NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway 2016: Lineup, starting grid for Coke Zero 400

During the course of the Sprint Cup season, the harsh reality is a select few teams hold realistic hope of winning. Daytona International Speedway, the site of Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400, is not one of those events, however.

For many years Roush Fenway Racing used to be considered a preeminent organization within NASCAR, routinely winning races and taking back-to-back championships 2003-04. Recently, though, tough times have hit the team that enters cars for Greg Biffle, who captured the Daytona pole with a speed of 192.955 mph in qualifying Friday, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (starts fourth) and Trevor Bayne (13th).

Roush Fenway last won a race in 2014 -- with the now-departed Carl Edwards in September at Richmond -- and last year failed to have a driver earn a Chase berth since NASCAR went to a playoff format in 2004. Winning that used to be a given, is now anything but.

With restrictor-plates and the draft evening the field, or at least offering better odds to teams that aren’t Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing or Team Penske -- or one of its closely aligned satellite operations -- Daytona offers a prime chance for a driver from a non-powerhouse to grab a victory and with it, virtually solidify their place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff.

“It would be a huge confidence builder to come out of here with a good finish, that is a lot of momentum for the team,” Biffle said of winning the pole. “Qualifying on the pole, getting a good run and moving on to the next race. We need that. We need those good finishes and momentum and encouragement.”

Unless something unexpected ensues in the next 10 regular season races, Roush is likely to miss the Chase once again with Bayne 19th in points, Stenhouse 21st and Biffle -- who hasn’t finished in the top 10 this season -- too far down the standings to grab a playoff spot if one is available.

Although high-level performance is largely absent on the majority of tracks on the schedule, therefore making a win doubtful, Daytona presents a chance for Roush Fenway recapture some past glory. The team has placed an emphasis on improving at NASCAR’s two restrictor-plate tracks, Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway, tasking former championship-winning crew chief Jimmy Fennig to lead the rebuild.

“This is a testament to (Fennig’s) work,” Biffle said. “We are thankful that Jimmy is back there and Doug Yates (Ford’s head engine builder) and the engine department, looking for half or one horsepower here at these tracks that makes a difference. All those little things add up.”

Flashing speed on a single lap with no other cars on the track is far different that having speed on race day, with a field of 40 cars running two- and three-wide for a good portion of the night. But from Biffle’s perspective, speed is speed, and during a period where Roush Fenway has had little to smile about, the team has reason to be optimistic regarding its chances on Saturday night.

“Not only did we win the pole but the cars are technically in race-trim right now so that tells you how fast of a car we have lining up (Saturday) night,” Biffle said. “That makes you feel good about things. The car has speed and that is one thing we are happy about.”

Coke Zero 400 starting lineup