Stewart battles illness to start race

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart was feeling under the weather yesterday and took some intravenous fluid at the infield care center before taking the green flag in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

J.J. Yeley, who had failed to qualify for the race in the No. 96 Toyota, took over for Stewart on Lap 73. Stewart was ninth in the Sprint Cup points entering the race.

Deadline looming for fourth Gibbs car

It's July, and J.D. Gibbs knows that means the clock is ticking. Joe Gibbs Racing is considering a fourth car for next season, but J.D., the team president, said no decision has been made.

"I wouldn't rule it out," Gibbs said. "At the same time, we're in no hurry to do it. If it lines up, great. If you don't have all the parts there, don't bother doing it."

Gibbs said this week nothing has changed with Tony Stewart's situation, and the team remains unsure of the star's plans. That would obviously impact any move toward a fourth team.

"We sit down with a group and say 'Where are we?'" Gibbs said. "If the time's right, and the things line up, do it. If they don't, wait a little bit. Sometimes you can cause more problems than you solve by trying to rush stuff."

Biffle says he has testing figured out

NASCAR is considering changes to its current Cup testing policy, which allows teams to go to five tracks, which are selected and scheduled by NASCAR.

One idea is just to open testing for anyone to test at any time. Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle has another idea.

"I think a perfect scenario, a win-win for everybody in the whole sport, is to give each organization five tests -- or six or seven, whatever the number might be -- give each organization that many, then they can go test whenever they want, however they want, 10 days before or whatever NASCAR wants to do, and then be done with it," Biffle said.

Wood unsure about hand he's been dealt

Jon Wood qualified the No. 21 Ford for his family's Wood Brothers Racing 22nd for last night's race. However, the team made big changes after the first practice, and the second practice was rained out.

To start the race, Wood said the car was nearly in qualifying trim, which would result in several big changes during early pit stops to get into race condition.

"The way I anticipate the race going is, by comparison, knowing you're getting dealt 7-2 off suited [in poker] before the cards are dealt. You know what adversity you're going to battle before the race even starts. That's no fun. But it is a race we're in."

Wood took the No. 21 to the garage on Lap 3 to make some changes, but he returned to the track.

Biffle and Montoya look for more room

Greg Biffle said he couldn't control his car, and Juan Pablo Montoya said he needed more room. Either way, Biffle got into Montoya, spun out and brought out a caution on Lap 70.

"I was on the outside of him, and when you're beside someone, they're supposed to give you room," Montoya said. "As far as I remember, that's the rule here. This is my fourth or fifth time in a restrictor-plate race, and most of the time when somebody is on the outside, you back off and give him room."

Biffle said he knew Montoya was there, but there was nothing he could do. But he also wanted a little more give from Montoya.

"I tried to keep the car down, but it just kept sliding up there," Biffle said. "I figured he'd give me a little break there, but we're racing for last position back there, and he wants to go like heck every lap."

Said thrilled the rain stayed away Friday

Boris Said has one pole at Daytona and was on the provisional pole last summer at this race before rain canceled qualifying shortly before it finished. Because he only runs a partial schedule, he did not have the points to make the field.

This year, he qualified seventh. And just being in the race is a victory to him.

"To make this race, it's a big race," Said said. "A few years ago when we sat on the pole and finished fourth, I tell everybody that was my 10 minutes of fame, and I'm hungry to relive that again."

Scholarship fund founded for tech school

NASCAR and the Universal Technical Institute Foundation founded the Brienne Davis Scholarship Fund in honor of the 28-year-old NASCAR official killed in a car accident earlier this year. A $10,000 scholarship will be presented annually to one female student to attend the NASCAR Technical Automotive Program. Criteria and application information for this scholarship is available on the UTI Foundation Web site at ww.utifoundation.net.

-- Jill Erwin