Final Thoughts From Daytona

The NASCAR season moves fast. The series moves to Atlanta this weekend for the second race, but before we turn the page here are my final observations from the Daytona 500.

-Overall, I thought the race was very good and competitive. It wasn’t the best Daytona 500 ever, but not every race is going to come down to a pass for the lead on the last lap. I had a few conversations with fans that thought the race was boring and anti-climactic. I realize the race ending under a caution isn’t very exciting and that no one challenged Joey Logano on the final restart. But you can’t deny that the three-wide racing eight rows deep with 20 laps to go was not intense. These are some of the best drivers in the world racing inches from each other at over 200 miles per hour. The big wreck never really happened, but regardless I thought it was entertaining and because there was no huge wreck, all the major contenders were there fighting for the win at the end. Logano was just better than everyone else on the green-white-checkered.

-It was a tough ending for Jeff Gordon in his final Daytona 500. Gordon looked dominant in the first part of the race, leading the most laps and pacing the field during the first 100 laps. The theme of the final 20 laps was drivers making some wrong decisions that got them shuffled out of the front and that’s what happened to Gordon. Being in the middle of that crazy pack at the end led to Gordon getting caught up in the final lap crash. Gordon said going into the race that he would go “all out” to try and win the race. He did that and I think that is why he was not too upset after finishing 33^rd.

-Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the fastest car all week. Junior and Jimmie Johnson probably had the best cars in the 500. Junior ended up third and Johnson finished fifth. Junior was sixth on the final green-white-checkered restart, but ran out of time after getting around Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin. He regretted the move he made on the restart with 19 laps to go, which shuffled him back. Junior is always extra hard on himself, but that’s because he loves Daytona so much.

“It’s really disappointing,” Junior said after missing out on his 3^rd Daytona 500 win.

“I made a poor choice and you can’t afford to do that. We had a really fast car maybe the best car here. So I had a lot of confidence to keep digging and we got some of those spots back. Just a little disappointed I let the guys down. We should have won the race.”

-Great finishes for Casey Mears (6^th), Martin Truex Jr. (8^th) and Sam Hornish (12^th). Mears barely qualified for the race after blowing an engine during the Duels on Thursday. Truex was fast all week after a rough season last year. I think Hornish is really going to capitalize on his second full-time shot in Sprint Cup with Richard Petty. I’ve always been a fan of his ability to thrive in open-wheel racing and stock cars. He hasn’t had much success in Sprint Cup, but has won races in the Xfinity Series. Petty really invested a lot in his team over the offseason and that’s why I really like Hornish and Aric Almirola.

-Tough weekend for Tony Stewart. Not only does he have to replace Kurt Busch on his team before the biggest race of the year, but he also wrecked on the frontstretch on lap 41 and finished 42^nd. The only driver that had a worse race than Smoke was Brad Keselowski who lost an engine on lap 160 and was 41^st.

-I’m sick for Kyle Busch after a bad crash in the Xfinity race on Saturday took him out of the 500 and for the forseeable future. NASCAR is better with Kyle and his aggressive driving style. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for him. Drivers were very critical of the track for not having a SAFER barrier in the area where Busch’s car slammed into and DIS president Joie Chitwood was steadfast in building a tire wall in front of the concrete wall for Sunday’s race. Chitwood also said they will cover every inch of the speedway with the SAFER barriers and hope to do so by the time the series returns to Daytona in July.

-Finally, I applaud NASCAR for the way they swiftly handled the Kurt Busch situation on Friday by suspending him indefinitely shortly after the Delaware County family commissioner report came out. By allowing Busch race to in the 500, the media firestorm would have painted NASCAR in a bad light on a day the series should be celebrated. Brian France vowed that NASCAR’s reaction was determined if evidence suggested that Busch did in fact assault Patricia Driscoll and that was proven with the suspension. This is a bad situation for all involved and I don’t see Busch behind the wheel anytime soon.

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Logano Backing Up Lofty Expectations

Joey Logano was always supposed to be here, in victory lane at Daytona. It just took a little longer than he and everyone else thought.

On Sunday, Logano won the 57th Daytona 500 holding off Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and some of the best restrictor plate racers in NASCAR, in what will go down as one of the greatest driving displays we’ve seen in recent years at the legendary track.

“I can’t really put it into words,” Logano said in the post race press conference.

“It’s something that you can’t describe.  I keep reliving over and over again what it was like down the back straightaway when I came off of turn two there, looking in the mirror, saw them crashing.  Okay, you hope there’s a caution.  But I think even that, they weren’t close enough to be able to make a run.”

After a late race crash involving Justin Allgaier and Ty Dillon, it was time for a green-white-checkered finish, NASCAR’s version of overtime. Despite his nerves, Logano did exactly what he had to do to get the win when the caution came out on the white flag lap for a big crash on the backstretch involving Jeff Gordon and others.

In just his seventh full-time season, the 24-year old Logano is starting to put together quite a resume in the Sprint Cup series. After debuting with Joe Gibbs when he was just 18, Logano got off to a rough start. As he rocketed through the ranks, instant success was expected in NASCAR. In 2009, he was 19 in his first full season driving with JGR, and even though he won a race, he finished 20th in the points standings. Three more seasons in the Home Depot Toyota did not live up to the hype. He finished 16th, 24th, and 17th respectively in those seasons. The kid who was once nicknamed “Sliced Bread,” was looking for a new team at the end of the 2012 season.

Then Roger Penske took a chance.

On Sunday, Penske won his first Daytona 500.

Penske surrounded Logano with the resources and talent that he needed to succeed. He may have just needed a change of scenery. In 2013, he made the Chase for the first time and last season he won five races and was one of the final four contenders for the championship at Homestead. A slow pit stop late in the last race took him out of contention, but did not lower his expectations going into 2015.

“I’m confident as a driver and I know I have the best team out there,” Logano said Sunday.

“As long as we stay together as a team, win or lose as a team, that’s what makes a strong team, you know, is people that live and die together. You do it.”

Logano gets it. He comes from a well-off family that moved from Connecticut to North Carolina to give him the best chance to succeed in racing. He realizes the sacrifice they made and he did not want to let them down. He hasn’t let the Captain (Penske) down either.

“I knew he was going to be a team player,” Penske said in the winner’s press conference.

“I think that’s what’s paid off.  There’s great transparency for us.  It’s paid off in spades for us.  You saw what he did last year.  This is just the start I think of a career, he’s going to be a guy at the top for a long time.”

Maybe the pressure was too much with Gibbs. Logano did follow Tony Stewart there. It certainly isn’t a factor anymore. It doesn’t get more stressful than sitting in the lead at Daytona waiting for a two lap sprint to the finish.

“Really, the caution comes out, you think about strategy, you know we’re staying out, want to save some fuel in case of multiple green-white-checkereds. Once you get over the fact that you’re about to throw up, you start figuring out how to win the race.”

Logano figured it out. It took a few years, but he figured it out.

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Kyle Busch Suffers Broken Leg, Out for 500

In an unbelievable set of circumstances, one of the favorites to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday will not race.

Kyle Busch sustained a compound fracture to his right lower leg and left mid-foot fracture in a hard crash during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday afternoon. In the closing laps of the Alert Today Florida 300, Erik Jones got turned and his car clipped Busch’s Camry. Busch flew through a grassy area of the track and slammed in an interior concrete wall. The wall did not have a SAFER barrier. The SAFER barriers, or energy-absorbing-steel-and-foam energy reduction barrier, are meant to give upon impact. But the 2.5-mile Daytona super speedway is not equipped with the barriers around the entire track, and Busch’s car found a large area without it.

Busch climbed from his car on his own, but then went down to the ground when the safety personnel arrived.

It is not known when Busch, who qualified fourth in his M&M’s Crispy Toyota, will return at this point. Sources says the leg injury is not as bad as Tony Stewart’s fractured tibia from two years ago, but Stewart did not have a broken foot on the opposite leg.

At this hour, it is believed that 2-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton will fill in for Busch.

(Above photo by: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images Sport)

NASCAR Suspends Kurt Busch Indefinitely

After the conclusions of the Kent County (Delaware) family court commissioner were released Friday afternoon, NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Haas Automation Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, indefinitely. Busch has indicated that he will appeal the suspension, but Regan Smith will replace him in Sunday’s Daytona 500. The following is the statement released from NASCAR on Friday.

 

NASCAR Indefinitely Suspends Driver Kurt Busch 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2015) — NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Kurt Busch for actions detrimental to stock car racing following the release today of a supplemental disposition setting forth the findings and conclusions that formed the basis for the Family Court of the State of Delaware’s decision on Monday to issue an Order of Protection from Abuse against him. 

 

Busch, driver of the No. 41 car, was found to be in violation of:

 

• Section 12.1.a: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
• Section 12.8:Behavioral Penalty

 

“Given the serious nature of the findings and conclusions made by the Commissioner of the Family Court of the State of Delaware, NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Kurt Busch, effective immediately. He will not be allowed to race nor participate in any NASCAR activities until further notice.

 

“Kurt Busch and his Stewart-Haas Racing team are fully aware of our position and why this decision was made. We will continue to respect the process and timetable of the authorities involved.”

(Above photo courtesy of Robert Laberge/Getty Images Sport)

2015 NASCAR Predictions

Here are my official predictions for the upcoming 2015 NASCAR season. Strictly for fun everyone. It’s a long, long season.

2015 Xfinity Series Champion: (formerly the Nationwide Series):
Ty Dillon

Defending champ Chase Elliott is great, but I think this will be a battle all season long that will come down to the final race. I like Dillon because he is poised for a breakout year after winning in Indianapolis last season. Elliott will race in five Sprint Cup races and Dillon will race in the Daytona 500, so they both are a big part of the future of Sprint Cup. Elliott was a model of consistency in the second half of the season last year and even though he will win a bunch of races, I’m giving the edge to Ty. Also, keep an eye on Darrell Wallace, Jr. driving full-time for Roush Fenway this year. I think Bubba will have a say in the title fight as well.

2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion:
Erik Jones

Keep an eye on this youngster who will be driving the full season for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He’s already won four races in his short time behind the wheel of the truck and he will be extremely competitive in some of the best equipment every race. Matt Crafton has won back-to-back titles and is always a factor. I’m curious to see what Daniel Suarez, from Monterrey, Mexico can do at KBM. Suarez is going to win a race, but Jones will dominate multiple races giving him the title.

Drivers who will make the Sprint Cup Chase in 2015 (16):

Joey Logano
Jimmie Johnson
Jeff Gordon
Kevin Harvick
Brad Keselowski
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Matt Kenseth
Carl Edwards
Kyle Busch
Kyle Larson
Ryan Newman
Sam Hornish Jr.
Denny Hamlin
Kasey Kahne
Tony Stewart
Greg Biffle

The biggest surprises on this list are Hornish and Stewart. I think Hornish will compete and win one of the road course races and get in like A.J. Allemendinger did last season. I also believe that Tony Stewart will rebound and win a race to qualify for the Chase. There is no way Smoke goes winless again this season. Last year was the first season he did not win a Sprint Cup race since he entered the series with Joe Gibbs in 1999.

2015 Chase Final Four at Homestead:
Logano, Johnson, Harvick, Gordon

Johnson will rebound and Harvick will dominate races again. Both have the potential to win 5-6 races. Gordon is there for sentimental reasons and for the great story it would be to have him as a title contender in likely his final NASCAR race as a driver in Miami.

2015 Sprint Cup Champion:
Joey Logano

Logano was so close last season at Homestead, but had issues on pit road late. This is his year. He is finally becoming the driver everyone thought he would be and this year will hoist the trophy to prove it. Penske Racing was really good for a two-car team last year and I think they have great people working there. Todd Gordon’s expertise on the pitbox will keep Logano competitive and focused on the prize.

2015 Daytona 500 Winner:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It’s simple. His car is really fast and he is really good on restrictor plate tracks. He gets his third 500 trophy on Sunday.

Above Photo By: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Sport

Jr & Jimmie Dominate Duels

Hendrick Motorsports will be the team to beat on Sunday. But no one knows which one of their drivers will be the favorite in NASCAR’s biggest race.

The starting lineup is set for the 57th Daytona 500 after Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson won the Budweiser Duel qualifying races on Thursday night at chilly Daytona International Speedway.

The cold didn’t stop Danica Patrick from boiling over after the second race and another on track incident with Denny Hamlin. Patrick and Hamlin had a tense conversation after the race after Hamlin wrecked Patrick for the second time in two days.

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Hamlin made contact with Danica Patrick with five laps to go and sent her car spinning in turn three. Hamlin also got into Patrick’s car in practice on Wednesday, totaling it and forcing her to start the second duel race from the back. Patrick, who knew she was in serious jeopardy of making the race by not finishing, was able to continue after the spin with her car owner Tony Stewart watching atop her pit box. She finished tenth and will start 20th in the 500.

Earnhardt Jr. wasted no time getting to the front after starting 25th in race one. Junior’s #88 Nationwide Chevrolet failed post-qualifying inspection on Sunday for being too low to the ground and was forced to start at the back. But with a strong Nationwide Chevrolet, Earnhardt drafted his way to the front in the first ten laps of the 60-lap qualifying sprint race.

Matt Kenseth looked strong out front all night leading the first 17 laps after passing Gordon at the start. He got by Gordon again on lap 25 after a restart for Casey Mears’ blown engine. He then passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the front stretch showing the speed of his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota by blowing by Junior.

But NASCAR’s most popular driver was not done.

Earnhardt got help from Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon, ducked under Kenseth at the start-finish line, and took the top spot again with 15 laps to go. After a late caution for Trevor Bayne hitting the wall, the 2-time 500 winner would hold off a charge from Joey Logano in the closing laps to take his 15th career race win at Daytona. Gordon was second followed by Logano, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick in sixth.

Junior will start third on Sunday.

Ty Dillon took the 16th finishing spot in race one and qualified for his first Daytona 500. Dillon is the grandson of his car owner Richard Childress. Childress’ other grandson Austin will start 30th.

A.J. Allmendinger got together with Johnny Sauter on lap 28 doing major damage to both cars. Allmendinger just slightly got into the back of Sauter’s Toyota which caused the accident and sent Sauter flying through the infield. It was a nerve-wrecking wait, but both drivers made the 500.

In race two, Kyle Busch took the early lead with drafting help from his new Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards. After a caution for David Ragan’s spin, Busch got off pit road first in front of Jimmie Johnson, but was busted for going too fast down pit road and sent to the back of the pack on the restart. Johnson had a brief battle with Austin Dillon on the restart, but the 6-time champion took the lead at halfway.

Johnson showed he will be a strong contender on Sunday with his drafting experience and the strength of his Lowe’s Chevrolet. The #48 was all over the track defending his lead in the final ten laps. Johnson was already locked into the second starting position, but drove aggressively and was not challenged on the green-white-checkered finish. It was a dominating performance for Hendrick Motorsports sweeping both races.

“It’s huge,” Johnson told FOX’s Jamie Little in victory lane. “It’s been a great start to Speedweeks, what a race car. This thing is bad fast and I’m looking forward to Sunday’s race.”

Kyle Busch finished second behind Johnson, followed by Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex, and Reed Sorenson.

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Sport)

A big crash on lap 37 took out Sam Hornish Jr., Alex Bowman, and Jeb Burton and brought out the red flag. Austin Dillon also was involved when he tried to avoid the wreck driving through the wet grass. The wreck ended up sending Burton home for the weekend.

Six drivers did not make the race. Justin Marks, Ron Hornaday, Alex Bowman, Jeb Burton, Brian Scott, and Josh Wise.

The temperature was 37 degrees during the second race. The forecast is expected to be in the 80’s for Sunday’s race.

NASCAR Gets Some Heat For 500 Qualifying Format

Jeff Gordon was happy. Clint Bowyer was not.

In the offseason NASCAR changed the format for Daytona 500 pole qualifying and there were very few drivers that were happy with the change and how things worked out on Sunday afternoon. Except Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Gordon won the pole position as he prepares for his final Daytona 500 start and Johnson locked in his starting spot alongside his Hendrick Motorsports teammate on the front row. That alone would be enough to write a story in Daytona Beach this week.
But this is NASCAR and controversy always rises to the top.

Traditionally, drivers would take the track one-by-one and try to post the fastest lap in a two lap run. The top two speeds were locked on the front row for the Daytona 500 with the remaining positions to be filled in the Duel qualifying races later in the week. Even when NASCAR implemented the new group qualifying format last season they kept the single car runs for the 500. The group format led to some interesting strategies at Talladega and the July Daytona race last season.

And then there was Sunday.

In the first five minute group session, cars were scattered all over pit road trying to maneuver themselves next to teammates and figure out when the time was right to start their run. When the cars finally took off and tried to make their qualifying runs, Reed Sorenson came down on Clint Bowyer going into turn one touching off a multi-car accident. Bowyer, Sorenson, and J.J. Yeley were left with severely damaged cars and several others had to make repairs. Bowyer voiced his frustrations live on FOX.

“I wasn’t behind the #44. He came flying around, came up on the apron, jumps in front of me, then runs over the #51, stacks us all up and then I run into him. It’s idiotic to be out here doing this anyway. There’s no sense in being able to try to put on some cute show for whatever the hell this is. Then you have a guy out there doing this in desperation.”

Bowyer was referring to the fact that Sorenson, driving for the smaller Team Xtreme Racing, needed to set a fast time in the qualifying to increase his chances of making the 500 in the event that he doesn’t qualify through Thursday’s Duels. Now he is left without a car to try to get into the race unless his team rebuilds it by Thursday. Bowyer, apart of Michael Waltrip Racing will go to a backup car.

“These guys have spent six months working on these cars, busting their butts on these cars. But it ain’t his fault. It’s NASCAR’s fault for putting us out in the middle of this crap for nothing. We used to come down here and worry about who would set on the pole in the biggest race of the year. Now all we do is come down here and worry about how a start-and-park like this out of desperation is going to knock us out of the Daytona 500. We’ve been in meetings for 45 minutes just trying to figure out what in the hell everybody is going to do just so we can make the race. It’s stupid. There’s no sense in doing this.”

Tony Stewart wasn’t in a good mood either on Twitter.

“@TonyStewart Today used to be about showcasing the hard work from the teams over the winter. Now its a complete embarrassment for our series #NASCAR”

Well at least he used the proper hashtag.

Alright let’s break this down. So NASCAR and the networks think the single car qualifying runs are boring. They are. There’s no need to sugarcoat it and it’s also not necessary to spend three hours on network television on a Sunday afternoon showing 49 cars going around the track by themselves. The fans know this too. Sure there are some old school racers and die hard fans that will watch anything with four wheels for hours on end any day of the week. (One of them is writing this blog) Some of us appreciate the speed and skill of the single car runs and what they brought to the weekend. But it is 2015 and clearly NASCAR needed to spice it up and they decided the group format was way more interesting, and also fit within an hour and half TV window on FOX.

So the group format is way more interesting, this much is true. But not when the cars spend three quarters of the allotted time sitting on pit road. The most exciting part should not be the team spotters trying and make deals like they’re on Wall Street. Which is exactly what happened Sunday, especially after the teams saw a bunch of cars get tore up.

No one wants to wreck their primary Daytona 500 car. Bowyer and Stewart are right. A lot of time and money goes into these cars to see them get tore up in a blink of an eye. But the same thing could happen in the Budweiser Duel qualifying races on Thursday and usually does.

At the same time, NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell pointed out that the single car runs don’t indicate the race atmosphere and some of the teams themselves were calling for a change. Daytona is one of the few tracks where running out front by yourself is not a good thing because of how restrictor plate racing works with the draft.

“They asked if there were ways we could put that focus on the race car that was going to compete in the Daytona 500 versus a one- or two-lap qualifying session,” O’Donnell said in a press conference after Sunday’s qualifying. “That’s what really went into it.”

The final five minute session, with the fastest twelve cars, was intense. Not only did the cars have to hustle to get to the start-finish line by the time the clock hit zero to begin their runs, they also had just one lap to use their teammates to draft to the top of the timing and scoring. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson worked it to perfection.

“There’s so much going on in your mind,” Gordon said. “It’s literally like playing chess at 200 miles an hour. It’s pretty crazy.”

So at the end of the day the drivers are irritated and NASCAR has another debate on how to handle qualifying. This is not a new concept, and there is not a certain right answer. One thing is certain, the Sprint Cup cars have been on the track for three days and the action has fans and media buzzing in anticipation for this weekend’s 500.

(Above Photo courtesy of Matt Sullivan/Getty Images Sport)

Kenseth Wins Crash-Filled Sprint Unlimited

It’s pretty much a 200 mile per hour demolition derby.

Just like last year, the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona on Saturday night featured several huge crashes that tore up a lot of race cars. Matt Kenseth held off Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap to win in Sprint Cup for the first time since the Budweiser Duels last February.

Jamie McMurray spun in front the field and took out several cars including Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, and Jimmie Johnson. McMurray was bumped by Greg Biffle setting off a chain reaction of Daytona carnage on lap 47 of the 75-lap sprint. The race was red-flagged for 15 minutes. Only 12 of 25 cars were running at the finish.

Biffle said McMurray’s car was wrecking-loose in front of him, but McMurray contended that he would not have been so loose if his back tires were not off the ground courtesy of Biffle in the Ortho Ford.

With eight laps to go, Tony Stewart got loose and that sent Biffle flying into the wall on the backstretch at full speed. Kurt Busch was also collected. Biffle took a big hit on the inside wall but was ok.

And after making contact in the closing laps, defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano had a heated discussion on pit road after the race. Logano said he was trying to push the Jimmy Johns Chevrolet to the front, but Harvick got loose and scraped the wall instead. The race didn’t even count, but there was still post race drama.

“I just told him I didn’t appreciate it (the push),” Harvick told FOX. “It was a hell of a race tonight, but just really dumb driving there at the end.”

The Sprint Unlimited does not count for points but always serves as an appetizer for “The Great American Race,” the 57th Daytona 500, next Sunday, February 22nd at 1pm.

Kenseth won his first ever Sprint Unlimited, even though he is a two-time Daytona 500 champion. He qualified for the Chase last year despite failing to win a points-paying race for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth said JGR has a lot of horsepower for Speedweeks in 2015. Truex overcame a tough day of 500 practice to finish second for Furniture Row Motorsports.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead early in the race, after the first round of pit stops, by not taking tires. After gathering a piece of paper on his front grill, Earnhardt had to pit for overheating issues. Junior finished ninth.

In his first race with Joe Gibbs Racing, Carl Edwards was third, Casey Mears finished fourth, and Kyle Larson was fifth.

The first caution of the race was brought out on lap 23 when Brad Keselowski made contact with Kyle Larson and took a wild ride through the infield. Keselowski tore up his Miller Lite Ford and his race was over, finishing 25th. It appears Larson did not give Brad enough room, moved up the track, and they got together on the front stretch. Keselowski had never finished worse than fourth in the Unlimited.

In Jeff Gordon’s 21st and final Unlimited race he finished seventh.

Paul Menard started on the pole after winning a random draw for starting positions with the crew chiefs and selected fans. Menard suffered serious damage in the McMurray crash and ended up 21st.

(Above Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Daytona Open For Business

Later today NASCAR Sprint Cup cars will be on the track at Daytona International Speedway. The racing offseason is over! All two months of it.

It’s just a pair of practices for tomorrow night’s Sprint Unlimited, but it’s still cars on the track for the first time since Kevin Harvick was crowned champion in November at Homestead. And sometimes these practices are the most interesting with the drivers behind the wheel of cars that they are not planning to race in the Daytona 500. Basically, they are spare cars strictly for the exhibition race tomorrow night.

The chaos of media day was held Thursday and we are now nine days away from the 57th Daytona 500. I actually teased that I would be giving out my 2015 NASCAR predictions today, but after talking to a few of my other racing colleagues it seems that official predictions are not coming out until next Friday. So I will wait until next week to predict my Sprint Cup champ and Daytona 500 winner, even though I do already have my champion in mind. I do have a few predictions I can give out for this weekend. Considering it is Daytona, these predictions are strictly based on luck and not of any knowledge I have on restrictor plate racing which is extremely unpredictable as we all know.

Sprint Unlimited Winner: Kyle Busch

Daytona 500 Front Row (Qualifying is Sunday): Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray

This year’s Sprint Unlimited consists of the 2014 Chase drivers, 2014 Coors Light pole winners, and past Unlimited winners. The 75-lap race is split into two segments; a 25-lap opening segment and a 50-lap conclusion. The green flag is scheduled for Saturday at 8:15 on FOX.

Time For A Brand New Sprint Cup Season

With media day this Thursday, the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is just around the corner with the Daytona 500 scheduled for Sunday, February 22nd. The short offseason brought tons of news, but also many driver and crew changes, most of which were already determined at the end of 2014. So let’s get caught up on silly season before the first practice in Daytona on Friday and the Sprint Unlimited race on Saturday night.

Carl Edwards was the biggest free agent on the market and now will join Joe Gibbs Racing as an immediate championship contender. Edwards will team with Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch in the #19 JGR Toyota Camry with sponsorship from Arris, Stanley, and SportClips. Darian Grubb moves over from the #11 car to be Edwards’ crew chief and Dave Rogers is now in charge of Hamlin’s crew. Adam Stevens moves up from the JGR Nationwide team to run Busch’s #18 Camry. Kenseth will add sponsorship from DeWalt along with Dollar General.

The other news in the offseason was Jeff Gordon announcing that 2015 will be his final full-time season in NASCAR. That cleared the way for Rick Hendrick to bring in 2014 Xfinity Series champion Chase Elliott, son of former NASCAR champion Bill. Elliott will run five Sprint Cup races in 2015 starting with Martinsville in March. Elliott will also run Richmond in April, the Coke 600 in May, Indy, and Darlington. He will inherit the #24 full-time in 2016. Gordon will run his final season looking for his 5th championship alongside Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne (now signed through 2018), and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who said despite being 40 that he is not close to hanging it up. Junior will now run Nationwide as a sponsor for 21 races along with mainstays Diet Mountain Dew, AMP Energy, and Kelley Blue Book. He will try to win his third Daytona 500 next weekend.

Stewart-Haas Racing brings back the ’14 champion Kevin Harvick, as well as Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, and Danica Patrick. All eyes will again be on Patrick and her new crew chief Daniel Knost. Patrick is only signed through the end of this season so this will be a developing story throughout the year, although indications are Stewart would like to bring her back in 2016. Busch and Patrick essentially switched crews and Tony Gibson will be with Busch this season. Busch is eager to get back to racing after a dramatic offseason in which he was embroiled in an alleged assault case with his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll who he claimed was a trained assassin. Stewart is hoping a second season with Chad Johnston calling the shots will help him rebound from the worst year of his personal life. Stewart admitted in the recent Charlotte media tour that the last two years he would not wish on anyone as he has struggling to overcome the sprint car accident and on track death of Kevin Ward Jr. and recovery from a broken leg in 2013 that caused him to have five surgeries.

The Roush Fenway iconic #6 that Mark Martin drove to so many wins is returning with Trevor Bayne behind the wheel and Advocare on the hood. Bob Osborne will be Bayne’s crew chief in what should be a break out year for the 2011 Daytona 500 winner. Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. remain on the Roush roster with both expected to improve on mediocre results in 2014. Jack Roush needs to prove that his team can be among the title contenders yet again and also run well at traditionally strong Ford tracks. He only won two races in 2014, both with Edwards at the wheel.

Bayne will be replaced in the #21 Wood Brothers Ford by Ryan Blaney. Blaney will run 18 races for the legendary team that will celebrate its 65th season in NASCAR. The Wood Brothers will have a technical alliance with Penske Racing.

Aric Almirola will have a new teammate at Richard Petty Motorsports as Defiance, Ohio native Sam Hornish Jr. signed a multi-year deal to replace Marcos Ambrose in the #9 Ford. Ambrose returned to his native Australia to race in the Super V8 series. Hornish was an analyst with Fox Sports 1 last year and drove a limited schedule with the JGR Nationwide team, winning a race in Iowa. He is looking for some sponsorship, but will have Twisted Tea on board for Daytona.

It’s status quo for Penske Racing (Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano), Richard Childress Racing (Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, and Paul Menard), Chip Ganassi Racing (Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray), Michael Waltrip Racing (Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers), JTG Daugherty Racing (A.J. Allmendinger) and Furniture Row Racing (Martin Truex Jr.). Look for Penske to dominate races again, Dillon to start competing after a consistent 2014, and Larson to win a few races after coming real close last season.

I’ll reveal my official 2015 predictions on Thursday here on Speed For Thought.