Who can get over thinking Jimmie Johnson is inevitable? Not us. We’re prepared for him smoking the entire field early and often and having a Richard Petty like championship season for 2010. At least that way if other teams emerge, we can be pleasantly surprised.
Sitting in the 3rd position on the second row winning the first of the Twin 125’s, the reigning four time champion looks red hot. Many variables determine the winner of the Daytona 500 if there are a few cars in close competition, but if the #48 car is in a position to win in the final stretch, unless the entire field hangs him out to dry, it’s hard not to pick Jimmie Johnson as the favorite to win the Daytona 500.
Tony Stewart is an intriguing possibility. He complained about having a tough car to handle but none-the-less, he did well enough in the Twins to start 6th. Stewart, like Dale Earnhardt Sr. has won everything in sight at Daytona but hasn’t won the big one yet.
For dark horse candidates, keep an eye on Kasey Kahne, the highest Ford in the field. He won the second Twin 125 and looked sharp doing so. Juan Pablo Montoya starts 8th and sure is showing mastery of restrictor plate racing.
In so many ways, the Daytona 500 is setting up to be a reflection of the finish of the 2009 season. Hendricks cars are at the top swapping out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Jeff Gordon in the Promised Land with Gordon checking in further back in 21st.
Roush drivers are nowhere to be found in the top starters. David Ragan who struggled so severely in 2009 is the top Roush starter way back in 19th. Greg Biffle starts 23rd, Matt Kenseth, 24th and Carl Edwards 27th, a most mediocre start for the team that has been the premier Ford team for well over a decade. Conversely, Ford’s other premier entries, the reformulated Richard Petty Racing operation merged with Yates racing not only fields Kasey Kahne on the outside of the second row, but Elliot Sadler starts 12th and A.J. Allmendinger starts 15th putting them in striking distance of the top. Their final team member, Paul Menard, the one driver from the Yates operation to join the team posts a 32nd starting spot.
Joe Gibbs Racing has a rather lack luster draw for the Great American Race, with Kyle Busch starting a respectable 7th. Joey Logano raced for a 15th spot while Deny Hamlin takes the 25th position. After a difficult 2009, Richard Childress racing posts former winner, Kevin Harvick, 5th just barely missing the Twin 125 by a fraction of second to Jimmie Johnson while team mates Clint Bowyer starts 9th but Jeff Burton could only manage a miserable 39th start. With Scott Speed and Sam Hornish Jr. down toward the bottom of the heap, Roger Penske’s and Dodge’s hopes rest on Kurt Busch’s shoulders who starts his #2 car in 10th.
NASCAR added one more rule change guaranteed to stimulate more excitement, all races must finish with a green/white/checkered flag sequence unless a caution is called after the final lap has started. Even if it takes several tries a race must return to green and the white flag can only fly once one green flag lap has been completed. It looks like NASCAR is very serious about trying to mix things up and making races more competitive.
Sunday’s weather will be cool and partly cloudy with temperatures in the 50’s. What a strange irony Daytona 500 historians will ponder that while conditions will have improved greatly in the north east from the worst of what hit the region, many will be more or less housebound on Sunday much like they were in February, 1979 when CBS aired the first flag-to-flag coverage of the race which ended in a vicious fight between the Allison Brothers, Donnie and Bobby, and Cale Yarborough who wrecked in the last lap. As they tangled in the infield grass near turn three, Richard Petty slipped past the carnage to capture his 6th and next to last Daytona 500 victory.
The field for the 2010 Daytona 500 will consist of eight former Daytona 500 winners accounting for twelve victories led by Jeff Gordon with three victories, Bill Elliot and Michael Waltrip, who just barely made the race, with two, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, and Matt Kenseth each having one victory. Hendrick Motor Sports owns six victories leading all active ownership groups.
Manufacturers will be represented by 14 Chevrolets, 3 Dodges, 13 Fords, and 13 Toyotas.
Sitting in the 3rd position on the second row winning the first of the Twin 125’s, the reigning four time champion looks red hot. Many variables determine the winner of the Daytona 500 if there are a few cars in close competition, but if the #48 car is in a position to win in the final stretch, unless the entire field hangs him out to dry, it’s hard not to pick Jimmie Johnson as the favorite to win the Daytona 500.
Tony Stewart is an intriguing possibility. He complained about having a tough car to handle but none-the-less, he did well enough in the Twins to start 6th. Stewart, like Dale Earnhardt Sr. has won everything in sight at Daytona but hasn’t won the big one yet.
For dark horse candidates, keep an eye on Kasey Kahne, the highest Ford in the field. He won the second Twin 125 and looked sharp doing so. Juan Pablo Montoya starts 8th and sure is showing mastery of restrictor plate racing.
In so many ways, the Daytona 500 is setting up to be a reflection of the finish of the 2009 season. Hendricks cars are at the top swapping out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Jeff Gordon in the Promised Land with Gordon checking in further back in 21st.
Roush drivers are nowhere to be found in the top starters. David Ragan who struggled so severely in 2009 is the top Roush starter way back in 19th. Greg Biffle starts 23rd, Matt Kenseth, 24th and Carl Edwards 27th, a most mediocre start for the team that has been the premier Ford team for well over a decade. Conversely, Ford’s other premier entries, the reformulated Richard Petty Racing operation merged with Yates racing not only fields Kasey Kahne on the outside of the second row, but Elliot Sadler starts 12th and A.J. Allmendinger starts 15th putting them in striking distance of the top. Their final team member, Paul Menard, the one driver from the Yates operation to join the team posts a 32nd starting spot.
Joe Gibbs Racing has a rather lack luster draw for the Great American Race, with Kyle Busch starting a respectable 7th. Joey Logano raced for a 15th spot while Deny Hamlin takes the 25th position. After a difficult 2009, Richard Childress racing posts former winner, Kevin Harvick, 5th just barely missing the Twin 125 by a fraction of second to Jimmie Johnson while team mates Clint Bowyer starts 9th but Jeff Burton could only manage a miserable 39th start. With Scott Speed and Sam Hornish Jr. down toward the bottom of the heap, Roger Penske’s and Dodge’s hopes rest on Kurt Busch’s shoulders who starts his #2 car in 10th.
NASCAR added one more rule change guaranteed to stimulate more excitement, all races must finish with a green/white/checkered flag sequence unless a caution is called after the final lap has started. Even if it takes several tries a race must return to green and the white flag can only fly once one green flag lap has been completed. It looks like NASCAR is very serious about trying to mix things up and making races more competitive.
Sunday’s weather will be cool and partly cloudy with temperatures in the 50’s. What a strange irony Daytona 500 historians will ponder that while conditions will have improved greatly in the north east from the worst of what hit the region, many will be more or less housebound on Sunday much like they were in February, 1979 when CBS aired the first flag-to-flag coverage of the race which ended in a vicious fight between the Allison Brothers, Donnie and Bobby, and Cale Yarborough who wrecked in the last lap. As they tangled in the infield grass near turn three, Richard Petty slipped past the carnage to capture his 6th and next to last Daytona 500 victory.
The field for the 2010 Daytona 500 will consist of eight former Daytona 500 winners accounting for twelve victories led by Jeff Gordon with three victories, Bill Elliot and Michael Waltrip, who just barely made the race, with two, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, and Matt Kenseth each having one victory. Hendrick Motor Sports owns six victories leading all active ownership groups.
Manufacturers will be represented by 14 Chevrolets, 3 Dodges, 13 Fords, and 13 Toyotas.
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