Stewart eyes backup plan
Team must prepare in case legal woes sideline Kurt Busch.
DAYTONA BEACH — Team owner Tony Stewart has a contingency plan in place should Kurt Busch be unable to drive this season because of his legal troubles.
Stewart did not reveal specifics of his plan if Busch is ordered by a court to stay away from his ex-girlfriend and is punished by NASCAR. The Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner said he was surprised Busch’s case has dragged to the start of the season.
Busch also complained about the lengthy hearings that saw him make four court appearances.
Busch’s former girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, filed a petition for a protection from abuse order in November, claiming that Busch assaulted her inside his motorhome at Dover International Speedway in September.
Busch has denied the assault allegations. He expected to drive the No. 41 in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Patrick defends commercial: Danica Patrick defended the GoDaddy puppy commercial that was pulled from the Super Bowl after criticism from animal-rights groups.
“We thought it was a really funny, slightly leftside, joke,” Patrick said Thursday at Daytona 500 media day. “People have an opinion about everything, especially when you get into that world of animal rights or tree rights, or whatever rights.”
In the ad, a puppy that found its way home after becoming lost was then sold online via a website created with GoDaddy.com; Patrick drives away with the puppy at the end of the ad. Pet lovers found it offensive and others suggested it promoted the sale of animals online. GoDaddy, which is Patrick’s NASCAR sponsor, yanked the ad before the game and instead aired one showing a business owner toiling away instead of enjoying the Super Bowl.
Patrick still holds the celebrity record for appearing in the most Super Bowl ads ever. But last month’s decision ended her run of appearing in a Super Bowl commercial that dated to 2007.
“I was definitely disappointed I wasn’t in the Super Bowl for a commercial,” Patrick said. “But I was in a Super Bowl commercial.”
Vaughn grand marshal: Actor Vince Vaughn, who starred in the movies “Wedding Crashers,” “Old School” and “Swingers,” will serve as grand marshal for the Daytona 500. Vaughn will give the command to start engines Feb. 22, becoming the latest celebrity grand marshal at the season opener. The list includes fellow actors Ben Affleck, James Franco, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage and Matthew McConaughey. Actor Chris Evans was grand marshal last year.