What they're saying in Daytona about all sorts of things ...

Rain kept Cup and Nationwide cars off the track and gave folks lots of time to talk about many things. Here's a sampling of what was said by various drivers Friday.

Kyle Busch discussed TV's coverage of Danica. Tony Stewart talked about where he wants to be on the last lap of the Daytona 500 and the new restrictor plate. Carl Edwards on his team going back to the old Ford engine and what happens if its pregnant wife goes into labor this weekend. Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne on their chances. Kahne on who is fast. And Juan Pablo Montoya on what the end of the race might be like. ... And More.

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KYLE BUSCH

(ON DANCIA): "I'll say that TV has been doing a horrible job is because they've been covering her way too much, which isn't a problem. That's fine, but if you're going to have this much attention drawn on the series, let's put it toward some of the people ... if you've got all these people watching TV and they want to hear about Danica, well take advantage of that and show the less-funded teams, the underprivileged people that want to have funding so they can race the rest of the year. Danica is going to be here for 12 races or whatever it is this year. It would help the rest of those teams that would want to make a full run at it, get the coverage that they need and the exposure that they deserve to try to race a full season. Just my opinion.''

Busch was later asked in regards to the comments on TV's coverage of Danica how he defends being a Cup driver and racing in the Nationwide series where he could potentially take away attention from underfunded teams in that series.

"The reason I race in the Nationwide series is to keep al the people at (Joe Gibbs Racing) employed in the Naitonwide shop because if it wasn't for us Cup drivers, racing in the Nationwide series at JGR, there wouldn't be a Nationwide series shop at JGR. The sponsors, Z-Line Designs is 100 percent to back Kyle Busch. ... They want to have ... a Cup series driver with the coverage that they'll get with that. It's not that I started that. It's always kind of been that deal. I think one of the first known guys that really started doing it more and more was (Dale) Earnhardt Sr. if I recollect correctly. 

"I would love to give my seat away to Brian Ickler (Busch's driver on his truck team) to race the Nationwide schedule, but there's not a sponsor out there that is going to back the guy. I brought NOS Energy Drink along to the Nationwide Series program last year at JGR. They found Z-Line but Z-Line fell in love with me. We went from Z-Line being on the 18 and 20 and last year they were just solely on the 18 with me and NOS. Interstate Batteries, they worked a lot with only me last year and now we've kind of ventured them more with Denny (Hamlin) and Joey (Logano) for the Nationwide Series. GameStop is solely for Joey. You look at guys like Brad Coleman (JGR Development driver) and Matt DiBenedetto (JGR Development Driver), those guys we're trying to get them more races but there's nothing sold for them. Same with Carl Edwards. Ask him. I'm sure that Scott's is all about sponsoring him. Fortunatley, I will say Conway Freight has done an excellent job of backing Colin Braun. Conway Freight is one of the companies that has taken a young up-and-coming driver under their wing and have stuck with them and I'm proud to see that.''

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TONY STEWART

(On the difficulty of winning the Daytona 500): "It is just unpredictable. That is the hard part, especially with the restrictor-plate stuff.That is what makes it so hard to win here because instead of a handful of guys with the opportunity to win each week, you have half the field that if things go their wya and they get in the right positions and do the right things during the race can get themselves in position to win.''

(where do you want to be on the last lap of the 500?): "It's just like Jimmie Johnson mentioned (Thursday) and Brian Vickers mentioned it, too. It seems like if you get your car balanced on the bottom, then if you go to the high side, you're really loose. It's a matter of where your car is driving good and where the guys that have speed are lined up. If they're lined up on the bottom, it's going to carry more momentum down there. If you've got guys that are kind of lime-committed to the top but they've got speed, that's going to pusht that line forward.

(What does the extra horsepower from the larger restrictor plate do for you?) "I'll be honest, I haven't noticed much from it. That's part of why we feel like we need that practice (Friday -- rain canceled it) and (Saturday). We feel like we're missing something. I'm not really seeing that like I've seen in some other cars.''

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CARL EDWARDS

(Which cars do you want to race with Sunday in the 500?) "I don't know yet. There were some surprises to me. I talked about AJ Allmendinger earlier. He was very fast. He's a guy I can work with. Kasey Kahne, I think, is the guy that I look to as far as far as trying to hook up with. He's very fast.''

(On going back to the old Ford engine for the 500) "I'm fine with the old engine. It's been great. That has not been a limiting factor for us in the past. I think that's the right thing for  us to do is to stick with what we know works and not risk too much.''

(what did you miss out on rain canceling Friday's practice) "We were hoping to try some stuff that we learned from Kasey's car, but we'll try that (Saturday).

(On what happens if his wife, who is due with their first child next week goes into labor this weekend) "I guess we'll have a baby. I'm not getting into it because anything can happen, so we're just going to go race and hpefully all that baby happening will happen Monday.''

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KURT BUSCH

(How do you feel about the Penske effort here at Daytona this year) "This is our best shot at Victory Lane with th three cars. Back in 2007, I have a very fast race car. Me and Tony Stewart wrecked together, but that was probably the best race car I've ever had at Daytona. This year, it's about that good. I have to keep patience on my mind because I didn't make it to the finish (in 2007) .

(Did Kyle ask for advice before he proposed to his girlfriend?) "Kyle's grown up and he got engaged all by himself. He texted me at 11 p.m. last Thursday and he said, "Come on over, I've got something to tell you.' I'm like Oh boy. He's either getting married or she's pregnant (says laughing), so I'm glad that he's doing it in the right order.''

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KASEY KAHNE

(Is this your best chance to win the 500?) "I don't know about a favorite, but I think we definitely have a shot. I just feel like this is the first time I've ever looked in my mirror and there are cars pushing. In the past, as a driver, you're looking and it's Kyle Busch or it's Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon. OK I want to be behind those guys or I want to try to put myself in a position that they're pushing me and this year I think the 9 car is one of those cars that some of those guys are pushing as well because its' a lot faster than it's been in the past.''

(Who will you race with Sunday?) "I think Kurt Busch. He's been fast. I think the Penske cars are really good, so I look at those guys as cars to be around and I feel like I've been racing either in front or behind the 14 with Tony (Stewart) as much as anybody.''

(so who are the 2-3 guys to beat?) "You can never count Jimmie (Johnson) out, sothat's one. Kurt Busch, to me, was the best car yesterday out of every car in both races. I thought Kurt was the fastest car and Stewart is there every week andhe's there every Daytona 500. I'd say (Penske drivers) (Sam) Hornish, (Brad) Keselowski), those guys were all in my (qualifying) race, so I know how quick they were just racing around them and (Marcos) Ambrose maybe. It seemed like those guys were all pretty good.''

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JUAN PABLO MONTOYA

(What style of racing do you expect Sunday?) "I wouldn't be surprised that we will have more than one green-white-checkered. Honestly, people are racing really clean but you're pushing and (Thursday) was only half the field. And it was out of control. It was good, but it was out of control. I think it's going to be interesting because you're going to have a lot of the good cars up front because the way the tires wear and everything at the end they're going to be a handful. It makes it interesting.''

(If you win Sunday, will it be a big deal in Colombia?) "Probably not. They didn't when I won Indy and they didn't when I won Monaco and they probably wouldn't either. I don't know. I don't really care (laughs). I don't do it for anybody else. I do this for myself. If they do appreciate what I do, great. If they dont', well I'm having a great time here. Do you think any of these drivers? You know, we want to keep the sponsors proud, we want to keep the owners happy and the fans who really care about it and the people who came here and watched the race care about it,then it's good. But if somebody doesn't want to pay attention, it's their miss, not mine. I can't do anything about that.''

(Working with new teammate Jamie McMurray) "Jamie is a great guy. He's a guy who really wants to run well. He wants to prove to everybody he can get that job done.''

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