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SPORTS Saturday 17 February 2018

Shifting gears: NASCAR’s young look on display for Daytona

By JENNA FRYER Earnhardt in fan voting for “Our team orders are to
AP Auto Racing Writer NASCAR’s most popular work together as best you
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) driver , and Hendrick gave can, but it’s a race. Roger
— Never before has one him a boost this year by expects us to race for wins,”
race displayed NASCAR’s switching Elliott’s car num- Logano said. “It’s a chal-
rapidly changing look ber to No. 9 so the driver lenge when you’re all rac-
more than this year’s Day- can honor his Hall of Fame ing for the win. There’s a lot
tona 500. father, Bill. on the line. That’s probably
Three drivers under age 25 “Car looks good. I’m a lit- one of the most challeng-
will start in the first two rows, tle biased, but the 9 looks ing times for teammates, is
new rules will make the cars good on top of the scor- to be able to work togeth-
difficult to drive and NAS- ing pylon,” Elliott said after er. It’s probably the most
CAR’s longtime most pop- Thursday night’s victory. “I stress on a relationship, with
ular driver will watch from would love to have it there a team.”
the sidelines. more throughout the sea- Ford drivers have speed,
NASCAR begins its season son.” but 2007 winner Kevin Har-
Sunday with the 60th run- Elliott is still seeking his first vick noted the cars are Chase Elliott celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the second
ning of “The Great Ameri- points victory in the Cup much harder to drive un- of two qualifying races for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race
can Race” and Alex Bow- Series after five runner-up der new NASCAR technical at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.,
man on the pole . finishes last season. He won regulations. The sentiment Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018.
Who? Well, the guy who his Daytona qualifying race was shared by Busch, who, Associated Press
got Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s last year, too, but ran out of like Harvick, is considered
coveted seat at Hendrick gas racing for the Daytona among the most talent-
Motorsports when concus- 500 victory. ed in car control, so their
sions forced the superstar Elliott will be Hendrick’s an- gripes could be an indica-
to retire. Bowman is 24 and swer to the Ford brigade tion NASCAR has gone too
had washed out of NAS- that has so far been led by far.
CAR once before when Team Penske at Daytona. If teams can’t make some
he got the call to help dur- Ford drivers won all four re- gains by Sunday, passing
ing Earnhardt’s absence. strictor-plate races last sea- could be difficult in the
Team owner Rick Hendrick son, including Kurt Busch’s race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,
gave him a car capable victory in the Daytona 500 , winner of two plate races
of earning the top starting and Penske drivers Brad Ke- last season, was admit-
spot for the biggest race of selowski and Ryan Blaney tedly “greedy” in his quali-
the year , and after nearly have one win apiece this fying race when he made
a full year out of a race car, Speedweeks. Blaney’s vic- aggressive moves to try
Bowman will lead the field tory in the qualifying race to figure out the draft. He
to green. put him on the second row twice spun competitors not
“I haven’t speedway raced for the start next to Elliott, because he made con-
in a year, so it’s going to be and teammate Joey Lo- tact with their cars, but be- Alex Bowman climbs into his car before the first of two qualifying
races for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona
tough,” Bowman said. “I gano is right behind Blaney. cause Stenhouse sucked International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Thursday, Feb.
have to get my feet back Logano, winner of the Day- the air away from their cars 15, 2018.
under me as far as speed- tona 500 in 2015, has two and caused them to lose Associated Press
way racing goes.” runner-up finishes in Speed- control. Daytona 500 winner, has five years ago and you look
Bowman has given no in- weeks behind his team- If drivers can’t solve that no ride in 2018. The Dayto- at it today, it’s just amaz-
dication how his car will mates. Keselowski is the Las problem before the Day- na 500 also will be Danica ing how much the image
handle because, in an ef- Vegas betting favorite to tona 500, it could be an Patrick’s NASCAR finale. of NASCAR has changed,”
fort to keep it safe for the win the race, but Blaney ugly race. NASCAR could The rapid driver turnover said 2016 race winner Den-
Daytona 500, he dropped absolutely should be in the have a single-car parade has created a 40-car field ny Hamlin, who will start
to the back of the field mix. In fact, Roger Penske for some 400 miles, or the that includes six drivers un- second.
during his qualifying race appears to have three en- lack of experience in the der age 30 in the first eight “I’d say four or five years
and avoided drafting. Hen- tries all capable of winning field could lead to youthful spots. ago, there was so many
drick teammate Chase El- the race . mistakes. Also racing in the Dayto- older veteran drivers that
liott took the opposite ap- Should they find themselves Remember, Jeff Gordon, na 500 is 66-year-old Mark it was just very calm for a
proach, won his qualifying lined up 1-2-3 — the way Tony Stewart and Dale Thompson. He’s the anom- long period of the race,
race and earned a starting they’ve run most of Speed- Earnhardt Jr. retired in aly, though, as the field has and I think that this year
spot in the second row. weeks — on the final lap three consecutive seasons. a considerably youthful with the big youth move-
Elliott is 22 and one of NAS- of the Daytona 500, they Carl Edwards walked away feel. ment, it has a potential to
CAR’s budding stars. His know the boss expects one after the 2016 season and “If you look at the starting be more on edge for a lon-
peers believe he’ll replace of them to win. Matt Kenseth, a two-time grid from the Daytona 500 ger period of time.”q