Daytona 500: Race red flagged for hole in the track
Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Daytona International Speedway  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 14 2010 3:24 PM
The Daytona 500 has been red flagged with 78 laps to go because of a hole in the track on Turn 2. Repair crews are on the track fixing the asphalt with cold patch. Clint Bowyer is leading the race.
Continue reading Daytona 500: Race red flagged for hole in the track »
File under: Daytona 500 Hendrick Motorsports sweeps front row with Mark Martin on the pole, Dale Earnhardt Jr. second for Daytona 500
Daytona 500, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Mark Martin, dale earnhardt jr.  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 6 2010 4:17 PM
The 5-88 shop passed its first test today.
Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.will start on the front row for the Daytona 500 with Martin becoming the race’s oldest pole-winner at age 51.
If he wins on Feb. 14, he’ll be the race’s oldest winner, too.
Continue reading Hendrick Motorsports sweeps front row with Mark Martin on the pole, Dale Earnhardt Jr. second for Daytona 500 »
File under: dale earnhardt jr.,Daytona 500,Mark Martin,NASCAR,sports,Tania Ganguli Mark Martin wins Daytona 500 pole; Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start on front row
Daytona 500, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Daytona International Speedway, Mark Martin, dale earnhardt jr.  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 6 2010 4:08 PM
There are a lot of happy NASCAR fans right now. Fan favorites Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start on the front row for the Daytona 500.
NASCAR’s elder statesman and its most popular driver — both driving Chevys for Hendrick Motorsports — locked in their starting positions for the Great American Race, with the rest of the 43-car field being set by Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona.
More to come. Here are the qualifying speeds.
Continue reading Mark Martin wins Daytona 500 pole; Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start on front row »
File under: dale earnhardt jr.,Daytona 500,Mark Martin,NASCAR,racing,sports Daytona Speedweeks 2009 schedule
Daytona 500, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona USA, Speedweeks  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 13 2009 12:00 AM
Today 1:40-2:40 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
3:10 p.m.: Nationwide Series qualifying (two laps, all positions)8:00 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series race (100 laps, 250 miles)
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Final practice for Daytona 5001:15 p.m.: Nationwide Series race (120 laps, 300 miles)
Sunday, February 15th3:30 p.m.: Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles)
Tony Stewart on Daytona 500 qualifying: ‘I don’t understand it’
Daytona 500, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona USA, NASCAR, NASCAR media, Tony Stewart  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 12 2009 3:56 PM
Tony Stewart earned one of two transfer spots in the first Gatorade Duel at Daytona, finishing second. Scott Riggs earned the other spot finishing eighth. How exactly did Smoke qualify for the Daytona 500 (see the process explained here)? Well, Smoke isn’t sure.
“I dont understand it, fully,” said Stewart, whose Stewart-Haas race team is making an impressive debut at Speedweeks. “:The part I understand is the guys who are trying to race their way in are split up evenly. …
“That's the greatest thing about NASCAR. There's smarter people than us who figure those things out for us.”
The Daytona 500 field will be set after the second Gatorade Duel. Check back for updates. Smoke is still talking here in the infield media center. Add a comment
ESPN leaves NASCAR’s Bill France off Florida mountaintop
5 lessons learned at Daytona so far
Here’s how NASCAR recaps Daytona 500 qualifying and the Budweiser Shootout
Daytona 500, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona USA, NASCAR, NASCAR media, Speedweeks  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 8 2009 10:23 PM
Here is NASCAR's recap of its first weekend of racing at Daytona in 2009. There is no track activity scheduled the next two days, (see the Speedweeks schedule here) but we'll keep you posted with the latest NASCAR news and analysis.
This might be a little more entertaining than the Grammys. Maybe … hehehe
Meet Martin Truex Jr., who will start on Daytona 500 pole
Daytona 500, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona USA, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr.  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 8 2009 5:18 PM
Meet Martin Truex Jr., who will start on pole for the 2009 Daytona 500. Truex isn't exactly a Jimmy No Name, but he isn't a household name to casual sports fans
So here are some resources to get to know Truex better, including this cool widget form NASCAR.com
Here is his official bio from NASCAR:
2008 — Finished 15th in series points. … Finished with three top-fives and 11 top-10s. … Suffered a disappointing season a year after participating in his first Chase. … Inconsistency and five DNFs played a role. … Best finish was fourth in the summer event at New Hampshire. … Best start was second for the fall event at Texas.
2007 — Finished 11th in series points. … Finished with seven top-fives and 14 top-10s. … Earned his first career series win (Dover) and pole (Texas). … Made the Chase in only his second full season.
2006 — Finished 19th in series points. … Finished with two top-fives and five top-10s in his first Cup season. … Finished third in final standings for rookie of the year award. … Ended with a season-best second-place finish at Homestead.
2005 — Finished 47th in series points. … Competed in seven Cup events. … Posted a best finish of seventh at Charlotte. … Won his second consecutive Busch Series championship in his second full-time season.
2004 — Finished 70th in series points. … Ran two races for Dale Earnhardt Inc. at Atlanta and Homestead. … Posted best finish of 32nd in the season finale at Homestead.
Won back-to-back Busch Series championships in 2004 and '05, his only two full seasons of series competition. … Has won 13 races in the Nationwide Series. … Named to 2004 All-America Auto Racing Team by members of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA). … Finished 11th in NASCAR Camping World Series East points in 2002 after posting six top-fives, 11 top-10 finishes and a series-leading six poles. … Scored two wins, two poles and finished eighth in East points in 2001. … Finished 12th in East standings in 2000 and runner-up to Mike Johnson for rookie of the year honors.
Began racing go-karts in 1991 and moved to modifieds in 1998. … Turkey Derby Classic champion in 1999 for modifieds at Wall Township Speedway in New Jersey. … Son of former NASCAR Grand National Division East Series competitor Martin Truex Sr. … Fan of all Philadelphia pro sports franchises.
Up next, NASCAR’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona
Daytona 500, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona USA, Gatorade Duel 150s, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr.  posted by orlandosentinel on February, 8 2009 4:49 PM
Confused by how Daytona 500 qualifying works? Not surprising.
Sunday’s qualifying session only set the front row for next Sunday’s running of the 51st Daytona 500. Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona will set the rest of the field behind Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin.
Here is NASCAR’s explanation on how it works. Still waiting for the lineups for the 150s.
Qualifying• One round of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series timed qualifying will be held. Each team may run two laps with the fast lap setting the qualifying time. The two fastest qualifiers set starting positions one and two and are the only guaranteed positions, filling the front row for the Daytona 500.
• The Gatorade Duels, the 150-mile qualifying races, will determine starting positions for the Daytona 500 beyond the front row. In the event of cancellation, the field will be set according to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.
Gatorade Duel Assignment• The eligible highest ranked 35 in 2008 car owner points will be assigned to Gatorade Duel races based on their standing in the 2008 final car owner points. Odd-numbered owner points will compete in the first Gatorade Duel; evennumbered owners will compete in the second. The only exception is that the fastest qualifier will start on the pole in the first Gatorade Duel and the second fastest will start on the pole in the second, regardless of 2008 car owner point standings.
• Owners who failed to finish in the top 35 of the 2008 car owner points will be assigned to a Gatorade Duel based on qualifying times – the highest qualifying owner to the first Duel; the next to the second and alternating through the remaining entries. Starting positions for the Gatorade Duels are based on qualifying times.
Daytona 500 Lineup• Finishing positions in the Gatorade Duels will determine starting positions in the Daytona 500 once the two fastest qualifiers will start on the front row of the Daytona 500 based on their qualifying times, regardless of their finish in the Duels. Based on their finish in the first Duel, the eligible highest ranked 35 in car owner points plus the two highest finishing non-top 35 teams will be lined up in the odd-number starting positions. Based on their finish in the second Duel, the eligible highest ranked 35 in car owner points plus the two highest finishing non-top 35 teams will be lined up in the even-number starting positions.
• The remaining positions will be filled based on qualifying times beginning with the next available position.
• The composition of the front row will reduce the above numbers. If there are top-35 teams on the front row, the number of guaranteed starters is reduced accordingly. If there are no top-35 teams on the front row, the number of cars that get in based on time are reduced accordingly.
• The 43rd starting position will be assigned to any car owner who has the most recent eligible past NASCAR Sprint Cup champion as long as the past champion competed in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. If the 43rd position is not used by a past champion, it will be assigned to the next highest qualifying time.
RecapThe bottom line – for the 2009 Daytona 500 – is that the top-two qualifiers are in. The remaining top-35 guaranteed starters are in. Four drivers will make the field based on their performance in the duels and the remaining positions will be filled based on qualifying times or being a past champion.