Budweiser Shootout - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL

After 82 days of silence (ignoring the fact that testing was going on back at the shop and at various tracks around the country), NASCAR roars back to life this Saturday night with a "non-binding referendum" on who will be the best in 2008. It's called the Budweiser Shootout and all pole winners from 2007 gather in Daytona for an "exhibition"

The season will "officially" begin on February, 17th in Daytona Beach, FL for the 50th running of the "Great American Race" - The Daytona 500, but the teams will get back on track for the first time this Saturday night in the Budweiser Shootout.

Teams have already tested at the Daytona International Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the California Speedway, but Saturday will be the first time anyone sees the cars in full throttle and in their new "colors."

This is a driver's race, so even if a driver left his old team he has the right to race in the event. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be racing with his new team, the No.88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He will not be alone in opening the season with a new team on Saturday night. Mark Martin will be in "Junior" old No.8, although with new sponsorship. Others with new "colors" include: Casey Mears in the No.5 Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne in the No.9 with the coveted Budweiser sponsorship and Ken Schrader in the Diamond Driven No.49 Dodge.

The "Shootout" is a non-points event, but does include more than one million dollars in prize money. Tony Stewart, driving a Chevrolet, won last year's event and the top prize of $215,000. He will attempt to defend his crown under a different moniker. Toyota power will be under the hood of Stewart's No.20 Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot machine along with those of Denny Hamlin and new teammate Kyle Busch. It will be the first big test for Toyota's new "super team."

Though Stewart did not go on to win the Daytona 500, five times a driver has won both the "Shootout" and the "500" (Dale Jarrett - 2000 and 1996, Jeff Gordon - 1997, Bill Elliott - 1987 and Bobby Allison - 1982). Ten times a driver has won the "Shootout" and the Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season.

The Budweiser Shootout, run since 1979, is a 70-lap event for winners of a 2007 Bud Pole Award (renamed the Coors Light Pole Award in 2008) and for previous Budweiser Shootout winners.

There will be nine previous winners in the field including multiple winners: Jeff Gordon (twice), Stewart (three times) and Dale Jarrett (three times). Other winners are Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott, two-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Martin, Hamlin and Schrader.

"Since it's a non-points event, we can race hard without the pressure and laugh about it when it's over," said Earnhardt Jr.

And that's what this race is about...racing your friends as hard as possible and not worrying about sponsors, points or the "Chase."

((((( Sheryl ))))))))

WOOO HOOOO JR WON

The Hendrick team won't lose a race this year. Championship numero uno for JR

Take a left at this corner

Jr. always done well on restrictor plate tracks, let see how he does on the .5 - 2 mile tracks.

I was watching his pit crew a lot and jr's crew is a lot better this year!! Congrats to Jr's AWSOME WIN and the fact that we won't be hearing from AbKnoxious any more because he will be fed way to much of his own crap. Jr. just took his new team straight out of the box and kicked the whole fields butt!!!
Championship #1 is ON THE WAY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

10 months and 38 races, I don't think anyone will be reserving the presidential suite at the Waldorf just yet.

We shall see!! Teresa is now holding her head in her hands and swimming in her own tears. Her new name is TEAR ESA...lol. Once again she goes into mourning for her BIG loss..!!
The TEI museum opens for business next week!!!!

Good Day all my Just say hi friends.I am a feeble old man and I have been ill.Then to make things worse,I got caught up in the tornado we had in Brandenburg last weekend.Some damage but i am OK!I am here to send my reguards to nascarcutey(Sheryl).I am NOT a nascar fan but for some grooling few minutes I sat and watched for the first time on behalf of my friend.OUR friend!!!
If I'm not asking too much of you,on the start of the first race sunday,could we all take a moments silence and remember our beloved and dearest nascarcutie and just plain old friend Sheryl?
She is a constant reminder of good and fun silly stuff to me and for those that never knew her,I am sorry for that,For those that did,keep her in your thoughts forever.I'm sure she is looking down on each and every one of us every single day.I
bet she ****** her pants when JR won the shootout(but I am also sure she's ok with him being a Hendrick teammate)! (we all know how much she hated(disliked) him) LOL

Have a good one and enjoy the race season!
Hello to LAMOM and Lakeman..thanks to mikey for the kind words!

Ralph

God Bless Sheryl, I still root for Jeff even though I never really liked him, sheryl is forever in many hearts here on JSH!!!!!!!!!Hers to u Cutie!!!

((((( Ralph )))))) My friend so nice to see you,, I am happy to hear your well,, Really have missed you,,

((( Sheryl )))) Lives in my Soul and guides my path, she is my inspiration and my dear friend,, I miss her so much, yet knowing we have our quite times together makes all right again,,, Her legacy shall live on with every breath I breathe,, she is my Angel in the night,, and my guardian through life,,

Hugs to you my friend,,, Blessed are we to have such a wonderful women in our lives reminding us how important it is to just Laugh as hard as Hell,, and everything else just falls into place...

Denise, perfect words and u are also an inspiration to me of what is good in this wolrd!!!

(((( Michael ))))

Hugs to you my dear,,, Our worlds will forever be blended in time,,,

I agree Denise we share things that make our hearts joined in friendship!!!!

is that before or after the straight away?

Kyman I am sorry to hear about you being ill and the tornado.I live in Mt Washington.We had wind damage but nothing major.They say your town was shut down!I am going to the race in Daytona.My first race live and Im so excited I could $hit my pants~LOL~
I dont know much about all the drivers except seems Im a liker of the underdogs~you hate um Ill like um~I always thought Jeff Gordon was a little gay but very cute~I pull for him so~dunno.
Sorry to hear about your friend and I just joined today~I didnt know her but, Ill stop Sunday and say a little prayer for her kind sir.
Hope you get to feeling better soon and Get that tornado mess cleaned up.

(((((((((((Sheryl)))))))))))))))

Looky for your Main Man!

Dale Jr. races for his father at Daytona
By Mark Kriegel
Mark Kriegel is the national columnist for FOXSports.com. He is the author of two New York Times best sellers, Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, which Sports Illustrated called "the best sports biography of the year."

Updated: February 15, 2008, 11:43 AM EST

At night, when he drives through the infield on his way to dinner, Tony Eury Jr. can't help but marvel at all those green 88 banners. "Just a couple of months ago, they were red 8s," he says. "These people went out and spent their money to show who they were rooting for. You see all the green stuff and you know: these people love us."

Eury is cousin, crew chief and consigliere to the world's most famous and popular living driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Since the conclusion of the last disappointing season, they have changed teams, sponsors and numbers, hence the suddenly ubiquitous green 88s, denoting Mountain Dew's Amp energy drink, where there had been red Budweiser logos. Of course, the fans don't care if Earnhardt likes his beverages caffeinated or alcoholic. Their allegiance — likely the most devout in all of American sports — isn't based on the product, but the man.

It's been said, with ample economic justification, that what's good for Junior is good for NASCAR. With that in mind, this was an especially sweet Valentine's Day, as pleasing to the sponsors as it was to the fans. Just five days after winning the Budweiser Shootout, Junior won his qualifying race, the 60-lap Gatorade Duel. These races might not count in the season standings, but they are a harbinger for the race that really counts, or, perhaps, counts most of all.

The 50th running of the Daytona 500 is still two days away. It's a momentous occasion for any driver — but most of all, for Earnhardt. Daytona was where his daddy died.

"That's where it happened," says Eury, nodding in the direction of Turn 4. "You hope it never happens again, but you also know it can be around the corner at any time."

Eury speaks for the team, the family and the driver. They are his indivisible concerns. But listening to the crew chief, you can't help but think of Junior. Going around that track as he does, can he ever be cured of his grief?

"No, I don't think he ever will," says Eury. "We lost something valuable here. We miss him every day."

Time for the daytona 500!! Boogity,Boogity,Boogity...let's go racing boys!!!