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CUP: Busch, Stewart Lead Five To Watch
Written by: Tom Jensen   
07/04/2009
Daytona Beach, FL
 
Kyle Busch has three Cup wins so far this season but has finished eight times outside the top-20. (Photo: LAT Photographic) ยป More Photos

NASCAR is back on hallowed ground this weekend, with the running of the Coke Zero 400, the annual 4th of July classic at Daytona International Speedway. Today is the 25th anniversary of Richard Petty’s historic 200th victory, which came in this race in front of then-President Ronald Reagan.

For the second time in a row and the third time in the last five races, qualifying was rained out, which puts Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon on Row 1 for the 160-lap race.

Track position is less critical at Daytona than it is at some other tracks, as cars will move back and forth all night in the draft. That said, pit stall selection is important, and that gives Stewart an advantage.

Tonight’s race marks the midpoint of NASCAR 36-race schedule, and once the checkered flag falls, there will be just eight races left before the field is set for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Here’s this week’s Five to Watch:

1. KYLE BUSCH, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry. Busch is the defending race-winner here and led the most laps in the Daytona 500 in February before being caught in a crash caused by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Despite that wreck, Busch has four finishes of fourth or better in his last six starts at Daytona, including the 2007 Daytona 500, where he 86 laps before finishing fourth after getting freight-trained on the last lap by Ryan Newman and Busch’s brother, Kurt.

Kyle Busch STATS

“I felt like we had the best car here actually at the 500 here last year as well, too,” Busch said. “We had a great race car then. Myself and Stewart just got misaligned there at the end of the race and gave the race to the Penske cars. Then last July, we won that race. This spring we were really good. I felt like way better than the year before.”

2. TONY STEWART,
Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet Impala SS. Stewart won this race in both 2005 and 2006, and has been red-hot this year, his first with the new team he co-owns. This has been a magical season for Stewart, one where everything he does seems to go right. Given that he’ll have a Hendrick Motorsports chassis and engine, he ought to be strong again tonight, for sure.

Tony Stewart STATS

“I'm excited about it,” said Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup series champion. “We had a car at the 500 here that drove really, really well. That's a bigger factor at this race than it is even in February. So, I'm excited about it. I've seen the car at the shop and I know the extra effort the guys in the body shop were able to put into it for this race. … I think we've got a good shot at having a very good finish this weekend.”

3. JEFF GORDON, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Gordon tops the list of active drivers with six victories and 11 top-five finishes at Daytona. He’ll have a fast car, a good starting position and an excellent pit stall, all favors that will work in his favor in a tough field.

Gordon said he’s curious about how the double-file restarts will play out tonight. “We’re not really sure how handling is going to be affected; you don’t know what tires you’re going to be on, who is going to be on old tires and who is going to be on new tires,” said Gordon. “So many different factors that play in and that’s why you can over-think it at this point right now, standing here. Once you get out there and you know what you have to deal with then that to me is the best time to go about the strategy.”

Jeff Gordon STATS


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