Full qualifying times for the third round of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series at Barber Motorsports Park.

1. Will Power Penske 1m 10.1356s
2. Mike Conway Dreyer & Reinbold 1m 10.6501s
3. Helio Castroneves Penske 1m 10.6569s
4. Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport 1m 11.0701s
5. Scott Dixon Ganassi 1m 11.3557s
6. Takuma Sato KVRT 1m 11.4387s*
7. Dario Franchitti Ganassi 1m 10.6307s
8. Tony Kanaan Andretti Autosport 1m 10.6903s
9. Ryan Briscoe Penske 1m 10.7602s
10. EJ Viso KVRT 1m 10.7757s
11. Justin Wilson Dreyer & Reinbold 1m 10.7760s
12. Mario Moraes KVRT 1m 11.5219s
13. Simona de Silvestro Stargate Works/HVM 1m 11.0262s*
14. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 1m 10.7449s
15. Graham Rahal Sarah Fisher 1m 11.1495s
16. Alex Lloyd Dale Coyne 1m 10.9524s*
17. Hideki Mutoh NHLR 1m 11.2855s
18. Raphael Matos de Ferran Luczo Dragon 1m 11.0507s
19. Danica Patrick Andretti Autosport 1m 11.5340s
20. Vitor Meira AJ Foyt 1m 11.1348s
21. Alex Tagliani FAZZT 1m 11.5669s
22. Mario Romancini Conquest 1m 11.6020s*
23. Dan Wheldon Panther 1m 11.6095s
24. Milka Duno Dale Coyne 1m 15.9800s
25. Bertrand Baguette Conquest 1m 11.9800s*

* denotes rookie driver

Slowly but surely, Jamie McMurray has realized his victory in last Sunday’s Daytona 500 wasn’t a dream.  It’s real, and he’s enjoying every minute of it.  More than six hours after the start of the Daytona 500, McMurray joyfully hoisted the famed Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway.  McMurray endured lengthy delays for potholes that surfaced on the track, survived a crash-filled affair in the closing laps and held off a hard-charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the final lap.

Last year, McMurray didn’t know for whom he would drive in 2010 after his Roush Fenway Racing No.26 team folded tent at the end of the season.  He landed a ride with Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing in the No.1 car shortly after, and what a debut he made with the team.

With his second-place run, Earnhardt Jr. was the highest finisher among the four Hendrick drivers.  Earnhardt Jr., hoping to snap a 57-race winless streak, charged from 10th on the final two-lap overtime restart to second on the last lap, but McMurray held him off by 0.12 seconds.  California has not been one of Earnhardt Jr.’s best tracks, based on his previous performances there.  ”I don’t like going out west, but it’s much easier to go there after you run good somewhere else,” Earnhardt Jr. said.  Earnhardt Jr. has finished 25th or worse in three of the last four races at California.

McMurray celebrates his Daytona 500 victory with several obligations in Los Angeles this week previous to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Jamie McMurray held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, a finish so thrilling it just about made up for a pothole that nearly derailed the Super Bowl of  NASCAR.

NASCAR needed two stoppages of well over two hours total to patch a pesky pothole between turns 1 and 2 of Daytona International Speedway. The setback brought the biggest race of the season to a frustrating halt and had NASCAR executives fretting over the potential fallout.

Hoping for a spectacular season-opener to re-energize the industry, the delays instead sent NASCAR chairman Brian France into the broadcast booth to calm an agitated audience.

In the end, though, the hole inadvertently improved the racing.

The action picked up tremendously after the second patch was applied, partly because drivers had to race as if the hole could rip open again and end the event on any lap. And did they ever.

They beat and banged their way through the field in a white-knuckle final 32 laps. Then a flurry of late-race accidents put NASCAR’s ”green-white-checker” policy — an overtime of sorts — to the test.

McMurray, using a boost from former teammate Greg Biffle, powered into the lead on the second and final green-white-checkered attempt. But Earnhardt, who restarted the final sprint in 10th place, was slicing his way through the field.

He weaved in and out of traffic, shoving his Chevrolet into three-wide lines, eventually darting his way to McMurray’s bumper. It was vintage Earnhardt — he’s a 12-time Daytona winner spanning NASCAR’s top two series — and McMurray was terrified to see him growing in his rearview mirror.

”When I saw the 88 behind me, I thought, ‘Oh no.’ He had a good car and I just thought — Earnhardt and Daytona, they win all the time it just seems like,” McMurray said. ”You never know what to expect.”

But with just two laps to make up so much ground, Earnhardt ran out of time and had to settle for second as McMurray sailed to his first career Daytona 500 victory.

”I didn’t know where I was, you know, ’til I really kind of got done almost wrecking down the back straightaway,” Earnhardt said of his charge. ”Then I looked up — there’s just one car in front of me, ‘Jamie’s gonna win this damn race!’

”I was happy for him. He deserves it. They’ve been through a lot. It’s a great team.”

McMurray climbed from his car and ran to the Daytona 500 logo in the infield, dropping to his knees and pounding on the painted grass. Overcome with emotion, he sobbed in Victory Lane as he celebrated with his Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team.

It was McMurray’s first race back with Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates, who gave him his Sprint Cup Series shot in 2002. But McMurray left and spent four frustrating seasons with Roush Fenway Racing, only to lose that ride at the end of last season when NASCAR forced Roush to drop a team to meet its four-car limit.

McMurray had to fight to get a seat back with Ganassi, and it included convincing sponsor Bass Pro Shops’ owner Johnny Morris to take a chance on him.

The risk was well rewarded Sunday with the biggest win of McMurray’s career.

”It’s unreal,” McMurray sobbed. ”You know, to be where I was last year and for Johnny Morris and Chip and Felix. What a way to pay them back. It’s just very emotional.”

Biffle, a close friend of McMurray’s, was disappointed in finishing third because he was the leader when the caution came out after the first green-white-checkered attempt. But he was able to give McMurray the push that got his buddy into Victory Lane.

”I just made my move too soon, a mistake on my part probably,” Biffle said. ”This is a big, big win for anybody’s career. You got to be happy for anybody that ever wins this race. I was especially happy, the guys I was up there beating and banging with, you know, I would rather see Jamie win than those guys.”

Clint Bowyer finished fourth and was followed by David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr. — teammates for Michael Waltrip, who finished 18th in what’s expected to be his final Daytona 500.

Kevin Harvick was seventh and was followed by Matt Kenseth, last year’s race winner, Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya, McMurray’s teammate.

After the race, DIS president Robin Braig apologized for the hole and the delays that caused many fans to head to the exits long before the finish.

”We’re the World Center of Racing. This is the Daytona 500. This is not supposed to happen, and I take full responsibility,” Braig said. ”We can come back from this. We know how to fix it. This is hallowed ground. We understand that. We accept the responsibility.”

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Yesterday, Jamie McMurray won the 2010 Daytona 500 behind the wheel of his number 1 Chevrolet leading only two laps, the least in Daytona 500 history. He beat out Dale Earnhardt Jr who placed second, and Greg Biffle third. McMurray humbly cried after the race showing great respect for the men who previously won this historic race.

In 1999, McMurray made 4 starts in the Craftsman Truck series. In 2000, he ran 15 Craftsman Truck races and posted 1 top-five and 4 top-ten finishes.

In 2001 and 2002, he competed full-time in the NASCAR Busch Series, driving the #27 Williams Travel Centers Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The latter year turned out better for McMurray, as he won two races and finished sixth in the overall points standings.

Before the fall race at Richmond in 2002, Chip Ganassi announced McMurray as the driver of a Texaco-Havoline sponsored Dodge in 2003. Ganassi planned to have Jamie drive the #42 Dodge for seven races in 2002. Those plans were accelerated when Sterling Marlin fractured a vertebra at the Winston Cup Race at Kansas Speedway.

At the end of 2009, he left Roush Fenway Racing to drive for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the #1 car, replacing Martin Truex, Jr who signed to drive for Michael Waltrip Racing. His departure came as Roush Fenway was forced by a new NASCAR policy implemented a few years prior that limited the amount of cars a race team could have to four, and the #26 was the team Roush Fenway chose to cut. McMurray will reunite with Chip Ganassi in the upcoming Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

Jenson Button and the Brawn team (currently, Mercedes GP) have been nominated to the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.

Button, who prior to 2009 has only won a Grand Prix, is nominated for the 2010 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after winning last season’s pilot championship.  The other nominees in this category are: Mark Cavendish (cycling) and Tom Daley (diving), as well as Juan Martín del Potro (tennis), Ji Yai Shin (golfer), and the relatively small German football team,  LVI Wolfsburg.  Lewis Hamilton got last year’s award after winning the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mika Hakkinen, Laureus World Sports Academy Member and double Formula One World Champion will announce the nominees

The winners –who will be selected by a jury of 46 people-, will have to attend the ceremony that will be held next month in Abu Dhabi.

Yesterday, the Daytona International Speedway was the stage of the two 150-mile qualifying races where Kasey Kahne won the Gatorade Duel 2 by .014 seconds driving his Ford . Tony Stewart crossed the finishing line second at the wheel of his Chevrolet, while Juan Montoya’s Chevrolet got third.  On his part, Jimmie Johnson won the Gatorade Duel 1 by .005 seconds ahead of Kevin Harvick who came in second. Kyle Busch won third place.

This leaves the ground set for February 14^th (next Sunday) Daytona 500 were the lineup will be as follows: No. 1 Mark Martin, No. 2 Dale Earnhard Jr., No. 3 Jimmie Johnson, No. 4 Kasey Kahne and No.5 Kevin Harvick, all of the behind the steering wheels of Chevrolets, except for Kahne who will drive his Ford.

NASCAR’s format for the opener, Pole Day locks in the top-two qualifiers for next Sunday’s (Feb. 14) Daytona 500 and establishes starting positions for Thursday’s 60-lap, 150-mile qualifying races. The results from the two 150-milers will determine the starting field — positions 3-43 — for the 500.

So it was a bitter sweet day for Ryan Newman who got third position at the Daytona 500 last Saturday, February 6th. As he did last year at the opening Sprint Cup event, he was the third fastest in Pole Day time trials at Daytona International Speedway.

“It would have been nice to lock in one of those front row spots for the 500,” said Newman, who was the second of 54 drivers to make a qualifying lap. “But overall we had a strong performance and I look for more of the same next week. I want to give a shout-out to all the Soldiers–we are doing our best for you.”

In Saturday’s two-lap qualifying show, Newman’s No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet covered the 2.5-mile oval in 47.225 seconds at 190.577 miles per hour.

He was a few ticks slower than the top-two qualifiers — Mark Martin (pole winner) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (outside pole). Martin’s lap time/speed was 47.074 at 191.188 while Earnhardt’s was 47.142 at 190.913.

It’s worth mentioning that the top-three cars are Chevrolets and are powered by Hendrick engines. Rounding out the top five were Bill Elliott (fourth) and Juan Pablo Montoya (fifth).

“It was shaky out there because the wind was tricky,” added Newman about his qualifying laps. “There was no good way to read the wind. A couple of things happened during the lap that I wish didn’t happen, but the wind was hard to predict. It was a great effort by the U.S. Army Chevrolet. Tony Gibson (crew chief) and all the guys did an outstanding job. From now until the 500 we need to be smart and get this Soldiers’ car ready for the big race.”

Newman’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Tony Stewart, was 21st fastest and will start 11th in Thursday’s second qualifying race.

The Cup series resumed practices on last week on Wednesday. The 150-mile qualifying races on Thursday were televised on SPEED.

There are people who are putting a lot of pressure on only one man, namely, Dale Earnhardt Jr., suggesting that if he won several races during 2010, NASCAR’s difficult situation would improve significantly.

Regarding this, Felix Sebates -minority owner of the Earnhardt Ganassi cars of Montoya and Jamie McMurray-, said “I think Dale Earnhardt’s lack of winning the last two years have really hurt the sport overall, because everyone expected him to be the leader.”  “He has not been the leader. I hope he wins a bunch of races [in 2010] because if he wins a bunch of races, he’ll bring fans back to the race track. He’s good for everybody. I hope we win our fare share, but I want Junior to win a bunch of races. I really do.”

On his part, Kyle Petty, former driver and current television analyst said, “You’re putting too much pressure on one guy.” “If our sport depends on Dale Jr., then this sport is hurting, period.

Humpy Wheeler seems to agree. The consultant and longtime race track promoter doesn’t believe Earnhardt winning again would be enough to foster a NASCAR revival by itself. “It’s going to take more than that,” he said. “If Earnhardt Jr. could win a couple of races and battle maybe [Juan] Montoya, and trade some paint doing it, and let Tony Stewart get in the mix too, that’s what’s going to pep things up and move the needle and get the phones to ring. Junior by himself winning a race passively — by passively, I mean fuel mileage or something like that — that’s not going to click the meter.”

So maybe multiple trips to Victory Lane by the No. 88 car wouldn’t be enough to raise NASCAR back to its early-2000s height. But clearly, they wouldn’t hurt. Anyone who has ever been to a race track when Earnhardt takes the lead has heard the roar, powerful enough to be noticed over the sound of 43 engines. So a complete turnaround? No, maybe that’s too much to ask of Earnhardt. But a spark? That’s something else altogether.

Jeff Behnke, executive producer and senior vice president at Turner Sports — the parent company of NASCAR broadcast partner TNT, and, in the interest of full disclosure, NASCAR.COM — believes an Earnhardt comeback would also be reflected in television ratings.  “I think the ratings would go up. Our job is to talk about all 43 drivers, which we do. But the answer is, yeah, he’s been the most popular driver for however many years running now, and there are reasons for that. You just see it when he takes the lead in a race. You see the grandstands, and they go berserk.”

Look, nobody wants to get back to where he was as a very, very high-performing driver more than Dale Jr. I met with him [in January], and he wants to return and so does Rick Hendrick, and if it does, it will help NASCAR, no question about that. But that’s sports. We’ll have to let it play out,” explained NASCAR chariman.  “Even someone of his status has a relatively limited reach. It’s likely a gross overstatement to say that a revival of Dale Earnhardt Jr. would translate into a revival for NASCAR itself.”

“I get a really good feeling from Dale Jr. this year. I really do, no joke,” said Petty, who spoke with Earnhardt. “I think he’s excited about this year. He’s excited like he was when he was 16 and going to run Caraway and going to run Concord. He has a little of that spark when you talk to him. If he turns it around, it’s going to be huge for the sport. It’s going to be big for his fans, it’s going to be big for the sport, it’s going to be big for everybody, because the tide will rise and the ships will float with him.”

We’ll see what happens.  For the time being, Dale will be starting second –behind teammate Mark Martin-, in the Feb. 14 Daytona 500, at the Daytona International Speedway, his best qualifying position since starting second last year at Kansas. It’s the first time he’s been on the front row for a restrictor-plate race, where seven of his 18 career wins have come, since 2003.

Last Saturday, Mark Martin secured his pole position for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, which will take place February 14, 2010.

Behind the steering wheel of his number 5 Chevrolet, the 51 year old driver from Arkansas managed to earn the pole position driving at more than 191 mph at 191.188.  Next, on second place came Dale Earnhardt Jr., followed by Ryan Newman driving his number 39 Chevrolet.

Saturday’s qualifying decided only the front-row spots for the 500. The rest of the lineup will be set after Thursday’s two 150-mile qualifying races. Drivers who finished in the top 35 of last year’s owners standings are guaranteed to start somewhere.

Danica Patrick who finished 6th in the ARCA 200-mile race last Saturday, February 6^th,  will participate Saturday’s Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Beyond Daytona, Patrick’s 2010 campaign is confirmed starting with the Feb. 20 race at Auto Club Speedway and the Feb. 27 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Following Vegas, Patrick will take a four-month hiatus to focus on her IndyCar Series responsibilities before returning to drive June 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

ARCA stock cars are almost identical to Nationwide Series cars. Patrick’s ARCA start Saturday was the first race in a stock car for the Roscoe, Ill., driver, who in 2008 became the first woman to win an IndyCar event.

Her participation in the Camping World race was contingent on her performance on the high-banked Daytona track. Patrick veered off track after contact with a car driven by former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet, Jr., and slid sideways through the grass into Turn 1.

Her car sustained minor damage when it struck the 31-degree banking of the corner, but she rallied from the back of the pack and ran as high as 5th before the checkered flag waved.

JR Motorsports will still field two cars for the Nationwide Series season opener. Due to sponsorship reallocation for the upcoming season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet in place of Kelly Bires in what is the first of two scheduled races for the JRM co-owner. Bires will return to the seat of the No. 88 Chevy the following week at Auto Club Speedway and could be called upon to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet at Daytona should Patrick not compete in that event.

“We want to give Danica the best opportunity to compete at Daytona, and that includes making sure she is 100 percent comfortable in that driver’s seat,” said Kelley Earnhardt, JRM co-owner and general manager.

Jeff Gordon is a famous American race car driver who was born in 1971 in Vallejo, California. He has won the Nascar Winston Cup four times, and he drives car #24 for Hendrick Motorsports. As of this writing, one of his most prominent sponsors is DuPont. Jeff Gordon began racing when he was only five years of age. He loved to race cars, and his family was supportive of him. His family actually relocated primarily because they wanted Jeff to be in a location where he could better harness his racing skills. While he was still a minor, Jeff had already won a number of races and was given the USAC Midget Car Racing Rookie of the Year award.

After this, Gordon went on to win the USAC Midget title, and by 1991, he had gained the USAC Silver Crown. He broke a record by being the youngest person to ever capture the title. He went to the Busch Series after this, and had a large number of victories. Gordon crashed his car during the the Hooters 500 race in Atlanta in 1992, and this caused him to be placed in the 31st position. Jeff Gordon was one of many young racers who would be placed on high quality teams early in their careers. The success of Jeff Gordon allowed a younger generation of racers to begin competing in Nascar.

Many critics felt that Gordon was not ready to compete at the professional level because of his habit of racing cars so hard that he crashed them. However, Gordon proved them all wrong during the 1994 season, were he emerged victorious in the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which was a long and difficult race. Gordon would also go on to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. In 1995 he won what would become the first of four Winston Cup Championships. Jeff Gordon is also famous for rising up against the legendary Dale Earnhardt, and he has become a fan favorite.

Many people consider Jeff Gordon to be one of the greatest drivers in Nascar because he achieved so much at a very young age. Even at 35 years of age, Jeff Gordon has successfully won 75 races, which is just one victory behind Dale Earnhardt. Jeff Gordon is also notable for making Nascar a popular sport with mainstream audiences. For a long time, the sport was only regulated to the south, but Jeff Gordon has allowed it to reach a high level of popularity due to advertising and his skills with the media.

Author is a contributer for an auto racing blog at AutoRacingReporter.com. Find more auto racing websites at SportsWebsiteDirectory.com. Purchase sports website marketing at SportsWebsiteMarketing.com.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he has noticed a change in culture within the Hendrick Motorsports’ shop area, because the group of his people corresponding to car No. 88 shares with the group with Mark Martin’s car No. 5, and that may be a good omen regarding better performance in 2010.

  From Earnhardt viewpoint, the catalyst for change was Lance McGrew’s appointment as crew chief by the end of the 2009 season.  Last May, McGrew was replaced as interim crew chief by Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt’s cousin.

  “Even if they achieve minimum progress with regards to performance, and don’t have that bad luck in the races that they had, they will be in conditions to rank for the Chase and have a very, very respectful season.”

  “When he (McGrew) managed to consolidate his position and we were able to move forward knowing that that was how things were.  Yes, everybody somehow combined their minds, faith and trust around that, and we could recover some of the trust and some faith in the team," Earnhardt declared this Friday night at the off-season Thunder Fan Fest that took place in the Daytona International Speedway.

  Some changes with the personnel that works at the shops have elicited more sense of cooperation between the groups of people who are in charge of the two cars.  "When I mentioned the culture, that’s what I was trying to say; I’m referring to both, the cars and the people who is really intertwined between the two groups.  The result is that everybody is working and have faith again in the No. 88.  That’s what I believe has changed a lot," Earnhardt declared.

  Martin, who arrived second behind Jimmie Johnson in the Sprint Cup NASCAR Championship, last year, does not think that Earnhardt’s performance has to improve too much, as long as he can overcome the bad luck that derailed promising performances in many races, last year.  “In other words, they don’t need to give a great jump regarding performance, if only they take that weight off of their shoulders."

  "In many races, they performed better than car no. 5, but nobody really realized it, because they were crashed or something broke. Many things went wrong when they were faster than us with car no.5."

  His team mate, Jeff Gordon thinks that confidence in himself is clue to see a change in Earnhardt, who begins the season after going through a bad patch of 57 races without wins.  "Nothing much is necessary to go off the track," Gordon said. "What I mean to say is that everything becomes competition when you’re in the tracks.  And I know that sometimes it seems as if they are very far behind, but I don’t think they are as much as people think.  I believe that a new beginning is the only thing that’s necessary; a few things.

  "The organization puts so much effort into each car, that the ingredients are certainly there.  I think that, probably what’s missing is more self-confidence.  This happens to everybody.  If the pilot is confident, the crew chief is confident, the people who work in the boxes are confident.  It’s like a waterfall where everything falls from the top.

  "Let’s hope that all the hard work they’re carrying out in the season’s break will help them to start with the right foot and that self-confidence doesn’t decline too early, because once it does it’s difficult to gain it back."

  Earnhardt understands the importance of ranking in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.  In three of the last five seasons, he has been unable to achieve that goal.

 "When he didn’t rank for the Chase... I feel I have let them down," Earnhardt, admitted.  "They help you to fight all year long.  They struggle every week right there, by your side.  They go through a work day while they argue with someone who is criticizing me.  So, they fight their own battles just as I do in the tracks.

  "Therefore, you really feel as if you have disappointed them when you don’t even rank for the Chase.  What I mean to say is… ¡Damn!  One would expect to rank for the Chase.  That is not asking too much from your pilots.  So you feel very bad.

  I think that’s what bothers me most about having a disappointing year."

The 2008 NASCAR Racing Sprint Cup season was dominated by a small circle of teams that have ingeniously advanced their entire programs over the past four or five years. Most NASCAR fans will agree the Roush Fenway Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing are at the zenith of the sport when it comes to on-track performance and achievements. Take a glimpse at the driver roster for each of the above mentioned teams. Roush Fenway Racing boasts a blend of talented personalities in Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, David Ragan, and Jamie McMurray. Hendrick Motorsports owns perhaps the most star-studded lineup in NASCAR history with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Mark Martin. Richard Childress Racing possesses perhaps the most consistent trio of drivers with Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer. He added former Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears to his driver roster for the 2009 season. Joe Gibbs Racing has the youthful vigor of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and rookie Joey Logano, with their ages ranging from 18 to 28. Logano replaces the two-time champion Tony Stewart. In 2006, the four teams made up eight of the ten drivers in the Chase for the Championship. In 2007, they occupied ten of the twelve slots in the ten-race championship chase. In 2008, the entire Chase for the Championship field was drivers and teams from the ‘big four’. Clearly, it is no surprise that other teams may tremble at the thought of having to compete with these juggernauts. However, there are a few teams out there with drivers and personnel capable of giving the big four a run for their money.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing: Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates were separate entities prior to the merger in November of 2008. Remember the Coors Light Dodge battling the Budweiser Chevrolet in the early 2000’s? Now they are one operation, combining their resources with the intention of competing at a higher level. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing has their share of critics, but they have two talented drivers with solid sponsors. Martin Truex Jr qualified for the Chase for the Championship in 2007 after winning his first race at Dover. Truex Jr quickly became a popular driver with his laidback outdoorsmen demeanor. Juan Pablo Montoya is not one of the more popular drivers in the Sprint Cup garage, but no one can say that he is not talented. Montoya and Truex Jr are both capable of winning a race in 2009 with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing equipment. In fact, the organization is practically depending on it. Aric Almirola is expected to compete in all thirty-six races in 2009 in the No. 8 car. Stewart Haas Racing: Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman are significant upgrades from Johnny Sauter and Scott Riggs, but how will they stack up against the big four? Stewart Haas Racing will use engines and chassis supplied by Hendrick Motorsports, but they are no Hendrick Motorsports, at least not yet. In due course, this team will flourish with Stewart and Newman as the drivers. Stewart is a two-time champion and Newman is a Daytona 500 champion so they do not lack credentials. Stewart and Newman winning a race in 2009 is not that far-fetched, especially on the restrictor plate tracks as well as the road courses. It would come as a surprise if they are fast enough to contend at the 1.5-mile and 2-mile tracks.

Richard Petty Motorsports: Like Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports is fresh off a merger and name change. Formerly Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises, they are now one team with four drivers. Kasey Kahne is the star, the driver that will likely produce the best results. Elliott Sadler is the veteran who has struggled in recent years, but hopes to turn the corner. Reed Sorenson and A.J. Allmendinger are hungry young drivers itching to earn a trip to victory lane. Kahne provides the only real threat to the big four. Allmendinger may emerge as a pleasant surprise if he has the opportunity to compete in the full slate of races. Penske Racing: Kurt Busch is the only driver in Penske Racing’s three-team shop that can really threaten the big four. Busch qualified for the Chase for the Championship in 2007 after winning two races. Ryan Newman won thirteen races in Penske Racing equipment, but bolted after three sub par seasons. David Stremme replaces Newman, but you get the feeling that Penske settled for his test driver. Sam Hornish Jr is comparable to Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson when he is driving in the Indy Racing League, but his results in NASCAR Racing have been downright awful. Hornish may begin to show signs of potential in 2009.

Yates Racing: Yates Racing has made some bold moves this off-season. After forming an alliance with Hall of Fame Racing, they were able to use the Ask.com sponsorship to lure 2000 champion Bobby Labonte to their neck of the woods. Labonte joins Paul Menard and Travis Kvapil. Menard and his sponsor, Menard’s, fled Dale Earnhardt Inc, joined Yates Racing, meaning that the team has two fully sponsored cars. Travis Kvapil may not compete in all races unless sponsorship is found. Labonte may contend on the restrictor plate tracks, and possibly the short tracks. Menard still has a lot to prove in NASCAR’s highest level of competition. Red Bull Racing: Red Bull Racing has a couple of young drivers that will put it all on the line. Brian Vickers owns a Sprint Cup victory and had shown considerable progress in his two years at Red Bull Racing. Scott Speed is a rookie, and it may take a few banged up race cars before he fully catches on to this NASCAR Racing thing. Michael Waltrip Racing: David Reutimann is Michael Waltrip Racing’s strongest driver based on his result over the 2008 season. He ended the season on a high note with solid performances at Texas and Homestead. Michael Waltrip has yet to show any signs of contending in his own equipment. Marcos Ambrose will be a contender on the road course tracks, but he may struggle on the ovals.

Fans, get used to it. Jimmie Johnson is expected to complete the four-peat, four consecutive championships. At least that is what the odds-makers are saying. Is it really a surprise that a driver who has won twenty-two races in the last three years is expected to win the championship? When does it stop, right?

Eventually, his championship run has to end. Realistically, we all know that, including the odds makers. However, with that said, the odds makers must formulate their odds based on probability, and all they have to go by is what has taken place. Jimmie Johnson has dominated the Sprint Cup Series over the past three years, so naturally, he is the favorite to capture the championship, and a smart bettor would shy away from betting against the three-time defending champion.

Initially, Jimmie Johnson has 4-1 odds to win the 2009 Sprint Cup championship. Nine-time race winner . In 2008, Carl Edwards, has 9-2 odds to win his first Sprint Cup title. Edwards will likely emerge as the trendy pick when the early preview guides are released in January.

Kyle Busch, who tallied eight total victories in 2008, has 5-1 odds to win his first Sprint Cup championship. Busch dominated the first 26 races of the 2008 season, only to crumple in the final ten. Nevertheless, if Busch is as stout as he was for most of 2008, do not anticipate another late-season collapse.

Greg Biffle was the surprise championship contender in 2008; however, he will no longer sneak up on anyone in 2009. Experts predict another solid season for Biffle, who is listed as 10-1 odds to win his first championship. Biffle has emerged as a veteran leader in Sprint Cup, and is getting better with age.

NASCAR’s. Favorite son, Dale Earnhardt Jr, is listed at 12-1 odds. Earnhardt Jr’s odds have plunged since last year, following a perceived disappointing season. However, Earnhardt, Jr. was solid for most of the season. Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin are listed as 13-1 odds. Gordon and Hamlin produced one victory between them, and it was not Gordon that enjoyed the victory lane celebration.

Mark Martin, now a member of the Hendrick Motorsports cronies, is listed as 18-1 odds, along with his former protégé Matt Kenseth, who is the 2003 champion. Kenseth failed to win a race in 2008, his first winless season since 2001, which was also the last time he finished outside the top ten in the championship standings.

Richard Childress Racing teammates Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick are listed as 20-1 odds and 22-1 odds respectively. Burton is still searching for championship number uno, as is Harvick; however, Harvick would be happy just to rekindle his once close relationship with victory lane.

Listed at 30-1 odds are Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, and David Ragan. Stewart is in the midst of a new endeavor, as he will run his own Chevrolet operation. Obviously, his championship odds are significantly lower than they were while he was with Joe Gibbs Racing. Bowyer will begin the 2009 season with a brand new team, still in the Richard Childress Racing organization.Kurt Busch hopes to rebound from perhaps the worst season of his career. Ragan is the up and comer of the group.

Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray are listed as 40-1 odds. Kahne won twice in 2008, but stammered in the latter half of the season. McMurray was only getting started as the season ended. Rookie Joey Logano is also listed at 40-1 odds. However, this is a bit of an overrate. Logano struggled mightily in 2008 in his handful of starts. You mean to tell me that he has a better shot at the championship than Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr, or even Juan Pablo Montoya?

Obviously, the odds are subject to change as the 2009 season approaches, but this is just a taste of what to expect in the looming season.

According to a multitude of fans and media members, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. encountered a travesty of a season while driving for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. Apparently, he was supposed to jump into a Hendrick Motorsports prepared car and post Jimmie Johnson-like stats. When the 2008 season began last February at Daytona, Earnhardt, Jr. captured the Bud Shootout and one of the Gatorade 125 races, increasing his expectations even more.

As the season progressed, Earnhardt, Jr. enjoyed several solid showings throughout the first half of the year. He nearly won a number of races, most notably at Richmond in May when he was spun by Kyle Busch with just a handful of laps remaining. In fact, for the first quarter of the season, Earnhardt, Jr. was arguably the top performing Hendrick Motorsports driver despite the fact that he was shut out of victory lane.

The first win finally occurred at the 2-mile speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Earnhardt, Jr. ran among the top five and ten for most of the race, but it was superior fuel mileage that earned him his first and only victory of the season.

Earnhardt, Jr. spent most of the first half of the season among the top three in the Sprint Cup championship standings.

Following his victory at Michigan, Earnhardt, Jr.’s performance began to wane a little. He would only score one top ten finish in the preceding ten races; nevertheless, he still easily qualified for the ten raceChase for the Championship.

His championship pursuit was far from spectacular, as he scored only three top ten finishes in the final ten races and finished last among all twelve drivers in the Chase for the Championship in the standings. Certainly, it was not an ideal way to begin his career at Hendrick Motorsports; however, was it a disaster?

It seems as if Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has topped everyone’s list as the most disappointing driver of the 2008 Sprint Cup campaign. He could have done a lot worse.

Firstly, let us take a glimpse at some hard facts. Earnhardt, Jr. finished twelfth in the championship standings, better than Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex, Jr., Jamie McMurray, and other familiar stars.

He scored ten top five finishes. Only six drivers in the entire Sprint Cup series scored more top five finishes. Under the traditional championship format, Earnhardt, Jr. would have placed seventh in the final standings, higher than Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Matt Kenseth.

He completed 98.6 percent of the laps he races, which is a personal career high. His average running position was 11.6, fourth among all drivers.

Most significantly, Earnhardt, Jr. won a race, something that Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, and twenty-two other full-time drivers could not accomplish.

A true measure of a driver’s performance is the driver ratings. Driver rating’s are an intricate formula consisting of wins, finishes, top fifteen finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green flag conditions, fastest laps, most laps led, and lead lap finishes. Basically, the driver’s with the highest rating are the ones that are frequently running near the front of the pack.

Earnhardt, Jr. finished the season with a driver rating of 99.0, which was fourth among all Sprint Cup drivers. Only Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch produced a better driver rating than Earnhardt, Jr, whose rating was higher than Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, and Tony Stewart.

So fans, was Dale Earnhardt, Jr. really that awful?

He is the most popular driver in NASCAR, and that comes with monumental exposure. Additionally, he is the son of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt, Sr, which that alone adds insurmountable pressure. Honestly, it does not matter how well Dale Earnhardt, Jr. performs, he will always fall short of expectations, because people expect his performance to match is popularity, which is utterly impossible. He is a victim of his own name and fame.