[Lefty Noob]

So, guys, who do you think is going to win this year's Daytona 500?

I'm not a big NASCAR guy, but I kind of like Tony Stewart's chances this year. He's the defending Nextel Cup champion, and he's coming off a win there in last summer's Pepsi 400, so he's getting closer. Plus, I think the fact that he's never won it will help him. He's hungry to win Daytona and silence the critics.

[4bagger]

I don't think Tony will do it. I watched practice last night and Dale Jr. looks very strong. He's back with Tony E. as the crew chief and they had great restrictor plate racing success together before. Have to watch out for the "big one" at restrictor plate races, which can take out a lot of contenders in a hurry and leave the door open for a surprise winner... Jamie McMurray or Elliott Sadler?

Personally, I wish they'd get rid of the restictor plates. Keeping the speeds down is supposed to make it safer, but when they all bunch up like that it seems dangerous to me. Plus, what's the difference when you wreck at 210 or 190? Is there any?

[GigEmAgs]

I can't imagine there's any difference between biting it at 190 and biting it at 210, as there would be between, say, 40 and 60 mph. Speaking of Daytona, what does everyone think of Hamlin? He did win the Bud Shootout, deservedly so, but he's still a rookie -- and there's a lot of difference between 70 laps and 200. I would imagine that the fatigue gets you after a while, and it's hard to keep looking in the mirror for so long...

[rmjvol]

I sure wish they'd address the restrictor plates. Let the guys that know what they're doing get out front and stay out of the pack. Fewer crashes is better for everybody except the media.

[Lefty Noob]

Here's the complete 43-car field for this year's Daytona 500.

Order Driver No. Car Qualifying Speed
1 Jeff Burton 31 Chevrolet 189.151 mph
2 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet 188.877 mph
3 Elliott Sadler 38 Ford 188.810 mph
4 Kyle Busch 5 Chevrolet 187.570 mph
5 Carl Edwards 99 Ford 186.614 mph
6 Jamie McMurray 26 Ford 187.743 mph
7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8 Chevrolet 185.124 mph
8 Bobby Labonte 43 Dodge 187.935 mph
9 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet --
10 Mark Martin 6 Ford 186.436 mph
11 Matt Kenseth 17 Ford --
12 Kyle Petty 45 Dodge 184.794 mph
13 Kurt Busch 2 Dodge 187.539 mph
14 Casey Mears 42 Dodge 186.127 mph
15 Tony Stewart 20 Chevrolet 187.196 mph
16 Greg Biffle 16 Ford 186.672 mph
17 Denny Hamlin 11 Chevrolet 187.488 mph
18 Ryan Newman 12 Dodge 185.774 mph
19 Martin Truex Jr. 1 Chevrolet 185.242 mph
20 Robby Gordon 7 Chevrolet 186.850 mph
21 Jeff Green 66 Chevrolet 186.990 mph
22 Reed Sorenson 41 Dodge 186.289 mph
23 Ken Schrader 21 Ford 186.043 mph
24 Mike Wallace 109 Dodge 182.953 mph
25 Dale Jarrett 88 Ford 188.849 mph
26 Jeremy Mayfield 19 Dodge 186.908 mph
27 Kasey Kahne 9 Dodge 186.691 mph
28 Kevin Harvick 29 Chevrolet 187.406 mph
29 Brent Sherman 49 Dodge 182.142 mph
30 Michael Waltrip 55 Dodge 183.411 mph
31 Kevin Lepage 61 Ford 186.097 mph
32 David Stremme 40 Dodge 184.543 mph
33 Bill Elliott 136 Chevrolet 187.715 mph
34 Dave Blaney 22 Dodge 184.566 mph
35 Brian Vickers 25 Chevrolet 187.239 mph
36 J.J. Yeley 18 Chevrolet 187.207 mph
37 Clint Bowyer 07 Chevrolet 187.786 mph
38 Joe Nemechek 01 Chevrolet 187.402 mph
39 Sterling Marlin 14 Chevrolet 187.274 mph
40 Travis Kvapil 32 Chevrolet 187.106 mph
41 Hermie Sadler 00 Ford 187.025 mph
42 Kirk Shelmerdine 27 Chevrolet 185.361 mph
43 Terry Labonte 96 Chevrolet --

[GigEmAgs]

I'm still rooting for Hamlin. I don't think he'll win -- there's a big difference between Daytona and the Bud Shootout -- but I'm eager to see how well he'll do. A win isn't beyond the bounds of credibility, but it'll be sufficient for him to just to put in a good showing.

I bet the vets are looking over their shoulders, though.

[Lefty Noob]

Well, guys, last chance to get our picks in - the race goes down this afternoon. I'm sticking with Stewart. He's been running well at the track lately, and he's never won it. I think he's due.

[LSC9901]

When will NASCAR actually enforce their own statements ??? Tony Stewart intentionally takes a car out of contention and he merely goes to the back of the feild. Tony Stewart in an interview prior to the race said they need to keep their aggression in check and he just blows it. Nascar as an organization needs to set its priorities and stay with them .... but that ain't gonna happen when they baby someone like Stewart.

[thumbsdowntostewart]

Tony Stewart ruined two great cars today Jeff Gordon and Matt Kensinth. I agree that NASCAR needs to reinforce their "rules". I can't stand when Stewart gets away with things. As you can tell by my name I really don't like Stewart.

[rmjvol]

Hi thumbsdowntostewart & LSC9901, welcome to the forums

Hate to see the 2 car get whacked like that by McMurry. What's the last few laps got in store for us?

[rmjvol]

48's a lucky number. Johnson in the 48 car wins the 48th Daytona 500.

hehe, all I could think about in Gatorade victory lane was that Lowes was gonna be pissed that all the confetti was covering their logo

[LSC9901]

I too am happy for the 48 team win. He is a good, clean driver so I guess the hard work pays off in the end. I'm still very upset with Stewart. In the beginning of the interview he said he wasn't at fault but by the end of the interview he stated that it was a pay back for what happened earlier. It's gonna be a long season with him unless NASCAR decides to go ahead with some real penalties. Maybe eject the team for a race or two. After that Joe Gibbs could finally dump the cry baby and get someone who can act professionally.

[GigEmAgs]

Johnson...now there's someone I don't think many people picked to win. I wasn't able to watch the whole race, but when I was watching DE Jr. was maintaining the lead (for close to an hour, I believe). Hamlin was right on his rear for a while, so I had high hopes for a rookie win, but that soon went the way of the dodo. One thing that I kept thinking as I watched was that there were a heckuva lot of crashes, and frankly I don't know how some of the drivers avoided some of the crashed cars, the way they swooped in and out of the pack as they were bouncing across the track...it seems like there should have been more crashes, but of course these guys wouldn't be pros if they drove like me.

[rmjvol]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

In the beginning of the interview he said he wasn't at fault but by the end of the interview he stated that it was a pay back for what happened earlier.

Yeah, I caught that double talk. I missed the 1st part of the race, what exactly happened between them?

[ugottaskwhy]

I was more than just a little baffled by a couple of things about today's Daytona. Foremost of course, number one crybaby, Tony S. He drives a car from the middle of the track clear down below the apron, spins him out shooting him back across the track in a situations where Kenseth was more likely to get hit head-on rather than not, and Tony gets the most minimal penalty in the books? Huh? Then he locks an admission during the post-race interview that it was intentional retribution...with no further consequence?????? Stewart claims that Kenseth got too close on his wing and got him loose earlier in the race. Excuse me! Where is this rule in the NASCAR rule book? "No one is allowed to get within 3ft. of Stewart at anytime during the race" Secondly....on lap 174, Jeff Gordon goes below the yellow line to the extent there is daylight between his tires and the yellow, advances a position, then there is no call for it? I guess the money guys don't get scrutinized like the others by NASCAR.