Nascar Sprint Cup Daytona 500
Daytona International Speedway February 26, 2012
The American motorsports extravaganza returns again. The Daytona Speedweek opens the NASCAR season. The activity on the track has already begun this week. On Thursday 16, the ARCA cars (the other major category of American stock car) made their first practice since the disputed classification Friday 17 and Saturday, 18 competing in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.
But NASCAR opened the year with three runs in a week, all in the same circuit at Daytona. This Saturday, after the ARCA race, the Budweiser Shootout is contested, an exhibition race divided into two segments and the pilots are 75 laps. The first part lasts 25 laps and the second, 50. Between them is a ten minute break. At some point the pilots were forced to refuel. Earlier on Friday night, the starting order determined by lot. Only the top 25 drivers competing in the Shootout (including Sprint Cup champions and race winners last year)
The first row for the 500 defined the Sunday after the Shootout, a qualifying session. But on Thursday of next week takes place the Gatorade Duel. The grid is divided into two, with half of the competitors in a race, and half in the other race. The Duel ordered the cars, and serves as a qualifying race for the Daytona 500. The order is easy: the higher end of the pilot in his career, more well positioned will start Sunday.
And in the decisive week (the next), the only days on which no activity is on Monday and Tuesday. From Wednesday to Saturday are played several training sessions of three categories: Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. The races are run on regular days: the Camping World Truck on Friday night, the Nationwide on Saturday at noon and 24 hours after the famous Daytona 500 Sprint Cup.
The season in NASCAR is short. In fact, this year has only been done a test, the Preseason Thunder, held in Daytona a month ago. With two sessions a day for three days (one in the morning and afternoon), the drivers tested different settings and race situations.
Sprint Cup race session: February 26, 2012 at 12 p.m. (ET)
