The new Chevy SS race and consumer models (Via Chevrolet)

On Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, Chevrolet unveiled the 2014 model of the Chevrolet SS, the same day the SS race car makes its debut in the Sprint Unlimited race.

We'll save the marketing-speak for Chevy itself — this isn't a commercial, after all — but we'll tell you that it's the company's first V-8, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan since 1996. It's built on the same architecture as the Camaro, Caprice police patrol vehicle, and the Holden VF Commodore. It goes from 0 to 60 in about five seconds.

The 2013 Sprint Cup series will feature 17 Chevy drivers. Chevy cars will serve as the pace cars for the Daytona 500 (2014 Chevrolet SS), Nationwide race (2013 Camaro ZL1), and Camping World Truck Series (2014 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab).

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It was perhaps too predictable.

Practices for the former Busch Clash and former Bud Shootout and now Sprint Unlimited are the first unofficial sessions of the new Sprint Cup season. That means drivers, in packs for the first time since January and for the first time in race ready cars. A crash during either of the two sessions is usually in the offing.

This year, there was the added dynamic of NASCAR's new car, a car that, as evidenced by testing in January, doesn't have bumpers that line up seamlessly like with the COT. Yeah, a crash was coming. And it did, happening just 10 minutes into Friday's practice.

To be fair, it would have also been a crash in the COT. Matt Kenseth was ahead of Kurt Busch and came down in front of Busch towards the low line. Only Kenseth wasn't clear. He went around, Busch went around. Mark Martin, who was immediately behind the two, spun as well. Juan Pablo Montoya (jet dryer unharmed) and Carl Edwards were collected too.

Busch, Edwards, Kenseth and Martin

(Getty)

As we count down to the 2013 Daytona 500, we're also counting down how we think the Chase will play out this season as predicted by Nick Bromberg, Jay Busbee, Jay Hart and Geoffrey Miller. So sit back, relax, and watch the 2013 Chase unfold before your very eyes. Though you should be warned, we picked Carl Edwards to win last year.

2012 Finish: 9th. 3 wins (Las Vegas, California, Daytona)

2013 Predictions:
Bromberg: 6th
Busbee: 10th
Hart: 3rd
Miller: 5th

Crew Chief: Steve Addington

When we last saw Stewart: He was a nonfactor in the Chase. After three wins and 10 top 10s in the season's first 18 races, Stewart had six top 10s and no wins in the final 18. And yeah, that's an issue when the final 10 races of the year are the Chase. Though as we mused in Stewart's season in review, it's fair to wonder what his championship bid would had looked like had he won at Talladega instead of crashing.

Big Question for 2013: Will the Stewartacoaster be a little less up and down this season? When

The 2013 season is almost here! On Saturday night, we'll be back with a live chat for the Busch Clash Bud Shootout Sprint Unlimited kickoff race! Festivities begin at 8 p.m. Eastern. Be here, or we'll talk about you behind your back.

Kevin Harvick. (Getty Images)DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - You know the knock on NASCAR drivers who become fathers: they get soft, they lose their edge, they stop driving out on the wrecking edge. It's not a hard-and-fast rule; Jimmie Johnson won a Cup soon after the birth of his daughter, and if we're not mistaken, Dale Earnhardt also had kids while he was winning all seven of his championships. But there's enough of the could-be in the fatherhood-kills-your-drive theory to keep it alive.

On Thursday at Media Day, Kevin Harvick, a father since July, shared some of his perspective on how fatherhood has — and, for racing purposes, hasn't — changed him.

"I think having my son has really helped keep a new balance on life that you didn't really understand until you had a child," he said. "For me, I become so emotional and so attached to what happens on the racetrack, if it's going good, if it's going bad. Now you have this way of coming home and letting all those things go for two or three days, then you come back to the

A top five Media Day topic: Kasey taking the clippers to his hair. (Getty)

As we count down to the 2013 Daytona 500, we're also counting down how we think the Chase will play out this season as predicted by Nick Bromberg, Jay Busbee, Jay Hart and Geoffrey Miller. So sit back, relax, and watch the 2013 Chase unfold before your very eyes. Though you should be warned, we picked Carl Edwards to win last year.

2012 Finish: 4th. 2 wins (Charlotte and New Hampshire)

2013 Predictions:
Bromberg: 5th
Busbee: 5th
Hart: 8th
Miller: 7th

Crew Chief: Kenny Francis

When we last saw Kahne: He was sneakily hanging around on the periphery of the championship discussion until a 25th place finish at Texas derailed any thoughts of Kahne winning the title. After moving up to third with a third place finish at Phoenix, Kahne was 21st at Homestead and finished fourth.

Big Question for 2013: What's the second act? Kahne had some Jeff Gordon type luck int he first part of the season and through six races was 31st in the points standings. Mind you, that was a six race stretch that

Jimmie Johnson. (Getty Images)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 2012 Sprint Cup championship was decided 89 days ago about 290 miles south of here, but for Jimmie Johnson, the battle to get into Brad Keselowski's head rolls on. Getting to the top is hard enough, Johnson suggested; staying there could be even harder.

"Once you are a champion, at any point following that when you don’t run like you should for a period of time, the questions will come," he said. "That is when any driver and team is tested. It just depends on when that moment in time is. Brad and (crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) are both very strong together. I don’t see it affecting them and preventing them from succeeding, but they will be reminded often that you have to go out there and earn each and every week. It’s not a layup."

[Also: Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch crash just minutes into Sprint Unlimited practice]

Easy enough. Some typical mind-games talk. But then Johnson turned up the heat: "Watching him on Sports Center following the race trying to drink a

The Sandy Hook car Michael Waltrip will drive in the Daytona 500. (@NASCAR)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR, Swan Racing and Michael Waltrip will do their part to contribute funding and awareness to the Sandy Hook relief effort with a custom-designed car to run in next week's Daytona 500.

Waltrip, the two-time Daytona 500 winner, will run for Swan Racing in the No. 26 car, a change from Swan's usual No. 30. The number 26 will be a tribute to the 20 children and six adults killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.

NASCAR president Brian France, whose family knew many of the victims, donated $50,000 to the Sandy Hook School Support fund, and NASCAR matched that. Fans can also donate $10 by texting NEWTOWN to 80888.

[Also: Drivers hounded about relationship between Danica Patrick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.]

Waltrip, France and other NASCAR officials quietly visited Newtown last week to inform the town's leaders of their plans and pass along donations.

"Being in Newtown last week and delivering a moment of happiness to that community was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,"