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Filed under: Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Daytona Int'l Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The momentum is picking up at Daytona International Speedway as Speedweeks rushes toward Sunday's Daytona 500, the first race of the season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Here's another photo gallery of sights and scenes around the speedway on Wednesday, the day before the Gatorade Duels twin 150-mile qualifying race.

In between practice sessions on the track, and today's races, the drivers are slammed with other obligations. As Tony Stewart told the audience Wednesday evening during Performance Radio Network's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach radio show at Volusia Mall, 10 percent of his job is a blast and the other 90 percent is a job and not always so fun.

It has been extraordinarily chilly down here thus far, with temperatures 15 degrees or more below normal, and rain is predicted for Friday, but it's still more comfortable than a lot of places around the country and if the temperatures aren't really heating up, the excitement is.

 

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Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, Danica Patrick

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When Danica Patrick climbed out of the cockpit after ripping off her first two "real" laps of stock car competition, she was the pole-sitter for Saturday's ARCA Series season-opener.

However, as the day went on, 11 other cars ended up bettering Patrick's speed of 179.788 mph, so she will make her stock car debut from 12th position -- the outside of the sixth row -- in Saturday's 80-lap race at Daytona International Speedway.

Defending race winner James Buescher will be the pole sitter after a lap of 181.543 mph.

It was a brief tease for Patrick's fans and a strong statement to those that may underestimate her much-hyped foray into stock cars.

 

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Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Danica Patrick

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The first reporter showed up to the empty microphone a full hour and 25 minutes before stock car's most famous convert, Danica Patrick, was scheduled to take questions in her first NASCAR Media Day.

Ultimately there were as many photographers and reporters surrounding her as those encircling four-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson a few minutes later.

And Johnson was okay with that.

"The attention she brings for our sport is great,'' Johnson said. "We need as many eyes on it as possible.''

 

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