This Weekend in NASCAR | Daytona Storylines
Posted Tuesday, February 21; Source - NASCAR Communications
Throw back. Old school. Retro. Use whatever moniker you like, and it would fit this past weekend in NASCAR.
First you had the Shootout at Daytona, the annual fan-favorite preseason race at Daytona International Speedway. After an offseason – and more – of testing and fine-tuning, pack racing is back. For the most part, drivers abandoned the two-car tandem for the big packs of old. It made for a wild race, and a sparkling finish. Kyle Busch's slingshot move on defending series champion Tony Stewart gave him his first Shootout victory. The margin of victory of .013 seconds was the closest in the race's history.
Now fast forward to Sunday morning. As competitors put the finishing touches prior to Coors Light Pole qualifying, a major announcement hit the mailboxes of media everywhere. Next season's eligibility for the Shootout had been released. Pole winners from 2012 and past winners of the event would be locked in, eligibility rules mirroring those from 1979 to 2008. It was a return to the event's roots.
Shortly after, at 1 p.m., Daytona 500 qualifying began. Carl Edwards, taking advantage of a powerful engine and an opportunistic qualifying draw, laid down a lap of 194.738 mph. It was the fastest Daytona 500 pole winning lap since 1999 – more than a decade ago.
Last weekend set the strong foundation for the second and final week of Speedweeks. Up first is the two Gatorade Duel races, a final chance for those not already locked into the Daytona 500 to make the show.
On Friday night, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens its season at Daytona in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at 7:30 p.m. on SPEED.
On Saturday afternoon, the stars of the NASCAR Nationwide Series run their season-opener at Daytona in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at 1:15 p.m. on ESPN.
And, of course, the 54th annual Daytona 500 culminates Speedweeks. NASCAR's biggest race starts at 1 p.m. on FOX.
Storylines for all three series follow.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
99 Has No Problems On Pole Day
After turning the fastest lap in Daytona 500 pole qualifying since 1999, Carl Edwards will attempt to become the 10th driver to win the Daytona 500 from the pole and first since Dale Jarrett in 2000. Edwards finished second last year in The Great American Race and had a ninth-place finish in 2010.
Edwards leads an all-Ford front row, as Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle captured the second spot). A win would be the manufacturer's third Daytona 500 victory in four seasons and the second in four years for Roush Fenway Racing, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this season.
Roush Fenway Racing's next victory – be it in Saturday NASCAR Nationwide race or in the Daytona 500 – would be the team's 300th in NASCAR national series competition.
The first and second starting positions have accounted for the most wins in Daytona 500 history with nine and seven respectively, combining for 30 percent of the victories in the previous 53 events.
Bayne Locked In And Loaded For Great American Repeat
With the fastest time among drivers not in the top 35, Trevor Bayne locked himself into the 54th running of the Daytona 500 along with Tony Raines, David Stremme and Terry Labonte, who can use a past champion's provisional.
Bayne, who turned 21 on Sunday, will attempt to join Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and fellow Tennessean Sterling Marlin (1994-95) as the only drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. A win would extend 2012 NASCAR Hall of Famer Glen Wood's win record at Daytona to 16.
Champ Seeks First 500 Win On His Own
Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart has three Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola wins, three Budweiser Shootout crowns, two Gatorade Duel wins and two triumphs in IROC cars. His six DRIVE4COPD 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series wins (including the last four consecutive victories) is second only to Dale Earnhardt's seven, and Stewart is also tied for second with Bobby Allison on the all-time victory leader list at Daytona with 16 behind Earnhardt, who had 34.
In 13 previous Daytona 500 starts, Stewart has three top-five finishes, including a runner-up run in 2004.
Danica Makes Highly Anticipated Debut
When the green flag flies on FOX at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Danica Patrick will become the third woman to start the Daytona 500, following Janet Guthrie (1977, 1980) and Shawna Robinson (2002). She'll also attempt to join last year's race winner Trevor Bayne as the eighth driver to win her first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the 500. The club consists of Tiny Lund (1963), Mario Andretti (1967), Pete Hamilton (1970), Derrike Cope (1990), Sterling Marlin (1994), Michael Waltrip (2001) and Bayne (2011).
Of the two women who have raced before her in the Daytona 500, neither has a top-10 finish with Guthrie coming home 12th in 1977 and 11th in 1980 and Robinson finishing 24th in 2002.
Not Old, But Experienced: Martin Looks To Make History
In his 28th Daytona 500 and 25th consecutive Great American Race, Mark Martin is back in his quest to win his first Daytona 500. Turning 53 on January 9, Martin would not only break NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison's record as the oldest driver to win the 500, but become the oldest winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history. The current oldest winner is Harry Gant at 52 years, seven months and six days.
It's the fifth anniversary of his loss at the line to Kevin Harvick as Martin begins a new chapter in his career with Michael Waltrip Racing. A win for Martin would break Dale Earnhardt's record of 20 races before his first win in the Daytona 500.
Junior Gaining Steam Heading Into 500
Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner of a 129-race wins drought, has the feel of someone who appears on the verge of a breakthrough.
Before getting caught up in an accident in Saturday night's Shootout, Earnhardt led 12 laps, bringing the fans to their feet with each one.
On Sunday, Earnhardt narrowly missed sitting on the front row of the Daytona 500 for the second consecutive year, turning the third fastest lap in qualifying.
A win in the Daytona 500 would be Earnhardt's second, joining his trophy from 2004.
This Time, It IS Go Or Go Home
Thursday's Gatorade Duel at Daytona races mean everything to a select 10 drivers.
Those who have yet to secure a spot in the Daytona 500: Kenny Wallace, Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip, Michael McDowell, Joe Nemechek, Bill Elliott, Mike Wallace, Robert Richardson Jr., JJ Yeley and Robby Gordon.
They'll need to race their way in on Thursday. The top two "non-35 drivers" in each Gatorade Duel make Sunday's Daytona 500.
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Encore, Encore!
If you were enamored with the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, there's no reason not to carry that same sentiment into Daytona, the opening race of the 2012 campaign.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the reigning series champion, returns to defend his title. NASCAR's media corps thinks he'll do just that, predicting him to repeat, according to a preseason poll on NASCARMedia.com.
But in scanning the list of driver championship contenders in 2012, it may be a good thing that his favorite status is on paper. This season already has the feel of an explosive title chase, where each race, every point, will be scrutinized.
Danica Patrick, Elliott Sadler, Sam Hornish Jr., Austin Dillon, Trevor Bayne, Justin Allgaier, Cole Whitt, Brian Scott, Michael Annett, Kenny Wallace … all have the same goal in mind as the reigning champ.
A Daytona victory on Saturday is huge. But some of the aforementioned names are shooting for a bigger prize – the same one that Bayne stunned the sports world in winning last year – Sunday's Daytona 500.
Bayne, Stenhouse, Patrick, Sadler and Kenny Wallace are among eight 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship contenders who have entered the "Great American Race." In addition, Joe Nemechek, Mike Wallace and Robert Richardson Jr. are also entered.What's in a Number?
NASCAR fans are number-oriented, especially when it comes to two particular numbers with historic backgrounds.
Ask the most avid member of the NASCAR fan base, and they'll likely point out that the No. 3 and the No. 43 are dripping with history.
This year, both will be in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on a full-time basis.
The No. 3, owned by Richard Childress and made famous by Dale Earnhardt, hasn't been on the track n a full-time capacity in the NASCAR Nationwide Series since 2000 when Ron Hornaday Jr. drove the No. 3 Chevrolet for Childress. The No. 43 Petty Enterprises Ford has never been a full-time participant in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Starting at Daytona, Austin Dillon – the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion – will bring the No. 3 Chevrolet back. The grandson of Childress – and the one who talked RC into bringing the iconic number with him to his rookie NASCAR Nationwide Series season – is a serious contender for the series championship in addition to aiming for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.
Michael Annett has the distinction of bringing the No. 43 Mustang into the series for the first time on a full-time basis. Annett finished a career-best ninth in the driver standings last year.
NNS ETC: In addition to Stenhouse, 10 other former NASCAR Nationwide Series champions are entered in this year's Daytona 500 field. … Nine double-duty drivers from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series along with one from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are entered in Saturday's DRIVE4COPD 300. Heading that list is three-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, who has won the last four NASCAR Nationwide Series season openers. Also entered is two-time series champion and current team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who dominated this event for three successive years from 2004-04. Stewart will sport the same sponsor – Oreo/Ritz – that Earnhardt took to Victory Lane in his last Daytona win in 2004. … Dillon and Whitt will be joined by three other Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates at Daytona – Jason Bowles, Joey Gase and Johanna Long. Timmy Hill, the 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, will run at Daytona but soon after will make the jump to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series where he'll attempt to lock up consecutive rookie of the year awards. Blake Koch, runner-up to Hill in the 2011 rookie race and now his teammate at Rick Ware Racing, will be the lone full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series car for the organization in 2012.
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Hornaday, Chevrolet Still Winless At Daytona
Four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. has a series-leading 51 wins. Not one of them has come at the season-opener at Daytona.
Here's a stat that should provide a silver lining for Hornaday: a Daytona winner has never gone on to win the series championship. Still, it's a race the veteran very much wants to win.
If Hornaday were to win Friday night he would end a second winless drought. Like Hornaday, Chevrolet has also gone winless at Daytona.
Sauter Tabbed As Championship Favorite
Johnny Sauter – who won the season ending race at Homestead - came within six points of being the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion in 2011.
NASCAR's media corps thinks he will do just that in 2012, naming him the preseason favorite followed by Ty Dillon, Ron Hornaday Jr., Matt Crafton and James Buescher.
Sauter's ThorSport Racing is the longest continuously competing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team, but is still searching for the elusive championship title.
Veterans Bank On Experience Paying Off At Daytona
The truck series entry list for Daytona is full of many young and eager names. However, it's the group of veterans who hope to use their experience overshadow the newcomers:
• Brad Keselowski, who needs a NCWTS victory to complete a sweep of all three national series
• Ward Burton, the 2002 Daytona 500 winner, will compete with his son Jeb, a rookie contender
• David Reutimann, a former series rookie of the year
• Travis Kvapil, who won the series championship in 2003
• Todd Bodine, a two-time series champion and Daytona winner
• Mike Skinner, 1997 Daytona 500 pole winner and former series champion
