Despite Daytona finish, momentum will follow Furniture Row to California

DENVER - Being caught up in a wreck on Lap 8 at the Daytona 500 was not the start to the season the Furniture Row Racing team wanted.

Despite the 39th place finish, driver Regan Smith still feels momentum is on the team's side as they head into this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway.

"Why shouldn't we feel that we have momentum," Smith said. "I was not only excited about our performance level at Daytona, but also how this team, with so many new faces, jelled so quickly. We just got caught up in someone else's trouble, and it cost us to have a poor finish."

The Denver-based team had made some exciting changes in the off-season, including hiring a new crew chief, car chief and director of competition. They are also preparing to race a full schedule which means the shop is busy building racecars.

The new team was put to the test during the Daytona 500 when the No. 78 Chevrolet suffered major damaged in a wreck and headed to the garage for repairs.

"The crew guys did an absolutely awesome job to get me back on track. They almost had to rebuild the entire car," Smith said. "By getting back on track we did gain four positions, and it showed the never-give-up attitude of this team. Picking up those four spots could make a huge difference down the road."

The Furniture Row Racing team is guaranteed a starting spot in the first 5 races of the season after reaching a deal with Richard Childress Racing. The No. 78 received the owner points from RCR (from the No.07 car which is not racing this year) and will share technical and engineering resources.

After the first five races, the Furniture Row team needs to be in the Top 35 in owner points to get a guaranteed starting spot.

The team is ready to put the Daytona 500 behind them and look ahead to the next 35 races.

"Because it didn't go our way in the Daytona 500, that's not going to dampen all of the good things that are happening with this Furniture Row team," Smith said. "The excitement and optimism are the same as they were prior to Daytona. There's been a lot of effort and commitment put into this team, and no one is hanging their heads. Daytona was only one race out of 36."

Last season, FRR only raced part-time and did not race in Fontana, Calif., but the team is excited to get back on track.

"We're all upbeat about this weekend's race in California," Smith said. "It's a track I like and we'll be ready for another good performing weekend. We can't worry about gremlins, breakage, accidents and all of the other bad stuff. We're focused on getting a good result and building more momentum."