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In the previous nine years of racing at Daytona, returning to Victory Lane has been difficult.By the Numbers: Daytona
Trucks celebrate decade at Daytona with season opener
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Break out the tin and aluminum. That's the traditional gift for 10-year anniversaries, right?
Perhaps, but aluminum for a racer means he's in the grandstand and not behind the wheel. Nothing about that registers for the Truck Series as it returns to Daytona celebrating a decade of racing. The series is filled with gritty, white-knuckled racers who'd empty their own wallet to drive a blank-white truck before sitting by and watching.
Daytona's list of winners proves that. Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman, Robert Pressley, Rick Crawford -- they were the foundation of the series.
Carl Edwards disrupted the grit with a win in 2004, but his approach behind the wheel is similar to those that followed him in Victory Lane: Bobby Hamilton. Mark Martin, Jack Sprague and Todd Bodine.
In a year with a new title sponsor and a long list of driver changes, what will Year 10 bring with Friday night's NextEra Energy Resources 250 (8 p.m. ET, SPEED)? Another nail-biting finish? A repeat winner? An unprecedented preview of the champion?
Let the celebrating begin.
"It's hard to believe this is our 10th year at Daytona. For every racer this is sacred ground, and when you win at Daytona you've accomplished a dream that many racers have chased and few have achieved."
-- Rick Crawford, 2003 winner
0Times the Daytona winner has gone on to win the Truck Series championship. The best a Daytona winner has fared was third, twice: Joe Ruttman in 2001, and Todd Bodine in 2008.
0Victories for Chevrolet at Daytona. The manufacturer had runner-up finishes in 2001 (Ricky Hendrick) and 2003 (Travis Kvapil).
.944Total margin of victory in the seven Daytona races that have ended under green-flag conditions (.318 was the largest margin in 2001, won by Joe Ruttman).
2.8Average finish for Todd Bodine in his four starts at Daytona. His finishes since 2005 are third, second, fifth, first. Nobody else has an average finish inside the top 10.
3Consecutive superspeedway victories for Todd Bodine. He won the 2007 Talladega race, then swept both the Daytona and Talladega races last season. His 79 laps led are the most at Daytona.
4Drivers who have started all nine Daytona races: Rick Crawford, Dennis Setzer, David Starr and Terry Cook. All are entered in Friday night's race.
7Times the Daytona winner started inside the top 10, three of which were won by the pole-sitter. Average starting position by the winner: 9.78.
8Lead changes in the 2008 Daytona race, the fewest since the series began racing at Daytona. Average number of lead changes: 21.78.
9Winners in nine Daytona races.
1,132Points scored by Rick Crawford in the nine Daytona races, more than any other driver. Crawford, the 2003 winner, has six top-10 finishes at the track.
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Daytona International Speedway
Truck Series Winners
| Year | Winner | Start | Make |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Mike Wallace | 2 | Ford |
| 2001 | Joe Ruttman | 1 | Dodge |
| 2002 | Robert Pressley | 10 | Dodge |
| 2003 | Rick Crawford | 19 | Ford |
| 2004 | Carl Edwards | 6 | Ford |
| 2005 | Bobby Hamilton | 36 | Dodge |
| 2006 | Mark Martin | 1 | Ford |
| 2007 | Jack Sprague | 1 | Toyota |
| 2008 | Todd Bodine | 12 | Toyota |
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