Happy Hump Day! 

Today In Nascar History

February 4, 1943: Jimmy Insolo, a member of the West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame, is born on this day. Insolo starts 29 Cup races from 1970 to 1983, at least one every year except for 1980. All but one comes in California; he finishes 39th in the 1975 National 500 at Charlotte. He starts 22 races at Riverside, recording four top-fives and six top-10s. His other six starts come at Ontario (two top-10s).

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:

11: Bill Elliott's car number for six of his 44 Cup victories. Elliott won six races in the No. 11 for Junior Johnson, five in 1992 and one in 1994. His other 38 wins came in the No. 9, the first in 1983 and the last in 2003.

11 Days and counting to the Daytona 500

Use it or lose it…Boogity Boogity Boogity

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/9146776/Boogity-Boogity-Boogity----Use-It-or-Lose-It?

Bits and Pieces

Mayfield returns as an owner-driver

(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)

After a couple of seasons of partial schedules, Jeremy Mayfield plans
to return to Sprint Cup competition in 2009 as a team owner and driver
for Mayfield Motorsports.

Mayfield, who has five Cup wins in 428 starts, announced plans Tuesday
to field a full-time entry in the Cup series, with sponsorship from
All Sport, a sports drink. He will co-own the No. 41 Toyota team with
Gary Smith, the chairman and chief executive officer of Big Red Inc.,
which owns All Sport Inc.

Mayfield, 39, ran eight races for Haas CNC Racing in 2008. His last
full Cup season came in 2005 with what was then Evernham Motorsports.
He parted company with that team late in 2006. He started 17 races in
2007.

Mayfield said NASCAR’s cost-saving measures such as the new model Cup
car and the ban on testing at all tracks that host NASCAR-sanctioned
races helped him fulfill his dream of owning a team.

“I have to give NASCAR a lot of credit for the things they’ve done in
the sport over the last two years to make it possible for people like
me to get involved as a team owner,” he said. “The new car and, even
more importantly, the testing ban have made it a reality for me to
come in and compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.”

Veteran crew chief Tony Furr has joined the team, which will use Triad
Racing Technologies engines and chassis.

Waltrip pleased with alliance with Prism Motorsports

(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)

Michael Waltrip Racing’s alliance with Prism Motorsports is a win-win situation, Michael Waltrip said Tuesday at a news conference promoting Terry Labonte’s entry in the Daytona 500 in Prism’s No. 66 Toyota.

Owners Phil Parsons and Randy Humphrey buy their cars from Michael Waltrip Racing and receive technical support from MWR.

For Waltrip, the alliance is a way to work with a friend and augment
MWR’s bottom line.

“Times are tough, obviously, and race teams are just trying to figure
out what they can do in order to help keep guys employed,” Waltrip
said. “To keep the head count as it was last year is our goal, so that
we can continue to funnel engineering support, fabrication support—all the parts of a team that it takes to operate—we want to keep that
strong.

“This association with Prism Motorsports and Phil and Randy, with
Terry Labonte driving their car, is an avenue for us to put some money on the bottom line, sell some cars, furnish these guys with support so they can have a chance to go out and make races and accomplish their goals.”

The Daytona 500 is a one-race deal for Labonte. Dave Blaney is slated
to drive the No. 66 in subsequent races, with Prism planning a full
schedule of Cup competition.

As 1996 Cup champion, Labonte can take advantage of a past champion’s provisional if he fails to make the field for the Feb. 15 race through time trials or through one of the two Gatorade Duel qualifying races on Feb. 12—only if 2002 and 2005 champ Tony Stewart doesn’t need the provisional.

Stewart’s No. 14 Chevy, a new entry for the owner/driver of
Stewart-Haas Racing, is outside the top 35 in owner points from 2008
and has no guaranteed starting spot in the 500. Only the most recent
past champion not otherwise in the field may use the champion’s
provisional. Parsons hopes this isn’t the year Stewart needs it.

“Terry being a past champion may be an avenue that could be open to
us, but Tony would get first dibs at that,” Parsons said. “But we know that Tony’s going to be very good.”

Martinsville offers $25 tickets to spring Cup race

(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)

Martinsville Speedway dropped the price on its remaining backstretch
tickets to $25 for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 Sprint Cup race on March 29.

“Our fans have stuck by us over the years, and we’re going to stick by them,” track president W. Clay Campbell said.

Kvapil gets sponsor for Daytona 500

(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)

The Golden Corral restaurant chain will sponsor Travis Kvapil in the
No. 28 Ford as he attempts to make the field for the Daytona 500,
Yates Racing announced.

Kvapil, 32, starts the season without any owner points to lock him
into the field for the race. Although he finished 23rd last season,
the points from his car were transferred to the No. 98 of new teammate Paul Menard during the offseason, meaning Kvapil needs to earn a spot in the Daytona 500 either based on qualifying speed or through one of the qualifying races. Kvapil earned his only career Cup pole position in the restrictor-plate race at Talladega Superspeedway last fall.

Kvapil plans to run at least a limited schedule with Yates Racing this season.

Penske buys the #22, Davis a minority owner UPDATE more: Bill Davis is now a minority owner in Penske Racing. Penske has acquired Davis' #22 and will keep the number for further consideration to align with the #2 and #12. But for now, the #77 Mobil 1 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. will take the 22's owner points and start the 2009 season 31st, which guarantees it a position in the Daytona 500. "As a business person, you have to look at what your options are," Penske said by phone. "I think the key thing right now is it's too bad that anyone who has run a full season whether they're in the top 35 or not — and I don't mean the ones that run a half season — but if you run the full season last year, every car in every race, you hope you would be given some kind of priority."(FoxSports) UPDATE: #09-Phoenix Racing’s Brad Keselowski will get the points from the #41 or #01 left over from the Chip Ganassi Racing-Dale Earnhardt Inc. merger, according to sources. That leaves one set of points remaining, and those possibly could go to Richard Childress Racing’s Clint Bowyer, who moved to the new RCR #33 car this year while Casey Mears, the new driver of the #07 car, has Bowyer’s points from last season. RCR officials would not confirm whether the team is working a deal for top-35 points. While having the points is good news for Hornish (who will still drive the #77), it is not good news for Richard Petty Motorsports’ #44-AJ Allmendinger, who now will have to qualify on speed or race his way in the Daytona 500. His car was 37th in owners points last year. Marcos Ambrose, driver of the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing car, is on the bubble at 36th from last season. If RCR gets points for Bowyer as expected, then Ambrose also will have to qualify on speed or race his way in the Daytona 500. Michael Waltrip, whose Michael Waltrip Racing builds cars for Ambrose, said Tuesday that he was unsure whether Ambrose would end up being locked in for the Daytona 500.(SceneDaily)

New car chief for Kurt Busch: Jeff Thousand returns to being a “road warrior” as he will serve as #2-Kurt Busch’s car chief for the 2009 season. Thousand’s racing career dates back to the short tracks of the Midwest as he was a member of Rusty Wallace’s successful operation during the late 70s and early 80s. Thousand followed Wallace to the Cup ranks after Penske Racing’s NASCAR team started in 1991, moving from St. Louis to reunite with Wallace for the 1993 season. Thousand was a fixture on the circuit during much of Wallace’s legendary career and last served as car chief for Wallace during his final year behind the wheel back in 2005. “Jeff brings so much knowledge and experience to our team and we’re glad to get him out of our shop and back on the road with us,” Pat [Tryson, crew chief] said. “We have a great group of guys on our team and we all get along really well and communicate very effectively.”(Tom Roberts PR)

Grant lawsuit officially dismissed: The sexual and racial discrimination and harassment lawsuit filed in June by former NASCAR official Mauricia Grant has officially been dismissed in U.S. District Court in New York, according to court filings. NASCAR had announced Dec. 18 in a news release that it had reached a settlement in the suit, and that the terms of the settlement are confidential and neither NASCAR nor Grant admits liability nor wrongdoing by way of the settlement. NASCAR and Grant filed jointly Friday to voluntarily dismiss the case. No terms were listed in the filing, which was just one paragraph stating that both sides had agreed to discontinue the case.(SceneDaily)

Speedway Illustrated Sold: Anthem Media Group (AMG), announced that the firm has acquired one of the nation's most prominent and largest circulation motorsports magazines, Dick Berggren's Speedway Illustrated, and related assets including SEMA Show Daily relationship, NASCAR Insider, Speedway Expo and SpeedwayIllustrated.com. "Speedway Illustrated has an incredibly solid history of financial performance and the team is one of the best in the business," said Brian Weaver, CEO of Anthem Media Group. "The magazine has the strongest ABC audit in the category and is a great complement to Anthem's other motorsports assets. Of course having Dick Berggren on board is a tremendous asset to any organization. Dick will continue on as Executive Editor of the magazine and will have an enhanced role with our other assets as well."(PRNewswire)

Blu Frog Energy to sponsor Cope at Daytona: The Limu Company’s amazing new product Blu Frog Energy is the primary sponsor for three different vehicles during the week at Daytona. The vehicles include the #75 Blu Frog Energy Dodge that will be running to qualify for The Daytona 500, driven by 1990 Daytona 500 Champion Derrike Cope, the #74 Blu Frog Energy Dodge Truck, driven by Larry Foyt and the #56 Blu Frog Energy Chevy, also driven by Foyt.(thelimucompany.com) AND “We’re really delighted to have The Limu Company and the new Blu Frog Energy drink as our sponsor,” said Cope, the 1990 Daytona 500 Champion. “We’re especially excited to create great synergy for the Blu Frog Energy brand in combination with Larry Foyt. It’s pretty rare but very powerful to have three separate vehicles creating major branding and awareness opportunities for the same company. This Speed Week should give a huge boost to the Blu Frog Energy brand!”
“All of us at The Limu Company are incredibly energized about our sponsorship positions at Daytona this year,” said Gary Raser, Founder, President and CEO of The Limu Company. “Our members across the U.S. and around the world, almost 50,000 strong, are huge NASCAR fans and can’t wait to see Derrike Cope and Larry Foyt race at Daytona with Blu Frog Energy. This incredible brand visibility comes at a perfect time for us, supporting our national launch of our new Blu Frog Energy Drink. And what better way to launch the brand than at Daytona! We’re thrilled to be going racing with NASCAR and to be a part of the Great American Race, and the most-watched racing weekend in America.”(Blu Frog/Limu Company PR)

Tommy Baldwin Racing signs assoc sponsor: Metaljeans.com, the only company that manufactures denim apparel, shirts, outwear, casual wear, foot wear and race gear exclusively in America, announced that they are METALizing Tommy Baldwin Racing for the 2009 Sprint Cup season [as an associate/product sponsor]. In addition, the band Sevendust will be guests of metaljeans.com at Daytona International Speedway during the Great American Race. The band will visit the crew of Tommy Baldwin Racing as well as several other teams sponsored by metaljeans.com. (Everest Marketing Group/TBR PR)

Owners Points still could be shook up: Brad Keselowski, driving for Phoenix Racing [#09], is expected to be locked into the field for the Daytona 500, and there could be others also locked into the opening Sprint Cup races as various points transfers are being talked about as teams outside the top 35 in owners points try to secure those spots. NASCAR has been quiet on the issue of who is getting whose points because it is still accepting entries for the Daytona 500, but it appears that drivers who once thought they could be locked in – most notably #44-AJ Allmendinger at Richard Petty Motorsports – will end up having to qualify on speed for the first five races of the season when the 2008 owners standings are used to set the field. Keselowski will be locked in, according to multiple sources. And among those who could be looking for points are Penske Racing driver #77-Sam Hornish Jr. and Richard Childress Racing’s #55-Clint Bowyer, who is moving to a different RCR team this season.
NASCAR does not allow a team to sell points outright but generally will approve offseason transfers as long as the original owner has some sort of ownership stake in the car going forward. Some of the switches have already been announced: Paul Menard (#98) and Bobby Labonte (#96) are getting the two Yates Racing points from the #28 and #38 last year. There are three cars with top-35 owners whose assignments have not been announced.
One of those is the #22 from Bill Davis Racing and the other two are from Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing #01 and #41]. When the DEI and Ganassi teams merged, they had six cars with top-35 owners points. Three of those from the merger will go to the three Earnhardt Ganassi cars driven by Martin Truex Jr. (#1), Juan Pablo Montoya (#42), and Aric Almirola (#8). That leaves the #15, #01 and the #41 from last year. As part of an alignment with Front Row Motorsports, driver John Andretti will have one of those remaining three, Andretti said. Most likely that would come from the #15.
The other two are possibly up for grabs, although it would take some maneuvering because technically no one owner – Chip Ganassi or Teresa Earnhardt – can have a financial interest in more than five teams (four, plus one for up to seven races for an aspiring rookie looking to run a full season in the future). Keselowski would count as an aspiring rookie. That would fill one of the three remaining unaccounted for top-35 spots. As far as the other two, Hornish and Bowyer seem to be the most likely possibilities. When asked last week if Penske Racing was attempting to get owners points from the #22 Bill Davis Racing entry, a Penske Racing spokesman said that the team is “exploring all of our options.”
  Bowyer needs points since the #07 points stayed with the car and new driver Casey Mears while Bowyer is moving to a fourth RCR car (#33). An RCR spokesman said he couldn’t confirm if Bowyer has secured points. Drivers who are waiting to see what will happen are those who were 36th or 37th overall in points last year. They would be locked in the first five races if one of the top-35 car owners doesn’t end up with some sort of association at Daytona. In 36th last year was the JTG Daugherty Racing #47 car of Marcos Ambrose, which has an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing. In 37th would be Richard Petty Motorsports’ #10, which is turning into the #44 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger, who originally thought he was going to be in the 500 and now most likely won’t be locked in, also could lose a spot in the Budweiser Shootout if Hornish can get top-35 points and be one of the top six Dodges in the field.(SceneDaily)

Official NASCAR Magazine hits stands Feb 9th: A.E. Engine, a publishing and marketing services company, has released the Daytona 500 edition of NASCAR Pole Position, an officially licensed NASCAR magazine. The 88-page, newsstand-quality magazine, now in its fifth year, is available free in the greater Daytona Beach area from distributors such as Wal-Mart and CVS. The Daytona magazine marks the first of 36 editions that will be published in 2009. The magazine, whose Daytona cover features Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, will be published in all 36 race markets in 2009. Each issue features content from respected NASCAR writers and photographers. The magazine includes profiles of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ top drivers, trivia, games for kids and plenty of photography. In the next two weeks, A.E. Engine will release the California and Las Vegas editions of Pole Position in those respective race markets. For collectors and out-of-market fans, editions are available for purchase at the magazine’s web site, www.freeracemag.com. More information, including digital editions, can be found at www.freeracemag.com.

Top Ten Things I Would Like To See Happen In NASCAR in 2009

Jeff Meyer · Frontstretch.com

10. Jimmie Johnson wins the now totally worthless Bud Shootout, is crowned 2009 Cup Champion after the race, and Brian France cancels the rest of the meaningless season in his ultimate plan to cut costs for the rest of the teams.

9. The rest of the world finally realizes that I am right and recognizes NASCAR for what it has become — IROC, with a lot of non-champions.

8. Mark Martin kicks Jimmie Johnson’s ass! On the track and off!

7. Bill Weber develops season long lock-jaw.

6. Tony Stewart crashes out early in the Bud Shootout… just because NASCAR went to such great lengths to get him in.

5. Michael Waltrip hires Chad Knaus away from Hendrick to be his crew chief.

4. Mauricia Grant teams up with Bruton Smith, and they make the Frances an offer they can’t refuse.

3. The new ideas NASCAR is going to come up with to hide empty seats.

2. Kyle Busch follows in his big brother’s footsteps into a life of mediocrity.

1. Barack Obama picks Brian France to be his Secretary of Screwing Up Anything Good, thus saving NASCAR and realizing Brian’s true calling all at the same time. 

Feud of the Week

Disappointments, surprises for '09; testing rules

CBSSports.com's Brian De Los Santos and Pete Pistone provide analysis on three weekly racing topics.

Don't bet against Stewart-Haas in 2009

by Jeff Owens, NASCAR Scene, FOXSports.com

The general consensus from perusing various and sundry preseason prognostications is that Tony Stewart and his new Stewart-Haas team will struggle in their first year together.

Most seem to think that it generally takes a year or two for new teams to get organized and gel, regardless of the personnel and affiliations (see Michael Waltrip Racing).

Stewart, they say, will need time to figure out how to be a team owner, how to put the right people in the right places, and how to get his new cars to run fast.

Some even point out that history is not on his side, that most star drivers who have tried to own and manage their own team have failed miserably and typically wind up folding or selling out (Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Ricky Rudd, Geoffrey Bodine, et al).

Most of those garage insiders believe that Stewart will be lucky to win a race this year, that teammate Ryan Newman doesn't have a chance and that both drivers will fail to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup in their first year together.

Those so-called "experts" have sniffed too many gas fumes. Or had the roar of too many engines dislodge a few too many brain cells.

Predicting that Stewart will struggle in the first year of his new venture is like picking Dale Earnhardt Jr. to struggle in his first year with Hendrick Motorsports ... Wait a minute, that one actually happened.

Stewart, though, has a much better chance of succeeding in his first year as an owner/driver because ... well, because he is Tony Stewart and he simply has too much fire, determination and passion to fail. And if he does, God help those who work for him.

Stewart and Newman will both win races and will both be serious contenders to make the Chase for several reasons.

1. They both have something to prove

Stewart is coming off a lackluster one-win season at Joe Gibbs Racing, one in which he was likely distracted much of the season while building his new team.

He will be determined to bounce back to his winning ways and become a Chase contender again. Newman, meanwhile, is coming off three lackluster seasons in a row, despite his Daytona 500 win last year. He was once one of the sport's biggest winners but has missed the Chase three years in a row. He is starving to be back in the championship hunt. Some believe Newman took a gamble on Stewart's new team. The way he was running at Penske Racing, it would have been a bigger gamble staying there.

2. It's all about the people ...

... And Stewart has landed some good ones.

Stewart has done a great job picking key personnel to run the team. New competition director Bobby Hutchens ran the competition department at Richard Childress Racing for years before moving to Dale Earnhardt Inc. He has experience building and managing winners.

Stewart also pulled off somewhat of a coup luring engineer/crew chief Darian Grubb from Hendrick Motorsports. Grubb led Jimmie Johnson to victories when Chad Knaus was suspended and led Casey Mears to his only Cup win. If he can win with Mears, he should have plenty of success with Stewart. Tony Gibson, Newman's crew chief, also has plenty of experience, having spent most of his career at Hendrick and DEI.

3. Hendrick horsepower

Stewart-Haas will get a big boost from Hendrick Motorsports, which will supply engines, chassis and technical support to the team. This could be the biggest reason Stewart succeeds right away. Being aligned with the best team in the sport is a huge plus, perhaps putting Stewart-Haas immediately ahead of all the other second-tier teams not owned by Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs and Childress.

Though Haas-CNC, the organization Stewart took over, previously had a relationship with Hendrick, it likely did not have the personnel or resources to take the best advantage of Hendrick equipment and technology. Having the best tools is not enough; you also have to have the people who know how to best use them.

Stewart does.

With a big sponsorship package that includes Office Depot, Old Spice and the U.S. Army, Stewart and Newman have enough sponsorship money to hire the best people and buy the best resources.

And with Grubb, a former Hendrick engineer, serving as a liaison between the two organizations, Stewart-Haas should be able to make the most of Hendrick's help.

4. Stewart's a winner

Aside from his two Cup driving titles with Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart's United States Auto Club and World of Outlaws teams have won nine championships, proving that Stewart knows how to pick talent and run a winning organization.

He no doubt picked up a few tips on how to build a winning team from Joe and J.D. Gibbs (JGR's president) as well, including how to manage and motivate combustible personalities.

5. Driven to succeed

As he has proven throughout his career, no one likes to lose worse than Stewart, who has a tendency to wear his emotions on his sleeve. He is not likely to take losing or struggling well and will demand immediate results. His passion will no doubt be contagious and push his team to succeed.

It probably won't hurt that many are doubting him and predicting he will struggle for a while.

That, more than anything, will drive Stewart to prove his critics wrong.

As he has shown throughout his 10-year NASCAR career, it is usually not wise to bet against Stewart.

That's why I'm betting he wins soon and often and puts both his two new teams in the Chase.

Jeff Gordon ready to prove doubters wrong

by Lee Spencer/foxsports.com

Has been? Washed up? Ready for the glue factory?

There are those who are ready to write off Jeff Gordon following his winless season in 2008.

Think again.

The four-time NASCAR Cup champion is one of the most popular, most visible, and certainly most talented racers that NASCAR has ever had the pleasure to witness.

And more importantly, Gordon continues to believe in himself even after one of the most difficult seasons of his career.

"I still have what it takes," Gordon said emphatically. "Any veteran that you talk to, if they're honest with you, they'll tell you that sometimes it takes a little longer to transition through new cars, new setups, new tires.

"Last year was a little bit of an adjustment for me."

That's why team owner Rick Hendrick summoned the troops after the 2008 season finale in Homestead, Fla. With eight Cup championships, Hendrick has never been one to rest on his organization's laurels. Despite the company winning its third consecutive Cup title with Jimmie Johnson, there's barely time to breathe in a sport that's driven by ever-changing technology.

"We're fired up," Hendrick said. "One week after Homestead all the crew chiefs turned in their ideas on how they could make their team better in every single area. They went to work and we went to work and everyone is dedicated.

"Jeff is fired up. He's had another year. He had a baby (Ella, 20 months) and he's adjusted to that. And he's as fired up as we've ever seen him and we're looking for success this season."

Hendrick provides all his squads with top-of-the-line line resources, a wealth of personnel, and the support that comes from a boss who is a former racer. Given those tools, Hendrick knows that Gordon is up for the challenge.

"What we need is to do is surround him with the best equipment we have and he'll get the rest of it done," Hendrick said. "I see Jeff winning. Last year we had some of the best runs going for him and we had some freak things happen. Maybe we used up all of our good luck all those years before because we won a lot of races with him that we shouldn't have won that somebody had a problem.

"He's a very competitive guy and I don't have to remind him that he went a year without winning a race. He sees the success of the 48 around him and he knows that Mark (Martin) is going to run well and (Dale Earnhardt) Junior is going to run well. So when he straps into that car, you don't have to motivate him. He's motivated enough."

When the Car of Tomorrow was introduced into competition in 2007, Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports quickly got a handle on the vehicle in its limited schedule, and as a result the driver of the No. 24 finished second in the points standings behind teammate Johnson. Once the COT went full-time in 2008 — including on the intermediate tracks that have been Gordon's forte during his career — the No. 24 team lacked the consistency that's become its trademark during the first half of the year.

Taking baby steps is the best stage of attack with the new car for Gordon and the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet. For many drivers, getting a feel for the car is the first step. With crew chief Steve Letarte's assistance, Gordon's comfort level rose considerably as the season rolled on. And while Gordon went on to finish seventh in the standings, the ride is still far from perfect.

"For us, it's just about trying," Gordon said. "I feel like we really hit on some things later in the year, but it was too late. So we have a good direction. I really believe Steve is the guy. I mean, he's an awesome crew chief, and I know he took a lot of criticism last year, but I believe in him, and we've made small improvements I feel like that were needed, and I'm doing everything I can to make sure that I play my role in getting us back to victory lane.

"To me, it's not even about getting back to Victory Lane. Yeah, I want to win races. I want to be competitive enough to win races. I want to be competitive enough to lead laps and competitive enough to go for the championship. That's really what it's all about, but I think that in order to do that you're going to win races along the way. I think we're very capable of doing that this year, and we're focused, we're working hard."

The level of competition in the 2009 Sprint Cup field will be unparalleled with the NASCAR juggernauts of Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Gordon's fellow Hendrick teammates ramping up for battle. Gordon and Co. must be prepared to come out winning at Daytona as well the other 35 events that follow. Neither Gordon nor Letarte has time to dwell on the past. The focus of the offseason has been improving the equipment — as well as the lines of communication.

"We're not worried about the winless streak," Letarte said. "That's just one number in the column. The simple one we need to get is more competitive. If we get more competitive, we're going to win races. If we lead laps, we're going to win races.

"We've had a lot of different conversations on how we need to do that. I think we've turned over every stone within that team and nothing is sacred, nothing can't be changed. Not our relationship, not what he's doing in the race car, not what I'm doing as a crew chief. We've discussed everything this year and that's why I think we're going to turn it around and breakthrough in the victory column."

In addition to four Cup titles, Gordon has 81 career victories and ranks sixth on the all-time win list. With two wins, he ties Cale Yarborough for fifth place. With three wins, Gordon passes Yarborough and enters a three-way tie between himself, Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison. Four additional victories (85 total) propel Gordon to third on the all-time win list.

At 37, that's not out of the realm of possibility. With a record of six wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s and four poles at Daytona, Gordon's luck could change as early as Speedweeks.

"The biggest reason that I'm really fired up about Daytona this year is without the testing, I felt like we had the best car here last July," Gordon said. "I made a couple mistakes and cost us the race, but we had, I felt, great power and the best handling car, for sure, in the race.

"February is always a little bit different than July because the temperatures are a little bit different; track conditions are a little bit different. But with no changes and no testing, we've got a great package to be able to come down here, and I feel like over the offseason I visited our engine shop, and I'm really excited about some things that they've got going on there, too. I feel like we've gotten more power.

"We've got a great opportunity to come (to Daytona) and be very competitive and have a shot at winning another one."

NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK