Posted on 07/01/2014 6:10:52 PM PDT by ican'tbelieveit
PRACTICE & QUALIFYING
Dates / Times / TV coverage
(times in eastern time)
Practices:
Thursday, July 3, 4:00 - 5:20 pm/et, TV-FS1
Happy Hour ‘Final’ practice: Thursday, July 3, 6:35 - 8:00pm/et, TV-FS1
Qualifying: group qualifying for positions 1-36, Friday, July 4 at 5:10pm/et, TV-FS1, re-air scheduled at 3:00am/et on FS1.
Track Specifications:
Track/Race Length: 2.5 mile oval, 160 laps, 400 miles
Tri-oval with 31-degree banking in the turns
18-degree banking in the tri-oval and 6-degree banking on the straightaways
Date track opened: 1959
Banking in turns 1-4: 31 degrees
Banking in tri-oval: 18 degrees
Banking on backstretch: 3 degrees
Banking on the straightaway: 6 degrees
Length of frontstretch: 3,800 feet
Length of backstretch: 3,400 feet
Grandstand Seating: 147,000 [was 168,000, will be 101,000 in 2016].
Pit Road Speed: 55 mph
Pace Car Speed: 70 mph
Pit Road Length: 1,600 feet
Pit Road Width: 50 feet
Opened: 1959
Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: TBA
Command to start engines: TBA
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: TBA
Invocation: TBA
National Anthem: TBA
Flyover: Three P-51 Mustangs
Race Coverage of the Coke Zero 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, July 5, 2014.
Television (TV): TNT at 7:30 pm/et; Pre-Race show at 6:30pm/et; green flag approx. 7:50pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs: none
Daytona installs more SAFER barrier; new crossover gates:
Daytona International Speedway has installed 2,400 linear feet of new SAFER barrier and six new crossover gates in time for this weekend’s NASCAR racing. SAFER barrier now lines the Speedway’s outside retaining wall from the entrance of Turn 3 at the backstretch to the exit of Turn 2, plus the majority of interior retaining walls. “After each event, we sit down and talk to NASCAR about things we need to improve on and SAFER barrier is always on that list,” Speedway president Joie Chitwood III said. “We added 1,900 linear feet in 2010 as part of the track repave. “What we decided to do after consulting with NASCAR was install this (additional) SAFER barrier. This is Daytona and we want to make advances where we can.” Meanwhile, the Speedway’s frontstretch crossover gates have all been converted to the new ramp-style design, which replaces the movable staircases. The track employed the new ramp design for two crossover gates during Speedweeks. The ramp allows for faster foot traffic to and from the main grandstands.”They exceeded expectations,” Chitwood said. “It will really help our fan movement from the grandstands to the football field (tri-oval grass). It will enhance the property.”(Daytona Beach News-Journal)(7-2-2014)
Keselowski cuts hand in victory lane UPDATES:
#2-Brad Keselowski cut his hand while in victory lane at Kentucky and had to go to the infield care center for treatment on his right hand:
WHAT HAPPENED IN VICTORY LANE?
“We were playing around with some champagne bottles and as I told my good friend, ‘We should have stuck with beer.’ We were having too much fun with champagne and one of the bottles broke and I cut my hand open. It’s no big deal.”
HOW MANY STITCHES?
“Four, but it’s all fixed now, so we’re good.”
EVERYTHING IS AN ADVENTURE WITH YOU.
“Yeah, welcome to the party. It’s all good. I’m just glad we won. It’s a lot better story when you win and get hurt.”(Ford Racing)(6-29-2014)
UPDATE:
What comes next are the questions about what Keselowski will still be able to do with his stitched and bandaged hand, appropriately adorned with his most recent “Winner” sticker, considering two of the things he’s most known for heavily involve his digital extremities: driving and tweeting. No stranger to injury, Keselowski once tweeted a gruesome image of a broken ankle sustained during a test session at Road Atlanta in 2011. He said he’s trying to rely less on his phone lately and didn’t get a chance to tweet a picture of his most recent injury because he didn’t have it on him in Victory Lane, but also — and more importantly — the laceration won’t be an issue when the series heads to Daytona International Speedway next week for the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola. “Do I anticipate (any problems holding the steering wheel)? No, last time I had stitches, it was just seven days or so and we’re going to Daytona, which is probably the easiest track you could ask for. I didn’t break any bones or any of that stuff. I just put a big gash, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”(NASCAR.com)(6-30-2014)
UPDATE 2:
After injuring his right hand on a broken champagne bottle in last week’s victory celebration, Keselowski will be re-examined in Daytona to determine if the stitches he received at Kentucky can be removed. The injury has not slowed him down as Keselowski did participate in testing this week.(Team Penske)(7-2-2014)
Fan Track Drive at Talladega:
Have you ever imagined seeing the view Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and the other top stars in NASCAR have when driving around Talladega Superspeedway?
Well, fans will have that special opportunity to tour the 2.66-mile venue - complete with 33-degrees of banking in the turns - in their own personal car during “Fan Track Drive,” a fundraising event for the American Red Cross on Saturday, July 26. The “Fan Track Drive” event will run from 9 am until 2 pm and will allow guests to drive their passenger vehicle two laps around the Talladega Superspeedway for a $50 contribution.
Each vehicle will closely follow one of Talladega Superspeedway’s Emergency Services vehicles, which will lead the field at highway speed. Currently, there are no other fan “drive” events planned for the remainder of 2014 at Talladega.
In addition to the “drive,” guests can take a high-speed ride around NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track in one of the speedway’s official pace cars - the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro - at a cost of $100.
All money for rides will be directly donated to the American Red Cross Talladega-St Clair Chapter.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!
Cup Practice #1 coming up at 4:00PM EST on FS1.
Daytona Weather looks to be fairly good as Hurricane Arthur is rolling into the NC coast.
P1 under a ZOT! Delay, Spotters ordered off the roof. Big UGLY cloud offshore and to the North in TV shot. No rain but thunder in the background on TV. Cars pulling out onto Pit Road now.
JR and Killer on Final Approach to DAB,
TV now reporting sprinkles all around Track;(
If ya got yer multi-engine ticket, I’m game....over 12.5k on the ramp ya gotta have 2 in the front office.....uh...I...uh jus’ got....uh like...ummm...how do I say it...(whispers)...10 hours turbine time....
But, hey, I wanna go out at Mach 1, 10 feet off the deck, inverted, with mah hairs on fire!
I don’t need no STINKING BADGERS!
HOTAS- Spin ‘em up and let’s roll!
We could load 6 whine in the rotary bomb bay and “deliver him”...
What is that called?... Skip Bombing yeah that’s it!
6 whine to the infield care center?....”cool” front came through...85 degrees and dry air...on the porch with old rock, CAO GOLD ROBUSTO CIGAR, AN’ GLENLIVET!
A real June Bug just flited across my screen...tell yer Sweetie this cowboy jus’ got a good omen...;-)
I was thinking more like down the backstretch from 2 to 3 and see if We could fling him over the wall about the spot JPM toasted the Jet-dryer.
CLT just finished getting hammered w/ outer bands from Aurthur We got a shower. I'm thinking God is trying to flush the scum/rats outta CLT and send them downstream.
Too bad CLT ain’t closer to the Pamlico....douche coming there. Morehead City RADAR is still up...party on the OuterBanks?
Daytona Speedway ought to name turn 3 after JPM. El Chodo thinks outside of the box...Juan Pablo Wonton....
They’ve been evacing the OBX.
JPW, I like it.
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