LARRY FOYT SET TO DEBUT AT DAYTONA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 12) -- Larry Foyt is set to debut in his Harrah's/Foyt Racing No. 14 Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Busch Series at Daytona International Speedway this week.

"This track is awesome," said Foyt, the son of A.J. Foyt who won the 1972 Daytona 500. "The first time I walked in here, the hair stood up on my neck. I've heard so many stories about Daytona. Now that we're here to race, I'm getting even more excited and feeling a little bit of nerves too."

Foyt tested at the track in January and was fifth fastest among the 20 Busch cars that tested. 

"You know what you've got here after two laps because it's all about the car and how it's trimmed out aerodynamically. My first lap out, I was flat out all the way around. We were pretty happy with the testing. I think we ran fast enough to make the race."

Any surprises?

"I was surprised at how rough the track was. You really have to make the car work over the bumps because that's the shortest and fastest way around the track."

"Daytona is a really fun track to drive," said the rookie driver-owner. "It flows well from the corners onto the straights. Running high right up to the wall was pretty neat for me too. In qualifying, you throw your first lap away because you run high to gain momentum for the second lap which you try to run on the bottom of the track."

Qualifying for the NAPA Auto Parts 300 is set for Wednesday, February 14.

In addition to Daytona, Foyt tested last month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is where his sponsor Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is headquartered.

"Vegas was a little tough for me," said Foyt. "I've never been on a 1.5-mile track that is basically flat. It took me time to get used to it. We ran a different car on our second day. I felt a lot more comfortable and we ran faster. Of course I want to do well there because its Harrah's home base but they understand that it's our first year and we're still learning."

Last week Foyt tested at Rockingham's North Carolina Motor Speedway which is considered a difficult track for rookies to nail down because it's a "rhythm track."

"I really enjoyed Rockingham with its high banks," said Foyt, who turns 24 on February 22, the day before that race weekend begins. "I can see where it's real easy to overdrive or under-drive the track. You really have to hit it perfect. I snuck over to one of the corners and watched how the veterans drove through there and I think I picked up some things that will help me when we come back."

Foyt understands the challenges that lie ahead of him as a rookie in a series that some consider even more competitive than the premier Winston Cup Series.

Asked if he's been intimidated, Foyt replied, "I haven't been intimidated by anything yet but it'll be a different story with 42 other cars out there. Each track has its own unique personality and trying to figure that out is going to be one of our biggest challenges this year but I am looking forward to it."

Foyt, who began his career in open wheel cars, made his stock car debut last year in the American Speed Association where he won a pole, qualified in the top-10 ten times and posted four top-10 finishes in the Harrah's No. 14 Pontiac.

In addition to sponsoring Larry Foyt's Monte Carlo this year in the NASCAR Busch Series, Harrah's is the title sponsor of the NASCAR Winston Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway. The Harrah's 500 will be run April 1. Harrah's also sponsors A.J. Foyt's Indy car, the Harrah's No. 14 Dallara, which Eliseo Salazar will drive in the Indy Racing League. The Northern Light Indy Racing Series opens March 18 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Founded more than 60 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the most recognized and respected name in the casino entertainment industry, operating 21 casinos in 17 markets in the United States under the Harrah's, Showboat, and Rio brand names. With a combined database of more than 19 million players, Harrah's is focused on building loyalty and value with its targeted customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.