Nascar Rules

[the H team]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Daytona 500 may still be 10 days away, but it arrived in force on Thursday, and it was powered by a diminutive raven-haired driver in a bright-green firesuit. Danica Patrick has yet to turn a competitive lap in a Sprint Cup car, but with her debut in the Great American Race looming, the spotlight on her during the media day that kicked off Speedweeks shone brighter than the central Florida sun.
Can she win the Daytona 500? How might she fare in a pack draft? Will she pair up with de facto car owner Tony Stewart in a tandem situation? For most of her 20-minute session she fielded one question after another about her forthcoming inaugural effort in the No. 10 Cup car, to the point where the Nationwide Series patch on her uniform seemed completely forgotten. And yet, let's not forget that Patrick is running for a championship this season, and it isn't on NASCAR's premier circuit, and that she has a race next Saturday that in the long run may be as important to her development as her effort in the sport's Super Bowl the following day.


“There's very little Nationwide testing here. I thought to myself, what a wonderful thing that I'm doing the Daytona 500, because the cars. ... I think it's going to be great practice for the Nationwide race, and it's something to keep in mind for the future, too.”
-- DANICA PATRICK



* 2012 Media Day: Danica talks about the track she fears most
No question, having Patrick in the Daytona 500 is huge for NASCAR, which will surely draw the eyes of curiosity seekers as well as fans of the most popular and marketable female driver on the planet. If she wins -- and let's face it, under this roulette wheel of a drafting format, and coming off Trevor Bayne's unlikely victory a year ago, anything could happen -- the significance would rival Tiger Woods' seismic breakthrough at Augusta National in 1997. A Danica Patrick victory in the Daytona 500 would resonate to such an extent, that Bayne's accomplishment last season would feel like a mere blip by comparison.
So let's not underestimate the impact of Patrick hoisting the Harley J. Earl trophy, a prospect that surely keeps NASCAR marketing types lying giddily awake at night. But barring a development of that historic significance, Patrick's real growth this season will come on the Nationwide tour, where she will attempt to make the jump from part-time participant to championship contender. A driver who has competed in 25 total national-division events will now tackle an entire 33-race schedule, which in addition to her 10 Cup starts will make for a workload very different from what she shouldered during her IndyCar days.
Given that Nationwide regulars win so relatively infrequently in a series in which Cup stars like to moonlight, given that there's no Chase to hide shortcomings in consistency, for title hopefuls getting off to a good start is key. "The first 10 races are everything for her," said Tony Eury Jr., crew chief on her Nationwide car. And it all starts at Daytona, where Danica Patrick winning the big show next Sunday might be the best thing for NASCAR, but winning the Nationwide opener a day earlier might be the best thing for her development as a stock-car driver long term.
"The opener is very important," Patrick said, surrounded by a crush of journalists and hangers-on snapping photos on mobile phones. "As Tony Jr. has told me, the first 10 races really set the stage, and set the pace for the rest of the year. It's like being in school -- you get a few bad grades on your first few tests, and just seems like you can't get out of that hole. It's always the same. If you can start the year off well, have great test results at the very beginning, it seems like you just hang up there. Hopefully, it's a good start to the year, and we can feel good about it."
The Nationwide tour offers Patrick the best chance at real progress. We've seen that already to an extent, given that she seemed lost in the tandem draft in the Nationwide opener a season ago, and by the July event at the same track had improved to the point where she could lead 13 laps and challenge for the victory. Her advancement on the intermediate downforce tracks that dominate the circuit was evident in strong finishes at Texas and Chicagoland, and a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas that stands as the best ever for a female driver in the sport's national divisions.
"She made tremendous progress last year," veteran Mark Martin said. "It was amazing, really. It showed how much talent she has."
No surprise, then, that she enters this season viewed as a legitimate Nationwide championship candidate, an effort aided somewhat by the rule implemented last season that prevents Cup regulars from contending for the crown in the sport's No. 2 series. Even so, she's driving for a JR Motorsports operation that produced a fourth-place finisher in Aric Almirola last season, so everyone knows her No. 7 car will be fast. The top title contenders from 2011, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Elliott Sadler, are back and joined by promising newcomers like Austin Dillon and Cole Whitt. But at the very least, Patrick has placed herself in the conversation.
"Is it critical? No. But it would be really nice," she said of winning the Nationwide title. "More than anything, for what it signifies, and it means you're probably running up front every weekend and you've won some races. And I'd sure as heck like to win some races."
And the most likely place for Patrick to win races is on the Nationwide tour, despite the crapshoot that is tandem drafting at Daytona, despite the fact that her Daytona 500 effort promises to dominate the next two weekends. That will change once the circuit moves on from the Sunshine State, and Patrick's limited Cup starts take place at layouts like Darlington, Bristol and Dover that promise to be very challenging for her. Until then, though, be prepared for a level of Danicamania that may rival her stock-car debut in 2009. In the meantime, Patrick feels her Daytona 500 bid helps with her effort in the Nationwide race.



"There's very little Nationwide testing here," she said. "I thought to myself, what a wonderful thing that I'm doing the Daytona 500, because the cars, in my lack of experience, I didn't notice a difference between the two cars. I didn't drive them back to back, but when I came and tested a few weeks ago, it feels very similar to a Nationwide car. I think it's going to be great practice for the Nationwide race, and it's something to keep in mind for the future, too .... I think the Cup practice is going to be great for the Nationwide race, and I think the Nationwide race is going to help a lot for the next day for the Daytona 500."
Patrick concedes that she'll need some luck to have a chance to win the Daytona 500, but then again, in this drafting format, so does everyone else. She'd prefer to stay near the front in an attempt to avoid accidents, but on this 2.5-mile track, the whims of aerodynamics will take cars where they will. Regardless, no one seems to be counting her out. Particularly not her car owner -- OK, maybe Tommy Baldwin is listed as the owner after a points deal locked her into the field, but let's not split hairs -- who is still looking for a Daytona 500 victory of his own.
"Did anybody think Trevor Bayne could win the race last year?" Stewart asked. "Anything can happen here. It anybody's ballgame. She did a really good job in the Nationwide race in July when I ran with her, and I was impressed with how smooth she was and how good a job she did in the two-car deal. Talent-wise, there's no doubt in my mind she's got the ability to do it."
She also has the ability to enjoy success on the Nationwide tour, which barring a shocker next Sunday will be the true springboard of her stock-car career. In that regard, it's not too much of a stretch to argue that Danica Patrick's most important event of these Speedweeks might be not the Daytona 500, but the race run the day before.

[the H team]

Thursday, February 16, 2012
11amSprint FANZONE & garages open
1pm Grandstand Gates
1- 5pm ARCA Practice
12pm - 6pm Inspection Station Activity in Sprint
6pm Garages close
Friday, February 17, 2012
9am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
9am - 7pm Inspection Station Activity in Sprint FANZONE
10am - 4pm Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (Must be 18 or older)
2pm Grandstand Gates open
2pm ARCA Qualifying (Two laps, all positions)
5pm - 5:45pm NSCS Budweiser Shootout Practice
6:30pm - 7:30pm NSCS Budweiser Shootout Final Practice
8pm NSCS Budweiser Shootout Draw Party located outside Turn 4 tunnel on the "SPEED" stage
9pm Garages close
Saturday, February 18, 2012
9am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
9am - 10am Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (Must be 18 or older)
9am Midway display area opens outside Turn 4
9am - 4:30pm Harley J. Earl DAYTONA 500 trophy photos in Gatorade Victory Lane
9am - 6pm Inspection Station Activity in Sprint FANZONE
9:30am Driver Appearance: Joey Logano on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10am Grandstand Gates open
10am- 10:45am ARCA Final Practice
10am - 8pm Rock Wall & Power Jump in Kids Area in Sprint FANZONE
11am - 1pmNSCS Practice
12pm - 12:30pm Minute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
12:30pm - 2pm ARCA All Access/Autograph session in garage 2pm - 2:30pm Minute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
2pm - 3:45pm NSCS Practice
4pm - 6pm Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (All ages
:30pm ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards: Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 (80 laps, 200 miles)
6pm Driver Appearance: 2011 DAYTONA 500 Champion Trevor Bayne at the Nationwide Insurance display in the Midway 6:45pm - 7:45pm Pre-Race Ceremonies Access: Pre-Race or Sprint FANZONE access required
7:13pm Pre-Race Concert featuring Little Big Town on Pit Road 7:50pm (approx.) Budweiser Shootout Driver Introductions 8:10pm NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout (75 laps, 187.5 miles) Post-Race Little Big Town Concert on Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
11:30pm Garages close
Sunday, February 19, 2012
7am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
7am - 2:30pm Harley J. Earl DAYTONA 500 trophy photos in Gatorade Victory Lane
8am - 4pm Inspection Station Activity in Sprint FANZONE
9am - 12pm Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (All ages)
10am - 4pm Rock Wall & Power Jump in Kids Area in Sprint FANZONE
12pm Grandstand Gates open
1:05pm DAYTONA 500 Qualifying presented by Kroger (Two laps, two positions)
5pm Garages close
Wednesday, Feburary 22, 2012
9am Grandstand Gates open
10am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
10am - 10:30am Tech Talk: Comparing the 2013 and 2012 NASCAR Ford Fusion in the Sprint FANZONE Goodyear Legends Area
10am - 3pm Inspection Station Activity in Sprint FANZONE 10am - 5pm Rock Wall & Power Jump in Kids Area in Sprint FANZONE
10:30am - 5pm Harley J. Earl DAYTONA 500 trophy photos in Gatorade Victory Lane
12pm - 1:30pm NSCS Practice
2:30pm - 4pm NSCS Practice (Final Practice before Gatorade 150's)
7pm Garages close
Thursday, February 23, 2012
7am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
8am Grandstand Gates open
8am - 1pmInspection Station Activity in Sprint FANZONE
8am - 12:30pm Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (All ages)
9am Midway display area opens outside Turn 4
9am - 9:50am NNS Practice
9am - 2pm Rock Wall & Power Jump in Kids Area in Sprint FANZONE
9:30am - 10am Minute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10am Driver Appearance: Casey Mears on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10:15am - 1pm Live Music: The Trans Ams on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10:15am - 11:50am NNS Final Practice
10:30am Driver Appearance: Jason Leffler at the HONDA display in the Midway
10:30am - 12:30pm Budweiser Clydesdale appearance
11am Driver Appearance: David Gilliland at the Ford display in the Midway
11:30am - 12pm Minute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
12:10pm - 1pm NCWTS Practice
1pm - 1:40pm Pre-Race Ceremonies Access: Pre-Race or Sprint FANZONE access required
1:40pm (approx.) Gatorade Duel Race #1 Driver Introductions 1:45pm Driver Appearance: John King, Todd Bodine and Timothy Peters at the HONDA display in the Midway
2pm NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gatorade Duel At Daytona (60 laps - 150 miles, each race)
5pm NNS garages close
6pm NSCS garages close
6pm - 7:20pm NCWTS Final Practice
Friday, February 24, 2012
7am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
7am - 10am Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (Must be 18 or older)
7am - 7pm Harley J. Earl DAYTONA 500 trophy photos in Gatorade Victory Lane
8am - 4pm Inspection Station Activity in Sprint FANZONE
10am Midway display area opens outside Turn 4
10am - 8pm Rock Wall & Power Jump in Kids Area in Sprint FANZONE
11am Grandstand Gates open
11am - 12pm NSCS Practice
12pm - 12:30pmMinute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
12:30pm Driver Appearance: Brian Scott at the Nationwide display in the Midway
12:30pm - 1:30pm NSCS Practice
1:05pm NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 Qualifying (Two laps, all positions)
1:30pm - 2pm Driver Appearance: Parker Kligerman at the Dodge display in the Midway
1:30pm - 3:30pm Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (Must be 18 or older)
2pm - 2:30pm Minute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
2:30pm - 3:15pm NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Autograph Session in Sprint FANZONE
3:30pm - 6pm Budweiser Clydesdale appearance in Sprint FANZONE
3:30pm - 6:30pm Live Music: Megaphone on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
4pm NSCS garages close
4:05pm NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 Qualifying (Two laps, all positions)
4:15pm Driver Appearance: David Ragan at the Ford display in the Midway
6pm Driver Appearance: Travis Pastrana inside the 5th Turn hospitality area
6:30pmNNS garages
6:30pm - 7:05pm Pre-Race Ceremonies Access: Pre-Race or Sprint FANZONE access required
7pm (approx.) NextEra Energy Resources 250 Driver Introductions
7:30pm NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps, 250 miles)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
9am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
9am Grandstand Gates open
9am Midway display area opens outside Turn 4
9am Driver Apperance: Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. at the Ford display in the Midway
9am - 10amSprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (Must be 18 or older)
9am - 12pm Inspection Station Activity in Sprint FANZONE
9am - 2pm Harley J. Earl DAYTONA 500 trophy photos in Gatorade Victory Lane
9:10am - 9:25am Driver Appearance: Coke family driver Jamie McMurray on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
9:30am Driver Appearance: Elliott Sadler on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
9:45am - 10am Driver Appearance: Juan Montoya on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10am - 10:15am 2011 DAYTONA 500 Champion car owners appearance: Len & Eddie Wood on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10am - 12pm Budweiser Clydesdale appearance in Sprint FANZONE
10am - 2pm Rock Wall & Power Jump in the Kids Area in Sprint FANZONE
10:20am - 10:35am Driver Appearance: Sam Hornish Jr. at the Dodge display in the Midway
10am - 12:30pmLive Music: Hayfire on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10:30am - 12pm NSCS Final Practice for the DAYTONA 500 10:45am Driver Appearance: Austin Dillon at the Nationwide display in the Midway
11:45am - 12:15pm Driver Appearance: Brian Deegan at the Ford display in the Midway
12pm - 12:15pm 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductees appearance on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
12pm - 12:45pm Pre-Race Ceremonies Access: Pre-Race or Sprint FANZONE access required
12:45pm - 1:15pm Driver Appearance: AJ Allmendinger at the Dodge display in the Midway
12:45pm (approx.) DRIVE4COPD 300 Driver Introductions 1:15pm NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 (120 laps, 300 miles)
5pm Garages close
Sunday, February 26, 2012
7am Sprint FANZONE & garages open
7am - 1pm Harley J. Earl DAYTONA 500 trophy photos in Gatorade Victory Lane 8am Grandstand Gates open
8am Superstretch Fan Experience & Budweiser Party Porch open 8am - 11:30am Sprint FANZONE Guided Garage Tours courtesy of Goodyear (All ages)
8am - 12pm Inspection Station Activity
8- 12:40pm Pre-Race Ceremonies Access: Pre-Race or Sprint FANZONE access required
8am - 1pm Rock Wall & Power Jump in Kids Area
9am Midway display area opens outside Turn 4
9am - 9:20am Driver Appearance: Brad Keselowski at the Dodge display in the Midway
9am - 9:30am Minute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
9am - 9:40am US Air Force Thunderbirds Autograph Session in Sprint FANZONE
9am - 12pm Live Music: Those Guys at the Superstretch Fan Experience
9:55am - 10:10am 2012 DAYTONA 500 Honorary Starter appearance: John Cena on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage 10:15am - 10:30am Driver Appearance: Regan Smith on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
10:30am - 11am Minute to Spin It with Miss Sprint Cup on the Sprint FANZONE Main Stage
11:35am DAYTONA 500 Harley J. Earl Trophy procession from Sprint FANZONE to Pit Road
12:15pm SPEED Personalities: Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace, John Roberts at the SPEED Trackside Tavern hospitality area 12:20pm DAYTONA 500 Pre-Race Show/Concert featuring Lenny Kravitz on Pit Road
12:40pm (approx.) DAYTONA 500 Driver Introductions
1pm NASCAR Sprint Cup Series DAYTONA 500 (200 laps, 500 miles)

[Argo53]

Big crash mars first practice at Daytona
http://www.scenedaily.com/news/artic...t_Daytona.html



Reigning champ Tony Stewart triggers Shootout practice wreck
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...ona/53137770/1

[the H team]

trouble turn 2. jr, truex, harvick, logano & kenseth all have crashed. harvick's car is on fire & he has no brakes to stop. luckily the fire extinguished itself while he was driving it to a stop. ambrose got into the back of logano & sent him spinning & all the rest got caught up.

[the H team]

that's the 2nd big wreck of the night. the 1st came during the 1st 25 laps. there were a couple of other cautions for single incidents & kyle made an awesome save of his car from going sideways & causing another wreck.

[the H team]

fox has been showing some of the super bowl commercials as well as some new napa know how commercials.

[the H team]

14 laps to go & stewarts out front

[the H team]

jeffy out front with jimmie & tony 3rd.

[the H team]

7 car break away out front.

[the H team]

denny got his 2 laps back , getting the lucky dog on those cautions & is now in 7th

[the H team]

kyle busch & the rest of the pack have caught up to the front 7

[the H team]

6 laps to go with hendrick power in the front so far.

[the H team]

kyle has started a 2nd line & are moving up to the front.

[the H team]

kyle & biffle make their move to the front.

[the H team]

kyle & jeff battling it out, stewart now out front.