Daytona 500: Pontiac Racing chassis notes

The following are facts and figures regarding the cars Pontiac teams will be running during Speed Weeks at Daytona International Speedway.

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Daytona 500: Valvoline Grand Prix driver Johnny Benson is set to open the 2002 Winston Cup season with the chassis that competed for the first time at Talladega last fall. In that event, Benson qualified fourth, but was involved in a hard crash on the last lap and finished 23rd. Benson, whose best career Daytona 500 finish is a 12th posted in 2000, has led 60 laps in the past four points races held here at Daytona.

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Daytona 500: Stacy Compton makes his debut for Pontiac with A.J. Foyt Racing this week in the chassis that the team took to three plate races in 2001. Compton, now in his third Winston Cup season, qualified second for last year's Daytona 500, started third here in July and won both pole positions at Talladega, making him eligible for the Budweiser Shootout. Shootout: In that event, Compton will use the team's Daytona 500 backup car.

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Daytona 500: Interstate Batteries Grand Prix driver Bobby Labonte ended last fall's Talladega race on his roof, but is back in that car for the start of the 2002 season. Labonte, who finished sixth in last year's Winston Cup point standings, owns a best career Daytona 500 finish of second (1998). Shootout: Labonte is also competing in Sunday's Budweiser Shootout and will be using one of the team's older chassis.

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Daytona 500: Tony Stewart comes to Daytona with the same chassis that recorded a pair of second place finishes at Talladega in 2001. Shootout: Stewart, who edged out Dale Earnhardt to win last year's Budweiser Shootout, is running the same chassis that captured that event

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Daytona 500: Ken Schrader owns three career top five finishes in the Daytona 500 and is a three-time pole winner (1988-90). Schrader enters the 2002 edition of "The Great American Race" with a brand new chassis that is virtually identical to the chassis being driven by Johnny Benson. Shootout: Schrader - a two-time winner of the Budweiser Shootout (1989-90), is running the same chassis that ran the Bud Shootout in 2001, and also finished 15th in the July race here at Daytona.

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