NASCAR at Daytona 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More
NASCAR returns to Daytona International Speedway and NBC this holiday weekend for one of the sport's biggest events, the Coke Zero 400.
Call it a race full of returns when it comes right down to it. Jeff Gordon returns to a familiar stomping ground on the hunt for a storybook ending. Kyle Busch returns to a track that almost ruined his entire season due to injuries suffered after a wreck.
In a way, this one writes itself even without the intriguing storylines. It's Daytona after all. While it might not match the hype of the year's first event at the historic track, it's a special event regardless.
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Below, let's take a look at the important information about the event as NASCAR takes a grip on the sporting world for the holiday and doesn't let go.
Viewing Details
Where: Daytona International Speedway
When: Sunday, July 5, at 7:45 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra
NASCAR at Daytona Entry List
| 1 | Jamie McMurray |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski |
| 3 | Austin Dillon |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne |
| 7 | Alex Bowman |
| 9 | Sam Hornish Jr |
| 10 | Danica Patrick |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 13 | Casey Mears |
| 14 | Tony Stewart |
| 15 | Clint Bowyer |
| 16 | Greg Biffle |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr |
| 18 | Kyle Busch |
| 19 | Carl Edwards |
| 20 | Matt Kenseth |
| 21 | Ryan Blaney |
| 22 | Joey Logano |
| 23 | J.J. Yeley |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon |
| 26 | Jeb Burton |
| 27 | Paul Menard |
| 31 | Ryan Newman |
| 32 | Bobby Labonte |
| 33 | Brian Scott |
| 34 | Brett Moffitt |
| 35 | Cole Whitt |
| 38 | David Gilliland |
| 40 | Landon Cassill |
| 41 | Kurt Busch |
| 42 | Kyle Larson |
| 43 | Aric Almirola |
| 46 | Michael Annett |
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 51 | Justin Allgaier |
| 55 | David Ragan |
| 62 | Brendan Gaughan |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr |
| 83 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr |
| 95 | Michael McDowell |
| 98 | Josh Wise |
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 506 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 576 |
| 3 | Kurt Busch | 426 |
| 4 | Martin Truex Jr. | 561 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 520 |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 508 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 480 |
| 8 | Matt Kenseth | 456 |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 412 |
| 10 | Carl Edwards | 401 |
Drivers to Watch
Jeff Gordon
The farewell tour continues for Gordon, who was a favorite last week in Sonoma given his extensive history of success at the road course.
Gordon finished just 16th there, but it's not a strong indicator as to how he might perform this weekend. He's the owner of six wins at Daytona and won the pole there earlier this year at the 500 although he struggled to a 33rd-place finish.
Still, it's hard to ignore Gordon even if he doesn't sound too enthusiastic about the weekend's style.
"I would say it's one of my worst chances to win," Gordon said, per Fox Sports' Jared Turner. "I can't stand that kind of racing."
It's not out of the ordinary for Gordon, though, who doesn't love restrictor-plate racing and the cramped situations it creates. Regardless, if Gordon is to go out with a bang, he will need to overcome the familiar trappings of the style and track.
Martin Truex Jr.
It isn't now-or-never time for Martin Truex Jr., but it sure feels like it after last weekend's events in Sonoma.
Truex was on the wrong end of a wicked crash after a battle with David Ragan. The video says it all:
Then again, his initial reaction, via PRN, says quite a lot, too:
Truex has every right to be angry, if not motivated, for a major comeback this weekend after what wound up as a 42nd placement in Sonoma and allowing those behind him to claw their way closer on the leaderboard.
Back in February, Truex finished eighth at the 500. If he's to bounce back from just his third non-top-10 finish of the year, Daytona seems to offer him a strong environment to get back into form and strengthen his grip on second place.
Kyle Busch
Sunday might be the most important race of Busch's season in many ways.
The winner of an Xfinity event last month, Busch made good on the medical waiver NASCAR offered by winning in Sonoma last week. He missed 11 races this season while recovering from a broken leg suffered at Daytona in February and needed one win and a top-30 finish in the standings to qualify for the Chase.
He has the win.
Still 37th in points, Busch must overcome his Daytona hurdle with a strong showing. He says the wreck earlier this year won't affect his strategy, though.
"I don't think I'll be going through the tri-oval and thinking of what happened," Busch said, per Ken Willis of the Daytona Beach News-Journal. "If there's an opportunity to pass the guy in front of me to get in better position, I'll do it. We do it every lap at every track."
It's hard to imagine Busch won't do whatever it takes to win. At the same time, his approach will make for the most interesting story of the race; there is a worthy debate about whether he should be aggressive or conservative to climb the necessary seven spots in the leaderboard over the remainder of the season.
There's not a more telling way to find out how he will play it than at his return to Daytona.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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