"It feels absolutely awesome. It's like we just won the race," said Riggs, who finished eighth in the first qualifier.

None of the four drivers had rides a month ago, piecing together any opportunity they could to get them to Daytona International Speedway. Allmendinger was let go from Red Bull Racing late last year, and is clinging to an eight-race deal with Richard Petty Motorsports. Riggs became unemployed when Tony Stewart took control of his race team and revamped the lineup.

Smith was a casualty of the merger between Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing, while Mayfield has been out of full-time work since Ray Evernham fired him midway through the 2006 season.

Allmendinger, who failed to make the 500 in his first two seasons with Red Bull, will finally be able to rest after a stressful buildup to the qualifying races.

"I've been so nervous over the last couple days 'cause I've been in this position the last two years," Allmendinger said. "But I really felt like this year I deserved to be in the race, that this team deserved to be in the race."

Mayfield has felt the same way, watching from the sidelines as NASCAR roared on without him.

With no ride lined up, Mayfield at the last minute threw his own team together for one last try. He's got a mismatched group of volunteers, and after loaned-out jackman Kyle Roland was injured while pitting Kirk Shelmerdine's car during the first qualifying race, Mayfield borrowed an emergency replacement from Michael Waltrip's crew.

"Man, 23 days ago we didn't even have a race team," Mayfield said after finishing ninth in the second qualifier. "It's a very unbelievable feeling. To know where we were at then, how much hard work has been done in such a short amount of time is just unbelievable."

Riggs could relate after a fruitless offseason job search had him still scouring for work last month.

He was finally swayed by Tommy Baldwin, who was crew chief and competition director at Bill Davis Racing before the sponsor-strapped team folded in late December. Baldwin was putting together a startup race team, and lured Riggs to the driver seat.

"It came down to a point that I had to make a decision -- am I going to sit at home and stay on the phone and call people and hope that something opens up to give me an opportunity to get in the car?" Riggs said. "Or am I going to go down to Daytona and start the season off with somebody like Tommy?

Pit stop

Stewart idolized four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt growing up, and asked Foyt for permission to use his No. 14 when Stewart started his own race team.

Foyt gave his blessing and watched from the pit box as Stewart unveiled his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet in the first qualifier. Stewart even gave Foyt a radio in case he had any suggestions.

"It had the button on it and everything," Stewart said. "But it didn't do anything when you pushed it. Can you imagine trying to sit there and drive with him yelling at you?"

"It was a tough winter for most of us in the community," said Ganassi, the front man for the new race team. "Bringing two companies together is a difficult task, a painful thing for a lot of people. My hat's off to these guys because there was a core group of people who never wavered, never lost focus on what they wanted to do, and today was a reward."

The merger resulted in roughly 150 layoffs, coupled with an additional 70 employees Ganassi let go in July when he shuttered one of his three race teams. And it came together with just a week left in the season, giving management only three months to ready for NASCAR's biggest event of the year.

But they were clearly ready for Daytona: Truex had the fastest time, Juan Pablo Montoya was fourth and Aric Almirola was seventh. Truex and Almirola were in old DEI cars, while Montoya will race in a car from the Ganassi inventory.

"It's good to see the hard work pay off. They've been through a lot this winter," said Truex, who earned just the second pole of his career.

"In two months, to move shops, to move everything and start over -- that's a big deal to the guys. To start working with a lot of new people, for both sides to fit together as well as they have, I think it's going really well."

Martin shared the sentiment after earning his highest qualifying position in his 25th Daytona 500 start.

He spent the past two years driving a limited schedule for DEI, but was lured back into another run at the championship when Hendrick Motorsports offered him a seat. It's re-energized the 50-year-old veteran, considered the greatest driver to never win a Cup championship.

"It's an amazing feeling," Martin said. "I feel so grateful to Rick Hendrick, because that's where it all starts. What an incredible person he is for giving me this opportunity. I just can't wait to drive it. I wish we were starting (the race) in five minutes. Just give me enough time to get strapped in, and I'd like to start the 500."

Martin, who turned a lap in his Chevrolet at 187.817 mph, has never won the 500. He came oh-so-close in 2007 when he was nipped in a photo finish by Kevin Harvick.

Only the top two spots were secured. The rest of the field will be set by a pair of 150-mile races Thursday.

That's putting it mildly. Because the sport depends so heavily on corporate funding as the primary support for owners, the landscape will look vastly different from a year ago when the track opens today for teams to begin preparations for the Daytona 500.

Many owners have merged, others have slashed their budgets and some have simply folded their race teams. Hundreds of team members have been laid off since November's season-ending race, and the cutbacks spanned the entire spectrum: deep-pocketed Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing all made small reductions to their work forces, while underfunded Bill Davis Racing, The Wood Brothers and Petty Enterprises had massive layoffs.

Chrysler, Ford and General Motors are suffering through a steep drop in car sales, while world leader Toyota is facing its own surprising downturn. The monetary and technical support of the four automakers is vital to the race teams.

And the NASCAR fan base, traditionally the blue-collar workers of America, is struggling to afford a weekend at the racetrack.

Despite all the economic issues facing the sport, France remained confident 2009 will prove NASCAR's perseverance.

"In tough times like these, strong people tighten their belts, put a little extra zip in their step, and focus on the things they do best. In our sport, that's racing, and no one does it better than our drivers and teams," France said. "The entire country is going through ... a very difficult economy. We will get through it.

"This (sport) is a fixture in American culture. We have seen tough times before. We're actually optimistic about '09 for a lot of reasons."

France points to several on-track story lines he hopes will steer focus away from the economy and toward competition:

• Jimmie Johnson will try for a record-breaking fourth consecutive Cup championship.

• Carl Edwards, winner of three of the final four races last season, will try to dethrone him.

• Two-time series champion Tony Stewart will attempt to transition into the difficult dual role of owner and driver.

• Jeff Gordon will try to get back to Victory Lane after his first winless season since 1993.

• Kyle Busch, who dominated the 26-race regular season only to falter in the Chase for the championship, will try to avoid another collapse.

Although 50-plus NASCAR teams are listed so far on the Daytona 500 entry list, the number should drop significantly a week after the race when the circuit shifts to venues in California and then Las Vegas.

"We were on such a rocket ride there for a while that people just kept paying more money and more money. It was like there was no tomorrow," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "But now we've seen tomorrow."

The outlook, he predicts, will filter out the competition.

"I do think it's going to get back to the die-hards who really want to do it," he said. "I think you'll see some people running out-of-pocket because they want to race."

RLR is co-owned by talk-show host David Letterman.

Patrick left the team after the 2006 season and now races for a team co-owned by Michael Andretti.

Cycling:Armstrong is 29th in comeback race

Allan Davis won the Tour Down Under at Adelaide, Australia, on Sunday, finishing in the main pack in the final stage of the event highlighted by the comeback of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong , who was 29th.

Motor sports:Donohue is best in Rolex 24

David Donohue won the Rolex 24 to end Chip Ganassi Racing's Daytona winning streak at three races.

Soccer:Beckham gets a goal for AC Milan

David Beckham got his first goal for AC Milan. England's Beckham scored in the 60th minute of Milan's match at Bologna to make it 4-1, the final score.

He is about halfway through a three-month loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Bowling:Allen snags tournament in Vegas

Patrick Allen defeated Rhino Page , 267-263, at Las Vegas to win the H&R Block Tournament of Champions.

Jurisprudence:Vick sues former adviser

Imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick is suing his former financial adviser and the company she co-owns with three NFL players, including Lions safety Daniel Bullocks , for at least $2 million.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Va., seeks to recover damages related to fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion and negligence. Vick, who in December 2007 was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for conspiring to run a dogfighting ring, made the allegations against former financial adviser Mary Roy Wong and the Omaha, Neb.-based company Williams and Bullocks LLC.

Boxing:Mosley earns WBA welterweight title

Shane Mosley , 37, took Antonio Margarito 's World Boxing Association welterweight title via a technical knockout at 43 seconds of the ninth round late Saturday in Los Angeles.

Richard Petty 's name will remain active in NASCAR under a rebranding of the new team created by the merger of his organization with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. The new team will be called Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), capitalizing on the marketability of Petty, a seven-time champion. The race teams merged this month in a partnership that keeps the sponsor-strapped Pettys in racing.

Golf: Exemption has Sifford's name

Nearly 50 years after Charlie Sifford became the first black to join the PGA Tour, the Northern Trust Open announced an exemption in his name for a player who represents the advancement of diversity in golf. The annual "Charlie Sifford Exemption" will be recognized Feb. 18, the day before the tournament begins at Riviera.

Boxing: Torres, former light-heavy champ, dies

Jose Torres, a former light heavyweight champion, died in his native Puerto Rico. He was 72 and had a heart attack. Torres won the world light heavyweight title in 1965 by beating WilliePastrano . He made three title defenses before losing to Dick Tiger in 1966.

Local/state: Whalers fall at home to London

Visiting London (34-8-0-2) beat Plymouth, 4-2, in an Ontario Hockey League game. The Whalers are 21-20-4-0; Leo Jenner and Matt Caria scored for Plymouth.

Detroit News wires and staff

• Smith joins Arkansas staff: Arkansas hired former MSU coach John L. Smith as special-teams coordinator.

• Penn State player heading to NFL: Penn State defensive end Maurice Evans made himself eligible for the NFL draft.

Golf: Woods will speak at inauguration event

Tiger Woods , who has tried to stay out of politics during his ascent to one of the world's most famous athletes, has accepted an invitation to speak at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday as part of President-elect BarackObama 's inauguration festivities.

Woods posted a statement on his Web site to say he would speak at "We Are One," a concert and celebration that will be broadcast live on HBO. Organizers of "We Are One" did not say what Woods would do at the Lincoln Memorial celebration.

• Two share Sony lead: Nathan Green (66) and Tom Pernice Jr. (63) are tied for the lead in the Sony Open at Honolulu. A stroke back are ShigekiMaruyama (63) and Brian Gay (67).

Baseball:Lajoie joins Pirates as an adviser

Longtime executive Bill Lajoie has joined the Pirates as an adviser to general manager Neal Huntington on scouting, player evaluation and roster moves. Lajoie, 74, spent 23 years in the Detroit organization and was the general manager of the Tigers team that won the World Series in 1984.

Tennis:Dementieva prevails at Sydney

Elena Dementieva beat Dinara Safina , 6-2, 2-6, 6-1, in the title match at the Sydney International.

Local/state: Demolition plan a pair of tryouts

Detroit Demolition of the Independent Women's Football League will hold tryouts today and Jan. 31 from 9 p.m.-11 p.m. at the Total Sports Complex, at 30990 Wixom Road in Wixom. The tryout fee is $35.

• Keselowski has Sprint plans: NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski , a Rochester Hills native, will attempt a seven-race Sprint Cup schedule driving the No. 25 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, and one of the scheduled races will be at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 16.

Castroneves, who also won TV's "Dancing With The Stars" competition in 2007, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion involving about $5.5 million in income stashed in offshore accounts.

His sister and business manager, along with his attorney, also are charged in the case.

Tennis:Murray gets the better of Federer

Andy Murray stopped Roger Federer again, beating the 13-time Grand Slam title winner, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in the semifinals of the Capitala World Tennis Championship.

The exhibition event, which is not part of the ATP Tour, features six of the top 10 players. Murray is 5-2 against Federer. Murray will play top-ranked Rafael Nadal , who defeated Nikolay Davydenko , 6-2, 6-3, for the title.

College football:Rice coach says he has deal

Rice coach David Bailiff , who led the Owls to their first bowl victory in 54 years, against Western Michigan, said he has agreed in principle to a new five-year contract. The Owls (10-3) beat WMU, 38-14, in the Texas Bowl. They went 3-9 in his first season.

Motor sports: Patrick settles speeding ticket

Danica Patrick paid a $196 fine to settle a speeding ticket at Scottsdale, Ariz., after the race car driver was caught going 54 mph in a 35-mph zone last month.

Patrick, the first woman to win an IndyCar race, was due in traffic court Monday, but a Scottsdale City Court clerk says she paid the fine Wednesday. Patrick, 26, was pulled over by Scottsdale police Dec. 9 in her hometown while driving a 2007 Mercedes. A year ago, she was ticketed for driving 57 mph in a 40-mph zone in Scottsdale and was ordered to attend traffic school. Scottsdale court records show the recent tickets are among several she has received in the past three years.

Earlier this month, Honda Motor Co., Japan's No. 2 automaker, announced it was pulling out of F1.

Japanese automakers have been battered by the downturn in the U.S. auto market, the world's biggest. The slowdown is spreading to other regions, including emerging markets, where they had been holding up.

In recent weeks, Subaru and Suzuki have both quit the World Rally Championship, citing concerns about the global economic crisis.

Fuji Heavy Industries, which makes Subaru cars, announced the decision earlier this month, a day after fellow Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corp.'s departure.

Toyota is expecting to eke a net profit for the fiscal year ending March 2009, as it racks up its first operating red ink since it began reporting such numbers in 1941.

The only other time it has had an operating loss was unofficial, in 1938, a year after its founding.

F1 stakeholders announced measures to reduce the costs for teams in 2009 in the wake of Honda's withdrawal and the earlier departure of Super Aguri in April.

Auto racing governing body FIA and the teams agreed to a series of changes which include longer-lasting engines, limits on expensive testing and cheaper, off-the-shelf engines for smaller teams.

The FIA said the first batch of changes for the 2009 season will help the larger teams cut costs by about one-third over 2008.