Post by RaceFanX on Feb 17, 2008 0:07:11 GMT -5
Every year I post the starting grid for the Daytona 500. "The Great American Race" turns 50 this year and when combine with the glory of Daytona, the beginning of NASCAR's Sprint Cup era and the first 500 with the new NASCAR "Cars of Tomorrow" and you have the making for an instance classic. As always there are the stories...
#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., fresh off switching rides is packing his best race car ever. The 2004 Daytona 500 winner is now at the wheel of his new #88 Mountain Dew Chevy, Junior is undefeated. He won last week's all-star Bud Shootout and backed it up with a win in his qualifing race. Now, Little E is the favorite to win his second Daytona 500.
#20 Tony Stewart, Tony had the best car in the 500 last year but a wreck not of his causing left him with a last place finish. Armed with a new high-horsepower Toyota Camry and hot off a win in the lower level race on Saturday, Tony is another of the favorites.
When Dale Jarrett straps into the #44 UPS Toyota on Sunday it will be for the 20th and final time in the Daytona 500. Jarrett is only 5 races away from retiring from the sport he dedicated his life to and needless to say will be missed. Dale Jarrett won the 1999 series championship and has won the Daytona 500 three times (93, 96, and 2000). Despite all his success, Dale is on his last legs in the sport, the last of his 32 career wins was in 2005 and his career since has had few highlights. The final lap is near for this veteran but maybe, just maybe he's got one final good run left in him.
Dario Franchitti, driving the #40 Dodge, won last year's Indy 500 and the Indy Championship but this year the husband of movie star Ashley Judd is taking on an whole new challenge by switching to NASCAR. The Daytona 500 will be his first time ever running in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Jamie McMurray drives the #26 Crown Royal Cask No.16 Ford. He won the last NASCAR race at Daytona, last year's Pepsi 400. McMurray has had a rough week however, he crashed out in both the Bud Shootout and his qualifing race. Now McMurray looks to rebound and win his first Daytona 500.
How about a dark horse,
#34 John Andretti
Andretti, the cousin of the famed Michael Andretti and nephew of Mario Andretti (who won the Daytona 500 in 1967), he and the #34 Makato Chevy team were a literal last-minunte entry. Against all odds, John qualified for the race via a last lap pass in the qualifing race. Andretti has won at Daytona before, but that was in 1997 and it wasn't the 500. Can this ultimate, underfunded underdog pull off an unlikely victory.
From a YouTube user, here is the full starting lineup...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewdTRuh7c9M
#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., fresh off switching rides is packing his best race car ever. The 2004 Daytona 500 winner is now at the wheel of his new #88 Mountain Dew Chevy, Junior is undefeated. He won last week's all-star Bud Shootout and backed it up with a win in his qualifing race. Now, Little E is the favorite to win his second Daytona 500.
#20 Tony Stewart, Tony had the best car in the 500 last year but a wreck not of his causing left him with a last place finish. Armed with a new high-horsepower Toyota Camry and hot off a win in the lower level race on Saturday, Tony is another of the favorites.
When Dale Jarrett straps into the #44 UPS Toyota on Sunday it will be for the 20th and final time in the Daytona 500. Jarrett is only 5 races away from retiring from the sport he dedicated his life to and needless to say will be missed. Dale Jarrett won the 1999 series championship and has won the Daytona 500 three times (93, 96, and 2000). Despite all his success, Dale is on his last legs in the sport, the last of his 32 career wins was in 2005 and his career since has had few highlights. The final lap is near for this veteran but maybe, just maybe he's got one final good run left in him.
Dario Franchitti, driving the #40 Dodge, won last year's Indy 500 and the Indy Championship but this year the husband of movie star Ashley Judd is taking on an whole new challenge by switching to NASCAR. The Daytona 500 will be his first time ever running in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Jamie McMurray drives the #26 Crown Royal Cask No.16 Ford. He won the last NASCAR race at Daytona, last year's Pepsi 400. McMurray has had a rough week however, he crashed out in both the Bud Shootout and his qualifing race. Now McMurray looks to rebound and win his first Daytona 500.
How about a dark horse,
#34 John Andretti
Andretti, the cousin of the famed Michael Andretti and nephew of Mario Andretti (who won the Daytona 500 in 1967), he and the #34 Makato Chevy team were a literal last-minunte entry. Against all odds, John qualified for the race via a last lap pass in the qualifing race. Andretti has won at Daytona before, but that was in 1997 and it wasn't the 500. Can this ultimate, underfunded underdog pull off an unlikely victory.
From a YouTube user, here is the full starting lineup...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewdTRuh7c9M