I Regret to Inform You That There Are More Daytona 500 Entries

"Bill Elliott to run for NEMCO Motorsports in Daytona 500: NEMCO Motorsports announced that Bill Elliott, past Sprint Cup Champion and Daytona 500 winner, will pilot the #97 Toyota for the Daytona 500 to be held at the Daytona International Speedway. This synergy will bring Front Row Joe, Joe Nemechek and Million Dollar Bill, Bill Elliott together as a powerful pair to kickoff the 2012 NASCAR season. "I am really excited to be racing with NEMCO Motorsports and Joe Nemechek, who has been a friend and respected competitor through the years," said Bill Elliott. "This will be a great way to start off the 2012 NASCAR season in Daytona."
"This is a great and fun moment in racing for us at NEMCO Motorsports," said Joe Nemechek. "We believe the talent and skill of Bill will steer the 97 car to a great showing for us and I am excited to be racing right along with him, this time on the same team."(NEMCO Motorsports)(2-15-2013)

Terry Labonte to run Daytona 500: Just as they did to begin the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season last year, FAS Lane Racing announced they are heading to Daytona for the 2012 season opening race with Terry Labonte. The two time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will pilot the #32 Ford in the running of the Daytona 500. In addition to the team and driver reunion, FAS Lane Racing welcomes back C & J Energy Services as the Primary Sponsor for the annual season opener at the Daytona International Speedway. C&J Energy Services, a Corpus Christi, Texas founded company, will continue their support of their "Hometown Hero" Terry Labonte, born and raised in Corpus Christi, as he will pilot the #32 C&J Energy Services Ford. The trio of FAS Lane Racing, Terry Labonte and C&J Energy Services joined forces for a handful of races last season and collectively they look forward to kicking off the 2012 season together. "It is a great privilege for our FAS Lane Racing team to be heading to Daytona once again with Terry Labonte and have C & J Energy join us again this season," stated team owner Frank Stoddard. "We had a solid Top 15 run last year for the Daytona 500 with Terry and that really set the tone for our whole season. The entire organization has worked hard during the off season to improve and grow our team and another great performance to start the season is expected."(FAS Lane Racing / Integrity Sports Marketing)(2-15-2012)"

Credit to Jayski. Who will get the Past Champions Provisional?

BTW This also means Joe Nemechek will be attempting the 500 because Bill Elliott will be driving the 97, not the 87.

At least this means that Kevin Conway won't be racing.

Oh my god there has gotta be like an entry list now of between 50 - 60 cars now! This race just seems to attract a lot more younger drivers and veterans as well.

BWardboy88 wrote:Oh my god there has gotta be like an entry list now of between 50 - 60 cars now! This race just seems to attract a lot more younger drivers and veterans as well.

Agreed.

Sweet jeezus!!!

Ok, when was the last time we had this many cars trying to attempt to get into the 500?!?

50-60 drivers? It's going to be surprising which cars get in in and who is left out.

Awesome Bill with Nemco. AWWW MAI GOODNESS GONA GET DAT CHAMPS PROVIE AND START AND PARK IN DAT DER RACE

Labonte. See above.

i only have 47 entries so far.

but i expect cope and benning to show, so that at least 49. and if the 26 and 7 show, thats 51.

and if the 92 shows , thats 52.

AntmanB wrote:i only have 47 entries so far.

but i expect cope and benning to show, so that at least 49. and if the 26 and 7 show, thats 51.

and if the 92 shows , thats 52.

Brian Keselowski has already said the 92 won't attempt anything until about May-June.

EDIT: Just saw from SPEED Energy's FB page, Robby will be attempting the 500.

The Gatorade Duels are probably going to be better this year than they have been in the last couple of years. It will be interesting to see all of these teams competing to get into the 500. The economy shrunk the entries trying to get into the 500 in the last couple of years. This sort of growth for NASCAR is good for the series because it shows the economy is coming back and teams are interested in coming back to the series.

rightdrive1 wrote:The Gatorade Duels are probably going to be better this year than they have been in the last couple of years. It will be interesting to see all of these teams competing to get into the 500. The economy shrunk the entries trying to get into the 500 in the last couple of years. This sort of growth for NASCAR is good for the series because it shows the economy is coming back and teams are interested in coming back to the series.

I don't know about "better" because I betting someone that deserves a spot and would be competitive will fall out...but interesting, certainly.

Or maybe the COT is actually doing what NASCAR said it would do when they said it would reduce costs...because I can't think of any other reason all these small teams are popping up suddenly...

*looks outside for flying pigs*

Oh dear. Gatorade duels are gonna be awful interesting

Reaction to more teams joining the NSCS.

Wow, I totally forgot about Robert Richardson running the 500 in his own #23 car (moves from N'Wide to Cup). Apparently, Scott Riggs will run the rest of the season for the team.

RyanB06 wrote:Or maybe the COT is actually doing what NASCAR said it would do when they said it would reduce costs...because I can't think of any other reason all these small teams are popping up suddenly...

*looks outside for flying pigs*

Or maybe the reduction in prize money for start and parking in Nationwide and Trucks isn't enough for small teams there. Brian Keselowski said it cost about as much to run his team in Cup as it did to run them in Nationwide...

Also, Bill Elliott and Terry Labonte are making a farce of the entry list. They've been washed-up has-beens for half a decade and are only on the entry list because of one of the dumbest rules in NASCAR's qualifying procedure which guarantees them a spot they probably wouldn't get otherwise! I'd honestly prefer another rookie pay driver get a guaranteed position like Timmy Hill or DanicaDanicaDanica because at the very least both of them are new drivers trying to break into the top level. I used to really like Awesome Bill from Dawsonville and the original Iceman, and I'd probably respect them again if they could get into the field without the Champions Provisional.

Sidenote: Rookie of the Year contender provisional? <_<

Good to see some of the old guys get rides. I hope they do well. I see Cynon's point, but I'd rather see a guy with his best years behind him do another run than a pay driver get the seat.

Cynon wrote: I used to really like Awesome Bill from Dawsonville and the original Iceman, and I'd probably respect them again if they could get into the field without the Champions Provisional.

Pretty sure the #32 is locked in on owners points.

Mother of Invention wrote:

Cynon wrote: I used to really like Awesome Bill from Dawsonville and the original Iceman, and I'd probably respect them again if they could get into the field without the Champions Provisional.

Pretty sure the #32 is locked in on owners points.

Nah, Failtrip bought the 32's owner points for the 55 to be locked in.

and robby gordon entering the 500 is official: Robby Gordon to attempt to make Daytona 500: #7-Robby Gordon will attempt to make the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway with sponsorship from MAPEI, see an image of the car on my #7 Team Schemes page. No word on Gordon's Sprint Cup Series plans for the 2012 season.(2-16-2012)

By the way, talking about entry list sizes, the biggest I can remember is 61 from 2007. That was the year everyone who owned a Cup car tried to enter just to get the money for a COT. Proof: The DNQ's from that race. (From Racing-Reference.info)

Jeremy Mayfield (#36)
Mike Skinner (#23)
Regan Smith (#39)
Ward Burton (#4)
Paul Menard (#15)
A.J. Allmendinger (#84)
Kevin Lepage (#34)
Bill Elliott (#37)
Brian Vickers (#83)
Kenny Wallace (#78)
Frank Kimmel (#71)
Mike Bliss (#49)
Eric McClure (#04)
Stanton Barrett (#30)
Kirk Shelmerdine (#27)
Brandon Whitt (#72)
Derrike Cope (#74)
James Hylton (#58)

Five or six of those drivers didn't even attempt another race in 2007.