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Allmendinger, Mayfield, Riggs and Regan Smith earned spots in the season-opening race in Thursday’s Gatorade Duels.

“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.
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Both sides have struggled for fans, sponsors and TV ratings since the IRL, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George, began competition in 1996, competing against the established CART series.

CART later went into bankruptcy and was bought by its current owners, Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi, all team owners in what is now Champ Car.

George was in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, attending a meeting.

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“I didn’t say that,” Franchitti disputed. “If you didn’t speak much English, how do you know what I said?”

“You said it,” Montoya insisted. “I know what you said.”

The incident was almost 14 years ago, but it sparked a friendship that has steadily grown through the years and could ultimately be the key to Franchitti’s success in NASCAR.

As the reigning IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner makes the move into stock cars this season, Franchitti will lean on Montoya, who made a similar switch last year.

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ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Co. will take over exclusive soft drink and water marketing and pouring rights at 10 racetracks served by rival Pepsi by 2012 under a multimillion dollar deal announced Monday with International Speedway Corp.

The 10-year deal makes Coca-Cola’s brands the official soft drink, official sparkling beverage and official water for 10 of the 13 tracks owned or operated by ISC, including Daytona International Speedway, the venue for one of racing’s premier events, the Daytona 500, and Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

Both Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi bid for the agreement.

(More in ‘Coke in, Pepsi out at 10 tracks, including MIS’…)

Kevin Harvick won the season-opening Daytona 500, the biggest race a stock car driver can win, edging Mark Martin at the finish line.

Now, Harvick and the rest of the series return to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 to kick off the second half of the Nextel Cup season.

“It was such a big deal for us to win the Daytona 500, and knowing everything that goes along with that now means so much,” Harvick said.

(More in ‘Harvick returns to site of greatest triumph’…)