(By Greg Engle)
Posted: Saturday,July 4th, 2009
(By Bill Marx, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)
The Sprint Cup Series switched to double-file restarts last month at Pocono, and Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 will be the fifth race since the change.
So why is it still a story?
Because Saturday night’s race is at Daytona International Speedway, and it will be the first Cup race on a restrictor-plate track since the change.
“Double-file restarts here—the front row is going to be determined on what the second and third row is,” said Kyle Busch who won last year’s Coke Zero 400. “You’re going to restart in front of whoever you feel like is going to be the best ‘pusher’ to restart with.”
The leader has the choice of restarting on the inside or outside, and at Daytona, the best scenario for the leader is to have a teammate behind him.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 03: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, Brad Keselowski, driver of the #88 Klondike Chevrolet, and Justin Allgaier, driver of the Verizon Wireless Dodge, during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway on July 3, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
“I think the leader is really going to dictate how he can use the restart to his advantage,” said Busch’s brother, Kurt. “Let’s say that I’m the leader, and I have (teammate) David Stremme in third. I’m going to change to the inside lane, because I know the third-place guys will have the inside lane. If I’ve got (teammate) Sam Hornish Jr. running fourth, then I have that option to start the race on the outside of the front row.”
And if you don’t have a teammate behind you?
“You’ll have to go with whatever lane you’ll feel like the best pushers are going to be,” Kyle Busch said. “Whether it’s the guy who’s in third or fifth, or the guy who is in fourth and sixth.”
Donnie Wingo, Jamie McMurray’s crew chief, sees a benefit to more than just the leader. He foresees restarts affecting the outcome of the race because of the advantage drivers farther back will get from double-file restarts.
“Double-file restarts will definitely play a big part in this weekend’s race, especially at the end,” Wingo said. “Instead of having one line of cars, both lines will be pushing, and I think you may even see guys who are five to six rows back get a good run and may even get pushed up to the front.”
Five to watch
Mark Martin, No. 5: Much will be said this weekend about how Martin has made 48 Cup starts at Daytona without a win. Getting that first win Saturday is not No. 1 on Martin’s priority list. Martin is 11th in the standings and leads No. 13 Kasey Kahne by four points. Priority No. 1 for Martin is a good finish … or just finishing. Martin hasn’t had a DNF at Daytona because of a crash since the 2001 Daytona 500—and he’d like to keep it that way.
Tony Stewart, No. 14: Both of Stewart’s victories at Daytona have come in the July race, so you know he can handle the heat and the track conditions. Stewart has nine races to pick up more bonus points. He has nothing to gain by staying in line on the final lap and finishing in the top 10. Expect him to make a move if it’s there—and maybe even if it isn’t.
Matt Kenseth, No. 17: Kenseth has no such luxury. He is 10th in the standings, six points ahead of Kahne. Sure, Kenseth won the 500 in February. But a top 10 would be just as tasty at this point in the season.
Kyle Busch, No. 18: Busch won last year’s race, and if the track is going to be as slick as everyone says it’ll be, Busch might just win it again. Slick tracks don’t bother Busch at all.
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42: Montoya is 12th in the standings by one point over Kahne. You think Montoya is going to stick his neck out on the final lap? Not if the potential for giving away points comes with the move.
Track chatter
Casey Mears: “At the end of a race, when it comes time to pushing a competitor or teammate, you push a teammate. But, throughout the race, it’s very hard to hook up and go from the back to the front. These days, you need all the downforce you can get going through the corners. So after about 10 laps, you’re looking for clean air going through the corner, like you would at any other track. It’s different at Talladega because it’s easier to hook up with a teammate and go. At Daytona, you need clean air.”
Joey Logano: “This is still going to be a difficult race for me. I didn’t get to run as many laps at Daytona as I wanted to in February and it is so different than Talladega. (Logano crashed in the 500, completing 79 of 152 laps.) Daytona is about handling, and I know when we did the tire test it was slick. I can only imagine in the heat of July how much hotter it will be and slicker it will be. I know everyone is in the same boat, but at least they have an idea of what to expect.”
Kasey Kahne: “Handling is big in the 500, but this race is hot and the track has been hot for months. Some people will be able to go faster and be on the throttle more than others. You’ll be lifting no matter what. This track will be real slippery. You just really need to work on getting the car to drive around the corner and turn and not be too loose.”
Fast facts
What: Coke Zero 400
Where: Daytona International Speedway; Daytona Beach, Fla.
When: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
TV: TNT, 6:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128
Track layout: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Race distance: 160 laps/400 miles
Estimated pit window: 36-38 laps
Qualifying: Friday, 4:10 p.m. ET
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
2008 polesitter: Paul Menard
Points leaders: 1. Tony Stewart, 2,524; 2. Jeff Gordon, 2,455; 3. Jimmie Johnson, 2,355; 4. Kurt Busch, 2,254; 5. Carl Edwards, 2,157; 6. Denny Hamlin, 2,132; 7. Ryan Newman, 2,127; 8. Kyle Busch, 2,108; 9. Greg Biffle, 2,106; 10. Matt Kenseth, 2,054; 11. Mark Martin, 2,052; 12. Juan Pablo Montoya, 2,049.
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