Friday, Feb. 6, 2004 | 10:39 a.m.
Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-4089.
If perseverance and optimism count for anything, Rusty Wallace is already halfway to securing his first Daytona 500 victory.
Winless in his previous 21 attempts in the "Great American Race" and 0-for-41 lifetime at the historic 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, Wallace said he believes this could be the year he finally visits Daytona's Victory Lane.
"All the pieces of the puzzle are in place and I'm about as confident as ever going into Daytona," Wallace said following a successful test last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "It would definitely be a hell of a deal if we pull it off. Man, it'd be nice to put an end to the streak we've been trying to shed for so long in the biggest stock-car race of them all."
Wallace not only was referring to his oh-fer stretch at Daytona, but his 98-race winless streak that dates to April 2001.
"After all the years trying and being so close, it would certainly be part of a storybook script to finally win (the Daytona 500)," Wallace said. "To come back to Daytona with a new contract from Miller Lite, a new crew chief in Larry Carter and riding such a long streak without winning, a victory in the Daytona 500 would be the biggest win of my career and a day to remember for the rest of my life."
Although he never has won a NASCAR Cup points race at Daytona, Wallace did capture the 1998 Budweiser Shootout and has 16 career top-10 finishes in 41 starts at Daytona. In the 13 points races on the 2.5-mile track since the 1997 Daytona 500, Wallace has recorded six top-five and nine top-10 finishes. His second-place effort in the July 2002 Pepsi 400 is his best career Daytona finish to date.
After strong tests this year at Daytona, North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham and Las Vegas, Wallace believes his No. 2 Penske Racing South team is as prepared as ever for the season-opening Daytona 500. In fact, Wallace was so happy with his Las Vegas test that he cut short his second day of testing here.
"The test out in Las Vegas really gave me the confidence that we have the total package going into this year," he said. "We're certainly poised to finally win the (500), I'd say.
"But this time around will be no different as far as what you have to do to get the job done. The Thursday 125-mile qualifier is always a good shakedown for the 500. You hope to get a good starting spot and stay up front there with the lead pack to avoid the big crashes. You try to put yourself in a position to be there for the big crapshoot at the end. That's always been the game plan and it'll be the same story there on the 15th. We just hope we're able to finally pull it off."
WALLACE ON GAUGHAN: Wallace said he is looking forward to working with Las Vegan Brendan Gaughan, who will be driving a Dodge this year for Penske-Jasper Racing.
"I took him to the Detroit Auto Show (in January) and had a blast," Wallace said. "He absolutely runs 300 mph. Everybody thinks I'm wide open; this guy is a little stronger than I am. He's having a good time with life, I'll tell you that."
BUSCH ON FRONT ROW: Las Vegas native Kyle Busch will start Saturday's ARCA race on the outside pole after posting the second-fastest speed during Thursday's qualifying session at Daytona.
Busch held the provisional pole with a lap of 183.647 mph until Bobby Gerhart made a late qualifying run at 184.309 for his second consecutive pole at Daytona and sixth of his career. Paul Menard qualified third at 183.340 mph.
The Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 will be televised live on the Speed Channel beginning at 1 p.m. (PST).
PARKED FOR SHOOTOUT: Steve Park, who will drive the Las Vegas-based Orleans Racing Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season, will not be competing in Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona.
Park, who qualified for the Shootout by winning the pole for last year's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, had been talking to a number of Dodge teams in hopes of finding a car for the race, which is open to the previous season's pole winners.
Park will make his Orleans Racing debut next Friday night in the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NCTS race at Daytona.
IROC FIELD SET: The Crown Royal International Race of Champions Series will open its 2004 season next Friday at Daytona with a field of 12 drivers representing five racing series.
Defending IROC champion Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman will represent the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in the four-race series. Other drivers competing in the series this season are Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and Scott Sharp (Indy Racing League); Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser (World of Outlaws); Travis Kvapil (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series); and J.J. Yeley (USAC).
Yeley, the 2003 USAC Triple-Crown winner, will run selected ARCA, Busch Series and Nextel Cup races this season with Joe Gibbs Racing.
MAKING A POINT: Following NASCAR's lead, Champ Car World Series (formerly CART) is restructuring its points system for the 2004 season.
Under the new format, points will be paid to the first 20 finishers, with 31 points going to the race winner. The second-place finisher will receive 27 points, with points totals decreasing in increments of two through 10th place. The remaining 10 finishers will be separated by one point.
In addition, one point will be awarded to a driver for leading one or more laps in a race, another point will be given to the driver that runs the fastest lap of the race and one point will be awarded to the driver that improves the most number of positions from their place on the starting grid. There no longer will be a point given to the driver that leads the most laps in a race.
One championship point will be awarded to the leaders of the Friday and Saturday qualifying sessions on road and street courses, while one point will be awarded for the qualifying leader on oval courses.
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