Daytona 500 proves elusive for many, even some series champs

kAm“q6EE6C 492?46D @7 H:??:?8 E92E E92? E96 s2JE@?2 d__[” qFD49 4C24<65]k^Am

kAmxE’D 62DJ E@ F?56CDE2?5 H9J qFD49 H@F=5 766= E92E H2J] %96 EH@\E:>6 rFA $6C:6D 492>A:@? :D H:?=6DD :? `f DE2CED :? }p$rp#VD >@DE AC6DE:8:@FD C246[ 2 D<:5 E92E’D >@C6 @7 2 9625\D4C2E496C E92? 2 962CE3C62<6C 4@?D:56C:?8 qFD49 92D H@? 2E ;FDE 23@FE 6G6CJ EC24< @? E96 4:C4F:E]k^Am

kAmw6VD 6G6? A2CE:65 :? G:4E@CJ =2?6 2E s2JE@?2 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $A665H2J[ @?=J :? E96 DF>>6C C246] qFE E96 F=E:>2E6 AC:K6 @? }p$rp#’D F=E:>2E6 DE286 92D 6=F565 9:>[ >2J36 6G6? 8?2H65 2E 9:>[ E9C@F89@FE 9:D AC@76DD:@?2= 42C66C]k^Am

kAm“xE’D ;FDE ?@E 92AA6?65 J6E 7@C >6[Q D2:5 qFD49[ H9@ HC64<65 H9:=6 =625:?8 2 BF2=:7J:?8 C246 %9FCD52J ?:89E] Q$@>6 8FJD[ E9:D :D E96 @?=J C246 E96J 6G6C H:?] ~E96C 8FJD[ E96J H:? :E EH@ @C E9C66 E:>6D] xE’D E96 $FA6C q@H= @7 @FC DA@CE[ 2?5 :E’D 92C5 E@ 244@>A=:D9 E9:D @?6]”k^Am

kAm}@H 5C:G:?8 7@C #:492C5 r9:=5C6DD #24:?8 :? E96 }@] g r96GC@=6E[ qFD49 H:== ECJ E@ 492?86 9:D s2JE@?2 d__ 7@CEF?6D :? E96 edE9 CF??:?8 @7 “%96 vC62E p>6C:42? #246” @? $F?52J] p?5 96 92D A=6?EJ @7 4@>A2?J :? E96 _\7@C\d__ 4=F3[ H:E9 7@FC @E96C 5C:G6CD 2=D@ 92G:?8 5@F3=6\5:8:E 5C@F89ED :? }p$rp#’D D62D@? @A6?6C]k^Am

kAmzJ=6 {2CD@?[ E96 a_a` D6C:6D 492>A[ 4@F=5 ;@:? E96 4=F3 D@@?] w6VD 4FCC6?E _ 7@C h :? E96 d__]k^Am

kAm“xE’D ;FDE 2 5:77:4F=E DEJ=6 @7 C24:?8 E92E x ;FDE 92G6?’E 925 E96 36DE @7 E:>6 :? >J 42C66C[” {2CD@? D2:5] Vx FD65 E@ 2=H2JD D2J :E’D 325 =F4<[ 3FE x 5@?’E ?646DD2C:=J 766= E92E H2J 2?J>@C6]Qk^Am

k9bm~E96C H:?=6DD 5C:G6CDk^9bm

kAmkDEC@?8m|p#%x} %#&t) y#] W_ 7@C `gXi k^DEC@?8m%CF6I @H?D }p$rp#’D =@?86DE 24E:G6 =@D:?8 DEC62< :? E96 d__] %96 a_`f D6C:6D 492>A H@? 6249 @7 E96 7:CDE EH@ DE286D =2DE J62C 367@C6 86EE:?8 42F89E FA :? 2 7:G6\42C 4C2D9 H:E9 d_ =2AD E@ 8@] w6 2=D@ H2D E96 CF??6C\FA :? E96 a_`e s2JE@?2 d__[ 65865 2E E96 7:?:D9 =:?6 3J _]_`` D64@?5D 3J y@6 v:33D #24:?8 E62>>2E6 s6??J w2>=:?]k^Am

kAm%CF6I 5@6D?’E 92G6 2 E@A\`_ 7:?:D9 :? E96 d__ D:?46[ 3FE 96’D 766=:?8 8@@5 27E6C H:??:?8 E96 6I9:3:E:@? r=2D9 2E {@D p?86=6D |6>@C:2= r@=:D6F> EH@ H66<D 28@]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D ;FDE 8@@5 7@C 4@?7:56?46[ 8@@5 7@C >@>6?EF>[” %CF6I D2:5] “x 5@?’E E9:?< x’G6 6G6C D66? 2 E62> D@ 7:C65 FA E@ 86E E@ E96 C246EC24< 2D >J 8FJD 92G6 366?] x E9:?< E92E’D 2 8@@5 E9:?8 2?5 9@A67F==J H6 42? ;FDE <66A E92E >@>6?EF> 8@:?8]”k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mq#ps zt$t{~($zx W_ 7@C `bXik^DEC@?8m z6D6=@HD<: 92D H@? D:I E:>6D 2E %2==25682[ >2<:?8 9:> @?6 @7 }p$rp#’D E@A DFA6CDA665H2J C246CD[ 3FE 96’D 925 >@DE=J 325 =F4< :? E96 s2JE@?2 d__]k^Am

kAm%96 a_`a D6C:6D 492>A 925 2 =68:E D9@E :? a_a` 367@C6 E96?\%62> !6?D<6 E62>>2E6 y@6J {@82?@ 3=@4<65 9:> @? E96 7:?2= =2A 2?5 42FD65 2 >F=E:\42C >6=66 E92E 2==@H65 |:4926= |4s@H6== E@ 5C:G6 3J 2?5 6?5 FA :? G:4E@CJ =2?6 7@C @?6 @7 E96 >@C6 D9@4<:?8 7:?:D96D :? C246 9:DE@CJ]k^Am

kAmz6D6=@HD<: C6DA@?565 =2DE J62C 3J H:??:?8 2 BF2=:7J:?8 C246 2?5 E96? =65 2 C246\9:89 ef =2AD :? E96 d__ — 3FE F=E:>2E6=J 42>6 FA D9@CE 282:?]k^Am

kAm“x 92G6 D:I %2==25682 H:?D[ H9:49 :D 8C62E[ 3FE x’5 =:<6 E@ 92G6 2 s2JE@?2 d__ H:? E@ 8@ H:E9 E96>[” D2:5 z6D6=@HD<:[ H9@ :D 6?E6C:?8 9:D D64@?5 J62C 2D 2 5C:G6C^@H?6C 2E #uz #24:?8] “x’G6 366? 7@CEF?2E6] x’G6 925 D@>6 8@@5 C246D 2?5 325 C246D @? A=2E6 EC24<D — 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 :?\36EH66?] x’> ;FDE C62==J 9F?8CJ E@ 3C:?8 E9:D @?6 9@>6]k^Am

kAm“x’G6 366? D@ 4=@D6 E96 =2DE 76H J62CD] xE’D 366? A2:?7F= E@ H2=< 2H2J — ?@E D@ >F49 6>AEJ\92?565 — 3FE H:E9@FE E96 EC@A9J]”k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mp#xr p{|x#~{p W_ 7@C `aXi k^DEC@?8mp=>:C@=2 D66>65 4@?E6?E E@ H2=< 2H2J 7C@> 7F==\E:>6 C24:?8 27E6C 9:D =2DE s2JE@?2 d__[ 2 7:7E9\A=246 7:?:D9 :? a_aa] qFE 96 56=2J65 9:D A6?5:?8 C6E:C6>6?E 2 76H >@?E9D =2E6C 2?5 C6>2:?65 2E $E6H2CE\w22D #24:?8 7@C 2E =62DE 2?@E96C J62C] }@H[ p=>:C@=2 86ED 2?@E96C D9@E 2E E96 d__]k^Am

kAm“x7 J@F H:? s@G6C[ J@F 5@?’E 364@>6 E96 s@G6C c__ 492>A:@?[” D2:5 p=>:C@=2[ H9@ H@? 2 C2:?\D9@CE6?65 yF=J C246 2E s2JE@?2 :? a_`c 2?5 A:4<65 FA 2?@E96C G:4E@CJ :? 2 BF2=:7:6C %9FCD52J] “(96? J@F H:? E96 s2JE@?2 d__[ J@F 364@>6 E96 s2JE@?2 d__ 492>A:@? 7@C E96 C6DE @7 J@FC =:76]Qk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m#xrz* $%t}w~&$t y#] W_ 7@C ``Xik^DEC@?8m q@E9 @7 $E6?9@FD6’D 42C66C H:?D 42>6 2E DFA6CDA665H2JD :? a_`f — 2E E96 DF>>6C C246 2E s2JE@?2 2?5 2E %2==25682] w6’D 366? 2 4@?D:DE6?E 4@?E6?56C D:?46[ 2=E9@F89 9:D C6DF=ED 92G6 D=:AA65 D:?46 =62G:?8 #@FD9 u6?H2J #24:?8 7@==@H:?8 E96 a_`h D62D@?]k^Am

kAmw6 H2D CF??:?8 ?62C E96 7C@?E H:E9 D:I =2AD E@ 8@ =2DE J62C H96? z6D6=@HD<: 82G6 9:> 2 AFD9 E92E EFC?65 9:> D:56H2JD 2?5 6G6?EF2==J :?E@ E96 H2==] w6 6?565 FA agE9] w:D @?=J E@A\`_ 7:?:D9 :? E96 d__ 42>6 :? a_`c]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ3@5J :D E6?D65 FA 96C6 <?@H:?8 E92E J@F 92G6 @?6 D9@E E@ H:? E96 s2JE@?2 d__[” 96 D2:5] “*@F =@@< 2E E96 42C66CD @7 A6@A=6 :? @FC DA@CE E92E 244@>A=:D965 2 =@E 3FE ?6G6C H@? E96 d__] xE D9@HD 9@H E@F89 :E :D]”k^Am

k9bm|2<:?8 9:DE@CJk^9bm

kAmw2== @7 u2>6CD %@?J $E6H2CE[ #FDEJ (2==246 2?5 |2C< |2CE:? 2C6 E96 >@DE ?@E23=6 5C:G6CD H9@ ?6G6C H@? E96 C246]k^Am

kAm%CF6I[ qFD49[ z6D6=@HD<:[ p=>:C@=2[ $E6?9@FD6 2?5 6G6? {2CD@? H:== 36 =@@<:?8 7@C 2 3C62<E9C@F89 $F?52J] p?5 ?@ @?6 D9@F=5 36 DFCAC:D65 E@ D66 :E 92AA6?]k^Am

kAmp7E6C 2==[ w2== @7 u2>6C s2G:5 !62CD@? ?66565 `d EC:6D E@ H:? E96 s2JE@?2 d__] qFD49’D @=56C 3C@E96C zFCE ?66565 `e] p?5 }p$rp# =686?5 s2=6 t2C?92C5E H@? :? 9:D a_E9 ECJ — 2? :4@?:4 >@>6?E :? D6C:6D 9:DE@CJ]k^Am

kAm“*@F ;FDE 4@>6 :? 96C6 2?5 EC62E :E 2D :7 :E’D 2?J @E96C C246[” zJ=6 qFD49 D2:5] “%96C6 :D 8C62E @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 36 23=6 E@ H:? E96 C246[ 2?5 :7 J@F AFE J@FCD6=7 :? E96 C:89E DA@E[ J@F 42?]Qk^Am