Nascar's Hot Wives and Girlfriends

Jeff Gordon and Ingrid Vandebosch
Although Jeff Gordon and Belgian model Ingrid Vandebosch were introduced in 2002, he was married at the time and they didn't start dating until nearly two and a half years later. The two married in November of 2006 and welcomed their first child, Ella Sofia, on June 20, 2007.

Jimmie and Chandra Johnson
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon may battle on the track, but Johnson owes his biggest off-track victory to his teammate and rival. Gordon introduced Johnson to Chandra in 2002. He proposed on the top of a mountain in Beaver Creek in December 2003, and they were married in December of 2004.

Tony Stewart and Tara Roquemore
Tony Stewart and Tara Roquemore have had an on-again, off-again relationship for awhile. Tara, a former marketing assistant for Tony's major sponsor, Home Depot, and Stewart broke up in the first half of 2007. When she appeared with Stewart at the Daytona 500 in 2008, however, it caused speculation about their relationship. Stewart later confirmed that they are once again a couple.

Dario Franchitti and Ashley Judd
Actress Ashley Judd married Dario Franchitti in 2001 at Skibo Castle in Scotland, the same venue that hosted Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie and Ewan McGregor's nuptials.

Greg Biffle and Nicole Lunders
Greg Biffle has been married to his wife Nicole Lunders since October of 2007. She's a devoted animal lover and very involved in her husband's foundation supporting humane society programs. That protective nature also apparently carries over to watching Greg on the track, however, as in 2006 Nicole berated Kurt Busch's fiancee Eva Bryan after Busch wrecked Biffle.

Kurt and Eva Busch
Kurt Busch met Eva Bryan on a blind date. Eva believed Busch was a veterinarian because the friend who set them up worried she wouldn't want to meet a racecar driver.

Michael and Buffy Waltrip
When Buffy was still in college, she met Michael Waltrip at a NASCAR-themed eatery frequented by many drivers. They didn't start dating, however, for a few more years when she finally agreed to go out with him. The day of their date he was in a bad wreck, and she rushed to the hospital to be with him. Still, it was another month before she agreed to be his girlfriend. They married in 1993 and have one daughter together (Michael has one daughter from a previous relationship). Buffy is a co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing.

Ryan and Krissie Newman
A clerk for a North Carolina judge when her grandmother set her up on a blind date with Ryan Newman in 2001, Krissie reportedly had no clue what a stock car was. She now attends most every race since marrying Newman in 2004. The Newmans manage the Ryan Newman Foundation, which focuses on helping shelters and pounds provide care for abandoned dogs and cats.

Daytona 500 Line-Ups Set

The 2008 Daytona 500 starting grid is up and ready for the race on Sunday. The Hendrick cars seem to be in good shape to get a win, but the surprise seems to be Toyota. I honestly think Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to win, but everyone seems to be forgetting about Tony Stewart. He could sneek up and win it as well as Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordan. Who do you think will win the SuperBowl of racing?


2008 Daytona 500 Grid
Race Links: Qualifying Speeds | Starting GridReturn to Season ScheduleStarting Grid
POS DRIVER CAR MANUFACTURER SPEED
1 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet 187.075 mph
2 Michael Waltrip 55 Toyota 186.734 mph
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 Chevrolet 185.479 mph
4 Denny Hamlin 11 Toyota 185.947 mph
5 Reed Sorenson 41 Dodge 184.264 mph
6 Tony Stewart 20 Toyota 185.651 mph
7 Ryan Newman 12 Dodge 185.143 mph
8 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet 185.858 mph
9 Casey Mears 5 Chevrolet 186.054 mph
10 Kasey Kahne 9 Dodge 184.828 mph
11 Carl Edwards 99 Ford 184.487 mph
12 Mark Martin 8 Chevrolet 185.429 mph
13 Bobby Labonte 43 Dodge 183.857 mph
14 David Ragan 6 Ford 185.594 mph
15 Juan Pablo Montoya 42 Dodge 184.241 mph
16 Kevin Harvick 29 Chevrolet 184.589 mph
17 Kenny Wallace 87 Chevrolet 184.953 mph
18 Greg Biffle 16 Ford 185.071 mph
19 Sam Hornish Jr 77 Dodge 184.226 mph
20 Dale Jarrett 44 Toyota 185.345 mph
21 Paul Menard 15 Chevrolet 184.415 mph
22 John Andretti 34 Chevrolet 183.673 mph
23 Brian Vickers 83 Toyota 185.475 mph
24 Kyle Busch 18 Toyota 184.809 mph
25 Martin Truex Jr. 1 Chevrolet 184.290 mph
26 Robby Gordon 7 Dodge 184.850 mph
27 Scott Riggs 66 Chevrolet 185.193 mph
28 Matt Kenseth 17 Ford 185.517 mph
29 Regan Smith 01 Chevrolet 184.964 mph
30 Travis Kvapil 28 Ford 185.958 mph
31 Clint Bowyer 07 Chevrolet 184.106 mph
32 David Gilliland 38 Ford 185.410 mph
33 Jeremy Mayfield 70 Chevrolet 184.612 mph
34 Dave Blaney 22 Toyota 186.120 mph
35 Elliott Sadler 19 Dodge 184.521 mph
36 Jeff Burton 31 Chevrolet 183.884 mph
37 J.J. Yeley 96 Toyota 182.994 mph
38 Jamie McMurray 26 Ford 185.010 mph
39 Kyle Petty 45 Dodge 183.374 mph
40 Dario Franchitti 40 Dodge 184.351 mph
41 Joe Nemechek 78 Chevrolet 186.498 mph
42 David Reutimann 00 Toyota 186.463 mph
43 Kurt Busch 2 Dodge 184.540 mph

Jimmie Johnson Takes the Poll for Nascar's Biggest Race

Jimmie Johnson took the pool for the 2008 running of the Daytona 500 Sunday afternoon. Less than 24 hours ago his teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., edged Tony Stewart to win the Budweiser Shootout. This will mark the 50th running of the superbowl of racing. With all of the drivers qualifying today, only the top two are set for Sunday's race. A lot of the fans don't know that or understand that. The other driver that has punched his ticket for the race is Michael Waltrip. He was the first of many of the Toyato cars that ran really well. If fans remember well enough, Toyota was almost a joke last year. Starting with Michael Waltrip himself after the 500 inspection revealed that they used an illegal fuel.
So, the only spots taken for Sunday's race is the first row with Jimmie Johnson who qualified 1st with a speed of 187 mph and Michael Waltrip 2nd with a speed of 186 mph. The rest of the field will be decided in two 150 mile races on Thursday.
I think that everyone thought that Hendrick Motorsports would do fine this year, especially after Jr.'s win last night, but no one expected Toyota to show as well as they have this early on!

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Dale Earnhardt Wins the Budweiser Shootout

Is this a sign of things to come for Jr.? I hope so. The race was a heck of a lot more exciting with Jr. in contention from start to finish. It was good to see him battle Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson. The best part of the entire Budweiser Shootout was the total domination of the Hendrix Motorsports Team throughout the race. I would say they put a rest to the rumors that they could not exist together. They being Jeff Gordan, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jimmie Johnson showed his true colors by pushing Jr. to the front past Stewart on the final few laps. It was great to see Jr. happy and the huge weight released off of his shoulders. Take that Teressa!

Remember, this race didn't count towards Nascar's points, so we'll see how nice the teammates are when it counts.

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Nascar Racing: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Moving On!

Despite having NO Nascar Championships and only 17 wins, Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains Nascar's superstar, its Lebron James, Tiger Woods. This year, Jr. joins a group of winners that have settled for nothing less than Championships. 7 Nascar Nextel Cups to be exact and Jimmie Johnson is looking for his 3rd in a row. The funny thing is they are now taking a backseat to their new teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jr's not just worried about winning this year, he is concerned about overshadowing his new teammates at Hendrick Motor sports. In case you were wondering that would consist of Jeff Gordan, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears. You're probably wondering how in the world can Dale Jr. be more popular than those winning drivers? Well, it's pretty easy. Jr. represents all Nascar fans. Beer, hat on backwards, shirt off, or untucked, sunglasses, video games, women, etc....

Now he has to change his image to fit into the Hendrick team. How, shirt tucked in, long sleeved dress shirts, no hat on backwards, dress pants, clean shaving, etc...

The question is, will he still appeal to his fans thank drank Budweiser because Amped Energy Drink is a lot different from that. I think the only way he can be a good teammate is to win. Justify all the hype. Prove that you belong with the big-boys. There are no more excuses. No blown engines. He has the best of the best to work with and learn from.

I think he has more pressure to prove to DEI what they let go. Cause I honestly don't believe that they (DEI) believe losing Jr. will hurt them at all. I know I would want to prove them wrong especially if it was my step-mother who was shoving me out the door. Mother Teresa has already emptied out the DEI headquarters of all of the Earnhardt Jr. memorabilia, trophies, photos, anything that had any affiliation with Jr. is gone and she made sure of it. He says it doesn't bother him, but come on, any man in his right mind would want to prove how valuable they really are or were to their previous employer.

DEI, or TEI (Teresa Earnhardt Inc.) will now have to rely on Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr. Which I don't think those two can erase the Jr. legacy at DEI, but if he doesn't win where he is at now, it will be a lot easier for Teresa Earnhardt to say, "I told ya so!"