Elliott on Daytona 500 pole, Junior considered guy to beat

A year ago this time, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was about to set sail on his 16th full-time season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as the defending Daytona 500 victor, coming off his most successful season in a decade. We’d love nothing more than to continue on our championship celebration all the way through this weekend. Legendary drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. “In addition to being a race victor, I feel that his input and leadership qualities will benefit the team on many levels”.

“Dang it. I’m sick of finishing second”, Logano said. He got to utter the famous words, “Drivers, start your engines” and he looked delighted to have been there screaming the famous words and entertaining the crowd. He won two races and earned a spot in NASCAR’s playoffs. “I have something up my sleeve, though, that I think you might like – or not”. The Daytona 500 goes a long way toward revealing which drivers and teams are ready to hit the ground running, who’s likely to dominate, and who may struggle this year. Stewart is retiring at the end of the season, but has vowed to be back in his auto this year. His truck got caught in mud both years, and he had to pay $50 to get it towed out.

The race was mostly clean, with just four cautions. Brian Vickers (14) Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 19. “I figured it was five to go that it was every man for himself”. So I’m proud of Chase. Kevin Harvick was not penalized last season when he pushed Jimmie Johnson in the motorhome lot last season in the Chase opener at Chicagoland. Do everything you can to keep the lead. A seven-time champion and first-ballot NASCAR Hall of Famer, Earnhardt is the all-time Daytona leader with 34 victories in various races across multiple series, yet he claimed the main event only once, in 1998, his 20th try. To capture one helps to define a driver’s career and provides a measure of completeness. “And then I got hooked on his right rear, and that’s what killed my momentum…. hat contact just stopped my vehicle”.

Busch felt it was clear in the closing laps that a Toyota was likely going to win, but waited too long to make his move.

He still texts with Todd McCall, the doctor who repaired his right leg.

Earnhardt, who won his Can-Am Duel on Thursday and had been one of the fastest drivers throughout Speedweeks, led 15 laps after taking the lead early from pole victor Chase Elliott but eventually faded to the mid-teens, where he lingered throughout the middle stages of the race. It comes three months after Busch gave Toyota its first championship.

The big race takes place later today.

Chase Elliott, 20, will start from the pole position in Jeff Gordon’s old ride, the No. 24 Hendrick Chevrolet, prepped by crew chief and former Ormond Beach resident Alan Gustafson.

Kasey Kahne was third, followed by Elliott Sadler and Austin Dillon.