DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (Ticker) - It would be hard to top last year's finish in the Daytona 500 when Kevin Harvick nipped Mark Martin at the checkered flag as cars crashed behind them. But as NASCAR prepares for the 50th running of its biggest race, there will certainly be some memorable moments.
Part of that reason is the trepidation and uncertainty the starting field of 43 drivers have with the new car, which debuted in 16 races last season. The bigger, boxier car is a challenge to drive according to many of the drivers in the race, but that's exactly what it is supposed to be. So after years of restrictor-plate racing where the car and the drafted often had more input in who won the race, the racing is actually back in the drivers' hands at Daytona. And that's the way it should be as the Daytona 500 is a race that elevates the winner to greatness.
"It's going to be a huge difference," Stewart said. "When I got in the Nationwide Series car, it was like putting on a new pair of shoes. But the Cup cars were designed to not drive as well as the cars we were driving today. They got that wish for sure. "It will definitely be a driver's race tomorrow and who can hang onto their car when it's not right." Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson leads the field to the green flag when the Daytona 500 begins at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. He is flanked by Michael Waltrip's Toyota Camry.
Behind them is a list of big-name drivers, which this year includes the past two winners of the Indianapolis 500. Sam Hornish Jr, the three-time IndyCar champion who won the 2006 Indy 500, starts 19th after his ninth-place finish in Thursday's Gatorade Duel at Daytona. Dario Franchitti, winner of last year's Indy 500 and IndyCar championship, starts 40th.
But the driver who has become the favorite to win the 50th Daytona 500 is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is two-for-two with his new team at Hendrick Motorsports this week at Daytona. Earnhardt's dramatic debut has put him back at the top of the list of restrictor-plate drivers at Daytona. A victory by Earnhardt in the 50th running would be tremendously popular. "You do about anything in the world just to get into the race and once you're in the race there is no feeling like it," Earnhardt said. "It's really intimidating but it's just a crazy feeling to be in that field, yet alone win that race." Earnhardt won this race in 2004 in his fifth attempt. It took his father 20 times before he finally got that elusive victory in 1998 on the 50th Anniversary of NASCAR.
Ten years later, it's the 50th Daytona 500 so the numbers could be adding up for another Earnhardt win. But he realizes that on a restrictor-plate track, luck and fate play a big role. "Winning it is just potluck mainly," Earnhardt said. "You got to have a fast car but circumstances and variables throughout the race dictate who is going to be around at the end with a shot to win. "I just had an amazing race car that day. It's an incredible feeling. There's no way to describe it and I get asked it all the time, what was that like and I can't answer that question. It's impossible. But we're getting more confident as we go." Harvick knows the incredible feeling that comes with winning the Daytona 500 after he made his dramatic comeback in last year's race, culminating with the last-lap heroics just a few hundred yards from the checkered flag. "The best moment for me was pulling into Victory Lane and seeing (team owner) Richard Childress's face and really understanding what the Daytona 500 meant," Harvick recalled. "We have been fortunate to win a lot of races with Richard and I've seen him in Victory Lane a lot, but it's just the emotion and the excitement knowing that he's only been able to win the race twice now and to see that look on his face was the ultimate memory for me."
Stewart would love to see that same look on team owner Joe Gibbs' face if he were able to drive to his first Daytona 500 win. In fact, he made a promise to the media who have been razzing Stewart about his long hair. "I'll let each of you take a shot at me with the scissors and cut my hair tomorrow if I win this thing," Stewart promised. "That's my gift to you guys." Stewart has come close winning the Daytona 500 but has never been able to seal the victory. And while this is being built up as a battle between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart said there are lots of drivers that can't be overlooked. "I don't think you can narrow it down to just two drivers," Stewart said. "I wouldn't want to be a bookie laying down the odds to who is going to win the Daytona 500. So much can happen in the last three or four laps. It's even hard to predict with two laps to go who is going to win. "Handling is going to be huge here. You have to be able to say on the gas. We didn't run near the laps flat that I thought we would. I think handling will be everything tomorrow. As long as you can keep that momentum up you can carry it down the straightaway. I don't think it's an even trade. Handling will be the most critical issue tomorrow."
Stewart's dream has always been to win the Indianapolis 500 but was unsuccessful in that quest when he was an IndyCar driver. He put that dream on hold when he came to NASCAR in 1999, although he tried the Indy 500-Coca Cola 600 twice in his career. If he were to win the Daytona 500, Stewart's career would take on another element of greatness and could possibly increase his desire to give the Indianapolis 500 another shot. "Check with me tomorrow night if I win the Daytona 500," Stewart said. "If I do that, then maybe I'd want to win the Indy 500. I have a lot I have to accomplish here first."
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