daytona 500 Tag

History was made this weekend when Danica Patrick became the first woman to qualify on the pole position for the Daytona 500 or any other NASCAR Sprint Cup race.  Her first full Sprint Cup season could not be starting out any better.  Congrats to Danica and hopefully this serves as inspiration to women everywhere.  The racing world has been waiting for Danica to make her big splash and it might finally be here.  She has a realistic shot at winning the Daytona 500 and what a story that would be.  It seems her goal is to be good enough to challenge for a championship but her next hurdle is just to finish consistently in the Sprint and possibly win a race.  Thankfully Danica has a great team and owner  who has knowledge of what it takes to be successful in open and closed wheel racing.

Danica won't want to hear this but history tells us she won't win on Sunday.  Winning the pole is normally a nice accomplishment and comes with a nice paycheck but it is by no means a indicator of who will win the race.  The last Daytona 500 pole winner to win the race was current ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett in 2000.  That was DJ's third and he is one of just 5 drivers to win the 500 3 times (Petty, Gordon, Allison, Yarborough).  Since the opening race in 1959, the pole winner has only won the actual race on 8 occasions.

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The 2012 season has came and went.  The season ended with a fury for some and a fizzle for others.  Brad Keselowski captured his first Sprint Cup championship and Jimmie Johnson came up short on his quest for a sixth championship.  The season literally ended in a fury for Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer.  Some contact at Phoenix turned into a forced accident which then transpired into an all out brawl that left Gordon at the bottom of a pile of members from both teams.  Pretty exciting stuff for NASCAR junkies.  Gordon, who most thought should have been suspended, then won his first career race at Homestead the following weekend.

Interestingly enough, Bowyer finished in second place in the standings and just 39 points behind Keselowski.  NASCAR got lucky that the point differential wasn't close enough that Bowyer could blame Gordon for not a having a legitimate shot at the championship.  In the end I would just call it a "no harm, no foul" situation.  This season is now in the history books so lets get up to speed with some new things starting at Daytona in February and brief look at the upcoming 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.

Every year NASCAR features 2 races at Daytona International Speedway.  One of course is the Daytona 500, and the other is the upcoming Coke Zero 400 in July.  These 2 races at Daytona represent half of the superspeedway races on the NASCAR circuit.  The other two races are held at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

Superspeedway races are just  different monster than any other.  Nothing can compare to the soaring speeds and close quarters of a superspeedway race.  Tempers are easily flared and even the smallest of errors can cause "the big one".  The only tracks where you hear about the big one is Daytona and Talladega.

The 2011 NASCAR season prepares for night racing at Bristol this weekend and the field for The Chase is just about set.  This is an exciting time of the season for NASCAR fans everywhere.  This Saturday the Sprint Cup will pack 43 cars into Bristol Motor Speedway to race under the lights, and in just a few weeks the NASCAR "playoffs" will open up at Chicagoland Speedway (GEICO 400) for the track's first Chase appearance.

The green flag will be waved in a few hours for tonight's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. In only 7 months, the 2012 NASCAR season will begin with the running of the Daytona 500. Have you ever imagined about sitting in the grandstands at Daytona for this historic race?

Yesterday's Daytona 500 was definitely a race for the ages. After an early crash that knocked out 14 drivers, 20-year-old rookie Trevor Bayne captured one of the most improbable victories in NASCAR history. What a great moment for the 160,000 fans who attended the race!

Book Your 2012 Daytona 500 Package with a low deposit!

The 2012 Daytona 500 Packages offer many options for the different NASCAR fan and can include some of the following amenities:
- Accommodations in the Daytona or Orlando Area
- Options on Great Seats for any of the Races
- Roundtrip Transfers to the Speedway
- Onsite Staff to Assist
- Options on Pre-Race Hospitality, Pit Passes, & Driver Appearances

View 2012 Daytona 500 Packages

Sports Travelers headed to Florida for NASCAR’s season debut this month have a lot to watch out for, both on and off the track.

Daytona Beach will be packed with things to do before and after the Great American Race. Conveniently enough, the city of Daytona Beach has come up with a great guide to make sure you make the most of your time away from the track. And instead of destroying trees, just flipbook it! The 88-page online visitors’ guide walks you through everything from restaurants and nightlife to shopping and family fun.

Daytona Beach Visitors' Guide

On race day, a lot of eyes will be focused on where the rubber meets the road – literally. Daytona International Speedway reportedly spent around $20 million to repave the historic track for just the second time. The entire race surface was torn up, leveled and repaved in a process that was started after the July 5, 2010 Coke Zero 400 and finished earlier this year. A lot of time was spent making sure  track dimensions remained exactly

It’s back!

After a few years on hiatus, the web’s best source for sports travel information and entertainment is back on your iPod! Sports Traveler Radio (STR) is again live on iTunes and available to listen or download at www.SportsTraveler.net.

STR is packed with information on the world’s biggest sporting events from the top travel experts in the business. If you’re heading to the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, The Masters in Augusta, the Summer Games in London or any other major sporting event around the globe, STR is the podcast for you. Keep an eye out for features like special Sports Traveler deals and fun games and giveaways only offered to STR listeners.

The official Sports Traveler podcast revs up with the 2011 Daytona 500 show, which is now available on iTunes and SportsTraveler.net. In the year’s premier episode, host Nick Jakusz talks with Sports Traveler President Anbritt Stengele who brings several tips and ideas to make a trip to the Great American Race as enjoyable as possible.

“If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’,” – anonymous cheater.

Of course, no self-respecting NASCAR driver would ever admit it, but come on, they all do it. With the margin of victory only a few tenths of a second, every team in every series is looking for that little edge.

Pushing the limits of cheating adds drama to one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

I guess the question teams need to ask themselves is whether the fine and loss of points is worth a win on Sunday.

I can’t help but think that the winner of any particular race put his car just a hair too low to the ground, or adjusted the spoiler just a tad more than allowed. The drama mounts at the post-race inspection…will he get caught?!

If drivers don’t try to adjust their cars beyond the allowable limit, do they really want to win bad enough?

The cheating vs. trying battle isn’t strictly NASCAR. Talk to Sammy Sosa’s corked bat (or his steroids?). Talk to Cecil Newton, who put a price tag on his BCS Championship Game-bound

What is a Sprint Fan Zone Pass?
- The Sprint Fan Zone is a great addition to see more of the racetrack prior to the start of the race.  It allows you to walk the track surface and onto pit road. This is also an opportunity to take part in a Q & A session with the drivers, viewing garage windows, photo opportunities, access to the Sprint Fandeck and MORE!

Where is the best place to sit?
- The Earnhardt, Petty, or Sprint Towers are the best option for a great view of the racetrack. The Towers are located on the front stretch across from the pits. The Sprint Tower is located directly in front of the start/finish line.

What location should I pick: Orlando or Daytona Beach?
- Daytona Beach is a great option to be close by the race track and to sit ocean side when you have a moment away from the race. The Orlando area is a great, lower cost option which also places you near Disney World. Take those tips into consideration to decide what is right for you and/or your group.

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