Daytona got off to a fast start over the weekend, as Danica Patrick became the first woman to win the pole position at the race. She already is the first woman to run full time on the Sprint Cup circuit and now has another notable achievement to her name, as she beat out Jeff Gordon to take the top spot.
Patrick will also race for Turner Scott Motorsports on Saturday before the Sprint Cup race in the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway. Patrick raced on the Nationwide series last year and won the most popular driver award and she will continue to take part in some races with her primary sponsor Go Daddy.
"I feel we have a chance to win [Daytona], and that has me excited,'' Patrick said during Thursday's media day.
The Daytona 500 marks the biggest race of the NASCAR season and Michael Waltrip will use that moment to honor the victims of the Newtown school shootings with a Sandy Hook School Support Fund paint scheme in the rave on Sunday.
According to ESPN.com, the two-time Daytona 500 champion will use the scheme in a joint effort with Swan Racing, who will supply Waltrip with the car to help raise funds and awareness for the fund that honors the victims of the tragedy.
The report also says that NASCAR chairman Brian France and his wife Amy also have donated $50,000 to show industry support and it was announced that the same amount will be matched by The NASCAR Foundation.
The color scheme for the car was revealed on Thursday during media day at the Daytona Speedway before the qualifying runs of the weekend.
The Newtown event "to me personally, it was one of the hardest things and best things I've ever done," France said. "Being in Newtown last week and delivering a moment of happiness to that community was unlike anything I've ever experienced. Looking out at a room of smiling faces amidst the aftermath of a horrible tragedy was very powerful."
Waltrip also said that each of his three cars for Michael Waltrip Racing will have features to encourage fans and raise awareness to donations for Newtown with a text alert as well as support online at newtown.uwwesternct.org.
"It will be an emotional week knowing that we have the potential to do so much good for the Newtown community," Waltrip said. "I'm racing for a reason."
