Split-second decisions can lead to glory, or disaster, at Daytona
How quickly can things go completely awry at Daytona International Speedway?
Try a split second.
That's literally how long it took for a multi-car crash to wreak havoc on Friday's opening Sprint Cup Series practice at The World Center of Racing.
Less than 10 minutes into the session, one ill-timed move by one driver -- Brad Keselowski -- sent cars scattering and sheet metal crumpling. By the time cars were finished wrecking, 10 drivers were involved and several were forced to go to backup cars for the Coke Zero 400.
Is this a preview of what's time to come in Sunday night's 160-lap showdown under the lights?
Maybe not. Then again, no one would be surprised to see another "Big One" -- and possibly several "Big Ones" -- once the laps actually count for something.
Major multi-car wrecks -- sometimes of the violent nature -- are a virtually inevitable product of restrictor-plate racing at Daytona, a high-speed, 2.5-mile track that has produced some of the sport's most glorious and tragic moments.
"It's all about survival," said Richard Childress Racing's Ryan Newman, who won the 2008 Daytona 500 but has never conquered Daytona in July. "It is a track where most of the cars are fairly equal and you have to be there at the end. ... It could be rain-shortened. We could have a long green-flag run or we could have several restarts where it is very difficult to pass at times.
"It all depends. If the cars go single file, it's pretty difficult to pass, as well. You just don't know how it is going to pan out until you race."
Chip Ganassi Racing's Jamie McMurray has three career victories at Daytona, but considers racing at the high-banked facility built by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. to be little more than a crapshoot.
"I guess the biggest thing about Daytona is the unknown," said McMurray, the 2010 Daytona 500 winner and a two-time winner of the Coke Zero 400. "You have to be lucky and try to stay out of trouble in order to be around at the end. We are seventh in the points right now, but Daytona is one of those places where a lot of teams can take a hit in the standings.
"It's always fun to race under the lights at Daytona; I think that is fun for the fans. I just want to try to race up front all night and put our McDonald's Chevy in position for a strong finish at the end of the night."
Adding to the unknowns is the fact that just about any driver in the field can win, thanks to the horsepower-choking restrictor plates that keep the cars bunched in tight packs and eliminate the advantages held by the sport's top teams at most tracks.
With just 10 races left until the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup field is locked in, Daytona offers drivers who are winless this season a golden opportunity to get to Victory Lane and simultaneously punch their ticket into NASCAR's championship playoff.
One of those looking to do just that is second-year Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson.
"You can't do anything stupid to hurt your shot at winning the race on Sunday," the 2014 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year said. "But obviously I know that this is a track where a lot more teams and drivers do have an opportunity to maybe get a win here. And the way our season has been going, there's a chance we could point our way into the Chase, but I highly doubt that. So, we need to go for a win."
Larson wrecked in all three of his previous points-paying races at Daytona, so he understands as well as anyone the hazards that exist.
"I'm just going to try to position myself throughout the race to be there at the last run," he said. "It would be great if we could get a win and get locked into the Chase and just move on. But, yeah, it's definitely not my best track, I guess. I get caught up in a wreck it seems like every time. So, I've just got to be smart and try and finish the race."
Kevin Harvick, a winner of both the Daytona 500 and the July Daytona race, cautions against driving too conservatively, however.
"Plate racing is something that you have to be aggressive at just for the fact that if you're not aggressive, it always seems like you are not going to be where you need to be," said Harvick, the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion. "Nine times out of 10 I believe that the aggressor is going to be the guy that comes out on the good side of things just for the fact that you're making things happen and you're not waiting for something else to happen.
"When you wait for something else to happen, that's usually when you get in trouble because it's usually someone else's mess. You can still get in trouble if you're aggressive, but it seems like with this rules package and the way that things are, it's best to stay aggressive and try to stay up front."
VIDEO: How Brad Keselowski caused 'The Big One' in Friday's practice for the Coke Zero 400
