| N'Wide: Hamlin wins Winn-Dixie 250 | Friday 7/4, 9:05 PM CT |
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The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota took its ninth victory of the season when Denny Hamlin held off Kyle Busch in a green-white-checkered finish.
Our View: This team has won three of the last four races and finished second in the other event. Hamlin now has two wins Stewart's five and one each for Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. More are coming. |
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| Riggs, Yeley go home | Friday 7/4, 5:28 PM CT |
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Scott Riggs posted the 23rd fastest time in qualification, but he was one of the two slowest "go-or-go-home" drivers and will not race. He's joined by J.J. Yeley after Terry Labonte took the past champion's provisional.
Our View: The drivers outside the top 35 in points were on full kill for qualification and they are going to have to make a lot of changes early in the race. |
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| Menard takes Daytona pole | Friday 7/4, 5:24 PM CT |
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Paul Menard went out early and set the mark to beat with a speed of 183.861 mph. He held onto win the pole for Saturday's Coke Zero 400.
Our View: It was expected that the "go-or-go-home" drivers would steal the show, but the top three drivers, Menard, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were all in race trim as one of the top 35 cars. |
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| N'Wide: Clauson wins Daytona pole | Friday 7/4, 2:21 PM CT |
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Bryan Clauson was the third driver on track for qualification in the Winn-Dixie 250 and it took more than two hours for him to find out that he won the Daytona pole.
Our View: Starting position doesn't mean a lot on the restrictor-plate superspeedways, but it's still nice to win the pole. This is Clauson's first career Nationwide pole. |
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With an announcement prior to Nationwide qualification, Hendrick Motorsports made it official: Mark Martin will drive the No. 5 car fulltime in 2009.
Our View: Rick Hendrick has coaxed Martin out of retirement to make a run at the championship. If anyone can turn this beleaguered fourth team around, this driver is the one. |
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