February 22, 2006

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden

Without a doubt, there will be volumes written this week about the 43 NASCAR drivers who competed in Sunday's Daytona 500 -- who they are, how they placed, what they said before and after the race.

But for 15 drivers who failed to qualify for the Great American Race, this year's Daytona 500 went on without them.

The qualifying process for the Daytona 500 is different than it is for the rest of the season's races, but the top 35 teams in 2005 owner points were still guaranteed a spot on the starting grid. Additionally, driver Terry Labonte secured a spot in the race as a past Cup champion.

That left just seven spots up for grabs and 22 drivers desperately battling each other for them. Unfortunately for these 15 drivers, a run in the 2006 Daytona 500 was not to be:

Car Number:   Driver:          Manufacturer:

    4       Scott Wimmer         Chevrolet
   10       Scott Riggs          Dodge
   15       Paul Menard          Chevrolet
   23       Mike Skinner         Dodge
   34       Randy LaJoie         Chevrolet
   37       Chad Blount          Dodge
   50       Larry Foyt           Dodge
   52       Larry Gunselman      Dodge
   59       Andy Belmont         Chevrolet
   74       Derrike Cope         Dodge
   78       Kenny Wallace        Chevrolet
   80       Carl Long            Ford
   89       Morgan Shepherd      Dodge
   92       Chad Chaffin         Chevrolet
   95       Stanton Barrett      Chevrolet

Some notes of interest:

Scott Riggs - This is Riggs' third season in Cup and, though winless, he made a splash at last year's Daytona 500 with a 4th-place finish. Racing for a newly-formed third Evernham team this year, Riggs failed to make the cut despite finishing 4th in the Bud Shootout and 13th in his Daytona qualifying race. "I look at the team and the caliber of people I have around me and how hard everyone's working on this team," Riggs said. "That's what keeps me pumped up and looking forward to the next race. This isn't the end of our season, it's just the beginning."

Derrike Cope - Cope has competed at the Cup level full- or part-time since 1982. He has just two wins, but his first was as big as they come - the 1990 Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt led much of the race that year, but suffered tire damage after hitting debris on the last lap. Cope, running second, took the checkered flag for what would turn out to be the biggest win of his career. "I had dreamed of winning the Daytona 500 for years, and to have it come to fruition after so much hard work is something I'll never forget," Cope later said. "I can still feel the sunshine on my face in Victory Lane. It's such a historic race, and I feel like I'm a real part of NASCAR history because I've won a Daytona 500."

Morgan Shepherd - No matter who else is competing, Shepherd has the distinction of being the oldest driver on the track in any Cup race for which he qualifies. At age 64, Shepherd competed in his first Cup race in 1970, years before many of this season's drivers were born. Shepherd pilots the "Racing for Jesus" Dodge with funding from a consortium of Christian businessmen. He uses his fame as a NASCAR driver to share his beliefs regarding the Christian faith. "For a lot of race teams, winning the Daytona 500 is the main goal," said Shepherd. "That's something we'd sure like to do some day too, of course. But if we can get one person to see our car, to start asking questions, and to find the love of Jesus, then I'd trade it for all the 500's that have ever been or ever will be."

Kenny Wallace - The popular younger brother of NASCAR Champion Rusty Wallace, Kenny has competed in NASCAR Busch and Cup racing since 1988. Kenny failed to qualify the sponsor-owned Furniture Row Racing No. 78 car for this year's Daytona 500, losing the spot to brother Mike in the second of two Daytona qualifying races. In an ironic twist, Kenny drove Mike's car in Saturday's Daytona 500 practice session after expressing concern over Mike's condition following a crash in Friday's truck race. NASCAR eventually cleared Mike for the Daytona 500 after a series of physical exams that kept him from practicing. "It's hard to be mad at my brother,'' Mike Wallace said. "You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. He was only looking out for me, but he almost cost me a spot in the Daytona 500.'' Kenny finished 13th in Saturday's Busch race, while Mike finished 31st in the truck race and 27th in the 500.

Stanton Barrett - Race fans have probably seen more of Stanton Barrett on the silver screen than on the stock car circuit. A team owner and part-time competitor in Nextel Cup racing, Barrett has participated in over 200 movies as a Hollywood stuntman, stunt double or stunt coordinator, including "The Dukes of Hazard," "2 Fast 2 Furious," and "Spiderman 1 and 2." Stanton has had 11 DNF's in 15 Cup starts since 1999, but this season will drive for his own team, Stanton Barrett Motorsports. According to YippeeNet.com, Barrett's sponsor for the Daytona 500, "Stanton Barrett is an extremely talented and diverse individual. Not only can he list NASCAR Team Owner and Driver on his resume, he has over 200 movie credits, is a Hollywood Stunt man, an entrepreneur, an actor, a film director and producer who still has time to be a philanthropist building foundations and helping children with handicaps, health problems and underprivileged. We could not ask for a better representative and partner."

As in any sport, there are competitors who have to scratch and claw to achieve the level of success that appears to come more readily to others. While their stories don't usually make headlines, they are often just as interesting.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.