Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#88) and Matt Kenseth (#20) will be contenders in “The Great American Race”. [Russ Lake Photo]
by Dan Margetta and John Wiedemann
The 56th running of the Daytona 500 is set for Sunday afternoon as the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season kicks off with its most prestigious event.
Wholesale changes mark the dawn of the new season as a revamped qualifying format and a radically redesigned Chase championship procedure are set to ramp up excitement levels on NASCAR’s top circuit.
For Daytona, a half-inch change to the spoilers on the cars has drastically changed the way they drive, especially when it comes to closing rates, as evidenced in numerous major incidents witnessed in the Sprint Unlimited, Cup practice, and a Budweiser Duel qualifying race. One thing that has remained the same is the unpredictability of determining a winner of “The Great American Race.”
Here are some drivers to watch on Sunday:
Matt Kenseth
Dan Margetta: Two-time Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth will start up front this year with what has shown to be an extremely strong race car during the week’s on track action. Last year he dominated the 500 until engine woes sent him to the garage around the halfway mark. Also during his seven win season a year ago, the one aspect that left room for improvement was his restrictor plate racing skills. After his qualifying race win in which he used the air to maintain his lead and then perfected a correctly timed side draft to push his car ahead of Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne at the finish line, Kenseth’s plate racing prowess are definitely up to par in 2014. Kenseth and teammate Kyle Busch spent an entire practice session working together on the side draft and it paid off in the Budweiser Duel. Look for Matt Kenseth to be strong on Sunday and one of the favorites to win what would be his third “500.”
Denny Hamlin
John Wiedemann: If you look at the results of the last three races that Denny Hamlin has run in Sprint Cup competition you will see a pattern. Win, win , win. Closing out the 2013 season and taking the 2014 preliminary season races with victories has Hamlin’s confidence and cockiness at an all-time high, and that is a good thing for the Joe Gibbs racing driver. Last year’s back injury seems like a distant memory as well as the lackluster return from that injury. JGR looks to be strong with three drivers that could contend for the championship and many race wins – including the opener.
Greg Biffle
DM: Although he’s starting deeper in the field on Sunday, Greg Biffle has also had one of the strongest cars on the track. Biffle is an accomplished restrictor plate racer and twice has led the 500 on Green-White-Checkered restarts, each time scoring a strong finish, but missing out on the victory lane accolades. Biffle is smart enough to be around at the finish and when it counts, is aggressive enough to get the job done. After being behind the Chevrolets and Toyotas last season, the Roush-Fenway Fords have shown a lot of speed right off the truck in 2014 and of the Roush group, Biffle possesses the best restrictor plate racing skills. Biffle may be overlooked by some, but this is shaping up to be his best shot to win the 500 on Sunday.
Jeff Gordon
JW: This is it, this is Jeff Gordon’s last Daytona 500. Well if you believe the craziness of media day where Gordon mentioned that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to retire on top if he wins the championship. Gordon never left the front in the Duel race on his way to finishing second to Denny Hamlin. Add that to the fact that this will be Gordon’s 22nd start in the Daytona 500 and you know he can contend. Gordon has three wins in the 500 with the last one coming in 2005. The past few years have not been kind to Gordon at the 500, but what better way to put himself in the Chase with an opening season win. Get in the Chase early, win the championship, retire – it could happen.
Kurt Busch
DM: Kurt Busch is another driver with exceptional restrictor plate racing skills that has yet to score a Daytona Sprint Cup win. Busch’s Daytona 500 numbers look good in nearly every column with 13 top ten finishes and 3 second place results. However, the win column remains bare and Busch enters 2014 driving for a brand new team at Stewart-Haas Racing. He should remain near the front all race long and isn’t afraid to mix it up when the action gets crazy which has sink or swim consequences. If the chips fall his way on Sunday, Kurt Busch could end a winless drought of over a year with the biggest win of his career in the Daytona 500.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
JW: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has three second place finishes over the last four Daytona 500s. He has been right there but hasn’t been able to get that second ticket to victory lane. Earnhardt’s lone victory in the Daytona 500 was back in 2004 with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Junior doesn’t need a reason to win the race, really no one does, but considering the fact that arguably his best crew chief Steve Letarte is leaving at the end of the season, a Daytona 500 win would be a great retirement gift. But then again, Junior doesn’t need a reason to win the 500.
Kevin Harvick
DM: Like Matt Kenseth a year ago, Kevin Harvick enters 2014 at a new racing home with Stewart-Haas Racing after spending many years driving for Richard Childress Racing, the team he entered the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with. Harvick appears to be genuinely happy with his new surroundings this season and like Kenseth a year ago, that comfort level could lead to many wins. The team did let him down Thursday by getting the car bounced in tech after his second place finish in the qualifying race and if they can put that behind them, Harvick’s plate racing skills are more than enough to put the team victory lane right out of the box in 2014.
Kyle Larson
JW: Could he pull off a Trevor Bayne like victory in the Daytona 500? Kyle Larson sure can. In what is the biggest and most interesting rookie group in many seasons, Larson and Austin Dillon are at the top of the class. In the Budweiser Duel on Thursday, the youngster bounced around early and then made a charge from nineteenth to seventh over the last half of the race. That experience will help, but the main thing Larson needs to control is his hard charger nature… until the final laps. Keep an eye on the #42, Larson should make it an exciting ride.
Austin Dillon
DM: The iconic number 3 returns to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in grand fashion Sunday as rookie Austin Dillon pilots the famous number from the pole position to lead the field to the green flag in the Daytona 500. After 13 seasons on the sidelines, the “3” car is in the hands of the plenty capable young Dillon who has so far shown a remarkable ability to handle the added pressure that comes with the legendary ride. While the number on the side is all too familiar with Daytona successes and the fans, the bright yellow rear bumper is what the other drivers first notice and as the race winds down with the increased intensity level, it may be difficult for Dillon to find other drivers to work with to position himself for the win. Should the rookie drive the “3” to Daytona’s victory lane, the story itself will reverberate globally but in either case it will be nice to properly move on from the devastating memories of 2001.
Brian Scott
JW: While Brian Scott won’t be racing a full season in the #33 for Richard Childress, he is making a strong showing at Daytona so far. The RCR engines are proving to be among the strongest at Daytona so far and Scott is taking advantage. Scott has been running consistently at the front in both qualifying and his Budweiser Duel race. A solid fifth place finish in the Duel has Scott lining up behind teammate Paul Menard. I expect a solid top ten from Scott as he continues to not drive over his head nor let the magnitude of the Daytona 500 get to him.