SPRINT Daytona 500
Final
Daytona 500 Preview
Feb 17, 2008 - 12:21 PMFebruary 17, 2007
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
Race 1 of 37 on Sprint Cup circuit
TV: FOX, 3:30 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
----------------
Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $4,215,869
Looks to build on breakthrough 2007 campaign when he finished
third in the final standings after qualifying for his first
Chase for the Championship; started his first Chase in grand
fashion, winning his first career Cup race at New Hampshire;
finished with 17 top-10s and five top-fives in 36 races last
season, including two poles; placed 18th in the Daytona 500 last
year.
Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $6,015,668
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers finished eighth in
last season's standings, one year after placing seventh;
finished in the top-10 in half of the races last season,
including nine top-fives; lone win of the season came in April
at Texas; finished the season strong with five top-10s over the
final six races; was a runner-up to Dale Jarrett in this event
in 2000, his best career running of this race; was third last
year, behind Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing South
Car: No. 2 Dodge Avenger
2007 Earnings: $5,287,846
Bounced back from an inconsistent first season with Penske to
finish seventh in the standings last year; won at Michigan and
Pocono and posted 14 top-10 finishes; also had four finishes of
30th or worse; won 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;
finished 41st and 38th in this event the past two seasons but
registered three top-five finishes in the previous four years.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2007 Earnings: $4,685,518
Looks to build off a sensational run at Hendrick Motorsports as
he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota; finished fifth in the
final standings after qualifying for the Chase for the second
consecutive season; had 20 top-10 finishes in 36 races last
season, including 11 top-fives; lone win came during the first
Bristol race - the inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; finished
24th in the Daytona 500 last season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $5,221,975
The circuit's most popular driver makes the move from his
father's Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he won 17 Cup events, to
Hendrick Motorsports; got off to a good start with his new team
by winning the Bud Shootout; it was his first win since the
Richmond Cup race in May 2006; suffered through a tough final
season at DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 12 top-10's
last season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or worse; won
the 2004 Daytona 500 in 2004, three years after his legendary
father lost his life during the 43rd running of the event on
February 18, 2001; finished 32nd here last year.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $4,611,967
Qualified for the Chase and won at Dover after finishing 12th at
New Hampshire, but failed post-race inspection and was docked
25 points and fined; penalty dropped him from third to sixth in
the standings and he never recovered; won the 2007 NASCAR Busch
Series championship; finished with 11 top-fives and 15 top-10s
last year; also won at Michigan and Bristol; bounced back from
placing last in the 43-car field here two years ago to finish
23rd last season.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Toyota Camry
2007 Earnings: $4,943,814
Avoided the sophomore slump last season after enjoying a
breakthrough rookie campaign in 2006, posting 12 top-five and 18
top-10 finishes; won his only race of the season at New
Hampshire in July, but could manage only a 15th-place finish at
Loudon to start the Chase en route to finishing 12th and last
among Chase competitors; followed up the win at New Hampshire by
finishing dead last at Daytona after wrecking early in the race
with teammate Tony Stewart; won the Budweiser Shootout last
season but struggled in the Daytona 500, placing 30th.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $7,494,593
Won this race last year by nipping Mark Martin at the finish
line; it was his lone victory of the season which was marked by
inconsistency; was the final driver to clinch a berth in the
Chase where he eventually wound up 10th; posted 15 top-10s and
four top-fives; also finished 33rd or worse four times last
season; finished second to Juan Pablo Montoya on the road course
at Sonoma.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $7,148,622
Only a dominant finish by teammate Jimmie Johnson kept him from
capturing a fifth championship last season; finished with 10
top-10 finishes in the final 11 races - the other finish in that
span was an 11th at Dover; totaled a remarkable 30 top-10
finishes and 21 top-fives in 36 races last year; spun with less
than two laps remaining at Watkins Glen while leading, costing
him a potential win - still managed to finish ninth; had six
checkered flags last season and 81 career, just two shy of tying
Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time; reached a landmark
milestone at the first Talladega race, recording his 77th career
victory to pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth all-time; had
10 poles last season - double that of Ryan Newman who had five;
three-time Daytona 500 champion ran 10th here last year.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $7,646,421
Two-time defending series champion starts this campaign on the
pole for Sunday's Daytona 500; kicked off his groundbreaking
campaign two years ago by winning the checkered flag here, his
first career victory in this race; had registered four
consecutive top-five finishes in this race before placing 39th
last year; battled teammate Gordon for the top spot in the Chase
early on, then took off - winning four straight races over the
second half of the Chase; suffered through an up-and-down
season before the Chase, finishing 39th at the Brickyard after a
fiery crash on the heels of a 37th at Chicago; finished the
season with 10 wins, 20 top-fives, 24 top-10s and failed to
finish four races.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $6,485,629
Had a late-Chase surge with a win at the the season-ending race
at Homestead, following a third at Phoenix and a second at
Texas; finished fourth in the final standings; captured his only
other victory of the season in the campaign's second race at
California; had 13 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s last season;
won the series championship in 2003 despite capturing only one
checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to change to its current Chase
format; enters this season without longtime crew chief Robbie
Reiser; ran 27th here last season.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2007 Earnings: $6,396,751
Moved within two points of the lead after the first two Chase
races last year, but could not keep pace with Johnson and Gordon
and faded to sixth in the final standings; finished second at
Richmond to enter the Chase on a hot streak; pre-Chase surge
included fourth at Bristol as well as running 10th at Michigan
on the heels of winning at Watkins Glen - his third win;
captured back-to-back victories at Chicagoland and at the
Brickyard; won three races in total to go along with 23 top-10s;
finished dead last in this race last season, but placed second
to Earnhardt in this year's Bud Shootout in his first race in a
Toyota.
2007 Top 10
-----------
1. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
2. Mark Martin (01), Chevrolet
3. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet
4. Mike Wallace (09), Chevrolet
5. David Ragan (6), Ford
6. Elliott Sadler (19), Dodge
7. Kasey Kahne (9), Dodge
8. David Gilliland (38), Ford
9. Joe Nemechek (13), Chevrolet
10. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
Past Champions
--------------
2007 Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 149.335 mph
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
- goCapsRavens I don't know how anyone can watch NASCAR. It's a bunch of cars going around in circles. For 3 hours -_- And am I the only one that notices that they aren't stock cars any more?
SPRINT Daytona 500Feb 17 6:59 PM - mark what the crap! this is the longest pre-game concert ever. please. someone make it stop.
SPRINT Daytona 500Feb 17 3:13 PM