National Series News & Notes - 2014 Daytona 500

National Series News & Notes - 2014 Daytona 500

 
  Three Reasons The No. 3 Could Win The Daytona 500 

Is Austin Dillon’s Richter-scale-registering Coors Light Pole victory only the beginning? If so, it’s quite an opening act. But maybe the news-making storylines will continue well after his iconic No. 3 Chevrolet leads the field to green at around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday (Live on FOX, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here are three reasons to think the No. 3 could end up in Victory Lane…

1) A Daytona 500 win from the pole has happened before. Not a lot, but more than any other starting position. The eventual winner has started from the pole nine times, most recently in 2000 when NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett did it. Others to accomplish the feat: Fireball Roberts (1962), Richard Petty (1966), Cale Yarborough (1968, ’84), Buddy Baker (1980), Bill Elliott (1985, ’87) and Jeff Gordon (1999). The Coors Light Pole is the most prolific starting spot in Daytona 500 history. Starting positions Nos. 2 and 4 are second, with seven wins apiece.

2) Records are made to be broken – and Dillon already has snapped one. In winning the pole on Sunday, Dillon became the youngest pole winner in Daytona 500 history at 23 years, 9 months, 20 days. If he wins the Daytona 500, he’d also be the first Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender to do so. (Note: Though Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 in only his second start in 2011, he was not registered for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award competition).

3) Dillon’s no slouch at Daytona. In four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts there, Dillon has finished in the top five in three of them. This is Dillon’s second Daytona 500 start; the first came last year in the No. 33, when he finished 31st. Likewise, Dillon’s crew chief is no Daytona slouch, either. Last year, with driver Kevin Harvick, Martin won two of his three starts during Speedweeks, and finished third in the July Daytona race.

 

Swirl Of Storylines Envelope ‘Smoke’  

If only “The Return” was the only detail on the mind of Tony Stewart.

Sure, it’s the biggest one. But there are more – so many more. Let’s take a look…

?The Return. Stewart’s official return was in Saturday night’s Sprint Unlimited, and it was a shorter one than he had hoped. His night ended in a mid-race multi-car accident involving a number of top competitors, including all three of his Stewart-Haas Racing teammates (Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick). Stewart finished 11th out of 18 cars.

? His New-Look Team. This one’s big. Since becoming a driver-owner in 2009, Stewart-Haas Racing has never looked this strong, at least on paper. A busy offseason that included the addition of 2004 series champion Kurt Busch and perennial championship contender Kevin Harvick has elevated SHR to powerhouse status. Busch took single-car team Furniture Row Racing and transformed it into a contender; it was the first single-car team to ever make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Harvick, in championship contention until the final race, finished the season third in points – his third top-three points finish in the last three years. With Danica Patrick coming off her first full season, improvement is expected.

? The Elusive Daytona 500. Stewart has won pretty much everything – 48 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, two Brickyard 400s, a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Sunoco Rookie of the Year. There’s one hole in his brilliant career – a Daytona 500 win. He’s gone 0-for-15 in four Daytona 500s. He’s gone 0-for-15 in NASCAR’s biggest race, with a best finish of second in 2004. Success has eluded him, especially this decade – he has finished outside the top 10 in each of the last four