Las Vegas Motor Speedway (3/11/07) UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 - NASCAR Forum - NASCAR Space -Forums, Schedules, Race Results, News

mrsmopar12 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-08-2007, 04:26 PM

Alright, the week off is over and now it is Vegas Baby! I have heard it said that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but we all know that doesn't apply to the track and to our men!! This should be a very interesting race on multiple levels after the first two races, with some teams not doing so well , some teams not yet qualifying, and a lot of teams still not proving that they are contenders this season. WHOO~HOO! I don't know about you but I am oh so ready to see the cars on the track again!

This thread is for the discussion, information, qualifying and final results. If you would like to talk about the race, here is the thread to do it in. Good luck to all the drivers and teams this coming weekend and let's go racin'!!

mrsmopar12 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-08-2007, 04:29 PM

Go inside the garage with NASCAR team reports as the Nextel Cup series returns after an idle week to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 will be the first event for NASCAR's top series on the revamped track, which has increased its banking in the turns from 12 to 20 degrees.

Mark Martin

No. 01 Chevrolet, Ginn Racing

This week: Martin has one victory, four top-fives and seven top-10s in nine races at Las Vegas. He won the 1998 race and finished sixth last year. Despite Martin's plans for the limited schedule, many speculate that his strong start in 2007 will keep him behind the wheel of the No. 01 Chevrolet. While Martin maintains he has no intention of doing so, team owner Bobby Ginn has left the door open if Martin should change his mind.

Last race: Martin enjoyed his off weekend after a fifth-place finish at California.

Etc.: Martin will be the featured guest on QVC's "For Race Fans Only" from 9-10 p.m. ET Friday night, live from Harrah's Casino.

Jeff Burton

No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Burton, a two-time winner at Las Vegas (1999 and 2000), started eighth and finished seventh there last year. He will use chassis No. 155, which he raced to a fourth-place finish at California Speedway. The car also was used last year in the fall race at California (started 16th, finished 35th) and at Kansas (started 40th, finished 28th).

Last race: Burton is on a hot streak with third- and fourth-place finishes in his first two races.

Etc: In addition to racing the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet in Sunday's Nextel Cup race, Burton will drive RCR's No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet in the Sam's Town 300 Busch Series race Saturday.

Jeff Gordon

No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Gordon will attempt to accomplish something he has done only once in 14 previous tries — begin a season with three consecutive top-10 finishes. In nine races at Las Vegas, Gordon has visited Victory Lane once (2001) and has four top-five finishes, including top-five finishes in his last two races here.

Last race: The four-time Cup champion is off to another quick start after finishing 10th at Daytona and second at California. Gordon took last week off.

Etc.: The "fire and flames" paint design will remain the same on a car that won in Chicago, but this weekend it will be with "no smoke" on the specially painted green DuPont/Nicorette Chevrolet.

Kevin Harvick

No. 29 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: In 15 starts in NASCAR's three top divisions (Cup, Busch, Truck) at Las Vegas, Harvick has one win, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. In six Cup starts there, he has finished fifth in 2005 and eighth in 2001.

Last race: Although Harvick did not race at Mexico City, two drivers competed in his cars. Ron Fellows started sixth and finished 32nd in the Telcel Motorola Mexico 200. Kertus Davis started 37th and finished 31st.

Etc.: Harvick also will compete in Saturday's Busch race, an event he won in 2004. He finished third last year and has two second-place finishes (2005 and 2003).

David Ragan

No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

This week: Ragan made his first and only start at Las Vegas in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. Ragan finished 16th at California Speedway and was the leading rookie for the second time this season. He leads the rookie point standings by nine points. This also will be his first career Busch race at Las Vegas.

Last race: Ragan finished 14th in the Busch race at Mexico City driving for team owner Jack Roush. He started 35th.

Etc: Ragan will bring the same primary car (RK-318) and backup car that he had at California two weeks ago.

Clint Bowyer

No. 07 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Bowyer will be making his second Cup start at Vegas. Last year, he started 20th and finished 15th. He will drive chassis No. 170, the same car he drove to a sixth-place at California two weeks ago. It was built in 2006. He has finished ninth in the Busch race at Las Vegas the last two years.

Last race: Bowyer took a rare weekend off, opting not to compete in the Busch Series race at Mexico City after finishing sixth at California.

Etc.: Bowyer said he "struggled" with sitting out the Busch race at California, something he plans to do more often this season. But, he added, "Sometimes a little break helps keep you focused, so I think it will be good for me."

Joe Nemechek

No. 13 Chevrolet, Ginn Racing

This week: Nemechek is cautiously optimistic about the race at Las Vegas, where he has posted two top-10 performances in nine races. Last year, he finished 13th, and the year before he was among the front-runners before tire problems relegated him to 19th.

Last race: Nemechek did not drive in the Busch race at Mexico City after finishing 14th at California.

Etc.: Because Nemechek is part of a new team with Ginn Racing, he doesn't have the required 2006 owner points to gain an automatic qualifying berth in the first five races of 2007. He will be among approximately 16 drivers in Las Vegas vying for the seven open qualifying spots.

J.J. Yeley

No. 18 Chevrolet, Joe Gibbs Racing

This week: Yeley will not only tackle the reconfigured 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Nextel Cup race Sunday and the Busch race Saturday, he'll also jump behind the wheel of a Tony Smiley-prepared USAC Sprint car at the Las Vegas dirt track on Thursday and Friday night. Yeley believes he is benefiting from several key personnel moves on the road crew and on the pit crew during the offseason.

Last race: The native Arizonan fared poorly at Mexico City, finishing 37th after engine failure in his Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet. He started 15th.

Etc.: The year before joining JGR, Yeley won a record 24 races and the Triple Crown during his record-breaking 2003 USAC season.

Kyle Busch

No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: In the three Cup races he has completed at Las Vegas, Busch has two top-three results. He finished second at his hometown track in 2005 and third last season. He will drive chassis No. 412, a brand new car for this race.

Last race: Busch was another driver who stayed out of a race car last weekend. He is coming off a ninth-place finish at California.

Etc.: Busch said of the new track surface at Las Vegas, "We shouldn't race at a resurfaced track for three years. Race tracks need seasoning, and a three-year hiatus would give it time to bake in the summer and take the 'black' out of the asphalt and give it some gray."

David Stremme

No. 40 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: Stremme has competed in just one Cup race at Vegas, finishing way back in 33rd place after starting 40th in the 43-car field. he will race the same Dodge Charger he used at California. "It was very comfortable in the test" at Las Vegas, he said.

Last race: Stremme is off to a great start with finishes of 11th in the Daytona 500 and 19th at California.

Etc.: Stremme was 16th and 23rd fastest in testing the Car of Tomorrow last week at Bristol. "I feel like our organization has done its homework over the winter, and it's helped out," he said. "We're not way off like some teams here."

David Gilliland

No. 38 Ford, Robert Yates Racing

This week: Gilliland will make his first Nextel Cup start this weekend at Vegas. Because of the new track layout at the 1.5-mile speedway, Gilliland believes his lack of experience won't hurt because "everyone is back to square one with the new configuration."

Last race: A late-race accident left Gilliland in 36th place at Mexico City.

Etc.: Gilliland believes "the next couple of races are important" in the team's quest to stay in the thick of the chase for the 2007 Nextel Cup championship. "We had a really good test (at Las Vegas), so we feel a little pressure in the fact that we want to back it up this weekend," he said.

Matt Kenseth

No. 17 Ford, Roush Racing

This week: Kenseth has four straight top-eight finishes at Las Vegas, including back-to-back wins in 2003 and 2004. Last year, he dominated the event, leading 146 laps before Jimmie Johnson passed him on the last lap to score the win. Kenseth will be driving the same car he won with at California. Kenseth is the all-time lap leader at Vegas; he has been out front for 367 laps.

Last race: After testing the Car of Tomorrow at Bristol last week, Kenseth took the weekend off.

Etc.: On Monday, the National Stock Car Racing Commission upheld the decision by NASCAR to penalize Kenseth and car owner Jack Roush 50 points each for the rules violation at Daytona.

Johnny Sauter

No. 70 Chevrolet, Haas Automation Racing

This week: Sauter finished 24th in 2004 in his only Nextel Cup start at Vegas. His big worry this week isn't where he will finish. It's whether he will earn a starting position or not. As a new team for 2007, qualifying is the first order of business. And with 54 teams entered, there will be 19 teams going for eight spots.

Last race: Sauter has two top-20 finishes in the first two events.

Etc.: Sauter says of qualifying, "It's pretty intense knowing it's go-or-go home in the first five races. There's so much pressure riding on that one lap, and I don't want to let anyone down."

Robby Gordon

No. 7 Ford, Robby Gordon Motorsports

This week: Gordon was 12th last year at Vegas, his best finish at the track in seven starts. He has four finishes of 30th or worse.

Last race: Gordon was among the 50 teams that tested the Car of Tomorrow at Bristol last week. The team also used the weekend off to get ready for the next four races, which include the first two races in the COT vehicle.

Etc.: Gordon stands 14th after the first two races of 2007 with 218 points. Martin Truex Jr. is 38th with 118 points. "With only a hundred points separating 25 teams, these next three races are going to really important in determining who is in the top 35 after Bristol," Gordon said.

Jimmie Johnson

No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Johnson has won the last two races at Vegas. In 2005, he led 107 laps. Last year, he passed Matt Kenseth on the last lap, the only lap he led. His worst finish in five starts at the 1.5-mile track is 16th, and he has led in all five races.

Last race: Johnson and his wife, Chandra, went to the mountains last weekend after he finished third at California and tested the Car of Tomorrow at Bristol.

Etc.: Johnson isn't happy about the increase in the Las Vegas track's banking from 12 to 20 degrees. "I'm disappointed to know that we're going to have some tire issues, and that's why we're going back with a smaller fuel cell," he said.

Elliott Sadler

No. 19 Dodge, Evernham Motorsports

This week: Sadler has only one top-10 finish in eight starts at Vegas. But he was the fastest during the January testing at the remodeled speedway with a lap of 188.772 miles per hour, and that is the car he will be driving this weekend.

Last race: Sadler, who was 24th at California, calls Bristol one of his favorite tracks, and he was happy to spend two days testing the Car of Tomorrow at the high-banked half-mile track before taking the weekend off. He scored his first Cup win at the Tennessee facility.

Etc.: Sadler was recently selected the "coolest driver to hang out with" by fans voting on NASCAR.com.

Greg Biffle

No. 16 Ford, Roush Racing

This week: Biffle, who will be running a new car, has finished in the top 10 in the last two races at Vegas. He won the pole a year ago and finished eighth after leading for six laps.

Last race: Biffle finished 20th in the Busch Series race in Mexico City. He ran in the top five for much of the race before getting bumped off the course late in the event. By the time he got the car under control, he had lost 15 positions.

Etc.: Former wrestling champion Bill Goldberg will serve as an honorary member of Biffle's pit crew this weekend. Goldberg is a longtime racing fan and a devoted car enthusiast.

Denny Hamlin

No. 11 Chevrolet, Joe Gibbs Racing

This week: Hamlin finished 10th in his Cup debut at Vegas a year ago. Hamlin is still looking for his first top-10 finish of 2007. He posted 20 of them last season.

Last race: Hamlin loves going to Mexico City. A year ago he scored his first Busch Series win at the 2.518-mile road course. This year he finished second to Juan Pablo Montoya.

Etc.: Before going to Mexico, Hamlin posted the fastest time during the two days of testing at Bristol. "I am pretty happy about where we are standing because not only are we fast, but we are really good on the long runs and that really matters here," Hamlin said after the Bristol test.

Kurt Busch

No. 2 Dodge, Penske Racing

This week: Busch's only two top-10 finishes at his home track have come in the last three races at Las Vegas. Busch plans to run what he calls his "80" car. "We raced a car that was almost an exact copy of the 80 at Fontana, and we were really pleased with the outcome," he said.

Last race: Busch has been doing a lot of testing of the Car of Tomorrow during the last 10 days after finishing seventh at California.

Etc.: After two days of testing the COT at Bristol, the team visited Southern National Raceway Park, a 4/10-mile speedway located near Kenly, N.C., on Tuesday. "We felt like we needed more track time with our new Dodge Avenger," Busch said.

Juan Pablo Montoya

No. 42 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: Montoya heads to Vegas for his first Cup race at the 1.5-mile track after winning his first NASCAR race Sunday in Mexico City before a lot of his fans.

Last race: Montoya overcame a fuel-system malfunction to win the Busch Series event in Mexico. Montoya had to make an extra pit stop to make sure he had enough fuel to finish the race. He went from first to 19th but rallied, taking the lead when he bumped teammate Scott Pruett in a controversial move.

Etc.: Crew chief Donnie Wingo pointed out that, despite his 26th-place finish at California, Montoya "ran six or eight laps in the middle of the race faster than anybody."

OTHERS

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Chevrolet, Joe Gibbs Racing) has four top-10s in the last five races at Vegas, including three top-fives and five top-10s in his eight starts at the track. But he is still looking for his first win at the facility. That winless drought could end this weekend since the car he will be driving scored three wins in 2006. ... Ryan Newman (No. 12 Dodge, Penske Racing) has three top-10 finishes in six starts at Las Vegas, including a career-best fourth in March 2005. He has led three races for a total of 97 laps. The car he will run this weekend has never seen any race action, but it was tested at Indianapolis and Charlotte last year. ... Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Dodge, Petty Enterprises) has won two poles and finished in the top 10 on four occasions in his nine starts at Vegas. Not that it means much. "It's a completely different track," he said. ... Casey Mears (No. 25 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports) has finished in the top in all three of his Cup starts at Las Vegas. The car he will run this weekend is one of the team's favorite cars — it logged 1,715 laps during the 2006 season. Mears will celebrate his 29th birthday Monday. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Chevrolet, DEI) finished second in the 2003 race at Vegas for his second top-10 finish at the track. But his last three finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway have been 35th, 42nd, and 27th.

***

Notes provided by The Sports Xchange

mrsmopar12 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-09-2007, 09:52 PM

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Race Capsule:

What: Race 3 of 36 on Nextel Cup circuit
Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV
When: March 11, 2007
Laps: 267
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Race Length: 401.00 miles
Purse: $6,381,100

mrsmopar12 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-09-2007, 09:56 PM

NASCAR Starting Grid

Last Updated: Saturday, Mar 10, 2007 1:20 am EST
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Order Driver (No.) Car Qualifying Speed

1 Kasey Kahne (9) Dodge 184.856 mph
2 David Stremme (40) Dodge 184.193 mph
3 Elliott Sadler (19) Dodge 183.874 mph
4 Juan Pablo Montoya (42) Dodge 183.187 mph
5 Jeff Burton (31) Chevrolet 182.976 mph
6 Scott Riggs (10) Dodge 182.865 mph
7 Reed Sorenson (41) Dodge 182.822 mph
8 Sterling Marlin (14) Chevrolet 182.525 mph
9 Joe Nemechek (13) Chevrolet 182.266 mph
10 Kurt Busch (2) Dodge 182.020 mph
11 Dave Blaney (22) Toyota 181.775 mph
12 Kyle Busch (5) Chevrolet 181.763 mph
13 Carl Edwards (99) Ford 181.568 mph
14 Mark Martin (01) Chevrolet 181.494 mph
15 Kenny Wallace (78) Chevrolet 181.378 mph
16 Clint Bowyer (07) Chevrolet 181.293 mph
17 Denny Hamlin (11) Chevrolet 181.074 mph
18 Greg Biffle (16) Ford 181.032 mph
19 Paul Menard (15) Chevrolet 180.953 mph
20 Kevin Harvick (29) Chevrolet 180.905 mph
21 David Gilliland (38) Ford 180.892 mph
22 Kyle Petty (45) Dodge 180.886 mph
23 Jimmie Johnson (48) Chevrolet 180.820 mph
24 J.J. Yeley (18) Chevrolet 180.802 mph
25 Tony Stewart (20) Chevrolet 180.596 mph
26 Martin Truex Jr. (1) Chevrolet 180.542 mph
27 Tony Raines (96) Chevrolet 180.487 mph
28 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) Chevrolet 180.409 mph
29 Jeff Green (66) Chevrolet 180.307 mph
30 Ward Burton (4) Chevrolet 180.258 mph
31 Aric Almirola (180) Chevrolet 180.174 mph
32 Johnny Sauter (70) Chevrolet 180.156 mph
33 Jamie McMurray (26) Ford 180.090 mph
34 Casey Mears (25) Chevrolet 180.060 mph
35 David Ragan (6) Ford 179.826 mph
36 Jeff Gordon (24) Chevrolet 179.635 mph
37 Matt Kenseth (17) Ford 179.462 mph
38 Robby Gordon (7) Ford 179.342 mph
39 Ryan Newman (12) Dodge 179.217 mph
40 Ricky Rudd (88) Ford 179.051 mph
41 Jon Wood (21) Ford 175.873 mph
42 Bobby Labonte (43) Dodge --
43 Dale Jarrett (44) Toyota 176.869 mph

Did Not Qualify
Driver (No.) Car Qualifying Speed

A.J. Allmendinger (84) Toyota 179.964 mph
Mike Bliss (49) Dodge 179.778 mph
John Andretti (37) Dodge 179.223 mph
Brian Vickers (83) Toyota 179.004 mph
David Reutimann (00) Toyota 178.571 mph
Jeremy Mayfield (36) Toyota 177.258 mph
Brandon Whitt (172) Chevrolet 176.523 mph
Kevin Lepage (34) Dodge 175.393 mph
Michael Waltrip (55) Toyota 173.422 mph
Ken Schrader (147) Ford --

mrsmopar12 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-10-2007, 03:40 AM

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

March 9, 2007

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Kasey Kahne won the pole Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leading a parade of Dodges as Chargers took five of the top seven spots in qualifying.

Kahne posted a lap of 184.856 mph around the revamped track, enough to nudge David Stremme off the pole. Stremme ran a lap at 184.193. Elliott Sadler, Kahne's teammate at Evernham Motorsports, qualified third with a lap at 183.874.

"Definitely in qualifying today Dodge was the car to beat,'' Kahne said. "There's a lot of them up there. Evernham Motorsports figured it out early in the year how to make the Charger work last year and we had some poles and ran up front, so I think all the Dodge teams will be tough to beat.''

Juan Pablo Montoya, Stremme's teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing, was fourth at 183.187. Montoya is coming off his win in the Busch Series last weekend in Mexico City.

Jeff Burton was the best non-Dodge driver, qualifying fifth in a Chevrolet.

Scott Riggs, the third Evernham driver, qualified sixth, while Reed Sorenson, the third Ganassi driver, was seventh.

It was a wild day of qualifying at Las Vegas, which underwent controversial track changes during the offseason. The surface was repaved, the banking was increased from 12 degrees to 20 and pit road was moved.

All the changes made speeds very fast during the January test, which led NASCAR to mandate a smaller fuel cell for this race. Goodyear also brought a harder tire compound that had many drivers grumbling, including two-time champion Tony Stewart, who called it "definitely the worst Goodyear tire I think I have ever been on.''

It all added up to a bumpy qualifying session that saw Bobby Labonte, David Gilliland and Ken Schrader wreck. Michael Waltrip spun and Paul Menard took a wild ride through the grass, but somehow saved his car from hitting anything.

Labonte and Gilliland were both locked into the field, and Menard made Sunday's race on speed.

Schrader and Waltrip weren't so fortunate, and both failed to make the race. It's the second straight race Waltrip has failed to qualify for, and it ended a streak of 111 consecutive starts for Schrader.

Also failing to make the race was Team Red Bull, which didn't get A.J. Allmendinger or Brian Vickers into the 43-car field. Allmendinger seemed to be in until Kenny Wallace, the last car to attempt to qualify, bumped him.

David Reutimann, the rookie driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, failed to qualify and Jeremy Mayfield missed the cut in what's been a disastrous start to the season. A two-time Chase qualifier, Mayfield has failed to make all three races this season.

No one is sure what to expect in Sunday's race.

"I think pit road is going to be tricky for all of us,'' Sadler said. "But the surface has been fine. You can run up high and on the bottom. I think you guys are going to see some good two-wide racing.''

Updated on Friday, Mar 9, 2007 9:39 pm EST

mrsmopar12 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-10-2007, 04:04 AM

By Jonathan Baum
Yahoo Sports
Friday, Mar 9, 2007 7:20 pm EST

LAS VEGAS -- This town might be an adult playground, but Las Vegas Motor Speedway is Bruton Smith's personal sandbox.

The SMI chief, whose organization owns many of the tracks NASCAR races at (including Vegas, Texas, Bristol, Sonoma, etc.), pretty much says and does what he wants when he wants, almost wherever he wants.

And what he wanted was a better Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

On some accounts, he got it. On others, we'll have to wait and see.

Much work has been done here at LVMS since Nextel Cup last raced here 12 months ago, and in terms of the fan experience, LVMS has vaulted light years forward. Pit road has been moved closer to the front straight and the grandstands, giving fans a better view of the action. But perhaps more compelling is the fan-access garage.

For a price (about 100 bucks per day), fans can get a birds-eye view (well, a relatively low-flying bird) of the action in the Cup garage stalls, literally looking down upon the action through large windows. There also are ground-level windows into the garages and inspection areas. The elevated walkways also give fans a view of victory lane -- and, according to a member of the track staff, the opportunity to fish for autographs from drivers who pass by below.

Included in the fan-access garage area is a performance stage (which on Friday featured a guy who can snap his fingers "impressively" fast) and the typical selection of track fare (pizza, burgers, fries, steak sandwiches, pretzels, beer and the hard stuff, etc.). In fact, it's somewhat similar to the amenities added to Daytona International Speedway over the past couple of years.

There also is a new media center, which actually has a somewhat more obstructed view of the frontstretch than the old media center, but otherwise is very impressive -- not that anyone other than members of the media even cares.

What fans will care about more than anything, perhaps, isn't the increased garage access, but rather the on-track action. And whether it's better than last year remains to be seen.

Progressive (and higher) banking, higher speeds, a new surface and ever-varying tire compounds (plus a smaller fuel cell) will make Sunday's Cup race look and act a bit differently than last year's, which came down to a fantastic finish between Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth in a green-white-checkers finish.

Some believe side-by-side racing will be the story, while others predict a follow-the-leader affair that could be determined by, yawn, fuel mileage. For their part, many drivers and crew chiefs were complaining about the tires on Friday, but any issues there could have more to do with Goodyear reacting to the new surface than the new surface itself.

Regardless of what drivers and fans think – and we'll know a little more about that as the weekend progresses – Smith thinks he's got a winner here. Of course, he seems to think this track and this city are pretty much better than anything that can be found anywhere else. Maybe they are, maybe they're not.

As for what's next for Smith, who some describe at the P.T. Barnum of NASCAR, he says there are more plans for improvements here at LVMS and elsewhere. He also answered the typical questions about getting a second race here (he still wants one, but there's no way it comes from another one of his own tracks) and NASCAR expanding elsewhere (but not Denver, because they once voted to close an airport. Seriously, that's his reasoning) while taking shots at nearby California Speedway (which preceded an impromptu introduction with that track's president Gillian Zucker) and at New York City in general (though he does say a race with the Manhattan skyline in the background would be desirable) while repeatedly trying to force his politics on anyone within earshot.

It was a somewhat typical Bruton Smith press conference in which his antics are part of an informative and, quite frankly, comical act (in a good way) but also sometimes make Smith seem stubborn, crotchety and even mean spirited.

But that's neither here nor there. It's what he does at these tracks that counts.

And fortunately for the fans here, at least (again, the driver opinions are TBD), his actions seem to be speaking louder than his words.

mrsmopar12 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-10-2007, 06:29 AM

Dodge NNCS Teams Post-Las Vegas Qualifying Recaps
Clear!Blue Communications For Dodge Motorsports, Press Release

KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger) -- Pole

“We started practice today and scuffed some tires. The tires are real hard and we’re just trying to get grip. We scuffed some tires and made two race runs and kinda figured out where we needed to be there and made two qualifying runs. We felt like we had a good car when practice was over. We knew there would be more grip when the sun went down. So we made the car turn better and better and had a pretty good lap. There are some bumps in one and two that I was able to get around and cut down the track after I got around them. It worked out good. I’m excited not to give the track record up yet. I’ve had it since ’04, so I’ll try to keep it for awhile.”

DOES THE NEW TRACK THROW EVERYTHING IN THE PAST OUT THE WINDOW?

“There are parts of the track that feel similar, how you get in the corners and how you get off the corners. It just feels like Vegas, but once you get in the middle of the corner it’s something different. The tire is creating the biggest obstacle. It’s hard so we don’t blow tires, so they made a real hard tire so it slows us down and we don’t have speeds. There’s so much force in the tires, and that alone is going to make for anybody’s race on Sunday. Whoever can figure it out and stay out of trouble or whoever can figure it out how to get around the track in hot temperatures.”

HOW DID THE TRACK FEEL TODAY?

“I think we started practice at 11:30. My final run there was two minutes left and that was my fastest and that was about 1 o’clock. The track was a lot more slippery. When the track temperature heats up it’s a huge difference. To me it’s not usually that big of a difference, but I think because the tires are so hard, left-side tires especially, as the track temperature heats up it makes a bigger difference. Sunday is going to be the hottest day of the weekend from what I’ve seen on the weather. That’ll create for an interesting 400 miles.”

WILL THIS BE A MARKER FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON?

“It’s qualifying and qualifying is cool if you’re on the pole. Other than that it doesn’t mean a whole lot on what’s going to go on Sunday. Definitely in qualifying today Dodge was the car to beat. There’s a lot of them up there. Last year there were a lot of them up there, too. Evernham Motorsports figured it out early in the year how to make the Charger to work last year and we had some poles and ran up front last year, so I think the Dodge Motorsports Dodges and all the Dodge teams are a little more equal now. They’ve figured out what we did last year and we have a new nose and that’s probably part of the reason why. Maybe the car is a little easier to figure out. I really don’t know. My car feels little more equal now. They’ve figured out what we did last year and we have a new nose and that’s probably part of the reason why. Maybe the car is a little easier to figure out. I really don’t know. My car feels just like it did on these type of tracks last year as it does now.”

COMMENT ON SMALLER FUEL CELLS AND MORE PIT STOPS

“There’s going to be a lot going on in the race, I don’t that. Coming to pit road as much as we will and sliding around as much as we’re going to be sliding around… I still haven’t figured out how we’re going to get to pit road and not knock the valence off the car because of the change there from the banking to the flat. That’s going to be difficult. There will be a lot of things going on Sunday that’s just kind of up in the air and right now I think it’s anybody’s race. There will be some teams that figure out to make the tires work and cars that don’t. You may not see a lot of side by side racing as slippery as it is, and I don’t know whose fault that is. There’s just so much speed and the cars have so much downforce. It’s going to be hard to run side by side on a tire that’s stiff as a rock.”

DOES THE CAR FEEL DIFFERENT IN TRAFFIC?

“Last year when we got back in traffic we struggled to get back to the front. Once you got back to the front and we got in clean air we were quick. Last week in California we fell to the back because of the way pit stops went before we had our problem and I was struggling to get back to the front. There’s more there. I think it has to do with the really soft springs and when you lose air on your car it starts flying around and it’s really hard to drive. I think all the teams have the same problem. It’s just how you manage it and how you keep yourself in position. There’s lot of time in these races, so you just take your time and you’ll eventually get to the front.”
Note: Kahne won last season’s Budweiser Pole Award with six poles, winning a tire-breaker with Kurt Busch who also won six poles. This is his 13th career pole in 111 starts and his first of the season. He qualified second fastest in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway two weeks ago.

BOBBY LABONTE (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Charger)

NOTE: Labonte cut a right front tire between turns one and two in qualifying and brushed the outside wall. The team will switch to a backup Charger that was tested here as the backup car in January.

RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger) – 42nd

“We’re still working on it, trying to get the feel with this package and this tire, this track. We’re playing catch up, but we’ll be all right. We just need to have two good race practices tomorrow. The tires are different. The fuel cells are different, and the cars are the same. We only had a so-so test here and I think that’s a little bit less than a so-so qualifying effort, so we’ve got some work to do.”

KURT BUSCH (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger) – 10th

“I really went wild. Where did that come from? I wasn’t aware that the car was capable of that speed. I took it like I thought I needed to take it out on the track and the Miller Lite Dodge performed like it needed to. We still have a few more questions to ask ourselves on where that speed came from and then what can we do to gain speed. I’m happy with it, and we’ll go from there. It would be the ultimate (to win here). It’s like a dream as a kid when you see the track built from the ground up. Now I get a chance to race here and race for a world class organization like Penske Racing. I’m living the dream. If we could win that would solidify everything. We made wholesale changes for qualifying. It was like shopping at Sam’s Club. We bolted everything we can in it, and that gave us confidence that we might be able to fix our race setup, too. We’re fast, but we just don’t feel like we’re doing it all the time. The tires are throwing us for a loop.”

SCOTT RIGGS (No. 10 Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper/Valvoline Dodge Charger) – 6th

“We were bad when we unloaded and just kept working on it in race trim and couldn’t get anywhere. We just decided to go qualifying trim because we ran out of time. The left-side tires seem to be really sensitive. I didn’t know what we were going to do in qualifying trim, and I was so gun shy in practice I really didn’t get everything out of the car and I felt like that time I did. We need to qualify good, and we need a good finish as well, but first things first. You’ve got to qualify good to get a good qualifying spot, so I new it was a do or die situation. We were either going to get a good qualifying spot or crash trying. I knew it wasn’t good enough for the pole. The pole will be a 38 by Kasey Kahne.”

KYLE PETTY (No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge Charger) – 22nd

“Billy Wilburn (crew chief) and the guys made a bunch of practice before practice. It was a total team effort. We changed shocks, springs and everything. The track had something to do with it, too. It was cooler and had more grip. That complimented the changes, and I’m really happy for the guys. That was a really good lap for us.”

DAVID STREMME (No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Charger) – 2nd

“Everybody on the team did a great job. We unloaded the car a lot better. My confidence is pretty good. I didn’t know if it was going to hold up or not. I think I might have left a little bit out there. I think we should have had better finishes in the first two races, but the biggest thing is not getting any DNFs the first part of the year because the points will jump around so much. It’s really close right now, so we’ve got to have some solid finishes. Everybody wants to win, but we’ve got to put in good efforts and go for wins later on.
“We put in a solid effort today, and that’s all we can ask. The track has picked up so much and you really don’t know how to drive it. You don’t want to overdrive it. Maybe it was better I was a little cautious. I knew some heavy hitters were left to go and I figured one of them would beat me. I told the guys I wanted to be in the Shootout next year, so we came close today. I think we’ll get one soon.

“Practice will be very important Saturday. I think the line will spread out in the Busch race and it’s going to be interesting to see how the strategy plays out. It would have been cool to get the pole today, but there’s still a lot of racing left.”

REED SORENSON (No. 41 Target Dodge Charger) – 7th

“That was a good solid qualifying lap. We’re solid in the top 10 and congratulations to my teammates. I thought David had the pole today, but he got in a real good lap and so did Juan. We’ll work hard Saturday and see if we can race as well Sunday as we qualified today.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger) – 4th

“One and two was pretty good. It’s all about learning. Yes, fourth is great, but when I got on the gas I knew I could have got back on it a lot earlier. The car was a little tight, but we learned a lot today. I think it’s a boost for the whole team to show the performance is coming. If I talk to you after my qualifying in Busch it might be different because I’m struggling a little bit in my Busch car, but Cup is the main deal.
“Things are getting better. All three cars qualified in the top 10 and it’s a Chrysler race and having all those Dodges in the top 10 is a big deal. This is my first time here, so I can’t tell you how it was here before. I think after the Busch race the groove is going to move up.

“I think it (win in Mexico) is a big boost. It shows we can deliver and get the job done. In a way it takes off a lot of pressure, but at the same time it puts a lot of pressure on us. In a way I have a good chance of winning a road course, but there are only two road course races against 34 ovals. You want to make sure you can be competitive on the ovals. The last race it was a lot of hard work in the race. We were really lucky on the yellows. By the end we had a good race car.

“Here we did a lot of work on testing to make sure we were comfortable with the car. I’m getting a little bit more comfortable. I need to learn to relax a little more. I think I pushed the issue a little bit in practice today, and you can’t push this car. You’ve got to work with them a little bit more instead of abusing them.”

ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger) – 3rd

“I think pit road is going to be tricky Sunday for all of us for two reasons. Curved like it is it’s going to be difficult for drivers to get in and out of their pit stalls and see the pit signs. The sun sets right there coming off turn four and coming down pit road later in the race we’re going to be looking right at the sun. Pit selection is very important for Sunday’s race. It’s a lot trickier than we’ve had. It’s really the only one curved on our schedule we have shaped like this, so it’s going to be new to all of us. The pit boxes are big enough and long enough to help us a little bit, but still facing the sun it’s going to be tough. Transitions are really deep ones. You come off turn four on green flag pit stops and you see Juan tested it out already. You can knock your valence off coming off the race track.
“I’m really proud of my guys. It’s a DaimlerChrysler race and we wanted to have a good starting spot for Sunday and a good pit road selection and we were able to do that. It was a good lap. I don’t want it back. I’m proud of my guys. It’s been a good day for us here in Vegas. I think everyone at the speedway has done a great job, not only with the surface but all the new garages. The teams have plenty of room and the fans have a lot of things they can do. It’s really brought the fans closer to the drivers. The surface has been fine. You can run up high and on the bottom. I think you guys are going to see some good two-wide racing.”

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mrsmopar12 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-10-2007, 06:31 AM

GM Racing Communications, Press Release

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 8 BUDWEISER MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 28th:

"We only got about 50 percent of the adjustments out of it we needed. We started in race trim this morning and only got into qualifying trim late in practice. If we had started earlier and had a lot more time to work on it, I think the car would have been faster. The car was okay. The track is a lot better grip right now with the temperature and being overcast. But I'm really happy for the team. We were really, really in the muck this morning. We were working really hard to figure out the tire this morning. I'm really proud of my team. To be able to get a lap like that, I'm really happy for my team. I'm not really sure how good it's going to be."

CLINT BOWYER, NO. 07 JACK DANIELS MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 16th -

"This is because of the guys I have behind me. Gil Martin and the guys on this ole Jack Daniels Chevrolet have really been giving me good cars and I am really excited about this year. Last year was a learning year and we did just that. Fortunately our sponsors and Richard (Childress, team owner) were patient with us I really like we are set and ready to win our first race and be a part of the Chase at the end of this year."

TONY STEWART, NO. 20 HOME DEPOT MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 25th-

"I am just glad it is over, I'll be honest. I thought Daytona was one of the worst tires we have ever ran on but I will guarantee you that this is definitely the worst Goodyear tire I think I have ever been on in my entire nine years of driving Nextel Cup Series. It never ceases to amaze me on how they can always trump their ace on how bad they can build tires for us. I am just glad I don't have to qualify any more now.
"I've held my breath for every lap I've been here. At least I didn't have to do that when I was here testing (in January). We were probably running a little too quick during the test, and the harder tires we've got now probably compensated for that. It was a lot faster than we all needed to be going, but you didn't feel like you were going to wreck every lap, and that's the way it feels now. You'll know in about 15 laps what kind of race we're going to have. You just go out and try to make your car drive as good as you can. There's not much else you can do. That's what we do every week, wherever we go. You don't know if the conditions are going to be conducive to running side-by-side. You don't know if we going to be all strung-out. You just never know until you get in the race. It doesn't matter. You can't prepare for it. It is what it is until you get to the race."

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 23rd-

"It is going to be an interesting race with this hard tire and smaller fuel cell. This has been one of the more stressful qualifying sessions waiting for qualifying because we weren't all that good earlier today. I think the weather changing a little bit has helped, But good changes for our Lowe's Monte Carlo and all-in-all a good lap for us."

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 12th:

" I hope we are going to be pretty good Sunday. We have had our struggles since we unloaded but we are a lot better now in the Kellogg's/Carquest Chevrolet. The guys did an awesome job making it better so I can at least try to drive it. On my qualifying lap, I just kind of committed to the top, that might have been the little bit that hurt us where I think Kurt (Busch) ran the bottom. It is a good run for us, I am happy with that. Good job for Kurt and all those guys but I think last year he qualified well but never really raced well so we will have to see if they can turn that program around (LAUGHS).

JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CINGULAR WIRELESS MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 5th-

"A good car at testing, wouldn't be a good car now with times and this race track being so different now. We worked a lot on race trim in practice. This is going to be a huge challenge for all these teams because these tires are exceptionally hard. Which, by-the-way, is the only thing to do with a new race track that will eat up normal tires, you have to bring a tire which it too hard. But it is going to be a huge challenge for all the teams. But that is our job to do it better than everybody else. That is what we do, we compete. We worked really on on race setup and I think we learned a lot with our Cingular Chevrolet. I got into three and four really, really well on my Q run but I didn't hit one and two. There are some people coming that are going to hit both ends. On the second lap, I didn't think I would be faster. Typically I want to go for it one lap and get it done with, I went in one and two again pretty decent I thought, but I couldn't get through three and four decent. I didn't think it would be better but I figured if I didn't try I would never know.

ON THE NEW LAYOUT:

"I'm proud of these race track owners for trying to make improvements and what they've done in the infield for the fans is remarkable. The layout is going to be okay but it's going to take a while. Old race tracks are better than new race tracks. The only problem is you've got to have new race tracks to get old race tracks. The race will be good for the fans and that's all that matters."

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mrsmopar12 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-10-2007, 06:33 AM

PCGCampbell For Ford Racing, Press Release