Fast Forward ~ The 2014 Sprint Unlimited At Daytona Fantasy Race Picks And Preview
Race Fans Forever Staff
“The
future is like a corridor into
which we can see only by the light
coming from behind.”
–Edward Weyer, Jr.
We’re Baaaaack!
Good Day Race Fans! It is a good day indeed, because the Race Fans Forever Fast Forward Race Previews are back, and that means, that yes, there will soon be cars going fast on the track! The usual crew is back as well, including PattyKay Lilley, Alabama Fitz, Brian Marchetti, Kevin Abraham, and yours truly, Jim Fitzgerald. We are also shaking it up a little this year, and have invited some of our most loyal site participants to play along with us. Early thanks go out to Vivian, Barbara, Nate, and Darrell for playing along. Additionally, Mr. Seven has returned, and he has brought some help with him to try to dethrone our crack team of prognosticators. We’re going to be dealing with Mr. Pole this year as well, since qualifying will be done under more-like racing conditions.
Each week we’ll give you a little preview of the track, such as size, turn banking, pit road speed, track records, and history tidbits. Then we’ll go into our picks, and except in the case fo this week, review how we all did for the previous week. So, without delay…Let’s Go Racin’!!
Live from Daytona….It’s Saturday Night!!
The Track: Daytona
International Speedway
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Length: 2.5 Mile tri-oval
Banking: Turn 1-4, 31 degrees
Frontstretch, 18 degrees
Backstretch, 3 degrees
Pit Road Speed: 55 MPH
The Race: The
Sprint Unlimited
75 Laps, 187.5 Miles
Defending Champion: Kevin Harvick, 177.538 MPH
Most recent winner: Kevin Harvick, 177.538 MPH
Track Record (Points Event): Buddy Baker, 177.602 MPH, February, 1980
Race Record: Buddy Baker, 1979, 194.384 MPH
Qualifying Record (Points Event): Bill Elliott, 210.364 MPH, February 1987
2012 Purse: $845,999.00
TV: Sat. February 15th, 2014 8:10PM FoxSports1
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) Sirius XM 90; www.mrn.com
The History:
Nov 25th, 1957- Ground breaking. The fill to build the banking was dug from the infield, in the area now known as Lake Lloyd.
February 20th, 1959- First Sprint Cup Series race was run, a 100 mile qualifying race which was won by Bob Welborn.
July 4th, 1959-Fireball Roberts won the first summer race at Daytona.
July 4th, 1984- Richard Petty wins his 200th career race with President Ronald Reagan in attendance.
February 14, 1988-Bobby Allison becomes the oldest winner at the track at 50 years, 2 months, 11 days.
Spring 1998-Lights were installed.
2010-Track was repaved.
February 20th, 2011- Trevor Bayne becomes the youngest winner at the track at 20 years, 1 day.
The Round Table Picks!
This is where we would normally go over how we all did last week…but we didn’t race last week so, moving right along…
Here are our picks for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona:
PattyKay Lilley: All right everyone. Hibernation time is
over; time to vacate the caves and get on down to Daytona, where that noise you
hear is the roar of V-8 (No, not vegetable juice) engines coming to life for
the 2014 season. First up is the Busch Clash/Bud Shootout/Sprint Unlimited,
with lineup, rules and all else yet to be decided... by those all-knowing
"fans" that are voting early and often on nascar.com in an on-line
version of "screw everyone that's not my driver."
Well, this old
fan might not be into destroying race formats or reversing the order of finish
three times over, but I do know a bit about racing. Two things are fact, going
into this race. It's held at Daytona, a restrictor plate track, and someone is
going to win the race, come Saturday night. Just a quick glance at prior
Clashes or whatever tells me that the same driver has won three of the last
five events. That's good enough for me. Even with a new team, new engines and a
new crew chief, he's still the same cagy driver and I'm telling you all up
front... Happy Harvick will be in Victory Lane... again... when the race is
over and the fireworks go off.
Jim Fitzgerald: Mama, I like that pick! Even though it's
not the same as my pick I think it's a good one. I am going to go in a
different direction and tell you that it will be Toyota Power that gets it done
at the Unlimited. When there's nothing but money and bragging rights on the
line, this guy is ready to either bring home the win or nothing else. My pick
for the Unlimited is Kyle Busch!
Kevin Abraham: NASCAR needs a positive PR image after
changing the world with the changes to the Chase. Plain and simple it is tin foil hat time boys
and girls!!! Look for either Danica
Patrick or Dale Earnhardt Jr. to lead the charge in the Shootout. My pick is
for a big wreck on the last lap and Danica Patrick taking the win in the
Shootout.
Jim Fitzgerald: Kev, I'm not
so sure about the positive PR deal, as there are some folks out there who
aren't as pissed off about the changes as others. Tin foil hat or not, Danica Patrick may not
be a bad pick. We know she can get
around Daytona after owning qualifying for the 500 last year and finishing in
the top ten. Plus, we're also looking at
a limited field which has the sole qualification of driving fast for one lap
last year, save for the previous winners.
Kevin Abraham:
Well, at least someone agrees with me.
Richard Petty doesn’t!
PattyKay Lilley: Kev, they may
call him King, but I think at times his crown must pinch his brain. Personally, I think at Daytona, which is
obviously a track to her liking; she has as good a shot as any man in the
race... especially the short one coming up this weekend. What do you think, Fitz?
Alabama Fitz: Well, as far as a pick, my driver
started out real strong last year then faded.
Everybody expected more out of him than we got. I'm thinking he'll get it done this year
starting right here. Look for the Blue
Deuce in the winner’s circle with Brad Keselowski in the driver’s seat.
Jim Fitzgerald: I think BK is a good pick, but not a
winning pick. However, you know he's a
guy who is probably going to bring the car home, even in a race like this one,
so it should be a good for points pick.
Kevin Abraham: I agree.
If BK was still running the MOPAR, it could be a winning pick. He has not impressed me driving the
Fusion. Okay…enough stalling, Brian!
Brian Marchetti: Everyone already knows how much I love
M&M’s, but I’m not taking Jim’s pick of Kyle Busch. Jim said Kyle will bring home the win or
nothing else, and I think for this race, it’s going to be nothing else. I am going to solidify someone else’s pick
with my own, though. Move over and make
room, PattyKay. I’m going to take
Harvick as well!
That’s it for our
Round Table picks…let’s hear what the fans say!
The Fan Picks!
Here is where we
open it up to some of our best and favorite fans! Vivian, get us rolling!
Vivian: Well, short and sweet, I think that Dale
Earnhardt, Jr. will win the Sprint Unlimited race. He has won the Unlimited
before and always runs well at restrictor plate tracks.
Barbara: I feel strongly that this is Jeff
Gordon’s signature race. I think he is revved up, has something to prove, and
is entering this year with a renewed determination.
Darrell: My pick for the Sprint Unlimited is Matt
Kenseth. He had such a great year last year and I think it will only get better
this year. He's had more time now to gel with the team and has more finishes
inside the Top-6 in the shorter Daytona races (Unlimited and Qualifying) than
he has outside. We all know he knows how to win on a plate track. I pick Matt
Kenseth...remember I said so!
Nate: I’m going to take No. 41, Kurt
Busch. He ran consistent and made the
chase in an underfunded team using quality engines last year. Now he’s in a fully funded team with quality
engines. I think the guy is hungry for a
win.
Well, I think we
have most of the field covered! Two
picks for Harvick, one for Kyle Busch, one for Patrick, one for Keselowski, one
for Earnhardt, Jr., one for Kenseth, one for Gordon and one for Kurt Busch.
We’ll see who is
right
And who is in the
wall
On this Saturday
night
Free For All!
“I’ve got Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, and Daytona
500. Those are the games I grew up
playing.” –Ray Lewis
Jim Fitzgerald @RaceFansJim
PattyKay Lilley @MamaPKL
Who is YOUR pick to win this week?