2017 NASCAR Week 17: Daytona

Firecracker 400 (Coke Zero 400)

Daytona International Speedway 

By Richard Tix

What to Watch for?

Surprise Winner?

• Its that time again, lets talk plate racing. Now, I have not been the biggest fan of pack racing at these plate tracks and the consequences they bring, but they do bring in an interesting aspect of the surprise winner. With all the talk of the playoffs starting to heat up, a win here could mean everything to a smaller team or a win-less driver in 2017. A win here could also shake up the playoff picture a whole bunch, so it's a storyline to watch on Saturday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr's last Firecracker

• This is a storyline every week, but Junior and Daytona go hand in hand. A win this weekend would lock Jr into the playoffs (assuming we don't have 17 winners) and really help how his final season is viewed short term, and long term down the road. Junior has won two Firecracker 400's and two Daytona 500's, so a win this weekend would really cement his place in Daytona International Speedway history (as if it already isn't...).

Look to the Skies

• Oh, the weather outside is weather... It's going to be July in Florida, so it isn't a surprise to see rain forecast almost everyday this weekend. However, once again the chances of rain go up in the evening. So, once again the chances of the Firecracker 400 being impacted by rain in some way is high. Remember, Aric Almirola punched his "Chase" ticket by being in the right place at the right time when the rain came, so it's possible it could happen again. Even if the race doesn't get shortened we still have a high probability that people will run some crazy strategies in the hopes it does happen.

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Austin Dillon- If AD is going to pull off another win, Daytona might just be it. His average finish of 12.6 leads all current Cup regulars.
• Joey Logano- JoLo has finishes of 6th, 4th, 6th, 22nd, and 1st dating back to that win in 2015. He consistently has been a front runner at Daytona.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- Not much has to be said about Junior and plate tracks. However, he needs it this time to give him a shot at the playoffs.

The Middle

• Ryan Newman- You want a guy almost locked into finishing 20-28th? Newman is your guy. Maybe it is because he is normally in the group that sits back and waits, but whatever it is it really hasn't worked well.

The Bad

• Kasey Kahne- In his last nine races here Kahne has just three top 15s (two top ten's). He has more finishes of 25th or worse than career top tens (nine).
• Danica Partick- Bad luck seems to follow Danica. This season she has been a magnet towards the wall and almost every time it wasn't her fault. Add in the multiple wrecks she has had at Daytona and she will be lucky to make it out without an incident.
• Brad Keselowski- Talking about bad luck, BK has had the same type of luck at Daytona. While he runs very well at Talladega, DIS has been a bit more up and down. He won this race last year, but previously his last top 15 was in 2014.

About the Track: Daytona

Track Stats

• Jimmie Johnson was the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to win both stops at DIS in a single season (2013)
• Tony Stewart won from 42nd starting position 7/7/12, which is the farthest back anyone has won from (Firecracker 400)
• However, Matt Kenseth won from 39th in the 2009 500, which is the farthest back anyone has won the Daytona 500
• A Toyota only has two wins at DIS (Kyle Busch 2008 Firecracker and Denny Hamlin 2016 Daytona 500)
• Chevy has won 8 of the last 16. Ford has won 8 of 17. Denny Hamlin won the other.
• Trevor Bayne is still the youngest Daytona 500 win (19 years old. 2011 Daytona 500). It is still his only Cup win.

Track Info

• Surface- Asphalt
• Length- 2.5 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 31 degrees
• Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
• Back Straight: 2 degrees