The 31 said he wanted the 33 but I think the 29 would have kept him in front. Gordon does not have the car to win...a waste of a rocket 29 car~

I like Harvick & Gordon's paint scheme -- the cars look great!

i have to check it out -- thanks for the reminder

lol... denny is blocking like crazy (the #29)

You gotta DQ Hamlin there. It's clear as day below the line.

Wow... Kurt won!

Busch boys can race!

Denny should know better -- but he had no choice unfor. to go down to avoid a wreck

It is clear the 31 and 29 cars had something special tonight but the riff between the two cost both a chance at a win. Burton needs to lose the ego :rolleyes:

Good think Kurt didn't follow his brother -- He would have followed him right into the garage

i like denny... always have... until he had a riff with jr.

1 1/2 years ago, denny would have put kurt into the wall for the win.

24 is my favorite driver but I hope this year someone besides Jimmy wins the title

I think I'm gonna take Thursday afternoon off to watch the Duels.

listed in the OP

Off to turn my attentions to the Cats....nigth all. Looking forward to the rest of speedweek and hoping the #33 can claim a spot in the front row tomorrow.

Sunday 2/13

1:00p FOX Cup Qualifying

2 PM EST why?

Chad Knaus is so good. Knaus mentor, Ray Evernham will consult with Hendrick on performance parts.

The best two cheaters ever! :D

I find them the most entertaining races of the week more often than not.

truebigdog has proven he should have always been running this thread along with his trusty sidekick Dylan. I have given both pos rep here before...I am now tempted to give them both neg rep for not stepping up sooner ;)

Are you declaring rep war? Because if you are, I am totally in on that.

LMAO the only way I can compete in a rep war is when deface resets it~

I'm not understanding the qualifying order. they say it's supposed to be set on the speeds of the final practice from slowest to fastest (with the top 35 first and then "go or go homers") but according to nascar.com this is the qualifying order and that certainly doesn't fit the above as Martin was fastest in each practice. Anyway, here's the order per nascar.com:


ORDER CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR
1 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge Miller Lite
2 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota Kroger / USO
3 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M's
4 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Crown Royal Black
5 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper
6 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet GoDaddy.com
7 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Mobil 1
8 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army
9 77 Steve Wallace Toyota 5-Hour Energy
10 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota Red Bull
11 71 Andy Lally Chevrolet Adobe Road Winery
12 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull
13 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Budweiser
14 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker
15 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot
16 34 David Gilliland Ford Taco Bell
17 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet Peak / Menards
18 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target
19 37 Robert Richardson Jr. Ford North Texas Pipe
20 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies
21 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
22 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger
23 9 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Stanley
24 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford Best Buy
25 6 David Ragan Ford UPS
26 21 Trevor Bayne Ford Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
27 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard
28 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
29 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron's Dream Machine
30 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac
31 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's / Kobalt Tools
32 22 Kurt Busch Dodge Shell / Pennzoil
33 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Speed Energy
34 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
35 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express
36 157 Norm Benning Chevrolet Norm Benning Racing
37 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet Tommy Baldwin Racing
38 46 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Red Line Oil
39 115 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
40 13 Casey Mears Toyota GEICO
41 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota AM FM Energy
42 09 Bill Elliott Chevrolet Phoenix Construction
43 60 Todd Bodine Toyota Tire Kingdom / Valvoline
44 38 Travis Kvapil Ford Long John Silver's
45 64 Derrike Cope Toyota Sta-Bil
46 66 Michael McDowell Toyota HP Racing LLC
47 97 Kevin Conway Toyota Extenze
48 32 Terry Labonte Ford U.S. Chrome
49 192 Brian Keselowski Dodge K-Automotive Motorsports

They're not doing the practice speed thing until Phoenix.

Ahhhh, hadn't heard that....Thank You

It's fairly safe to guess that the front row should be occupied by either Hendrick or RCR drivers.
Martin, Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt, Burton, Bowyer,and Menard were the drivers in the top 10 in both practice sessions.
I'm thinking Martin and Bowyer since they will be the first of that bunch out (6th and 5th respectively) and maybe the track will be a touch cooler.

Qualifying has started.

Gordon will probably at worst be on the front row. Realistically only Burton, JJ, and Junior have a shot at him.

Awfully tough lap to beat from Junior.

Qualifying matters very little at Daytona but it is still cool to watch~

JJ is probably the last one with a chance at the pole.

True for the most part, but I would prefer to see "my driver" start in the front of the duel field rather than the back.

Looks like Earnhardt/Gordon front row.

Got a really good feeling about Junior next week if he can avoid the big one.

He's been on point all week.

Got the pole by 4 feet.

I don't think you can tell a whole lot about anything that has happened as yet other than the Chevys in general and Hendrick and RCR cars in particular have more horsepower when running by themselves.

I see what you're saying but he was consistently one of the fastest cars in practice and had a good run going last night until the wreck.

I'll be shocked if the winner next week isn't from HMS or RCR.

Yeah but the reality is if a driver has the ponies and starts 25th he has just as good of chance as the pole sitter in the 500~

I agree completely when it comes to next Sunday. All I'm saying is in the duels, you don't want your guy in the back with those that have to race their way in where he's more likely to get caught up in a wreck.
As it sits right now, Clint should start right behind the 88 in the first Duel. The two of them may be able to check out if it stays that way.......and it may also just be the case that I tend to overthink dumb shit that doesn't matter.

Jr. officially on the pole.

Yeah and he's going to start on the inside of the front row too....oh, wait a minute that's what you meant

Yeah, he said Jr, not Jeff Gordon.

LMAO if given the choice it is always best to be out front. That way you dont get caught up in someone elses **** up~

Hey! I've lost my rep power ever since one of the mods went on a rep rampage... LMAO

wait a minute, i now have 6 green squares -- lol

NASCAR orders changes, tries to dodge draft trouble

By Jim Utter - [email protected]
Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR wasted little time in making changes to limit the two-car drafts that dominated much of Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout.

Sprint Cup Series crews were issued technical bulletins Sunday afternoon outlining changes. New dimensions for the openings of Cup cars' grilles were specified and the addition of a pressure-relief valve required for the cooling systems.

Both are intended to limit the amount of time cars could hook up and run bumper-to-bumper before engine temperatures get dangerously high.

There could be additional changes before Thursday's pair of qualifying races or Sunday's Daytona 500, NASCAR officials said.

Officials said they would continue to monitor speeds, which some drivers pushed to 206 mph in Saturday night's event.


Read more: http://www.thatsracin.com/2011/02/13...#ixzz1DtZ8u2fU

Gatorade Duel 150 on SPEED Race 1 Starting Lineup
88 27 39 5 14 22 42 9 29 48 09 43 87 17 36 78 4 47 83 97 34 66 46 and 71

Gatorade Duel 150 on SPEED Race 2 Starting Lineup
24 21 33 31 16 6 99 38 00 2 15 1 18 56 20 60 13 77 7 32 37 11 64 and 92



As for Jeff Gordon's concern about who was running 9500 rpms. FOX had graphics last night with several NASCAR drivers over 9000 rpms

http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2...LUattCp4VCdA--

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not start first in the Daytona 500.

Eighteen minutes into the first practice for Thursday’s Gatorade Duels, Earnhardt got tapped from behind by Martin Truex Jr., sending him into the wall, destroying the No. 88 Chevrolet. With steam shooting from under his hood and his rear bumper dragging on the ground, Earnhardt wheeled his car to the garage where his crew was already unloading his backup car.

Earnhardt, who won the pole on Sunday, will now start at the rear of the field in both the Gatorade Duel and Sunday’s Daytona 500.

“We were coming around [Turns] 3 and 4 and some guys on the inside moved up toward the top lane and me and Jimmie [Johnson] checked up cause we didn’t know if they were coming into our lane and we got run over from behind,” explained Earnhardt. “Same old stuff that always happens here.”

Johnson was unscathed. Truex will also go to a backup car.

When asked what his emotions are after knowing he’ll have to start at the rear of the field, Earnhardt responded, “Get the next [car] ready.”

Rain delayed practice for several hours. When it finally got started, it was the first time on the track for a number of drivers, including Robby Gordon, Michael Waltrip and David Gilliland. Those three were locked in a three-car train, with Gordon leading the way. As they entered Turn 4, Gordon veered up the track and directly in the way of Johnson and Earnhardt, who were traveling some 20 mph faster.

Pinched against the wall with nowhere to go, Johnson had to check up, sparking a pile up behind him.

“It’s a new game,” Johnson said of Daytona, where the two-car draft has emerged as the fastest way to get around the track. “A spotter’s job is far more important and covers a lot more areas than it ever has. Spotting the front, spotting behind, letting you know when a two-car pack is coming.

“I think it was an innocent thing, but you can’t start on the bottom of the race track and then find your way all the way to the top in the corner,” he continued. “That was so avoidable. That didn’t need to happen.”

Said Earnhardt: “We’re all kind of getting the hang of it, but the guys that aren’t … need to be aware that those guys [in a two-car pack] are going to come flying up on them faster than they think. And you’ve just got to keep that in mind and hold your line.”

Earnhardt will roll off pit road first in Sunday’s Daytona 500, but will peal off and make his way to the rear of the field before the drop of the green flag. When he does, the winner of the first Gatorade Duel (or the second-place finisher if Junior wins) will slide into his spot.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;...iorwreck021611

UNREAL!!!!

MA FA!

SOMMA B!

freakin' no talent Truex, Jr!

hope truex gets caught in the BIG BIG one on sunday, that'll leave a mark! coming around the corner like a bat out of hell! Sheesh!

Starting at 2 p.m. ET Thursday, SPEED will televise the Gatorade Duel qualifying races from Daytona International Speedway.

What to watch for in Daytona Duels
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

What can you expect to see when the green flag drops for both of the 150-mile events?

1. What’s at stake?

When you combine the top 35 owner points rule with the unique qualifying system for the Daytona 500, it means 39 spots are already locked for the running of Sunday’s Great American Race (coverage begins at noon ET on FOX). The four remaining spots will be decided today in the Duels, with the top two non-top 35 points guys racing their way into the field via each race. The drivers battling for the two open spots in Duel 1 are Bill Elliott, Joe Nemechek, Dave Blaney, Kevin Conway, Michael McDowell and J.J. Yeley. In Duel No. 2, Travis Kvapil, Terry Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Todd Bodine, Casey Mears, Derrike Cope and Brian Keselowski will be fighting for the final two transfer spots.

Here’s where it gets a bit tricky, so stay with me. Bill Elliott, Joe Nemechek, Travis Kvapil and Terry Labonte are actually amongst the 39 already locked into the race because of their qualifying speeds or the fact that they can use the past champions provisional (Labonte). However, if any of them “race” their way into the 500, they allow the next fastest drivers from qualifying not already locked into the race to earn a spot (in order of speeds: Waltrip, Blaney, Bodine and Conway). So for example, if Elliott is the first “Go or go homer” in the first Duel race, Waltrip earns a spot in the 500 field regardless of how he performs.

There’s lots of different ways drivers can make the field -- but the surefire way to know they made it is to go all out and race their way in on Thursday.

There will be plenty of jubilation and heartbreak by the end of today’s races.

2. What’s at stake (Pt. 2)

These Duels aren’t just about locking drivers into the race, they are about setting the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 -- and perhaps more important, helping to establish the pit-selection process, which will be the key to victory according to several people in the Sprint Cup garage.

Here’s how this works. For all intents and purposes, the finishing order in the first Duel sets the odd starting positions behind polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. (who will drop to the rear of the field after a crash during practice Wednesday forced him to a back-up car). The finishing order in the second Duel will set the even positions behind outside polesitter Jeff Gordon. Once the lineup is set, pit stalls will be selected by teams based on their starting position -- so Junior’s team will get to pick whatever stall they want (presumably the first one at the end of pit road, which is considered the “prime” stall). Gordon’s team will pick second, followed by the winners of Duel race 1, Duel race 2, and so on.

With the elimination of the seventh man on pit stops, along with a new fueling system in place for 2011, pit stops will be absolutely crucial on Sunday. Getting a good pit-stall position could prove to be vital as teams look to gain milliseconds on the competition.

3. Expect the unexpected

In case you missed it, Wednesday was a wild day at Daytona. Polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. got into an accident, five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson had to have an engine change, etc. What kind of calamity will we see when 24 racers strap in and battle for position in each Duel? If the previous six days of Speedweeks is anything to go by, expect the unexpected.

4. Time to go to school

Since teams got down to Daytona last week, NASCAR has made several changes to slow the cars down -- including on the grille opening, the pressure relief valve, and the restrictor plate on the cars. Thursday will be the first time drivers truly get to feel what all the changes create out on the track in race conditions.

5. Down to the wire

If Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout was any indication -- and plenty of drivers believe it is -- you won’t want to miss the drop of the checkered flag because the finish for each Duel race could get wild. With the two-car tandems in full effect, it’s anybody’s race when it comes down to the end. Will the leader coming out of Turn 4 stay up front? Will drivers wreck each other for the win?

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/stor...a-duels-021711

Results of the first duel:

1) #22-Busch, starts 3rd, moves up to the Daytona 500 pole
2) #78-Smith
3) #29-Harvick
4) #17-Kenseth
5) #4-Kahne
6) #42-Montoya
7) #43-Allmendinger
8) #5-Martin
9) #27-Menard
10) #39-Newman
11) #48-Johnson
12) #14-Stewart
13) #88-Earnhardt Jr. will still start at the rear Daytona 500
14) #83-Vickers
15) #09-Elliott, RACED IN
16) #47-Labonte
17) #46-Yeley, RACED IN
18) #97-Conway, DNQ
19) #87-Nemechek, SPD
20) #36-Blaney, MYB
21) #9-Ambrose
22) #71-Lally, -1
23) #66-McDowell, DNQ
24) #34-Gilliland, 40 laps

RACED IN = made race via transfer spot (2)
DNQ = did not qualify, will miss race
SPD = makes race on speed
MYB = can still make race on speed depending on Duel 2 results

Gatorade Duel 1: #22-Kurt Busch won the Gatorade Duel 1 qualifying race for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, his 2nd win at Daytona after winning the Budweiser Shootout. #78-Smith fininished 2nd. With #09-Elliott making the race via one of the two transfer spots, #15-Waltrip is guaranteed to make the Daytona 500 no matter where he finishes in the 2nd Duel as he had the 4th fastest speed in qualifying. If either #38-Kvapil or #15-Waltrip race into the race via the transfer spot, #36-Blaney could make the race by speed



this post and the one above copied and pasted from jayski

and Burton in the #31 wins the second duel by .005 over Clint in the #33.....hell of a finish

it looks like the #24 might have picked up a bit of damage in that last lap wreck as well. I wonder if it will be enough to make them bring out a backup car

Duel #2 results:
1) #31-Burton
2) #33-Bowyer
3) #15-Waltrip, RACED IN
4) #18-Busch
5) #92-Keselowski, RACED IN
6) #1-McMurray
7) #2-Keselowski
8) #11-Hamlin
9) #56-Truex Jr.
10) #99-Edwards
11) #00-Reutimann
12) #24-Gordon
13) #38-Kvapil, SPD
14) #64-Cope, DNQ
15) #16-Biffle
16) #37-Richardson Jr.
17) #7-Gordon
18) #32-TLabonte. Past Champ prov
19) #21-Bayne
20) #6-Ragan
21) #60-Bodine, accident, DNQ
22) #77-Wallace, accident
23) #20-Logano, accident
24) #13-Mears, 3 laps, engine DNQ
RACED IN = made race via transfer spot (2)
DNQ = did not qualify, will miss race
SPD = makes race on speed

Gatorade Duel 2: #31-Jeff Burton won the Gatorade Duel 2 qualifying race for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. #33-Bowyer finished 2nd. Upset of the races would be #92-Keselowski teaming with his brother #2-Brad and finishing 5th, qualifying for his first ever Daytona 500. #15-Waltrip finished 3rd and raced in. Three drivers made the field by their qualifying speed: #38-Kvapil, #87-Nemechek and #36-Blaney. Missing the Daytona 500 are #13-Mears, #60-Bodine, #64-Cope, #66-McDowell and #97-Conway.

wow... kurt is two for two at daletona --

why couldn't jr have one of those cheatin' engines in his car? huh? LMAO

paging toni stewart. dr. black says, "bring your piss cup to the red trailer - pronto!"

I think that it's ****ing awesome that Brad Keselowski pushed his brother right into the Daytona 500.

He did, chefsos? wow!!! love it!~

Yup. The 92 was unsponsored, owned by their father Bob, too. Nice little family story, huh?

great story -- Brad's pushed his brother to finish 5th? neato

I forgot Brad is driving for Penske this season.

truebigdog, can you please add the #2 to my drivers fav list? #12 is brad's old number -- tia


turn on SPEED!

changed

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder if SPEED will replay Thursday's NASCAR Duel races.

Qualifying - On Now (Truck Series - Fri 7:30 ET SPEED)

Dylan, I don't think there is a 12 car this year. I'd guess that the old #2 team is with Busch in the 22, and Brad's with his old #12 team in the blue deuce.

EDIT: Oops, never mind. You got it.

thanks,


Don't forget: NASCAR Nationwide February 19 Daytona Sat 1:15 p.m. ESPN2



2010 NASCAR Nationwide Official Driver Standings - Includes Driver Points, Starts, Poles, Wins, Top 5, Top 10, Winnings:

http://nationwide.nascar.com/nationw...dings-official

chefsos, which NASCAR driver or drivers do you root for?

I got a kick out of reading this article:

2011 NASCAR Rootability Rankings (Or How To Pick Your Favorite Driver)

Feb 7, 2011 - There's nothing race fans claim to hate more than being force-fed "favorite drivers" by the media. And if that's true, those people will really despise this story.

But if you already have a favorite, you won't need this helpful guide: Our first ever NASCAR Driver Rootability Rankings. This is for the people who aren't quite sure who to pull for.

Age: Recommending a driver to root for favors those who have many years left in their careers. Because if you're going to invest your passion in a driver, why not pull for a guy who's going to be around for awhile?

Here's a list of the top 35 drivers:

1. CARL EDWARDS: Look, nobody's perfect – and Edwards certainly has his faults (like almost eliminating Brad Keselowski from the planet). But as far as the total likability package, Edwards comes closest. He's always done a backflip after he wins, and now he even goes into the stands for a big ol' group hug.

While the whole Keselowski thing is certainly a black mark on his likability – and Edwards has been accused of being a phony – the driver is most often a genuinely decent person.

It's tough to sift through what's real and what's a public relations stunt these days, but Edwards does many things away from the cameras (like giving all of his race trophies away) that make him an extremely easy person to root for.

2. JOEY LOGANO: Everything is still relatively new and fresh for the 20-year-old Logano, so he's more than willing to do fan-friendly activities, conduct interviews and generally act like a normal person.

He's quick to laugh and smile, appearing as if he's actually having fun (an all-too-rare concept in the NASCAR garage these days). But at the same time, he's beginning to stand up for himself after on-track incidents – and that's a good thing.

3. JAMIE MCMURRAY: Who doesn't like McMurray? There's really nothing bad to say about him, except he's never made the Chase. If you're into the sensitive, prayerful type who stays out of controversy, McMurray is for you. Plus, he actually wins now.

4. CLINT BOWYER: There isn't a whole lot of fluff with Bowyer. He's just a simple guy from Kansas who likes to race and have a good time, and that's really the extent of it. The notable thing about Bowyer is when he's "on," he's extremely personable.

5. DENNY HAMLIN: Here's a guy who wins races and speaks his mind – two traits fans often say they like. On the other hand, he has plenty of detractors who say he speaks his mind too much. So if you don't mind a vocal, opinionated driver, Hamlin might be your man.

6. GREG BIFFLE: For some reason, Biffle doesn't have that many fans in comparison to other top drivers. It's somewhat puzzling. He wins a couple races every year, makes the Chase and says interesting things while avoiding controversy. On top of all that, he's not a jerk. Where's the love for The Biff?

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI: Though he drives too aggressively at times and therefore pisses off many other drivers – and therefore, the fans of many other drivers – Keselowski is a tremendous personality who is only going to become more relevant as the years go on. He's quite likable, but fans wearing Brad K. merchandise need to have thick skin to put up with the dirty looks and glares from the fans of whichever driver got into it with Keselowski last week.

(continued)

(Continued: On How to Pick Your Favorite Driver)

List of the top 35 Drivers

8. AJ ALLMENDINGER: Ding-dong – the Allmendinger bandwagon is here, and there's still plenty of room. 'Dinger seems to both live his life and race like one of those bouncy rubber balls: He's excitable and energetic, but occasionally all over the place. The guy has talent, though, and the slimmed-down Richard Petty Motorsports might set the stage for his breakout year.

9. JEFF GORDON: There's one big problem with Gordon – his history. Because of the way he came into the sport as a clean-cut California kid who piled up race wins and championships, Gordon was loudly booed for almost his entire career. But as a veteran who hasn't won much lately, Gordon has taken on an almost underdog quality. Plus, he's as nice of a person as you'll find anywhere – in racing or in life.

10. KASEY KAHNE: Great driver, nice guy. And if you're female, there's no reason not to like him. But what if you're a dude who works at a construction site? Can you really walk around with a Kasey Kahne T-shirt? Somehow, his massive female fan base seems to limit his appeal to men.

11. MARCOS AMBROSE: Damn, if this guy could just win a few races. With contagious enthusiasm for NASCAR and a smile that never seems to wane, Ambrose could be one of the easiest drivers to root for in years. There's just one problem: The Aussie's results are often Down Under the top 20 – except on road courses, where he's clearly the best.

12. DAVID RAGAN: Poor David. A couple years ago it looked like he was going to be a breakout star, and then he fell off the map. Still, he remains unfailingly polite and ultra-courteous – plus, there's a chance he'll be competitive again as long as he stays at Roush Fenway Racing. If you want a friendly Southern boy to root for, Ragan is your guy.

13. BRIAN VICKERS: If you like comeback stories, this one's for you. Vickers nearly died last year after blood clots were discovered in his leg and lungs, then had surgery to repair a hole in his heart. After sitting out most of the season, he's back in 2011 and ready to race again. In addition to his compelling story, though, he's both fan-friendly and capable of making the Chase.

14. MARTIN TRUEX JR.: The Michael Waltrip Racing driver only has one career win in five full seasons, so you might not get to see him drive to Victory Lane very often. But he's a friendly and likable personality, so if you can overlook the lack of performance, he might be worth supporting.

15. KYLE BUSCH: I'm confident the vast majority of NASCAR fans would have Busch ranked last on this list. He is truly reviled by many people because of his sore loser, spoiled brat image. But the guy wins – a lot. And when he's in a good mood, there's something delightfully anti-establishment about his words and actions. So if you want to go against the crowd and pick a guy who's difficult to love, there's no one better than Busch.

Continued:

Haven't had a real favorite since Bobby (and then Davey) Allison. That's a long time ago. I kind of followed Ward Burton for a while, and then McMurray, but I haven't really rooted for any one driver since Davey died.

(Continued: On How to Pick Your Favorite Driver)

List of the top 35 Drivers

16. TREVOR BAYNE: If you want to be among the first to pull for this promising rookie, you could reap the rewards down the line. There's few things more satisfying than rooting for a team or athlete before they've achieved anything of note, then tag along for the ride to the top. Bayne is a polite young guy with a load of potential (and is vocal about his religion, for those of you who are into that). He'll drive a partial Cup schedule this season. (** I read that Trevor is planning to drive 17 Cup races for the Wood Brothers this season – though he could drive more if they find sponsorship. He's been recognized throughout the garage as a very talented rookie driver. Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick among others have reached out to him. I'm not sure -- but I think Trevor drives for Roush Fenway in Nationwide -- I could be wrong)

17. DAVID REUTIMANN: This is a strange case – Reutimann is 40 years old, but still in the early part of his Cup career (he got a late start). Full of self-deprecating humor and having fought hard to reach NASCAR's top level, Reutimann comes across as the ultimate underdog. The only issue is there's no guarantee he'll ever topple the sport's bigger names, and the clock is ticking.

18. JEFF BURTON: There's nothing wrong with being a Jeff Burton fan. He's a future politician and a media favorite who always offers incredible perspective on the sport through his long, detailed answers. But though Burton is capable of winning races and making the Chase (as he did last year), the veteran is 43 years old and probably only has a few years left.

19. RYAN NEWMAN: Do you have a sarcastic sense of humor? If so, you'll certainly identify with Newman. Though the "Rocket Man" missed the Chase last year, he did win a race. Overall, though, Newman can be a bit dry.

20. MATT KENSETH: Just here to race. Same as last week. Same as next week. You can't get excited about Kenseth, because he's not exciting. He's about as neutral as they come. He does win sometimes though, so that's exciting. I guess.

21. DALE EARNHARDT JR.: Dude, everyone roots for Dale Jr. already. He's a great guy, but do you really think he needs any more fans? This is your pick if you want to follow the crowd and join the masses.

22. TONY STEWART: As with Busch, you must be willing to overlook certain negatives to be a Tony Stewart fan. In Stewart's case: 1) He can be a jerk; 2) He might not sign your autograph; 3) He can be a jerk. But when he feels like it, he can also be one of the most engaging, personable drivers in NASCAR. And his peers say he's the most talented. It's up to you whether you can overlook the bad parts.

(Continued: On How to Pick Your Favorite Driver)

List of the top 35 Drivers

23. KEVIN HARVICK: The man known as "Happy" can be very difficult to like or very easy to like depending on how he's running, so it was hard to figure out where to put him on this list. The best answer is if you're a tough person wanting to root for a scrappy driver who can win races – despite being as cuddly as a cactus at times – the prickly Harvick is for you.

24. ROBBY GORDON: This is the ultimate against-the-grain pick. With an independent team and an independent mind, the outspoken driver/owner is about as different as they come. In a vanilla garage, Gordon has always been rocky road. But his days of being competitive are seemingly behind him, so rooting for him is a tough sell.


25. REGAN SMITH: Nice guy, but doesn't run up front enough.

26. CASEY MEARS: Nice guy, but doesn't run up front enough.

27. DAVID GILLILAND: Nice guy, but doesn't run up front enough.

28. TRAVIS KVAPIL: Nice guy, but doesn't run up front enough.

29. BOBBY LABONTE: Former Cup champ at tail end of his career has looked disinterested in recent years, but new ride at JTG Daugherty Racing has a chance to restore his enthusiasm.

30. MARK MARTIN: Martin, one of the classiest and most beloved drivers in NASCAR, is only near the bottom of this list for one reason: This might be his last full-time season. So if you're going to invest your fan passion in a driver, try someone who will be around a little longer.

31. KURT BUSCH: Few see the real Kurt Busch, or even know who he is. Publicly, there's the Kurt who appears in interviews with the tight, forced smile and speak-in-circles answers. Then there's the Kurt who is a hard-edged, winning racer but displays a frightening volume of anger on the team radio. We want to like him, but both Kurts are hard to embrace – and we have little indication what he's really like.

32. PAUL MENARD: It's not just because Menard's Cup ride exists due to his billionaire family's money – his quiet personality and lack of on-track success also contribute to this low ranking.

33. BILL ELLIOTT: With a partial schedule in an uncompetitive car, this 16-time winner of the Most Popular Driver award has long been a non-factor. The 55-year-old last recorded a top-10 finish in 2004.

34. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA: He doesn't care whether you like him or not, and thus does little that is likable. His most common response to any questions seems to be a shrug of the shoulders and an "I don't care." Because of that, we don't care, either.

35. JIMMIE JOHNSON: Disclaimer – Johnson is one of the nicest people in NASCAR; he's friendly, funny and extremely down to Earth. But starting to root for Johnson now would make you the ultimate bandwagon fan. The guy has just won five straight championships. He doesn't need your help, nor do the true Johnson fans need a frontrunner in their ranks.

http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/...-root-for-2011

I know that Davey Allison died when the helicopter he was flying crashed at Talladega -- mid 90's?

I also remember reading that Bobby died at the dreadful Pocono Raceway...

I'll read up on their style of racing. I'm curious.

Bobby Allison isn't dead.

:(

Davey's brother Clifford died in a race car a year before Davey's own death, about four years after Bobby's nasty crash at Pocono. Wasn't a good time for that family.

Oh ok. Thanks -- Sorry. I'm happy to hear he survived the wreck. It was a pretty bad accident, right?


Bobby Allison Website: Great site: http://www.bobbyallison.com/

About as bad as it gets, short of being fatal. T-boned right into the driver's door, and he had massive head injuries that took years of recovery. Car looked like a wrecking ball hit it.

The Daytona 500 he won in '88, when Davey finished right behind him? To this day, he can't remember it. The memory of it's just gone.

Bobby Allison's Career Ending Crash @ Pocono

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/l6dGO2aCJ04" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Bobby Allison hits fence and goes airborne at Talladega 1987

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wySxP-tWZQU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This same type of crash happens at Talladega every year.

http://ovalscreams.files.wordpress.c...pg?w=475&h=192

Talladega 2010: 8 Fans injured from flying debris.

Really wonder if NASCAR will make any other rule changes before Sunday to limit the two car drafts.

Whatever changes they made didn't do much to curb them today.

It's really weird watching this. There have always been two car breakaways, but the pack invariably ran them down. This year, there is no pack.

I really just can't get into it all TBH.

The second duel was better because the cars got more condensed at the end and we saw our typical back and forth racing.

This tag team stuff is just irritating...hopefully the finish wont be anticlimactic.

Turn on Speed

Live Truck Series race at Daytona

Speeds 198 mph