Biggest NASCAR Storylines to Watch Ahead of Sprint Cup Series at Daytona
Coke Zero is the restrictor plate of beverages: By virtue of its tasty and calorie-free secret formula, it, in theory, restricts one’s capacity to fall victim to the onslaught of drinks chemically laced with high fructose corn syrup.
So the Coke Zero 400, a leaner trip around Daytona’s superspeedway, bolts up the restrictor plates yet again for some single-file racing and, of course, the big one.
Last year’s renewal went to the unassuming Aric Almirola, who won the race after the halfway point during a red-flag stoppage. Timing being on his side, Almirola earned a bid in the Chase thanks to a serendipitous (for him) rain storm.
What such events will rain upon Daytona International Speedway this week? Let’s find out.
Will Clint Bowyer Heat Up?
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Clint Bowyer came alive at Sonoma when he finished third in the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Bowyer hasn’t won in years, so this was about as promising as it comes.
Bowyer’s voice is one of the more refreshing ones on the circuit. He’s funny and self-deprecating. He doesn’t sound rehearsed. He’d make a great SNL host, but what he really needs to do is get back to Victory Lane.
Pete Pistone of MotorRacingNetwork.com wrote:
"Having Bowyer in the mix provides a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much of the usually-jovial Bowyer to talk about this year as he continues to fight the doldrums that have plagued him for months. But both on and off the track, Bowyer can be the proverbial straw that stirs the drink and it was good to see that return on Sunday.
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Bowyer finished ninth at the Daytona 500 back in February and has three top fives at Daytona in his career. Bowyer's average finish of 15.5 at Daytona is an encouraging stat for this driver in desperate need for a win.
Jeff Gordon Hates Daytona
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Jeff Gordon won’t win at Daytona this weekend. He just won’t. He’s already planting those negative thoughts that predestine him to a lonely drive back to the garage.
"I would say it's one of my worst chances to win," Gordon said in Jared Turner’s FoxSports.com story. "I can't stand that kind of racing."
That’s restrictor-plate racing, the kind that makes most of the field look like a giant sausage link. Gordon should, one would think, welcome the plate race since he has 12 combined wins at Daytona and Talladega, the most of all time.
He won the pole at this year’s Daytona 500 and led over 80 laps in the first half of the race.
"We'll go there and put as much effort into it as we do any other race," Gordon said. "I guess restrictor-plate racing makes it equal for about everybody."
Which is what makes this upcoming race especially enticing for the next driver in this slideshow.
Tony Stewart Likes His Chances
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Tony Stewart’s 2015 is about as sour as they come. Through 16 races, Stewart has exactly one top 10, has led 14 laps and has only seven lead-lap finishes.
On top of that, his average start is 16.0 and then he drops to 25.3 over the course of the race. Where on earth can his optimism possibly lie?
Restrictor-plate races have a way of leveling the playing field and making someone from the back of the pack every bit as live as the drivers up front.
"Everybody has got a shot at Daytona," said Stewart in Tom Jensen’s FoxSports.com story. "We've been in that position before and have actually been able to take advantage quite a few times. The biggest thing is it gives you confidence that you've got a shot."
And Daytona has been one of Smoke’s best tracks. With four wins and 14 top 10s, yes, Stewart’s optimism this week is justified. Beyond that, Stewart should take solace in the fact that he owns Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 car.
Can Aric Almirola Repeat?
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Aric Almirola won the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400 and earned his way into the Chase in 2014. It wouldn’t have been a big deal had, say, Jeff Gordon, or another name driver, won under the circumstances, but since it was one of NASCAR’s junior varsity drivers, it didn’t feel quite as authentic.
In fact, he felt like a trespasser in the Chase, a stranger in a strange land.
"It’s a crap shoot," Almirola said in John Singler’s MotorRacingNetwork.com story, "but we’ve shown that we have power at the superspeedways with Roush Yates Engines and our cars are fast. I’m looking forward to seeing how we do under the lights Sunday."
Aside from his win a year ago, Almirola’s best finish at Daytona was 13th back in 2013. He notched a 15th-place finish in this year’s Daytona 500, so it’s entirely possible he could move forward off that effort.
Almirola, on average, trends up during his races. He starts 24.7 and moves up to 17.1 by the end of the race. If he's on the right side of the BIG ONE, Almirola could strike again where others fail.
Kyle Busch Still Has Some Work to Do
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"Win and you’re in" applies to every driver in the Sprint Cup except Kyle Busch. In his case, the road to the postseason needs another qualification: He must finish in the top 30 in points as well.
After finishing 36th at Dover and last at Michigan, the hole Busch was already in got noticeably deeper with 10 races to go.
Larry McReynold’s, a FoxSports.com NASCAR analyst, wrote, “In one sense, 10 races are a lot of races. In another sense, 10 races aren't a lot of races at all. On the positive side of things, not to cast stones at the other competitors, the drivers back there in 29th and 30th positions really aren't running that well right now. So there is a chance.”
The win was always going to be half of the equation for Busch. He’s done the math, and now he needs to out-perform the following drivers to reach the top 30: Cole Whitt, Justin Allgaier, Brett Moffitt, Alex Bowman, Michael Annett, Josh Wise and Matt DiBenedetto.
There is a gulf of 136 points between Busch and Whitt, but these drivers in between Busch and the Chase aren’t world-beaters and should, in time, succumb to Busch’s ambition.
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