Its like, OK, I committed to the right side and (he) kicked to the left. So Earnhardts intent and desire for Sunday are absolutely clear, and through one week of Speedweeks, its developing as a Hendrick Motorsports vs. Joe Gibbs Racing showdown, with a possible challenge from Team Penske.
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This afternoon the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers take to the track and open the season with the biggest race of them all – the Daytona 500 from the Daytona International Speedway.
The race is set to officially start at 1:31 p.m. Eastern with drivers starting their engines at 1:19 p.m. Live-streaming is available via Fox Sports Go.
There is no denying the fact that the competition has become rather very tough.
The pressure is immediate for Wheeler – win Gibbs his first Daytona 500 in 23 years. Standing in his way now is a lineup as formidable as Howie Long, Marcus Allen and the 1983 Raiders.
“That was a heck of a battle, man”, said Elliott, who survived early contact during a six-car incident on Lap 13 and rallied to win his first Xfinity race at Daytona and the fifth of his career.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s bid to win a third Daytona 500 ended in a single-car crash that saw the No. 88 slam head-on into Daytona International Speedway’s inside Turn 4 wall. Kyle Busch gave JGR a victory Thursday in the second qualifier, which also included teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.
“It’s another win at Daytona for the Earnhardts, adding to the legacy”, Earnhardt said in victory lane.
“There certainly was a moment in time where I wasn’t sure if I would ever race again”, Busch said.
“I told Chase on the starting grid, ‘I’m not going to be helping you”. Busch did not watch the Daytona 500. We did get shuffled back, and I couldn’t get recovered the way I wanted to.
Elliott, part of a new youth group moving into NASCARs elite series, isnt alone in having to prove his mettle during the biggest race of the year. “This is Daytona. I’m just happy to be here”. It has been nine years since Harvick captured his lone Daytona 500 victory in 2007. It’s up to the guys who do it for a living to decide what they want to do. “For him to get in here, focus and get the win today was impressive”.
Finishing position is what matters most in this scoring system, and no driver has a better average finish in the last eight races at Daytona.
From his home in North Carolina, three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart called into the Fox broadcast and offered his take on how the race was developing.
There’s little debate that Dale Earnhardt Jr.is the best restrictor-plate driver in NASCAR today. Or can the rookie Chase continue to surpass all expectations?
But it was the high-speed chess game seconds before the first and second-place cars crossed the finish line that made all the difference. I’m so glad you’re here!’
He now wears a Sprint Cup championship patch on his firesuit. But it’s up to these guys to determine if they get in or not.
“The manner which (he) went about his business, I think is really special”, Chase said.
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Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
