New Hampshire Track Facts: 2014 Camping World RV Sales 301

Joey Logano won his first career race at New Hampshire New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data Season Race #: 19 of 36 (07-13-14) Track Size: 1.058-mile Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 2 to 7 degrees Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 2 to 7 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 1 degree Banking/Backstretch: 1 degree Frontstretch Length: 1,500 feet Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet Race Length: 301 laps / 318.46 miles   Top 10 Driver Rating at New Hampshire Tony Stewart............................. 111.0 Jeff Gordon.............................. 109.2 Jimmie Johnson........................ 105.8 Denny Hamlin............................ 102.9 Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 97.3 Clint Bowyer............................... 95.0 Kyle Busch................................. 93.1 Ryan Newman............................. 92.5 Kasey Kahne.............................. 92.4 Kevin Harvick.............................. 91.1 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (18 total) among active drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.   Qualifying/Race Data 2013 Coors Light Pole winner: Brad Keselowski, Ford 135.922 mph, 28.022 secs. 07-12-13   2013 race winner: Bryan Vickers, Toyota 98.735 mph, (03:14:10), 07-14-13   Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman, Chevrolet 136.497 mph, 27.904 secs. 09-20-13   Track race record: Jeff Burton, Ford 117.134 mph, (02:42:35), 07-13-97

 

New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

History

·         Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.

·         The 1.058-mile oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres; the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was on July 11, 1993 – won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace.

·         Speedway Motorsports, Inc. agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008 and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Notebook

·         There have been 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; one per year from 1993 through 1996 and two per year since.

·         150 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; 122 in more than one.

·         Four drivers have competed in all 38 races at New Hampshire: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte andJoe Nemechek.

·         Mark Martin won the inaugural Coors Light pole at New Hampshire in 1993 with a speed of 126.871 mph. 

·         18 drivers have Coors Light poles at New Hampshire, led by Ryan Newman with seven.

·         Five drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at New Hampshire: Ken Schrader (1997 sweep); Jeff Gordon (1998-1999); Rusty Wallace (1999-2000); Ryan Newman (twice – 2003-2004 and 2011 sweep); Juan Pablo Montoya (2009-2010).

·         Youngest New Hampshire Coors Light pole winner: Brian Vickers (07/17/2005 – 21 years, 8 months, 23 days).

·         Oldest New Hampshire Coors Light pole winner: Bill Elliott (07/21/2002 – 46 years, 9 months, 13 days).

·         23 different drivers have won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, led by Jeff Burton with four.

·         Two drivers have posted consecutive wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2003 sweep) and Kurt Busch (2004 sweep). 

·         Youngest New Hampshire winner: Joey Logano (06/28/2009 – 19 years, 1 month, 4 days).

·         Oldest New Hampshire winner: Mark Martin (09/20/2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 11 days).

·         Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at New Hampshire in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with nine; followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.

·         Five different manufacturers have won at New Hampshire; led by Chevrolet with 18 victories; followed by Fordwith 11 and Toyota with four.

·         Jeff Burton is the only driver to win the July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three consecutive years in a row (1997, ’98 and ’99)

·         Five of the 38 (13.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Ryan Newman in 2011.

·         The Coors Light pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (five) than any other starting position at New Hampshire.   

·         Eight of the 38 (21%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from the front row: eight from the pole and seven from second-place.

·         20 of the 38 (52.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Nine of the 38 (23.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at New Hampshire was 38th, by Jeff Burton in 1999.  

·         Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are tied for the series lead in runner-up finishes at New Hampshire with five each. 

·         Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at New Hampshire with 16; followed by Tony Stewart with 14.   

·         Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at New Hampshire with 22; followed by Tony Stewart andJimmie Johnson with 17 each.

·         Ryan Newman leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at New Hampshire with an 8.042.

·         Denny Hamlin leads NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at New Hampshire with an 9.000.

·         All 15 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Ryan Newman and Joey Logano won at New Hampshire in their second appearance.     

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire without a win at 29.

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the July 1, 2007 race won by Denny Hamlin over Jeff Gordon with a MOV of 0.068 second.

·         16 of the 30 NSCS races scored by electronic scoring at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have had a Margin of Victory less than a second.

·         Two of the 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races have resulted with a green-white-checkered finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2006 (300/308) and 2013 (301/302).

·         Four of the 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was June 28, 2009 – the race was called on Lap 273, 28 circuits shy of the 301 scheduled laps.   

·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway four times: 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2009.   

·         Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have made their first career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Joe Nemechek (7/11/93), and Joey Logano (9/14/08).

·         Brad Keselowski (9/19/10) is the only active driver to post his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.      

·         Four active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Joe Nemechek (9/19/99), Ryan Newman (9/15/02), Clint Bowyer (9/16/07) and Joey Logano(6/28/09).

·         Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at New Hampshire with 1,352 laps led in 38 starts. 

·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	32	37	7/14/2013
Danica Patrick	21	27	9/22/2013

 

NASCAR in New Hampshire

·         There have been 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in New Hampshire, all at NHMS.

Track Name	City	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Loudon	38	27	16

·         15 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as New Hampshire; Jamie Aube is the only one of the 15 to record a victory in NASCAR national series competition. Aube won July 12, 1987 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME; it was his only start that season.

Almirola wins rain shortened Coke Zero 400 for first career victory

Aric Almirola paid out at 60/1 to win Coke Zero 400

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Aric Almirola won Sunday's rain-shortened, crash-filled Coke Zero 400. He made history with not only his first career win but a victory in the famed No. 43 car, the same number that his car owner Richard Petty drove to his record 200th and final victory in this event 30 years ago.

Almirola was leading when the race was stopped on Lap 112 because of rain. After trying to dry the track for close to an hour, NASCAR decided enough was enough. It declared the race official, ending a frustrating weekend for many but a glorious one for Almirola and Richard Petty Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway.

MORE: Crash leaves Kyle Busch upside-down | Stewart peeved at 'idiot' Stenhouse | Wild day

The race was deemed official because it was well beyond the halfway mark of Lap 80. When the rain forced the red flag on Lap 112, it wasn't a foregone conclusion that it would cause NASCAR to call the race.

MORE: Vickers doesn't like decision to end race | Race results

But NASCAR was unwilling to spend three hours in a delay as storms pelted the track. The race was postponed Saturday night because of rain, and then it was stopped twice earlier Sunday. Once was because of rain; the other for a wild crash in which Kyle Busch ended upside-down but uninjured and most of the field was involved.

Read More.....Sporting News

Final Coke Zero 400 Practice Notes: Denny Hamlin still driver to beat

Greg Biffle offers nice value Saturday night at 20/1 odds

LAS VEGAS -- The final Coke Zero practice at Daytona International Speedway got rained out on Thursday, but since we're dealing with a restrictor-plate race, those practices mean very little. It's likely that we may have seen a few drivers not even attempt to run a lap in the final session just because they wouldn't have wanted to risk damaging their cars.

Usually we use this space to relay what we thought we learned about a few drivers based on the practice times. Practices at all the tracks other than Daytona and Talladega can be very enlightening and steer you in the right direction of whom to bet on -- drivers that might not have been keyed on when the week started.

But at Daytona and Talladega, the practices really don't tell the entire story and in some cases can take you off the right side if using the times in the same fashion you might at Kansas and Richmond. The best approach is to throw the practices completely out of the equation and roll to the bet window exclusively with actual race results or information. Qualifying also means very little as a driver near the back of the pack can get to the front within a couple of laps.

In addition to the Daytona 500 and Aaron's 499 at Talladega results from earlier this season, we've also got the performances from the non-point events like the Sprint Unlimited (Shootout) and Budweiser Duels. That's four events to utilize, which is a pretty good sample size, and the leader of the pack in all of those is Denny Hamlin, who won three of them and finished second in the Daytona 500.

The Joe Gibbs Racing stable has been extremely strong in plate races the past two seasons, so a case can be made for Hamlin's teammates Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth as well. The edge that Hamlin's team has is likely to be shared with the other two as well. In the lone practice session Thursday, Busch had the fastest 10-consecutive lap average, but again, that really doesn't count for much, so take it with a grain of salt. His associations with Gibbs and Hamlin hold a lot more weight than his performance during practice.

The bottom line here is to roll with what you handicapped with before Thursday. Nothing happened that should sway your opinion, so you can refer to a few drivers we mentioned in our "Odds to Win" piece earlier in the week. The best longer-shot odds on the board look like Greg Biffle (20/1), Paul Menard (30/1) and a real nice roll of the dice with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (60/1).

These types of races really are crapshoots and sometimes the big payout does occur. In Stenhouse's case, he comes from the Roush Fenway Racing fleet of Fords that has performed extremely well in plate races in recent years. In his past three attempts at Daytona, he's finished no worse than 12th, including a career-best seventh in the Daytona 500 this season.

Read More Here....Final Daytona Driver Ratings

McMurray fastest in only Coke Zero 400 practice session at Daytona

Jamie McMurray has two wins at Daytona 

Jamie McMurray was fastest Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway with a lap speed of 201.952 mph during the first Coke Zero 400 practice session in preparation for Saturday night's race.

McMurray's teammate, Rookie of the Year candidate, Kyle Larson, was second quickest with a lap speed of 201.889 mph, and was followed by Clint Bowyer (201.839), Brad Keselowski (201.771) and Jeff Gordon (201.712).

Rounding out the top-ten quickest drivers in the session were Joey Logano (201.654mph), Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (201.590), Greg Biffle (201.261), Landon Cassill (200.714) and Martin Truex, Jr. (200.696).

Practice 1 Speeds


Final Practice cancelled due to rain

Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks with media Thursday at Daytona

Junior is 10/1 favorite to win Saturday night

DALE EARNHARDT JR. NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS met with members of the media and discussed the first half of his season, the recent plate race at Talladega, his quest to sweep the two races at Daytona this year, Twitter, and more. Full Transcript:

TALK ABOUT YOUR QUEST TO WIN BOTH RACES AT DAYTONA THIS YEAR AND OUTLOOK THIS WEEKEND
“Yeah, I guess Jimmie did it last year and before that it was Bobby Allison who did it around ’82 or ’83 or something. So it’s tough to do, especially the way the package is now. It’s real hard to get by the leader and we know that pretty well now from the way we ran in Daytona earlier this year. I really haven’t gotten a chance to see how this car is going to respond to the track. I am certain it’s going to be competitive, but knowing it’s not the same car though; we are going to have to see if it has any different characteristics in the balance. It’s a lot different surface temperature than we had in February so we have to figure out how that is going to affect the way a car drives and if the balance of the car is going to be different. I would welcome the car to be more challenging as far as the balance at this place and to where we use a little bit more of the race track. Getting handling to come into play would be a bit more fun. Hopefully the surface is starting to age a little bit and we will see when we get out there, but I don’t anticipate it being a whole lot different in the change over time.”

TALK ABOUT YOUR INTERVIEW THIS WEEK WITH ELI GOLD AND HOW YOU WERE ALMOST APOLOGIZING FOR YOUR RACE AT TALLADEGA EARLIER THIS YEAR
“Yeah, it was embarrassing man. I hate to talk about it. The way we ran and what I chose to do at the end of that race is just really uncharacteristic of anybody that is in the field and trying to compete. I just got really frustrated with the way things were working out for us. I lost sight of the overall big picture, what you are out there trying to do, who all is out there depending on you to do it, and what you need to do. I learned some lessons and you are never too old to learn them. You are never too old to be taught a lesson either. I definitely experienced that in Talladega this year.

“So I think when I was out there running this year, I got real selfish at Talladega, and how the result affected anyone – I never took into account. I was just out there really thinking about me, and what I thought, and what I wanted to do, and how frustrated I was. I forgot that there was a team behind me, and depending on me. Lot of fans there to see us race, showed up to spend hard-earned money, so it was a difficult thing to go through.

“I would love to sweep the races at Daytona because that is a cool thing, but I just love winning here. So to go to victory lane here regardless of what we did in February, would mean a lot to me. I expect that we will try to do the best thing that we can to help us strategy-wise so that we are toward the front. We did it perfectly for the 500 and we were in a position at Talladega to gamble and make it work like several guys did. We learned a little bit there too as far as how we could be a bit more aggressive with our pit strategy considering where we are in points and the wins we have.

“Hopefully we can do that. If we run out of gas, I can take that if we are trying to win a race. So we need to be willing to make that happen because I think that is what it’s going to come down to. The way they do these races these days, you have to get that track position and you have got to be first. When everybody is done pitting, you don’t want to have to drive through the pack. It’s hard to pass and you get boxed in. So what happens is that you need to be doing is putting fuel in your car as often as you can so that the last time you have to come down pit road to get in that window, you only need to put a few gallons in the car to reach that window. It’s where most of the field is putting 12 to 22 gallons in on that stop and you are only putting in what you need, and you beat them off pit road. And there you are – in position to win. As long as you, as a driver, can maintain that track position over the restarts and all the things that are going to go on over that run. So we know we need to do it that way, it’s just hopefully everything else falls in place that way such as the cautions and everything else. Steve (Letarte) is the master of those things and I have seen him improve so much over the last four years. So I feel like I have the right guy on the pit box.”

YOU HAVE WON BOTH OF THESE RACES. IS ONE A TALLER ORDER THAN THE OTHER?
“They are both similar physically to win. It’s the mental picture that the Daytona 500 gives you and the pressure that comes with that spectacle. There are so many people here, and just the driver’s meeting alone will set the tone and take you out of the race and intimidate you if you let it. There is so much happening, so many people on pit road, and you are being thrust in front of all these people to shake hands. You just want to think about the race and get in your car and you don’t want any distractions so you are just kind of struggling through that in the pre-race. It won’t be like that for the 400. It will be a typical weekend. The Daytona 500 is just so crazy before the race and that just gives you a different feeling and makes you understand how big that race is and how many people must be paying attention to what is going on at the moment.

“I don’t know if the viewers are any different, I am sure they are for the 500. And you imagine that as a driver. But all those things really take a backseat once you get in the car. I mean I remember when we were running there at the end and just how nerve-racking all those restarts were. That is much more of a bigger deal in the Daytona 500. But winning here regardless, it’s a great feeling. So you are going to try your guts out but I think you get much more nervous and certainly aware of how big the situation is when it’s the 500. So mentally, it’s tougher.”

WHEN YOU COME INTO A WEEKEND, IS IT THE WINS THAT GET YOU GOING OR THE RACES LIKE AT SONOMA OR KENTUCKY WHERE YOU DIDN’T EXPECT A GOOD RUN BUT GOT ONE?
“Well, we have surprised ourselves a couple of times like at Sonoma and Kentucky after how practice and everything was going. I just couldn’t believe how well they got that car put together as competitive as it was for that race. Those are the things that build momentum and build confidence. So when we struggled, I used to get really frustrated on Friday’s or Saturday’s when practice wouldn’t go well. You definitely don’t allow it to affect you as much anymore knowing the potential of how it can turn around for this team so well.

“So on weekends like last weekend four or five years ago, we wouldn’t have rebounded or run as well. The ship was sinking on Friday and it would have been under water on Sunday. But we seem to be able to calm down, talk it out, patch it up, and make something work. It just comes from a lot of experience, great engineers, and it’s really amazing work that they are doing. The speed in the cars directly relates to Kevin Meendering and my engineers. It doesn’t directly relate to Steve Letarte. He is the orchestrator of the individuals, the people, and running the team.

“But the pure speed the car has comes from the engineers and how they choose to set the car up to work on it through the weekend. They are doing an amazing job and when we can go to Sonoma and run like we did and then go to Kentucky and struggle and rebound so quickly in the matter of a day, it makes you feel good. But that is how this sport has always been. You can win the Daytona 500 one day and then the next day can be the worst day you have ever experienced in this whole deal. And that is just the way it goes and I have had those days back-to-back. You wonder why in the hell it’s like that but that is the way it goes.”

DID YOU WATCH ANY FILM OF THE DAYTONA 500 OR TALLADEGA TO PREPARE YOU FOR THIS WEEKEND?
“Not really, I didn’t watch any film. I have a pretty good understanding of what I was going through and what I was thinking through the last 100 miles of the 500. I understand what was working for me and what mentality I need to have. You just really have to crack the whip and push yourself mentally as hard as you can for every position. Once we got the lead in Daytona we started battling with (Greg) Biffle, the 99 car, and whoever else was up there. You just had to really reinforce to yourself how important it was to not settle into second or third and allow that to be alright. It was so important to be the leader on the restarts, to have that control, and to have that control of the person behind you and who was starting on the outside of you or if you wanted to be in front of your teammate and start on the outside line, or in front of your teammate on the inside line. That was so important and we saw that on those last several restarts and to have Jeff (Gordon) behind me on that last restart.

“So you had to keep reinforcing to yourself as you were running, that if someone would get up beside you for the lead, how important it was not to let that person have the position. You had to run extremely aggressive side drafting and try to box them in on the fence. You wanted to make it really hard on them to take a position away. I realized that if I get put in that position again that you are going to have to play to some pretty hardcore, cut-throat racing.”

WHAT IS IT YOU ENJOY ABOUT TWITTER THE MOST?
“Sometimes I feel like I am tweeting too much. Sometimes I feel that Twitter has got filters on my account to keep me from seeing all the negative stuff. But it’s been fun, and been so positive. I really underestimated how enjoyable it would be. I really enjoy sharing what I am doing, what I think is cool, and what is important to me. I enjoy seeing that feedback and also that interaction, the conversational interaction about topics. I enjoy a good comment, or a smart aleck. My momma was a good smart aleck, so I can appreciate a good smart ass. I enjoy the going back and forth and stuff like that. And also just reading and seeing what everybody else is talking about or whatever interests everyone else has. Basically and mainly in our own industry and just seeing what people are talking about, what they think is important today. It gives you so much access. I know the fans feel like they get a lot of great access, but for me it just taps you into the heartbeat of everything. What is going on in here (media center), what is going on in the garage, what some of the executives are thinking, and just gives you an idea of what direction everyone is going. It’s pretty neat so I am having fun with it and not trying to make any missteps. It’s been very positive.”

ABOUT HOW CONSISTENT YOU HAVE BEEN RECENTLY
“I am just thrilled with the way the team is competing obviously. I don’t look at those stats directly but I know we have been doing some great work since the beginning of the Chase last year. And maybe even a little bit before that. I thought in the Chase we had done everything just right except for Chicago. I thought that whatever happens in the offseason is going to tell us if we can be good enough to win a championship this year. If you look at the graph going back to 2011 when Steve and I got together, if you look at our performance, it’s been a linear trajectory in improvement. It just seemed to make sense that this year would be that much better.

“Then we won, and then we came out of the box and ran second a couple of times and I was thinking man, this is awesome, this is the best I have ever had it. It’s as good as I have ever run at Hendrick and maybe even DEI – consistently. We were running up front every week, and having a good car that could stay in the top-five every week. I remember when we put together a couple of top-15s a couple weeks in a row, and then it became a couple of top-10s. And then man, if we ran in the top-five a couple of times, we were really doing it. So it’s steadily gotten better and that progression makes sense to me, but at the same time when you do look at the numbers it really surprises me that the team has been able to sustain it. That has been the tough part for me over my career, is to sustain momentum and get ourselves running well for a long period of time. We would start off great, then have a terrible summer, then end well. It just never was complete. So it seems that this team is as good as it’s ever been and hopefully we can maintain it.

“We will worry about next year and the change at crew chief and all that good stuff. But man, it’s important for us to sustain this for this season. More important than anything else and we are going to concentrate on that.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

- Team Chevy

Daytona Driver Chassis Selections: 2014 Coke Zero 400

Danica Patrick using her pole winning car from last season that finished 8th

#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis: PRS-653. Last Raced: Sprint Unlimited (finished 2nd). Backup Chassis: PRS-649. Last Raced: Talladega backup.

#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot Chassis No. 468 in the Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. This is a new Chevrolet SS that will be utilized for the first time under race conditions.

#4-Kevin Harvick: will utilize Chassis No. 834 in Sunday's race. Harvick raced the car to a 13th-place finish in this year's Daytona 500.

#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-856 for Saturday night's race at Daytona. Kahne last drove this car to an eighth-place finish at Talladega in May.

#10-Danica Patrick: Chassis No. 10-758: This car was wind-tunnel tested in January 2013 before being used by Patrick in the 55th Daytona 500. Patrick qualified the car on the pole with a speed of 196.434 mph and then started first and finished 17th in the first Budweiser Duel. She started on the pole and led five laps in the Daytona 500 before finishing eighth - the best finish ever for a woman in the "Great American Race." Patrick next drove Chassis 10-758 in May at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where Patrick started 23rd and finished 33rd after being involved in a late-race accident. The car was rebuilt and wind-tunnel tested throughout the summer and then Patrick drove it in October at Talladega, where she finished 33rd after a pit-road speeding penalty cost her any chance of a good finish. Patrick drove chassis No. 10-758 in January 2014 testing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway before piloting it once again in the non-points-paying Sprint Unlimited at Daytona in February. Patrick, who ran as high as fourth in the early part of the event, was caught up in a multicar accident on lap 35, relegating her to a 16th-place finish. The car has been rebuilt and wind-tunnel tested since that race and was used in May at Talladega, where she started seventh, led six laps and finished 22nd.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-762: This car made its debut during 2013 Budweiser Speedweeks at Daytona. It qualified fifth in time trials for the Daytona 500, which slotted it third in its Budweiser Duel qualifying race. Chassis No. 14-762 ran well in the Duel, finishing sixth to place it 13th in the 55th Daytona 500. But just 34 laps into the season-opening race, Chassis No. 14-762 was collected in a multicar crash. The team made extensive repairs and 82 laps later, returned Stewart to the 2.5-mile superspeedway to log laps and earn the best finish possible, which was 41st in the 43-car field. It served as backup for the remainder of the 2013 season, but was tested Jan. 9-10, 2014 at Daytona in preparation for the Sprint Unlimited. In that non-points race, Chassis No. 14-762 started ninth and ran as high as third before a multicar crash on lap 35 dropped it to 11th. With fresh sheet metal honed in the wind tunnel, Chassis No. 14-762

#15-Clint Bowyer: Chassis No. 811 serves as the primary chassis. It is a new chassis for the 2014 season and has not been raced. Chassis No. 754 serves as the back-up chassis. Bowyer drove this Toyota to a third-place finish at Talladega in April. Martin Truex Jr. also finished 24th in the 2013 Daytona 500 and eighth in the May 2013 Talladega race in this chassis.

#16-Greg Biffle: Primary Chassis: RK-798 last raced at Talladega where Biffle led 58 laps and crossed the finish line second. Backup Chassis: RK-852 Last ran Talladega in 2013 - finished 11th.

#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Primary Chassis: RK- 909 - new chassis. Backup Chassis: RK-872 - new chassis.

#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis: PRS-651. Last Raced Daytona 500 backup. Backup Chassis: PRS-654. Last Raced: Talladega backup.

#24-Jeff Gordon: No. 24 crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-887 for this Saturday night's race. This chassis is new and has never been raced.

#27-Paul Menard: will race chassis No. 447. This Chevrolet SS was previously raced at this year's Daytona 500, where Menard led 29 laps of competition. The team's great run was ended short when Menard was collected in an on-track incident and had to take the No. 27 Chevrolet to the garage for repairs.

#29-Joe Nemechek: will pilot RAB Racing Chassis No. 061 in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 436 in Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet SS competed earlier this season in the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway and the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

#41-Kurt Busch: will pilot Chassis No. 817 in Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Chassis No. 817 was built in 2014 and started 10th and finished 14th in the Sprint Unlimited during 2014 Budweiser Speedweeks at Daytona. Busch was collected in a seven-car pileup on lap 35 and was unable to finish the race.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: Crew chief Chad Knaus has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 48-871 for this weekend's race, which Johnson most recently raced at Talladega in May. The backup car is Chassis No. 48-853, which Johnson cruised to a fifth-place finish in the Daytona 500 in February.

#55-Brian Vickers: Primary: 810 finished fourth at Talladega. Backup: 753 finished 30th in the Daytona 500

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-872 for Saturday's race. Earnhardt first raced this chassis at Talladega Superspeedway in May. Earnhardt's winning 2014 Daytona 500 chassis currently resides in the Daytona Experience on the track property.

#99-Carl Edwards: Primary chassis RK-913 is a new chassis. Backup chassis RK-870 was last brought to Talladega in 2014 as a backup.

- compiled by Jayski.com

Earnhardt Jr. favored to win Coke Zero 400, but almost anyone can win

Plate racing is a crap shoot or like throwing darts when betting

LAS VEGAS -- Saturday's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway marks the halfway point of the Sprint Cup season, and is also the third of the four restrictor-plate races scheduled. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick have been the standard most teams have tried to match over the past two months on a variety of different tracks, but all that goes out the window with plate racing where there aren't really any true favorites and there aren't any big underdogs. David Ragan and Trevor Bayne have just as good a chance to win as Harvick or Johnson.

Here's a look at a few of this week's candidates to win along with the odds offered by the LVH SuperBook where no driver is listed lower than 10-to-1.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10-to-1: Okay, so maybe technically there is a favorite, and considering he did win the Daytona 500 -- his first plate win since 2004 when he also won the Daytona 500 -- he's as good a candidate as any to start with. Because there is plenty of demand from the betting public on the No. 88 car weekly, Junior gets a little reduction by the books on where his odds should be. He's won two races this season which is the same amount he won for Hendrick Motorsports from 2008-13 and he leads the series with nine top-5 finishes. What makes Junior so good this season, besides getting great cars, is that he has his swagger back and he's having fun.

Jimmie Johnson 12-to-1: He swept the season at Daytona last year, which ended a run of six straight finishes of 20th or worse on the 2.5-mile layout. He finished fifth in this year's Daytona 500. Just about anything and everything can happen at Daytona, and it has for Johnson. A career average finish of 17th-place is not what we typically see out of Johnson on any track.

Denny Hamlin 12-to-1: Let's see, he started the season off with a win in the Sprint Unlimited (Shootout), a win in one of the Budweiser Duels, was second to Junior in the Daytona 500 and then won at Talladega. That's four forms of competition in plate races and the No. 11 Toyota took the checkers in three of them. It's about as dominant as we've seen a plate program since the Hendrick or DEI cars from a decade or so ago. There's no reason to believe anything will change this week other than the uncertainty of the track itself. If this car stays out of trouble, it should be on rails with everyone else trying to keep up. If I had only $5 to wager on the race this week, it would be on Hamlin.

Matt Kenseth 12-to-1: We've seen him win at both Talladega and Daytona in recent years with Roush Fenway Racing, but he's yet to win on them with Joe Gibbs which is a huge surprise. Last season he led more laps in the four plate races combined than anyone, and with teammate Hamlin having success, there is plenty of reason to back a wager on Kenseth this week.

"I felt that Speedweeks at Daytona earlier this year went really well for JGR since Denny (Hamlin) won the Shootout and one of the qualifiers, with us winning the other qualifier race," said Kenseth. "I really felt that Denny had the car to win the (Daytona) 500 as well and he went on to finish second. Hopefully we can stay out of trouble this weekend because we see so many times at the superspeedways how one person makes a mistake and you can end up easily getting caught up in it."

Clint Bowyer 18-to-1: He always manages to find his way into the lead pack, and although he has yet to win at Daytona he does have two wins at Talladega (both for Richard Childress Racing). He finished fourth in this race last season and was third at Talladega in early May.

Greg Biffle 20-to-1: While Hamlin would be my top choice to win with only $5 to wager, if I had $10, I'd bet the other $5 on Biffle. He led the most laps at Talladega and finished second to Hamlin and he also finished eighth in the 500. The Roush cars have been very strong over the years in plate races with Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Ragan, and Biffle won there in 2003.

"I'm looking forward to this weekend," said Biffle. "Hopefully we can get a top-10 finish or a win. Daytona under the lights is always exciting and was the site of my first win, a long time ago. I'm hoping to back it up with another this weekend."

Danica Patrick 50-to-1: Last week at Kentucky she was 300-to-1. This week she's 50-to-1, and while I wouldn't bet on her myself, I also wouldn't be shocked if she won her first career NASCAR race. Last season she finished eighth and 14th at Daytona and gained the confidence of several drivers in the garages that she could be trusted to pull out of the draft with and follow. This week she is using the same chassis she won the pole with in last year's Daytona 500.

David Ragan 75-to-1: When he won this race in 2011, no one was really surprised because of how strong the Roush Ford's have been in plate races, but when he won for Front Row Motorsports last season at Talladega, it cemented the notion that anyone can win in these type of races as his teammate David Gilliland (also 75-to-1) pushed him to victory and finished second himself. A 1-2 finish against all the heavyweights of NASCAR by an underfunded team is pretty indicative that everyone is equal.

Read more here.......LVH odds to win

Denny Hamlin ready to roll in another plate race this week

Hamlin is 12/1 to win Saturday night at Daytona

Event: Coke Zero 400
Date/Time: July 5/7:30 p.m. ET
2013 winner: Jimmie Johnson
2013 polesitter: Kyle Busch
Distance: 160 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Banking: 31 degrees
Track Shape: Tri-Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:

Kentucky Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 43rd in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway after a right-front tire blew on the #11 FedEx Office Toyota on Lap 27, sending Hamlin into the outside retaining wall for heavy contact and damage too severe to repair. Hamlin started fourth and was up to third early in the 267-lap race won by Brad Keselowski, hoping to maintain his equipment before the competition caution on Lap 30 after rain earlier in the day washed the rubber off the track. The tire gave way just prior to the caution, prematurely ending the FedEx team’s race.

Daytona Preview: The Series returns to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 under the lights at the “World Center of Racing.” Hamlin has found great success in restrictor-plate races in 2014, and at Daytona in February, the #11 team completed one of the most successful “SpeedWeeks” in history, with victories in the prestigious Sprint Unlimited exhibition race and the Budweiser Duel qualifying race before a runner-up result in the Daytona 500. To follow that up, Hamlin scored his first points victory of the season at Talladega Superspeedway, leading 12 laps en route to victory lane for his first career restrictor-plate win in a points-paying event. Hamlin has three top-five finishes in 17 Cup Series starts at Daytona, with a career-best third-place result in the summer event at the 2.5-mile, high-banked track.

FedEx Office – Closest to Daytona International Speedway: 2274 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114, (386) 323-7840

Western Rockies Along for the Ride in Daytona: The FedEx Ground Western Rockies district will be recognized for exceptional safety performance with its district code “WROK” on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota. The Western Rockies district extends from its Salt Lake City hub to include most of Idaho, Nevada and Utah.

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – DAYTONA:

Why do you think the FedEx team has had so much success in restrictor plate races this year?
“We have obviously had a lot of success in the restrictor plate races this year. It’s important that you have a fast car that can work out front and come from the back. Our FedEx team has had great superspeedway cars this year. It has worked well in the draft and we have been in great position to win those races. Secondly, I think I have learned a lot about that style of racing over the years. I was always the guy that tried to start a new line and make something happen, and it didn’t always work out for me. I think this year I have been a little more patient and let the race come to me a bit more. In the Daytona 500, we were just a little too far back on the last lap and made it up to second. I knew at Talladega that I wanted to be the one out front holding people off. I think that has been the preferred position in the last few plate races.”

  

2014 FEDEX RACING TEAM – SEASON RESULTS
DATE	EVENT	LOCATION	START	FINISH	LAPS	STATUS	WINNINGS	LED	PTS	TREND
Feb. 23	Daytona 500	Daytona	4	2	200/200	Running	$1,148,451	16	2nd	▬
March 2	The Profit on CNBC 500	Phoenix	12	19	312/312	Running	$87,480	8th	▼
March 9	Kobalt Tools 400	Las Vegas	27	12	267/267	Running	$121,410	1	8th	▬
March 16	Food City 500	Bristol	1	6	500/500	Running	$116,865	4	7th	▲
March 23	Auto Club 500	Fontana*	13	17	202/202	Running	$107,410	11th	▼
March 30	STP 500	Martinsville	2	19	500/500	Running	$94,475	12th	▼
April 7	Duck Commander 500	Texas	6	13	340/340	Running	$137,770	20	13th	▼
April 12	Bojangles’ Southern 500	Darlington	10	19	374/374	Running	$101,905	3	15th	▼
April 26	Toyota Owners 400	Richmond	28	22	400/400	Running	$88.890	14th	▲
May 4	Aaron’s 499	Talladega	35	1	188/188	Running	$303,315	12	12th	▲
May 10	5-Hour Energy 400	Kansas	30	18	266/267	Running	$94,765	12th	▬
May 25	Coca-Cola 600	Charlotte	6	22	398/400	Running	$112,985	14th	▼
June 1	FedEx 400	Dover	7	5	400/400	Running	$136,880	9th	▲
June 8	Pocono 400	Pocono	1	4	160/160	Running	$137,500	4	8th	▲
June 15	Quicken Loans 400	Michigan	29	29	198/200	Running	$92,640		12th	▼
June 22	Toyota/Save Mart 350	Sonoma	16	26	110/110	Running	$97,035		13th	▼
June 28	Quaker State 400	Kentucky	4	42	27/267	Accident	$71,580		16th	▼
Averages/Totals			13.6	16.2	99.9%		$2,943,946	60

* Driver: Sam Hornish Jr.

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

Edwards checked road course off list in 2014, restrictor-plate race next?

Carl Edwards is 20/1 to win Saturday night at Daytona 

Carl Edwards – COKE ZERO 400
Team: No. 99 Subway Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Primary Chassis: RK-913
Backup Chassis: RK-870
Twitter: @99_RFRracing

ADVANCE NOTES 

Kentucky Recap
o The No. 99 UPS Team started from the 23rd position and fought hard under the lights at a hot and humid Kentucky Speedway to overcome a very tight condition in turns one and two and a very loose condition in turn three. While Edwards did flirt with going a lap down, the UPS team – through pure fight and determination – was not only able to stay on the lead lap and climb to 14th, but earn a 17th-place finish when the checkered flag flew. 

Edwards at Daytona International Speedway
o Edwards is still looking for his first victory at Daytona, with a career-high finish of second in both 2008 and 2011.
o Edwards has 19 Sprint Cup starts at the two-and-a-half mile track with an average start of 17.8 and an average finish of 18.1
o Earlier this season Edwards started the Daytona 500 in the 30th-position and worked his way up to fifth for a green-white-checkered finish in which he was caught up in a last lap wreck, ending the day in the 17th-spot.

The Car
o Primary chassis RK-913 is a new chassis.
o Backup chassis RK-870 was last brought to Talladega in 2014 as a backup.

Subway
o It’s Avocado Season at SUBWAY®! You could add avocado to any salad or Sub! Carl Edwards likes adding avocado to one of his favorite subs: Turkey and spinach!
o The Subway July Featured $6 Footlong Special is BBQ Oven Roasted Chicken Melt AND the $3 Six-Inch Select for July is Spicy Italian!

Edwards on Daytona
“We’ve got the Subway Ford at Daytona. We talked about it today at the shop, and we are going for one thing, a victory. It’s going to be a lot of fun because you don’t get to race like that often. There’s nothing to lose. Qualifying will be a good time. It was pretty interesting at Talladega last time we were there so hopefully we can make the right moves and get a good starting spot. It’s Fourth of July weekend, NASCAR always does a great job of saluting everybody, past and present, that protects our freedoms and the things that make our country great. There couldn’t be a better way to celebrate this holiday than going racing in Daytona. We are just gonna go have a good time and everybody will eat well with some Subway sandwiches.”

- Roush Fenway Racing

Danica Patrick has just as good a chance as anyone at Daytona

Danica Patrick is 50/1 to win Saturday night

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (July 1, 2014) – Danica Patrick’s green car will have a bit of a different look for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

The No. 10 Florida Lottery/GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will feature the orange and pink colors of Florida Lottery on the front of the car, joining the GoDaddy green on the back. It is part of a two-race package as Florida Lottery will also join GoDaddy in the season finale in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This event is a great opportunity for the Florida Lottery to increase awareness about its role in funding education and contributing to Florida’s economy. The Florida Lottery has generated more than $26 billion for education over its 26-year history, enabling more than 650,000 students to attend college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

The Lottery also proudly supports the Classrooms First and Classrooms for Kids programs, which utilize Lottery revenue to fund school district projects for new construction, renovation, remodeling and major repair and maintenance of educational facilities.The Lottery reinvests nearly 98 percent of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers and transfers to education.

The combination of Florida Lottery, GoDaddy and Patrick could prove very successful and she has enjoyed plenty of success at Daytona. Her first-ever stock car start came there in February 2010, when she started 12th and finished and impressive sixth.

From 2010 through 2014, Patrick started in the top-15 for all seven NASCAR Nationwide Series events, including four top-five starts and a pole in the February 2012 race. She led 34 laps and finished 10th in the July 2011 race.

In Sprint Cup, she started on the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500, led five laps and finished eighth – the best finish for any woman in the history or the prestigious race.

She’ll return again this week and hope that Saturday night she can celebrate the ultimate win with Florida Lottery and GoDaddy.

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Florida Lottery/GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Overall thoughts on Daytona?
“I always like going there. It’s where my first stock-car start was in 2010 and I actually have a lot of experience there. I think (crew chief) Tony Gibson and the Florida Lottery/GoDaddy guys build really good cars. They know how to go fast. At the end of the day, you just need to be in the right place at the right time. A lot of it is out of your control. But I think we’ll be good and hopefully have a car that can compete and win.”

Florida Lottery joins you and the GoDaddy team this week.
“It’s nice to have Florida Lottery on the car with GoDaddy this week. They’ve done some stuff with me in the past and it’s nice to see them step up here and at Homestead. Hopefully, we can put together a good run with the car and get them and GoDaddy into victory lane. That’s always the goal and one we are shooting for.”

You are bringing Chassis 10-758 this week.
“It’s the same chassis we won the pole with at Daytona last year so, hopefully, it has some of that speed. It’s a good car and I like how it runs. We had the speed with it at Talladega but just couldn’t do anything in the final laps. That’s what’s tough about restrictor-plate racing. A lot of the time, it’s out of your control. I remember asking Jimmie Johnson after he won the 2013 Daytona 500 what his plan was and he said there really wasn’t any plan. It just sort of happens if you are in the right place. But hopefully we’ll have a good car and a good plan and make it work.”

Are you ready for the week?
“I am ready. It’s a bit odd with practice on Thursday, only qualifying on Friday and then the race on Saturday. I’ve got some appearances with Coke Zero and Florida Lottery this weekend and something for Haas Automation, too. It’ll be busy, but I’m prepared and I know the weekend will be fun.” 

DANICA PATRICK’S DAYTONA PERFORMANCE PROFILE

Year	Date	Track	Start	Finish	Status/Laps	Laps Led	Earnings
2014	2/23	56th Daytona 500 (NSCS)	27	40	Accident, 145/200	2	$282,778
2014	2/22	×DRIVE4COPD 300 (NNS)	3	19	Running, 121/121	0	$50,070
2013	7/6	×Coke Zero 400 (NSCS)	11	14	Running, 161/161	0	$108,655
2013	2/24	55th Daytona 500 (NSCS)	1	8	Running, 200/200	5	$357,464
2013	2/23	DRIVE4COPD 300 (NNS)	12	36	Engine, 31/120	5	$42,185
2012	7/6	×Subway Jalapeno 250 (NNS)	3	31	Accident, 82/101	13	$20,663
2012	2/27	×54th Daytona 500 (NSCS)	29	38	Running, 138/202	0	$281,715
2012	2/25	DRIVE4COPD 300 (NNS)	1	38	Running, 72/120	2	$52,427
2011	7/1	Subway Jalapeno 250 (NNS)	7	10	Running, 100/100	13	$26,093
2011	2/19	DRIVE4COPD 300 (NNS)	4	14	Running, 119/120	1	$50,278
2010	2/13	†DRIVE4COPD 300 (NNS)	15	35	Accident, 69/120	0	$52,528
2010	2/6	Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 (ARCA)	12	6	Running, 80/80	0	N/A

× Race length extended due to green-white-checkered finish          

† Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via points.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing

Greg Biffle carries lots of momentum from Talladega into Daytona

Greg Biffle is 20-to-1 to win on Saturday night

Greg Biffle – Daytona Advance
Team: No. 16 3M Stars & Stripes Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia
Primary Chassis: RK-798 Last ran Talladega – finished 2nd
Backup Chassis: RK-852 Last ran Talladega in 2013 – finished 11th

ADVANCE NOTES

Biffle at Daytona
o Biffle has 23 starts at Daytona, earning one win, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
o July 2003 – Biffle earns first Sprint Cup victory at Daytona
o February 2004 – Biffle earns first career pole position for the Daytona 500
o February 2012 – Biffle is part of the Daytona 500 all-Ford starting row with a second-place qualifying effort

Patriotic Theme
o The No. 16 3M Ford has a special patriotic look for the holiday weekend. A bald eagle is proudly featured on both sides of the car and the overall theme of the car is red, white and blue.

The Car
o Chassis RK-798 last raced at Talladega where Biffle led 58 laps and crossed the finish line second.

Florida Boys
o Two members of the 3M team call Florida home. Driveline mechanic Alan Buzze is from Vero Beach, FL, while chassis mechanic Jason Overstreet is from Clearwater Beach, FL.

Biffle on Daytona:
“I’m looking forward to this weekend. Hopefully we can get a top-10 finish or a win. Daytona under the lights is always exciting and was the site of my first win, a long time ago. I’m hoping to back it up with another this weekend.”

Puccia on Daytona:
“We’ve worked really hard on our speedway program in the off season and had a strong run at Daytona in February and Talladega. This weekend is a good opportunity for us to build momentum.”

-:Roush Fenway Racing

Kenseth has great opportunity to grab his first 2014 win at Daytona

Matt Kenseth is 12/1 to win at Daytona Saturday night

Matt Kenseth / No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota Preview
Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway

 
No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota News and Notes:

KENSETH BY THE NUMBERS: In 29 Sprint Cup Series career starts at Daytona, Matt Kenseth has an average starting position of 18.4, an average finish of 17.1, and has completed 4,732 of 5,146 (92.0 percent) career laps at the 2.5-mile track. He’s earned two Daytona 500 victories, six top-5 finishes, 14 top-10 finishes, and one pole award.

JOE GIBBS RACING AT DAYTONA: Joe Gibbs Racing has 96 Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona earning a total of four wins, 21 top-five, and 32 top-ten finishes. The organization has led for a total of 1,283 laps, has an average start of 15.4 and an average finish of 19.9 at the 2.5-mile historic high-banked track.

SIGN HERE PLEASE: Kenseth will be signing autographs on behalf of Gatorade starting at 6:00p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 2nd at the Dollar General located at 601 Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach, FL.

RACE INFO: The Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile) begins at7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 5th. The race will be broadcast live on TNT, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

Kenseth’s 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Earnings	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
17	0	6	11	1	323	$3,128,234	16.5	12.1

Kenseth’s Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Earnings	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
525	31	144	259	12	9,249	$102,670,498	18.5	14.1

From the Cockpit:
Matt Kenseth: “I felt that Speedweeks at Daytona earlier this year went really well for JGR since Denny (Hamlin) won the Shootout and one of the qualifiers, with us winning the other qualifier race. I really felt that Denny had the car to win the (Daytona) 500 as well and he went on to finish second. Hopefully we can stay out of trouble this weekend because we see so many times at the superspeedways how one person makes a mistake and you can end up easily getting caught up in it. This will be the first time we have knockout qualifying at Daytona for the Cup series, so I think it’s going to be crazy. There’s a lot of strategies in play, and in qualifying you’re going to see everyone racing like it’s the last lap of the race, so I anticipate a pretty crazy session on Friday.”

From the Pit Box:
Jason Ratcliff: “Looking ahead to this weekend at Daytona, I’m looking to win Saturdaynight! We had such great results for the JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) organization overall back in February, that I’m anticipating similar results this weekend. As always, you need a fast race car for superspeedway racing, and you need to be able to stay out of trouble. I’m looking ahead to a great weekend for our No. Husky team, and am ready to return to the high banks of Daytona.”

About Husky Tools:
With over 85 years of experience building the toughest hand tools, air tools and tool storage products, Husky Tools is rebranding. In an effort to become the complete, one stop shop “garage brand” for The Home Depot customers, Husky’s new product line can outfit an entire garage workshop with quality and affordable storage units, tools, work benches and more. With a focus on quality, innovation and value the brand has enhanced product quality, features and durability while continuing to focus on value. Husky delivers national brand performance at an as good or better price. Husky tools have a lifetime guarantee, and the brand has dedicated resources in Atlanta (888) HD-HUSKY and website www.huskytools.com for customers to access.

- Joe Gibbs Racing

Kevin Harvick looking for third Daytona win Saturday night

Kevin Harvick is 12/1 to win in wide open Daytona

Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet SS travel to Daytona International Speedway (DIS) this weekend to compete in the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race.

Salute… The No. 4 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet will don a special patriotic paint scheme for Saturday’s 400-mile event at DIS to reflect the special red, white and blue packaging featured on the iconic Budweiser bottles and cans this summer. Now through August 15, beer drinkers can enter a code contained inside specially marked packages of Budweiser on Budweiser.com/donate to trigger a $1 donation to Folds of Honor, accounting for up to $1 million combined with wholesaler contributions for a more than $3 million total donation to Folds of Honor in 2014. Through scholarships and other assistance, Folds of Honor gives back to the families of soldiers killed or disabled in action. Since first partnering with the Folds of Honor Foundation in 2010, Budweiser and its wholesalers have raised nearly $10 million for military families, accounting for thousands of scholarships across the country.

Chassis Info…The No. 4 team will utilize Chassis No. 834 in Sunday’s race. Harvick raced the car to a 13th-place finish in this year’s Daytona 500.

Daytona Stats… Harvick has 26 prior NSCS starts at DIS Speedway. He has won both the Daytona 500 (2007) and the Coke Zero 400 (2010). Harvick has also earned six top fives and 11 top 10s, and has an average start of 16.5 and average finish of 15.8.

Loop Data… Harvick owns a number of impressive marks in NASCAR’s Loop Data scoring system at DIS heading into this weekend’s event, including: first in fastest drivers late in a run (188.735 mph); sixth in green flag speed (189.515); seventh in fastest drivers late in a run (188.735 mph); and eighth in speed in traffic (189.405 mph).

A Look Back… In last year’s Coke Zero 400, Harvick started 26th and finished third.

Budweiser #SpeedTweets… Budweiser is tapping into race fans increasing affinity for social media by using Twitter to engage in a new and unprecedented way. The brewer’s latest effort, #SpeedTweets, is a Twitter-based weekly competition that will award 19 fans a trip to Charlotte, N.C., to race go-karts with Harvick. The contest runs the first 19 weeks of the 2014 NSCS schedule, with Budweiser’s official racing Twitter account, @BudweiserRacing, posting challenges throughout each race weekend. Participants (21 and older only) are required to register at Budweiser.com/SpeedTweets must follow @BudweiserRacing, and must reply to @BudweiserRacing with the hashtag #SpeedTweets in order for their answers to be considered. For information on contest rules and regulations, please visit http://speedtweets.com/legal.html.

Harvick on Racing at Daytona International Speedway

What is the biggest change you experience at Daytona International Speedway between the race in February and the event in July?
“The track becomes a little bit slicker, especially with the increased temperatures. Plus, the asphalt ages just a bit from all of the other racing that takes place at this particular track. Usually it’s about 95 degrees with 90 percent humidity in July, so the slick track condition is the biggest change we deal with when racing at Daytona International Speedway in July compared to February.”

Do you utilize different strategies to account for the weather differences in the two Daytona races?
“It used to be a lot different before they repaved the race track. You had to really worry about handling. But July is definitely the hottest time of the year that you could go and race in Daytona. I don’t think handling is as big of an issue once the track was repaved, so now it’s just a big chess game.”

- Elevation Group of Companies for Budweiser Racing