The 57th Daytona 500 is starting out to be a very memorable one

On Sunday, February 22, 43 drivers and their crews will compete for fame and glory on the high banks of the historic Daytona International Speedway. These amazing drivers, who some have referred to as the best in the world, will fight the elements, the track, and their own fatigue as they drive at nearly 200 miles per hour in the heat of a Daytona winter over the course of 500 miles.

For some of these drivers, it is the biggest race of their lives, and could quite possibly be their only opportunity to bask in the limelight that the event provides. For others, such as Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte, it marks the end of an era, as they prepare to ride off into the proverbial sunset of their careers.

For other drivers, such as 23 year old Cole Whitt of Front Row Motorsports, it is just another race on just another day.

Just another race, you might ask? How can the biggest event of the year, the Super Bowl of auto racing, if you will, be just another average race. Well, if your goal is to simply finish in the top half of the field and prove to the naysayers that you are, in fact, the real deal, that is exactly what it is.

Whitt, who is in his second full year of competition, starts from 19th on the grid in Sunday’s race, and is prepared to get the best finish that he can with the equipment he has been provided. Although Front Row Racing may not be the most well funded team in the garage area, they are definitely one with the biggest heart, and if their love of the sport translates onto the track, then they will be one of the teams to beat in 2015.

Another notable fact about this year’s race is the absence of both of the Busch brothers. Unless you’ve spent the past few months under a rock, you’ve heard the saga of Kurt Busch and his former girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll. Earlier in the week, Busch was ordered by a Delaware judge to stay away from Driscoll, to get evaluated for anger issues, and to stay away from firearms. In response to the order, and it’s subsequent clarification, NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch from competition effective immediately. After two unsuccessful appeals, the elder Busch might be spending quite a bit of time away from the track, at least until NASCAR comes up with the specific set of conditions that must be met to put him back in the driver’s seat.

His brother, Kyle, will be skipping the race for a more racing related reason, as he slammed into the outside retaining wall at the Daytona International Speedway during Saturday’s Xfinity Series event, breaking bones in both his left and right leg, as well as sustaining some minor trauma. His current medical situation is still being evaluated, but it could be a few weeks before he returns to the M&M’s Camry.

The Daytona 500 will be live on Fox television, as well as available online on the Fox Sports Go app, and can be heard on  the Motor Racing Network on Sunday, February 22 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.    

Adam Sinclair