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Drivers look for restrictor plate salvation
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For this week’s installment in the Race to the Chase, the Sprint Cup Series travels to the birthplace of speed, Daytona International Speedway, for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400.
Tony Stewart heads into the race with the points lead. He’s a two-time winner of Daytona’s summer event, but restrictor plate racing always produces a lot of unknowns, and many times results in surprise winners.
Remember Brad Keselowski at Talladega? By the way, Keselowski is going to attempt to qualify for Saturday’s race in the James Finch-owned car he took to victory lane at Talladega.
Several drivers admit that restrictor plate racing makes them nervous, especially when it comes down to the big one. Several other drivers have more to be nervous about heading into Daytona, as they try to hold on to the slim margin that keeps them in the top-12 or to overcome the slim margin that’s keeping them out.
Right now, Juan Pablo Montoya is barely holding on to the 12th position.
“When I came here (to Sprint Cup racing), my expectations were not high,” Montoya said. “I think the ability is there, and the momentum is there. We’ve just got to keep the ball rolling.”
Meanwhile, veteran Mark Martin is also barely hanging on in 11th. While he may be close to the bottom now, as long as he does manage to stay in the top-12, his stock would definitely rise at the start of the Chase. With three wins, he’d be seeded in second-position to start the chase.
“I wouldn’t trade our season for a consistent one that hadn’t won, that’s for sure,” Martin said of his up and down, but mostly up, season thus far.
While a number of drivers are looking to either stay in or get into the top-12, others are looking just to win a race – the most notable of those being Dale Earnhardt Jr.
It has now been over a year since Earnhardt Jr. has visited victory lane in the Sprint Cup Series, and Daytona, though unpredictable, may very well be one of his best shots to win. After all, he’s regarded as a restrictor plate ace with several wins at both restrictor plate tracks – Daytona and Talladega.
Television coverage for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
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