LIVE Daytona Sunday Blog

By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily,February 19

4:45 AM- Good morning from the infield media center at Daytona International Speedway. I arrived here just before 5AM in order to avoid traffic and in that I can safely say: mission accomplished.

The weather today is expected to be mostly cloudy with only about a 20% chance of rain.

I’ll hit the garages when they open and Jay Leno will stop by the media center, the first of a long list of celebrities that will stop by today.

9:30-Jay Leno paid a visit to the media center. His best quote? "Race Car driving is a little like sex- all men think they're good at it. When you are out there by yourself, you are actually good at it-until somebody else comes on the track."

I rarely ask for autographs, but being a huge Jay Leno fan I asked for and got one from him...made my day.

10:15-The MB2 No. 01 car driven by Joe Nemechek suffered a small fire in the engine compartment this morning around 9 AM as the crew prepared for the Daytona 500.

The fire that a crewmember termed as ‘No big deal’ started after pieces of rubber under the exhaust header ignited. The crew was forced to change the wiring harness and the aluminum heat shield next to the header.

The car will be starting from the back, but they had already been relegated there after being forced to change an engine yesterday. The engine that was changed Saturday, was from the same batch that produced the engine that had blown up during Thursday’s Twin Qualifying race.

Noon-Added new pics, click below.

Stewart a victim of his own rule

Tony Stewart was the first Nextel Cup driver penalized for breaking a rule he helped to create.

On lap 106 of the Daytona 500, Stewart working his way though the field after earlier being forced into the wall by Jeff Gordon, came down in front of Matt Kenseth who had been leading the race just a few laps before. At the end of the backstretch entering turn three, Stewart made contact with the front of Kenseth sending the No. 17 Ford across the grass and up across the grass and into the outside wall. To everyone’s astonishment Kenseth hit no one during his wild ride and would continue.

During the ensuing caution, NASCAR informed Stewart that he would be starting at the back of the longest line for ‘aggressive driving’.

During the same caution Matt Kenseth, showed his displeasure with Stewart by bumping into him as Stewart exited pit road. NASCAR quickly black flagged Kenseth and sent him to the pit for a pass through penalty.

Edwards day ends early

On lap 79 Jeff Green bounced off a car and slid across the grass and up the track taking out J.J. Yeley and Joe Nemechek.

Kyle Petty lifted behind them and Edwards bolted up onto his hood and they were locked together with Edwards’s front wheels riding up on Petty’s car as they slid through the grass in turn three.

“I saw the 66 car get sideways and go flying up the race track,” Edwards said. “I thought I could do a good job of going underneath him and I ended up running over somebody. I’m very frustrated and feel bad for those guys too.”

“Somebody ran over Jeff Green.” Petty said.” That got it started. Jeff came down the racetrack, and I tried to dodge him.

1:10-Race Audio:
Jeff Green

Carl Edwards

1:10-Drivers Meeting Audio:
Mike Helton

David Hoots

Sunday Race Photos:

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Sunday Cup Pre Race Photos:

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Saturday Busch Series Race:

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Saturday Cup Happy Hour Photos:

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Saturday Cup Practice pre Happy Hour Photos:

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Friday Cup Practice Photos:

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Thursday Photos:

Drivers Meeting/First Race

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Second Race

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Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at:
greg@cupscene.com

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