The alliance guarantees a starting spot for Patrick in her Sprint Cup debut – the 54th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

TBR’s No. 36 car, which finished the 2011 season 33rd in points, becomes the No. 10 for 2012. For the 26 races where Patrick is not scheduled to drive, David Reutimann will pilot the No. 10 car. TBR has sponsorship inventory available for these 26 races.

“Tommy Baldwin Racing has proven to be a very strong organization and it’s a good fit with Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Matt Borland, vice president of competition, SHR. “It’s a Chevrolet team led by a racer who knows every inch of a racecar. That kind of technical expertise, along with a company mindset that is similar to ours, provides the ideal environment for Danica to learn and succeed.”

TBR was formed in 2009 and has matured from a single-car team to one that in 2012 will field two Sprint Cup entries and a NASCAR Nationwide Series entry. TBR is owned by Tommy Baldwin, who as a crew chief secured five victories, including the 2002 Daytona 500 with driver Ward Burton.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve established at Tommy Baldwin Racing, and the opportunity to partner with Stewart-Haas Racing and aid in the development of Danica Patrick is a testament to all the hard work we’ve put in over the years,” Baldwin said. “Danica will have a great teammate in Dave Blaney, who has been instrumental in getting our race team to where it is today. And with David Reutimann driving the No. 10 car in the races where Danica is not, the team will remain in a strong and competitive position throughout the year.”

The agreement means TBR will also work with GoDaddy.com, the world’s largest Web hosting provider and Patrick’s longtime sponsor.

“Go Daddy is a first-rate sponsor,” Baldwin added. “Look how they’ve supported Danica over the last six years. Go Daddy is a sponsor that knows how to get things done right.”

Baldwin will maintain a hands-on presence with the No. 10 car and will work closely with Greg Zipadelli, who serves as SHR’s director of competition. Baldwin and Zipadelli have similar backgrounds, as both grew up in the Northeast – Baldwin in Bellport, N.Y., and Zipadelli in Berlin, Conn. – and made a name for themselves as successful crew chiefs within the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour before rising up the ranks as crew chiefs in the elite Sprint Cup Series.

“Working with Tommy will be like old times,” Zipadelli said. “We both grew up together and competed against each other in Modifieds and we did the same thing when we got to Sprint Cup. To finally be able to work with each other and help Danica Patrick make a successful transition from Indy cars to stock cars is a challenge we’re both looking forward to.

“Partnering with Tommy and his team provides Danica with the foundation she needs to succeed. With a guaranteed starting spot, we can go into each weekend and simply learn. It’s all about getting her comfortable in the car, and with the variety of tracks she’s running, seat time will be incredibly valuable. A guaranteed spot in the race ensures that she’ll have the opportunity to make as many laps as possible.”

Patrick’s 10-race Sprint Cup schedule is as follows:

• Feb. 26: Daytona 500

• May 12: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway

• May 27: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway

• Aug. 25: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

• Sept. 2: Atlanta Motor Speedway

• Sept. 16: Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

• Sept. 30: Dover (Del.) International Speedway

• Nov. 4: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth

• Nov. 11: Phoenix International Raceway

One more race is still to be determined, with the plan being to assess Patrick’s development as the season progresses and then choose the remaining venue based on need and competitive reasoning.

“Our goal with Danica’s schedule is to try and maximize her 10 races so that she’s as prepared as she can possibly be for a full-time Sprint Cup schedule in 2013,” said Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest machine tool builder in the western world. “There are short tracks, intermediate 1.5-mile ovals, and some unique tracks like Darlington and Phoenix. The point is to expose her to as many challenges as possible so that she’ll know what to expect in 2013.”

His 13th Daytona 500 start gave Stewart hope that perhaps this was the year, as he was a contender throughout the 208-lap contest, which was extended eight laps past its originally distance via a green-white-checkered finish. But just as past Daytona 500s have left Stewart more jaded than jovial, Sunday’s 53rd Daytona 500 felt like more of the same, for Stewart went from being second with two laps remaining to finishing 13th.

As strong as Stewart’s Office Depot/Mobil1 Chevy was, he needed help. Racing in the draft is a necessity at Daytona, and this year, two-car tandems were the fast way around the spacious, 2.5-mile oval. Stewart had many dancing partners during the day, and while he never led a lap, he was a top-10 mainstay.

In the final, two-lap dash to the finish, Stewart was in second-place on the outside of leader Trevor Bayne. It was the race’s final restart, and Stewart appeared in prime position to finally win his first Daytona 500 and the 40th point-paying race of his Sprint Cup career. Behind Stewart was Mark Martin, and it made sense to believe that the two Chevrolets could draft their way past Bayne and onto Daytona 500 fame.

That notion soon fizzled, however, when the inside line led by Bayne got going quicker than the one led by Stewart. Knowing time was running out, Stewart darted left in an attempt to catch the faster train of cars. More jockeying took place, and before the field came back around to take the final lap, Stewart had been jettisoned outside the top-five, and when the checkered flag dropped, he was outside the top-10 — an area he hadn’t been all day.

Stewart climbed from his car in the garage area shaking his head at the incredulous nature of his race. No words were needed. Adding insult to injury was the final result of his SHR teammate, Ryan Newman.

With his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, Newman had paced the Daytona 500 nine times for a race-high 37 laps — his best Daytona 500 showing since winning the event in 2008. Yet, two late-race accidents conspired to leave Newman 22nd.

Enjoying a much better day was Bayne. The 20-year-old driver pulled off a major upset by winning NASCAR’s most prestigious race. With little Sprint Cup experience and driving for a team that’s only running a part-time schedule, Bayne held off some of NASCAR’s best to win his first career Sprint Cup race. In only his second Sprint Cup start, Bayne became the youngest Daytona 500 winner, and he did it driving for one of the most storied organizations in NASCAR.

Wood Brothers Racing was the franchise that gave Richard Petty a run for his money in the 1970s and early ’80s. But after 97 victories — the last of which came on March, 25 2001 when Elliott Sadler drove their car to victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway — the team had gone winless. And in 2008, the proud, family-owned team was forced to run a part-time schedule. Bayne’s Daytona 500 win injected a shot of adrenaline to the team and the sport of NASCAR, for it was an honest win by an honest kid for a team that helped shape the NASCAR we know today. This was the Wood Brothers’ fifth Daytona 500 victory, but first since 1976 when David Pearson was their driver.

Bayne crossed the finish line .118 of a second over second-place Carl Edwards. Finishing third was David Gilliland, while Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-five. Juan Pablo Montoya, Regan Smith, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard and Martin comprised the remainder of the top-10.

The 53rd Daytona 500 was a record-breaking race on three fronts: lead changes (74), leaders (22) and cautions (16), with 60 laps run under the yellow flag. Thirteen drivers failed to finish.

Points following the Daytona 500 also had an unusual angle, for despite winning the Daytona 500, Bayne earned no points for his triumph. Bayne declared the stepping-stone Nationwide Series as the division in which he will compete for a driver’s championship in 2011, so he was awarded no points for his Daytona 500 effort. Drivers in all three of NASCAR’s national series — Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck — must select the series in which they’ll compete for a driver’s championship. Drivers may race in all three series, but they will only earn championship points in their “declared” series. It is a new rule for 2011, which coincides with a revamped point structure.

Basically, points have been simplified, and they apply to all NASCAR national series. Now, points are awarded in one-point increments. In Sprint Cup, that means the race winner gets 43 points, plus three bonus point for the victory. The winner can also earn an extra point for leading a lap and another point for leading the most laps, bringing their total to a possible maximum of 48 points. All other drivers in subsequent finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place finisher will earn 41 points, and so on. Last-place (43rd) gets one point.

Stewart is tied for 12th in the Sprint Cup championship standings with David Ragan. Stewart has 31 points and is 11 markers behind series leader Edwards. Newman is tied with Denny Hamlin for 19th. Each has 24 points, 18 arrears Edwards.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Feb. 27 Subway Fresh Fit 500k at Phoenix International Raceway.

But running in second place as the pack of cars were battling for position on the backstretch of Daytona International Speedway, Newman’s U.S. Army Chevrolet got collected in a multicar accident on Lap 197, ending any chance of visiting Victory Lane in the Great American Race.

Newman led the most laps (37), including Laps 182-192 and Lap 196. The 200-lap scheduled race went into double overtime with two green-white-checkered restarts.

When the dust settled at the 2.5-mile oval, Newman was credited with a 22nd-place finish.

“We had a plan and we had the horsepower to win this race,” said Newman. “But we were on the wrong end of a typical restrictor-plate finish. It’s disappointing, but we’ll Soldier on and fight even harder next week.”

After the five-car accident, which also involved Denny Hamlin, Regan Smith, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer, Newman came down pit road for repairs and a fresh set of tires. He fought his way back to 10th in the first green-white-checkered restart, but was once again involved in a multicar wreck on the backstretch.

“We still had hope for a decent finish, but the last accident ruined a great day of racing for our U.S. Army team,” said crew chief Tony Gibson. “We definitely had the car to win the race. I wasn’t counting the laps at the end because I’ve been there before. You never count until you cross the (finish) line.”

Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, finished 13th.

The race winner was rookie Trevor Bayne. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Carl Edwards, David Gilliland, Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch.

The next Sprint Cup race is Sunday (Feb. 27) at Phoenix International Raceway.

The results mean that Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala, will start 21st in Sunday’s Daytona 500, while Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala, will roll off 25th.

SHR avoided disaster on the second lap when Newman spun exiting turn two while Stewart was drafting behind him. In order to achieve maximum speed, it is faster for two cars to draft with each other, and Newman was being pushed by Stewart as the duo went through the second turn in third- and fourth-place, respectively. Unfortunately, they rapidly closed in on the second-place car of Mark Martin, who was pushing leader Paul Menard. Newman had to move to the high side of the track and the sudden move with Stewart right behind him caused Newman’s Chevrolet to spin down onto the backstretch skidpad.

Damage was minimal to Newman’s ride as he didn’t make contact with the wall or another car, and after a quick pit stop for four fresh tires, he was back on track.

Kurt Busch, who won last Saturday’s non-points Budweiser Shootout, kept on winning by taking the first Gatorade Duel by .065 of a second over second-place Regan Smith. Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne took spots three through five. The rest of the top-10 consisted of Juan Pablo Montoya, A.J. Allmendinger, Martin, Menard and Newman.

Jeff Burton won the second Gatorade Duel by .005 of a second over his Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer. Michael Waltrip, Kyle Busch and Brian Keselowski took spots three through five. The rest of the top-10 consisted of Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Carl Edwards.

With the Gatorade Duel races now complete, the field for the Daytona 500 is set. On the pole is Dale Earnhardt Jr., and alongside him is his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon. By notching the two quickest times during last Sunday’s time trials, both drivers were able to lock themselves into the front row for the Daytona 500.

Unfortunately for Earnhardt, he crashed his qualified car during Wednesday’s practice session and will use a backup car for Sunday’s race. While the record books will forever list him as the pole winner for the 53rd Daytona 500, he will have to drop to the rear of the field before the green flag per the NASCAR rulebook.

Those who didn’t make the cut and will be forced to watch the Daytona 500 from the sidelines are Derrike Cope, Kevin Conway, Todd Bodine, Michael McDowell and Casey Mears.

The Daytona 500 gets underway at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 20 with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

“Obviously it’s a big career builder and resume builder,” said Newman, winner of the 50th anniversary Daytona 500 in 2008. “It changed my life because I have the trophy, the check and the notoriety to go along with it. But I think it’s the impression that people have of you as a Daytona 500 champion that changes your life more so.”

Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, would like nothing better than to enhance his resume on Sunday with another victory in the Great American Race.

“I want to drive the Soldiers’ car to victory lane,” stated Newman. “That’s our goal and what better way to salute our Army Strong Soldiers than with the Daytona 500 trophy.”

Newman and the No. 39 team, led by crew chief and Daytona Beach native Tony Gibson, have gotten off to a strong start in the early portion of Daytona 500 Speedweeks with an impressive third-place finish in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout and posting the seventh-fastest speed in Sunday’s Pole Day qualifying.

“I feel we have a car and a team that can improve upon what we’ve already accomplished at Daytona,” noted the 33-year-old Newman. “We have the Duel race (on Thursday) and three days of practices to get our Chevrolet ready for the 500. There’s plenty of speculation about the two-car draft and the recent rule change by NASCAR, but we just have to wait and see how it all shakes out and make whatever adjustments that will be needed. It appears we have an interesting week ahead of us.”

There’s another reason that Newman is feeling upbeat and that’s how the U.S. Army/Stewart-Haas Racing team finished the 2010 Sprint Cup season.

“Well for the first time in a couple of years we had a good ending to the season,” explained Newman, a 14-time Cup winner. “Our last ten races (in 2010) were strong. They weren’t perfect but they were strong. That was the highlight of our season last year so coming off that and having some momentum mentally and physically are big for our team. I look forward to starting the season a little more than I did this time last year which is based off that performance.”

The last two races of 2010 saw Newman finish runner-up in Phoenix and seventh at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Also, eight of his 14 top 10s in 2010 came in the final 13 races.

“The last two years we didn’t get off to a good start and we need to change that,” said Newman, who had finishes of 36th and 34th in the past two Daytona 500s. “There’s so many things you can’t control at the superspeedways, but we know we can be good at what we can control.”

After two practice sessions on Wednesday, Newman will be back in race mode for Thursday’s first qualifying race at the 2.5-mile tri-oval (SPEED, 2 p.m. ET). He will start third in the 150-miler. The Duel races will determine the 43-car starting lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (FOX, 1 p.m. ET).

“I’m just proud of all the guys who work on this U.S. Army Chevrolet,” said Newman, who won the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008. “We’ve come down here the last two years and been a pole contender, and we came close again today. I think we have a good racecar with some good speed. Everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing has done a good job. I just want to do everything we can to gain all the knowledge we can to give ourselves the best shot to get the U.S. Army Chevrolet in victory lane.”

Stewart, Newman’s teammate and the co-owner of SHR along with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas – the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world – qualified 10th in his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala. Stewart turned a lap of 48.672 seconds at 184.911 mph.

“We had a good run with our Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy and Ryan and his U.S. Army Chevy,” said Stewart, who has 15 career victories at Daytona in Sprint Cup, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the defunct IROC Series. “We’re really proud of everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s a good way to start the year. We’re in a good spot.

“The biggest thing that we have to do as a driver is shift three times once we leave pit road. The rest of the time it’s just trying to hold the wheel smooth and everybody that qualified today is more than capable of doing that. It’s a crew chief showcase today and to see what teams have done over the winter. Looking at the board, I’m really proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and what they’ve done to our Chevys.”

Locking up their starting spots for the Daytona 500 were Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jeff Gordon, who qualified 1-2. Earnhardt notched his first career Daytona 500 pole, his first pole at Daytona and his 10th Sprint Cup pole with a time of 48.364 seconds at 186.089 mph. Gordon missed the top spot by .032 of a second as he turned a lap in 48.396 seconds at 185.966 mph.

Forty-eight drivers made a qualifying attempt for the Daytona 500.

While Saturday’s time trials locked in the front row, the next 40 positions will be determined via Thursday’s Gatorade Duel – twin 150-mile heat races that set the majority of the 43-car Daytona 500 field. Odd numbered teams in 2010 owner points will run the first race, while even numbered teams in 2010 owner points will compete in the second race. The top-35 teams in 2010 owner points are assured of advancing into the Daytona 500, as are the highest finishing teams in the 150-mile heat races not otherwise qualified, and the three fastest teams from time trials not otherwise qualified. If needed, the 43rd position will go to the most recent series champion not otherwise qualified.

Newman will start third in the first Gatorade Duel race, and Stewart will join him in that race from the fifth starting spot. Both drivers are guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500 no matter their respective finishes in the Gatorade Duel, as each finished among the top-15 in 2010 owner points.

As far as manufacturers went, Chevrolet swept the front row via Hendrick Motorsports teammates Earnhardt and Gordon. Ford was next best at the hands of rookie Trevor Bayne (48.532 seconds at 185.445 mph). Carrying the flag for Dodge was 11th-quick Kurt Busch (48.676 seconds at 184.896 mph), winner of Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout. Toyota completed the manufacturer lineup with Joe Nemechek posting the 21st-fastest time (48.854 seconds at 184.222 mph).

The Gatorade Duel gets underway at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 17 with live coverage on SPEED. The green flag waves for the Daytona 500 at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 20, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

But despite the impressive figures, the most pressing matter of the moment is readying for the 2011 Sprint Cup season. The wins, the poles and the accolades of years past don’t mean much when another grueling, 36-race schedule looms ahead. For all intents and purposes, it’s just another series of never-ending performance reviews.

In 2011, those performance reviews will be watched in earnest. Not just because it’s Stewart who’s the last Sprint Cup champion not named Jimmie Johnson, but because he continues to defy the odds as a driver/owner in today’s NASCAR.

Not since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 when he won what was then the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship has a driver/owner accomplished what Stewart has, which is consistently win races and contend for championships.

When Stewart took the point lead on May 31, 2009, he became the first driver/owner in 556 races to lead the Sprint Cup championship standings. And when Stewart won a week later at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, he became the first driver/owner in 375 races to win a Sprint Cup race. Four point-paying wins and a Chase berth in 2009 segued to two point-paying victories and another Chase spot in 2010. All of which means expectations are high again in 2011.

In a sport where the bar is constantly being raised, Stewart always antes up. He’s able to do so because of longtime support from Office Depot, currently celebrating 25 years as a leading global provider of office supplies and services, and newcomer Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. In NASCAR’s brave new world, it’s good to have world leaders on your side.

As a new season dawns with the advent of Daytona (Fla.) Speedweeks, Stewart and Co. are ready for the challenge. In 10 months when the checkered flag drops on the 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 5-foot, 9-inch Stewart aims to stand tallest among his racing brethren by raising a championship trophy just as he did in 2002 and 2005.

TONY STEWART, Driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing:

After two successful seasons as a driver/owner at NASCAR’s highest level, are there a lot of expectations coming into this season?

“Always. That’s what this industry is based off – expectations. At the end of 2009 we looked at what we did right and what we did wrong so that we could improve ourselves. But I think we put too much emphasis on trying to take care of the things that we thought needed improving, and didn’t pay enough attention to the things that we did right, because they were not good enough last year. Even the things we felt like we did right last year, we still have to build on those experiences. It’s just about having more experience as an owner and knowing what we had in any of those areas isn’t good enough anymore. We have to continue to grow.

What are your expectations in year three?

“Obviously, we want to go out and win a championship. That’s definitely on top of the list. But the hard thing is, it’s a very competitive sport, and you realize that even if we make our program five percent better, if everybody else makes theirs seven percent better, we’re still behind.  It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen. We just hope the hard work all of our guys have put forth all winter long is going to be good enough this year and put us that much farther ahead than anybody else.”

Are you optimistic in what Stewart-Haas Racing can achieve?

“I think I’m realistic. When you sit down at the end of the year and evaluate what you did right and what you did wrong, even the things you did right last year are not necessarily going to be right this year, and that’s the hard part. It’s really hard to gauge where you’re going to be and how successful you’re going to be until you get around everybody else. A perfect example of that was Richard Childress Racing. Two years ago they were really behind, and then last year they were ahead of the game and were a factor every week. Everybody is going to make their programs better. It’s about who makes the biggest gain and is that going to be enough to get you on top of the field?”

How much more comfortable are you this year than you were this time two years ago?

“The longer I’m in this role the more comfortable I get. You know, the one thing I learned from Joe Gibbs is that you hire the right people to do the right jobs. I can’t run this race team by myself, but having guys like Bobby (Hutchens, director of competition) and Brett (Frood, executive vice president) upstairs and other key people in this organization – they’re the people I deal with. So, when there’s a question, somebody has to have the answer to it. Knowing I can go to this group of people and get that answer is a big key. But just being able to communicate and keep our guys pumped up and recognize when they say, ‘This is what we need to be better,’ and figuring out how to make that work in the budget, that’s probably the hardest thing.”

When you look back on your sophomore year, how would you characterize it?

“We were happy to get Ryan (Newman, teammate) into victory lane for the first type with the organization, but we definitely did lose some performance on our side. We didn’t win as many races, but we did finish about the same spot in pots. I felt like we maintained and didn’t grow as much as we would’ve liked. I feel like that’s where we need to put our emphasis on – settle on the things we did right and fix the things that were a little below average. But we have to continue to grow the entire organization. What we did last year in areas that we did right is not going to be good enough this year. We’re keeping that pressure on these guys to make that aspect of our program that much better.”

At the end of the season when the checkered flag drops at Homestead, how will you determine if your season has been successful?

“Ultimately, it comes down to performance, but it’s how you get there. It’s seeing areas of your program that are growing, and sometimes those don’t always show in the results at the end of the day. But, race teams are like any other business. It’s a constant state of progress. I guarantee that you’re not going to find anybody, even at the ‘48’ shop (home to five-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson) who’s going to be happy with where they are, and that’s a team that’s won five championships in a row. It’s a constant state of progress that you’re in and you’re never going to get where you think you’ve got everything exactly where you want it. I think it’s in evaluating where you are at the end of the year and how your program has grown. The hard part is everybody else’s program is growing, too, so you have to figure out how to make your program grow faster than theirs to really see those results at the end of the day.”

What’s the next progression for Stewart-Haas Racing?

“We want to get back to where we were two years ago when we got both our cars (Nos. 14 and 39) in the Chase. We finished sixth and seventh in points the last two years, and that’s definitely not where we want to be. It’s making sure that we give me and Ryan (Newman, driver of the No. 39) the best opportunities we can, to not only win races and make the Chase, but to have an opportunity to win the Chase, too. We’ll keep building this program and growing it to ensure the future of this team by making sure that we can go out and compete for races and championships.”

After two years of being in the dual role of driver and owner, are you more laid back now?

“I’m more comfortable with it. I think going to the racetrack has really helped me understand NASCAR’s perspective a lot better, and I feel like that’s been really, really huge. A lot of times you don’t understand why NASCAR does things, and I think when you’re a car owner you realize that it’s a different perspective than what you have as a driver, and that’s helped. I’m comfortable in my role as an owner now.

“I get to know Gene (Haas, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing) more and more each year, and that makes me more and more comfortable each year, too, and we have the same group of guys that we have started with. I’m passionate about what we do. It’s a lot of commitment. It takes a lot of time that we don’t already have. It takes more of those free days away, but I really am enjoying where I’m at with this organization. You know, I enjoyed being with Joe (Gibbs), and the great thing is I had a great car owner for 10 years in the Cup Series to learn from. I miss being with those guys, but I’m glad that I can take the things that I learned from Joe and apply them over here, too. I think that makes him proud.”

Could you ever see yourself going back and driving for someone else again?

“I hope I don’t have to do that again because I really enjoy being an owner in this series. We have racetracks that we own, our open-wheel teams in USAC and the World of Outlaws, and I’m really comfortable and happy in this role. Now, could I do it? Yeah, absolutely. That’s what I did all my life until I became an owner here. But, you hope we don’t ever have to be in that position. At the same time, if it did happen, we could do it. It probably would make me a better driver driving for another car owner if I had to go back, just from having my experience as an owner now.”

Daytona is your first stop of the 2011 season, but with new pavement there, it’s a much different Daytona than it’s ever been. Talk about that.

“It’s almost an identical feeling to what we had at Talladega (Ala.) when it was repaved. The transitions off of (turns) two and four are a little more abrupt than what we have at Talladega, but as far as the ride, you literally could hold a full cup of coffee with the lid off and not spill a drop riding around there.

“We have to run a restrictor plate there, and when you’re just running by yourself, the cars always feel kind of lazy. But what we saw at the test was that when you get around other cars is when you notice that Hendrick horsepower. Seems like we were able to get around some other cars pretty well. I felt like we had really good horsepower.

“Guys are realizing the value of having two cars hooked up together. It’s something that we’ve not seen a lot of in the past. You saw it at times, but I think guys are realizing that is how the Daytona 500 is going to be won – getting two cars hooked up together and who can do it and get away from the pack.

“But getting hooked up is hard. You can’t do it from the start of the race to the end of the race because the guy behind is going to overheat. What we saw at the test is how fast guys can switch positions, make that swap, and get hooked up again and pick their lap times back up. I think it will put it back in the driver’s hands because it’s a matter of how quick can you make that change? Even if your car is only a tenth of a second off of two other cars, if you can do that change a half-second quicker each time, then you’re ahead of the game. It’s going to be critical in how it plays out.”

What would winning the Daytona 500 mean to you?

“You look at marquee events around the world, and not only NASCAR but in all of motorsports – the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours At Daytona, the Indy 500, the Knoxville Nationals – and to be a driver that can cross off one of those marquee events as a winner, that cements your legacy in motorsports. To be able to able to win the Daytona 500 is the ultimate dream of a racecar driver.”

Where would winning the Daytona 500 rank for you?

“No. 1. I may never get a chance to run in those other marquee events, so that’s why it puts the Daytona 500 at the top, because it’s something that we actually have a shot at. But it is hard. It’s a hard race, and it’s not like you get to come back next week and try it again if you don’t accomplish it. You get one shot a year to accomplish this goal.”

In 2008, you nearly won the Daytona 500. How close were you?

“I’ve run that race over in my mind a million times on what I thought I could’ve done differently. If it would’ve been the Daytona 498, I had it won. I was forced to make a decision of whether I was going to put my whole race in jeopardy to win it, or know that I was getting passed but I may have a shot to get it back in the end. I took the safer route, and I wish I would’ve thrown caution to the wind. I think I would’ve rather crashed out of it knowing that I did everything I could, but I wasn’t sure that if I made the move to block Ryan (Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 winner) to get in front of him – they were coming at such a high rate of speed I was probably going to crash half the field if I moved.”

If you had to do that race over again, would you make the other decision?

“Yes. That decision to play it safe has haunted me ever since. So, if that situation happens again, I may come back on a hook, but at least I can say I know I did everything I could do to give myself that shot.”

Why was a Daytona 500 win just not in the cards for you that day?

“Ahhh, you know, I was working really good with my (then) teammate Kyle Busch. It was just being at the right place at the right time and, you know, Ryan (Newman) and Kurt Busch had just got hooked up and were making a huge, huge run, and that’s what it took to get by us. That was the only way they were going to get by us, was to get locked together, and they did a really good job at it.”

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s passing. When you think of him, what comes to mind?

“You just always think of that grin. He always wore his sunglasses, so you could never see his eyes, but there was one thing that you saw and he had that grin. It wasn’t a full-blown smile, but he just kinda had this smirky grin. When you saw that, it made you smile.”

What’s your best Dale Earnhardt story?

“It was the first Budweiser Shootout I won, and I did it by holding him off. I was not physically drained, but I was emotionally drained after that race. Normally when you’re leading a restrictor-plate race, you’re wide open all the way around and you don’t have to do anything but just hold a smooth wheel. But when Dale Earnhardt was behind you, you had to do a lot of extra footwork by lifting and dragging the brake, because you knew how good he was at backing himself up and getting a run at you. When he was running second to you, you knew he was going to throw everything he had at you, and to be able to hold him off meant that not only did we do a good job of driving the car and leading the race, but we did a good job strategy-wise of being able to counter his moves. That’s what I remember the most.”

You came to NASCAR from Indy cars in the late 1990s. What did you know about Dale Earnhardt when you first got here?

“Everything I saw of him came from watching him on TV. When I was really paying attention to NASCAR the most is when he was kind of in that string of where he would qualify in the mid-30s, and everybody would take bets on Sunday on how long it was going to take him to get to the lead. The best part of the races was seeing the start and seeing who was actually leading, but then seeing how long it took him to get from mid?pack or from back of the back to get to the lead. It was pretty cool.”

TONY STEWART’S DAYTONA PERFORMANCE PROFILE

× Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish.

† Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.

* Race cut short due to weather.

? Race was started by Stewart, but finished by J.J. Yeley, who took over for Stewart in a relief role on lap 72.

• Newman earned his entry into the 33rd annual Budweiser Shootout, his ninth start in the non-points event, via his 2008 victory in the 50th Running of the Daytona 500. Newman is also eligible for the Shootout via his 2002 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year title.

• In eight starts in the Shootout, Newman has posted two top-five finishes. The nine-year Sprint Cup veteran finished fourth in 2003. His best finish came in 2005, when he scored a second-place effort. Newman finished .199 seconds behind race-winner and five-time and reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

• In 18 starts in point-paying Cup races at Daytona, Newman has one win (February 2008), two top-five finishes and three top-10s.

• Three Victories in Three Series at Daytona – While Newman’s recent starts at the famed 2.5-mile racetrack haven’t ended on a high note, the South Bend, Ind., native has savored the sweet taste of victory on three separate occasions in three different divisions. Newman earned his first Daytona victory in the ARCA Series in 2001. He started 11th and led 12 laps en route to his first win in his first-ever start at the superspeedway. Three years later, Newman won the season-opening IROC Series race at Daytona in February 2004. He started on the pole and led five laps during the 40-lap event to claim his first and only win in the IROC Series. It was four seasons later, in 2008, when Newman scored the biggest victory of his racing career by winning the 50th Running of the Daytona 500. Newman led just eight laps during the 200-lap race. He took the lead for the final time on the last lap on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile superspeedway and never looked back as he took the checkered flag.

• Time for a Reversal of Fortune for the No. 39 – To say that restrictor-plate tracks – particularly Daytona – have been a real sore spot for Newman and the No. 39 team could be a bit of an understatement. In the five races Newman has run at Daytona since joining SHR in 2009, the team has never finished better than 19th and has three finishes of 26th or worse. The team’s first outing during Daytona Speedweeks 2009 can serve as a microcosm of what the team has endured each trip to the Florida racetrack.  Here’s a look at the trials and tribulations Newman’s team faced that week:  the No. 39 was involved in an on-track incident in his Gatorade Duel qualifying race while running in third place, forcing him to a backup car for the Daytona 500. Then, in the final practice of the weekend, he had a right-rear tire explode, forcing him to a second backup car in as many days. He finished that race in 36th. Since then, Newman has finished 20th (July 2009 Coke Zero 400), 19th (not finishing the 2010 Budweiser Shootout), 34th (not finishing the 2010 Daytona 500) and 26th (not finishing the July 2010 Coke Zero 400).

• Flashback to 2008: A Daytona Dream-Come-True – On Feb. 17, 2008, Newman achieved a lifelong dream by capturing a win in the 50th Running of the Daytona 500. Newman, who had led only a handful of laps during the 200-lap event, took the lead on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile superspeedway on the final lap and was pushed to victory by then-teammate Kurt Busch, with Newman’s father Greg spotting. It was, without a doubt, the biggest moment of Newman’s racing career and it provided a huge sense of accomplishment as everything he and his family and friends had worked for over the years culminated in a large celebration in the sport’s most famous victory lane.

• Newman has a career total of 14 wins, 46 poles, 72 top-fives and 135 top-10 finishes in 332 Sprint Cup starts. His most recent Sprint Cup win came 29 races ago at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., to end a winless streak of 77 races dating back to the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in February 2008.

“You Must Be a Local” – Three members of the WIX Filters Racing Team are from Florida:

• Crew chief Tony Gibson is from Daytona Beach, Fla.
• Mechanic and driver support Jay Guarneri is from Naples, Fla.
• Engine tuner Jay Nolan is from Jacksonville, Fla.

Sunday’s scheduled 200-lap race, which went eight laps into overtime, took more than six hours to complete. The main culprit was lengthy repair time for a pothole on the track, which forced NASCAR to red flag the race twice for a total of more than two hours.

Newman’s misfortune was triggered when Elliott Sadler lost control of his car on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile oval. As Sadler’s car was going into a violent spin, Newman’s Chevy got clipped and slammed into the wall before coming to a halt on the infield grass.

Newman was not injured in the incident, but his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet was totaled as it was hauled back to the garage on a wrecker.

“I don’t know if Elliott (Sadler) blew a tire or lost control, but I got hit in the right rear,” explained Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 champion. “Luckily I stayed right-side-up this time. It’s unfortunate for the U.S. Army Chevrolet. We were just biding our time in the back and working our way up when it single filed out. I am not sure what happened, but I was the recipient.”

Newman, who started the race 17th, encountered handling issues from the outset and never could seem to find the right balance with his U.S. Army Chevy.

“We made changes throughout the race and the car did get better,” added Newman. “We were looking for a late race charge and a top-10 or better finish. We never got it, but we will Soldier on and keep on battling. Our Soldiers expect nothing less, and we will give nothing less.”

Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, finished 22nd.

The race winner was Jamie McMurray. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann.

The next race on the Sprint Cup circuit will be Sunday (Feb. 21) at Auto Club Raceway in Fontana, Calif.

The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) came into the 52nd running of the Great American Race having won yesterday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event and finishing second in his Gatorade Duel qualifying race on Thursday and ninth in the non-points Budweiser Shootout last Saturday. But an equally strong run in the Daytona 500 never materialized for Stewart as he grappled with a tight handling racecar throughout the 208-lap race, which was extended eight laps past its scheduled distance by a green-white-checkered finish.

“It wasn’t very good for us,” said Stewart of his Daytona 500 outing. “We just missed. I’m not sure what we missed, but we’ll figure it out.”

Also missing was a portion of the racetrack, as a chunk of asphalt came apart in turn two of the 2.5-mile oval not once, but twice, causing two red flag stoppages that collectively totaled 145 minutes. As a result, the race lasted more than six hours and finished under the lights after starting at 1 p.m. EST.

“NASCAR did the best job they could with it. I mean, what can you think about? It is what it is,” said Stewart, a track operator himself as he owns Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. “It’s not something that you plan for, but obviously NASCAR has done a lot of preparation in case something like that happens. They were prepared for it. The hard part is, you have to fix it, and they did a good job of that, especially in a crisis situation.”

Once the track was ready for action after the second red flag period, it was a sprint to the finish with drivers slipping and sliding through the track’s corners. In the last 39 laps that followed the final red flag, the yellow caution flag waved three times for 10 laps for three separate multi-car accidents.

Escaping all the carnage was Jamie McMurray, who won the Daytona 500 to score the biggest victory of his eight-year Sprint Cup career. It was his fourth career Sprint Cup win, his third in a restrictor-plate race and his second at Daytona.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished .119 of a second behind McMurray, while Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann rounded out the top-five. Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were nine caution periods for 40 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish.

Stewart’s SHR teammate, Ryan Newman, finished 34th after getting collected in a lap-194 accident on the backstretch that left his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet immobile. Newman was seen and released from the infield care center without injury.

With 35 races still ahead of him, Stewart leaves Daytona 23rd in the championship standings, 93 points arrears McMurray, the series leader. Newman is 34th in points, 129 points out of first.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Feb. 21 Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. The race starts at 3 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 2 p.m.