A Look Back at the Daytona 500

Plate racing is a lot about people helping you. When you get out there, you have a decision to make when you get behind somebody, of which one you want to help. I’ve been really fortunate that I’m pretty good friends with a lot of guys out there. You know, guys typically will help me when I get to plate races.

“You cannot win one of these races without help. It’s not just from one guy, it takes a lot of people. You got to have a fast car, and everything’s got to work out for you. I’ve been obviously really fortunate the last two plate tracks.”

— Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray on his success at Daytona and Talladega.

“Actually, I felt pretty good when I saw that 16 car [Greg Biffle] behind him because I know they’re friends. He didn’t smack him — he pulled up to him and pushed him gently. When he did that, I felt pretty good. I was hoping a big wreck would happen behind us. I didn’t care if it was the 42 car [teammate Juan Pablo Montoya] that wrecked behind us!

“No, I just wanted the race to end. And it ended. That’s all that counts.”

— Felix Sabates, co-owner of the Nos. 1 and 42 Chevrolets, on the last two laps of the Daytona 500.

“It was all a blur. I was just going wherever they weren’t. I really don’t enjoy being that aggressive. But if there was enough room for the radiator to fit, you just kind of held the gas down and prayed for the best.”

— Dale Earnhardt Jr., on his final-lap charge to second in the Daytona 500.

Misc. Notes
Jamie McMurray won his fourth career NASCAR Cup race with his victory in the 2010 Daytona 500. Three of his wins have come on restrictor plate tracks at Daytona (Feb. 2010, July 2007) and Talladega (Nov. 2009). McMurray’s first career Cup win came at Charlotte in his second career Cup start in October 2002.

McMurray joins Jeff Gordon (6), Bill Elliott (4), Tony Stewart (3), Michael Waltrip (3) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2) as the only active drivers with multiple points-paying wins at Daytona.

McMurray became the first driver since Richard Petty in 1979 to win the Daytona 500 from the lucky 13th-place starting spot.

The win was Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing’s first as a company following its merger (Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing) prior to the 2009 season. It was the first 500 victory for Chip Ganassi, who adds the Harley Earle trophy in a case that already includes the Borg-Warner trophy (Indianapolis 500) and two 24 Hours of Le Mans trophies.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s runner-up showing was his first top-5 performance since a third at Michigan in August 2009. Greg Biffle finished third, his first top 5 at Daytona since a win in July 2003. Clint Bowyer (fourth) recorded his second consecutive fourth-place run in the Daytona 500. David Reutimann (fifth) notched his first top-5 run in 13 plate-track starts in the Cup Series.

Five cars were forced to the rear of the field prior to the start of the event. Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip went to the back for rolling out backup cars. AJ Allmendinger and Carl Edwards went to the back for engine changes.

Time of Race: Officially, 3 hours, 47 minutes, 16 seconds; however, with red flags lasting over 2 hours, the time invested went north of 7 hours.
Average Speed: 137.284 mph
Margin of Victory: .119 seconds
Caution Flags: 9 cautions for 40 laps.
Lap Leaders: 52 lead changes among 21 drivers: Martin 1-4, Kahne 5, Martin 6-12, Montoya 13, Earnhardt 14-17, Harvick 18-21, Sadler 22, Harvick 23-34, Ku. Busch 35-44, Allmendinger 45-47, Ku. Busch 48-49, Logano 50, R. Gordon 51, Ku. Busch 52-70, Allmendinger 71, Harvick 72, Allmendinger 73-79, Hamlin 80, Ku. Busch 81, Biffle 82-83, Ku. Busch 84, Biffle 85-94, Ky. Busch 95-97, J. Gordon 98-99, Bowyer 100-106, Biffle 107, Bowyer 108-109, Biffle 110, Bowyer 111-112, Ragan 113-114, Bowyer 115-118, Kvapil 119, Said 120, Bowyer 121-126, Kahne 127-129, Sadler 130, Bowyer 131, Sadler 132-135, Bowyer 136-137, Harvick 138-144, Sadler 145-147, Truex 148-150, Harvick 151-153, Montoya 154, Harvick 155-164, Speed 165-168, Biffle 169-175, Speed 176-183, Biffle 184-185, Bowyer 186-198, Biffle 199-202, Harvick 203-206, McMurray 207-208.

A Look Ahead to the Auto Club 500 from Auto Club Speedway

Still Seeing Full Fields
46 teams (the same number for this race last season) are officially entered for the Auto Club 500. Those that must race their way in (are not in the top 35 in owners points): 09-Aric Almirola, 13-Max Papis, 35-Johnny Sauter, 36-Mike Bliss, 46-Terry Cook, 55-Michael McDowell, 66-Dave Blaney, 71-Bobby Labonte, 82-Scott Speed, 87-Joe Nemechek, 90-Casey Mears

Crew Chief Change for Kenseth
In a surprise move on Wednesday, Roush Fenway Racing announced that NASCAR veteran Todd Parrott will assume crew chief responsibilities for Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford effective immediately.

Drew Blickensderfer, who led Kenseth to a 2009 Daytona 500 win as well as another victory the following week in Fontana, had just completed his first year as Kenseth’s head wrench. Blickensderfer will assume a role in RFR’s Research and Development department.

Parrott began his crew chief career in the Cup Series in 1995 with Robert Yates Racing’s No. 88 Ford with Dale Jarrett. The two won a then-Winston Cup championship in 1999. He most recently served as crew chief on the No. 96 Hall of Fame/Yates Racing Ford of Bobby Labonte and Erik Darnell.

Auto Club Speedway Facts
Auto Club Speedway has hosted 19 Sprint Cup races since Jeff Gordon won the 1997 California 500. At the time, the track was known as California Speedway. The named was changed prior to the February 2008 event.

Jamie McMurray is looking to become the second consecutive driver to win back-to-back races to begin the season. Matt Kenseth did so last year, the first driver since Gordon in 1997 (Daytona, Rockingham) to do so.

Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with four career Cup wins at Auto Club Speedway. Gordon and Kenseth have three apiece. Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin and Elliott Sadler each have one victory in Fontana.

Only four drivers — Jeff Burton, Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek —have participated in all 19 Cup races held at ACS.

Kenseth leads all drivers with 11 top-10 finishes at ACS. Edwards, Gordon and Johnson have 10 apiece, while Gordon also leads the circuit with 10 top 5s.

Kyle Busch holds the track qualifying record of 188.245 mph set in February 2005.

Gordon’s win in the inaugural event is also the fastest at ACS, averaging 155.012 mph. As stated earlier, Kenseth is the defending winner of this event (135.839 mph). Johnson won the October edition (143.908 mph), his third consecutive fall win in Fontana.

Track Specs: 2-mile, D-shaped oval; Banking/Turns: 14 degrees; Banking/Tri-oval: 11 degrees; Banking/Straightaway: 3 degrees
2009 Winner: Matt Kenseth
Cup Practice Times (all times Eastern): Friday, Feb. 19: 3:00-4:30 pm (SPEED-TV)
Saturday, Feb. 20: 2:30-3:15 pm (SPEED-TV); Happy Hour: 3:45-4:50 pm (SPEED-TV)
Cup Qualifying: Friday, Feb. 19: 6:40 pm (SPEED-TV)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500: Sunday, Feb. 21: 3:20 pm

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