Rob Gronkowski picks Kurt Busch to win Daytona 500

Not only is Baldwin running a part-time Cup program, but he is also supporting Stewart Friesen in the Truck Series and Donny Lia in the Whelen Modified Tour. If he had chose to retire from driving, it isn’t a stretch to imagine that the grandstand sellout at Sunday’s race would have been something less than a full house.

“I nearly forgot to drive the line I was supposed to because I was shutting off all my switches, going to reserve fuel and saying a Hail Mary”, said Busch, who added that he drove the last 30 laps without his side-view mirror, which had broken off.

“My rearview mirror fell off with 30 to go and I was like, ‘That’s an omen, ‘” Busch said.

“It’s probably the most patient race I’ve ever watched Kurt Busch run”, Stewart added. So, here are five stories to look out for in tomorrow’s Daytona 500.

Kenseth’s 614 career starts are the most among active competitors and he’s claimed 38 victories.

“Hell, yeah … I would definitely not want to come back and try to race anymore if I won the championship …”

Speedweeks 2017 served as the debut for NASCAR’s new national series format that divides races into three stages with extra points awarded to the top-10 finishers in each of the first two stages. The segments will depend on track size and race length. The DAYTONA 500 had a 60-60-80 lap division.

Nascar offers a race day checklist to make sure fans and families have the smoothest weekend possible, offering tips on everything from racing headphones, to shoes, to sharpies. Other changes include point structure, repairs in the garage and aerodynamic configuration at particular tracks. It’s an old school experience he believes makes him relate to new school race fans today.

However, he said Daytona is a track where grandma could get in her Lincoln and drive a lap and be okay, despite the steep embankments.

After yet another caution period, with around 50 laps to go the Great American Race was a shell of itself. Pole profitsThe pole position is the most proficient starting position in the Daytona 500 field, producing more winners (nine) than any other position, followed by second-place (seven wins) and fourth-place (seven wins). Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer were also involved, which put an end to their evenings.

One would ponder at what else there is for Kurt Busch to accomplish in his career. “We came down here – I brought the guys that help me on the Pinty’s team – with the idea of trying to qualify”.

Stewart-Haas has been through a lot of changes in the a year ago with the move to Ford, retirement of Tony Stewart and Nature’s Bakery leaving Patrick without a primary sponsor.

Ratcliff has overseen the 20 team for four seasons. A veteran of NASCAR minor-league Xfinity Series races and some Camping World Series truck events, most of his success has come in the Pinty’s series, where he’s won 26 races and made 204 consecutive starts. That approach involves a winning-isn’t-everything mentality.

“Anybody can win this race”, he said.

“As a little kid I always dreamed about being a crew chief and then winning the Daytona 500 as a crew chief and it took me 31 years I think to finally get it done, but the thing about it is it’s not just me”, Gibson said.

Elliott, who made the playoffs last season as a rookie, is still without a Cup victory.

On Lap 128 Jamie McMurray tried to squeeze his auto between Jimmie Johnson’s vehicle and the outside wall at the end of the backstretch. They are a strong, big company and they have chosen to be the entitlement sponsor and I can’t be happier to do the job I am supposed to do as a Monster athlete, which is to win podiums and races.