Happy Hump Day everyone!

Today In Nascar History

January 7, 1968: Marty Houston is born on this day. Houston, whose father, Tommy, has 24 Nationwide Series victories (tied for fifth with Matt Kenseth), competed in 19 Nationwide races (2000-01) and 44 Truck races. His best Nationwide finish, 13th, came at Daytona in 2001 in his fourth start. In the Truck Series, he had 11 top-10s, including his only top-five, fourth at Kentucky in 2000. Houston's brother Andy competed in all three of NASCAR's top series and picked up three wins in the Truck Series.

Number of the Day

We are counting down the days until the 51st running of the 2009 season-opening Daytona 500 on February 15. Each day we are highlighting a number that corresponds to the countdown number:

39: Ryan Newman's Sprint Cup number in 2009. After 252 races in the No. 12 (his first eight were in the No. 02), Newman switches to the No. 39 in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing. No. 39 is special to Newman. It was his first Silver Crown number and the number for his first USAC midget win at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Newman's home state of Indiana. In addition, six of his seven Nationwide wins have come in the No. 39.

39 Days and counting to the Daytona 500

Bits and Pieces

General Motors renews sponsorship with Daytona

General Motors Corp. has renewed its long-standing sponsorship of the Daytona International Speedway and its signature NASCAR race, the Daytona 500.

There had been some question if GM would renew as financial troubles and slumping sales have forced widespread cuts among all the American automakers. GM recently terminated an endorsement deal with Tiger Woods and pulled out of advertising during Super Bowl XLIII.

Late in 2008, GM decided not to renew their sponsorship of Martinsville Speedway.

For Daytona, rather than a long-term deal however the new contract for NASCAR¡¯s most prestigious event is on a year-to-year basis. The event was the US¡¯s top rated motorsports broadcast in 2008, drawing 33.5 million TV viewers.

GM has been a Daytona sponsor for more than 40 years.

¡°We are able to draw a direct correlation to sales, and that¡¯s where we are going to put our money,¡± GM spokesman Terry Rhadigan said. ¡°We need to be smart with the limited funds that we have and focus those funds where we are going to provide the highest return on our investment.¡±

GM provides fire and safety vehicles, pace cars and other vehicles for the race, as well as a July race at the track. GM did not disclose how much it spends on the Daytona deal or NASCAR sponsorships.

¡°We¡¯re very pleased to have them back as a partner,¡± Daytona spokesman Andrew Booth said. ¡°We¡¯ve had a great relationship with them, and they¡¯ve been a great partner to us.¡±

Former NASCAR team owner reaches plea deal in tax fraud case

Larry McClure the co-founder of Morgan-McClure Motorsports will plead guilty to tax fraud in a plea deal that dismisses tax fraud charges against him according to a report in the Bristol Herald Courier.

According to McClure¡¯s attorney the plea deal was signed by McClure on Monday and filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in Abingdon, VA. It states that McClure will plead guilty to five counts, including making false statements to Internal Revenue Service investigators and filing false tax returns in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

McClure managed his family¡¯s motorsports team for more than 25 years, McClure was indicted by a federal grand jury in October on tax fraud charges and charges relating to wire fraud, mail fraud and violations of federal tax law.

IRS investigators claimed that McClure¡¯s tax returns omitted several large payments from an unidentified Florida man who leased racecars from him.
If convicted on all of the charges in the indictments, McClure would have faced a maximum penalty of 115 years in federal prison and up to $2.75 million in fines.

The plea deal outlined in Tuesday¡¯s court filings would drop charges alleging that McClure had false invoices faxed from out of state stating that he spent $59,852 to paint four show-cars.

The Morgan-McClure team had 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup race wins. That record included three Daytona 500victories.

When the sponsorship pulled out in 2003, the organization struggled, and in January halted operations and laid off 28 employees.

Tommy Baldwin forms new Sprint Cup team

Five-time Sprint Cup and former Daytona 500 winning crew chief Tommy Baldwin announced the formation of a new Sprint Cup Series race team under the existing Tommy Baldwin Racing banner Tuesday.

The team, located in Mooresville, NC, plans to compete in the 51st running of The Daytona 500 in February using Toyota¡¯s. The team will then attempt to campaign full-time in the Sprint Cup series.

¡°With tough economic times upon us, the timing for starting this team is right,¡± Baldwin said. ¡°Our overhead is low and we have a great group of talented mechanics and specialists to choose from. We can offer sponsors the chance to get into Sprint Cup racing at a fraction of the costs, without compromising on-track performance, due to our low overhead.¡±

Baldwin previously formed a Nationwide Series program, which he later sold. The team grew into what is now known as Gillette-Evernham Motorsports.

¡°We will do everything we can to support NASCAR and its fans,¡± Baldwin said. ¡°We are thankful for the opportunity NASCAR offers as we are able to prepare our own car to compete in one of the nation¡¯s top sporting events. That¡¯s what makes NASCAR so different from the other major sports. It¡¯s still attainable to be an owner, if you are willing to put the work in and I¡¯m no stranger to hard work.¡±

There was no word on driver, sponsor or car number.

Earnhardt Junior leads ¡®perceptions index¡¯ among NASCAR fans

CHARLOTTE, N.C., ¡ª Jimmie Johnson may have won his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship, but it¡¯s Dale Earnhardt Jr. who¡¯s won the hearts of NASCAR race fans.

That¡¯s according to the Motorsports DBI (MDBI), an index created by sports marketing agency Millsport as an extension to the celebrity index developed by Davie Brown Entertainment in Los Angeles. Both Millsport and Davie Brown are part of Omnicom¡¯s The Marketing Arm.

In a survey of avid NASCAR fans, Earnhardt Jr. scored the highest across each of the index¡¯s nine attributes, including trust, appeal, influence, and passion. His overall MDBI score was slightly higher than Mark Martin, the second-highest-rated driver overall, and Johnson, who ranked fifth overall.

¡°There are a lot of reasons to like Junior,¡± said Ken Cohn, a vice president in Millsport¡¯s Charlotte, N.C., office. ¡°Clearly, he¡¯s inherited a strong percentage of fans who supported his father, a legend in the sport who really transcended racing emotionally. But Junior has built his own fan base that genuinely appreciates his style, personality, character, and so forth.¡±

Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton, the third- and fourth-highest-scoring NASCAR drivers in the index, round out the top 5.

¡°The top five NASCAR drivers have at least one of three things in common,¡± said Cohn. ¡°First, they¡¯re consistently competitive on the track. Fans consider these drivers to be ¡®in the mix¡¯ to win. Second, these drivers have a history of winning, especially in recent seasons. Or, they have strong legacies, meaning that they have an association with winning championships.¡±

For the first time, the updated Motorsports DBI also includes data on the top drivers from the NHRA and IndyCar racing circuits.

Fans rate Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti, and Scott Dixon the highest among IndyCar drivers, though Castroneves and Kanaan posted the strongest scores in nearly every attribute, including appeal and trust.

According to the index, fans consider Patrick to be a trendsetter and solid endorser.

Among NHRA drivers, John and Ashley Force ranked in the top two spots, respectively, with John¡¯s scores slightly higher than Ashley¡¯s across all of the attributes except for aspiration, where Ashley¡¯s scores were slightly better.

Tony Schumacher, Ron Capps, and Larry Dixon round out the top five NHRA drivers on the index.

Three-Driver Lineup for Holiday Inn Racing in 2009

WELCOME, N.C. ¡ª Richard Childress Racing¡¯s No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Racing team has added championship-winner Clint Bowyer to its driver lineup for the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

The 2008 Nationwide Series drivers¡¯ champion will share the behind-the-wheel duties with Jeff Burton and Stephen Leicht, who were announced in August as co-drivers for 2009. Burton and Scott Wimmer steered the No. 29 Holiday Inn Racing team to the 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series owners¡¯ championship and finished fifth in the owners¡¯ standings last season.

Crew chief Dan Deeringhoff, who guided Bowyer to the Nationwide Series driver¡¯s title, will move from RCR¡¯s No. 2 team to assume the position of crew chief for the Holiday Inn Racing team.

¡°Having the defending Nationwide Series champion adds a tremendous amount of value to our racing program,¡± said John Merkin, Senior Vice President of Brand Management for the Holiday Inn Brands in the Americas. ¡°Clint has proven that he¡¯s a great champion and we look forward to having him behind the wheel with Jeff and Stephen in 2009. This should put the No. 29 Holiday Inn Racing Chevrolet in a great position to compete for another Nationwide Series owners¡¯ point championship in 2009.¡±

¡°We are thrilled about the prospects of our fourth year of partnership with Richard Childress Racing, and continuing to grow our connection with NASCAR fans. Jeff is a tremendous talent and a fantastic brand ambassador for the Holiday Inn Family of Brands and we¡¯re excited to welcome an up and coming talent like Stephen as RCR looks to take this program to the next level.¡±

The Holiday Inn Racing team has earned seven victories, 31 top-five and 53 top-10 finishes in 80 starts over two full seasons (2007, ¡¯08) and a 10-race season in 2006.

¡°We decided to put Clint in for a few races, with Jeff and Stephen, to try to maximize the exposure for Holiday Inn,¡± said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. ¡°He¡¯s a champion who will help both the overall performance of the team and, with Jeff, will provide another direct point of reference for Stephen as he progresses through his learning curve.

¡°Dan is a proven crew chief after leading Clint to the drivers¡¯ championship this past season. He knows what it takes to win both races and a championship. He¡¯s got a good group of people behind him so I¡¯m looking forward to him continuing that success with the Holiday Inn program.¡±

More on Sadler possible lawsuit against GEM: Elliott Sadler¡¯s lawyer says his client does not want to be bought out of his contract with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. He wants to drive. Attorney John Buric said Monday that Sadler will file suit against Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, team owner George Gillett, Ray Evernham Enterprises and driver AJ Allmendinger, hoping to block Allmendinger from replacing Sadler this season in the #19 Dodge. "Our objective is to get in the car and race for them," said Buric, "We have a contract with them. We intend to enforce that contract." Sadler recently filed paperwork in Iredell County (NC) court, giving him until January 20th to file a breach of contract suit, if a settlement cannot be reached. Sadler learned from Christmas Eve media reports that GEM was negotiating with Allmendinger to replace him, and claims that he still has not been officially informed of the move by anyone associated with the team. Buric says Sadler received a phone call saying only that the team wants to buy him out of his contract. "We said we don't want to be bought out,¡± said Buric. ¡°Elliott has a contract that doesn't expire until the end of 2010. He intends to race in 2009 and 2010." He signed a two-year contract extension in May, which runs through the 2010 season. GEM officials have declined to comment.(Motorsports Soapbox)

Hallam ready for new life in USA with role at MWR: Steve Hallam, an engineer and manager the past 27 years in Formula One, is settling into his new office at Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) and a new life in America after leaving his post as head of operations for team McLaren based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. In September, it was announced that Hallam would be making the move to MWR to work in NASCAR leaving behind a rich history in Formula One. He has now assumed his new role as Director of Competition after moving around the globe to North Carolina to set up shop in the 140,000 sq. ft. factory. "It would have been easy to stay at McLaren until I retired," Hallam said. "But what attracted me to Michael Waltrip Racing was the opportunity to work with a young team and, in particular, to be part of the continued development and growth of the multi-car Cup operation as they strive to provide the best equipment and support for their teams. This is a great opportunity to join a closely knit team who are looking to build success by harnessing Toyota engines and technical support to build cars at a level where we can improve upon the tremendous foundation that has already been built."(MWR PR)

Jeff Gordon sells Colorado property: #24-Jeff Gordon has sold most of nearly 2,000 acres he owned in the high country above Missouri Heights [Colorado] to a development group headed by the man who created the Dallas National Golf Club in Texas a few years ago. And John MacDonald, formerly of the Ernst & Young accounting and consulting firm, said he plans to build much the same kind of project here as he did in Dallas. The course designer is to be golf architect Tom Fazio, who also designed the Dallas National course. The deal has yet to close, said broker Scott Davidson of the Aspen Associates Realty Group. Gordon, who reportedly bought the land outside of Carbondale in 2006 for $9 million, was not even thinking of selling the land until MacDonald approached him. But over time he became convinced it was the thing to do, according to John Bickford, Gordon¡¯s stepfather and business manager. ¡°I found it by actually driving around and looking for golf property,¡± MacDonald said of the deal, adding with a hearty laugh, ¡°It took a while, but I wore him down.¡± Gordon retains a 50-acre parcel of his own, as well as ¡°a couple of memberships in the club,¡± MacDonald said. Gordon¡¯s parcel overlooks the proposed golf course site but is not near it, MacDonald said, stressing that the 300-acre golf course will not be peppered with homes, as are a number of other golf subdivisions that have sprung up in the Roaring Fork Valley. Bickford and MacDonald both noted that the property butts up against a neighboring development known as High Aspen Ranch and another called The Ranch at Coulter Creek. He said that some of the homeowners in those subdivisions are likely members of his proposed golf club.(in part from the Aspen Times)

Hall of Fame Racing done? UPDATE 2 denied: hearing from many sources that Hall of Fame Racing, which ran many drivers in the #96 Toyota in 2008, is selling off cars and equipment and most of the work force has been laid off and is not expected to start the season, if run at all. UPDATE: Unless something surprising happens, it appears the Hall of Fame Racing team won't be competing full-time in the 2009 Cup season, if at all. No one involved on the #96 car has said anything official, but the shop is dormant at the moment. One individual involved in the team said the organization already has sold some of its equipment. The team does not have a manufacturer lined up and hasn't announced a driver. DLP/Texas Instruments, which was the primary sponsor since the team's inception in 2006, is only on the car for a few races in 2009. No other sponsors have been announced. The best-case scenario for the team is to sell the number, and whatever sponsorship the #96 has, to a larger Cup team. Team co-owner Jeff Moorad is finalizing a purchase of the San Diego Padres after resigning this week as CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Clearly, the Cup team isn't his top priority at the moment. Moorad and Tom Garfinkel bought HOFR in 2007 from original owners and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, who partnered with Bill Saunders to form the team.(ESPN.com) UPDATE 2: Hall of Fame Racing will compete in the Daytona 500 and race during the 2009 Sprint Cup season, according to a team co-owner. Tom Garfinkel, an Arizona Diamondbacks executive who owns the single-car organization along with Jeff Moorad, said in an e-mail that Hall of Fame "will be racing at Daytona and in 2009." Speculation has swirled around the #96 operation since the team cut ties with Joe Gibbs Racing -- with which it had a technical alliance -- laid off several employees, and reportedly slowed production. The team has sponsorship from DLP, but that deal is not believed to be for the entire season. Moorad, formerly chief executive officer of the Diamondbacks, resigned from that position this week to spearhead an ownership bid for the San Diego Padres. It is unclear whether Moorad's move will affect the race team. Garfinkel, the Diamondbacks' executive vice president, said more details on Hall of Fame Racing's 2009 plans will follow in the coming weeks.(NASCAR.com)

Expanded Roles for Massaro, Reid, Welch on ESPN: Three veterans of ESPN¡¯s motorsports team, Mike Massaro, Marty Reid and Vince Welch, will have new NASCAR responsibilities on ESPN in 2009.
Massaro, who has been a NASCAR pit reporter the past two years, will join Nicole Manske and Allen Bestwick as host of NASCAR Now, ESPN2¡¯s daily NASCAR news and information program. Massaro and Manske will share the primary host role on a rotating basis, while Bestwick will continue as host of the Monday roundtable discussion edition. Massaro will still work the pits for selected Nationwide Series telecasts.
Reid, who has been the lead announcer for ESPN¡¯s coverage of the IndyCar Series the past three years, as well as a play-by-play announcer for selected Nationwide Series telecasts the past two years, will see his NASCAR appearances increase. Reid will be the play-by-play announcer for ESPN¡¯s coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series for much of the second half of the season, after ESPN begins its 17-race coverage of the Sprint Cup Series. Dr. Jerry Punch will continue as play-by-play announcer for the Sprint Cup coverage and for the Nationwide Series in the first half of the season. Reid will be lead announcer for the Indianapolis 500 and ESPN on ABC¡¯s four other races on the IndyCar Series.
Welch will become one of ESPN¡¯s four primary NASCAR pit reporters for 2009 after having worked selected NASCAR races the past two years while serving as a fulltime pit reporter for ESPN¡¯s IndyCar Series coverage. He will work all of ESPN¡¯s Sprint Cup telecasts in the second half of the year along with multiple Nationwide Series races throughout the season. In addition, Welch will be a pit reporter for ESPN on ABC¡¯s five-race IndyCar Series coverage, including the Indianapolis 500.
The rest of ESPN¡¯s team of announcers, analysts and reporters for NASCAR will return in 2009. Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will be lead analysts for the race telecasts, joining Punch and Reid in the booth, while Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake will again be pit reporters. Tim Brewer will continue as analyst in the ESPN Tech Center.
Bestwick will continue to host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program from the ESPN Pit Studio, with analysis by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Analyst Ray Evernham will join NASCAR Countdown for selected races and will continue his role as an analyst on NASCAR Now and other ESPN studio programs. Wallace and Evernham will work selected Nationwide Series telecasts as analysts in the booth, filling in for Jarrett and Petree.
NASCAR Now returns on Monday, Feb. 2, while ESPN¡¯s live NASCAR racing for 2009 begins with flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 14, on ESPN2.(ESPN PR)

BDR Employees Laid-Off; But¡­UPDATE 3 no Truck Teams? ....are hearing that most of Bill Davis Racing¡¯s employees were laid-off earlier this week following the sale of the team to Marty Gaunt and Mike Held. Despite the bad news, all team members are getting a chance to reapply for their position with the team. They will begin bringing back employees after the first of the year. The move appears to be an attempt at restructuring the organization. By doing this, they can cut loose any employees they do not want while removing any seniority and cutting salaries they might see as high. Given the present climate, it is very much an owner¡¯s market. There are a lot of talented people who are looking for work and those with an opportunity to stay where they are at are very likely to take a pay cut in order to avoid job loss.(NASCAR Insiders) UPDATE: hearing that Triad Racing Technologies [TRT] has not re-hired many of the people laid off and that the team will only attempt to run the Sprint Cup Series along with chassis, engines and tech support to other teams. And supposedly will not run ANY Truck Series team leaving driver Mike Skinner looking for a ride. UPDATE 2: Brian Scott [who had signed with BDR for 2009] will return to the Truck Series as a one-truck team with Xpress Motorsports driving the #16 Albertson's Toyota. Jeff Hensley returns as crew chief as well as some former BDR crew members have joined the team.(Xpress Motorsports) UPDATE 3: As of yesterday [Monday], TRT has hired 80+ people back and is in full operation.(TRT)

NO news on the GEM-Petty merger: The expected Petty Enterprises-Gillett Evernham Motorsports merger likely won¡¯t be announced Monday, and the Petty Enterprises shop was fairly quiet. There were only about 15 cars parked in the Petty parking lot Monday morning. Sources have indicated that the team has laid off most of its employees. It is expected that the two teams will merge, with Petty¡¯s famed #43 car joining the GEM stable. With the #43 car guaranteed a spot in the first five races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and GEM¡¯s #10 not guaranteed a position [but could move up with 2-3 others teams dropping out due to the Ganassi-DEI merger and BDR sell], the #43 could be driven by Reed Sorenson, who has already signed to drive for GEM. GEM also could face a lawsuit over its driver stable. Elliott Sadler, who reportedly has been dropped in favor of AJ Allmendinger, has filed a notice with North Carolina Superior Court in Statesville, N.C., that claims that GEM breached its contract with Sadler. GEM spokesman Drew Brown said Monday the company has no comment on the legal filing and that no announcements were planned for today [Monday].(SceneDaily)

Why does it cost so much to field a race team today?

by Darrell Waltrip/foxsports.com

One of the most asked questions I get from fans, especially now in these tough economic times, is why does it cost so much to field a race team? As I mentioned a few days ago, it really wasn't that long ago ¡ª late 1990's ¡ª where you could field a car for $5 million ¡ª and a winning car at that. Now all you hear is that winning cars take $20 to $25 million a year to operate.

People want to know what teams do with all that money especially if you are a multi-car team. Do the math on a three or four car team bringing in $20 million per car. So what I thought I would do is give you an overview of what a race operation looks like today.

Start at the front

Back in the day we used to call them shops ¡ª Now, when you pull up in front of one, they almost look like palaces, 180,000 to 200,000 square-foot palaces at that. The first thing you will notice is big glass fronts with high arches. Walk in the door and you will see is a receptionist, a show room and probably a huge souvenir shop. In the show room you will probably find cars that just came off the track. There will be trophies, pictures and checkered flags.

Past that you will notice a lot of offices. There will be some for the owner, general manager, crew chiefs and on and on and on. Most race teams today try and do everything in-house for their sponsors. There will be a public relations department, a marketing department, a new business development department, a travel department, a human resources department. Guess what? All those departments take people and more people mean more salaries. You'll have a vice president of this and a vice president of that and they don't come cheap. You'll find a huge conference room where you can have big meeting or a presentation. Most will have a media room for interviews as well.

Next you will probably see a coffee area or even a restaurant with a chef on staff. Then you will see a workout room. You will probably find more workout equipment in one of these race teams than you will at your gym. Naturally, there is someone on staff who is in charge of that too. You have to have it to keep everyone in shape. Remember now ¡ª a healthy body and mind makes for a good employee.

How to build a car

Teams will also have an engineering department. The place will be full of offices and computers. They are doing all the high-tech stuff, focusing on engine, car and body design. Well these folks work hand in hand with the R&D department ¡ª research and development. They naturally have their own offices, equipment and people.

The teams will all have a setup area where the cars are prepared to go to the track. The cars are put on a surface plate and measured and weighed and the car is set up properly. Near it you will find an area with a number of shock dynos. Shock specialists work there. They are directly related to the guys running the seven-post machines you hear us talk about all the time.

A seven-post rig simulates the race car going around the track. That is why testing is so important to the teams. They test at the track and map the track and then bring that data back to replicate the track in the seven-post ¡ª that's vital information that's acquired during a test. Not only do they need the track mapped, but it gives the teams aero numbers, side force numbers, tire information and on and on. So the shock specialists have to work closely with the guys on the seven-post because that's one of the main things you are tuning on ¡ª your shock package.

You will also find a room with some of the biggest machines you will ever see in your life. Those are CNC machines, which stand for "computerized numerical control." Computers run those as well and they cost several million dollars. They can make parts and pieces over and over that are identical to each other. Some machines might even make 1000 parts on a weekend with no operator, checking each part with lasers and sensors.

Then you will get to an area that finally looks like what you expect a race shop to look like ¡ª the fab shop. That's where they do all the fabrication on the chassis and the bodies. It's where they do all the dirty work. Also near them you will find a number of spray bake paint booths. They put all the colors on the car and then bake it on the body just like they do at the factory.

From there the car will go to clean up and from there it will go to assembly. From assembly it will go back up to the surface plate that I mentioned before. From there the car could go anywhere.

You get the car all finished and ready to go to the track, so maybe you want to chassis dyno it first. Well, that is another separate area all to its own. This allows you to verify everything before you put it on the hauler. Yes, let's not forget the hauler ¡ª and these days it should be plural, haulers. Those big 18 wheelers are kept ready to roll. You might have one that's dedicated to the test team. You have one that goes to the track. So naturally if you are a multiple car team, you will have multiple haulers standing at the ready.

Ready to roll

That's just a brief overview of what a racing facility looks like today. That's the reason it takes so much money. It's a huge facility with literally hundreds of people working there. It's also a lot of hardware, a lot of equipment and very expensive equipment at that. So you can see where all that money mounts up. You know what the irony is? The car that they load onto the hauler is actually the least expensive part in this whole whacky equation. With the finest of everything on it that money can buy, that car headed to the track doesn't cost anymore than $150,000 ready to race.

The bottom-line is that we have just taken everything to a new level that it never has been before. But in my opinion, it's been taken to a level that is not necessary. I've said it before and will keep saying it ¡ª who needs a 200,000 square-foot shop? Who needs all that stuff these teams say they can't live without today? I think we can get by without it. That's the problem we are facing, especially in this sour economy.

You know what? I haven't even touched on getting these people to and from the track. Back in the day, a van load of crew members would drive to the track to work on the car. On Sunday morning, our plane would bring the pit crew. The plane would wait until after the race and then fly the road crew home so they could be in the shop Monday morning ready to work. The pit crew would then drive back.

We didn't have these huge airplanes to fly everyone down and back. Now you have crew members with their own rental cars and even their own hotel rooms. You have crew chiefs with their own motorcoaches at the track for pete's sake. We used to mandate two crew members to a hotel room and the crew chief got his own room. So things have escalated and things have changed in a way that does nothing to enhance racing on Sunday.

Things have all been added for convenience sake and turned into "monkey see, monkey do." The other expression that fits is "keeping up with the Joneses." For example, when Dale Earnhardt Sr. built his Garage-Mahal for DEI, well then the others decided they needed a bigger place. So they had to make their place bigger and better, so they laid out plans for their "Super Garage-Mahal." That's just an example of how it has gone and why the sport has become so expensive.

Those are some of the habits that we need to break ourselves of if these race teams are going to survive during these tough economic times. 

Top-30 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers

Ryan Newman, 17^th

Lee Montgomery/scenedaily.com

Ryan Newman¡¯s 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season can be defined by two things: Winning the Daytona 500 and ending his nine-year tenure with Penske Racing to join Stewart-Haas Racing.
 
In between those two newsworthy events, Newman struggled through a fairly nondescript season. Besides his Daytona 500 victory, he had one other top-five and seven other top-10 finishes. And he won only one pole, the fewest in his seven full-time seasons in Cup.
 
Newman won more than $6.1 million in 2008, though more than $1.5 million came from one race, the Daytona 500. The South Bend, Ind., native finished 17th in the final standings, marking the third year in a row he¡¯s missed making the field for the Chase For The Sprint Cup.
 
Still, the 31-year-old Newman was a driver in demand. Once the news about Tony Stewart¡¯s new team surfaced, so did rumors about Newman¡¯s association with Stewart-Haas. He¡¯ll drive the No. 39 Chevrolet in 2009, with sponsorship from the U.S. Army.
 
During the offseason, SceneDaily is taking a look at the top 30 in 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points. Here¡¯s how Newman¡¯s season unfolded:

By the numbers: Newman¡¯s season started with a whirlwind as Penske teammate Kurt Busch helped push him to the checkered flag in a furious finish to the Daytona 500. The victory brought added attention and exposure to Newman, and he followed that up with a 10th-place finish in California. Newman stayed in a position to make the Chase with three top-10 finishes in four races later in the year, but he couldn¡¯t maintain momentum. He slipped out of the top 12 in points with a 37th-place finish at Darlington and then posted only three more top-10 finishes the rest of the year.
 
Season highlights: Winning the Daytona 500 is not only a season highlight but also a career highlight for most drivers. Newman led only eight laps during the race but worked the draft to perfection in the closing circuits to get to the front ¨C and stay there. The win was the 13th of his career and his first since September 2005.
 
Key setbacks: Newman won the pole and led 37 laps at Phoenix in April, but he blew an engine, finished last and dropped out of the top 10 in the Sprint Cup standings. Later in the season, after creeping back into Chase contention with a sixth at Bristol in August, Newman finished 16th, 33rd and 36th in successive races to fall to 17th in the standings.
 
Newsworthy moment: On Aug. 15, Newman was officially introduced as the second driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, joining fellow Indiana native and team co-owner Stewart. ¡°There were an easy three other teams that made me offers,¡± Newman said. ¡°It was mostly Tony [why I signed]. Obviously, I saw the shop. I saw the backbone, the foundation that Haas had laid with their efforts. Talking to Tony and his people, it seemed to be the best decision for the right reasons.¡±
 
In his words: ¡°The friendships and relationships that I¡¯ve made over the last several years are priceless.  To win the Daytona 500 for [team owner] Roger [Penske] is something that I¡¯ll never forget.  Our year ended in a struggle, but my entire Alltel Dodge team fought every race to get the best finish that we could. I want to wish [teammates] Kurt [Busch] and Sam [Hornish Jr.] and all the guys the best as I transition into a new race team.¡±

Sporting News¡¯ 60 Most Beautiful People

No. 39, Mike Massaro

Rebecca Rudolph/scenedaily.com

In 60 years of NASCAR racing, the sport has been filled with colorful characters. This year, Sporting News decided to craft a list of the sport's 60 Most Beautiful People.

The selections were made as a result of nominations sent in by readers and NASCAR fans to the Sporting News' publications and Web sites.

The list was finalized and published in a special edition, which is now available on newsstands and at the online store at streetandsmiths.com. SceneDaily is running the list, with one person from the top 60 to be featured each day.

Today's installment features No. 39, Mike Massaro.

ESPN analyst and pit reporter Mike Massaro works hard at the track all week, with race day being his culmination.

¡°It starts on Tuesday,¡± Massaro says. ¡°We¡¯re sent hundreds of press releases a week and I put them in a nice, concise notebook so I can find them easily during the race.¡±
Then he speaks with drivers and pit-crew members, finding nuggets of information for his race-day reports.

The longtime motorsports journalist became involved with NASCAR well before his current gig arrived in 2007.

¡°There¡¯s a picture on my desk of me when I was 8 years old sitting in a race car,¡± he says. ¡°I always surprise people when they ask me who my favorite driver is - it¡¯s Brian Ross. He was the guy who drove the modified my dad worked on when I was a kid.¡±

After a racing-infused childhood spent in Connecticut, Massaro went to Emerson College in Boston, receiving his degree in speech. Like many young graduates, he struggled to find a job. ¡°My dad encouraged me to go to Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway and be an announcer,¡± he says.

From there, Stafford owner and ABC/ESPN pit-reporting veteran Jack Arute mentored Massaro, teaching him the secrets of NASCAR broadcasting success. Two years later, he was asked to become the track¡¯s P.R. director before moving on to radio¡¯s Motor Racing Network.

Not long after, he switched to television, reporting for ¡°Inside NASCAR¡± on TNN and working the pits for NBC. 

Where were the fireworks NASCAR promised?

by Jeff Owens, NASCAR Scene, FOXSports.com

As usual, the 2008 Sprint Cup season arrived with great anticipation and high expectations.

NASCAR delivered on some of those promises; some it didn't. That's always the case. You win some; you lose some.

But NASCAR failed miserably in one key area this year, letting down fans who were licking their chops, eagerly anticipating one brand of excitement and entertainment they had come to enjoy over the years.

When it came to feuds, scuffles, confrontations and plain ole, honest-to-goodness fights, well, 2008 left a lot to be desired.

As the 2008 season approached, NASCAR vowed to focus more attention on its core fans, hopefully luring back some of the longtime, die-hard fans who had become disgruntled or bored with the sport over the years.

One way NASCAR hoped to accomplish that was by easing up on its drivers a bit, letting them show a little raw emotion and even do a little pushing and shoving and intentional fender-banging without slapping them with ridiculous penalties.

NASCAR followed through on its promise, but the drivers themselves didn't do much to cooperate.

Fans, of course, were hoping this would be a season in which they might see a lot of beating and banging and pushing and shoving ¡ª both on and off the track. They were expecting something on the scale of the Allison-Yarborough infield brawl of 1979.

But, with the exception of a couple of skirmishes, it didn't happen.

Fans at New Hampshire got to see one, good crew brawl late in the season. But that was in the Truck series ¡ª doesn't count.

When it came to real, live driver altercations ¡ª the kind in which there is at least some clutching and grabbing, if not a downright punch ¡ª there were all of two.

Maybe. Allegedly.

The season started with a bang, with Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart getting into it during practice for the Budweiser Shootout. Busch got into Stewart on the track, leading to some bumping and name-calling and finger-pointing on pit road.

This one had the potential to spill over into a free-for-all in the NASCAR garage. And it almost did.

Both drivers were called to the NASCAR hauler, where Busch allegedly made fun of Stewart's bulging waistline, and Stewart allegedly punched him. Or something to that effect, or so said the gossipers and rumormongers.

Both drivers were tight-lipped and coy about what really happened, so we may never really know for sure. But we do know something juicy and nasty happened inside that hauler, giving fans something flirtatious and enticing to start the season off with.

NASCAR did its part by refraining from fining or suspending either driver.

That gave fans great hope for the season ahead. If Busch and Stewart could get away with such shenanigans, anything was possible.

Unfortunately, that was it until October.

That's when Carl Edwards wrecked a bunch of cars at Talladega, Kevin Harvick ripped him on TV, and Carl, he of the hurt feelings, left Harvick a nasty note that was promptly leaked to the media.

Finally, we had an honest-to-goodness feud, with a soap-opera quality to stoke the fire.

And this one did produce some fireworks, with Edwards confronting Harvick in the Nationwide Series garage the next week at Charlotte.

Harvick apparently didn't like Edwards' tone and shoved him, at which point Edwards grabbed Harvick by the throat. Crews had to intervene and break it up.

It was good drama and great theater. Too bad in happened in a far-away Nationwide Series garage, out of the view of fans, media and television cameras. A few photographers were there, but fans never got the full affect of the incident.

And, unfortunately, that was the end of it. With Edwards and Harvick both in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the ugliness never spilled over onto the track, which is a shame, because fans deserved to see those two hotheads go at it.

There were a few other minor fender-benders and dust-ups, most involving Kyle Busch, but none produced anything more than some ugly, clever name-calling. (Busch calling Edwards Mr. Ed at Bristol was classic.)

With Busch and Stewart getting into it early in the season, and NASCAR shunning any significant penalties, fans might have expected much more.

NASCAR basically gave drivers the green light to have an all-out battle royal on pit road, but none took advantage of it.

That's no way to win back bored fans. Or attract new ones.

NASCAR may need to go to Plan B: Offering 5 bonus points for a good zinger, 10 for a scuffle, 15 for a good punch. Anyone who doesn't fight in the first 26 races misses the Chase.

It needs to do something to stir drivers up and make them show some real emotion.

It can't keep letting its fans down that way.  

Driver Review

David Ragan

Doug Turnbull ¡¤ Frontstretch.com

2008 Ride: No. 6 Roush Fenway Ford
2008 Sponsor: AAA
2008 Owners: Geoff Smith / Jack Roush / John Henry
2008 Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig

Stats: 36 Races, 0 Wins, 6 Top 5s, 14 Top 10s, 0 Poles, 13th in points.
Best Finish: 3rd ¨C twice (Michigan ¨C June, Talladega ¨C October).

High Point: Restrictor plate races have been a consistent strength for Ragan in his career, and a third place finish in the Talladega Chase race solidified that notion. Ragan ran with the leaders for most of the day, and was bumped up to a third place finish after NASCAR ruled that rookie Regan Smith dipped below the yellow line. Backing up a fifth place at Daytona three months earlier, Ragan proved once again that he can run well in a plate race, and has gained the trust of savvy plate veterans like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the draft.

The high point of Ragan¡¯s season was not just the Talladega race alone, however ¡ª it was also the stretch of races it fell into. Beginning with the third Chase race in Kansas, Ragan reeled off a string of seven consecutive Top 15s, with five of those finishes 10th or better. If Ragan had made the Chase, he would have been in contention for the Sprint Cup title; instead, he used the majority of the playoffs to clinch 13th in the driver¡¯s standings with ease.

Low Point: Making the Chase is what every Sprint Cup driver sets as his goal when the season begins. But after a disappointing rookie year, Ragan and the No. 6 team likely had a more realistic goal on their minds ¡ª scoring more than just three Top 10s and improving slightly upon their 24.5 average finish from 2007, both statistics that left them well outside playoff contention. Instead, Roush Fenway¡¯s original team managed to exceed the expectations of many, fighting for a Chase spot until the deciding race at Richmond in September.

Early in that event, Ragan¡¯s playoff hopes were almost snuffed out, as he lost control during a restart and collected teammate Matt Kenseth in the wreck ¡ª causing both drivers to sustain major damage to their cars. The sophomore¡¯s chances then appeared to be ruined; but Ragan managed to battle back and stay in contention through the midpoint of the race. In fact, he was in a direct battle with Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne to land the coveted 12th spot in the points for much of the event. As the race wound down, though, the damage from that crash caused Ragan to slip back, while Bowyer maintained a running position just high enough to stay 12th in the points. By the finish, Ragan had faded to 32nd, and wound up out of the Chase and stuck at 13th in the points. He followed that disappointment with a 28th place run in the next race at New Hampshire, then scored an 18th at Dover in Chase race two, wrapping up one of the team¡¯s worst three-race stretches of 2008.

Summary: David Ragan¡¯s second year on the Sprint Cup tour began like most of his rookie year races ended¡­ a big wreck. During the season-opening Daytona 500, Ragan lost control of his No. 6 Ford, swept up teammate Matt Kenseth, and sent both careening into the wall. Ragan ended up 42nd, and then had to endure post-race criticism from Kenseth himself that lasted long after the checkered flag.

However, as the year progressed, many started to notice Ragan¡¯s team turn it around. He finished 14th at Fontana and 7th the next week in Las Vegas. As the year wore on, solid finishes in the Top 15 became the norm, including an 11th at Martinsville and a 13th at Texas that allowed the team to gain a bit of momentum. A bad Phoenix run in April was followed by Ragan¡¯s first Top 5 of the season, a 4th at Talladega that set the team up for a consistent Spring and Summer of strong performances.

As the season wore on, many mid-level teams sunk into the late teens and early 20s in the points. But Ragan was the exception, nearly pulling off a huge upset and scoring a playoff spot from one of the Chase veterans down the stretch. Even after barely missing out on the Top 12, he and his team got it together and easily finished a ¡°best of the rest¡± 13th in the points.

If there is a type of track that is Ragan¡¯s Achilles heel, it may be the road courses. Ragan¡¯s finish of 24th at Infineon was considered a Top 10 for the driver and the team, while his 30th place run in Watkins Glen was one of the nails in the coffin for the No. 6¡¯s Chase hopes. If Ragan wants to contend in 2009, he needs to improve upon those finishes at those two tracks.

Despite any weaknesses, though, Ragan¡¯s maturation as a driver was one of the better stories of 2008 and has done wonders for his career. Not only did Ragan gain the respect and admiration of other drivers, fans, and the media alike, but it helped him gain sponsorship for next season in a sagging economy. He improved his points position from 23rd to 13th in 2008, scored 11 more Top 10s and four more Top 5s than he did in his rookie season, and improved his average finishing position by almost 10 spots over his 2007 average. Ragan has come a long way from being a ¡°dart without feathers,¡± as Tony Stewart called him after his second career race in 2006.

Team Ranking: 4th among Roush Fenway¡¯s five-driver fleet. That just shows how good Roush¡¯s team is ¡ª RFR had three drivers ahead of Ragan make the Chase in Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards.

Off-Track News: When AAA announced it was leaving Ragan¡¯s team early in 2008, some thought that if another sponsor did not sign, his team would be the one to disappear from the Roush stable, since Roush Fenway has to downsize from five teams to four after 2009. Instead, the team stepped up its performance enough to score an A-grade sponsorship from UPS, who decided to leave Michael Waltrip Racing after two disappointing years.

This not only guarantees funding for the team, but also means increased exposure for Ragan, as UPS spends lots of money activating its NASCAR sponsorship. Remember the ¡°Drive the Truck, Dale¡± commercials? Ragan had been fairly obscure amongst the Cup ranks this season until his team crept into Chase contention. Not anymore ¡­ expect to see more Ragan commercials with not just UPS, but also with Coca-Cola as he joins the Coke Family of Drivers this season.

2009 Outlook: Expect big things from the No. 6 team next season now that Georgia driver Ragan and Georgia company UPS have come together. Not only will he have a world class sponsor on the hood of his car, but the car itself is world class equipment. With an additional year of experience under his belt, Ragan also knows better than ever how to take good equipment and score good finishes without wrecking.

As limitless as this youngster¡¯s future may be, though, fans should not expect him to run off with his first Sprint Cup title in 2009. Improving one¡¯s point position from 23rd to 13th is much easier than gaining another 10 positions to 3rd. The competition at the top of the points chart is like no other in sports these days. Case in point: even drivers Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and Matt Kenseth went winless in ¡¯08, never seriously threatening for the title despite making the Chase. Ragan may be able to break that playoff threshold in ¡¯09 ¡ª but getting near the Top 5 in points is highly unlikely. How can they keep moving up? The No. 6 bunch should concentrate on turning 13th place finishes into 8th places, while working on trying to score more bonus points by leading laps at tracks besides Daytona and Talladega.

Quote of the Year: ¡°Driving for Roush Fenway Racing is already a big dream come true; but on top of that, to now represent a leading international corporation such as UPS on the race track is really special. UPS is a company that is so incredibly popular and respected not just here, but all over the world. Everywhere you go, people love UPS, and it will be fantastic to wear that famous shield logo.¡±
Ragan on sponsor UPS joining his team in 2009.

2006 Frontstretch.com Grade: N/A.
2007 Grade: D+.
2008 Grade: B+.

Driver Review

Kyle Petty

Jeff Meyer ¡¤ Frontstretch.com

2008 Ride: No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge
2008 Primary Sponsors: Wells Fargo / Paralyzed Veterans of America / Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil / Coca-Cola
2008 Owner: Richard Petty / Boston Ventures
2008 Crew Chief: Billy Wilburn (Feb. ¨C Apr.)
Stewart Cooper (Apr. ¨C Nov.)

Stats: 15 Races, 0 Wins, 0 Top 5s, 0 Top 10s, 1 DNF, 2 DNQs, 44th in points.
Best Finish: 24th (Richmond ¨C September).
Average Finish: 34.8.

High Point: OK, let¡¯s be honest here. Other than his dedication to charity and the Victory Junction Gang Camp(s), there was no high point to the 2008 season for Kyle Petty. If you consider a season best 24th place finish at Richmond in September a ¡°high point,¡± then by all means, that has to be it.

Low Point: The entire 2008 season! I mean, where do you start? All year, there were talks of mergers here, talks of mergers there for Petty Enterprises ¡­ even after they got investors! Deals were on¡­ no, wait, they were off! It was a merry-go-round of speculation combined with some of the worst on-track performances since Petty took over the No. 45 car eight years ago.

Probably the lowest point for the team, though, occurred back in September when the full scope of the turmoil at Petty Enterprises was brought to light. At the time, not many people within the organization had much to say about the situation; but Kyle¡¯s wife, Patti, took it upon herself to speak her mind.

¡°Maybe I¡¯m the only one here willing to tell the truth,¡± she said. ¡°They haven¡¯t wanted Kyle in the car the last three years. They want a young driver, a 30-year-old, a 20-year-old. But Wells Fargo, our sponsor, says it¡¯s going to stay with Kyle, whatever he does. I wish Chip Ganassi would take a look at Kyle. He¡¯s got a 12-race sponsorship deal for next year that would be a perfect part-time schedule for Kyle. And Kyle could help mentor a young driver. [Petty Enterprises leadership] told him at Watkins Glen ¨C right when he was standing there in his driver¡¯s suit ¨C that they didn¡¯t want him in the car.¡±

At the time, it was highly suspected that Kansas would be Kyle¡¯s last race with PE, which turned out not to be the case. King Richard¡¯s son did drive the No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge ¡ª most likely for the last time ¡ª in the 35th race of the year at Phoenix, finishing 39th. Unfortunately, he crashed out of that race ¡ª Kyle¡¯s only DNF of his 15 starts for the season ¡ª writing a rough ending for what could have been his final Sprint Cup Series start.

Summary: Not good. Not good at all. Fans have probably seen the last of Kyle Petty in a Cup car¡­ but wait! Let¡¯s look at the 2009 Outlook!

2009 Outlook: Depending on what you believe, Petty¡¯s Cup career may be far from over after all. The LATEST rumor, as of January 2nd, was that E & M Motorsports would field Kyle in the No. 08 Dodge in as many as 14 races ¡ª with Wells Fargo as a sponsor. That, however, has been denied, with multiple sources saying nothing¡¯s been signed for 2009 as of yet.

Two days before that, it was reported that Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) will merge with Petty Enterprises ¡ª possibly becoming GPM, as we all know that Ray Evernham is totally out of the deal. But that, too, is still speculation at this point, as nothing has been finalized because it would seem all those involved change their minds as often as they change their collective socks and underwear. Your guess is as good as mine¡­ personally, I¡¯d advise you not to even think about it all, as it could cause insanity.

What is known about Kyle¡¯s future (I think¡­ maybe¡­ at last report) is that he is slated to run¡­ well, screw it! I¡¯ll let Kyle speak for himself.

¡°I¡¯m going to do my six TV races for Turner [Sports],¡± Kyle said. ¡°I¡¯m still working with SPEED, doing [the] Tradin¡¯ Paint [show], and I¡¯ll be able to do a couple different things with them, maybe with the Grand American division or a couple other things. I¡¯m just going to take a step back and see what goes on, and see where the sport goes and see where motorsports goes for the next little bit and try to figure out what I¡¯m going to do. I¡¯m going to run the 24-Hour [Rolex] race at Daytona. That may be my only race of the year; maybe I¡¯ll run more races. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. If the right opportunity came along, I think I¡¯m like Bill Elliott. I¡¯m not ready to retire. I may not be there every week, but I don¡¯t consider myself retired. You know what I mean? So if the right opportunity came along where I thought we could be competitive, with the right leadership and the right group, I think I would be [interested]. But right now, just [looking at it] as a sports fan over the last eight or 10 years, it¡¯s a business decision. If somebody has the money ¡ª if you have the sponsorship and you have the dollars ¡ª it¡¯s easier to find something. But right now, there aren¡¯t a lot of people out there with money.¡±

I think I need a handful of aspirin!

2006 Frontstretch.com Grade: C.
2007 Grade: C.
2008 Grade: F.

Remembering Dale ¨C The Triumphs

JimMcCoy/bumpdrafts.com

In sports, greatness is measured in results. Results equal championships. The New York Yankees, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Boston Celtics all have their place in the annals of history for achieving the pinnacle in their respective sports.

Many thought Richard Petty¡¯s standard of 7 NASCAR Cup titles pretty close to untouchable. For all their greatness- only David Pearson, Lee Petty, Cale Yarborough, and Darrell Waltrip had come close with three championships apiece.

Dale Earnhardt fought for his place in NASCAR history with his unbelievable feats of derring- do, undaunted determination, and most of all, equaling Petty¡¯s mark of 7 titles. If Richard Petty is ¡°The King¡±, then Dale Earnhardt is the ¡°Captain of The Royal Guard.¡± Each championship run has its story.

1980

The season was a changing of the guard in some ways. The likes of Richard Petty, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough were giving way to guys like Earnhardt, Waltrip, and Neil Bonnett, with Bobby Allison and Benny Parsons bridging the gap.

Earnhardt earned his first superspeedway win in Atlanta by edging Rusty Wallace- setting the stage for close title fight between Ironhead and Yarbrough. Richard Petty¡¯s season would be waylayed by a broken neck suffered in the Coca- Cola 500 in late July.

Yarborough edged Earnhardt in wins by a 6-5 margin. Darrell Waltrip also had 5 victories. Back to back wins in Martinsville and Charlotte solidified Dale¡¯s title run, as well as leading with 19 top 5s and 24 top 10s. It was classic short track racing at the Virginia track as the Intimidator averaged just 70 miles per hour.

Ultimately, Earnhardt clipped Yarborough by 19 points. He also added races in Bristol and Nashville to the victory column. Though the margin of victory was close, Earnhardt never relinquished the early season lead he built in the points.

After battling, hustling, and wrestling his way into NASCAR Cup racing, Earnhardt established himself as one who belonged.

1986

The intervening years were a bumpy road as he bounced around a bit, racing for Rod Osterlund, Jim Stacy and Bud Moore before pairing for good with old friend and former racing rival Richard Childress for a partnership that would last the rest of Dale¡¯s life.

Earnhardt endured one of many heartbreaking finishes at Daytona, running out of fuel in the season opener and thus, he gave way to Geoff Bodine, one of his fiercest rivals. The following week at Richmond, Earnhardt clashed late in the race with another arch-rival Darrell Waltrip, enabling Kyle Petty to win. Not the way you want to start a title run.

Earnhardt scored back-to-back wins in mid-April at Darlington and North Wilkesboro to get momentum. He¡¯d need it, as Waltrip was a factor throughout the season, and the late Tim Richmond- who led the way with 7 victories. Earnhardt, Waltrip, Richmond, and Bill Elliott rounded out the top 5.

While Rusty Wallace and Bobby Hillin, Jr. made fireworks with wins- Earnhardt¡¯s comeback win at Charlotte made headlines, working his way back from two laps down to get the win, making a Charlotte sweep for the season. An Atlanta victory capped off a season with 5 wins, 16 tops 5s, and a series leading 23 top 10s.

The Man In Black (as he would later be known) was back!

1987

The Intimidator was the dominator with 11 wins- whipping second place Bill Elliott by nearly 500 points! After Elliott won at Daytona, Earnhardt scored wins in weeks two and three at Rockingham and Richmond. After Ricky Rudd scored a victory at Atlanta- Dale went wild with 4 straight wins: Darlington, North Wilkesboro, Bristol and Martinsville.

The Allison clan and an ailing Tim Richmond tried to keep Earnhardt honest with mid-season wins, but Earnhardt kept the good racing up with summer victories at Michigan and Pocono.

Earnhardt capped off 1987 with another hot streak of three late summer wins in a row- claiming victory at Bristol, Darlington, and Richmond. In addition to the victories- Earnhardt finished with a dominating 21 top 5s and 24 top 10s.  Elliott, 1984 champion Terry Labonte- who came up with Earnhardt in 1979, D.W. and Rusty rounded out the top 5.

1990

In 1988 and ¡®89, Earnhardt still ran well but would give way to Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace respectively. At the start of the new decade, ¡°Big E¡± was back, recapturing his dominant form.

His season got off on the wrong tire, cutting a tire and surrendering a win at the ¡°Great American Race¡± to Derrike Cope. A fresh batch of challengers were racing for glory with Earnhardt, as Busch Series stud Mark Martin entered the fray in earnest. Geoff Bodine, Bill Elliott and old NASCAR salt Morgan Shepherd comprised the series top 5.

Wins in races 4 and 5 at Atlanta and Darlington got things going for the ¡°Man In Black¡°. In the Darlington race, he edged out Martin for the victory and Neil Bonnett suffered a rough wreck that resulted in a concussion and amnesia.

As the season progressed- Earnhardt scored wins at Talladega, back to back wins at Michigan and Daytona. A July 29th win at Talladega completed a season sweep at the track where his name is revered to this day.

Ernie ¡°Swervin¡± Irvan bested Earnhardt at Bristol for his first Cup win, but the ¡°3¡å would bounce back with wins at Darlington and Richmond. By leading all but the first 50 laps at Phoenix and finishing third in Atlanta behind Shepherd- Earnhardt sealed his 4th Cup championship.

Besides the 9 victories- Earnhardt, never a good qualifier- picked up 4 poles, a series leading 18 tops 5s, and he tied Mark Martin for 23 top 10s to lead NASCAR.

1991

Earnhardt may not have had a gaudy victory total in 1991- 14 drivers won races in this season- including that magical run by ¡°Mr. September¡±- Harry Gant. It¡¯s a good thing Ironhead had consistency working for him: in addition to 4 wins, Earnhardt ran 14 top 5s, and an impressive 21 top 10s. Only Ken Schrader came close with 18.

Earnhardt rumbled along with an early wins at Richmond and Martinsville, followed by a late July victory at Talladega. A late North Wilkesboro victory closed the deal for Earnhardt, beating Ricky Rudd by a comfortable 195 points. Davey Allison, Gant and Irvan rounded out the top 5.

1993

After a disappointing 1992 season that offered an unlikely championship run for Alan Kulwicki, Earnhardt was back on his game in 1993. NASCAR needed a good season from one of its legends, as the sport suffered the losses of its defending champion and promising young Davey Allison- not in cars, but in air crashes.

Dale Jarrett won a thriller at the Daytona 500 over Earnhardt, a race made famous because Jarrett¡¯s father Ned made the call from the TV booth. Earnhardt reassured the elder Jarrett he was not angry that Ned played a ¡°homer¡± as the man watched his son win the Great American Race.

There were some hot runs by other drivers. Rusty Wallace won 5 of the final 8 races and Mark Martin went on a 4-race winning streak in August. Wallace actually had more wins- topping Ironhead in victories by a 10-6 margin. 3 fewer DNFs worked in Dale¡¯s favor as he beat out Wallace by 80 points. He would dot the schedule with wins at Darlington, back-to-back visits to victory lane at Charlotte and Dover. The Intimidator won at Daytona in July, as well as Talladega and Pocono. After Earnhardt, Wallace and Martin- Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty completed the top 5. 

1994

By now, a fresh-faced kid from California would begin to serve notice of his arrival. Jeff Gordon picked up a pair of wins en route to an impressive sophomore campaign. Earnhardt¡¯s record-tying title seemed to say ¡°I ain¡¯t finished just yet.¡±

Though Rusty Wallace would double Earnhardt¡¯s win total 8-4, ¡°Big E¡± would lead the series with a whopping 20 top 5s, and 25 top 10s. Mark Martin, Wallace, Ken Schrader and Ricky Rudd weren¡¯t even that close.

Earnhardt won back-to-back at Darlington and Bristol, plus he won at Talladega and Rockingham.

The closest Earnhardt ever came to a record-breaking 8th title was in 1995, when Gordon edged the old war horse by a mere 34 points.

If you¡¯ve followed NASCAR for more than 5 laps, then you know just how hard and impressive it is to win a race- let alone a title. Anyone who¡¯s achieved that is worthy of respect. In our current competitive climate, one has to wonder if its possible for a young stud like Jimmie Johnson to enter the rarified air of Petty and Earnhardt.

Others may have won more races, but even 100 years from now- Earnhardt will stand at the top- alongside the greats.

Earnhardt raced for results¡­.and he got ¡®em.

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