Daytona Pre-Season Testing - Saturday Afternoon Session (Final)

Brad Keselowski led the final practice session

Daytona Testing - Day 3, afternoon/final: testing at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, January 22nd, Day 3, Session 5, the top eleven are drafting, the rest are single car runs:
1) #2-Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 45.316 198.605
2) #22-Kurt Busch, Dodge, 45.322 198.579
3) #18-Kyle Busch, Toyota, 45.515 197.737
4) #11-Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 45.515 197.737
5) #20-Joey Logano, Toyota, 45.517 197.728
6) #83-Brian Vickers, Toyota, 45.533 197.659
7) #4-Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 45.533 197.659
8) #43-AJ Allmendinger, Ford, 45.549 197.589
9) #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 45.550 197.585
10) #99-Carl Edwards, Ford, 45.592 197.403
11) #77-Steve Wallace, Toyota, 46.239 194.641
(single car runs below)
12) #16-Greg Biffle, Ford, 48.627 185.082
13) #29-Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 48.791 184.460
14) #09-Bill Elliott, Chevy, 48.889 184.090
15) #5-Mark Martin, Chevy, 48.927 183.948
16) #88-Josh Wise, Chevy, 48.943 183.887
17) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy, 49.009 183.640
18) #21-Trevor Bayne, Ford, 49.020 183.599
19) #1-Jamie McMurray, Chevy, 49.022 183.591
20) #27-Paul Menard, Chevy, 49.038 183.531
21) #60-Landon Cassill, Toyota, 49.123 183.214
22) #9-Marcos Ambros, Ford, 49.135 183.169
23) #6-David Ragan, Ford, 49.157 183.087
24) #13-Casey Mears, Toyota, 49.215 182.871
25) #36-Dave Blaney, Chevy, 49.272 182.660
26) #17-Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.379 182.264
27) #66-Michael McDowell, Toyota, 50.310 178.891

Dayton Pre-Season Testing - Saturday Early Session

Joey Logano has looked very sharp in all practice sessions

Daytona Testing - Day 3, morning: testing at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, January 22nd, Day 3, Session 4, the top six are drafting, the rest are single car runs:
1) #20-Joey Logano, Toyota, 45.566 197.516
2) #11-Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 45.567 197.511
3) #14-Tony Stewart, Chevy, 45.582 197.446
4) # 39-Ryan Newman, Chevy, 45.583 197.442
5) #43-AJ Allmendinger, Ford, 45.828 196.386
6) #77-Steve Wallace, Toyota, 46.089 195.274
(single car runs below)
7) #1-Jamie McMurray, Chevy, 48.688 184.850
8) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy, 48.694 184.828
9) #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 48.802 184.419
10) #5-Mark Martin, Chevy, 48.876 184.139
11) #27-Paul Menard, Chevy, 49.019 183.602
12) #16-Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.054 183.471
13) #2-Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 49.162 183.068
14) #22-Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.196 182.942
15) #29-Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 49.240 182.778
16) #09-Bill Elliott, Chevy, 49.267 182.678
17) #21-Trevor Bayne, Ford, 49.301 182.552
18) #9-Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 49.308 182.526
19) #18-Kyle Busch, Toyota, 49.314 182.504
20) #88-Josh Wise, Chevy, 49.342 182.400
21) #99-Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.382 182.253
22) #83-Brian Vickers, Toyota, 49.396 182.201
23) #6-David Ragan, Ford, 49.437 182.050
24) #36-Dave Blaney, Chevy, 49.474 181.914
25) #17-Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.483 181.881
26) #4-Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 49.506 181.796
27) #60-Landon Cassill/Todd Bodine, Toyota, 49.515 181.763
28) #13-Casey Mears, Toyota, 49.801 180.719
29) #66-Michael McDowell, Toyota, 50.958 176.616

Testing Notes:
Josh Wise is in the #88 Chevy as Earnhardt Jr. is back in NC attending the wedding of his sister Kelley, who is marrying L.W. Miller. #66-McDowell is at the track to test, the team skipped the first two days.

Many teams are not testing on Saturday, including #48-Johnson, #88-Earnhardt Jr.(team is), #33-Bowyer, #31-Burton, #00-Reuitmann, #56-Truex Jr.

It was mentioned Friday that #1-McMurray and #42-Montoya would skip Saturday, but they are at the track Saturday

Daytona Pre-Season Testing - Friday Late Session (early session rained out)

Team Red Bull looks very fast for testing thus far

Daytona Testing - Day 2, afternoon: testing at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, January 21st, Day 2, Session 3, the final speeds of the session. The morning session was canceled due to rain/drizzle/fog:
1) #11-Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 45.716 196.868
2) #14-Tony Stewart, Chevy, 45.719 196.855
3) #20-Joey Logano, Toyota, 45.757 196.691
4) #2-Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 45.873 196.194
5) #31-Jeff Burton, Chevy, 45.954 195.848
6) #83-Brian Vickers, Toyota, 45.955 195.844
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevy, 46.037 195.495
8) #48-Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 46.037 195.495
9) #18-Kyle Busch, Toyota, 46.054 195.423
10) #4-Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 46.170 194.932
11) #77-Steve Wallace, Toyota, 46.468 193.682
12) #33-Clint Bowyer, Chevy, 48.583 185.250
13) #1-Jamie McMurray, Chevy, 48.946 183.876
14) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy, 48.953 183.850
15) #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 49.125 183.206
16) #5-Mark Martin, Chevy, 49.230 182.815
17) #39-Ryan Newman, Chevy, 49.377 182.271
18) #27-Paul Menard, Chevy, 49.392 182.216
19) #16-Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.409 182.153
20) #99-Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.520 181.745
21) #21-Trevor Bayne, Ford, 49.573 181.550
22) #9-Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 49.575 181.543
23) #22-Kurt Busch, Dodge, 49.590 181.488
24) #29-Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 49.597 181.463
25) #43-AJ Allmendinger, Ford, 49.661 181.229
26) #09-Bill Elliott, Chevy, 49.698 181.094
27) #00-David Reutimann, Toyota, 49.743 180.930
28) #6-David Ragan, Ford, 49.768 180.839
29) #60-Landon Cassill, Toyota, 49.790 180.759
30) #17-Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.854 180.527
31) #56-Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 49.894 180.382
32) #78-Regan Smith, Chevy, 49.900 180.361
33) #36-Dave Blaney, Chevy, 49.925 180.270
34) #13-Casey Mears, Toyota, 50.241 179.137

Dayton Pre-Season Testing - Thursday Late Session

Harvick no longer in the Ronald McDonald fire suit

Daytona Testing - Day 1, afternoon: testing at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, January 20th, Day 1, Session 2, the final speeds of the session, the top four speeds were drafting, the rest were single car runs:
1) #00-David Reutimann, Toyota, 45.970 195.780
2) #56-Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 45.971 195.776
3) #83-Brian Vickers, Toyota, 46.312 194.334
4) #4-Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 46.312 194.334
5) #14-Tony Stewart, Chevy, 48.165 186.858
6) #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 48.744 184.638
7) #33-Clint Bowyer, Chevy, 48.923 183.963
8) #1-Jamie McMurray, Chevy, 48.937 183.910
9) #18-Kyle Busch, Toyota, 49.031 183.557
10) #99-Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.043 183.512
11) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy, 49.053 183.475
12) #20-Joey Logano, Toyota, 49.087 183.348
13) #11-Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 49.132 183.180
14) #5-Mark Martin, Chevy, 49.140 183.150
15) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevy, 49.177 183.012
16) #2-Brad Keselowski,Dodge,49.264 182.689
17) #78-Regan Smith, Chevy, 49.268 182.674
18) #29-Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 49.298 182.563
19) #9-Marcos Ambros, Ford, 49.305 182.537
20) #22-Kurt Busch,Dodge, 49.306 182.534
21) #31-Jeff Burton, Chevy, 49.340 182.408
22) #27-Paul Menard, Chevy, 49.352 182.363
23) #16-Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.370 182.297
24) #39-Ryan Newman, Chevy, 49.410 182.149
25) #21-Trevor Bayne, Ford, 49.424 182.098
26) #60-Todd Bodine, Toyota, 49.519 181.748
27) #6-David Ragan, Ford, 49.590 181.488
28) #09-Bill Elliott, Chevy, 49.620 181.378
29) #43-AJ Allmendinger, Ford, 49.687 181.134
30) #48-Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 49.706 181.065
31) #36-Dave Blaney, Chevy, 49.739 180.945
32) #17-Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.752 180.897
33) #13-Casey Mears, Toyota, 49.874 180.455
34) #77-Steve Wallace, Toyota, 50.036 179.870

Daytona Pre-Season Testing Times - Thursday's Early Session

Clint Bowyer was fastest during Thursday's early session

Daytona Testing - Day 1, morning: testing at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, January 20th, Day 1, Session 1, the final speeds of the session, looked like all single car runs:
1) #33 Clint Bowyer, Chevy, 48.855, 184.219
2) #24 Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 48.945, 183.880
3) #5-Mark Martin, Chevy, 49.079, 183.378
4) #1-Jamie McMurray, Chevy, 49.146, 183.128
5) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy, 49.181, 182.997
6) #2-Brad Keselowski Dodge 49.204, 182.912
7) #99-Carl Edwards, Ford, 49.263, 182.693
8) #20-Joey Logano , Toyota, 49.279, 182.634
9) #31-Jeff Burton, Chevy, 49.287, 182.604
10) #27-Paul Menard, Chevy, 49.294, 182.578
11) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevy, 49.330, 182.445
12) #11-Denny Hamlin , Toyota, 49.341, 182.404
13) #18-Kyle Busch , Toyota, 49.376, 182.275
14) #22-Kurt Busch Dodge 49.387, 182.234
15) #16-Greg Biffle, Ford, 49.390, 182.223
16) #39-Ryan Newman, Chevy, 49.409, 182.153
17) #09-Bill Elliott, Chevy, 49.409, 182.153
18) #29-Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 49.410, 182.149
19) #21-Trevor Bayne, Ford, 49.484, 181.877
20) #6-David Ragan, Ford, 49.528, 181.715
21) #14-Tony Stewart, Chevy, 49.573, 181.550
22) #78-Regan Smith, Chevy, 49.628, 181.349
23) #83-Brian Vickers , Toyota, 49.668, 181.203
24) #60-Todd Bodine , Toyota, 49.688, 181.130
25) #9-Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 49.744, 180.926
26) #48-Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 49.750, 180.905
27) #00-David Reutimann , Toyota, 49.762, 180.861
28) #4-Kasey Kahne , Toyota, 49.781, 180.792
29) #43-AJ Allmendinger, Ford, 49.845, 180.560
30) #17-Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.850, 180.542
31) #13-Casey Mears , Toyota, 49.933, 180.242
32) #56-Martin Truex Jr. , Toyota, 49.971 180.104
33) #77-Steve Wallace, Toyota, 50.418, 178.508

NASCAR Looking Into Changing The Points System, Again!

Associated Press

NASCAR Can't Just Leave it Alone

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) NASCAR is considering scrapping the points system it has used since 1975 in favor of a simpler method that awards points per finishing position, The Associated Press has learned.
The overhauling of the system is one of a handful of changes NASCAR is considering implementing before the season begins next month. Series officials have been detailing their ideas in individual meetings with teams, a person who attended one of the briefings told The AP on Monday.

The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because NASCAR has not finalized its upcoming changes.

The sanctioning body wants to go to a scoring system that would award 43 points to the race winner, and one point less for each ensuing position down to one point for the 43rd-place finisher.

NASCAR is also shying away from wholesale changes to its Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format.
NASCAR chairman Brian France floated the idea last July of shaking up the Chase to create more drama to the 10-week series that determines the Cup champion. Among France's suggestions were widening the 12-driver field, instituting elimination rounds, and adding any other drama that could create "Game 7" type moments rivaling those from other professional sports leagues.

But teams have been told NASCAR is leaning toward keeping it a 12-driver field, with one caveat: The top 10 drivers following the 26th race of the season would qualify for the Chase, while the remaining two spots would go to the drivers with the most wins who are not already eligible for the Chase.

NASCAR officials have also told teams they aren't leaning toward adding eliminations.

Preseason testing begins Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, and NASCAR president Mike Helton and vice president of competition Robin Pemberton are scheduled to discuss some of the changes planned for 2011.

The leadership, with constant changes to NASCAR, should be in question  

But the major announcements aren't scheduled until next week when France makes a presentation during Charlotte Motor Speedway's annual media tour.

France and his top officials found themselves in a precarious position at the end of last season, which was marked by the closest championship race in seven years. France had already publicly toyed with the idea of changing the Chase, which was implemented in 2004 to spice up NASCAR's championship system.

"Right now every sports league, or almost every one, is looking at what they need to do to change their formats a little or a lot, depending on who they are, to make sure their playoffs or their championship runs are what they want them to be," France said two days before the November season finale.

Three drivers went into the season finale eligible to win the championship. It went to Jimmie Johnson, who overcame a 15-point deficit to Denny Hamlin in the final race to win his record fifth consecutive title.
Because the system seemingly worked as the Chase played out last season, sweeping changes did not seem necessary.

The points system, though, apparently is a different matter.

NASCAR legend claims the current system was devised on a napkin over drinks at a Daytona bar in 1974 and implemented the next season. The complicated scoring method gives 175 points to the winner, and decreases in increments of five points and then three points down to 34 points for the last-place finisher.
Five-point bonuses are awarded for leading a lap, and to the driver who leads the most laps.

NASCAR is still debating how to award bonuses under a straight points system, and ideas being considered are for anywhere from one to three points being given to lap leaders and race winners.

2011 Budweiser Shootout Lineup Announced

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 7, 2011) – With a strong lineup that features former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field, a host of former outstanding rookies, along with a collection of previous winners at the sport’s most storied race track, NASCAR announced Friday the list of eligible competitors for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona.

The 33rd annual season-opening event launches Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 12 with green flag set for 8:10 p.m. FOX and MRN will broadcast live nationally. It marks the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event held on the track’s newly repaved surface. Criteria are based upon the following qualifications, with eligibility based on a driver having competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series within the last two seasons:
· The 12 drivers that qualified for the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
· Past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
· Past Budweiser Shootout champions
· Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola champions
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year drivers from 2001-2010

“When you take a look at the field for this year’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, it’s loaded with all-star caliber drivers,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “From former series champions and Chase drivers, to the past 10 rookie of the year performers, to drivers who have had success at Daytona, we believe the fans are in store for a terrific and highly competitive event on a brand new racing surface.”

The race distance will again be 75 laps (187.5 miles), consisting of two segments – 25 and 50 laps. Both green-flag laps and yellow-flag laps will count. Between segments there will be a 10-minute pit stop allowing teams to pit to change tires, add fuel and make normal chassis adjustments. Crews will be permitted to work on cars and will be allowed to perform functions they would do on a normal pit stop in a regular NASCAR Sprint Cup event. All work must be performed on pit road or in the garage. Changing of springs, shock absorbers or rear-ends will not be permitted.

Starting positions will again be determined by a blind-draw at the annual Budweiser Shootout Draw Party on Friday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. on the SPEED stage in the Midway, outside Turn 4.

The Budweiser Shootout – a “non-points” event for NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors – was first held in 1979, originally known as the Busch Clash. Kevin Harvick has won the last two events.

Tickets for all 2011 Speedweeks events are now available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Drivers eligible for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout include:

2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers
Jimmie Johnson
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Carl Edwards
Matt Kenseth
Greg Biffle
Tony Stewart
Kyle Busch
Jeff Gordon
Clint Bowyer
Kurt Busch
Jeff Burton

Others (criteria in parentheses)
John Andretti (Coke Zero 400)
Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout)
Kevin Conway (Series rookie of the year)
Derrike Cope (Daytona 500)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)
Bill Elliott (Series champion, Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)
Kasey Kahne (Series rookie of the year)
Bobby Labonte (Series champion)
Terry Labonte (Series champion, Budweiser Shootout)
Joey Logano (Series rookie of the year)
Sterling Marlin (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Mark Martin (Budweiser Shootout)
Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Series rookie of the year)
Juan Pablo Montoya (Series rookie of the year)
Ryan Newman (Daytona 500, Series rookie of the year)
Ken Schrader (Budweiser Shootout)
Regan Smith (Series rookie of the year)
Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)

- NASCAR Press Release

Drivers Announced For 2011 Daytona PRESEASON THUNDER

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona 500 champions Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are among the drivers that will appear at NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at historic Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take to the new asphalt at Daytona International Speedway in a three-day test session, known as NASCAR Preseason Thunder, Thursday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 22.

Tickets for NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 and available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. 2011 Daytona 500 ticketholders and children 12 and under will receive free admission. Advanced reservations are available (limited to 250 people) for special autograph sessions to be held with participating 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and Daytona 500 champions. Additional driver autograph sessions will be held on both days with wristbands available the day of the event.

To request access to the special autograph sessions, race fans can call 1-800-PITSHOP or visit the Daytona International Speedway ticket office beginning on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 9 a.m.

In addition to viewing the on-track activity from the Sprint FANZONE, fans can watch each day’s testing at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands near Turn 4.

Drivers currently scheduled to make appearances on Thursday, Jan. 20 beginning at 6 p.m. are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr. and Regan Smith.

Scheduled to appear on Friday, Jan. 21, during the 5-7 p.m. session are Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann, Casey Mears, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kevin Conway, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman. In the 7-9 p.m. session, drivers scheduled to appear are AJ Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcos Ambrose and Matt Kenseth.

- Daytona International Speedway Press Release


SPEED-TV Coverage - all times listed eastern
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. (same-day delay) (SPEED)

Friday, Jan. 21
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (SPEED)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)

Saturday, Jan. 22
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (SPEED)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)

Las Vegas Hilton Super Book First To Release 2011 NASCAR Championship & Daytona 500 Odds

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

The Las Vegas Hilton is the state leader in offering NASCAR odds 

It’s only been a month since Jimmie Johnson claimed his fifth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship to close out the 2010 season, Christmas isn’t even here yet and the 2011 season opener at Daytona is still nearly two months away. However, the crew over at the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book hasn’t wasted any time and have posted odds on the Daytona 500 and the 2011 Season Championship before anyone else in the world.

Despite coming from behind to win the Championship in the final race last season, Jimmie Johnson is still a considerable 5-to-2 favorite to win his sixth straight title. His machine-like performance year after year in the crunch, with what figures to be the exact same team for 2011, makes him the easy choice.

Unlike years past, Johnson’s odds gap between his closest contenders isn’t as large. Denny Hamlin had the champ on the ropes, but couldn’t close it out in the final round. No one has stood toe to toe with the champ like that in any of the five title runs which is why Hamlin is the 6-to-1 second choice. Coming into the 2010 season, Hamlin was 10-to-1.

Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards figure to chase Jimmie Johnson again 

Also coming in at 6-to-1 is Carl Edwards who closed out 2010 with two straight wins after going 70 races without one. The Roush-Fenway team came on strong in the second half of the season and found the horsepower that had been eluding them on tracks that the team had typically done well at over the years. We saw last season how momentum carried over from the previous season with the Childress teams who came within 39 points of beating Johnson with Kevin Harvick. Edwards and the other Roush teams could be in a similar situation for 2011.

Harvick will have Budweiser on the hood of his No. 29 Chevy and is listed as the fourth favorite to win at 8-to-1 along with Kyle Busch. The only negative affect that could slow Harvick from repeating his 2010 form is that Childress has brought on a fourth team with Paul Menard. Perhaps it’s a mere coincidence, but none of the four Childress cars made the Chase in 2009. When Childress eliminated one team for the 2010 season, all three drivers made the Chase.

Kyle Busch is the driver many point to as the one who could overtake Johnson, but the main component in Johnson’s success is something Busch has yet to figure out, consistency. Busch had three wins in 2010 with 10 top-five finishes, but couldn’t put together strong runs for long stretches at a time like Johnson, Harvick and Hamlin did all season, a story that has seemed to plague Busch for his entire career.

Jeff Gordon has gone 65 races without a win, but his consistency throughout gives him immense respect with the Hilton which is why he is 10-to-1. Last season he was fourth in the series with 11 top-five finishes. Coming into this season Gordon has quite a few changes that could lead to improvements. Not only will Dupont only be the primary sponosr for just 14 races this season, but in the Hendrick Motorsports crew shuffle, Gordon gets Alan Gustafson who worked with Mark Martin and Kyle Busch in the past.

Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr could be nice long shots

An interesting long shot choice is Jamie McMurray at 40-to-1 who had three wins with 9 top-five finishes in 2010. The horsepower is there, as is McMurray’s ability, but much like Busch, couldn’t put together a string of good runs.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is listed at 50-to-1 and gets an early boost with a fresh face overseeing the No. 88 car with Steve Letarte taking over crew chief duties. At no time in Junior’s career has his pre-season championship odds been as high as they are this year. The main positive for the No. 88 team this year is sharing garages with Johnson’s team. Ever since Johnson came into the series, it was Gordon’s team that shared garages with the No. 48. Letarte won’t even have to change his office with the switch and has a great relationship with Chad Knaus. Because of information being shared more due to the close proximity, look for Junior to have his best season while at HMS.

The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book has become the clear leader in Las Vegas for auto racing odds. Not only do they offer a multitude of weekly propositions for each Cup race, but they also carry the weekly Nationwide and Camping World Series odds as well. In addition to NASCAR, the Hilton also offers weekly Indy Racing and Formula-1 odds, a package of odds that no sports book in the state offers.

Odds to win 2011 Sprint Cup Championship
Jimmie Johnson 5/2
Denny Hamlin 6/1
Carl Edwards 6/1
Kevin Harvick 8/1
Kyle Busch 8/1
Jeff Gordon 10/1
Greg Biffle 10/1
Tony Stewart 12/1
Matt Kenseth 12/1
Clint Bowyer 18/1
Kurt Busch 18/1
Mark Martin 20/1
Joey Logano 30/1
Jeff Burton 30/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 30/1
Kasey Kahne 40/1
Jamie McMurray 40/1
Ryan Newman 50/1
Brian Vickers 50/1
David Reutimann 50/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 50/1
A.J. Allmendinger 100/1
Martin Truex Jr. 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
David Ragan 100/1
Brad Keselowski 300/1
Marcos Ambrose 500/1
Field (All Others) 100/1

Odds to Win 2011 Daytona 500
Jimmie Johnson 10/1
Denny Hamlin 15/1
Carl Edwards 15/1
Kyle Busch 8/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Greg Biffle 30/1
Kevin Harvick 6/1
Tony Stewart 8/1
Matt Kenseth 30/1
Clint Bowyer 12/1
Kurt Busch 15/1
Mark Martin 20/1
Joey Logano 20/1
Jeff Burton 25/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 20/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Jamie McMurray 10/1
Ryan Newman 30/1
Brian Vickers 30/1
David Reutimann 30/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12/1
A.J. Allmendinger 40/1
Martin Truex Jr. 30/1
Paul Menard 30/1
David Ragan 30/1
Brad Keselowski 50/1
Marcos Ambrose 601
Regan Smith 100/1
Bobby Labonte 100/1
Field (All Others) 25/1

Test Session Confirms Goodyear Tire Compound for 2011 Daytona 500

Trevor Bayne, Brad Keselowski and Jeff Burton Test Tires at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 16, 2010) – As sunshine warmed Daytona International Speedway’s new racing surface on Thursday, so did the expectations and excitement levels for the 53rd Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.

Thursday marked the second day of a two-day Goodyear tire test in preparation both for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ traditional season-opening event and the track’s new asphalt.

The repaving project – only the second in track history and first since 1978 – began immediately after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on July 3 and ended last week. With this week’s test open to all series teams, a number took advantage, filling the frontstretch side of the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage with their haulers.

“I think it has gone really well,” said Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet). “Everybody is happy with the surface. The tire combination seems to be really good.”

“It's just a new attitude,” said Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge). “This is what 2011 will bring to start off our Sprint Cup season. Big, exciting time. I'm proud to be able to say I got a chance to race on the surface when it was redone.”

Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch answer media questions

Busch and Burton, along with reigning Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Bobby Labonte (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota) all visited the infield media center during Thursday’s lunch break. NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton, Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III and Goodyear Director of Racing Greg Stucker also participated in the midday press conference.

“Good communication all along between the folks here at Daytona, Joie, Goodyear, the race teams, the series directors, everybody that had input,” Pemberton said. “It's nice to know you can show up at one of these things, have so many different things that we faced and challenges over the last year to get ready for this. Looks like the plan came together nicely.”

Burton was heartened that Daytona’s repave – while cutting-edge – respected the venue. He cited the 2007 repave at another historic NASCAR venue, Darlington Raceway, as a positive example.

“It's much smoother, has a tremendous amount more grip, but it's still Daytona,” Burton said. “They didn't try to change the banking from the bottom to the top, do all that stuff. They just kept Daytona and put pavement on it. I'm glad that's what they did.”

Although the focus remains on the racing surface, McMurray noted details like a wider pit road.

“They did a really good job, not only on the racetrack, but widening pit road,” he said. “It's really nice to get that little bit of extra room on pit road. Pit road speeds are really fast when you come to [restrictor] plate tracks. Typically we have the smallest brakes on the car that we run all year long, so pit road is also trouble. So the fact they widened that 10 or 12 feet is really nice.”

Media and fan interest also is accelerated. A portion of Daytona’s grandstands was open for public viewing both Wednesday and Thursday and television cameras weren’t the only ones being wielded.

“It's real important,” Labonte said of public and media fanfare. “They have a section open for the fans. They can come down here and see us drafting. I'm sure they've got their cameras out showing video to their buddies now on who-knows-where it's all at. It's the first time we've been to the new facility. That's exciting.”

It’s worth noting that this week’s test was confirmation, not a search process. Stucker said a tight calendar meant Goodyear officials did the bulk of their compound research testing at Daytona’s sister track, Talladega Superspeedway, also the only other restrictor-plate track on NASCAR’s three national series’ calendars.
Drivers, teams and track and NASCAR officials all draw natural comparisons off Talladega, which was repaved prior to its fall 2006 event. The completion of a test asphalt strip at Daytona allowed Goodyear officials to gather additional data, which Stucker said was compared to August’s test results at Talladega.

“We're well into production for the 500,” Stucker said. “In fact, we're just about done. We've come down here and really confirmed that all those decisions we made were the right ones. Very glad to hear that all the guys are comfortable with our setup and really everything we've seen so far has been very good from our perspective, very consistent, a lot of good comments from the drivers.”

Chitwood said the repaving project only enhances the allure of the Daytona 500.

I think when we market Daytona, we market the fact that this is the biggest event we have on the calendar,” he said. “This is how you make NASCAR stars – you win the Daytona 500. It's going to be a great surface out there for all of them to put on a great show.”

NOTE: The next on-track activity for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be January’s three-day test at Daytona. The session, known as NASCAR Preseason Thunder, is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 22. Sunday, Jan. 23 is the rain date.

Kurt Busch and Casey Mears during the test session

The 2011 edition of NASCAR Preseason Thunder will help teams further acclimate to the new pavement, plus speed their preparation for the 53rd Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.

All NASCAR Preseason Thunder sessions begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., weather permitting. Each includes a lunch break from noon until 1 p.m.

Attending media will have daily interview opportunities in the media center.

Fans seeking to rev up their new year can do so at the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona – the companion event to the January test. Along with watching NASCAR Preseason Thunder track activity, fans can enjoy three Fan Fest sessions in Dayton’s Sprint FANZONE – from 5-7 p.m., and 7-9 p.m., on Friday, Jan. 21 and from 5-7 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 22.

Driver question-and-answer and autograph sessions are planned. Fans also can watch each day’s testing at no cost, beginning at 9 a.m.

- NASCAR Press Release

2011 Daytona 500 and Sprint Cup Championship Odds From Las Vegas Posted This Weekend

We'll have a full layout of next years NASCAR odds this weekend from the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book who have become the clear leader in auto racing odds around town. Guess who will be favored to win the title? A much more difficult task will be guessing who is the favorite to win at Daytona.

Looking forward to hearing people's thoughts on who will win it all after witnessing such a great Chase for the Championship in 2010. Will Denny Hamlin be ready to take over, or is the sour defeat a lasting downer? Will Kyle Busch's Cup potential ever come to fruition, or will he continue to show up for only half the races? How about Carl Edwards; can he keep the late Chase momentum going and contend like he did in 2008?

All the clues to the answers won't be known until at least a quarter of the season has passed, but it's always fun to put your money where your mouth, or heart, is early to prove you knew it along.  

NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas: Drivers Play Family Feud

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2010) – Survey says: Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch says…Kyle Busch.

Day 2 of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week featured a day-long fan-friendly event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway dubbed “Chasers for Charity.” The highlight was a NASCAR version of the popular TV game show “The Family Feud.”

And hometown boy Kyle Busch stole the show early, correctly guessing ‘himself’ as the answer to this question: “What driver would you least like to have racing your driver for the win on the final lap?”

Hosted by comedian Kevin Burke, the top-12 drivers in the final series points standings, split into two teams, battled for survey supremacy. Through the track’s website and social media outlets, fans answered a number of questions, with the top-five answers to each put ‘on the board.’

Totaling a combined 13 series championships, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick made up one team. The other squad featured Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton.

Go figure – Team Hamlin, the roster with zero NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, easily bagged the Family Feud title, 400-99.

A sampling of the questions, all of which were NASCAR-themed:

-        “Name a famous finish in NASCAR history.” (No. 1 answer: Darlington, 2003 – closest finish in history, between Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven)

-        “Which driver do most media people enjoy interviewing?” (No. 1 answer: Jeff Burton)

-        “Which NASCAR driver would be most suitable to appear on The Bachelor?” (No. 1 answer: Kasey Kahne)

-        “Name the non-Chase driver who has the best chance of making the Chase next year.” (No. 1 answer: Jamie McMurray)

-        “Which driver from the past would you most like to drive one of your cars today?” (No. 1 answer: Dale Earnhardt)

The game show capped off a number of festivities held throughout the day.

Earlier, the track held a celebrity go-kart race featuring Raybestos Rookie of the Year Kevin Conway, comedians Carrot Top and Kevin Burke and San Francisco Giants centerfielder Aaron Rowand. Predictably, Conway – the ringer of the group – won.

Some of the other activities held in the track’s famed Neon Garage: live music, autograph sessions and a question and answer session with SPEED personalities Krista Voda and Larry McReynolds.

Additionally, the Richard Petty Experience offered rides around the track and charity memorabilia auctions were held throughout the day, with proceeds going to Speedway Children’s Charities.

For the second-consecutive year, Las Vegas hosts the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week, culminating with Friday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas.

SPEED, SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio and MRN Radio will broadcast the event, live at 9 p.m. ET.

Following is a complete rundown of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week activities.

Thursday, Dec. 2

·   NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon: This annual industry/media event begins at 11 a.m., in the Bellagio Ballroom at the Bellagio and includes presentations to the Champion Crew Chief, Champion Sponsor, Raybestos Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver. Fans have the opportunity to attend for the first time. It is co-hosted by NASCAR and the National Motor Sports Press Association.

·   Victory Lap: Set for 3:30 p.m., the top-12 drivers will motor down the famed Las Vegas Strip in their respective race cars. Expect an authentic pit stop along the route and two burn-out sections for drivers. Victory Lap begins in front of Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino and ends at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Prior to Victory Lap at 3 p.m., Johnson will receive the Key to the City of Las Vegas from Mayor Oscar Goodmanand Commissioner Tom Collins. Commissioner Collins also will present a Proclamation recognizing Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 as Jimmie Johnson Day.

·   “NASCAR After The Lap, Made Possible By Coca-Cola and Ford”: This free fan event starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and features a question-and-answer session with drivers and an interactive Coca-Cola Fan Zone experience. Select fans will win NASCAR-themed prizes, including a 2011 Ford Taurus SHO. The Coca-Cola Fan Zone opens at noon, with doors to NASCAR After The Lap opening at 3 p.m. General admission seats are free, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Register for tickets at nascarafterthelap.com.

Friday, Dec. 3

2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony: The big show starts at 6 p.m. (9 p.m. ET), crowning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion driver and owner and honoring the other drivers who finished in the top 10 in the final series standings. The star-studded entertainment lineup for the ceremony includes country rockers Rascal Flatts,comedic host Frank Caliendo, country singer Martina McBride, singer Colbie Caillat and a performance from the Las Vegas show “Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil.” A Sam Bass custom designed Gibson Les Paul guitar being played by Rascal Flatts and signed by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers and the band will be auctioned to support the NASCAR Foundation beginning Friday, Dec. 3 at www.NASCARFoundation.com.

- NASCAR Press Release