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Smoke Screen
Tony Stewart’s only scheduled NASCAR Nationwide Series race this year is one he’ll be favored to win. And why not? The two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has won five of the last six NASCAR Nationwide Series season-openers, including the last three. Dale Earnhardt holds the series record with five consecutive victories at Daytona to open the year. This will, however, be Stewart’s first race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series new car.

Stewart will be joined by seven other NASCAR Sprint Cup regulars in this race, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Brad Keselowski.

Danica’s Back At Daytona
After running in 13 NASCAR Nationwide Series races last year – her first competition in a stock car – open-wheel star Danica Patrick is back for more this year. She’ll run 12 races in 2011 for JR Motorsports, starting with the first four of the season.

Patrick made strides last year, particularly at season’s end when she was able to compete in the last five races. She had arguably her best run in the fall race at Auto Club Speedway before getting caught up in an accident. At Homestead-Miami Speedway, she started fifth and finished 19th – both her career bests in NASCAR national series competition.

For The ‘Record’: Budweiser Shootout A Sign Of Things To Come?
Last Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout ratcheted up anticipation for Sunday’s Daytona 500, big time. There were a race-record 28 lead changes in the 75-lap event. The overall record for lead changes at Daytona is 60 lead changes, a number that could conceivably be reached if the Shootout’s trend continues.

Gatorade Duel Races: One Last Shot

Only two drivers – Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon — know where they’re starting on Sunday. Earnhardt will start first, Gordon second, as a result of posting the two fastest times in Sunday’s qualifying.

The rest of the positions will be decided on Thursday, after the two Gatorade Duel races.

Here’s what we know:

– The top-35 cars in the 2010 owner points are locked into the field.

– The top-two finishers in each Duel who are outside the top 35 will make it.

– The remaining spots will go to qualifying speeds from Sunday.

Thanks to their speed from Sunday, Bill Elliott, Travis Kvapil and Joe Nemechek are guaranteed a spot in the field. Terry Labonte is also guaranteed a spot, with the past champion’s provisional. BUT, they can race their way in as well.

One name to watch on Thursday: Michael Waltrip. Looking to make his 25 th consecutive Daytona 500, Waltrip needs to race his way into the field. There’s a way he can get in if he fails in the Duel, though. If either Elliott, Kvapil, Nemechek or Labonte race their way in, Waltrip makes it on his qualifying speed.

Simply put: Nine drivers are vying for the four remaining spots.

1 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
2 21 Trevor Bayne(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford
3 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
4 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
5 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
6 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
7 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
8 38 * Travis Kvapil(i) Long John Silver’s Ford
9 00 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
10 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
11 15 * Michael Waltrip NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
12 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
13 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota
14 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
15 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
16 60 * Todd Bodine(i) Tire Kingdom/Valvoline Toyota
17 13 * Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
18 77 Steve Wallace(i) 5-hour Energy Toyota
19 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Dodge
20 32 * Terry Labonte U.S. Chrome Ford
21 37 Robert Richardson Jr.(i) North Texas Pipe Ford
22 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
23 64 * Derrike Cope Sta-Bil Toyota
24 92 * Brian Keselowski K-Automotive Dodge

1 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet
2 27 Paul Menard Menards/Peak Chevrolet
3 39 Ryan Newman U.S.Army Chevrolet
4 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
5 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
6 22 Kurt Busch Shell/Pennzoil Dodge
7 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
8 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
9 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
10 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
11 09 * Bill Elliott Phoenix Construction Chevrolet
12 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
13 87 * Joe Nemechek(i) AM FM Energy Toyota
14 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford
15 36 * Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
16 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
17 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
18 47 Bobby Labonte Kroger/USO Toyota
19 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
20 97 * Kevin Conway(i) Extenze Toyota
21 34 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
22 66 * Michael McDowell HP Racing LLC Toyota
23 46 * J J Yeley Red Line Oil Chevrolet
24 71 Andy Lally Adobe Road Winery Chevrolet

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon secured the starting spots on the coveted front row for 53rd running of “The Great American Race” Sunday afternoon during Daytona 500 Qualifying Presented by Kroger.

Earnhardt wheeled his No. 88 AMP Energy Chevrolet around the 2.5-mile tri-oval for a fast lap of 186.089 mph to capture his first pole at the “World Center of Racing” in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

This marks the second year in a row that Hendrick Motorsports teammates have topped the speed charts for the prestigious season opener. Last year saw Earnhardt, the 2004 Daytona 500 champion, take the outside pole alongside teammate and pole winner Mark Martin.

“(Winning the pole) takes a lot of pressure off of me for the (Gatorade Duel),” said Earnhardt Jr., who will be making his 400th Sprint Cup Series start next Sunday in the 53rd annual Daytona 500. “We can just go out, try to have fun, win that thing and bring all the hardware home this week.”

Three-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon (185.966) was thrilled to begin the new racing season with an outside pole in the Daytona 500.

“It’s always a great feeling to lock yourself in,” Gordon said. “This is the biggest race that we have. It’s more of a sign of the effort that was put out by the team. I had the pleasure of driving that car today and being on the front row. We had a shot at the pole, but it’s great to get Hendrick Motorsports a 1-2 (start). I couldn’t be more thrilled with the way this week has gone so far.”

Of the 50 cars that attempted to qualify on Sunday, 14 of them will have to qualify on time or through the Gatorade Duel. Of those 14, four of them are guaranteed a starting position in the Daytona 500 – Bill Elliott (184.532), Travis Kvapil (184.271), Joe Nemechek (184.222) and former series champion Terry Labonte (champion’s provisional).

Today’s qualifying effort only set the front row of the historic race. The rest of the field will be determined by the outcomes of Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona.

The high-speed qualifying session on Sunday capped off a successful weekend on the new racing surface. Kurt Busch made his first trip to Gatorade Victory Lane in Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout, which was highlighted by a record 28 lead changes.

“The stage is set for what will be one of the most memorable Daytona 500’s in NASCAR history,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “Last night’s Budweiser Shootout provided a small glimpse of what’s to come with a record number of lead changes and some high-speed drama the likes of which haven’t been seen in Daytona for a long time. With Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon secured in the top row, the action in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel will be intense as teams vie for a chance to battle for the ultimate prize in motorsports.”