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Shaq joins Kevin James, Adam Sandler for the command at the Coke Zero 400

RELATED VIDEO: James, Sandler give a passionate command at Michigan in 2010

As they did before the premiere of ‘Grown Ups’ in June of 2010 at Michigan International Speedway, Kevin James and Adam Sandler will give the command to start engines on July 6 at Daytona International Speedway.

This time, they will be joined by ‘Grown Ups 2’ co-star and 15-time NBA all-star Shaquille O’Neal when they exclaim, "Drivers, start your engines!" before the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola.

James and Sandler combined a dance with the command at Michigan three years ago, and each has served as a grand marshal on other occasions.

Sandler previously performed the task twice at Michigan and once at Talladega Superspeedway. James has served as a grand marshal at Daytona twice before. He’s also paced the Toyota All-Star showdown and did a few test laps at Texas Motor Speedway.  In addition, the film’s producer, Jack Giarraputo, is chairman of the board of Fuel, a NASCAR management company.

“We’re pleased to welcome three of the stars of ‘Grown Ups 2’ and have them take part in the pre-race ceremonies for one of NASCAR’s most exciting nighttime races,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “Combining Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Shaquille O’Neal, we’re expecting a boisterous and powerful starting command in front of thousands of race fans and millions more watching on TNT.”

In addition to given the command, the three men will be introduced at the driver’s meeting, participate in pre-race ceremonies and ride in the grand marshal cars before the 160-lap, 400-mile traditional Independence Day weekend race at the World Center of Racing.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Miguel Paludo, Jeb Burton round out top three in triple-header kick-off

View full practice results here

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SPARTA, Ky. — Darrell Wallace Jr. paced the opening Camping World Truck Series practice on Thursday at Kentucky Speedway.

 

Wallace, a rookie driving the No. 54 for Kyle Busch Motorsports, turned the fastest lap of the weekend’s opening session at 174.605 mph. He was followed by Miguel Paludo at 174.548, and another Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate, Jeb Burton, at 174.382. Burton won the most recent Truck Series event, held three weeks ago at Texas.

 

The start of the practice session was delayed roughly 15 minutes by light rain, and later halted briefly under caution because of moisture on the race track. There were no incidents. The trucks have a second practice session slated for later in the day, as well as qualifying, and the UNOH 225 race at 7:30 p.m. ET (150 laps, SPEED).

 

Series leader Matt Crafton was ninth in the session. Sprint Cup stars Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, who are each attempting all three races this weekend on the 1.5-mile oval, placed fifth and eighth, respectively. Joey Coulter, German Quiroga, Ryan Blaney and Ty Dillon also posted speeds in the top 10.

 

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How are you watching the races at Kentucky Speedway? Find out how to get the latest from wherever you are

WATCHING AT HOME?
GOING TO THE RACE?
GOING MOBILE?
PLAYING FANTASY?

Even if you’re not at the track, you can keep up with all the live action on TV and at NASCAR.com. (All times Eastern, unless noted.)

Watch practices and races on TV:

SPRINT CUP SERIES:

Friday, June 28:
Practice, 11:30 a.m. on SPEED

Final practice, 1:30 p.m. on SPEED

Qualifying, 5:10 p.m. on SPEED

Saturday, June 29:

Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts, 7:30 p.m. on TNT

 

NATIONWIDE SERIES:

Thursday, June 27:

Practice, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, June 28:

Final practice, 9 a.m.

Qualifying, 3:35 p.m. on SPEED

Feed The Children 300, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

 

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES:

Thursday, June 25:

Practice, 10:30 a.m.

Final practice, noon

Qualifying, 5:05 p.m. on SPEED

UNOH 225, 8 p.m. on SPEED

Get inside the garage:

GarageCam will be streaming live from Kentucky Speedway on Thursday, June 27 from the Nationwide garage at 6 p.m. ET and the Sprint Cup garage on Friday, June 28 at 1 p.m. ET.

Keep an eye on the media center:

Press Pass will have live news conferences throughout race weekend. All times Eastern.

Thursday, June 27:

Michael Waltrip Racing and University of Louisville announcement | 4 p.m.

Brad Keselowski | 4:30 p.m.

Kyle Busch | 4:45 p.m.

Truck Series post-race news conferences | 10:30 p.m.

Friday, June 28:

Jimmie Johnson | 10:30 a.m.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 10:45 a.m.

Martin Truex Jr. | 12:45 p.m.

NASCAR "Dash 4 Cash" Announcement with Justin Allgaier | 1:15 p.m.

Jeff Gordon | 3:45 p.m.

Sprint Cup post-qualifying news conferences | 6:30 p.m.

Nationwide Series post-race news conferences | 10 p.m.

Saturday, June 29:

Sprint Cup post-race news conferences | 10:30 p.m.

Re-live the race:

Watch race highlights from your favorite driver and top moments from the track shortly after the race ends with Race RePlay.

Want to attend the races this weekend? Buy tickets to the Quaker State 400, Feed the Children 300 and UNOH 225 here.

Know the tracks:

Check out our Kentucky Speedway track page to learn the history of the track and explore the best fan views. You can also use our weekly paint scheme preview to easily spot your favorite driver’s car.

Want to meet a driver?

Here is a list of driver appearances taking place at the track this weekend. (All times local; list subject to change.)

Thursday, June 27:

Ryan Blaney | 3 p.m. at the Ford Display

Friday, June 28:

Michael Annett | 11:45 a.m. at the Ford Display

Trevor Bayne | 12:05 p.m. at the Ford Display

Travis Pastrana | 12:05 p.m. ET at the Ford Display

Regan Smith | 1:30 p.m. at the Sprint Experience

Sam Hornish Jr. | 3 p.m. at the Ford Display

Martin Truex Jr. | 2:50 p.m. at the Toyota Racing Pit Pass Display

Saturday, June 29:

Paul Menard Q-and-A | 3:30 p.m. at the Fan Zone

Aric Almirola Q-and-A | 3:30 p.m. at the Fan Zone

David Ragan Q-and-A | 3:30 p.m. at the Fan Zone

Casey Mears | 3:40 p.m. at the Ford Display

Kyle Busch Q-and-A | 3:45 p.m. at the Fan Zone

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 4:10 p.m. at the Ford Display

Austin Dillon | 4:15 p.m. at the Sprint Experience

Juan Pablo Montoya | 4:15 p.m. at the Oakley Display

David Gilliliand | 4:30 p.m. at the Ford Display

Denny Hamlin | 4:45 p.m. at the Sprint Experience

Get packing:

The weather at Kentucky Speedway is:

Click for Sparta, Kentucky Forecast

Kentucky Speedway broke ground in 1998, and doors to the 1.5-mile speedway opened in 2000. The track began hosting Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series events there that year, adding Sprint Cup races in 2011. The first was won by Kyle Busch.

Keep all eyes on the race:

With RaceView Premium and NASCAR RaceView Mobile ’13, you can watch live, virtual 3-D video with in-car audio as well as national radio broadcasts, telemetry data and real-time stats. In additon, RaceBuddy will be available for this week’s Cup race, and RaceBuddy also will be available for the Nationwide Series race.

Follow from anywhere:

NASCAR Mobile ’13: NASCAR’s official app is free with an in-app subscription for premium content including live driver audio, live advanced leaderboards and live alternate camera angles.

Play NASCAR FANTASY:

Be sure to set your lineup before the Sprint Cup race goes green at Kentucky Speedway this week.

Expert tip of the week:

After disappointments at Charlotte in the most recent race on a similarly-configured, 1.5-mile track, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Kyle Busch will be highly motivated to run with the leaders and earn maximum points in the NASCAR Fantasy Live game. Get more tips from Dan Beaver’s fantasy blog each week.

Keep up with the latest:

Use our weekly Driver Reports for a quick breakdown of how each driver is looking. Also each week, our writers vote on which drivers are making moves. Read the resulting driver Power Rankings to help boost your lineup.

Have a second screen:

Get lap-by-lap updates on NASCAR.com during practice laps, qualifying and races. You can also use our Minute-by-Minute blog to keep up with what’s happening at the track.

Last year’s top five at Kentucky were:

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Kasey Kahne

3. Denny Hamlin

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

5. Jeff Gordon

See the complete results here.

READ MORE:

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Scheme Preview

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Week 16

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Driver Reports

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Posted on by Staff Report

How are you watching the races at Daytona International Speedway? Find out how to get the latest from wherever you are

WATCHING AT HOME?
GOING TO THE RACE?
GOING MOBILE?
PLAYING FANTASY?

Even if you’re not at the track, you can keep up with all the live action on TV and at NASCAR.com. (All times Eastern, unless noted.)

Watch practices and races on TV:

SPRINT CUP SERIES:

Thursday, Juy 4:
Practice, 4 p.m. on SPEED

Final practice, 6:35 p.m. on SPEED

Friday, July 5:

Qualifying, 4:10 p.m. on SPEED

Saturday, July 6:

Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola, 7:30 p.m. on TNT

 

NATIONWIDE SERIES:

Thursday, July 4:

Practice, 2:30 p.m. on SPEED

Final practice, 5:30 p.m. on SPEED

Friday, July 5:

Qualifying, 2:05 p.m. on ESPN2

Subway Firecracker 250 powered by Coca-Cola, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

Get inside the garage:

GarageCam will be streaming live from Kentucky Speedway on Thursday, July 4 from the Nationwide garage at 2 p.m. ET and the Sprint Cup garage at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Keep an eye on the media center:

Press Pass will have live news conferences throughout race weekend. All times Eastern.

Thursday, July 4:

Matt Kenseth | 1:45 p.m.

Danica Patrick | 2:30 p.m.

Jimmie Johnson | 3 p.m.

Friday, July 5:

Tony Stewart | 3 p.m.

Sprint Cup post-qualifying news conferences | 6:20 p.m.

Nationwide Series post-race news conferences | 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 6:

Squier-Hall NASCAR Hall of Fame announcement | 3 p.m.
Alyssa Milano | 3:30 p.m.
Sheryl Crow | 3:45 p.m.
Grown Ups 2 grand marshals Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Shaquille O’Neal | 5 p.m.
Sprint Cup post-race news conferences | 10:30 p.m.

Re-live the race:

Watch race highlights from your favorite driver and top moments from the track shortly after the race ends with Race RePlay.

Want to attend the races this weekend? Buy tickets to the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola and Subway Firecracker 250 powered by Coca-Cola here.

Know the track:

Check out our Daytona International Speedway track page to learn the history of the track and explore the best fan views. You can also use our weekly paint scheme preview to easily spot your favorite driver’s car.

Want to meet a driver?

Here is a list of driver appearances taking place at the track this weekend. (All times local; list subject to change.)

Friday, July 5:

Tony Stewart | After Nationwide qualifying at the Oral-B Main Stage

Juan Pablo Montoya | 3:15 p.m. ET on the Oral-B Main Stage

Travis Pastrana, Brian Vickers, Justin Allgaier, Ty Dillon, Dexter Stacey, Kevin Swindell, Robert Richardson Jr., Jeffrey Earnhardt, Kyle Larson, Mike Bliss and James Buescher autograph session | 4:30 p.m. at the Sprint FANZONE

Friday, July 5:

Kevin Harvick | 4:30 p.m. on the Oral-B Main Stage

Danica Patrick | 4:45 p.m. on the Oral-B Main Stage
Ryan Newman | 5:30 p.m. on the Oral-B Main Stage

Get packing:

The weather at Daytona International Speedway is:

Click for Daytona Beach, Florida Forecast

Have a second screen:

Get lap-by-lap updates on NASCAR.com during practice laps, qualifying and races. You can also use our Minute-by-Minute blog to keep up with what’s happening at the track.

Daytona International Speedway broke ground on Nov. 25, 1957. Since the first Daytona 500 in 1959, there have been 132 Sprint Cup Series races at the track.

Keep all eyes on the race:

With RaceView Premium and NASCAR RaceView Mobile ’13, you can watch live, virtual 3-D video with in-car audio as well as national radio broadcasts, telemetry data and real-time stats. In additon, RaceBuddy will be available for this week’s Cup race, and RaceBuddy also will be available for the Nationwide Series race.

Follow from anywhere:

NASCAR Mobile ’13: NASCAR’s official app is free with an in-app subscription for premium content including live driver audio, live advanced leaderboards and live alternate camera angles.

Play NASCAR FANTASY:

Be sure to set your lineup before the Sprint Cup race goes green at Kentucky Speedway this week.

Expert tip of the week:

Fantasy players will earn the majority of their points this week in the Quality Passes column, so stick with drivers who like to charge to the front and are not afraid of pulling out of the draft to make something happen. Get more tips from Dan Beaver’s fantasy blog each week.

Keep up with the latest:

Use our weekly Driver Reports for a quick breakdown of how each driver is looking. Also each week, our writers vote on which drivers are making moves. Read the resulting driver Power Rankings to help boost your lineup.

Last year’s top five at Daytona were:

1. Tony Stewart

2. Jeff Burton

3. Matt Kenseth

4. Joey Logano

5. Ryan Newman

See the complete results here.

READ MORE:

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Preview: Daytona

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Week 17

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Posted on by Nascar

No. 29 tangled with Darrell Wallace Jr., Kyle Busch

Related: UNOH 225 results | Complete Kentucky coverage

SPARTA, Ky. — Ryan Blaney survived two skirmishes, including one that saw his pole-winning No. 29 Ford brush the outside wall, to finish fifth in Thursday night’s UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

An impressive run for the 19-year-old, but a disappointing one as well he said moments after climbing from the blue and white entry.

“We had a really good truck so it wasn’t all bad. But we should be over there,” he said with a nod toward Victory Lane, where race winner Ty Dillon was enjoying the spoils of his win.

"It was a pretty good comeback to get back up there and be around for the win."

— Ryan Blaney

Blaney, son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dave Blaney, led twice for 28 of the race’s 150 laps. He was second on a Lap 47 restart when he nearly lost the handle on his truck while battling leader Darrell Wallace Jr. for the top spot.

“Really loose? Yeah, that was (wild). That was just a factor of being on the bottom,” Blaney said. “I did kind of use the 54 (of Wallace) up on the restart, tried to push him out and dive away from him. I actually got loose as I dove away from him and that’s what really set up that corner. Then he went to my door.

“There was actually water down in the middle of (Turns) 1-2; it was weeping out of the cracks, and it was really hard to run down there. I just hit that wrong and it shot me sideways … it was a pretty good comeback to get back up there and be around for the win. That’s all we can ask for.”

Blaney was able to stay in the top 10, and had worked his way back to second just past the 100-lap mark. By Lap 119, he was filling the mirror of race leader Kyle Busch. But before Blaney could get around the Sprint Cup Series regular, his truck was once again headed toward the wall. This time, there was contact, although once more he was able to gather the truck in and continue on.

“I was working his inside; I could run the bottom really good,” Blaney, now sixth in points, said of the battle with Busch. “I knew he would try to … take the air off my nose. I was able to roll around the top and got to his quarter panel … (he) ended up putting us in the wall off of (Turn) 4, which was unfortunate.

"I don’t think it was intentional; I think it was just hard racing.”

Busch, who led 42 laps but faded at the end to finish third, said he “got all the way out of the gas, cranking left and it was dumping air on my splitter, making me tight. And I got him into the fence.

“I hate it for (Blaney) because he’s racing for a win just like we were. I didn’t want to do it, but (it) just happened that way.”

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Posted on by Nascar

Former driver says Danica has marketing power

Related: Complete Danica Patrick transcript | Danica’s response | Junior defends Danica

SPARTA, Ky. — Despite having spent less than two full years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Danica Patrick has one of the most recognizable names in NASCAR today.

But while she may be a “marketing machine,” according to former driver Kyle Petty, she is not, he said, “a race car driver.”

In an interview that aired Thursday on SPEED’s “NASCAR Race Hub,” Petty said that Patrick “is a hot commodity and rightfully so.

“In a market where everybody that crawls into a race car on a Sunday afternoon in Cup racing is male; she’s the female,” Petty said. “I don’t have a problem with her being a marketing machine — more power to her.”

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

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Asked where he felt Patrick currently stood as a driver, Petty said fans have bought into the marketing hype. “She can go fast, and I’ve seen her go fast,” he said. “She drives the wheels off it when she goes fast.”

But, he said, “she’s not a race car driver. There’s a difference.

“ … Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs. She can go fast, but she can’t race. I think she’s come a long way, but she’s still not a race car driver. And I don’t think she’s ever going to be a race car driver.”

She won’t ever be, he said, “because I think it’s too late to learn.”

Patrick was recently named to the Forbes Celebrity 100, a listing of the 100 most powerful celebrities of 2013 as determined by the magazine. She is in her first full season competing in the Cup series, driving the GoDaddy.com No. 10 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing.

She is 27th in the points standings. Earlier this year, she became the first female to capture the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500. Her eighth-place finish in that race has been her only top-10 result to date.

Petty is the son of seven-time champion Richard Petty and the grandson of Lee Petty, a three-time series champion. Both Richard and Lee Petty are members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

An eight-time winner in Cup, Kyle Petty said he didn’t know what determines good and great drivers.

“If I knew,” he said, ”I’d be a great driver.

“I was not a great driver, and I’ll be the first to admit it. I was a journeyman driver. Just like in the NFL or any sport, there are journeyman players.”

Patrick, who wrapped up a two-day test session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway earlier this week, was unavailable for comment. She is scheduled to meet with the media here at Kentucky Speedway on Friday.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Sign up or set up your team now

It’s never too late to win with NASCAR Fantasy Live

 

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Posted on by Staff Report

LIVE LEADERBOARD: Follow Nationwide practice live, 6:30 p.m. ET

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Posted on by Staff Report

LIVE LEADERBOARD: Follow Truck qualifying from Kentucky, 5:05 p.m. ET

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Posted on by Staff Report

Follow practice here at noon ET with our live leaderboard

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