DENNY HAMLIN/No.18 Joe Gibbs Racing took the pole for Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Hefty Odor Block 200 Race midmorning Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway with a lap of 27.085/132.915 mph. The weather was sunny and warm, with no breeze or clouds. It was his first pole this season, and twelfth in 111 NNS starts.
The remaining top five qualifiers were CARL EDWARDS/No.60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, who is second in the standings; KYLE BUSCH/No.32 Braun Racing Toyota; KEVIN HARVICK/No.33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, and the first non Sprint Cup driver, MIKE BLISS/No.1 Fitz Motorsports Chevrolet. As Cup practice immediately followed NNS qualifying, there were no bon mots from the top qualifiers.
NNS Points leader and last year’s pole sitter CLINT BOWYER/No.2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet qualified twelfth.
BRYAN CLAUSON/No.40 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Dodge was the top Rookie, starting twenty-fourth.
Seven of the top 12 qualifiers were Cup drivers. There were another three between P25 and P29. There are also four cross over drivers from the Craftsman Truck Series and several from the NASCAR Camping World West Series.
Only 12 of the 154 drivers who have run at least one NNS race this season have run the entire season, and of those, five are full time Cup drivers.
The qualifying track record of 26.902/133.819 mph set by KYLE BUSCH in November 2004 still stands.
Seven drivers DNQ: KEVIN LEPAGE, STAN SILVA JR; DERRIKE COPE; DANNY EFLAND; KENNY HENDRICK; JASON WHITE; and MORGAN SHEPHERD. Four were Chevrolet drivers and three were Dodge.
The starting lineup will have 17 Chevrolets, twelve Fords, and seven each for Dodge and Toyota.
Next year Toyota may be the only manufacturer which provides full support for its teams in the NNS Series, as it has this year. This year TRD (Toyota Racing Development) provides funds, staff, technical support including data and wind tunnel. The assumption from TRD representatives is that it will continue into 2009. It is currently leading the NNS Manufacturer’s Championship, followed by Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge. TRD is also involved in the Craftsman Truck Series and has already won the 2008 Manufacturer’s Championship. In Cup, there is a tight three way chase for the Manufacturer’s Championship, with Chevrolet leading Ford by two points, and three for Toyota.
Dodge is not currently providing support in the NNS, and is only supporting one Truck team this year – Bobby Hamilton Racing, and that won’t continue into next year.
Dodge is looking, showing interest, in supporting the 2009 Nationwide Series because of its new direction. The car and series are changing and there will be new rules, which aren’t yet completed. There could be more changes, moving forward. There was a recent test at Richmond International Raceway and Dodge ran a car.
Chevrolet hasn’t much supported NNS for several years. It has provided a small technical support staff. GM gets better ROI – Return On Investment – in the Truck and Cup series.
Ford announced last month that its support for NNS and Trucks wouldn’t be on the same level as it has been in the past. BRIAN WOLFE, Director, Ford Racing Technology, said the “total Ford support next year is reduced from 2008 and some of it has been deflected to Cup and some of it is part of the overall reduction to meet our budget” He refused to be pinned down to a specific percentage or dollar amount, saying “our main focus has been, from a financial perspective, to make sure Cup is healthy, and we will continue the support that we supply from the technical perspective and engine perspective for Nationwide.”
It’s goal, according to longtime Ford team owner, JACK ROUSH, “is to protect and have a healthy Cup team.” Easy for him to say. Ford has extended its multiyear agreement with Roush Fenway Racing
In Trucks, Ford will continue with technical support for both chassis work and aero work, and with the Roush Yates motor programs, there will be contingency monies. Every Ford team will be equal on the absolute cash supplements. Roush said when the economy improves, that’s “gonna create an opportunity for not only Ford to come back and be more tangible in their support for teams and for rookie programs in the Truck Series.”
The NASCAR Nationwide Series Hefty Odor Block 200 Race starts at 2 PM local time and will be televised live on ESPN 2 – 4 PM ET.