The Day Before the Twins

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The momentum is picking up at Daytona International Speedway as Speedweeks rushes toward Sunday's Daytona 500, the first race of the season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Here's another photo gallery of sights and scenes around the speedway on Wednesday, the day before the Gatorade Duels twin 150-mile qualifying race.

In between practice sessions on the track, and today's races, the drivers are slammed with other obligations. As Tony Stewart told the audience Wednesday evening during Performance Radio Network's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach radio show at Volusia Mall, 10 percent of his job is a blast and the other 90 percent is a job and not always so fun.

It has been extraordinarily chilly down here thus far, with temperatures 15 degrees or more below normal, and rain is predicted for Friday, but it's still more comfortable than a lot of places around the country and if the temperatures aren't really heating up, the excitement is.

The Miss Sprint Cup lineup for 2010 is, from left, Monica Palumbo, Paige Duke and Amanda Right.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, answers questions in the Daytona media center.

Four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is introduced by co-hosts Mark Garrow and Kyle Petty on stage at Volusia Mall during the Performance Radio Network's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach radio show Wednesday evening at Volusia Mall.

Jimmie Johnson signs autographs at Volusia Mall, located directly across from Daytona International Speedway, after his appearance on PRN's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach radio show.

Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards accommodate autograph requests from racing fans after leaving the PRN stage at Volusia Mall.

Kasey Kahne talks and Kyle Petty listens during PRN's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach Wednesday evening at Volusia Mall.

How many autographs can you sign during a two-minute break in a radio show? Kasey Kahne finds out Wednesday evening on stage at PRN's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach radio show at Volusia Mall.

Backstage at PRN's radio show at Volusia Mall, Tony Stewart has a friendly chat with Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway.

Tony Stewart and Kyle Petty kept the large audience at Volusia Mall entertained Wednesday during the PRN radio show.

Co-hosts Kyle Petty and Mark Garrow of PRN's Fast Talk enjoy Tony Stewart's candid and engaging conversation on PRN's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach radio show.

During a break in PRN's Up To Speed - Daytona Beach radio show, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart stop to have a chat. Gordon had just finished his stint on stage and Tony Stewart was about to go on, awaiting the signal from PRN's Director of Broadcasting Alicia Lingerfeldt in the background.