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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Daytona 500

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Matt Kenseth looked like he might be the first driver to go back-to-back in the Great American Race since Sterling Marlin did it in 1994-’95. Kenseth led four times for a total of 86 laps and ran in the top group all day, until a drivetrain failure ended his race 51 laps early in 37th place. (Editor’s Note: The official cause listed on the results sheet was “engine;” Joe Gibbs Racing officials are still determining the ultimate culprit). Kenseth did nab the bonus point for leading the most laps, impressive for his debut with a new team but left Daytona 33rd in points. Realistically, that won’t hurt his title hopes, but it had to be deflating for a driver in his first race with brand-new sponsors and crewmen.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Budweiser Duels at Daytona

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The Duels aren’t points races, so nobody saw their title hopes go up in flames like you might see at Talladega in October. However, the week’s activities did leave a few drivers behind the eight-ball to start the season. In particular, Carl Edwards has suffered what could be an early season blow, beginning with a hard crash in preseason Daytona testing. Last week, practicing for the Sprint Unlimited, Edwards wrecked his car for that race, forcing him to go to his Daytona 500 backup. His team made preparations to return to Charlotte for a replacement, which was a smart move because they’d need it: Edwards suffered another practice crash before having his primary car turned into sheet metal spaghetti in the first Duel.

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2013 Budweiser Duel 150s at Daytona

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Duel One – Kevin Harvick thought it was time to go, prior to the first green-flag pit stop of the race and he went, blowing by Trevor Bayne on Lap 37. That was pretty much all she wrote. The field spent the rest of the day simply trying to lap up Harvick’s beer exhaust, the Bud Chevy in another time zone just like the Sprint Unlimited Saturday night.

Duel Two – Jeff Gordon led. Then he sped… on pit road, so Kyle Busch pretty much took control from there. Kasey Kahne tried, and failed on the last lap to make a charge as teammate Matt Kenseth served as sacrificial lamb for Busch’s second career Duel victory.

Mirror Driving: Dueling Towards The 500 And Qualifying Quandaries

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*Danica Patrick made history last Sunday, becoming the first female to win a pole in the Sprint Cup Series. What impact, if any, will it have on her season and NASCAR as a whole?*
Phil: Somewhere between bukpis and bupkis. While it is nice to win the pole at Daytona, it doesn’t really help her case for the rest of the season. There have been drivers who have had terrible years win the pole for the 500. Loy Allen, Jr. won the pole in 1994, then DNQ’d 12 times.
Kevin: That’s the exact stat I was actually going to point to, Phil! In terms of the season, it’s definitely a nice boost of confidence, but it’s still just one pole position at the beginning of the year. She’s still gotta perform in the actual race(s).
Jeff: I think it gives her a big boost of confidence that she can drive a fast car. How much impact she has will depend on her ability to stay consistent. I think she will have some good races, top 15s even, and some 30-something finishes.

Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2013 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

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On lap 16, Tony Stewart attempted to change lanes and make a move on race leader Matt Kenseth. While he wasn’t cleared by his spotter, Stewart chose to shift down low which resulted in his left rear corner making contact with the right front of Marcos Ambrose. Stewart’s car got out of shape, made contact with the apron and sent a shower of sparks over several cars that were pursuing him. Jimmie Johnson checked up in the high line, which caused Denny Hamlin to make contact with the five-time champ, turning him down in front of the oncoming pack and ultimately taking out one-third of the field. The accident eliminated defending champion Kyle Busch, two-time Unlimited champion Jeff Gordon, 2006 winner Denny Hamlin and 1999 winner Mark Martin. Just like that, the field was reduced by one-third, many contenders sat idle in the garage and the drafting – along with the racing – became a shell of its former self.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

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The good news is that nobody had to worry about points on Saturday night. The bad news is that many teams come to Daytona with three cars: their Sprint Unlimited car, Daytona 500 car and Daytona 500 backup. After a practice wreck, some teams could be left scrambling. Carl Edwards’s team already loaded his Unlimited car on a hauler bound for Charlotte after his practice wreck; they’ll fix it, hang new sheetmetal, and bring it back to serve as the Daytona 500 backup as Edwards was forced to pull his original second car out for Saturday’s race.