Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Many Stars Still Searching At Daytona
Some of stock car racing’s biggest names remain winless in the sport’s biggest race…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted January 09, 2012   Charlotte, NC
The 2012 Daytona 500 will kick off the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season on February 26th. (Photo: Getty Images)
Work on the 2012 Sprint Cup season – and specifically the Daytona 500 – will begin in the bright light of day Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.

The roar of engines at NASCAR’s most famous track will mark the first day of three straight scheduled days of testing for the Budweiser Shootout (Feb. 18) and the Daytona 500 (Feb. 26), the sport’s most important race.

Much of the off-season – at least that time that wasn’t lost to a wide range of Silly Season moves – has been directed toward that first big race day of the new season as teams unleash new cars, new driver-crew chief combos and new approaches in the first and biggest event of the season.

And the stresses attached to this race – no matter the winner – will be illustrated by the fact that, after the race, there will remain a long list of rather prominent drivers who haven’t won it.

A Daytona 500 victory seldom falls into one’s lap. For the frustration that’s often tied to the event, one need look no further than the experiences of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Darrell Waltrip, two of the sport’s greatest champions. Earnhardt needed 20 500s to reach victory lane, and Waltrip was frustrated until his 17th try.

It is one of the hardest races on the planet to win, a fact that explains in part why those who have crossed into the 500’s victory lane gain such respect.

A surprisingly long list of current drivers with otherwise outstanding resumes has a big zero in the Daytona 500 win column, and those who take the view that a NASCAR career is not complete without a win in the sport’s marquee race will double-down in that pursuit beginning this week.

Perhaps the biggest name on the “still waiting” list is the Sprint Cup Series’ newest champion, Tony Stewart. Stewart runs well at Daytona. He has won the track’s summer race three times, and he often has been in the lead drafting group at the end of the 500, but he hasn’t made the magic happen.

Among other notables in the zero group are the Busch brothers, Kurt and Kyle. They have combined for 47 Sprint Cup victories but are zero-for-forever in the 500.

Carl Edwards came oh-so-close in last year’s 500, pushing Ford teammate Trevor Bayne across the line to win the race and settling for second place. He’s also looking for 500 win No. 1.

Also still waiting: Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Bobby Labonte.

Of course, it’s very possible to ride through a successful career and never win the race. Rusty Wallace didn’t. Ricky Rudd didn’t. Terry Labonte hasn’t.

Those still on the outside of one of racing’s most exclusive groups will begin the journey again this week.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

DAYTONA PRESEASON THUNDER TESTING: During the Jan. 12-14 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway, fans can submit questions and comments through Twitter @SPEED (http://www.twitter.com/speed) using the #daytonatesting hashtag.
mike.hembree's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.