Daily NASCAR

by Holly Cain

Filed under: Daytona Int’l Speedway, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona International Speedway workers repaired a small portion of the race track late Thursday night after a routine track inspection by engineers revealed a potential problem spot reminiscent of track surface issues that interrupted this year’s Daytona 500.

Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig downplayed the repair Friday morning, calling it “precautionary.” The spot, located in Turn 2, was patched with a “strengthened epoxy” about 1-foot by 4 1/2-feet long.

It is located about three feet from another patch that was put on the track to repair the potholes that red-flagged the February race for an hour and 42 minutes. The file photo at right hows the mid-race repair work.

“We had the luxury of time, personnel and we had the materials,” Braig said. “It was more like normal track maintenance.

“It has our full attention and we’ve got everything from cameras focused on it to our safety crew looking at it. When there are cautions on track or any delay in the schedule we’ll be out there checking and double-checking.”

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Jamie McMurray, Daytona Int’l Speedway, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As Jamie McMurray sat behind the microphone in his Daytona 500 victory press conference, hands clinched around his face, head bowed, tears rolling down his eyes, too emotional to speak — the enormity of his accomplishment set in. For him and for us.

The hundred or so journalists typing away on deadline suddenly became quiet, almost reverently watching McMurray in the several minutes it took for him to regain his composure and continue taking questions.

He was so honestly and deeply wrapped up in the moment. His moment.

It was a nice reminder of what it means to feel such genuine happiness. And for the 33-year old Missouri native McMurray, there was also a bit of relief and a healthy dose of redemption.

“To be honest, I was thinking, ‘you need to stop crying and answer the questions … but you know, the harder you try, the worse it gets,” McMurray explained Tuesday with a laugh.

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Daytona Int’l Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — According to her husband, Lynda Petty all but pushed him out the door.

“She was jumping around and she said, ‘Get up and get out of here, go on to Daytona’ — so she’s doing pretty good,” Richard Petty told reporters three hours before the start of Sunday’s Daytona 500 — a race he’s won a record seven times and where a team bearing his name will field four cars in the race.

It was the first news from Petty since he revealed last week that his wife of 51 years, Lynda Petty, has Central Nervous System lymphoma — a type of brain tumor. She has been undergoing treatment at Duke University School of Medicine..

“It is a very rare form of cancer. It’s very aggressive, but it’s very treatable,”’ a subdued Petty said. ” We feel like we’ve the got best people in the world looking after the deal. She’s already had a couple of treatments and she’s looking real good .

“They feel like they can completely wipe the cancer out.”

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Daytona Int’l Speedway, Sprint Cup

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With new rules increasing horsepower, loosening oversight and adding up to three overtime periods, NASCAR drivers are more hesitant than usual to make any predictions about Sunday’s 52nd running of the Daytona 500.

“I’ll be honest, I really don’t know what to expect,” driver-owner Tony Stewart said Saturday after his win in the Nationwide Series race.

“I mean, I assume it’s going to be something similar to the qualifying races. But, you know, with having the full field, obviously you’re gonna have a lot more good quality cars that are right.”

Stewart’s win Saturday gives him 15 at NASCAR’s most famous track, Daytona International Speedway — only Dale Earnhardt (34) and Bobby Allison (16) have more victories.

“There’s one I haven’t won, and that’s the Sunday show,” said Stewart, who will start sixth in his No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet.

“So, you know, I would trade a couple of races, I’d let anybody pick which ones they want to trade out, I’d trade any one of ‘em for a Sunday race for sure.”

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Daytona Int’l Speedway, Nationwide Series, Danica Patrick

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — All Danica Patrick wanted this blustery Saturday afternoon at NASCAR’s most hallowed track was experience without expectation. So to that end, she may consider her NASCAR debut successful, even if her No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevy finished the day a twisted wreck and her first NASCAR finish was officially 35th place.

After driving a careful and conservative early race, Patrick was collected in a 12-car accident that sent a fourth of the field to the garage on lap 68 of the 120-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

The “story” of Speedweeks, Patrick chose to compete in the Nationwide Series race despite having only a few hours of practice in the car — energized and encouraged instead by a sixth-place finish in a lower-level ARCA Series race last weekend.

She started 15th on Saturday, but opted for a more cautious strategy, falling back to the rear of the field to watch and learn. Unfortunately for her, the view was too good. Josh Wise and rookie Colin Braun collided several cars in front of Patrick and she was unable to dodge a track full of spinning cars.

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