(Photo: Mike Accavitti)

Whether or not you follow NASCAR® closely, you know that the Daytona 500 is “the” event. You might even know that last year’s winner was driving a Dodge. But what you might not know is that races leading up to the big kickoff have already been happening. Thanks to the outcome of these races, all seven Dodge Motorsports teams will start in the Daytona 500. Here’s how the starting lineup looks:

• 13 – Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
• 15 – Kasey Kahne, #9 Budweiser Dodge Charger
• 20 – A.J. Allmendinger, #44 Valvoline Dodge Charger
• 24 – David Stremme, #12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger
• 29 – Sam Hornish, Jr., #77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
• 30 – Elliott Sadler, #19 Stanley Dodge Charger
• 34 – Reed Sorenson, #43 McDonald’s Dodge Charger

Read on for a recap of what’s been leading up to the Daytona 500, which takes place Sunday Feb. 15 at 3:20 p.m.

The Budweiser Shootout went down on Feb. 7 with three Dodge drivers finishing in the top-10.

• 5th – A.J. Allmendinger
• 6th – Kasey Kahne
• 9th – Kurt Busch
• 16th – David Stremme
• 21st – Elliott Sadler
• 23rd – Reed Sorenson

The two Gatorade Duels took place on Feb. 12, with at least one Dodge in the top-10 in each. This is the type of momentum we hope to see for the rest of the season.

In Gatorade Duel 1, two Dodge drivers placed in the top-10. Here’s how the whole team did:

• 6th – Kurt Busch
• 7th – Kasey Kahne
• 16th – Sam Hornish, Jr.

Gatorade Duel 2, the last event before “the big one,” found a Dodge in the top-10 once again.

• 10th – A.J. Allmendinger, #44 Valvoline Dodge Charger
• 12th – David Stremme, #12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger
• 17th – Elliott Sadler, #19 Stanley Dodge Charger
• 21st – Reed Sorenson, #43 McDonald’s Dodge Charger

With the Daytona 500 almost here, treat your Valentine extra nice on the 14th so you have a good excuse to kick back and watch the race on Sunday.

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