DAYTONA BEACH, fla. — Since I called Thursday “reprieve day” for finishing second in the Daytona 500 qualifying race, the best description for Friday was “laid-back day.”
It was pretty quiet for the Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway. Though there were two practice sessions scheduled, we opted not to participate, as did many other teams.
It might seem odd to not practice two days before the biggest race of the season, but it was a smart decision. We feel comfortable with where we are and want to minimize the odds of wrecking our primary car.
We’ll do a short practice run today, check for leaks, make sure everything feels right and then put our Furniture Row Chevrolet in the garage before we crank it up for the start of the Daytona 500.
Just because we didn’t practice Friday didn’t mean everyone had the day off. The Furniture Row crew worked as hard as ever repairing the battle damage from Thursday’s 150-mile race and preparing the car for Sunday. This team, led by crew chief Pete Rondeau, has an incredible work ethic.
While the crew guys were working in 80-degree temperatures, I had a less stressful day, which began as a participant in a charity fishing tournament at Lake Lloyd, located in the infield at Daytona International Speedway.
The fishing event was called Hot Rods & Reels and it benefited the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, whose mission is to provide support for people living with paralysis and to prevent spinal cord injuries. The event also supported the Betty Jane France Pediatric Center in Daytona.
Darrell was a champion top fuel dragster driver who suffered a paralyzing accident in the early 1990s in England. I was telling Darrell that I don’t live too far from Bandimere Speedway, where they host the NHRA Mile-High Nationals. Darrell did speak very highly of the Denver area and the Bandimere track.
Friday also was a day for media interviews — I think I did six or seven one-on-ones and then went to the Chevrolet stage in the Midway to do a question-and-answer session.
Editor’s note: NASCAR driver Regan Smith, who’s behind the wheel of the Denver-based Furniture Row Racing team’s No. 78 car, is writing a daily diary this week for The Denver Post about the Daytona 500.
