Pick 'em: Daytona

Stewart, Junior the favorites among most of the staffers

By NASCAR.COM
July 5, 2008
03:52 AM EDT

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Each week the staff at NASCAR.COM will pick a race winner, a dark horse for the checkers and the ain't-got-a-chance driver (no scrubs; someone with a Q score).

Our scoring system: Experts receive as many points as the "winner" pick gets in the race.

Coke Zero 400

Writer	Winner	Here's why	Dark Horse	No Chance	Points

Duane Cross	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	The temperatures are soaring -- and so will the No. 88 as the summer wears on. He's having a good season, and a win at Daytona is just another brick in the path of his trek toward the Chase.	Kurt Busch	Juan Montoya	2,505
Bill Kimm	Kyle Busch	I want to go with older brother Kurt who is a stud at DIS, but no practice in his backup car leads me to pick younger bro Kyle. He won at 'Dega earlier this year and has finished second in the past two summer races at Daytona. It's his time to get his first win at Daytona.	Elliott Sadler	Denny Hamlin	2,466
Josh Pate	Tony Stewart	The guy either crashes and finishes in the 30s or brings home a top-five at Daytona. Of course, we could say that about a lot of drivers there. Stewart has two wins at Daytona and was third there in February. Plus, it's summertime now.	David Gilliland	Denny Hamlin	2,441
Joe Menzer	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	OK, so it didn't happen last week. But this guy is about to get on a serious summer roll. Seriously. And where better to start it than at the track where he has had his most success overall?	Juan Montoya	Jamie McMurray	2,431
Raygan Swan	Tony Stewart	I know Tony said he's having one of the strangest seasons of his career but Daytona needs to be the place for him to win to kick off his summer stretch.	Juan Montoya	Clint Bowyer	2,388
David Caraviello	Kasey Kahne	Those Dodges seemed to have Daytona figured out in February, claiming seven of the top 11 spots. Kahne placed seventh that night, and he's the best driver of the bunch. Plus, that Bud car knows its way around Daytona, correct?	Bobby Labonte	Jamie McMurray	2,290
Dave Rodman	Tony Stewart	Picking Stewart to win is like blindfolding him, climbing on his back and then making him carry you through a minefield. Has to win sooner or later, though.	Kurt Busch	Martin Truex Jr.	2,226
Mark Aumann	Tony Stewart	Restrictor-plate races are always a crapshoot, but the two-time winner has the horsepower to break his winless streak.	David Gilliland	Martin Truex Jr.	2,167
Jarrod Breeze	Jimmie Johnson	Since winning the Daytona 500 in 2006, Johnson has finished 27th or worse in three of the past four races. That won't sit well in the 48 camp.	Brian Vickers	Ryan Newman	2,125

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Lineup

Coke Zero 400

Pos.	Driver	Make	Speed	Time

1.	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	185.916	48.409
2.	Mark Martin	Chevrolet	185.870	48.421
3.	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	185.437	48.534
4.	Joe Nemechek	Chevrolet	185.288	48.573
5.	Johnny Sauter	Chevrolet	185.250	48.583
6.	David Ragan	Ford	185.246	48.584
7.	Boris Said	Ford	185.181	48.601
8.	Regan Smith	Chevrolet	184.976	48.655
9.	Kyle Busch	Toyota	184.828	48.694
10.	Patrick Carpentier	Dodge	184.676	48.734

• Complete Lineup | Videos | Photos

Sprint Cup Series

Official Standings

Pos.	+/-	Driver	Points	Behind

1.	--	Kyle Busch	2496	Leader
2.	--	Jeff Burton	2432	-64
3.	--	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	2352	-144
4.	--	Carl Edwards	2262	-234
5.	--	Jimmie Johnson	2220	-276
6.	--	Jeff Gordon	2171	-325
7.	+1	Denny Hamlin	2150	-346
8.	-1	Greg Biffle	2119	-377
9.	+2	Tony Stewart	2042	-454
10.	-1	Kasey Kahne	2031	-465
11.	-1	Clint Bowyer	2021	-475
12.	+1	Kevin Harvick	2016	-480