*Credit photo to Newscom.

Martin Truex Jr. finally put an end to the many rumors that surrounded a potential move for him to Stewart-Haas Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and Penske Racing in 2009 when he and the suits at Dale Earnhardt Inc. finally inked a deal on Wednesday that will have him returning to the no. 1 car next season.

It was reported over a week ago that Truex and DEI had reached a verbal agreement that would extend Truex with the organization through the 2010 racing season. Those rumors have not come to fruition, as Truex’ future beyond next year remains unclear, but several sources are reporting that both sides are still working on a longer term deal.

The deal will also put Bass Pro Shops back on the hood as the primary sponsor for Truex. They are currently committed to DEI through 2010. DEI has already signed Aric Almirola to replace Mark Martin in the no. 8 car full-time next year, and they are still working on a long-term deal with Paul Menard.

Image details: Daytona 500 served by picapp.com

This week, NASCAR returns to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400, one of the biggest races of the year on the Sprint Cup schedule. With Daytona being one of NASCAR’s two restrictor plate courses, the track has fallen under quite a bit of scrutiny over the years. While it’s still loved by many, there are still those that feel as though things tend to get a bit overhyped whenever the series heads down to Florida. But, whether you love it or you hate it, one thing cannot be denied, and that is that the 50th running of the Daytona 500 held here this past February was one that brought plenty of excitement. In fact, some believe that race was actually one of the Car of Tomorrow’s shining moments to date.

Recent Winners:
2008 - Ryan Newman
2007 - Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick
2006 - Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson
2005 - Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon

Recent Pole Winners:
2008 - Jimmie Johnson
2007 - “Cancelled Qualifying”, David Gilliland
2006 - Boris Said, Jeff Burton
2005 - Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett

the Usual Suspects:
Despite the fact that he hasn’t won a Cup race all season long and that he’s been under the microscope this season in regards to his contract situation, Tony Stewart remains one of the favorites to win this Saturday. Along with boasting the highest driver rating over the last 7 races at the track, Tony has also won this race twice before (’05 & ‘06), and also holds the track record for most laps led in a 400-mile race when he led 151 circuits back in 2005. Additionally, Smoke leads all active drivers in the series with wins between June through August since 2003 with 12 of them to his credit. He also led the most laps at this year’s 500, only to lose the lead on the final lap of the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is certainly considered the fan favorite to win the race this weekend, and rightfully so. Dale owns two Cup victories at Daytona himself, and has recorded 10 top-ten finishes over 17 starts. He ran very well during the Daytona 500 in February and at times appeared as though he might grab a victory in his very first start with Hendrick Motorsports, but eventually faded away near the end. Now that he’s finally broken his winless streak by taking the checkered flag at Michigan, perhaps the no. 88 team’s been able to relieve themselves of enough pressure to regain Jr’s status as the master of restrictor plate racing.

Both Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have seen their share of dominant days at Daytona. Gordon leads all active drivers with 6 wins here, and Johnson had a stretch of five consecutive Daytona races with a finish of 6th or better, which also included a win at the 2006 Daytona 500. Since that win, however, Johnson has recorded only one top-ten finish in the four races since, and he finished 27th here in February. Gordon’s last Daytona victory came at the 500 the year before.

Amongst the other favorites to win this weekend is Kevin Harvick, winner of the 2007 Daytona 500. Harvick has struggled at the track since then, finishing 34th last July and 14th earlier this year. He’s also had his struggles over the last few weeks of the season, but also known as one of the best night racers in the series, a return to Daytona could be just what the doctor ordered … Kyle Busch’s over all numbers at Daytona seem to be about middle of the road, but you can pretty much chalk that up to a few bad runs earlier on in his career. He’s finished inside the top-five in 3 of the last 4 trips to Daytona, to include a pair of runner-up finishes, and he finally picked up his first restrictor plate win earlier this year at Talladega … Kurt Busch may have gotten the monkey off his back with his win last weekend at New Hampshire, and it could’ve come at just the right time. With the number 2 time finding themselves in a much deeper hole than they could’ve ever expected to have to climb out of this late in the season, there might not be a track they’d rather visit more than Daytona. He has still yet to add a Daytona victory to his championship resume’, but he’s always considered a favorite here with 7 top-five finishes over 15 races. He has finished as the runner-up here on three occassions.

the Unusual Suspects:
When you start to think about sleeper picks at Daytona, probably the first name that jumps out to you is the guy that beat Kyle Busch to the line in this race last year, Jamie McMurray. The 2007 victory was only Jamie’s second top-five finish at the track in his career, but don’t let the numbers fool you. McMurray’s been a solid performer here ever since he started running full-time in the Cup Series, but as has been the case so many times throughout his career, he has been the unfortunate victim of bad luck more often than not.

Elliott Sadler has run well here at times, especially as of late. He has finished 6th in three of the last four Daytona races, and also scored a pair of top-five’s here back in 2001 … Brian Vickers has had a great run for his Red Bull Racing team over the past couple of months, and Vickers is especially known for his restrictor plate prowess. Though he typically runs stronger at Talladega, he does have a pair of top-ten’s at Daytona, and finished 12th here in February … Robby Gordon typically isn’t associated with many tracks other than road course races, but you may be surprised to learn that he is currently working on a string of five consecutive top-15 finishes at Daytona.

the Unusual Slackers:
It’s not very often that folks will make it a point to drop Denny Hamlin from there fantasy rosters for an upcoming race, but a trip to Daytona could call for such action. Not only has Denny failed to record a single top-15 finish in his five trips to Daytona, but his average finish of 27.0 actually matches that of JJ Yeley … Carl Edwards has been one of the top performers of the season, and is heavily considered to be amongst the true championship contenders this year. That does not mean, however, that he’s necessarily solid at every track on the schedule. Carl has only one top-ten finish in 7 Daytona races, which was a 4th place run here last July. He was unable to use that for any kind of momentum, however, as he then finished 19th here in February … Carl’s teammate, Matt Kenseth, hasn’t had much better luck taming Daytona, either. With only one top-five to his credit and an average finish here of 22.9 over 17 races, Daytona ranks amongst Matt’s worst tracks … Martin Truex Jr. is in dire need of a good run if he wants to return to the Chase for the Cup field this year, but if you ask him, Daytona’s not the best place to be given the current situation. Martin’s 13th place run here last July ranks as his best finish over six races at Daytona.

Best Driver Ratings (from racingone.com):
1. Tony Stewart - 108.1
2. Ryan Newman - 98.6
3. Jimmie Johnson - 95.5
4. Kyle Busch - 95.3
5. Kurt Busch - 93.0

Best Average Finishes (from racingone.com):
1. Clint Bowyer - 13.0
2. Jimmie Johnson - 13.2
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 13.8
4. Sam Hornish Jr. - 15.0
5. David Gilliland - 15.7 

Daytona Facts:
- A Cup race at Daytona has gone without any lead changes on two different occassions, the last of which came back in 1963.
- The race has gone caution-free 12 times, most recently the Daytona 500 in 1971.
- The most drivers to ever finish on the lead lap at Daytona is 33. Eight races have seen only one driver finish on the lead lap, most recently in 1976.
- In 122 Cup Series races at Daytona, only 10 times has the winner come from outside of a top-15 starting position. 55% of the races have been won from the top-five, and 23 winners have started from the pole.
- Only four drivers have ever won both the Daytona 500 and the July race at Daytona in the same year: Fireball Roberts, Cale Yarbrough, LeRoy Yarbrough, and most recently, Bobby Allison in 1982. Ryan Newman won the Daytona 500 this year, giving Penske Racing their first-ever restrictor plate victory. 

Storylines for the Weekend:
Hendrick Motorsports has recently announced the release of Casey Mears from the no. 5 car next season. They’re expected to make an announcement on Friday in regards to whom will fill the seat in 2009, and heavy speculation at this point is that the announcement will involve the legendary Mark Martin … Though he is not on this weekend’s driver entry list, DEI has named the young Aric Almirola as the full-time driver of their no. 8 car in ‘09 … In a surprise move, Chip Ganassi Racing announced earlier in the week that they would be forced to shut down operations on their no. 40 car, which until then had been driven by 2007 Indy 500 winner, Dario Franchitti, due to a lack of sponsorship opportunities … This weekend’s Cup entry list includes Boris Said (making his 2nd start of the season) and Sterling Marlin (making his 6th start). Marlin leads all drivers on the entry list with 589 laps led at Daytona - 57 more laps than Tony Stewart, and 78 more than Jeff Gordon … Kerry Earnhardt will run the no. 8 entry in the Nationwide Series this weekend, marking his first official start in a DEI car in a NASCAR event.

Six-Pack Challenge:
Winner - Tony Stewart
2nd Place - Jimmie Johnson
3rd Place - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4th Place - Kurt Busch
5th Place - Kyle Busch
6th Place - Greg Biffle

Lock of the Week - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Sleeper Pick - Brian Vickers
Steer Clear of - Martin Truex Jr.

Video - Jamie McMurray wins the 2007 Pepsi 400

Image details: Stater Brothers 300 served by picapp.com

Dave Rogers has done absolutely nothing short of a spectacular job since taking over the helm as the Crew Chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s no. 20 entry in the Nationwide Series in 2006. In his 2 1/2 seasons with the team, Rogers has helped coach five different drivers to a total of 14 Nationwide wins, to include: Denny Hamlin (6), Tony Stewart (5), Kyle Busch (1), Joey Logano (1), and Aric Almirola (1). More impressively, 8 of those wins have come this season with four different drivers behind the helm (five by Stewart). After putting Tony Stewart into Victory Lane last weekend at New Hampshire, Rogers will now have the task of getting Denny Hamlin back to Winner’s Circle Friday night at Daytona.

Rogers has previous experience at the Sprint Cup level, having served as the Crew Chief for Jason Leffler in the series back in 2005. The tandem was unable to produce satisfactory results, and Gibbs aptly found a place for Dave down at the Nationwide Series. Since then, however, Rogers has been compiling a very impressive resume’ that could land him back into Cup competition by 2010.

Why 2010, you ask? Because Joe Gibbs Racing has two very lucrative scenarios that could play out in Rogers favor between now and then, the first being that of Tony Stewart’s contract situation. Forget about all the hooplah that’s governed our Stewart talks in concerns of where he’ll be driving in 2009, the fact is that even if he stays, his contract expires next year, and he’ll most likely be driving for GM in 2010. And, with Smoke most likely goes his longime companion, Greg Zipadelli, as the two form the longest driver / chief combination currently active in all of NASCAR.

The second scenario, and truly the most likely one regardless of the Stewart situation, revolves around the young phenom, Joey Logano - or, “Sliced Bread” as you may know him better by now. Logano has all of the tools to be a great competitor in the sport, and Dave Rogers has been given the task of molding and fine-tuning his talents behind the wheel of the no. 20 car in the Nationwide Series. The team has already made it known that they plan to run Logano in a fourth team car in the Cup Series on a partial schedule next season, and possibly even get him a few races this year. Don’t be surprised - as it completely makes sense - if JD and ‘the Coach’ find it appropriate to keep the tandem of Logano and Rogers together as Joey goes about his Cup Series endeavours.

Some might chalk it up to simply being Gibbs’ superior equipment, but I don’t care who’s funding the goods … to switch over to a completely new manufacturer and have to work with a different driver every week and still find the level of success that this team has is truly special. Dave Rogers deserves all the credit in the world for what the no. 20 team has accomplished this year, and he adequately deserves a promotion back to the big leagues in the not-so-distant future.

Image details: Pocono 500 Qualifying served by picapp.com

With Aric Almirola now slated to drive the no. 8 car full-time for DEI next season, it appears as though the driver / mentor program that the organization set out to accomplish with veteran driver, Mark Martin, is now coming to a close. With Silly Season already in full effect, rumors are now circulating that Mark could announce his plans for the 2009 Sprint Cup season this weekend at Daytona, as reported by SPEED’s Wendy Venturini.

With the Silly Season talks turning into a chess match - or, even a poker game if you will - do not underestimate the importance of what the perennial Hall of Famer could have to say this weekend. Despite the fact that most people feel that Tony Stewart and Hendrick Motorsports are holding all the face cards in the deck, Mark Martin could very well have a lot to say in who winds up where by the start of the 2009 season.

After all of the early speculation that Stewart could be looking for an early release from his current contract with Joe Gibbs Racing to move to Haas CNC Racing in a deal that would involve Tony gaining partial ownership of the team, many sources have since refuted those rumors, stating that Stewart is now pushing back plans for ownership of a Cup team until after he officially retires. If these latest reports hold true, then that makes Hendrick Motorsports’ no. 5 car - recently made available with the release of Casey Mears - more than likely the only seat with enough drawing power to lure Stewart away from Gibbs prior the conclusion of 2009. Likewise, this could very well take Haas CNC right out of the Silly Season game as a major player, as without Stewart on their immediate lineup, the likelihood of landing a name like Ryan Newman or Martin Truex Jr. in this upcoming offseason is slim to none.

That said, Mark Martin should be looking at one of three possible options for next season: A) Running a part-time schedule on another driver / mentor program; B) Running a full season in an effort to finally win his elusive first Cup championship; or C) Retire altogether. Whichever of those options Martin chooses to pursue, his decision could be directly linked to what the other big names for this off-season decide to do as well. Here’s how each of the three scenarios could play out:

A) Part-Time Schedule:
Should Mark decide that he’s found his beckoning as a mentor to rookie drivers at this stage in his career, then there’s two viable options that immediately stick out - splitting time in the no. 5 car with Brad Keselowski to help bring him through the ranks at Hendrick, or hooking up with Red Bull Racing in an effort to get Scott Speed ready for a career in the Sprint Cup Series. If he does in fact hook up with Hendrick, then what that does is keep Tony Stewart at Gibbs for another year, and also probably keeps Newman with Penske on a short-term deal. Additionally, this would likely give Roush-Fenway Racing a reason to hold onto Jamie McMurray through the ‘09 season because they have a different agenda than the other major players involved. In 2010 they’ll lose one of their five team cars, and they’ve already locked up Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, and Greg Biffle to long-term deals and are working on one with David Ragan. Essentially, even if they were to release McMurray, they still don’t have a long-term ride to offer.

If Martin were to take the path towards Red Bull Racing, however, this would then open the doors for a potential move of Tony Stewart or Ryan Newman to Hendrick, which in turn, would then open a seat at either Penske or Gibbs - possibly both if Stewart went to Hendrick, and Newman took the no. 20 seat at JGR. In this scenario, Casey Mears could then wind up driving the no. 12 car for Roger Penske.

B) Full-Time Schedule:
There’s been talk of Mark possibly coming back next season to run full-time, and again, the early speculation was that he would run for Hendrick. This scenario would pretty much play out in the same manner as if he went there on a driver / mentor program, with the exception being that with the team not investing any time or money into the development of Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart could still wind up with the team in 2010 after Mark retires for good.

But, if Mark’s goal is to run a full-season next year, then I don’t think Hendrick is where he’ll wind up. The possibility that nobody’s talking about, and is actually possibly my favorite, is that Jack Roush releases McMurray at the conclusion of the season, and with the no. 26 car’s final season being 2009 anyway, Mark returns to Roush for one final hoorah. This would give Roush-Fenway an additional bonafide championship contender for ‘09 without forsaking any of their long-term commitments, and would also give Mark the opportunity to retire ‘at home’. This scenario also solves very little in the rest of the Silly Season mele’, as that leaves the slot at Hendrick unresolved, which in turn leaves the decisions for the rest of the teams and drivers unresolved … and, adds McMurray’s name to the list of drivers looking for a ride.

C) Retirement:
Most feel that this is the least likely of the three options for Mark, but it remains an option nonetheless. This scenario wouldn’t play out much differently than if Mark were to run full-time outside of Hendrick, with the exception that McMurray would stay with Roush for one more season, making it one less name in the driver pool to add to the headache.

Regardless which of the three paths Mark Martin should choose to head down, it most directly effects what happens to both Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. That will then sort out which of the top-tier teams in the sport have rides available for next season, which will then lead to determining who Casey Mears and possibly Martin Truex and Jamie McMurray will drive for … thus, where the “domino theory” stems from.

Even with Mark addressing the media this weekend at Daytona, I wouldn’t expect an outright answer as to where he will be next season, but it should shed some light on which of the three paths he aims to follow. As is always the case, it’s pure speculation at this point, but my gut tells me that we should be looking for a reunion with Jack Roush and I fully expect this to happen, which means we’re likely to spend yet another couple of months playing the guessing game with Hendrick, Stewart, and Newman.

Image details: LENOX Industrial Tools 301 served by picapp.com

They added an extra scheduled lap this year to the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, but it was all for naught as the race was halted for rain on lap 284 of the scheduled 301-lap event, and in the end, it was surprise-winner Kurt Busch standing in Victory Lane to get his first victory of the season, and the second of 2008 for car owner, Roger Penske. Busch was far from the dominant car at any point throughout the day, but some pit strategy and a little bit of luck went a long way in getting the “Blue Deuce” up to the front of the pack after 8 cars stayed on the track during a caution on lap 271.

The race started out with a green flag look to it with Kevin Harvick taking the lead away from polesitter, Patrick Carpentier, just four laps into it. Harvick then dominated the first leg of the race until he surrendered the lead to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on lap 44, but regained the lead after a round of green flag stops brough Harvick back out in front, and shuffled Junior back to fourth.

The first caution flag came out when David Reutimann spun the no. 40 Dodge of Dario Franchitti on lap 88, and that’s when teams first started rolling the dice, as the cars of Casey Mears and Brian Vickers stayed out on the track, pushing Mears out to the front of the field. With the running order mixed up at this points, fans were treated to a little bit of excitement as the Hendrick cars of Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson all raced each other hard for position for the 7th through 9th spots, with Jr. getting loose on lap 94 and nearly taking out all three of the team cars.

The next caution waived for debris on lap 140, putting all of the drivers back onto the same pit cycle. This time it was Tony Stewart winning the race off of pit road after starting all the way back in the 28th position. Stewart maintained the position for the next 132 laps, giving him an extra five bonus points for leading the most laps.

Perhaps the key moment of the race came on lap 217 when Kasey Kahne spun Aric Almirola as the two raced each other hard for position. Almirola nearly made a great save to keep his no. 8 DEI car off the wall - just moments after making another great save - but, he eventually turned all the way around and clipped the wall, bringing out the fifth yellow on the day. With most teams feeling that the caution came just outside their established pit window and that they would still have to stop again later in the race, only a handful of cars came down pit road, to include Kurt Busch.

After watching a great side-by-side battle between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson at the beginning of the next run, the race fell a little stagnant for the next 40 laps. Then, on lap 271, Jamie McMurray got into Earnhardt as the no. 88 car tried to get onto pit road. Both cars spun hard, also picking up the no. 6 of David Ragan in the process.

The majority of the field came into pit, with Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, and Jeff Burton all beating Stewart off of pit road with fuel-only stops. Stewart made a 2-tire stop and was the sixth car off of pit road, but unfortunately for the no. 20 Home Depot team, eight other cars that stopped on the lap 217 caution all stayed out on the track, and Smoke was stuck way back in 14th for the restart.

Kurt Busch took the green flag on the restart and held onto the lead until the seventh caution flag waived on lap 279 when Clint Bowyer and Sam Hornish Jr. got tangled up in a spin. The track then got a little bit messier when Kyle Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya started playing bumper cars under the yellow, which eventually led to Montoya making a left turn into the rear end of the points leader, which ultimately sent both cars spinning.

The race never did get restarted, as rain eventually found its way to the track as the field turned laps under the yellow. NASCAR brought out the red flag, and it was only a matter of minutes before officials made the call, handing Kurt Busch his first victory of the season. Behind him were the cars of Michael Waltrip, JJ Yeley, Martin Truex Jr, Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, and Casey Mears, all of whom pitted on lap 217. Denny Hamlin was the first car in the running order that came down pit road on lap 271, as he finished in 8th, and right behind him was Jimmie Johnson in 9th. Bobby LaBonte completed the top-ten, also making his final stop on lap 217.

Other Notables: Jeff Gordon finished 11th … Jeff Burton continued his streak as the only driver to finish in the top-15 of every race this season. He finished 12th after starting in 31st … Tony Stewart was relegated to a disappointing 13th place run after leading a race-high 132 laps. He also became only the 13th driver in NASCAR history to lead more than 10,000 laps in his career … Kevin Harvick led the second-most laps in the race, but wound up 14th … Carl Edwards was the highest running Roush-Fenway car in the race in 17th, and right behind him was teammate, Matt Kenseth, in 18th. The race marked the end of Kenseth’s run of six consecutive finishes of 8th or better … Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 24th after the accident ended a good run for his team … Points leader, Kyle Busch, suffered a 25th place finish … Polesitter, Patrick Carpentier, led three laps on the day and wound up 31st.

The distorted running order at the end of the race shook up the points standings as one might expect. Kyle Busch held onto the top spot, but saw his lead over 2nd place, Jeff Burton, shrink to just 64 points. 1st through 6th remained unchanged, but Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle swapped spots in 7th and 8th. Behind them, Tony Stewart moved up two spots to 9th, while Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer each dropped a position and moved down to 10th and 11th. Kevin Harvick made his way back into the top-12, where he now holds a 15-point lead over 13th place, Matt Kenseth.

Grades:
the Race - 92%
the Drama - 96%
Coverage - 92%
Pre-Race - 88%

Overall Grade: 92.4%

Complete Results (from nascar.com):

Sprint Cup Series Standings (from nascar.com)

Recommended Reads:
- Kurt Busch Sees Rain, Red and NHMS Win - (Full Throttle)
- Busch (the Other One) Wins at New Hampshire - (Bruce’s Bits & Pieces)
- McMurray Takes the Blame for Wrecking Dale Jr. - (Captain Thunder Racing)

Seriously … I would like somebody to answer that question for me. Silly Season started way back in the first month of the season when Richard Childress announced that he would field a fourth race team next season, and it’s been hell ever since. But, once the media caught wind that Tony Stewart had expressed interest in ownership at the Sprint Cup level and that he’d been approached by Haas CNC Racing with such an offer in mind, the writers have had a field day with it, and rightfully so. The problem with it, though, is that Stewart’s under contract until the end of 2009 and JD Gibbs - president of Joe Gibbs Racing - came out and said straight up that under no circumstances would the team let Tony out of his contract early. Yet, everytime a name comes up as a possible candidate for Silly Season, Smoke’s name still seems to wind up in the mix. What gives?

Just the other day on ESPN2’s broadcast of NASCAR Now, Marty Smithson was asked about the situation brewing over at Hendrick Motorsports involving Casey Mears and the no. 5 team, and then about Mark Martin’s status for next year with DEI and if he could be making the move over to Hendrick. Marty stated that we should not expect to see Casey return next year with Hendrick and that DEI was looking to field Aric Almirola in the no. 8 car next season, but where Mears and Martin would wind up largely depended on what happens with Tony Stewart as “that decision still hasn’t been made”.

In the article I referenced the other day from Lee Spencer over at FoxSports, she, too, found it necessary to include Stewart in all of the Silly Season ramblings and possibilities. What gives, people? I mean, are we thinking that just because Joey Logano has come into the Nationwide Series and had the success that he has that all of the sudden Gibbs is okay with letting go of their two-time Cup Series champ? Newsflash: The team expected Logano to be this good, so that’s really not a factor in this decision. Besides, they must have all missed the part where Gibbs stated that their intent with Logano is to have him field a fourth Cup car.

I dunno … I just don’t get it. It seems to me like some of these folks are having a bit of trouble following the story all the way through. In my mind, Tony Stewart has absolutely nothing to do with what happens in the 2009 Silly Season, and why should he? This is a banner year for Gibbs in the fact that they’re the most dominant team on the track. They’ve got two stout young guns in the series with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, and those two are going to bring them a ton of wins for years to come. They’ve got Logano coming up through the ranks with a very promising road ahead of him. But, Tony Stewart is still the guy that completes this team. He’s the guy that’s won them the titles, and he’s the guy that the garage raves as one of - if not the best. Even if Gibbs did decide to flirt with the notion of running Logano full-time next season, would their chances of success suddenly increase with Stewart not in the lineup? Gimme a break.

No, Tony Stewart will not dictate, nor will he headline this year’s Silly Season, but Ryan Newman will. Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears are both very likely candidates to get released from their teams, and Newman’s an excellent candidate to fill either seat (though I still think a move for Martin to the no. 5 makes the most sense). But, if Newman decides to leave Penske - which he will - then, whether it’s Childress or Hendrick or Roush-Fenway, wherever he winds up, that team’s just going to get that much more potent.

By now, most of you are probably familiar with the many rumors surrounding the status of Casey Mears and the no. 5 team over at Hendrick Motorsports for 2009. Several sources are indicating that Rick Hendrick may have notified Casey last week that his tenure with HMS was coming to an end at the conclusion of this season, and already, the rumor mill has been lit up once again with all sorts of speculations.

The most intriguing, and for once, make-sense of these rumors comes from Lee Spencer over at Fox Sports, where she throws out the notion that Hendrick may be looking to promote Brad Keselowski from the Nationwide Series ranks, where he currently drives for Hendrick affiliate, JR Motorsports. Keselowski, who earned the first NNS win of his career earlier this season, could be Hendrick’s long-term solution to the Joe Gibbs Racing phenom, Joey Logano, but if these sources hold true, Hendrick would likely take a much different approach.

Whereas we could see a fourth team car implimented by JGR next season just to get Logano a full-time ride, Hendrick would approach it from a different angle, engaging Keselowski into a driver/mentor program, pairing him with the guy that’s done just that for a living since retiring from full-time action in 2006 … you guessed it, Mark Martin.

I never thought I’d see the day that Mark Martin would get behind the wheel of a Hendrick-branded car, but I’m seeing it now. ESPN is reporting that Mark has already confirmed that he will depart DEI after this year. In an odd twist to the story, though, they are also reporting that Martin will join the no. 5 team in an effort to make one last full-time run at the championship. That part of it I’m having a tough time buying off on for a couple of reasons. Aside from ESPN’s shakey and somewhat unreliable NASCAR reporting this year, I really feel that if Mark was going to take on another full season of racing, it would’ve been last year when he was well in position to make a bid for the Chase before finally stepping out of the car at Bristol.

Of course, we haven’t thrown nearly enough names into the fire to get the spicy rumor mill that we’ve grown quite accustomed to this year, so nascar.com decided to make sure we all took notice to the comments made by Juan Pablo Montoya on Sunday.

“Is it really true that Casey Mears is out of the 5 car?” was the first thing he said when confronted by reporters following the Toyota Save/Mart 350 at Infineon.

I’ll admit - I’m not too privy to the details of Montoya’s current contract with Chip Ganassi Racing, but that deal’s about to expire, then Juan is a name that has floated under the radar with flying colors, and would certainly add a little more flavor to the silly season gossip. He’s already holding his own over at Ganassi - even in the midst of working with three different crew chiefs during the first 16 races of the season. You have to wonder what the former Formula One star could do in some Hendrick furnished equipment!

So, is Mears on his way out of the Hendrick camp? Yeah, I think he is. It’s a notion that we’ve toyed around with all season long - even before the recent rumors - and, to me, the deck is stacked against him on this one. It’s a make-sense move for HMS to let him go. Bringing Keselowski up through the ranks would allow them to concentrate their championship efforts on the trio of Gordon, Johnson, and Jr. next season … and, even a longshot deal like Montoya would expand their merchandise and fan base even more.

Now, where he could wind up is anyone’s guess. The fourth car over at Richard Childress Racing would be my first inclination, but there are several other possibilities still lingering out there. Even with Greg Biffle expected to announce a re-signing with Roush-Fenway Racing this weekend, a potential slot could still open up there if Jack were to release Jamie McMurray from the organization, as many people were speculating on just a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, issues still do not appear to be resolved between Ryan Newman and the Penske Racing organization, and I’ve even heard talk about Casey headed somewhere like Haas CNC Racing, or even a return to Ganassi.

Yes … Silly Season is still a mess.

*Credit photo to Newscom.

Image details: The Dan Lowry 400 Qualifying served by picapp.com

Mark Martin is regarded by nearly every driver, fan, and anyone associated with NASCAR as being one of the greatest drivers in the history of our sport, despite not having a Cup Series championship on his resume. He’s won 35 Cup Series points races, has the Nationwide Series record for wins with 48, and has finished 2nd in the Cup Series points standings on four occasions … so, yes, like him or not, I would be inclined to agree that he does indeed rank amongst NASCAR’s all-time elite.

Mark Martin’s status in this sport’s history, however, is not what is in question. Rather, I question his status in racing as it stands today. Following the 2006 season in which Martin finished the year 9th in points, he made a concious decision to part ways with long time car owner and friend, Jack Roush, and simultaneously retire from racing … or, so it seemed. After a long farewell tour that seemed to hit every track on the NASCAR season, in the offseason between ‘06 and ‘07, Mark announced that he would return to the track on a part-time schedule to help the no. 01 team in the DEI camp. This “part-time” schedule, however, included a 24 race tour out of the Cup Series’ 36 races - that’s 2/3rd’s of the complete schedule, and it has since carried over into 2008, despite the fact that he’s abondoned the 01 car and now races Dale Earnhardt Jr’s former car, the no. 8.

At first glance, the typical fan would probably say, “so what, what’s the big deal?”, and rightfully so. But, about the side-effects that Martin’s lingering presence is having on the sport? After NASCAR hit an all-time boom in production of young talents in the late 90’s and earlier in this decade, the manufacturing of standout prospects has been relegated to a minimum these past couple of years, and for a guy that’s presented himself as an ambassador for doing what’s good for the sport, Martin hasn’t been much of a help in that department.

The rise of young David Ragan into the Cup Series ranks was delayed for a year or two with Martin’s uncertainty as to whether or not he would return year after year, but he finally earned that opportunity last year after Martin had finally departed from the no. 6 car, and now it appears to be happening all over again with Aric Almirola.

Almirola fell into a spot with DEI after the purchase of Ginn Racing at the end of the season, and was immediately slotted to share driving duties in the no. 8 Army Chevrolet with Mark. Prior to this season, the 23 year-old Almirola’s professional driving experience had been minimal. He competed in a few truck races in 2005 and 2007, and full-time in 2006, though with very little success. He also raced in 21 Nationwide Series events from ‘06 to ‘07, and was credited with a win in Milwuakee for Joe Gibbs Racing, though Denny Hamlin actually finished that race. The bulk of his racing this scheduled is slated to come in the Sprint Cup Series, racing in only 12 races, while Martin handles the other 24.

Almirola impressed the masses by finishing 8th at Bristol in the Food City 500 in his first Cup Series start of the season, and seventh overall (he raced in 6 events in 2007). Since then, he’s finished 42nd at Martinsville due to engine failures after starting 3rd and running near the top-ten all day, and most recently settled for a 33rd place finish at Talladega.

Meanwhile, Martin has finished in the top-ten in four of his seven races this year, and is currently riding on a streak of three consecutive finishes of 8th or better, including a 3rd place run last weekend at Richmond. This now totals 15 top-ten’s for Martin in only 31 races for Martin since joining DEI, and he has been in contention for a win on several occasions.

So, it’s not that I question whether or not Mark’s still got it. It’s not that I question whether or not turning 50 next January will slow Martin down at all. Heck, I’m not even questioning whether or not Aric Almirola is more suited for a full-time Cup ride these days than Mark Martin. What I do question, though, is should we view this as Mark Martin getting to race 2/3rd’s of the schedule, or as Aric Almirola being forced to miss 2/3rd’s of the schedule?

DYN Imposes:
This week, Do You NASCAR also asks its readers …

1. Is it still beneficial at this stage for DEI to have Mark Martin run a 24-race schedule, and, thus, eliminate one of their cars from competing for a spot in the Chase?
2. If Mark Martin were to run a full schedule, could he still compete for his first Sprint Cup championship?
3. What rate of success should we expect from Aric Almirola once he does have the opportunity to compete full-time in the Cup Series?
4. Should Mark Martin go into full-time retirement?

For a glimpse of Mark Martin’s entire 2008 Sprint Cup schedule, please visit Bruce Simmons’ post, Mark Martin’s Race Schedule for 2008 - the Full Details, over at Bruce’s NASCAR Bits & Pieces.

This week, I’ve decided to compile a list of the top-ten future potential stars in NASCAR. The basis for this list isn’t based purely on driving skill, but also on other aspects that can contribute to their future success such as their organization, or even gender.

10. Justin Allgaier - 21 years-old, currently driving in his third full season in the ARCA/REMAXX Series. Has compiled one victory in each of the past three seasons.

9. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. - 20 years-old, has recorded 2 wins and 4 top-five’s through his first 20 races in the USAC Series.

8. Brad Keselowski - 24 years-old, currently driving in the Nationwide Series for Bob & Kay Keselowski. Currently 7th in points with 4 top-ten finishes.

7. Steve Wallace - The twenty-year-old son of Rusty Wallace; finished 17th in the Nationwide Series points standings last year, and currently 15th in points with a top-five and two top-ten’s.

6. Marcos Ambrose - The 30-year-old Australlian native has won several accolades in lesser series, and is known as an accomplished road racer. He’s turning that into some noticeable stock car success, and through two seasons has 2 top-five’s and 8 top-ten’s. He’s currently 16th in the Nationwide points standings.

5. Brad Coleman - Brad has a future with Joe Gibbs Racing, though the timeline is still a bit sketchy as long as JGR has Joey Logano in the waiting. He made his debut in the Nationwide Series this year and is currently 17th in points with one top-ten finish through ten races.

4. Austin Dillon - Being the grandson of Cup Series teamowner, Richard Childress, is sure to have its perks, and having the fortune to know that you can one day bring Dale Earnhardt’s former number back into NASCAR one day is one of them. He already has a win this season in the Camping World East Series, and is expected to win quite a few more before long.

3. Chrissy Wallace - She earned herself a top-20 finish in her first career start in the Craftsman Truck Series in March, and has recently signed a deal with Germain Racing that will have her competing full-time in 2009. With her family name, superior backing inside the NASCAR garage, and her appeal as a standout female star, big things could be on the horizon for Chrissy Wallace.

2. Aric Almirola - He’s scheduled to run a part-time schedule this year inside the no. 8 car for DEI that includes 12 races, the first of which came earlier in 2008 with a top-five run at Bristol. He’s currently slated to run full-time for the organization when Mark Martin goes into full retirement, which could be as early as next year.

1. Joey Logano - His future lies with Joe Gibbs Racing, producer of three Cup Series championships, and could have a pretty sweet deal lined up for himself depending on what Tony Stewart decides to do at the end of his contract in 2009. He recently won his first-ever start in the ARCA series a little over a week ago in Rockingham, and will make his first Nationwide start at the end of this month when he turns 18 years old.

The votes are in, and I’ve tallied your winners. So, strap in, and let’s get you ringside for the first-ever NASCAR Mania! Enjoy!

Rookie Brawl - Five Way Elimination Match:
Patrick Carpentier and Regan Smith eliminated one another via a double countout. Dario Franchitti pinned Sam Hornish Jr via a Small Package. Then, Michael McDowell closed the match out by defeating Franchitti with his patented finishing move, the “Suicide Spin,” to pick up the victory. Following the match, Aric Almirola attacked McDowell from behind, claiming that he should have had the opportunity to compete in the match, stating that he, too, is a rookie - even if not by NASCAR standards.
Winner: Michael McDowell

East Coast vs. West Coast: Tag Team Match:
Elliott Sadler / Denny Hamlin vs. David Gilliland / Kevin Harvick
Hamlin and Sadler dominated more than half the match and appeared to have the victory well-in-hand when DaLana Harvick strutted down to ringside and distracted them. This gave Gilliland an opportunity to dropkick Sadler over the top rope, and the two proceeded to battle outside the ring. With the ref distracted, DaLana then slid Kevin a metal folding chair, which he smacked over Hamlin’s back before making the cover for the win.
Winners: David Gilliland & Kevin Harvick

Battle for the ESPN Booth:
Rusty Wallace vs. Dale Jarrett
The two battled one another feverishly, and the crowd was really getting into this battle of the legends. Late in the match, Rusty attempted to suplex Jarrett into the turnbuckles, but DJ blocked with his foot on multiple occasions before reversing it into a variation of his finishing move, “the Special Delivery.” He nailed the move and made the cover for the three count.
Winner: Dale Jarrett

Battle of the Legends … Sons:
Dale Earnhardt Jr vs. Kyle Petty vs. Casey Mears
Casey Mears was dominating the match, going to town on both of his competitors. After throwing Earnhardt Jr to the outside of the ring, he was setting Petty up for the kill. He stomped away several times to Petty’s right knee before applying the figure four leglock. Just when it looked as though Kyle was going to tap, though, Earnhardt scaled the top turnbuckle and signaled for his finisher, “the Whisky River!” He nailed it and proceeded to make the pinfall on the unconscious Mears.
Winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Hair vs. Hair:
Jeff Gordon vs. Jimmie Johnson
In this highly anticipated battle of the villains, the momentum switched back and forth several times, but in the end, it was Jimmie Johnson picking up the win. He was able to land his “Three-Peat” after Gordon missed with the “Drive for Five.” Fans then watched on as Johnson proceeded to shave his tag team partner bald.
Winner: Jimmie Johnson

Loser Leaves Match:
Paul Menard vs. Robby Gordon
Despite the ramifications of this match, several fans in the arena chose to take an intermission at this time, and the pay-per-view channel itself even went to commercial. We’re told, however, that Gordon did pick up the victory and that Menard must now leave and never wrestle again. Incase you were wondering, yes, FOX coincidentally happened to have majority ownership in this ppv channel.
Winner: Robby Gordon

Tag Team Match:
the Busch Bros (Kyle & Kurt) vs. the Waltrip’s (Darrell & Michael)
Coverage of this event finally returned about five minutes into this matchup, at which time the Waltrip Brothers were well in control. They finally polished their foes off when Darrell reluctantly took Kyle out with the “Boogity Slam.” After the match, Darrell attempted to befriend Kyle, but the youngster just stormed out of the arena, refusing to offer his comments to reporters.
Winners: the Waltrip’s

Cage Match:
Jack Roush vs. Lee White
As several of the Roush and Toyota drivers surrounded the ring on the outside of the cage, these two enemies battled ferociously back and forth. Both men tried to escape the cage several times, only to be dragged back down. Finally, a bloodied Lee White attempted to crawl out through the cage door, only to have it slammed in his face by Carl Edwards. The impact knocked White out cold, and Roush was able to escape the cage with the victory!
Winner: Jack Roush

#1 Contenders Match:
Carl Edwards vs. Ryan Newman
Edwards stormed the ring like a madman and absolutely pounded Newman from pillar to post, scoring several near falls in the early goings. About 15 minutes into the match, however, Edwards appeared to be getting a little too cocky. As he was posing to the crowd, Newman staggered to his feet and attacked Edwards from behind. Newman’s offense lasted several minutes before setting Edwards on the top turnbuckle for a superplex. Edwards was able to push Newman away, however, and then proceeded to turn around and … he nailed Newman with a backflip from the turnbuckles! He made the cover and scored the win to earn himself a match with the winner of the Heavyweight Title match!
Winner: Carl Edwards

Heavyweight Title Bout:
Tony Stewart vs. Jimmy Spencer
The two men beat each other to a bloody pulp in an effort to be crowned as the first-ever DYN World Heavyweight Champion. Both men came close to getting the three-count on several occasions in this matchup that last nearly a half hour. In the end, though, it was Stewart walking away with the hardware after he punished Spencer with his devastating “Smoke Screen.” Stewart was immediately interviewed by Marty Smithson in the middle of the ring. As he drank his Coca Cola and snacked on two Subway Subs, the Champ talked about how he was looking forward to his upcoming match with #1 Contender, Carl Edwards. We’re still not really sure what it has to do with anything, but in the interview, Tony made several comments about blown tires and give ‘n’ take.
Winner: Tony Stewart