Race 2 Win: Sprint Cup Series Race Notes

Sprint Cup Series

Coke Zero 400 - Race to the Chase Notes

Race to the Chase: Week 2, Daytona International Speedway

THE RACE: Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway

WHEN: Saturday, July 5

TV: TNT

RADIO: MRN, Sirius Satellite Radio

CHASING THE CHASE: THIS WEEK’S TOP 20: Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Travis Kvapil, Juan Pablo Montoya

DEFENDING COKE ZERO 400 POWERED BY COCA-COLA CHAMPION: Jamie McMurray

RACE TO THE CHASE FACTS:

The 10 races preceding the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

The top 12 drivers in the series standings make the Chase.

The 10 tracks represented in the Race to the Chase are some of the most unique and storied tracks on the circuit. The list includes three of the most famous tracks the sport offers: Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. There are also tracks in two of the country’s largest markets: Auto Club Speedway (Los Angeles) and Chicagoland Speedway.

THE SCHEDULE: Race to the Chase (track sizes in parentheses) June 29—New Hampshire (1.058 miles); July 5—Daytona (2.5 mile); July 12—Chicagoland (1.5 miles); July 27—Indianapolis (2.5 miles); Aug. 3—Pocono (2.5 miles); Aug. 10—Watkins Glen (2.45 mile); Aug. 17—Michigan (2 miles); Aug. 23—Bristol (.533 miles); Aug. 31—Auto Club Speedway (2 mile); Sept. 6—Richmond (.75 miles).

SOME STORYLINES:

Two milestones will be reached this weekend. NASCAR celebrates its 60th anniversary of racing on Fourth of July Weekend. The first ever July 4th NASCAR race was held at Martinsville Speedway in 1948, won by Fonty Flock (NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. finished eighth in the race). This weekend also marks the 50th running of the July Daytona race, which was first run in 1959 and called the Firecracker 250.

Tony Stewart looked like a Victory Lane lock for much of last Sunday’s New Hampshire race, only to finish 13th. Still without a win in 2008, Stewart has another excellent shot at victory this Saturday night at Daytona. He has won two July Daytona races, and has a series-high 108.1 Driver Rating over the last seven Daytona races.

Not since Bobby Allison in 1982 has a driver swept at Daytona. That 25-year stretch could end this weekend. Ryan Newman, who won the Daytona 500 with a last lap pass of Tony Stewart, has been strong at Daytona recently. He has two top fives in the last five races and a second-best Driver Rating of 98.6.