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Coke Zero 400 Preview

Jul 2, 2008 - 1:39 PM

July 5, 2008
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
Race 18 of 36 on the Sprint Cup circuit

TV: TNT, 8 p.m. EDT

Laps: 160
Track Length: 2 1/2 miles 
Race Length: 400 miles

Qualifying Record: Bill Elliott, Ford, 210.364 mph, 1987
Race Record: Bobby Allison, Mercury, 173.473 mph, 1980


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

Jeff Burton 
Team: Richard Childress Racing 
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $2,769,224

One of the circuit's most consistent drivers, finished 12th at 
Loudon last week and remains in second in the standings, 64 
points behind Kyle Busch; finished 15th at Michigan; won at 
Bristol for first win of the season; finished 13th in the 
Daytona 500 and eighth at California; was fifth in Las Vegas and 
10th at Atlanta; has 10 top 10s through first 17 races; 
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 2007 
season came in April at Texas; finished the season strong with 
five top 10s over the final six races; ran 16th in this race 
last season.


Kyle Busch 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry 
2008 Earnings: $3,829,638

Is in the midst of a stellar first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, 
winning five races and posting 10 top fives through 17 races; 
lead slipped to 64 points over Burton after finishing 25th at
New Hampshire last week, following his first road course win at
Sonoma; ran dead last at Pocono and then finished 13th at 
Michigan; finished 17th at Bristol after power steering failed 
and transmission issues relegated him to 38th at Martinsville; 
won at Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington and Dover; runner-up 
finish at Richmond was marred by a late-race incident with Dale 
Earnhardt Jr.; had the dominant car and led the most laps at the 
Daytona 500; was strong at Las Vegas early, but struggled late 
and wound up 11th; is looking to build off a sensational run at 
Hendrick Motorsports as he moves to JGR and Toyota; finished 
fifth in the final 2007 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; 
ran second in this race the past two years.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $2,653,745

The circuit's most popular driver finished 24th at Loudon last
week; snapped a 76-race winless stretch by winning at Michigan 
on fumes; nearly snapped skid but was involved in a late-race 
incident with Kyle Busch at Richmond and wound up 15th; sits 
third in the standings with 11 top 10s through 167 races; ran 
fifth at Bristol after a third at Atlanta and second at Las 
Vegas; was the top finishing Hendrick car at the Daytona 500 
with a ninth-place showing; was involved in an early race crash 
at California and finished 40th; made 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; suffered through a tough final season 
at DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 12 top 10s last 
season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or worse; finished 
36th in this race last season.


Carl Edwards 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $3,770,800

Finished 17th at Loudon, ending run of eight top-10 finishes;
sits in fourth in the standings, 234 points behind Busch; won at 
Texas for his third win of the season; was docked 100 points 
and fell from the top spot in the standings after being 
penalized after his win at Las Vegas; victory at Texas was his 
10th career Cup win; had the dominant car again at Atlanta, but 
blew an engine and finished 42nd; ran 19th in the Daytona 500; 
qualified for the Chase last year and won at Dover after placing
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; was 
second to Kyle Busch at Darlington and Dover; finished fourth  
here last year.


Jeff Gordon 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $2,892,741

Finished 11th at New Hampshire and remains sixth in the 
standings; finished 18th at Michigan; ran second at 
Martinsville; rebounded to finish fifth at Atlanta after being 
involved in a scary late-race crash at Las Vegas where he 
finished 35th; bounced back with a third at California after 
opening his 2008 season with a disappointing 39th in the 
Daytona 500; already has three DNFs this season after posting 
just one last year; 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 another 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; had 10 poles last season - double that of Ryan Newman 
who had five; finished fifth at this race last season.


Jimmie Johnson 
Team: Hendrick Motorsports 
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala 
2008 Earnings: $3,208,807

Ran ninth at New Hampshire last week and remains in fifth in the 
standings; two-time defending series champion blew a motor at 
Lowe's and finished in 39th place; bounced back with three 
top-10s, including a sixth at Michigan; picked up his first win 
of the season at Phoenix, then ran 13th at Talladega and 30th 
at Richmond; finished second at Texas following a fourth at 
Martinsville; had a disappointing three-race stretch at Las 
Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol when his average finish was 20th; 
ran second at California after starting this campaign with a 
27th at the Daytona 500; battled teammate Gordon for the top 
spot in the Chase early last season, 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, yet failed to finish four races; finished 10th in this 
race last year. 


Kasey Kahne
Team: Gillett Evernham Motorsports
Car: No. 9 Dodge
2008 Earnings: $3,861,130

Ran a disappointing 33rd at Sonoma and 30th at Loudon the past
two weeks; finished second to Earnhardt at Michigan; won at 
Pocono from the pole; had a stellar two weeks at Lowe's, winning 
the Sprint All-Star Challenge then snapping a 52-race winless 
skid by taking the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600; has 
eight top 10s this season; after winning six races in 2006, 
struggled in 2007 when he finished 19th in the standings with 
just one top five and eight top 10s; also had six DNFs and 
dipped as low as 36th in the standings at one point; took on the 
famed Budweiser sponsorship after Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved to 
Hendrick Motorsports; finished ninth in this race last year.


Matt Kenseth 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $2,719,985

Finished 18th at New Hampshire, snapping streak of six 
consecutive top-10 results; ran third at Michigan; is just 15 
points out of the 12th place in the standings; finished 38th at 
Richmond and 41st at Talladega; ran 38th at Phoenix following a 
ninth at Texas and 30th at Martinsville; had consecutive top 10s 
at Bristol and Atlanta; was 20th at Las Vegas due to a late-race 
incident with Jeff Gordon; ran fifth at California, fresh off a 
disappointing 35th place showing at the Daytona 500; last season 
had a late-Chase surge with a win at the season-ending race at 
Homestead, following a third at Phoenix and a second at Texas; 
finished fourth in the final standings; 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 
long-time crew chief Robbie Reiser who has been replaced atop 
the box by Chip Bolin; ran ninth in this race last year.


Tony Stewart 
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing 
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $3,312,948

Finished 13th at Loudon after running 10th at Sonoma; is now in 
ninth place; was involved in an early crash at Dover and 
finished 41st; came close to winning at Lowe's, but cut down a 
tire with three laps remaining while leading and finished 18th; 
with rumors swirling about his future at JGR, finished 38th at 
Talladega; bounced back to finish fourth at Richmond; ran 14th 
at Phoenix following back-to-back top-10 finishes at 
Martinsville and Texas; finished second to teammate Kyle Busch 
at Atlanta, but was vocal about the poor Goodyear tire quality; 
suffered a hard crash at Las Vegas, injured his ankle and 
finished last; had another disappointment at Daytona, finishing 
third despite having the lead with one lap to go; moved within 
two points of the points 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; ran 38th in this race 
last year.

2007 Top 10
-----------
 1. Jamie McMurray (26), Ford
 2. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
 3. Kurt Busch (2), Dodge
 4. Carl Edwards (99), Ford
 5. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
 6. Greg Biffle (16), Ford
 7. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
 8. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
 9. Kasey Kahne (9), Dodge
10. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet

Past Champions
--------------
2007  Jamie McMurray, Ford, 138.983 mph
2006  Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 153.143 mph
2005  Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 131.016 mph
2004  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 145.117 mph
2003  Greg Biffle, Ford, 166.109 mph
2002  Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 135.952 mph
2001  Dale Earnhardt Jr., 157.601 mph 
2000  Jeff Burton, Ford, 148.576 mph 
1999  Dale Jarrett, Ford, 169.213 mph 
1998  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 144.549 mph 
1997  John Andretti, Chevrolet, 157.791 mph 
1996  Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 161.602 mph 
1995  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 166.976 mph 
1994  Jimmy Spencer, Ford, 155.558 mph   
1993  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 151.755 mph 
1992  Ernie Irvan, Chevrolet, 170.457 mph 
1991  Bill Elliot, Ford, 159.116 mph 
1990  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 160.894 mph 
1989  Davey Allison, Ford, 132.207 mph 
1988  Bill Elliot, Ford, 163.302 mph 
1987  Bobby Allison, Buick, 161.074 mph 
1986  Tim Richmond, Chevrolet, 131.916 mph 
1985  Greg Sacks, Chevrolet, 158.730 mph 
1984  Richard Petty, Pontiac, 171.204 mph 
1983  Buddy Baker, Ford, 167.442 mph 
1982  Bobby Allison, Buick, 163.099 mph 
1981  Cale Yarborough, Buick, 142.588 mph 
1980  Bobby Allison, Mercury, 173.473 mph 
1979  Neil Bonnett, Mercury, 172.890 mph 
1978  David Pearson, Mercury, 154.340 mph 
1977  Richard Petty, Dodge, 142.716 mph 
1976  Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 160.966 mph 
1975  Richard Petty, Dodge, 158.381 mph
1974  David Pearson, 73 Mercury, 138.301 mph 
1973  David Pearson, 71 Mercury, 158.468 mph 
1972  David Pearson, 71 Mercury, 160.821 mph 
1971  Bobby Isaac, 71 Dodge, 161.947 mph
1970  Donnie Allison, 69 Ford, 162.235 mph 
1969  LeeRoy Yarborough, 69 Ford, 160.875 mph 
1968  Cale Yarborough, 68 Mercury, 167.247 mph 
1967  Cale Yarborough, 67 Ford, 143.583 mph
1966  Sam McQuagg, 66 Dodge, 153.813 mph 
1965  A.J. Foyt, 65 Ford, 150.046 mph 
1964  A.J. Foyt, 64 Dodge, 151.451 mph 
1963  Fireball Roberts, 63 Ford, 150.927 mph 
1962  Fireball Roberts, 62 Pontiac, 153.688 mph 
1961  David Pearson, 61 Pontiac, 154.294 mph 
1960  Jack Smith, 60 Pontiac, 146.842 mph 
1959  Fireball Roberts, 59 Pontiac, 140.581 mph