NASCAR Talk

Hello, NASCAR fans! It seemed like a long month off, but your favorite drivers are back in the drivers’ seats and racing around Daytona testing for the 2008 season.

So far, it looks like 2007 Nextel Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson is picking up right where he left off. He posted the fastest times in this morning’s test session and also in the afternoon session. The domination of Hendrick Motorsports continues right on into the 2008 testing season with Johnson’s teammate Casey Mears (now driving the #5 Chevy for Hendrick) having the second fastest time, and four time Cup champion Jeff Gordon also making the top ten times for this morning’s test session.

AJ Allmendinger was the first Toyota on the charts in the morning session and Kyle Busch in his new Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota took the top spot for that automaker in the afternoon. Ford and Dodge didn’t do quite as well, with Juan Pablo Montoya being the fastest Dodge in both sessions ending up in the mid-teens. Travis Kvapil, driving the #28 Robert Yates Racing Ford was the fastest in the morning session at number 14, and managed to improve again scoring the fastest Ford time and placing 8th in the afternoon.

Some notable changes in drivers were that Robby Gordon actually tested his own car, as the Dakar Rally race he was slated to appear in was canceled. Martin Truex Jr. was absent from his #1 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevy and was replaced for the day by Aric Almirola.

Tomorrow looks to be another great day of racing. There are also press teleconferences with Matt Kenseth and Juan Pablo Montoya that I will report back to you with. One more big announcement regarding NASCAR Day 2008 will also be made from Daytona tomorrow afternoon, and all I know about it is that Garth Brooks will be attending that announcement. This could be something big! Stay tuned to NASCAR Talk Online to find out what is going on.

NASCAR, NASCAR Daytona testing