By Jared Turner ▸ Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time Daytona 500 winner and finished no worse than third in last year's four restrictor-plate races. He'll be loaded for bear when the green flag drops on the 58th running of The Great American Race. ▸ Joey Logano won the two restrictor-plate races not won last year by Earnhardt Jr., going to Victory Lane in the Daytona 500 and the fall Talladega race. Expect Logano to be strong again. ▸ Sure, he's just a rookie, but Chase Elliott is no ordinary rookie. As driver of the No. 24 Chevy made famous by Jeff…

By Jared Turner Dale Jr. is the favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to be fast at Daytona and stands an excellent chance of winning his third Daytona 500. How we do know this? He will be in the same car that finished third, first, first and second, respectively in last year’s four restrictor-plate races. This is also the same car – dubbed “Amelia” – that ran roughshod over the field at Daytona last July by starting from the pole and leading 96 of 161 laps en route to victory. Still don’t think Dale Jr. is the favorite in The Great American…

By Keith Waltz The 21st annual Daytona 500, run on Feb. 18, 1979, at Daytona International Speedway, launched a multi-year journey that saw NASCAR stock car racing transition from a regional phenomenon into a mainstream American sport. With CBS televising the 500- mile race flag-to-flag for the first time, auto racing got its first “water-cooler moment” as viewers gathered at work the next day to talk about the race's dramatic final lap – and the fight that followed. Donnie Allison led the way as the white flag waved with Cale Yarborough drafting closely behind. Going down the back straightway, Yarborough attempted to…

By Jared Turner I'm Just Sayin' ... ▸ It's hard to believe this Speedweeks marks the 15- year anniversary of the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. One can only imagine how different the sport might be today if The Intimidator was still around. It's safe to assume he probably wouldn't have been too keen on the Chase format, a onerace, winner-take-all championship race and the concept of “freezing” the field, among other changes introduced since his death. Then again, Big E was always unpredictable, so it's hard to say exactly what he would…