Bill Elliott, Joe Nemechek, Scott Speed secure starting spots for Daytona 500
Nemco Motorsports owner/driver Joe Nemechek secured a spot in the Daytona 500. // Jim Fluharty, NASCAR Illustrated
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Joe Nemechek and Bill Elliott know what it’s like to miss the Daytona 500, so it was no surprise how happy they were on Saturday after making the field for the 2010 Daytona 500.
Elliott, Nemechek and Scott Speed were the three fastest drivers not already guaranteed a starting spot.
Elliott missed the race in 2008, while Nemechek missed the 2009 event. They know they’ll take the green flag Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway after securing spots during time trials Saturday.
With 35 drivers locked in based on 2009 owner points, the 43-car field is filled by two spots from each of the two 150-mile qualifying races next Thursday and then three spots from the time trials, with a final spot available to a past champion or the next fastest on speed.
TRG Motorsports’ Bobby Labonte can use a past champion’s provisional, if needed. That meant that three drivers could breathe easier after qualifying on Saturday. Elliott, and Nemechek were fast enough that if they don’t run well Thursday in the qualifying races, they can rely on their time-trial speeds for spots in the 500.
Elliott, who was fourth-fastest at 190.573 mph, wasn’t much of a surprise. He did the same thing a year ago.
“It’s still always nerve-wracking because when you roll in here it’s one thing, but once you do everything you’ve got to do [through inspection] and then you leave pit road on your qualifying run, it’s a whole different world,” Elliott said. “Two years ago there’s no comparison [in this program]. Last year, [crew chief David] Hyder started turning things around about this time and I feel like last season was a tribute to the Wood Brothers and the way their team should be.
“If we can just keep chipping away at it and getting better and better every time we race – I mean, the problem we have is not racing every week. That’s what makes it tough, but all in all, for what these guys do and as hard as they’ve worked on a limited basis, that’s the attitude you’ve got to have when you come into these race tracks.”
Speed, who qualified 13th out of 54 drivers, said that knowing he is in the race will allow him to be less conservative on Thursday than he would be if he had to try to race his way into the Daytona 500 field.
He said he wasn’t too nervous for his qualifying lap, especially compared to his crew chief Jimmy Elledge.
“Jimmy Elledge and my guys were a lot more nervous than me,” Speed said. “This is one of the only qualifyings of the year where a lot of the weight is off my shoulders. It’s a chance for the guys to show what they can do.”
Nemechek, who qualified 16th, was nervous, in part, because he owns his car. He is trying to run both the Nationwide and Cup series this year in his own equipment.
“It’s definitely huge,” Nemechek said. “To come down here and be so close and to miss it by a few thousandths [from time trials last year] was really disheartening. To come back and make it and be locked in the week before the 500 means a lot.
“We’re going to try racing good in the 150s. We’re going to do our best. It’s just cool. What a relief. My stomach has been knotted up and it’s been awful since we’ve been down here. Now it feels good.”
Nemechek’s car is currently unsponsored.
“This is a big step towards that,” Nemechek said about sponsorship. “You don’t see any cars that start the race unsponsored. We’ve been talking to some folks on our own. Hopefully this will seal the deal.”
The 15 drivers competing for the final four spots Thursday will be Michael Waltrip Racing’s Michael Waltrip, Tommy Baldwin Racing’s Mike Bliss, Braun Racing’s Reed Sorenson, Keyed-Up Motorsports’ Casey Mears, Germain Racing’s Max Papis, BAM Racing’s David Gilliland, Nemco Motorsports’ Jeff Fuller, Phoenix Racing’s Aric Almirola, Whitney Motorsports’ Terry Cook, Prism Motorsports’ Dave Blaney, Prism’s Michael McDowell, Stratus Racing Group’s Derrike Cope, Kirk Shelmerdine Racing’s Kirk Shelmerdine, K Automotive Motorsports’ Mike Wallace and Norm Benning Racing’s Norm Benning.
