10-year anniversary for series begins at Daytona The 2004 season figures to be the most competitive yet with an unprecedented three former champions #42-Mike Skinner, #16-Jack Sprague and #24-Travis Kvapil competing fulltime. Sprague will be in pursuit of his fourth title behind the wheel of IWX Racings 2002-03 championship Silverado. Steve Coulters team became the first to win back-to-back owner championships, doing it with two different drivers Kvapil and Mike Bliss. Kvapil partners with Skinner, marking the first time that teammates have won the series crown.
Fourth manufacturer joins series this week Toyotas Tundra makes its official series debut in the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. Four teams Bang, Bill Davis Racing, Darrell Waltrip Inc. and Innovative Motorsports will field a total of seven trucks. A historical footnote to consider: Chevrolet and Ford won in their first year in the series while Dodge did not capture a victory until its third. Chevrolet remains first in series wins with 104, followed by Ford (64) and Dodge (49).
A first for female competitors in 2004 … #13-Tina Gordon and #02-Kelly Sutton are set for full-season efforts in 2004, marking the first time two female drivers have competed fulltime in a NASCAR national touring series during the same year. Sutton, a Crownsville, Md. native and former Dash Series Most Popular Driver, has applied for Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidacy. Gordon and Tammy Jo Kirk chased rookie of the year honors in 2003 and 1997, respectively. Kirk remains the best-ranked female driver with a 20th-place championship effort and 11th-place race finish.
Joe Ruttman is the only driver to have won the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 from the Bud Pole Two of four previous races at Daytona have gone into overtime four extra laps in 2001 and six a year ago. When possible, NASCAR Craftsman Truck events conclude with two consecutive green-flag laps In addition to broadcasting Fridays Florida Dodge Dealers 250, SPEED Channel will air live practice and qualifying as part of its 70-plus hours of Speedweeks coverage The 31 official lead changes in the 2000 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 remains the series record.
Fast Facts:
What: Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Race No. 1 of 25).
Where: Daytona International Speedway.
When: 8 p.m. ET, Friday, Feb. 13.
Track layout: 2.5 -mile high banked paved oval.
Race length: 100 laps/250 miles.
Posted awards: $765,653.
TV: SPEED Channel, 8 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2003 winner: Rick Crawford.
2003 polesitter: Jason Leffler.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Wednesday Practice, 9 10:30 a.m. and Noon-1:30 p.m. Qualifying, 6:30 p.m. Thursday Practice 5:30–6:15 p.m. Final practice 7-8 p.m.(NASCAR PR)(2-9-2004)
