Sixty Seconds with Syd
By Sydney Davis

The Surprising Great American Race
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Sunday was the official start of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series, and the drama was in full swing.

With Junior Nation riding a wave of two victories, many felt that victory was in his hands. And if Dale Earnhardt, Jr. couldn't pull it off, then another Hendrick driver surely could.

Or a Gibbs driver.

But not Ryan Newman.

As the sun set on the beach, the race shaped up to be a sure-fire Gibbs win. But as history has proven, sitting P1 at the start of a green-white-checkered isn't always a good thing. Too bad, cause Tony really needed the hair cut.

Snapping his 81 race winless streak, Newman crossed the line with a push teammate Kurt Busch, giving Penske Racing a one-two finish.

It was an exciting finish to an exciting race, and I don't think anyone missed the cautions in the early stages of the race. But Tony Eury, Jr., made the comment of the night when he said that everyone had been too good for the race to end without a few more cautions.

It was good to see some of the other non-headliners finish in the top 10. Guys like Reed Sorenson, Elliot Sadler, Kasey Kahne and Robby Gordon surprised a few.

I personally don't feel Sorenson has anything to prove, but Speedweeks definitely showed he's got some talent.  He steadily flew under the radar finishing fifth in the Bud Shootout and second in the first Gatorade Duel, but never really had the media's attention. With a fifth place finish in the biggest race of the year, Sorenson has left nothing to question. Hopefully he can continue this success throughout the season.

It was great the see the GEM cars of Sadler and Kahne back up in the top 10. Last year was an all around disappointment for team, but things seem to be turning around. Robby Gordon was also another one of six Dodges in the top 10.

Most surprising of all were the results of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., was the highest finishing car in ninth. Jimmie Johnson placed 27th, Casey Mears followed in 35th and Jeff Gordon brought up the rear with a 39th place finish.

As the series heads to California, Matt Kenseth is looking to make it three in a row. He leads the standings in Driver Ratings at 113.9 and Average Running Position at 7.242.

It's also a homecoming for seven drivers. Jeff Gordon, Johnson, Robby Gordon, Mears, Kevin Harvick, David Gilliland and AJ Allmendinger are all natives of the Golden State. No other state boasts more drivers from the Sprint Cup.

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