Below are a number of storylines surrounding Budweiser Speedweeks 2015 and the 57th annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Please reach out to Andrew Booth, Senior Manager of Public Relations, if you’re interested in additional information or to set up an interview with DIS personnel.
COMPETITION ON THE HIGH BANKS
Defending DAYTONA 500 champion: Two-time DAYTONA 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. will look to defend his victory at the 57th DAYTONA 500 with a new crew chief – Greg Ives. Ives has been a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for the past two seasons. Repeating as DAYTONA 500 champion is no easy feat. The last driver to win back-to-back DAYTONA 500s was Sterling Marlin in 1994-95. A DAYTONA 500 win would also put Earnhardt Jr. alongside Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison and Dale Jarrett as three-time DAYTONA 500 champions.
Jeff Gordon’s final full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season: This year’s DAYTONA 500 will mark the beginning of Jeff Gordon’s final full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The three-time DAYTONA 500 champion and four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion announced in January that the 2015 season will be his 23rd and final full-time season. Gordon has spent his entire career at Hendrick Motorsports and has earned 93 series’ victories, third all-time. At Daytona, Gordon owns 14 victories.
Team Changes: There have been plenty of offseason changes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. Carl Edwards departed Roush Fenway Racing to join Joe Gibbs Racing and an expanded four-car team. Trevor Bayne, the 2011 DAYTONA 500 champion, will move to full-time at Roush Fenway Racing. Sam Hornish Jr. joins Petty Enterprises replacing Marcos Ambrose, who has returned to Australia to race V8 Supercars. Ryan Blaney will run a part-time schedule for the famed Wood Brothers.
Sprint Unlimited: All 16 Chase drivers will be eligible to compete in this year’s Sprint Unlimited. The 75-lap, non-points race will once again kick off the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing season on Saturday, Feb. 14 and will feature an expanded field of drivers based on new eligibility requirements. A minimum of 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers are eligible to participate in the Sprint Unlimited. In addition to the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup participants, the field also will include 2014 Pole Award winners, as well as former Sprint Unlimited race winners and Daytona 500 pole winners who competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time in 2014. Any remaining spots will be filled by drivers highest in 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship points who are not already eligible.
Qualifying Matters: DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger, which traditionally features single-car qualifying, will switch to the group qualifying format for this year’s DAYTONA 500. The top two starting positions will be determined through the group qualifying format on Sunday, Feb. 15. Group qualifying, which debuted in 2014 but was not implemented for the DAYTONA 500, has provided added entertainment to race fans and features all cars on the track at the same time attempting to post the fastest lap. The results from DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger will also set the field for the Budweiser Duel At Daytona 150-mile qualifying races on Thursday, Feb. 19. The results from the Budweiser Duel will finalize the starting lineup for the DAYTONA 500.
Budweiser Duel back under the lights in prime time: The 150-mile qualifying races that determine the starting lineup for the DAYTONA 500 will run under the lights for the second straight year. To earn a coveted starting spot in “The Great American Race,” the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will have to perform in front of a primetime audience.
Sneak preview on DAYTONA Rising: Race fans attending Budweiser Speedweeks will get a sneak preview of DAYTONA Rising, the Speedway’s $400 million redevelopment project. Approximately 40,000 new seats will be available on the west side of the stadium, from Turn 1 toward the center of the track. Fans in these wider more comfortable seats will enjoy many of the new amenities as well as an unparalleled view of the entire 2.5-mile tri-oval. At the conclusion of DAYTONA Rising, five expanded and redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. Each level will feature spacious social areas, or “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. Daytona International Speedway will also have wider and more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands. This historic project is targeted for completion in January 2016, in time for the 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 58th annual Daytona 500. To learn more about DAYTONA Rising, please visit www.DAYTONARising.com
NASCAR XFINITY Series: XFINITY from Comcast makes its debut as the new entitlement partner of NASCAR’s No. 2 series. XFINITY becomes the third sponsor in the program’s history dating back to 1982. The season-opening NASCAR XFINITY Series race is the Alert Today Florida 300 on Saturday, Feb. 21. To promote the important messages of pedestrian and bike safety throughout the Sunshine State, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is serving as the title sponsor of the 120-lap, 300-mile race. The partnership will increase the visibility of the safety campaign – Alert Today Alive Tomorrow – which is designed to raise public awareness of pedestrian and bicycle safety in the state of Florida.
Celebrating Anniversaries: 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of Derrike Cope’s upset victory in the 1990 DAYTONA 500. Cope passed Dale Earnhardt entering Turn 3 on the last lap of the DAYTONA 500 to win after Earnhardt cut down a tire. Cope will be at Daytona International Speedway competing in the Alert Today Florida 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race.
JUST FOR FANS
1979 Daytona 500 Recreation: The 1979 Daytona 500 was won by Richard Petty, but the race is famous for the post-race fight that broke out in the grass off of the backstretch 3 involving Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough.
The cars driven by Donnie and Cale tangled on the last lap while the two were battling for the lead. They crashed and Petty cruised by to win the 500 for the sixth time. With Donnie and Cale arguing, Bobby came back around and pulled into the grass, to inject himself into the “discussion” which soon escalated into a brawl involving the three men. None of the drivers were hurt very badly during the scuffle.
Their cars? A different story. Donnie’s No. 1 Oldsmobile and Cale’s No. 11 Olds took a severe beating.
During Budweiser Speedweeks, replicas of those two ill-fated Oldsmobiles – post-wreck – are on display in the Sprint FANZONE, with all the dents and scratches replicated as well. The only thing missing is Cale Yarborough’s face beating against Bobby Allison’s face, as Bobby used to describe the fight.
Social Speedweeks: DIS is continuing the largest and most expansive social media effort in NASCAR to further engage fans both at the Speedway and at home. Initiatives include special Twitter hashtags, tweet-ups, promotion of the FREE DIS Mobile App, an onsite Rewards program, free DISINFO text alerts and for the first time at a NASCAR event, integration with the popular mobile app Snapchat to tell the story of the 57th Annual DAYTONA 500 through the eyes of our fans.
o DAYTONA Rewards Stations: Enter to win one of more than 700 prizes at the Daytona Rewards Stations, located in the Sprint FANZONE and the Midway outside of Turn 4. Prizes include a photo with the Sprint Unlimited champion, ride in the Grand Marshal car for the Sprint Unlimited, Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola race tickets, garage tours, Pre-Race/Sprint FANZONE passes and much more.
o Snapchat: Throughout the entire day on February 22, Snapchat users can share their photos and video to the DAYTONA 500 Our Story located in the Snapchat feed. Snapchat’s roughly 100 million active users (who send an average of 700 million ‘snaps’ per day) will all be able to watch the story unfold on the application as those users who attend the DAYTONA 500 submit their content to add to the story.
o DIS Mobile App: As always, the free Daytona International Speedway Mobile Applications gives users access to up-to-date schedules, maps and event updates including push messaging alerting users of upcoming driver appearances, on-track activity and more!
o Social Media Channels: You can follow DIS on all of the major social media channels for behind-the-scenes exclusives, live event updates, surprise giveaways and more! Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/daytonainternationalspeedway and on Twitter and Instagram @DISupdates. Follow along specific DAYTONA Rising updates on Instagram @DAYTONARising
Convenience for Fans: Once again, larger coolers and backpacks are allowed so fans can bring more food, beverages and conveniently carry souvenirs and other items.
Affordable Opportunities: DAYTONA 500 tickets start at $65. Kids 12 and under are half-price in backstretch grandstand seating and FREE in Sprint FANZONE when accompanied by a paid adult. For the Budweiser Speedweeks events with exception of the DAYTONA 500, kids 12 and under are free in General Admission seating areas.
Ticket holders from around the world: For the 57th annual DAYTONA 500, ticket holders from all 50 states and 42 countries will be represented in the grandstands for NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race.
FIRST CLASS ENTERTAINMENT AND HONORARY GUESTS
DAYTONA 500 Budweiser Pre-Race Show: Multi-platinum award-winning, American rock star Kid Rock will perform the DAYTONA 500 Budweiser Pre-Race Show. Kid Rock will perform several of his hits, including his brand new single “First Kiss,” on pit road of the “World Center of Racing” prior to the start of the DAYTONA 500. Following his performance, Kid Rock will release his latest studio album First Kiss on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Fans can pre-order the album now at participating retailers and at KidRock.com. Kid Rock, whose musical style ranges from hip hop and rock to heavy metal and country, has sold more than 26 million albums worldwide.
DAYTONA 500 Grand Marshal: Vince Vaughn, the star of 20th Century Fox’s and New Regency’s upcoming comedy “Unfinished Business,” in theaters everywhere March 6, will serve as Grand Marshal for the DAYTONA 500.
USAF Thunderbirds return: U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron returns for a sixth year to perform the fly-over for the DAYTONA 500. The Thunderbirds previously provided the fly-over for the DAYTONA 500 in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and 2014. The Thunderbirds flyover will feature six F-16 Fighting Falcons, the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter aircraft.