NASCAR Team Properties Partners With Alyssa Milano To Launch New Line Of Women’s Apparel

NASCAR Team Properties announced today that it has reached a licensing agreement with Touch by Alyssa Milano to create a line of apparel for female NASCAR fans. The fashionable apparel is designed utilizing high quality fabrics and features NASCAR drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and Jimmie Johnson.

"We’re excited to welcome Alyssa to the NASCAR family, and for the first time, we now have a fashion forward clothing line exclusively for our many female fans," said Blake Davidson, NASCAR vice president, licensing and consumer products. "The Touch brand offers our fans a fresh and stylish line of apparel that is designed specifically for them."

Touch by Alyssa Milano is the premier, high-end fashion brand for the female sports fan. The brand represents a breakthrough in fashion and function. Touch empowers the fiercely loyal fan to look and feel her best. Whether cheering on their favorite race team or simply living life, Touch provides a platform for female sports fans to rally around.

"I am very excited to be able to bring Touch apparel to female NASCAR fans," said Alyssa Milano. "I have received so many requests over the past few years to expand distribution of the Touch brand into NASCAR, so I’m really proud to have NASCAR under the Touch brand umbrella."

The initial launch will include a variety of women’s tops for NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart. Touch by Alyssa Milano is manufactured and distributed by G-III Sports, a division of G-III Apparel Group Limited, and is available for purchase at the NASCAR.com Superstore and trackside retail locations operated by Americrown during select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekends.

Chris Economaki Named Third Squier-Hall Award Recipient

Known for more than 50 years as the “Dean of American Motorsports,” the late journalist and broadcaster Chris Economaki has been named the third recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. Economaki will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Jan. 29, 2014 and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

Economaki, who died last year at age 91, was the editor, publisher and columnist for National Speed Sport News for more than 60 years, a weekly racing publication he began selling at race tracks at the age of 14. He began his television broadcast career with ABC in 1961 and with CBS Sports helped make the Daytona 500 one of racing’s marquee events.

Economaki was among eight nominees voted upon by a panel comprised of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former drivers. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport. Legendary broadcasters Ken Squier and Barney Hall, for whom the award is named, were its initial recipients.

“Chris Economaki dedicated his life to covering motorsports, and his exceptional talent for storytelling brought NASCAR to millions of readers and viewers for more than 60 years,” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. “Though we all miss seeing him at the race track every week, we’re proud that Chris’ legacy will continue to live through this well-deserved award.”

The son of a Greek immigrant who was born in Brooklyn but spent most of his life in Connecticut, Economaki participated in the growth of automobile racing from its pre-World War II small-town and county fair circuits. He worked at the sport’s grassroots, alongside many historic promoters – including NASCAR founder Bill France – and went on to cover most of the 20th and 21st centuries’ greatest figures.

Economaki’s National Speed Sport News “three-dot” column was a weekly must-read throughout the motorsports industry. He eschewed technology for decades, hammering out his copy on an old, manual typewriter while others in the media centers tapped on computer keyboards. Few, however, matched Economaki’s insights – or his many reliable sources.

He appeared in several racing-themed motion pictures and was part of the CBS broadcast team that won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Special (the 1987 Daytona 500). He was awarded the 1990 NASCAR Award of Excellence and NASCAR Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. Economaki is a member of several halls of fame including the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) Hall of Honor, Eastern Motorsports Press Association (EMPA) Hall of Fame and the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame.

31 Teams Caught With Illegally Modified Roof Flap Spacers

NASCAR’s inspectors stayed busy on a stifling hot day at Daytona International Speedway yesterday, discovering unapproved roof flap spacers on 16 Sprint Cup Series and 15 Nationwide Series cars during opening day inspection. 

The violations cut a wide swath through the Sprint Cup Series garage, with three manufacturers and eight different teams feeling the wrath of NASCAR’s rules enforcers. The list of violators included the Roush Fenway Racing Fords of Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas of Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch; the Penske Racing Fords of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, the Michael Waltrip Racing Toyotas driven by Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr.; three Richard Petty Motorsports Fords driven by Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola, as well as the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne’s Wood Brothers Racing Ford and the Germain Racing Ford of Casey Mears.

All were all apprehended with roof flap spacers that had been illegally machined in an effort to reduce weight. Roof flaps and their associated installation hardware are sold to teams as a kit by a company owned by Roush Fenway Racing majority owner Jack Roush. A number of teams reportedly machined the spacers to reduce their weight and lower their cars’ centers of gravity. They are not believed to have altered the aerodynamic footprint of the cars.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said yesterday that inspectors found one team with the altered spacers Thursday, before widening their search throughout the Sprint Cup and Nationwide garages.

"When you find something in one garage, you communicate to the other garage," said Tharp. "We looked into it and this is what we found."

Penalties, if any, are expected to be announced Tuesday.

via Dave Moody

NASCAR Chassis Selections - Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

Not all teams announce their weekly race chassis'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the chassis in the teams race preview: 

#2- Brad Keselowski - Primary Chassis for Daytona is PRS-655 which is a new brand new chassis. The backup chassis is PRS-648 which was the backup chassis at Talladega in May.

#5- Kasey Kahne - Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-703 for the Daytona race. Most recently, Kahne drove this chassis at the Daytona test back in January. In 2012, he drove this chassis at the 2.5-mile superspeedway’s July event, and he finished seventh.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion team will bring super speedway chassis No. 721 to Daytona this weekend.

#10-Danica Patrick - This week's GoDaddy primary chassis No. 10-573 spent time in the wind tunnel before debuting with Ryan Newman driving it for the No. 39 team in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona in February 2010, when he started fourth and finished 19th after a late-race accident. Newman drove the car in the Shootout one year later and started eighth, led 18 laps and finished third. The car was then transferred to the No.10 team and Patrick made her Sprint Cup debut with the chassis in February 2012 in the 54th Daytona 500, which she started 29th and finished 38th after being involved in a multicar accident early in the race. Since then, the car has been converted to a Chevrolet SS model and was tested by Patrick at Daytona this past February. The car served as a backup for the 55th Daytona 500 but was not pressed into service. It was then was tested by Patrick at a Goodyear tire test in April at Daytona. Since then, it has spent time in the wind tunnel getting prepared for the Coke Zero 400.

#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-762: This car debuted in February at Daytona where it hit the track for the first time. Its first race was the non-points Budweiser Duel, where it started third and ran competitively before finishing sixth. The Duel result slotted Stewart third for the 55th running of the Daytona 500, where Chassis No. 14-762 showed strength before getting collected in an accident just 34 laps into the 200-lap race. Extensive repairs were made and 82 laps later, Stewart returned to the 2.5-mile super speedway to log laps and earn the best finish possible, which was 41st in the 43-car field. Chassis No. 14-762 has been fitted with a new Chevrolet SS body and spent numerous hours in the wind tunnel in preparation for its return to Daytona in the Coke Zero 400. 

#16- Greg Biffle - The No. 16 3M Ford Fusion primary chassis RK-798 was brand new last year when it crossed the finish line sixth at Talladega. Backup Chassis: RK-794 last ran the Shootout – finished 2nd.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - The  No. 17 Fifth Third Ford Fusion primary chassis RK-781 is a new chassis for the No. 17 team. The chassis was raced numerous times by the No. 16 team last year including a third-place finish in 2012 Daytona 500 and led 35 laps in the Coke Zero 400 last year. Backup Chassis: RK-799 last ran during Daytona test. 

#22- Joey Logano - Primary Chassis for Daytona is PRS-652 which is a new chassis. The backup chassis is PRS-651 which races at Daytona in the Sprint Unlimited and finished 3rd.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Jeff Gordon's Axalta Chevy SS team will unload HMS primary chassis at Daytona this week. 20-772. The car finished 20th in the Daytona 500 and 11th at 'Dega earlier this year.

#27- Paul Menard - This Week's Rheem/Menards Chevrolet ... Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 406 at Daytona International Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was previously run this season at Talladega Superspeedway and tested at Daytona in January and April earlier this year.  The No. 27 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet SS will sport a different look this weekend carrying a special paint scheme combination of Rheem red and black, in addition to Menards yellow.

#29- Kevin Harvick -  This Week's Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet SS at Daytona International Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 387 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in Saturday night's event at Daytona International Speedway. Harvick most recently drove this Chevrolet to Victory Lane following the Sprint Unlimited in February at Daytona. Harvick's No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet will don a special paint scheme this weekend to reflect Budweiser's limited-edition red, white and blue packaging.

#31- Jeff Burton - This Weekend's Kwikset Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway ... Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 337 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet, built specifically for superspeedway racing, was driven by Burton earlier this season at Talladega Superspeedway.

#38- David Gilliland - The No. 38 Long John Silver's crew is taking the same car that earned the team a  runner-up finish at Talladega in May to Daytona Beach, Fla., for Saturday night's Coke Zero 400.

#39- Ryan Newman - The No. 39 Outback Steakhouse team will unload primary chassis 39-606 at Daytona. The car has five combined starts at the two restrictor plate tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule – three at Talladega and two at Daytona. In its five previous starts, the chassis’ best results have come at Daytona – in this race last year, when Newman qualified on the outside pole and finished fifth, and in the 2013 season opening Daytona 500, when it was called into service after the primary car suffered irreparable damage in the second Budweiser Duel. In that race, Newman overcame starting at the back of the field and aerodynamic issues to record another fifth-place finish. Since then, Chassis 39-606 underwent repairs and visited the wind tunnel last month in preparation for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 U.S. Air Force Ford Fusion team will race chassis No. 722 this weekend. The team raced the chassis in February’s Sprint Unlimited expedition race where it started 8th and finished 6th with Aric at the wheel.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson will drive the No. 48 Lowe’s “Dover White” Chevrolet SS at Daytona. Johnson will drive chassis No. 764 at Daytona. It finished 14th in the Sprint Unlimited and 5th at Talladega this year in it's only 2 starts. Chassis No. 756 serves as the backup. It raced once in 2012 finishing 8th in the Unlimited.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr -  Crew chief Steve Letarte has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-773 for Saturday’s race. Earnhardt last raced this chassis to a 17th-place finish at Talladega Super Speedway in May and to a second-place finish in February at the Daytona 500.

#99- Carl Edwards - No. 99 Subway Ford Fusion team will unload primary chassis RK – 829 which was the car that wrecked in the Sprint Unlimited practice. The team sent RK – 829 back to RFR headquarters for repairs and used it as the backup for the Daytona 500. Backup Chassis: RK – 835 last ran at Talladega, where Carl started on the pole and finished 3rd.
                 
 Reported in Team News/Press Releases

NASCAR Driver Statistics - Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

Not all teams announce their weekly race previews'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the information in the teams race preview: 

#1- Jamie McMirray - McMurray has made 21 career NSCS starts at the 2.5 mile high-banked tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway.  He has four top-10, three top-five and two victories at the famed “World Center of Racing”, including the 2010 Daytona 500.  McMurray has completed 3375 of a possible 3705 (91.9%) laps of completion.  His best start was sixth (2006) and best finish of first-place twice (July 2007 and February 2010).

#2- Brad Keselowski - Keselowski has 8 starts at Daytona in thr Cup Series with 1 top 5, 2 top 10's and 3 DNF's. His best finish was 4th place in this years Daytona 500. Brad has led 24 laps at the track and has an average start of 22.125 and an average finish of 22.250.

#5- Kasey Kahne -  In the first 17 Sprint Cup races this season, Kahne ranks first with 521 of the fastest laps run and fastest speed in traffic (6.235 average ranking). He ranks third in green-flag speed (5.846 average ranking) and in fastest drivers early in a run (7.00). His 100.1 driver rating is fourth-best as are his 400 laps led and his ranking among fastest drivers late in a run (7.308). The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS has scored seven top-10 results in the last 15 Sprint Cup races. His average start in 17 starts is 9.2, and his average finish is 16.5.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - In his five-year Sprint Cup Series career, Ambrose has nine starts at the famed Daytona track. He posted his best finish of sixth in the summer event in 2009. The No. 9 Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer is no stranger to victory lane at the Florida superspeedway. Blickensderfer has two wins under his belt. He visited victory lane for the 2009 Daytona 500 with Matt Kenseth and 2011 Coke Zero 400 with David Ragan. In his eight starts as crew chief, he has four top-fives, six top-10s and an average finish of 7.1.

#10-Danica Patrick - The Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway will mark Danica Patrick’s 28th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and her third at Daytona. She has yet to make more than two Sprint Cup starts at any track on schedule. Patrick has started six NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Daytona with a best finish of 10th in July 2011. She won the pole for the February 2012 race. The eighth-place Daytona 500 finish is Patrick’s best Sprint Cup finish to date.

#14-Tony Stewart - · Stewart has one pole, four wins, six top-threes, eight top-fives, 13 top-10's and has led a total of 665 laps in his 29 career, point-paying Sprint Cup starts at Daytona. His average Daytona start is 11.6, his average Daytona finish is 17.0, and he has a lap completion rate of 90.9 percent. All four of Stewart’s points-paying Sprint Cup wins at Daytona have come in the Coke Zero 400 (2005, 2006, 2009 and 2012).

#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer has 15 Cup Series starts at Daytona, scoring 2 top 5's, 6 top 10's and 2 DNF's. His best finish was 4th most recently at the Daytona 500 in 2010. Boyer has an average start of 19.000, an average finish of 15.467 and he has led 150 laps.

#16- Greg Biffle - Biffle has 21 starts at Daytona, earning one win, three top-five and six top-10 finishes. July 2003 – Biffle earns first Sprint Cup victory at Daytona. February 2004 – Biffle earns first career pole position for the Daytona 500. February 2012 – Biffle is part of the Daytona 500 all-Ford starting row with a second-place qualifying effort.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Stenhouse has 2 previous Cup starts at Daytona, his best finish was 12th in this years Daytona 500. Stenhouse has six Nationwide career starts, earning two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

#18- Kyle Busch - Busch has one win, five top-five finishes and six top-10s, and has led a total of 281 laps in 17 career points-paying Sprint Cup starts at Daytona. His average Daytona finish is 18.9

#20- Matt Kenseth -  In 27 Sprint Cup Series career starts at Daytona, Matt Kenseth has an average finish of 17.0, has completed 4,378 of 4,785 (91.5 percent) career laps, and has led for a total of 308 laps. He has earned two wins, six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at the 2.5-mile track. Kenseth earned the pole and went on to finish third in 2012’s Coke Zero 400.

#22- Joey Logano - Joey Logano has 9 Cup starts at daytona and has earned 2 top 5's, 3 top 10's and suffered 2 DNF's. Logano scored his best finish of 3rd place July of 2011. He has and average start of 21.000 and an average finish of  18.778 and has led 5 laps.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Overall, Gordon has six victories, three pole positions, 12 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s in 41 starts at the 2.5-mile track. But a lot has changed during the course of his 21-year career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

#27- Paul Menard -  Menard has 12 starts at Daytona International Speedway. His best start of first came in 2008 and best finish of sixth came in 2012. The Wisconsin native has completed 2,133 of 2,148 laps attempted (99.3 percent) at the famed superspeedway, leading 38 of them. 

#29- Kevin Harvick - Since 2001, Harvick has made 24 starts at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, winning two point-paying events (2007 Daytona 500 and July 2010). The California racer has also collected two pole awards (July 2002 and July 2010), five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, has completed 90.3 percent (3,815 of 4,225) laps contested and is credited with 178 laps led. 

#31- Jeff Burton - Burton's has 39 starts at Daytona International Speedway with one win (July 2000), nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Burton also scored the pole position for the 2006 Daytona 500 and has led 145 laps at the historic 2.5-mile superspeedway. In addition, he has a trophy from the 2011 Duel 150 qualifying race on his mantle.

#34- David Ragan - The 27-year-old driver has been to Victory Lane at Daytona before, too, earning his first Sprint Cup Series win at the Coke Zero 400 in July 2011. He has 13 total starts at the track, with one win, three top-fives and four top-10s.

#38- David Gilliland - In 10 Cup career starts, Gilliland has a pole position, one top-five and two top-10 finishes at the 2.5-mile super speedway.

#39- Ryan Newman - The Coke Zero 400 will mark Newman’s 24th career Sprint Cup start at Daytona International Speedway. Newman has one win (February 2008), three poles, four top-five finishes and five top-10s in 23 career Sprint Cup starts at the 2.5-mile 
super speedway. Additionally, the 35-year-old from South Bend, Ind., has led 101 laps, has an average starting position of 20.1 and an average finish of 20.3 at the “World Center of Racing.” 

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya -  Montoya has 13 NSCS career starts at DIS which includes four top-10 finishes. His average starting and finishing position is 19.3 and 23.0, respectively. He has completed 2192 out of the 2350 possible laps at the superspeedway (93.3%). His best start was seventh (Daytona 500 this year) and best finish of sixth (February 2011).

#43- Aric Almirola - Almirola will make his ninth start, fifth in Cup, at his ‘home track’ this weekend. In his four Cup starts, he tallied a best finish of 13th earlier this season in the Daytona 500, and in four Nationwide starts, he posted one top-10 finish and won a pole.

#47- Bobby Labonte - Bobby Labonte has six top-five, 10 top-10 finishes and has led 70 laps at Daytona International Speedway in 41 starts. The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion also scored two pole awards in 1998 along with capturing his best finish of second-place in both February and October events at the track that year.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson’s Daytona Quick Stats: Two wins (February 2006 and 2013). Two poles (February 2002 and 2008). Seven top-five finishes (30.4 percent) and 10 top-10s (43.5 percent) in 23 starts. Average start of 9.6. Ranks as one of the five worst tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit for Johnson with an average finish is 18.2. Completed 3,736 of 4,065 laps (91.9 percent) and led 77. Sprint Cup’s eighth-best driver rating (85.3 average of a possible 150 points). 

#55- Michael Waltrip - Waltrip has made 76 point series starts at Daytona International Speedway in NASCAR’s three top-series. The Owensboro, Ky., native has captured four wins at the 2.5 mile tri-oval including two Daytona 500 victories. He has also scored 12 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes. 

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - In 27 Sprint Cup starts at Daytona, Earnhardt has recorded two wins, 10 top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and has led 396 laps. Earnhardt notched his first pole position at the 2.5-mile super speedway during 2011 Daytona 500 qualifying. He averages a starting position of 11.1 and an average finish of 14th in points-paying events at Daytona. Earnhardt has finished all but three Cup events at the 2.5-mile super speedway.

#99- Carl Edwards -  In 17 NSCS starts at DIS, Edwards has achieved four top-five and eight top-10 finishes. Edwards’ best finish at Daytona is second place, captured in 2011 at the Daytona 500 and in July of 2008. Edwards has completed (93.2%) of the laps he has attempted at Daytona and has led only four laps.  He has an average start of 17.4 and an average finish of 17.5. 

- Reported in Team News/Press Release

Goodyear Tire Fast Facts - Daytona

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series -- Race No. 18 – Coke Zero 400 
NASCAR Nationwide Series -- Race No. 16 – Subway Firecracker 250 
Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile oval) – Daytona Beach, Fla. 
Fast Facts for July 4-6, 2013 

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Superspeedway Radials 

Set limits: Sprint Cup: 4 sets for practice/qualifying and 6 sets for the race; 
Nationwide: 5 sets for the event 

Number of Tires: Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 900; Right-side -- 900; 
Nationwide: Left-side – 400; Right-side -- 400 

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4596; Right-side -- D-4600 

Tire Circumference: Left-side – 88.0 in. (2,235 mm); Right-side -- 88.5 in. (2,248 mm) 

Technical Inspection Inflation: Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi; 
Right Front -- 55 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi 

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front -- 27 psi; Left Rear -- 27 psi; 
Right Front -- 50 psi; Right Rear -- 48 psi 

Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire set-up at Daytona this week. This is the first time these teams will be running either of these two tire codes. This tire combination came out of a Goodyear tire test at Daytona on April 16-17. Teams and drivers participating in that test were the No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with Jamie McMurray, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with Kasey Kahne, No. 10 Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet with Danica Patrick, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford with Greg Biffle, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with Michael McDowell, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with Trevor Bayne, No. 33 Circle Sport Chevrolet with Austin Dillon and No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford with Carl Edwards. Compared to what was run at Daytona in February, this tire set-up features a compound change on both sides of the car and a construction change to the left side to bring it into line with what has been run at other tracks. As on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Daytona. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

Daytona International Speedway History and Notes

At Daytona International Speedway:

History
· Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959 – won by Bob Welborn.

· The first summer race at Daytona International Speedway was held on July 4, 1959 – won by Fireball Roberts (140.581 mph).

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.

· Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been held under the lights ever since.

· The track underwent a repave in 2010.

Notebook
· There have been 132 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 55 have been 500 miles, 50 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.

· 436 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ July race at Daytona International Speedway; 273 in more than one.

· Richard Petty leads the series in July race starts at Daytona with 32. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 29 starts; followed by Mark Martin with 26.

· Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole for the July race at Daytona in 1959 with a speed of 144.997 mph.

· 36 drivers have Coors Light poles at Daytona for the July event, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough with eight. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in poles, with three.

· Three drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles for the July race at Daytona: Cale Yarborough (1970-’71; 1980-’81, 1983-’84), Sterling Marlin (1991-’92) and Dale Earnhardt (1994-’95).

· Youngest Daytona pole winner: Jeff Gordon (07/06/1996 – 24 years, 11 months, 2 days).

· Oldest Daytona pole winner: Mark Martin (07/02/2011 – 52 years, 5 months, 23 days).

· 33 different drivers have won the July race at Daytona International Speedway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson with five wins. Tony Stewart leads all active drivers with four.

· Five drivers have posted consecutive wins in the July race at Daytona International Speedway, including three consecutive by David Pearson (1972 - 1974). Tony Stewart (2005-’06) is the only active driver to win consecutive July races at Daytona.

· Youngest Daytona winner: Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 day).

· Oldest Daytona winner: Bobby Allison (02/14/1988 – 50 years, 5 months, 23 days).

· The Wood Brothers have the most wins at Daytona in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 15.

· Seven different manufacturers have won the July NSCS race at Daytona; led by Chevrolet with 17 victories; followed by Ford with 16.

· A driver has swept both races (Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400) at Daytona only four times, most recently - Bobby Allison in 1982. Jimmie Johnson won the 2013 Daytona 500.

· Eight of the 54 (14.8%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kevin Harvick in 2010.

· The Coors Light pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (eight) than any other starting position in the July race at Daytona International Speedway.

· 15 of the 54 (27.7%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona have been won from the front row: eight from the pole and seven from second-place.

· 40 of the 54 (48.1%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Daytona have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Four of the 54 (7.4%) July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Dover was 42nd, by Tony Stewart in last season’s race.

· Buddy Baker leads the series in runner-up finishes in the July race at Daytona with five; followed by Richard Petty and Sterling Marlin with four. Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Terry Labonte lead all active drivers with two each.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in top-five finishes in the July race at Daytona with 13; followed by Richard Petty with 12. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven.

· David Pearson leads the series in top-10 finishes in the July race at Daytona with 19; followed by Dale Earnhardt with 18. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 14.

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Daytona with a 9.609.

· Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Daytona with a 14.037.

· Nine of the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series July race winners at Daytona International Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Greg Biffle won the July race at Daytona in his first appearance.

· Michael Waltrip competed in the July race at Daytona International Speedway 16 times before winning in 2002; the longest span of any the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

· Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona without visiting Victory Lane at 60; followed by Mark Martin with 55.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway for the July race was the July 7, 2007 race won by Jamie McMurray over Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.005 second.

· Three of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series July races have resulted with a green-white-checkered finish at Daytona International Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2008 (160/162), 2010 (160/166) and 2011 (160/170).

· Only one of the 54 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series July races at Daytona International Speedway has been shortened due to weather conditions – July 6, 1996 – the race was called on Lap 117, 43 circuits shy of the 160 scheduled laps.

· Qualifying for the July race has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway three times: 2007, 2009, and 2010.

· Six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series active drivers have made their first career start at Daytona International Speedway, though none were during the July race: Tony Stewart (2/14/99), Casey Mears (2/16/03), Scott Riggs (2/15/04), Kasey Kahne (2/15/04), Brian Keselowski (2/20/11) and Danica Patrick (2/27/12).

· Five active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Daytona International Speedway: Greg Biffle (2/15/04), Kevin Harvick (7/6/02), Jimmie Johnson (2/17/02), Paul Menard (7/5/08) and Danica Patrick (2/24/13).

· Four active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Daytona International Speedway: Trevor Bayne (2/20/11), Greg Biffle (7/5/03), David Ragan (7/2/11) and Michael Waltrip (2/18/01).

· Tony Stewart leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Daytona with 665 laps led in 29 starts.

· Five female drivers have competed in the July event at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Christine Beckers, Lella Lombardi, Patty Moise and Shawna Robinson.

Daytona International Speedway Data

Season Race #: 18 of 36 (07-06-13)

Track Size: 2.5-mile

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 31 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 31 degrees

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  3,800 feet

Backstretch Length:  3,000 feet

Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles

Top 12 Driver Rating at Daytona

Kyle Busch................................. 97.0

Matt Kenseth.............................. 93.2

Tony Stewart.............................. 93.1

Dale Earnhardt Jr....................... 89.3

Jeff Gordon................................ 88.3

Kurt Busch................................. 88.0

Clint Bowyer............................... 86.6

Jimmie Johnson......................... 85.3

Jeff Burton................................. 84.9

Denny Hamlin............................. 84.5

Ryan Newman............................ 82.8

Carl Edwards............................. 82.7

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (17 total) among active drivers at Daytona International Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2012 pole winner:

Matt Kenseth, Ford, 192.386 mph, 46.781 secs. 7-5-12

2012 race winner:

Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 157.653 mph, (02:32:14), 7-7-12

Track qualifying record (July race):

Cale Yarborough, Ford, 203.519 mph, 44.222 secs. 7-2-86

Track race record (July race): Bobby Allison, Mercury, 173.473 mph, (02:18:21), 7-4-80