Elliott on Daytona 500 pole, Junior considered guy to beat

Being that it was the first show at Phoenix, all of the drivers and teams were on a level playing field; nobody had a notebook of past performance from which to start. Signing with FRM was reaffirmed as a big step forward for him based on how the Daytona 500 played out.

The only races that really count in the modern NASCAR are today’s season-opening Daytona 500 – NASCAR’s traditional “Super Bowl” – and the season finale. It offers a perspective few can understand. Others don’t give it that much thought.

“There were moments in the race where cars were sliding around enough, I kind of felt like I was at MI, where you roll out of the throttle because you have to handle in the corner, but you’ve got to be lined up for a run down the straightaway”.

Brian Vickers – Expecting Vickers to win in his first points race in almost a year might be unrealistic. “He did that last season, and he had a really good season”.

For now, he’s just fine if he says goodbye to her Sunday. The Daytona 500 goes a long way toward revealing which drivers and teams are ready to hit the ground running, who’s likely to dominate, and who may struggle this year. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch earned the third and fourth spots during this week’s Can-Am Duels.

“If you’re 20, you don’t think anything about it”, said Waltrip, 51.

“I was skeptical about it”, said Devine, who once owned as many as 26 Burger King franchises before he sold them last May. “Don’t know nothing about Tim. I know he’s an engineer”. He knows how to win this race, and is perfectly poised to go close again.

51 Combined victories for Dale Earnhardt Sr. Six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was ninth. It may even happen at Pocono Raceway, where he has an ARCA Series victory and his father Bill won five times. Earnhardt, a two-time 500 victor, decided chassis No. 88-872 needed a name when crew chief Greg Ives declined to retire the auto. At that time, DHS and NASCAR first entered into partnership to build situational awareness in and around the event and aid security officials in identifying potential threats. The Daytona 500 is one of Ragan’s two career victories, as he took the checkered flag on July 2, 2011 for Roush Fenway Racing. Bonds is 0 for 4 in annual Hall of Fame balloting.

Like most boys growing up in Texas, football, not racing, consumed Richardson’s life.

“This vehicle is something special, ” Earnhardt said.

“I just about fell out of my tractor seat and started doing a dance. She must have had that and more to be able to do the things she did in her lifetime”. Richard Petty retired with seven championships and seven 500s. Tony Stewart is sidelined after fracturing his back in an accident on an all-terrain vehicle.

No matter the outcome one thing can be assured. He’s got three, so he’s got one to spare.

Can he throw one more Hail Mary and pull off Daytona’s wildest upset?

Four of the series title winners without 500 wins will race Sunday: Kyle Busch (2015), Brad Keselowski (2012), Kurt Busch (2004) and Bobby Labonte (2000).

And you can check out the new paint schemes for Daytona. “Or, vice versa”, McMurray said. A championship is such a longer battle than this race. He has also had success in Daytona’s summer race, the Coke Zero 400.

Elliott replaced four-time champion Jeff Gordon in the iconic 24 at Hendrick.

Matt Kenseth has 10/1 odds today and he has great numbers at Daytona.

“But you have to realize that you’ve got to be among the truly best because there are only 40 Cup drivers”.