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Author: Andrew Kim

  • Bowman wins Daytona 500 pole, teammate Byron completes front row grid

    Bowman wins Daytona 500 pole, teammate Byron completes front row grid

    In his first qualifying session while piloting one of NASCAR’s iconic numbers, Alex Bowman stole the spotlight under the lights at Daytona International Speedway after claiming the pole position for the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500 on Wednesday, February 10.

    Bowman, who was one of 44 competitors participating in the first Daytona 500 qualifying session at nighttime and under the lights around the 2.5-mile superspeedway, secured the top starting spot for the 500 with a pole-winning speed at 191.261 mph in 47.056 seconds, which was enough for him to edge teammate William Byron, who clocked in with a time at 190.219 mph in 47.314 seconds.

    With his accomplishment, Bowman secured his second Daytona 500 pole award, first since 2018 and the third of his NASCAR Cup Series career. His accomplishment also marked the 14th 500 pole award for Hendrick Motorsports and the ninth year in a row for Chevrolet. In addition, Bowman became the first competitor to qualify on the front row for the 500 for a fourth consecutive season. He qualified on the pole for the 2018 Daytona 500 and on the front row the following two seasons.

    “It doesn’t really have a whole lot to do with me,” Bowman said while crediting his team led by crew chief Greg Ives on FS1. “It’s a testament to these guys and everybody back at the shop at Hendrick Motorsports. They work so hard on these superspeedway cars. They’re beautiful when they get to the race track. Our Ally Camaro has been really fast since we unloaded and they focused a lot on trying to get the pole for the [Daytona] 500. It means a lot to us and we were able to achieve that…It feels really good. Man, it’s just awesome to be driving his No. 48 car.”

    Byron, who won the Daytona 500 pole position in 2019, secured the second starting spot and completed the front row grid for Sunday’s 500 as Hendrick Motorsports’ competitors locked up the front row for the 500 for the fourth time in the last eight years. Ironically, Bowman and Byron qualified on the front row for the 2019 Daytona 500.

    The rest of the competitors will have their starting spots for Sunday’s Daytona 500 determined following the Bluegreen Vacations Duel events at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, February 14.

    Aric Almirola posted the third-fastest lap followed by Bubba Wallace, who was the fastest competitor during Wednesday’s practice session and turned in his first laps for 23XI Racing. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won the Daytona 500 pole award last season, was the fifth-fastest competitor. Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece, Austin Dillon and Daniel Suarez posted the top-10 fastest-qualifying laps followed by Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott.

    While teammates Bowman and Byron accomplished their task in qualifying on the front row, Preece and David Ragan were also left victorious after both secured starting spots for Sunday’s 500 based on their qualifying speed while competing in non-chartered entries. Preece will make his third consecutive Daytona 500 appearance while Ragan, who posted the 13th-fastest qualifying lap and finished in fourth place in last year’s 500, will make his 15th consecutive appearance on Sunday.

    The remaining non-chartered competitors that include Austin Cindric, Kaz Grala, Ty Dillon, Garrett Smithley, Timmy Hill and Noah Gragson will battle against one another for the final two spots for the 500.

    Gragson was unable to post a qualifying lap due to his No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE failing pre-qualifying inspection three times. As a result, he will start at the rear of the field in the second duel event. In addition, a crew member from Beard Motorsports was ejected following the inspection failures.

    Derrike Cope was also unable to post a qualifying lap due to battery issues on his No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, thus dropping him to the rear of the field for the second duel event. Unlike Gragson, Cope is guaranteed a spot for Sunday’s 500 based on a charter.

    The start of the qualifying session encountered a brief delay due to power outage.

    The Bluegreen Vacations Duel events at Daytona International Speedway are next on the schedule, with both to occur on Thursday, February 11. The first duel event will commence at 7 p.m. ET on FS1 while the second duel event will commence at 9 p.m. ET on FS1. All will lead up to the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500, which will occur on Sunday, February 14, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Truex to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing following new contract extension

    Truex to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing following new contract extension

    With a new season of NASCAR competition underway, Martin Truex Jr. has inked an undisclosed extended contract agreement to continue to drive the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

    The 2017 Cup champion is coming off his 15th full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, second with JGR, where he recorded a lone victory throughout the season at Martinsville Speedway in June. In addition, he achieved five stage wins, 14 top-five results, 23 top-10 results and a final points result of seventh place. It was also his first season with crew chief James Small, a former lead engineer for Truex who took over following the departure of Cole Pearn.

    “I’m happy to get this news out there so we can focus on this season and the future with Joe Gibbs Racing,” Truex said. “This is where I wanted to be and to continue building on the success we have had together the past two years. I appreciate Coach [Gibbs], my team, everyone at JGR and all of our partners like Bass Pro Shops, Auto-Owners Insurance, Reser’s Fine Foods, Stanley Black & Decker and Toyota for making this possible and I look forward to continuing those relationships as we move forward.”

    “Extending Martin’s agreement has been a big priority for us this off season,” Joe Gibbs, Owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “Martin brings so much to our organization. Obviously he’s talented and shown he can win at any racetrack but his insights also helps to make all our teams better.”

    The 2021 Daytona 500 will mark Truex’s 17th attempt to win his first Harley J. Early Trophy. His best result in the 500 was a runner-up result in 2016, where he lost the battle against Denny Hamlin by a mere 0.010 seconds.

    In addition, Truex, who enters his 16th full-time season in the Cup circuit and third with JGR, will make his 550th Cup career start in this year’s Daytona 500. In his previous 549 starts, Truex has won 27 Cup races and one championship (2017). He has also achieved 19 poles, 116 top-five results and 228 top-10 results, all while competing for organizations that include Dale Earnhardt Inc., Michael Waltrip Racing, Furniture Row Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing.

  • Kyle Busch wins a wild conclusion to the Busch Clash

    Kyle Busch wins a wild conclusion to the Busch Clash

    Starting the 2021 NASCAR season with a new crew chief, a new pit crew and a new slate, Kyle Busch took advantage of a last-lap incident involving Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott to win the 43rd annual running of the Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Tuesday, February 9.

    Busch, who was running in third place on the final lap and entering the final chicane prior to the straightaway for the finish line, benefitted from contact involving Elliott and Blaney, who spun, to overtake both and claim the first checkered flag of a new season of racing and the first Clash event held on Daytona’s road-course layout.

    Twenty-one competitors competed in the event, all of whom met the eligibility requirements to participate: 2020 Cup pole winners, former winners of the Clash as a 2020 full-time competitor, former Daytona 500 champions as a 2020 full-time competitor, former Daytona 500 pole winners as a 2020 full-time competitor, 2020 Cup Playoff competitors, 2020 Cup race winners and 2020 Cup stage winners.  

    The starting lineup was based on a random draw on Monday, February 8. With that, Ryan Blaney started on pole position with Alex Bowman starting alongside him on the front row. Chase Elliott, the reigning Cup Series champion, started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Blaney jumped ahead with an early advantage on the inside lane. Behind, Tyler Reddick made a bold move on the outside lane through Turn 1 and nearly gained the lead before settling in fourth place behind Blaney, Bowman and Denny Hamlin. 

    Blaney continued to lead the field through the infield turns until Hamlin made his move and took the lead entering the superspeedway Turn 1. He was able to maintain his advantage through the rest of the superspeedway turns and the two chicanes to lead the first lap over Blaney, who had Bowman and Reddick challenging him for the runner-up spot.

    Earlier through the bus stop/chicane on the backstretch, Logano ran over the curb on the backstretch bus stop chicane while battling teammate Keselowski as his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang briefly went airborne. Despite the incident, he continued on the track in the top 10.

    By the second lap, Hamlin stretched his advantage to nearly two seconds over Blaney while Bowman continued to retain third place over Reddick and William Byron. Brad Keselowski was in sixth followed by Matt DiBenedetto, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Cole Custer. By then, Chase Elliott moved up to 16th place.

    The following lap, early trouble struck for Kevin Harvick, who spun through the backstretch chicane. He was able to continue without sustaining any damage, though he fell all the way below the 21-car field, as the race remained under green. 

    By the first five laps of the race, Hamlin and his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry continued to lead by more than a second over Blaney and his No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford Mustang. Bowman remained in third place ahead of teammate Byron, Reddick and Keselowski. Behind, Kyle Busch was locked in a heated battle with Joey Logano and teammate Martin Truex Jr. for seventh while DiBenedetto slipped back to 10th. By then, Erik Jones was in 11th, Elliott was in 15th, Ty Dillon was in 17th and Harvick was in 21st.

    Shortly after, DiBenedetto missed the frontstretch chicane and was forced to serve a stop-and-go penalty on the track. In addition, Kurt Busch and Logano made an early pit stop. During these events, Hamlin continued to lead the field.

    The first caution of the race flew on the seventh lap due to mud reported across the bus stop chicane on the backstretch. Under caution, some competitors led by race leader Hamlin pitted while the rest led by Blaney remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Logano was assessed a penalty for having his crew members jumping over his pit wall too soon.

    When the race restarted under green on Lap 10, Blaney jumped ahead again with the lead, but he overshot the first turn and lost a multitude of spots. With Blaney’s misfortune, Reddick jumped ahead with the lead. In addition, the field jumbled up as Harvick spun again in Turn 2.

    At the front, Reddick continued to lead followed by Keselowski, Bowman, Buescher, Hamlin and Byron. By the time the field returned to the start/finish line, however, Keselowski drew himself alongside Reddick in a battle for the lead. In Turn 1, Reddick went wide, which allowed Keselowski to assume the lead. In addition, Hamlin moved up to second followed by teammate Martin Truex Jr. as Reddick fell back to fourth. Meanwhile, Harvick pitted following his second on-track incident. 

    By Lap 12, the battle for the lead heated up between Hamlin and Keselowski while Truex joined the battle. Following a lengthy battle through the infield turns, Hamlin prevailed entering the superspeedway Turn 1. Truex also overtook Keselowski for second as he went to work on teammate Hamlin for the lead. Trailing the top-three competitors by nearly three seconds was Reddick while Elliott overtook Erik Jones and cracked the top five. 

    The following lap, Hamlin got loose entering the bus stop and Truex took advantage of his teammate’s slip to take the lead. Shortly after, names like Reddick, Jones, Bowman and Logano pitted. Following the pit stops under green, however, Bowman was black-flagged due to speeding on pit road. 

    By the time the field completed Lap 15 and with Truex still leading, names like Elliott, Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch, Blaney and Harvick also pitted. Not long after, the competition caution flew.

    Just as the caution flew, trouble struck for the leader Truex, who missed the frontstretch chicane and was tagged with a penalty to restart at the rear of the 21-car field. Under caution, the entire field pitted for adjustments and fuel. Following the pit stops, Kurt Busch assumed the race lead with a two-tire pit stop. Austin Dillon moved up to second place after electing for no tires while Hamlin exited in third place and as the first car on four fresh tires. Keselowski, Blaney, Logano, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Cole Custer and Chris Buescher exited from pit road in the top 10.

    With 17 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the front, Kurt Busch jumped ahead with the lead until he overshot the first turn. With Busch falling all the way to the back of the field after overshooting the track, Hamlin reassumed the lead followed by Blaney, Logano, Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch.

    With 15 laps remaining, Hamlin continued to lead by less than a second over Blaney while teammate Logano was situated in third place. Kyle Busch was in fourth ahead of Austin Dillon and Custer while Keselowski, Buescher, Jones and Reddick were in the top 10. Truex, meanwhile, was in 11th  while teammates Byron, Bowman and Elliott were in 13th, 14th and 15th. Harvick was in 18th while Kurt Busch was still back in 21st. By then, the bumping and on-track battling started to ensue around every turn of the track.

    The following lap, the caution returned when Custer, who missed the frontstretch chicane and was set to serve a stop and go penalty, stalled his No. 41 Haas Ford Mustang near the chicane. Soon after, fire and smoke started to come out of Custer’s car as the safety workers arrived for assistance.

    Under caution, some like Blaney, Logano, Byron, Bowman, Elliott, Newman, Kurt Busch, Reddick, Buescher, Harvick and Aric Almirola pitted while the rest led by Hamlin remained on the track. 

    A lap prior to the restart, the left-rear tire of Byron’s No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE shredded, which forced him to make another pit stop for a new tire. In addition, Logano was forced to drop to the rear of the field for not entering pit road in a single file earlier.

    With 11 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the front, Hamlin jumped ahead with the lead and he was able to retain it through the first two turns while the field behind fanned out to three lanes. Behind, Truex, who smoked his front tires entering the first turn, made his way through Austin Dillon for the runner-up spot as Kyle Busch also moved up the leaderboard. Behind, Blaney, who used the outside lane at the start to his advantage and gain a bevy of spots, challenged Dillon for fourth. 

    The following lap, Hamlin retained the lead by three-tenths of a second over teammate Truex as Kyle Busch settled in third. Blaney was in fourth, but closing in on Busch’s No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for more. Austin Dillon was in fifth followed by Elliott, Keselowski, DiBenedetto, Bowman and Reddick. 

    Two laps later, the battle for the lead heated up as Truex drew himself alongside Hamlin through the infield turns. Truex was able to pull off a crossover move and grab the lead exiting the infield turns and entering the superspeedway turns. His race, however, went away through the bus stop/backstretch chicane when he ran over the mud, got loose, spun and made hard contact against the outside wall in Turn 10.

    With Truex out of the race following his accident, Blaney emerged with the lead followed by Hamlin, Elliott, Kyle Busch and Bowman. Under caution, however, Blaney and Hamlin led a number of competitors down pit road while Elliott, Kurt Busch, Logano, Reddick, Buescher and Aric Almirola remained on the track. This moved Elliott into the lead.

    With five laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Elliott pulled away with the lead and he retained it through the first turn. Behind, Kurt Busch went wide again and lost a bevy of spots. Meanwhile, Logano moved into the runner-up spot followed by Buescher, Blaney, Reddick and Kyle Busch.

    When the field returned to the start/finish line, Elliott remained at the front of the pack by less than a second over Logano with a hard-charging Blaney closing in. Through the bus stop/backstretch chicane, Keselowski, who was in eighth, spun in front of Byron. In addition, Reddick got into Buescher as Buescher spun through the chicane and clipped Bowman before coming to rest on the track. Despite the incidents, the race remained under green.

    At the front, Blaney, racing on fresh tires, closed in on Elliott for the lead through the infield turns, the superspeedway turns and the bus stop/backstretch chicane. With two laps remaining, Blaney made a move beneath Elliott through the dogleg turn as he took the lead, though Elliott kept Blaney in his sights.

    When the final lap of the exhibition event started, Blaney was still ahead by nearly half a second over Elliott. Through the infield turns, the superspeedway turns and the backstretch chicane, Blaney continued to retain the top spot while Elliott continued to close in. 

    Then entering the frontstretch chicane, Elliott made a move beneath Blaney in a bid for the win. Hen then made contact with Blaney as Blaney spun through the chicane. Following the contact, Kyle Busch, who was trailing the two leaders, made his way through the incident and overtook Elliott to win and grab the checkered flag by nearly eight-tenths of a second. 

    The victory was Busch’s second in the Clash as he recorded the 10th Clash win for Joe Gibbs Racing and the sixth for the Toyota nameplate. In addition, Busch achieved his first victory with new crew chief Ben Beshore.

    “I just knew to keep my head down, keep focused ahead and just seeing if I could hit my marks and get close enough to have a shot like that if something like that were to materialize,” Busch said on FS1. “Fortunately, it did for us. I can’t say enough about [crew chief] Ben Beshore and this whole M&M’s team, everybody over the off season. A new M&M’s team…It’s awesome to start off the year with a win. Non-points win, but we’d love nothing more than to be right here this Sunday.”

    Elliott limped across the finish line in second place while Blaney fell all the way back to 13th place. Following the race, both competitors met on pit road for a post-race discussion.

    “Neither one of us won, that’s the big one,” Elliott said on FS1. “I was close enough to drive it in there. I feel like I’d be mad at myself for not, at least, trying. Obviously, I don’t mean to wreck anybody, especially [Blaney]. Some guys, I wouldn’t mind, but he’s not one of them. Hopefully, he’s not too mad at me. I feel like you got to go for it here at an event like this in a situation. I can’t be sorry about going for the win, but certainly didn’t mean to wreck him. [I] Drove it in there. That corner gets so tight. I didn’t want to just completely jump the curb to the right, but I felt like I tried to get over there as far as I could to it and that point, we were coming together at the same time…We’ll try again Sunday.”

    “I hate it happened too,” Blaney added. “It didn’t work out for either of us. We were just racing hard. I had a little bit fresher tires there…I tried to protect and I drove into the last corner really deep to try to make sure I didn’t dive-bombed like that. We just came together there. What are you gonna do?”

    Logano finished in third place followed by Reddick and Byron. Hamlin, Bowman, Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and DiBenedetto rounded out the top 10.

    There were 13 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured four cautions for eight laps.

    Results.

    1. Kyle Busch, one lap led

    2. Chase Elliott, four laps led

    3. Joey Logano

    4. Tyler Reddick, one lap led

    5. William Byron

    6. Denny Hamlin, 21 laps led

    7. Alex Bowman

    8. Erik Jones

    9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    10. Matt DiBenedetto

    11. Austin Dillon

    12. Aric Almirola

    13. Ryan Blaney, five laps led

    14. Ryan Newman

    15. Kevin Harvick

    16. Chris Buescher

    17. Brad Keselowski, one lap led

    18. Ty Dillon

    19. Kurt Busch, one lap led

    20. Cole Custer, three laps down

    21. Martin Truex Jr. – OUT, Accident, two laps led

    The NASCAR Cup Series will return the following day, February 10, for the Daytona 500 pole position qualifying session, which will occur at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races at Daytona on Thursday, February 11, which will also commence at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. All of this will lead up to the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 scheduled on Sunday, February 14, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Blaney draws 2021 Busch Clash pole

    Blaney draws 2021 Busch Clash pole

    The 2021 Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course will have Ryan Blaney and his No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang start on pole position following a random draw and with a new season of NASCAR competition hours away from commencing.

    The lineup was determined based on a random draw, which occurred on Daytona International Speedway’s Facebook page on Monday, February 8.

    This year’s exhibition event will be the first on Daytona’s road-course layout, with the event to run on 35 laps and divided into two stages. The first stage will conclude on Lap 15 with the final 20 laps to occur in the second stage.

    Blaney, who is set to enter his sixth full-time season in the Cup Series, will be making his fourth career start in the Clash. In his previous three Clash starts, he has finished in the top 10 in all starts with a best result of fourth place (twice: 2018 and 2019).

    Alex Bowman, who is set to make his first start in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after replacing the retired seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, will start alongside Blaney on the front row. Denny Hamlin, the reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion and three-time Clash winner, will start in third place followed by Brad Keselowski and William Byron.

    Tyler Reddick will start in sixth place alongside Chase Elliott, the reigning Cup Series champion. Rounding out the top-10 starting grid are Cole Custer, the reigning Cup Rookie of the Year; Erik Jones, the reigning Clash winner; and Joey Logano, a former winner of the Clash and the Daytona 500.

    Rounding out the 21-car starting grid are Ryan Newman, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ty Dillon, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Aric Almirola.

    All 21 competitors met the eligibility criteria to participate in the event: 2020 Busch Pole Award winners, former winners of the Busch Clash, former Daytona 500 champions, former Daytona 500 pole winners (all as full-time Cup competitors), 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff competitors, 2020 Cup race winners and 2020 Cup stage winners.

    The 2021 Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course will occur on Tuesday, February 9, at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Hamilton to remain with Mercedes in 2021

    Hamilton to remain with Mercedes in 2021

    The final piece to the 20-car roster for the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship season has been filled after it was announced that Sir Lewis Hamilton has inked a one-year contract extension with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team as he bids for a record-setting eighth World Championship.

    Hamilton is coming off an historic 2020 season, where he won 11 Grand Prix events and claimed his seventh World Championship, tying him with Michael Schumacher for the most F1 titles in history. Though he was absent from the Sakhir Grand Prix late in the season after testing positive for COVID-19 symptoms, he finished no lower than seventh place in 16 of 17 Grand Prix events in 2020 and he wrapped up the title by 124 points over teammate Valtteri Bottas, who will also remain at Mercedes for the 2021 season.

    In addition, Hamilton was knighted as part of the United Kingdom’s New Year’s Honours List, becoming the fourth Formula One competitor to receive a knighthood, (Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart).

    The 2021 season will mark Hamilton’s 15th full-time season in F1 competition, ninth with Mercedes. Since joining Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton won 74 races and six of his seven overall championships. He currently holds the most victories (95) and the most poles (98) in Formula One.

    “I am excited to be heading into my ninth season with my Mercedes teammates,” Hamilton said. “Our team has achieved incredible things together and we look forward to building on our success even further, while continuously looking to improve, both on and off the track.”

    While Hamilton raced his way to another dominating championship season in Formula One last season, he initially entered this off season with uncertainty and without an established contract for 2021 and beyond. Talks and negotiations regarding a new contract extension were put on hold highly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and took time before the new deal was announced more than a month before the 2021 F1 season is due to start.

    “We have always been aligned with Lewis that we would continue, but the very unusual year we had in 2020 meant it took some time to finish the process,” Toto Wolff, Team Principal/CEO of Mercedes, said. “Together, we have decided to extend the sporting relationship for another season and to begin a longer-term project to take the next step in our shared commitment to greater diversity within our sport. Lewis’s competitive record stands alongside the best the sports world has ever seen, and he is a valued ambassador for our brand and our partners. The story of Mercedes and Lewis has written itself into the history books of our sport over the past eight seasons, and we are hungry to compete and to add more chapters to it.”

    Another key element that is included in Hamilton’s new contract with Mercedes is a joint charitable foundation with a purpose towards supporting greater diversity and inclusion in all its forms in motorsports. Last season, Hamilton was a leading advocate in vocalizing his support towards the Black Lives Matter movement and diversity in Formula One.

    “I’m equally determined to continue the journey we started to make motorsport more diverse for future generations and I am grateful that Mercedes has been extremely supportive of my call to address this issue,” Hamilton added. “I’m proud to say we are taking that effort further this year by launching a foundation dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the sport. I am inspired by all that we can build together and can’t wait to get back on the track in March.”

    Hamilton’s quest for an eighth World Championship is set to begin on March 28 for the 2021 Formula One season-opening Grand Prix event at Bahrain International Circuit.

  • Ty Dillon joins 23XI Racing for Busch Clash

    Ty Dillon joins 23XI Racing for Busch Clash

    The newly formed 23XI Racing will be making its inaugural presence in NASCAR a week early than anticipated after it was announced that Ty Dillon will be joining the organization in a one-race deal for the Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on February 9.

    The criteria for eligibility for the 2021 Busch Clash at Daytona’s road course layout was announced in November, making the event available for competitors who recorded a 2020 Busch Pole Award, won a Daytona 500 and won a Daytona 500 pole award, all as full-time Cup competitors. The event was also open for competitors who made the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, won a 2020 Cup race and won a 2020 Cup stage.

    Dillon, a 28-year-old native from Lewisville, North Carolina, became eligible for the 35-lap exhibition by recording a stage victory last season. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing’s full-time competitor, is ineligible due to not meeting one of the criteria to compete in the event. He will make his first start with the team in the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, which will also mark the start of 23XI Racing’s first full-time campaign in NASCAR.

    Dillon, who is the 21st competitor confirmed for the event and will be making his Clash debut, will be sponsored by Root Insurance, one of the team’s founding partners. The decision to compete in the Busch Clash was made to get 23XI Racing, owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin, an early start for its first season in NASCAR competition.

    Along with the Busch Clash, Dillon is set to compete with Gaunt Brothers Racing for the remainder of Daytona Speedweeks as he attempts to qualify for the 2021 Daytona 500. He is also set to compete in four NASCAR Xfinity Series races with Joe Gibbs Racing.

    The 2021 Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course is set to occur on Tuesday, February 9, at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Hamlin, FedEx ink multi-year extensions with Joe Gibbs Racing

    Hamlin, FedEx ink multi-year extensions with Joe Gibbs Racing

    With a new season of NASCAR competition a week away from commencing, Denny Hamlin enters this season with a new extended contract after it was announced that he and sponsor FedEx will be remaining at Joe Gibbs Racing on a multi-year basis.

    Hamlin, a 40-year-old veteran from Chesterfield, Virginia, is set to embark in his 16th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. He is coming off a productive 2020 season, where he recorded seven victories, 11 stage wins, 18 top-five results, 21 top-10 results and a fourth-place result in the final standings.

    “I’m so fortunate to have the support of FedEx behind me throughout my career,” Hamlin said. “I take a tremendous amount of pride in having the opportunity to represent them not only on the racetrack, but also in the community through the countless programs they have supported for the better part of these past two decades.”

    Throughout his previous 15-year career in NASCAR’s premier series (542 starts), Hamlin has recorded 44 victories, 33 poles, 179 top-five results, 280 top-10 results and a best points result of second place in 2010, all while behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx car for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    The 2021 Cup Series season will also mark Hamlin’s first full season as a car owner, where he and NBA legend Michael Jordan will debut the newly formed 23XI Racing in the 2021 Daytona 500 on February 14 with Bubba Wallace set to drive the team’s No. 23 Toyota Camry.

    “The relationship between FedEx and our organization has been a tremendous success story in so many ways and we’re excited that FedEx will continue to support Denny and our No. 11 team,” Joe Gibbs, Owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “Denny continues to perform at the top of our sport and our goal is to continue to position him and FedEx to win a championship.”

    “FedEx has remained the primary sponsor of the #11 car and Denny Hamlin for over fifteen years, and together we have celebrated many successes on and off the track including 3 Daytona 500 wins,” Jenny Robertson, Senior Vice President, FedEx Integrated and Marketing Communications, added. “The FedEx Racing relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing has continued to provide meaningful opportunities for us to engage our customers, team members, and fans, as well as make a positive impact in the community. We are honored to extend this relationship with the Joe Gibbs Racing organization for multiple years and continue the drive for a NASCAR Cup Series championship.”

    In addition, Hamlin enters the 2021 season as the reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion. On February 14, he will attempt to become the first competitor to win the 500 for three consecutive years.

  • Ty Dillon joins Joe Gibbs Racing for select Xfinity events

    Ty Dillon joins Joe Gibbs Racing for select Xfinity events

    Another name has been added to Joe Gibbs Racing’s lineup for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season after it was announced that Ty Dillon will be joining the organization and pilot the No. 54 Toyota Supra on a part-time basis.

    The 28-year-old native from Lewisville, North Carolina, will make his first start with JGR in the Xfinity Series season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway on February 13. He is also scheduled to compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 27, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 6 and at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24.

    Dillon is coming off his fourth full-time season with Germain Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. With Germain Racing ceasing operations due to sponsor GEICO parting ways from the team, Dillon was initially left without a ride heading into the 2021 season. Currently, he has joined forces with Gaunt Brothers Racing to drive the No. 96 Toyota Camry as he attempts to qualify for the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14.

    The 2021 Xfinity Series season will mark Dillon’s first appearance in the series since he made select starts in 2018 with Richard Childress Racing. In 146 previous starts, he has recorded one victory, which occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2014. He has also recorded four poles, 33 top-five results, 88 top-10 results, 586 laps led, an average result of 10.5 and a best points result of third place in 2015.

    “I am so thankful and excited for the opportunity to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota,” Dillon said. “They have been on top of the sport for a long time and this is a great opportunity for me to go prove that I am a winner and show what I know I can do in a race car.”

    Dillon will serve as one of multiple competitors to pilot JGR’s No. 54 “all-star” car throughout the 2021 Xfinity Series season, including Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs. Busch, the all-time winningest driver in the Xfinity circuit with 97 career victories, will compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 20, Circuit of the Americas on May 22, Texas Motor Speedway on June 12, Nashville Superspeedway on June 19 and at Road America on July 3. Truex, a two-time Xfinity champion who has not competed in series since 2010, will drive the No. 54 Toyota Supra at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 10 while Hamlin, the reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion, will make his series’ one-race appearance at Darlington Raceway on September 4 during Labor Day Weekend. Gibbs, a full-time ARCA Menards Series competitor for JGR and a newcomer to the Xfinity Series, will compete in select events, beginning at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on February 20. Chris Gayle will be serving as crew chief for the No. 54 team.

    “Ty Dillon is going to be a great addition to our Xfinity lineup,” Steve de Souza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “Ty has a lot of experience across the board and that will definitely be an asset to our whole group as we get going this season.”

    A full schedule of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team for the 2021 Xfinity Series season will be announced at a later date.

  • Ty Gibbs set for full ARCA schedule; Xfinity debut at Daytona road course

    Ty Gibbs set for full ARCA schedule; Xfinity debut at Daytona road course

    Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Ty Gibbs will contend for the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship as he will also make his inaugural presence in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

    Gibbs, the 18-year-old grandson of NASCAR championship-winning team owner Joe Gibbs and a native from Charlotte, North Carolina, will be assuming a full-time driving role in the No. 18 Toyota Camry for JGR as he will contend for the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship.

    Throughout the 2020 season, Gibbs recorded a season-high six ARCA Menards Series victories and one ARCA Menards Series East victory. In 16 of 20 ARCA Menards Series starts, Gibbs also recorded five poles, 12 top-five results, 14 top-10 results, 969 laps led and an average result of 4.4 as he contributed to the first ARCA Menards Series Owner’s Championship for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “We want to build on the success that our team had last season,” Mark McFarland, crew chief of JGR’s ARCA program, said. “Ty works extremely hard to prepare each week, and it’s exciting to have him behind the wheel for every race and the opportunity to go after our goal of winning that championship.

    Along with his ARCA schedule, Gibbs will make his debut within NASCAR’s top three national touring series in 2021 as he will pilot the No. 54 Toyota Supra in the Xfinity Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Saturday, February 20. Gibbs will serve as one of multiple competitors driving the No. 54 car throughout the 2020 Xfinity season, with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. also slated to compete in at least one event while Chris Gayle will serve as the crew chief of the No. 54 team. The current schedule has Gibbs eligible to contend for the 2021 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year title.

    “I’m pumped to run the full season in the ARCA Menards Series,” Ty Gibbs said. “[Crew Chief] Mark [McFarland] has put together an amazing team that gives me a chance to be successful every week. I’m also really excited to have the opportunity to work with [crew chief] Chris Gayle to make my debut in the Xfinity Series. I can’t imagine a better situation for me to learn and be able to compare notes, not only with my series teammates like Brandon [Jones], Harrison [Burton] and Daniel [Hemric], but also veterans like Kyle, Denny and Martin who I will share the car with.”

    “I’m looking forward to the upcoming season,” Chris Gayle added. “Ty has already shown a great deal of talent with each step he has taken in his career and I think the opportunity to also learn from his veteran teammates will be a huge benefit to his development.”

    Additional announcements regarding the full Xfinity Series schedule for Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team will be announced at a later date.

  • McMurray joins Spire Motorsports for Daytona 500 return

    McMurray joins Spire Motorsports for Daytona 500 return

    With the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season less than a month away from commencing, a familiar name will be returning to the starting grid for this year’s 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500. That name is Jamie McMurray after it was announced that the 44-year-old native from Joplin, Missouri, will be piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE from Spire Motorsports sponsored by AdventHealth.

    McMurray, who serves as a NASCAR analyst on FOX, made his 583rd and recent NASCAR Cup Series start to date in the 2019 Daytona 500, where he finished 22nd. His final full-time season in the Cup circuit was in 2018 with Chip Ganassi Racing. Through 2019, McMurray has made 17 career starts in the 500. He is also a former Daytona 500 champion, having won NASCAR’s prestigious event in 2010 with CGR.

    With a charter, McMurray and his Spire Motorsports entry will be guaranteed a spot in the 2021 Daytona 500, which will mark McMurray’s 18th start in the event and his 584th start in the Cup Series.

    “It doesn’t get any better than the Daytona 500, and I am so excited to have the opportunity, thanks to AdventHealth, to run this race one more time,” McMurray said. “I have enjoyed my time out of the car as an analyst covering NASCAR, but nothing can replace the feeling of actually racing. And it’s great to be partnering with a company like AdventHealth for this race. We share a lot of the same goals about health and fitness, and I’m looking forward to using this opportunity to talk to race fans about the importance of staying healthy and feeling whole.”

    Along with his 2010 Daytona 500 victory, McMurray comes into the 2021 Daytona 500 with a bevy of success and experience towards NASCAR competition and superspeedway racing. He won at Daytona International Speedway in July 2007 while driving for Roush Fenway Racing and at Talladega Superspeedway twice (2009 and 2013). He is also a former winner of the Brickyard 400 and the All-Star Race, and he is the 2003 Cup Rookie of the Year.

    Through 583 previous starts in the Cup Series, McMurray has won seven Cup career races while also achieving 11 poles, 63 top-five results, 168 top-10 results and three Playoff appearances, with a best points result of 11th place in 2004.

    With McMurray’s entrance, Spire Motorsports has two cars set to compete in the 500, with Corey LaJoie signed on to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

    The 2021 Daytona 500 is set to occur on Sunday, February 14, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.