The NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage returns to NBC TV this Saturday night with the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona.
The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season began with Denny Hamlin winning the Daytona 500. Now with just 10 races (counting this week’s) left before the Chase Grid is set, the Sprint Cup teams are heading back to Daytona International Speedway for a battle under the lights.
In the 500 with this year’s aero-package the drivers found out that the cars are a lot harder to control on the 2.5-mile super speedway. One of the places on the track that seemed to claim more cars than others was turn four. Driver’s like Chase Elliot and Dale Earnhardt Jr. found themselves wrecking in the turn as their cars just snapped loose and they lost control.
Sprint Cup racing has always been a challenge for the drivers when they head to the Daytona International Speedway. With speeds of 200MPH the cars can get into draft packs and race nose-to-tail and side-by-side at very high speeds. This takes good handling cars, skill and solid nerves to race that close that fast.
The big issue comes when a car in the pack either has an issue or makes a mistake. That car can wreck alone as well as take a few or a lot of cars with it when it spins out of control.
What active NASCAR drivers have the best resume at Daytona in their Sprint Cup careers? Let’s take a look.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Daytona
Kyle Busch – 95.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 95.3
Denny Hamlin – 91.5
Kurt Busch – 90.5
Matt Kenseth – 90.1
Jimmie Johnson – 88.7
Joey Logano – 86.1
Tony Stewart – 85.4
Kevin Harvick – 83.4
Kasey Kahne – 82.7
(Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races {23 total} among active drivers at Daytona International Speedway)
Following the 2016 season opening Daytona 500 there are now 10 active drivers to have won a Sprint Cup race at Daytona. Four of those drivers have two wins each at the track and include Dale Earnhardt Jr. (winner of this race in 2015), Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Michael Waltrip.
When Denny Hamlin won the 2016 Daytona 500 he added his name to the list of active drivers with a single Sprint Cup win at Daytona that includes Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne and Joey Logano.
Denny won the Daytona 500 by just inches in the closest finish in the history of the Great American Race. That leads me to believe that this weekend’s 160 lap, 400 mile race will likely be another battle from start to finish and could potentially produce another side-by-side race to the checkered flag to decide the winner.
We will see how it all plays out when the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola gets started Saturday night, July 2nd starting at 6 PM central time (7 PM eastern time) on NBC.
By: Buck Stevens
