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JANUARY 2005
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DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY SPECIAL ISSUE
7
9
WINTER 2005
THE 5 GREATEST
DAYTONA 500 RACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
NewsChannel 2’s Sports Reporter, Buddy Pittman,
picks five exciting 500 races he thinks were the
greatest of all.
HURLEY HAYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Five-time Rolex 24 winner and most successful
sports car driver in track history.
12
16
SPEEDWEEKS 2005 CALENDAR
OF EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
JEFF GORDON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Is there another 500 in his future?
DALE EARNHARDT JR. . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Seeks back-to-back wins in racing’s “Super Bowl.”
19
23
BENNY PARSONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
He tackles Daytona International Speedway in a
different kind of vehicle...
DAYTONA 500... THE GREAT
AMERICAN RACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
THE BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT . . . . . . . .23
Season opener for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.
24
27
INFIELD RENOVATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .24
New garages, new Gatorade Victory Lane, new
waterfront vehicle facility, new FanZone and
new Turn 1 state-of-the-art tunnel. Check out
the artist’s renderings of the infield renovations.
YOUNG GUNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..27
They’re shooting for a win at the Daytona 500.
Editors
Art Directors
Content
Photos
Editorial Services
WESH-TV Pres. & GM
Advertising Editor
Managing Editor
Produced by
Suzanne Grethen, Ed Trauschke
Lia Lim, Eric Schreiner
Andrew Booth, Daytona International
Speedway Communications Coordinator/Writer
Motorsports Images and Archives
M. F. Kershner Marketing Comm.
Bill Bauman
Joe Chaplinski
DJ Stephens
M. F. Kershner Marketing Comm.
W E S H T V • 1 0 2 1 N O R T H W Y M O R E R O A D • W I N T E R PA R K • F L
ON THE COVER:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. at
Victory Lane
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32789 • 407-645-2222
Remember the ‘Good Old Days?’
…when, if you were really sick, your doctor might suggest you pack a bag and head to Duke, Mayo, M. D. Anderson or one of
those “name” hospitals. When clinical trials were held someplace else and if a baby came into the world in trouble the nearest
specialty help was hours away? In health care the good old days weren’t all that good.
How far we’ve come was emphasized last month when HealthGrades, the leading national independent healthcare quality company, announced its 2005 ratings of U.S. hospitals:
Halifax Medical Center ranked in the top 5% of hospitals in the nation for heart surgery.
Halifax Medical Center was one of the top two hospitals in Florida for Orthopedics.
Halifax Medical was in the top 10% in the nation for gastrointestinal surgery.
Halifax Medical Center was 5-Star Rated for treatment of aspiration pneumonia.
Halifax Medical Center was 5-star Rated for treatment of stroke.
Since 2003 Halifax has been honored by HealthGrades with its Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical ExcellenceTM based on
successful outcomes for its patients. In addition to having a Level II Trauma Center, the Kerman Regional Oncology Center is a
leading site for clinical trials of new cancer-fighting drugs, and the neo-natal intensive care unit is now one of those places other
hospitals send newborns for care.
Halifax remembers the ‘Good Old Days’ but the focus of our
physicians and Team is on the better days to come.
For physician referral or service information, call Health Line at (386) 258-4848. • www.halifax.org
6
NewsChannel 2’s Sports Reporter,
BUDDY PITTMAN
TOP
RACES EVER
5ATBEST
DAYTONA
rom the roar of the engines…to the roar of the
crowds…they have been racing at the Daytona
International Speedway since 1959. In almost a halfcentury of racing, there have been plenty of memorable
moments.
F
For instance, the very first race, the 1959 Daytona 500 ended
in a three-way photo finish, with Lee Petty finally being
named the winner, three days later. That race was a bit before
my time. But in the past 31 years that I have been covering
races at Daytona, there have been some pretty special
moments and exciting finishes. In looking back over three
decades, here are my Top Five:
Number Five takes us back to the 1984
Pepsi 400.
President Ronald Reagan said those famous words,
"Gentlemen, start your engines" from aboard Air Force One.
And moments later became the first sitting president to ever
attend a NASCAR race. The best, however, was yet to come.
As they came to the final green flag lap, Cale Yarborough and
Richard Petty were dueling door handle to door handle. The
two were bumping as they came to the start/finish line. Petty
gets the win by mere inches over Yarborough. This was not
just another win for Petty, however. This was his 200th career
trip to Victory Lane. It would also be his last.
Number Four came in the 1998 Daytona 500.
Dale Earnhardt had won more races at Daytona than any other
driver, but had never won the Big Daddy of them all, the
Daytona 500. Earnhardt was making his 20th start in
NASCAR's Super Bowl event, and as team owner Richard
Childress said, "It was just like John Elway when he won the
Super Bowl. He just had that look in his eye." This would be
the year. Twenty years of frustration came to an end that day,
as Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500. The significance of that win was clearly evident, as every crew member
from every team lined up on pit road to congratulate Dale.
Thirty-one trips to Victory Lane at Daytona for Earnhardt, this
one tops them all, his first and only Daytona 500 win. "Been
here a lot,” Dale said, “but this is the greatest time I have ever
had in Victory Lane."
Number Three on our memory trip came
10-years earlier in 1988.
One of the big storylines that year was the possible Allison
family feud. The veteran Bobby Allison, who had already
won the 500 twice, would face the challenge of his up and
coming superstar son, Davey. Before the day was done, race
fans were once again treated to another of Daytona's special
moments. The final lap would produce a two-car battle, and
as you might have guessed by now, a battle between the
Allisons. When the checkered flag dropped that day, Dad finished first…Son finished second. At age 50, Bobby Allison
became, and still is, the oldest driver to ever win the Daytona
500. Judy Allison was asked after the race, which she was
rooting for...her husband or her son? She quickly replied,
"Bobby pays the bills."
Number Two is the 1979 Daytona 500.
That was the first live televised broadcast of the 500 and boy
did they get a show.
On the final lap, Cale Yarborough pulled out to pass the
leader, Donnie Allison. Donnie slams the door, however, as
the two bang fenders down the backstretch and both crash into
the outside wall in Turn 3 as the leaders take each other out of
the race. That opened the door for the third place driver,
Richard Petty, to capture his 6th Daytona 500 win. But the
show was far from over. Back to Turn 3 where the tempers
flared. Allison and Yarborough's heated debate turned into a
fistfight that was soon joined by Donnie's brother, Bobby
Allison. "Before I knew it, Cale's nose was pounding my fist"
said Bobby. Order was finally restored, but what a TV debut
for NASCAR.
Continued on Page 15
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8
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Hurley Haywood: Part of
the Speedway History
T
here’s no record of how many miles five-time Rolex
24 At Daytona champion Hurley Haywood has logged
at Daytona International Speedway, but it’s hard to
imagine anybody has logged more.
Since competing in his first Rolex 24 At Daytona back in
1971, Haywood knows every twist, turn and bump on Daytona
International Speedway’s historic road course.
The Jacksonville, Florida resident has become the most
successful sports car driver in the history of Daytona
International Speedway, winning a record of 13 major races
including an unprecedented five Rolex 24s.
“My first victory here was the Rolex 24 in 1973 and was probably the most satisfying,” Haywood recalls. "It was a pretty awesome feat. Our Brumos Porsche team, with Peter Gregg and
myself driving, was racing our Porsche sister car driven by Mark
Donohue and George Folmer and fielded by Roger Penske.
We raced wheel to wheel with them, and we were able to beat
them,” he said. “That made Peter very happy, that it was
Brumos Racing, the team he owned, that won against Penske
Racing. It made me very happy that I was competitive, driving
against Mark Donohue and George Folmer, two of the best
guys in road racing at that point."
the checkered flag in another Rolex 24 would be as satisfying
as that first one in 1973.
"Over the years, all of my victories here have really cemented
the event's importance to me,” Haywood said. “Daytona has a
rich history and plenty of drama. I'm proud to say that I have
played a small part in it."
This coming Feb. 5th and 6th, the 56-year-old Haywood will
return to his “home track” of Daytona International Speedway
for his 31st start in the Rolex 24, the toughest and most
demanding 24-hour endurance race in the world. Haywood
will be driving the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche FABCAR
Daytona Prototype.
It’s the third year for the Daytona Prototype class –
the sleek and stylish sports car that has become the
premier division of the Rolex Sports Car Series.
Daytona Prototype, which Haywood helped
develop, will be an ultra competitive class in the
Rolex 24 with a record number of entries battling for the overall victory.
For Haywood, an unprecedented sixth overall
victory is not out of the question. After all of
his many years of accomplishments, taking
Five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona champion Hurley
Haywood, left, talks a Brumos Racing mechanic.
9
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ADVANCE DISCOUNT
AUTO PARTS 200
The Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 is the seasonopening event for the ARCA RE/MAX Series and features
some of the rising stars of stock car racing in a 200-mile
sprint race.
February 13, 2005
The Daytona 500 may be the marquee
event of Speedweeks 2005, but NASCAR’s
signature event is just the entrée on a dish
that serves up some great appetizers as well.
The drama of Speedweeks begins February
5th & 6th, with the 43rd Anniversary of
the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
February 5 & 6, 2005
ROLEX 24
The 43rd anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona kicks off
Speedweeks 2005 on Feb. 5th & 6th. The Rolex 24 is the
toughest and most demanding sports car endurance race in
the world and is the season opener to the Rolex Sports Car
Series season. An international field of drivers will compete
on the Speedway's 3.56-mile road course in the ultimate test
of man and machine.
February 12, 2005
BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT
The Budweiser Shootout, a non-points, All-Star race featuring the previous year’s pole winners and past Budweiser
Shootout champions, kicks off the new NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Series season with a 70-lap dash for cash under the lights.
10
BUD POLE DAY
On Sunday, February 13th, Bud Pole Day and the
IPOWER DASH 150 take center stage. More than 50
of the world's best stock car drivers will take to the high
banks of Daytona International Speedway for a shot
at the pole and outside pole for the Daytona 500 –
"The Great American Race.”
IPOWER DASH 150
Following the high-speed qualifying session will be the
IPOWER DASH 150, which will feature many of America’s
up and coming stock car racing drivers in a 150-mile sprint
to the finish.
February 17, 2005
GATORADE DUEL
AT DAYTONA
Tension runs high at the Gatorade Duel on Thursday,
February 17th as these two separate 150-mile qualifying
races determine the starting field for the Daytona 500.
These two races feature every Daytona 500 entrant. It is also
the nation's largest weekday sporting event and showcases
some of the most daring driving of Speedweeks.
For tickets to any of the Speedweeks
2005 events, call 1-800-PITSHOP or log on
to www.daytona500.com
Insider NASCAR4CH
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February 18, 2005
FLORIDA DODGE
DEALERS 250
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN
TRUCK SERIES
For the second time during Speedweeks 2005, Daytona
International Speedway will go under the lights for the
Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series race on Friday night, February 18th. The tough trucks
from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will let the
sparks fly for 100 laps in one of the most unpredictable races
of Speedweeks.
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CROWN ROYAL
IROC SERIES
Before the trucks take to the track on Friday, the Crown
Royal IROC Series, an invitation-only All-Star series featuring both stock car and open-wheel drivers, will open its fourrace season with a 40-lap event.
February 19, 2005
HERSHEY’S Take 5 300
The Hershey's Take 5 300, the premier race on the NASCAR
Busch Series, goes green on Saturday, February 19th. Many
of NASCAR's future stars will push present NEXTEL Cup
veterans for one of the most coveted trophies in all of
NASCAR racing.
February 20, 2005
DAYTONA 500
This is the grand finale for Speedweeks at Daytona. The
“Great American Race,” is NASCAR’s biggest, richest and
most prestigious event of the year. There’s no other race that
race teams focus on more than NASCAR’s signature event –
the Daytona 500.
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Jeff Gordon: Awestruck,
Amazed By Daytona
I
t’s easy for Jeff Gordon to remember his first trip to
Daytona International Speedway – it was his first time
in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car.
Gordon, who many times just drove by the “World Center
of Racing” on his way to the nearby short track in
Barberville, Fla., finally got to drive on the famed 2.5-mile
tri-oval in 1991, testing a NASCAR Busch Series machine
for Bill Davis Racing.
“I was driving for Bill Davis. I came down there to test
and to get ready for Busch in 1991,” Gordon said. “What
was neat was the Busch cars were at Daytona with the
NEXTEL Cup cars, and for whatever reason, Jack Roush
needed somebody to get in Mark Martin’s car. I got the
opportunity to drive his Folgers’ car. I remember how
much I liked it,” he continued. “The Busch cars didn’t
have much horsepower. They were pretty easy to
drive. The NEXTEL Cup car had a lot more
power and that was the first I ever drove one.
That was pretty neat.”
Besides being thrilled to be sitting in a NEXTEL
Cup car, Gordon was also left awestruck by the size
and speed of Daytona.
“I had never seen or been around anything like it,” Gordon
recalls. “It was amazing. Most of it was the sheer size
of it and how fast you could go. It was just the fact that
you could go to a racetrack, hold the throttle wide open,
and never have to lift. That’s hard to comprehend.”
Gordon has experienced a tremendous amount of
success at Daytona. He won his first race at Daytona,
a Gatorade 125-mile qualifier in 1993. It was his
rookie Nextel Cup season with Hendrick Motorsports.
He has also won two Daytona 500s (1997, 1999),
three Pepsi 400s (1995, 1998, 2004), two Budweiser
Shootouts (1994, 1997) and an International Race of
Champions event (1998).
“I like Daytona,” Gordon said. “We prepare a lot for
that race and that race track. I was very fortunate the
first race we ever ran there in the No. 24 car in 1993.
We had a good car,” he pointed out, “won the Gatorade
125-mile qualifier and finished fifth in the 500. I got to
run around Dale Earnhardt quite a bit that day. You learn
a lot running with Dale at Daytona. That was a great
experience right from the beginning. It seems like ever
since then, I’ve had a chance to go back there and continue
the learning process. I learned a lot early on.”
Jeff Gordon celebrates his win in the 2004 Pepsi 400. Gordon has
three Pepsi 400 victories and two Daytona 500 triumphs.
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NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. ©2004 JG Motorsport, Inc. ©2004 GM Corp.
Daytona
Pocono
Richmond
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Daytona
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Charlotte
Darlington
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Talladega
Talladega
California
Sonoma
Charlotte
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1 MANUFACTURER. CHEVY.
Pocono
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Atlanta
CHEVY™ WINS A RECORD 28TH MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP | WINNING MORE RACES IN ’04 THAN ANYONE | CHEVY– THE WINNINGEST NAME IN RACING
13
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Continued from Page 7
This brings me to my Number One all-time great
race at Daytona.
Without question it has to be the 1976 Daytona 500. It was a
classic David Pearson - Richard Petty duel that produced one
of the most incredible finishes in NASCAR history. The battle
had been brewing for about 100 laps, when on the final lap,
Pearson passed Petty for the lead on the backstretch. As they
came through turn 4, Petty ducks low and passes Pearson.
But there is contact. Both drivers spin...hit the wall...and went
sliding through the tri-oval grass. Pearson back at the
entrance to pit road...Petty comes to rest in the grass about
300 feet shy of the finish line.
Everyone else was a lap down, so it was still Petty's or
Pearson's race to win. Petty was closest to the finish line, but
the radiator was pushed into the fan, and he could not get his
car restarted. Pearson had dumped the clutch and kept his
engine from stalling. Pearson straightened out his damaged
machine and Petty could only watch, as Pearson slowly crept
past…crossing the finish line for the only Daytona 500 victory
of his career. "It must have been some finish to watch, huh,"
said Pearson. Even Richard Petty had to agree.
Picking just five top racing memories at Daytona was not easy.
And although there have been a lot of past personal memories,
I am also excited about the future. Will Jeff Gordon top
Earnhardt and Petty's seven championships? Will Dale Jr.
surpass his dad's legend? Is the sport big enough for the
young guns and the old guard? I can hardly wait for that next
"memorable moment."
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Dale Earnh
Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrates his first career victory in the Daytona 500 with his Budweiser crew in Gatorade Victory Lane.
ale Earnhardt Jr. began visiting Daytona
International Speedway as a young boy to watch his
father and racing legend Dale Earnhardt compete on
the historic 2.5-mile tri-oval in the Pepsi 400 – the
mid-summer classic held annually on Independence Day
weekend in July.
D
In between tossing the football with the other driver’s kids or
just playing on the beach, Earnhardt Jr. watched his father do
battle with other NASCAR greats on the historic 31-degree
high banks of Daytona International Speedway from a scoring
stand located in Turn 1.
Nowadays, Earnhardt Jr. drives through the hallowed tunnels
of “The World Center of Racing” as driver of the No. 8
16
Budweiser Chevrolet and has turned the legendary racing
facility into his personal playground posting nine career victories.
“This place is a great race track with a lot of history. It has
such an impact on the sport. There are other tracks on the circuit that are important to NASCAR and that are cornerstones
and the foundation. But this place here is a pillar,” observed
Earnhardt Jr., whose father Dale Earnhardt is the winningest
driver at the track with 34 victories.
“This place really represents everything that I like about the
sport,” he continued. “I really like coming here. When you
come in (through the tunnel), you can't get here fast enough
and then when you leave, you drive out real slow, getting
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8
nhardt JR.
Seeking Back-to-Back WINS!
Earnhardt Jr.’s Daytona 500 victory was part of a dominating
performance from the North Carolina native during Speedweeks
2004. Other highlights include:
• Nearly winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona with co-drivers
Andy Wallace and Tony Stewart.
• Finishing second to Dale Jarrett in the Budweiser Shootout,
a non-points All-Star event that features previous year’s pole
winners and past Budweiser Shootout champions.
• Winning both a Gatorade 125-mile qualifier and the
Hershey’s Take 5 300 NASCAR Busch Series race.
During Speedweeks, Earnhardt Jr. completed 880 laps – more
than 2,427 miles – and led 464 laps during five races. He led
344 laps during the Rolex 24 At Daytona, 14 laps during the
Gatorade 125’s, 59 laps during Daytona 500 and 47 laps in the
Hershey’s Take 5 300.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. parks his No. 8 Chevrolet at the start/finish line after
winning the Daytona 500 and shares a moment with the fans.
every little last bit you can, because it's going to be too long
before you come back. I love it.”
During Speedweeks 2004, Earnhardt Jr. accomplished the goal
that every driver dreams about – winning the Daytona 500 –
NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race.
“This has to be the greatest day of my life,” Earnhardt Jr. said
in his Gatorade Victory Lane comments.
Winning NASCAR’s signature event in only his fifth career
start in the race was a load off of Earnhardt Jr.’s shoulders. His
father needed 20 starts before he could hoist the storied Harley
J. Earl trophy, awarded to the Daytona 500 champion.
“I'm just real excited to have won this race,” proclaimed
Earnhardt Jr., whose winning No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet has
been on display for the past year at DAYTONA USA – “The
Official Attraction of NASCAR.” “It's really hard to win it.
Some of our greatest competitors come in and out of this sport
without taking this trophy home. I'm glad I can say I've accomplished it and I can put the ongoing strive to win it behind me
because we really wanted to win it so bad.”
And he was well rewarded for all of his efforts during
Speedweeks as he pocketed more than $1.7 million in earnings.
“I feel like we earned every victory and feel like we worked for
it and just didn’t come down here with a blistering fast car in
every race and walk away from everybody. We feel pretty good
at what we achieved and the matter in which we did it and the
manual labor involved in it,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
“The feeling I get when I come to Daytona is that the fans that
come here are representative of the entire country,” Earnhardt
Jr. points out. “When you go to Daytona you get people from
all over the country that come to this race because this is the
pinnacle of the sport. This is the track that laid the foundation
for every other track that has been built since. This is our
Super Bowl. Even when you come for the (Pepsi) 400 you still
feel that history and impact it has to the sport. The fans are
lured from everywhere and its kind of a collage where other
tracks are represented by that part of the country.”
Earnhardt Jr. appreciates the success that he has experienced at
Daytona International Speedway. He understands the spotlight
that Daytona International Speedway falls under and compares
a victory there to “winning a game at Yankee Stadium.”
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Benny Parsons:
Infield Renovation
Brings Back Memories
Benny Parsons is all smiles after winning the 1975 Daytona 500.
B
enny Parsons turned plenty of laps in a race
car at historic Daytona International
Speedway and even captured NASCAR’s
signature event, the Daytona 500, in 1975.
Following the 2004 Pepsi 400 Weekend in July,
Parsons, the 1973 NASCAR champion and analyst for
NBC Sports/TNT, got behind the wheel of a different
kind of vehicle, a bulldozer, to kick off the multi-million dollar infield renovation project at Daytona
International Speedway.
It was ironic that Parsons was bulldozing the garages
that he so desperately wanted to get into when he was
a racing fan in the 1960s.
“First time I came here was in 1963,” Parsons remembered. “I didn’t know a soul. I was a huge racing fan.
I wanted inside the garage area so bad I couldn’t stand
it. I hung on that fence and watched those cars get
pushed by for 10 days.”
It was a bit of luck that he met driver H.B. Bailey and
his wife who were staying at the same hotel. “I guess
the statute of limitations has run out,” Parsons said.
Continued on Page 22
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DAYTONA 500: Unmatched Prestige
M
ost sports cap off their seasons with the
biggest event. The NFL has the Super Bowl,
Major League Baseball has the World Series
and the NHL has the Stanley Cup Finals.
For NASCAR, their most prestigious
event is its first race of the year – the
Daytona 500.
Also known as the “Great American
Race,” the Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s
biggest, richest and most prestigious
event of the year. There is no other race
that teams focus on more than
NASCAR’s signature event – the
Daytona 500.
It's a new season,” Sadler continued. “All the sponsors are
there looking good. Nothing is left on the table.
You see 43 of the best drivers, mechanics, pit crews, engine
builders, body guys that there is in this sport and when
you're able to do that, those are some
pretty good bragging rights for a long
time. That's something we all look forward to doing.”
“The Daytona 500 is unmatched as far
as attention,” added two-time Daytona
500 champion Michael Waltrip.
The 2004 Daytona 500, won by Dale
Earnhardt Jr., lived up to its billing as
NBC’s coverage of that year’s sold-out
“Great American Race” was watched by
33.5 million viewers and earned a 10.6
national rating/24 share..
“If you go to any of the race shops
during December and January, you
understand how important the
Daytona 500 is because speedway
“The Great American Race” also has
cars are laid out everywhere,” said
the largest total payout in prize money
Elliott Sadler, who drives the No. 38
for any motorsports event in the
M&M’s Ford for Robert Yates
United States, surpassing the
Teresa Earhnardt hoists the Governor’s Cup,
Racing. “They're doing every little
Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard
awarded to the winning car owner of the
thing they can to them to go down
400. The total posted awards for the
Daytona 500.
there. I think that's what is so excitDaytona 500 was nearly $16 million
ing about winning that race is that you know everybody
with race winner Earnhardt Jr. pocketing $1,495,070.
has brought their best equipment.
EXPERIENCE DOWNTOWN
DELAND
© 2004 McDonald’s Corporation
21
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Continued from Page 19
“His wife slipped me a pit pass
and I was able to sneak in for a
quick visit to the garage area. I
got in for about two hours that
day. It was the highlight of my
life, getting inside the garage area
and being close to those race cars.”
That’s why one of Parsons’
favorite aspects of the infield renovation is the ability for fans to
get up close to the garage area in
the FanZone. “I think the fans are
going to find it thrilling to be so
close to those cars on the walkways overlooking the garage
areas,” Parsons observed. “I think
the closer the fans can get to the
cars, the better they are going to
enjoy the experience.”
In July, Benny Parsons kicked off the infield renovation project at Daytona International Speedway by
knocking down one of the NEXTEL Cup garages.
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All-Star Season Opener:
The Budweiser Shootout
efore the engines fire for this season-opening
Daytona 500 – NASCAR’s biggest, richest and
most prestigious event NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series – the stars of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series warm up with a 70-lap, no-holds barred All-Star race
known as the Budweiser Shootout.
B
Held on Saturday night, Feb. 12, the Budweiser Shootout
features the previous year’s pole winners, as well as past
Budweiser Shootout champions, in a winner-take-all sprint
race under the lights at Daytona International Speedway.
As the 2004 NEXTEL Cup Series season neared its conclusion, there were already 20 drivers qualified for the 2005
Budweiser Shootout, two shy of the record of 22 set in 2002.
Drivers that have secured spots by winning poles this year
include Joe Nemechek, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Brian
Vickers, Casey Mears, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Bobby
Labonte, Ricky Rudd, Jimmie Johnson, Jeremy Mayfield
and Kurt Busch.
Past Budweiser Shootout champions eligible are 2004
Budweiser Shootout champion Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt
Jr., Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Ken
Schrader, Bill Elliott, and Terry Labonte.
Dale Jarrett, driver of the No. 88 UPS Ford, held off Dale Earnhardt Jr.
to win the Budweiser Shootout under the lights.
Before the Budweiser Shootout goes green, the ARCA
RE/MAX Series will warm things up at the “World Center
of Racing” with the Advance Discount Auto Parts 200.
The ARCA RE/MAX Series is a proving ground for future
NASCAR stars and past winners. Some of the drivers who
have taken the checkered flag in the Advance Discount
Auto Parts 200 at Daytona include Kyle Busch, Ryan
Newman, Kenny Irwin, Mike Wallace, Kyle Petty, Joe
Ruttman, Benny Parsons and Tim Richmond.
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23
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Infield Renovation R
For Speedweeks 2
B
C
D
hen fans visit Daytona International
Speedway for any of the upcoming 2005
events, they are going to have a hard time
recognizing the historic infield of the “World
Center of Racing.”
W
After the Pepsi 400 last July, the infield of Daytona
International Speedway underwent a massive multi-million
dollar infield renovation that included:
A
24
New waterfront specialty vehicle parking area with
premium and standard specialty vehicle parking spots
next to Lake Lloyd, as well as waterfront docks, a
Boardwalk and Boardwalk Center
B
New NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and
NASCAR Busch Series garages.
C
Uniquely designed FanZone that offers a variety of
entertainment and fun for all ages, as well as exclusive
viewing of the new NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and
NASCAR Busch Series garage areas.
D
A new Gatorade Victory Lane which will include
“The Daytona 500 Club” buffett and bar area. Fans will
also be able to experience the excitement of the area
during post-race revelry by toasting the winners in
Victory Lane.
Insider NASCAR4CH
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Page 27
n Ready
s 2005
E
A
E
A new state-of-the-art tunnel located in Turn 1 that will accommodate team
transport vehicles and guest's specialty vehicles.
The multi-faceted infield renovation project will make “The World Center of
Racing” not only the most prestigious track on the NASCAR circuit, but one of the
most modern as well.
“We are excited to have this opportunity to put a new dress on an old lady,”
Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. “Without a doubt, this
is one of the most expansive and aggressive projects at Daytona International
Speedway. Take a good look. When you come back for Speedweeks 2005, you
won’t recognize our infield.”
To get tickets for any of the Speedweeks 2005 events, go online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
25
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YOUNG GUNS
Chasing First Daytona 500 V ictory
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first Daytona 500 on his fifth career start while Kevin Harvick, after three starts, is still searching for his first
Daytona 500 victory.
I
n 2004, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke through with his first
career Daytona 500 victory in his fifth career start in
“Great American Race” at historic Daytona
International Speedway.
Earnhardt Jr. was the first of the new generation NASCAR
drivers tapped “Young Guns” to triumph NASCAR’s signature event – the Daytona 500.
Now other NASCAR Young Guns like Kevin Harvick, Kurt
Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and
Jamie McMurray hope they can be the next driver to put
their hands on the coveted Harley J. Earl trophy.
“Oh, this is the one that we’re all shooting for,” said
Harvick, who has three starts in the Daytona 500 as the
driver of the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for
Richard Childress Racing.
Busch, who drives the No. 97 Ford for Roush Racing and
has four Daytona 500 starts, posted a career best secondplace run in the 2003 Daytona 500.
He has seen drivers such as Dale Earnhardt and Darrell
Waltrip celebrate Daytona 500 victories only after spending
years trying to win the prestigious race.
Busch says he has no idea how he would feel if he could
win the Daytona 500.
27
“It's difficult to put it in perspective,” Busch said. “I
watched Dale Earnhardt so many years be the best car on
the race track and go through so much turmoil. So many
different things kept him away from Victory Lane. When
he finally did achieve it, nobody knew how to feel, except
to come out on to pit road and everybody wanted to congratulate him. You have to go through many years of suffering to understand how important this race is.”
Johnson, who wheels the No. 48 Lowe’s Home
Improvement Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, sat on
the pole position for the Daytona 500 in 2002. He has made
only three starts in the Daytona 500, taking third place in
2003, for his best finish.
He hopes a win in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’
biggest race will jumpstart a championship season.
“That would obviously be our biggest event,” Johnson said.
“Coming out as the first race of the year, it supercharges
everybody's emotions and nerves. To be able to start off
the season with that win and have the trophy for my mantle
would be a huge accomplishment.”
So, will one of these “Young Guns” be able to pull it off at
the Daytona International Speedway in 2005? It will be
exciting. They all have one thing in mind, to win the 500.
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Armada
Frontier
Murano
Pathfinder
Xterra
Titan
Quest
Maxima
Altima
Sentra
Z ® Roadster
Z®
It’s not just a tagline.
Or a hollow rallying cry.
It’s the truth.
A SHIFT_ has been made. And it’s forged of equal parts imagination and sheet
metal. And it’s swept over all our cars, trucks and SUVs, making each one a true original. For instance, the Nissan Pathfinder will now seat seven. The Nissan Frontier will have
the most powerful V6 engine of any truck. And the Nissan Xterra will get you out of
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line. And the best news of all: we’re just getting warmed up. It’s true. A SHIFT_ has been
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2005 Frontier available 12/04, 2005 Xterra 2/05. Nissan, the Nissan Brand Symbol, “SHIFT_” tagline, Z® and Nissan model names are Nissan trademarks. Tread Lightly!® Please. Always
wear your seat belt, and please don’t drink and drive. ©2004 Nissan North America, Inc.
28
Insider NASCAR4CH
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Page 31
First Name
Street Address
Daytime Phone Number
e-mail address
Last Name
City
County
Evening Phone Number
Profession
ENTER
TO WIN
Zip
1. Two tickets
to the 2005
Daytona 500
Please Circle Your answer(s) to the following:
Would you be interested in receiving WESH news stories and/or Severe Weather
Alerts via your e-mail address?
Yes
No
Gender:
Age:
Male
less than 25
Female
25-35
36-45
46-55
56-65
65+
Combined Household Income: less than $25,000 $25K to $50K $50K to $75K
$75K+
What time of day do you watch local news ?: 5-7a.m. Noon 5-6:30 p.m. 10 p.m. 11 p.m.
How many hours a week do you watch television?: <10
What type of television signal do you receive?
10-20
20-30
Cable
Satellite
List, in order of preference, your top 3 WESH Personalities:
1)
2)
3)
List, in order of preference, your favorite television news stations:
1)
2)
For a complete set of rules, send a self addressed
stamped envelope to the same address or go to
WESH.com for rules and alternate entry
30-40
3)
40-50
50+
Antenna
2. Entrance to
Gatorade
Victory Lane
3. Your photo
with the
winner of
the 2005
Daytona 500!
Send your completed entry
form by FEB 1, 2005 to:
Gatorade Victory Lane
Sweepstakes
WESH TV
PO Box 8222
Winter Park, FL 32790
or register online at WESH.com
29
Insider NASCAR4CH
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8:58 AM
Page 32
Prize Drawings
Win a 12 day Panama Canal Cruise from Cruise
Savers Inc. Be ready to Shop ‘til You Drop, there
will be fashions, accessories, make-up, items for
the home and garden plus vehicles to check out.
MARCH
5 & 6th
There are health screenings, retail show specials,
cooking demonstrations, a rock climbing wall,
music, auto safety, celebrity impersonators, food
sampling, make-overs, fashion shows, & more.
Hours: Sat. and Sun 10 AM - 6 PM
Orange County Convention Center
Hall A1
Go to wesh.com
for further show details.
Something for everyone!
• Free Bicycle Helmets to the first 300 children each
day 13 years and under accompanied by an adult
• Free WESH baseball cap to the first 500
adults each day (age 16 and older)
• Meet your favorite WESH on-air personality
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Insider NASCAR4CH
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Page 33
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