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TONY STEWARTNo. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet

Age: 35. Home town: Columbus, Ind.Prospects: Two-time championmissed the Chase last season butexacted revenge by winning threeof 10 postseason races. There’s nodoubting his talent.

JEFF GORDONNo. 24 DuPont Chevrolet

Age: 35.Home town: Vallejo, Calif.Prospects: NASCAR’s formerWonder Boy has been stalled atfour championships since 2001.Will impending fatherhood honehis focus or soften his edge?

JIMMIE JOHNSON No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet

Age: 31. Home Town: El Cajon, Calif. Prospects: Winning his first serieschampionship last season validatedhis place among the sport's elite. Canhe become the first repeat championsince Jeff Gordon in 1997 and ’98?

GREG BIFFLENo. 16 Ameriquest Ford

Age: 37.Home town: Vancouver, Wash.Prospects: Mark Martin’s departureleaves Biffle as the elder statesmanof Roush Racing, which is coming offa lackluster season. He could spurthe rebound.

KEVIN HARVICKNo. 29 Shell Chevrolet

Age: 31.Home town: Bakersfield, Calif.Prospects: He romped to his secondBusch Series title and nearly won theCup title in 2006. By paring back hiscommitments, he should contend forthe Cup title again.

1. DAYTONA 500Sunday, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway

NASCAR is the onlysport that kicks offwith its SuperBowl, the Daytona500. Carburetor-restrictor plateskeep horsepower equal,so the driver who best exploits the aerodynamicdraft usually wins.

2. FOOD CITY 500March 25, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor SpeedwayThe season’s firstshort-track raceon the high banksof this .533-milebullring is a spec-tacle, with plentyof bumping andbanging. This race alsomarks the debut of NASCAR’s controversial Carof Tomorrow.

3. TOYOTA/SAVE MART 350June 24, Infineon (Calif.) RacewayKeep your eye on the No.42 Texaco/Havoline Dodgedriven by FormulaOne ace JuanPablo Montoya,the mostoverqualified rookie inNASCAR history when it comes to turning leftand right.

4. CHEVY ROCK & ROLL 400Sept. 8, Richmond International RacewayNASCAR expandedthe field for thepostseason Chasefor the Nextel Cupfrom 10 to 12. Butthat won’t ease thepressure entering theseason’s 26th race, which marks the cutoff forqualifying.

5. UAW-FORD 500Oct. 7, Talladega (Ala.) SuperspeedwayNASCAR’s biggesttrack (2.66 miles)also requiresrestrictor plates tokeep speeds under200 mph, which allbut ensures a huge wreckand a close finish. Now, the Car of Tomorrow isadded to the mix.

NASCAR SEASON PREVIEW By Liz Clarke

Changes Put Sport on TrackNASCAR fans are accustomed to change, but the 2007 Nextel Cup season a surprising new face behind the wheel, controversial new cars on the trapopular driver and new rules governing the postseason. Here’s what you n

RACES TO WATCH (With track turns)

DRIVERS TO WATCH

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LAST SEASON’S FINAL STANDINGSRk Driver Points W T5 T10

1. Jimmie Johnson 6,475 5 13 24

2. Matt Kenseth 6,419 4 15 21

3. Denny Hamlin 6,407 2 8 20

4. Kevin Harvick 6,397 5 15 20

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6,328 1 10 17

6. Jeff Gordon 6,256 2 14 18

7. Jeff Burton 6,228 1 7 20

8. Kasey Kahne 6,183 6 12 19

9. Mark Martin 6,168 0 7 15

10. Kyle Busch 6,027 1 10 18

11. Tony Stewart 4,727 5 15 19

12. Carl Edwards 4,428 0 10 20

13. Greg Biffle 4,075 2 8 15

14. Casey Mears 3,914 0 2 8

15. Brian Vickers 3,906 1 5 9

16. Kurt Busch 3,900 1 7 12

17. Clint Bowyer 3,833 0 4 11

18. Ryan Newman 3,748 0 2 7

19. Martin Truex Jr. 3,673 0 2 5

20. Scott Riggs 3,619 0 1 8

21. Bobby Labonte 3,567 0 3 8

22. Elliott Sadler 3,469 0 1 7

23. Dale Jarrett 3,438 0 1 4

24. Reed Sorenson 3,434 0 1 5

25. Jamie McMurray 3,405 0 3 7

26. Dave Blaney 3,259 0 1 2

27. Joe Nemechek 3,255 0 0 2

28. Jeff Green 3,253 0 0 2

29. J.J. Yeley 3,220 0 0 3

30. Robby Gordon 3,113 0 1 3

The defection of former Formula One ace JuanPablo Montoya to NASCAR has brought immedi-ate cachet to stock-car racing, which despite itssurging popularity is still fighting an image as asimplistic form of motorsports based on rudi-mentary technology.

Montoya, 31, brings unprecedented creden-tials: An Indianapolis 500 victory (on his firstattempt), a CART championship (in his rookieseason) and seven Formula One victories. Justlast month he added another, roaring to victo-ry in the 24 Hours of Daytona, which is con-tested on Daytona International Speedway’sinfield road course, as part of a three-driverteam fielded by his NASCAR owners, ChipGanassi and Felix Sabates.

Strapped inside his 3,400-pound No. 42Texaco/Havoline Dodge, Montoya provedhe was fast and fearless in NASCAR’s pre-season testing. The bigger question iswhether he’ll have the patience to race500 miles on one oval after another, withjust two road-course events in the 36-raceseason.

While his car owners hope the 24-Hour title is the first of many wins,NASCAR CEO Brian France is bankingthat Montoya’s mere presence will luremore Latino fans. DiversifyingNASCAR’s audience has becomea priority for France, who seesAfrican American and Latinofans as critical to maintainingthe dynamic growth curve thesport has enjoyed the last 15years.

For decades, NASCAR’s rulebookspelled it out in black and white:Only American-made cars couldcompete. But that distinction hasbecome as outmoded as leather rac-ing helmets and bias-ply tires intoday’s global economy, with pas-senger cars assembled on one conti-nent from parts constructed onanother continent and sold by aparent company based on yetanother continent.

Still, the entry of the first foreignnameplate — Toyota — intoNASCAR’s elite ranks has drawnhowls of protest from some ofstock-car racing’s more traditionalfans. Never mind that Toyota’sCamry will be the only brand onthe track that is manufactured inthe United States.

Given that U.S. automakers arehemorrhaging money, NASCAR’sfounding France family is making asmart business decision by wel-coming Toyota into the fold. Byadding a financially stable manu-facturer to the competitive ranks,NASCAR, in a sense, is diversify-ing its portfolio and protectingitself from the potential wild fluctu-ations in store for the U.S. automo-tive industry.

But it remains to be seen how fanswill react. Anxiety is in high gear inthe garage, where team owners whofield Fords, Chevrolets and Dodgesworry Toyota will use its deep pock-ets to spend its way into VictoryLane and upset NASCAR’s care-fully engineered competitivebalance.

» The New Toyota Camry » Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Next Move

Could NASCAR’s most popular driver real-ly bail on the team his father founded? It’squite possible, given the strained relationsbetween Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmoth-er, Teresa Earnhardt, who now runs the com-pany. Teresa publicly chastised Dale Jr. inDecember, implying that his interest in beinga celebrity was undercutting his potential asa racer.

Representatives for Dale Jr. and Teresasay they hope to have a contractextension signed by May.The stickingpoint

appears to be whether Juniownership stake in the comthing he has made clear heTeresa will have to yield onmake it work. With NASCAbase, Junior has all the levenegotiations. If he doesn’t gleaves, there’s no doubt hissponsor, Budweiser, would interim, the clock is ticking

of a championship. At ished higher t

seven

» Montoya’s Rookie Season

BY RUSTY JARRETT — GETTY IMAGES

2002 PHOTO BY TERR

FIRST NASCAR CAMRY Released: 2007.Cost: $200,000-$300,000.Weight: 3,400 pounds.Horsepower: 850.Engine: 5.9-liter V8.Fuel tank: 22 gallons.Doors: None.Top speed: Over 200 mph.

FIRST PASSENGER CAMRY Released: 1983.

Cost: $7,800-$10,000.Weight: 2,400 pounds

Horsepower: 92.Engine: 2.0-liter V4.

Fuel tank: 14 gallons.Doors: Four.

Top speed: Not quite 100 mph.

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Racing

KASEY KAHNENo. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge

Age: 26.Home town: Enumclaw, Wash.Prospects: He’s the driver to beaton superspeedways and led all driv-ers in 2006 with six wins. To con-tend for the title, he needs to bemore consistent.

DENNY HAMLINNo. 11 FedEx Chevrolet

Age: 26.Home town: Chesterfield, Va.Prospects: Joe Gibbs Racing’s sur-prising champion contender in 2006,Hamlin hopes to avoid a sophomoreslump after enjoying one of the bestrookie seasons in memory.

CASEY MEARSNo. 25 GMAC Chevrolet

Age: 28.Home town: Bakersfield, Calif.Prospects: The nephew of four-timeIndy 500 winner Rick Mears inheritsgreat expectations by stepping up toHendrick Motorsports, which haswon six NASCAR titles.

RICKY RUDDNo. 88 Snickers Ford

Age: 50.Home town: Chesapeake, Va.Prospects: This dogged but disci-plined veteran bailed on retirementafter one year in hopes of salvagingthe fortunes of struggling RobertYates Racing, his former employer.

DALE JARRETTNo. 44 UPS Toyota

Age: 50.Home town: Hickory, N.C.Prospects: Will Toyota’s backingand crew chief Matt Borland breathenew life into Jarrett? As a formerNASCAR champion, he’ll get a ‘provi-sional’ qualifying spot in six races.

k for Eventful Yearpromises more upheaval than usual, including

ack, new strife on the team of the sport’s mostneed to know to follow the key story lines:

THIS SEASON’S SCHEDULE (With last season’s race result)

Just when fans and racers had gotten the hangof NASCAR’s new postseason Chase for theNextel Cup, France decided to tweak his three-year-old formula for crowning the sport’s annualchampion. Unveiled on the eve of the 2007 sea-son, those changes are intended, France says, toput more emphasis on winning races ratherthan simply finishing well.

In addition, the Chase will be expandedfrom 10 drivers to 12, giving more competi-tors (and therefore more corporate spon-sors) the benefit of the extra publicity andexposure that comes with vying for thechampionship over the last 10 races ofthe season. Defending champion TonyStewart missed the cut in 2006; four-time champion Jeff Gordon missed itin 2005.

Starting with the season-openingDaytona 500, drivers will get an extrafive points for winning a race. Then,after the Sept. 8 race at RichmondInternational Raceway, the top 12drivers in the standings will earn aspot in the Chase. They’ll have theirpoint totals reconfigured, with eachstarting at 5,000 and adding a 10-point bonus for each victory earned

in the first 26 races.While the new formula

might give fans a headache,France insists it will give driv-ers more incentive to battlefor the win rather than pro-tect a solid finish. And that,he believes, will produce abetter show and, in turn, high-er TV ratings.

Date Race Track TV Time

SundayDaytona 500 Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway WTTG-5 2 p.m.With crew chief Chad Knaus suspended, Jimmie Johnson wins in a two-lap shootout.

Feb. 25Auto Club 500 California Speedway WTTG-5 3 p.m.Matt Kenseth wins after Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart blow engines late in the race.

March 11UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway WTTG-5 4 p.m.After not leading a lap, Jimmie Johnson beats Matt Kenseth to finish by 0.115 of a second.

March 18Kobalt Tools 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway WTTG-5 1:30 p.m.Kasey Kahne wins, and Bill Lester becomes first black driver in NASCAR's top series since 1986.

March 25Food City 500 Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway WTTG-5 1:30 p.m.Kurt Busch wins after ramming into leader Matt Kenseth, sending him into a slide.

April 1Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Martinsville (Va.) Speedway WTTG-5 1:30 p.m.Tony Stewart wins a side-by-side duel with Jimmie Johnson, passing him with 27 laps to go.

April 15Samsung 500 Texas Motor Speedway WTTG-5 1:30 p.m.After restart with 17 laps left, Kasey Kahne pulls away and wins by more than four seconds.

April 21Subway Fresh Fit 500 Phoenix Int’l Speedway WTTG-5 8 p.m.Kevin Harvick passes Greg Biffle with 10 laps to go to end 38-race winless drought.

April 29Aaron’s 499 Talladega (Ala.) Speedway WTTG-5 1:30 p.m.Rain pushes another race to Monday and Jimmie Johnson passes Brian Vickers with a lap to go.

May 5Crown Royal 400 Richmond Int’l Speedway WTTG-5 7 p.m.Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets his first victory, holding off rookie Denny Hamlin.

May 12Dodge Avenger 500 Darlington (S.C.) Raceway WTTG-5 7 p.m.Greg Biffle ends a string of bad luck by holding off a late charge from Jeff Gordon to win.

May 19Nextel All-Star Challenge Lowe’s (N.C.) Motor Speedway Speed 7 p.m.After a final restart following a wreck, Jimmie Johnson shakes off Kevin Harvick to win.

May 27Coca-Cola 600 Lowe’s (N.C.) Motor Speedway WTTG-5 5 p.m.Kasey Kahne ends Jimmie Johnson's run of three straight victories in this race.

June 3Dover 400 Dover (Del.) Int’l Raceway TNT 1 p.m.Matt Kenseth passes Jamie McMurray late in a 1-2 finish for Roush Racing.

June 10Pocono 500 Pocono (Pa.) Raceway TNT 1 p.m.Rookie Denny Hamlin overcomes a blown tire and holds off Tony Stewart for first victory.

June 17Michigan 400 Michigan Int’l Speedway TNT TBAKasey Kahne rallies from 38th place to win after rain cuts race 71 laps short.

June 24Toyota/Save Mart 350 Infineon (Calif.) Raceway TNT 4 p.m.Jeff Gordon takes lead on 49th of 110-lap race and earns records ninth road-course win.

July 1Lenox Industrial Tools 300 New Hampshire Int’l Speedway TNT TBAKyle Busch wins by steering clear of the trouble that brought out 11 caution flags.

July 7Pepsi 400 Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway TNT 7 p.m.Tony Stewart takes leads with two laps to go to win this race for second straight year.

July 15USG Sheetrock 400 Chicagoland Speedway TNT 3 p.m.Jeff Gordon claims controversial victory after spinning out Matt Kenseth with four laps to go.

July 29Allstate 400 Indianapolis Motor Speedway ESPN 1 p.m.After falling to eighth late, Jimmie Johnson rallies to complete Daytona-Brickyard sweep.

Aug. 5Pennsylvania 500 Pocono (Pa.) Raceway ESPN 1 p.m.After Tony Stewart is black-flagged for aggressive driving, teammate Denny Hamlin wins.

Aug. 12Nextel Cup at The Glen Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l ESPN 1 p.m. After Kurt Busch is penalized for pitting too soon, Kevin Harvick passes Tony Stewart to win.

Aug. 19Performance 400 Michigan Int’l Speedway ESPN 1 p.m.Matt Kenseth takes care of his tires enough to hold off Jeff Gordon's charge for victory.

Aug. 25Sharpie 500 Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway ESPN 7 p.m.Matt Kenseth defends title and clinches a spot in the Chase with fourth win of the season.

Sept. 2Nextel Cup Series 500 California Speedway ESPN 7 p.m.Kasey Kahne wins his series-leading fifth race, which he needs to stay in Chase contention.

Sept. 8Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Richmond Int’l Speedway WJLA-7 7 p.m.Kevin Harvick wins race, and defending points champion Tony Stewart is eliminated from Chase.

Sept. 16Sylvania 300 New Hampshire Int’l Speedway WJLA-7 1 p.m.Kevin Harvick wins for the second straight week, and Tony Stewart is second.

Sept. 23Dover 400 Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway WJLA-7 1 p.m.Jeff Burton ends 175-race winless streak, passing Matt Kenseth with six laps to go.

Sept. 30Kansas 400 Kansas Speedway WJLA-7 1 p.m.Tony Stewart runs out of gas on the final lap but has enough of a lead to coast to victory.

Oct. 7UAW-Ford 500 Talladega (Ala.) Speedway WJLA-7 1 p.m.Brian Vickers pushes Jimmie Johnson into Dale Earnhardt Jr., then drives to unpopular win.

Oct. 13Bank of America 500 Lowe’s (N.C.) Motor Speedway WJLA-7 7 p.m.Kasey Kahne wins for sixth time and completes season sweep at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Oct. 21Subway 500 Martinsville (Va.) Speedway WJLA-7 1 p.m.Jimmie Johnson wins a crash-filled race to get back into contention for Chase title.

Oct. 28Georgia 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway WJLA-7 1 p.m.Tony Stewart, who didn't qualify for the Chase, wins for the second time in the postseason.

Nov. 4Dickies 500 Texas Motor Speedway WJLA-7 3 p.m.Tony Stewart wins easily, while Jimmie Johnson gets the best of the Chase jockeying.

Nov. 11Checker Auto Parts 500 Phoenix Int’l Speedway WJLA-7 3 p.m.Kevin Harvick wins, with runner-up Jimmie Johnson racing conservatively to protect his points.

Nov. 18Ford 400 Homestead-Miami Speedway WJLA-7 3 p.m.Greg Biffle wins race, and Jimmie Johnson finishes ninth to claim his first series championship.

ior will get anmpany — some-e expects. Andn that point toAR’s biggest fanerage in theseget a stake and

s deep-pocketedfollow. In the

g on his pursuit32, he hasn’t fin-

than third inn Cup seasons.

NASCAR’s ballyhooed Car ofTomorrow won’t make its competi-tive debut until March 25 at Bristol(Tenn.) Motor Speedway, but thesquawking has already begun aboutNASCAR’s first attempt to design achassis that all teams must useregardless of whether they’re racingFords, Chevrolets, Dodges orToyotas.

The goal was threefold: To createa car that was safer and more cost-effective and produced more side-by-side racing. But in the eyes of manyracers, the result is an unattractivecar with dubious racing characteris-tics. Moreover, mechanics say theCar of Tomorrow takes too much

ingenuity out of their hands.The car is wider andtaller than current Cup

cars. That’s for safety’s sake, allow-ing extra room for energy-absorbingmaterial to shield the driver (whoseseat has been moved toward thecenter of the car) on impact.

The most striking change is therear wing and the front splitter,which is a shelf-like protrusionunder the nose. The wing and split-ter are tuning elements that serve asthe chief sources of downforce.

NASCAR officials claim theirCar of Tomorrow will be a multi-purpose vehicle, saving money bypreventing teams from having tobuild different cars for each type oftrack. Many are skeptical that itwill be truly adaptable to shorttracks, superspeedways and roadcourses.

» The Car of Tomorrow

» Changes to the Chase

Adjustablerear wing andfront splitter

Double-framerail with

steel plating

A more definedbody and chassisinspection processRY RENNA — ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR

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