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Welcome to the Cup Scene Daily for
Vol. III,No.VIXII FINAL EDITION
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2003 Season Quotes: “I may not win every race, but I’m going to have the attitude that I can and will.”- Ryan Newman, before the Daytona 500 7 DAY ARCHIVE SundayMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday INSIDE TODAY'S ISSUE: BLOOD OF OUR HEROES Gaughan to test No. 77 at DIS Parker lands with Musgrave at Ultra Motorsports Testing begins this week at Daytona Nemechek to run 14 Busch series events in 2004 Labbe not resting on Daytona laurels Benson: 'I've invested my money wisely' Harvick and team have it all At first, Arlene Martin wasn't what you'd call a race fan Lack of support a sign of the times? Dale's perfect place: Earnhardt's burial site remains a secret It's Time to Buy a New Car When Opinion/My Word Letters to the Editor Readers Message Board(NOW OPEN!) Race Shop RACE Tickets Fantasy Garage NEW!
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TODAYS FRONT PAGE<
TURN LEFT,TURN RIGHT
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson's off season ended yesterday. Johnson may be used to turning laps on Daytona International Speedway's historic 2.5-mile tri-oval in his No. 48 Lowe's Home Improvement Chevrolet, but yesterday he was behind the wheel of the No. 4 Howard-Boss Motorsports Chevrolet Crawford Daytona Prototype in the first day of Rolex Sports Car Series testing in preparation for the 42nd anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 31-Feb. 1,
Johnson, who finished second in the 2003 NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, will co-drive the sports car with Butch Leitzinger, Elliott-Forbes Robinson and Dave Brule in the twice-around-the-clock challenge. "I've always wanted to compete in (the Rolex 24)," Johnson said. "I didn't realize I was going to have a chance to compete at such a great level with the Crawford group and the Daytona Prototype class. Through the holidays, it's been the first thing I've been thinking about. I know Daytona is coming for us in the Cup car. But my first race is going to be the Rolex race. When I wake up each morning and think of race cars, I've been thinking of that race and nothing else." Johnson is only testing on Saturday. Expected to test on Sunday will be fellow NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will join forces with Andy Wallace in the No. 2 Howard-Boss Chevrolet Crawford Daytona Prototype. Other NEXTEL Cup Series drivers that are potential Rolex 24 entrants are Kyle Petty and Kevin Harvick. "I think we're all racers," Johnson said. "If it fits in our schedules, we would love to do it. It's just so hard to do anything else during our busy season. After (the season) you're so burned out you don't want to do anything. But something before (the season), we're dumb enough to climb back in and do it again." Johnson turned his first laps in the late morning on Saturday and quickly found out how different the Daytona Prototype is from a stock car. "I think I made two laps," Johnson said. "I spun out on my second one. I didn't hit anything. I got (the spin) out of the way. It's a totally different vehicle to be in. I'm going to have a lot of fun with it. I'm really looking forward to it. It's the first time meeting a lot of the drivers I'm teamed up with. It's going to be a great experience." Johnson, who sat on the pole for the 2002 Daytona 500, is also looking forward to the Rolex 24 because he won't have to worry about competing for those valuable NEXTEL Cup Series championship points.
NASCAR, Indy Racing League, CART and Formula One alumni compete with club racers, sprint-car drivers, formula jockeys and even the occasional Saturday night regular in the twice-around-the-clock marathon. "Good race car drivers can drive anything, anytime, anywhere," Grand American co-founder Jim France said. Since the 24 is the first major professional race of the year in this country, most everyone has the time and energy to participate. More and more Nextel Cup Series drivers are jumping into the sportscar act. "It's just for fun," Johnson said. "It's obviously a serious effort. (The team) wants to win the race. For me, it's a great way to work out all the rust out of my head and get all my hand and eye coordination working proper. It's a great way to knock off the rust and have some fun." Johnson's co-drivers are helping introduce him to his new ride. "Jimmie is a really good guy to work with," sports car veteran Elliott Forbes-Robinson said. "He wants to do this and he wants to have a good time at it. He wants to do well at it. But the thing is he will do well at it because he's a good driver." NASCAR has a long history of sending its best and brightest into Rolex 24 battle. Back in the 1960s and '70s it was common for drivers to pull double duty during Speed Weeks to cash an extra paycheck. These days a Rolex 24 run is more of an escape, something a little different than the pressure-filled grind of today's NASCAR. On Day 1 of Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona testing, nobody was chasing Johnson through the garage area waving a pen in his face for an autograph. Johnson didn't have to make a mad rush from the track to make a sponsor appearance. He is learning that while these cars are fast, the pace of sportscar racing is much slower and more enjoyable. The folks at Grand American are more than happy to have them participate. "I think it adds some stature to the Rolex 24," France said. "You've got some of the finest drivers from all over the world from different disciplines. I think Nextel Cup drivers are world class drivers and to have them get in this race is a big deal for us." "Everybody calls them oval guys but they run twice a year on road courses hustling those big, old heavy cabs around," France said. "They are great road racers." Rolex Sports Car Series testing continues on Sunday and Monday. The test sessions are free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand through the lobby of DAYTONA USA.
Gaughan to test No. 77 at DIS
Brendan Gaughan, whose bid for a NASCAR truck title ended with a crash in the season finale at Homestead, will test the No. 77 Dodge for Penske Racing at DIS.
Bill Wilburn, replaced as Rusty Wallace's crew chief after two seasons, and Roy McCauley, Wallace's lead engineer in 2003, are listed on Gaughan's roster.
This confirms at least one silly season rumor. The No. 77 formally driven by Dave Blaney and Japser Motorsports is now under the Penske umbrella and Blaney is yet another driver without a ride for 2004.
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