Daytona 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts
The big question coming in to last week’s Bud Shootout was how all the changes to the track and the cars would affect the racing. Between speeds of up to 206 mph and a new form of super speedway racing where two-car tandems go bumper to bumper, rather than the traditional freight train of several cars linked, it’s fair to say the new changes are for the better as we head into this week’s events that culminate with Sunday’s 53rd Daytona 500.
NASCAR has been searching for the missing answer of how to get television ratings on the rise again and have implemented all kinds of rules the last few years -- some rules that have even cancelled out initial changes -- and by pure chance, something not of their intention, this tag-team restrictor-plate driving falls into their laps.
Who doesn’t love speeds over 200 mph with RPM’s hitting at over 9,700. While plate racing has always been enjoyable, this new style -- where two cars are much faster together than three or four packed together -- is a refreshing and pleasant change from what we’re accustomed to watching.
Even though the individual car performance is diluted somewhat because of needing another to go faster, the top plate teams from the past year are still forces to reckon with. Teams like Childress, Hendrick, Gibbs and Ganassi all figure to be major players Sunday.
But their final results now depend on who they team up with and how well they work together during the race. During the Bud Shootout, Jeff Burton led the most laps with Kevin Harvick as his trailer, pushing Burton. They had the luxury of talking to each other during the race because they are on the same Childress team and it showed by the way the two of them worked together in and out of each turn flawlessly, getting maximum speed with no air resistance. Other hook-ups weren’t as clean with the pusher having trouble guessing where his leader was going which broke their stock car caravan and slowed their speeds by up to 20 mph.
Teammates will surely be seeking each other out, but in all likelihood, most drivers will have to take whoever is available at the moment, even if it means partnering up with Dodge driver Kurt Busch as Jamie McMurray was forced to do Saturday night.
The position all drivers hope to be in for the final lap is the pusher because once they pull away for a slingshot move, their lead partner‘s speed dies almost as if the engine has been turned off. The only recourse a driver has -- who is leading -- is to block which is likely to cause a severe car flipping accident. In Saturday’s race we saw two sets of drivers near the finish line with Denny Hamlin trying to make the winning pass, but he went below the yellow line to avoid the possible wreck, which in turn black flagged him.
With the Daytona 500 on the line and the lead driver expecting the slingshot, you can bet that he’ll do anything possible to secure the win, even if that means knocking his temporary teammate -- the one who pushed him to be in that situation -- out of the way. It’s not a new twist to restrictor-plate racing, but requiring two cars to achieve the speeds needed to get to the finish line first is which makes this a very intriguing Daytona 500, perhaps one of the most anticipated in the last few decades.
The only thing that could possibly ruin this different type of racing at Daytona is NASCAR, who has until Wednesday to make a decision on whether or not to use a smaller restrictor-plate to slow the cars down. NASCAR has been all about safety of the fans and drivers the last decade, following Dale Earnhardt’s death 10 years ago in the Daytona 500, but the buzz created from the speeds and new type of racing may force them to delay drastic changes until Talladega in April.
When looking to bet this week, you can take a list of all the drivers from the top teams, throw in a couple more randomly, until you have about 28 drivers, and then start throwing darts. Seriously, I mean it! There is no real method to picking the winner in this week’s race as opposed to the 32 other races on non-restrictor plate tracks.
My advice is to take a shot on a few drivers at 20/1 or higher like Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex Jr, Brian Vickers, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman and Jeff Burton.
I think the elite class of the plate rides is the Childress drivers, who won three of the plate races last year, but it’s anybody’s ball game as we saw Saturday with Kurt Busch winning the Bud Shootout. Busch was the only Dodge in the field, who doesn’t have many friends on the track to begin with, and pulled out the victory despite all the reasons he had going against him.
Good Luck and enjoy the race Sunday!
Top 5 Daytona 500 Finish Prediction:
1) #24 Jeff Gordon (15/1)
2) #33 Clint Bowyer (16/1)
3) #1 Jamie McMurray (10/1)
4) #31 Jeff Burton (30/1)
5) #20 Joey Logano (30/1)
Sports Book Notes
MGM Resorts Sports Book Director Jay Rood said the biggest event of this weekend will be the Daytona 500 and guaranteed that “The Great American Race” would be on with sound at his Mirage sports book. The race will also be Sunday’s biggest decision for his chain of books on the strip.
“Barring huge wagers on that day from house players, the Daytona 500 will easily be our biggest decision of the day,” said Rood.
While NASCAR measures only a blip of a percent of the overall betting operation, by itself, it usually is one of the larger handled events when comparing it with any other game. The other sports have multiple games each day, while NASCAR has only 36 events on the year. This Sunday is a rather weak betting menu with the NBA All-Star game generating modest handle and a few less than marquee college basketball games.
Rood offered some of the most attractive Daytona 500 odds in the city and also plans to offer some matchups and propositions for the race. He’s even going to see how much interest there is in booking the Nationwide series races.
The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book currently is the only sports book that carries the Nationwide series for every race, as well as Formula-1, Indy Cars and the Truck series. On Monday the Hilton crew also opened their odds to win Thursday’s Gatorade Duel races.
Cantor Gaming sports books got a little racier with their NASCAR props this season as they have a bunch of season propositions, something that no one else has in the city. Their new book at the Tropicana offers easy access and is absolutely beautiful.
VegasInsider.com
Daytona 500 Preview
By: Kelly Maguire
The NASCAR season is back as the “Great American Race” at Daytona International Speedway takes place on February 20, 2011.
Jamie McMurray won the Daytona 500 last year, with Kevin Harvick winning on this track in July in the Coke Zero 400.
Before we begin with the race preview, here is the new points system that NASCAR has implemented this season:
# The new points system awards points in one-point increments with race winners earning 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win.
# All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher (43rd) place earns one point. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher receives eight points, to account for that series' 36-driver race field.
# All drivers also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and ONE driver who leads the most laps, gets one point.
# The max a race winner can get is 48 points.
# Teams that fail to qualify for a race will get no owners points, but NASCAR will track number of attempts. No word on how ties will be broken after five races when the owners’ points go into effect.
Last season Jimmie Johnson won the “Sprint Chase for the Cup”, his fifth straight championship. Johnson joined Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty as the only drivers who have won five or more championships. Johnson is a 5-to-2 favorite to repeat as champion for the sixth consecutive time.
This race also marks a sad occasion, as 10 years ago, Dale Earnhardt was killed in a collision with the wall on this track.
Drivers to watch out for
Kevin Harvick (+650) - Harvick won the Coke Zero 400 here last July, and won this race back in 2007 from the 34th position. Despite having five top-5 finishes at this track, his average finish at the Daytona International Speedway in 19 races here is 14.5. Harvick finished third in 2010 in the Sprint Cup Standings with three wins overall. His 1,379 points over his last 10 races at Daytona International Speedway is the most over that span.
Tony Stewart (+750) – Finished seventh in 2010 Sprint Cup Standings, winning two races on the year. Stewart is a three-time winner on this track, but none have come in the first race of the season. He won the Coke Zero 400 in 2009, and what was then called the Pepsi 400 in 2006 and 2005. His best finish in the Daytona 500 was second in 2004. He also finished third in this race in 2008. His history at Daytona International Speedway has been one of feast or famine, as despite his three wins in the Coke Zero/Pepsi 400 and his two top-3 finishes in the Daytona 500, his average finish at this track in 24 races is 17.1.
Kyle Busch (+750) – Finished eighth in the Sprint Cup Standings last season, winning three races, and was one of five drivers to post double-digits in top-five finishes with 10. He finished fourth in the Daytona 500 in 2008, but has finished no closer than 14th in his other six races. Has one win on this track at the 2008 Pepsi 400. Average finish in 12 races at Daytona International Speedway: 19.5.
Jamie McMurray (+900) – The 2010 defending champion at Daytona 500, McMurray finished 14th in the Sprint Cup Standings last season, winning two other races at Indianapolis and Charlotte. Has one other win at this track at the 2007 Pepsi 400. His average finish in his 16 career races at this track is 24.9.
Other Drivers to keep an eye on
Kurt Busch (+1400) – Seven top-10 finishes over his last 10 races at Daytona International Speedway are the most over that span, as are his five top-5 finishes. Although he has no wins on this track, his 1,318 points over his last 10 races here rank second. Finished second at Daytona 500 in 2008, 2005 and 2003.
Clint Bowyer (+1400) – No career wins at this track, but his 1,301 points earned over his last 10 races here rank third. Has six top-10 finishes in his last 10 races at this track and finished fourth in last year’s Daytona 500.
Matt Kenseth (+3350) – 2009 winner of Daytona 500. Has 10 career top-10 finishes at this track. Has earned 1,284 points over the last 10 races at this track which ranks fourth. Finished fifth in the Sprint Cup Standings in 2010.
Jeff Gordon (+1100) – You never can count out the three-time winner of this event, although he last won in 2005. Has just one top-five finish in his 11 races since then (last year’s Coke Zero 400, when he finished third).
Denny Hamlin (+1400) – He finished second in last year’s Chase for the Cup, but Daytona has never been a successful venue for Hamlin. In 10 career races on this track, he has just one top-10 finish, and that was in the Coke Zero 400. His best Daytona 500 finish was 17th, which he did in both 2008 and last year.
Odds & Ends - Daytona
Daytona International Speedway Data
Race #: 1 of 36 (2-20-11)
Track Size: 2.5 miles
Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)
Banking/Corners: 31 degrees
Banking/Straights: 3 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
Driver Rating at Daytona
Tony Stewart 100.7
Kyle Busch 99.0
Kurt Busch 94.8
Jeff Gordon 92.8
Jimmie Johnson 91.7
Matt Kenseth 91.6
Kevin Harvick 88.5
Clint Bowyer 86.7
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 85.2
Carl Edwards 84.9
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (12 total) at Daytona.
Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Mark Martin. (191.188 mph, 47.074 seconds)
2010 race winner: Jamie McMurray (137.284 mph, 2-14-10)
Qualifying record: Bill Elliott (210.364 mph, 42.783 secs. 2-9-87)
Race record: Buddy Baker (177.602 mph, 2-17-80)
Driver Highlights - Daytona
Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet)
# Two top fives, six top 10s
# Average finish of 12.8
# Average Running Position of 15.7, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 86.7, eighth-best
Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
# One win, seven top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 17.2
# Average Running Position of 15.3, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 84.9, 11th-best
# 47 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
# Series-high 2,541 Green Flag Passes
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.762 mph, fourth-fastest
# 1,214 Laps in the Top 15 (56.8%), ninth-most
# 1,520 Quality Passes, third-most
Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge)
# Nine top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 17.0
# Average Running Position of 14.0, fifth-best
# Driver Rating of 94.8, third-best
# 49 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
# 2,088 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.656 mph, eighth-fastest
# 1,428 Laps in the Top 15 (66.9%), fourth-most
# 1,519 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)
# One win, four top fives, four top 10s
# Average finish of 19.5
# Average Running Position of 12.1, second-best
# Driver Rating of 99.0, second-best
# 45 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.644 mph, 11th-fastest
# Series-high 1,581 Laps in the Top 15 (74.0%)
# 1,511 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
# Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.4
# Average Running Position of 15.6, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 86.7, ninth-best
# 55 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
# 1,262 Laps in the Top 15 (59.1%), eighth-most
# 1,320 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
# Three top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 17.7
# Average Running Position of 15.6, ninth-best
# Driver Rating of 85.2, 10th-best
# 2,444 Green Flag Passes, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.805 mph, second-fastest
# 1,339 Laps in the Top 15 (62.7%), seventh-most
# Series-high 1,717 Quality Passes
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive For Hunger Chevrolet)
# Six wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 15.4
# Average Running Position of 12.2, third-best
# Driver Rating of 92.8, fourth-best
# 46 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
# 2,109 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.650 mph, 10th-fastest
# 1,433 Laps in the Top 15 (67.1%), third-most
# 1,459 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)
# Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 14.5
# Average Running Position of 16.6, 11th-best
# Driver Rating of 88.5, seventh-best
# Series-high 61 Fastest Laps Run
# 2,426 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
# 1,141 Laps in the Top 15 (53.4%), 11th-most
# 1,282 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
# One win, six top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 16.3
# Series-best Average Running Position of 11.0
# Driver Rating of 91.7, fifth-best
# 2,201 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 185.863 mph
# 1,567 Laps in the Top 15 (73.4%), second-most
# 1,605 Quality Passes, second-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 4 Red Bull Toyota)
# One top five, five top 10s
# Average finish of 17.6
# Driver Rating of 81.4, 13th-best
# 51 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
# 2,536 Green Flag Passes, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.702 mph, sixth-fastest
# 1,363 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)
# One win, three top fives, 10 top 10s
# Average finish of 17.3
# Average Running Position of 14.5, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 91.6, sixth-best
# 60 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# 2,076 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.685 mph, seventh-fastest
# 1,376 Laps in the Top 15 (64.4%), sixth-most
# 1,436 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
# One win, two top fives, three top 10s
# Average finish of 21.9
# Average Running Position of 17.1, 12th-best
# Driver Rating of 81.4, 12th-best
# 43 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
# 2,190 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
# 1,140 Laps in the Top 15 (53.4%), 12th-most
# 1,238 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet)
# Three wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 17.1
# Average Running Position of 13.1, fourth-best
# Series-best Driver Rating of 100.7
# 57 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 185.709 mph, fifth-fastest
# 1,413 Laps in the Top 15 (66.2%), fifth-most
Daytona 500 Driver Notes & Quotes
JAMIE McMURRAY ON HIS OUTLOOK FOR THE UPCOMING DAYTONA RACES: “It has been a good week. I was happy with how our car performed in the Bud Shootout. They’ve changed the rules a little bit, but I was talking to Steve Hmiel (Director of Competition for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing), I don’t think it is going to be dramatically different for our team than what we had in the Shootout. The opening in nose is very similar to the same size. I think that the point that the water is going to boil is going to fairly close to what we raced. I don’t think there are going to be a lot of changes; I think the biggest obstacle is going to be the temperature on Thursday and again on Sunday versus what we had in the Shootout. We’ll go out today and practice and see what we have. It is a different car and it is really strange how you know some cars suck up well and want to push and some that don’t, so we’ll have to wait and see how today’s car is.”
McMURRAY ON HIS SPOTTER TAKING AN EVEN LARGER ROLE NOW: “It is more than ever and I think that your spotter has to be a racer in order to anticipate what the lead car is going to do. I thought, Loren Ranier spots for me, I always said that what made him a great spotter is that he can stand up there and watch the race unfold and he’s really good at reading other drivers and kind of knowing what to anticipate. He did a great job Saturday night. It was our first race back together since being at Roush and it took the first 25 laps to get used to it, and then I felt like once I got hooked up with Kurt (Busch), he did a really good job at anticipating what he thought Kurt would do and where he would go. When you are locked together, if you are on the bottom of the track and he says ‘I think Kurt is going to pass them on the outside’, as soon as he would say that, I would move my front bumper to the right rear of Kurt’s car so that when Kurt made the move, I was centered up with him. That is important because when you watch it on TV and you see the cars zigging and zagging back and forth, if you misjudge that, it will be a wreck. I think the spotters are more important with the two-car drafts than at any other time.”
McMURRAY CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1009 - Manion and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats team were forced to switch to their back-up car, as they will now bring chassis #1009 to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. This is the chassis McMurray finished 36th with at Talladega in Oct 2010.
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA ON RACING AT DAYTONA THIS YEAR: “I think the bigger thing is we’ve really got to pull together and make sure we are always on the same page. Make sure we never stay behind on changes. I think having the new fueling system is going to be a key factor for us. With the fueling, the fuel is going to take longer than changing the tires. I think everybody will have about the same time pit stops. Like before it was more mandated by the people doing the tire change. If you look at our averages, our pit crew average last year wasn’t great. It’s funny, I was looking at Dover and I qualified I think third or fourth, and I ran third or fourth all day until we came into the pits and I came out seventh. Then I ran seventh for a while, came in and came out 10th. So I ran 10th for a while, came in 10th and I came out 14th and I finished 14th. We had the pace to run where we were; we didn’t have the pace to improve. I think now with the new pit rules, I think the pit pick is going to be more important. I think coming into the box hard is going to be more important. The little details will make a big difference.”
MONTOYA CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1101 - Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #1101 to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.
BRAD KESELOWSKI ON DAYTONA'S NEW SURFACE: “I’m really happy with the new surface at Daytona. It was something that I was a proponent of for a long time. It will definitely lead to a different Daytona 500 than we have ever seen. The two-car draft is going to be the key to winning the race. I feel like Kurt (Busch) and I have picked up on that style of racing pretty quickly. We’ll try to stay hooked up together as long as we can. Kurt, obviously, has a fast car and has already visited Victory Lane once during Speedweeks. Now I hope it’s my turn.”
KESELOWSKI AT DAYTONA: In addition to his three career Cup Series starts at DIS, Keselowski has raced in six career NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) events at the 2.5-mile oval. In those races, he has recorded one pole, two top-five finishes and he has completed all 669 laps contested, with 53 laps led. Keselowski has also made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at DIS, with his best result of seventh coming in 2005 while driving his family-owned, K-Automotive entry.
KESELOWSKI CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-635 during Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). This is a brand-new chassis to the No. 2 team.
ROUSH FENWAY HEAD ENGINE BUILDER DOUG YATES ON HOW BIG OF A DEAL THE NASCAR CHANGES ARE( REDUCTION TO FRONT GRILLE & WATER SYSTEM VALVE): “It is a very big deal. We’ve worked for a long time, especially on the water systems, to be able to run the temperatures that we do today. What’s concerning about this is it’s mainly a driver-driven decision. If the driver is pushing somebody, he has to pay attention not only to what’s in front of him, but also to his water temperature gauge. He has to know when to get air to the nose, so whenever you put that much emphasis on the driver watching the gauges, you open yourself up to some potential failures just because it’s not easy to do. As an engine builder, this is a big change for a big race, so we’re gonna do a lot of homework today and tomorrow and, hopefully, be prepared when we go back there on Wednesday and Thursday. If we need to do some more research before the 500, then we will.”
REGAN SMITH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDS AT DAYTONA: “Now it’s all about making friends — we’re going to have to do some politicking. Without a partner you’re simply toast. It’s like musical chairs — you don’t want to be the last guy without a chair, and you sure don’t want to be the last driver without a dancing partner in the big race. Based on what I saw in the (Budweiser) Shootout, the guys weren’t necessarily concerned about their allegiance. Finding the best partner was the first priority. You can’t really simulate race conditions at a superspeedway in practice. It was definitely helpful to be in the Shootout even though we got collected in an accident and didn’t run all the laps. We’ve been preparing for the opener for a long time and we’re ready. Having a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and running Earnhardt Childress Racing engines are a big boost to our Furniture Row Racing program. In our world, there’s nothing like the Daytona 500 and there’s nothing like starting the season with a solid performance. We just need to continue what we were doing at the end of 2010.”
RYAN NEWMAN ON WINNING THE DAYTONA 500: “Obviously it’s a big career builder and resume builder. It changed my life because I have the trophy, the check and the notoriety to go along with it. But I think it’s the impression that people have of you as a Daytona 500 champion that changes your life more so. I want to drive the Soldiers’ car to victory lane. That’s our goal and what better way to salute our Army Strong Soldiers than with the Daytona 500 trophy.”
TONY STEWART ON RACING AT DAYTONA: “The history (of Daytona). There’s nothing about the track that’s different than a lot of places we go to, it’s just the history of it. It’s the history of that trophy. It’s the history of that event. It’s knowing that this is where our sport was started. It didn’t start right where we’re sitting, it started at the beach. But to see how this sport started and how it’s evolved and when this facility was built, it was way ahead of its time. To see how, as time has gone on, technology has changed, how this place still produces some of the greatest races of the season, the fact that it’s the most important place of our season, that’s what makes this place special.”
JEFF GORDON ON RACING DALE EARNHARDT AT DAYTONA: “He (Dale Earnhardt Sr.) taught me a lot about the draft. He didn’t tell me it. He just beat me enough times, passed me enough times. It’s not possible. He’s got something going on in that car. What is it? I just realized he just was that good. I’d say the last three or four years that we raced together on the speedways, I felt like it was kind of a race between me and him. He taught me enough or I learned enough from racing with him that I felt like I could do what he could do, you know. He was always reinventing things, just only getting better at those types of tracks. I always was in awe of racing with him. But it was a totally different type of racing back then.”
DALE EARNHARDT JR ON RACING IN THIS YEARS DAYTONA 500: “I particularly like 40 cars trying to race each other and me being in control of my destiny. I don’t really want to have to make this commitment with another driver to run together for 25 laps and push him in the lead, swap back and forth. I don’t want to do that. I want to race my car, pass everybody, take the lead myself; worry about my own self. It’s difficult enough doing it for yourself without working with another guy, having to look out for him, too. It’s a different style of racing, but as you saw it (the Budweiser Shootout) was still a good race. I thought the finish was really good. The race was really interesting. It’s something new. We’ll have a good race regardless of what the package is. And the changes that NASCAR decides to make may change the racing just a little bit. But they’re smart enough to know we’re so far into the game right now for this particular event, there won’t be a big swing at it. But it’s probably something we need to look at doing down the road. I’m sure they will. They’ll probably get us all together here or Talladega, try all kinds of crazy ideas and see what works. And something will. There’s definitely a package out there that will give us exactly what we’re looking for.”
KURT BUSCH ON THE DAYTONA 500: “It will be wild and wide-open racing, that’s for sure. With the new pavement, you can pretty much throw the handling aspect out the window. It’ll be all about raw speed and how well you can run in the two-car draft. You have to still be in that survival mode because there are going to be so many cars going every which way. How guys can manage the two-car draft, it will definitely be the way to win at Daytona. Our goal is to come back and make it a Daytona sweep by winning the Daytona 500. Our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge team is bubbling with confidence after last weekend. It would definitely be the biggest day of my career if we can pull it off.”
JEFF BURTON ON BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIS RCR TEAMMATES DURING THE DRAFT GIVING THEM AN EDGE: “It sure appeared that the communication was real important. Having said that, later in the race I got with Clint (Bowyer) and we communicated in the same fashion and we didn’t work as well together. There’s still an anomaly that we don’t understand, why my car was pushed by Kevin better than Clint was able to push me and by the way better than Kevin was able to push Gordon. We still don’t completely understand that. So kind of back to the same thing, you certainly want to be with one of your teammates, but it may be one of your teammates isn’t who you want to be with and they don’t want to be with you. You’ve got to find the right car that works with your car. I heard some people made a comment that was dangerous you’ve got one spotter, but honestly if there’s two cars at one place then one spotter is okay. Really there is nothing wrong with that at all. They’re spotting for two cars but we both could hear him and he’d be spotting for both of us if something happened. From a safety standpoint there is no issue there. It’s probably more important that the cars work well together than it is than you are communicating. That’s what I see right now.”
NASCAR Betting Preview and Picks
By Greg Engle
NASCAR’s season-opening Daytona 500 has been a 500-mile test of man and machine for 53 years. It’s a race rich in tradition and historic moments.
This year, however, the playing field itself has changed. The 2.5-mile speedway underwent a repaving in the offseason and this year drivers were greeted with an entirely new way to race.
No longer are huge packs of cars the norm. Now, it’s all about a two-car breakaway. And, with the new surface, the racing groove is no longer confined to one or two lanes. Much like its sister track Talladega, which underwent a similar repaving a few years ago, Daytona now allows cars to use the entire surface to race on. Unlike Talladega, however, Daytona isn’t as wide making three-wide racing a bit more nerve wracking.
“It's a lot hairier,” said 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick.”It's a lot easier now with the pavement, and the grip level that you have on the race track. It's not that big of a deal, but definitely a lot hairier than Talladega. At Daytona, it feels like it's half the width of Talladega, It's just a lot narrower than Talladega is. You definitely feel like you have a lot less room."
But has the new surface changed the game? Will those who have always run well at Daytona now find that those who have struggled at NASCAR’s superspeedways are on the same level? Not according to six-time Daytona winner Jeff Gordon, who points out the one element that he has over others.
“The game has changed,” Gordon said. “(But) you can't take knowledge and throw it away. Once you have it, you have it, you maintain it, you apply it. No matter what changes from now, if anything, to Sunday we're still going to have that knowledge. We'll try to use it to our advantage.”
After last Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout, featuring speeds of 206 miles per hour, NASCAR has worked all week to slow the cars down. That’s yet another variable that will affect the racing Sunday. However, despite whatever changes NASCAR decides to try, drivers are expecting a race close to what was seen in the Shootout, which saw a race-record 28 lead changes in the 75-lap event.
“The race was really interesting,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the acknowledged masters of racing at Daytona and Talladega. “It's something new. We'll have a good race regardless of what the package is. And the changes that NASCAR decides to make may change the racing just a little bit. But they're smart enough to know we're so far into the game right now for this particular event, there won't be a big swing at it.”
Earnhardt will certainly have his work cut out for him Sunday. After winning the pole last Sunday, Earnhardt crashed his car in Wednesday’s practice. His Hendrick Motorsports team was forced to break out the backup car, a move that sends Earnhardt to the rear of the field Sunday.
As for a favorite Sunday, look no further than a driver with an Earnhardt Childress Racing engine under the hood. ECR engines swept the 2010 restrictor plate races (Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick at Daytona, Harvick and Clint Bowyer at Talladega). It was the first time an engine manufacturer completed the sweep since Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and Richard Childress Racing worked together in a technology partnership as part of RAD (RCR, Andy Petree Racing and DEI), sweeping all four plate races in 2001.
With the strength he’s shown this week and an ECR engine under the hood, Kevin Harvick is poised to win his second Daytona 500. Harvick was third in his Gatorade Duel qualifying race Thursday. But don’t count out Jamie McMurray, last year’s winner and another driver with ECR power. McMurray finished sixth in his Duel Thursday.
The other driver to watch will be Harvick’s RCR teammate, Jeff Burton. Burton and fellow RCR driver Clint Bowyer also have ECR engines. Burton won the second Duel Thursday with Bowyer in tow. Bowyer may be a threat but lacks the experience to be counted among the favorites.
The biggest spoiler will be Kurt Busch. Despite a lack of Dodge’s in the field, Busch has won both the Budweiser Shootout last Saturday and the first Gatorade Duel qualifying race Thursday. No driver has ever completed a sweep of three races during Daytona Speedweeks, so the odds are definitely stacked against him.
Favorites:
Kevin Harvick +700
Jamie McMurray +1200
Jeff Burton +1200
Spoiler:
Kurt Busch +1000
Daytona 500 Predictions - Daytona 500 Picks
by T.O. Whenham
When it comes to NASCAR, I’ll admit to being a fairweather fan -- I show up for the big events, but don’t pay total attention from week to week. There are a lot of people out there like me, and a lot of people who bet on the sport only on the biggest days. There is no day in the sport bigger than this Sunday, however, as this is the day of “The Great American Race,” the Daytona 500. This is the weekend when everyone who cares about the sport even a little bit is paying attention. Here’s a look at how the field sets up with some Daytona 500 predictions and picks.
Kevin Harvick (+550) - Harvick is the picture of consistency in the sport -- he finished in the Top 10 26 times in 36 races last year. He hasn’t won the Daytona 500, but he does have a win on the track – at the Coke Zero 400 last year. He has also finished second and seventh the last two years in this big race.
I can’t argue too much about him being favored in this one, but I’ll be looking elsewhere. He’ll be a part of it for sure, but there isn’t the hunger around Harvick in my eyes that there is in others. I’ll talk about Richard Childress Racing again in a bit, but as much respect as I have for RCR right now I just don’t think Harvick is the way to go -- at least not at this price.
Tony Stewart (+800) - I just don’t get this price. Stewart is a big name and all, but I just don’t see how he justifies this price. He was lousy at Daytona last year -- 22nd and 25th in his two appearances. He also had a rough weekend last weekend in the Shootout -- he started fifth but dropped to 11th at the checkered flag.
He has three wins at the track, so he can’t be ruled out entirely -- he is Tony Stewart -- but in my eyes this is totally a case where the name and the price just don’t line up. If Stewart wins I won’t have a strong betting day at all.
Kurt Busch (+1500) - If I had to pick just one driver, it would be Busch. In fact, compared to Harvick I think that this price represents some very nice value. I’d much rather have him than younger brother Kyle, who is listed at +800 as well.
Kurt showed that he is ready for a fight when he won one of the two Duels on Thursday. His car is newly painted bright yellow and is, frankly, ugly. It’s also really fast, and Busch understands how to drive it.
He gets the tactics the track requires now that it has been repaved, and that means he is clearly extremely comfortable on it -- besides the Duel win he also won the Bud Shootout last weekend. He’s been the king of Speedweeks, and momentum matters at this pace for this race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+1200) - The story was setting up perfectly for Junior and his 88 car this year. This is the 10-year anniversary of his father’s death in this race, so the Earnhardt family is on everyone’s mind. It was as if Dale Sr. was looking down on his son on pole day as Junior earned the right to line up at the front of the pack. It seemed like destiny -- at least until he crashed his car on Wednesday in practice and has to start in a new car at the back of the field.
Earnhardt hasn’t exactly been the best driver in the world the last few years anyway, so I just don’t see how he is going to climb from back to front in this one.
I wouldn’t dream of betting on him, but many others don’t seem to agree -- his price has dropped from +1500 to +1200 in the last week despite the demotion.
Clint Bowyer (+1200) and Jeff Burton (+2500) - I put these two together because the teammates showed just how well they work together en route to a win for Burton and a close second for Bowyer in the second Duel on Thursday.
Though racing is an individual sport, Daytona calls on guys to work together to get where they need to be and stay there. Richard Childress Racing has brilliant equipment right now, so these guys will be sitting on rockets on race day, and they will be fearless and determined to work together again.
I like others -- especially Busch -- more, but they certainly aren’t a bad exacta possibility. Childress has guaranteed that Jimmie Johnson is going down this year, and that his team will be the ones doing it. Therefore, they will be hungry to set the tone early, and there is no better way to start that than winning the biggest race there is.
Kinda cool to see the 21 car back in the winners circle, but how could you ever bet Trevor Bayne?