Whats it like to run at historic Daytona International Speedway?
Ricky: It’s the Holy Grail of all racetracks. I myself cannot sleep for weeks before a race there. And I literally mean weeks. I would hallucinate from lack of sleep. I used to see robot spiders on my arm and start losing my mind. Fortunately, now there’s Ambien. So [these days] I just binge-eat in my sleep. Which is why I keep a roast-beef carving station next to my bed. Last night I ate six sandwiches and drank a 2-liter bottle of A&W Root Beer. But yeah, Daytona’s a big deal. TV Guide: How do you get along with the other drivers? Are there rivalries? Friendships? Ricky: We’ll, it’s tough being No. 1. My best friend is, of course, Cal Naughton Jr. [immortalized in Talladega Nights by actor John C. Reilly], who drives the No. 47 car and sets me up for a lot of my wins. But Dale Jr. is also cool. He and I once spent a crazy weekend in Tijuana together. I won’t go into details, but I will say it involved a flare gun, a toupee, a 19-year-old and a football helmet full of toxic frogs. For
