Daytona Notebook - Challenged at the Duels
We all wondered how changing engines was going to hurt Team Hendrick and the Toyotas.What we found out Thursday was that it actually made them stronger.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Dale Jarrett all had to start at the end of the pack because of switching engines after yesterday's practice. The first six will all start in the top 10, while Jarrett was one of the few go-or-go homers that will race on Sunday.
The strong have obviously gotten even stronger - Hendrick and Gibbs cars were by far the strongest. Old legends like Bill Elliott, Kyle Petty and Sterling Marlin were outraced by the uber-teams. Young guns like Patrick Carpentier, Jacques Villeneuve also failed miserably.
Meanwhile, a few Dodges had some great runs. Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and Reed Sorenson all raced near the front, but when it came to crunch-time, could not take the lead away from the all-stars of Hendrick and Gibbs.
It seems as if the duels could very well be a microcosm of the 2008 year to come. There's Hendrick. There's Gibbs. And there's everyone else.
Posted by on 02/14 at 08:33 PM
Wonder what Teresa Earnhardt is thinking about now? I’d love to see Jr. when this just to spite her.