NASCAR Drivers Campaign for Fan Votes

It's an election year again - a time when campaign ads are broadcast more often than reruns of "Law & Order".

And this week, even your favorite NASCAR drivers are getting in on the beg-for-votes action.

It's all part of the Coke Zero Fan 400, a race-within-a-race that allows fans to help their favorite Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers win by “liking” them on CokeZero.com. As drivers accumulate “votes” online they move up in the race standings.  Fans who vote for the winning driver will earn a chance to receive a free 20-ounce Coke Zero to celebrate the win. In addition, Coke Zero will donate $10,000 to the NASCAR Foundation on behalf of the winner of the online race.

Each member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family competing in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on Saturday also will participate in the Fan 400. Fans can begin voting for their favorite drivers on CokeZero.com today. Voting ends following the finish of the Coke Zero 400.

Check out Jeff Burton's campaign ad below. Some guys will promise anything for a vote ...

Jimmie J Runs Wicked Good - And Other Loudon Observations

The champ is back.  And how.

Jimmie Johnson put on one heckuva racing clinic Sunday at Loudon.  And although Kurt Busch made things exciting at the end, Johnson out-raced the Blue Deuce for the lead and a second consecutive victory.

Johnson and team now boasts a second place points standing. And with five wins on the season, he's in a sweet spot come Chase time.

Can we finally say the slump is officially over?

Gordon Makes a Clean Getaway

Although Martin Truex Jr. and Elliott Sadler had Jeff Gordon in their sights after Sonoma, neither driver got close enough to the No. 24 to make good on their post-Cali threats.

Gordon snagged a fourth-place finish, while Sadler and Truex finished 19th and 22nd respectively.

Don't worry boys - there's always Daytona.  And a lot can happen when you get in the draft.

Junior Headed in the Right Direction

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been running in the top 10 during the last couple races and at Loudon (a track that hasn't always been kind to him), he drove the No. 88 from 31st to 8th.

Not too shabby for a team that has lately been characterized by sliding progressively backwards during any given race.

Fast forward to Saturday.  If ever there was a track where Junior can make things happen, it's Daytona International Speedway.  To wit, his February Daytona 500 performance.  Nearly giving Junior Nation a collective coronary, Earnhardt went from 10th to 2nd in hard-driving style, bouncing off bumpers and banging fenders for a last lap effort that almost secured him the win.

Sheer numerology may also be in his favor.  Consider that Junior will be running the No. 3 in Friday's Nationwide Series race and that the Cup race will take place on July 3rd.

Need I say more?

Stewart Takes 48,000 Fans Along For The Ride

More than 48 thousand fans will be riding along with Tony Stewart at the Coke Zero 400.

The “BK® Sign & Race” promotion, which launched May 20, provided fans with the opportunity to submit their personal signatures to be incorporated into the BK® logo on the hood of Stewart’s No. 14 Chevy via http://www.bksignandrace.com/.

More than 25,000 signatures were submitted within the first 48 hours of the site launch and due to the overwhelming response, capacity was added to accommodate more signatures.

Stewart's “fandorsed” No. 14 Burger King® Chevy can be seen during this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ Coke Zero 400 race at Daytona International Speedway.  Smoke is the defending race champion.

Plus, from June 28 through July 7, an authentic No. 14 Burger King® car hood, autographed by Stewart and complete with the fan-endorsed Burger King® logo will be available for bids via an eBay auction page accessible through www.BKSignandRace.com.

All proceeds will support Burger King Corp’s Have It Your Way® Foundation.

McMurray and VanDam Swap Jobs for the Day

Jamie McMurray won NASCAR's most prestigious event – the 2010 Daytona 500. Exactly one week later, five-time Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam pulled a similar feat by winning the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, the biggest and most prestigious event in professional fishing.


Today, both Bass Pro Shops-sponsored athletes tried each other’s professions at Daytona International Speedway promoting the upcoming Coke Zero 400 and the “Reels and Wheels” ticket package.

First on the schedule was fishing on the waters of Lake Lloyd, a 29-acre lake located in the heart of Daytona International Speedway.

Fishing in a Bass Pro Nitro Z-9, VanDam, a five-time Angler of the Year and three-time Bassmaster Classic champion, schooled McMurray in the art of landing a big fish.

Following lunch, McMurray, who first came to Daytona as a kid racing karts, showed VanDam the twists and turns of karting with High Performance Karts from the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

“Kevin might be the best angler of all time,” McMurray said. “To be out on the water with him, and not only watch him fish, but listen to him talk about everything that goes along with fishing that I think the general angler doesn’t always take into consideration, it’s really fun to watch professionals do their sport. It was also gratifying to come over to the go-kart track and redeem myself a little bit.”

VanDam will return to Daytona for the Independence Day holiday classic serving as an Honorary Race Official. VanDam and McMurray are part of a unique ticket package – “Reels and Wheels” – which includes a race ticket, a Sprint FANZONE/Pre-Race Pit Pass and a fishing 101 fan forum with VanDam and McMurray.

Tickets for the Coke Zero 400 Weekend are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/ or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Gordon Puts On The Hits at Infineon

Something must've gotten under Jeff Gordon's skin at Sonoma.

Maybe he had too much vino the night before.  Or perhaps he was suffering a case of sympathy hormones . But it's more likely the veteran driver has grown tired of playing second fiddle at HMS and decided to bully his way to the front come hell or highwater.

Whatever the reason, Infineon Raceway brought out the mean streak in Gordon.  His all-business mentality sent him plowing into Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Clint Bowyer was also caught up in the Sadler melee.

Gordon's hard-driving style made for some exciting moments during and after the race. But it also may have been orchestrated to send a message to his NASCAR compatriots - namely that Jimmie Johnson isn't the only four-time champ on the Cup circuit.

An irate Sadler and a hacked off Truex vowed revenge.  And if they can catch Gordon at Loudon, Sunday's race could be a wreckfest.

And this time it may well be Gordon on the receiving end.

Two Days Left to Bid on a Jimmie J Experience

The next time Jimmie Johnson races in California, one lucky fan will be with him.

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation is currently taking bids online for a first-class Fontana experience.  The highest bidder will receive:

• Two suite passes to the Pepsi 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. on Sunday, Oct. 10
• VIP pre-race garage/pit tour
• Complimentary Sprint Fan View for use during the race
• One hotel room at the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA for 3 nights (Oct. 8 -10)
• Opportunity to attend the Sprint corporate dinner on Saturday, Oct. 9
• Q&A with four-time reigning Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson in the suite (Barring unforeseen circumstances, Johnson is scheduled to appear in the suite before the race)

For more information and to place your bid, click here.  Bidding ends June 23 and all proceeds will benefit the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Charity Buzz/Jimmie Johnson Foundation

Stewart and Biffle Get Down to Business (Small Business, That Is)

The No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy driven by Tony Stewart and the No. 16 3M Ford driven by Greg Biffle will both feature a special rear TV panel during this weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.  The cars will promote the sixth annual “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of NASCAR” sweepstakes.

This year’s sweepstakes features a competitive new twist: Two small business owners will be randomly selected as finalists in the sweepstakes, with Stewart and Biffle going head-to-head on the race track to determine their fate during the AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ race at Dover International Speedway in September.

The small business that appears on the highest-finishing driver’s car at Dover will be named the “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot.” If Stewart or Biffle should win the Dover race, the small business featured on the winning car will take home $1 million.

To enter for a chance to win, small business owners can simply register online at http://www.officedepotracing.com/ now through July 10.

Both sweepstakes finalists will receive a $10,000 small business makeover from Office Depot and a VIP race weekend experience for two during the September Sprint Cup race at Dover.

Matt Poole - One Guy Chasing a Racing Dream

Matt Poole isn't your typical development driver.  He's in his forties.  He's a web designer by trade.  And he plans to give his race winnings to charity.

However, for Poole, life in general hasn't been typical.  And it's his singular experiences that have prompted Poole to do what few others would dare - pursue a childhood dream, even when the odds may be against him.

Poole took the time to answer a few of our questions about his racing dream and his immediate goals. To find our more about Poole and sponsorship opportunities, check out his website mattpooleracing.com.

For readers who aren't familiar with your story, tell me what led to your decision to pursue your racing dream?


"Being a race car driver is what I always wanted to be. It was my childhood dream. After my mother passed away from a heart attack in 2003, I decided I was going to honor her memory somehow. Racing for her memory was the obvious choice. Then in 2005, one of my dearest friends was murdered by her husband, and it gave me even more drive and determination to make it happen, against all odds. When I ran my very first race in July 2007, I had their pictures taped to the dash of the race car. They rode with me for that first race."

Tell me about your partnership with Lafferty Motorsports.  How is the sponsorship hunt going and do you have plans to race in the immediate future?

"Chris Lafferty and I became great friends very quickly. He knows as well as anyone my determination to make my racing dream come true. He gave me my very first 'shot at the wheel,' and he has been instrumental in preparing me for racing from the beginning. We continue to hunt for that marketing partner that will help take the dream to the next level, and we are leaving no stone unturned in our search."

Why is it important for you to donate your winnings to charity? Will you continue doing this even in the Trucks series?

"I did not undertake this mission in the pursuit of fame or fortune. It's not about money, money is something I've never had a lot of, or I would have been racing long before now. This is about honoring the memory of two of my best friends ever, Mom and Tonya. All I want to do is race. To quote one of my racing heroes, Tony Stewart, 'I don't want to be a legend, or an icon or anything like that. I just want to be a race car driver, plain and simple.' That's why I am chasing the racing dream the hard way."

What's your typical day like? How do you manage to work a day job and also work on a racing career?

"I work at a racing school, NASCAR Racing Experience. Our work is mostly on weekends, and we travel to numerous different tracks. I also have my own website design business, I designed my websites and have created websites for some small businesses as well. I also run a large Tony Stewart fan forum. I also utilize social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, and I am constantly contacting sponsors and doing my own PR in search of that elusive sponsorship. My days are not hectic, but I do stay busy."

Do you think it's realistic to expect that you'll be a legitimate contender in the Trucks, Nationwide or even Sprint Cup series one day?

"Nothing is unrealistic when you possess drive and determination to make it happen. Everyone has dreams, but not everyone goes after their dreams. The only thing standing between me and making it as far as I can go in racing, is an opportunity being presented to me, whether it be from a team owner or a sponsor. A lot of people believe in me, and they want to see my racing dreams come true, whether it's ARCA, the Truck Series, or any other series, all I need is the opportunity. I know that opportunity is out there, I just have to keep knocking on doors until I find it. I cannot and will not give up. Drivers like Mark Martin, Geoff Bodine, Morgan Shepard, James Hylton, and other drivers that are still racing in their later years are a big inspiration to me. That tells me I still have a lot of years of racing ahead of me, all I need is that one opportunity."

Do you have any regrets about leaving leaving your job to pursue a dream? And what are you goals for the immediate future?

"I didn't actually leave my job to pursue my dream. I made numerous trips back and forth from Maryland to North Carolina while working a full time job doing commercial and residential painting. I knew in order to get better opportunities in racing, I needed to be closer to the opportunities. In December of 2007, I was laid off from my job because of lack of work. It was then that I decided to make the move to North Carolina to devote more time to the pursuit of the dream. Unfortunately that was about the time the nation's economy started going south. The economy has made it harder and harder to find sponsorship, but it has only delayed the dream."

Straight From the Helton's Mouth ...

NASCAR President Mike Helton appeared on Speed TV's Race Hub tonight and the first question out of the box had to do with the controversial debris caution at the end of Sunday's race -

NASCAR Race Hub: Can you clarify the circumstances behind the last caution (of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Michigan)?

Mike Helton:  "It was a debris caution. I’m not sure what beyond the circumstances of that you might be asking … and I heard a little bit of the chatter after the race was over with. The fact of the matter on a caution … it doesn’t matter if its lap 10 or lap 190 of 200, the first and foremost concern we have is for the safety of the drivers. Through the course of an event, we’ll get input – sometimes it comes from the drivers, sometimes it comes from the observers that we’ve got around the race track, sometimes it comes from one of the 18 or 20 cameras that we have access to through the control tower of the event. When someone, on a piece of debris, which is unique from an engine that blows up and drops oil, or an accident that is obvious to fans and to other drivers … when someone tells us about a piece of debris, more often than not, we can quantify whether it's there or it's not, and if it is there, we can quantify what it is, based on the things that I mentioned that we have access to. If there is any doubt, though, we are going to call a debris caution. If we see something and cannot tell what it is, we’re going to err on the side of safety. But there is always something there when we have a debris caution. A lot of times, we’re told there is debris on the race track, that we don’t throw it because we can’t find it anywhere."

To read the rest of Helton's interview, click here.

Whisky River Fights to Keep Trademark

By Paul Pinkham
The Florida Times-Union

The differences between a creek and a river - or between the initials BDP and BPD - are subtle.

Just how subtle could go a long way to determining whether two Jacksonville businesses get to keep their names or logos - including NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Whisky River at St. Johns Town Center.

Two trademark infringement complaints filed recently in Jacksonville have asked judges to determine whether Whisky River and BPD International freight company in Mandarin can continue to use those names. The complaints say the names, and Whisky River's logo are too similar to trademarks owned by Whiskey Creek restaurant chain and BDP International freight and logistics company in Philadelphia.

Read the rest of the story here.

Debris or Not Debris? That Is the Question

The most interesting part of Sunday's race was what did or maybe didn't happen.

With Denny Hamlin running away to victory, NASCAR officials threw a late-race yellow flag for debris. Hamlin still managed to cruise to Victory Lane. And  he then proceeded to give fodder to conspiracy theorists who have long claimed NASCAR uses the "phantom debris" caution all too often to liven things up.

So was there or wasn't there debris on the Michigan track Sunday?

"I understand this is show business," Hamlin said. "I didn't see any debris, if that's what you're asking. I mean, we typically get (a debris caution) every single week. I'm not going to say it's accepted, but what can you do?"

Indeed.

Kasey Kahne said he did see the debris in question, and so did some fans watching Race Buddy.  Others aren't so sure.

Which begs the bigger question - if NASCAR does indeed indulge in the occasional fake caution, is that a good thing or a bad thing for the sport?

Bloggers and fans are divided.  While the Heluva Good! 400 (other than a pseduo-feud between Scott Speed and temp teammate Casey Mears) was a little lackluster and needed some livening up, purists decry anything that makes the sport phony. 

Looks like Logano/Harvick get a pass this week.  The spotlight is now on "Jacques Debris."

Things Heat Up at Daytona

Hot laps and smokin' tires won't be the only things heating up Daytona International Speedway in July.

During the Coke Zero 400, the track wiill host the  the inaugural KCBS (Kansas City Barbeque Society)-sanctioned Daytona PITmasters Florida State BBQ Championship on Saturday, July 3.

Daytona PITmasters will feature more than 50 of the top BBQ competitors in America displaying their finest skills for a share of a $30,000 purse. The winner will represent Florida at the USA and World BBQ Championship.

Race fans will be able to sample barbecue at the competition area outside of the Frontstretch between the Sprint Tower and Turn 1 beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday after the first round of judging. Sampling will continue until 4:30 p.m. No grandstand ticket is needed to attend the Daytona PITmasters.

In addition to traditional BBQ categories, the event will host a “BBQ Alley” for backyard grillers who want to learn more about smokers and the difference between barbecuing and backyard grilling.

For more information about the Daytona PITmasters Florida Barbeque Championship, visit http://www.smokeonthewaterbbq.com/ and for tickets to the Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

Prelude Versus CMT - Decisions, Decisions

Typically, a love of NASCAR and a love of country music go together like biscuits and gravy. But tonight, these complementary tastes created a bit of a Catch 22.

Lots of fans who ponied up the money to watch NASCAR drivers get dirty during the pay-per-view broadcast of the Prelude to the Dream were faced with a viewing dilemma. Namely, that the CMT Music Awards were on at the same time.

Tony Stewart's annual Prelude to the Dream charity race is one of the highlights of the season. It's a commercial-free, feel-good event that showcases the dirt track prowess of the hottest NASCAR stars. This year's Prelude also included a new team format and some faces not often found in NASCAR circles (like Indycar champ Tony Kanaan, for instance). And the best part, is that it's all for charity.

Meanwhile, the CMT Music Awards featured a special NASCAR guest of its own. Before the main race at Eldora, I clicked over to CMT to find Richard Petty introducing the Zac Brown Band - a favorite group among the NASCAR faithful. Although Petty wasn't too adept at reading the teleprompter, his laid-back style and megawatt smile made it memorable. And I would have missed it, had I been exclusively tuned to the Prelude.

It's TV nights like these that could lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Logano Should've Asked Cena for Pointers

After watching (and re-watching) Joey Logano's confrontation with Kevin Harvick post-Pocono, I'm inclined to believe Sliced Bread could have learned a thing or two from John Cena.

He certainly had the chance.

Logano and the rest of the Gilette Young Guns hung out with the WWE Superstar before the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 on Sunday. Leading up to the race Cena, Logano, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman invaded the campgrounds in an effort to turn NASCAR fans from “skeptics” to “believers” of Gillette’s newest razor.

Too bad Cena didn't teach Logano his trademark "Attitude Adjustment"  whilst they were hanging out. Joey could have used it on his father Tom and gained a little more respect in the NASCAR garage.

Or better yet, when you need to move six crew guys and a camera man out of the way, take Cena with you.

Regardless, Cena and the Young Guns had a blast before Sunday's race.  Here are a few shots from the day.

WWE Champion and race Grand Marshal John Cena and Gillette Young Guns Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne chat before the start of the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target.

WWE Champion and the Gillette ProGlide Believers command the drivers to start their engines prior to the start of the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target.

WWE Champion and race Grand Marshal John Cena waves the green flag to start the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target.

Some Unexpected Pocono Drama

There were potholes, flying cars, green white checkers and a pit road feud.

And no, I'm not talking about Daytona.

Except for a nap-inducing green flag run somewhere in the middle, Sunday's race at Pocono had more action than we've seen there in years.

Here are a few of the highlights:

Rain, potholes and wind, oh my: Fans can deal with rain delays.  And in NASCAR, they happen often enough.  But when the word "pothole" began to be bandied about after the rain moved through, the NASCAR collective uttered an audible groan.  As a fan who sat through Daytona's pothole-gate in person, I was expecting a similar multi-hour delay at Pocono.  Fortunately, the offending pothole was at the exit to pit road and track officials solved the problem with a smack of epoxy and some strategically placed orange cones.

Bowyer dominates early: Clint Bowyer had the car to beat early on.  But The Pocono 500 makes for a long race - and once Bowyer lost his lead position, he never regained his mojo.  Blame it on the dirty air.

Hamlin's boneheaded burnout: Denny Hamlin had the smoothest moves of the day during the race.  So it was lucky for him that he saved his most boneheaded move for last.  While smoking the tires and celebrating his victory in front of the grandstand, Hamlin tagged the wall  leaving some damage on the left front of his car.

Teammate trouble: This is the year of family feuds.  Charlotte brought us the latest round with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin.  And, thanks to A.J. Allmendinger, Pocono was no honeymoon for Richard Petty Motorsports.  Allmendinger's last lap block of his teammate Kasey Kahne could have consequences that were much more severe than loss of position.  After being pushed by Allmendinger into the infield grass, Kahne slid back up the track and into the path of a passle of on-coming cars.  He flew into the catchfence and the result was a scary multi-car smashup that could have resulted in a few injured drivers. Fortunately, all those involved were treated and released, but there was no love lost between Kahne and A.J.  Per Kahne, "I don't talk to AJ hardly ever and I doubt I'm gonna talk to him about this."

Logano throws down: When Kevin Harvick bumped Joey Logano and sent the No. 20 car spinning during the last few laps, nobody expected Logano to go after the intimidating Harvick in such a vehement fashion.  But Pocono was full of surprises and lo and behold, the sophomore racer drove right up to Harvick's car on pit road and barraged Harvick with an ephitet-laced tirade.  The only thing that didn't help Joey's cred was his father who was right there telling him to go for it.  Seriously, Joey. If you're gonna get any respect in the garage, tell your Daddy to stay out of it. 

Whether or not Logano won over any fans or gained garage-side respect for his callout of Harvick is up for debate.  But he does win for best sound bite of the day. When asked by a TNT reporter about his incident with Harvick, Logano worked in an insult aimed at Harvick's wife Delana, "His wife wears the firesuit in the family and tells him what to do."  Touche.

Let's Get Colorful

Get your entries in now.  Beginning this week, fans can enter the third annual M&M’S® Most Colorful Fans™ of NASCAR® Contest, by submitting their most colorful racing-themed photos to www.NASCAR.com/mostcolorfulfans.

All entries receive 15 percent off a one-time purchase at the NASCAR.COM Superstore, including free shipping. Fans will then cast their vote to help choose weekly winners, as well as three finalists who will vie for the title of The Most Colorful Fan™ of NASCAR.

Each week of the contest, the votes submitted on NASCAR.COM will be tabulated and the photo with the highest average rating and the minimum number of votes will be selected as that week’s winner and receive a $500 gift card. Fans can also participate in the instant-win game with one hundred (100) fifty dollar ($50.00) gift card instant-win prizes available.

As the elite of NASCAR drivers head into The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ the 14 weekly winners will compete head-to-head during the “Final Round.” At the end of the Final Round, three “Finalists” with the most fan votes will vie for the grand prize: a trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, $10,000, and a featured display in the NASCAR Hall of FameTM for one year.

The 2009 contest winner, Cynthia Peace of Havana, Ill., bested thousands of other colorful NASCAR fans who participated in the contest and became the first fan honored in the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier in May.

Fans can also follow alongside Left Turn Lindsay and Right Turn Ryan, with at track behind-the-scene photos and videos starring fans at M&M’S® Most Colorful Fans Facebook page, www.facebook.com/colorfulfans and via Twitter at @mmscolorfulfans.

Team Owner Shoutouts

Chip Ganassi got a lot of press this weekend - and deservedly so.  With Dario Franchitti's domination of the Indy 500 and Jamie McMurray's victory at the Daytona 500 in February, Ganassi is now the first team owner in history to win both of these events in the same year.

(Insert round of applause here).

With McMurray back at EGR and Juan Pablo "Mad-toya" wheeling the No. 42 car, it looks like 2010 is going to be a better year than expected for the NASCAR side of team Ganassi.

But Ganassi isn't the only surprise in the NASCAR garage. There are a couple more team owners who deserve props for the first third of the season.  Sure, they haven't made history yet - but then again, the year ain't over.

Take Michael Waltrip.  Mikey's best career move may turn out to be giving Martin Truex, Jr. a full-time ride.  Truex definitely seems to click with the guys at MWR and he has the points to prove it. After Charlotte, Truex is only 14 points outside the top twelve. And he might well be the sleeper of the season.  The New Jersey native drove his way into the All-Star race and finished second only to winner Kurt Busch.  And let's not forget Truex also snagged the pole at Dover. 

MWR's David Reutimann isn't doing too badly either.  Reutimann has managed to secure top five finishes in the last two points races (which is more than current champ Jimmie Johnson can boast).

Another owner that deserves props is Richard Childress.  Toward the end of 2009, it was apparent to anyone paying attention that the RCR cars were making vast improvements. If the season had been a few races longer, we might even have seen an RCR win. 

That's why it wasn't all that surprising that Childress and company hit the track running in 2010.  Kevin Harvick is leading the points and has an early season win courtesy of Dega. Jeff Burton is in the top 12. And Clint Bowyer is a mere four points out.  It looks like Childress is back - and they mean business.

Rick Hendrick and company better watch out ...

Photo info: Kevin Harvick and team owner Richard Childress talk in the garage.