placed fifth in this race last season, one of his two
career top-five finishes in this event; has two career series
titles, including one in 2005.


2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
 2. Casey Mears (42), Dodge
 3. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge
 4. Elliott Sadler (38), Ford
 5. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
 6. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
 7. Brian Vickers (25), Chevrolet
 8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
 9. Ken Schrader (21), Ford
10. Dale Jarrett (88), Ford

Past Champions
--------------
2006  Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 142.667 mph
2005  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 135.173 mph
2004  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 156.345 mph
2003  Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 133.870 mph
2002  Ward Burton, Dodge, 130.810 mph
2001  Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 161.794 mph
2000  Dale Jarrett, Ford, 155.669 mph
1999  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 161.551 mph
1998  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 172.712 mph
1997  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 148.295 mph
1996  Dale Jarrett, Ford, 154.308 mph
1995  Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 141.710 mph
1994  Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 156.931 mph
1993  Dale Jarrett, Chevrolet, 154.972 mph
1992  Davey Allison, Ford, 168.256 mph
1991  Ernie Irvan, Chevrolet, 148.148 mph
1990  Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 165.761 mph
1989  Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 148.466 mph
1988  Bobby Allison, Buick, 137.531 mph
1987  Bill Elliott, Ford, 176.263 mph
1986  Geoff Bodine, Chevrolet, 148.124 mph
1985  Bill Elliott, Ford, 172.265 mph
1984  Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 150.994 mph
1983  Cale Yarborough, Pontiac, 155.979 mph
1982  Bobby Allison, Buick, 153.991 mph
1981  Richard Petty, Buick, 169.651 mph
1980  Buddy Baker, Oldsmobile, 177.602 mph
1979  Richard Petty, Oldsmobile, 143.977 mph
1978  Bobby Allison, Ford, 159.730 mph
1977  Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 153.218 mph
1976  David Pearson, Mercury, 152.181 mph
1975  Benny Parsons, Chevrolet, 153.649 mph
1974  Richard Petty, Dodge, 140.894 mph
1973  Richard Petty, Dodge, 157.205 mph
1972  A.J. Foyt, Mercury, 161.550 mph
1971  Richard Petty, Plymouth, 144.462 mph
1970  Pete Hamilton, Plymouth, 149.601 mph
1969  LeeRoy Yarbrough, Ford, 157.950 mph
1968  Cale Yarborough, Mercury, 143.251 mph
1967  Mario Andretti, Ford, 146.926 mph
1966  Richard Petty, Plymouth, 160.627 mph
1965  Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 141.539 mph
1964  Richard Petty, Plymouth, 154.334 mph
1963  Tiny Lund, Ford, 151.566 mph
1962  Fireball Roberts, Pontiac, 152.529 mph
1961  Marvin Panch, Pontiac, 149.601 mph
1960  Junior Johnson, Chevrolet, 124.740 mph
1959  Lee Petty, Oldsmobile, 135.521 mph