Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is unlike any other auto racing qualifying procedure. Drivers have two chances to qualify for the season-opening race, as opposed to the usual format of one qualifying session per event.

The first chance comes via Daytona 500 Qualifying, which will be held Sunday, Feb. 13. The other chance is the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, two 150-mile qualifying races held on Thursday, Feb. 17.

Below is a breakdown of the Daytona 500 qualifying procedure:

Daytona 500 Qualifying Day

• Each team may run two laps with the fast lap setting the qualifying time. The two fastest qualifiers earn starting positions one and two and are the only guaranteed positions, filling the front row for the Daytona 500.

• The Gatorade Duel at Daytona, two 150-mile qualifying races, will determine starting positions for the Daytona 500 beyond the front row. In the event of cancellation, the field will be set according to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

Gatorade Duel

• The eligible highest ranked 35 in 2010 car owner points will be assigned to Gatorade Duel races based on their final 2010 car owner points. Cars with odd-numbered owner points positions will compete in the first Gatorade Duel race; even-numbered owner points positions will compete in the second race.

• The only exception is that the fastest qualifier from Daytona 500 Qualifying will start on the pole in the first Gatorade Duel race and the second fastest will start on the pole in the second race, regardless of 2010 car owner point standings.

• Owners who failed to finish in the top 35 of the 2010 car owner points will be assigned to the Gatorade Duel races based on qualifying times. The fastest qualifying owner goes to the first Duel race; the next to the second race and alternating through remaining entries.

• The actual starting grids for the Gatorade Duel races are based on qualifying times.

Daytona 500 Lineup

• The two fastest qualifiers set starting positions one and two.

• Finishing positions in the Gatorade Duel races determine the other starting positions in the Daytona 500.

• The top two non-top 35 teams in each Duel race will earn a spot in the Daytona 500.

• Based on their finish in the first Duel race, the eligible highest-ranked 35 in 2010 car owner points plus the two highest finishing non-top 35 teams will be lined up on the inside row (odd-number starting positions).

• Based on their finish in the second Duel race, the eligible highest-ranked 35 plus the two highest finishing non-top 35 teams will be lined up on the outside row (even-number starting positions).

• The remaining positions will be filled based on qualifying.

o If one or both cars on the front row are not top-35 teams, the number of cars that get in based on time are reduced accordingly.

• The 43rd starting position will be assigned to any car owner who has the most recent eligible past NASCAR Sprint Cup champion who did not make the 500 field by any other method providing the driver competed in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. If the 43rd position remains unused it will be assigned to the next highest qualifying time.

Bottom line, here’s who gets locked into the Daytona 500 field:

– The top-two qualifiers from Sunday.

– The remaining top-35 guaranteed starters.

– Four drivers from the Gatorade Duel at Daytona (two non-top 35 from each race)

– Remaining drivers not making the field through the above methods can fall back on Sunday’s qualifying times or being a past champion.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Targets Integration Of Engine Fuel Injection System For 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2011) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today a historic technology partnership with Freescale Semiconductor and McLaren Electronic Systems to develop and integrate fuel injection systems into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, targeted for the 2012 season.
Freescale will provide the processors for McLaren’s engine control units (ECUs) that will be used to manage the fuel and ignition systems in the engines for all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars, replacing carburetors which have been used in the series since its inception in 1949. NASCAR and its top series teams will test the technology during the 2011 season with the anticipation of the systems being rolled out for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
The fuel injection system will bring increased technology and efficiency to the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars while at the same time complementing the car’s high performance. This announcement marks the most significant strategic change to NASCAR’s engine platform in decades. As part of this program, Freescale is designated as the “Official Automotive Semiconductor of NASCAR” and McLaren the “Official Engine Control Unit of NASCAR.”
“This move gives us an additional opportunity to incorporate the best technology in our race cars that will enhance the sport in a variety of ways,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “Selecting these two industry leaders reflects our commitment to this new technology which our manufacturers and teams have embraced. This is a positive step that will provide greater fuel efficiency and a greener footprint while maintaining the same great competition we have seen on the race track.”
For decades, most of the parts and equipment on NASCAR race cars have been highly customized for racing but at the same time relevant in standard automobiles. This move to fuel injection brings back an important synergy between these two vehicle types.
ECUs maximize each racing team’s ability to get the most performance and best fuel economy under all race conditions. With this announcement, plans call for every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race team to use a control system with Freescale’s advanced 32-bit Power Architecture® based engine management processors at its core, beginning in 2012. These same processors power millions of today’s most energy efficient engines.
The ECUs are tamper-proof, ensuring that only approved software may ever be run during a race weekend. Additionally, NASCAR will have special electronic tools at its disposal during every event to ensure the legality of all ECUs.
“Freescale’s partnership with NASCAR and McLaren goes beyond a simple business relationship,” said Henri Richard, senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer at Freescale Semiconductor. “It reflects our shared values in the automotive industry and our common dedication to technology improvement, high performance, energy efficiency and leadership in safety. It also continues to demonstrate the success of the Power Architecture as the leading microcontroller architecture in the automotive segment. NASCAR trusts us to provide cutting-edge automotive solutions for the next generation of engine management. Our products and technology will power every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car next year and we are honored to be the sole automotive semiconductor provider for America’s largest motorsport.”
Since 1966, McLaren has a legacy of racing success in the United States, totaling 43 victories during its tenure in the Can-Am Challenge, 10 wins at the U.S. Grand Prix and three wins at the illustrious Indianapolis 500. In addition, McLaren Electronics Systems has been a supplier to NASCAR teams since 2005 and also provides the ECUs that will be available late summer 2011 in the McLaren MP4-12C high-performance sports car. Freescale technology has been at the heart of McLaren’s engine control and data systems racing technology since 2000 and it provides the power behind all of McLaren’s major racing programs. Freescale is the largest U.S. based producer of automotive electronics and its technology enables virtually all automotive innovation in use today, from advanced engine systems to navigation and active safety.
“We are excited to build on our existing relationships with NASCAR and Freescale for this critical technology,” said Peter van Manen, managing director, McLaren Electronic Systems Limited. “McLaren has been providing reliable, high performance electronics to professional motorsports and other high performance automotive applications in North America, Europe and Asia for more than 20 years and we are both proud and delighted to be bringing our ECU technology into NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.”

Check out a sneak peak of ESPN The Magazine – Speed Issue just in time for events at Daytona. It’s an excellent read that appears in the Feb. 21, 2011, issue of the mag

Link: (Insider Subscription required) http://insider.espn.go.com/rpm/insider/news/story?id=6104142

Other nuggets in the issue:

· GARAGE PREVIEW: In advance of the season opener at Daytona on Feb. 20, we rate which teams will be contenders and who’s looking like field fillers.

· QUICK LEARNERS: Some of the most promising new NASCAR drivers — guys like Ricky Carmichael and Travis Pastrana — come from a motocross background. Now all they need to learn how to do is race with two extra wheels.

· HOW TO CRASH: So you’re going to crash. What now? Our series of illustrated tips from professional racers shows how to minimize damage to you and your vehicle.

· PIT CREW COMBINE: Who makes up a motor sports pit crew, and how are they hired? Turns out a lot of them are former college football players. We put them through the paces to see how good they really are.

SHOW #144 – We preview the Budweiser Shootout. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop.

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CREDITS:
Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Paul Northrop
Production: Kerry Murphey
Music: Radium Sound
Voice Over: Thomas Moog

STARTING LINEUP: 2011 Budweiser Shootout Starting Lineup – Dale Jr. On Pole

OFFICIAL ENTRY LIST

LIST CAR DRIVER OWNER CREW CHIEF YEAR MAKE SPONSOR
1 1 Jamie McMurray Teresa Earnhardt Kevin Manion 11 Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops-Tracker Boats
2 4 Kasey Kahne Dietrich Mateschitz Kenny Francis 11 Toyota Red Bull
3 5 Mark Martin Mary Hendrick Lance McGrew 11 Chevrolet GoDaddy.com
4 11 Denny Hamlin J D Gibbs Michael Ford 11 Toyota FedEx Express
5 14 Tony Stewart Margaret Haas Darian Grubb 11 Chevrolet Mobil 1
6 115 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Bobby Kennedy 11 Toyota NAPA
7 16 Greg Biffle Jack Roush Greg Erwin 11 Ford 3M
8 17 Matt Kenseth John Henry Jimmy Fennig 11 Ford CROWN ROYAL BLACK
9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Dave Rogers 11 Toyota M&M’s
10 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Greg Zipadelli 11 Toyota Home Depot
11 22 Kurt Busch Walter Czarnecki Steve Addington 11 Dodge Shell Pennzoil
12 24 Jeff Gordon Rick Hendrick Alan Gustafson 11 Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger
13 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Gil Martin 10 Chevrolet Budweiser
14 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Todd Berrier 10 Chevrolet Caterpillar
15 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Shane Wilson 10 Chevrolet Cheerios-Hamburger Helper
16 39 Ryan Newman Tony Stewart Tony Gibson 11 Chevrolet Wix Filters
17 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chip Ganassi Brian Pattie 11 Chevrolet Target
18 47 Bobby Labonte Tad Geschickter Frank Kerr 11 Toyota Reese-Highland
19 48 Jimmie Johnson Jeff Gordon Chad Knaus 11 Chevrolet Lowe’s-Kobalt Tools
20 64 Derrike Cope Larry Gunselman Dave Fuge Jr 10 Toyota TBA
21 78 Regan Smith Barney Visser Pete Rondeau 11 Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing
22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr Rick Hendrick Steve Letarte 11 Chevrolet National Guard-AMP Energy
23 97 Kevin Conway Andrea Nemechek Scott Eggleston 11 Toyota Extenze
24 99 Carl Edwards Jack Roush Bob Osborne 11 Ford Scotts EZ Seed