Feb 9th, 2010 | 8:29 pm |
This Saturday’s Nationwide race the DRIVE4COPD 300 (1:15 p.m. ET ESPN2), might be just as popular as Sunday’s 500 with the premiere of Danica Patrick in NASCAR.
She’ll be joined by her JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet) on the starting grid. Earnhardt is one of 14 double-duty drivers entered, and also is
one of six former NNS Daytona winners — four of whom have victories in this race. Tony Stewart (No. 4 Ritz Crackers Chevrolet) is the defending winner and has won four of the last five season openers at Daytona, including the last two.
Eight former series champions also are entered, led by reigning titlist Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota). Six series-only regulars who ranked in the top 10 of the final 2009 standings return and are joined by five Raybestos Rookies, all but one of whom will be making their series track debuts. After Daytona, the momentum continues to build. The NASCAR Nationwide Series’ new car will run in four races, complete with two “pony car” models — the Mustang and the Challenger. The 2010 season also looks to be a perfect opportunity for a series-only regular to claim the championship for the first time in six years. This arguably is the strongest Raybestos Rookie class on record. And the series will welcome a new track but will stay in Wisconsin; Elkhart Lake’s Road America replaces the Milwaukee Mile on the schedule.
Danica Debuts at Daytona, Chrissy Hopes to Join
Following last Saturday’s sixth-place finish in the ARCA race at Daytona where she came from the back of the pack following a spin (the control she showed still has plenty of buzz), Danica Patrick decided to make her NASCAR national-series debut this week instead of Feb. 20 at Auto Club Speedway.
She had pointed to ACS as her inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series race during her press conference last December announcing her foray into NASCAR with JR Motorsports. But she left open the possibility to run at Daytona depending on her ARCA outcome.
When she starts on Saturday, Patrick — who will run a 13-race NASCAR Nationwide schedule this year in addition to her full IndyCar slate — will be a part of series history. No woman has made her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Daytona. And she may not be alone.
Patrick is locked into the starting lineup. However, Chrissy Wallace (No. 41 Fuel-doctor.com Chevrolet), the 21-year old daughter of series veteran Mike Wallace (No. 01 Kendrick Meek for Florida Chevrolet), also hopes to be. She’ll have to qualify on time, but her short superspeedway career is solid. She finished 13th at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event last October, and was ninth in her superspeedway debut in 2008 ARCA competition at Talladega.
Wallace envisions a second race with her dad, making them the first father-daughter duo to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. They broke that barrier in the Truck race at Talladega. If Chrissy qualifies, it would mark the first time four members of the Wallace family have competed in a NASCAR national series race – she’s looking to join her dad, her uncle, Kenny (No. 28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet), and her cousin, Steve (No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota), on the high banks.
Bevy Of Drivers Look For Success With New Teams
Four interesting names swapped teams since the last race of 2009: Jason Keller, John Wes Townley (No. 21 Zaxby’s Chevrolet), Scott Lagasse Jr. (No. Baker Curb Racing
Ford) and Brad Keselowski. The biggest move came with Keselowski’s shift to Penske Racing. After success with JR Motorsports (six wins, including four in 2009), he becomes a double-duty driver for the first time in his career.
The increased workload, plus new equipment and crew, will make for an interesting watch. Keselowski has been statistically strong at Daytona in the past. In four Daytona races, he
has an Average Running Position of 9.5, a Driver Rating of 96.5, 15 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 82.3. Townley also could surprise. After a rookie
year spent with RAB Racing, he moves to one of NASCAR’s top teams, Richard Childress Racing. The change should mean better results. In the two Daytona races last season, Townley
finished 21st and 36th. Combined at Daytona, he has a Driver Rating of 41.0, an Average Running Position of 33.5 and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of just 3.2%.
Keller was with Baker-Curb Racing last year, and notched a top-10 finish in the season opener at Daytona. Now he’s driving for owner Mark Smith. At Daytona since 2005, Keller has a
Driver Rating of 59.6 and an Average Running Position of 24.8.
Lagasse now is with Baker-Curb after showing signs of promise last year with CJM Racing. At Daytona last season, he had a Driver Rating of 64.3 and an Average Running Position of 24.1.
The race favorite is the defending winner, Tony Stewart, who has won four of his last eight NASCAR Nationwide Series races. In seven Daytona starts since the inception of Loop Data
in 2005, Stewart has a series-high Driver Rating of 111.8, an Average Running Position of 9.8, 24 Fastest Laps Run, a Pass Differential (passes minus times passed) of plus-113 and a Laps in
the Top 15 percentage of 74.8.
NNS Drivers And The Daytona 500
In addition to the three double-duty drivers who will drive in the Daytona 500 — Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Paul Menard — two series-only regulars are on the entry list.One is locked in while the other will have to use the Gatorade Duel at Daytona to earn his way into the field. Robert Richardson Jr. (No. 23 Mahindra Tractors Chevrolet) has a spot in The Great American Race with Front Row Motorsports. He’ll be making his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series track debut at Daytona. Michael McDowell (No. 81 D.H. Griffin Companies Dodge) is entered for PRISM Motorsports for the 500 and will have to use the Duels as his ticket in. Additionally, Mike Bliss (No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet), who is looking for an opportunity to pull full-time double duty this year on the NASCAR Nationwide side, also must get into the 500 field by virtue of the Duels. He’s competeing full time this season for Tommy Baldwin in NASCAR Sprint Cup.
I think the Danica story is pretty much going to over shadow the rest of the race. If it anything like the ARCA race all you are going to her is “Danica this of Danica that”. Don’t get me wrong I think Danica is a good driver, her ARCA debut went pretty well she showed she could drive the car. I just wish they could spread the news around to other drivers that need the exposer.