THE RACE: 2007 ORBITZ 300 – DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Busch Series Race #1 of 35 for the 2007 season


  • Race: 1:15pm/et, Saturday, February 17, 2007 in Daytona, FL
  • Length: 120 Laps, 300 miles
  • TV: ESPN2 – 12:00pm/et
  • Radio: MRN
  • Purse: $2,596,288
  • Announcers: Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree
  • Pit Reporters: Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro

    Practice Dates/Times

  • Practice: Wednesday, February 14, 3:00 – 4:20pm/et & Thursday, February 15, 9:30 – 10:55am/et. Live coverage of Happy Hour on ESPN2. Rookie Practice: Wednesday, February 15, 9:00-9:30am/et

    Qualifying Info

  • Qualifying Draw: Wednesday, February 14, 2:00pm/et
  • Qualifying Time: Friday, February 16, 3:05pm/et.
  • Qualifying: 2 laps for all positions, cars will be impounded.
  • Live TV coverage of qualifying on ESPN2. NASCAR Online will have live lap-by-lap coverage of Busch qualifying via the web (NOTE: this is a paid subscription service). TheHotLap.com has free qualifying coverage.

    ENTRY, PRACTICE, QUALIFYING, AND RACE INFORMATION

  • Harvick Wins at Daytona: Picking up where he left off last year, #21-Kevin Harvick led 41 laps to take the win in the Orbitz 300 at Daytona. #32-Dave Blaney rebounded from an early race spin to finish second. #60 Carl Edwards was third, #2-Clint Bowyer was fourth, and #06-Mark Martin fifth. The remainder of the top 10 were #11-Martin Truex, Jr., #8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., #33-Tony Stewart, #20-Denny Hamlin, and #26-Greg Biffle. There were 3 cautions for 13 laps, which tied the record for fewest cautions in this race.(2-17-2007)
    NASCAR Race Number 1
    Unofficial Race Results for the Orbitz “300 – Saturday, February 17, 2007
    Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL – 2.5 Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 120 Laps – 300 Miles – Purse: $2,596,288
    Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Total Award Status
    1 31 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 120 190 $116,200 Running
    2 11 32 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 120 170 $90,550 Running
    3 6 60 Carl Edwards Scott’s Ford 120 170 $77,450 Running
    4 26 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 120 165 $62,550 Running
    5 8 06 Mark Martin Dish Network Ford 120 155 $58,000 Running
    6 4 11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevy 120 155 $53,450 Running
    7 20 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Menards/Johns Manville Chevy 120 151 $56,575 Running
    8 38 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy 120 142 $50,300 Running
    9 15 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 120 138 $54,250 Running
    10 9 26 Greg Biffle Oreo Double Stuf Ford 120 134 $49,025 Running
    11 14 55 Robby Gordon Motorola/Verizon Ford 120 130 $47,300 Running
    12 13 17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 120 132 $51,825 Running
    13 36 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 120 124 $62,965 Running
    14 18 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 120 121 $55,770 Running
    15 3 47 Jon Wood Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 120 118 $57,395 Running
    16 37 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 120 115 $47,950 Running
    17 12 15 Paul Menard Menards/PEAK Chevy 120 112 $52,920 Running
    18 42 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 120 109 $44,875 Running
    19 1 18 Aric Almirola Banquet Chevy 120 106 $51,950 Running
    20 35 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 120 103 $47,300 Running
    21 28 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 120 105 $48,200 Running
    22 2 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 120 102 $53,845 Running
    23 32 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 120 99 $49,495 Running
    24 33 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 119 91 $45,775 Running
    25 43 34 Steve Grissom Scottish Rite/FCP Chevy 118 88 $45,800 Running
    26 24 4 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevy 115 85 $48,745 Running
    27 19 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 114 82 $45,425 Running
    28 39 28 Robert Richardson Jr. # Checkers/Rally’s Chevy 114 79 $45,350 Running
    29 21 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 114 76 $50,470 Running
    30 34 66 Steve Wallace Homelife Communities Dodge 114 73 $45,375 Running
    31 27 12 Sam Hornish Jr. # Mobil 1 Dodge 114 70 $50,475 Running
    32 22 27 Ward Burton Winn-Dixie/Kleenex Ford 113 67 $45,100 Running
    33 7 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 105 64 $50,070 Running
    34 23 87 Joe Nemechek brunton vineyards/swig Chevy 101 61 $42,800 Running
    35 41 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 99 58 $44,650 Running
    36 40 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevy 86 55 $44,575 Running
    37 10 5 Kyle Busch Spectracide/Lowe’s Chevy 82 62 $42,525 Fuel Pump
    38 25 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 80 49 $42,475 Engine
    39 5 10 John Andretti Camping World Toyota 26 46 $49,645 Accident
    40 16 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 24 43 $44,375 Engine
    41 29 9 Kasey Kahne Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dodge 15 40 $47,825 Accident
    42 30 37 Jamie McMurray Yard-Man Ford 15 37 $42,275 Accident
    43 17 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 4 34 $44,197 Accident
    Race Comments: Before and estimated crowd of 100,000 – Kevin Harvick won the ORBITZ 300, posting his 27th career NASCAR Busch Series victory. Before the green flag the following drivers dropped to the rear for the reasons indicated: #28 Richardson (engine change).
    Failed to Qualify: Six: #24 Mears, #22 Stremme, #70 Diercks, #1 Yeley, #23 Keselowski, #52 Teague.
    Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 55 Mins, 13 Secs.
    Average Speed: 156.227 MPH
    Margin of Victory: 0.460 Seconds
    Caution Flags: 3 for 13 laps: Laps: 5-7(#6,32,47 accident backstretch); 17-21(#9,10,27,37,41 accident turn 4); 65-69(Debris).
    Lead Changes: 16 among 10 drivers: A. Almirola (Pole); J. Leffler 1-2; M. Truex Jr. 3-7; C. Edwards 8-13; K. Busch 14-18; M. Wallace 19; K. Busch 20-44; M. Kenseth 45; K. Busch 46; M. Kenseth 47; C. Edwards 48-50; K. Busch 51-65; B. Sherman 66; C. Bowyer 67-69; C. Edwards 70; D. Earnhardt Jr. 71-78; K. Harvick 79-120.
    Top 10 Driver Points: (1) K. Harvick 190;(2) D. Blaney 170;(3) C. Edwards 170;(4) C. Bowyer 165;(5) M. Martin 155;(6) M. Truex, Jr 155;(7) D. Earnhardt, Jr 151;(8) T. Stewart 142;(9) D. Hamlin 138;(10) G. Biffle 134.
    Busch Pole Award: Aric Almirola, #18 (183.741 mph)
    WIX Filters “Lap Leader: Jason Leffler, #38 (2 Laps)
    Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge: Aric Almirola, #18
    Featherlite “Most Improved Driver: Brent Sherman, #36 (12 Places)
    Sunoco Diamond Performance: :Kevin Harvick, #21
    Raybestos “Rookie of the Race : Marcos Ambrose, #59

    Points Report
    Daytona International Speedway
    ORBITZ 300
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Saturday, 2/17/2007 @ 4:18 PM Eastern
    UNOFFICAL

    Pos Driver BPts Point Ldr Nxt Start Pole Wins T5s T10s DNF PPos G/L
    1 Kevin Harvick 5 190 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 43
    2 Dave Blaney 0 170 -20 -20 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 42
    3 Carl Edwards 5 170 -20 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 41
    4 Clint Bowyer 5 165 -25 -5 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 40
    5 Mark Martin 0 155 -35 -10 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 39
    6 Martin Truex, Jr 5 155 -35 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 38
    7 Dale Earnhardt, Jr 5 151 -39 -4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 37
    8 Tony Stewart 0 142 -48 -9 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 36
    9 Denny Hamlin 0 138 -52 -4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 35
    10 Greg Biffle 0 134 -56 -4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 34
    11 Matt Kenseth 5 132 -58 -2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 33
    12 Robby Gordon 0 130 -60 -2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 32
    13 Scott Wimmer 0 124 -66 -6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 31
    14 Todd Kluever 0 121 -69 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 30
    15 Jon Wood 0 118 -72 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 29
    16 Marcos Ambrose 0 115 -75 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 28
    17 Paul Menard 0 112 -78 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 27
    18 Bobby Labonte 0 109 -81 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 26
    19 Aric Almirola 0 106 -84 -3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 25
    20 Brent Sherman 5 105 -85 -1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 24
    21 David Gilliland 0 103 -87 -2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 23
    22 Jason Leffler 5 102 -88 -1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 22
    23 Mike Wallace 5 99 -91 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 21
    24 Bobby Hamilton, Jr 0 91 -99 -8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 20
    25 Steve Grissom 0 88 -102 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 19
    26 Regan Smith 0 85 -105 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 18
    27 Kyle Krisiloff 0 82 -108 -3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 17
    28 Robert Richardson 0 79 -111 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 16
    29 David Reutimann 0 76 -114 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 15
    30 Steve Wallace 0 73 -117 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 14
    31 Sam Hornish 0 70 -120 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 13
    32 Ward Burton 0 67 -123 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
    33 Stephen Leicht 0 64 -126 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
    34 Kyle Busch 10 62 -128 -2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 10
    35 Joe Nemechek 0 61 -129 -1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9
    36 Eric Mcclure 0 58 -132 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8
    37 Shane Huffman 0 55 -135 -3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7
    38 Reed Sorenson 0 49 -141 -6 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 6
    39 John Andretti 0 46 -144 -3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 5
    40 Juan Montoya 0 43 -147 -3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4
    41 Kasey Kahne 0 40 -150 -3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3
    42 Jamie Mcmurray 0 37 -153 -3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2
    43 David Ragan 0 34 -156 -3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1

    BPts – Bonus Points, -Ldr/-Nxt = Points behind Leader/Next higher, PPos = Previous Position, G/L = Points standing gain/loss


    Owner Points Following Race # 1
    Daytona International Speedway
    ORBITZ 300
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Saturday, 2/17/2007 @ 3:39 PM Eastern
    UNOFFICIAL

    Pos Owner Car # Points Ldr Nxt PPos G/L
    1 Richard Childress 21 190 9 -8
    2 Todd Braun 32 170 -20 -20 4 -2
    3 Jack Roush 60 170 -20 0 58 -55
    4 Richard Childress 2 165 -25 -5 10 -6
    5 Jack Roush 6 155 -35 -10 62 -57
    6 Teresa Earnhardt 11 155 -35 0 -1 7
    7 Teresa Earnhardt 8 151 -39 -4 17 -10
    8 Delana Harvick 33 142 -48 -9 32 -24
    9 Joe Gibbs 20 138 -52 -4 26 -17
    10 Jack Roush 26 134 -56 -4 57 -47
    11 Jack Roush 17 132 -58 -2 60 -49
    12 Robby Gordon 55 130 -60 -2 -1 13
    13 Richard Childress 29 124 -66 -6 8 5
    14 Jack Roush 16 121 -69 -3 59 -45
    15 Jodi Geschickter 47 118 -72 -3 25 -10
    16 Tad Geschickter 59 115 -75 -3 24 -8
    17 Teresa Earnhardt 15 112 -78 -3 16 1
    18 Joe Gibbs 18 111 -79 -1 27 -9
    19 Delana Harvick 77 109 -81 -2 33 -14
    20 John Mcgill 36 105 -85 -4 44 -24
    21 Edward Rensi 25 103 -87 -2 52 -31
    22 Todd Braun 38 102 -88 -1 3 19
    23 James Finch 7 99 -91 -3 20 3
    24 Gary Weisbaum 35 91 -99 -8 68 -44
    25 Frank Cicci 34 88 -102 -3 -1 26
    26 Carl Haas 14 82 -108 -6 31 -5
    27 Jay Robinson 28 79 -111 -3 56 -29
    28 Michael Waltrip 99 76 -114 -3 67 -39
    29 Rusty Wallace 66 73 -117 -3 66 -37
    30 Roger Penske 12 70 -120 -3 50 -20
    31 Tammy Brewer 27 67 -123 -3 7 24
    32 Robert Yates 90 64 -126 -3 71 -39
    33 Rick Hendrick 5 62 -128 -2 36 -3
    34 Andrea Nemechek 87 61 -129 -1 48 -14
    35 Keith Duesenberg 0 58 -132 -3 13 22
    36 Dale Earnhardt 88 55 -135 -3 15 21
    37 Chip Ganassi 41 49 -141 -6 -1 38
    38 Todd Braun 10 46 -144 -3 5 33
    39 Floyd Ganassi 42 43 -147 -3 22 17
    40 Ray Evernham 9 40 -150 -3 18 22
    41 Clarence Brewer 37 37 -153 -3 6 35
    42 Todd Wilkerson 37 37 -153 0 69 -27
    43 Jack Roush 6 34 -156 -3 61 -18


  • Almirola on Pole for Orbitz 300: #18-Aric Almirola grabbed the Busch pole in Daytona Friday afternoon with a top speed of 183.741 mph. This is the second time Almirola has captured the pole, but the first time he will gets to enjoy it. He put the #18 on the pole in Milwaukee last year when qualifying, but gave up the seat for Denny Hamlin. #32-Jason Leffler grabbed the outside pole in his Great Clips Toyota. The remainder of the top five were #47-Jon Wood, #11-Martin Truex, Jr, and #10-John Andretti. #42-Juan Pablo Montoya was the top qualifying rookie in 15th. The qualifying session was incident free. Not making the race were: #1-J.J. Yeley, #22-David Stremme, #23-Brad Keselowski, #24-Casey Mears, #52-Brad Teague, and #70-Justin Diercks.(2-17-2006)
    Starting Line Up by Row
    Daytona International Speedway
    ORBITZ 300
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, February 16, 2007 @ 05:55 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
    1 18 Aric Almirola Banquet Chevy 48.982 183.741
    2 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 49.023 183.587
    3 47 Jon Wood Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 49.038 183.531
    4 11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevy 49.068 183.419
    5 10 John Andretti Camping World Toyota 49.071 183.408
    6 60 Carl Edwards Scott’s Ford 49.074 183.397
    7 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 49.111 183.258
    8 06 Mark Martin Dish Network Ford 49.111 183.258
    9 26 Greg Biffle Oreo Double Stuf Ford 49.122 183.217
    10 5 Kyle Busch Spectracide/Lowe’s Chevy 49.150 183.113
    11 32 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 49.163 183.064
    12 15 Paul Menard Menards/PEAK Chevy 49.164 183.061
    13 17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 49.183 182.990
    14 55 Robby Gordon Motorola/Verizon Ford 49.196 182.942
    15 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 49.209 182.893
    16 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 49.209 182.893
    17 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 49.221 182.849
    18 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 49.229 182.819
    19 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 49.278 182.637
    20 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Menards/Johns Manville Chevy 49.278 182.637
    21 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 49.297 182.567
    22 27 Ward Burton Winn-Dixie/Kleenex Ford 49.305 182.537
    23 87 Joe Nemechek brunton vineyards/swig Chevy 49.358 182.341
    24 4 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevy 49.377 182.271
    25 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 49.387 182.234
    26 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 49.403 182.175
    27 12 Sam Hornish Jr. # Mobil 1 Dodge 49.405 182.168
    28 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 49.438 182.046
    29 9 Kasey Kahne Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dodge 49.452 181.995
    30 37 Jamie McMurray Yard-Man Ford 49.518 181.752
    31 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 49.545 181.653
    32 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 49.545 181.653
    33 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 49.627 181.353
    34 66 Steve Wallace Homelife Communities Dodge 49.628 181.349
    35 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 49.631 181.338
    36 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 49.718 181.021
    37 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 49.788 180.766
    38 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy 49.806 180.701
    39 28 Robert Richardson Jr. # Checkers/Rally’s Chevy 49.834 180.600
    40 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevy Owner Points
    41 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy Owner Points
    42 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy Owner Points
    43 34 Steve Grissom Scottish Rite/FCP Chevy Past Champion

    Did Not Qualify: #25 Mears, #22 Stremme, #70 Diericks. #1 Yeley, #23 Keselowski, #52 Teague.


  • Ward Burton Leads Happy Hour: #27-Ward Burton’s top speed of 189.366 mph was fastest during Busch Series Happy Hour Thursday monrning. #47-Jon Wood was second fastest. They were followed by #55-Robby Gordon, #90-Stephen Leicht, and #10-John Andretti. There were 3 accidents during the session. First, #21-Kevin Harvick got into the back of #77-Bobby Labonte early in the session, sending Labonte in the outside wall. He will go to a backup. Second, #66-Steve Wallace got loose off turn 2 and spun around. The car didn’ suffer any damage. Third, late in the session, #37-Jamie McMurray blew and engine and slowed up. #59-Marcos Ambrose ran into the back of #55-Robby Gordon when Gordon checked up, sending Gordon into #24-Casey Mears. #55-Gordon does not have a backup car so they will have to repair the damaged one. #24-Casey Mears will have to go to a third car. The team will pull out #5-Kyle Busch’s backup car for Mears. #28-Robert Richardson was the only tema not to practice during the session.(2-15-2007)
    NBS Final Practice (HAPPY HOUR)
    Daytona International Speedway
    ORBITZ 300
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Thu, February 15, 2007 @ 11:01 AM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 27 Ward Burton Winn-Dixie/Kleenex Ford 47.527 189.366 20
    2 47 Jon Wood Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 47.532 189.346 22
    3 *55 Robby Gordon Motorola/Verizon Ford 47.765 188.422 16
    4 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 47.766 188.419 12
    5 10 John Andretti Camping World Toyota 47.836 188.143 18
    6 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 47.984 187.563 17
    7 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 48.081 187.184 20
    8 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 48.082 187.180 17
    9 37 Jamie McMurray Yard-Man Ford 48.095 187.130 19
    10 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 48.115 187.052 13
    11 *70 Justin Diercks # Foretravel/BIOMET Chevy 48.124 187.017 15
    12 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 48.131 186.990 19
    13 66 Steve Wallace Homelife Communities Dodge 48.135 186.974 22
    14 *87 Joe Nemechek brunton vineyards/swig Chevy 48.139 186.959 11
    15 *32 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 48.140 186.955 11
    16 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 48.172 186.831 11
    17 *24 Casey Mears National Guard/53rd Infantry Brigade 48.202 186.714 19
    18 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy 48.256 186.505 31
    19 60 Carl Edwards Scott’s Ford 48.261 186.486 16
    20 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 48.271 186.447 12
    21 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 48.281 186.409 14
    22 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 48.298 186.343 14
    23 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevy 48.299 186.339 15
    24 9 Kasey Kahne Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dodge 48.318 186.266 5
    25 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 48.360 186.104 19
    26 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 48.380 186.027 14
    27 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 48.389 185.993 17
    28 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 48.396 185.966 16
    29 *06 Mark Martin Dish Network Ford 48.422 185.866 9
    30 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 48.430 185.835 19
    31 *17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 48.433 185.824 11
    32 *42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 48.436 185.812 8
    33 *11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevy 48.462 185.713 10
    34 15 Paul Menard Menards/PEAK Chevy 48.466 185.697 18
    35 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 48.478 185.651 22
    36 *8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Menards/Johns Manville Chevy 48.633 185.060 14
    37 *26 Greg Biffle Oreo Double Stuf Ford 48.640 185.033 8
    38 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 48.672 184.911 11
    39 *1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 48.886 184.102 15
    40 18 Aric Almirola Banquet Chevy 49.004 183.658 7
    41 5 Kyle Busch Lowe’s/Spectracide Chevy 49.207 182.901 2
    42 *4 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevy 49.329 182.448 5
    43 *12 Sam Hornish Jr. # Mobil 1 Dodge 49.672 181.189 5
    44 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 49.711 181.046 6
    45 *34 Steve Grissom Scottish Rite/FCP Chevy 49.834 180.600 10
    46 *22 David Stremme SuperCuts Dodge 49.837 180.589 8
    47 *23 Brad Keselowski # Oklahoma Centennial Chevy 50.874 176.908 5
    48 *52 Brad Teague Ford 50.886 176.866 5

    *Required to qualify on time

  • Wood Fastest in Daytona Practice: #47-Jon Wood turned the fastest lap in the first practice session at Daytona. His best lap was 187.320 mph. #66-Steve Wallace was second, #06-Mark Martin third, #2-Clint Bowyer fourth and #37-Jamie McMurray fifth. #24-Casey Mears got loose during the session and spun out, hitting #66-Steve Wallace. Mears will go to a backup car.(2-14-2007)
    NBS Practice 1
    Daytona International Speedway
    ORBITZ 300
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Wed, February 14, 2007 @ 04:26 PM Eastern

    Pos # Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 47 Jon Wood Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 48.046 187.320 34
    2 66 Steve Wallace Homelife Communities Dodge 48.164 186.862 11
    3 *06 Mark Martin Dish Network Ford 48.208 186.691 24
    4 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 48.214 186.668 20
    5 37 Jamie McMurray Yard-Man Ford 48.263 186.478 21
    6 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 48.288 186.382 26
    7 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 48.297 186.347 29
    8 60 Carl Edwards Scott’s Ford 48.302 186.328 25
    9 5 Kyle Busch Lowe’s/Spectracide Chevy 48.306 186.312 44
    10 *11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevy 48.320 186.258 17
    11 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 48.340 186.181 24
    12 18 Aric Almirola Banquet Chevy 48.355 186.123 20
    13 *32 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 48.356 186.120 17
    14 *17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 48.376 186.043 24
    15 *8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Menards/Johns Manville Chevy 48.412 185.904 15
    16 *12 Sam Hornish Jr. # Mobil 1 Dodge 48.413 185.900 21
    17 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 48.441 185.793 34
    18 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy 48.460 185.720 24
    19 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 48.490 185.605 23
    20 9 Kasey Kahne Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dodge 48.520 185.491 34
    21 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 48.538 185.422 27
    22 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 48.545 185.395 26
    23 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 48.580 185.261 25
    24 27 Ward Burton Winn-Dixie/Kleenex Ford 48.582 185.254 21
    25 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 48.585 185.242 23
    26 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 48.610 185.147 24
    27 15 Paul Menard Menards/PEAK Chevy 48.616 185.124 22
    28 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 48.637 185.044 28
    29 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 48.638 185.041 32
    30 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 48.665 184.938 15
    31 *04 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevy 48.667 184.930 15
    32 *26 Greg Biffle Oreo Double Stuf Ford 48.723 184.718 25
    33 *24 Casey Mears National Guard/53rd Infantry Brigade 48.748 184.623 10
    34 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevy 48.786 184.479 31
    35 10 John Andretti Camping World Toyota 48.790 184.464 17
    36 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 49.003 183.662 22
    37 *42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 49.031 183.557 8
    38 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 49.079 183.378 5
    39 *87 Joe Nemechek brunton vineyards/swig Chevy 49.169 183.042 8
    40 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 49.179 183.005 10
    41 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 49.312 182.511 5
    42 *70 Justin Diercks # Foretravel/BIOMET Chevy 49.513 181.770 11
    43 *1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 49.519 181.748 10
    44 *55 Robby Gordon Motorola/Verizon Ford 49.521 181.741 12
    45 *22 David Stremme SuperCuts Dodge 49.601 181.448 8
    46 28 Robert Richardson Jr. Checkers/Rally’s Chevy 49.924 180.274 8
    47 *34 Steve Grissom Scottish Rite/FCP Chevy 50.514 178.168 8
    48 *23 Brad Keselowski # Oklahoma Centennial Chevy 50.700 177.515 8
    49 *52 Brad Teague Ford 51.520 174.689 2

    *Required to qualify on time


  • Daytona Entry List: The prelimiary entry list is out for the Daytona race and it includes 50 drivers. (2-13-2007)
    NASCAR Busch Series
    Orbitz 300
    Entry List
    Daytona International Speedway

    *Required to qualify on time

    No. # Driver Team Owner Crew Chief
    1 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy Keith Duesenberg Steve Jenkins
    2 1 J.J. Yeley* Miccosukee Resort Chevy James Finch Marc Reno
    3 2 Clint Bowyer* BB&T Chevy Richard Childress Dan Derringhoff
    4 04 Regan Smith* Ginn Resorts Chevy Bobby Ginn Doug Randolph
    5 5 Kyle Busch Lowe’s-Spectracide Chevy Rick Hendrick Mike Bumgarner
    6 6 David Ragan Discount Tire Ford Jack Roush Mike Kelley
    7 06 Mark Martin* Dish Network Ford Jack Roush Chad Norris
    8 7 Mike Wallace Geico Chevy James Finch Fred Wanke
    9 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr* Menard’s Chevy Teresa Earnhardt Tony Eury, Jr
    10 9 Kasey Kahne Hellmann’s Dodge Ray Evernham Mike Shiplett
    11 10 John Andretti Camping World Toyota Greg Pollex TBA
    12 11 Martin Truex Jr* Bass Pro Shops Chevy Teresa Earnhardt Kevin Manion
    13 12 Sam Hornish Jr #* Mobil Dodge Roger Penske Matthew Gimbel
    14 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Baking Powder Ford Greg Pollex Todd Gordon
    15 15 Paul Menard Menard’s Chevy Teresa Earnhardt Mike Greci
    16 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford Jack Roush Eddie Pardue
    17 17 Matt Kenseth* Arby’s Ford Jack Roush Drew Blickensderfer
    18 18 Aric Almirola Banquet Chevy Joe Gibbs Jason Ratcliff
    19 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy Joe Gibbs Dave Rogers
    20 21 Kevin Harvick Autozone Chevy Richard Childress Shane Wilson
    21 22 David Stremme* Super Cuts Dodge Armando Fitz Paul Wolfe
    22 23 Brad Keselowski* Oklahoma Centennial Chevy Keith Coleman Ronnie Griffin
    23 24 Casey Mears* National Guard Chevy Rick Hendrick Chad Walter
    24 25 David Gilliland FreeCreditReport.com Ford Ed Rensi Todd Brewer
    25 126 Greg Biffle* Oreo Ford Jack Roush Pat Tryson
    26 27 Ward Burton Kleenex Ford Tammy Brewer Stewart Cooper
    27 28 Robert Richardson Jr # Checkers & Rallys Chevy Gene Haas Steve Plattenberger
    28 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy Richard Childress Pat Smith
    29 32 Dave Blaney* Fan 1stCom Toyota Todd Braun Trent Owens
    30 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy Delana Harvick Dan Stillman
    31 34 Steve Grissom* Scottish Rite/FCP Chevy Frank Cicci James Daly
    32 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr McDonald’s Ford Gary Weisbaum Chris Wright
    33 36 Brent Sherman* Big Lots Chevy John Mcgill Ricky Pearson
    34 37 Jamie McMurray Yardman Ford Clarence Brewer Newt Moore
    35 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota Todd Braun Todd Lohse
    36 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge Chip Ganassi Brian Pattie
    37 42 Juan Pablo Montoya #* Texaco-Havoline Dodge Floyd Ganassi Brad Parrott
    38 43 PJ Jones* Curb Records Dodge Mike Curb TBA
    39 47 Jon Wood Clorox Ford Jodi Geschickter Scott Zipadelli
    40 52 Brad Teague* TBA Ford Jimmy Means Jimmy Means
    41 55 Robby Gordon* Motorola Ford Robby Gordon Ed Buffington
    42 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford Tad Geschickter Greg Conner
    43 60 Carl Edwards Scott’s Ford Jack Roush Pierre Kuettel
    44 66 Steve Wallace Homelife Communities Dodge Rusty Wallace Bryant Frazier
    45 70 Justin Diercks #* Foretravel Chevy Mary Louise Miller Tom Sokoloski
    46 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Stores Chevy Delana Harvick Wally Rogers
    47 87 Joe Nemechek* TBA Chevy Andrea Nemechek TBA
    48 88 Shane Huffman US Navy Chevy Dale Earnhardt, Jr Wes Ward
    49 90 Stephen Leicht Citifinancial Ford Robert Yates Charles Barraclough
    50 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Michael Waltrip Jerry Baxter


    NASCAR News & Notes – Daytona

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2007) – Call it the ultimate undercard, the premier preliminary in perhaps all of sports.

    The annual NASCAR Busch Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway is the final

    “Speedweeks” event before the Daytona 500 and it inevitably stands on its own merit – both in terms of its field, and its excitement.

    Expect more of the same Saturday afternoon, as the ORBITZ 300 will have a mix of NASCAR’s biggest names and some of its most promising newer talent, starting with two-time defending champion Tony Stewart (#33 Old Spice Chevy).

    Stewart, also a two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion, will drive a Chevy owned by last year’s NASCAR Busch Series champion Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana; Harvick will be in the race as well, driving the #21 AutoZone Chevy owned by Richard Childress.

    Harvick is the series’ reigning champion but he won’t be defending his title this season.

    He plans a limited schedule, sharing the #21 with newcomer Timothy Peters, a “graduate” of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he raced the previous two seasons.

    Harvick-Peters won’t be the only intriguing driver combination, which will make for an especially compelling competition for the car owner championship.

    Another combo to watch: Todd Kluever and Greg Biffle in the #16 3M Ford; Kluever has the honors this week in the #16 with Biffle sliding over to Roush Racing’s #26 Oreo Ford.

    Three past winners of the Orbitz 300 are entered in addition to Stewart: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#8 Menards Chevy); Matt Kenseth (#17 Arby’s Ford); and Joe Nemechek (#87 NEMCO Chevy).

    Earnhardt is a three-time winner of the race (2002-04).

    Double-Duty Starts Here:
    5 Drivers Set For NASCAR Busch Series & NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Full-Time Seasons

    The challenge of running 71 races in a nine-month span is daunting to say the least.

    Nonetheless, coming into the 2007 season there are five drivers ready to face that challenge by running full time in both the NASCAR Busch Series AND in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

    Here’s the can’t-get-enough lineup, with their NASCAR Busch Series rides in parentheses:

    Dave Blaney (#32 Fan1st.com Toyota);
    Carl Edwards (#60 Scott’s Ford);
    David Ragan (#6 Discount Tire Ford);
    David Reutimann (#99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota);
    J.J. Yeley (#1 Miccosukee Resort Chevy).

    For Edwards, it will be his third consecutive double-duty season. His first two such efforts have been admirable. He finished third in the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series points and second last year.

    No driver has ever won both of NASCAR’s top two series championships in the same season.

    Harvick came close last year by winning the NASCAR Busch Series title and finishing fourth in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points.

    Rookie Rundown: Best Class Ever?

    The question must be asked. Is the 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year class the best in NASCAR Busch Series history?

    Could be. Start with Juan Pablo Montoya (#42 Texaco-Havoline Dodge), and go from there. Montoya, a former Indianapolis 500 winner and a seven-time winner in Formula One racing, supplies immediate marquee value.

    Whereupon Sam Hornish Jr. (#12 Mobil Dodge) adds to it.

    Hornish is another former Indy 500 champion who has decided to try the NASCAR environment.

    Hornish will do so this year while also competing in the IndyCar Series.

    Those are the lead players. Here is the supporting cast:

    Marcos Ambrose (#59 Kingsford Ford), the Australian who is taking over one of the series’ more-established rides;

    Justin Diercks (#70 Foretravel Chevy) a former Toyota All-Star Showdown champion;

    Brad Keselowski (#23 Oklahoma Centennial Chevy), a NASCAR Craftsman TruckSeries alum;

    Robert Richardson (#28 Jay Robinson Racing Chevy); along with Timothy Peters and

    David Ragan. Montoya and Ragan also are running for rookie honors in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

    Neither Montoya nor Hornish plan to run a full schedule, but that doesn’t mean they can’t win the rookie title. David Stremme 9#22 Super Cuts Dodge) did so in 2003, making only 18 starts, becoming the series’ first Raybestos Rookie of the Year who didn’t run a full-time schedule.         

    Loop Data Unveils Reasons For Stewart’s Dominance

    The “Loop” rarely lies, which means this ORBITZ 300 at Daytona could become a heavyweight bout between Tony Stewart and the drivers from Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

    Loop Data is compiled from electronic sensors embedded at various points around race tracks hosting NASCAR national series events. The result is a myriad of telling statistics showing drivers’ strengths and weaknesses at a given race – or a given race track.

    That said, coming into the ORBITZ 300 Stewart looks strong.

    In Loop Data compiled over the last two years at Daytona (four races total) Stewart – who is going for three straight season-opening wins – has a third-best Driver Rating (106.0) at Daytona International Speedway.

    But guess who ranks first and second in the all-telling stat, Driver Rating? You guessed it, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr.

    Earnhardt has a series-best Daytona Driver Rating of 112.5 and Truex has a runner-up rating of 111.5.  DEI teammate Paul Menard  (#15 PEAK/Menards Chevy) sits in 11th place with 90.1.

    Earnhardt – with five career NASCAR Busch Series victories at Daytona – has the third best Average Running Position (8.883) in the four Daytona races since Loop Data has been taken.

    Menard ranks among the top drivers in Daytona’s pivotal Turns 3 and 4. Over the last two years he’s the fastest driver in Turn 2 with an average speed of 182.492 mph and third-fastest in Turn 3 at  185.090 mph.
    Truex also owns impressive numbers. He has the fifth-best Average Running Position (10.009)
    and the second-best Driver Rating (111.5).

    Stewart, on the other hand, has the third-highest total of Laps Led with 59 and a seventh-best Average Running Position of 12.395. And with Daytona known for its side-by-side, nose-to-tail racing, Stewart could be crowned king again thanks to an impressive, fifth-best Speed in Traffic of 183.517 mph.

    Zephyrhills Native Reutimann One Of Four Drivers Debuting Toyota In NASCAR Busch Series 

    The heralded 2007 debut of Toyota in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and in the NASCAR Busch Series has expectedly focused on the former, with a driver lineup that includes former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Dale Jarrett, two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip, and former NASCAR Busch Series champion Brian Vickers.

    In the ORBITZ 300, fourToyota entries will be featured – three from Braun Racing’s stable with Jason Leffler (#38 Great Clips Toyota,  Dave Blaney (#32 ABF/U-Pack Toyota) and John Andretti (#10 Camping World Toyota) – and one driven for Michael Waltrip Racing by David Reutimann (#99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota) of Zephyrhills, Fla.

    Reutimann is one of the most interesting new faces to appear in NASCAR in recent years. He is a third-generation racer, following his grandfather Emil Reutimann and his father Buzzie Reutimann, who was a major modified star in the 1960s and ‘70s. Also, Reutimann’s uncle Wayne is a long-time Sprint Car competitor.

    Reutimann comes to Daytona confident.

    “We can come out of the gate strong and win races,” Reutimann said. “We have Toyota’s support and the team is intact from last season. [Crew chief] Jerry [Baxter] and I were able to work together several times last year and have a good relationship. He’s the right guy for the job there’s no doubt about it. Our team is capable of making a serious run for the championship.”

    NBS ETC.

    Unleaded fuel is scheduled to be used full-time in the NASCAR Busch Series this season starting this week. It was used intermittently during the latter half of last season. … The change in the points system announced for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series last month – a race winner now gets 185 points instead of the previous 180 – also applies to the NASCAR Busch Series. With the change, a race winner now can potentially get 195 points via the five bonus points for leading a lap and five more for leading the most laps. That means a race winner had the possibility of earning 25 points more than a race runner-up. … Mark Martin, the NASCAR Busch Series’ all-time victory (47) and Busch Pole (30) leader is entered in the ORBITZ 300, driving Roush Racing’s #06 Dish Network Ford. Surprisngly, Martin has never won a NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona, with his best efforts being third-place finishes in the 1996 and ’98 series events. Martin was voted #1 among the Greatest NASCAR Busch Series Drivers in fan and media internet polls during last year’s 25th anniversary celebration of the series’ sponsorship with Anheuser-Busch. … The NASCAR Busch Series heads to California Speedway next week, for the Stater Bros. 300. Greg Biffle won last year – the sixth consecutive win for Roush Racing in the event. Biffle and teammate Matt Kenseth are tied for the series lead in victories at the 2-mile track with three apiece.

    The Race: ORBITZ 300

    The Place:
    Daytona International Speedway

    The Date: 
    Feb. 17, 2007

    The Time:
    1:15 p.m. (ET)

    TV:
    ESPN2, Noon (ET)

    Track Layout:
    2.5-mile tri-oval

    Race Purse:
    $2,596,288

    2006 Winner:
    Tony Stewart

    2006 Pole:
    J.J. Yeley

    Final 2006 Points
    No.  Driver              Pts
    1      Harvick           5,648
    2      Edwards         4,824
    3      Bowyer           4,683
    4      Hamlin           4,667
    5      Yeley             4,487
    6      Menard           4,075
    7      Kyle Busch     3,921
    8      Jo. Sauter       3,794
    9      Biffle               3,789
    10    Sorenson         3,670

    Schedule: Wednesday–Practice, 3-4:20 p.m. Thursday—Rookie Practice, 9-9:30 a.m. Final Practice—9:30-10:55 a.m. Friday—Qualifying, 3:05 p.m.



  • Additional Daytona Busch Race Info at:
    daytonaintlspeedway.com
    ESPN.com Busch page
    TheHotLap.com
    Catchfence.com Busch site
    NASCAR.com