The Essentials
Race: Where: Daytona Int'l Speedway
Time: Thursday 2 PM ET
TV/Radio: SPEED, MRN Radio
Forecast: 20 percent chance of rain, High 76
Distance: 2 races of 50 laps (150 miles)
Pole Sitters: Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin
The Storylines
Time: Thursday 2 PM ET
TV/Radio: SPEED, MRN Radio
Forecast: 20 percent chance of rain, High 76
Distance: 2 races of 50 laps (150 miles)
Pole Sitters: Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin
The Storylines
If you're gonna skip work to watch NASCAR on television in 2009, Thursday might be the best day to do so.
Fifty-six entered race cars will be split into two races based on 2008 owner points and last Sunday's time trials in a battle to secure a starting spot in Sunday's Daytona 500. Of course, winning and pride are pretty important to these guys, as well.
All of that, combined with race car that aren't cooperating with on-track handling like the drivers may prefer, will certainly team up to make the race for starting spots and cash plenty interesting.
Really, how often can you get two exciting restrictor plate races in one day? Take that sick day and find the race on SPEED either at home or your local watering hole. You won't regret it.
Jamie McMurray and Michael Waltrip tangled late in the second practice on Wednesday afternoon after Waltrip got a run in the draft behind Kasey Kahne. As Waltrip nudged Kahne, David Stremme couldn't get slowed down and knocked Waltrip down the track and into Jamie McMurray.
Both cars missed hitting the infield wall coming out of the tri-oval, but both incurred a decent dose of suspension damage that might force one or both to the back of the field for the 150s.
Joey Logano and Ryan Newman also made some news after Logano scraped the wall for some minor sheet metal damage and Newman blew a motor in his Stewart-Haas Chevrolet during Wednesday's practice. Newman will start from the rear of the field in his qualifying race.
The Competition: Race 1
The Top-10 Starters: Martin Truex Jr., Bill Elliott, Jimmie Johnson, Aric Almirola, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Paul Menard, Greg Biffle, Joe Nemechek, Joey Logano
Down to their last chance*: Joe Nemechek, Scott Riggs, Brad Keselowski, Kirk Shelmerdine, Tony Raines, Mike Skinner, Carl Long
The Competition: Race 2
The Top-10 Starters: Mark Martin, Ryan Newman [starts last due to engine change], Juan Pablo Montoya, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Regan Smith, Kyle Busch, Scott Speed, David Reutimann
Down to their last chance*: Regan Smith, Boris Said, A.J. Allmendinger, Jeremy Mayfield, Mike Wallace, Mike Garvey, Derrike Cope, Kelly Bires, Geoff Bodine, Norm Benning
* = drivers are not locked into the Daytona 500 field due to 2008 owner's points.
