NASCAR confiscates parts from Johnson's Daytona 500 car

Autoracing Betting Lines

02/17/2012 - Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmie Johnson's Daytona 500 car failed opening day inspection on Friday at Daytona International Speedway after NASCAR officials discovered a template (body) violation on his car.

Officials found the "C-posts" -- the panel that connects the rear of the car's roof to the top of the rear quarter panel or deck lid area -- to be illegal and therefore confiscated the parts for further investigation at NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord, NC.

"The 48 car had a body modification on it that was outside of what our tolerances are or what the original surface definitions for the body were," Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said. "What you would normally see is exactly what the original surface of the car should be.

"There were some obvious modifications that the template inspectors picked up on, and we did some additional inspections with some gauges and stuff and found that they were just too far out of tolerance to fix, so they were removed from the car. I think the team is working now on getting the correct pieces flown down here [from North Carolina], so they can get them all welded back in."

Johnson's team must fix the issue on the car and remit it for inspection before they can participate in the first practice for the Daytona 500, which is scheduled for Saturday morning. Qualifying is slated for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. (et).

Penalties could be forthcoming to Johnson's No.48 Hendrick Motorsports team, including possible suspension of crew chief Chad Knaus and other members of the team.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said any penalties would be announced after Daytona Speedweeks concludes with the February 26 Daytona 500. Pemberton also noted this violation would not result in any members of the No.48 team being ejected from the racetrack for the remainder of Speedweeks.

The three other cars from Hendrick -- Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne -- had no issues during inspection.

In 2006, Johnson's car failed post-qualifying inspection for the Daytona 500, with officials discovering an unapproved template modification to the rear window area. Knaus was not allowed to participate in any further Speedweeks activities, including the Daytona 500. He was also suspended for the next three Cup races and received a $25,000 fine.

Johnson went on to win the Daytona 500 for the first time in 2006, with Darian Grubb serving as his interim crew chief at the time.

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Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.