Smith preps for Daytona 500 as replacement driver for Busch

Regan Smith spent Saturday morning preparing for the Daytona 500 as substitute driver for Kurt Busch in the No. 41 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing.

NASCAR placed Busch on indefinite suspension Friday after a Delaware family court commissioner concluded that "more likely than not" Busch "committed an act of domestic violence" against his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. Earlier in the week, Commissioner David Jones granted Driscoll a protective order from Busch.

SHR announced on Friday night that Smith will serve as interim driver of its No. 41 car for Sunday's 57th running of the Daytona 500. Smith was first fitted for the seat in the car before Saturday's 85-minute long final practice for the Daytona 500. Crew members used black tape to cover Busch's nickname, "Outlaw," inscribed over the driver's window.

Smith made 13 laps around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway during practice, with his best lap clocked at 193.661 mph, placing him 30th in the 35 drivers who participated in the session.

"I think we have a shot to go out and win this race on Sunday," Smith said during a press conference held prior to final practice. "I absolutely think we do, and I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen. If that maybe helps me get to a situation where we can sit here and talk about these things and have it be strictly because someone hired me to drive their car, then that's the goal - to go prove to people that I need to be doing that on a full-time basis for the right reasons."

Smith, 31, is currently a full-time competitor in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. The season-opener for NASCAR's second- tier series takes place on Saturday afternoon at Daytona. Smith won the Xfinity race at this track one year ago.

Last August, Smith substituted for Tony Stewart in SHR's No. 14 car at Watkins Glen International, one day after Stewart struck and killed driver Kevin Ward Jr. during an accident in a sprint car race held at a dirt track in Upstate New York.

Smith is a former full-time competitor in the Sprint Cup Series, earning the rookie of the year title in that series in 2008. He has one Sprint Cup victory, which occurred in the 2011 Southern 500 at Darlington. He drove for Furniture Row Racing at the time. Last year, Smith finished second in the Xfinity point standings (42 points behind champion Chase Elliott).

"I don't think anybody wants to be in the scenario where you have to sub under circumstances, whatever they may be, and with that said, if it happens, you want to make the most of that opportunity," Smith said. "There's a lot of people (at Stewart-Haas Racing) that have had their hands on that race car and worked hard on that race car, so they deserve to still have the opportunity to win that race. And that's what we're going to try to do for them."

Smith's wife, Megan, is expecting the couple's first child within the next couple of weeks. Smith said that he would still race in the Daytona 500 even if she were to go into labor.

"I've asked her to keep her legs crossed as long as she can if she does go into labor," he jokingly said. "We will do what we can to make sure that I get back as quick as I can if that happens, but I will race both races (Xfinity event and Daytona 500) this weekend."

[SportsNetwork.com]