Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Daytona 500
Site: Daytona Beach. Fla., Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Thursday, Gatorade Duel at Daytona 150-mile qualifying races (noon, Speed, replay 8 p.m, Speed); Friday, practice (noon, Speed); Saturday, practice (9:30 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (11 a.m., KDFW/Ch. 4)
Race distance: 500 miles/200 laps
2009 winner: Matt Kenseth
Fast facts: Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the top two starting positions in qualifying Saturday. At 51, Martin became the oldest 500 pole winner. Fifteen drivers — including two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip — are fighting for the final four spots in the 43-car field. Martin Truex has replaced Waltrip — running a partial schedule this year — in Michael Waltrip Racing’s NAPA-sponsored Toyota. ... Jimmie Johnson won his record fourth straight series championship last year for Hendrick. The 2006 Daytona 500 winner has consecutive seven-victory seasons and 47 wins overall. In December, he became the first driver to be selected AP Male Athlete of the Year. ... Tony Stewart won the Coke Zero 400 in July at Daytona. ... Earnhardt was a career-worst 25th in points last year.
www.nascar.com
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Drive4COPD 300
Site: Daytona Beach. Fla., Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Today, practice (10:30 a.m., ESPN2); Friday, qualifying (2 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, race (11 a.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/120 laps
2009 winner: Tony Stewart
Fast facts: Danica Patrick is making her NASCAR debut, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. In her stock car debut Saturday, the IndyCar star was sixth in the Daytona ARCA race. She’s set to run 13 Nationwide races this year. ... Kyle Busch won the series championship last year for Joe Gibbs Racing, unifying the driver and owner titles for the first time since 2006. Busch won nine times and had 11 second-place finishes last season. He has 30 wins in 173 Nationwide starts. ... Chrissy Wallace is attempting to join father Mike, uncle Kenny and cousin Steve in the field. If she qualifies, it will mark the first time that a father and daughter have raced together in the series. They broke that barrier in the Trucks series last year at Talladega. It also would be the first time four members of the Wallace family have competed in a NASCAR national series event. ... Clint Bowyer won the July race at Daytona.
www.nascar.com
NASCAR Camping World Trucks
NextEra Energy Resources 250
Site: Daytona Beach. Fla., Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Today, practice (8 a.m., Speed), qualifying (5:30 p.m., Speed); Friday, race (6:30 p.m., Speed)
Race distance: 250 miles/100 laps
2009 winner: Todd Bodine
Fast facts: The series has adopted shootout-style, double-file restarts and lifted its year-old ban on changing tires and adding fuel on the same pit stop. ... Ron Hornaday Jr., driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., won his series-record fourth title last season. The 51-year-old Hornaday, also the champion in 1996, 1998 and 2007, won six times last year to push his series record to 45. ... Kyle Busch is making his first start as an owner-driver in the No. 18 Toyota. A seven-time winner in 15 starts last year for Billy Ballew, Busch also is fielding Tayler Malsam’s No. 56 Toyota. ... Rick Ren stepped down as Hornaday’s crew chief to join Busch’s operation. Dave Fuge replaced Ren at KHI. ... Johnny Benson is driving the No. 95 Ford for Danny Gill. After winning the 2008 series title, Benson lost his ride last season when Red Horse Racing failed to find sponsorship, then was injured in June in a Supermodified event in Michigan. ... Bodine also has two series wins at Talladega.
www.nascar.com
NHRA
Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals
Site: Pomona, Calif., Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (10 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (7 p.m., ESPN2)
2009 winners: Ron Capps (Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock)
Fast facts: Tony Schumacher won his sixth straight and seventh overall Top Fuel championship Nov. 15 at Pomona, beating Larry Dixon by two points in the closest title race in NHRA history. Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won championships.
www.nhra.com
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