Danica must finish 15th or better Thursday or miss Daytona 500

Danica Patrick's engine blows up

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Danica Patrick feels a bit defeated as she prepares for the Daytona 500.

She doesn’t feel defeated for the Daytona 500. It’s more about what she has to do to earn a spot in the race.

Patrick, along with team co-owner Tony Stewart, will have to start their 150-mile qualifying races Thursday from the rear of the field after suffering blown engines in practice on Friday. And no matter where they finish in the Duels, they will start the Daytona 500 from the rear as well.

That is their penalty for having to change an engine prior to the qualifying race. NASCAR's interpretation of its one-engine rule for the Daytona 500 surprised Stewart-Haas Racing officials and competition director Greg Zipadelli spent part of Saturday and Sunday lobbying NASCAR to no avail.

“I’m defeated," Patrick said. “It’s very unfortunate. It sucks to know that no matter what you do today, it doesn’t matter at all. I have to start in the back for the 150s, and I don’t understand why but I’m going to have start in the back for the 500 because everyone has to change their engine again.

“What NASCAR says goes. I’m sure there will be times it will be in my favor and other times like this one it’s not going to be. But it’s a speedway, and if there’s time to make it up."

Stewart vowed not to worry about it and said he typically drops to the back at some point during the race anyway.

“I feel like we have a car that can go up and win the 500 anyway, no matter where we start," Stewart said. “To me, whatever it is, it is. I guess I’m not thinking about it. I’m more worried about getting my car ready for Sunday and really don’t care where I start.

“They can start me a lap down and I feel like we’d be fine."

Under NASCAR’s normal engine rule, if a team has to change an engine in its primary car, it must start the race at the rear of the field. Because of the extensive Daytona 500 qualifying process, where single-lap qualifying is held on Sunday followed by qualifying races on Thursday, teams are allowed to change engines after the races Thursday.

Most in the NASCAR garage were under the impression that NASCAR would interpret its rules to only have the drivers start at the rear of the field for their qualifying race on Thursday. But on Saturday afternoon, NASCAR announced that Stewart, Patrick and Bobby Labonte (who also blew an engine) all would have to go to the rear for the start of the Daytona 500.

All three teams lease engines from Hendrick Motorsports, and Hendrick officials believe they found the problem, which they said was part of the “process" they use to get the cars ready for two laps for qualifying.

“I stand behind the Hendrick engine department 1,000 percent," Stewart said. “We have the best engine department in the garage area, and yesterday didn’t change that. It was a bad day, for sure, but I wouldn’t want another group of guys. … It’s part of pushing things to the limit and pushing the envelope."

Stewart is guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 as a past champion but Patrick theoretically could miss the race if she doesn’t finish in the top 15 of her qualifying race. Being 25th overall in qualifying and 28th in owner points, it would have to take a catastrophic set of circumstances for her to not to qualify for the race.

“There could be so many scenarios (not making the race) that could work out that you don’t want to do something stupid," Patrick crew chief Tony Gibson said. “You have to protect yourself, so we have to think about that, too. We want the time on the racetrack.

“We want to run and learn and take that knowledge into Sunday. Our plan right now is to run and keep digging." Sporting News