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NEXTEL Cup Series News & Notes - Daytona
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Brian France on ‘Midseason Teleconference’
Race To The Chase, Round 2: Stewart Threepeat?
Speedway Hosts Former Daytona 500 Champions
Memories of Bill France Jr. Numerous This Week
Johnson Nominated For 2 ESPY Awards
Richard Petty Celebrates 70th Birthday
On The Line…With NASCAR Chairman/CEO Brian France
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 4, 2007) – This week’s guest on the NASCAR Teleconference was NASCAR’s Chairman and CEO Brian France, on Tuesday afternoon. He answered questions on a variety of topics. Some highlights follow.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=250 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--google_ad_client = "pub-0651091699475717";google_alternate_ad_url = "http://www.race2win.net/ad.html";google_ad_width = 300;google_ad_height = 250;google_ad_format = "300x250_as";google_ad_type = "text_image";//2007-01-25: Cup Storygoogle_ad_channel = "9884732378";google_color_border = "FFDE18";google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";google_color_link = "000000";google_color_text = "000000";google_color_url = "9C0810";//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><IFRAME name=google_ads_frame marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-0651091699475717&dt=1183732157359&lmt=1183621788&alternate_ad_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.race2win.net%2Fad.html&prev_fmts=468x60_as&format=300x250_as&output=html&correlator=1183732157343&channel=9884732378&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.race2win.net%2Fwc%2F07%2F07%2Fnotesdis2.html&color_bg=FFFFFF&color_text=000000&color_link=000000&color_url=9C0810&color_border=FFDE18&ad_type=text_image&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.race2win.net%2F&cc=99&flash=9&u_h=768&u_w=1024&u_ah=738&u_aw=1024&u_cd=32&u_tz=-240&u_his=24&u_java=true" frameBorder=0 width=300 scrolling=no height=250 allowTransparency></IFRAME></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Q: Perhaps if we could start off with a quick assessment by you of how this season has gone thus far?
Brian: First, I want to thank everybody on the call and frankly, the fans across the country and all over that have reached out for our family when my father passed. That was an enormous amount of support that we felt by the whole industry and we’re really grateful for that. Lots of nice stories and reports done reflecting what my dad accomplished in his reign at NASCAR, so thank you all for that.
I’ll transition now into where I think we are. We’re at the midpoint of our season. And I would tell you that all of our important goals that we set out at the beginning of the year, we’re either meeting them or we’ve accelerated them. We’re achieving them, the Car of Tomorrow being the most important one. All the benefits that we had hoped we would get – better competition, the safety elements – fortunately, we haven’t had to test that fully yet, and certainly, the cost side of it as you see so many teams now running the same car.
Race To The Chase, Round 2: DIS Looks Promising For Stewart ‘Threepeat’
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) has won the Pepsi 400 the last two years, a rare accomplishment indeed. Only three other drivers have done so and what a trio it is: David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Stewart’s all-time favorite driver, A.J. Foyt.
Only one driver has won the Pepsi 400 three consecutive times. That was Pearson from 1972-74.
Of course, times were different then.
The race was known as the Firecracker 400, it started in the morning and was always held on July 4. Another difference: The field wasn’t nearly as deep 30 years ago in terms of teams that had realistic shots at winning races, which makes Stewart’s run at Daytona history all the more impressive.
His stats at Daytona reflect that run, and bode well for a Pepsi 400 “threepeat” by the two-time series champion. Start with his Driver Rating, based on the last five DIS events: 120.5, by far the series-best.
Here’s the big Daytona picture: In 17 starts, Stewart has five top fives and nine top 10s.
Drivers Eyeing Chase Bonus Points, ‘Seedings’
There are nine races to go before the start of the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Each week, race victories become more important as drivers strive to accrue vital Chase “bonus points.” Starting this year, the 12 drivers who qualify for the Chase will have their point totals “reset” to 5,000. They then will have bonus points – 10 for each victory – applied.
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) and Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) are set to benefit considerably from this increased emphasis on winning. They each have four wins and – since they almost assuredly will qualify for the Chase given their current point standings (first and fourth) – 40 bonus points apiece, which would make them the top two seeds to start the Chase with 5,040 points apiece. Seeding ties are broken by the comparison of drivers’ best finishes beyond victories.
As the potential bonus points now stand, Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) are two drivers who would likewise benefit from this first-year format change. Busch is currently 10th in the point standings while Truex is 11th but each have one victory, potentially giving them 10 bonus points along with three others ahead of them in the current points: Matt Kenseth (No. 17 R&L Carriers Ford), Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet).
Blasts From The Past: Former 500 Champs Look Ahead To Race’s 50th Anniversary In 2008
Next February, the Great American Race will reach a Great American Milestone.
The Daytona 500 will be held for the 50th time on Feb. 17 but this week, the celebration begins a little early. As it should, since an impressive lineup of former 500 champions will converge on Daytona for a special ceremony on Friday at 11 a.m., at the Daytona 500 Experience (formerly DAYTONA USA) attraction adjacent to the speedway.
The group will include reigning champion Kevin Harvick, 1980 winner Buddy Baker, 1960 winner Junior Johnson, 1990 winner Derrike Cope and 1970 winner Pete Hamilton. Harvick will have his hands, right foot and signature imprinted into the Daytona 500 Champion's Walk of Fame while Baker, Johnson, Cope and Hamilton will have their right foot imprinted in cement for the Goodyear Heritage of Daytona exhibit.
On Saturday, July 7 in the NEXTEL FANZONE in the speedway’s infield adjacent to the garage area, former Daytona 500 champions including seven-time winner Richard Petty, three-time winner Bobby Allison, 1989 winner Darrell Waltrip, Johnson and Hamilton will participate in question-and-answer sessions with fans.
The ceremony at Daytona 500 Experience will take place inside the motorsports attraction and is included in the attraction admission ($24 for adults, $19 for seniors and children under six) while the question-and-answer sessions at the NEXTEL FANZONE are included in the $60 Pre-Race Access/NEXTEL FANZONE pass.
In addition, a special media event is set for Thursday at the speedway, involving the former champions. From 10 a.m. until noon, there will be photo and interview opportunities in the drivers’ meeting room, adjacent to the infield media center; from noon until 2, there will be a luncheon and press conference in the Daytona 500 Club.
For more information on the 50th Daytona 500 celebration during the 400 weekend, fans can visit
www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
Daytona Races Helped Form The Foundation Of Bill France Jr. Legacy
In the late 1950s, Bill France Sr. built what amounted to his own Field of Dreams in Daytona Beach, Fla., a race track considered both unique and outlandish, a 2.5-mile layout with unheard-of banking in its turns and unlimited potential in terms of popularity.
He had a first-rate right-hand man for the job – his son, Bill France Jr., who like his father was involved from the ground-up, helping to cut the grass, clear the land and drive the machinery that stacked the dirt and created the high banks.
The first NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway was the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.
Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 will be the first NASCAR race at the speedway since Bill France Jr.’s death on June 4.
It’s a reality that will take some getting used to.
“I still am having a hard time grasping that he's not with us anymore because the more time I spent in this sport, the more I respected him, the more I appreciated him and the things that he had to say,” said Jeff Gordon.
“When he was talking you listened. He was a powerful guy even if he wasn't doing anything, he got your attention and I'm going to miss him.
“I think that the vision that he had … and the fact that he helped build that track was really incredible. It was instrumental to the growth of NASCAR.”
Locked In: Sauter Continues Strong-Hold On Final Starting Spot
Joe Custer’s No. 66 Haas Automation Chevrolet driven by Jeff Green left the top 35 “bubble” in the dust by finishing sixth this past Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway. The No. 66 moved up two spots in car owner points to 30th place. Custer’s other car, the No. 70 Haas Automation Chevrolet driven by Johnny Sauter, retained the 35th spot via Sauter’s 14th-place finish at NHIS. Each week the top 35 teams in car owner points are guaranteed starting spots in that week’s race. Teams outside the top 35 are forced to rely on qualifying times to make the race.
2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Owner Points – After 17 Races
Pos Points Team Owner Driver
30th 1,450 No. 66 Chevrolet Joe Custer Jeff Green
31st 1,427 No. 88 Ford Robert Yates Ricky Rudd
32nd 1,402 No. 38 Ford Robert Yates David Gilliland
33rd 1,398 No. 13 Chevrolet Bobby Ginn Joe Nemechek
34th 1,379 No. 45 Dodge Kyle Petty John Andretti
35th 1,347 No. 70 Chevrolet Joe Custer Johnny Sauter
36th 1,165 No. 10 Dodge James Rocco Scott Riggs
37th 1,159 No. 22 Toyota Bill Davis Dave Blaney
38th 1,128 No. 21 Ford Glen Wood Bill Elliott
39th 1,072 No. 15 Chevrolet Teresa Earnhardt Paul Menard
40th 981 No. 83 Toyota Dietrich Mateschitz Brian Vickers
Keys To Victory
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Daytona International Speedway this week for another round of the unique, un-caged animal known as restrictor-plate racing. Read on, for the “inside line” to success at DIS.
One of the biggest keys to success at Daytona is having a good handling race car. It’s imperative that your car turns the corner well so you can run wide open on the straightaways.
Pit strategy is critical. You want to pit with a group of cars if at all possible. It’s difficult to be on the track by yourself when everyone else is pitting and maintain the high speeds that you need.
Tire strategy late in the race. You could see some teams opting for two tires during a late caution in order to gain some track position.
In The Loop: Stewart Leads Four Loop Data Categories At DIS
There is more pro-Tony Stewart info, regarding his chances of joining David Pearson as the only two drivers to win three consecutive Pepsi 400s, courtesy of NASCAR’s insightful Loop Data gleaned for the last five races at Daytona International Speedway.
Stewart, beginning with his fence-climbing victory celebration in 2005, has dominated the July Daytona race the past two years. In that first Pepsi 400 win, Stewart led all but nine laps (151 total) en route to victory.
In his 2006 Pepsi 400 win, Stewart dominated again with a race-high 86 laps led – Jeff Gordon came in second in the laps led standings with 27.
But it’s just not the July race at which Stewart excels. He’s led laps in each of the past seven Daytona races, and has racked up top marks in nearly every key Loop Data category over the last five Daytona races. Stewart leads the field in the following Daytona-specific stats:
Driver Rating (120.5)
Average Running Position (8.103)
Green Flag Speed
Laps in the Top 15 (733)
Looking at the results from this season, it’s likely this weekend’s winner will be a driver with a top-five Driver Rating. In 2007, eight of the 17 race winners had a pre-race Driver Rating in the top-five – most recently Denny Hamlin, who had the second-best pre-race Driver Rating at New Hampshire.
Rounding out the top-five in Driver Rating at Daytona are Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge).
That’s especially good news for Newman and Busch who are just outside of the coveted top-12 position. Newman is in 13th place and Busch is in 15th.
Of the two, Newman has the best pre-race stats over the past five Daytona races. He has a Driver Rating of 95.3 (third-best overall), an Average Running Position of 12.3 (third-best), 24 Fastest Laps Run (tied for sixth-most) and 668 Laps in the Top 15 (third-most).
Busch, at 236 points behind 12th place needs a string of success, has the fifth-best Driver Rating (91.0), the 10th-best Average Running Position (15.3) and ran 625 of his Laps in the Top 15 (fifth-most).
NNCS, Etc. …
Pepsi 400 Last Restrictor-Plate Race With Pre-COT Cars
Race To The Chase Goes To The Midwest For Round 3: Chicagoland
Kevin James Named Pepsi 400 Grand Marshal
Johnson Nominated For ESPYs
The King Turns 70
End Of An Era … Through the years, races at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway have served as historical milestones. In February 1959, the first Daytona 500 was held. In May 1969, Talladega opened as the world’s largest – and then-fastest – oval track at 2.66 miles. In February 1988, the Daytona 500 ushered in the era of restrictor-plate racing, as cars were run for the first time using horsepower-reducing carburetor restrictors, in the interest of safety for competitors and fans. The plates are used exclusively at Daytona and Talladega.
Now, another era will soon begin.
Saturday’s Pepsi 400 will be the last restrictor-plate race run with the “pre-Car of Tomorrow” cars. When the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series comes to Talladega in October, the COT model will make its restrictor-plate debut.
"Until we go to Talladega with this new car, I don't really know how to compare what it's going to be like vs. the [pre-COT] car,” said Jeff Gordon.
“But I think it’s going to be hard for Daytona and Talladega to not put on great races [whatever car is used]. I think the fans are always going to get something exciting.”
The switch to the COT come Talladega “is going to be interesting to say the least, to go to Talladega in the fall and not have the car everyone’s used to [at Talladega and Daytona,]” said Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet).
“It’s definitely going to be a changing of history. That’s just going to be one of the scripts for the storybook.”
Johnson Nominated For ESPY Awards … Reigning NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has been nominated for two ESPY Awards, the annual sports awards created by ESPN that will be announced in Hollywood, Calif. on Wednesday, July 11 at the Kodak Theater. The ESPYs will be televised on ESPN on July 15 at 9 p.m. (ET). Johnson is nominated in the “Best Championship Performance Category” and the “Driver of the Year” category. In the first category, he’s up against Peyton Manning, LeBron James and Serena Williams. In the latter group, his competition is Jeff Gordon, Sam Hornish Jr., Tony Schumacher and Dario Franchitti.
In addition, this year’s Daytona 500 is nominated in the “Best Finish” category and “Talladega Nights” is nominated in the “Best Sports Movie” category.
On Deck: Chicagoland … Jeff Gordon will be the defending race champion next week (Sunday, July 15) in the USG Sheetrock 400, Round 3 of the Race to the Chase, at Chicagoland Speedway.
Chicagoland opened in 2001; Kevin Harvick won there the first two years. Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge), Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) followed from 2002-2005.
Harvick also has a NASCAR Busch Series victory at the 1.5-mile track, that coming in 2005.
The Race to the Chase ends Sept. 8 at Richmond International Raceway.
Date Track
July 1 New Hampshire Int’l Speedway
July 7 Daytona Int’l Speedway
July 15 Chicagoland Speedway
July 29 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug. 5 Pocono Raceway
Aug. 12 Watkins Glen International
Aug. 19 Michigan Int’l Speedway
Aug. 25 Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 2 California Speedway
Sept. 8 Richmond Int’l Raceway
Etc. … Here’s some symmetry: seven-time Daytona 500 champion Richard Petty turned 70 on Monday, the week of a series race at Daytona International Speedway. Petty – also a seven-time series titlist – celebrated the birthday at his home in Randleman, N.C. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been home to celebrate my birthday,” stated Petty. “I’ve always been in Daytona. That was fine, too. We won a lot of races there. It’s just the way the date landed this year.” Later this week, he’ll help kick off another celebration, as Daytona International Speedway is honoring former 500 champions in advance of next February’s 50th anniversary of the “Great American Race.” Petty’s 200th and final series victory came in the Pepsi 400 on July 4, 1984. … Jeff Gordon is scheduled to make his 10th appearance as co-host on the popular daytime TV talk show “Live with Regis and Kelly” on Monday, July 9. Gordon will fill in for host Regis Philbin. … The Grand Marshal for the Pepsi 400 will be actor Kevin James, known mainly for his character on the television comedy hit “King of Queens.” James and Adam Sandler are co-starring in the new comedy movie “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” The movie is the title sponsor of Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge this weekend.
NASCAR Podcasts
Every week NASCAR produces Podcasts available through iTunes. Mondays feature a race recap from the previous event and includes driver interviews post-race audio. Tuesdays we look ahead to the next race with a statistical preview featuring NASCAR’s Manager of Statistics, Writing and Production, Mike Forde.
NASCAR’s Director of Cost Research Brett Bodine joins us each Wednesday for a look at the upcoming event, providing insight and analysis. This Thursday we will feature a crew-member profile of Tony Eury Jr., crew chief for the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Fast Facts
The Race: Pepsi 400
The Place: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Date: Saturday, July 7
The Time: 8 p.m. (ET)
TV: TNT, 7 p.m. (ET)
The Track: 2.5-mile tri-oval
The Distance: 400 miles; 160 laps
The Purse: $6,202,439
2006 Winner: Tony Stewart
2006 Pole: Boris Said
Series Standings
Pos. Driver Points
1 Gordon 2,613
2 Hamlin 2,457
3 Kenseth 2,248
4 Johnson 2,232
5 Burton 2,230
6 Stewart 2,185
7 Edwards 2,148
8 Harvick 2,106
9 Kyle Busch 2,040
10 Truex 2,033
11 Bowyer 1,986
12 Earnhardt 1,985
Pre-Race Schedule (local/ET time): Thursday—Practice, 4:30-5:20 p.m. and 6:40-7:45 p.m.; Friday—Qualifying, 4:10 p.m.
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