FOLLOW ON:

AUCTIONS

Bid Now

Learn More | Sign Up

Auto Service

Jonathan Fickies/Getty Images

Defending Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick poses with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 pace car for the 2008 Daytona 500 after a taping Tuesday for "Good Morning America Now" in New York.

Veteran scribe embarks upon own Daytona mark

Predictions from one who has seen 24 consecutive 500s

By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
February 7, 2008
02:14 PM EST

type size: + -

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The excitement's high on the eve of the 2008 NASCAR racing season -- for me, dozens of competitors, hundreds of team members who are just as ardently competitive and thousands of fans.

How can you help but not be?

It's the 50th blamed Daytona 500, for goodness sake -- though it's darned hard to figure where they've all gone.

Kevin Harvick's title defense will be my 25th consecutive "Great American Race."

What does that prove, after dozens of Speedweeks prelims, four employers and so many sparkling vignettes? When my esteemed former cohort Tom Higgins -- to my mind the current dean of the motorsports media corps -- asked the group to recollect standout quotes, what do you think I came up with?

You see, after that many years and that many tracks and that many events, they all smear together like a giant, swirling mud puddle.

Short term, the best I can come up with is the time in 1988, when I was the emcee in the press box as a member of Daytona's PR staff.

Richard Petty, of all people, spun off Turn 4 and in as macabre and bizarre and, yes -- terrifying -- a sight as I had probably ever seen, pirouetted up and along the fence.

The quote: "F---!," or something like it. And unfortunately, I had the live microphone -- transferring to both the press box and infield media center -- in my hand at the time.

What an incredible juxtaposition that was, of praying for The King's safety while at the same time being irreverently incredulous at the ferocity of the crash.

But enough of history -- what about 2008, and Speedweeks?

How about a Daytona 500 winner? As much as I want to say a Toyota will win -- and several of them can, from Michael Waltrip and Dale Jarrett, if he gets in, to any of the Gibbs cars -- I think it will be one of Hendrick's boys, either Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr., if they can unseat Harvick, who I'd say is favored to defend.

In the Sprint Cup championship, the "what're they gonna call it this week" car aside, color it Jimmie Johnson all the way.

The trouble the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet had initially getting used to the intermediate version of the "new car" will be overcome by his overall tenacity, commitment, diversity and determination.

Johnson and that lovable Bulldog Cale Yarborough couldn't be personally more dissimilar -- but where it matters, in the heart, they're not -- and I can hardly think of anyone more suited than J.J. to share the three-in-a-row mantel with Cale.

Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year? Regan Smith will have some hiccups, but overall he has too much experience with fenders -- and too much crew chief in the veteran Doug Richert -- for the open-wheel guys to keep up; though they'll all make an impact, and not just on the wall.

Carl Edwards will win the first Nationwide Series championship for the repeat in NASCAR's No. 2 series, despite the Toyota onslaught that will definitely tilt the win totals in Toyota's favor.

Edwards and P.K. (Pierre Kuettel his crew chief ) will be more focused and Edwards' decision to concentrate more on his Sprint Cup duties will be a positive on both fronts.

And how about what would be a wildly popular Earnhardt win in the Nationwide opener, the Camping World 300, holding off a slew of Toyotas as well as a couple of Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets to do it?

Likeable veteran Johnny Benson will win the final Craftsman Truck Series championship -- despite the best but once again frustrated efforts of his Bill Davis Racing Toyota teammate, Mike Skinner; and a tough Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevy double-team of defending champion Ron Hornaday and his fellow three-time champion and new teammate, Jack Sprague.

For sure, the KHI duo will lead the league in one-liners. But Skinner will capture the season-opening Silverado 250 for a popular hometown score.

And lest I forget -- the best part about Speedweeks, if you're old school or have any sense about you -- will be the chance to mix and mingle with all the former Daytona 500 winners who'll be on hand.

And to know you've worked with most of 'em, and have at least met all of them ... wow!

Guys, it just doesn't get any better.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.