There will be a lot of excitement heading into this weekend with several races scheduled, but all eyes are on one race. The 52nd running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled to go on February 14, Valentine’s Day. The 500 is the most watched NASCAR event and holds more prestige than any other race in the country – it’s like the Super Bowl or The Masters for NASCAR.

You might recall last year Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 even though the race wasn’t run a full 200 laps. It was called with 48 laps remaining on account of rain. Bummer, I know! This year there is no rain in the forecast and fans are expecting a competitive race.

If you’re heading to Daytona for the weekend, you might also want to check out Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, where IndyCar star Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR debut. “To be the one driving that [GoDaddy.com] car at Daytona means a lot to me,” Patrick said Monday in a news release. “Racing in the Nationwide Series was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do.”

Also wanted to remind you that Football Fanatics has a great selection of Daytona 500 and general NASCAR merchandise for sale. With our 3-Day and express shipping options, you can still get your gear in time for the race.

NASCAR is unique in that they host their premier event at the beginning of the season rather than the conclusion. The Daytona 500 is the biggest event in NASCAR… it’s the one race every driver wants to win. Some drivers have had great success in Daytona, while others can’t seem to find their place. Today’s “Stump Zeke” sports trivia question is related to NASCAR: Who is the only Daytona 500 champion to win the race with four different car makes?

It’s a tough question. Even die-hard NASCAR fans might not get this one right. Check out the video for the correct answer plus a few bonus questions.

The 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is this weekend at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. This is the 25th running of the race. This is not your typical race. It’s 100 laps broken down into segments with mandatory pit stops. In 2008, Kasey Kahne, who happened to be voted in by the fans, won the event and the $1 million prize.

According to NASCAR, the race includes:

• Race-winning drivers from the previous and current Cup Series seasons.
• Cup Series champions from the past 10 years who are active drivers and have competed in at least one series event during the previous or current season.
• Past winners of the All-Star Race.
• Two drivers who qualify for the premier event by finishing first and second, respectively, in the Showdown (formerly the Open).
• One driver who joins the All-Star Race field by winning the Fan Vote.

We actually have a member of our staff traveling to North Carolina to attend the race. So check back next week to see if we have some exclusive photos of the track and the drivers. In the mean time, here’s an awesome NASCAR crash video for you to enjoy.

The 2009 NASCAR will open this week with the sports biggest event: The Daytona 500. Martin Truex Jr. claimed the top pole position for Sunday’s race. Normally, you’d think starting the race in 1st place would be a good thing, but since 2002, the pole winner for the big event has finished outside the top 10 six times.

The Daytona 500 is regarded by many as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse. 150,000+ fans will pack Daytona International Speedway for the 51st running. This year’s race is wide open. Of course there are the usual favorites, but I think anyone has a shot at winning.

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