This week in auto racing

SPRINT CUP

DAYTONA 500

Site | Daytona Beach. Fla.

Schedule | Wednesday, practice (Speed, noon-4 p.m.); Thursday, Gatorade Duel (Speed, 1-6:30 p.m.); Friday, practice (Speed, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 6-7 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 10:30 a.m.-noon); Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (FOX, noon-5:30 p.m.).

Track | Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles).

Race distance | 500 miles, 200 laps.

Last year | Trevor Bayne became the youngest Daytona 500 winner at 20, beating Carl Edwards after Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed in the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish. Bayne, making his second Sprint Cup start, gave the Wood Brothers team its fifth Daytona 500 victory and first since 1976.

Last week | Kyle Busch won the exhibition Budweiser Shootout, passing defending series champion Tony Stewart at the finish. Busch won by 0.013 seconds in the closest finish in the history of the race.

Fast facts | Carl Edwards won the pole Sunday with a lap at 194.738 mph, the fastest pole speed since Jeff Gordon at 195.067 in 1999. Greg Biffle was second, giving Ford and Roush Fenway Racing a front-row sweep. … Kurt Busch is making his first points start for Phoenix Racing. In other changes, Kasey Kahne is driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Clint Bowyer for Michael Waltrip Racing, David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports and AJ Allmendinger for Penske Racing. … Danica Patrick is making her first Daytona 500 start, joining Janet Guthrie (1977, 1980) and Shawna Robinson (2002) as the only women to drive in the race. … Ragan won in July at the track. Jimmie Johnson and Bowyer won restrictor-plate races last year at Talladega.

Next race | Subway Fresh Fit 500, March 4, Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.

NATIONWIDE

DRIVE4COPD 300

Site | Daytona Beach. Fla.

Schedule | Thursday, practice (ESPN2, 10 a.m.-noon); Friday, qualifying (ESPN2, 2-4 p.m.); Saturday, race, 1:15 p.m. (ESPN, noon-4 p.m.).

Track | Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles).

Race distance | 300 miles, 120 laps.

Last year | Tony Stewart won the race for the fourth straight year and the sixth time in seven seasons. Stewart overcame a late pit stop to fix a flat tire to catch Clint Bowyer at the finish line.

Fast facts | Stewart is racing along with fellow Sprint Cup drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, David Ragan and Kasey Kahne. … Kyle Busch is driving his own No. 54 Toyota. He had eight victories in 20 starts last year and has 51 career wins in 222 series starts. … Logano won the July race at the track. … Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the series championship last year. Trevor Bayne, the Daytona 500 winner last year, also is driving for RFR this year. … Danica Patrick is running the series full-time for car owner Earnhardt. … Austin Dillon, the Truck Series champion last year, is driving the No. 3, made famous by Dale Earnhardt, this year for Richard Childress Racing. Dillon is Richard Childress’ grandson.

Next race | Bashas’ Supermarkets 200, March 3, Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK

N EXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES 250

Site | Daytona Beach. Fla.

Schedule | Thursday, practice (Speed, noon-1 p.m., 6:30-8 p.m.); Friday, qualifying (Speed, 4-5:30 p.m.), race, 7:30 p.m. (Speed, 7-10 p.m.).

Track | Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles).

Race distance | 250 miles, 100 laps.

Last year | Michael Waltrip won on the 10th anniversary of his first Daytona 500 victory and car owner Dale Earnhardt’s death.

Fast facts | Ron Hornaday, winless at Daytona, has a series-record four season titles and 51 race victories. He’s driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for owner Joe Denette. … Nineteen-year-old Ty Dillon, the brother of 2011 series champion Austin Dillon and grandson of car owner Richard Childress, is taking his brother’s spot in Childress’ No. 3 Chevrolet. Austin Dillon has moved to the Nationwide Series. Ty Dillon won the ARCA title last year. … Waltrip isn’t entered. He’s working as a color analyst on Speed’s television coverage.

Next race | Kroger 250, March 31, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

NHRA FULL THROTTLE

Next event | NHRA Gatornationals, March 8-11, Auto Plus Raceway At Gainesville, Gainesville, Fla.

Last week | Antron Brown won the Top Fuel division in the NHRA Arizona Nationals, holding off Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher in the final. Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) also won.

The Associated Press