NASCAR BGN: Jason Keller out to prove himself at Daytona

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

JASON KELLER
Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR Busch Series
Notes and Quotes

New Sponsor, New Manufacturer . . . Jason Keller, who finished second in the NASCAR Busch Series standings last year, will head to Daytona in a Ford with an Albertson's paint scheme.

"I think until we prove ourselves, this switch to Ford and having a new sponsor gives people something to talk about," said Keller. "To be honest, I am not approaching Daytona any differently then I have in the past. I've never been in any kind of manufacturer war so that doesn't affect me. I am just concentrating on qualifying well and winning the race.

"It is a huge honor to carry the Albertson's and Ford banners, but there is a lot of pressure that comes with it. Albertson's has 248,000 employees that are going to tune into the race to see me run their logo, not to mention the millions of Ford fans out there. It is important to me to run well for my family and my team, but I want to make Albertson's and Ford proud to have me drive for them."

How Good Is The Ford . . . The No. 57 Albertson's Ford tested well during the off-season. Keller tested at Talladega and was very pleased with the results. The team heads to Daytona with confidence and momentum.

"We are running the same chassis we raced at Daytona last year and we were really happy with the results from our test in Talladega. I am being cautiously optimistic however. I will wait and let the racetrack tell its tale. But I can tell you that I am extremely excited about this season.

"We ran well the last half of the season and this team found its groove. In my mind and in the team's mind we gained the confidence we need to begin the 2001 season knowing every week we can run with the Jeff Greens of the Busch Series."

Preparing For Daytona . . . Keller has never had a top-ten finish at Daytona.

"The difficult thing about Daytona is that you test one or two times for the superspeedway race in the off-season," Keller said. "Then the team builds two cars to take with you, you have two laps to try and qualify well and then you race the biggest race of the season. After all that work it is extremely disappointing not to have a good finish.

"I have never finished well at Daytona, but that doesn't mean I didn't run well. Last year with eight to ten laps to go I was running sixth or eighth. But within those last few laps I was shuffled back and ended up finishing 12th. Simply put, it is an unpredictable and difficult track."

Text Provided By Heather Kincel

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