Hey gang. I thought I'd start a new thread for the new season. I hope no one minds. There were quite a few posts in that thread.

Also ... I thought that if I started a new thread, everyone would be able to find this easier. I just created a Fantasy Racing League group on Yahoo again, like last year. Here is the info that you'll need to play ...

1. create your own team here
2. go here and join the "Harold's Place" group. The info you'll need to join is:
GroupID #: 1923
Password: h8p1wx
3. have fun

REMINDER ... you can only use each driver a limited number of times ... I believe it is 9. Don't that let get you like some people did last year ... you know who you are ... LOL.

If you have any trouble joining up, let me know. I should *hopefully* be able to help since I'm the one who set it up ...

Here's to an awesome 2006 season (for Dale Jr and Martin Truex Jr and Scott Riggs that is ... ).

"REMINDER ... you can only use each driver a limited number of times ... I believe it is 9. Don't that let get you like some people did last year ... you know who you are ... LOL."

I think I know who you mean.

Who? Thanks Becky, I see I'm already last.

Marlin leads afternoon testing at Daytona
Veteran emerges as fastest after Day 1 of second session
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
January 16, 2006
06:20 PM EST (23:20 GMT)


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Sterling Marlin is already emerging as a favorite to win the Bud Pole for the Daytona 500 next month.

Marlin was blindingly fast in Monday's second-week test sessions for next month's season opener. His fastest afternoon lap (187.110 mph) was the best of the day and more than a tenth faster than his best lap of the morning session.

Both of Marlin's Chevrolets cracked the top five in the afternoon session.

MB2 Motorsports hired Marlin before it had even signed a sponsor. With the acquisition of Marlin, the team was able to piece together a funding package that eventually assured the team of a strong two-car package.

Marlin hasn't had much to smile about since 2002, but he seems rejuvenated in his new surroundings.

"I have worked with a lot of the guys before," Marlin said. "I think we can win the race. We have got fast cars that drive good. I still enjoy it a whole lot."

The best cars of the day didn't vary much from either session, as seven drivers managed to crack the top 10 in both tests. One of those drivers was Denny Hamlin, who will make his first restrictor-plate start at the Daytona 500 next month.

"Top 10 in both, so we're pretty steady," Hamlin said. "If we can pick up a tenth, that would help and jump us into the top five. Look forward to [Tuesday]."

Hamlin enters the year with large amount of confidence, but he is hoping he can get the car to go even faster and nail down a top-10 starting spot in the Daytona 500.

"Right now, we want some more speed and then worry about handling," Hamlin said.

Drafting practice will not start until Wednesday, but Hamlin says he is glad to be testing in this week's session, which has considerably more cars than last week's three-day session.

"I will get a better feel for how these cars draft on Wednesday and that is good," Hamlin said. "There are a lot of cars here to get a good pack together. I think there was [only] 12 cars drafting the first week. If we get a good pack going, I will get a good feel."

Find this article at:
http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/01/16/monday.pm.testing/index.html

Even more important then that, Hermie was behind the wheel of two different cars.

SPEED Channel SCHEDULE - All Times Eastern & Subject To Change

Show Date
Nextel Cup Series Testing Tue, Jan 17 7:00AM
Nextel Cup Series Testing Tue, Jan 17 6:30PM new
Nextel Cup Series Testing Wed, Jan 18 7:00AM
Nextel Cup Series Testing Wed, Jan 18 6:00PM
Nextel Cup Series Testing Wed, Jan 18 6:30PM new
Nextel Cup Series Testing Thu, Jan 19 7:00AM
Busch Series Testing Sun, Jan 22 7:00PM new
Nextel Cup Series Testing Sun, Jan 22 8:00PM
Nextel Cup Series Testing Sun, Jan 22 8:30PM
Nextel Cup Series Testing Sun, Jan 22 9:00PM
Busch Series Testing Sun, Jan 22 9:30PM
Busch Series Testing Sun, Jan 22 1:00AM
Busch Series Testing Sun, Jan 22 4:00AM
Busch Series Testing Mon, Jan 23 8:00AM
Busch Series Testing Mon, Jan 23 12:00PM
Las Vegas Wed, Feb 1 7:00PM new
Las Vegas Wed, Feb 1 11:00PM
Las Vegas Thu, Feb 2 7:00AM

I no longer get the speed channel.

Man have they sure Knocked down the speeds they go now days , I remember
200+ , a 187.10 pass at Daytona is top speed now ?

I have been hearing they are trying to develop a new car for the 2007 season , with small trunk wings , so the air isnt a factor coming off the rear spoiler like now .
I found a photo of the new test cars , and they are flat sided a ugly looking , a nasty looking chin spoiler ( spoiler below front bumper ) and they dont really look like Monte Carlos at all .

You mean this one?

2

3

4

10 more days until ROLEX 24........and.........
32 Days 13 Hours and 31 minutes until DAYTONA 500.
Will it ever get here???

Yea thats the dodge
Heres the monte

They sure are fugly. Areo be damned.

They mentioned those at the end of the show tonite recapping today's testing. They said that they were only planning on running the cars at tracks a mile and a half or less (or was it less than a mile and a half? I think I zoned out ... LOL). I'm not sure I like how those cars look. But as long as the races with them aren't boring, I guess I don't mind.

Countdown to Daytona:

29 Days, 7 hours and 31 minutes

2006 Nextel Cup Schedule

Date Race Track / Location Time (ET) TV Previous Winner

2/11 Budweiser Shootout Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL 8:30 p.m. On TNT Jimmie Johnson

2/16 Gatorade 150 Race 1 Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL 2:10 p.m. On TNT Michael Waltrip

2/16 Gatorade 150 Race 2 Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL 3:40 p.m. On TNT Tony Stewart

2/19 Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL 2:30 p.m. On NBC Jeff Gordon

2/26 Auto Club 500 on FOX California Speedway
Fontana, CA 3:30 p.m. On FOX Greg Biffle

3/12 NASCAR Racing from Las Vegas on FOX Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV 4:40 p.m. On FOX Jimmie Johnson

3/19 Golden Corral 500 on FOX Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, GA 1:30 p.m. On FOX Carl Edwards

3/26 NASCAR Racing from Bristol on FOX Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, TN 2:10 p.m. On FOX Kevin Harvick

4/2 NASCAR Racing from Martinsville on FOX Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, VA 1:30 p.m. On FOX Jeff Gordon

4/9 Samsung/Radio Shack 500 on FOX Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, TX 1:30 p.m. On FOX Greg Biffle

4/22 Subway Fresh 500 on FOX Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ 8:00 p.m. On FOX Kurt Busch

4/30 Aaron's 499 on FOX Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, AL 1:30 p.m. On FOX Jeff Gordon

5/6 Chevy American Revolution 400 on FX Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, VA TBA On FX Kasey Kahne

5/13 Dodge Charger 500 on FOX Darlington Raceway
Darlington, SC 6:30 p.m. On FOX Greg Biffle

5/20 NASCAR Nextel Open on FX Lowe's Motor Speedway
Concord, NC 7:40 p.m. On FX Brian Vickers

5/20 NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge on FX Lowe's Motor Speedway
Concord, NC 9:00 p.m. On FX Mark Martin

5/28 Coca-Cola 600 on FOX Lowe's Motor Speedway
Concord, NC 5:40 p.m. On FOX Jimmie Johnson

6/4 NASCAR Racing from Dover on FX Dover International Speedway
Dover, DE 2:10 p.m. On FX Greg Biffle

6/11 Nextel Cup Racing from Pocono on FOX Pocono Raceway
Long Pond, PA 2:10 p.m. On FOX Carl Edwards

6/18 NASCAR Racing from Michigan on FOX Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn, MI 1:00 p.m. On FOX Greg Biffle

6/25 NASCAR Racing from Sonoma on FOX Infineon Raceway
Sonoma, CA 3:00 p.m. On FOX Tony Stewart

7/1 Pepsi 400 on FOX Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL 7:30 p.m. On FOX Tony Stewart

7/9 USG Sheetrock 400 Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet, IL TBA On NBC Dale Earnhardt Jr.

7/16 New England 300 New Hampshire International Speedway
Loudon, NH TBA On TNT Tony Stewart

7/23 Pennsylvania 500 Pocono Raceway
Long Pond, PA 2:05 p.m. On TNT Kurt Busch

8/6 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis, IN TBA On NBC Tony Stewart

8/13 Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY TBA On NBC Tony Stewart

8/20 GFS Marketplace 400 Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn, MI TBA On TNT Jeremy Mayfield

8/26 Sharpie 500 Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, TN 7:40 p.m. On TNT Matt Kenseth

9/3 Sony HD 500 California Speedway
Fontana, CA TBA On NBC Kyle Busch

9/9 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, VA TBA On TNT Kurt Busch

9/17 Sylvania 300 New Hampshire International Speedway
Loudon, NH TBA On TNT Ryan Newman

9/24 MBNA RacePoints 400 Dover International Speedway
Dover, DE TBA On TNT Jimmie Johnson

10/1 Banquet 400 Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, KS TBA On NBC Mark Martin

10/8 UAW-Ford 500 Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, AL TBA On NBC Dale Jarrett

10/14 UAW-GM Quality 500 Lowe's Motor Speedway
Concord, NC TBA On NBC Jimmie Johnson

10/22 Subway 500 Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, VA TBA On NBC Jeff Gordon

10/29 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, GA TBA On NBC Carl Edwards

11/5 Dickies 500 Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, TX TBA On NBC Carl Edwards

11/12 Checker Auto Parts 500 Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ TBA On NBC Kyle Busch

11/19 Ford 400 Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead, FL TBA On NBC Greg Biffle

Ford contingent skeptical of Toyota's Cup chances
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
January 23, 2006
05:43 PM EST (22:43 GMT)

CONCORD, N.C. -- The Daytona 500 is still a month away, but most of the talk on the first day of the 2006 Nextel Cup Media Tour centered around the 2007 season.

NASCAR and Toyota officially announced their partnership in the 2007 Nextel Cup Series, returning the Nextel Cup Series to four manufacturers for the first time in four seasons.

It remains to be seen what kind of impact Toyota can make in the series. When Dodge re-entered the series in 2001, it didn't make much of an immediate impact. Sterling Marlin was the lone driver to finish in the top 14 in points.

Greg Biffle says Toyota should expect a similar wait for results.

"They don't stand a chance," Biffle said. "The Toyota teams are going to be tough guys, but I am telling you what, this sport is so hard, so tough, there isn't anyone that can come in and be competitive right off."

Toytota has competed in the Craftsman Truck Series since 2003, and its Tundra came within 73 points of winning the title in 2005. After failing to record a victory in the season's first 11 races, Toyotas won nine of the final 14 events.

But Toyota said Monday that its Nextel Cup teams won't follow the pattern that made it so successful in the Craftsman Truck Series. Toyota always has heavily supported the teams financially and provided the same engineering help, and that will change in 2007.

Unlike Dodge in 2001, Toyota will not enter the sport by providing factory-sponsored teams. Its teams will be expected to find outside funding from existing or new sponsors.

Biffle said that the learning curve for teams is much steeper than in 2001, especially with some top teams simply struggling to win at the Nextel Cup level.

"It's going to take experience and it's going to take time," Biffle said. "How long is it going to take? How long will it take [Richard] Childress to win races on a regular basis?

"So you're starting about someone brand new, how long will it be before they are winning races constantly? This is a tough business and it is going to be difficult."

Biffle's teammate, Carl Edwards, said that Ford's work with the Fusion will help offset some of Toyota's advantages.

"This Fusion, they have put a lot of work into it and no one will let something happen that we don't want to happen without someone voicing our opinion," Edwards said. "Speculation is a pretty big thing."

Team owner Robert Yates, who has fielded Fords for nearly 20 years in the Nextel Cup Series, agreed that NASCAR's strict templates will make it tough for Toyota to dominate.

"I know our whole point is to race on Sunday and sell on Monday, so that's the part that I want to make sure we kick their butt," Yates said. "I'm sure they want to kick ours, but I think NASCAR handles the competition side of it so we can be competitive."

Find this article at:
http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/01/23/ford.toyota.reax/index.html