NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams are at Daytona International Speedway for the second time this season as the series starts counting down last ten races before the Chase begins at Chicagoland Speedway in September. On Saturday, July 2nd they’ll race 400 miles over 160 laps in the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola with NBC coverage starting at 7 pm ET and a green flag at 7:45 pm ET. Radio coverage is available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
Smoke Show: Stewart Fires Up Win at Sonoma
Even Smokey the Bear couldn’t have prevented the fire performance Tony Stewart produced in Sunday’s Toyota / Save Mart 350.
Stewart, who paced the field for 22 circuits, lost the lead to Denny Hamlin on the last lap, but moved him off the 11th turn to win his first race since June 2, 2013 at Dover – 110 events ago. The triumph marked Stewart’s first win in 84 starts.
Now with 49 career wins, Stewart will attempt to notch his milestone 50th victory – arguably NASCAR’s equivalent to 3,000 hits or 500 home runs – in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion’s four Daytona wins tie him with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s title for the most among active drivers. All of Stewart’s Daytona victories have come in its summer race. His 369 laps led in July at Daytona are the most by an active driver.
Importantly for Stewart, who’s in his last season, the Sonoma win assures he can make a run at his fourth Sprint Cup Series title. Right now, he is only nine points behind 30th-place Brian Scott in the series standings, the least position to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Kyle Busch made the Chase last season – and won the championship – after facing a 136-point deficit to 30th following his first win of the year at Sonoma.
There is the chance Stewart could race for the Sprint Cup Series title in his last race – the Championship 4 at Homestead – like Jeff Gordon did last year.
Coincidentally … or not … Stewart’s 2016 season now parallels his 2011 championship campaign. He’s competed in races nine through 16 this season, recording an average finish of 17.125. In races nine through 16 in 2011, he logged the same average finish. The only difference between the two stretches is 2011 included Darlington, while 2016 contained Talladega instead.
A 50th win would tie Stewart with NASCAR Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett for 11th on the all-time list. Every eligible driver with as many wins as Stewart is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
This is Dale’s Town: Earnhardt Eyes First Win of Season at One of his Top Tracks
Only one of the 11 active drivers who visited Victory Lane last year has yet to win so far in 2016 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The restrictor-plate ace – and the Sprint Cup Series leader in runner-ups, with four – gets his next best shot at a win in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
Earnhardt ranks tied with Tony Stewart for the active wins lead (4) at “The Birthplace of Speed.” On restrictor-plate tracks, Earnhardt boasts double the victories of the next-closest drivers – Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart, who both have five. Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray and Michael Waltrip each claim four restrictor-plate victories.
The No. 88 Chevrolet driver also paces all active drivers in top fives (13),top-tens (19) and average finish (13.4) at Daytona (33 starts). He owns the second-best driver rating (95.3) and average running position (13.618).
Right now, Earnhardt sits 12th on the Chase Grid, 39 points ahead of Ryan Blaney on the cutoff line.
An Earnhardt win would give Hendrick Motorsports 14 victories at Daytona, tying it with Wood Brothers Racing for the most wins at Daytona.
Earnhardt will be without his famed superspeedway car, “Amelia,” which he piloted to two victories in 2015 (Talladega-1, Daytona-2), along with a third (Daytona 500) and runner-up (Talladega-2). The 13-time most popular driver wrecked “Amelia” in this year’s Daytona 500 where he finished 36th and crashed her for good in the Talladega spring race where he placed 40th.
Click Here For An Infographic Detailing Earnhardt’s Daytona Success
It’s Hamlin Time:
Denny Hopes he Can’t be Touched as he Vies for Daytona Sweep
Following a slip-up on the last lap at Sonoma that allowed Tony Stewart to pass him for the win, 2016 Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin hopes his luck changes when he attempts to become the sixth driver to sweep the races at “The World Center of Racing.”
The five drivers who have achieved the feat are Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) and Fireball Roberts (1962).
In 21 starts at Daytona, Hamlin owns one win, six top fives and seven top-tens. Among active drivers, he ranks third in Daytona driver rating (91.5) and fourth in average running position (14.4).
He has finished sixth or better in his last five races at the 2.5-mile track. (Hint, hint… pick Hamlin if you play fantasy NASCAR)
I’ma Let You Finish: Daytona has had Some Close Margins of Victory
Denny Hamlin’s win over second-place Martin Truex Jr. in this year’s Daytona 500 (.010 seconds) was the closest margin victory in the race’s history and tied for the seventh-closest margin of victory in the Sprint Cup Series record books since the start of electronic scoring in 1993.
Overall, it was the third-closest finish in Daytona International Speedway behind the 2007 Daytona summer race (Jamie McMurray over Kyle Busch, .005, tied for third all-time) and the 1994 Daytona summer race (Jimmy Spencer over Ernie Irvan, .008, sixth all-time).
Click Here For An Infographic Detailing The Closest Finishes At Daytona International Speedway
Almirola Attempts to Bring Home the Bacon at Daytona for Second Time
Daytona is known as a place for producing first-time winners, many of whom are surprises.
One of these first-time surprise winner was Richard Petty Motorsports’ Aric Almirola. The No. 43 Ford driver won the rain-shortened 2014 Coke Zero 400 – 30 years to the day team owner Richard Petty won his 200th race. The victory also got Almirola into his first Chase for the Sprint Cup, an event he wouldn’t have made on points.
Almirola, now 25th on the Chase Grid (107 points behind the cutoff line) needs a win again to get into the Chase. Yesterday, Almirola won the XFINITY Series race, so the big question now – will he sweep the weekend at Daytona?
Other past Daytona winners who need a win to get into or solidify a spot in the Chase include: Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman and David Ragan.
Keselowski Attempts to Add Daytona to his Hefty Restrictor-Plate Wins List
Brad Keselowski has exhibited restrictor-plate prowess at Talladega with four victories – tied with four drivers for the fourth-highest total at the 2.66-mile behemoth.
Despite his success at Talladega, Keselowski has still never won at Daytona. His best finish was third-place showing in the 2014 Daytona 500.
Keselowski snapped his six-race top-ten streak by finishing 15th at Sonoma.
Ten to Go: Wins in High Demand with Time Running Out in Regular Season
With ten races left in the Sprint Cup Series regular season, only five berths are left for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Wins are in high demand with time running out for drivers to solidify their spots in the Chase or steal a bid from afar.
Below are the remaining tracks and the winless drivers who have visited Victory Lane at them:
Daytona: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman, David Ragan
Kentucky: None
New Hampshire: Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne
Indianapolis: Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman
Pocono: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman
Watkins Glen: AJ Allmendinger
Bristol: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Michigan: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne
Darlington: Greg Biffle
Richmond: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman
Kurt Busch Extends Top-Ten Streak
Kurt Busch extended his top-ten streak to ten straight races, become the second driver in as many seasons to do so. Joey Logano boasted a string of 11 straight top-tens last season.
Busch’s consistency puts him second in the Sprint Cup Series points rankings, 35 markers behind his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick.
Busch will try to earn his first restrictor-plate track victory in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Presented By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR to Honor Victims of Orlando Tragedy
Following the recent attack in the Orlando community, NASCAR has shared plans to remember the victims of this tragedy during the race weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
A #ORLANDOUNITED decal is on the A-Post of all cars in the XFINITY Series and Sprint Cup Series.
Click here to view and download the #ORLANDOUNITED decal.
Montgomery Gentry, Jaguars Linebacker Telvin Smith
Headline Daytona Pre-Race Festivities
Montgomery Gentry, the multi-platinum country music duo of Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, will do a 60-minute pre-race concert before Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola. The country music duo has released 11 albums, three of which have gone platinum: Tattoos & Scars, My Town and You Do Your Thing.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith will serve as the race’s honorary pace car driver. A former Florida State standout, Smith owns the NFL’s longest active streak of 16 straight games with six-plus tackles.
ADWEEK Names Lesa France Kennedy and Danica Patrick
to its 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports
International Speedway Corporation CEO and Vice Chairperson of NASCAR Lesa France Kennedy and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick were part of ADWEEK’s inaugural 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports list.
Kennedy spearheaded the $400 million Daytona Rising Project that upgraded Daytona International Speedway into the world’s first motorsports stadium with a series of upgrades designed to revolutionize the fan experience.
“Being chosen along with such an incredible group of women is testament to the relevancy and popularity of NASCAR and motorsports,” Kennedy said. “I’m particularly pleased to be joined by NASCAR driver Danica Patrick who is inspiring the next generation of women drivers and competitors. A profound thank you to the ADWEEK team.”
NBC to Air First NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Broadcast of Season
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to NBC for the second straight season of NASCAR and NBC’s 10-year landmark broadcast agreement on Saturday, July 3 with the airing of the Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola.
Coverage starts with the pre-race show at 7 pm ET and the race broadcast begins at 7:45 pm. ET.
Rick Allen (play-by-play), 21-time Sprint Cup winner Jeff Burton (analyst) and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte (analyst) will give commentary from the booth, while Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast will report from pit road.
Krista Voda will host the pre-race show with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett and eight-time Sprint Cup winner Kyle Petty providing analysis.