Happy Thursday all. 

Today In Nascar History

7/07/1956-Lee Petty wins at Spartanburg, win #2 of the season, and #26 of his career.
7/07/1962-Rex White wins at Columbia, win #6 of the season, and #26 of his career.
7/07/1963-Ned Jarrett wins at Myrtle Beach, win #3 of the season, and #17 of his career.
7/07/1966-Elmo Langley wins at Manassas, win #2 of the season, and #2 of his career.
7/07/1968-Bobby Allison wins at Islip, win #2 of the season, and #11 of his career.
7/07/1970-Richard Petty wins at Malta, win #7 of the season, and #108 of his career.
7/07/1990-Dale Earnhardt wins at Daytona, win #5 of the season, and #44 of his career.
7/07/2001-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wins at Daytona, win #1 of the season, and #3 of his career.

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Quote of the Year

"To be a real, true NASCAR driver, you have to know where the sport came from and you have to respect that history and tradition. The guys that don't respect that history and tradition, I don't think they're going to be around all that long. And those guys who don't know the history and tradition, I think it's upon them to learn about it pretty quick if they want to be a success."
– Richard Petty

Quote of the Day

“I’ve got a lot of cool things ahead of me. My plate is full.”
—Rusty Wallace on his retirement

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Top Ten Ways To Get Kicked Off Pit Road During a Race


10. Lean against the gas can and light up a cigarette. Offer a cigarette to the official that is rushing at you.

9. Go streaking down pit road during yellow flag pit stops.

8. Steal the flags when the official isn’t looking indicating when pit lane is open and replace them with limbo poles.

7. During a pit stop, knock the jackman off the wall, steal the jack and attempt to complete the pit stop yourself while mumbling “I can do better than that Bozo”.

6. Go from pit to pit trading pit boards among teams.

5. Wear sandals, short shorts, and a tube top…. (This does not apply to women).

4. Every time the cars pass the start/finish line yell “Boogity Boogity Boggity!”

3. Pull all the lugnuts off the tires before they’ve been used. Tell the pit support crew they put them on backwards.

2. Stand on the wall and demand the crew pays you toll before they jump over to do a pit stop.

1. Every time the Crew Chief tries to talk fuel strategy with the team, tickle him in the ribs and yell “Who’s ticklish…”

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New Poll


Should NASCAR initiate a Wild Card for the Championship in 2006?
 

http://de3fan4.tripod.com/

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Comments from the Peanut Gallery

from Andy
Were you guys watching the same telecast as I was?  I'm sorry but the commentary was anything but subpar.  Parsons couldn't remember the drivers name and it was hard to understand what he was saying...it was easier to listen to Ward Burton...the announcers kept repeating everything numerous times...they may have kept the camera on jr awhile...but they bearly mention him in the prebroadcast...they kept referring to Gordon...it seem that they would either pro-Gordon or at least rooting for him (can we say brown nose)...they mentioned Rudd once...no reference to Harvick, Kurt Busch (who seems like he's getting Labonte's rabbit foot), Waltrip (except for the crash)...what they couldn't come up with anything original...i wish Nascar would go to Fox fulltime...at least they know what they're talking about and none of them suffer from senility...the telecast wouldn't be so bad if they got rid of Parsons...PARSONS MUST GO!!!!

from Al
I think the reason Truex Jr., is coming back to DEI, is for something that very few people know about anymore.  Its called "Loyalty".  After winning a BGN title for DEI and the fact that him and Junior have become good friends, I think after a couple nights of pondering what to do, he finally settled on staying with DEI, maybe not for but a year or so, or who knows, he might replace Jr if he decides to move to RCR and drive the black #3.  Or......... maybe Truex decided not to switch to Penske, because he would have to wear all those Miller Lite duds to Juniors pool parties.
                                                Al

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Bits and Pieces

#20 Home Depot® Team with Driver Tony Stewart Wins Checkers®/Rally's® Double Drive-Thru Challenge: #20 Home Depot® Team with driver Tony Stewart won the Checkers®/Rally's® Double Drive-Thru Challenge at the Pepsi® 400 on July 2nd at Daytona International Speedway with a pit-road-service time of 189.315 seconds.   As the Official Burger and Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR®, Checkers/Rally's recognizes the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team with the best pit road performance each week with a $10,000 prize. At the end of the season, Checkers/Rally's will award the $100,000 grand prize to the team that garners the most Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge wins throughout the race season.

Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge offers one of the richest weekly contingency awards in NASCAR. The Double Drive-Thru Challenge focuses on the team element of the race that is integral to successful performances each week.

Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge takes place at all 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point races. To win, teams must finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time in pit lane.

For all the details on the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge, log on to checkers.com/nascar/index.html.

The multi-year NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation sponsorships are contracted through Checkers/Rally's NPF, Inc.

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Sunoco Confirms Rumors of New Race Gas
Sunoco's General Manger of Performance Products and Automotive Events, Rob Marro, confirmed today that Sunoco will be introducing a new race gas specifically designed for applications in sustained high load/high RPM conditions. This ultra high performance product will be recommended for four-stroke engines with compression ratios exceeding 14:1.

"All indications from competitors and engine builders who have been working with us to develop and test this product is that Sunoco Race Fuels has taken another giant step in leading the way in producing quality winning gasolines for the motorsports industry," Marro commented.

Official release of the new product was initially targeted for the 2006 season but Marro stated that the demand and excitement displayed by the test participants has led to the 2005 offering.

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Darlington gets green light to sell tickets for '06 race: The Lady In Black" has apparently made it to another year. Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning said Wednesday that the track got the go-ahead from its owners, International Speedway Corp., to send out ticket renewal letters for another Mother's Day weekend Nextel Cup race. The date of the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 is May 13, 2006, the night before the holiday. "I think if there were any other plans (for Darlington), ISC wouldn't let us do this," Browning told the Associated Press. Browning said there will be a support Friday night race May 12, but he wouldn't say whether it would be the traditional Busch series or the Craftsman Truck Series, which has run at Darlington in the past. Renewal letters went out this week, Darlington spokeswoman Cathy Elliott said. Once everyone who purchased tickets this year gets a chance to buy again, then Darlington will go to its waiting list of about 1,300, she said. - AP/CBS SportsLine

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New #45 Scheme for Rest of 2005, Petty Blue Returns:  This weekend, Kyle Petty and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team head to the 1.5-mile Chicagoland for Sunday's Chicagoland 400. Petty and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge will have a new look for the rest of the season starting this weekend. Georgia-Pacific will pay tribute to the Petty family by returning the family Petty Blue to the #45 Dodge. The "Petty Blue" color is unmistakable in the minds of race fans across America. The color is synonymous with winning and with Richard Petty's record-tying seven Nextel Cup championships.(Williams Company)

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CNBC on Assignment: NASCAR Gold: The stock car race that started on the sands of Daytona nearly 50 years ago is now a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. "NASCAR Gold," reported by Dylan Ratigan, premiering on CNBC on Monday, July 11, goes behind the scenes at this empire built on the beach in an in-depth, one-hour documentary about the sport - from its corporate boardrooms to the working pits at the Daytona 500. "NASCAR Gold" gives viewers an inside look at:
- The extreme loyalty NASCAR fans show to corporate sponsors, buying billions worth of licensed gear every year -- one reason NASCAR attracts more money from more Fortune 500 companies than any other sports or entertainment property in America.
- The world of the billionaire France family, who, for three generations have run NASCAR with an iron grip. Diversifying beyond its roots in the South by starting races in places like Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Dallas, they have made NASCAR the nation's fastest-growing sport.
Dylan Ratigan is no stranger to racing. After participating in the Baja 1000 as a co-driver last November - as one engine blew up and he was forced to push the truck by hand for the last mile - Ratigan met NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, who invited him to work on the Gordon team in the Daytona pits. In "NASCAR Gold," Ratigan also goes one-on-one with one of the sport's most legendary team owners, Rick Hendrick.(NBC PR)

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#650 for Schrader: Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway marks the 650th start for #49-Ken Schrader in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series; the veteran is in his 22nd year of Nextel Cup competition.(Williams Company)  Schrader is 14th on the all-time Nextel Cup Series start list:

All Time Winston Cup Starts thru Daytona 7/2005 [* = active]:
1)  Richard Petty, 1177
2)  Dave Marcis, 881
3)  Ricky Rudd, 856*
4)  Terry Labonte, 823*
5)  Darrell Waltrip, 809
6)  Bill Elliott, 743*
7)  Kyle Petty, 730*
8)  Bobby Allison, 719
9)  Buddy Baker, 701
10) Rusty Wallace, 687* [retires end of 2005, projected 706]
11) Dale Earnhardt, 676
12) Sterling Marlin, 657*
13) JD McDuffie, 653
14) Ken Schrader, 649*.(7-7-2005)

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Ganassi Racing, McMurray to part ways McMurray most likely to Roush
The pieces for filling Mark Martins No. 6 seat are starting to fall into place.  

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced today that it will part ways with driver Jamie McMurray following the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season.

"Jamie's made a decision to go in another direction after we've both fulfilled the commitment that we made to each other in 2002," said team owner Chip Ganassi. "We didn't do a good job of conveying to Jamie where this team is headed, but we expect a lot of success with Jamie the rest of this year and next year, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors beyond that.”

Team owner Felix Sabates added, “This is a total team sport and the Texaco/Havoline team will continue to stay focused on making the Chase and running for the Championship this season, next season and well into the future."

McMurray had several conversations with Roush representatives over the past two weeks and a deal to put him in the No. 6 was solidified this past week at Daytona.

A Team source has indicated that Ricky Craven will fill in on an interim basis in 2006 and that Todd Kluever will take over the seat in the truck vacated by Craven

Sources also indicated that the official announcement would be made when the series makes its second appearance of the year at the Pocono Raceway on July 24th.

McMurray was in his third season in with Ganassi in Cup. He has one win, coming in October 2002 at Charlotte while substituting for teammate Sterling Marlin. He is currently seventh in points, with four top-five and seven top-10s.

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Kitsap County may have violated records rules with NASCAR project
Emily Heffter
Seattle Times

Kitsap County officials may have ducked state public-records laws to try to keep negotiations about a proposed NASCAR track secret, county prosecutor Russell Hauge said yesterday.

Hauge is asking the state Attorney General's Office to inquire about why some studies and other documents created by county staff were handed over to the private Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council and the International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Taking them out of the county record meant they didn't turn up when a local resident filed a request under the state Public Disclosure Act to see all documents pertaining to the proposed racetrack.

"Representatives of the county may have given away work product," Hauge said. "That is a potential law violation."

ISC announced June 23 that it had chosen a site near Bremerton for a NASCAR racetrack. The decision came after escalating costs drove the developer to scrap plans for a track in Snohomish County late last year. Now, the speedway corporation has an option on about 900 acres of land near the Mason-Kitsap county line.

Kitsap County economic development officials have been exceedingly careful to keep their negotiations quiet, urging employees in e-mails not to volunteer any information about the county's interest in a track and even offering a script of vague answers to common media questions.

The county anticipates a proposal from ISC later this month. ISC officials reached last night referred questions to Grant Lynch, who has headed the search for a track site in the Northwest. Lynch could not be reached for comment.

Economic Development Council Director David Porter said he routinely asked Kitsap County employees to sign non-disclosure agreements before helping him gather information for his pitch to ISC about a track in Kitsap County. Over the past two years, records show, 13 county elected officials and staff members signed the agreements.

"I'm protecting the anonymity of a client," Porter said. "It's a very common practice in our field."

Local activist Charlie Burrow said the negotiations were a "backroom process." "I never understood why all the secrecy was necessary," he said.

County Commissioner Chris Endresen brought the potential violations to the prosecuting attorney's attention. She said work done by public employees should have remained in the public record.

"In order for government to be accountable, we need to be accountable for how we spend our time," she said.

She asked the county public works department last week for copies of work they had done regarding the proposed track. A traffic planner wrote her back and said he had given all his work to the Economic Development Council.

"I don't know whether anybody did anything wrong," she said. "We just want to make sure that that's the case, and we just want to make sure that if there is an issue, we correct it."

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Deadly storms damage Atlanta Motor Speedway
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (AP) -- Storms from the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy caused at least two deaths, along with high winds and heavy rain across much of west and northern Georgia on Wednesday.

The storm knocked down trees, damaged buildings and dumped more than 5 inches of rain in some places as it moved through the area, the National Weather Service said.

The Hampton area in Henry County was hit hard. Four planes were overturned and two hangars were damaged at Tara Field, fire officials said.

A building at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, which houses several condominiums on the top floors and administrative offices on the bottom floor, suffered severe damage, speedway President Ed Clark said.

"The condo building and the whole track area got hit pretty hard,'' Clark said. "It's pretty extreme.''

No one was injured, but windows were blown out and vehicles were blown around by strong winds, Clark said.

The National Weather Service would investigate the damage in Henry County as a possible tornado, said Eric Avila, a meteorologist. There were also reports of possible tornado damage in Heard, Meriwether, Coweta and Fayette counties, Avila said.

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NASCAR fines crew chief after inspection at Kansas
NASCAR announced Thursday that it had levied a $500 penalty against Glenn Funderburk, crew chief for the No. 12 Toyota driven by Robert Huffman in the Craftsman Truck Series, prompted by a violation during pre-qualifying inspection at Kansas Speedway on July 1.

Funderburk was fined for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q, any determination by NASCAR officials that the truck, truck parts, components and/or equipment used the event do not conform to NASCAR rules.

NASCAR said the truck was found to have an unapproved filler panel at the rear of the cab.

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That doesn't brighten the ol' job security picture, does it?

I don't know how it works up at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in nearby Mooresville, N.C. ...

Oh, that's right, we all do: Not very well.

But I'm talking about the ways a guy might go about keeping a job right now. You know, job security.

I've tried that trashing the boss thing and it hasn't worked out all that well for me. But I've learned and moved on. And I happen to like the guy I currently answer to and wouldn't trash him. Even if he had a Jerry Barber signature fairway wood in his hands.

Tony Eury Sr., on the other hand, bears the look of a man who's grown tremendously weary of the job he has as director of competition for Teresa Earnhardt's organization.

There's been wide-open talk of Dale Earnhardt Jr. - a.k.a. NASCAR's biggest star - leaving the organization his late father founded and led to prominence. Many hope Junior will land at Richard Childress Racing. And I'm in agreement that such a move would be huge.

There's talk that Michael Waltrip, too, is looking.

Judging by Eury Sr.'s remarks at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, I'd say he either has something pretty good lined up or has figured out that he has enough cash to keep him comfortable for a little while.

Because I think the Widow Earnhardt ain't gonna be real happy with what he's saying about her, Richie Gilmore, Steve Hmiel and the rest of the leadership at DEI.

But that's assuming she cares enough about running a top-level NASCAR race team to get riled, isn't it?

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Crocker seeks fast lane, but Evernham steadfast
The Associated Press
 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Don't expect to see Erin Crocker driving a Nextel Cup car real soon.

With all the fuss over the Indy Racing League's Danica Patrick during the past month, there had been speculation that Crocker's climb to NASCAR's pinnacle would be hurried along to take advantage of the sudden media frenzy about women drivers.
 
Not so, says Ray Evernham, head of Evernham Motorsports, which hired Crocker last September as part of its driver development program.

Crocker, 24, already has proven her ability in sprint cars on dirt tracks, winning a race in the highly competitive World of Outlaws series. But her stock car learning curve is a steep one.

"Hey, you're looking at a girl who has not run that many times on pavement," Evernham said before Crocker finished seventh in an ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway in mid-June. "And she's doing a pretty good job. But she needs lots of laps in a stock car."

In her only previous stock car start, an ARCA race in March at Nashville, Crocker won the pole but spun during the race and finished 12th.

"She did a good job at Nashville," Evernham said. "She just made a rookie mistake and got up underneath Chad Blount and spun out. I've got her being really cautious. We've got the car set up pretty conservative because we don't want her spinning out."

Evernham's Cup team also was running at Michigan, so he acted as her spotter in that race.

"She's a racer and we've just got to get her racing some more," said Evernham, who plans to run Crocker in at least three more ARCA races, as well as five Busch Series races, this season.

"She's doing a good job, doing what we ask of her," he said. "I think, some days, she'd like me to let the reins out on her a little bit faster. We hold her back quite a bit. But we're going to bring her up slow and make sure that when she gets the opportunity that she is ready."

That's OK with Crocker, who still races regularly in the World of Outlaws as well as running an open-wheel car for friend and fellow Evernham driver Kasey Kahne's team in the U.S. Auto Club's Silver Crown series.

"I would like to go faster, because I am a race car driver," she said. "I want things to go faster and happen tomorrow. But, in talking with Ray, the idea is to take it slow and do it right.

"You can't go out there before you are ready, because it would be a huge mistake. Let's just say Danica went out there and had a terrible day in Indy. Her reputation probably would have been hurt forever. We only have one chance, especially since everyone will be watching us. You can't blow it, so you can't rush it."

Speaking of Patrick -- who on May 29 became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500 and finished fourth, the best result by a woman -- Crocker is reaping some benefits from those feats.

"I've probably done more interviews in the past few weeks than I've done all year," she said. "I like all the media attention."

Crocker, whose next stock car start is the ARCA race at Kentucky Speedway on Friday, is going to get a lot more if she keeps improving the way she has.

"It's great that ladies are getting some attention, but Erin is going to get attention because she's good, not just because she's a lady," Evernham said. "She's probably the most talented lady driver that I've seen, not that I've worked with that many.

"But, when I get to watch her drive that sprint car, she amazes me -- and I've seen some good sprint car drivers."

Evernham, who as a crew chief mentored Jeff Gordon to three of his four Cup titles and 47 of his 72 race wins and has helped develop Kahne, 2004's top rookie, into a star, doesn't expect Crocker to be the lone woman to make it in stock car racing.

"There's no reason they can't [be stars in Cup]," he said. "As this program gets more and more diverse, you're going to see not just women, but more and more minorities. The sport's growing and you will see girls getting an opportunity."

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NASCAR's wine and cheese circuit
By Bob Margolis, Yahoo! Sports
 
 
The last two weeks have been pretty good for Tony Stewart.

First, he left Sonoma on June 25 with the temporary and quite unofficial title of "NASCAR Road Racing King."

Then last weekend, he won his first restrictor plate points race at Daytona International Speedway.

In between the glamour of California and the glory of Daytona, Stewart had time for a brief bit of non-stock car fun, driving a sports car in the Grand Am series' Brumos Porsche 250 on Thursday night.

"I really enjoy these races," Stewart said. "No pressure, a car that's fun to drive and I learn a lot from my teammate and the other drivers out there."
 
After driving these cars for several years, Stewart has developed an extensive knowledge of the handling and aerodynamic characteristics of Grand Am sports cars. His post-practice discussion about setups with his teammate was filled with terms and phrases usually not heard in the Nextel Cup garage – wickerbills, traction control and brake bias adjustments.

But Stewart and teammate Andy Wallace's evening of fun didn't turn out as planned. After quickly moving from his seventh starting position up to third in just a few laps, Stewart ran into trouble.

"Another car wasn't paying attention and about took us out of the race," Stewart said. Later in the race, Stewart and Wallace's car developed mechanical problems and their night ended with a 22nd-place finish.

Stewart wasn't the only Cup regular to spend his day (and night) with the we-turn-right-and-left crowd. Kyle Petty and the Labonte brothers (Bobby and Terry) also took time away from their Cup schedules to run in what many have dubbed "NASCAR's sports cars."

Bringing stability

Founded in 1999, the same year as the rival American Le Mans Series, the Grand American Road Racing Series was an attempt by NASCAR's Jim France and others to bring stability to American road racing, which had fallen victim to political in-fighting and escalating costs. It also attempted to bring the same sense of economic reality and a level playing field found in NASCAR's premier series, Nextel Cup.

Despite a rough start, the Grand Am Series seems to be hitting its stride in its seventh year.

The success really began to happen in 2002 when the series introduced the Daytona Prototype class, a class of cars designed within a set of rules that would be affordable for privateer teams, not just multi-billion dollar auto manufacturers. By restricting the use of exotic materials and relying on proven technologies and V8 power, a race-winning Daytona Prototype can be manufactured for less than $400,000 – a significant savings compared to other sports car formulas around the world.

Big name sports car chassis builders immediately saw an opportunity to build fairly simple but aerodynamically slick cars with independent suspensions, while major manufacturers like General Motors, Toyota and BMW saw a place to race already proven engines and drivetrains – without all the expensive developmental costs.

Compare and contrast

The Daytona Prototype quickly became the affordable alternative for many of the smaller and some not-so-small sports car teams in North America to the ultra-chic but ultra-expensive factory prototypes being raced in the American Le Mans Series.

Both series feature a combination of endurance and sprint races. And each has a 24-hour showcase: the 24 Hours of Le Mans (ALMS) and the Rolex 24 at Daytona (Grand Am).

While the ALMS attracted some of the world's biggest names in sports car racing like Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro, the Grand Am Series attracted drivers that the fans at home could relate to just a bit easier – names like Dale Earnhardt (Sr. and Jr.) and Stewart.

During Grand Am's infancy, France went on record saying that it didn't matter how long it took, be it five or even 10 years, but Grand Am would end up the primary sanctioning body for sports car racing in North America.

It hasn't happened yet.

But with many of the biggest auto manufacturers from around the world already involved in Grand Am and many more quietly sitting and observing from the sidelines, one can only look at the phenomenal success of NASCAR's stock car racing and believe that one day, France's vision will become a reality.

Star power

Can NASCAR's brilliant marketers and visionaries convince their beer and hot dog constituents that all of this "wine and cheese" racing is something worth their time and attention?

The first step was to bring in drivers like Stewart, the Labontes, Petty, Greg Biffle, recent Cup champions Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch and many others into its races. Grand Am is using the most valuable commodity it has available to it – star power.

"We like to race here because we know that we're racing against some of the best in the world and that's what it's all about," said Bobby Labonte. "I don't know if this is exactly our fans' cup of tea, but we sure enjoy it."

The Grand Am Series does have stars of its own. Several of the series' regular drivers have won championships worldwide – including the winners of the Brumos Porsche 250, Pennsylvanian Butch Leitzinger (who also competes in the ALMS) and Englishman Elliott Forbes-Robinson.

Leitzinger has extensive worldwide road racing experience and has driven both Busch and Nextel Cup cars. Forbes-Robinson has been racing for nearly five decades.

"Every year more people stick around and that's about all we can hope for," Leitzinger said. "We're not going to be an overnight success. It will take word of mouth and people seeing something that they like."

Said Forbes-Robinson, "We have really close racing. Where I live at Lake Norman (N.C.) [which is home to many Nextel Cup drivers], people are always coming up to me and telling me that they're watching us on television."

Petty has been racing sports cars at Daytona for nearly a decade.

"Let's face it, most of our fans think this is wine and cheese, OK," Petty said. "But they've really done a great job with the prototypes, and they're a lot like our cars now. You can bump and bang with the best of them."

Stewart's next Grand Am race is Aug. 12 at Watkins Glen. The Labontes also will be there, as will Grand Am Series regular Scott Pruett, who will be racing "the triple" – Grand Am on Friday, Busch on Saturday and Sunday's Cup race.

Next February, expect to see more than a dozen Nextel Cup regulars entered in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, including those previously mentioned along with Jamie McMurray and Rusty Wallace.

"This is just plain fun," Petty said. "If our fans would just take a look, they'll see that with the way some of these guys race, it's like Saturday night at Darlington."

Veteran motorsports writer Bob Margolis is a Yahoo! Sports NASCAR analyst.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr., 8 team seek momentum swing
By MARK LONG
The Associated Press


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. expected to run well at Daytona - even with a fairly new crew chief, a poor qualifying effort and a 24-hour virus.
He's not so certain about the rest of the season, though.

"They say you kind of carry momentum," Earnhardt Jr. said after finishing third in the Pepsi 400 on Saturday night. "I don't know if that's really a possibility or not."

Earnhardt Jr. might have turned his dismal year around at Daytona International Speedway. Then again, running well at a restrictor-plate race - in which he typically has success - may change little or nothing for NASCAR's most popular driver.

And everyone at Dale Earnhardt Inc. knows it.

"The trick is not to get too pleased with yourself when you take Dale Jr. to Daytona and run in the top three," crew chief Steve Hmiel said. "We needed this one, but we can't get too excited about it."

Earnhardt Jr. improved from 18th to 16th in the Nextel Cup standings. But he still needs to make up 106 points or move up six spots in the next nine races to earn a berth in NASCAR's Chase for the Championship.

His pursuit continues this weekend in Chicago, where he has one top-10 finish in four Cup starts.

"Running strong at Daytona was a given, but it's important to go to Chicago and do better than people expect us to do," Hmiel said. "I'm very nervous about it, but I think we're going to be OK."

Not everyone would agree.

Earnhardt Jr. hasn't won a race this season, has led just five laps and been plagued by infighting at DEI. Throw out Daytona and Talladega - home of NASCAR's four restrictor-plate races - and he has just four top 10s in 14 starts.

DEI's director of competition, Tony Eury Sr., acknowledged last week that the team made a costly mistake by swapping crews and cars between Earnhardt Jr. and teammate Michael Waltrip during the offseason.

Eury said the move was detrimental for both race cars, becoming the first team member to publicly call the changes an error.

Earnhardt Jr.'s crew, including car chief Tony Eury Jr., took all of his cars and moved to Waltrip's shop, while Pete Rondeau, who finished 2004 as Waltrip's crew chief, took his crew and cars and went to Earnhardt Jr.'s garage.

The idea was to raise everyone's game. Instead, it backfired.

Rondeau was dismissed in May and replaced on an interim basis by Hmiel, the longtime technical director at DEI.

"I wasn't happy with the cars when I got there, but these guys have worked their tails off," Hmiel said. "We built several new cars and updated several more. Our guys have started early and left late, and it's been tough.

"So we needed something good to happen."

It did at Daytona, but will it continue?

"I understand that this is Daytona and there aren't any more Daytonas or Talladegas before the Chase," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We have to work really hard to try to gain ground on these other tracks that we haven't had success at all year."

Hmiel and Earnhardt Jr. say they have corrected some flaws in their cars, and recent results might prove them right.

Earnhardt Jr. ran well two weeks ago in Sonoma, Calif., and seemed poised for a top-10 finish. He practiced and qualified well, but then his transmission broke on the opening lap. The problem caused his No. 8 Chevrolet to finish 42nd.

Things certainly improved at Daytona, but then again, Earnhardt Jr. has seven victories in various series on the superspeedway and knew he would run well even after he qualified 39th and spent several days battling flu-like symptoms.

He moved into the top 10 midway through the Pepsi 400 and stayed there for good.

"When you're in a slump of any kind, just to have a top-five run is a big motivator, not only for the driver but for the entire race team," said race winner Tony Stewart, one of Earnhardt Jr.'s closest friends. "Those guys will be excited when they leave here, and that's something they haven't been for the whole season really.

"He showed the old form that hasn't been gone for long, but it's been gone long enough that everybody makes it seem like it's been an eternity."

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that's racin' (phrase): Expresses frustration or emotion. 1. When a small part costing just a few dollars fails and stops a $150,000 race car, that's racin'. 2. When you race a competitor for 500 miles and lose to him by just a few feet, that's racin'. 3. When a hot dog wrapper blows out of the stands, gets caught across the air vent on the front of your car and causes your engine to overheat, that's racin'.

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NEXTEL CUP QUALIFYING	4 p.m. Friday	Speed Channel
BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING	6 p.m. Friday	Speed Channel
NEXTEL CUP PRACTICE	Noon Saturday	Speed Channel
BUSCH SERIES CHICAGOLAND 300	2 p.m. Saturday	NBC
CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES BUILT FORD TOUGH 225	8 p.m. Saturday	Speed Channel
NEXTEL CUP CHICAGOLAND 400	3 p.m. Sunday	NBC
All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change.

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Well, that's all for today.  Until the next time, I remain,

Your Momma
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast.  Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt.  Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998