SM Staff

This year’s Great American Race happens to fall on my quarter-century milestone, and what a better way to spend my birthday than with some 200 mph high octane pack racing!

The two Gatorade Duels are over. The 150-mile qualifying races saw the field go back to pack racing, the kind of racing preferred by the fans, and little “two car tango.”

NASCAR officially kicks off its 2012 racing season this Sunday with the 54th annual running of its great American race: the Daytona 500.

Following a nasty crash yesterday during the Gatorade Duels, Danica Patrick came back in full force and won the pole for the Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300, which is set to be run on Saturday afternoon.

Robby Gordon worked hard to earn his way into Sunday’s 54th annual Daytona 500 but upon further review he says he might have worked too hard.

Daytona track president Joie Chitwood III: "Grassroots short track racing is the foundation of this great sport."

Robby Gordon and Michael McDowell both arrived in Daytona with big dreams, those of not winning the Daytona 500 but just making it into the field.

The Gatorade Duel race #1 certainly didn't end well at all for Danica Patrick on Thursday afternoon. As she spent the end of the race trying to catch her breath after a HARD hit on the final lap, her car owner Tony Stewart was celebrating the race win.

Matt Kenseth made his run to the front in the final laps with Jimmie Johnson pushing him.

Tony Stewart, the three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion picked up his 17 victory at Daytona International Speedway with a win in the Gatorade Duel No. 1 under cation flag conditions.