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Ryan Newman popped the top on 2008, winning the 50th Daytona 500.New faces, new sponsors begin new year at Daytona
By NASCAR.COM
February 19, 2008
12:17 PM EST
February 19, 2008
12:17 PM EST
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A recap of the season-opening weekend at Daytona:
Figuratively speaking
• 123 -- Laps completed in the Daytona 500 before FOX showed actress Ashley Judd, wife of driver Dario Franchitti. He started 40th and finished 33rd, one lap down.
Sprint Cup Series
Pit Crew of the Week
No 48. Chevrolet: Who else? Crew chief Chad Knaus called for a two-tire stop and air-pressure adjustment on Lap 200 and the 48 car was first out of the pits, marking a 12-spot improvement. Jimmie Johnson led his first laps of the race and from there coasted to the title.
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Radiators are often ignored. Yet keeping engines cool and running in the right temperature range is critical to taking the heat off your engine.
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Race
Lineup | Results | Standings | Central
• The Penske Dodges ganged up on Tony Stewart during a three-lap run to the finish Sunday, propelling Ryan Newman to victory in the 50th Daytona 500.
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Qualifying
• Jimmie Johnson affirmed the dominance of Hendrick Motorsports -- as if it needed affirmation -- by capturing the pole for the Sprint Cup season opener. Michael Waltrip backed up the improvement Toyota has shown during preseason testing by grabbing the other front-row starting spot.
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• With a push from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin won the second Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race for the Daytona 500 in a green-white-checkered-flag finish. In the first Duel 150, Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Ryan Newman for the lead on Lap 51 of 60 and held on for the win.
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Also check out ...
• Relive 50 years of the Great American Race
Nationwide Series
Race
Lineup | Results | Standings | Central
• Polesitter Tony Stewart repelled a strong challenge from teammate Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Saturday to win the first race of the season.
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Qualifying
• Nationwide Insurance began 2008 as the new title sponsor of NASCAR's No. 2 series -- and the Camping World 300 featured eight former series champions.
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Craftsman Truck Series
Race
Lineup | Results | Standings | Central
• Todd Bodine, the 2006 series champion, held off Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson during a nine-lap run to the finish on Friday night to win the season-opening race.
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Qualifying
• Erik Darnell, the only driver to surpass 176 mph in qualifying, started on the pole for the Chevy Silverado 250.
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Survey says ...
Leading into the Daytona 500, NASCAR.COM asked:
Which non-Hendrick driver starting the top 10 has the best chance to win?
| Driver | Votes | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Stewart | 81,825 | 61% |
| Michael Waltrip | 18,637 | 14% |
| Ryan Newman | 11,455 | 9% |
| Denny Hamlin | 9,771 | 7% |
| Kasey Kahne | 8,632 | 6% |
| Reed Sorenson | 3,141 | 2% |
| Total | 13,3461 |
Off the Marx
Bill Marx of the Sporting News Wire Service weighs in with his top 10:
| Pos. | Driver | Need to know ... |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Busch | Yes, Ryan Newman won the race, but Busch was the dominant driver Sunday. In fact he was the dominant driver all weekend adding second-place finishes in the Craftsman and Nationwide races. |
| 2 | Ryan Newman | What a great way to snap a long (81 races) winless drought. |
| 3 | Tony Stewart | Strong all day. A factor until the end. |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | Started 43rd and finished second. Newman doesn't win without help from his teammate. Be honest: How many of you asked this question: Would the previous driver of the No. 2 been there for Newman? |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin | Teammate Kyle Busch led the most laps, 86. Hamlin was next at 32 (and Stewart gave Joe Gibbs Racing a sweep of the top three in laps led with his 16). His 17th-place finish did not reflect his strength. |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Junior ran among the leaders the entire race and led 12 laps en route to a ninth-place finish. You wonder, though, how much better his night would have been had he pitted during one of those final cautions. |
| 7 | Reed Sorenson | His fifth-place finish was no fluke -- nor was his start from inside of the third row. He's in line for a win in 2008. |
| 8 | Greg Biffle | There were times when Biffle looked awesome. He led seven laps and finished 10th. |
| 9 | Jeff Burton | Kids, what happened to Burton is a textbook example of getting "shuffled back." Burton had the point with three laps to go on the last restart; he finished 13th. He was left all alone in the middle as trains formed high and low. |
| 10 | Dodge | Six of the top eight cars were Dodges. When is the last time that happened? (That's a rhetorical question.) The Dodge boys: 1. Ryan Newman; 2. Kurt Busch; 5. Reed Sorenson; 6. Elliott Sadler; 7. Kasey Kahne; 8. Robby Gordon. |
Up next ...
Cup Series: California Speedway
• 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX | Tickets
| Travel
N'wide Series: California Speedway
• 7 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2 | Tickets | Travel
Truck Series: California Speedway
• 3 p.m. ET Saturday on SPEED | Tickets | Travel
Also
- Crashes at Daytona affect battle for Chase position
- When winner is bothered, something clearly wrong
- Stewart survives last-lap crash for Daytona victory
- Mayfield plans a return to the track, just unsure when
- In the Mayfield case, there may be no real winners
- Mayfield: The worst two months of my entire life
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Nationwide News
- Bowyer hangs on for first Daytona win, boost for RCR
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- Nationwide Series gets first taste of double-file restarts
- Milwaukee Mile track faces uncertain future in sport
- Penalty revised for N'wide No. 62 crew chief Berry
Truck Series News
- Hornaday dominant again for repeat win at Memphis
- Setzer closing in on MRD Motorsports' first victory
- Injured Benson hopes to race soon, looking for ride
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- Young to make debut for SS Green Light at Memphis
- Rain forces postponement of Trucks at Milwaukee
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