NASCAR Cup Series

Do you want predictions? I have them here. I probably will be no better than anyone else, and maybe worse, but as we begin a new season, it just seems proper to throw out a few. Having seen very little of the new Gen 6 car, it’s probably foolish, but maybe we can revise this as we go along. Or maybe we won’t.

Roush Fenway’s Trevor Bayne started his campaign for the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship in fine form, turning a lap 50.801 (177.162 mph) in his No. 6 Cargill Ford to win the pole for Saturday’s NNS kickoff race at Daytona International Speedway. His RFR teammate Travis Pastrana posted the fourth-fastest time in the session at 50.952.

PARKER KLIGERMAN, No. 77 Bandit Chippers Toyota Camry, Kyle Busch Motorsports - Starting Position: 3rd - How was your qualifying lap? "That was a great lap for the Bandit Chippers Camry."

TREVOR BAYNE – No. 6 Cargill Ford Mustang – “I’m starting to like this stage up here pretty good. It normally means something good happens, but I’m excited about our pole run. This whole team, I’ve been talking them up all off-season, but that’s because they deserve it."

With NASCAR Speedweeks in full gear, Roush Fenway Racing moves into this weekend looking to repeat as Daytona 500 champions. Greg Biffle led the RFR effort with runner-up finishes in last weekend’s Sprint Unlimited and Thursday's Duel events. Biffle will look to continue the charge for Roush Fenway as it moves into the second weekend of Speedweeks.

RYAN NEWMAN AND MATT BORLAND (CREW CHIEF), NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway and discussed the reuniting of the two as crew chief and driver for the 2013 season, winning the Daytona 500 in 2008, and other topics.

TRAVIS PASTRANA, No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang – YOU MADE IT INTO THE RACE. YOU ONLY HAD TO BEAT FOUR CARS BUT THAT WAS A GREAT LAP. “Yeah, as easy as that sounds and as high as our expectations were and how good the car and crew are it was still a big thing."

Roush Fenway’s Travis Pastrana will make his official Daytona NASCAR debut in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, at the World Center of Racing, but actually got in a little track time early this week when he raced FOX’s CAMCAT, a unique suspended HD camera system that spans across the front stretch of the famed Daytona International Speedway.

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed his outlook for the Daytona 500, his charity involvement, new sponsorship for three races, Danica Patrick, and more.

Mark Reuss, General Motors North America president, who was instrumental in bringing the new Chevrolet SS to NASCAR, will be the honorary pace car driver for the 55th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 24.