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Veteran won Sprint Unlimited, posted strong time in qualifying

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – He won the Sprint Unlimited and posted the fourth fastest time in the final round of qualifying for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (which became the third fastest in the final round after teammate Denny Hamlin’s time was disallowed).
 
Matt Kenseth is looking more like the driver that won seven times in 2013 and less like the one who went winless last season.
 
But there’s a long way to go between qualifying for the 500 and taking the green flag in the season-opening race.
 
Three more practice sessions (two on Wednesday and another on Thursday) are on tap, and that’s just before this week’s Budweiser Duel qualifying races on Thursday night. There are three more practices after the duels.

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"We got through the first two processes and now we need to get through the (qualifying race) with a good finish and get ready for Sunday," Kenseth said after locking in the No. 2 starting spot for Thursday’s opening 60-lap, 150-mile race.
 
"I feel like all our (cars) have been real competitive since we got here – we’ve got a lot of speed and that’s encouraging, but it’s speedway racing and anything can happen."
 
Kenseth’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing entry will start alongside Daytona 500 pole winner Jeff Gordon in the opening duel.
 
Help from his teammates was crucial during Sunday’s qualifying, but Kenseth will have no such assistance come Thursday. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin will be lining up in the second qualifier, based on the odd-even pairing to set the two fields.
 
Those three rolled into Daytona with new crew chiefs in tow – Darian Grubb with Edwards, Adam Stevens with Busch and Dave Rogers with Hamlin. Kenseth touched down with Jason Ratcliff, just as he did last year.
 
Team owner Joe Gibbs said there no reason to pull the plug on the No. 20 pairing. "There was no thought there," he said. "We really felt like this is one team we wanted to leave matched up.
 
"Each one of those other situations was a little bit different."
 
Kenseth didn’t make it to the winner’s circle last year in a points-paying event, but Ratcliff doesn’t sound too disappointed when ask about the results.
 
"We had a great season. When you look at our overall performance, our top 10s, top fives … we had a lot of good opportunities," he said.
 
"Having two years under out belt, I think it’s a no-brainer. We’re looking forward to a remarkable year."
 
How a team fares here at Daytona may set the tone for the season, but it doesn’t set the table. Restrictor-place races are few and far between on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. It’s the intermediate tracks that are the meat and potatoes.
 
And while history shows that Daytona 500 winners rarely go on to win the championship, that nugget doesn’t take any of the shine off winning the series biggest race.
 
Kenseth has been to Victory Lane here twice in the 500, both times while with Roush Fenway Racing. JGR drivers have won here once, and that was back in ’93 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett driving.
 
"We’ve been here 24 years. We’ve won once," Gibbs said. "It’s extremely hard. … For us it has been gut‑wrenching. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been disappointed walking away from here."
 
Getting a win in the Unlimited race, a non-points event, was big, Kenseth said, but it also afforded the team the opportunity to understand a few things that might be of use in the coming days.
 
"I felt like we learned some things about the race car, the track and the tires a little bit," he said. "that will apply Thursday night. This is the only shot at it (in race conditions).
 
"It’s a great start. Hopefully we can keep the momentum for the rest of the week."

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Changes include drivers’ harnesses, pit road officiating procedures

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Race fans watching Saturday night’s Sprint Unlimited from Daytona International Speedway may have noticed something different about the NASCAR officials working in the flagstand at the start/finish line during the 75-lap event.

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For the first time, those officials are now required to wear helmets as a safety precaution.
 
Helmets will also be required for those driving the pace car during an event, as well as officials working the pit entrance areas, NASCAR spotters (there are a minimum of two, maximum of three stationed at various points around the track during events) and the official working the stop/go sign at the exit of pit road.
 
And although they are working pit road from the non-active side of the pit wall, those four officials will continue to wear helmets as well.
 
Any official working in close proximity to vehicles during an event will also now be required to wear a flame-retardant suit.
 
Participants that serve in an honorary capacity, such as driving the pace car prior to the start of an event, or waving the green flag to begin the race, won’t be required to wear helmets because of the limited amount of time they are in those positions. However, a NASCAR spokesperson said such instances are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and changes could be made if officials felt it was necessary.
 
Officials working in the flagstand have long been the targets of debris, with everything from rubber buildup tossed from tires to parts of cars that become dislodged due to damage posing a safety hazard.
 
John Patalak, director, safety and structure engineering for the sanctioning body, told NASCAR.com that he doesn’t foresee a change in the system that could result in the use of technology to replace the flagman, however.
 
“I think it’s an important part of the heritage of our sport and they still serve a very important purpose,” he said. “As technology becomes more and more complex and we use it for many things, you always have to have other options in place. That’s not something that’s been discussed.”
 
The addition of helmets and fire suits isn’t the only safety-related change put into place for the 2015 season, which officially begins with the Feb. 22 running of the 57th Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
 
“Probably the largest thing that people have heard the most about but that really is a large safety is the addition of the Pro trailer and the system that kind of takes officials out of harms way on pit road and allows us to officiate from that standpoint,” Patalak said.
 
“It’s an opportunity that we identified as a way to just continually make things better, make them safer,” he said. “In many cases, we have the opportunity to be proactive on things we identify; this is one of those situations.”
 
Before this season, pit road officials went across the wall during pit stops to ensure that teams weren’t violating specific rules. Now, only four will roam the non-active side, while eight others will be housed nearby where they will use video replays to monitor pit road activities.
 
The evaluation of safety protocol and procedures is ongoing, and not discussed only after the season has ended. Most are ongoing, such as changes to the safety harness systems used by drivers.
 
Harnesses will no longer be mounted to points on the car body (chassis) and will no longer pass through an opening in the seat between a driver’s legs.
 
Patalak said the harness change was “an incremental step in safety improvement.”
 
“We’re not addressing a particular problem or issue but it brings just overall improvements and optimization of the seatbelts and seats for the driver,” he said. “When we look at issues like that, that’s just part of the continued march forward on making things safer.
 
“There are other situations that require immediate attention. We just have to evaluate each of those different situations as they come up and present themselves.
 
“We can put the bolts that hold the seat belts in the seat … exactly where they need to be for optimal performance of the restraint system.”
 
Because car builds may differ slightly, not all belts had been attached in exactly the same spot. “So you have to move an inch here or an inch there,” he said. “By bringing all of that inside the seat, we no longer have to work around those parts and pieces. We’re down to the level now that we’re trying to tune the restraint system literally fractions of an inch for small gains.”
 
That also eliminates the concern of hardware from the harness becoming stuck or cut by sharp edges. And it allows safety workers to remove the seat and driver as a single unit should it become necessary following a crash.
 
“If the seat belts attach to the chassis we can’t move the seat and driver (simultaneously) because we’re rigidly fixed to the vehicle,” Patalak said. “If we bring all of the seat belts inside the seat, then we can move those things as a unit if we ever were to find that necessary.”
 
Sprint Cup drivers are now required to use either a seven- or nine-point safety harness as well. It will be incorporated into the XFINITY Series for ’16 and the Camping World Truck Series in ’17.
 
The difference is the addition of a third lap belt that goes between a driver’s legs and is known as the negative G belt. Its function is to protect a driver in the event of a rollover.
 
The change, Patalak said, “allows us … to further optimize our anti-submarine belts, which are the belts they’ve always had between their legs for frontal impacts.
 
“It really gets to the point where we are really (improving) seatbelts to fractions of an inch as far as where they’re located, to squeeze out the last bit of performance from the system.”
 
Any change, even those that address safety issues, can impact competition, and that’s something Patalak said the sanctioning body is keenly aware of as it looks at each situation.
 
A good example, he said, involves the installation of window nets, which can no longer be attached to the car’s B pillar.
 
“That was a rule change made for the purpose of safety however it has an aerodynamic impact on the race car,” he said. “It’s something that we needed to make happen, but it was something we had to consider very carefully because it was a tool that the teams have come to use to tune their race cars aerodynamically.
 
“So we have to always look at cost and competition when we’re making changes to safety; all three are packed together to be successful at the end of the day.”

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Bruce: Anger over format rises … except from those with good results

MORE: See the lineup for the Daytona Duels

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It’s crazy and chaotic. It’s asinine. It’s mayhem. Pick your description; there were many from which to choose, but few that one could actually describe as positive.

No one was overheard saying “I really feel as if NASCAR got this qualifying format right,” and maybe that tells you all you need to know about group qualifying on a restrictor-plate track.

Then again, maybe it tells you all you need to know about drivers, that the only positive change is the one that is made to his or her individual benefit.

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“Great format, Steve,” shouted Daytona 500 Coors Light Pole winner Jeff Gordon, exiting the media center as Steve O’Donnell, executive vice president and chief racing development officer for NASCAR, met with members of the media. “All your idea; explain that to Bowyer.”

Gordon, a four-time premier series champion embarking on his final full season as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor, had reason to be pleased. The Hendrick Motorsports driver rode the draft and a pack of cars to the top spot for the Great American Race; Clint Bowyer rode in an ambulance to the infield care center, his qualifying effort mangled after a block from Reed Sorenson sparked a four-car accident early in the qualifying process.

Bowyer had reason to be livid, but others that fared better were no less vocal about the process. Some were harsh in their assessment; a few tried to balance the enjoyment of a strong result with the knowledge of just how narrow the margin of error can be.

MORE: Bowyer slams group qualifying format at Daytona

Carl Edwards, with a new team and without any owner points to fall back on should his No 19 Toyota have faltered in qualifying or during Thursday’s Budweiser Duel qualifying races, described it as “a heck of a way to qualify for the biggest race of the year.”

It wasn’t an endorsement of the format, he said, but rather “a statement of fact. I said this is one of the ways to do it.”

Gordon admitted that it was “crazy,” but noted that “it can be extremely rewarding when you have a day like we had.”

If group qualifying for the series’ biggest event is a crapshoot, it’s no more so than Thursday’s two 60-lap qualifying races, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson offered, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver has a point. Although the group format is now part of how officials set the field for the race, the 500 remains the only Sprint Cup event that includes qualifying races to determine the bulk of the starting lineup. And those races pose just as much of a threat for teams residing on the border between making the show and going home.

O’Donnell reminded everyone that it was input from the drivers and owners, as well as fans, that led to the move to group qualifying in the first place.

And just as officials made minor tweaks to the system following last fall’s qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway, he said input would be sought once again.

“We can’t rely on one driver, one owner, the track,” he said. “We have to balance that and see what’s in the best interest of the entire sport.”

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Breaking down the numbers ahead of the season-opening race

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.– Below is a statistical look at some of the top performers at Daytona International Speedway, including both the Daytona 500 and the annual July race.

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Daytona International Speedway Data

Race #: 1 of 36 (2-22-15)

Track Size: 2.5 miles

Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)

Banking/Corners: 31 degrees

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees


Top 10 Driver Ratings at Daytona

Kyle Busch                   96.2     

Matt Kenseth                 91.6

Kurt Busch                    90.5

Dale Earnhardt Jr.         90.3

Tony Stewart                 87.9

Jeff Gordon                  87.1

Jimmie Johnson            87.0

Denny Hamlin                86.4

Clint Bowyer                  83.7

Joey Logano                 82.5

Note: Driver Ratings are compiled from 2005-2014 races
(18 total) at Daytona (active drivers only).


Qualifying/Race Data

2014 pole winner: Austin Dillon (196.019 mph, 45.914 seconds)

2014 race winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (145.290 mph, 2-23-14)

Qualifying record: Bill Elliott (210.364 mph, 42.783 secs. 2-9-87)

Race record: Buddy Baker (177.602 mph, 2-17-80)


Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota)

·         Three top fives, eight top 10s

·         Average finish of 15.9

·         Driver Rating of 83.7, ninth-best

·         78 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 189.828 mph, second-fastest

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

·         11 top fives, 14 top 10s

·         Average finish of 17.5

·         Average Running Position of 15.8, seventh-best

·         Driver Rating of 90.5, third-best

·         3,864 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

·         2,161 Laps in the Top 15 (60.9%), fifth-most

·         2,724 Quality Passes, third-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota)

·         One win, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 19.1

·         Series-best Average Running Position of 12.8

·         Series-best Driver Rating of 96.2

·         85 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 189.827 mph, third-fastest

·         Series-high 2,488 Laps in the Top 15 (70.1%)

·         Series-high 2,869 Quality Passes

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet)

·         Three wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 13.4

·         Average Running Position of 14.6, third-best

·         Driver Rating of 90.3, fourth-best

·         Series-high 87 Fastest Laps Run

·         4,108 Green Flag Passes, second-most

·         2,279 Laps in the Top 15 (64.2%), second-most

·         2,772 Quality Passes, second-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)

·         Six wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s; three poles

·         Average finish of 16.2

·         Average Running Position of 14.8, fourth-best

·         Driver Rating of 87.1, sixth-best

·         3,818 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

·         2,074 Laps in the Top 15 (58.4%), sixth-most

·         2,407 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)

·         Three top fives, four top 10s

·         Average finish of 19.6

·         Average Running Position of 15.8, sixth-best

·         Driver Rating of 86.4, eighth-best

·         81 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 189.765 mph, sixth-fastest

·         1,703 Laps in the Top 15 (53.5%), 12th-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

·         Three wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 18.0

·         Average Running Position of 14.9, fifth-best

·         Driver Rating of 87.0, seventh-best

·         2,214 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4%), fourth-most

·         2,425 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)

·         Two top fives, seven top 10s

·         Average finish of 19.9

·         Average Running Position of 17.0, ninth-best

·         Driver Rating of 82.2, 12th-best

·         71 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

·         4,093 Green Flag Passes, third-most

·         1,818 Laps in the Top 15 (51.2%), 10th-most

·         2,446 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

·         Two wins, six top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 17.2

·         Average Running Position of 14.4, second-best

·         Driver Rating of 91.6, second-best

·         78 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         2,247 Laps in the Top 15 (63.3%), third-most

·         2,473 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

·         Two top fives, three top 10s

·         Average finish of 19.8

·         Average Running Position of 17.5, 12th-best

·         Driver Rating of 82.5, 11th-best

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 189.750 mph, seventh-fastest

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)

·         Four wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 17.8

·         Average Running Position of 17.4, 11th-best

·         Driver Rating of 87.9, fifth-best

·         76 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

·         1,917 Laps in the Top 15 (54.0%), seventh-most

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final 2014 Top 16 at Daytona International Speedway

 

Driver

Races

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Average Finish

Driver Rating

  
 

1

Kevin Harvick

27

1

2

6

11

3

16.7

79.9

  

2

Ryan Newman

26

0

1

4

6

5

20.3

79.6

  

3

Denny Hamlin

18

0

0

3

4

1

19.6

86.4

  

4

Joey Logano

12

0

0

2

3

2

19.8

82.5

  

5

Brad Keselowski

11

0

0

2

3

3

20.0

75.4

  

6

Jeff Gordon

44

3

6

13

20

6

16.2

87.1

  

7

Matt Kenseth

30

1

2

6

14

5

17.2

91.6

  

8

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

30

1

3

11

17

3

13.4

90.3

  

9

Carl Edwards

20

1

0

4

8

2

19.1

79.8

  

10

Kyle Busch

20

1

1

5

6

5

19.1

96.2

  

11

Jimmie Johnson

26

2

3

9

12

6

18.0

87.0

  

12

Kurt Busch

28

0

0

11

14

1

17.5

90.5

  

13

AJ Allmendinger

11

0

0

1

2

2

26.3

61.1

  

14

Greg Biffle

24

1

1

3

7

3

19.6

81.3

  

15

Kasey Kahne

22

0

0

2

7

5

19.9

82.2

  

16

Aric Almirola

7

0

1

1

1

3

24.7

72.9

  

Note: Driver Rating from races at Daytona International Speedway from 2005-2014.

Daytona 500 Tidbits

·         The 2015 edition will be the 57th running of the Daytona 500.

·         Although the first Daytona 500 was held in 1959, it has been the season-opener only since 1982.

·         530 drivers have competed in at least one Daytona 500; 314 in more than one.

·         35 drivers have won a Daytona 500.

·         Youngest Daytona 500 winner: Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 days)

·         Oldest Daytona 500 winner: Bobby Allison (02/14/1988 – 50 years, 2 months, 11 days)

·         11 drivers have won more than one Daytona 500, led by Richard Petty with seven victories.

·         The 11 drivers who have won the Daytona 500 more than once: Richard Petty (seven), Cale Yarborough (four), Bobby Allison (three), Dale Jarrett (three), Jeff Gordon (three), Bill Elliott (two), Matt Kenseth (two), Jimmie Johnson (two), Sterling Marlin (two), Michael Waltrip (two) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two).

·         A driver has won back-to-back Daytona 500s three times. Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Sterling Marlin (1994-95).

·         Seven drivers posted their career-first victory with a win in the Daytona 500: Tiny Lund (1963), Mario Andretti (1967), Pete Hamilton (1970), Derrike Cope (1990), Sterling Marlin (1994), Michael Waltrip (2001) and Trevor Bayne (2011).

·         Three other drivers posted their career-first victory in (points-paying) qualifying races: Johnny Rutherford (1963), Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).

·         Lee Petty, who won the inaugural Daytona 500, and Trevor Bayne, 2011 Daytona 500 champion, are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 in their first appearance.

·         Active Daytona 500 winners and the number of NSCS starts in their careers when they won:

o    Jeff Gordon won his first Daytona 500 on his 125th career start (1997). His second Daytona 500 win was on his 190th career start (1999) and the third Daytona 500 was on his 402nd career start (2005).

o    Jimmie Johnson won his first on his 148th (2006) start and posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 400th career start (2013).

o    Matt Kenseth won his first on his 329th start (2009) and his second Daytona 500 on his 437th career start (2012).

o    Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first Daytona 500 on 148th start (2004) and his second on his 506th (2014).

o    Kevin Harvick posted his Daytona 500 win on his 215th career start (2007).

o    Ryan Newman posted his Daytona 500 win on his 225th career start (2008).

o    Jamie McMurray posted his Daytona 500 win on his 259th career start (2011).

o    Michael Waltrip won his first on his 463rd start (2001) and posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 535th career start (2003).

·         Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 with five; Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers with four (Earnhardt Jr. is tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for second all-time with four).

·         Dale Earnhardt had 12 top fives in his 23 Daytona 500 starts, more than any other driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-five finishes with seven (eighth most all-time).

·         Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty each posted a series leading 16 top 10s in the Daytona 500.

·         Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip lead all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-10 finishes with nine.

·         Only 10 drivers have an average finish of 10th or better in the Daytona 500, five of those competed in the Daytona 500 only once.

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a 12.7 average finish in 15 appearances, the best of the active drivers who have competed in more than one Daytona 500.

·         28 of the 35 drivers, who have won, participated in at least two Daytona 500s before visiting Victory Lane.

·         Six drivers made 10 or more attempts before their first Daytona 500 victory: Dale Earnhardt (19), Buddy Baker (18), Darrell Waltrip (16), Bobby Allison (14), Michael Waltrip (14) and Sterling Marlin (12).

·         The driver with the all-time most Daytona 500 starts without a victory is Dave Marcis with 33 races; the active drivers with the most starts without a Daytona 500 win is Joe Nemechek (19) and Tony Stewart (16).

·         Kevin Harvick’s 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500 is the 12th-closest overall since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, and the closest in a Daytona 500.

·         Nine of the 56 Daytona 500s (16.3%) have been won from the Coors Light pole. The last to do so was Dale Jarrett in 2000. Jeff Gordon is the only active driver to accomplish the feat (1999).

·         Cale Yarborough (1968, 1984) and Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 from the Coors Light pole more than once.

·         16 of the 56 Daytona 500s (28.5%) have been won from the front row.

·         27 of the 56 Daytona 500s (48.2%) have been won from a top-five starting position.

·         41 of the 56 Daytona 500s (73.2%) have been won from a top 10 starting position

·         Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 from the 39th starting position in 2009, the deepest a race winner has started.

·         Five reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions have gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following season: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).

·         Five drivers have won the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season, Richard Petty has done it four times: Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013), Jeff Gordon (1997), Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974, 1979), Cale Yarborough (1977) and Lee Petty (1959).

·         Danica Patrick on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2013 became the first female in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to win a Coors Light pole for the Daytona 500 posting a speed of 196.434 mph.

·         Janet Guthrie previously held the record for top starting position by a female NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, starting ninth twice in 1977 – at Talladega Superspeedway on Aug. 7, 1977 and at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1977.

·         In 2012, Danica Patrick became the third female driver to compete in a Daytona 500 joining Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson. Below are the previous female driver performances in the Daytona 500.

Race

Season

Driver

Start

Finish

Daytona 500

1977

Janet Guthrie

39

12

Daytona 500

1980

Janet Guthrie

18

11

Daytona 500

2002

Shawna Robinson

36

24

Daytona 500

2012

Danica Patrick

29

38

Daytona 500

2013

Danica Patrick

1

8

Daytona 500

2014

Danica Patrick

27

40

 

·         Driver Ratings for Winners – Pre-Race Daytona 500 Driver Ratings heading into 2014 for past Daytona 500 winners (past 7 years)

Driver – Year – Driver Rating

o    Dale Earnhardt Jr – 2014 – 89.7

o    Jimmie Johnson – 2013 – 82.8

o    Matt Kenseth – 2012 – 89.0

o    Trevor Bayne – 2011 – 68.9

o    Jamie McMurray – 2010 – 80.2

o    Matt Kenseth – 2009 – 89.0

o    Ryan Newman – 2008 – 82.9

o    Kevin Harvick – 2007 – 86.3

o    Jimmie Johnson – 2006 – 87.5

 

·         Drivers who have won the Daytona 500 in more than one car manufacturer:

Driver – Manufacturer (Number of wins in that manufacturer)

o    Richard Petty – Plymouth (3), Dodge (2), Oldsmobile (1) and Buick (1)

o    Cale Yarborough – Chevrolet (2), Mercury (1) and Pontiac (1)

o    Bobby Allison – Buick (2) and Ford (1)

o    Dale Jarrett – Ford (2) and Chevrolet (1)

 

·         Drivers who have won The Sprint Unlimited and the Daytona 500 in the same season:

Driver – (Year)

o    Bobby Allison (1982)

o    Bill Elliott (1987)

o    Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)

o    Jeff Gordon (1997)

 

Car Numbers that have produced three or more Daytona 500 victories:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o    No. 43 – Richard Petty (1964, ’66, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’79, ‘81)

o    No. 21 – Tiny Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), David Pearson (1976) and Trevor Bayne (2011)

o    No. 28 – Fred Lorenzen (1965), Buddy Baker (1980), Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984) and Davey Allison (1992)

o    No. 4 – Ernie Irvan (1991), Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995)

o    No. 15 – Bobby Allison (1978), Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003)

o    No. 17 – Darrell Waltrip (1989), Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012)

o    No. 88 – Bobby Allison (1982), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014)

o    No. 24 – Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999 and 2005)

At Daytona International Speedway

History

·         Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.

·         Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.

·         Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been held under the lights ever since.

·         The track underwent a repave in 2010.

Notebook

·         There have been 135 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 56 have been 500 miles, 52 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.

·         Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole at Daytona.

·         Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.

·         Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by 2 feet.

·         Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.

·         58 drivers have posted poles at Daytona.

·         Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles at Daytona.

·         Bill Elliott, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough are tied for the most Daytona 500 poles with four each. Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with two Daytona 500 poles.

·         Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with three poles at Daytona.

·         57 drivers have won at Daytona.

·         Richard Petty leads all drivers in victories at Daytona with 10.

·         Jeff Gordon has six victories at Daytona, more than any other active driver.

·         The Wood Brothers have won 15 races at Daytona, more than any other car owner.

·         17 full-length races at Daytona have been won from the pole; the last to do it was Kevin Harvick in the 2010 July race.

·         A driver has swept both the Daytona 500 and the July race only five times at Daytona International Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) and Fireball Roberts (1962).

NASCAR in Florida

 

·         There have been 177 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Florida.

Track Name

City

NSCS

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach

135

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Homestead

16

Daytona Beach & Road Course

Daytona Beach

10

Palm Beach Speedway

W. Palm Beach

7

Speedway Park

Jacksonville

6

Five Flags Speedway

Pensacola

1

Golden Gate Speedway

Tampa

1

Titusville-Cocoa Speedway

Titusville

1

 

·         173 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.

·         There have been 10 race winners with their home state recorded as Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver

NSCS

NXS

NCWTS

Fireball Roberts

33

0

0

LeeRoy Yarbrough

14

0

0

Marshall Teague

7

0

0

Joe Nemechek

4

16

0

Bobby Johns

2

0

0

David Reutimann

2

1

1

Aric Almirola

1

1

2

Shorty Rollins

1

0

0

Rick Wilson

0

2

0

Joey Coulter

0

0

1

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Posted on by

Teammate Johnson joins Gordon on the front row

RELATED: Complete qualifying results | Buy pole winner gear

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jeff Gordon won a high-stakes game of "Beat the Clock" on Sunday, with the pole for his final Daytona 500 the ultimate prize.
 
Gordon crossed the start/finish line to start his pole-winning lap as time expired in the final round of knockout qualifying at Daytona International Speedway.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

FASTEST DAYTONA 500 POLE SPEEDS

Speed (mph) Driver Year
210.364 Bill Elliott 1987
205.114 Bill Elliott 1985
205.039 Geoff Bodine 1986
201.848 Cale Yarborough 1984
201.293 Jeff Gordon 2015
198.864 Ricky Rudd 1983
196.966 Ken Schrader 1989
196.515 Ken Schrader 1990
196.434 Danica Patrick 2013
196.317 Benny Parsons 1982
196.049 Buddy Baker 1979
196.019 Austin Dillon 2014

His time of 44.711 seconds was .035 seconds better than that of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, who secured the outside front-row starting spot for next Sunday’s 57th running of the Great American Race (1 p.m. ET on FOX). His lap of 201.293 mph was the fifth-fastest Daytona 500 pole speed ever and fastest since Bill Elliott’s record-setting lap in 1987 at 210.364 mph.
 
The first use of group knockout qualifying at Daytona, under a format introduced last fall at Talladega, determined only the two front-row starting positions for the 500. However, the next four fastest drivers — with speeds counted from any of the three qualifying rounds — also locked themselves into the field, with specific starting positions to be determined after Thursday night’s Budweiser Duel at Daytona (7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1).
 
Those drivers were Aric Almirola, whose 202.340 mph speed in the first round was the fastest of any session; Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray.

RELATED: Lineups for Daytona Duels
 
The pole was Gordon’s fourth at Daytona and the 78th of his career. Gordon has announced his retirement from full-time competition at the end of the season and has said this year’s Daytona 500 will be his last.
 
The front-row sweep was the fourth for Hendrick Motorsports.
 
"This is definitely huge for many reasons," Gordon said. "It’s one I’ve been stressing about for a while. This format is crazy and chaotic, and it can be extremely rewarding when you have a day like we had … and to be able to bring that kind of group effort together.
 
"In the past, this has been one of the easiest days I’ve had all year long. Just go out there and hold it wide open and run a couple of laps. It’s all about the team and the car and the preparation they put into it. All that hard work still goes into this effort, but I play a bigger role, the spotter plays a bigger role, and there’s just so much more strategy, trying to play this chess match and the time game and the wait game. It’s really intense."
 
With less than two minutes left in the first five-minute qualifying session, Reed Sorenson’s ill-fated attempt to block Clint Bowyer into Turn 1 sparked a five-car wreck that took out Bowyer’s No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.
 
Also damaged in the crash was the No. 11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin, who was fastest (199.840 mph) in the first session among drivers who drew odd-number qualifying positions. But after cars with even-numbered positions ran incident free in the second session of the first round, Hamlin was relegated to 11th, and Aric Almirola topped the speed chart at 202.370 mph.
 
None of the four Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolets, all of which were in the odd-number session of Round One, made the top 24 required to advance to the second round. But no driver was more incensed than Bowyer with the new qualifying system for the Daytona 500.
 
"We used to come down here and worry about who would sit on the pole in the biggest race of the year," Bowyer said. "Now all we do is come down here and worry about how a start-and-park (Sorenson) like this out of desperation is going to knock us out of the Daytona 500."

RELATED: Bowyer rants after wreck with Sorenson
 
Bowyer may have been the most strident opponent of the new system, but he wasn’t the only one. NASCAR Executive Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell said the sanctioning body is open to discussions on how to improve the process.
 
"If you look at group qualifying as a whole, we felt it worked really well, but certainly there are some challenges on superspeedways," O’Donnell said. "One of the reasons we moved away from single-car qualifying is — and I think you’ve heard that from the drivers as well — a lot of things go into it, aero packages, oils, different setups, based on one lap not really based on a race setup.
 
"You also heard Jeff Gordon and others also talk about putting it back in the drivers’ hands a little bit more. Those are things that we liked. I would say we certainly don’t want to see wrecks of any kind. It’s not lost on us how much work goes into these cars … for the biggest race of the year."
 
For his part, Sorenson took responsibility for the wreck and apologized.
 
"As you can see, I was just trying to block," Sorenson said. "That’s what got Matt Kenseth the win (Saturday) night (in the Sprint Unlimited). I was doing everything I could to stay in front of Clint. Pretty obvious what I was trying to do. I didn’t mean to wreck anybody or anything like that.
 
"Just a product of this qualifying, trying to get that one lap. I didn’t want it to end that way, that’s for sure. I apologize to all the guys. Try to get a car here and try to get in the race on Thursday."
 
The wreck left Sorenson scrambling, given that his Xtreme Motorsports team came to Daytona without a backup car.
 
Johnson led the second round with a lap at 201.925 mph, followed by Hamlin, McMurray and Gordon. All four Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets advanced to the final round, as did all four Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas.

The No. 88 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. failed post-qualifying inspection because it did not meet minimum height. It was too low on the left-front, all times were disallowed, and he will start 25th in first duel.
 
The No. 11 car of Hamlin also failed post-qualifying inspection because the split on the track bar was 3 3/4 inches when regulation is 3.0 inches maximum. He will start 24th in second duel.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Qualifying, speed, owner points lock in 13; six must race in

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

Now that the front row is set for the 57th running of the Daytona 500 (Feb. 22, 1 p.m. ET, FOX), it’s time for a rundown of the scenarios involving the rest of the field — who’s locked in and who must race their way in during Thursday’s Daytona Duels (7 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
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WHO’S IN

Via Coors Light Pole Qualifying: Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (front row).

Via top qualifying speeds: Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray.

Via owner points: Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth.

Via most recent past Sprint Cup champion provisional: Tony Stewart.

WHO NEEDS TO RACE IN

Six drivers need to race their way into the Daytona 500:

• Michael Annett
• Ryan Blaney
• Ron Hornaday Jr.
• Justin Marks
• David Ragan
• Reed Sorenson

RELATED: Team Xtreme rebuilds Sorenson’s car for Duel

Since Edwards is new to Joe Gibbs Racing, he didn’t have owner points to fall back on, so the fact he is locked in takes pressure off the No. 19 team for the duels.

Stenhouse, who failed to qualify last fall at Talladega, also can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to his speedy run in the first round of group qualifying on Sunday.

Almirola is the most recent winner at Daytona after he took the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400 last July.

McMurray won the 2010 Daytona 500.

RELATED: Complete Daytona Duel lineups

Here is a complete look at how the lineup is taking shape for the Daytona 500:

Row Inside Outside Explained
1 Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson Top two qualifiers (Final round of Coors Light Pole Qualifying)
2     Top 15 from Duel races (Inside: First race; Outside: Second race)
3     Top 15 from Duel races
4     Top 15 from Duel races
5     Top 15 from Duel races
6     Top 15 from Duel races
7     Top 15 from Duel races
8     Top 15 from Duel races
9     Top 15 from Duel races
10     Top 15 from Duel races
11     Top 15 from Duel races
12     Top 15 from Duel races
13     Top 15 from Duel races
14     Top 15 from Duel races
15     Top 15 from Duel races
16     Top 15 from Duel races
17 Aric Almirola* Ricky Stenhouse* Four fastest qualifiers from any round
18 Carl Edwards* Jamie McMurray* Four fastest qualifiers from any round
19 Kevin Harvick* Ryan Newman* 2014 owner points
20 Denny Hamlin* Joey Logano* 2014 owner points
21 Brad Keselowski* Matt Kenseth* 2014 owner points
22 Tony Stewart* xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Past champion or 2014 owner points

*Drivers can race into positions 3 through 32 in the Daytona Duels.

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Drivers take to Twitter to discuss the group roll for the pole in the Daytona 500

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live | Vote: Ultimate Daytona Challenge

The Daytona 500 has had several formats for determining the field. On Sunday, group qualifying made its debut, and the debate began on the FOX broadcast and social media.

Tony Stewart, who seeks to win his first Great American Race in his 17th start, was vocal in his criticism of the format at restrictor plate races, but made clear group qualifying works for the other 32 races on the schedule.

See how his back and forth played out on social media with Kenny Wallace, who is 14th all time with 901 NASCAR national series starts.

Wallace, an analyst on the FOX broadcast, followed Jeff Gordon’s Coors Light Pole Award-winning interview with a leading question to the four-time champion who earned his second top starting spot in the season-opening race.

Steve O’Donnell, head of NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, said that Stewart and others won’t be fined for their reactions to Sunday’s qualifying.  

"I think what (NASCAR Chairman) Brian (France) has said is that you can take us on. We’re NASCAR, that’s part of our job," O’Donnell said. "When I look at the comments that Clint made or Tony made, those are based on wanting to see the best racing out there. Certainly tough to hear but those are things we have got to have conversations with them and work with those guys to figure out if there is a better way to do it. We will do that. It’s not something we are going to fine the drivers for."

Posted on by Staff Report

See the full field for Thursday’s duels that help set the Daytona 500 lineup

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live | Buy: Pole Winner Gear

While Sunday’s group qualifying set the front row for the Daytona 500 (Feb. 22, 1 p.m. ET, FOX), a majority of the spots for the rest of the field will be made up by how drivers fare in the Daytona Duels on Thursday night (7 p.m., FOX Sports 1).

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will be on the front row for the Great American Race and will also have the pole spots for their respective duels. Gordon won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Daytona 500.

RELATED: Why Dale Jr., Hamlin moved to back of Duels field

Here are the complete lineups for both races.

BUDWEISER DUEL #1

Pos Car # Driver Team
1 No. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
2 No. 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota
3 No. 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
4  No. 33 Ty Dillon Cheerios/Kroger Chevrolet
5 No. 1 Jamie McMurray Cessna/McDonald’s Chevrolet
6 No. 83 Johnny Sauter Dustless Blasting Toyota
7 No. 6 Trevor Bayne Advocare Ford
8 No. 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford
9 No. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford
10 No. 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford
11 No. 23 JJ Yeley MAXIM Fantasy Sports App/Dr. Pepper Toyota
12 No. 27 Paul Menard Peak/Menards Chevrolet
13 No. 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/USO Chevrolet
14 No. 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet
15 No. 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
16 No. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet
17 No. 46 Michael Annett Flying J/Pilot Chevrolet
18 No. 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet
19 No. 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial Ford
20 No. 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
21 No. 29 Justin Marks American Born Moonshine Toyota
22 No. 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford
23 No. 40 Landon Cassill Carsforsale.com Chevrolet
24 No. 30 Ron Hornaday Jr. Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet
25 No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet

BUDWEISER DUEL #2

Pos Car # Driver Team
1 No. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet
2 No. 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota
3 No. 19 Carl Edwards Arris Toyota
4  No. 3 Austin Dillon DOW Chevrolet
5 No. 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet
6 No. 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford
7 No. 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Twisted Tea Ford
8 No. 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford
9 No. 21 Ryan Blaney Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
10 No. 55 Michael Waltrip Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
11 No. 32 Bobby Labonte C&J Energy Services Ford
12 No. 7 Alex Bowman Toy State/Nikko Chevrolet
13 No. 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet
14 No. 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet
15 No. 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet
16 No. 62 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet
17 No. 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet
18 No. 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stop Ford
19 No. 26 Jeb Burton LiveDeal.com Download the App Toyota
20 No. 44 Reed Sorenson Golden Corral Chevrolet
21 No. 34 David Ragan Kentucky Fried Chicken Ford
22 No. 98 Josh Wise Phoenix Construction Ford
23 No. 66 Mike Wallace Crazy Vapors/X8 Energy Gum Toyota
24 No. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota

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Posted on by Staff Report

Get the full lineup of NASCAR programming for the week

RELATED: See the full Speedweeks schedule

All times ET

Monday, February 16
10 a.m., Sprint Unlimited (re-air), FOX Sports 1
4 p.m., NASCAR America: Expect the Unexpected 2014 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., The List: Rookie Seasons (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7:30 p.m., The List: Iconic Cars (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 p.m., DAYTONA 500 Pole Day (re-air), FOX Sports 2
9 p.m., Sprint Unlimited (re-air), FOX Sports 2
2:30 a.m., The List: Dale Earnhardt Sr. (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Tuesday, February 17
10 a.m., DAYTONA 500 Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
8 p.m., A Perfect Storm: The 1979 DAYTONA 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Wednesday, February 18
9 a.m., DAYTONA 500 Pole Day (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Noon, Sprint Unlimited (re-air), FOX Sports 2
2 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 2
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 2
4 p.m., NASCAR Gridiron Challenge (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
1 a.m., NASCAR Gridiron Challenge (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m., The List: Greatest Finishes (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2:30 a.m., The List: Memorable Moments (re-air), NBC Sports Network

Thursday, February 19
Noon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR America: 2014 Chase Spectacular (re-air), NBC Sports Network
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Day, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., Budweiser Duel at Daytona, FOX Sports 1
10:30 p.m., NASCAR K&N Series East: New Smyrna (taped), NBC Sports Network
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Gridiron Challenge (re-air), NBC Sports Network
12:30 a.m., NASCAR America: NASCAR "In the News" 2014 (re-air), NBC Sports Network
1 a.m., NASCAR K&N Series East: New Smyrna (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2 a.m., NASCAR America: Countdown 2014 (2) (re-air), NBC Sports Network
2:30 a.m., NASCAR America: 2014 Top Moments (re-air), NBC Sports Network
3 a.m., Budweiser Duel at Daytona (re-air), FOX Sports 1

Friday, February 20
6 a.m., The Day: Remembering Dale Earnhardt (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7 a.m., Budweiser Duel at Daytona (re-air), FOX Sports 2
10 a.m., A Perfect Storm: The 1979 DAYTONA 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, FOX Sports 1
2 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., The List: Rookie Seasons (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Set Up, FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250, FOX Sports 1
3 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 (re-air), FOX Sports 1

Saturday, February 21
5:30 a.m., The 10: Greatest Truck Series Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 1
6 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 (re-air), FOX Sports 2
10 a.m., 1979 DAYTONA 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, FOX Sports 1
Noon, NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Race Day: XFINITY, FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Alert Today Florida 300, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., The List: Iconic Cars (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Gridiron Challenge (re-air), NBC Sports Network
9 p.m., DAYTONA 500 Bash at the Beach, FOX
10 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Alert Today Florida 300 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
2 a.m., NASCAR Gridiron Challenge (re-air), NBC Sports Network
3 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Alert Today Florida 300 (re-air), FOX Sports 1

Sunday, February 22
5:30 a.m., FOX Sports 1 on 1: Kevin Harvick (re-air), FOX Sports 1
6 a.m., The 10: Daytona Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 1
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
8 a.m., A Perfect Storm: The 1979 DAYTONA 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
9 a.m., 1979 DAYTONA 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Day, FOX Sports 1
Noon, NASCAR Race Day: Daytona, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series DAYTONA 500, FOX
1 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series DAYTONA 500, FOX Deportes
5 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
1 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FOX Sports 1
1:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series DAYTONA 500 (re-air), FOX Sports 1

Posted on by Zack Albert

Michael Waltrip Racing driver involved in qualifying wreck with Reed Sorenson

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For Clint Bowyer, months of preparation were wadded up in a matter of three and a half minutes. For that understandable reason, his frustrations after a multicar wreck in the first-ever group qualifying session for the Daytona 500 were strong.
 
Bowyer’s Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota came to rest in a smoldering heap after a collision with Reed Sorenson, a journeyman frantically trying to qualify for the Feb. 22 Great American Race. Sorenson’s block, with an already damaged car, triggered the melee in the first five-minute group session, also snaring the cars of JJ Yeley and two-time series champion Bobby Labonte in Daytona International Speedway’s first turn.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

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After emerging unscathed from the infield care center, Bowyer was among the most vocal in assailing a qualifying system that hasn’t necessarily translated on restrictor-plate tracks since its introduction in 2014.

MORE: How the Daytona 500 lineup is set

"A mess. Just typical," Bowyer said. "It wasn’t his fault. He’s desperate and trying to get into the biggest race of the year. Like I said, we need to be focused on qualifying and who’s going to sit on the pole for the biggest race of the year and the front row, just like we always have. There’s no reason to be putting a show on and trying to make something out of stuff that doesn’t need to be. We put on a hell of a show on for the Daytona 500 and unfortunately these guys have worked the last six months for nothing."
 
After a traffic jam leaving pit road to start the first qualifying session, Bowyer was running behind Sorenson, who bottled up behind the No. 51 of Justin Allgaier to slow the line’s momentum. Bowyer later dove to the inside of Sorenson, who cut across the nose of Bowyer’s No. 15 to trigger the stack-up, which red-flagged the session just 3 minutes, 38 seconds in.
 
Rather than fully placing the blame on Sorenson, Bowyer took aim at the chaos of the qualifying system.
 
"We’re having fun now, aren’t we?" Bowyer said. "Just extremely disappointed and I hate to say it but I’m disappointed in NASCAR for putting us out in this situation. You’ve got guys like (Sorenson) out of desperation trying to make it in a start-and-park team like that. You can’t blame him. He did a bonehead move to try to stick it in the line in there, runs into the 51, stacked us all up and tore our cars up, and then we’re not fast enough to do anything. …
 
"These guys have worked six months on these cars and we just destroyed them for no reason. By the way, we’re not even to the dance yet. Don’t forget that. There’s a lot of racing left, so yeah, I’m pretty pissed off."

RELATED: Gordon wins pole for Daytona 500 | Full Daytona Duels lineups

Sorenson admitted afterward that he was trying to stem Bowyer’s momentum, and that he understood his rival’s frustration.
 
"Normally in a race, I probably wouldn’t be that aggressive unless it was the last lap and you’re trying to win the race," Sorenson said. "Just like (Matt) Kenseth did last night (in the Sprint Unlimited), he blocked (Martin) Truex to win. For us trying to get in the race, it’s that big a deal where I was treating it like it was the last lap of a race and that’s how aggressive you have to be, especially when you’re not guaranteed in the race and you’re on the outside looking in. That’s the way this qualifying is; it forces you into that."
 
Bowyer’s remarks touched off a chorus of criticisms for the group qualifying format, which was used in 35 of 36 points-paying Sprint Cup races last year. The only exception was the Daytona 500, which continued to use traditional two-lap, single-car Coors Light Pole Qualifying to set the lineups for the pair of 150-mile qualifying races as well as the front row for the Great American Race.

The group qualifying format for restrictor-plate tracks was tweaked starting with last fall’s race at Talladega with the first round divided into two groups based on a random draw and cars would only have five minutes to make a lap. At non restrictor-plate tracks, the opening round of qualifying lasted either 25 or 30 minutes, depending on the track’s size, and cars were not split into separate groups.

Steve O’Donnell, head of NASCAR’s Research and Development Center, said his reaction to how the group qualifying session played out was mixed.
 
"I think it’s a balance," O’Donnell said. "Jeff Gordon on the pole, certainly his last Daytona 500, is great. Seeing the incident that took place is not. So it’s a balance. We’ve got to take everything kind of in stride. We see new things every day, have to make decisions on that. Overall I think we’re happy about the excitement of the qualifying session, but we’ve got to look at if there’s adjustments we can make to continue to improve that, we’re going to do that."

WATCH: O’Donnell discusses Daytona group qualifying
 
Gordon interrupted O’Donnell’s media session to say "Great format, Steve!" and offered a thumbs-up, but even though the format worked out in Gordon’s favor, the four-time Sprint Cup admitted his nerves were frazzled after the knockout-style qualifying.
 
"In the past, this has been one of the easiest days I’ve had all day long," Gordon said. "Go out there, hold it wide open, run a couple laps. It’s all about the team, the car, all the preparation they put into it. All that hard work still goes into this effort, but I play a bigger role, the spotter plays a bigger role. There’s just so much more strategy in trying to play this chess match and the time game, the wait game. It just becomes really intense."

Though the Bowyer tangle was the only major incident of the four group sessions, the format led to some harrowing moments — both leaving pit road and with cars running widely varying speeds on the Daytona high banks.
 
"We’re a lot of smart people here. There’s drivers, owners, NASCAR. We got to find a better system," said Kurt Busch, who was 30th-fastest in the opening round and failed to make the first elimination cut. "So much hard work goes into these cars, then you have this roulette wheel for qualifying. It doesn’t seem the proper system. But, hey, it is what it is. We could be here smiling, getting belted up, going back out for the second round.
 
"Just want to thank all my guys for all their work, all of our sponsors. We should just take the cars as we build them in the off‑season, unload, pass tech, then go qualify one car at a time, four‑lap average. That would really give a sense of pride to putting effort towards building a car to qualify for the Daytona 500 instead of shaking up bingo balls."

MORE: Stewart, Wallace debate Daytona qualifying on social media

Denny Hamlin described the setup as "mayhem."

"There’s no other word to describe it," Hamlin said. "Everybody’s on so many different agendas. This stuff can happen."

Ryan Newman, who wasn’t involved in the wreck, but failed to advance out of the first round of group qualifying, said "the frustrating part is dealing with this whole system, which makes no sense whatsoever.

"It’s hard to stand behind NASCAR when everybody I talk to up and down pit road doesn’t understand why we’re doing this," Newman said. "Maybe I need to be sat down and educated a little bit."

Contributing: Staff reports

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