Tag Archives: Coke Zero 400

Tony Stewart happy for Coke Zero 400 win, wishes it was Daytona 500 instead

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Tony Stewart and Steve Addington celebrate their third win of the season in Daytona International Speedway Victory Lane on Saturday after the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola. Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Tony Stewart will take the Coke Zero win from last night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race, but there’s something else on his mind… Stewart wants that big Daytona 500 win, and badly! It’s all he can think of – even in July.

Here’s a quick view of what Stewart’s Top 5 would look like on his Bucket List:
1. Win the Daytona 500
2. Win the Daytona 500
3. Win the Daytona 500
4. Win the Daytona 500
5. Win the Daytona 500

After all, this IS Daytona. The same track the Daytona 500 is run on. So how can he keep winning the Coke Zero 400′s but NOT the Daytona 500? Well, the differences are between the two are simple: night and day, warmer and cooler temps and 100 miles.

Daytona International Speedway kept its’ promise of bringing back the pack, all a while allowing three-time Champion Tony Stewart to collect his third win of the season. With this win, Stewart earns his 47th victory in 482 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is Stewart’s fourth victory and 13th top-10 finish in 28 races at Daytona International Speedway.

Stewart got a final and strong push from Kasey Kahne launching Stewart into the lead, crossing the start/finish line last evening. Stewart, who started in the rear of the field due to his qualifying time being discontinued from a cockpit air hose being opened, led two times for a total of 22 laps – with Stewart leading the most important lap – the last one. Stewart had approached the checkered flag while a massive wreck in Turn 4 was in the process of disheveling the finishing order behind him.

Stewart’s spotter, Bob Jeffery, yelled over the team’s scanner frequency, “I love spotting for you – you’re a winner at Daytona!” The “big win” has not happened (yet) for Stewart and the Daytona 500, however, he IS aware of it. “I don’t know, but I’ll trade ‘em all in for just one Daytona 500,” Stewart said of his four July victories. “This is 18 wins at Daytona — we just haven’t got the right one yet. But all of ‘em are special, and it’s cool to do this.”

Oh, and Stewart’s reply to Jeffery (spotter)….. “yeah, but I wish it was the 500!”

The Coke Zero 400 produced six cautions for a total of 23 laps, and 12 lead changes among nine drivers. Matt Kenseth’s lead in the standings grew to 25 points over Dale Earnhardt Jr.. Greg Biffle is third, 44 points behind Kenseth.

COKE ZERO 400 RESULTS

1. (42) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet
2. (20) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet
3. (1) Matt Kenseth, Ford
4. (19) Joey Logano, Toyota
5. (2) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet
6. (12) Carl Edwards, Ford
7. (3) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet
8. (9) Brad Keselowski, Dodge
9. (28) Michael Waltrip, Toyota
10. (41) Bobby Labonte, Toyota
11. (39) David Reutimann, Chevrolet
12. (5) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
13. (30) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet
14. (13) Paul Menard, Chevrolet
15. (24) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
16. (40) Travis Kvapil, Toyota
17. (18) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
18. (7) Casey Mears, Ford
19. (17) Aric Almirola, Ford
20. (34) Terry Labonte, Ford
21. (4) Greg Biffle, Ford
22. (33) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet
23. (11) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
24. (22) Kyle Busch, Toyota
25. (23) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
26. (27) David Ragan, Ford
27. (15) Trevor Bayne(i), Ford
28. (14) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet
29. (29) Clint Bowyer, Toyota
30. (10) Marcos Ambrose, Ford
31. (32) David Gilliland, Ford
32. (38) Landon Cassill, Toyota
33. (8) Sam Hornish Jr.(i), Dodge
34. (25) Regan Smith, Chevrolet
35. (35) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
36. (16) Jimmie Johnson
37. (6) Bill Elliott, Chevrolet
38. (31) Josh Wise, Ford
39. (26) David Stremme, Toyota
40. (43) JJ Yeley, Toyota
41. (36) Joe Nemechek(i), Toyota
42. (37) Stephen Leicht, Chevrolet
43. (21) Michael McDowell, Ford

 

DAYTONA: NASCAR Sprint Cup driver stats / track data

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Daytona International Speedway Data
Race #: 18 of 36
Track Size: 2.5 miles
Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles
Banking/Turns: 31 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
Banking/Straights: 3 degrees
Frontstretch: 3,800 feet
Backstretch: 3,000 feet

Race coverage: TNT, 7:30pm/et

NSCS Happy Hour Practice:
Thursday, July 5, 4 pm & 6:35 pm on SPEED

NSCS Qualifying:
Friday, July 6, 4 pm on SPEED

Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner: Mark Martin, Chevrolet (182.065 mph, 49.433 seconds)

2011 race winner: David Ragan, Ford (159.491 mph, 2:39:53, 07-02-11)

Track qualifying record: Bill Elliott, Ford (210.364 mph, 42.783 seconds)

Track race record: Bobby Allison, Mercury (173.473 mph, 2:48:55, 02-17-80)

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida going into the Coke Zero 400 on July 7.

DAYTONA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota)
·         Two top fives, six top 10s
·         Average finish of 14.8

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Wheaties Chevrolet)
·         One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 17.5

Kurt Busch (No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Inc. Chevrolet)
·         10 top fives, 12 top 10s
·         Average finish of 17.3

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)
·         One win, five top fives, six top 10s
·         Average finish of 17.6

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard – An American Salute / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)
·         Two wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 14.5

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)
·         Four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 17.3

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Pepsi MAX Chevrolet)
·         Six wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles
·         Average finish of 16.2

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)
·         Two top fives, two top 10s
·         Average finish of 20.7

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor / Rheem Chevrolet)
·         Two wins, five top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 15.0

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
·         One win, six top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
·         Average finish of 18.2

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Zest Ford)
·         Two wins, five top fives, 12 top 10s
·         Average finish of 16.7

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Aspen Dental Chevrolet)
·         One win, two top fives, three top 10s
·         Average finish of 22.0
 
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
·         Three wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 16.7
 
Top 12 Driver Rating at Daytona
Kyle Busch………………………….. 97.5
Tony Stewart………………………… 97.1
Kurt Busch…………………………… 91.4
Matt Kenseth………………………… 89.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr…………………… 88.0
Jeff Gordon…………………………… 87.9
Clint Bowyer…………………………. 87.4
Kevin Harvick………………………… 86.1
Jeff Burton……………………………. 86.0
Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 83.5
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 83.5
Carl Edwards………………………… 83.1
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (15 total) at Daytona.

Chase Contenders
The Top 10
Following Race 17 of 36
                                                               
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Matt Kenseth 633 1 0 1 104.6
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 622 1 0 3 101.4
3. Jimmie Johnson 610 2 1 4 108.8
4. Greg Biffle 608 1 2 2 104.5
5. Denny Hamlin 565 2 1 8 98.5
6. Kevin Harvick 565 0 0 6 93.7
7. Clint Bowyer 557 1 0 7 92.2
8. Martin Truex Jr. 556 0 1 9 96.2
9. Tony Stewart 545 2 0 5 91.7
10. Brad Keselowski 537 3 0 10 94.0
The Wild Card Standings Following: Kentucky Speedway
Pos. Driver Wins Pts. Pos. Points Pts. From 10th
1 Kyle Busch 1 12 495 -42
2 Kasey Kahne 1 14 463 -74
3 Ryan Newman 1 15 463 -74
4 Joey Logano 1 16 463 -74
5 Carl Edwards 0 11 503 -34
6 Paul Menard 0 13 477 -60
7 Marcos Ambrose 0 17 456 -81
8 Jeff Gordon 0 18 453 -84
9 Jamie McMurray 0 19 431 -106
10 Jeff Burton 0 20 428 -109

The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.

Source: NASCARMedia Statistical Advance

Daytona International Speedway implements smoking ban in grandstands

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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Jeffrey Earnhardt and Daytona International Speedway Vice President Andrew Gurtis participated in a ceremony with Students Working Against Tobacco teens. Earnhardt is sponsored by Tobacco Free Florida. Credit: ISC Images and Archives

My, how the times have changed. And for the better.

Remember the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company when they held the sponsorship to the NASCAR Cup series – known then as the Winston Cup Series – running from 1971–2003? Stock car racing has a major history with tobacco and the highly visible use of tobacco by drivers, their racing teams, owners and fans. I even remember the days when fans were able to sign up to receive information and coupons from Winston with the pretty Winston Girls at the hospitality tents (as long as you were the legal age of 18) in exchange for a free pack of Winston cigarettes race day.

If Winston wasn’t your brand that you smoked, it was that day.

Daytona International Speedway is wiping their hands of all smoking and have placed a smoking band in their grandstands to make them smoke free while making it more enjoyable for fans to watch a race. So what started this? According to Daytona International Speedway Vice President Andrew Gurtis, “it was actually fan feedback after last year’s events which led to the speedway to have the grandstands become smoke free.”

Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) is a statewide youth organization that works to mobilize today’s youth to de-glamorize and de-normalize tobacco use. SWAT is a united movement of youth which works towards a tobacco free future. SWAT recently applauded Daytona International Speedway for its bold move in protecting patrons from second-hand smoke starting with the Subway Jalapeno 250 and Coke Zero 400 weekend. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, even second-hand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals with hundreds that are toxic, and 69 that can cause cancer.

NASCAR driver and Tobacco Free Florida spokesperson Jeffrey Earnhardt stated, “I’m proud that leading race organizations like Daytona are protecting our fans from tobacco smoke and are showing young fans that smoking is no longer acceptable.” Earnhardt, who will also be sponsored by Tobacco Free Florida during the Subway Jalapeno 250 Nationwide race Friday night, July 6th, added “I had family members that smoked – and I’ll tell you a funny story,” Earnhardt said, “I use to stay at my grandma’s house, but I would leave my clothes out in the car so they wouldn’t smell like smoke.”

Daytona International Speedway feels they are setting a prime example for other tracks, that smoke free is the way to go. In the meantime, the COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Foundation’s “DRIVE4COPD” just recently renewed it’s sponsorship entitlement with Daytona International Speedway through 2014.

Bobby Labonte Named Grand Marshal for Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola

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Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola
Previous Winner:                               Tony Stewart (beat Jimmie Johnson by .110 of a second on July 4, 2009)
Date / Time:                                       Saturday, July 3, at 7:30 p.m. EDT
Track:                                                 Daytona International Speedway
Configuration:                                    2.5-mile oval (160 laps = 400 miles)
Banking in Corners:                           31 degrees
Banking on Straights:                         3 degrees
Banking on Tri-Oval:                         18 degrees
Frontstretch:                                      3,800 feet
Backstretch:                                       3,000 feet
First NASCAR Race:                         Feb. 22, 1959 – Daytona 500 (Winner – Lee Petty)
Grandstand Seating Capacity:           168,000

Bobby Labonte Named Grand Marshal For The Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola
Bobby Labonte, who is scheduled to make his 600th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start on Saturday night, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 52nd annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Labonte, who is driving the No. 09 car for owner James Finch in Saturday’s 160-lap, 400-mile race, will give the starting command, “Gentlemen start your engines.”
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Grand Touring Vodka will become the Official Vodka of DIS
Daytona Iinternational Speedway announced today that Grand Touring Vodka will become the Official Vodka of Daytona International Speedway under a new multi-year agreement.

The agreement includes significant track signage at the “World Center of Racing,” display space and the renaming of the main entertainment stage in the Sprint FANZONE to the GT Vodka Main Stage.

GT Vodka is also beginning a two-year sponsorship with JR Motorsports that will feature primary sponsorship of the No. 88 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, 10 races of which will come in 2010.

NASCAR HotPass Lineup
NASCAR HOTPASS™ on DIRECTV is FREE to all DIRECTV customers.
The NASCAR HOTPASS lineup for the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway is as follows:

DIRECTV Channel 795:
Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet

DIRECTV Channel 796:
Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota

DIRECTV Channel 797:
Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet

DIRECTV Channel 798:
Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the No. 88 National Guard “8 Soldiers & 8 Missions” / AMP Energy

Coke Zero 400 under the lights at Daytona will be enhanced by 3D

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RaceBuddy3D graphic by NASCAR.com

For the first time ever, race fans can experience NASCAR in 3D.  The first 3D programming will take place on July 3 with the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola (TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET) at Daytona International Speedway. The 3D production will be made available through TNT RaceBuddy on NASCAR.COM (NASCAR.COM/RaceBuddy3D) as well as through DIRECTV.

NASCAR.COM will feature 3D feeds for the Daytona race in HD-qualityfrom unique camera angles available on TNT RaceBuddy on NASCAR.COM (NASCAR.COM/RaceBuddy) throughout the six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races televised on TNT. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Daytona International Speedway will also be available in 3D through DIRECTV.  

Viewers will need a 3D TV or PC display with matching 3D glasses.  Fans can go to www.nascar.com/racebuddy3D to get the information about the hardware and software needed to view the 3D production online.  Use this same link for race day coverage online.

TNT’s televised coverage of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on July 3 begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green, and continues with live race coverage in its groundbreaking signature Wide Open format beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. This format is a television presentation in which the network provides continuous race coverage free of national commercial breaks and features more unobstructed race action than that of a standard telecast by using a letterbox widescreen format.

Largest restrictor plate ever to be used in Cup cars for Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July

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NASCAR has announced that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will use carburetor restrictor-plate openings of 1 1/32 inches for the July 3 event at Daytona International Speedway. The previous plate at Daytona last February was 63/64-inch. This announcement pertains only to next month’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola.

Each restrictor plate contains four openings which restrict air flow to the engine, thus slowing cars. Larger openings mean more air, and more speed. “We think this will be a needed boost due to the additional drag we’ve picked up since switching from a rear wing to a rear spoiler,” said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton.

Rule changes, announced Jan. 21, mandated switching from a wing mounted on the rear deck lid of NASCAR’s new car, back to a more traditional stock-car spoiler. The March event at Martinsville Speedway marked the first race for the new spoiler.

Carburetor restrictor plates are used only at Daytona and 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. Events at those tracks are famous for their close competition.The 1 1/32-inch size openings will be the largest since the one-inch mandate in 1988, the first year the horsepower-reducing plates were mandated for yearly use in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition at Daytona.

Teams used openings of 15/16-inch for this season’s spring race (April 25) at Talladega. That size was determined following a March 16 test at Talladega that helped answer several mechanical questions, among them, spoiler height and the restrictor-plate openings.